The Royal Knights Assemble

"Marcus? Can you hear me?" Kristy's voice sounded over his communicator.

"Sis?" Marcus responded.

"Phew, you're okay." Kristy sighed in relief. "Hold on, mum wants to say hi."

"I just want to say I'm very proud of you and I hope you're alright." Sarah told her son after Kristy handed over the communicator. "And oh, try to make it home for dinner. I'm making your favorite, fried eggs."

Marcus chuckled as he looked at ShineGreymon, "Well no promises, but I'll try."

"Let's go, ShineGreymon!" He told his partner once the communication was cut off.

"Right." ShineGreymon replied.

With that, everybody took off to the Digital World.

Outside the Norstein villa…

"It's good to see the Data Squad back again." Yushima noted, watching the ten streaks of light in the sky. "They're our last hope."

Through the Digital Barrier…

"I see it Boss." ShineGreymon told his partner.

"Cool! Head straight for it!" Marcus replied.

"The wind is strong! Careful!" Thomas warned as the group passed through the barrier.

"Woah!" Yoshi exclaimed as she passed by Thomas and MirageGaogamon.

"Go get her!" Thomas told his partner and Miragegaogamon dived after Rosemon.

"Full speed ahead Imperialdramon!" Greg ordered.

"Ravemon, go!" Keenan called.

"Right!" Ravemon replied and took off after Miragegaogamon.

"Yoshi!" Marcus called as both Yoshi and Rosemon fell through the tunnel, the others following them.

When Yoshi awoke…

"Yoshi, thank goodness you're okay." Lalamon chirped.

"Lalamon?" Yoshi blinked as her vision returned.

"Hey! Don't just lie there in the sand! Help me!" the plant Digimon complained, her head stuck in the sand.

"Phew. Thanks." She sighed after spitting out the sand in her mouth.

"Looks like the guys are okay too." Tailmon added, the three females looking at the sprawled out males on the sand not far from them.

"I'll never be able to eat again." Agumon whined. "Unless one of you brought some breakfast."

"So where did we land anyway?" Marcus asked after dusting the sand off himself.

"I don't know." Agumon replied.

"Just look up there." Thomas added. "You can see the Human World in the sky. That proves we're in the Digital World."

"Well, we made it in one piece." Yoshi breathed in relief as she sat down on a rock.

"Hey!" the rock underneath her protested, before knocking Yoshi off.

"What's all the ruckus?" Marcus asked.

"That rock over there moved." Yoshi shivered. "And it talked too."

"It might be a Digimon." Thomas noted.

"Let's dig him up and see." Marcus suggested.

"Oh boy, thanks so much for helping me out of there." The reborn Gotsumon coughed up the sand in his mouth.

"No way." Charlie growled angrily.

Both Keenan and Falcomon gasped in shock, remembering how Gotsumon tried to kill them before.

"Gotsumon." Everyone deathpanned.

"What's the problem guys? You never saw a talking rock before?" Gotsumon inquired.

"Ill tell you the problem!" Marcus fumed. "Last time we saw you, you were trying to attack the Human World!"

"Hold on Marcus." Thomas stopped him from throttling the rock Digimon. "This might be a different Gotsumon that the one who attacked us."

"You think?" Agumon and Lalamon were unconvinced.

"What are you talking about?" Gotsumon was confused. "I've never seen any of you guys before and I don't remember attacking the Human World. A digimon like me could never do anything that bad."

"Yeah right." Agumon deathpanned.

"It's the same Gotsumon." Lalamon concluded.

"Maybe so." Thomas argued. "But he might have lost his memory when he was reverted back into a digiegg. Remember, BanchoLeomon told us it happens sometimes."

"Thanks so much." Gotsumon shook Falcomon's wing in gratitude. "You guys' a real lifesaver for pulling me out."

"If there's anything I can do for you, just ask." He added, turning to Keenan and shaking his hand.

"Along with his memory, I think he lost his personality too/" Gaomon added.

"Compared to the way he was before, that can only be a good thing." Yoshi agreed.

"Anyway rock boy." Marcus told Gotsumon. "How did you wind up buried in the sand in the first place?"

"Oh that." Gotsumon replied. "It's actually a fascinating story. This morning I woke up with a funny feeling. I couldn't shake it so I came out to the beach for some fresh air."

"Oh no, the sky is falling!" Gotsumon exclaimed.

"On me!" he added as ShineGreymon clashed onto him.

"And that's what happened." He concluded.

"There's nothing fascinating about that story." Marcus told him.

"The information helps though." Agumon added.

"For sleeping." Marcus finished his partner's sentence and the three burst out laughing.

"He really cracks himself up, doesn't he?" Thomas noted.

"Yup." Lalamon agreed.

"Sure does." Yoshi added.

"I think I missed the joke." Gaomon remarked.

"Me too." Tailmon agreed.

"I just remembered. We have to find King Drasil right away." Agumon interjected.

"Oh yeah." Marcus noted.

"We better get going." Thomas told the group.

"I don't know any Digimon who has ever seen King Drasil." Falcomon remarked. "Keenan, do you know where he lives?"

"Me have no idea." Keenan confessed.

"Oh great." Marcus complained.

"He might be impossible to find." Thomas reasoned.

"I know where King Drasil lives." Gotsumon replied. "He's our supreme ruler and controls everything in the Digital World. It would be my honor to lead you to him."

"Huh?" The rock Digimon sweat dropped as everyone else gathered around for a discussion.

"I think it's a trap." Yoshi voiced.

"She's right. Gotsumon can't be relied on." Gaomon agreed.

"It's not like we have a lot of choices here." Thomas added.

"I say okay to trust him." Keenan remarked.

"Keenan?" Marcus was surprised.

"You say yourself he reborn. He not even remember me now. Better Gotsumon than before." Keenan reasoned.

"All right, I'll trust him too then." Marcus added, surprising everyone else.

"But why?" Yoshi gasped.

"It's like old saying: Nothing adventured, no one gets blamed." Marcus replied.

"You mean nothing ventured, nothing gained?" Thomas corrected him.

"What's he talking about?" Yoshi was confused.

"Never mind." Thomas sighed.

"You guys go ahead." Tailmon told the group.

"Tailmon?" Gaomon looked at the white cat.

"I have to return this to Belphemon's resting place." Tailmon replied, showing them the shrunken Sacred Flask.

Without waiting for their answer, the cat took off on her own.

Some time later…

"Is this the only path we can take?" Marcus asked Gotsumon as the group trekked dangerously around a cliff overseeing the sea.

"Yeah, why don't we just digivolve and fly?" Yoshi agreed.

"Take a look up there." Thomas replied. "With our Digimon out of energy, they'd never have enough strength to withstand those powerful winds."

Back in the Human World…

"Did you hear that mom?" Kristy asked her mother as the newscaster declared a state emergency. "Shouldn't we evacuate?"

"Lunchtime!" Sarah beamed.

"How can you think of food when we're the only ones staying behind?" Kristy asked.

"Don't be silly Kristy. Where would we run? It's going to be the same situation everywhere." Sarah reasoned. "Besides, your big brother is going to be worried sick if he comes back home looking for us and we're not here."

"I didn't think of that." Kristy remarked.

"I just got my appetite back." She added and started munching on the rice balls.

Spencer darling. Sarah turned to the family photo. If our son runs into danger in the Digital World, you'd find him and save him. Wouldn't you?

Back in the Digital World…

The group had arrived at the foot of the Server Tree.

"Now that's… a big tree." Marcus remarked.

"That's the Server Tree." Gotsumon supplied. "It's what supports the Digital World."

"So, that's where King Drasil lives huh?" Marcus snorted.

"Yes, but of course I can't really be sure because no one I know has really seen him before." Gotsumon replied. "My guess is he does live here and he already knows about what's going on because the legend is he is all-knowing about everything."

"I betcha my dad probably climbed that tree." Marcus noted.

"Guys, follow me and we'll meet the King." Gotsumon told the group.

"None shall pass!" Craniamon declared within a hurricane.

"That's Craniamon!" Gotsumon gasped at the Royal Knight. "He's one of the Royal Knights that sworn to protect King Drasil."

"Royal Knights? What next?" Marcus inquired.

"I, Craniamon, shall dispose of all who dare to approach His Majesty, King Drasil." Craniamon announced.

"Yeah, well I, Marcus Damon, don't care what you say. I'm here to meet the King." Marcus retorted.

Craniamon merely snorted, stomping his foot on the ground and throwing Marcus back with this shock wave.

"Boss!" Agumon ran to his partner.

"Consider that a warning." Craniamon told the teen. "The next time, you won't be so fortunate."

"Uh oh." Yoshi muttered.

"Craniamon didn't even lift a finger." Lalamon noted.

"No, you're wrong." Thomas corrected.

"He actually did move. However faster than the naked eye can see." Gaomon supplied.

"So, you wanna to play rough huh?" Marcus remarked, standing back up. "Bring it on. I'll force you to let us pass."

"No Boss!" Agumon warned.

"My order shall stand." Craniamon told the dashing teen.

"Boss no!" Agumon cried out as Marcus was blown away by Craniamon's shockwave.

Marcus managed to stop himself by flipping over on one arm.

"D.N.A Charge." Gaomon noted the Charge on Marcus' fist.

"He saw Craniamon's attack even though it was so fast." Thomas was shocked.

Wrong Nerdstein. Marcus corrected mentally. Don't over-think things. I just punched the air in front of me, knowing that his attack was coming.

"So, you'd rather fight to the bitter end." Craniamon noted.

"Now he gets it." Marcus grinned. "Fighting time, Agumon!"

"Yeah!" Agumon whooped.

"D.N/A Charge, Overdrive!" Marcus called forth his D.N.A Charge.

Agumon double warp digivolve to ShineGreymon!" Agumon declared as he evolved.

"Nice! Let's back him up!" Thomas remarked.

"Right." The rest nodded.

"Falcomon double warp digivolve to Ravemon!"

"Gaomon double warp digivolve to MirageGaogamon!"

"Lalamon double warp digivolve to Rosemon!"

"Renamon double warp digivolve to Phoenixmon!"

"Veemon double warp digivolve to Imperialdramon!"

"Gomamon double warp digivolve to Plesiomon!"

"Gabumon double warp digivolve to MagnaGarurumon!"

"Guilmon double warp digivolve to WarGreymon!"

"Veemon double warp digivolve to Valkyrimon!"

"It's you!" Gotsumon accused, remembering that it was ShineGreymon who crashed onto him. "You're the big one who landed on me at the beach and squished me into the sand."

"It was an accident." Yoshi explained.

"He obviously didn't do it on purpose." Thomas added.

"I don't believe you!" Gotsumon protested hotly. "I'll get you back for that!"

"You can get even later." Imperialdramon told him.

"Look out!" ShineGreymon blocked Craniamon's attack which was targeted at Gotsumon.

"ShineGreymon!" Marcus gasped at his partner.

"Hey you!" He glared at Craniamon. "What are you aiming at Gotsumon for? He didn't do anything."

"My mission in life is to destroy all those who dare approach King Drasil." Craniamon replied. "That includes all of you."

"Even the weak?" Ravemon demanded.

"And the unprotected?" Miragegaogamon added.

"Yeah, fight someone strong. Like me!" Marcus challenged.

"My friends will make you pay for attacking me!" Gotsumon argued. "Go on! Make him pay already!"

ShineGreymon charged at Craniamon who formed a whirlwind around himself to guard against the attack.

"Double Crescent Mirage!" Miragegaogamon fired his attack, his energy crescents bouncing off the hurricane.

"Thorn Whipping!" Rosemon unleashed her whip, only to have Craniamon take hold of the vine and pulling her to the ground.

Ravemon quickly cushioned her fall.

"If that's your best, I suggest you surrender." Craniamon advised.

"Impossible." MirageGaogamon noted.

"We can't even get close enough to touch Craniamon, let alone hurt him." Thomas added.

"Don't start that. I don't want to hear any 'We should give up' talk!" Marcus retorted. "We beat Kurata, we can beat him."

"GeoGrey Sword!" he summoned ShineGreymon's weapon.

Slamming his powered up fist onto the ground, ShineGreymon revealed his weapon.

"Arise, my Duo-Solar Spear." Craniamon revealed his weapon in response.

"What?" Thomas gasped.

"Looks like he's got a weapon too." Yoshi added.

At that, the two weapon-wielding opponents clashed with each other.

"By attacking a Royal Knight, you are attacking the throne of King Drasil himself." Craniamon informed ShineGreymon. "We have taken an oath to protect our beloved King. That oath will not be broken by the likes of you!"

At that, he knocked the GeoGrey Sword out of ShineGreymon's hand. The blade then landed on the ground, knocking Gotsumon off his feet.

"You will pay for your disloyalty to the King." Craniamon added.

"Shock Ringer!" He rotated both himself and the Duo-Solar spear, creating a destructive shock wave around him, taking the Mega Digimon spiraling into the sky as their partners held onto a tree each to avoid getting blown away.

"Rosemon!" Yoshi hurried to her partner's side.

"He's just too strong." Rosemon remarked.

"Defeating him won't be easy. We know how powerful one of the Royal Knights is." Miragegaogamon agreed.

"You will now be deleted, as a lesson to all others who try to follow in your misguided footsteps." Craniamon told the defeated group.

With that, he was about to land his spear on ShineGreymon's stomach when Marcus stopped the spear with his D.N.A Charged fist.

"He stopped Craniamon's sword with nothing but his bare fist!" Gotsumon was shocked.

"Impossible." Craniamon was stunned.

"Who cares about the Royal Knights or King Drasil?" Marcus fumed. "Two worlds are about to be destroyed and I don't see your beloved King do anything about it!"

"What?" Craniamon demanded.

"Someone who doesn't care about their world… well they…" Marcus continued his rant. "They shouldn't be called a King!"

With an uppercut, he knocked Craniamon's weapon off and toppled the Royal Knight over.

"Unbelievable. I've only heard of one other person doing this to a Royal Knight." EmperorGreymon said in disbelief.

WarGreymon and the other eight Mega level Digimon were left speechless by this display.

"Craniamon got…" Gotsumon gaped as everyone looked on shock.

"His butt kicked!" Ravemon and Keenan chorused, finishing the rock Digimon's sentence.

"Amazing." Even ShineGreymon was stunned.

"Okay ShineGreymon." Marcus leapt off his partner. "Let's show him what you're made of!"

With that, ShineGreymon got up to his feet, powering up.

"Charge! D.N.A Burst Mode!" Marcus summoned ShineGreymon's next level.

"ShineGreymon Burst Mode!" The oversized dragon "What's that light?" Gotsumon asked.

"Burst Mode." Thomas gaped. "Marcus is trying to give ShineGreymon enough power to pass the Mega level."

"Now, go after him!" Marcus told his partner. "Go!"

At that, the two clashed once again.

"Now, let's finish him off!" Marcus hollered.

However, an attack from Gallantmon interrupted the fight.

"What?" Marcus gasped.

"How pathetic Craniamon." Gallantmon rebuked. "How can you let yourself get pushed around like that?"

"Oh no!" Gotsumon gasped. "That's Gallantmon, another Royal Knight!"

Another five streaks of light descended onto the battlefield shortly after.

"Magnamon!" Gotsumon added. "Dynasmon! LoadKnightmon! UlforceVeedramon! And that's Omnimon!"

"There's so many of them now!" Ravemon was stunned.

"We could barely beat one." Rosemon added.

"Seven huh?" Marcus grinned. "The King's going to need new bodyguards when we get through with ya."

"Right!" ShineGreymon Burst Mode agreed.

"Royal Saber!" Gallantmon simply passed his attack onto the ground.

Marcus' memory

"No dad, I wanna take him home!" The four-year-old Marcus whined.

"That's too bad, little brother." A eight-year-old Charlie remarked.

"Marcus, the frog has a home too, and a family." Spencer told his son who was carrying a toad in his hands.

"He does?" Marcus inquired.

"Yeah." Spencer replied. "And the mommy frog is cooking dinner waiting for him to come home."

"Oh. Well I don't the daddy frog to be late for dinner." Marcus remarked, releasing the frog which hopped off.

"See ya!" he told the frog which had by then disappeared into the tall grass.

"You did great, Marcus." Spencer chuckled. "I'm proud of you. Looking out for the little guy. Son, what do you say we head home too?"

"Home too." Marcus mumbled, peering open his eyes and seeing everyone on the ground, their partner Digimon having devolved back to their rookie forms.

"You guys." He remarked. "What happened?"

Footsteps were heard next as the revealed Royal Knights, including EmperorGreymon knelt before their approaching King.

"They stopped." Marcus realized. "They must be planning to finish us off. But I'm not going to let that happen!"

"This fight's not over till I say so!" he retorted, getting to his feet. Dashing towards King Drasil, he tried to punch him, only to have the King dodge the attack, the cover over his head blown off by the after wave.

Stunned, Marcus turned back to see the figure of his father.

"Why dad?" he muttered on shock. "It's me, Marcus."

"His dad?" Thomas gaped.

"Marcus' dad?" Yoshi echoed.

"Oh man." The overwhelmed Marcus added. "You shouldn't scare me like that. I almost knocked you out with one of my hand-makers."

"Dad." He approached Spencer. "Let's go home. Mom and Kristy are waiting for us."

However, Spencer slapped his hand away.

"But dad…" Marcus was confused.

"Hold on Marcus." Charlie stopped his little brother, sensing another presence. "Something isn't right here."

"You insolent troll! Have you no idea who you're speaking to?" Gallantmon demanded.

"Of course, it's my…" Marcus replied.

"This is King Drasil, the ruler of the Digital World." Gallantmon informed the teen and causing everyone to gasp out loud.

"My dad is… King of the Digital World?" Marcus echoed, still in shock.

"No way!" Thomas was stunned.

"How can his father be King Drasil?" Yoshi was confused.

"I don't get it dad." Marcus was similarly confused. "We were told to come here and find King Drasil and now I find out that you're him!? Come on, let me on the joke. Tell me what's going on here?"

"There's nothing else to tell you." Craniamon added. "King Drasil does not need to explain himself to a lout, like yourself."

"His Majesty has already made his decision." Gallantmon replied. "In order to save the Digital World, he's decided the Human World must be destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Gaomon echoed.

"Yeah right." Marcus remarked in disbelief. "Set him straight dad. You'll never destroy the Human World. That will mean wiping out mom and Kristy too and..."

"Silence." King Drasil demanded. "My decision has been made. The humans eroded the Digital barrier, bringing our worlds to the brink of disaster. There is no point in allowing them to exist."

"But dad…" Marcus was stunned at the declaration.

"Humans must go." King Drasil concluded. "It is the only way."

His last sentence shook Marcus to the core.

Meanwhile in the Human World…

Sarah gasped when the photo frame holding the family photo fell to the ground.

"Mom, the picture broke." Kristy noted.

Spencer… Sarah thought in horror.

Back in the Digital World…

Marcus sank to his knees as King Drasil walked past him.

"What shall we do with these castoffs, Your Majesty?" Craniamon asked as the Royal Knights approached the defeated group.

"There's no use for them in the Digital World." King Drasil replied. "Eliminate them."

"Is this how it ends?" Thomas asked, the group surrounded by the Royal Knights who had drawn out their weapons.

"No…" Yoshi muttered, hugging Lalamon.

Goodbye Yoshi." Lalamon wailed.

"No…" Agumon was defiant. "Boss! Get a hold of yourself! Boss!"

"Farewell." Gallantmon raised his Gram Lance.

"Kentaurosmon?" He turned to see the centaur-like Mega Digimon entering the scene.

"No! Another one!" Agumon gasped as Kentaurosmon landed before them.

"Wait!" EmperorGreymon exclaimed having also stood between his fellow Royal Knights and the group.

"Stop this at once!" Tailmon shouted from Alphamon's shoulder as the leader of the Royal Knights and Examon appeared after EmperorGreymon called out.

"Alphamon, EmperorGreymon, Examon, what are you doing?" Omnimon demanded as Kentaurosmon carried the defeated group off.

"Plasma Shoot!" Magnamon released his attack.

"Flame Dragon Attack!" EmperorGreymon fired a white hot arrow from the Dragon Soul Sword causing Magnamon's attack to collide with it instead.

"You'll never escape." Gallantmon remarked. "Final Elysium!"

"Pendragon's Glory!" Examon countered with his attack, allowing Kentaurosmon to escape with the humans.

"Let's go after them." Craniamon suggested.

"That won't be necessary." King Drasil replied.

"King Drasil!" The remaining Royal Knights turned to their liege.

"No matter where they run of to." King Drasil added. "They will be all eliminated in the end. There won't be any place for them to call home."