A/N: I'm done with finals! Which means you all get a special update. Enjoy.
Last Time…The team headed off to the Cavern of Fire. Mercurymon defeated Ryuudamon, but didn't scan his data. Then, after almost losing, the foursome scanned Serpimon, rendering her data to create a Trailmon track to the Continent of Earth – wherever that is.
Chapter 7: Enter the Cavalry
I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
The Kanbara house was not exactly a happy place at the moment. Scratch that – it had all the cheerfulness of a sickroom. Takuya supposed it had something to do with the fact that most of the optimists were gone, Kouichi and Zoe on a walk, and JP and Hana to rent a movie. Tommy and Nyoko, though normally bright enough, had retreated to the kitchen table to discuss the more depressing points of returning to the Digital World. As always, Kouji and Kaya were moping on the couch; and even Midori seemed to be in a temperamental mood.
Oh, well. At least once JP and Hana got back they'd have a movie to distract them for a while.
Unless he had gotten his D-Tector, too, in which case the whole attempt at lightening the mood would be ruined. Takuya tried to stay positive about the whole situation, but everyone else was rubbing off on him. It wasn't that he didn't want to go back. Actually, he was quite excited about it. Mostly.
As far as the action, adventure, and general awesomeness of it went, Takuya was ready to charge to the nearest Trailmon station and hitch a ride to the Digital World, whether or not anyone else came with him.
But there was another, larger, part of him that didn't want to have to go back at all. He had matured a lot since he had first set foot in the Digital World. He had gone to college (okay, he had gone on a soccer scholarship, but still; he had gone!). He had a job, even if running around with a bunch of kids playing soccer all day seemed more like fun to him.
"Hi Dad!"
He had a family.
Takuya smiled down at his son, Benjiro, who was playing Candyland with Tommy's daughter, Kita. The seven-year-old boy had a mop of light brown hair, the same shade as his mother's, and his father's red-brown eyes, which were currently staring up at Takuya with a youthful eagerness.
"Wanna play?"
Takuya crouched down, tousling his son's hair, and shook his head. "No thanks, Ben. It looks like you two are in the middle of a game."
"We can start over, right, Kita?"
"Uh-huh!" the little girl nodded, scrambling over to give the Warrior of Fire a hug and knocking him over in the process. "You're always fun to play with, Uncle Takuya!"
Tugging on the girl's curly brown pigtail, Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Uncle, huh? When'd you start calling me Uncle?"
Kita beamed, but her bright green eyes twinkled in the light. "Well, I heard Daddy say you're his brother, just like Uncle Yutaka, so that makes you my uncle!" She frowned suddenly and cocked her head to the side. "Doesn't it?"
Takuya laughed. "Of course it does, Kita."
"So, d'ya wanna?" Ben asked again, already reaching for his and Kita's gingerbread men game pieces.
"No, no." Takuya placed a hand on his son's shoulder with a smile. "The others will be back soon. I'll just watch."
Shrugging, Ben turned to Kita. "Your turn." The girl obediently tumbled off Takuya's lap and reached for the stack of cards. As she looked at her card, she frowned. "What'd you get, Kita? Let me see!" Ben said, leaning forward. "No way! Queen Frostine? That's the best card in the game! You're so lucky, Kita!"
With a giggle, Kita dropped the card and grabbed another. "Here's yours!"
"Aw, man," Ben moaned, moving his piece to the next blue space. "I'm lost in the Lollypop Woods!" Takuya smothered a smile as he saw the card his son dropped – not the single blue square that would leave him stuck on the Lollypop Woods space, but double blue. But Kita didn't notice, so Takuya merely shook his head as the game continued, realizing now why Kita always beat Ben at these kinds of games.
The front door closed with a bang. "Hey Takky! We're back!"
"Don't slam the door, JP!" The gogglehead winced at his wife's voice from downstairs, which was answered by a muffled but distinctly sarcastic reply from the Warrior of Thunder. Midori, apparently, heard every word. "What did you say?"
Both children glanced toward the door. "Dad?" Ben tugged on his father's shirt sleeve. "Why's Mom mad?"
"She's not mad, Ben," Takuya lied, but when Midori made a sound eerily similar to a growl, he stood up, chuckling. "Still, I should probably go talk to her."
Takuya arrived downstairs to find that Midori had cornered JP, a scowl on her face. Nearby, Hana was shaking her head, while the other adults had appeared in the doorway. Meeting Hana's exasperated violet eyes, Takuya sighed.
"What's going on?" he asked, deciding to break the trend of cowering away from the brown-haired woman he called his wife. He placed a hand on Midori's shoulder, barely controlling his cringe when she turned her glare on him.
Recovering his composure, JP crossed his arms. "I just told her to lighten up!"
Kouji scoffed. "Well if you would have phrased it like that, she wouldn't have gotten angry."
Takuya began to rub his wife's back as he raised an eyebrow at his best friend, who rolled his eyes. "Look," Takuya said, hoping to pacify Midori. "Not that JP doesn't deserve this, but…maybe you should try to relax a little."
After another long glare at JP, Midori's shoulders slumped and she turned towards the living room. "I know. You're right. It's just…I've heard your stories; the Digital World is a dangerous place." She paused, glancing upstairs. "What if something happens to you? What about Ben and Taura, or any of the other kids? What will I do?" With a sigh, she forced herself to stand up a little taller. "No. What am I saying? You have to go back!"
Midori turned back around, her gray eyes glistening as they met Takuya's. In that moment, Takuya understood all of Midori's concerns, the same concerns he himself was trying to deal with, and he returned his wife's gaze with one he hoped looked confident and reassuring. Seconds later, the door burst open, startling them all.
Kouichi and Zoe stumbled to a stop at the sight of the crowded hallway, exchanging a confused glance. "Did…we miss something?" Zoe asked at last.
"Nothing important," Hana said quickly, shooting JP a meaningful look of her own.
Eyes darting between the two, Zoe blinked slowly. "Okay…"
As Kouichi turned to close the door – gently, much to everyone's relief – Kouji studied his brother. As though sensing this, Kouichi kept a hand on the doorknob, tapping it thoughtfully. "What's wrong?" Kouji asked at length.
"Well…" Kouichi turned to Zoe, who lifted one shoulder in a shrug before turning back to the others. Kouichi followed her lead, focusing on Kouji before he continued. "I wouldn't say 'wrong,' exactly." He and Zoe simultaneously reached into their pockets, and Takuya was groaning before they even revealed the D-Tectors.
Tommy gaped. "You got them at the same time?"
Kouichi nodded, once more glancing at Zoe, but quickly turning away from her pointed glare. "I know this is going to sound really crazy, but–" With a grunt, he stopped, rubbing his ribs where Zoe had elbowed him. "Never mind."
Kouji frowned, but then nodded as if coming to a conclusion and reached into his pocket. "So we have five out of six D-Tectors," he said, pulling out his digivice, which prompted Tommy and Takuya to do the same. The gogglehead turned in time to see Zoe direct another glare at her husband, but no one else seemed to have caught it, so Takuya merely raised an eyebrow.
JP tapped his chin. "So now I'm the only one who doesn't have one." As if in response, the five D-Tectors let out brilliant streams of light, which arced directly at JP, merging into a glowing sphere before him. When the light faded, JP's D-Tector was floating in the air for him to grab.
For a moment, all was silent, as Nyoko slowly shifted over towards Hana. The older woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders in support. Pausing only to squeeze his hand, Kaya smiled at Kouji and gestured to where JP, Kouichi, and Zoe were standing near the door. As she walked away, dropping his hand, she passed Tommy, who was inching towards the other Warriors, his eyes never leaving his wife.
Midori wrapped her arms around Takuya from behind, leaning in close to whisper, "I can't lose you, Takuya."
The Warrior of Fire turned around to face her, managing a brave smile. "I'll come back soon. I promise."
Midori's eyes closed and she backed away, hand lifting to cover her mouth. Then, with a barely audible sob, she turned and hurried into the living room. Takuya took a step to follow her, but a hand on his elbow stopped him. Turning, he found himself staring into Kaya's warm gold-brown eyes.
"I'll talk to her," she assured him before glancing at the five waiting digidestined. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back."
Takuya nodded, and as Kaya left the room, he turned back to the others. "This is it, then," he said, striding purposefully to the door and opening it. Blinking in the sun, he adjusted his goggles. "Alright, team. Let's move out!"
Smirking, Kouji shoved his way past the Warrior of Fire. "Okay, leader," he teased. "But where do we go?"
Takuya's face fell, but a beeping from his D-Tector saved him as it produced a small sphere and a blinking dot. He grinned and pointed. "That way!"
-.-.-.-
Kouji leaned back against the Trailmon windows as the others filed in, Kouichi and Zoe joining him on the bench next to the door and the others settling in across from them. Turning his head, Kouji narrowed his eyes at the trees surrounding the hidden Trailmon station.
Takuya's D-Tector had led the group to the nearby park, where they had found themselves walking into deeper and deeper woods until the stumbled upon the boarding platform. Worm the Trailmon – the same one who had carried Takuya, Zoe, JP, and Tommy into the Digital World when they were younger – had been waiting, and though he pretended to be impatient, Kouji suspected he was actually quite pleased at seeing the Legendary Warriors again.
"Everyone sitting down in there? Good." Not waiting for an actual reply, Worm took off. Luckily, none of the Warriors had forgotten how crazy the Trailmon rides could be, and they managed to grab on before things got too out of control. Still, Kouji was caught slightly off-guard by the loop, which was followed seconds later by a sudden, less-than-pleasant stop. The six friends stumbled off the Trailmon, Kouichi looking even more shaken than the others.
Takuya couldn't help but laugh as Kouichi leaned against a pillar for support. "Sorry, buddy. I guess you never actually experienced that before, huh?"
Offering a weak smile, Kouichi said, "I'm just glad it's over!"
"So where are we?" Zoe asked, glancing around.
"The Digital World?" JP offered.
The Warrior of Wind rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. But where exactly?"
"The Continent of Light," said a pompous voice from behind Kouji.
"Where's that?" asked another in a distracted tone.
"Where…Don't you pay attention to anything?"
Oh, please no, Kouji thought, exchanging a glance with an equally irked Takuya. Kouichi rolled his eyes, but smiled good-naturedly as Zoe's face lit up; Tommy and JP also beamed, and the youngest digidestined turned eagerly to where the two Rookies stood.
"Bokomon! Neemon!" he cried.
Bokomon frowned, taking several steps closer to study Tommy. "Humans. My, it's been a while. But who exactly are you?"
"Don't you pay attention to anything?" Neemon mimicked.
"Oh, like you know who they are, you nitwit!"
"But I do."
"You do?"
"Yep. They're humans. And that one's a girl!"
Fuming, Bokomon gave Neemon's waistband a good, hard snap. Not bothering to turn around, Kouji scowled. "Let's go before they recognize us."
"Now hold on," Bokomon mused, raising a hand to his chin. "I've heard that voice before."
Kouji cringed as Takuya moaned. "Nice going, Kouji. Now they're sure to recognize us."
"Kou…ji…" Neemon echoed blankly while Bokomon snapped his fingers.
"Me?" Kouji hissed, glaring at the Warrior of Fire. "You're the one who just told them my name."
Takuya chuckled. "Oops."
"Kouji?" Practically bursting with excitement, Bokomon leaped up onto Kouji's shoulder (a task that proved considerably more difficult than the last time the Warriors had been in the Digital World). "Kouji, my boy! It is you!"
Gritting his teeth, Kouji shrugged his shoulder. "Get off me. I'm not a kid anymore."
Seemingly unaffected by Kouji's sour mood, Bokomon slid down the man's shirt and dropped to the ground. He quickly scanned the circle of humans, muttering to himself and nodding as he registered each face, only stopping when he looked at Tommy. "My goodness…That can't be little Tommy, could it?"
Laughing softly, Tommy nodded. "It is, Bokomon."
"Well, you've certainly grown up! I hardly recognize you!"
While Bokomon was getting reacquainted with the Warriors, Neemon had developed a fascination with Zoe's left hand. He kept rubbing it and muttering "shiny" over and over again. When Bokomon noticed, he stormed over and prepared to snap Neemon's pants, but Zoe just smiled and waved her free hand dismissively. Curious, Kouichi came around to see what Neemon was looking at, and he too smiled, glancing up at Zoe.
"What are you rubbing?" Bokomon shouted, having kept quiet for longer than he could tolerate.
"I dunno," Neemon said, still rubbing. "But it's shiny!"
"Shiny," Bokomon scoffed. "Shiny, he says! It's always shiny with you, isn't it?" Swatting Neemon's hand away, Bokomon moved in for a closer look. "It's a ring, Neemon. There's nothing special about that!"
"Hey now," Zoe protested, winking at Kouichi. "That's not just any ring!" She pointed to the bottom band, which was made of white gold and had a small amethyst on either side of a diamond. "That's my engagement ring." She pointed to the other, a simple band. "And that's my wedding ring."
"Wedding?" Neemon cried, yanking on Zoe's hand to get a better look. The Warrior of Wind stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance.
Smacking Neemon, Bokomon studied the rings intently. "For once in your life your reaction is actually appropriate," he muttered to the other Rookie. Then, glancing up at Zoe, he raised an eyebrow. "So who's the lucky man?"
"Kouichi."
"Is that so? Well, congratulations!"
Zoe grinned, interlocking her fingers with Kouichi's. "Thanks."
"Hey," Neemon called from Tommy's side. "They all have one!"
"That's because we're all married," Takuya said, visibly burying his irritation. "And most of us have kids of our own."
"You mean there's baby Takuyas running around?" Neemon asked, his face scrunched up as he tryied to imagine the scene.
"Uh…sorta, yeah." Takuya shot Kouji a helpless look, but the Warrior of Light stared back impassively. "Except they don't look exactly like me, and they aren't babies anymore. And one of them's a girl."
"Hey, how come you guys haven't digivolved yet?" JP asked suddenly, sparing Takuya further explanation.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Bokomon began to pace as he spoke. "Digivolution isn't something that happens spontaneously, you know. It's actually a rare occurrence. The only way for a digimon to digivolve is to gain experience from fighting. And seeing as much of the past 500-some-odd years has been spent in peace, we didn't exactly have many opportunities to fight."
"But we never fight," Neemon pointed out. "We run." Bokomon huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, but didn't bother to reply.
"Can we get serious now?" Kouji growled after a moment. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised. "Look, I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to get back to my family as soon as possible. That means we have to know what we're up against and where we're supposed to go."
Bokomon nodded firmly, regaining his scholarly air. "You're absolutely right, Kouji. Things were fine until about twenty years ago, which is when everything changed. The Legendary Warriors and the Celestial Digimon disappeared, the land rearranged, and Serpimon showed up."
"Serpimon?" Takuya asked, now thoroughly interested. "Who's that?"
"I'm not entirely sure."
Takuya had been leaning so far forward to hear about this mysterious threat that he nearly fell over at Bokomon's response. "You're not sure? Then what the heck are we supposed to do about this Serpimon creep?"
Bokomon gave Takuya a condescending look and turned to walk towards one side of the Trailmon station. "Well, if I remember correctly, Seraphimon's castle is somewhere nearby. Even without the Warriors or Celestials, that has got to be the best place to find answers."
"Alright," Takuya said, following Bokomon off the platform. "Let's go!"
"Where are we going?" Neemon asked, dashing after the others.
"Maybe if you would listen once in a while, you'd know where we were going!" Bokomon shouted; Kouji merely groaned.
-.-.-.-
"I don't like this place."
Kouji glanced over at his brother, somewhat startled at his sudden outburst. The group had spent the last few hours walking in near silence, occasionally making small talk or trying to get information out of Bokomon, who unfortunately seemed entirely oblivious to the current state of the Digital World. As a result, the Warriors had to content themselves with hearing what had happened since they had last come up until everything had changed. If Kouji had to sum it up in one word, it would have been easy: nothing. Until the last two decades, absolutely nothing of importance had happened.
"What do you mean?" Zoe asked Kouichi, her concern bringing Kouji's thoughts back to the present. "This place seems fine to me. A little different, sure, but I'm sure that's just because we haven't been data for so long." She grinned. "And you're not a spirit."
"Very funny." Kouichi glanced around. "It just feels…I don't know how to explain it. It's just not quite right." He paused, shivering, then continued in a whisper. "I don't like it."
Kouji glanced around, searching for some sense of what his twin was feeling, but any disagreeable sensation was faint. Sure, something seemed…off, somehow – not quite right, as Kouichi had said – but rather than making him uncomfortable, whatever it was actually had a soothing effect for Kouji. Shaking his head, Kouji returned his focus to his surroundings. Kouichi must have sensed something, and Kouji knew better than to brush off his brother's premonition. Maybe it had something to do with darkness, since Kouichi was much more sensitive to his element, corrupted or pure, than any of the others.
"What is it?" Kouji asked, edging closer to his brother.
Hesitating, Kouichi walked in silence for several minutes as he cast his eyes about for some trigger to this feeling. With each step, his frown grew deeper.
"I know there's something," he muttered, partly to himself and partly as an apology to the others. "I just can't pinpoint it. I mean…Wait." Kouichi stopped walking suddenly, sucking in his breath as he looked around one more time. "Of course!" he cried. "I don't know why I didn't realize it before!"
The others frowned, glancing around to see if anyone else had understood. "Uh…buddy?" Takuya ventured. "What are you talking about?"
For a moment, the man was silent, frowning at the ground beneath him. Finally, he looked up. "There are no shadows," he whispered. "Look around."
Kouji obeyed, and that fact was startlingly obvious once he knew what to look for. Nothing – not the trees, not the bushes, not any of the travelers – cast the faintest shadow. In fact, as Kouji looked around, he couldn't even pinpoint a light source; it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. And as this phenomenon hit home, Kouji, like the others, couldn't help but gasp.
"Well of course there aren't any shadows," Bokomon said dismissively, already walking away. "This is the Continent of Light, after all."
Despite his best effort, Kouji couldn't keep a scowl off his face. "So?"
"So?" Bokomon whirled and held a finger up to Kouji – hardly the intimidating gesture intended, given the massive height difference. "'So' this entire continent is practically oozing with light. And of course, if it's so full of light there can't possibly be any darkness, now can there?"
"But light and darkness can't exist without each other," Kouji argued. "This can't be possible!"
"Obviously it is possible, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation."
With a groan, Kouichi lifted a hand to rub his temple. "Look, not to sound rude or anything, but I really couldn't care less whether or not it's possible. Let's just do what we need to do and get off this stupid continent. I'm starting to feel sick."
Now that he mentioned it, Kouji realized, Kouichi was paler than normal, and with the way his eyes were squinting, either the light was hurting his eyes or he had a headache – or both. "How much farther is it to Seraphimon's castle?" Kouji moved closer to Kouichi as he waited for Bokomon to reply.
"Not too much farther. Maybe another half hour?"
Nodding, Kouji turned to his brother. "Will you be alright walking for that long?"
"Yeah," Kouichi assured him quickly. "It's really not that bad. I'm just…uncomfortable. That's all."
"Are you sure? Maybe we should take a break."
"I'm fine, Kouji. Really. We should keep moving."
Though he had his suspicions about Kouichi's sincerity, Kouji relented, and the group moved on. Twenty-five minutes later, the crystal towers of Seraphimon's castle appeared through the trees. Sighing in relief, Kouji sped up to match his brother's pace as Kouichi hurried to the building. If they had kept walking for only a few more minutes, Kouji was sure Kouichi would have simply collapsed. Beads of sweat had begun to stand out on his forehead, and his steps seemed to have been getting slower.
Finally they reached the entrance to the castle, and Kouichi paused only a second before he pulled the door open. Inside, the light was anything but diminished, but the Warrior of Darkness seemed more at ease, walking at an almost leisurely pace down the corridor. Kouji fell into step beside him, taking a few moments to study the structure around him.
It had been a long time since he had been here, and last time the castle had been sitting atop an enormous tree. This time it was much more accessible, but no less awe-inspiring. The crystalline walls cast ghostly rainbows on Kouji's skin as he walked. At length, they reached the central chamber, where a sculpture made of crystal stood.
Zoe frowned at the sculpture. "Didn't that used to be a statue of the three Angels?"
"Indeed it did, Zoe," Bokomon said, coming forward to study the strange piece. The bottom appeared to be some kind of marble pedestal, but what sat atop it looked like the remains of an egg that had already hatched – rounded, with irregular wedges jutting up. "And it still was the last time I visited it."
"How long ago was that?" JP asked, raising an eyebrow at the Rookie, who squirmed uncomfortably before replying.
"I don't know, maybe thirty years. But I–"
Suddenly Takuya's voice interrupted them. "You know, I'm all for admiring abstract art, but have you taken a look at the rest of the room yet?"
Kouji turned. At the sight of the room – crystal panels shattered or melted beyond repair, their remains scattered widely; mounds of dirt and stone dotting the room; roots erupting from the destroyed floor – his mouth ran dry. "It looks like there was a battle here."
"And not too long ago, either," Zoe added, rubbing a clump of soil between her fingers. "This dirt's still moist."
Tommy frowned. "How much do you want to bet Serpimon had something to do with it?"
"Hey Kouji, Takuya," JP called, waving the two over to a relatively unscathed section of the room. "Look at this!"
He stood in front of a rough wall panel, but what caught Kouji's eye was not the strange material, but the two characters chiseled into it. "Those are our symbols," he breathed, running a hand over the wall.
"Yeah," Takuya agreed, coming over. "But what's it for?"
Kouji shrugged, not taking his eyes off the symbol of the Spirits of Light. "Who knows? But it probably has something to do with our Spirits."
"Think our D-Tectors will do us any good?" Takuya asked, reaching into his pocket.
"It's worth a try."
The two Warriors raised their digivices, pointing them uncertainly at the wall. A thread of fire-like energy shot out of both, passing through the wall without seeming to affect it in the least. Once the D-Tectors ceased their display, the symbols of fire and light glowed red and pale blue, respectively. Then the rough section of wall disintegrated to reveal a short passage that ended in a small chamber with two pedestals.
"Is that…" Takuya began, stepping forward.
"Our Spirits." Kouji strode toward the pedestals, aiming his D-Tector at the small object, which eagerly entered the device. Takuya quickly followed suit.
JP stared at the D-Tectors expectantly. "Did you get both?"
Kouji shook his head. "Just our Human Spirits."
"So it's just like starting over," Zoe sighed.
"Except we have two instead of just one." Takuya grinned, obviously excited for a battle. An explosion shook the castle and the sound of shattering crystal drew the Warriors to the entrance. "What was that?" Takuya cried.
Kouji scowled. "I don't know, but we'd better evolve."
"Right."
"Execute: Spirit Evolution!"
"Agunimon!"
"Lobomon!"
Agunimon wasted no time in sprinting through the doors, and Lobomon followed, only pausing to direct the others to stay inside. Once out into the open, the Warrior of Light took in the situation at a glance, already formulating a plan. A trio of Centarumon ringed what Lobomon presumed to be another digimon, though it was obscured by the three Champions.
"I remember these freaks. They were with Saggitarimon," Agunimon grumbled, tensing beside Lobomon. The centaur digimon had orange skin with bulbous indigo armor, as well as black hoofs, hands, and helmets. "There were a lot more of them last time, though, so this should be no problem."
Lobomon reached for his Licht Sieger, frowning. "Just remember that we had more power last time."
"Yeah, whatever. Pyro Darts!"
The small flames peppered the Centarumon, doing little damage but redirecting their attention to the Warriors. Lobomon groaned as the nearest digimon raised its right hand and charged up an attack. "Solar Ray!" Lobomon leaped up to avoid the laser beam while Agunimon threw himself to the side.
"Way to go, genius," Lobomon muttered as he landed. "Why don't you just go tap them on the shoulder and introduce yourself next time?"
"Hey, give me a break! I haven't done this in a while, you know."
"Obviously." Ignoring the glare Agunimon was giving him, the lupine warrior activated his Licht Sieger, connecting the two halves into a single, two meters-long staff. "Lobo Kendo!"
Twirling the staff to deflect the retaliatory barrage of Solar Rays, Lobomon charged forward, knocking two of the Centarumon aside to reveal their victim, a small yellow-skinned dinosaur with black and violet samurai armor. The digimon had burns and bruises on nearly every inch of exposed skin, but somehow managed to pull himself to his feet at the sight of Lobomon.
"Get inside the castle," Lobomon grunted, raising his weapon as one of the Centarumon he had knocked away attempted to bludgeon him into submission. "My friends are in there. They'll take care of you."
"I can still fight," the dinosaur replied.
"Pyro Tornado!"
Lobomon ducked as Agunimon's attack whipped over his head and connected with the third Centarumon's abdomen. "Watch it, Agunimon!" Then, turning back to the injured digimon, he surveyed the digimon's wounds. "Look at you. You're in no shape to fight. Get inside!"
"Lobomon! Watch out!" Agunimon cried, delivering a spinning kick to his opponent's side. The Warrior of Light turned, scowling as he saw the other two Centarumon coming at him, palms raised and glowing. He raised his Licht Sieger defensively, bracing himself for the attack as he positioned himself between the two Champions and the smaller digimon.
"Solar Ray!" Even after they released their attacks, the Centarumon continued charging, and Lobomon looked for a way to counter the charges as he deflected the Solar Rays.
Suddenly the dinosaur digimon stepped out from behind him, a hand on the katana hilt Lobomon had previously failed to notice. "Iai Blade!" the digimon cried, lunging forward to stop one Centarumon in its tracks with a series of lightning-fast cuts. Impressed, Lobomon raised his eyebrow and quickly swung his weapon at the remaining enemy.
"Howling Laser!" the Warrior of Light shouted as the Champion stumbled back. He aimed the weapon on his left wrist at the distracted digimon and released three concentrated energy blasts in quick succession. They connected, two to the chest and one to the right shoulder, driving the Centarumon to the ground.
"Pyro Tornado!" Agunimon's attack sent his opponent tumbling into the one the dinosaur digimon had been fighting, and together the two crashed into Kouji's foe. All three faded to a silhouette, a single ring of Fractal Code surrounding them. Agunimon raised his D-Tector, stepping forward, and the dinosaur's eyes widened. "Fractal code…Digitize."
The mysterious digimon stared, dumbfounded, as the two Warriors reverted to their human forms. "You're Legendary Warriors," he gasped.
Kouji exchanged a wary look with Takuya, who seemed considerably more open to the digimon's apparent admiration. "You betcha, buddy!" he grinned. "And the rest of the team is right over there." He pointed to where the others were emerging from Seraphimon's castle. The digimon followed the gesture and blinked twice as he took in the four approaching humans, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, bowing cordially.
"I am indeed honored to meet you," he said softly. "My name is Ryuudamon."
"Why were those Centarumon attacking you?" Kouji demanded, not trusting this stranger for a second.
Ryuudamon sighed, meeting Kouji's cold stare steadily. "It is a long story."
"We've got time."
"I was trying to convince them to go home." Ryuudamon silenced Takuya with a hand before the man could get his question out. "They served Serpimon. As did I."
Everyone fell silent, eyes narrowing, as they waited for the Rookie to produce an excuse. But when he continued, his words surprised everyone:
"As you obviously know, Serpimon was an evil digimon who attempted to conquer the Continent of Light. Her aims and means always rubbed me the wrong way, but Serpimon saved my life when I was an In-Training, Kyokyomon, taking me in after I was attacked by a wild Monochromon. I owed her my life, so I served her faithfully until she was defeated by the Legendary Warriors."
"You must be mistaken," Bokomon interrupted, shoving his way past Takuya and JP to glower at Ryuudamon. "These humans have only been here for a few hours, and they certainly haven't fought Serpimon, let alone defeated her!"
Ryuudamon glanced sidelong at the other Rookie, not speaking until Bokomon squirmed. "It is you who is mistaken. The Legendary Warriors who defeated Serpimon were four children who possess the Spirits of Water, Earth, Wood, and Steel."
"You're joking!" Zoe gasped. "There are new digidestined? Who are they?"
"I don't know." Ryuudamon's gaze shifted to the peak of a mountain visible over the treetops. "They were gone before I woke up and had a chance to ask their names. But one boy…the Warrior of Steel…We fought while his friends battled Serpimon. He won, and I don't begrudge him that, but rather than scanning my data, he spared my life. I pray that we will meet again so that I can repay my debt, but until then I will serve you with everything I have."
Somehow Zoe managed a smile, though her eyes remained dark. "It sounds like the new team is getting along fine without us. But…then why did you think you could convince those Centarumon to go home?"
"With Serpimon gone, I am free, as are the unfortunate digimon whom she forced into servitude. Many of her minions had been kidnapped from their towns or blackmailed by Serpimon. They did her bidding, but only because they feared her wrath. Ever since I regained consciousness, I have been spreading the news of Serpimon's defeat. Many of the camps were elated at my message, and quickly returned to their homes.
"But it seems Serpimon did have some loyal servants, ones who still believe in her cause." Ryuudamon paused, glancing to where the Centarumon had been minutes ago. "Those Centarumon were the look-outs for the last pocket of minions. I had been going to see the camp as a whole, but I overheard them talking and realized where their loyalties lie. As I turned to leave, the Centarumon saw me and chased me here."
Kouji shook his head, frowning. "That doesn't make sense. What cause is there to believe in with Serpimon gone? Her aim was to rule this continent." He glared at Ryuudamon. "Unless you're leaving something out."
"That was her primary aim," Ryuudamon replied, unflinching. "I have not lied to you. But she did have another goal in mind. There is talk of a temple somewhere on this continent, where the power of one of the Celestials is sealed."
Glancing over his shoulder, Takuya asked, "Are you sure it's not Seraphimon's castle?"
"Positive. Serpimon discovered its location not long before the new humans arrived." The digimon scowled. "The only problem is that the ones who discovered it are the ones still loyal to the cause. The power of a Celestial is very enticing to them, especially now that they themselves will benefit."
"Oh," Tommy groaned. "So we have to keep them from getting that power. Great. How many are there?"
"Seven, now that those Centarumon are gone. I believe there are several more Centarumon, but I did not recognize the others."
"That's helpful," Takuya said with just a hint of sarcasm. "So where is this temple anyway?"
Next time: "Back to the Present" – the kids head off to the Continent of Earth, where a new threat presents itself.
Notes: Licht Sieger is the Japanese equivalent of Lobo Kendo, but Licht Sieger (which translates to Light Winner) is a better name for Lobomon's weapon than Light Kendo Swords. At least in my opinion. So I'm going to keep it. Oh, and even though it breaks into two pieces, I'm going to keep it singular. It's never a good idea to try to pluralize in a foreign language.
