Ch. 21 The Lost Labyrinth
Another beautiful day had come to Lakeview. The sky was clear and the faint, essence of fall was in the air. Out by the Digidestine's home base, Trey, Diego, Ricky, Kayla, Jennifer, and Ashley were moving as quickly and as quietly as possible. Once inside their home away from home, they let out a slight sigh of relief.
"I swear Trey, if we get in trouble for ditching class…" growled Jennifer.
"We won't get caught" said Trey sounding annoyed "Besides, the school assembly is all that's going on for the rest of the day. I doubt they'll notice any of us missing"
"Can't argue with that logic" laughed Diego as he began to climb the staircase "I'll go find our buddies"
"We might not like it but any time we can get away and look for the Sacred Springs would help us a lot" said Ricky taking a seat on the couch and setting up his laptop for a trip to the Digital World.
"I guess one afternoon away from school won't hurt" figured Ashley.
"Besides, who's gonna catch us all alone out here?" shrugged Kayla.
"And what are y'all doing out of school?" asked Cody appearing from the cabins back entrance.
"Busted" laughed Agumon walking in with Cody.
"Would you believe class was canceled?" answered Trey with a nervous laugh. "Wait… what are you doing here this early?"
"Senior, I don't have to go to freshman assemblies. Besides, I'm off in the afternoons. Wait till I tell mom you skipped Kayla"
"You wouldn't unless you want mom to know about the times you skipped" smirked Kayla.
"I think we've been caught guys" said Diego coming down the stairs with the teams partners. Following the new Digidestined partners down the stairs was Albert and Gaomon.
"You think?" laughed Coronamon.
"Cody's rubbing off on you guys, not in the good way though" smiled Albert.
"How is this my fault?" questioned Cody looking annoyed.
"We just wanted to do some investigating in the Digital World" spoke out Jennifer.
"You can't blame them for wanting to get a head start and help our world can you?" asked Dracomon.
"What's done is done, better make the most of it and have us all go to the Digital World" reasoned Falcomon.
"Sounds like a plan, where we headed today?" asked Cody.
"Some place called the Lost Labyrinth. It's near the center of the Digital World so I figure it's the best place to start searching for those springs." answered Ricky.
"Sounds like a fun place to visit" giggled Lalamon.
"They always start out like that" sighed Lopmon and Gaomon together. The team gathered in front of the computer screen and readied their Digivices.
"Digiport Open" cried the group together. The screen began to glow in a bright light and pulled the team into the screen and transported them to their location. The team was place on a grey colored stone walk way surrounded by a thick jungle like terrain. Five large stone pillars surrounded them all leaning forward and connecting at one point high above the team. Before the Digidestined band laid a stone staircase leading into the depths of the earth.
"Guess we need to head downward to start exploring" figured Lunamon. The group began to follow the staircase downward, guided by the light from the torches along the wall. They continued their descent into the maze until they reached a circular room with two entryways on the opposite sides of the room.
"Looks like we'll have to split up to cover more ground" said Cody.
"How about you, me, Diego, and Ashley take the path on the right?" suggested Trey.
"Which leaves me with Kayla, Jennifer, and Ricky heading left" continued Albert.
"Sounds good to me" said Agumon. The group agreed with the idea and headed for their agreed paths. Trey's team walked through the maze's hallways, trying to find some form of useful information. Most times the team would find a dead end with several odd symbols written on the walls.
"Wish I knew what those symbols meant" said Diego
"You and me both" sighed Coronamon.
"Anything major we should be on the lookout for?" asked Ashley turning to Cody.
"Not really but we'll know when we find it" answered Cody.
"It's not very fun when we're going at this blind" frowned Lalamon.
"You guys hear something funny behind us?" said Dracomon suddenly.
"Yeah, it sounds like… a horse is right behind us." replied Trey. The team could see a figure slowly approaching them from behind. The figure seemed to resemble an orange skinned centaur with purple, orb like growths all over its body. It had a tin colored cannon attached to its right hand along with a set of miniature jets on its back and a grey helmet.
"That's a Centarumon" said Ashley scanning the Digimon with he D-Dex "He's a champion level Digimon and can use that cannon on his arm to perform his Solar Ray attack"
"Think he's friendly?" asked Coronamon. Centarumon began to take aim with his cannon then fired a shot of golden colored energy toward the team barely missing them.
"Guess not, let's get to work guys" said Dracomon
Dracomon Drive Digivolved to… Yasyamon
Lalamon Drive Digivolved to… Butterflymon
Coronamon Drive Digivolved to… Bullmon
Agumon Drive Digivolved to… Allomon
"Dino Burst" cried Allomon attacking Centarumon with his stream of fire.
"Double Strike" added Yasyamon following up Allomon's attack with a couple quick strikes from his twin swords. Centarumon fell back and collapsed forming a puddle of black sludge.
"Got him" smiled Trey.
"There's another one coming at us from the left pathway" spoke out Ashley.
"I got this one, Matador Dash" shouted Bullmon plowing into the incoming Centarumon with his attack.
"Got another one on the right" said Diego.
"Leave it to me, Scales of the Shining Bolt" said Butterflymon frying the enemy Digimon with her electric attack. Both defeated Digimon entered their goo like forms revealing several more Centarumon heading for the group.
"We'd better move guys before they surround us" said Cody.
"Where do we go?" questioned Diego.
"Just keep picking hall ways and hope we don't hit a dead end" replied Trey.
"I hope the others are having better luck than us" spoke Ashley as the group began to run down one of the empty hallways, the Centarumon hot on their trail.
"Spinning Cutter!" cried Rinkmon slicing through the Centarumon blocking the group's path. As with Cody's team, Albert and his group had run into a herd of corrupt Centarumon.
"Should have known this place would be filled with evil Digimon" sighed Kayla.
"When have we ever visited a place without them" laughed Albert.
"Double Stars" said Shurimon stopping an incoming attack with his ninja stars.
"Horn Blade" added Moosemon cutting down the attacking Digimon.
"We better find a way out soon or else we'll be lost and fighting off more of these guys, Talon Arrow" cried Bucchiemon stopping one of the incoming Centarumon.
"Any one of these pathways could be where we need to go" said Jennifer.
"Just have to figure out which one to take" continued Ricky.
"There's got to be a guide in here somewhere" thought out Albert as he scanned each pathway. He took notice of several odd markings on the floor of one of the pathways. "This looks promising"
"What if it's a trap?" questioned Jennifer.
"It's better than nothing" figured Kayla. The team followed the marked pathway until they reached a large, golden wall with engravings of all the Digidestine's crests on its surface.
"Oh great a dead end" frowned Bucchiemon. Before anybody could say another word, Albert's, Kayla's, and Jennifer's crests began to glow. Suddenly, the wall began to recede into the floor, revealing another circular room behind it.
"Should we go in?" questioned Ricky.
"Either that or go back into the maze and fight off more Centarumon." replied Moosemon.
"Option one works" said Shurimon as the team entered the newly revealed room. Once the squad was all inside the chamber, the gold wall sprung up from the floor, blocking their route out. The Digidestined team began to survey the room to find several murals painted along the rounded walls.
One mural depicted images of the Digimon sovereigns positioned over their domains in the Digital World. Above each of the five sovereigns were the crests they created though the image of Fanglongmon had four symbols around him rather than three. Below each great guardian was the image of a fountain like structure. A second mural showed a set of dark figures casting their shadows over a painted version of the Digital World while four figures stood on the opposite side of the painted plant, holding out their hands and illuminating the darkened parts of the Digital World. The third and final mural had a depiction of twin, sun like symbols and a moon like symbols colored in black. Each set of moon and sun like symbols were positioned around a large circle. A marking of the Destiny Gate was positioned between the two circles. In-between each mural was a set of writing unknown to both the Digidestined and their partners.
"Any idea what they mean?" said Kayla examining each mural.
Nope but I bet Wizardmon and his friends can figure it out" answered Albert taking a few quick photos of each mural with his D-Dex.
"Not to be a downer but we're kinda trapped in here" said Ricky observing the room.
"Maybe not, check this out" said Jennifer running over to an etching of a doorway in the stone wall. Shurimon took one of his two ninja stars and tapped against the wall until he heard a hollow sound emanate from the wall.
"There's a pathway behind here" spoke out Shurimon.
"I think we found a way out" smiled Moosemon.
After running through the various pathways of the labyrinth, Cody and his team reached the circular room where they began their trip into the lengthy maze.
"Think the others got out" panted Trey. Before anyone could respond, the wall between the two maze entryways collapsed revealing Albert and his team.
"You guys find anything good?" asked Cody.
"Oh yeah, we got some pictures to show you" grinned Albert.