The hydramon stared in horror and fear at the thing Raven had become. With two fiery red coals for eyes, claws for hands, and fangs for teeth, the angel had shed his guise as he prepared to unleash his full fury. Through it all his crest glowed like a small star.

"Vengeance shall be mine." He said in a deadly calm voice.

Gennai suddenly looked up as a new crest appeared.

"The crest of vengeance?" He muttered aloud while trying to get a fix on it's location. "How is that possible?"

"Who would have the crest of vengeance?" Jenna asked from one of the monitors.

"That's just it, I have no idea." Gennai said. "Let's see who's out there." He muttered to himself tapping some keys. "Angewomon, Magnaangemon, Hydramon... Oh my god."

"What is it brother?"

"I know where they are. Hydramon was guarding the other half of the crest of Hope in the forbidden swamp. That explains why I lost track of them after they used the portal program."

"Well of Angewomon and Magnaangemon are out there then that means that Light and Hope are too, right?" Jenna asked.

"Yes they are." He said absently, as he tapped at more keys.

"But facing a Hydramon alone is suicide."

"They're not alone. There's another digimon with them, but they're about to digivolve."

"So you won't know who's out there until they finish."

"No, but I don't have long to wait." He said looking at a monitor. "It has begun."

"TERRORMON DIGIVOLVE TO... METALTERRORMON!" In a blast of light, Terrormon was clad from nose to tail in black armor and sporting more than a few weapons.

Very good my love. You've learned the lesson of vengeance. Angelique said approvingly.

And what's that?

It's seldom for yourself.

"WING MISSILE!" Metalterrormon shouted unleashing a half a dozen rockets which exploded into flaming shrapnel, destroying all the heads save one.

"VENOM..." He began weakly. That was all the further her got before Raven slammed into the beast knocking it to its back.

"Where's the crest?"

"I'll never tell you." the creature snarled

"Then you'll have no need of your tongue." Raven growled raising his claws to strike. He paused when he saw a throbbing glow from the creatures chest.

"Look at TK's crest!" Kari exclaimed. Sure enough they both pulsed with the same steady rhythm.

"Well then let's just cut to the heart of the matter." Raven snarled plunging his hand into the monster's chest and removing the still beating heart.  With a careless grin he tossed the organ into the air and waved his hand in front of it. A moment later the skin fell away as he caught the other half of TK's crest. He took a step towards Kari and TK before the two angels blocked his path.

"I will not fight you, but I will see my friends." He said, feinting left before cutting right past the surprised angels.

"Get away from him!" Kari yelled springing to defend TK.

"So much fear and anger in one so young." Raven rasped sadly, laying a hand on Kari's chest.

"What-" Kari gasped as the red and gray energy flowed out of her into Raven.

"CELESTIAL ARROW!" Angewomon shouted releasing the arrow of light.

Raven gathered the children into his arms and jumped clear of the blast.

"I told you I will not fight you. Must you destroy that which you do not understand?" With that he set the children down, dropped the half tag into Kari's hand and shot into the air and disappeared.

"Kari are you all right?" Angewomon asked as the three ultimate reverted to rookie and champion forms. "What did that monster do to you?"

"He's not a monster." Kari said clipping TK's crest together to merge in a flash of golden light. "Inside it's still Raven. I don't know how but he pulled the fear and anger out of me."

"Ungh." TK moaned sitting up cautiously.

"Whoa! Slow down. What's your name?"

"Takeru Ishida." He replied.

"Who am I?"

"My loving wife of fifteen years and mother of two Hikari Kamiya." He said with a straight face.

"Not yet I'm not buddy." She grinned. How can he be flirting after what we've been through lately? She thought. It is kinda cute though.

"No? Well try back in about twenty years." He chuckled managing a full sitting position.

"One more question. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four?" TK asked blinking hard. "No, two." He amended. "What's the verdict doc?"

"I think you might have a concussion, but I'm no doctor. Let's get you back to the cave and then I'm going back after Raven."

"I don't think so love. I owe Raven and I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Fine." Kari acquiesced with a yawn. "Let's just find him and go back to the cave."

"Will you help us find him Shadowmon?" TK asked.

"I can try, but he may not want to be found."

Shadowmon is right. Angelique said. Raven doesn't change often, but when he does, he wants to be alone until it passes.

What happened to him? Kari asked silently.

Ask him yourself. Angelique said with her beautiful laugh.

Easy for you to say. You don't have to find someone who doesn't want to be found.

How would you find any of the others? Angelique laughed.

"Oh brother." TK said. "I am really gonna feel that in the morning. What time is it anyway?"

Kari looked to her digivice and was about to answer when inspiration struck her. "Is Raven still wearing his digivice?"

"I don't see how. All his clothes were shredded when his muscles expanded." Patamon said.

"Well," Gatomon said searching among the cloth scraps. "It's not here."

"That's what I wanted to hear." She grinned tapping buttons on her digivice. "We've got a signal."

"Let's go." Shadowmon said.

"Raven!"

"How did you find me?"

"I'll bet your digivice is attached with an elastic band, right?"

Raven groaned at his own stupidity. "Go away Kari. You shouldn't see me like this."

"Either you climb down or TK and I climb up."

"I'm not coming down!" He snapped. "I'm a monster."

"Up we go TK." She said grabbing a branch. "A monster would have saved themselves." Kari grunted picking her way into the tree. "You protected us when you didn't have to."

"I couldn't let you be destroyed."

"You put yourself on the line for us." TK said. "You  didn't have to pull me out of that quicksand or help us face the hydramon."

"I did that for my own reasons."

"You did it because you are our friend." Kari said climbing higher. "Not a monster."

"How can you look at me knowing what I am?"

"What are you?" TK asked as he pulled himself out of the leafy branches before reaching back to help Kari up. "Our friend? Our protector?"

"Our father." Kari said emerging from the foliage to find Raven with his face in his wings. "After the Hydramon hit TK you said, 'Don't ever hurt my children.' I don't know what you meant by that, but I'm proud to call you father."

"As am I." TK said. "No matter what you look like."

"How did this happen?" Kari asked moving the leathery wings away from his face.

"This is what a fallen angel becomes when they go to hell." Raven rasped. "A demon that feeds on the dark emotions of pain, hatred, fear, and despair."

"That's what happened." Kari said, slowly understanding. "You drew the fear and anger out of me."

"Yes. Most demons feed on their victim's fear, but do not take the fear as I do. Of course, the price I pay is two fold."

"I don't understand." TK said.

"The more I feed, the longer I stay," He gestured at himself with a taloned hand. "Like this."

"And the other?" Kari asked gently.

Raven didn't answer right away, but gazed at the two children. "Cherish what you have, for I have known neither light nor hope for a long time. Consuming so much hatred and fear and mistrust for so long has darkened my soul and blackened my hope."

TK and Kari joined hands, then grabbed a hold of Raven's hands to complete the circle. "We shall be your light." TK said.

"And your hope." Kari whispered.

With those words, the young pair's crests began to glow brighter and brighter until the three 'destined were swallowed in a flash of light. When it faded, Raven looked as he always did. TK and Kari looked at him a moment before pitching backwards in a faint. With angelic speed, Raven caught one in each arm and drifted gently to the ground.

"Sleep well, and thank you my little angels." He whispered.

"Hey Raven, I've got good news and bad news." Izzy said. "The bad news is the portal program we used to escape Neomyotismon drained your computer's power cells."

"And the good news?"

"Fully recharged. We can leave anytime."

"Tomorrow." Raven said wearily. "We'll get out of here, get the others, and go on from there." He said laying the children down by the dying fire and adding more wood to it.

"Do you mind if I look at your computer?"

"Sure. Just don't get too immersed." He said handing him the reconstructed device. You'd never know that thirty six hours ago this same red haired young man had smashed this computer into the wall, which is exactly how Raven wanted it.

"Thanks. Is that a new crest?" Izzy asked peering at the black tag that hung Raven's neck.

"Yeah. This is half of my crest of vengeance, and TK has his full crest of hope. So all in all," Raven yawned wrapping his wings around himself. "tonight was a good night."

"Not for you wardrobe." Izzy said eyeing him skeptically.

Raven, TK has concuzzion. Kari said silently. Her voice sounded thick and fuzzy.

I understand little one. Get your rest. "I can handle that later. Look TK got the worst of it out there. I didn't want to let him fall asleep but he was already out of it by the time we finished. Since you're gonna be up for a while, can you wake him up every few hours, maybe have Joe take a look at him?"

"Sure." Izzy said moving closer to the young boy. "You get some rest."

Raven was already asleep.

"Hey barkeep, straight scotch in a big glass." Raven called slumping into a booth. "I feel like hell."

"And you've looked better too, love." Angelique said.

"True, but I've also looked worse." He said as a waitress brought him his drink. "Introductions?" The others shook their heads. "All right. Artemis, Krista, meet Stephan, former angelic mediator, and Angelique, angel of vengeance. Artemis and Krista are TK and Kari's avatars."

"Kudos on the Hydramon, Raven." Artemis said.

"Save the small talk, Atremis. What are they?"

Artemis sighed. "I was hoping you could tell us that. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Am I missing something?" Steve asked.

"You remember TK and Kari, don't you?"

"Yeah, the cute kids."

"Well, those 'cute kids' are far more than they appear." Angelique said frowning in thought. "Kari can use the sahareim."

"How is that possible?" Krista asked in surprise.

"I don't know. I do know she has a mother load of latent angelic energy. Or rather, previously latent."

"Do you think she's an EBA?" Artemis asked.

"Earth born angel? Yeah, I had thought of that, but guys," He leaned in close and dropped his voice to a nearly inaudible whisper. "I wouldn't swear to this, but I'm almost certain that her power level is greater than Michael's."

"Raven, that's impossible. Michael is a supreme archangel. There shouldn't be any entity between him and God on the power scale." Artemis hissed.

"I know this." Raven said sipping his drink. "I also know there shouldn't be an avatar older than me, yet your boy is carrying an guardian who is 'older than the First One' which I find very unnerving." He slammed back the rest of the drink and signaled for another.

"That shouldn't be. I can't explain it."

"Is there anything odd about my Kari?" Krista asked.

Raven couldn't help but laugh. "Funny. Earlier this evening I called them my children. Between all of us those two are going to have a family of angels. As to your question, Krista, let me pose one of my own. Does the term The One mean anything to you?"

"No." She said after a moment's thought. "I take it that it should?"

Raven nodded. "That's what TK says his avatar calls Kari. You'd think they tell you things like this, but no! You're just the avatar." He said sarcastically.

The five angels laughed at that and continued talking and drinking through the night.

"Hey Raven, wake up." Kari muttered.

"It can't be morning already." He groaned.

"Wake me up when we leave." She mumbled laying beside TK and dozing off.

"Too kawaie." Matt grinned as Raven draped his cape over the sleeping youths.

"How are they?" Raven asked Joe as the digimon returned from foraging for food. "I wasn?t planning on any of us going into battle.

"Well, except for some excess muscle strain and sleep depravation, Kari?s fine. TK?s a little worse but nothing serious as far as I can tell. Mild concussion, intense muscle trauma, and his back is one giant bruise. Rest is the best thing for both of them, although I?m interested as to what happened last night."

So Raven related the battle of the hydramon omitting any references to his own transformation, and glossing over the details of Shadowmon?s Ultimate digivolution.

"Ouch." Izzy said when he finished.

"I should have been there." Joe said glumly.

"I know how you feel." Matt said. "I hate letting any of you guys down, but especially these two."

"Okay, reality check. Joe, you have no digimon to protect you. Last night your presence would have been more of a hindrance than a help as it would have meant another body to watch out for. Matt, we both know Gabumon wasn?t up to a fight last night. Hell, I?m not even sure he?s up for whatever we?re going to do today, and with your injury, you?d be more of a liability than Joe."

"Are you saying we can?t protect ourselves?" Izzy snapped. "Because we were doing before you came along, Mr. Tall, dark and spooky."

"Izzy chill." Matt said.

"Raven is right." Gabu said picking up an apple. "If Matt or Joe had gone out, they would have just ended up getting lost, or hurt, or worse." The word ?dead? was strictly off limits around Izzy, for obvious reasons. Raven figured if they didn?t get some down time and straighten this out before too long, Tentomon would tell him. He could respect that kind of loyalty. "Just because we wanted to be in the fight doesn?t mean we should have been there.

"Hey," Gatomon said lazily. "Less talking and more eating." She had been rather adamant about staying with Kari and only Kari herself had been able to persuade to leave with the others, but now Gatomon was back at the eighth child?s side, lightly dozing and ready to act instantly to protect her. Again, loyalty but Raven could tell there was something more to it than simple loyalty. He?d seen a lot of relationships but the one these two shared went beyond cataloging and filing. Like his former master, he too was fond of puzzles, and this was one he was determined to figure out.

"So," he said picking up some berries. "what are we looking at Izzy?"

"Well, Tai, Sora and Mimi are being held at one of the outdoor quarries, which makes a rescue attempt relatively easier than in a mine." The red head said biting into a pear.

"Something easy? Will wonders never cease?" Joe quipped.

The group chuckled a moment before Matt asked, "There?ll be guards, won?t there?"

Izzy nodded and punched up a program Raven didn?t even know existed. "What the?"

"A digimon analyzer." Izzy grinned, then sobered as he pulled up the data on the screen. "From what I can tell they?ll most likely be Gemmon. They store solar energy in their crystal bodies, but can release in their solar cannon attack. Very nasty."

"What a fun loving bunch of guys." Gabumon quipped staring on another apple.

"Crystal, huh?" Shadowmon said carefully perching on Raven?s shoulder. Once she was sure she hadn?t given him an unplanned haircut, she continued. "Raven, are you pondering what I?m pondering?"

"Well a sonic blast would shatter them pretty easily."

"So would an ice missile." Matt said swallowing some berries.

"Well the kids are pretty well spent," Izzy said talking more to himself than anyone else as he started to pace. "so they?d be next to useless in a fight. We got Gabumon back by locking onto Matt?s digivice when we jumped, so if we lock onto the crests this time we could get Gomamon and Joe?s digivice back. The only foreseeable problem is that Gabumon was in pretty bad shape when we got him back, and in his absence they?ve either quarantined the other slaves or more than likely increased their workload. Gomamon won?t worth much combat wise either." He suddenly stopped and looked up. "Tentomon and I will stay and look after the others. Raven, you and Matt go get Tai, Sora, and Mimi." And God help them if any harm befell her. He thought grimly.

"Sound's like a plan. You up for it, Matt?"

"Mmm Hmm. Gabumon?"

"I will be." Gabumon said helping himself to some grapes.

"Shad?" Raven asked.

"Hey, I'm always ready to raise some hell. When do we leave?"

"As soon as I figure out exactly where they are." Izzy said reseating himself before the computer. "I've been working on it all night and I've narrowed it down to six quarries spread out across a ten mile radius from where we were separated."

"If I had known that was what you were working on, I'd have told you that there's a tracking program on that computer that allows me to track the movement of data in the digital world. It came preloaded with eight specific data patterns. You're data patterns. Computer display map." The computer screen threw up a map of the digiworld. "Query. Locate Izzy." A moment later a small red dot appeared at the center of the screen.

"Okay. Computer, query. Locate Tai, Sora and Mimi, and import coordinates to application portal.exe."

"One mile away, northeast side." Matt said. "We don't need to shift into a hornet's nest after all."

Izzy blushed and mumbled. "Right." He had been so focused on Mimi he had almost gotten them all captured.

"I know you're worried about her." Joe said quietly in his ear. "I am too. Just take it easy and know we'll get her back."

"Thanks Joe."

"Anytime." He murmured leaning back with a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Somethin' wrong Joe?" Raven asked.

"I'm just worried about Gomamon." He replied. "I mean what if he's been deleted or something."

"Don't worry Joe. Ol' Gomy's tougher than he seems."

"Gomy." Joe laughed. "I'd never thought to call him that."

"I can't speak for all of us, but some of us prefer nicknames." Shad said.

"A heck of a lot faster too." Raven said.

"Gomy." Matt mused. "Sound's a lot like Gabby."

"Don't call me that, Matt." Gabumon protested sullenly "It makes me sound like a girl."

Matt was about to reply when TK sat up with a scream.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Kari cried sitting up. "What happened?"

"I rolled on my back!" TK wailed with tears of agony streaming down his face. "It hurts!"

"Shh. I know it hurts but I can make it better." She whispered, her own back searing with pain.

"Really?" He sniffled.

"Yeah. I can do magic." She said, whispering a sahareim as she wiped away his tears. "How's that?"

"Wow, you can do magic." He said leaning in to kiss her.

"Got it!" Izzy cried triumphantly startling the two youngest digidestined who quickly pulled apart while shooting daggers at the boy genius. "We can leave anytime."

"Let's go back to sleep TK." Kari said, whispering another sahareim. One day, she vowed silently. I'm gonna get that damned kiss!

Well done Kari. Raven said.

I didn't realize the link was this strong. She replied with a slight echo. The sahareim effected both of us.

"What did she do?" Matt asked.

"She used a sahareim, an angelic word of power, to ease his pain." He murmured one of his own and his own tattered rags were replaced by a pair of black slacks and a cream colored t-shirt that read. "51% Angel, 49% Demon: Don't Push It!" "It's also great on the tailor bills."

"The program's ready." Izzy repeated impatiently.

"Then let's rock." Raven said, punching the enter key.

Gatomon dreamed of a sandy stretch of beach by the ocean. "Where am I?"

"Hello Gatomon." A familiar voice said behind her.

"You again? Purrrfect." She said turning to look at her twin. "Why am I here?"

"We need to talk and for now, the only way I can reach you is in your dreams, and before you ask, Kari's fine."

"Great." Gatomon said hopping nimbly back as the incoming tide lapped at her paws. "Can we go somewhere with a little less water?"

"Of course." Her twin said waving a paw. With  a swirl of windblown sand the beach was replaced by a beautiful crystal palace.

"What is this place?" Gatomon asked in awe.

"This is the Keep of Light."

"Is this your home?"

The twin laughed. "No, not mine. The Defender of Light and her Guardian live here."

"Who are you?"

"A friend and protector, to you Gatomon."

Taken aback, Gatomon stammered. "A-are you my avatar?" Her twin nodded with a slight chuckle. "What's your name?"

"I've had many names and many forms," Her twin said walking behind her covering Gatomon's eyes. "but this is how you know me best."

That voice... It couldn't be...After what happened...

"Wizardmon? But you're..."

"Physically inconvenienced. When Myotismon's Grisly Wing attack destroyed my body, my ... spirit for want of a better term went... elsewhere."

"You're being pretty vague, Wizardmon." Gatomon said.

"I know, but I can't explain it any better than that." He said. "I came to the mortal plain searching for you, but you're nega angel found you first."

"What's a nega angel?"

"A fallen angel who seeks only to deliver fear and pain and misery."

"Myotismon." Gatomon snarled.

"Yes. While the virus digimon was always cruel and vindictive, the nega angel had the fortune to stumble onto Myotismon when he first reached ultimate level. When Angewomon destroyed him, the nega angel was forced from this plane, as I was. When VenoMyotismon showed up he was pure digimon."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"I had to. You were always too close to Myotismon for me to risk a direct confrontation with him. The resulting energy explosion would have likely destroyed you." He was silent a moment before changing the subject. "You know that Kari is more than she seems."

"Yes, but I don't know what she is. She's changing in ways I can't understand and it scares me. Even worse it scares her. She won't admit it, but life has thrown her a curveball  that she can't hit. And what does TK have to do with all this?"

"You, TK, and Krista all share the same task. Protect Kari until she comes into her power."

"When is that?" Gatomon asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that when she does it will be the start of a new destiny for both of you."

The pair was silent for a long time. "I miss you Wizardmon. I feel so alone sometimes." She said turning.

But Wizardmon wasn't there. Kari was.

"I know, but you'll never be alone again." She said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around the digimon.

"So Matt," Raven said swirling his cape around his shoulders. "are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Gabumon."

"Let's go."

"All right. "Raven said. "Let's do it."

In unison the boys shouted, "DIGIVOLVE!"

"GABUMON WARP DIGIVOLVE TO... METALGARURUMON!"

"SHADOWMON DIGIVOLVE TO...TERRORMON! TERRORMON DIGIVOLVE TO... METALTERRORMON!"

Matt looked her over from nose to tail then spoke two syllables.

"Let's rock."

"Water break, slaves!" The guard called.

"Isn't it awkward being shackled together like that?" Palmon asked sitting beside Mimi.

"It's had its moments." She replied, blushing as she thought of the infirmary.

"I still want to know what happened to Gabumon and Gomamon." Biyomon said.

"I tell you, they just disappeared. I saw it myself."

"I think you might be overworked, good buddy." Tai said. "Digimon don't just disappear unless they're deleted."

"WING MISSLE!" A new voice shouted as six black missiles streaked into the quarry blasting several of the Gemmon into data bits.

"Like that." Tai said, as the others sweatdropped.

"Hello all." The dark garbed figure said as he landed and pulled off his cloak. "Miss me much?"

"Raven." Tai said coldly.

"The one and only, often imitated but never duplicated. Those shackles can not be comfortable." He said disintegrating the chains.

"How'd you get here?" Mimi shouted as Metalterrormon rained more missiles into the quarry.

"A long story. We would have been here sooner but we had a bat infestation." He snarled blasting the Gemmon as they approached. "I hope you don't mind me bringing a friend."

"SOLAR-"

"ICE WOLF CLAW!" Metalgarurumon shouted unleashing his frozen missiles to leave the ground littered with crystal and ice shards.

"How's my timing?" Matt called.

"Perfect. Lean back please." Matt complied. "Thanks. SONIC BLASTER!" The resonant blast left Raven's hand and blasted away part of the quarry wall, cutting off some of the guards' reinforcements.

Raven was about to answer when a faint voice came out of his digivice. "Raven."

"Izzy?" The angel lifted his wrist in surprise. Izzy must have reworked his voice mail to send a real time message through his digivice. "What's wrong?"

"She... took... kids..." He managed.

"Who was it Izzy?" Raven demanded, but there was no response. "Matt, we've gotten who we came for, let's blow this place."

"But-"

"No buts." Raven said firmly, blowing a shrill note with his thumb and middle finger. "Terri, make a hole and make it wide. Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you get your travel partners now, because we'll be leaving shortly."

"I'll go with Matt, you girls go with Raven." Tai said coldly.

"SONIC SCREAM!" Metalterrormon shouted unleashing a concentrated sonic blast that tore through the remaining Gemmon leaving the ground littered with crystal shards.

"Don't you think that was a little extreme?" Raven asked as the armored dragon touched down. "I mean you half deafened me."

"No, not really." She replied as Raven and the girls scrambled aboard.

"We can argue later." Sora said as Matt puled Tai and Agumon onto Metalgarurumon's back. "For now let's just get out of here."

"As it pleases my lady." Raven said gallantly as Metalterrormon rose into the air. "Let's hightail it back to the others, Terri. Somethin's leaving a real sour taste in my mouth."

The scene looked like a battlefield with blasted trees, smoldering fires, and scorched earth.

"My God." Mimi gasped.

"God has nothing to do with this." Raven declared darkly dismounting, while Metalterrormon looked for a place to land. He crouched besides Izzy's inert form carefully avoiding the unconscious Motimon. "Izzy?"

"Raven." He muttered. "She took them...tried to stop...too powerful..." He slumped over.

"How is he?" Matt asked as Metalgarurumon reverted to Gabumon.

"Pretty banged up but he should recover. It looks like something took Joe, TK, and Kari."

For a moment Tai just stood there numb with shock, then he grabbed Raven's shoulder.

"Kari's alive?"

"And kicking." He said hunching over his laptop. "Or at least she was the last time I saw her. Heaven help them if that's changed."

"We need to go after them, not play on the computer like Izzy." Tai shouted.

"Charging blindly into a battle isn't courageous, Tai. It's stupid. Izzy can be counted on to do certain things in certain situations like a reflex. I'm counting on one of those reflexes to give us an idea of what we're up against."

"Raven es no baka." Tai mumbled walking away.

"Taichi es no baka yaro." Raven retorted as the screen displayed the image of a female demon dressed in black leather.

"Do you recognize her?" Matt asked.

"No. I've never encountered her before." Raven said frowning. "We better tell Gennai."

"Tell me what?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I found another prophecy you kids should know about."

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait. Izzy was attacked and Joe, Kari, and TK were kidnapped. I'm sending you a screen capture."

The hologram turned to the side a moment. When he turned back to them his face was stark white and his eyes were wide with fear.

"You have a big problem."