A/N: OracionMist here with a new chapter! I am so happy to finally be able to work on my stories after a lot of my technology broke and I needed to get new things! That's beside the point, thanks for patient everyone! Enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon! Only my OC and cover page!
Chapter 10
"Come on guys, why are you all looking so scared?" Tai asked as the group walked along the sandy path in a meek manner.
Bumping into Etemon and being beaten without a chance really took away the children's confidence, and the only one's not outwardly affected were the two that currently held their crests in their possession.
"It's understandable to be a little scared after what happened, Tai." Hisoka stated, turning to the kids to give them words of encouragement. "We'll be alright, everyone."
"Well everything's going to be fine now that we have another crest!"
"We can't be so sure." Izzy interrupted, "We don't know how the crests can help us."
"Izzy's right." Matt agreed, "Hisoka's crest lit up, but Lunamon and Coronamon didn't digivolve further."
Hisoka shrugged, "The crests are important, but right now we just have to stay tough and make sure we're all in one piece when we head home."
Tai didn't like what their camp counselor said as he turned to Agumon. "This is your big chance, buddy. Don't let me down. If Hisoka, Lunamon, and Coronamon aren't going to do anything, it's up to you to digivolve further, or I'm going to find a new partner!"
Said three that were mentioned frowned at Tai's attitude, but held their tongue as the goggle wearing boy asked, "By the way, how are we supposed to use the crest to digivolve again?"
Izzy came up with an idea, "From our knowledge, digivolving takes a lot of energy, so they shouldn't be hungry, and the partner would be in some sort of danger."
"Since it's a higher level of digivolving, that must mean that more energy will be needed. We'll provide the food, and Etemon will provide the danger." Tai concluded.
"Wait, I really don't think that's a good idea, Tai." Hisoka interjected, "We can't just use up food rations and put ourselves in even further danger for something that may turn out badly."
"Then what's your idea, Hisoka?" Sora asked.
"Well my idea is that since these crests are purposefully meant for each one of us, they each must have different requirements, like how Tai's is Courage and my own is Harmony." The green eyed teen explained, "Therefore, it must mean that we have to appease to the crest and show that part of our self."
"What do you mean?" Matt asked before adding, "And tone down a little on the vocabulary before you lose us non-geniuses."
"It means, maybe Tai just has to be brave and I... well, I guess I'll figure that out eventually." Hisoka stated.
"Could it really be that easy?" Izzy muttered in thought while Tai stretched.
"Well, you can do it your way, and I'll do it my way!"
"No more!" Agumon protested through a stuffed mouth before his tamer forced another apple into his mouth.
"Oh stop your belly-aching and open wide! Everyone's given you their food so you can digivolve, isn't that right?!"
"Yes..." The kids droned.
Mimi stated, "We didn't give him our food, he took it from us as soon as Hisoka, Lunamon and Coronamon finished their share and went for water. Of all the nerve."
"Even if we did eat, we still can't digivolve." Gabumon commented.
"So those of us who can't work can't eat, huh?" Joe said as Tentomon piped.
"But I'm hungry!"
Tai turned towards them, "Hey, I can't hear you. Is that right?!"
"That's right!"
"I'm not seeing what's right about this Tai." Hisoka said with a frown as he came back with his partners.
Tai scowled as he yelled at his camp counselor, "Well unlike you, I'm actually trying to protect everyone! Wasn't that your job?!"
"Tai, that was too far!" Sora scolded before Hisoka stopped her as he grabbed Tai in a lock to keep him from moving without hurting the younger boy.
"Tai, do you just realize that you took what little food we had before we will actually find another place to resupply? I understand you're trying to do this out of good intentions, but it will get you nowhere if you hurt the others in the process."
Tai struggled as he yelled, "I'm not wrong! I know my way will get Agumon to digivolve further!"
The camp counselor shook his head as he called out to the silently watching group, "Coronamon, Lunamon, Matt, Joe. Take what food we have left in that pile and share them with the others. It may be a while until the next time."
Hisoka then turned to Agumon, who watched in worry, "Agumon, you're his partner, sometimes you may have to set him straight. Don't be scared to."
"It's a good thing that Hisoka stepped in, Tai was really pushing Agumon." Sora commented as she and Izzy watched as Hisoka kept Tai from trying to take the others' food again.
"His personality's really taken a turn for the worst lately. I remember he used to be friendlier, even to us younger kids."
"Yeah, he was cool during soccer camp. He may take crazy actions, but he does it for the good of the team."
Joe popped into the conversation, "But Hisoka does have a point, we can't exactly be selfish right now. I think he really has been a responsible adult when it comes to looking after us."
The tallest camper paused before he pulled up his tag, which was glowing a faint blue light. "I think my crest is nearby."
Tai perked up as he got out of Hisoka's grasp by stomping on his foot. "You think so!?" He pulled out his telescope, found a Colosseum like building out in the dunes, and alerted the others.
Joe ran forward, "That must be where my crest is!" He tripped moments later by a thick black cable.
"What's this doing in the middle of a desert?"
Lunamon frowned as she and Coronamon bounded over, "Didn't Etemon use that in his attack?"
"Could that mean he just got our location?" Coronamon asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Maybe, but I'm putting an end to that. Lunar Claw!"
With a shadowy swipe, the cable was destroyed as the other kids caught up and Hisoka asked, "Is there something wrong?"
The two Digimon shook their heads as the lion-like one grinned, "Joe just tripped is all."
"If that's all, hurry up!" Tai said impatiently. "We have to find Joe's crest!"
"You'd think that person's safety would be more important than the object that we're looking for for said person." The camp counselor thought disapprovingly before he shook his head and followed behind the kids.
Once the group made it into the arena, the children stared in awe. Joe looked down at his tag, and told the others before he ran off. "Since the only clue we have is my tag, you guys can wait here; I'll go look for my crest."
Before anyone could stop him, Tai ran behind him while Agumon was too exhausted to move. "I'm coming too!"
Coronamon commented, "I know the crests will help us, but don't you think Tai has crests on the brain a little too much?"
Izzy replied, "You're quite right about that, Coronamon. It is worrying."
"Where did Hisoka disappear to?" Sora asked as she looked around.
A soccer ball flew into the arena as the camp counselor waved from the other side of the stadium, "Why don't we play a little soccer to pass the time? I'll be the referee with Lunamon and Coronamon, and we'll have the Digimon team and the human team."
Sora knew what their counselor was planning and agreed, "Yeah! It'll be fun!"
The kids and their Digimon lightened up as they played with Hisoka smiling as he stood as the sidelines While Joe went to the goal area to see that his crest was reacting there as he made sure that he wasn't going to get hit by the ball. "I'm glad that I managed to cheer them up."
"You're really good at lightening the mood, Hisoka." Coronamon complimented.
"How could Tai ever say that you don't help the group?" Lunamon said as she shook her head. She truly couldn't believe that the boy would say a thing.
"He's a kid, Lunamon. I'm sure he didn't mean it." Hisoka stated in a calm manner, "This whole crest thing is really getting the best of him though; that's a little worrisome. He'll do something stupid, but I'll set him straight if I have to."
Suddenly, the camp counselor had to duck when the soccer ball went flying at him. "Will you guys be serious for once?! Now isn't the time to be playing soccer!" Tai yelled in disapproval.
"Joe's the only one that can find his own crest, why can't everyone else play a bit while we wait for him?" Coronamon frowned.
"That's not the point!" The goggle wearing boy retorted, "You're the ones being all careless when Etemon could show up at any moment!"
Right on cue, the screen lit up as applause was heard before Etemon appeared. "Did somebody call the king?!"
In their panic, the children ran to where Joe and Gomamon were, only for Agumon to fall with Hisoka and his partners staying behind to help him up so they could group back with the others.
"Exercise would do you some good, Agumon." Coronamon grunted, "You're heavy."
"Sorry."
"You kids aren't going anywhere." That made the four turn to see that the kids were trapped in the soccer net.
"Do you really think this will keep us trapped?" Tentomon scoffed as he flew up, only to crash down on to Tai after he got electrocuted by the net.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. There's electricity running through that net, so I suggest you all stay put." Etemon stated. "As much as I'd love to be there and do this myself, I'm just too busy. You know how rock 'n roll legends are, but my substitute is a very rare treat. Here he comes!"
Stomping into the colisseum was a different Greymon that wore a strange looking collar.
Tai called out, "It's time to digivolve, Agumon!"
"Lunamon, Coronamon, we're helping too." Hisoka stated with his partners nodding as Agumon was digivolving into Greymon.
Etemon interrupted, "Now three on one isn't fair. It's time you three exited stage right."
"Wha-aah!" Lunamon questioned before the three screamed as the floor they stood on gave way and they fell into the hole before it closed back up.
"That's not good!" Sora commented in worry of their camp counselor.
Tai paid no mind of their counselor's disappearance and focused on the fight, "It doesn't matter, Greymon's fight does!"
Meanwhile, Hisoka and his partners got up after their fall.
"Where are we?" Coronamon asked as he rubbed his head.
"We're possibly underneath in a below ground tunnel of the Colosseum." Lunamon replied as she glanced around.
The brunette came up with an idea, "If that's so, maybe we can find a way to get the kids out of that trap."
After a bit of wandering and crawling on Hisoka's part, they stopped at a dead end with a pit. "We're stuck, we've gone the wrong way." Hisoka sighed as he peered up to the ceiling and widened his eyes. "Is that...?"
"What is it, Hisoka?" Lunamon asked.
The green eyed teen glanced to his partners before shaking his head, "I just... felt like Joe's crest was really close, but it might be my imagination. Let's head back the other direction."
Before they turned around completely, they watched as the other kids fell down.
Hisoka could hear Joe cheering that he found his crest.
"You guys alright?" Coronamon asked as he could see that they were piled on top of each other.
"We're fine, Greymon needs me to get him to digivolve, so do you know the way out?" Tai asked as he got up, ignoring the complaints and protests of others.
"Yeah, follow me once you get up here."
Once everyone was out, they could see that Tai's Greymon was losing the fight. "You have to digivolve to the next level, Greymon!" The goggle wearing boy yelled as he tried to climb over with Sora and Hisoka stopping him.
"You don't know what you're doing, Tai!"
"Stop being reckless, you're going to regret it, Tai!"
Tai ignored the two and jumped over to join the fight and put himself in danger. "I can make Greymon digivolve!"
As Sora and Matt had Biyomon and Gabumon divivolve to aid their reckless friend, Hisoka was furious as he grit his teeth. "That boy... There's a limit to how much I'll put up with his behavior. Lunamon, Coronamon. It's time to set boundaries."
The two nodded as they could see their partner's crest flashing for brief moment and digivolved to join the fight as well.
"Lunamon digivolve to... Lekismon!"
"Coronamon digivolve to... Firamon!"
"Greymon, you can do it! Digivolve!" Tai yelled and his tag shined, before it turned into a pitch black color.
Hisoka flinched and grabbed at where his crest was as he and the others watched as Greymon digivolved, "Tai, this is why I warned you about the crests. But why is it that I feel pain? Just what does this mean?" He muttered.
To everyone's horror, Greymon became Skullgreymon. He made easy work of destroying the other Greymon, but he wasn't done fighting, and it was easy to tell that he wasn't in a controlled mindset.
"Skullgreymon, if you really are the digivolved form of Greymon, then you can't hurt me!" Tai yelled, but his rampaging partner thought otherwise while Tentomon digivolved to join the others in trying to stop him.
The five Digimon surrounded Skullgreymon and each used their attacks.
"Meteor Wing!"
"Howling Blaster!"
"Tear Arrow!"
"Fira Bomb!"
"Electroshocker!"
The attacks did nothing as the skeletal Digimon swatted the five away before he ran out of the colisseum and ran out into the desert until he roared from having used up all of his energy.
The group ran after it to see that Skullgreymon had reverted into Koromon.
Tai immediately went down to check on his partner, "Are you alright?"
Koromon opened his eyes but looked at his fellow Digimon guiltily, "Well yes, but I did horrible things. I savagely attacked five of my fellow Digimon."
"It's not your fault." Biyomon said.
"She's right." Gabumon agreed.
"We totally understand." Tentomon added.
"Besides you only did what your tamer wanted and forced you to do." Coronamon commented.
"Coronamon, don't be so blunt!" Lunamon scolded.
Koromon was still sad as he apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations of me, Tai."
"It's not your fault, Koromon." Matt stated, "I know who's to blame."
Tai looked down, "I know, it's my fault. I didn't know what I was doing, but I kept pushing people around anyway. Just because I had a crest, I acted arrogant and thought I could do better than Hisoka; but I should've treated it like he's been doing, then this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry everybody, please forgive me."
Hisoka stepped forward to the boy, and Tai apologized more, "I'm really sorry about the awful things I said; you must be having a tough time like us, but you're still acting like an adult and putting us first. I shouldn't have been so harsh, and I'll understand if you don't forgive me."
The oldest brunette blinked before he sighed and patted the boy's head, "Just don't let something like that make you arrogant again okay? Or I won't hold back on setting you straight like I'm supposed to."
Hisoka turned to the others, "On the positive side, Etemon had no clue as to what happened from that fight, so for now let's get out of here."
The children nodded and everyone made their way with the camp counselor at the end of their line as always.
"Hisoka?" Lunamon and Coronamon asked their tamer.
"What is it, Lunamon, Coronamon?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, it just looks like having the crest of Harmony is a lot harder than I expected." Hisoka replied as he thought. "So I have to make sure the kids don't go about digivolving with the crests the bad way or else I'm in for a world of pain... If Harmony has to put up with this kind of balancing act, I hope I get used to it."
A/N: And that's chapter ten! The clashing between Tai and Hisoka may not have been much, but the opinions were there.
Tai saw that Hisoka wasn't being active enough in trying to get his crest to work, so when he obtained his, he figured he could prove that his method would work, and be the leader that he believed the group needed. He truly thought that his actions were going to protect everyone.
For Hisoka, he never saw himself as the leader, more of a care taker, and viewed the crests as useless in regards to keeping the children safe, which was his number one priority, whether or not the kids saw his efforts. He didn't mind Tai's new attitude, but once he started taking food from others and putting himself in danger, he drew the line.
After what happened between Tai and Hisoka, Hisoka won't state his frustrations to the kids or even his partners. In the end, he's the oldest and most responsible, and it wouldn't work well if he snapped.
Hisoka's crest, being more complicated than the others as he is starting to learn after what just happened in the Skullgreymon incident, relies on not only the other crests that belong to the kids, but on himself as well. He doesn't know exactly what to do, but he does know that he doesn't want a repeat if they were there to save the place in order to go home rather than level it.
The pain he felt is also mystery, and the only link he can assume is his crest, but who knows?
In the next chapter, we'll be in for Mimi receiving her crest and getting more vague answers from Gennai!
Til next time! Please review and favorite!