By

Jennifer Morton,

Shelli-Jo Pelletier

and

Skye Galbraith

* * *

~~~ Magimon's P.O.V. ~~~

Throughout our entire journey I had known I wasn’t like the other Digimon. I had a secret past no one could have imagined, and I had planned to keep it that way-that is until the Digimon Queen’s lackey Sunemon showed up. She reminded me of my time when I served the Digimon Queen and she tried to reaffirm a theory I had about not being able to control my powers. Kristina found the Crest of Protection, and then soon after we were all faced with a serious situation. There seemed to be no solution, but when all hope and faith seemed to fail . . . I digi-volved. We sent the Queen’s legions back from under the rock they crawled under. But I have a feeling it won’t be long until we meet again.

* * *

Far beyond the misty ocean shore and crashing waves a familiar red-haired, goggle-wearing girl stood on the edge of a floating patch of ice, hand shielding her eyes from the suns bright rays as they come up towards land. With her of course was her fellow Digidestined, Alex Day, and their loyal Digimon, Nerimon and Foximon.

* * *

Lexxy, Dani and Pandamon were soaring over the heavy fog on Sartomon's back.

* * *

A few miles behind Jennifer and Alex, Emily, Erica and Cheekomon remained safely on Agurimon's back as she dog-paddled with all her might through the strong current.

* * *

Djarumon was the first to make it to dry land. He carried a sleeping Tania and Lina as Diratimon flew overhead. “Wait, let me check to see if we’re in good company before we go any further, if you know what I mean.”

Djarumon nodded silently, so as not to wake the two girls in his arms.

“Aren't you going to wake them?” Diratimon questioned.

“Let them rest, they've had a rough ride,” the Champion replied wisely.

“Gotcha!” With that, Diratimon took off above them to get a better view of the island and its inhabitants, if it had any. The mist didn’t seem to phase the dragons too much. Both had laser sharp, hawk-like vision that could just about see through the blackest and thickest cloud of smoke, if they had to. And if their eyes should fail them, there was always that keen sense of smell.

As Diratimon flew higher through the clouds of mist, he spotted a familiar blue haired human and cat-like Digimon, sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. “Hey, that looks like Skye and Magimon!” He paused and squinted his green eyes.

* * *

Magimon's ears perked up as she heard someone call her name. The voice was coming from above them. When she looked up, she just about squealed with happiness as she saw Diratimon swooping down to greet her. “I can't believe it!” She tugged at Skye's shirt. The girl was in somewhat of a daze and didn't notice until now what was happening.

“Huh? Oh . . . oh my God!” She stood up and backed out of the way to give him some landing room. So much for that: the dragon Digimon landed on top of Magimon, trapping her in a glomp.

“Diratimon! Please tell me the others are with you?” Skye questioned franticly.

Diratimon let go of Magimon and shook his head. “Well, Lina, Tania and Djarumon are here, but I'm afraid that's it.”

“I see.” Skye's excited expression fell in disappointment.

“Kristina and Jaymon are with us,” Magimon replied, and then turned to Skye. “Lets go get Lina, Tania and Djarumon first and then we can meet back with our group.”

“Good plan,” Skye and Diratimon replied.

* * *

“I dunno, are you sure you’re supposed to cook these things?” Kristina asked dubiously, staring at the fire where some purple mushrooms speared on sticks were quickly browning.

Jaymon nodded, but mostly looked just as clueless as her Digi-Destined. “Well,” she said, “I’ll bet they taste better this way than raw! Just about everything does, I’ve discovered.”

“That’s true,” Kristina conceded.

“Hey, I don’t think raw is all that bad, especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables!”

Both the parrot and her partner immediately whirled toward the new voice, but Kristina was thinking it sounded pretty familiar. A tall figure stepped out of the fog, and the brunette couldn’t help but gasp aloud. “DANI!” she cried with joy. “I can’t believe it!”

“Believe it,” came a new voice proudly, and from behind the blonde came Pandamon and the speaker, Cunomon. Lexxy was bringing up the rear.

Kristina couldn’t contain her joy. She and Jaymon ran up to their friends; it had seemed like forever since she had seen them! She was so glad they weren’t hurt. There were lots of hugs and excited explanations tumbling around the small group. Kristina and Jaymon were a bit saddened to learn that no one else had been found, but it was still great to think that at least some of them were back together. It gave everyone heart and hope that the rest of their friends wouldn’t be too far behind.

As if these thoughts were a magical summons, the next voice they heard was the excited calling of Magimon. As they all turned, the saw the white and blue feline run into view, followed by her partner, and also Lina, Tania, Diratimon and Yazumon!

* * *

“Emily! Agurimon!” Jenn exclaimed happily as a large Champion fox pulled herself onto shore. Agurimon crouched, letting her passengers slide down onto the sand. “And Erica and Cheekomon too! Great!”

Emily was about to speak, when suddenly Agurimon gave herself a mighty shake, spraying ocean water absolutely everywhere. The four humans and three Rookies shrieked and tried to hide. After she was done, Agurimon looked up and found several angry and wet glares aimed her way.

“Oops,” said the Champion, blushing. She quickly de-digivolved into Huntermon, looking as apologetic as possible.

“’Oops’ she says,” muttered Nerimon, wiping water from his eyes.

* * *

A crash echoed and re-echoed through the silent room, sounding much louder than it actually was in the stillness. A roar of rage followed, and then another crash and the tinkling of breaking pottery.

In her chambers the Digimon Queen vented her fury where no one could see her, throwing anything that came to hand and screaming in outrage. Her plans were being ruined, and her Digimon slave did nothing! Sunemon was still on the island, and yet the Digi-Destined continued to regroup and grow stronger!

“I will not let this happen!” Sonomi announced aloud, her hands in tight fists as her body quivered in rage. “My plans aren’t ruined yet. It’s time to do what I should have done in the first place. Not trust my future to these incompetent monsters. I’ll deal with things myself this time. I should have taken matters into my hands a long time ago.” She turned around, snapping her fingers sharply. Immediately a towering figure separated itself from the shadows that seethed in the corners of the room. Sonomi glared up at the giant Devidramon without an ounce of fear, a being totally in control and well aware of it.

“Prepare yourself and your brothers for flight,” she ordered the virus Digimon. “We’re taking a little trip.”

* * *

It was still light out, but the Digi-Destined decided to build up the fire Kristina had been using to cook breakfast. They huddled around the warmth for comfort instead of illumination, after waiting eagerly for the rest of their group and finding no one. Although it was the greatest relief imaginable to come together again, without the last eight members of their party it seemed as if a dark cloud of depression was quickly seeping into the entire group.

“They’re goners, I know it,” Dani muttered, chucking a little stick into the flames and watching it curl and blacken.

“Shhh.” Pandamon glared at his partner. “We have to have hope, Dani.” The blonde girl only shrugged listlessly.

Sitting beside Dani, Tania overheard her and looked around the rest of the group. Skye, Kristina, and Dani all looked depressed. Lina looked into the flames with a thoughtful look on her face. Lexxy stared off into space with a slight frown. The Digimon watched their partners with worry or looked off into the woods, on guard against anything or anyone that could attack. Tania sat up straighter and cleared her thought. Feeling all eyes on her, she suddenly wondered if she was an idiot. What could she say to make everyone feel better? Well, too late now. Had to say something.

“Hey you guys,” said the brunette, shoving her baseball cap into a more comfortable position on her head, “Don’t look so down. Sheesh. We’ll find Jenn and the others, or they’ll find us. One way or the other. And if they’re hurt, we’ll find who did it and make ‘em pay!”

“Do you think it’s really all that simple?” Skye asked, sounding half surprised and half sceptical.

“Well we could at least go look for them instead of just sitting here hoping they’ll stumble on our little campsite,” Tania insisted, trying not to sound too frustrated with her friends.

While the group pondered that, Kristina said in a tiny voice the worst thing on everyone’s mind. “What if . . . what if they’re gone? For good?”

Silence fell, but for the crackling and snapping of the fire as it consumed its fuel. Finally Lina gave a little sigh. “We all saw Jennifer and Alex trapped in that whirlpool after falling off Piramon’s ship. It’s possible. . . .”

“What’ll we do without our. . . .” Kristina’s voice gave out and she quietly sobbed into her hands. Lexxy was next to her and put her arms around her shoulders just as Jaymon, on her other side, wrapped her in a hug.

“Hang on, everyone,” Lexxy said, trying to sound hopeful but mostly just sounding desperate. “We can’t jump to conclusions. Until we see or hear anything, I’m going to keep believing like I always have, that they’re just out there lost like we all were before we teamed up.”

“I still say we should start looking for them,” Tania repeated. Yazumon nodded agreement emphatically, putting his claw on his partner’s shoulder in a show of support.

“Anything’s better than sitting here worrying ourselves to death,” Lina agreed. “Let’s go.”

* * *

“This is bloody psycho,” Emily mumbled, half defeated. They had been searching the island for what seemed like ages but in reality was less than an hour. Jennifer’s green eyes caught Emily’s, and she offered a shrug.

“It’s the best we can do for now. We’ve got to keep our eyes open,” she said. “Besides, I think I recognize this place. There’s something familiar about it.”

“Like déjà vu?” Erica asked without looking to their leader.

Jennifer frowned as her eyes scanned the path in front of them, and she let out an aggravated sigh. Foximon glanced back at her with a look of vague confusion. “Not really. . . . More sort of-”

She stopped dead in her tracks as she watched a blur of brown and purple surge from the bushes and run right into Foximon. The crew watched in shock as what appeared to be another fox Digimon hit Foximon.

Nerimon was in the fight before Alex could even open his mouth to speak, standing by Foximon’s side growling. He shot off a fireball that just barely hit the assailant.

“Ring of Fire!” the Digimon countered.

Alex let out a cry as Nerimon dodged the attack. He wanted to get in there, to help their friends but. . . . He looked to Jennifer for cueing but her eyes were focused on the battle before them.

Emily and Erica, sensing Alex’s apprehension, nodded as a signal for their partners to jump into the battle as well. A sea of attacks ensued, crashing against each other and wounding both sides.

It was not until Foximon took a severe burn to her tail that Jennifer realized there was another person-or thing-watching the fight. A loud, harsh laugh echoed around them, cutting through her like steel. She looked around, startled, but saw no one. The others heard it as well, and then, suddenly standing before them, there was a girl clothed in black.

At that moment, each Digidestined and partner felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand up as they came to a realization as if they were all part of one mind. . . .

The Digimon Queen.

Her dark hair was cut short, not past her shoulders. Her face bore a look of sadistic amusement, but her true feelings seemed to be projected from her pitch-dark brown eyes. Anger.

Jennifer’s mind took another moment to process the girl. There was something unnerving about her, but also . . . oddly familiar. She opened her mouth to speak but Queen Sonomi raised her hands (clutching what seemed to be prayer beads) and snapped her fingers.

There was a wind whirling about the Destined and their Digimon, a sea of noise, then silence. They only had a spilt second to react; all of a sudden the trees seemed to come to life. Branches reached at them from every direction, surrounding and binding them. There was no way out.

Erica let out a cry as a sharp tree tightened its grip and a cut began to bleed on her arm. Cheekomon fought harder, but to no avail.

Sonomi snaped her fingers once more, directing the Devidramon to keep a close watch on her prisoners. “Don't finish them just yet,” she ordered. “I want them alive to watch the agonizing end of their precious princess.” And with that she gave Sunemon a harsh nudge with her ankle. “You, come with me” Her Mistress was disappointed with her, she could tell by the tone in her voice, and awaited the worst as they walked out of view.

The Devidramon surrounded the Digidestined, drool dripping from their grinning fangs. Jenn stared them in the eye. “Sorry, fellas, consider your dinner plans canceled!” she smirked, as she and the others struggled harder to get free. She turned to her friends, “We need to hurry, she knows Skye is here.”

“How can you tell?” Erica questioned.

“I've written enough fanfiction to know how the villain mind works, okay? Now less talking and more wiggling.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Lexxy led the group of twelve through the thick brush, her little yellow laptop open in front of her. Diratimon flew behind Lexxy, craning his neck over her shoulder, his expression puzzled. “What's that?”

“This? It's a map. It was sent to help us find our way through the Digi World easier.”

“No, no.” He shook his head, and pointed one wing towards the yellow and white object in her hands. “I mean that thing you’re holding!”

“Oh!” Before Lexxy could explain, Lina interrupted. “Hey! Is it just me, or does that laptop look identical to Izzy's?”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

The Digimon all tilted their heads in confusion. Lexxy knew exactly what their next question would be: What is a laptop? she thought. Before they could ask she just smiled and winked. “I'll explain it to you guys later.”

“Yeah, guys! Quit distracting my girl here.” Dani walked over to Lexxy and gave her a big, hardy pat on the back. “She needs all the concentration she can get, if we ever want to get out of these woods alive.”

The group stared at the two girls with their mouths wide open. Dani and Lexxy? Getting along? “Um . . . did we miss something?” questioned Skye. Lexxy and Dani just looked at each other and giggled.

“This is certainly going take some getting use to,” Kristina joked.

Just then, before they could take another step Skye suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. The others turned to see her standing there, her blue eyes wide with alarm.

“Skye?” Magimon reached up to hold her hand. “Skye, what's the matter?” There was no response.

* * *

**Flash back**

Someone laughed from above. A female voice.

“LadyPiedmon,” said Skye.

“Leaves us alone, LadyPiedmon!” Tai said.

“Hello, Child of Faith, Tai. Good to see you’re still alive,” replied LadyPiedmon.

“Yeah, right. And I’m the future queen of England,” Skye said sarcastically.

“Don’t believe me? That’s too bad. Crimson Blade!”

There was no way Skye could dodge the attack, even with her power. It hit her full on.

“Lordessmon wishes your presence on Devi Fire,” said LadyPiedmon. “So come along.”

Suddenly Skye began to float in the air.

“Skye!” Tai yelled. He ran over to her and tried to reach her. With one hand she held onto Magimon, her other hand dangled in the air. He jumped but missed.

“Jealousmon, Hatemon! Finish them off!” LadyPiedmon said and disappeared.

**End flashback**

* * *

With the end of the vision, Skye’s body went limp. She collapsed to the ground as her friends around her and Magimon cried out in worry. But Skye couldn’t hear them. All she could hear were her own thoughts whirling. This was exactly like her fic. Everything that happened there was going to happen here. No matter what anyone said, the girl didn’t move, lost in her own thoughts. The vision she had wasn’t her own memories of her fic, even though it was exactly as it happened. These were the memories of the Digi Princess! She was remembering memories that had never actually happened to her! She strained to remember her real life and found it was difficult, the memories hazy as if a dream. Skye began to panic.

At a distance, Sunemon and Sonomi stood out of sight, concealed by foliage. Seeing the horrified emotions of the blue-haired girl, the Digimon Queen smiled cruelly. Sunemon shifted at her feet, gazing up at her mistress. What was her plan now?

Pandamon was the first to register the sound of movement in the bushes. His black ears twitched at the breaking of branches and her turned to face the direction they came from. Dani noticed his distraction, and the others picked it up from her. They couldn’t get a response out of Skye anyway. All the Digi-Destined and Digimon (minus one) watched in stunned silence as Sonomi and Sunemon emerged from the woods.

“You!” Pandamon finally snarled. He knew at once who it was. Who else could this cruelly grinning human be?

The Digi-Destined couldn’t find their voices. This was the one they had all feared? She wasn’t even particularly tall! And her clothes weren’t a queen’s garb at all, just a long, casual black and maroon kimono.

“You?” Tania echoed Pandamon, but her voice in incredulous rather than furious. “You’re the big scary queen?”

“Don’t underestimate me, insect,” sneered Sonomi. “It’s not nice to insult someone who has something you want, you know.”

“You have nothing we could want,” Kristina retorted in disgust.

“Oh no?” The Queen snapped her fingers, and the trees around her began to move. Branches groaned and twisted, and eight forms were brought into view. “What about your friends?” asked Sonomi triumphantly.

Jenn, Erica, Alex, Emily, and their Digimon looked down at the other half of their group. “This wasn't exactly the kind of reunion I was expecting,” said Foximon.

“Silence!” Sonomi scolded. She raised her hand towards the branches once more. A few more sneaked over Foximon's shoulders and warped themselves around her mouth to form a gag. Her cries became muffled behind wood and leaves.

“Well?” the Queen asked again, her voice strained with impatients.

“Fine,” a voice suddenly came from behind. The Digidestined stood aside to make a path for Skye, who walked slowly towards the front of the group. There she stopped and looked up at the eight hostages, a single tear making its way down her cheek. “If I agree to go with you, you’ll promise to leave my friends alone?”

Sonomi smiled wickedly and, with a final snap, cut off the magic from her prayer beads. The branches suddenly shrunk down to their normal size and the trees stood as they were before, lifeless. As soon as Jenn hit the ground she ran towards Skye. “Skye, wait!”

“I have to this,” Skye explained, trying not to look at Jenn directly. She kept her head down. “You guys need to save the digital world without me.

“Listen to yourself! The entire reason we’re here in the first place is because of you! How do you expect us to restore the Digi Princess to her throne if she's dead? I mean, what's the point of this?”

“She has a point, Skye,” Sunemon teased. “Maybe they should just go home, if they know what's good for them.”

“Maybe they should,” Skye said softly. She looked back at the Digidestined, her focus mainly on Jenn. The redhead felt her heart tear in two when she read the expression on Skye's face. It was telling her to lead them back home, where they could be safe and warm from all of this madness.

Skye turned her attention back to Sonomi. “I'm ready.”

Queen Sonomi held out her black gem. A dark blue ray shot out from its middle, trapping Skye in its grasp and pulling her in. Jenn and Magimon ran to Skye, reaching to grab her feet. Her partner's screams pierced Magimon's ears as the darkness consumed her. Soon she was gone.

Sonomi looked at her gem and laughed at the figure trapped inside. She then looked at the Digidestiend with a devilish gleam in her eye. “And as for you: Devidramon, finish them!”

Three Devidramon crowded around them, circling like vultures, as Sonomi disappeared with Sunemon and her blue-haired captive.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Magimon's eyes glowed with bright blue rage. “LIGHTNING SHOCKER!” Her attack was blocked by one of the Devidramon.

“I knew she wouldn't let us off that easy,” Nerimon growled.

“Jenn!” someone cried out from the huddled group of humans and Digimon. Foximon stood beside her partner, frightened. Jenn had collapsed to her knees, just as Skye had done earlier.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Digimon Queen flew back to her castle. She never stopped looking at her gem the entire way. “What a shame to know that all your friends’ troubles will have been in vain. What a foolish waste of time all this was.”

Sunemon watched her mistress taunt the girl inside her gem. “Maybe now that she has the Digi Princess, she'll cut me some slack,” she hoped to herself quietly. Truth be told, she never really enjoyed this way of life. For her or her mistress. However, this was the way things were, whether she liked it or not. And as a servant, she must remain loyal, even if it meant risking her own life.