REWRITE
Rika stood outside of Guilmon's hut, Renamon standing faithfully at her side. She was playing with a ring on her right middle finger that her mother had given her the day that Renamon had returned. A little fox was curled on the amethyst rhinestone.
Renamon shifted and looked to the side. She watched Henry try to explain to Jeri why they didn't have the time to force Kazu and Kenta to come. Looking behind them, Yamaki stood, shaking his head, his arms crossed. Amusement almost played across his face if they weren't in a tiny bit of a hurry.
And to the right. A little bit away, not wanting to talk to them in case they accidentally distracted them, stood Mie and Takehiro. Mie's brown eyes were wide with curiosity and worry. Takehiro's arm was thrown casually around her waist. Both were watching with determination, hoping that their little boy would be returned to them.
Rika glanced at them and offered a small smile, snapping at her companions to get their attention.
Henry and Jeri looked up from their argument, glaring at her. "Let's go! Takato hasn't got all day!" Rika snapped at them.
Mie chuckled softly and set her head on Takehiro's shoulder.
Henry sighed and nodded. "She's right. Let's go."
"Fine." Jeri said, looking backwards.
Ryo pushed himself up from where he was, leaning against the gate. Beside him, Monodramon cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms excitedly.
Yamaki followed them as they went into the hut, where the portal glowed ominously in the hole that Guilmon had dug all those years ago. He handed Henry the palm pilot, the very same one that Takato had been given the first time to the Digital World. "Now I want you to keep in contact with me as often as you can. And when you've got him, come back, but send me a message so I can be ready for him. Alright? And if any of you dare get hurt…" Yamaki practically threatened.
Jeri chuckled. "We won't get hurt, Yamaki-san. Promise. Our digimon will protect us, right Leomon?"
Leomon stood behind her, all protectiveness playing across his soft features. "We won't let you get hurt, Jeri." He swore, glancing at the other digimon. All three nodded.
Yamaki's eyes scanned each and every one of them. His arms dropped, and he sighed. "I'll check up on you every few hours, so please keep it on. I want replies when I do check up on you, because I'll probably be doing it for your parents as well." He said.
"Yes sir." Henry slipped the palm pilot into his pocket softly.
Yamaki clenched his fists and dropped his arms. "Keep yourselves safe, please. If you could only do one thing that I ask of you, let it be this. One injured kid is enough, we don'twantfourmore. Do you understand me?"
This time, four replies came. "Yes sir." Rika set her hands on her hips and Renamon copied her. "Can we go now, Yamaki?" she asked.
Yamaki looked them over, as though to make sure that they hadn't forgotten anything. Finally, "…You may go."
"Thank you." Henry turned to the portal and waved Jeri towards it, saying kindly, "ladies first." When she slid into it nervously, he did the same to Rika, effectively surprising her. At least, enough that she and Renamon went in as well.
Ryo followed her, and then Henry went. Yamaki sighed and closed the gate to keep any trespassers from finding the portal. He blinked in surprise when, as soon as he stepped back towards the park, the companion palm pilot to the one that Henry had was stolen right from his pocket.
Mie removed the stylus and started sending the kids an email, her head turned to the side. When she was finished, she sent it and gave it back to Yamaki. "Thank you for everything."
Terriermon groaned from where he was and attempted to move. "Henry, you're laying on me, get off!" he exclaimed.
"Whoops, sorry Terriermon." After a few seconds of children and digimon attempting to move, Henry was able to move his body and let his digimon up.
"Finally! I couldn't breathe!" the little rabbit exclaimed melodramatically, climbing to Henry's shoulder. He peered around. "It's good to know that nothing's changed, I think."
"No matter how much older you get, you humans can't be anymore graceful, can you?"
Henry gasped and spun around, knocking Terriermon from his shoulder on accident. Before him stood three boys, a rather recognizable little machine, and… Gallantmon! He quickly stood and scrambled out of the crater, followed by the other three and their digimon. "Gallantmon! It really is you!" he exclaimed, surprised.
"In the digi-code or whatever." Gallantmon's eyes flickered with amusement. He took a few steps to peer at the group. "Only four?" he asked. "Where are Kenta and Kazu?" Of course he wouldn't ask about Suzie, Ai, and Mako. He understood that they were too young to come on such a dangerous mission.
Jeri sighed. "They're being stupid, grudge-holding boys." She said, standing with Leomon's help. She fixed her headband and tugged on the jeans that she wore to straighten them out again. She climbed out of the crater to meet him and Henry, watching the three boys.
The oldest-looking one—the one with blond hair—raised his golden eyebrows, ocean blue eyes peering out from beneath his bangs as he looked the kids up and down. "Who might you be?" he asked, putting a hand on his hip.
Jeri scoffed; crossing her arms, as Ryo came up beside her and Rika came up on Henry's other side, their digimon all behind them. "We're Gallantmon's friends, I'll have you know. His bestfriends. And Takato's too, for that matter." She said.
The older brunette chuckled a little as he looked up at Gallantmon. "These are the reinforcements? A rabbit, a fox, a dragon, and a lion. I mean, the last two might work, but—"
"We can digivolve you know!" Terriermon piped up, hopping to Henry's head and glaring at the boy.
"Whatever."
Gallantmon nodded, rolling his eyes. "Be nice. Yes, these are my reinforcements. They helped me in the fight against the D-Reaper, they've been with me all the time since before that, and I'd trust them with mine and Takato's lives. Besides. They, at least, have digimon with them."
Henry, ever the peacemaker, waved his hand absentmindedly. He walked out in place of Takato and put out a hand to the older brunette. "Henry Wong. And this is Terriermon. We're plenty strong, if we weren't Gallantmon wouldn't have called us, I don't think." He said. He looked the teen up and down. "What are you doing here without digimon? That's very dangerous."
The older brunette sighed, looked at him, and took his hand. "Tai Kamiya. We're here to find them. And before you ask, we've had them before." He said. He turned to direct toward the blond and the younger brunette. "Matt Ishida, and Davis Motomiya. And these would be…"
Before Henry could introduce them, Rika stepped forward, stepping a bit in front of him and daring him to try introducing them. "Rika Nonaka. And Renamon." She didn't hold out her hand, rather waiting for one of the other boys to do it first.
Matt did, rather gentlemanly. Then he held it out to Jeri, waiting for her to say something.
"Oh. Jeri Katou. And Leomon, of course." She said.
"Ryo Akiyama and Monodramon." Ryo said, his arms crossed. Monodramon huffed unhappily.
"Well good, now that we all know each other, can we go?" Gallantmon was suddenly very antsy, but Henry could see why. The digimon had always been very overprotective, especially of his cherry-eyed Tamer.
"Yeah, I'm rea—" Henry froze as something in his pocket vibrated. Figuring it to be the palm pilot already getting screwed up by the surrounding data, he pulled out the little device. "It's an email from Yamaki." He said.
"Already? We've hardly been gone five minutes." Rika furrowed her eyebrows, ignoring the tpp noise of Gallantmon's toes tapping the ground anxiously.
"Well? See what it says." Ryo looked over his shoulder to read it.
Henry removed the stylus and tapped the screen, allowing the email to pop up. It read,
Thank you, kids, for all of this. You really didn't have to do this, but I don't know what else to say, besides thank you. Takehiro's looking over my shoulder as I write this and agreeing with everything I say, so let's just say that this is from him too. Anyway, like I said, thank you. I just have one tiny request to make. If you four get in danger, get out of there. As important as my boy is, you four losing your lives for one boy is just not worth it. And besides. If you died before you brought Takato home, he probably wouldn't be coming home. Thank you so much, again. Love you.
~~Mie Matsuki.
Ryo snatched the device from Henry's hands. "Now isn't that sweet." He commented, reading it over again.
"Don't be mean." Jeri crossed her arms.
"I'm not." Ryo huffed, glaring at her. He handed Henry the device back.
Henry took it and slid it back into his pocket. "Well, now with her world on our shoulders, let's go."
Terriermon giggled excitedly, bouncing. "Yeah! Let's kick us some bad guy booty!"
The wall bordering Drasilya must have stretched up a thousand feet, Tai exaggerated, peering up to find the top. Henry had stopped beside him curious as well at the protection of the place.
Gallantmon enticed them along impatiently, leading them to the front gate. He seemed both nervous and chipper, a smile in his eyes even though he was continually wringing his hands.
"Gallantmon seems a little nervous, don't you think?" Tai asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning to the side so that Henry knew that it was him that he was talking to.
Henry glanced his way. He nodded. "Well yeah. It's Takato. Takato literally created him three years ago. He basically adores the kid." He agreed.
Tai glanced at him, eyebrows furrowed nervously. "You can't just create a digimon." He said anxiously.
"He did it on accident. We think it was the digi-gnomes that did it really. Er, really helped him along with it. Allowed him to create him."
"…Okay… I don't really get it, but whatever." Tai sighed and shook his head.
Henry shrugged. "To be honest, I think that Takato may be the only one that does."
"Shh!" Gallantmon snapped suddenly, his shield hand back as though to stop them from moving. "This is the front gate of the legendary city of Drasilya. Right up here, I mean. You'll recognize it when you see a Knight just standing there, looking important and stuff." He explained, bending his knees to peer around.
"Gallantmon!"
"Holy Sovereigns, let this work…" he swore, stepping around. Nervously, the others followed. "Craniamon, my friend! All has been well in my absence, I trust!" Gallantmon exclaimed rather cheerfully.
"All has been well!" agreed the purple Knight standing beside tall, royal-looking gates. He gained a curious look. "But whatever are you doing home after so long?" he asked.
Henry nearly jumped when he felt a breath on his ear. He glanced back to see Rika, watching anxiously. "He sounds so sophisticated. So… so not Guilmon." She hissed. He nodded in agreement.
"I merely have some business that needs to be taken care of. May I come in, I must see the Lord King Drasil?" Gallantmon fisted the end of his cape nervously.
Craniamon furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the white knight's company. "No, you may not." He said, gripping his Duo Solar Spear tightly.
Gallantmon recoiled, surprised. He normally had the second highest rank among the Knights, besides Omnimon. If he wanted something done, it got done. "And why not? He is my King as he is yours." He ventured.
"Why? Gallantmon, you know that those creatures aren't to be allowed within city limits! I feel dirty just having them this close. And your pet, too, probably shouldn't be allowed in." Craniamon elucidated. His loincloth wavered in the wind and his left arm dropped. The Omni Shield on his forearm expanded.
"You mean the kids? Well, I'll have you know that—"
"Gallantmon!"
Gallantmon turned suddenly angry eyes on Grani, who had yelled at him. He knew that the steed was right, it was likely that Craniamon had no clue what was going on. "…That the matter that I have to discuss with the King is the most important thing that the King will ever be told. And if it isn't told soon, lives will be in danger."
"Like what kinds of lives?" Craniamon taunted, attempting to draw the truth out of him.
"Son of a Swanmon, Craniamon, what does it matter the kinds of lives? The fact is someone very important could die if I don't get in there!"
"Oh? And who could be so important that I should allow those filthy creatures into my city? Why should I allow them to foul the very earth upon which my Master, my King, my Lord stands, when none other than Omnimon himself is allowed even near the Throne Room?" Craniamon growled. He lifted the Duo Solar Spear a little, just in case.
Gallantmon saw red. He didn't mean for it to happen, but he did. In a split second, his left hand changed to Aegis and he tackled the purple knight, slamming his trusty shield against him. The shield glowed red, and he screamed, "SHIELD OF THE JUST!"
Craniamon pretty much melted through the gate from the intensity of the attack. The gate's bars melted off and he smashed into the near building. He didn't move afterwards, unconscious. But Gallantmon knew that they didn't have much time.
"Come, we must go now! Craniamon is not known for sleeping long, no matter why he was out. If we have any chance of getting in, it's now! Go!" he took off without waiting for them, towards the gold-rimmed throne room.
Just as Gallantmon turned the corner to come to the front of the building, the door spread open wide and a powerful digimon stepped out, his cape fluttering behind him. Gallantmon was almost happy as he saw his friend step out, but then he remembered that the digimon had hidden the most important thing of all from him. "YOU!"
Omnimon turned to him, surprised. "Gallantmon, my friend, you've returned! And you brought friends?" he asked. He huffed in surprise when Gallantmon slammed Aegis against him, pushing him against the outer wall of the Throne Room, and Gram thrust to his neck.
"You… you… how could you! You're the worst! You said you'd help me, I thought you were on my side, but you've been fouling me all along! I thought I could trust you!"
Omnimon pushed Gram out of the way and attempted to escape from Aegis. But Gallantmon was strong, even more so with anger fueling him. "Gallantmon, that's enough. Curb your words. And put Gram away, there's no need for it." He said.
"I WILL NOT PUT GRAM AWAY!" Gallantmon replied. "You lied to me, you! How could you lie to me! Especially now, about something so important! I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU LIED TO ME!"
"Gallantmon let me explain,"
"YOU KNEW HE WAS HERE!"
"…What?" Omnimon furrowed his eyebrows. He felt Gallantmon's trusty shield shaking heavily.
Gram changed back to his fist and Aegis dropped heavily. He looked up at Omnimon with wet, heartbroken eyes, as though the entire world had been placed on his shoulders and no one had bothered to help him. "You… you knew that he was here, and you never told me. How long have you known? For two years? Only one? A few days? How long have you known, Omnimon?" he asked,
Omnimon's heart practically broke as he watched his frightened friend, not sure if Takato was alive or okay. As a matter of fact, Omnimon wasn't sure of those things either. "Gall—"
"You knew he was here…"
Omnimon set his hands on Gallantmon's shoulders. "Gallantmon, I'd have told you, trust me, but other factors prevented me from doing so."
In a matter of seconds, Gram was once again pointed at Omnimon. "What factors could have prevented you from saving the life of a child? Who could ever deserve this fate, Omnimon?" Gallantmon demanded.
"Not… not that! Trust me, if I could have told you, I would have! But… your boy would have been killed, and you, and all of the Royal Knights if I had… in fact, your boy may already be dead."
Gallantmon took a step back, bumping into Leomon accidentally. "What… what do you mean, dead? He can't be dead, I'd know! I'd feel it! I know I would! He can't be dead!" he insisted.
"You'd feel it? Well, if you haven't, he might still be alive. But I normally check on him and for the past few weeks I haven't seen him at all…"
"But… he can still be alive. No, he is alive. Takato wouldn't just die. I know he wouldn't. Alright, he's still alive." He turned with a giant grin to his company behind him. Then, he looked back at Omnimon. "Er, sorry. About yelling at you. I'm just worried about my Tamer and I want to bring him home, and when Magnamon sent me those clues I knew that it was really you, and I needed someone to blame. You were the first person. So… sorry. For the past few months, I think that I've been losing my mind."
Omnimon smiled a little behind his mask and chuckled. He patted Gallantmon's shoulder. "That's the Gallantmon that I know."