Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Summery: AU, very AU and dark, with mentioning of torture, violence and blood drinking. Hunting for Michael to finish what he started, Tai confronted the digi destined and taunted them before making his way towards the village where the blond haired boy currently is. At the same Time, Mimi and Blackgatomon found themselves under attack by some kind of creation the Master sent to kill them.

Poking the camp fire with a stick, Tai turned his head to look back at the small form curled up on the remains of his cape, a ragged breathing sounding in the air as the small body shook violently. "Blackgatomon?" Turning to face her, Tai slowly dropped the stick into the fire as his mind was cast back to earlier that day.

"I failed you." Taichi muttered in a depressed tone of voice as he stroked the black feline, who was still whimpering a bit as she struggled to recover from her wounds. "Maybe, if I had been faster, or known he was there, this wouldn't have happened to you."

Blackgatomon slowly opened her eyes as her partner spoke, her eyes staring into his as she began to sit up, but stopping as the gash on her back sent a wave of pain running through her, making her gasp as her a hand reached down and helped her settle into a less painful position. "You couldn't have known it." She mumbled out as she grabbed the hand, staring up at her partner with a tearful expression. "It was my fault, should have sensed him coming"

Taichi shook his head as he refused to believe her, his brown hair falling down over his eyes as he did so. "I'm your partner, and I failed to protect you."

Still holding his hand, Blackgatomon shook her head as she began to push her body towards him. "No it wasn't you, it was me." Coughing a bit, Blackgatomon settled back down. "It was my fault." Then she stopped talking as pain rushed through her again. When it stopped, she just stared at Tai as she reached out a paw, running it over the clothes he was wearing. "Your outfit, it..."

"Hmm." Tai didn't really answer as he lowered his head, his free hand running over the simple blue T-shirt with the star on his chest. "I... I couldn't go on, you were hurt because of me, and she was hurt because of me." Looking away from the black feline like digimon, he gave her a sad smile. "The master, and Jun, tried to kill me." Tai gave her a small grin as he gave her a small rub on the head. "I don't think he wants me to work for him anymore and even if he did, I know I won't work for him."

Blackgatomon gave her best attempt at smiling back at him as she enjoyed the head rub. "Are you free of the virus"

No answer came as Tai gently pulled his hand free from her paws. "Sleep Blackgatomon, you need it, you have to recover your strength."

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"Come on Mimi, wake up already. it's me Gennai, we have to talk."

Rolling over in the warm futon, Mimi gave a content smile as she reached out to pull Palmon close to her, hoping to prolong this moment before she had to wake up and face the fact that she was still a prisoner at some vampire boy's castle in the middle of the digital world, even if he treated her like a queen, she still wanted to go home again, to be just a normal girl. "Mom... Dad..."

"Mimi, I know you're awake?"

Eyes napping open as the familiar, yet rather unexpected voice reached her, she felt a blush creep up on her face when she noticed a rather young looking man kneeling on the ground next to her bedroll, his eyes staring at her with a familiar look of gentleness in them as he held out a cup of water to her. "You?" Sitting up in the bed, Mimi blushed as she dragged the blanket up to cover her. "Are you really, Gennai?"

The person who had called himself Gennai held the cup of water out to her again as he gave a smile. "Here, drink this Mimi, you must be thirsty." Standing up as the cinnamon haired girl had taken the cup form him, Gennai gave her a gentle stare as he turned to pick up something form a nearby dresser. "I'm afraid the dress you were wearing have been too damaged to be repaired, but, a good friend was willing enough to bring a change of clothes with her."

Turning her head, Mimi stared form the cup in her hand, down onto the clothes held out to her, wondering just who Gennai knew that wore dresses like that. "Uh, Thanks." Lifting up her head, her eyes turned serious as she looked at him. "But Gennai, what about Palmon? And Taichi and Blackgatomon?"

Gennai's eyes turned a bit serious at her question as he placed the clothes on the bed before her. "Taichi, he's... out there somewhere." Not looking at her as he spoke, Gennai stood up and looked back at her. "Why don't you get dressed, and we'll talk some more."

"Okay." Speaking a bit hesitant at first, Mimi slowly picked up the clothes on the bed and pulled back the cover, stopping as she stared down at herself. "The scars, they're gone." Shaking her head as she found herself staring a bit too long at her own body, she stood up and looked at the stuff Gennai had left her with. A red Dress, the design of it clearly western and a pair of long white socks with a pair of indoor sandals as well.

Slowly putting it on, Mimi looked up when she finished buttoning up the front of the dress, turning to stare at her reflection, but stopping when she no longer had any mirror around to check it in. But, the dress did fit her well enough. Stopping just below her knees and with short sleeves, she liked it already.

Turning around, she walked over to the door and pulled it back, stepping out through it and into the hallways of Gennai's house, looking very much like she remembered it too do. "Gennai, are you still here?" Calling out for him, she stopped when she heard the sound of feet on the wooden floor from down the hallway. "Hello?"

Mimi froze as a blond haired girl looked around the corner of the hallway and smiled at her as she stepped fully around it with Floramon at her feet. "Floramon?" Looking from the digimon back to the girl, she blinked when she noticed how close she had gotten. "I'm sorry, I'm Mimi Tachikawa."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Catherine." Pointing down to the Floramon, the blond haired girl smiled in a very friendly way. "And you already know my digimon partner, Floramon." Looking back at Mimi, she did a quick look up and down as she hummed a bit to herself. "Well, it looks like it fits you perfectly in all the right places."

Blushing a bit at the rather blunt way the foreign girl spoke; Mimi nodded, as she looked around the hallway. "Um, have you seen Palmon, or Gennai?" At the name of her digimon, Mimi sighed as she felt herself longing to just have her by her side again.

Across form her, Catherine nodded as she turned halfway around and looked down the hallway as well. "Gennai's down in his workshop, and Palmon should be in the living room." Starting to walk away, the blond haired girl looked back over her shoulder as Mimi began to follow her. "How are you feeling?"

Mimi shrugged a bit at the question as she looked up at the ceiling of the hallway. "A bit exhausted, but I think I can handle it anyway." Mumbling out the words, the cinnamon haired girl paused as she felt just how dry her mouth was. And to more insult to her tiredness, her stomach just had to choose that moment to grumble loudly.

Catherine hid a small giggled at the embarrassed look on Mimi's face, not feeling that it would be right to laugh at it at the moment. "Come this way, I think I can find some food for you." Stepping in through one of the doors, she paused as she looked around the living room. "Okay, you wait here, and I'll go and look for something."

Sitting down at the table, Mimi nodded off a bit as she placed one hand under her chin, her eyes staring out through the door and into the small number of fish swimming past the outside of it. "Just like back then, when we first came here." Mumbling out the words, she shrugged as she looked around the room.

The sound of a door sliding open made her turn around in time to see Gennai step into the room, a smile on his face when he noticed her sitting at the table. "Ah, good. I see the clothes fit you." Stepping over to sit at the dinner table as well, Gennai coughed a bit as he pulled out her digivice and handed it over to her. "Here, you'll need this again, and Palmon as well."

"Where is Palmon?" Mimi asked as she took the digivice from the table, placing it in the belt around her dress. "I thought she would be in here."

Gennai nodded a bit as he turned around and pushed a few buttons on a small remote, making a part of the wall slide open to let a rather large computer screen out. "Palmon's in my lab, helping me learn more about Taichi and Jun, and how they came about their powers." Pushing a button on the remote, the computer screen lit up and a number of letters ran across the screen followed by a map. "But for now, we have a more pressing concern to deal with."

Mimi nodded as she watched the younger version of Gennai stand up, but not quiet able to forget the question poking her in the back of her mind. "Gennai?." Seeing him turn to face her, she looked down at the table to avoid seeing his expression when she asked him. "What about Taichi did he?"

Gennai gave a small sigh and looked at the young girl before him, not really knowing how to handle something emotional like that. "Listen Mimi, you must understand this." Walking over to sit at the table again, he looked at Mimi as she avoided looking up at him. "Taichi... Isn't himself right now, he's infected by a virus, and what he's feeling right now, may not be real."

"But, the things he did and said." Mimi mumbled out as she held up a hand before her face, staring at it as she gave a deep sigh. "He scared me, hurt me, and at the same time, he was able to be so gentle and kind."

Gennai nodded as he listen to her, his hands held together in front of him. "I don't fully understand the virus, but I do know that it works much like the darkness in the digital world did to the digimons four years ago, it twisted them, made them stronger, more powerful, but also made them far more evil then the average virus digimon should be."

Mimi's hands clenched up a bit at the way Gennai and the others began to talk about the messy haired boy. "But he's not a digimon, Taichi and Jun are humans."

Gennai nodded at her remark and stood up, his hands on his back as he walked over to the computer screen. "I know, but you've seen how they act." His eyes glinting a bit with worry, he turned to face Mimi. "You're no longer infected by a virus, the power of your crest expelled it."

Eyes growing wide at the words, Mimi reached down a hand and touched the place where her crest had been when she had it all those years ago. "My crest, but how?"

Gennai shrugged as he stared at the screen, his eyes half closed as he went over a few things in his mind. "I don't really know, but my guess is your need for it grew to the point where you recalled it."

Mimi nodded at the explanation, her eyes closed as she poked the table in front of her. "So, were is it now?"

"My lab." Gennai answered as he stared back at her. "I'm doing a few tests to make sure it is the real one."

Looking towards the door, Mimi nodded a bit as she placed her hands on the table. "Gennai, that girl who's here, Catherine, who is she?"

Looking a bit surprised at her question, Gennai stared at her for a few seconds before he turned to look out the room with a neutral expression on his face. "Catherine's the one who helped save you, the Floramon at the castle is her partner digimon partner, just like Michael and Betamon are partners."

Mimi nodded a bit as she heard a door opening, turning her head to see Catharine step in through it with a small tray in her hands, The blond haired girl looking from her to Gennai with a smile. "Gennai contacted me when he noticed my partner had been taken as a slave by that messy haired boy, wanting to hear if I was willing to let Floramon work as a spy inside the castle."

"And Taichi, what happened to him?" Mimi asked for a second time as she watched the food Catharine placed on the table before her, a bowl of soup and some bread catching her eyes as she grabbed the spoon Catharine handed her. "If the virus can be remove from me, then the same thing should also count for him."

Gennai sighed deeply as he leaned back. "Mimi, Taichi isn't here." Staring up at the ceiling above him. "The castle were falling apart when we saved you, we nearly got Taichi with us as well." Seeing Mimi staring intently at him, he looked away. "Part of the castle fell down, making it dangerous for us to stay, we looked for him after it had settled down, but he was simply gone."

Dropping the spoon, Mimi stared in muted shock at him. "You mean he's dead."

"Maybe." Gennai replied as he looked at the cinnamon haired girl. "He wasn't at the castle ruins, so there's a chance he's still alive."

Looking down at the soup, Mimi poked the spoon with a finger as she tried to figure out the emotions running through her at the news, was she glad he was gone, that she was finally free, but even all of that, couldn't help dampen the small nagging thought that even for all his evil ways, he had been so nice and caring in the end. And besides, even if he was evil, he didn't deserve to go out like that. He could have been saved, like she had. "If he's still alive Gennai, what will you do about it?"

Gennai didn't answer right away as he looked at her, his eyes closing a bit. "I don't know."

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Sitting in his room, the master sighed as he rubbed hand over his eyes; it had already been several hours since Jun had returned to inform him of the losses to the Digimon Emperor and the destruction of his intended base of operations. All he had left now, was that old fortress in the northern regions of the Digital world.

But that was still in the future, the first part of the seal had been removed as planned, and all he had to do now was figure out how he could use it to his advantage. For him to even try and enter the digital world the seal had to be weaken a lot more then it currently was, or removed completely.

"Why did you even relay on that traitor Yagami anyway?" Jun's voice cut through the room as she stopped in the doorway, one hand resting on the side of it. "If you had left it all up to me, we wouldn't have to worry about the Digimon Emperor or the DD's at all." Spitting out the words, Jun crossed her arms as she watched the master. "But now, they know we're out there, all because that messy haired fool let his emotions get the better of him."

Pushing his dark thoughts away, the master sat up in his chair and regarded the familiar form of Jun standing in the doorway where he could barely make her out. "Motomiya, before you say another thing, remember this, I am the one who gave you and that brat your powers and digimon partners." Refocusing his eyes on the screen, he sneered as he watched the program running across it. "So I suggest you focus on your own tasks, and that traitor did bring me a Digi core, something you still haven't done." The last few words were spat out as he stood up, walking over to the doorway as well, stopping to stare down at Jun as she stepped out of his way. "You better hope for your sake that you don't fail me like Taichi did."

Gulping a bit at his tone, Jun nodded as she turned and walked over to the computer, her eyes staring at the numbers running across the screen in a lazy fashion. "Of course I won't" Mumbling out the words, Jun grinned as she lifted up her D3 to the screen before her. "Digi Port open!"

In the living room, the master snorted as he felt the digi port open behind him, letting the girl enter into the world that he had been banished from for so long ago. Both hands clenching at the feeling of resentment towards them all, the way they had spoken to him on that day.

<i> "How could you, don't you understand what you have done?" </i>

"Gennai, Azulongmon, Baihumon. None of you could ever hope to understand me." Regarding the city outside his windows, the master growled as he turned around to face his apartment, the television humming in the corner as he turned it on, another mindless soap opera making him sick. "Useless creatures, all of them."

Dropping into the chair, his eyes narrowed as he flicked the TV over to something more important then the soap opera, his eyes opening a bit in interest as another news bulletin flashed across the screen, the same crying couple the main part of it as they had been for more then a month now. "Hmph, guess they still haven't found their wonder boy yet."

"Ah, you are just as sarcastic as I've heard."

Sitting up in the chair, the master head snapped around to face the person standing in the doorway to his apartment in the most relaxed and carefree manner, wearing a large dark purple trench coat. "How did you get in here? The door was locked."

The person nodded and held up a hand to dismissing any other questions from him. "Yes, but my friend here were able to unlock it for me." Stepping further into the room, a person grinned as he stepped in behind him, the first person's eyes moved across the little furniture in it. "You seem to have decorated your room quite nicely."

Standing up, the master's face twisted in anger as he stepped closer to the person before him, his fist reaching out to grab the trench coat on the person and pull him closer. "Who are you?"

The person's eyes moved down to glare at him as his mouth turned into a snarl. "Remove your hand or my friend here will end your little plan."

Turning his eyes to the side, the master slowly removed his hand from the person's trench coat as he spotted the other person holding up a strange looking gun, just as his whole body had turned from a rather range look human one into a more creepy looking creature. "A digimon?" Turning his head back to the first person, he stepped back a bit. "Who are you?"

Looking up from removing the wrinkles in his trench coat, the person smirked as he held out a hand towards him. "Ukyou Oikawa, but I prefer to be called Oikawa." Stepping closer to the master, Oikawa grinned as the smaller person before him fell back into the chair. "Now, I believe we have a few things to talk about."

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"How is she?"

Gennai, still sitting in a lotus position inside his study, looked up at the question, his eyes locking onto the blond haired girl standing in the doorway, at her feet, Floramon looked just as curios and concerned as her human partner.

Easing out of his meditation and standing up, Gennai smiled down a t the girl as he walked over to her. "Do not worry about her Catherine, she will be fine." Seeing her question look growing a bit more, he gently turned around and followed her stare over to where Mimi was sleeping in the room. "All we can do for now, is to let her sleep off the effects of what she has been through in the last weeks."

"I see." Catherine replied as she cast a look over onto the person lying on the futon, a clam expression on her face as she hugged her digimon partner close to her. "And the virus she had?"

"Gone." Gennai replied as he frowned, eyes narrowed as he walked over to the table and lifted up a single, pendent like object from it. "And here, we see the reason for it, her crest returned and helped her gain the extra power to finally expel it from her body."

Eyes growing a bit big at the words from the elder humon next to her, Catherine slowly walked over to stare at the pendent as well, tracing the teardrop shaped mark on the pink material. "Is it that powerful?"

Gennai, barely listing to her, placed it back down onto the table. "Yes, and its return are not as good as we might think it is." Feeling it more then seeing her questioning look, Gennai sighed and turned to look at her. "I told you about the digi destined and their adventure, the troubles they face now." Seeing her nod at his words, Gennai motioned for her to sit down in a chair across the table. "After their adventure, their crest returned to them to be used one last time, to heal the Digital World and put up a shield to protect it from evil outside of it." Watching the blond haired girl, Gennai smiled as he saw her listing to his every word. "The shield used the power of all seven crests to do it, but now, it's weaker then ever and the loss of a crest power, might cause it break down completely."

Letting the words sink into her mind, Catherine leaned back in the chair with a worried frown on her face. "So, The fact that the crest returned to her means that the Digital world's shield is weaker now."

"Yes, and not just the Digital World." Gennai added as he looked up at the ceiling above him with worry written all over his face. "I fear, that the Real world is also in danger now, and other worlds as well."

"So, the battle continues once more?" Catherine asked as she frowned as well, just as much worry in her face as she looked to Floramon for moral support. "And the boy, Taichi Yagami?"

Gennai, staring into the ceiling, didn't answer her right away as his thoughts hovered over the fact that the boy had simply vanished after escaping from the castle so long ago, but, it was clear now, that something would happen, something he had never hoped to face himself, the records of it had been scary enough as it was. "Out there, alone, when he shouldn't be so."

"Should we try to help him?"

"Yes, but to do so, we have to find him first."

"I see."

--------------------

"Taichi?" Blackgatomon's voice was nothing more then a whisper as she called out for him, her yellow eyes staring around the place as she struggled to get back on her feet, her tail lying limply on the ground. "Taichi, where are you?"

Reaching down a hand as he came rushing up to her, Taichi grimaced as he saw the still growing lifelessness in his digimon partner as she moaned in pain. "Blackgatomon, stop moving, you won't get better if you keep moving around like that." His voice nothing more then a whisper, Tai reached down a hand gently, and petted the black colored head as softly as he could at the moment. "Relax, you have to save your strength, and recover."

Blackgatomon, breathing out deeply, turned her head to stare up at Tai, her yellow eyes focusing on the smiling face looking down at her with an air of complete trust in her recovery. But even in her weaken state; she could see that nervous and uncertain person behind the mask. "Taichi." Using her glove covered paws, she grabbed the hand petting her between them as she slowly turned around, ignoring the flashing pain running through her body. "You must listen to me Taichi."

Pulling gently on his hand, Tai stared a bit scared as Blackgatomon refused to let go of it, her yellow eyes struggling to stare at him became clear when they started to look everywhere but at him. "No, Blackgatomon, you will be okay, you're my partner, and together, we will help the master take over this world."

"No, we won't..." Blackgatomon mumbled out as she lowered her head down to lie o the ground, her paws still holding onto Tai's hand as she coughed a bit. "We won't... because, I won't let you. You don't belong with him." Giving a weak smile, Blackgatomon looked up at Tai as she let go of his hand. "You belong, with you digimon partner, with the other's who will fight against him."

"What are you saying?" Tai gasped out as he lowered his head down to look closer at Blackgatomon, his hands hovering just a bit away form her as he had been just about to grab her and shake an answer form her. "You're my partner, I have the digivice that connects us together, remember?"

Blackgatomon, lowering her head to the ground again, gave a deep sigh as a single tear ran down her cheek. "I'm not your partner, I am not even a digimon." Ignoring the shock outcry form Tai, she gave a sad smile as she curled her tail around her, hoping that it could protect her from the truth. "You have seen them, Imitamon, the soulless creatures who take on the form and powers of other digimons right?"

Feeling colder then he ever had, Tai slowly lowered his hands to his sides as he stared down at his crying digimon partner on the ground. "But... Blackgatomon."

"Blackgatomon." The dark colored feline digimon breathed out as she allowed more tears to run down her cheeks. "If only that was true, but I'm not... I'm just the alpha version of the current Imitamons."

"No, you're my digimon partner." Tai breathed out as he finally gave in and lifted the black cat like digimon up, holding her close as he saw the tears slowly stoop running. "We'll be together, for ever, just like we promised."

Blackgatomon, smiling as she nuzzled in closer to Tai, opened her eyes and looked up at him. "You're warm, and so kind, and strong enough to stand up to anyone." Her breathing turned hard to hear as she lifted up a paw and touched Tai's face gently before she coughed again. "I wish, I really was your partner, but... whoever it is, is out there, waiting for you... waiting to protect you..."

Fighting back against the painful words coming from Blackgatomon, Tai felt tears starting to run down his own cheek as he finally gave in and listen to her, feeling the small doubt hidden away in the deepest pits of his heart coming out into the open. "Blackgatomon."

"I'm sorry... Tai..." whispering out the last words, Blackgatomon felt her paw fall down, as she no longer had the strength to hold it against his cheek. "If you can... please... don't... forget... me..." Dropping completely down, Blackgatomon gave one last sigh as she closed her eyes. "So... Warm...."

Still holding the black colored feline digimon, Tai felt his eyes grow big and as his heart nearly stopped as the color slowly fade away to reveal a Gatomon like body with no color anywhere, then it burst apart into a cloud of digital information, slowly fading away as a cold wind passed through the air. "Blackgatomon? Blackgatomon!"

"Blackgatomon!!"

"Noooooooooooo!!!!"

TBC: A Lost Soul.