The Crystal Gate

Part One: Following

Standard Disclaimer Thingie: Digimon: not mine. This story: mine. Don't steal, don't sue, don't forget to moo.

Another Note: This story is fourth in a series. If you haven't read the other parts, you probably won't understand this. Just a warning.

Moo.

Midmorning, the sun was bright in the sky and the clouds white and fluffy. Takeru, half asleep, lounged on the cushions of the carriage, long legs stretched before him to rest on the seat opposite him. They'd be reaching Takaishi soon, and he was content with nostalgia.

Hikari, silent and solemn, was replaying memories in her head of a conversation she'd had with Daisuke before leaving. She still felt rather conflicted over the decision to travel with Takeru, wondering if it was unwise to leave him. She had told herself that it would probably be best for him to spend time apart from her, so that he might recall something of himself, on his own, and yet she was still remembering the last time she had left him, in the middle of the woods, fire blazing all around.

She sighed heavily. Takeru opened one eye and glanced in her direction, but she was peering out the window and made no sign that she noticed him.

Unlike Ishida, located between mountains with mine shafts and rocks, Takaishi was situated on the edge of a marsh, home to wide rice fields as far as the eye could see. There was a small village located within a short distance of the large manor house, but most of the people here lived in distant clusters of huts nearer to the rice. The road traveled between the fields on a relatively solid tract of land. Floods were common in the spring, but the road was dry and passage was relatively simple.

As they crossed the fields, the heads of workers bent over in the fields could be seen scattered amidst the marshes, and distant small huts and houses were visible in the distance.

"This is where you're from?" Tailmon asked, for once awake rather than napping on the trip. She turned away from the window briefly.

"It's where my mother is from," Takeru answered, nodding. "I was born in Takaishi. Mother had traveled home to see her parents at the time. I spent much of my childhood among rice fields."

The carriage slowly passed through the rice fields along a dirt road. The ground was low here, and the windows afforded the passengers a view of little above the marshes. In the midst of the fields was a spectacularly huge, wide house made of red bricks with a tall staircase ascending quite some distance to the entrance.

"Some problems with floods here?" Tailmon wondered, conscious of the low elevation.

"Mm," he said, nodding. "In the springs, if it rains enough, this road can flood for weeks at a time. It's horrible trying to get wagons through – they stick in the mud. The lower levels of the house were flooded so many times that everything was moved up a floor. The kitchens are at ground level and the main entrance is on the second level. Of course, that meant the staircase had to be extended, because they couldn't have guests enter by way of the kitchen."

"It does require an awful lot of stairs to climb, however," Patamon pointed out. "Not exactly pleasant for some people."

"Not pleasant at all for my grandmother," his partner agreed. "She doesn't often leave the house - it's too much difficulty for her to climb the stairs, and she doesn't want to be carried."

"Grandmother?" Hikari echoed. "Your grandmother still lives?"

Takeru nodded again. "She's very old and very weak, but her mind is strong and she's stubborn, and she's got no intention of dying anytime soon."

Daisuke had intended to leave without saying a word to anyone but Hikari. He had several reasons for keeping silent, the first of which was that he was not sure where he was going to go, only that he felt a need to follow a particular strain of memory that had been returning to him often since he'd returned to the palace. If he'd been asked to justify his journey, he knew that he would not be able to, and he was somewhat concerned that he would thus be prevented.

Secondly, he didn't want anyone to volunteer to go along with him. He had seen the concerned glances nearly everyone had been casting in his direction. Most of the people he noticed doing that he had no memory of, which made him feel as though they would look at him even more pityingly if they knew he had no idea who they were. Some of them, he had not known very well, but he had no way of knowing this, of course, and he didn't feel comfortable asking anyone about another's identity, because it made him seem even more weak and pathetic. He didn't want to seem weak anymore, and he also thought that chasing after his own memories was the sort of thing he ought to be doing alone – since they were his memories and not anyone else's.

He decided after a bit of thinking that he would leave the day after Hikari and Takeru departed for Takaishi. Koushiro was preparing to leave the same day to return north to Hida, taking with him a convoy of assistants and apprentices and intending to report to Iori the surprising news that the youngest Chosen might soon become the Lord of Hida. Though it was not yet set in stone (being that they had not yet managed to work through the complex, paperwork regarding the land, a task that Iori would have been greatly suited to assist with), it was deemed to be enough of a certainty that Iori might be told. Taichi was especially pleased about his solution, partly because it was something that might anger the northern Lords, which he not-so-secretly found enjoyable. In truth, his argument about the suitability of one of the Chosen to hold land was a pretty good one, though Sora and Yamato doubted it would be good enough to please the northern Lords.

At any rate, the departure of the convoy was such an event that Daisuke felt he had a good chance of slipping away from the palace without really being noticed. He found in the midst of things that belonged to him in a room he'd left months ago a warm, dirt colored cloak with a large hood, big enough to ensure that he would be able to disappear easily. Though he had no clear memories of any such event, the cloak was one that he'd worn on multiple occasions when he'd felt the need to disappear within villages and towns. Unfortunately, a boy from a village within which he'd disappeared was currently staying at the palace and could recognize the sight of Daisuke better when he was invisible than when he was not.

It was early morning. Shijo was, as he had often been here, bored. He had no chores and no duties to do. His attempts to offer to help the servants had resulted in gentle scolding, as though he were above such work. At first he found it amusing and liberating, but the truth was that he was restless. He'd always had plenty of work to do at home – to help his mother clean and cook, to fish in the streams for food – and though a reprieve made him feel good for a few days, it wasn't long before he realized that the life of a noble was a boring life.

There were libraries of great wealth of knowledge, but Shijo wasn't a very good reader to begin with and traversing through heavy volumes is difficult when one also lacks a desire for books. Like Daisuke, he was much more interested in doing than thinking or reading. His brother had taken well to study, but Maigo would be a mage, and Maigo was a very different person from Shijo.

And so, in the early morning, he was lying on a stone wall in the garden, studying the wispy clouds that floated above. A few Piyomon called out in the sky as they danced on the winds, the sun glinted off their colorful feathers. His partner Koromon dozed sleepily on his stomach, snoring lightly and bobbing up and down with his breathing.

There was a creaking noise of a heavy wooden door on metal hinges, and Shijo turned his head slightly toward the direction of the palace, knowing that this was the only place nearby from which such a sound could have emanated. He expected to see a maid with a bucket, for the well was in the courtyard a few steps from the door, and was mildly surprised to notice that the figure was dressed in an earth-colored cloak. It was cool, but not so cool that a maid would need to don layers in order to fetch water a few steps from the door. Immediately, Shijo realized that whoever this person was, they were leaving on a journey, a theory which seemed to be confirmed by the presence of a knapsack thrown over one shoulder. When he turned to shut the door behind him, Shijo could see the face clearly enough to recognize Daisuke.

"What's this?" he mumbled quietly. Koromon opened sleepy eyes and turned himself in the same direction. "Where's he going?"

"Hmm?" Koromon questioned sleepily. "Hey!" he realized, a bit louder than necessary. "Daisuke!"

"Quiet!" Shijo hissed, throwing one hand over his partner's mouth. Quickly, he rolled off the stone wall and ducked behind it. "Looks like he's leaving, and he doesn't want anyone to know he's leaving," he whispered to his partner. Lifting himself up with his free hand, he peered over the edge of the low wall and peered over it.

If Daisuke had suspected anyone was watching him or that anything was unusual, he had quickly suppressed such worries, for he had already turned away from the garden and the palace and begun to walk along a path leading away from the building, down a gentle slope, around a wide corner, before eventually meandering out of the palace grounds and heading southward.

"He's leaving!" Koromon realized when he'd regained the power of speech a moment later. "Where's he going? It doesn't look like he's coming back any time soon."

"No," his partner agreed, puzzled. "It doesn't. It looks like he's going on a long journey, and he doesn't want anyone to know he's going. I wonder why…."

For a few moments, the boy pondered this, watching as Daisuke became slowly smaller along the path. He was not walking in a hurried pace, but nor was he slowly wandering. It seemed as though he was setting out on a mission of some sort. "Do you suppose he's heading off to battle?" Koromon wondered suddenly, his voice sounding excited.

"Battle?" Shijo echoed. "By himself? On foot?"

"Maybe," his partner answered, shrugging as best it is possible for a Koromon to shrug (which is surprisingly well, as anyone who's seen can testify). "I don't know how people go off into battle."

By this time, Daisuke had reached the edge of the grounds and disappeared beyond a tall gate that marked the edge of the palace property. From here, Shijo knew, a single road headed away from the castle before branching off in an innumerable number of directions – north, south, east, west, and everything in between.

"Let's follow him," Shijo decided, pulling his own cloak up from where he'd left it, draped over the wall as a blanket, and dashed down the road at top speed, eager to come within view of the intersection before he lost sight of Daisuke.

"Adventure!" cheered Koromon eagerly. "Oh, but wait. What about Maigo?"

"Maigo will be fine!" Shijo shouted back cheerfully. "He has his magic. He's going to be a mage, not a…a…an adventurer. That's what I want to be. Like Daisuke. An adventurer."

"Is that what he is?" his partner asked, devouring this new information.

"Sure," Shijo answered. "Oh. Quiet!"

They'd reached the edge of the palace grounds. A tall iron gate separated the rest of the world from the secure gardens. Had Shijo been of the magical persuasion, he would have been able to tell that the ancient fence was more than it seemed – not only a decorative purpose and a security measure, it also held a large amount of protective magic, the result of hundreds of years of spells cast by palace mages, wizards, and sorceresses. As he had no inkling of either history or magic, Shijo knew only that the heavy gate post was exactly the right side to hide behind and peer around.

He needn't have worried about being spotted. As was often the case, the crossroads was full of travelers on foot, in carts and carriages, traveling every which way. There were traders and merchants, carrying goods to the palace, or to the town beyond. There were nobles – magnificently dressed Lords and Ladies, come to pay respects to the King and socialize with the others of their class in the way politics was done in this place. There were mages – for the palace was also one of the best places in the kingdom for apprentices to study and learn, and there were doctors, who had come to peruse the huge libraries, and in the midst of all of them were dark clothed men and women that Shijo knew must be thieves, for he had seen their kind in his own village. The entire chaotic intersection was overseen by a dozen or so guards, dressed in impressive uniforms, the seal of Yagami embroidered on their chest.

Feeling nervous and yet more at home than he had in some time, Shijo plunged into the crowds, eyes firmly fixed to the hem of the dirt-brown cloak he was following. He slipped effortlessly between servants, behind Monochromon, under wagons and around carriage wheels, careful not to be seen while at the same time not loosing sight of Daisuke. His precautions were largely unnecessary, for Daisuke never so much as glanced back as he made his way through the crowd, heading east.

Shijo paused momentarily when he saw the direction they were about to take. He had grown up on the western edge of a forest, the other side of which was said to have great evil. To head East, across the stream, was to risk death. He shook his head. He had seen great good come from the East, hadn't he? Or had he? He had seen someone come from the Eastern woods, at any rate, and he was far from home now and there was nothing wrong with going East here.

Yet, though he reminded himself of such, Shijo felt a shiver of cold run down his spine as he broke free of the crowd in time to run after Daisuke.

As Takeru had sent word ahead that he would soon be arriving, his grandmother had prepared the staff of the house for guests. And, since he had been kind enough to add that Hikari would be traveling with him, the servants were out in full force, with nearly two dozen waiting to carry bags and other items up the stairs. Though she was used to some amount of special treatment, Hikari was not necessarily comfortable with it.

"My grandmother likes to be…um…," Takeru attempted to explain.

"Ostentatious?" Patamon suggested.

"Grand," he finished, glaring upwards at his partner, who grinned innocently, as though he was aware of nothing. Hikari giggled, a nervous expression, and Takeru wondered if it would have been better to arrive unannounced.

At the top of the stairs another set of servants was on hand to open the doors, which were large and lavishly decorated. The handles were made of polished gold and the doors of a thick, rich colored wood, embellished with intricate carvings.

"We are pleased to welcome you," said the butler, a tall, dark haired man dressed in an suit made of shades of green. "Her ladyship is expecting you. Please." He gestured that they should follow him, and then disappeared around a corner.

"My grandmother sometimes likes formality," Takeru informed her as they walked down a long corridor. "Sometimes she does not, but sometimes she's in the right mood for, well, ceremonies. She pines for her youth and the balls and the courtship with my grandfather, and sometimes laments that we've done away with the…grandeur. I should have guessed that a visit from the princess of Yagami would stir that within her." He frowned thoughtfully.

Hikari was quiet for a moment, musing on his words. "I hope she is not intimidated," she said then, to which Takeru could not help laughing.

"Grandma has never been intimidated by anyone," he assured her. "She often is the one who intimidates."

Needless to say, this knowledge stirred a bit of apprehension in Hikari, but before she could remark on this further, the butler paused at a particular door in the corridor and turned the handle. The door clicked open and they were ushered into an ornate sitting room.

The windows were wide, massive glass panes framed by luxurious dark green drapes tied back with paler green ribbons. Behind them were sheer white panels embellished with green embroidery. The ground was not a carpeting, but the same rich-colored wood that made up every door. A few smaller rugs in various shades of green were scattered about the floor in appropriate positions. The walls were painted a pale yellow, and a few portraits of distant, long deceased relatives peered down at the visitors. A massive fireplace lined one wall, a small flame feebly flickering within.

Takeru's grandmother, the Lady of Takaishi, was an elderly woman with a frail body and a strong spirit. She was seated in an overstuffed armchair near the fireplace, a green and gold blanket draped over her lap, and dressed in dark blue gown so rich that it shimmered in the light from the open windows. Her thin gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and when she saw her visitors, her blue eyes flashed with life.

"Grandmother, it is good to see you are well," Takeru greeted.

"It is good to see you live," she answered sharply, though with a bit of warmth in her eyes. "Your mother writes that you have been far too reckless lately."

"Reckless?" he repeated. "No, I am not reckless. I do what needs to be done, Grandmother."

"I would wager that we differ on what needs be done," mumbled his grandmother's partner, a rather sleepy looking Piyomon, dozing on the back of the armchair.

"It's possible," he conceded.

"There was once a time, Takeru, in which we had armies who kept the safety of the kingdom," Lady Takaishi told him, and then shook her head, disagreeing with herself. "I am neglecting our guest. Forgive me, your majesty, but my bones are too weak for me to stand. If I might have assistance…."

"No, no," Hikari interrupted, waving both her hands. "It's not necessary, your ladyship. I am a guest within your house. Thank you very much for having me."

"I am very pleased to have you," Lady Takaishi answered, relaxing in her chair, having, to the relief of everyone present, abandoned her desire to stand. "It has been many years since a princess visited our humble abode. I hope that you will enjoy your stay, though Takeru tells me that you have come not for pleasure, but for a far graver purpose."

"I am certain that I will," she agreed. "You have a lovely home."

In the evening, as the sun was beginning to sink, Daisuke paused on the bank of a slow-moving stream. He replenished his supply of water and drank a few long gulps of the cool liquid. The night was growing colder, so he gathered together some twigs and branches that were scattered on the ground from the trees nearby and soon had a small but useful fire burning.

There were no fish that he could see in the water below, so he satisfied himself with the food he had brought with him – some dried meat and fruit. Though he still was hungry, he saved the excess for a later time and put it back in the bag he'd brought. Then, he set his cloak down on the ground and laid on top of it, close to the fire.

The stars slowly began to appear in the night sky, and any other travelers on the road had settled down for the evening – either along the path as he did or in villages nearby – and so there was no sound but the soft splashing of water in the nearby stream. V-mon had taken notice of a bug that was hopping through the grass and had decided to follow it, occasionally leaping forward and trying to catch it.

There was a rustling of leaves from the nearby cluster of trees farther down the stream's bank. V-mon, having followed the insect to rather near the trees, stopped and looked into the darkness beyond, his interest in the bug disappearing. The rustling stopped, and for a moment the small blue digimon did not dare to breathe. Then, the rustling sounded again, and he thought he caught a bit of movement and a flash of color.

"Daisuke!" he called, waking his half-asleep partner, still lying near the stream bank. "I'm going in!"

Rubbing his eyes, Daisuke sat up, yawning, and mumbled, "What?" He looked around, but in the dim light it was nearly impossible to see anything. He blinked, squinted in the darkness and wondered if he'd imagined the entire thing.

There was a shout from within the trees, beyond the light of the fire. "Wait!" It was V-mon's voice.

Daisuke debated for a few moments, feeling sleepy. He got to his feet and considered going after his partner. Before he could make a decision, however, V-mon burst out of the bushes, panting for breath. "Daisuke!"

"What? What is it?" he wondered, and his partner gestured behind him, to where a young boy and his partner were emerging from the trees.

"Hi!" Koromon greeted, bouncing in his partner's arms. Exhaustion had made him hyper, hunger had made him crazy. Shijo had the more ordinary response – a yawn which he could not prevent – a sheepish sort of smile, downcast eyes.

For a long moment there was quiet, in which Daisuke's tired mind tried to process what he was seeing. He yawned heavily and then shook his head to try to wake himself up. "You…followed me?" he finally concluded when he could speak clearly.

"Um, well…," Shijo began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I…not exactly…." This meant yes.

"Did you happen to tell anyone where you were going?"

"Um…not exactly…." This meant no.

Daisuke sat down, his exhaustion overcoming anything else he might have been feeling. "Your mother," he finally pronounced gravely. "Is going to kill me if I don't bring you home immediately."

"No!" he answered, a little too loudly, a little too quickly. "I mean...," he paused, again studying the ground by his feet, "I don't want to go home yet, please."

"You can't come with me."

"Why not?" the boy questioned, looking up from the ground. "I - ." But he was interrupted by a grumble of hunger from his stomach.

Pulling his bag near him, Daisuke began to rummage within it for further supplies. "I'm not sure where I'm going, but I'm sure it will be dangerous. I can't bring you with me because it would put you in danger, I can't guarantee that I'd be able to keep you safe, and if you got hurt your mother would most certainly kill me."

"She wouldn't kill you," Shijo contradicted, catching the fruit that was tossed to him. Anything else he'd intended to say was forgotten as he devoured the deliciously sweet food – the first he'd eaten all day.

Daisuke didn't bother to respond to this statement. Instead, he shut his eyes and fell back again on to his cloak where it still lay on the ground. V-mon found a few twigs on the ground and tossed them into the fire. The flames jumped and then subsided. There was no sound but the insects in the trees and the water in the nearby stream.

"Please, don't make me go home," Shijo said when he had finished his fruit, fearful of the silence. "I have been so – there's nothing for me at the palace – not that I don't appreciate it, but there's nothing there for me to do – and I can't go back home now that I've been…," he trailed off, aware of the directionless state of his words. "Please, let me come with you."

"Your mother…," Daisuke protested sleepily, and interrupted himself with a yawn.

"She trusts you, I think," he disagreed more energetically. "I'll promise to stay out of the way and not do anything dangerous and I'll listen and…."

"It's not about that," Daisuke interrupted. "I'm sure that your mother thinks that I would do anything possible to keep you safe." He sighed, then yawned. "I'm tired. We'll talk about this in the morning."

It begins. Thanks for reading, reviewing, etc. Stay tuned.