A large red eagle-like bird carried a middle-aged purple haired woman through the forest. It would have once been a strange sentence and an even stranger sight, but in the Digital World, Yolei Inoue and Aquilamon were practically mundane.

"So, what's Kari wanting us to meet up with them about again?" Aquilamon asked.

"Really not sure, just says she and Gatomon found something that might be interesting. And hey, it's a break from the day to day... Stop me growing any more wrinkles and grey hairs for a while..." Yolei shrugged.

Despite her worries, the 38 year old remained a rather striking beauty, even the stress of a few children and the rest of her life not affecting her looks as much as she believed. Aquilamon had tried telling her this for years, practically since they'd first met, actually, but Yolei's minor insecurities were practically indestructible.

"Strange they'd be so vague though."

Yolei was about to reply to her partner when suddenly, crimson beams emerged from the treeline. The two couldn't react as they struck home, eyes only widening a fraction before the pair froze, and their eyes shifted.

Yolei's eyes turned a pure blank white, while Aquillamon's became a set of multicoloured spirals. The pair sat for a moment, almost like a strange equestrian statue bar the fact they were not made of stone or bronze... and that Aquilamon was avian, not a horse.

And as they sat stiffly, the source of the beams neared. A crimson aura glowed around Yolei, lifting the woman from her Digimon, as Gaurdamon reached up to carry the floating human. CrimsonCanewomon released the spell once her lover held the woman firmly.

"I shall return her. You shall deal with the Aquilamon?" Garduamon asked.

"Yes. He shall be made useful..."

***

Yolei's eyes slowly shifted back to normal, and she awoke from the trance... confused to be in a cave.

"...Aquilamon?" She said, and surveyed the area.

Worried but keeping calm, she reached for her pockets, seeking her Digivice or phone... and found nothing. Even her D-terminal was missing.

Well, time for plan B.

"AAAGH!" She leapt to her feet and tried to run. Except the place was dark, and she stumbled along the way more than once.

And then she realised after a moment she was barefoot. Who took people's shoes?! She winced a little as her panic faded, realising her feet were now rather sore.

"Ow, dumb move, Yolei," She self-admonished, and limped a little as she kept moving.

And then her feet struck something clammy, slimy, and very squelchy. She halted in disgust at the loud splattering noise, and shuddered in dismay at the cold sensation. Both feet had plopped right into a strange violet coloured sludge.

"Ugh... Now I've stood right in some weird purple gunk. Can this get any worse?" She sighed.

The ooze obliged like it was a request.

"Me and my big mouth..." came the nervous gulp as the electricity crackled up her body, rapidly racing for her ears.

She gave one gasp of shock as her expression shifted from deadpan dismay to a blankness. And then a small noise of pleasure as the energy flowed into her eyes, shifting from a brown to a purple like her hair, but flecked with crackling bolts of lightning in pink. The once more entranced woman stood statue stuff as her eyes swirled.

And then a robotic voice spoke up after some time.

"Follow me... join the Unity..." The voice urged.

It sounded familiar. Yolei put a name to the voice. Kari...

She obeyed, robotically moving onwards, stiff movements leading her to another puddle, a fresher amount. She stepped in with both feet, making no reaction as the second wave of energy sparked up her body. She had begun embracing the power, and surrendering her free will.

She felt the presence in her mind, and a small part of her tried to resist, until the voice spoke again.

"Yolei... give in."

Kari stood before her now, eyes glowing purple, as Yolei's gently swirled.

"Join the unity... join me..." She almost chanted in a drone-like monotone.

And Yolei also began speaking.

"I... embrace..."

Her eyes swirled faster as she spoke in the monotone too."

"I... surrender..."

Faster and faster the pink and purple span.

"Erase my old life... Find freedom..."

The glow intensified, turning to white until she closed her eyes, and stood stiffly, silent, until once more they opened. Once more purple, and glowing as bright as Kari's before her.

"Thank you, Kari... for my freedom," the newly controlled human said.

The brunette smiled, walking closer to her friend, and removed the glasses from over the glowing eyes, before pulling her in to deeply kiss her new lover. The purple-haired woman returned the kiss and embrace with no hesitation.

CrimsonCanewomon and Garudamon's glowing eyes watched the scene also.

"The Unity succeeds. More humans join us, find freedom," Garudamon said.

"Yes. Our power grows, we evolve."

"The Aquilamon. He is prepared fully?"

"We need less of his mind for his role. The Unity only requires him for procreation stock, after all. He is a male. It is their primary value."

"Quite so, my love. Quite so..." Garudamon agreed.

***

Later, the two human women continued their kissing, but both studied their own attire.

"Perhaps we require alternative clothing... We are not matching those of the Unity who do wear such things," Yolei noted, thinking of the robes of the Canewomon sisters, or the garb of Taomon.

"Yes. We should... We no longer suit these garments, they are from our old life. The life we are free of. We should free ourselves from them..." Kari agreed.

"Perhaps we should seek another addition to the Unity. One who can craft more suitable garments for ourselves and her."

Kari nodded at her lover's words, and reached for her D-Terminal

"I believe I know just the perfect addition, my love. I shall send a message to her, bring her here. Sora will join us, and with her knowledge we can expand, and be attired correctly as part of the Unity..."

As Yolei leaned in to continue kissing her, Kari sent the message...