So no excuses, no reasons. I failed at updating quickly and we will try again this year. Keep on me people! I will do better!

Please review when you are done reading. I need to know how I am doing! HOWEVER, as we are approaching the conclusion (no worries, I have plenty more chapters planned) please don't put theories into your reviews. Feel free to PM me anything and I may or may not give you answers, but I love to hear if you have figured anything out yet (looking at you Soramon )

So I am not going to delay any longer. On with the same disclaimers, shameless twitter plugging, and warnings as there have always been.

"We've all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on, that's who we really are."

~Sirius Black

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."

~Francis Bacon

"There is no need to rush, I have been waiting for you," said Phorcysmon, examining his nails. "Your mother and I were just getting to know each other." He gave the woman an eerie smile causing her to shake.

'Sora, we need to get everyone out of here,' said Erebmon, starting to move himself in front of the group. 'We need to get Kari out of here.'

I didn't think he would come back so quickly, thought Sora.

'He may have never left.'

"Now, just give me Light and I will be on my way. No one has to be hurt tonight," said Phorcysmon, his voice dark and sweetly inviting.

"Over my dead body," growled T.K., guiding Kari farther behind him to protect her. Tai took a step forward to stand next to the blonde.

"I can work with those conditions," chuckled Phorcysmon, a charming smile gliding onto his face. "I already have one brother, why not complete the set?"

"You bastard," said T.K., gritting his teeth and lowering his head, his eyes still locked on the demon.

'Sora, we can't fight him here,' said Erebmon

I know, the other tenants could get hurt.

'And one of them must have called the police by now. He won't hesitate to kill them. He might play with them, but he won't hesitate.'

"There is no need to rush your death, Hope. I already have you in my grasp," said the demon, pointing a thin finger at the boy.

A memory flashed into Sora's mind. She was finally starting to get the hang of sharing a mind with Erebmon, and subsequently Biyomon, though the dark digimon seemed to be much better at it than she was. She was at least at the point where she could decipher his memories from hers, though they nearly always felt like they belonged to her.

Phorcysmon stared into the eyes of the Digidestined of Hope as the boy before him lay in the snow. After a short moment, an evil smirk appeared on the demon's face.

"Got you."

'How did I miss it?' came Erebmon's dark voice. 'It was so obvious.'

Erebmon?

"This is your warning, Hope," said the demon warningly, the smile absent from his now deathly glare. "Stay out of my way, or I will take pleasure taking my time breaking you from the inside out."

"I won't let you have her," he said returning the glare.

"None of us will," said Gatomon stepping forward. "Erebmon," she said, getting a nod in response.

Flashes of images, strange images, continued to flash through Sora's mind. These were…different. She couldn't tell whose memories these images were but she could see Erebmon in each flash along with images of a broken wall, Birdramon, Tai's mom, and herself.

"Got it," echoed Biyomon's inner voice.

'We have to make this quick,' said Erebmon.

Erebmon, don't! yelled Sora, finally understanding the images that were coming through their connection. They weren't memories, they were mental plans.

'Get out, Sora,' he said, finality lacing his voice. 'Get them all out.'

"DON'T!"

"Now!" yelled Biyomon, and Sora could only watch as the digimon took action. It was almost as if everything was happening in slow motion, but much too fast at the same time. Erebmon had launched himself at his dark opponent, throwing a punch the demon easily dodged. In the meantime, Biyomon quickly instructed the other digimon. Gatomon turned and directed T.K. and Kari toward the living room while she and Tai were herded by their own partners.

"What is he doing?" asked Agumon.

"Buying us time," said Gabumon.

"What a nuisance," sighed Phorcysmon before striking his attacker into the nearest wall. The twilight creature cried out as his head contacted the surface, breaking through the drywall and falling into the next room. He quickly shook off the attack and stood again, launching himself back into the battle for a second attempt.

Erebmon! Sora cried in her mind as she watched her partner fall to the ground a second time.

Sora, we can't waste the time he's giving us, echoed Biyomon's voice.

Sora grit her teeth and followed her friend, cringing each time she saw or sensed Erebmon crash to the floor, before getting up again to reengage his enemy. She brought her attention back to the task at hand and was startled to see the exterior wall of the livingroom was missing, exposing the apartment to the outside air. "We're going to have to make this quick," said Patamon. "We don't have long before he notices what we're doing."

Biyomon and Gatomon nodded their heads before jumping over the ledge. Sora had to suppress a gasp before the three appeared back at the hole in the digivolved states of Pegasusmon, Nephartimon, and Birdramon. "Mom, you and Sora get on Birdramon, I'll go with Kari, and Agumon and Gabumon can go with T.K. Erebmon will be able to get out when we are out of the way," said Tai, his voice shaking with nerves.

"I am growing tired of playing this game," said Phorcysmon. He put his hand behind his back and drew out a sword, its white blade stained a light red. Sora caught a glimpse of the sword and stopped, feeling like she knew it from somewhere, like she had seen it in a dream. The sight caused Erebmon to halt for a moment as well, a flash of something racing through their connection. Darkness, fire, and the dark laughter of some strange creature.

Phorcysmon did not let the advantage of his opponent's hesitation go unused and quickly struck at Erebmon with the newly drawn weapon. The lithe creatures was just able to evade the attack at the last second and the battle recommenced, the demon's attention once again overtaken by the twilight creature.

Come on, Sora, came Birdramon's internal voice. We gotta go!

She began to follow her friends to their escape once more before a flash of immense pain pulsed in her mind. She turned back toward the battle, and watched as her digimon struggled to bring himself to his feet once more; taking much longer this time than he had a few moments ago. His head was lowered in exhaustion, unable to see his demonic opponent raising his sword, like a matador to a bull, ready to finish the battle for good.

"Erebmon!" she yelled, running toward her partner.

Her yelled had warned her partner of the attack, allowing him to move just in time to evade the sword. Unfortunately, it also pulled Phorcysmon's attention, his features becoming adorned by rage as he realized his mistake. He raised his hand, aiming it at Sora as he readied his next attack.

Erebmon charged back toward the demon, knocking his body to the side and effectively stopping the onslaught. 'Sora, GO!' yelled Erebmon before he was thrown once more, slamming his head against the wall. Sora felt the pains starting to ebb through their connection and realized she couldn't help her digimon here. The sooner they got away, the sooner he could get himself out.

Hurry, Sora, Birdramon's voice echoed in her mind. We have to get everyone out of here!

Sora turned and ran after seeing Erebmon bring himself to his feet again. Birdramon was hovering just outside the window, waiting for Sora to jump onto her foot like the pair had done a thousand times. She was almost to the edge when she heard a yelp of pain and a yell of anger. Her knees nearly gave out from the pain that passed momentarily through her connection with Erebmon before he was able to close it again.

"No!" yelled Phorcysmon, driving his sword into the floor of the apartment, cracking cement and steel bars hidden below the hard wood of the living room. And like that, the floor was falling from below her feet. She heard the yells of panic from the family that lived below as their ceiling began to fall, creating a hellish slide for those in the Kamiya home. Sora fell, rolling out of control down to the edge, the scraping of furniture moving out of their set positions following her down to the precipice of the 23rd story.

And then the floor disappeared from beneath her.

"SORA!"

She looked up, watching the furniture follow her over the edge as she quickly fell away from their flying digimon. She could feel not only her own panic, but Birdramon's as well as they both realized that no one could dive to her without loosing their charges. They couldn't save her. Screams resonated from the busy sidewalk below as more and more people realized debris was falling from the apartment, becoming more panicked as they came to notice the falling girl and the presence of the digimon. She looked down as her body adjusted to a headfirst fall; there was no time for the people to move. She was going to land on someone.

She watched as the pavement raced toward her, the wind rushing by her ears, and curled in on herself in an instinctual attempt to protect her head. Tears filled her eyes. I'm going to die, she thought.

The tears began to fall as something soft suddenly wrapped around her, arms and legs enveloping hers as it curled around her body. 'Not today, Faen.' She heard a scream and saw a terrified woman's face beside her just before she felt herself being pulled forward by her insides. She felt pressure pushing on her from all sides yet her body felt extremely light as the world spun at a sickening speed, blurring everything around her.

And just like that, the sickening ride ended with a hard collision with the unforgiving ground, the soft creature taking the majority of the blow. The collision forced the two apart, throwing her savior down the alley. Sora rolled several feet before her body stopped. She lay on the ground, her breath coming in quick bursts as she tried to orient herself again.

Sora?!

I'm alright, Birdramon.

Where are you?

'We can't be far. I couldn't take us a long distance, but I wasn't aiming either,' said Erebmon, his voice shaking and weak. 'Check the alleys in the area; we'll wait for you here.'

He sounded like he was in so much pain. Sora attempted to rise, her legs shaking from the experience, dizzy from what she now knew was teleportation, but she had to make sure her digimon was okay. She could feel Birdramon and the others searching for them, but she couldn't tell how far away they were or how close they were to finding them. Until they were able to locate the pair, she was going to have to make sure Erebmon was alright.

She hobbled her way over to the twilight digimon and took in his appearance. The creature looked as if he had been hit by a train. His fur was ruffled and dirty from the fight he was just in and shaking from the exertion of energy he had just been required to use. He had fought so hard to keep them out of harms way.

"Why did you do that?" she asked out loudwith her teeth clenched, a sure sign to her digmon that she was not happy with what had just occurred.

'Sora…'

"You could have been deleted! Why didn't you at least digivolve?" She was so angry she had begun to yell and instantly regretted it. He had just saved her.

'I had to keep him focused on me. If I digivolved, I was a threat and he would have moved to get Kari. As a rookie, I was a nuisance that could be dealt with quickly. Someone he could take his time with to make an example of.'

She was taken aback, she hadn't thought of that. She felt a smile break across her face. Erebmon had such a calm demeanor as he explained his plan with confidence. He knew what he had been doing the entire time. He knew he could handle it. "Too bad for him for underestimating you," she said.

'Always has; always will," he said, his voice filled with a tired glee.

Are you alright? She asked.

'A little worse for wear, but I will survive after a little rest. How are you? It's not everyday you drop from an apartment building and teleport for the first time.'

It was strange. I don't really know how to explain it.

'I understand,' he said. 'It is a very unique feeling.' Sora felt her self hesitate for a moment, everything setting in as a heaviness built in her heart. 'Sora, what's wrong?'

I…I almost died…

'But you didn't,' he said calmly.

What if you hadn't been there, she said frantically, panic starting to set in. No one could dive after me and I would have fallen into all of those people…

'S…Sora' came Erebmon's pain-filled voice as she felt his paw touch her shoulder. She opened her eyes, unaware that she had ever closed them, to see her partner. His face was marred with pain, supporting himself on his knees and free paw as he tried to console her. 'If I wasn't here, Phorcysmon wouldn't be here and you wouldn't have needed saving. So there is no need to worry about things that didn't and cannot happen.'

What do you mean? You would be here.

'No, I wouldn't. I am here because I am the second generation Digimon of Friendship. We needed a second generation because Phorcymon killed the Original Digidestined. He was killed because he was protecting the Digidestined of Hope and even Light from Phorcysmon. Everything is tied together and Phorcysmon is the centerpiece. If he had never made it out of the Dark Area, the path to you falling from the building would have never been taken. However, that was not the case, and because Phorcysmon exists, I was there to catch you.'

It almost sounds like I should thank him for bringing you to us, but…

'I understand, Sora. I am also thankful that I got to meet the digidestined, especially you; but I also know that this path means that Matt died, and no one is thankful for that. I do not take offence to you wishing Matt had never died. I wish that for you as well. But once a path is taken, you cannot backtrack. That's why prophesies work.' She could feel the creature starting to shake with exertion and guided him to sit beside her.

But what about the The Future of the Torn Soul? Didn't AncientWisemon say that was an Irresolute Prophesy?

'Ah, those are different. Think of those more like finding a fork in the road. You have to choose what path to take.'

But he said that it is rare for people to complete those prophesies. What if we can't take the path we want?

Erebmon smiled across their connection. 'I may have only been here for a short while, but I have always assumed the Digidestined would be like Robert Frost.'

Sora gave her digimon a puzzling look. The poet? How so?

The dark digimon lazily swung his head around to look his partner in the eyes, squinting them in a visible smile. 'You always tend to take road less traveled.'

That we do, she thought smiling. But it is always the harder road. It's never easy.

'It never is and this one will be no different. Things are going to get worse before they get better, Sora. I need you to be prepared for that.' His voice became grave as he spoke. Sora saw a flash of the sword pass through his mind.

What is it? Do you know that sword? Sora had been wracking her mind trying to figure out why it looked so familiar.

'No,' he said, his voice dark, 'but…'

But what?

'It felt…strange. There was a darkness around it.'

What do you mean? It looked like a regular sword to me.

'That isn't surprising,' he chuckled. 'I'm a twilight digimon. I can see the light and darkness around things."

How come I don't see it when you show me memories?

'I try to hide it from you,' he said plainly. 'It can be a hard thing to see, darkness and light; knowing if something is losing itself to the darkness.'

Sora realized this was something new that her digimon had never brought up before, and if Matt had taught her anything, it is that when someone who didn't usually share themselves opened up, you took advantage of that opportunity to learn something. Can many other digimon do that?

'No, it is actually a gift given to very few. Kari gets glimpses of it and T.K. can feel it, but constant (Twilight) sight is something only twilight and spirit digimon can do, like Ophanimon and myself.'

So you're like her?

'I do not kid myself in saying I am like her. She is a much better being that I.'

So what does it look like?

'It's frightening and beautiful at the same time, but it is also quite ugly, if that makes any sense.'

Afraid not, she chuckled.

'If you promise not to panic, I can show it to you.'

Sora felt her heart jump with excitement. "Yes please!"

'Alright, but I need you to promise not to be alarmed.'

I promise.

'Alright, close your eyes and relax.'

Sora smiled and closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax and her back slump against the brick wall behind her. She felt an odd pressure behind her eyes before the familiar feeling of Erebmon entering her mind took over. She was started to notice a picture beginning to develop in front of her, as if her eyes were still wide open. More so was the fact that the image was that of herself sitting on the ground in the alley.

'This is how you see yourself and how others see you,' said Erebmon gently before the image before her began to change. Parts of her body began to glow a soft white while others appeared almost blinding. He was right, it was beautiful. But her awe soon became dulled but unease as she noticed the two types of darkness, one smoke-like and one oily in appearance, accompanying the light, but thankfully in smaller amounts.

'And this is how I can see you.'

What…what…

'Don't worry, Sora, this is completely normal to look this way.' Sora was silent, letting his natural ease calm her anxieties. 'Would you like to know what it all is?'

Yes.

'As you can see there are two types of light and darkness, Maar and Ulka. Literally good and evil. The soft white light you see is Maar Kala, good light, and the blinding brightness you see is Ulka Kala, bad light. The smoke is Maar Loome, good darkness and the oil like ribbons are Ulka Loome…'

Bad darkness.

'Correct. Everyone has all of these things in them, and it is the balance of these things that creates a person's temperament. Too much good light and you tend to be naïve, over sensitive to cruelty, and unwilling to fight due to fear and pacifism. Too much bad light and you have a tendency to believe you know what is best for everyone, even if they don't agree. Too much good darkness leads to aloofness and a tendency towards pessimism. Too much bad darkness and you, well, you lean towards anger and a dominating personality. You want to find a perfect balance.'

Of good light and good darkness, right?

'I can see how you would think that, but in order to have complete balance, you must have all four.'

But why would you want the bad forms?

'In order for you to understand the world, to understand yourself, you need to understand what you and others are capable of. You need to understand not only the evil in the world, one needs to understand the evil we all possess inside us. If one can find and maintain the perfect balance of the lights and darknesses, one can find an ultimate power.'

You mean an ultimate attack?

Sora heard the digimon chuckle in her mind. 'No, more like the gift of knowing the right course of action.'

Sora was confused for a moment. I don't understand.

'It's a strange concept; that is for sure. The only way I can think of explaining it is you instinctively know what the right thing to do it. You know when to attack and when to talk. You know when to trust blindly and when to ask questions. You know when to turn left when it looks like the tougher of the paths. Ophanimon can do this."

Isn't she on our side? Why doesn't she come help us? She could tell us how to beat Phorcysmon and get Matt back!

'Yes, she could,' he said quietly, 'but she is not on a side. She is what you would call a neutral. She does what is right for the world, whether or not that operates within our idea of moral. She intervenes when needed, in the way she is needed, and not outside of that. Remember Sora, she knows what needs to be done. Sometimes it isn't what we agree with.'

You said it is a scary thing to see, someone going dark. How does that happen?

'A lot of things can cause someone to fall to the darkness. It happens when Ulka Loome takes over a person's heart. Loss, trama, anger, they can all lead to darkness taking over if the person isn't strong enough to hold off the darkness. As long as one keeps their heart, you can always come back to the light.'

Have you ever seen it happen?

'No, but I am worried I may be watching it happen."

"Sora!" came a male voice, echoing through the ally and ending their conversation. "Erebmon, you ok?"

Sora smiled as Tai ran into the alleyway, Agumon and Biyomon by his side. "I'm ok, Erebmon is a little worse for wear."

'I'll survive,' he said, closing his eyes and turning his head away in an attempt to save face with a man who couldn't hear him.

She began to stand, only to be knocked back down as she found herself enveloped in a hug, the feeling of tears soaking into her shirt as pure joy and shame filled her mind. "I'm sorry, Sora," came the high voice of her bird digimon. "I couldn't dive without losing Tai's mom. I couldn't save you!"

Sora held her friend tightly, burying her face into her soft feathers. "It's not your fault. You did everything right. You saved Tai's mom. I promise, I'm not angry. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

The pair sat in their embrace until Biyomon's tears had subsided. "Where is everyone else?" asked Sora after shaking her head at the stubborn digimon. "Are they ok?"

"Everyone is fine. T.K. went to hide Kari and my mom."

"What about Phorcysmon?" asked Sora, relaying Erebmon's question.

"He's furious," said Tai. "After you disappeared, we got Kari out of there. He… destroyed part of the building. A lot of debris fell from the complex to the street. He disappeared after that, but there were people below. People got hurt."

"Was anyone…"

"I don't know. God, I hope not."

"This is getting serious, Tai. What if this is just the beginning?"

"It is, Sor. He's getting reckless. He's already searching for Kari, and I don't think he's going to stop until he has her."

'Then we need to hide her,' said Erebmon.

"Yes, we have to keep him away from her," said Sora.

"We should get you both out of here," said Biyomon. "He's still out here."

"Is it safe to bring them home?" asked Agumon.

"There is nowhere else to go," said Biyomon.

"What about you, Tai? Where will you go?" asked Sora.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I had Biyomon bring my mom to the train station. I told her to call dad and for them to go somewhere until this is all over, but I can't go with them. She fought me. She wanted to stay and take care of Kari and me. I think it's best that I stay away from Kari tonight too, just in case Phorcysmon tries to follow me to find her."

"Stay at my place," she said before her mind registered what she was saying. Tai gave her a strange look and she felt herself blush. "I mean, it's better we all stick together right now and I have a really comfy couch."

Tai smiled. "Thanks, Sora. You're a good friend."

'We should go,' thought Erebmon. 'If Phorcysmon is still searching for Kari, we should get out of the open.'

"You're right," said Sora. "Let's get out of here."

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Excerpt from The Road Not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost

Once again, way the heck too long since I made an update. I wanted to beat the year mark, but it seems this will be the norm. Worst part is I had 3/4th of this written back in July of last year. So I am sorry for all of those that have been waiting and I hope this isn't too disappointing. Anyway, drop me a review! Let me know how I am doing! How do you like where the story is going?