The Past Revealed

Flashback

Frigimon was walking through the snowy forest near her home when the sound of an infant wailing alerted her.

"You sweet little thing." She cooed, picking up the crying Keenan. "There, there, it's okay."

"Keenan!" Michelle's voice sounded from the other side of the Digital Gate as Frigimon turned to see the glowing portal. "Keenan!"

"Keenan?" Frigimon echoed. "Wow, that sounds like a fine name for you."

"Keenan!" Michelle screamed as the portal closed.

"Oh dear." Frigimon noted.

"You like me, do you?" The snowman Digimon smiled at the gaggling child. "You want to come home with me? Well, come on then. I can never say no to someone as cute as you."

"You fight no more!" Keenan told Merukimon.

"Keenan, you ought to stay out of this. It's a fight between Marcus and Merukimon and you can't stop it." Agumon stopped him.

"Me no care!" Keenan retorted.

"Well, me do." Agumon replied.

"Me must stop fight, Agumon!" Keenan insisted. Tossing the orange dinosaur off, Keenan rushed off to stop the two.

"Merukimon!" The boy shouted. "Me know truth now! Me meet real mother in Hu-mon World! Me know me hu-mon! But me not afraid to stand up to you! Me not let you fight friends!"

"Keenan." Merukimon looked at the child. "I've always known the truth. I've always known that you're not of this world."

"But just because he's different, that doesn't give you the right to attack him!" Marcus rebuked.

"What do you mean?" Merukimon frowned.

"Don't play me!" Marcus retorted. "Gotsumon practically brought an army of Digimon to the Human World to try and take Keenan down!"

"If he did, he wasn't following my orders." Merukimon replied.

"So, what are you saying?" Thomas asked.

"Do you that Gotsumon acted on his own?" Falcomon inquired.

"Among Digimon, there are many who despise all humans and few hate more than Gotsumon did." Merukimon informed the group.

"Me used to hate hu-mons just like Gotsumon." Keenan confessed. "But then, me meet Marcus and all his hu-mon friends and me realize not all hu-mon is bad."

"Thanks kid." Marcus remarked.

"And before that." Keenan added. "Me become good friends with Falcomon, so that prove that Digimon and Hu-mons no have to fight each other. Right?"

At that, Kurata chuckled.

"Friends." He mocked. "Yeah right kid. You're joking and you don't even know it. Digimon are the monsters under your bed, nothing but horrible beasts that threaten to destroy all mankind."

With a wave, he summoned his troops.

"What trick is this?" Merukimon demanded. "Who are all of these intruders? Speak up!"

"Wait." He noted. "I see what's going on now. I misjudged you, Marcus. I let you get close so you brought the wolf right into my home."

"What are you talking about?" Marcus was confused.

"Don't play me." Merukimon rebuked. "That man was the one who attacked my comrades and he's the one who's responsible for deleting Frigimon's data and destroying her!"

"What? Kurata!" Marcus spat.

Kurata chuckled.

Flashback

Frigimon was cuddling the baby Keenan when a quake shook the ground and the snowman Digimon ran out of her igloo.

"Right this way, Merukimon sir." Gotsumon told the Mega level Digimon as he stood beside Frigimon.

"Hey wait up!" EmperorGreymon called out.

"It's been quite a while since I last saw you, Frigimon." Merukimon bent to see the snowman Digimon better.

"Yes, but why would a member of the Olympus Twelve and Royal Knights come to see little old me, Merukimon?" Frigimon asked.

"We've come to put out a fire." Merukimon told her.

"Fire?" Frigimon echoed.

"He's talking about this human infant." Gotsumon supplied.

"Digimon and humans were never meant to interact with one another." Merukimon pointed out. "And that's the reason I've come to see you. You must give me the child."

"No!" Frigimon protested. "No matter what you do to me Merukimon, I must refuse!"

"What?" Merukimon demanded.

"I believe that this baby came to me for a reason." Frigimon replied. "So, I'm going to raise him, no matter what you say."

"What?" Gotsumon was astonished. "It is considered treason to speak so disrespectfully to our revered leader, Merukimon!"

"Give us a minute." EmperorGreymon led Gotsumon away.

"It's okay." Frigimon rocked the wailing baby in her arms. "There's nothing to be afraid of. See? It's okay."

"I have heard of this before." Merukimon noted, seeing the tender scene. "Apparently human mothers act like this when they're protecting their children. Are you planning on being this child's mother then Frigimon and raising him?"

"Mother?" Frigimon echoed as she looked at the gaggling Keenan. "Mother. I like the sound of that. Okay, starting from here on out, I'll be this child's mother."

"It seems we're done here." EmperorGreymon stated.

"Frigimon loved Keenan from the very bottom of her heart." Merukimon narrated. "It was as if he were truly her own son. They were made for each other. And then, that man came along and ripped Frigimon and Keenan from each other's arms forever!"

"Don't be fooled by this monster's lies." Kurata scoffed. "You're only hearing his side of things. If there's a victim you should feel sorry for in this little story, it's me."

"And just what you mean by that, Kurata?" Thomas asked.

"When we first came to the Digital World, Digimon attacked and we barely survived." Kurata replied. "When we first arrived in the Digital World, we were full of wonder of what we saw.

Flashback

"Magnificent." Spencer Damon remarked as he photographed the Gomamon playing with each other.

"Doctor Damon." Sampson voiced. "Please, keep your distance from the indigenous life forms. We're just here to find Keenan Crier."

"Relax." Yushima chided. "We'll find him, but you can't blame us for being curious. We've never seen anything like this. It's incredibly fascinating."

"Yeah, I'll say. We can study this for a lifetime." Spencer agreed.

Then, he gasped when a gun shot sounded and the Gomamon fled into the water.

"What's wrong with you, Kurata?" he demanded as the three rushed to the scene. "Put your weapon away right now!"

Kurata screamed as Saberleomon roared and Spencer placed himself before his assistant and the Digimon. As Saberleomon pounced, Spencer threw the golden lion over his shoulder. Landing on the edge of the cliff, the lion screamed as the ground crumbled beneath him, sending the Mega level Digimon crashing into the water.

"What were you thinking?" Spencer demanded.

"Are you kidding? I was thinking of saving my life." Kurata protested. "It attacked me."

"Yes, it attacked you after you fired your weapon at it." Spencer pointed out. "Even though we're supposed to on a non-threatening mission!"

Just then, the Gomamon from before emerged from the water, evolving into Ikkakumon.

"It's going to charge us! Look!" Sampson gasped.

"We have to run!" Yushima warned, as the group took off when Ikkakumon fired itsHarpoon Torpedo at them.

"Sampson!" Spencer gasped as the detective shielded Yushima with his body.

"After that," Kurata narrated. "We're no longer in wonder of this world. We were in terror of it. In order to find protection, we sought refuge in the Infinite Ice Ridge. But instead of finding safety, we only found more danger."

Flashback

"What are you doing here, you trespassing humans?" Saberleomon demanded as he appeared in front of the group.

The lion roared as he came after the escaping group which had fled into a cavern.

"Oh no, it's still coming!" Kurata gasped in horror.

"What's that?" Spencer asked when Kurata took out a mechanical sphere.

"It's the 'Space Isolation Device'." Kurata explained. "We never should have come to this horrible world, but we can use this to open a Digi-Gate and leave while we still can."

"We can't! It hasn't been tested out yet! It's still too dangerous to try!" Spencer objected.

"We have to use the device. It's the only chance we have of survival!" Kurata retorted, activating the orb.

"Even with the 'Space Isolation Device', our escape was cut close." Kurata continued to narrate. "If that device had gone off even a fraction of a second later, then everyone of us would have been taken down by that vicious Saberleomon. But the fact is they're all vicious, they must all be destroyed."

"How dare you say that all Digimon must be destroyed, you sniveling, spineless coward!" Merukimon demanded. "You're the one who ran from the battle. But that other human stayed and fought valiantly to protect his friends."

"Wait, this other human…" Marcus gasped. "Is he… my dad?"

Flashback

Activating his D.N.A charge, Spencer took on Saberleomon, landing a punch on the golden lion's face.

"Spencer!" Yushima gasped.

"Don't wait for me, you guys get out of here. I'll stay behind and hold this Digimon off." Spencer told him. "And bring back the chest I brought back to the Human World. The object in it will mark the one true guardian of the Digital World; the Light of Hope. That person will be the bridge between the Human and Digital Worlds."

"Impossible, how can a human have so much power?" Saberleomon demanded.

"Anyone can find the strength they need." Spencer told him. "If they believe in the cause they're fighting for."

"You won't hurt my friends!" he shouted, giving the golden lion another punch to the face.

"Your fight is not over, human." Merukimon intervened. "Try your strength against mine."

"I'm happy to!" Spencer retaliated, meeting the Mega level Digimon fist-to-fist.

"Wow! My dad was totally awesome!" Marcus beamed.

Turning to the rest of the team, he added, "Hey did you hear that? My dad was even cooler than me! My dad fought two Mega levels with nothing but his bare hands."

"Well, you know what they say." Agumon remarked. "The apple doesn't fall far from the Boss."

"He'd sure be proud of his son." Yoshi noted.

"Yeah." Lalamon agreed.

"That proverb was so wrong, I won't even start correcting it." Ami sighed.

"Spencer was powerful." Merukimon admitted. "And no matter what odds were stacked against him, he never ever gave up."

Flashback

"Now tell me human, why have you and your kind come and invade the Digital World?" Merukimon asked in the midst of battle.

"We're not invading. We're here to study and look for a lost child." Spencer replied.

"What?" Merukimon gasped.

"Humans are curious by nature. We seek out the unknown." Spencer added, breaking off the standstill. "It's true though a lost child brought us here, but we mean you no harm. We are interested in your world."

"Your actions speak louder than your words." Merukimon remarked. "You show nothing but hostility towards us so far."

"That wasn't our intention!" Spencer insisted.

"Then Spencer proceeded to explain everything to me. About the Digi-Gates appearing all over the Human World and how people started to disappear through those Digi-Gates to this world." Merukimon narrated. "He also told me about the friend's son that he had come to the Digital World in order to rescue."

"And that was Keenan right?" Falcomon concluded.

"Correct." Merukimon replied. "I believed Spencer so I told him everything. We trusted each other."

Flashback

"Seriously?" Spencer inquired. "You know about Keenan?"

"Yes." Merukimon replied. "One of my comrades is raising him as her own."

"I'm so relieved to hear he's okay." Spencer smiled. "The Criers are going to be very happy to hear this."

"The Criers?" Merukimon echoed.

"Yes, Keenan's parents." Spencer explained.

"His parents?" Merukimon repeated.

"Yes, his mother and his father." Spencer replied. "I have a girl Kristy and a son Marcus myself. I sure miss those little guys. I hope they're doing alright without me. It's funny, you think you're supposed to teach your kids about life, but it turns out they're the ones who're teaching you what's important.

"Spencer." Merukimon voiced. "You need to go and meet King Drasil."

"Who's that?" Spencer asked.

"He's an Elder that rules over the Digimon and the entirety of the Digital World. You'll need his help if there's any hope whatsoever for humans and Digimon to live together in harmony."

"I see." Spencer noted. "Can you tell me where I can find this guy?"

"You can find him everywhere, and yet nowhere at the same time." Merukimon replied.

"Is this some kind of riddle?" Spencer asked.

"No, that's simply his nature." Merukimon answered. "He is unlike any other Digimon. You can't actually see him, but if you are pure, you can feel his presence."

"Interesting." Spencer noted.

"I'll help you further but I must remind in this place." Merukimon commented, looking at the still opened Digital Gate. "If other Digimon stumble upon this Digi-Gate, then they could end up getting pulled into the Human World. I must stay here and guard it to ensure their safety."

"But…" Spencer objected.

"No." Merukimon cut him off. "You're not the one to blame for its creation."

"Thank you." Spencer nodded. "I'll try to make it up to you by forging peace between our two worlds." And sealing the promise with a fist knock.

"You're a noble man with a noble goal." Merukimon remarked.

"And with that, Spencer left to go on his quest." Merukimon continued to narrate.

"How convenient that we haven't heard from him since, so he can't confirm if your story's true." Kurata scoffed. "For all we know, you defeated him and he's gone."

"Can it doc!" Marcus retorted. "My dad is fine and I know he is! He's definitely here in the Digital World somewhere and we have to find him."

Back in DATS headquarters…

"Spencer Damon is alive." Sampson noted. "And before you question that, the blueprint that the Digivice we received from the Digital World surely confirms it."

"With the blueprint, Doctor Damon sent a message for Kamemon and myself. That message said that we were to create an organization that would protect any Digimon who were found wandering in the Human World." Kudamon added.

"And as you may have surmised by now," Sampson remarked. "The organization that we ultimately established was the Digimon Data Squad; DATS."

Back in the Digital World…

"Wait, you tell me it's my father who is the creator of the Digivice?" Marcus exclaimed.

"It all makes sense." Thomas noted. "That's why the database has nothing on Kudamon or Kamemon. They came to the Human World before DATS started keeping records of Digimon. They came to our world in order to help set up the Digimon Data Squad and end any scrimmages between humans and Digimon before they started, thereby preventing a full-blown battle from developing between the two worlds."

"Unfortunately, all the Digimon who entered the Human World were reverted to digieggs and sent back to the Digital World. They were attacked even they weren't a threat." Merukimon followed up. "I continue to guard the Digi-Gate. An unspoken peace treaty settled between the two worlds. However, soon that fragile peace was shattered. Shattered by an unprovoked attack and it was led by that man over there!"

Kurata laughed.

Flashback

Many in-training Digimon were playing happily in the forest when suddenly a Digital Gate appeared in the sky. Soon after, Kurata and his men entered the tranquil forest.

"It's show time gentlemen!" Kurata instructed.

At his command, his men began torching the forest, forcing the in-training Digimon to flee.

"There're humans attacking the Digital World?" Gotsumon gasped upon receiving the Kuramon's report. "We got trouble, Merukimon!"

"Spencer betrayed me!" Merukimon hollered, walking out to see the burning forest.

EmperorGreymon also saw the burning forest and decided to do something about it.

"What that? Fire?" The young Keenan asked.

"It's trouble and it's over by your house!" Falcomon gasped.

"Frigimon…" Keenan muttered.

Back in the forest, Kurata's men continued their attack on the fleeing in-training Digimon.

"That's far enough, partner." Deputymon stopped them, before hiding behind a tree in fear when Kurata's men turned to him. "There's so many of them."

"So what?" his companion asked. "We'll stop them."

"How very disappointing." Kurata mocked. "You Digimon just can't compete with humans and to prove my point, take a look at my latest invention."

"Gizmon realize!" his soldiers produced their Digivices, summoning the Gizmon.

"What are those things?" one of the Deputymon asked. "Are they Digimon?"

Without warning, the Gizmon fired their eye beams at two of the Deputymon, disintegrating them into digieggs.

"Oh my gosh! They disintegrated!" the last Deputymon gasped as he turned to flee, not before a Gizmon attacked him as well.

"Don't go into the forest, Frigimon! The humans are there!" Gotsumon called out.

"Keenan's in there! I have to find him!" Frigimon told the rock Digimon.

"There's no time! You have to escape!" Gotsumon protested.

Just then, a troop of Gizmons appeared and Gotsumon fled off in fright.

"Frigimon!" Keenan called out to his adoptive mother.

"Frigimon!" the boy ran towards her.

"Keenan no! Get away from here!" Frigimon warned.

"No!" she screamed as the Gizmon's beam hit her.

"Frigimon!" Keenan gasped when his adoptive mother fell to the ground. "No!"

"Sir, there're still several Digimon existing in the western quarter. They're giving the third platoon a lot of trouble." One of Kurata's men reported.

"Send the second platoon and tell them: show the Digimon no mercy." Kurata instructed.

"Yes sir!" the soldier replied and went off.

"These Digimon creatures have proven time and time again that they're simply too dangerous. Therefore, they must all be eliminated before the unthinkable happens and they attack the Human World." Kurata reasoned.

"Detecting two large Digimon signatures heading this way." Another of his men reported.

"Flame Dragon Attack!" EmperorGreymon fired a arrow from the Dragon Soul Sword, whose flames were so intense it produced a white light.

"Thousand Fists!" Both attacks effortlessly destroyed Kurata's Gizumons.

"Thousand Fists!" Merukimon's attack destroyed Kurata's Gizmons in a flash.

"No! My beautiful inventions all destroyed!" Kurata gasped as the Mega level Digimon appeared behind him. "No!"

"You despicable human! You'll pay for breaking our pact." Merukimon told the frightened Kurata who stumbled to his feet and ran off.

"Take this!" the Mega level Digimon hollered, firing his attack at the fleeing Kurata, who revealed another Space Isolation Device. Tossing it, Kurata was blown back to the Human World by the shockwave.

Back in the forest Frigimon managed to stammer with her dying breath, "Keenan, I can't go any further. But you have to escape."

"Me no go." The young Keenan protested. "Me no go unless you come too."

Putting one of Frigimon's around his shoulder, Falcomon doing the same to the other, the pair tried to get Frigimon out of the burning forest, only to fall to the ground as the snowman-like Digimon was too heavy for the two of them.

"Listen to me Keenan." Frigimon told the child. "This is a dark day, I know. But no matter what happens, you must make me a promise. I don't want you to lose your kind spirit, so you must promise not to hate the humans, because you are… you are…"

Frigimon did not have a chance to finish her sentence before she turned into Digi-dust.

"Mama?" Keenan teared. "No, mama no!"

"Mama!" he screamed in anguish.

As night fell, Keenan wept as his adoptive mother was gone, for good.

"This is all Keenan's fault." Gotsumon accused.

"You better back off, Gotsumon." Falcomon threatened. "Keenan has done nothing to deserve this!"

"Ever since he showed up, all kinds of strange things have happened." Gotsumon pointed out. "And you can't deny that I'm telling the truth. Just admit it, the forest would be better off without him."

"No way!" Falcomon objected. "Keenan hasn't done anything wrong."

"Tell him guys." He turned to the surviving in-training Digimon. "Keenan is innocent."

However, the in-training Digimon looked away.

"You guys!" Falcomon rebuked.

"Keenan, wait." The bird stopped his human friend as Merukimon and EmperorGreymon entered.

"Enough, Gotsumon." The Royal Knight scolded him. "Keenan's departure won't bring Frigimon back to life."

"Exactly." Merukimon agreed. "It was Frigimon's wish that Keenan live here among his Digimon brothers." Merukimon stopped the rock Digimon.

"Keenan." He then told the child. "You'll continue to live here, in this forest. You'll be a warrior, defending the Digital World."

Keenan nodded as he accepted his new role.

"Me warrior now!" the child commented, painting on his trademark face paint. "And me defend all Digimon. Me Keenan, son of Frigimon."

"This man take down Frigimon?" Keenan blinked.

"That's right Keenan." Merukimon replied. "This man destroyed your mother."

"Mother?" Kurata scoffed. "What? Some Digimon? Humans and Digimon are natural enemies and always will be! So when I attack the Digital World, I was simply doing my duty as a human being. I had to destroy the enemy before they destroyed us."

"But you created the very enemy you tried to stop!" Yoshi retorted.

"All the animosity Digimon have for humanity." Thomas spat. "If you hadn't attacked their world, then the Digimon wouldn't have attacked ours!"

"How dare you nitrifies judge me. All you do is attack Digimon, only in a different world." Kurata retorted. "You think you're better than me, but in fact, I'll say you're worse."

You're talking nonsense!" Marcus fumed. "You're the lowest of the low, Kurata. More snake than human."

"How predictable." Kurata mocked. "More useless talk from a useless human who can't even eliminate one measly Digimon. You turn them into digieggs then send them back to here where they just launch another attack. Well, no more."

With a snap of his fingers, Gizumon's beam was fired through Merukimon's chest.

"Merukimon!" Keenan shouted.

"You'll pay for that." EmperorGreymon declared.

The group gasped when Merukimon fell.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to show time." Kurata grinned. "Allow me to introduce my greatest masterpiece, Gizmon AT!"

"Kurata!" Marcus fumed.

"I've never been so angry at anyone in my whole life!" Agumon retorted. "Let me at him, Boss!"

"You're laughing?" Marcus demanded at the chuckling Kurata. "Get ready to start crying!"