*A Shapeshifter in Digiworld?*
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Okay, I'll be honest. I wrote this one so long ago I can't even remember what I wanted to call it any more, but put in as the title my first comment after having rediscovered it. Thus, the title is still open and any imput is very, even extremely welcome.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
It was another dark night in the Digiworld. The digidestined, sans digimon, were sitting around a large camp-fire and enjoying their sparse rations. It had been some time since the digimon had been able to find much food, so they had headed off that morning on an extensive forraging trip. Only Matt and Joe seemed disturbed that their digimon had not yet returned, although they had planned to be back the same evening and it was now well into the night.
***
Meanwhile, in the trees:
"Do you think we should join them?" a shadowy figure asked another.
"Doesn't it seem almost a pity to break their enjoyment of the evening?" the other answered, leaning out a little more to get a better look at the scene from their lofty position.
"Doesn't it seem heartless to leave them to their fate?" the first questioned.
"We can intervene later. It is unlikely enough that there will be many nights of enjoyment like this in the near future, so I say let them enjoy it while they have it. There is time enough to intervene when their enemies actually show up." the second mused.
The first nodded and the two of them went back to a quiet contemplation of the scene below.
***
"Now that they are without their digimon, the digidestined are easy prey. Tyrannomon, I give this one to you. Even you cannot be stupid enough to screw it up."
"Yes, Master."
***
It was during Tai's watch that he started hearing tell-tale signs that a very big animal was approaching.
"Alarm! Alarm!" he shouted, bringing everyone to their feet. He was about to call a digivolution when he remembered that their digimon were gone. Suddenly he put two and two together and realized just how hopeless their situation was. But he wouldn't give up! If nothing else, there was always his crest, although he had no idea how that would help him now. He picked up a rock and threw it at the approaching Tyrannomon.
Everybody had found some kind of a weapon and gotten to their feet. Nobody really expected to survive, except TK, who hoped for a miracle.
Suddenly that miracle did come. A light came and illuminated a digimon in one of the trees surrounding their camp-site. Out flew what looked like a man with black, leatherly wings and started fighting with the Tyrannomon. He called out, "Dark Light!" Soon the Tyrannomon was over-powered and desolved. The man became a black, very large raven which returned to a shadowy, human figure in one of the trees surrounding camp. The figure disappeared almost as soon as it had appreared, leaving the children to wonder whether or not it had been only a dream.
***
Next morning they saw Tyrannomon's tracks that stopped abruptly in a battle. Obviously the adventure of the night before had been anything but a dream. That only left questions: Who was the shadowy figure? It was obviously a digidestined, but why not join up with them? It was very suspicious. Unfortunately, their digimon did not return this day, either. Obviously they must have been taken captive by their new enemy, whoever he was. They decided to move up and follow the Tyrannomon's tracks, hoping to find some clue as to their digimons' wherabouts. Night drew up long before they had reached any conclusion, however. They were uncertain as to whether the strange digimon and its unseen digidestined would appear again. Izzy used the time to look at his digimon analizer and try to determine the information about this digimon, but there was none. He told this to the others, and explained how unusual it was. This digimon had to have been created after he had received his digimon analizer, otherwise it should have been impossible for him to be able to gather no information on the subject.
Matt wanted to catch the unknown and lift the veil of secrets that surrounded the new digidestined. He had to know if they posed a danger.
***
"Tyrannomon did not return? How can that be? The digidestined should be easy prey!"
"Our humans are not quite as dumb as you thought, eh?" another voice asked.
"Silence, Agumon! Next I send you, Snimon. Rid me of those abominable digidestined."
***
It was during the course of the evening, when the group heard a thin strain of shrill, yet soft, music. Matt went off directly. He had to find out if there was a threat to TK! Tai, not to be outdone, ran after. They were quite close when, quite suddenly, the music stopped. They were quite alone in the dark, out of sight of the camp-fire, on a moonless, cloudy night out in the wilderness of the Digiworld. There was no light to be seen anywhere. Suddenly they heard a voice:
"My impression was that you wished to talk with me. Here I am. Ask and I shall answer."
It sounded rather female and Matt found it vaguely familiar.
"I'm certain I have heard your voice before, but I can't place it. What is your name?" he asked.
"You know me, and yet you do not. Through knowing me more, you know me less. You may call me Karasu, if you wish."
"Why are you following us?" Tai asked, without thinking.
"I do not follow you, any of you. I am as free as the wind. I go and stay at will and, for the time being, we happen to be going in the same direction."
"Are you a danger to TK?" Matt asked, determined.
Silvery laughter rang out of the darkness. "No, I would not harm your precious brother."
"Why don't you at least join us as long as we are going in the same direction?" Tai asked.
"I do not know. Perhaps I shall. What do you say, Ravenmon?" she said.
Another voice croaked, "If you stay with them too long you will give up your freedom."
"Ravenmon is a prophet," Karasu explained. "He sees the paths of fate as you see your hands."
"Which, in this darkness, is not at all." Matt muttered.
"I am sorry to have caused you discomfort. To me, this amount of light is perfect."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a light appeared. As their eyes reaccustomed their eyes to the light, they could see that she held the flame in the palm of her hand. As soon as they could properly see her, both boys were astonished at her incredible magnetism. She had shoulder-length, wavy, very dark hair that she left unbound to be freely tossed by every breath of wind and huge dark eyes. She was dressed in a skin-tight short-sleeved top of patterned blue and wore blue-jeans with appliqués on them that showed a good deal of wear. But it was the magnetism in her aura that caught and held one helpless.
"Uh...our camp is...uh...where is our...uh...camp...yeah, camp...uh...Matt?" Tai asked, unable to tear his eyes off of her.
"Uh...that way...I think...I..." Matt shook his head, trying to pry his gaze off of her. It wasn't working too well, but that made him try even harder.
Karasu, noticing their discomfort, douced the light and they were left in darkness, once again.
"Perhaps I should not accompany you. I had forgotten the effect I have on ordinary mortals. You may come and speak to me, as we shall communicate the wish to do so through music. I will follow the song of the harmonica and you that of the tin whistle. If you play purely for the music, I will know as surely as I know your name, Yamato Ishida, and not come."
"Will you help us free our digimon?" Tai asked.
"I intend to set an end to the reign of he who has them held captive, so I will end up helping you."
They both nodded. Then they felt slender hands turn them around and to the left.
"In this direction lies your campsite. You may walk or run as you please, but I will run. A Snimon has attacked."
At this they headed off at a run towards the campsite. They heard no sound from where Karasu had been standing, but she was there with Ravenmon's digivolved form long before they returned. Indeed, the battle was nearly over. When the Snimon was defeated, Ravenmon returned to her and she was gone.
***
Tai and Matt told the others what had passed the next morning. Izzy looked for a prophet called Ravenmon, but in vain. Suddenly Gennai decided to contact them. Izzy jumped at the opportunity and asked,
"Gennai, we ran across a digimon that's not in my analyzer!"
"Yeah, it's called 'Ravenmon'!" Tai called in.
Gennai looked startled. "Ravenmon? That's impossible there haven't been any Ravenmon for at least centuries, if not millenia! Wherever did you find one?"
"It was with a strange girl. Called herself Karasu." Tai explained.
"The shape-shifter? Whatever would cause her to return?" Gennai asked himself out loud.
"She said she was here to destroy the new enemy." Tai explained.
"Where do you know her from, Gennai?" Matt asked.
"There were digidestined before you, a long time ago, and she was one of them. Hers was one of the few families to escape before most of the shape-shifters died in the witch-hunts." Gennai explained.
"That would explain why she referred to her effect on ordinary mortals." Tai mused.
"Does she still have that incredible magnetism that drove all the other digidestined half-crazy?"
"Yep. Me and Matt felt it. We were the ones who saw her up close. Maybe we should have sent Sora and Mimi instead." Tai said.
"It wouldn't have made any difference. She has the same effect on girls as on boys."
"Gee, she must lead a tough life." Matt declared.
"It would be a lot easier if she could return to her own kind, but she can't, you see. We ripped her away to save the world, not knowing that she could never go back. Now she travels all over the worlds wherever the wind takes her, hoping to find a way to go back to her own kind."
"That must be tough." Sora said, compassionately.
"Well, what did you come to talk to us about?" Izzy asked.
Unfortunately they never found out, for it was at that precise moment that they lost contact.
***
"Well? Has Snimon still not returned?"
"No, Master. It was the girl."
"What girl?"
"The shape-shifter, remember?"
"I remember her only too well! She could ruin all my plans once again! I had thought her to be on Tiburia for some time still..."
"We could always send a digimon after her..."
"Fool! If you were to send all our digimon out it would not be enough!"
"How powerful can she be with only one digimon?"
"Fool! It is her power, not that of her prophetic digimon that I fear!"
"Is she then the one foretold who will defeat you?"
"Perhaps. If it comes to battle, then most certainly. If I can win her over, I will be invincible, because she is invincible. But if the digidestined get to her first..." he shook his head. "Send our smallest digimon as a spy. I must know what to expect."
"Your wish is my command, Master."
***
"So, am I right to assume that none of us knows what a shape-shifter is?" Joe asked.
Everybody nodded in agreement.
"Then we have a problem." he declared, rather annoyed.
"Let's see if I can get some information on my laptop." Izzy said.
All were in agreement, so he sat down in the middle of the muddy puddle he was standing in to work on it. Mimi shrieked and told him to get out before his clothes got too dirty, but he blissfully ignored her and came up a few moments later looking rather crest-fallen.
"There are so many descriptions according to different fantasy writers that I cannot suppose to guess which is correct. All that they have in common is that the subject's body has the capability to assume one of many shapes and forms, one of these necessarily being human. One place they're kind of like were-wolves, another place they can assume any shape from a cockroach to a toaster at will. But none describe the strange magnetism that you have described to me, so I am completely at a loss."
"Well so am I, namely about your wet pants!" Mimi declared.
Izzy got as red as a beet and muttered something about forgetting everything, while Mimi chided him on wetting his pants in a puddle that he really should have noticed because he was standing right in it.
This argument was broken up by Tai, who wanted to find out more about those who could change at will, because he had found it extremely strange to not have heard anything from her, yet her being there first. He thought a momentary change into a wolf or falcon would have done it. Then Izzy went into a long explaination about what animals came in question and Mimi was momentarily forgotten until Izzy wanted to sit down to open his laptop and find out which birds flew faster than a human could run when she held him up by his armpits and bodily moved him a foot away from the puddle so he could sit down properly. He didn't even notice.
When they finally decided that it had to be some kind of a big cat, they heard funny noises. Some monkey-like digimon were dancing around up in the branches of the nearest tree, trying to catch a couple of ravens, who were shooting feather-darts at them.
"That's them! Come on, let's help!" Tai called out. The others shrugged and followed Tai running over and throwing stones at the creatures until they left off and Tai and Matt climbed up to get the ravens.
When they reached the ground, one of them turned into Karasu and said to Tai, "I am in your debt. According to the laws of my people, I must accompany you until I can repay you."
"Uh...uh...uh...right...uh..." was all he could bring out.
"Uh...why didn't you change and scare them off?" Izzy asked, blushing furiously.
She smiled at him. "Ah, Keeper of Knowledge, Koushiro Izumi. I see you know what I am. I was afraid of startling your group and I can only do magic while in human form."
"Uh...right..." was all he could bring out.
"Oh, you're confused as to which description is correct? Well, shape-shifters are born in the shape of humans, then we start being able to change about the age of seven when our capabilities for other magics surface, as well. Whenever we take on another shape, we learn the magic one is capable of doing in that shape. We live forever, so there is plenty of time to do so."
"Cool! I'll just type that in on my laptop!" Izzy declared as an excuse to get away from her firey presence.
She smiled and turned to Tai. "Is there any particular shape you would like me to assume? You must all be rather uncomfortable. So, what would you like?"
"Uh...uh...a raven is fine...uh...whatever you like...uh...yeah...uh...right..."
Silvery laughter rang out as she changed into a raven and seated herself on Tai's head.
Matt found this incredibly funny, though it was partly out of relief at her transformation that he had to laugh at something, "She must take your hair for a bird's nest!"
Everybody laughed, even the raven, although it was hard to tell that it was laughter. This lightened up the mood enough for them to continue after Izzy had finnished typing this new bit of information into his treasured laptop. Then the raven that was Karasu took to the skies along with Ravenmon and led them on ahead to the stronghold of the enemy, although they still had no idea what exactly awaited them there.
***
"Any news?"
"Master, she has joined with the enemy."
"Damn their data beyond the fire-wall! I will have to fight her sooner than anticipated...wait, did you say she joined them?"
"Yes, Master."
"That is highly unusual. The only circumstance that could cause that is a life-debt! Perhaps I have a chance, if her life is indeed not her own...which does she favor?"
"We have not had a chance to discover that, Master. All spies have been mercilessly killed."
"She does her job as well as expected. Send several. Perhaps one may survive."
"Yes, Master."
***
"Let's take a break, Karasu!" Tai called out. The others had long since stopped, but waited to sit down until they could be sure Karasu was going to stop, too.
With a short sqwak, two ravens came down, one alighting on a convenient log, the other turning into a wolf and stalking the area. The raven followed after a short rest. The digidestined watched in fascination as they killed several small digimon and returned to lay them in a heap, only to go back to hunting. Finally TK asked, "How can you kill so many helpless little digimon?"
The raven answered, "So they cannot report us." and went back to work.
TK was about to ask what they meant by that when Matt suggested he should go play something and stop watching their friends catch spies.
Finally TK understood and looked away. Eventually spies stopped coming. The wolf laid down and the raven perched itself back on the log, but they kept on constant alert until the humans were rested enough to continue, at which time they continued their constant vigilance while showing the way, as they had before, but no more spies came.
***
"Have we done well, Master?"
"A spy survived, but Karasu was too busy catching spies to betray the one she owes her life to! It says it suspects the goggle-headed boy, but is uncertain! Uncertain! If we make one mistake in dealing with the girl, I am history! And he is uncertain!"
"Ah, where would we be without the young boy to have sheltered it?"
"True, we owe this information to the compassion of one weak human."
Harsh laughter rang through the hall in which the human-like figure sat, regarding his underling with contempt.
***
"Well? Karasu, I consider it highly peculiar that no spies have come since the clearing."
The raven that was Karasu croaked in reply, "One must have gotten through."
"But how can it have? We were constantly on the alert!"
"Ah, but you have forgotten the depth of human compassion. I deem it a wise move of my creator not to have endowed shape-shifters with the like."
"The childrens' digimon..."
"...learned what compassion they have from those fool humans. How pitiful."
"I said you would lose your freedom. It seems you have developed some of this 'compassion' yourself."
"Perhaps you are right. Even so, I detest it. It makes humans such fools."
"You are a fool, as am I, as are they. All mortals are fools."
"I am almost not mortal."
"You live forever, true, but you can be killed. As to this enemy's methods, there is something painfully familiar about them."
"..."
"In other words, you know what I mean. Do you think it's really him?"
"I don't think there's really any question there."
"You lied to me, you know."
"Yes, I know. I have no compassion for him, but I do have something else...something I cannot hide or even deny. I do not think that he knows. He will have guessed that I owe a life-debt. That is the reason for the spies. I think he will look upon my coming with trepidation. He does not know that I cannot kill him...especially not after I returned him to life...after..."
"You did what needed to be done, but I still don't understand why you changed and returned him."
"You would not. As a digimon, you do not love."
***
"Well, are we anywhere close?" Tai asked Karasu when they stopped by a conveniently placed cave for the night. She had turned into a elf to be able to talk properly and still not assume her human form, for that she was among humans and they would find that incredibly awkward.
"Aye, we draw near. I deem it incredibly suspicious that the flow of spies has ceased. It is highly unusual, considering the obvious mentality of the opponent."
"Uh...that's very interesting. Why don't you to tell that to Izzy?"
"I will explain a little clearer: With the way the enemy thinks, it is unusual to stop sending spies, especially as close as we are to his stronghold."
"It would seem you know more about the enemy than you are willing to admit."
"I know more about all the members of this company than I care to disclose. But is there any reason to blurt out their secrets to all of you? I think not."
"Gee, I didn't think about it that way."
"I, personally, have had centuries in which to grow up. You, obviously, have not."
"Uh...centuries? Oh, yeah, you said shape-shifters live forever."
"Unless we are killed, we live forever."
"Mind if I join you?" Sora butted in.
Tai shook his head 'no', but Karasu turned her head and looked Sora directly in the eyes. Her gaze was so penetrating that it made Sora shiver.
"You may join us." Karasu declared presently.
Sora was rather flustered and so it was a while before she asked what she had in mind.
"Um...how far away is the enemy holed up?"
"Seven leagues to the west. Is that all you wanted to know?" Karasu asked, smiling slightly.
"Uh...no, I actually wanted to ask if you're too terribly lonely all the time..." Sora said.
Karasu's face hardened, which is hard to do in elf-form, and she answered coldly, "I need none of your compassion, human child! I had Ravenmon and I have Ravenmon and I cannot hardly be lonely with company."
"Do you not terribly miss your own kind?" Sora asked, her pity apparent in her face.
"My life is my own. The time I spend with you is but a minute in the aeons of time I have lived. I need neither your compassion nor your pity! Refrain to speak of such things!"
"As you wish. Another question: Did you have the same crests last time?"
Karasu's face relaxed a bit.
"No. Mine was Magic. The others were: Enthusiasm and Understanding, Nurture and Sensibility."
"How many digidestined from before still live?" Tai asked, curiously.
"One, besides myself. And he was the one we fought against."
"What was his crest?" Sora asked.
"He had the crest of Ambition."
"Ambition can be a good thing, but also bad. It pushes you around any corners to accomplish something, but it can make you go too far." Izzy butted in, then blushed.
"I was unaware I had another listener."
"Well, yeah." Izzy left again, rather embarrassed.
Tai went to see how supper was coming, but Sora asked Karasu to stay and talk a bit. Karasu regarded her with interest: "What is it, Giver of Love?"
"I noticed you looking rather weird when you mentioned this other one...and I would like to know more about him."
"Okay, I will answer your real question: He is the enemy we now face."
"But Gennai said he was banned beyond the fire-wall."
"He was, as was his digimon: Apocalymon. By the way; when you just barely missed the eclipse to return to your world, how did you feel?"
"Uh...very bad."
"Now you know how I feel about not being able to get home."
"Oh."
"So, what else did you want to ask me?"
"What is this about you and this guy? How did he survive this long?"
"Everybody is of the opinion that we belong together. He would come over to the good side for my sake...I think...but I am as free as the wind and proud of it. I will not let myself be bound to person or place. As for how he survived...I changed him. He cannot change like me, but he will live forever, like me...and then he was banned beyond the fire-wall along with his digimon."
"Makes you wonder how he got back."
"Same way Apocalymon got back."
"And that was?"
"Me."
"You? But...I don't understand!"
"You of all people should understand. After all: you are the Giver of Love. Love affects all creatures the same way, human. I love him."
"Who do you love?" TK asked, popping up out of nowhere.
"The one I love is someone you don't even know, child. Think: I live forever. Anyone I love must live forever as well, otherwise nothing can come of it, understand?"
"I think so. Most girls on Earth love my brother Matt, but they're also humans. I love Kari, but she's also human. Yeah, I think I get it. You can only love another shape-shifter!"
"You're a very smart little boy. Here's a candy bar, but don't eat it before supper!"
"I won't!" he exclaimed, stuffing it into his mouth and running off to tell Kari that Karasu could make candy appear out of nowhere.
"Where and when did you learn to deal with children?" Sora asked curiously.
"Anywhere, anytime. Pick one."
"Perhaps I shouldn't have asked."
"I concur. You shouldn't have asked."
"So what's this guy like?"
"He's certainly ambitious, but he does care very strongly about others, even so. He is willing to go to all ends to accomplish his goal, but he is sorry about what that causes for other people, even though he doesn't stop just because of that."
"He sounds like a caring guy with an overload of ambition. You'd fit well together."
"What makes you say that?"
"He's caring, you're not particularly. His ambition would give you a bit of stability in your life and your push for freedom would calm his ambition so it could be more directed according to your sense of duty."
"Great, so I should marry him and get him off your backs, is that it?"
"No, not at all. I just think you would go well together, that's all."
"That's what the Giver of Nurture always used to say. You're a lot like her, except that, while you're more of an older sister, she was more of a mother."
With that the elf that was Karasu moved off to join the group around the camp-fire by the cave-entrance, leaving Sora deep in thought.
***
"Well? Have you sent out any spies since the one that survived with inadequate information?"
"No, as we have no more small digimon that we can afford to lose at this time."
"I understand. What position to they take at the moment?"
"Seven leagues to the east, Master."
"It seems I must myself join the action. I go tonight. Perhaps I can find something out."
"You will endanger yourself needlessly, Master!"
"Perhaps, but I want to win this war. I must have the information I need about Karasu."
"As you wish, Master."
***
"Well? So who takes the first watch?" Tai asked.
"I watch, you sleep." Karasu said levelly.
"Shouldn't we take turns?" Sora asked, having returned to the camp-fire to eat.
"No. You need sleep, I do not. I will watch with senses and with magic. Ravenmon, you, too, will sleep, and if I have to put a spell on you! You have not slept for a week now and need sleep."
"Yes, Karasu." Ravenmon answered, knowing full well that one could not argue with Karasu.
Tai didn't seem to have noticed this yet and was about to argue when he suddenly felt very sleepy, just like the others. Karasu carefully transported them to the cave through the air, turned to Ravenmon and cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm going, don't worry."
"I'm putting you to sleep anyway."
"I know."
She carried him to the cave and did the same on him as she had on the others and he fell into the same deep slumber.
Then she set the cave inside of a magic room that one could only enter if one knew the opening place and words. She stoked the fire to last all night and seated herself by the edge of the forest, turning herself back into a human and shaking herself out. It was so good to be back to her normal shape. This was always the most comfortable for all shape-shifters, since this was their born shape. She made a slight change inside and she was well-slept. Then she heard quiet foot-steps.
"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up."
"You...you know I'm here?"
"Of course...and without accompaniment of any sort." She turned to face him. "You really should have been more intelligent."
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Do not panic so. I need a few hours of your time..."
"You're not going to suck any of my life-force, are you?"
"No, I had nothing of the sort planned. You look really cute when you're scared, did you know that? No, I had no intention of hurting you at all. Just...although I might have to kill you tomorrow, there is something I wanted to do first."
He was surprised to find himself locked in a soft kiss. He was so surprised that he couldn't do a thing until his instincts took over for him and returned it.
Now it was her turn for surprise. She looked and saw him to be as surprised as herself. She smiled.
"I love you. It was I who returned you to the Digiworld after you were sent behind the firewall. After I made that one little change so you would live forever, just like me."
"But...but I thought you hated me!"
"I follow my duty and need freedom, but other than that I am a normal living being and cannot deny the need to love and to be loved in return. Though tomorrow's events may cause me to take the eternal life I myself bestowed on you, let this night stand on its own, that duty may be blown to the winds and forgotten."
"Yes," he said, drawing her close for another kiss. "Tonight will be ours alone."
***
It was late morning when the digidestined awoke. The first thing they saw was Karasu, as an elf, looking much happier than she had ever looked before. They were rather confused, but took it in stride, as they knew full well that she would probably never tell them why. Sora was the only exception. She was totally puzzled. Something had happened, but she didn't know what it was. Something was different... but maybe the real problem was that she had slept too late. She forgot it the instant Karasu told them that they would probably reach the stronghold that same day. The reactions were rather varied, from grave nods (most of the group) and enthusiastic laughter (specifically Tai) to running around like a chicken with its head chopped off (only Joe) and uncomprehending stares (TK and Kari).
Then Karasu shifted into a raven and took to the skies, followed closely by Ravenmon, who had a few questions of his own.
***
"What happened?" Ravenmon asked seriously.
"Nothing, why should anything have happened?" Karasu looked at him innocently.
"Now I know for certain that something happened. He showed up, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"You didn't fight, did you?"
"No."
"You didn't...no, you can't have done that!"
"Well, actually that is what happened."
"My god, have you completely taken leave of your senses? Now that he knows he will use the knowledge to his best advantage! What will you do if you have to kill him?"
"I will."
"And revive him again, no doubt!"
"Only after removing his danger."
"By all the Gods! Emotions make you do the stupidest things!"
"Perhaps, but I wouldn't want to live without them. They make life interesting."
"So, how far did you go?"
She turned her head and looked at him.
"You know perfectly well, you just want me to say it."
"Okay, so I do know, then."
"I told him that I might have to kill him today, but last night was to stand apart..."
"You would say that."
"Yep, I would."
"You've lost a good deal of your freedom if you let this pass, you know."
"Yes, as a shape-shifter I have a choice...but do you not think me old enough?"
"Several centuries is nothing to your kind."
"True, but I think I will decide against the child. I am not ready yet."
"I have a question."
"Ask at will."
"I wondered why you made me live as long as you. Was it because of me, or because you knew just how lonely you would be, not being able to return?"
"All the above and so that your race of digimon should survive, as well. There are none left in the Digiworld, now, you know."
"So compassion for my species?"
"Perhaps one might call it that."
"So, indeed, you wanted a friend."
"I didn't want to let myself get close to any creature that was going to die soon anyways. And, yes, I wanted a friend."
"Would you keep the child if I were to leave you?"
"No, not until my wanderlust has blown over."
"That makes me feel very relieved. You see, I always considered this a home I could come back to if you tired of my company, but I have seen that it has changed too much and I would never be at home here again."
"Ah, I understand. Let me ask you a question."
"Yes?"
"If you had a mate and nestlings, wouldn't you still want a friend to help you if you absolutely needed it? One who knows you better than you know yourself to stand by your side and help to protect your young?"
"Yes, I think I would."
"Then you see my position. If I were to decide to keep this child, I would be tied down by responsibilities to it and to my chosen mate. I would need a friend to help me protect them, since my life would be no longer simply my own."
"I understand. Let us make a contract: When either of us chooses to start a family, the other will stand by as a friend, no matter what."
"No matter what. Friends forever, I swear."
"Friends forever, I swear."
***
"What did you manage to discover, Master?"
"It is the goggle-headed kid, for certain."
"I am glad you managed to survive."
"It was rather difficult to get the information."
He thought about the night he had spent with Karasu...it was by mere chance that he had even remembered that he was supposed to find out, even more of a chance that he was able to find out. Was it chance or was it a gift of hers to him? It was a little too much chance to fully believe that explanation, but it was not like he had her capability to see to the depths of a man's soul. Perhaps it was her last gift to her koi before...no, it couldn't be that she would kill him today! He had to believe in himself. He knew that, to her, love was about as important as it was to him: Third place. For him it was after Ambition and Protection, for her after Freedom and Duty. God, they were sure a pair! Ready to kill each other during the day, ready to do something very different at night... But that was neither here nor there. They would arrive during the course of the day and he had to be ready for them. He turned his mind to the battle and tried to constrain his thoughts of Karasu until another time. He faced his underlings.
"We make ready to fight."
***
"Do we have to fight today?" Joe asked, pitifully.
"Yes, now stop asking." Tai answered back, rather annoyed.
"But what are we supposed to do without our digimon?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh...whatever we can. After all, we're not cowards...except for Joe, that is." Tai answered.
Suddenly the two ravens descended, followed by a troop of airbourne digimon. Karasu turned into an elf as soon as she touched the ground and set up an illusion surrounding their position, precedented by a flash of light, so they would think she had transported them.
It worked and they fanned out looking for the group.
Then she turned into a human and waited for them to be found.
Everybody else except her digimon tried to look away from her as much as possible, but found it very difficult to...
Suddenly the illusion was ripped apart. A sandy-haired young man stood on the back of a dragon-type digimon that the others were unfamiliar with. He was advancing through the air, but Karasu put up a shield around the digidestined and warned them not to move, that the shield would do them as much harm as those who tried to breech it.
Then Karasu took her crest from under her clothes and held it up. Ravenmon smiled at her and nodded. A shimmering, almost etheric, almost invisible light came to surround Ravenmon as it digivolved to its mega level: Thunderbirdmon.
The sandy-haired man leapt off the digimon's back before it went to battle Thunderbirdmon, who fought all its foes at once without showing physical strain. Meanwhile he and Karasu began circling to attack each other with magic.
Sora stared for a moment, then said, "She didn't tell me he was a wizard."
Everybody stared at her.
"Karasu knew who the enemy is?" Tai asked carefully.
"Yes, he's the one they fought against before, returned from beyond the firewall. He has eternal life, just like her, but it has nothing to do with race or, I guess, his power as a wizard. But I cannot tell you all I was told, because I will not betray her trust."
Suddenly TK looked up. "Oh! Now I get it! She loves him!"
Matt asked TK gently, "What makes you think that?"
"Well, I overheard that she loves somebody, but I didn't know who, so I asked. She told me it was someone who lives forever, so I thought it was a shape-shifter, but she looked so relieved when I suggested that and even gave me a candy bar!" TK explained happily.
"Okay, I think that explains a good deal. Prodigious." Izzy commented.
"She'll think I betrayed her secret!" Sora fretted.
"I doubt she particularly cares what a couple of humans think about her." Joe declared.
The others had to see the sense in this statement and went back to watching the first and probably the last magic battle that they would ever see in their lives.
It was obvious from the start that Karasu was at an obvious advantage, what with her superior knowledge of the craft and her capability to change form. Besides, with a single insignificant change in her structure, she could give herself back all the energy that she lost during each attack.
His only chance was to get a hold of the goggle-headed kid, and that was gone, what with her magic shield around the group. He fought with the force and ferocity of a cornered animal.
Thus they fought late into the night when he fell from exhaustion and she sat on his stomach.
Ravenmon finnished fighting all the other digimon at about the same time and dedigivolved. She fetched him over with her magic and healed him. Then she opened the shield that held the children all this time. She set Ravenmon to guard the man and walked over to them.
"I trust I have saved your life enough times, Keeper of Courage?"
"Uh...yeah...uh..." he answered.
"Oh, right."
She shifted into an elf-form and addressed him again.
"Do you consider my life-debt paid?"
"Yes, I think you paid it back well enough. Where are our digimon?"
"They should be in the castle just beyond the ridge. Farewell then: Keeper of Knowledge, Giver of Love, Child of Light, Guardian of Friendship, Keeper of Courage, Giver of Hope, Bearer of Sincerity, Guardian of Reliability. Perhaps we may meet again someday. Ah, Ravenmon will lead you to the castle while I take care of sending the enemy beyond the firewall."
They nodded and she asked Ravenmon to show them where the castle was while she cleaned up there.
He agreed, but looked at her, worried. She smiled at him and sent them off, then turned to the unconscious sandy-haired man.
"I could kill you." She said, tracing a pattern on his chest with her finger. "But I think I will not. I have removed your threat, and I consider that sufficient for the moment. I do love you, Keeper of Ambition. Never think otherwise."
With that she wove an illusion around his still form and sealed it lovingly.
***
"There you see the castle in the distance. Once you enter, go up the stairs to the right four flights and go left at the landing. It is then the third door on the right-hand side. Here I will leave you. Farewell wherever you fare, and may your homes receive you better than mine me at the journey's end."
With that he flew back to Karasu.
***
They were walking through the woods when Ravenmon decided to speak up.
"So, you left him to die?"
"Yes."
"Don't lie to me. You set him free, didn't you?"
Karasu smiled faintly. "You know me too well, Ravenmon."
"He will try again."
"And we will return and stop him once again."
"It would seem you have already lost your freedom."
"Perhaps, but to avoid losing it completely we must go before he finds me. I think he loves me, too."
"You are so confusing."
"I know, such is the way with emotions, but what would life be without them?"
"Yes, what indeed."
Karasu stopped at a certain spot, made a few passes with her hands and Ravenmon followed her through the now-opened portal, leaving the Digiworld until the time at which she would have to come again. Perhaps next time she would be willing to lay down her freedom for the man she loved, but not yet...there were too many centuries yet to go.