"I'm not going back. I refuse to fight again." Mimi told Tai.

"Look, I'm not exactly thrilled with it, but Izzy said Gennai sent an urgent e-mail." Tai replied.

"Besides, you'll get to see Palmon again." Sora pointed out. Mimi couldn't argue with that, so she stayed quiet, but didn't look happy about it.

"Where is Izzy? He's the only one not here." Joe looked at his watch.

"Sorry guys…My biotechnical polyengineering class at the university ran late." Izzy said, walking up.

"Your what class?" Matt scratched his head.

"Never mind." Izzy shrugged.

"Now, what's this about Gennai?" Sora asked.

"I'm not completely sure. The E-mail he sent said that there was a strange new force in Digiworld, an extremely powerful force from yet another dimension. He said that even Apocalymon was an easier opponent than this new force." Izzy answered.

"Oh, that's great." Matt sighed.

"C'mon, Matt, there's always been a way before."

"But this is reality, Tai. The good guys don't always win."

"Well, either way, it looks like we're leaving." TK said, floating upward. The other Digi-Destined joined TK in the sky and the Digiworld portal opened.

"Tygra, what's this blip on the Screen of Omens?" Wilykat pointed to the green dot.

"I'm not sure, Wilykat. I'm going to check it out on the Hovercat and see if I can get a clearer reading. Signal me if anything happens." The tiger ran down to his favorite toy and fired the machine up. Turning on the fog lamps, he peered through the trees in the Forest of Mists. Soon, he discovered a multi-colored doorway in the center of the forest. Using a hand held scanner on the unidentified orb, he reached a startling conclusion. Why would an interdimensional portal have opened up here, on a planet, instead of in the middle of space, where they can usually be found? I'll have to contact the others. Panthro is not going to know what to make of this. Tygra shook his head and signaled Wilykat at the Tower of Omens.

"So…the great Tygra has discovered an anomaly on my planet. I, Mumm-Ra The Ever-Living, will see to it that this anomaly is turned to my purposes! Mwahahahaha!" The evil mummified priest flew through a hole in the top of his Black Pyramid, and went to gather his allies.

"What do you think, Panthro? Should we do as Tygra suggested and follow Mumm-Ra?" Lion-O asked.

The martial arts master sighed. "I'm not sure. As Thundercats, it is our duty to protect all worlds from Mumm-Ra's evil. But, by Jaga, it's been quiet around here."

"Panthro, if Mumm-Ra succeeds in taking over that world, he will come back stronger than ever to take revenge against us. Better to stop him now, while we can." Cheetara pointed out.

"Then it's settled. We will set off tomorrow, with all but two of the vehicles. Snarf, you will be in charge of Cat's Lair, and Snarfer, you watch the Tower of Omens." Lion-O said. "Thundercats, ho!"

"What on earth is that?" Sora asked, pointing to a strange structure in the distance.

"It appears to be a pyramid of some sort. There is a pillar at each point of the base. Strange, the towers are emitting bursts of electricity that focus on the vertex of the pyramid." Izzy answered, looking at his laptop for details.

"So, I guess that's where our new enemy is, huh?" Matt said, looking over the building disdainfully.

"Highly unusual. My laptop is recording a complex energy readout that appears to be coming from directly above us." Izzy looked upward, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever his laptop was picking up.

"Are we all set?" Tygra asked. Panthro, Cheetara, Bengali, and Tygra were in the Thundertank, while Lion-O, Lynx-O and Pumyra were in the Catstrike. The Thunderkittens were on their spaceboards. Everyone signaled that they were ready, and the procession moved into the portal. There was a flash and then…

"Prodigious!" Izzy shouted. Joe fell over, shocked from the outburst. Sora stared. "Izzy has emotions after all!"

"A vehicular transport of unknown origin, descending at a rapid, yet controlled rate, by no apparent mechanics! I knew my alien theory wasn't totally off! Greetings, unknown creatures! We await your arrival!"

"Lion-O, there's a bunch of strange looking kittens down there. One of them is waving at us." Pumyra reported.

"The Sword of Omens hasn't indicated any danger, so we may as well land and speak with them." The young Lord of the Thundercats said. The Catstrike put down its landing beams and descended. Lion-O was the first to step out.

"I wonder if we can understand them?" A short red-haired kitten asked its companions.

"Well, Lion-O, what do you think?" Tygra asked. The Thundertank had had a rougher landing than the Catstrike, but Panthro had had the foresight to install jump landing gear.

"Prodigious! We can understand them! Greetings, my name is Koushiro Izumi, but I'm called Izzy. What type of alien are you?"

"Izzy, would you chill? These guys could be dangerous!" Joe stepped back, worried, yet happy to see Izzy away from the computer.

Panthro laughed. "Well, one of you is cautious anyway."

"What are you kittens doing out here on your own, with no adult to watch you?" Pumyra asked.

"Hey, some kittens can take care of themselves!" Wilykit said, stopping her spaceboard.

"Yeah!" Wilykat stopped beside his twin.

Bengali laughed this time. "Yes, but you are Thunderkittens. There is a difference!"

"Pardon, but we aren't kittens. We are human children. I see the feline likeness you have, so I'm sure your youth are referred to a kittens or cubs, but children, youth or kids will do for us. You still haven't answered my question, though. What are you?" Izzy prodded.

"We are Thundercats. I am Lion-O, son of Claudius, and Lord of the Thundercats." Lion-O did his best to look noble.

Wilykat snickered. "Every time he does that, his head swells."

"I can't breathe! His ego's taking up too much space!" Wilykit giggled. The twins nearly fell off their boards. The other Thundercats tried to repress their laughter at the Thunderkittens' antics.

"Well, if nothing else they have a sense of humor." Sora whispered to Tai.

"I'm Cheetara."

"Panthro."

"My name is Pumyra."

"I'm Bengali." The blacksmith twirled his hammer in one hand.

"I'm Tygra." He extended his paw to shake with Izzy, who accepted it, then began analyzing the DNA samples left on his hand.

"I am Lynx-O."

"What's with his eyes, Matt?" TK whispered to his older brother. Lynx-O's ears twitched. "Young cub, I am blind."

"Oh, I hope we didn't offend you." Sora jumped in.

"No, that's quite all right."

"Wilykat."

"And Wilykit."

"My name is Sora Takenouchi."

"I'm Jyou Kido, but you can call me Joe."

"Mimi Tachikawa, pleased to meet you." Mimi smiled, overcoming her nervousness.

"I'm Takeru Takaishi! My friends call me TK!"

"Matt."

"My name is Taichi Kamiya."

"Call him Tai. I'm his sister, Kari."

"I don't suppose you've seen an egotistical evil mummy that goes by the name of Mumm-Ra?" Bengali asked.

"No, but perhaps that large pyramid over there is where such a creature would be found." Izzy gestured to the structure he had pointed out earlier.

"The Black Pyramid!" Lion-O exclaimed.

"But how did Mumm-Ra build it so quickly?" Pumyra wondered.

"He probably used his evil magic to transport a replica here." Tygra answered.

"Apparently this Mumm-Ra is the new evil power that Gennai was referring to in his E-mail."

"Sure."

"Hi, guys, are we late?" A new voice asked.

"Palmon!" Mimi hugged the Rookie.

"Aah!" Panthro stepped back, seeing the new arrivals and tripped over his feet.

"These creatures are Digimon, short for Digital Monsters. There are three types of Digimon: data, vaccine and virus. These particular Digimon are bonded to us in ways that we can't fully comprehend, but through the use of our digivices, they can digivolve to protect us. Digivolving is a process that allows the Digimon to become bigger and stronger." Izzy explained.

"I have no idea what he just said, but I'm Tentomon!"

"I'm Biyomon!" The pink bird said, fluttering up to rest on Sora's shoulder.

"I'm Agumon."

"Let's shorten this. I'm Gabumon, that's Gomamon, Palmon, Gatomon, and Patamon." The Sword of Omens hummed, signaling danger.

"We will s-s-s-shorten this-s-s-s, yes-s-s-s-s!" A green froggish creature appeared, wielding an ax. Several Vilemon on both sides flanked him.

"S-S-Slithe!" Lion-O drew the Sword of Omens. The mystical blade tripled in length. The other Thundercats armed themselves.

"Back to the same old routine within minutes." Joe sighed.

"What did you expect?"

"Agumon digivolve to: Greymon!"

"Gabumon digivolve to: Garurumon!"

"Biyomon digivolve to: Birdramon!"

"Tentomon digivolve to: Kabuterimon!"

"Palmon digivolve to: Togemon!"

"Gomamon digivolve to: Ikkakumon!"

"Patamon digivolve to: Angemon!"

"Lightning Claw!"

"Nova Blast!"

"Howling Blaster!"

"Electro-Shocker!"

"Needle Spray!"

"Harpoon Torpedo!"

"Hand of Fate!"

Cheetara zipped around the Vilemon, randomly hitting with her staff. Tygra cracked his whip around him and became invisible. Vilemon seemed to float off the ground and get thrown. Panthro twirled his nunchucks, thoroughly enjoying himself. The Thunderkittens scampered around, throwing explosive pellets and sneezing powder. With the Digimon, they easily defeated the Vilemon. Lion-O quickly disarmed S-S-Slithe, who ran.

"Incredible weapons. Obviously, you far surpass our own species in technology." Izzy said.

"What would Mumm-Ra want with this place?" Wilykit asked.

"There are many powerful Digimon here. He could use them as servants to help him conquest wherever he came from."

"Do you have a theory for everything?" Wilykit asked Izzy.

"Do you have a question for everything?" Izzy asked, opening his laptop. The Thunderkitten stuck her tongue out at him and went to talk with her twin. Tygra moved behind Izzy to look at the screen. "Panthro, look at this! He wasn't kidding about how much more advanced we are." The panther moved beside Tygra. "By Thundera! It doesn't even look like it has a thundrillium power source."

"Thundrillium? What's thundrillium?" Matt wondered aloud.

Panthro put his head in his hands. "How are they ever supposed to advance?"

"Not very well." Izzy muttered. No one heard him and he was thankful for that. Tai and Lion-O were talking about leadership stuff while Cheetara, Pumyra, Sora and Mimi were having a girl chat. Wilykit and Wilykat were entertaining TK and Kari with their tricks while Matt kept a close watch to see that nothing got out of hand. Tygra, Bengali and Panthro got in a discussion about how a civilization could advance without thundrillium. Lynx-O and Joe were just listening to the others, Joe watching Izzy more than anything else. Izzy went back to typing, but was unable to contact Gennai. Giving up, he analyzed the strange pyramid, distracting himself from his true thoughts.

"So, the strange little human thinks to discover more about my pyramid. Well, Mar-Mutt, why don't we let him find out more than he ever wished? I sense some unusual energy from he, he might be useful to us." The evil dog whimpered and Mumm-Ra rubbed his head. "Ancient Spirits of Evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, The Ever-Living!" Unnatural wind whipped Mumm-Ra's ragged cape away from his chest, revealing the entwined snakes symbol. The eyes of four statues glowed red as the bent over old priest was changed into a muscular warrior of evil. "Stay here and watch the Black Pyramid, my loyal Mar-Mutt. I will take care of the young genius." Mumm-Ra flew through the hole and was gone.

"Oohh…" Cheetara pressed her fingers into her temples. Lion-O and Tygra went to help her. "What is it, Cheetara?"

"I feel something evil…I think Mumm-Ra is planning something…"

"I feel it too, Cheetara." Lynx-O's sensitive ears twitched. "Something's coming this way!"

The Sword of Omens hummed, signaling danger. Lion-O grabbed it from the Claw Shield, but never got the chance to use it. Mumm-Ra appeared and red lightning cracked in the sky. "You really should go see Myotismon about that." Izzy said, still typing. Joe looked over to the younger boy, wondering where his sense of humor had come from.

"Quiet, boy." Mumm-Ra ordered. Izzy ignored him and kept on typing. Joe glared at the ragged creature. Lion-O held the Sword of Omens threateningly. "What do you want Mumm-Ra?"

"Besides your destruction? I'll take the boy!" Mumm-Ra gestured toward Izzy. A red bubble of energy surrounded him and his laptop, knocking Izzy out. Tentomon tried to fly in and rescue his partner, but the bubble zapped him. Mumm-Ra gestured again and the strange entrapment lifted off the ground. Joe clenched his fist, his Crest suddenly bursting with power. Gomamon digivolved before anyone had a chance to register what had happened. "Vulcan's Hammer!"

Zudomon slammed his weapon directly behind Mumm-Ra, letting the evil priest absorb the full affects. The energy around Izzy released, and the boy fell. Joe tried to catch him, but Pumyra jumped, flipped, and caught him. She set him down and pulled out her vaulting pole. Joe scrambled around to check on Izzy, who was still holding onto his laptop.

"Ho!" Lion-O shouted. The Eye of Thundera awakened and roared as the blade tripled in length. Panthro snapped his nunchucks into a ready position. Tygra had his whip retracted, but prepared to strike. Cheetara held her staff in front of her, while Pumyra's pole was in a guard stance. Bengali had his hammer trained on Mumm-Ra. The Thunderkittens landed their spaceboards and waited for someone to move. Lynx-O kept his ears on the alert and had his light shield set for high-powered beams. The Digimon took advantage of the stand off.

"Tentomon digivolve to: Kabuterimon! KABUTERIMON DIGIVOLVE TO: MEGAKABUTERIMON!"

"Biyomon digivolve to: Birdramon! BIRDRAMON DIGIVOLVE TO: GARUDAMON!"

"Palmon digivolve to: Togemon! TOGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO: LILYMON!"

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TO: ANGEWOMON!"

"Patamon digivolve to: Angemon! ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO: MAGNAANGEMON!"

"You're outnumbered, Mumm-Ra." Panthro snarled. Mumm-Ra laughed and more lightning flashed. It struck the ground nine times. The Lunattacks and the Mutants appeared, each armed. Redeye charged at Tygra, Alluro attacked Panthro, Chilla tried to freeze the Thunderkittens, Tugmug jumped at Cheetara and Pumyra, Luna and Amok rushed at Bengali, trying to crush him. S-S-Slithe went for Lynx-O while the other mutants went after the Digi-Destined. Zudomon stayed with Joe to protect the children, but the other Digimon joined Lion-O to challenge Mumm-Ra.

"You think to stop, me? I am Mumm-Ra, The Ever-Living! Nothing will stop me!" Pinkish wave-like energy came from his hands. Lion-O raised the Sword of Omens, which protected him. The Digimon flew out of the way and attacked from all directions.

"TERRA FORCE!"

"WOLF SNOUT!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Horn Buster!"

"Flower Cannon!"

MagnaAngemon didn't say anything, but his sword radiated a beam of golden light. The attacks converged on Mumm-Ra, creating a gigantic explosion. Lion-O added the Sword of Omens power to the attack, only he knowing that Mumm-Ra would have a magical shield around him. The flash cleared and Mumm-Ra laughed. He generated a colossal burst of red magic energy, which expanded and threw the Digimon back. Lion-O strained against the energy, but the Sword of Omens was knocked from his hands and he flew backward. Mumm-Ra dove at Lion-O determined to finish off the Lord of the Thundercats while he had the chance. However, he remembered the task he had come for, and broke off his dive. Firing another beam of magic at the still unconscious Izzy, he escaped into the sky. MegaKabuterimon devolved without Izzy's digivice signal. The Mutants and Lunattacks disappeared, Mumm-Ra having no more use for them at the moment.

"What's he going to do with Izzy?" Joe asked, afraid and concerned. Inside he was all anger at the evil priest. I may not be able to tell him, but I swear if that mummy harms him in any way…

"I don't know, but I'm not sure I want to think about it." Wilykit said.

Tygra rubbed his chin. "He gave up the chance to destroy Lion-O in order to take this Koushiro. He won't hurt him. Physically anyway."

"When Mumm-Ra takes someone, he generally bends them to his will. I fear this will happen to your friend as well." Lynx-O said.

"You mean, next time we see Izzy, he might not exactly be Izzy?" Joe looked toward Tentomon, who had joined Izzy in unconsciousness. That means…

"Unfortunately, that is precisely what a mean." Lynx-O affirmed.

"Wouldn't we be able to tell through Tentomon? If their life forces are connected, wouldn't anything that happens to Izzy also happen to Tentomon?" Joe wondered, with a mild amount of hope. Please, oh please…Mumm-Ra had better not touch my Izzy. Well, I wish he were…

"Perhaps. But Mumm-Ra's evil power is extensive, and he may find some way around it." Panthro added.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil, transform this boy to evil purpose, that I might at last defeat the Thundercats and bring destruction to this realm and rule third Earth!" Black lightning cracked around the pyramid as the statue's eyes glowed red. The pinkish purple water of the cauldron spiraled upward in a liquid tornado and engulfed Izzy, who was laid out on an altar. When the water finally subsided and sloshed back into its container, Izzy had been changed. His clothing was now a sleeveless black denim shirt, a black leather jacket, black pants, spiked leather boots, black gloves studded at the knuckles, and a black cape that was similar to Mumm-Ra's. He was still unconscious, however.

Cheetara swooned and fell over before she could say anything. Tygra and Panthro helped her while Bengali and Pumyra aided Lynx-O, who was clutching his ears. Lion-O drew the Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield and held the crossbar to his face. The handle curled around. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight! Show me what Cheetara and Lynx-O feel!" The pupils of his eyes slitted and his eyes flashed golden. A black image appeared before his eyes, and he dropped the Sword.

"What is it? Did you see?" Wilykat asked.

"No, I didn't…Whatever it was is even more powerful than Mumm-Ra, and just as evil."

"Could it be…Izzy?" Joe gulped, fearing the worst. I'm going to rip that sack of rotten bandages apart!

"I'm afraid so." Lynx-O said, getting to his feet. "I thought there was something different about him, but I did not know exactly what. Mumm-Ra will now use him against us, in any way he can."

"But, how are we supposed to fight Izzy?" Joe asked, knowing he could bear to fight against his secret love.

"We'll have to, Joe." Tai said, not looking happy about what he was saying.

"Where am I?" Izzy woke up. He looked over himself, noting the new clothing. "Whatever happened to me, I like it."

"Well, boy, I see you have awakened." Green light surrounded the sarcophagus as it opened and Mumm-Ra appeared. Izzy jumped off the sarcophagus, landing with more grace and ease than anyone would have thought possible. He walked differently, more confidently than he ever had before. Mumm-Ra cackled at the obvious difference in Izzy.

"Who are you referring to as 'boy?' I believe your powers of observation are flawed, for clearly I am more mature than most of the others in my age group." Izzy snorted. His eyes betrayed the full extent of the change he had undergone. Rather than sparkling with curiosity and deep with knowledge, the seeing orbs were cold and empty. Mumm-Ra's eyes showed more personality than the young male before him.

Mumm-Ra laughed, the cold sound echoing through the dark pyramid. "Well, then, what do you want me to call you? By the nickname your pathetic friends call you? You want me to address you as the mockable Izzy?"

"My name is Koushiro. That is what you will refer to me as."

"Well, Koushiro, you seem to be taking charge quickly." Mumm-Ra chuckled, his eyes gleaming. Izzy grinned, a frightening thing to behold. "I should. I'm far more deadly to them than you are."

The Sword of Omens roared its warning. Lion-O quickly used it to see what was endangering them. "Creatures…dozens of them are flying this way. There is something with them, I can't make out what it is." The blade tripled in length as Lion-O prepared for the attack. The Digimon all digivolved, going to the highest levels possible. The other Thundercats jumped into their respective vehicles, getting ready for anything. The strange Digimon came into view, as did the unidentifiable object. Joe was the first to recognize who was amongst the attackers. "Guys, it's Izzy." He swallowed the lump in his throat and clenched his fists. No…why, why did it have to be Izzy? TK and Kari's eyes widened. "But, he's dressed differently." Kari pointed out.

"I guess it came down to it. We have to fight one of our own." Tai said. His jaw set in grim determination. Sora strained her eyes. "I recognize those Digimon! I saw them when I was on my own looking for Tai. They're called Heliomon. I'm not sure what they can do, though."

"Helios was some god of the sun…Wonderful." Joe sighed. Now I sound like the cute little genius. Um, back to the matter at hand, Joe.

"Pulsar Shock Wave!" One of the creatures yelled, slamming its fist out. A series of flaming circles shot from its arm as the Heliomon burst into flame. The other creatures followed suit. The bombardment was countered by a few ice blasts from the Thundertank and the Hovercat. The Digimon charged forward.

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Wing Blade!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"Gate of Destiny!"

"Flower Cannon!"

"METAL WOLF CLAW!"

"MEGA CLAW!"

The attacks ripped through the ranks of the Heliomon. Lion-O fired beams of energy from the Sword of Omens, while the vehicles fired rapid laser blasts. The dark figure that was Izzy landed and walked toward the Digi-Destined. Matt and Tai leapt defensively in front of their friends. "Izzy, what happened to you?" Sora asked, surprised.

"My name is Koushiro, not some childish nickname. And what happened to me is that reality finally set in." He laughed briefly and abruptly cut it off. "Get out of my way. I'm not going to hurt anyone. Yet."

Neither of the two boys moved. Koushiro shook his head slightly. "I did precaution you. You never did listen to me." He gestured with his right index finger and Tai and Matt were thrown to the side. "Now, where's Tentomon?"

Sora and Mimi slid back, hiding the still unconscious bug. Kari and TK helped by huddling against them. TK whispered to Sora, "He didn't really hurt Matt and Tai, did he?"

Joe displayed incredible courage by staying where he was, blocking Koushiro's direct path. I can't believe I have to face off against the one person I swore never to hurt. "Move Joe." Koushiro ordered. Joe shook his head, preparing to get flung. This will hurt all the more coming from him. He never did though, because Lion-O jumped in the way. The Eye of Thundera roared, throwing red light over the genius. He snarled and backed away from the radiance, noticing that his attack force was being defeated. "Pathetic weaklings. I should have known Mumm-Ra wouldn't know which Digimon to use. I'll be back…and then, I won't be going on the advice of a washed out priest." With a flash, Koushiro disappeared.

"I can't believe that was Izzy." Sora said, going with Kari to check on Tai. Joe and TK were already helping Matt.

"It wasn't. Whatever Mumm-Ra did to him, it completely changed him." Lion-O said, putting away the Sword. The Digimon devolved and checked on their human partners. Rainbow light appeared from the ground and Gennai's image appeared. "Well, I see your troubles have greatly escalated."

"Gee, what makes you say that? Izzy's become some powerful evil genius with a vengeance, we still have to deal with this Mumm-Ra character, and Tai and Matt are in no condition to fight at the moment. No, everything seems fine to me." Joe snapped. Gomamon fell over. Everyone else just looked at him. Oh, no, now everyone else is going to suspect…and I wanted Izzy to be the first to know. But maybe they won't figure it out just yet.

"There is no reason to snap at me, Joe. I realize you are upset, but I am not the cause of your troubles."

"I know. I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me." Joe apologized, thoroughly abashed. I really shouldn't have snapped at him. Even if I am having a seriously bad day.

"It's understandable. You are under a large amount of pressure at the moment. I came to tell you that it may be possible to use this new Izzy to eliminate Mumm-Ra…but it will take a great deal of manipulation, deceit and quick thinking."

"Well, it's not like we have any other options. What do we have to do?" Sora asked.

"Well, um, actually I was just presenting the idea to you. I didn't have a plan ready." Gennai said, his eyes almost opening.

"Just perfect." Joe sighed. Get my hopes up about maybe working with Izzy on something again, and then have no clue how to start. Panthro leaned over to Lion-O. "Who is this guy?"

"I don't know, but the Sword of Omens doesn't consider him a threat, so I'm not concerned about it." The young Lord of the Thundercats replied. Gennai disappeared, leaving everyone more confused than before, something he seemed to do an excellent job at.

"Your friend seemed to have retained his reasoning powers despite the other great changes. Perhaps that is something we can use to manipulate him." Tygra suggested.

"He also seemed to want to get hold of that creature pretty badly." Bengali said, gesturing toward Tentomon.

"Hey, wait a minute, did anyone see his Crest, Tag or digivice?" Joe asked. I wonder if that has anything to do with his change?

"No, but that doesn't mean anything…does it?" Sora responded.

"I'm not sure, but it might. We don't have much to work with, and I'm trying to look at every angle."

"Well, in that case, did he have his laptop?" Kari asked.

"No, he didn't."

"Gee, I can't remember ever seeing him without his laptop." Mimi said, the first contribution to the conversation she had made.

"So, those Digi-destined brats and those meddling Thundercats think to use you to destroy me." Mumm-Ra cackled to Koushiro, who snorted. "I'm not an idiot like the normal companions you keep. I can see into the cauldron perfectly well myself and determine events." Why does Joe seemed so distant all of the sudden? Could my absence have that affect on him? But why? Could he have non-friendship emotions for me?

"Don't challenge my power, boy." Mumm-Ra rasped.

"Don't refer to me by such a derogatory term. I have told you what you may call me and I will take offense at anything other than such." Koushiro replied evenly, but his anger was betrayed. How dare you interrupt my thoughts.

"I will call you whatever I want. You are my prodigy now, boy." Mumm-Ra chortled, retreating into his sarcophagus. Koushiro clenched his fists. "No one will treat me in that manner. I'll make sure you don't interfere with my plans." He pointed a finger at Mumm-Ra's cauldron. A beam of purple light went into the center and the liquid boiled and frothed. Koushiro grinned and surrounded himself in a dark aura as he floated out of the pyramid. Mumm-Ra's destruction, get Tentomon, rule Digiworld. What else could a person want? Someone to share it with, perhaps?

"Joe, what are you thinking?" Sora stared at the blue-haired boy in shock.

"I know it sounds absurd, but really, if Izzy did retain his logic, it's not so bad an idea." Joe answered. And this way, I don't have to fight him. Or deal with these insane emotions any more.

"But Joe, come on, it's still an evil power." Wilykat pointed out.

"Well, if we can get him to help us defeat Mumm-Ra and leave him to take over Digiworld, I'm sure his logic would prevent him from destroying any more than necessary. While evil, it still makes more sense to rule the land than destroy it."

"I hate to say it, but he does have a point." Panthro said.

"Mumm-Ra wants to destroy this world and terrorize Third Earth. Any opportunity we have to defeat him should be used." Pumyra agreed.

"But there's something wrong about this." Cheetara argued.

"Yes, there is. But we don't seem to have any other options at this point." Lion-O shrugged.

"So, by appealing to his logic and offering that creature to him, we will try to convince him to join us and defeat Mumm-Ra and his allies. Once that is completed, we all go home and leave him here to do as he wants." Tygra summarized.

"Agreed." Koushiro said, appearing in the center of the group. Everyone jumped slightly, but quickly recovered. Joe breathed slowly. I really hope he's not telepathic now…

"Well, I guess we'll be working together again. It looks like this is going to be the last time though." Tai said, offering his hand. Koushiro eyed it, then shook, sealing his end of the bargain.

"So, um, any ideas?" Mimi asked.

"The Thundercats occupy their vehicles while the rest of you use your Digimon for transport. We attack the pyramid with full power. The combination should be sufficient to topple the four towers and create a large entrance to assault Mumm-Ra directly. He won't be a problem with the assembled forces we have. Once he is gone, the Thundercats will take the portal back to Third Earth, and you will use your digivices to return to your dimension. Understood and agreed? Good. Let us commence." Koushiro didn't give anyone the chance to have second thoughts. Why is Joe looking at me like that? Sadly? Why sadness?

The Digimon, who had been unsuccessfully trying to awaken Tentomon for the past two days, grudgingly digivolved. Koushiro walked over to the Rookie. A glimpse of sadness shone through his eyes for a brief instant as he surveyed his longtime companion and friend. A purple glow was seen through his shirt as he raised his arms. Purple light hit Tentomon, who then awoke. "What happened? Where's Izzy?" The beetle asked groggily.

"I'm not Izzy anymore, Tentomon." Koushiro told him. Tentomon looked up at the black clad boy. "I'm sorry, I must be mistaken. I thought you said you weren't Izzy anymore. I don't think you ever were."

"Amusing response. No matter. We're leaving." Koushiro turned and headed for the Black Pyramid, using his dark aura to fly. The Digimon and Thundercats followed cautiously.

"I still don't understand something, Joe." Zudomon said as he crossed the desert surrounding the Black Pyramid. I don't understand a whole lot myself. Like these feelings, and why Izzy became evil… "What don't you understand, except for everything?"

"Where did Izzy get all this power? From what I understand, all Mumm-Ra did was turn him against us." Zudomon replied.

"I don't know. I wonder if he knows?" Joe sighed again. I don't guess we can ask him. "Oh well."

"We're there!" Tai yelled. "Let's get attacking!"

"TERRA FORCE!"

"METAL WOLF CLAW!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Vulcan's Hammer!"

"Flower Cannon!"

"Wing Blade!"

MagnaAngemon sent a beam of golden energy from his sword. Panthro set off a signal that fired every vehicle's weapons at once. The Thundercats used their own personal weapons to send in even more firepower. Koushiro sent a wave of black energy from one hand while telling Tentomon to digivolve. The Rookie was unable to. "You aren't Izzy. It's his power that helps me digivolve."

"You will learn." Koushiro said, turning to watch the explosion. The four pillars collapsed, the ruins sinking beneath the sands. One side of the Black Pyramid was blown completely away. Mumm-Ra emerged from his casket and stood before his cauldron. "Ancient Spirits of Evil-"

Koushiro noticed the statue's eyes begin glowing. Cupping his hands, he aimed a beam of the dark energy at one of the statues. It fell midway through Mumm-Ra's incantation, stopping the evil priest's transformation. "No! It cannot be!"

"Sword of Omens, send Mumm-Ra back where he belongs!" Lion-O shouted raising the mythical blade. The Eye of Thundera engulfed Mumm-Ra and a portal opened. The Eye pushed him through. The Black Pyramid, the desert and all the structures Mumm-Ra had created dissolved, leaving nothing but digital forest. Or so it seemed.

"What's that?" Tai asked, pointing to a pinkish pool of water.

"The cauldron! But why is it still here?" Tygra wondered. Tentomon flew over to investigate. A surge of water, shaped like a hand, reached up and grabbed for him. Tentomon frantically dodged, but more and more hands kept appearing. Two of them finally caught him, and dragged him under. A third tendril wrapped around Joe and dragged him down as well. "No!" Koushiro jumped in. Which was the stronger outrage…? My friend, or-or…is that what I think?

No one dared to breathe. The minutes ticked by, agonizingly slow. "Do you think…?" Mimi started to ask, but Sora shushed her. A purple spiral raged up from the cauldron, throwing Tentomon, Joe, and Koushiro out of it and onto the ground. Tentomon sputtered and got up, but Koushiro didn't move. Joe coughed the vile water from his lungs, and tried to get to Koushiro. Don't let him be…I told him, and I know he heard me…I have to know… "Is he okay?" TK asked. The purple tornado destroyed the cauldron and then tendrils of solid wind wrapped around Koushiro and picked him up. Everyone stared in wonder. The tornado abruptly stopped and Koushiro dropped to the ground. Something dropped after him and landed on his head. "Ow. I don't believe that was very good for maintaining proper mental health." Something pulled itself from the indention.

"Izzy?" Joe asked, still coughing slightly. Did you really hear?

"Who did you expect? Why are you all looking at me so strangely?" The black clothing of Koushiro had been replaced with Izzy's normal attire. His Crest, Tag and digivice were in plain view, where they normally were.

"Don't tell me you don't know what happened." Tai said, looking confused.

"Of course I know what happened. When I was captured by Mumm-Ra, he used his formidable magical abilities to reverse most of my personality and turn me against you. However, by exasperating this reversal of me, he caused it to want his destruction, which you also wanted. Because all my power was turned outward, I was unable to have Tentomon digivolve. So when-"

"Wait a minute. You mean, the power you were using was the same power that makes Tentomon digivolve?"

"Yes." Izzy said, realizing that the rest of it was unimportant to everyone except a particular human.

"So when you saved Tentomon, that somehow made you yourself again?"

Izzy nodded, knowing that was only part of the truth. A multi-colored portal opened. The Sword of Omens indicated the Thundercats should use the portal. Lion-O faced them. "You behaved honorably. You Digi-Destined would have made great Thundercats." He jumped into the Thundertank and Panthro headed for the portal. The vehicles disappeared.

"A truly prodigious experience." Izzy said, opening his laptop as a beam lifted the Digi-Destined. The Digimon waved goodbye as their friends were transported back to their world. "Looks like everything is back to normal." Tai said as they landed.

Sora clamped her hand over his mouth. "Never say that. The Gods of Irony will come back for it."

The group dispersed, except for two boys. Oh boy…I think I need Tai's Crest right about now. "Izzy?" Joe asked hesitantly.

"Wondering whether or not I heard your confession to me?" Izzy replied, grinning slightly. Joe blushed and nodded.

"Actually, part of what returned me to my natural mind was your admittance. My heart took over, and forced the uncaring power back to where it belonged." Izzy explained, moving to the older, taller boy.

"Are you saying-" Joe was cut off as Izzy suddenly reached up and kissed him.

Yay. Jyoushiro. Happy, happy. Anyway, I had TigerCat's permission to do this, so don't flame me for stealing her stuff. I'd like if ya'll reviewed.