Last Time … The new generation of Legendary Warriors, in the midst of numerous arguments, stumbled upon an abandoned digimon city. It turns out the denizens had fled from Pokyupamon, who used one of his attacks to turn the kids against each other. Kado found his Spirit of Wood and taught the demented teddy a lesson! And what do you know? The kids actually seem to be getting along for once...

Chapter 4: The Crystal Castle

You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers.
-John J. Plomp

"Milady."

A black, forked tongue flickered out of Serpimon's mouth as she turned her massive, serpentine body to the figure that had just appeared in the passageway. He kept his eyes downcast as he dropped to one knee – the only one among her servants who knew how to show proper respect to the Mistress of the Volcano.

"Yes, Ryuudamon? What is it?"

"A message, milady. From our spies in the forest."

The forest? For Ryuudamon to bring it to her directly, it had to be important – the humans. "Yes?" she hissed, slithering closer to the Rookie. But Ryuudamon hesitated, his head dipping lower to avoid her eager gaze. "Get on with it!" she snapped.

Ryuudamon cringed, but nodded. "Y-yes, milady… Pokyupamon has failed… He is no more."

"What?"

Again the Rookie cringed, but he remained where he was, his reptilian lips pressed into a thin line. "He might have succeeded, had the third child not found his Spirit in the forest. He was caught off-guard, and –"

"He was a fool," Serpimon hissed. In her agitation, she began to pace the chamber, flicking her tail from side to side. Ryuudamon moved discreetly out of the way, but remained in the room, his eyes following his Mistress impassively.

She should have known the news was dire. Had Pokyupamon succeeded, a dozen of Serpimon's underlings would have been vying for the chance to tell her the news, in hopes of winning her approval by association. Only Ryuudamon dared deliver bad news to her, for he was one of a select few Serpimon valued enough that she restrained her anger so as not to harm him.

"I should never have trusted him to eliminate the destined humans," she hissed, coming to a stop at the edge of a crevasse. A hundred feet down, lava churned and steamed, and Serpimon closed her eyes, letting the heat warm her scales.

"Milady, if I may be so bold," Ryuudamon ventured as she fell silent. Serpimon glanced his way, and Ryuudamon bowed. "Allow me to face the humans."

Serpimon's eyes narrowed. "You?"

He nodded. "I know where the final Spirit lies. The children will soon be drawn to it. If we prepare an ambush, we can be rid of them once and for all."

She stared at him for a few moments, considering this suggestion. Ryuudamon was not like Pokyupamon; Ryuudamon could be trusted to succeed. And he was right - this was likely to be the best opportunity she would have to eliminate the children before they grew strong enough to defeat her. A smile spread across her face. "Very well, Ryuudamon. Prepare the ambush."

-.-.-.-

Nao leaned against the window in the room he and the other Legendary Warriors had shared for the night. He let his eyes fall closed against the bright light as a breeze ruffled his hair. Never one to sleep in, Nao was the first – and as of yet only – digidestined awake. At a soft creak from one of the four beds, Nao opened his eyes. The sound had been caused by Kado rolling over, but the boy appeared to still be in a deep sleep, as did Jomei and Taura.

He should let them be.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Nao shuffled out of the room, closing the door gently so as not to wake the others, and looked up to find himself in a small kitchen. The night before, the four children, along with Tapirmon, had attended a massive feast in a clearing just outside the city. The food had ranged from the bizarre to the bland, but most of it was delicious, and for the first time since boarding the Trailmon, Nao's stomach had been comfortably full.

Afterwards, a family of Ponchomon had offered their home for the night, insisting it was the least they could do after the humans had saved their city. The digimon – Champion ghost-types – appeared to be cacti wearing gloves, large sombreros adorned with maracas, and, of course, ponchos.

Their beds had been comfortable – and Nao's fears of sleeping on needles had turned out to be unfounded – but he hadn't seen a single sign of them since the previous night. He hoped they'd found somewhere to spend the night.

Combing his fingers through his bedraggled hair, Nao ventured out of the house and down the street. A handful of digimon passed, several stopping to say hello, or waving a cheerful greeting as they passed.

"…Hurricane Wave… Here it is… Now what about Beetlemon?"

Recognizing Tapirmon's voice, Nao stopped and searched for the source of the sound. He caught sight of the Rookie through a nearby window and bent down to knock on the glass.

"Ah, Nao!" the Rookie cried. "Come in, come in. The door's unlocked."

Nao did so, though he had to duck to enter, and found himself in a surprisingly tall room lined with bookshelves. Even the table Tapirmon hovered over was covered in old, dusty tomes that rose in haphazard stacks and spilled over onto the floor. He could see no chairs, no open floor space - though considering Tapirmon didn't have feet, he supposed it wasn't a problem.

"Whose house is this?" he asked. "And what are you doing?"

"This is my house, of course," Tapirmon replied, not looking up. "Why would I be studying anywhere else so late?"

"Late? Tapirmon, have you been up all night?"

Finally glancing up, Tapirmon frowned. "I couldn't waste the light, now could I?"

Nao was about to argue, but instead he simply sighed and dropped the subject. "Why didn't you tell us you lived here?"

"It hardly seemed prudent to disrupt the feast with such a trivial revelation."

"What about before?"

"I-I thought it would be unwise to speak in such a stifling situation," Tapirmon stammered.

"And before that? Weren't the residents of the city hiding from Pokyupamon for quite a while? You only met us two days ago. Why didn't you ask us to come help?"

At that, Tapirmon faltered. "Ah, well…Truth is I haven't been home for weeks. I went out to study some digimon I wasn't very familiar with and…got lost."

Nao barely stopped himself from laughing. Half a day's travel from his home, and he was already lost? Nao shook his head. "I'm not even going to ask. So what are you studying?"

Tapirmon gestured Nao closer and opened the book to the first page. All Nao could see was a series of circles and squares. He leaned closer and frowned.

"Uh…Is this supposed to say something?" he asked.

"Oh, right. This is written in an ancient language of the Digital World. It says, 'The Book of Knowledge: A Compilation of Facts as They Pertain to the Tales and Reality of the History of the Digital World and the Legendary Warriors, Et Cetera. Kept By: Aurumon, Bokomon, Tapirmon'."

"It says all that?" There couldn't have been more than twenty marks on the page.

"It's a very compact language. The history of the Digital World covers tens of thousands of years and is very complex. In the modern language, it would take dozens of books to contain all this information!"

"I'm sure it would…"

Tapirmon ignored Nao's dubious comment and pointed to one of the lines on the page. "Aurumon was a wise Bird-type Armored Champion," the Rookie said. "He was among the first Digimon to live in the Digital World, but he didn't begin the Book of Knowledge until after the Celestial Digimon took power and rebuilt after Lucemon's fall. From what I've heard, he knew the Legendary Warriors that were born from the data of the Ancient Warriors personally before they became Spirits again. Aurumon wrote the first portion of the Book of Knowledge, which contains information about the Legendary Warriors' Human and Beast Spirits, the geography of the Digital World at the time, and some of the Digital World's history.

"Bokomon took over the task of keeping the Book sometime before the first humans arrived. He added in information on the Continent of Darkness and the Digital World's moons, neither of which were ever visited by Aurumon. He also detailed the geography of the Digital World after it was rebuilt when the humans left. He recorded the adventures of those humans in another book, but I've never had a chance to read it."

"Why not?" Nao asked.

"Bokomon doesn't trust anyone but himself with it until he's finished making a second copy. Says it would be beyond catastrophic to lose such a literary masterpiece."

Nao raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Have you added anything to the Book of Knowledge?"

"Not yet. The Digital World was peaceful for a long time, and I had only just completed my studies under Bokomon to become the Keeper of the Book when the land suddenly changed. What is now the Continent of Light used to be part of a much larger area of land. I don't know how many continents there are currently, but I plan to portray each one as we explore it during our travels. Of course I'll have to record the changes in your Spirits as well. And I may follow Bokomon's example and write your story."

"So what are you looking for?"

Tapirmon sighed. "Your attacks. I thought perhaps I had mistaken those the Legendary Warriors used before, but I didn't. The attacks definitely changed. And the strange thing is it didn't happen for the first six humans, unless Bokomon simply didn't record it, which seems highly unlikely."

"That's weird." Nao straightened up to stretch his sore back. "Can you find any reason for ours to have changed?"

"Nothing. Unless the Spirits somehow evolved in the last two decades or so since they disappeared – about the time the land changed, now that I think about it – it's just an anomaly, I suppose."

"What were Arbormon's attacks?" Nao asked.

Tapirmon flipped a few pages. "Power Pummel and Blockade Seed…Why?"

Nao frowned. "Those weren't the attacks Kado used as Arbormon. I guess…I don't know. This can't just be a coincidence. Maybe if it was just Ranamon and Grumblemon whose attacks changed, but for all three – maybe even all four…"

"There has to be a reason," Tapirmon agreed. "Though I still haven't a clue why! For all we know, the Celestial Digimon themselves could have done something!"

"Who are these Celestial Digimon, anyway? Maybe they could help us."

"Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon. They took over as the rulers of the Digital World after the Ancient Warriors defeated Lucemon. They haven't been seen in several decades."

"What? They just disappeared? And who's Lucemon?"

Tapirmon gasped and pounded the table, making Nao jump. "That's right! You haven't heard! This is something all you humans need to hear…Where are the others?"

"Still sleeping, I think," he said, curiosity aroused. "At least they were when I left. Why? What do you need to tell us?"

As Tapirmon turned toward the door, the Book of Knowledge vanished into the cloud that served as his hindquarters. Shaking off his surprise, Nao led Tapirmon back to the Ponchomon's house, where it seemed their hosts had returned to make breakfast.

As the door opened, Kado looked up. "Nao! We were wondering where you went."

"I was at Tapirmon's house," he mumbled, taking the last chair by the table.

Taura blinked at Tapirmon. "You live here? Why didn't you tell us?" Nao hid a smile behind his hand as Tapirmon fumbled for an answer.

"Well…ah…you see…" Tapirmon cleared his throat and pounded the table. "Never mind that! We have more important things to discuss!"

Kado glanced over at the Ponchomon. "But breakfast is almost ready!"

Tapirmon waved in dismissal. "No worries! I simply wish to tell you a tale. You can eat while you listen."

"Aren't you going to eat?" Jomei asked.

Shaking his head, Tapirmon summoned the Book of Knowledge and raised it for the group to see. "This is far more important than breakfast!"

Or sleep, apparently, Nao thought, but kept quiet.

While the Ponchomon finished preparing breakfast and quietly excused themselves for work, the Keeper of the Book recounted the war between Human- and Beast-type digimon, and how Lucemon had put an end to it. He told how Lucemon had become power-mad, prompting the Ancient Warriors to fight and defeat him, losing their own lives in the process. At this point, Tapirmon fell abruptly silent.

"Well?" Kado asked eagerly. "What happened next?"

"Well…I'm not entirely certain. The Celestial Angels came to power shortly after the Ancient Warriors' sacrifice, and they ruled in peace for a time, but then something prompted Cherubimon to turn traitor and attack his fellows. This was, of course, when the first humans came to our world, but though Bokomon traveled with them for some time, he's recounted only a small portion of their story. I know that which is recorded in the Book – the names of the Spirits, and their attacks – and that the humans defeated Cherubimon, and later Lucemon himself, but… sadly, that is the extent of my expertise."

"What happened to their Spirits after they left?" Jomei asked.

"They became digimon again, along with the four not given to humans at that time – Ranamon, Grumblemon, Arbormon, and Mercurymon."

"Mercurymon?" Nao asked.

Tapirmon nodded. "The Human Spirit of Steel. I'm afraid I don't know anything else about him, save his previous arsenal of attacks, which seems entirely irrelevant at the moment."

Nao nodded absently, his mind on his Spirit. Mercurymon. I wonder what it'll be like to Spirit Evolve, he thought. I wonder if I'll be any good. For one terrifying moment, Nao wondered whether he wasn't really a digidestined after all. Could it have been a mistake? Maybe someone else was supposed to come - Ben, maybe, or someone from school. But he shoved these thoughts aside. He'd gotten the text message, hadn't he? And surely they would find the Spirit of Steel soon. It would be his, of course, and then he'd be able to help the others fight.

"What happened to the Spirits, then?" Tarua asked. "Why aren't they digimon anymore?"

"A little over twenty years ago, something happened. The Digital World reformed itself into what it is today – I've already told Nao that this continent used to be part of a much larger one. Though those of us who can't fly or swim across an ocean have no way to visit the other new continents. Anyway, about that time both the Legendary Warriors and the Celestial Digimon seem to have disappeared."

Jomei set his fork down, frowning at Tapirmon. "How do you know they aren't just on a different continent?"

"Excellent point, my boy," Tapirmon said. "Except Seraphimon's castle isn't too far from here – maybe an hour and a half's walk. Seraphimon was there right before he disappeared, along with two of the Legendary Warriors."

"Which ones?" Taura asked. "Were any of ours nearby?"

Tapirmon thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "If I remember correctly, it was Agunimon – the Warrior of Flame – and Lobomon – the Warrior of Light… Yes, Lobomon was definitely one of them, because I remember thinking it was odd that this became the Continent of Light when the Warrior of Light had just vanished."

Taura frowned. "I don't know. Maybe they left right before everything happened, or they found a way to travel to other continents and just haven't gotten back yet."

"They would have come back," Tapirmon insisted. "Unless the situation in the Digital World is much worse than I anticipated."

"How can you be so sure?" Jomei asked.

"Serpimon."

Nao's fork dropped to his plate with a sharp clank. "Serpimon!" He exchanged an alarmed look with Kado before turning back to Tapirmon. "She wouldn't happen to call herself the Mistress of the Volcano, would she?"

"She does," Tapirmon said, "but how did you know? It's not a common topic among digimon these days, and I know I haven't brought her up before."

Nao swallowed nervously and stared at his food. Kado, too, lowered his eyes, but took up the explanation before Nao could find his voice. "Pokyupamon said that Serpimon had sent him to take care of the Legendary Warriors." Both Taura and Jomei went pale at that statement.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Tapirmon muttered. "And I'm afraid we must deduce that all of the Warriors – and likely the Angels, as well – have been somehow incapacitated."

"What do you mean?" Jomei asked.

"The Legendary Warriors are very close to each other. If they knew one of them was in danger, they would do whatever it took to help - especially when you humans are involved. And if one of the Celestials arranged for you to come, which I would assume is the case, they wouldn't leave you alone with Serpimon after you. Not if they could help it."

Taura sighed. "Then I guess there's no denying it. Something happened to the Legendary Warriors and Celestial Digimon, and whatever it is can't be good news for us." She stood up, looking the others in the eye one by one. "We need to find some answers," she said. "And right now the best place to do that…"

"Is Seraphimon's castle," Jomei finished.

-.-.-.-

The first half of the walk passed in relative silence. Nao had fallen into step beside Kado, who had decided to interrogate Tapirmon on every possible aspect of the the Digital World's history. He was especially interested in the part Tapirmon knew the least about – the adventures of the previous digidestined – and the lack of information was starting to irritate him.

"So Cherubimon was a Celestial Digimon, right?" Kado asked, and Tapirmon nodded. "And Celestials are powerful."

"The most powerful digimon in the history of Digital World, with the possible exception of Lucemon," Tapirmon said.

"So then how did the digidestined beat him - beat either of them? I mean, the Spirits are powerful, but not that powerful, right? So how did they do it? Is there something stronger than a Beast Spirit? Did they get other digimon to help them?"

"I wish I could help you, Kado," Tapirmon sighed. "I really do. I've been wondering the same things for a long time. Unfortunately, the Angels and Warriors aren't around to tell us."

Nao sighed. "So unless the other humans get called back, we're out of luck."

Kado huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You'd think there'd be some kind of sidequest for these things."

"Sidequest?" Nao asked.

Smiling sheepishly, Kado scratched the back of his head. "I know, I know. It's not a video game. But you have to admit, it'd be nice to actually know where we're supposed to go."

"Maybe we're supposed to learn patience while we're here," Nao suggested.

"And how to walk a lot without complaining!" Taura, walking with Jomei behind Kado, Nao, and Tapirmon, had caught up to them to make her comment with a wry smile.

Nao smiled faintly, sneaking a nervous look at Jomei, but the kendo student for once seemed almost cheerful. As he wondered why, Nao caught sight of something flashing through the bushes up ahead. "What's that?"

Tapirmon floated on ahead to get a better look. "Aha!" he exclaimed. "We're here!"

The children hurried forward to see a castle that flashed and glittered in the omnipresent light, making it (if possible) even brighter than normal. The entire castle was made of a smooth, shiny material that reflected the trees around it perfectly, making it hard to tell what color the material actually was. Six towers stood guard at each of the castle's corners, and the massive structure was topped with what looked to Nao like a steeple.

"Welcome to the Crystal Castle," Tapirmon announced with a smile.

"It's beautiful!" Taura cried, racing up the steps and placing a hand reverently on the door. "Do we just go in? It seems kind of… disrespectful, don't you think?"

Suddenly her D-Tector let out a shriek. As she drew it out of her pocket, it shone with a hot white light, which danced across the crystalline surface. Moments later, the doors swung open.

"I guess that means we do just go in," Jomei said. Taura nodded mutely and, slipping the D-Tector back into her pocket, stepped inside, the others seconds behind. The inside of the castle was made of the same material as the outside, but here it didn't reflect the light quite so fiercely. The digidestined walked down a long, tall corridor, more than a little unnerved by their reflections on each of the corridor's many facets. At the end of the corridor, they found a vast chamber, at the center of which stood a pearly statue.

"This statue depicts the three Celestial Digimon," Tapirmon informed them. Indeed, it showed two angelic figures and one that looked like a rabbit, each facing a different direction. Around the base, ten symbols had been chiseled into the marble.

"What are these?" Kado asked.

"The symbols of the Legendary Warriors." Tapirmon circled the base slowly, identifying each symbol aloud. Nao turned away as the Rookie recited, and walked the perimeter of the chamber. The room was decagonal, and eight of the ten sides were formed by tall, broad sheets of the reflective crystal. The ninth opened from the main corridor, and the tenth – directly across from the corridor – was made of a gray, opaque material. On it were two of the symbols that had been on the statue's base.

"Tapirmon! Look at this!" Nao called.

The digimon floated over, followed by the other three humans. "Those are the symbols of Light and Fire."

Jomei frowned. "Have you been in this chamber before, Tapirmon?"

"Indeed I have."

"Was this here?"

Tapirmon shook his head. "I don't believe it was."

Nao stepped up to the wall and rubbed it. It still felt smooth and glass, as did the material making up the rest of the room, but unlike the cool crystal, the opaque substance was warm. "Do you think it's hiding something?"

Taura scratched at the wall, then knocked a few times. "I don't know. Maybe… I wonder if it has to do with the disappearances twenty years ago." Furrowing her brow, she glanced at Jomei. "Think we could break through?"

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Nao whirled. A short, yellow-skinned dinosaur stood in the entryway. He was clothed in black samurai armor and a helmet adorned with a large garnet. His hand rested on the hilt of the katana hanging at his waist.

Jomei, Taura, and Kado reached for their D-Tectors but didn't activate them. "What do you want?" Jomei demanded.

The digimon bowed briefly and raised a hand for peace. "My name is Ryuudamon, and I don't want to fight you." Taura relaxed, and Kado lowered his D-Tector; Jomei remained rigid, glaring at Ryuudamon. Nao backed up against the wall. "Regrettably, I have sworn to serve the Mistress of the Volcano, and honor demands I obey her wishes."

"Serpimon?" Jomei hissed, already activating his D-Tector. Kado and Taura reacted quickly, also bringing their digivices up. As the fractal code surrounded them, they shouted together, "Execute: Spirit Evolution!"

"Grumblemon!"

"Ranamon!"

"Arbormon!"

One might have expected the digimon to show some degree of trepidation at the sight of three Legendary Warriors facing off against him – a tremor in his hand, a startled step back, even a slight frown. Instead, Ryuudamon remained motionless, eying the Warriors with calm disinterest.

"What are we up against, Tapirmon?" Grumblemon asked in a low voice.

"Ryuudamon," Tapirmon answered, matching Grumblemon's tone. "He's a Vaccine Warrior-type Rookie."

"Rookie, huh?" Ranamon smirked. "This should be easy. Vapor Trident!"

"No, wait!" Tapirmon cried, but it was too late. Ranamon leaped across the room, weapon held high as a triumphant grin split her face. Ryuudamon watched her come, motionless still in the face of her attack, until she was less than five feet away. Then…

"Iai Blade!"

Faster than the eye could see, Ryuudamon drew his katana from his saya. In an instant, Ranamon's Trident was reduced to nothing, and she stumbled back, clutching several new, shallow wounds across her midsection. And Ryuudamon simply settled back into his previous position and returned his katana to its saya.

Grumblemon's eyes narrowed. "That's iaido," he whispered.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Tapirmon said. "Ryuudamon is a martial arts master! He adheres to the Bushido code of honor, and even though he's a Rookie, he's an extremely powerful fighter. Watch out for his Helmet Return attack, too."

Grumblemon nodded grimly. "Sandstorm!" Grumblemon careened towards Ryuudamon, summoning sand from nowhere. As the attack approached him, Ryuudamon gripped his katana tighter, but when the Rookie called out his attack, Grumblemon pulled his Sandstorm up short. Ryuudamon faltered, and Grumblemon took the opportunity to kick him across the room.

Somehow Ryuudamon managed to right himself before he crashed into the far wall, and as he landed, he glanced quickly between Grumblemon and Ranamon, who was just emerging from the shattered remains of the wall she had collided with. Turning his eyes at length to Arbormon, the Vaccine digimon seemed to be daring the youngest digidestined to attack. So of course he complied.

"Cedar Snare!"

The roots broke through the crystalline floor, wrapping around Ryuudamon's legs and reaching for his arms. Out came the sword once again, and Ryuudamon hacked away at the roots, seemingly unconcerned with the minor inconvenience… until he was distracted by another attack.

"Dousing Torrent!"

Ryuudamon glanced up sharply, his katana stilling for a moment – just long enough for Arbormon's attack to latch onto the Rookie's arms, rendering him immobile. Arbormon cheered, and Nao allowed himself a small smile.

But Ryuudamon merely smirked as the garnet on his helmet glowed red. "Helmet Return!" As the Dousing Torrent bore down on him, the garnet flashed red and the disc of water began to shrink until it was small enough for the gem to engulf it. Before the Warriors could figure out what had happened, the garnet flashed again and a red-tinted disc of water came flying out. It made a quick pass around the room, forcing Arbormon and Ranamon to the ground, then returned to decimate the roots holding Ryuudamon in place.

Ranamon scowled as she climbed to her feet. "How is a Rookie that strong?" she grumbled, brushing herself off.

"Does it matter?" Grumblemon asked. "Let's just hurry up and take him out."

"But how?" Arbormon asked. "He's so fast! His agility must be unbelievable!"

Grumblemon rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Video games again? Arbormon -"

"Hang on," Ranamon interrupted, cupping her chin in her hand. "He might be on to something. How would you deal with someone with high agility in a video game?"

"Not you too!" Grumblemon cried.

Ranamon waved him off. "Hey, maybe he'll think of something helpful. So, Arbormon? How about it?"

"It depends on the battle system," Arbormon said, then paused. "The best way would be to catch him off guard, or use an attack with high accuracy. Area of effect spells sometimes work, too."

Frowning, Ranamon shook her head. "We don't have any area of effect spells, though." She shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to try to catch him off guard."

"How?" Grumblemon asked, gesturing to where Ryuudamon leaned against the wall, watching them plan but making no move to attack. "Whatever we try, he'll see it coming."

Ranamon grinned. "So we all attack at once, and keep attacking until something gets through! He can't keep up forever."

"Neither can we," Grumblemon pointed out, but Ranamon wouldn't be swayed. "Fine, whatever. Just watch out for reflected attacks."

Ranamon nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Dousing Torrent!"

"Tree Cannon!"

Grumblemon sighed. "Fertile Fist!"

A disk of water, two wooden projectiles, and dirt in the shape of a fist rocketed towards Ryuudamon. The yellow-skinned dinosaur's green eyes widened for the first time, but he didn't panic. Instead, he bent his knees and jumped straight up into the air landing easily on the packed dirt of Grumblemon's attack. Ranamon's Dousing Torrent cracked the wall he had been leaning against, and the wooden projectiles burrowed into the dirt. Ryuudamon leaped again, the two attacks exploding behind him.

"Iai -"

"That's enough, Ryuudamon."

Without a word, the Rookie dropped to the ground in a low bow. The voice continued: "I'll take it from here. Wait for me in the Cavern."

"Yes, milady." Ryuudamon held his bow a moment longer, then rose and pivoted, hand resting lightly on his saya as he strode from the room.

Another digimon emerged from the corridor, flicking a forked tongue at the group before her. Her serpentine body was covered in black scales everywhere except her crimson underbelly. The foremost quarter of her body had distinctively feminine curves, and the face, too, was human – red except for the black lips, which parted to reveal a pair of white fangs. In place of hair, however, she had a black hood, like that of a cobra.

Tapirmon gasped as she grinned. "Serpimon."

Next Time: "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" – The Warriors face off against Serpimon, but will they emerge victorious?

A/N: Not much to say this time. School's keeping me pretty busy, but I'm making slow progress on my KH fic. It'll still be a while before I get it up, but I'll keep you updated.