You'll see it.
[Shining Dreamers by Digimon Xros Wars Hunters plays]
2. Chapter
Turning Hard Work Into Fun, The First Training Day
"Am, grandma, what is it?" Arisa dared to ask her grandmother. Chaiki didn't answer. The group followed her quietly. They then came into the smaller training gym of the Dojo. It was an, more or less, empty room with a stand and some katanas on it and a wooden floor. The sun shined through the window and besides a red ornament with an chineese dragon on it there weren't any other decorations. As everyone entered the room Chaiki closed the door.
"Everyone, sit." she said and walked in front of them. The group obeyed and looked at her. The old lady countined.
"I evasdropped your little talk and to be honest, I'm dissapointed." she said. "Instead planning how to beat that GranDracmon, you started to attack each other."
"Lucemon started it." said Impmon.
"Because you mocked him Little Demon." said Chiaki. Lucemon smiled but Chiaki only frowned as she looked at him.
"What?" asked Lucemon.
"For someone who we can thank for GrandDracmon's awake, you acted like a little child and not like a leader." said Chiaki. Lucemon frowned.
"Ha, what do you know about leadership?" asked Lucemon.
"Much enough to fire you." said Chaiki and looked at both Akinari and Lucemon. "You're unbecoming of being leaders which is why you will retire."
"What?" The two looked at her with surpriesed expressions on their faces. "You can't do that." said Akinari. Chiaki ignored them and went to Arisa and Impmon. "You two will lead the group until those two prove worth of their title." said Chiaki.
"What? Granny, that ain't your honest." Arisa was everything else then happy with that.
"Yes it is." said her grandmother. Lucemon glared at the girl.
"But I can't be the leader. I don't want to." protested the girl. Lucemon blinked in surpriese.
-Why is she refusing?- he thought.
"Arisa you're the new leader. That's my last word." hissed Chiaki. Arisa sweatdropped and gulped. Quarreling with her grandmother was just like teasing a hungry lion while you're inside a vally with him from which you cannot escape.
"Alright." she whispered and sighed.
"Also, everyone here will from tommorow start to come here to train. No exeptions, no excuses, or I will drag you to here personally. Understood?" said Chiaki.
"Understood." came the reply. Everyone was in bad mood.
"Please tell me that she's jokeing." said Seichi as they got out.
"She ain't." said Hiroshi. The two sighed.
"Aw, cheer up, I also deceided to take some lessons, so we'll all in one boat." Zia tried to cheer them up. The two boys, and most of the group looked at her with a 'you're kidding' expression. It seemed like everyone lost their spirit.
"Before I forget, we still didn't found out what that prophecy means." Gumdramon reminded them.
"Apperantly I know it." on Arisa's face appeared a weak smile. "Which reminds me, I didn't tell you the task we got."
"How do you mean it?" asked Akari. "What kind of task?"
"Go in the backyard. I'll join you soon." said Arisa. Everyone looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces but they deceided to listen to the girl.
[Undo by FullMetal Alchemist plays]
A few minutes leater Arisa came out caring something in her hand.
"Say, did everyone got a Tag?" she asked.
"A Tag?" asked Airu and pulled her out. "You mean this?"
"Yupp." Arisa nodded. Everyone pulled out their Tags.
"What are they good for?" asked Akinari.
"I'll explain you. Remember what the prophecy said: The Crests will shine/ the Undead will rise/ the Gate will reopen,/ and their Master will awake./ A Great Digimon from the past./ The Sins will strenght him,/ The Virtues will destroy him./ Which Atributte will win?/ Only the Keepers know it?" asked Arisa. "Yeah?" asked Seichi.
"Well, we were chosen to become the so called Crest Keepers. Each Demon Lord has one Crest that represents a Sin." said Arisa.
"That's right." said Phascomon.
"But each has also a Crest that represents a Virtue." said Arisa.
"I didn't know that." said Lucemon.
"And what are our Virtues?" asked Hiroshi.
"Well, Akari and BlackGatomon's Sin Crest is Lust. And their Virtue Crest is Purity." said Arisa.
"Purity?" Akari looked at her Tag.
"Hiroshi and Phascomon's Sin Crest is Sloth, but their Virtue Crest is Diligence." said Arisa.
"Diligence?" Hiroshi looked at his Crest. Phascomon yawned.
"Seichi and Candlemon's Sin Crest is Greed and their Virtue Crest is Generosity." said Arisa.
"Generosity? Interesting." said Seichi as he looked at his Tag.
"Damien and Betamon, you have Envy as your Sin Crest, but Kidness as your Virtue Crest." said Arisa.
"Kidness?" said Damien as he blinked and looked at his Tag.
"Airu, your and DemiDevimon's Sin Crest is Wrath, but your Virtue Crest is Patience." said Arisa.
"Patience, you say?" said Airu as she looked at her Tag.
"Akinari and Lucemon, your Sin Crest is apperantly Pride. And your Virtue Crest is the exact opposite; Humility." said Arisa.
"Humility?" Akinari and Lucemon were surpriesed.
"And you?" asked DemiDevimon.
"I and Impmon have Gluttony as our Sin Crest, but Balance as our Virtue Crest." said Arisa.
"And why are you telling us that?" asked Betamon.
"Because your actuall mission is to make you to get all 7 Virtue Crests." said Arisa.
"Why? And how are we supposed to do that?" asked Candlemon.
"Each one, Tamer and Digimon will have to pass a set up test to prove worth of your new Crest. When you get it, you'll be able to change into a so called Demon Guardian form." said Arisa. In Akari's and BlackGatomon's head clicked something. Now they understood what Azulongmon meaned when he told them about the tests. They also realized something else.
"Wait a sec Arisa, you want to say that..." Akari couldn't finish the sentence. Arisa nodded.
"We have a chance to beat GranDracmon." she said.
"What?" The others looked at her in surpriese.
"If you all manage to achieve your Demon Guardian form, we could have a chance to beat GranDracmon." said Arisa.
"That would be great, but how are we supposed to pass the tests? And who's responsible for giving us the tests?" asked Lucemon.
"And what do you think who brought you to the Real World?" asked Arisa.
"No way! The DigiGnomes set up this?" said Lucemon in surpriese.
"They did." nodded Arisa.
"I can't believe it." said DemiDevimon.
"Anyways, you won't know when you will take your test, but I do know something. The test has something to do with both of each of your Crests and when you manage to pass it you'll get the Crest. Since we're time-limited Shinzui will help us." said Arisa. "However,...It's your choice if you want to go through this or not."
"Well I'm in." said Airu.
"Me too." added DemiDevimon.
"We too." said Seichi, Candlemon, Damien, Betamon, Hiroshi and Phascomon.
"Don't forget us." said Akari and BlackGatomon.
"If it means we'll delete GranDracmon from this world I'm in." said Lucemon.
"Me too." nodded Akinari.
"Are you sure? You have no idea how exhausting those tests could be. They will bring you to the edge of your limits, psychical and phisicaly." said Arisa.
"We're all in." said Lucemon. "That stays so."
"How do you know how the tests will be?" asked Seichi.
"Well..." Arisa got cut of by Zia.
"Because she got her already. Right, Ri-chan?" said Zia.
"Yeah." Arisa nodded. Akinari snatched away her Tag.
"I have to see it to believe it." he examined the Tag. The rest of the group joined him.
"She's right." said Hiroshi. On the golden Tag was the Crest of Balance: a heart with a thunder in the heart and a black and a white angel wing on the sides of the heart. The Crest had a dark purple backround.
"When did you get it?" asked Candlemon.
"When the Gate opened for the first time a Digimon named Ogudmon came through. In the last moment Arisa got her Crest and I digivoluved to my Warrior Mode and beat it." said Impmon with crossed arms. He lowered his head. "Though..."
"Though what?" asked Akinari. Arisa took the Crest.
"Those Crests are hard to get, and though you will become more powerfull then in your Demon Lord from, they're still dangerous to use." said Arisa. "The Crests will drain out your power just like a sponge sucks up the water and you will be left weaker then usually. Also, in the worst cases, the use of the Crest could end in a death."
Everyone gulped.
"How do you know?" asked Damien.
"Because, Impmon died right after the battle with Ogudmon. And we were also forced to use the Crest two times more." said Arisa. "I recommend you to use them only if you don't have no other choice."
"Okay." The group quietly agreed.
"Wait a sec, the prophecy said something about the Undead." said Phascomon.
"It's refering to the Death Generals. Shinzui told me that GranDracmon had found some slaves and apperantly he'll send them after us." said Arisa.
"Okay, since this is done, we still have some unfinished buissnes." said Lucemon mainly reffering to Impmon and BlackGatomon.
"Are you two gonna fight again? Calu." Calumon looked confused at them.
"No, this time not. But you two have something to explain me and the rest of the group." said Lucemon crossing his arms.
"What do they have to explain?" asked Phascomon.
"The events on which you were when we awoke last time." said Lucemon, stomping with his foot at the wooden floor. Both Impmon and BlackGatomon sweatdropped. Impmon then crossed his arms and looked at Lucemon.
"So, what do ya want to know?" asked Impmon with a toothed smirk on his face.
"How the heck does it come that you two managed to ally yourselves with the Royal Knights?" asked Lucemon. Betamon, DemiDevimon, Phascomon and Candlemon looked at the two with shocked expressions on their faces.
"Long story." replied Impmon with a more uninterested expression on his face.
"I have time." said Lucemon.
"To be honest, we met by accident." said Impmon and put his hands behind his head and turned his back to Lucemon. "I'll explain you some other time. By the way, where's Creampuff?"
"Who's Creampuff?" asked Betamon.
"That's how Impmon calls Calumon." explained BlackGatomon.
"Now when you're asking, where is he?" Arisa and the others looked around.
"Impmon!" Calumon suddenly emerged and tackled from behind Impmon making the two roll downwards. With Calumon sitting on Impmon's belly.
"Creampuff, get the heck down from there!" said Impmon, a bit irritated. The other Demon Lords just laughed at that.
"We're playing tag, your turn, Calu." said Calumon as he jumped down. Impmon rose.
"We ain't playing tag." he hissed at Calumon, whose ears shrinked. He then turned to the others. "And what are you laughing at?"
"I really wonder what you had done that Calumon likes you so much." said Lucemon with a big grin on his face.
"Impmon freed Calumon from a bush in which he got stucked. Calumon was really greatfull because of that and now he thinks they're best friends." explained Arisa with a smirk on her face. "However, Impmon is more annoyed then happy."
"That's right." the Imp Digimon sat down, acting like being insulted, with his back turned to them.
"Well, Momantai." said Zia.
"What does momantai mean?" asked DemiDevimon.
"It means everything's alright or just relax." explained Zia.
"Alright, how about this, we meet tommorow after school here and see what kind of training my grandmother has prepeared for us." said Arisa. The rest of the group agreed.
[Ready, Steady, Go by FullMetal Alchemist plays]
"So, what do we have to do?" asked Seichi. It was afternoon of the next day and the group were walking towards the Dojo. They were for some reason barefoot.
"My grandmother said that we'll have to do something for her at the Dojo." said Arisa.
"I wonder what that is." said Hiroshi, looking at his Gamboy. "Damn, I lost a life."
"I think you can soon turn that off." said Damien. The group came to a kind of open hall (you know how those look like, they're mostly connected with the yard). Chiaki was already waiting for them. They sweatdropped as they saw that she held rags and other stuff for cleaning the floor.
"So, ready for your first training day?" asked Chiaki with a smile on her face.
"Don't tell us we have to clean up the floor?" said Airu. Chiaki nodded. The group sweatdropped.
"We ain't maids." said Lucemon crossing his arms. "And what the heck has cleaning up the floor do with our training?"
"Figure it out by yourselves. This task has more purposes then only cleaning the floor." Chaiki gave him a staff for whiping the floor. She equiped the rest with one too. Cans with water stood next to them.
"When you're done, come then into the gym." she said and went to the fighting gym.
"This'll endure forever." said Akari as he looked around. The hall surrounded the yard.
"Well, let's get started." Arisa took the staff. "I already have an idea how to make it easier."
Impmon who seemed to read her mind, stood next to her with the staff in front of him.
"What the heck are they doing?" asked Candlemon. The two ignored him.
"Ready, Steady, Go!" the two exclaimed and runned.
"I get it now, it's a race." said Zia and she and Gumadramon followed them.
"You won't rid us off." said Akinari and he and Lucemon followed them.
"Wait for us." Airu, Akari, Seichi, BlackGatomon, Candlemon and DemiDevimon followed them.
"We're coming too." Damien and Betamon wanted to follow them as they noticed Hiroshi still playing his game. He took it and threw it at the yard.
"Hey!" Hiroshi snapped at him.
"You can play it leater." said Damien. "Com'n!"
"Okay." The four, Phascomon holding on Hiroshi's shoulder followed the rest of the group.
Calumon meanwhile took a rug and waited for the winner of the race.
Meanwhile, Arisa and Impmon where still the first, followed tightly by Zia and Gumdramon. Behind them were Akinari and Lucemon who managed to take the second place.
"See ya at the finish line." said Akinari. Zia frowned.
Impmon dared to look back and saw Lucemon and Akinari.
"They're tightly on our heels." he said.
"Don't worry. I have a plan." said Arisa. "Slow down."
"Okay." Both slowed down and Lucemon and Akinari got ahead.
"Eat our dust." mocked Lucemon. However, the two didn't notice the wall in front of them, which made their road to turn right. The two bumped into the wall.
"Ouch!" The two fell on their asses as Arisa and Impmon passed by.
"You better watch out!" she said before they runned away.
"Are you alright?" asked Akinari his partner.
"I am, but we should better hurry up. I won't let Impmon win this." said Lucemon.
"Neither I will let Arisa." the two followed them.
Meanhwhile, Akari, Airu, Zia, Damien, Seichi, Hiroshi and the Digimon got exhausted. They were far beyond the four.
"I wonder how can Arisa, Akinari, Lucemon and Impmon keep on this tempo." complained Gumdramon who was out of breath.
"I have no idea." replied Betamon.
"Hey, how about helping us?" Hiroshi adressed Phascomon who was still sitting on his shoulder.
"No, thanks." yawned Phascomon. Hiroshi sweatdropped.
Meanwhile Arisa and Impmon came to the finish line where Calumon was already waiting for them. They passed him.
"And the winners are Arisa and Impmon! Calu!" he waved with the rug. Soon Akinari and Lucemon arrived.
"Ow, this can't be." Akinari complained.
"I hate it to be second." said Lucemon. A few minutes leater, the rest of the group arrived, totally tired out. They breathed heavily.
"Finnaly." said Akari. Airu fell on her knees.
"My legs are killing me, I can't more." she complained.
"We want a rematch!" said Lucemon to Impmon.
"Yeah." Akinari added. "One more time around the Dojo."
"Okay." Arisa and Impmon smirked. They then runned off.
"Should we follow them?" asked Damien and looked at the others.
"Nooooooo!" came the reply.
They all sat down and waited. After a few mintues, Arisa and Impmon again first passed the finish line and Akinari and Lucemon wanted after that one more race. However, they losed again and again and again. After some time Chiaki came to them while the four stubborns went on an another race.
"So, how is it going?" she asked.
"We're resting, but Akinari and Lucemon just don't want to give up the race." said Akari.
"They're so stubborn. I can't belive it Arisa and Impmon have so much strenght to run...how many circles did they?" said Damien.
"That was their 6th." said Seichi.
"Well, Arisa and Impmon are using fully this task." said Chiaki.
"How do you mean it?" asked Hiroshi.
"First, they turned their work into a race, since a race is somehwhat funnier then just cleaning the floor the usual way." said Chiaki.
"You're right." said Zia.
"And second, they're using both Akinari's and Lucemon's weakness to make them to keep on to clean the floor." Chiaki countined.
"Their weakness? Calu." Calumon looked at her with a confused expression on his face.
"She meaned their pride. Lucemon and Akinari apperantly hate it to lose." said Seichi.
"Yes, if you hit your foe's weakesst spot, you're on the half way to win the battle." said Chiaki.
"We'll note that." said Candlemon.
"Okay. When those four are finished, tell Lucemon and Akinari what they were being doing wrong and then come to the gym." said Chiaki and walked away. "That was pretty smart from her." commented Phascomon.
"I wonder what do we have to do next." said Arisa. She was a bit tired, but she still had energy left. Akinari and Lucemon were still sulking. The group entered the gym where Chiaki was waiting for them with two bamboo katanas. She threw one to Arisa. The others sat down.
"I hope you got a rest. Now we'll check your fighting skills. Arisa you'll be their foe since you are anyways an excellent fighter." said Chiaki. "So who want's first?"
"I." Akinari stood up and took the second bamboo sword.
"Okay, Akinari, since you have no idea how to fight, I'll go easy on you." said Arisa.
"Ha, you don't need to worry about me." replied Akinari. Arisa shrugged.
"If you say so."
With a yell Akinari runned to Arisa and attacked her with the katana. Arisa blocked it with her and then she crouched, twirling with her extended leg and made Akinari trip. She then pointed with her katana at his nose.
"Seems like I won." she said. Akinari frowned. Arisa turned to her partner. "How long endured it?"
"5 seconds, it's a new record Ari." said Impmon with a smile. Now the group turned around and realized that he held a stop-watch in his hand.
"I can't believe it you got beaten by a girl." mocked Lucemon as Akinari went back.
"Why don't you try it?" asked Akinari annoyed and threw the katana into his lap.
"Me?" Lucemon blinked in confusion.
"Yeah you." replied Akinari.
"Com'n Lucemon. Let's see how long will you stand against her." mocked Impmon.
"Hm, I'll show you..." muttered Lucemon and went in front of Arisa.
"Okay, ready?" He pointed with the katana at the girl.
"Sure." said Arisa.
With a yell runned Lucemon at Arisa who blocked his attack. Lucemon realized that she'll use the same tactic and he jumped. However, Arisa kicked him backwards. Lucemon rolled backwards, losing his katana in the process. He stopped and noticed Arisa pointing her katana at his nose with a serious expression on her face. Lucemon clenched his teeth.
Arisa then smiled and put the katana on her shoulder, extending her hand to help the Demon Lord to get up.
"Need help?" she asked. Lucemon punched her hand away and stood up. He was angry at the girl.
"Relax. Say, ain't Humility your Crest?" said Arisa.
"Which is why I hate it so!" Lucemon snapped at her and walked out, followed by Akinari.
"Seems like Lucemon and Akinari will get the hardest tests to pass." said Zia as the group joined Arisa.
"Yes, but one thing is sure. They won't give up." said Arisa with a smile.
[Ending Song Tooi Michi no Saki de by Inuyasha plays]
Impmon here. The first training day didn't pass much like planned, but hey, better then nothing. Anyways, next time we'll have a team training in the haunted forest outside the city. Stay tuned for episode 3:~Alone in the Forest, Rivals or Friends?~ Don't Miss it!