The Friends of the Stones

by Debbie Dai-chan

Finally, the Stories of the Ten Digidestined and a new enemy that has a role to play . . .

6. 6 The Mystery of the 'V'

Abilities of the children's powers

With his power of Fire, Taichi could sense heat radiating from bodies. He learned how to distinguish his friends' body warmth. For instance, he could tell Sora's warmth from the others by her feathery, breezy touch to it. Sora has such a draft to her warmth, since her power is wind, so Taichi would say that it is like a hot draft from a desert. He could sense Digimon's body warmth, also, but they are very queer because since the Digimon are digital, he could feel a light touch of electricity from them. It's difficult for him to specify them, but it's close to what he defines. Also, he can keep himself warm. He couldn't sense coldness very good, since his fire power avoids him to sense any coldness. His power is very useful to his friends for making a campfire for them. ^_^

With his power of Water, Jyou has an prowess to keep people calm. His ability is not as special as Taichi's, but somehow, being around Jyou gives you a feeling of serenity. It's almost difficult to feel hostile and angry around him. Yes, it seems weird since Jyou used to be so worried and fidgety, but it's the truth. ^_^ To use his power, Jyou has to be around water to be able to use it. If he has to use his power necessarily, he could use his aura only, but his aura can be extraordinary, depends on how it is used as. Mostly, Jyou could use his aura to shield himself or his friends, very secure and almost unbreakable.

With her power of Wind, Sora's abilities aren't as peculiar. However, she can control weather, depends on how she uses wind to gather water and form thunderclouds. She can jump to extremely high heights, with the help of wind, and her shield of wind is quite firm and unfaltering. Her power is truly powerful, but since she is a gentle girl child, her power is often humble breezes and zephyrs. But whenever she exposes her usual composed anger, her wind power can transform into violent gales and uncontrolled tempests. A turbulent tornado is one of the outstanding displays of her anger.

With her power of Earth, Mimi's talent of sensing heartbeats is one of the most marvelous abilities of the Digidestined. Within her heart, she could sense different heartbeats of her friends and the Digimon. Like Taichi, she could identify one heartbeat from the others by their qualities and emotions. Her talent is also extreme, and she can sense a heartbeat from afar. No matter how far it is, she will find it effortlessly. Now that she perfected her power, she doesn't have to sense every heartbeat of her friends, unless they are in danger.

With his power of Spirit, Yamato's capability to hear silent voices and smell souls are also remarkable, similar to Mimi's. Once you see him doing one of his abilities, you would say he's like a wolf. Hearing voices are incredible, even to Yamato, because he's like a clairvoyant, hearing the ones of the deceased, hearing their hopes and tragedies. That's kind of disturbing to him because he doesn't believe in any mystical tales. This is completely different from being psychic. He cannot hear any thoughts from his friends because they are alive. But his skill of smelling and tasting souls is even mysterious. Like a wolf, he can smell scents that are left behind from his friends' souls, like a wolf smelling a hidden trail. He can naturally recognize his friends' scents. The scents can be varied in tastes. For instance, if he is sensing his brother's scent, he would say that it is extremely sharp, very brisk, and he could taste the yellowness from it, even though he couldn't find a way to tell the difference, or even know how to taste colors.

With his power of Lightning, one of Koushiro's abilities is that he can run swiftly. Rarely, he uses it, but he finds it enjoyable to run freely, feeling the wind brushing on his cheeks. He also give light radiated from lightning bolts. Plus, like Sora, he can jump higher then a normal kid could do, or even than an adult could do. Since he is the Warder of Knowledge, he knows everything about each Digimon that dwell the Digiworld. *Everything*. Whenever he encounters a Digimon, he will receive and share information about it, just like his PC. His power is also strong, and he can shock people to unconsciousness, or - he would never dream of it - annihilate them. Usually, he uses his power only for assaults if he have to. His protected dome of lightning is very worthwhile, since it's impossible to get through it without getting electrocuted.

With her power of Shadow, Kimika's ability is unthinkable to be done, but she can change reality. She can tap in memories and alternate them into other new thoughts. The people would never know what happened. She can create illusions that can be so believable that the people would get distracted and accept her reality instead of the real reality. Of course, she would never dream of doing it, being a considerate girl child. Instead, she just uses shadows and light to distract the enemies so she and her friends could escape. Also, she uses this ability to an advantage to heal wounds. She can mend broken bones, repair skin wounds by securely believing that they have never been damaged. She can remove pain by using her 'reality', but she never knows that she has the ability to do such.

With his power of Ice, Frankie's knack to sense danger is unlike from his ice power. He can tell if a particular Digimon or human has a degree of harm to hurt his friends. He is learning to use his sense of danger to harm that person, so if that person desires to hurt his friends, Frankie can reverse it to harm that person back threefold. In a way, it's a punishment for wanting to hurt his friends. His sense of danger is powerful only if that person is near. The other children depend on his ability to caution them for any danger. Frankie enjoys using his own power to battle, using ice to freeze Digimon or pierce through defenses. He also uses his white aura to shield himself, but however, he would rather fight than defend.

Takeru's power of Life and Hikari's power of Death are genuinely enigmatic and perplexing. In a way, Life and Death are a combination of all the other children's powers, one positive and one negative. To call Hikari's Death power negative is inappropriate. Even so, Life and Death is really one power in all, simply divided to share among the two children. Takeru's Life power is the combination of the positive sides of the powers, and Hikari's Death power is the combination of the negative sides of the powers. But still, they do have two sides to it. Life and Death have the same abilities, used in two different techniques, one helpful and one harmful.

Takeru can take life from a Digimon, which can be good from the kids' points of view as it is bad from the unfortunate Digimon's point of view. The negative side is that if Takeru doesn't caution himself with this intense power, he can lose his life instead to the Digimon. It is hazardous, and Takeru often has to steady himself from letting his power taking control of him. He also can take pain from a wounded friend, but that means he has to experience the pain, too, suffering twofold.

Similar to Takeru, Hikari can give death to a Digimon. Same thing in the points of view. The difference from Takeru's power is that Hikari can voluntarily give up her life if she allows her power to take grasp on it. Hikari once did it before to give up her life to her once deceased brother, but because of his wise words, she decided to hold on a part of her life to remain alive. Because of that, their life energies are somewhat connected. She can experience pain, emotions, and sensations from her brother, but she never reveals the secret to him or to anybody.

Because of the complex capabilities, Takeru and Hikari don't use their powers under any kind of conditions unless it's dreadfully needed.

The Friends of the Stones:
Part 6:The Mystery of the 'V'
By Debbie (Dai-chan) and Chicobo, too!

Sora didn't remember how long they have been traveling. She knew that the sun was settling soon. Already, the sky has taken the hue of the night in the east, slowly prowling across the sky. She was worried about finding the shelter for the night. The weather was getting colder than she thought. Besides, the boys were really exhausted. Takeru often winced in slight pain from his left chest, his hand going for his ribs. Sora hoped that his ribs weren't broken. She wouldn't know what to do if it was the case. She would leave this to Kimika or Jyou, who were raised in the families of doctors.

Koushiro was lagging behind lately. With distressed glances over her shoulder, Sora could see that Koushiro was the one who was truly injured. He protectively held his sprained wrist, snuggled in a sling, close to his body. His face was tinted with pain that he tried to hide. He wasn't the one who would bother anyone with his problems, preferred to solve on his own. His skin was too pale to be healthy, yet he seemed unaware by that.

Sora slowed down to a stop, waiting for the boys. Takeru arrived at her, holding on her hands, sighing wearily. He wasn't the same boy that was so full of energy and kindness before. Now it seemed that all the perils he had was weighing on his small shoulders.

Koushiro came to a halt near Sora, now noticing that she was watching him with sympathy in her amber eyes. Koushiro became a bit diffident at the sympathy and hugged himself. He has noticed that the weather were getting chilly, too. He spoke quietly. "Why are we stopping here?"

"We need to rest, Izzy. It's almost night time."

Koushiro shook his head, gazing upward. "We still have time to move on before nightfall."

Sora sighed softly, her face growing sad whenever she saw one of her friends in agony. "You do need rest. You look really pale."

Koushiro gave her a smile that he wanted to tell he was all right, but the smile seemed too feeble. "I'm all right. I'm not sick or anything. Really." He moved past Sora, continuing, "You don't need to worry -"

But his sentence was cut off by his abrupt collapse to the ground. Sora, with an alarmed shout, went to his side, holding him up on his knees. Koushiro was murmuring almost breathlessly. "I'm all right. I'm all right . . ." He kept on mumbling, his head bowed. His skin got far ghastlier, if anything like that was possible. There was no cold moisture or anything on his face. He looked like this before when he woke from the long sleep.

Takeru gazed for any shelter, then his eyes widened. "Sora! Look over there!"

Sora looked at where he pointed, and her face took the same look of surprise as Takeru. From between the dense trees, she could see a small, cozy cottage standing, well-camouflaged. The walls were made of wood, thick logs stacking over each other, and the roofs were covered by large, stocky leaves that looked much like palm leaves. A faint wisp of grey smoke puffed from a narrow chimney, swept by the cool breeze. Sora blinked, couldn't believe her eyes. Sure enough, the cottage were real, but how could she not see it earlier?

"We could use it as a shelter," she heard Koushiro speaking, and she gazed down to him with surprise. He looked better, although his skin was still wan. His black eyes were too sharp for a weak boy. "You're right, Sora. I need rest."

"It could be a trap." Sora eyed the cottage with doubt.

"I can go check if anybody's home," Takeru insisted. He started forward, but Sora stopped him by a firm grasp on his backpack. Takeru gasped at the sudden burst of pain in his side, then gazed over to her. She was still staring at the cottage. "What's it?"

Sora ordered him, "Stay with Izzy. I will go." The boy protested, but she held firm. "Hide in the bushes and protect Izzy with your life."

She stood and tried to be casual as she strolled toward the cottage. Unfortunately, her heart was beating like crazy, and her breaths became irregular and fast. She heard faint rustlings behind her and knew that the boys were hiding now. She arrived at the door. Vines have crawled on the walls, some dark green and brownish, but none of them even touched the simple wooden door.

Hand sweating underneath her pink glove, she quietly knocked on the door. She tried again, this time louder. Still, no one answered. She stepped back and called out, "Mister? Konniechewa? Are anybody here?"

"I say, who dares to invade my peace?!"

The booming voice made her jump in alarm, and she forced herself to calm down, facing wherever the voice came from. A small figure, short as Takeru and twice the size, wobbled in sight from around the cottage. It looked oddly like a male tortoise clad in a dark willow robe, his back covering with a thick, plated shell with blue lining among the edges of the ringed plates. He looked like he was standing on two; his legs were hidden by the long hem of the robe, but his bulky arms were seen from rolled-up sleeves. He could look wise and ancient except that he had small, pitch-black eyes set in his tortoise-like face, glaring at her with piercingly dislike from behind small eyeglasses.

Sora paled and began to stammer, "Goman nasai, mister, but I'm really tired and . . ."

The figure seemed to blink and spoke, his voice low and curious unlike the booming sound earlier, "You look like a human. Are you a Digidestined or an Unmon?"

"Um, I'm a Digidestined," Sora spoke hesitantly, wondering what was this 'unmon' and unsure if he was either good or evil.

The tortoise Digimon seemed to grin, his black eyes losing the doubt. "You are the Seeker. Ah, come in, girl. You look like you do need rest."

Relieved, Sora grinned back. "Arigatou, but I have two friends with me."

"More Digidestined?" The Digimon looked delighted. "What are their names?"

Sora began to say the real names, but changed her mind. "They are the Warder and the Savior. But they are hurt."

The beady eyes grew anxious. "Hurt, you say? Come, come, where are they? They will get a chill in this weather."

Sora called out, "Izzy! TK! It's all right! Come out!" She went to the appearing boys, helping Koushiro walking toward the cottage. Koushiro appeared hesitant to accept help, but he was too weak to even stand. Sora's worry for him grew.

The Digimon was very hospitable as he led them through his cottage. The cottage was modest, filled with sweet smells of herbs. Sora recognized some from her familiarity with herbs from working in her mother's florist. The tortoise led them to a small room - his bed chamber.

Koushiro gently protested against such hospitality, but the Digimon cheerfully hushed him and let him sit on the bed of fresh, soft grass that grew on a small lot of dirt. Koushiro looked soothed, closing his eyes as he leaned against a wall.

The Digimon noticed Koushiro's sprained wrist and tsked softly. "What have you done to yourself, Warder? I will assure that you will keep me busy," he said with a grin. He gently took Koushiro's left wrist in his fleshy hands. Koushiro winced, but kept silent. "Well, someone wasn't wrapping your wrist correctly."

"I tried my best, mister," Sora said with a docile simper from her side beside the Digimon.

The tortoise grinned. "Ah, call me Vesamon, not mister, mind you." He then frowned in thought as he unwrapped the bandages. "Young Savior, would you go get the small red basket with cloths? It's near the hearth side." Takeru went out, and Vesamon turned his attention to Koushiro's wrist.

The wrist wasn't looking so good, the joint twisted at an awkward angle. Vesamon sighed, adjusting his eyeglasses. Sora had a sudden illusion that Vesamon appeared like Jyou and Piximon mingled together. He was saying, "I need to twist your wrist back to the correct position so it could heal better and faster. You understand, Warder?"

Koushiro became paler than before, but nodded, biting on his lower lip. He clamped his eyes shut, his right hand clutching on grass. Vesamon held on his wrist with both hands and instantaneously wrenched the wrist with a disturbing crack. Sora nearly jumped at both the crack and Koushiro's agonizing gasp. His eyes were wide with pain, but he didn't scream out. He must be brave enough to withstand such pain, Sora thought. She wouldn't be able to stand it, would rather faint.

Vesamon soothed a shaken Koushiro with a few words, then Takeru appeared in the room, a small red basket full with variegated fabrics. He placed it down, then winced.

Vesamon noticed that with his sharp sight. "Are you hurt, too, Savior?"

Takeru grinned. "Yeah, but I will get better."

Vesamon good-naturedly shook a thick finger topped with a white talon at the boy. "I will take a look at you next, boy. My, you always play too tough."

Sora smiled at the lightening of the gloomy mood. She felt soothed at the Digimon's cheerfulness and compassion. She felt that they will be out of danger for now, and as soon as the boys got better, they will go search for their lost friends. Already, Sora wished she wouldn't have to leave the tortoise. It was becoming rare to see such kind Digimon lately during the dark times. She sat against a wall, arms around her legs, watched as Vesamon gingerly enveloped the strips of the fabrics firmly and securely around Koushiro's wrist. He then went to check on Takeru. He found that it was just a sensitive bruise on the rib muscle, not a broken rib bone, much to the kids' relief.

"Now, you three need to sleep. It's night already," Vesamon insisted, standing up.

"I'm fine," Koushiro mumbled, looking away.

Sora cast him a worried glance, along with Vesamon. The tortoise shook his head sadly, then went out with Takeru to collect blankets.

Sora turned to the redhead. "What's the matter? Are you sure you are okay?"

Koushiro gazed back calmly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You look very pale, Izzy. Are you sick or something?"

Koushiro rested his head against the wall, his eyelids dropping. "No, I don't think I'm sick. I know I look pale." He seemed to break down, a weak sigh escaping from his partly closed lips. "I'm so tired."

"I told you need rest."

Koushiro shook his head. "It's not the kind of tiredness you have after a long day of hard labor. This's the kind of tiredness that you get when you have no energy at all. You can't move or anything. You're right. Maybe a good night's sleep will help me."

Vesamon and Takeru came in with pillows and blankets. Koushiro, as he has said, was spent and almost instantly slept under the warm blanket heavily, the clear agony fading from his pale face. Takeru took a position near Koushiro, also went into a sound sleep. Nearby, Sora went to sit in a cushioned chair suggested by Vesamon.

"You need to sleep, Seeker," Vesamon spoke.

She shook her head. "Onegai, call me Sora, and I'm not sure I can sleep."

Vesamon smiled warmly, his black eyes sparkling. "Your mind may be stubborn, but your body knows better."

She pulled up her legs close to her chest and snuggled for warmth. "I don't know if I can, Vesamon. I'm worried about them, especially Izzy."

"The Warder and the Savior need rest, that's all, and so do you." Vesamon handled her a wool blanket, and Sora was grateful for the added heat as she shrouded herself in the blanket. She watched Vesamon straightening the blankets on the boys, almost like a kindly grandfather.

"Vesamon, may I ask you a question?"

"Why, yes, you may."

"What do you know abut us? Us and our powers?"

Vesamon has removed Takeru's hat and settled it near the boy. He looked up with ancient reverence. "You already found your powers?" When she nodded, he cocked his head. "Interesting. What I know about you is that you are the chosen children who shall come to save us from the ultimate evil. You will find your innate powers through your crests and use them to defeat the evil."

Sora slightly frowned in confusion. "But I thought the ultimate evil was Apocalymon . . He wasn't?" She blanched at the thought. The Digidestined have to fight more? She wasn't sure if the kids could take more of the battles.

Vesamon rested a reassuring hand on her arm, calming her. "No, Seeker, I fear not. Evil cannot be completely destroyed. It will be reborn, as always, but it won't reveal itself yet in the future. And you aren't the chosen to defeat it. No, the duty will fall to the ones who will be like you."

"Who?"

"You will find out in time, Seeker. Now go to sleep." Vesamon putted a gentle, warm kiss on her forehead, reminding her of her own mother. He waddled to the door, turned to blow out the single candle that has been lightening the small room, and left.

Sora wrapped the blanket around her head, waiting for sleep to hit in. Slumber was merciful, taking her in its arms of darkness.

***

The smell of delicious goodies roused him from a serene sleep. Takeru slowly opened his eyelids, huddled under the thermal blanket. He could feel the cool air touching his exposed face. It felt like winter, and the cottage wasn't built for clutching heat in.

The room was dark, no windows to reveal any light. But the darkness was rather dim, and he saw that he was facing Koushiro. The redhead was dozing heavily on his back, snuggled in his blanket. He was still pale and weak, but otherwise, he looked okay. Takeru was worried about him, but still, he will be okay, right?

He sat up, cuddling his blanket around him. The smell of food made his mouth water and his stomach rumble. He stood up, deciding against waking Sora, who needed sleep more than she thought. She was curled into a ball, wrapped in her blanket, snoozing in a chair. The silver tress in her hair seemed the only light object in the dark room.

Takeru stepped out from the room and was nearly blinded by the bright glow cast by a small fire set in a kind of fireplace, just warm enough to warm the kitchen. The food scent was so overwhelming that Takeru closed his eyes, letting himself take long sniffs, growing hungry.

"Ah, awake already, Savior?"

Takeru opened his eyes to grin over to Vesamon, who carried two small bowls to a table built low to the ground. He turned to stir in a black kettle hanging above the fire. Takeru could smell a pungent meaty scent from the kettle, but didn't know what kind of food it might be. "What're you cooking, Vesamon?"

"A good breakfast for you three. The stew is almost ready." He gestured to the table and several cushions for seating. "Take a seat, wouldn't you?"

Takeru sat on one of the cushions, astonished at how soft it was, and shivered a bit, wrapping the blanket around him tighter. It appeared that even the fire wasn't hot enough to warm him up. "It's getting cold here, Vesamon."

Vesamon nodded, his black eyes gazing over to a small glassed portal set in a wall, the only window in the cottage. Takeru gaped at the sight - it was snowing! Several snowflakes, silver and sparkling in the dim sunlight, floated downward past the window, increasing in number.

"Snowing. Strange weather we're having. The weather is getting unpredictable lately." Shaking his head, Vesamon turned to stir more.

Takeru watched Vesamon stirring the stew, leaning forward to take more delicious smells, snuggling in his warm blanket. Finished with the stew, Vesamon went to sit on a cushion, across Takeru. He entwined his fingers on the table and gazed at the boy quietly with sharp black eyes behind eyeglasses.

"I thought that the Digidestined always travel with their Digimon guardians. Where is your little Patamon?"

Takeru felt sudden tears misting in his eyes at the remembrance of his devoted pal, and quickly blinked them. "He is gone. All the Digimon are gone. They just left."

"Why is that, Savior?" The Digimon's voice was gentle.

The boy lowered his head, shaking it. "I don't know why. They are gone. We are alone."

"You Digidestined are how many?"

"Ten."

"Then why did I meet only three of you?"

Vesamon seemed to have a gentle curiosity that most of the Digimon possessed of the Digidestined. Takeru told him about the encounters that happened in the last few days. He didn't mention anything about the wounds, thought they were no big deal. Vesamon was quiet, listening patiently to the details. His face went sad when Takeru told of the fate of Taichi, Yamato, and Kimika. "Oh, poor children. I'm sorry."

Blinking back new tears, Takeru smiled confidently. "It's all right. They are alive, I'm sure of it. Izzy said so."

Vesamon just smiled, tinted with soft sadness. Takeru wondered why he smiled like that, then he heard the door crackling. He turned to see Koushiro shuffling in, also wrapped in his blanket, hooded over his head. His walk was haltingly; his skin was looking colorless. With his violet-streaked fiery red hair, his skin was vividly white. He gave Takeru and Vesamon a feeble smile before he collapsed in a cushion beside Takeru.

"Oh, my, you're getting worse, Warder." Vesamon moved to his side and placed a hand on Koushiro's forehead. "You are cold. You must have the chills. Are you feeling sick?"

Koushiro shook his head. "Just exhausted." His voice was getting fainter than his usual soft voice.

"My stew will warm you up for sure." The Digimon took the bowls and filled them with the stew. He placed them in front of the boys. "Well, eat up!"

Takeru wondered how could a greenish-brown botch with floating unrecognizable chunks have such an amazing scent. He wrinkled his nose at the unpleasant sight. Koushiro was staring down in his bowl, his face slightly twisted with queasiness. He gazed up, whispering, "I'm not that hungry."

Vesamon chuckled heartily. "You need to eat or you will get sick. It tastes much better than it looks, really."

Koushiro grimaced, but let go of blanket. It fell to his shoulders as his good hand reached for the wooden spoon. Takeru watched as he took a bite on a shapeless chunk. He chewed carefully, then his face grew pleasant. "It's really good, TK," he said before he ate more.

Takeru ate his breakfast noisily, being so starving, as Koushiro nibbled on the choicest chunks. Sora came in later, yearning for some food in her empty stomach. She grimaced with worry when she saw Koushiro, but he ignored her, appearing unaware about her concern. Koushiro finished early, his bowl half-full. He said that he felt warmer, but still tired. He went to the room to sleep.

"There is something wrong with the Warder," Vesamon said after he washed Koushiro's bowl in the water pot. There was a stern, tense visage on his face. "Are you sure he was all right before?"

Takeru nodded, taking another bite. Sora answered, "He was always in perfect health. He was fine until he got the wound . . ." She trailed off, turning to Takeru with wide eyes. Takeru had his mouth full, but the surprised realization on his face was clear.

"What wound?" Vesamon asked seriously.

"Um . . . Izzy, Kim, and Joe were attacked by Medawmons three or four days ago, I don't remember when. They were attacked the same way, on their right shoulders, and their wounds are in the shape of 'V'."

The kids saw Vesamon's visage contorting into a mingled look of disbelief, unhappiness, and despair. He was being like that as he stared at them, then his voice was stiff as he spoke, "When the Warder wakes, I want to check on his wound." He turned to walk into another room.

Takeru and Sora gazed at each other, their appetite gone, replaced by worried concern for Koushiro.

***

Frankie had a plan.

The very moment the snake-bear Digimon entered the grass dome, Frankie knew that it was deadly and menacingly in nature. He just didn't know how dangerous. The Digimon had something going in its mind, he noticed, as it came for the kids. The Digimon may look savage, but in a manner, it was clever and shrewd. It just studied the kids with sharp yellow eyes as they tensed, preparing for an attack or anything like it.

Frankie didn't like the way the Digimon gazed at him, seeming like it found something worth its attention. He soon found out. It took Frankie by surprise, snatching him with its scaly tail. He was so alarmed by the impulse that he was distracted for a moment, struggling in the unbreakable grip. Jyou attempted to rescue him, but the Digimon aimed a severe swipe at him with a large paw. The blow knocked the black-haired boy nearly to numbness.

Unsympathetic, the Digimon carried Frankie outside into a march. Frankie pondered how far the kids were from the others, although he could see the mountain range nearby, touched by the dim sunlight. It was still nighttime, but in the dimness, he could see the light of a grey dawn. The marsh was rather darker than Frankie thought. He often thought he caught glimpses of shadows passing among the crooked trees and saplings, giving him the shivers. The muck stench was intense and pungent to his nose, making his eyes water. The grass dome must be built to keep the stench out.

Frankie was dropped to the ground, and he grunted with disgust at the soaked soil, his clothes already stained by the stinky muck. There were a few small bogs scattering around. Frankie hastily probed around for an escape, but the marsh was so thick that he wondered if he and the others could ever get out. The weather seemed nippier than before, and already, Frankie breathed misty wisps of icy drops.

After a few minutes, Frankie ascertained that the Digimon, called as Ninumon as it growled, had an appalling habit. It enjoyed sporting with its prey. The Ninumon motivated to aim gentle blows of the large paws to him, watching his reactions with engrossed eyes. The boy was alarmed at that, agilely evading and sidestepping. Once, he tried to flee, and the tail just snatched him and dropped him back in front of the Ninumon, like a inquiring cat toying with a frightened mouse. And he had a ominous feeling that he was the mouse.

The swipes intensified, and Frankie did his best to avoid them. He chose not to use his power to defend himself, not when he and his friends were all alone in an unfamiliar environment. If he destroyed the monster, they would have no way to know their whereabouts. Somehow, the Ninumon wasn't delighted with him and finally pummeled him with an impact on his back, leaving him breathless and limp.

It carried him inside, left them beside the kids, and curled itself up in to a watchful sleep. Jyou was all right, having a slight reddish sore on his face, but otherwise unharmed. The kids alerted at the sleeping Digimon, considering how to escape it. At any rate, when one of them attempted a motion to sneak away, the Ninumon opened one yellow eye, so aware and alert that they froze, thinking it didn't sleep at all. It even pushed Jyou back to the group with its tail when he risked himself to step closer to the edge of the dome. The Ninumon may be nocturnal, but it was too heedful to be tricked.

No one called Frankie 'Slick' for nothing. He was streetwise, quick in ideas and action. The gears gyrated madly in his mind as he dug in his backpack. The rest was waiting for him, watching the Digimon for any reaction. Frankie whispered his plan to them, and they agreed with it.

Now Frankie and Jyou were inching toward the slumbering Digimon, Frankie holding his 'weapon' in his shaking hand. The girls were staying back, ready to run at Frankie's signal. Jyou was with him to defend him for any trouble.

"Ready, oniichan?" Frankie whispered.

"Ready, otouto," Jyou breathed back with a convinced grin. "I never doubt your plan."

Frankie aspired that his plan would work this time. He gazed over to the girls, whom he hardly see in the dimness. But they should know what to do after Frankie explained clearly to them. He took a deep breath and yelled out in the loudest voice possible, "Yo, sleepyhead! Wake up, you worthless, pathetic freak!"

So sudden, the Ninumon popped its eyes open, the yellow light illuminating the boys. It gave out an offended growl and aimed a swipe of its paw toward them.

The boy focused his weapon - a flashlight - upon the Digimon, and activated it. A ray of pale smoky flare shone right in the Ninumon's eyes. Its eyes were befitting for the night, and the sudden burst of light dazzled it, causing it to bellow in fury. "Run!!" Frankie shouted to the girls as he and Jyou sidestepped another swipe. Frankie hurled the flashlight at the Ninumon, it bouncing off the compact scales. The Ninumon grew testy, and it snarled for them, jaws snapping.

The boys tore between the dome and sloshed across the sludge. Frankie could see the girls ahead, glimpses of pink and yellow among the dimness. The sun wasn't surfacing from its dirt blanket yet, but the daylight was enough to reveal their muddy path. The boys spotted over their shoulders, hearing the noisy and thundering gait of the Ninumon as it shadowed after them.

"We've got to stop it!" Jyou persisted from beside Frankie.

Frankie nodded. "Watch my back!"

The boys came into a halt and fronted onto the approaching Digimon. It came closer at a lightning rate, surprising for a large mass, its jaw open wide to mangle them apart.

Summoning his power, Frankie raised a white-glowing hand. A narrow streak of white light emitted out and struck in the Ninumon's eyes, once again blinding it. It cowered back, clawing at its pained eyes.

Both the boys directed their hands toward the Digimon, their auras irradiating pale blue and white. A huge, lustrous beam of merged misty blue and snow white burned from their hands and encircled the Ninumon from paw to head. The beam contracted around it, and the boys could hear it screeching in panic as the beam dissolved into thin air, taking the Ninumon with it.

The boys collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the assault. Frankie laughed softly. "Ha, we did it! We defeated that monster!"

Jyou wasn't the one who admired adventures and violence, but he was chuckling along with him, his eyes sparkling with odd fire. The girls returned, relieved that the Ninumon no longer invaded them.

"Joe, are you okay?" Mimi asked concerned. "We've got to find our friends."

"Of course, Mimi, we will find them," Jyou said, his smile calming her.

"I saw mountains nearby," pointed out Frankie. "It must be where our friends are, hopefully. We could check it out."

He then glimpsed at Mimi, who was caressing Jyou's cheek, her face deeply concerned. He could see what was the matter. In the burnishing dawn light, Jyou's face was unusually white. Before, his skin was always pale, the skin of the one who spent time indoors more of his life. But now, he looked like he was queasy lately. Even in the dimness, his skin stood out against his deep black hair.

"Gee, Jou-kun, what happened to you? You look sick." Frankie wondered why didn't he notice that until now.

Jyou removed Mimi's hand from his face, but kept holding it. "What're you talking about?" He looked puzzled. "I'm fine, really."

Frankie wasn't so sure; neither was Mimi.

"Hey, Hiso-kun, I found something!" He turned to see Hikari arriving with a small object in her hands. She looked excited. She knelt by him, saying, "I found a stone with your crest symbol!" She dropped it in Frankie's hand. He saw that the stone was shaped into a cone, a few inches in height. His crest symbol - a comet with a crescent moon as its head - was engraved around the smooth slope as another comet was imprinted on the base.

Frankie grinned at the girl, grasping the stone in both hands. "Arigatou, Kari Girl. It's a cool stone."

Then he sucked in a sharp inhale of pain as he released the already scorching stone, his palms stinging with torture of the raw burns. He bit on his lower lip from the agony as Hikari held on his hands. There were thin red streaks sketched into the moon-comet emblem, singed upon his palms.

"How . . . odd, I'm sure it was a rock, not a car lighter," Frankie remarked, but he sensed that there was no time to contemplate about the strange marks. Cautiously, He took up the stone, which was cool to the touch, and gazed up to watch Jyou as he strode forward with Mimi. His walk was a bit sluggish than before. Something happened to Joe, and I will find out how, Frankie thought as he pulled away the stone in one of his backpack's pockets and, taking Hikari's hand, followed them. And to find out about those burns, too…

***

They were finally out of the wobbly cavern when a blizzard came. The weather was incredible, changing slowly, first cloudy with unusual coldness that shivered them, then a light storm of rain came out of nowhere, drizzling with icy drops. The storm didn't aggravate them, their minds on the persistence to continue to search for their missing friends.

Taichi, Kimika, and Yamato were forging across rocks, attempting to seek a path and a haven for the night from the weather. Taichi healed swiftly; the pain was completely gone, and he no longer had the bandages around his head. The wound was small, a faint reddish bruise on left side of his head, healing bit by bit, but without infection.

The group was progressing without any trouble when the blizzard approached as suddenly, and they were confined in a wild gale of bluish-white snow.

Taichi was the only one who wasn't affected by the coldness. His fire power kept his warm. He couldn't feel any coldness, which could be a valuable advantage. Whenever snow came in contact with any part of his uncovered body, it melted almost instantly into streams of tepid water. He found it bothersome, having to wipe his wet arms and legs often. Yamato and Kimika were freezing, but they rubbed on their arms to keep warm. Taichi could sense their body warmth, stable and constant.

Yamato was walking in the front, using his power to sense for anybody's scent. He was cold, but his body warmth remained the same. Taichi knew Yamato was too prideful to admit he was cold. Kimika was the one Taichi was worried about. She walked in between the boys. He sensed her body warmth, finding it a bit too warm in the normal standards. Her warmth seemed too feverish, and he occasionally heard soft, weak coughs from her.

Taichi reached to hold on her hand and was astonished at the apparently scorching heat radiating through her yellow-gloved hand. He went to walk beside her and took a careful gaze on her face. He has noticed before that Kimika looked oddly pale beneath her tan skin, and her pace seemed lethargic, but he didn't make a big deal out of it. But now he could see a red flush among her cheeks. Her eyes were heavily hooded. He was afraid that she might get sick.

"Kimi-chan, are you all right?" Taichi asked in concern.

Kimika brushed away snow from her hair and weakly grinned. "I'm fine, really. Just tired,"

Taichi gazed at her with worry. "Kim, I don't think you are okay. You are sick."

Kimika made a chuckle. "I haven't been sick for a long time, Tai. I'm strong." She took a deep breath, and Taichi could hear a soft wheeze in her throat. "Needn't to worry about me, Rascal."

Taichi wasn't so sure about her. Then Yamato called from front, "Tai, I think I saw a cave near here."

Taichi never felt so relieved before. "Great! We can stay for the night. We need to rest. Kim isn't looking so good-" Then he yelled in alarm as Kimika collapsed in his arms, as if her fainting decided to strike an impression on his words.

Yamato rushed to them and placed his hand on her forehead. His eyes widened. "She's burning up!"

"Kimi-chan, why didn't you tell me that you're sick?!" Taichi spoke, holding Kimika up.

She didn't answer, falling into a series of soft coughs. Cursing, Taichi turned to Yamato, ordering, "Quick, take us to the cave!" He then hoisted Kimika up in his arms. He could feel the burning heat expelling from her into his body. Kimika held her arms around his neck, suspending her restless head on his shoulder. Yamato led them through the blinding snow to a cave, almost unseen from outside, disguised by ordinary stones stacked near the entrance.

The cave entrance was narrow, but just enough to keep the snow out. Yamato slid in and took the feverish Kimika in his arms as Taichi entered. There was a slender tunnel that forced the boys to suck their head under, and they entered a small grotto of some kind.

She was whimpering in pain, has plunged into a troubled slumber, her head lolling wildly. "Kim, calm down. Onegai, Kim," Taichi softly whispered as he tried to lull her fidgety body. "Matt, we need water to cool her down."

Yamato was kneeling by the girl, also trying to soothe her. "How? There's no water here."

Taichi realized what he already had at present. He grabbed his goggles off his head and handled them to a puzzled Yamato. "Gather snow in the goggles, and I will melt it."

Nodding understandingly, Yamato ran outside. He wasn't long after, appearing with snow packed in the round glasses. He set it beside Taichi and spoke, "I can get more snow and put it there in this gap." In his anxiety for Kimika, Taichi didn't notice it until now, a small depression nearby, sunken deep enough to keep any liquid in. He nodded to Yamato, who already left. He pulled off one of his gloves and set a finger in the packed snow. The snow swiftly melted by his heat into tepid water. Taichi soaked his glove in the water and placed it over Kimika's hot forehead.

He then heard the shuffling sounds of Yamato coming in as he putted snow in the gap. Taichi took a moment to melt the snow, then turned his attention to Kimika. The glove became warm, and Taichi soaked it again with the cooling water. He repeated this to Kimika, his forehead wrinkled into anxious lines. Yamato came in again, adding more snow to the water. He knelt down and took off his brown gloves. He used them to soak the water and squeezed the water over Kimika's bare arms, in hopes the water on her skin would ease her fever quicker.

Yamato could hear angry mutters under Taichi's breaths, and he glanced over to him in concern. Taichi's tan eyes were hard and penitent as he observed the sleeping girls' face. His mutters were sounding like this, "You should've told me, Kimika. I won't lose you again! Never again . . ." He muttered this every time, his hands frantically adding water to his white glove and placing it over her forehead.

Reluctantly, Yamato squeezed his hold on Taichi's arm gently.

Taichi nearly jumped, snatching his arm from his hold, his eyes ablaze. He panted for a moment, grimacing, then realized what he did. He seemed to collapse, rubbing his eyes, and returned his eyes to the girl, seeming remorseful.

"Tai, what's the matter? If this's about Kim, she will be okay. She is a strong girl," Yamato said, hoping to ease Taichi's trouble.

Taichi shook his head, soaking the glove in the water. He twisted it a bit too firmly, his eyes darkening. "She may be strong, but she's really weak in her heart."

"What do you mean, her heart is weak?"

Taichi left the glove on Kimika's feverish forehead and answered, "She can get sick easily. She used to have scarlet fever that left her heart very weak. The doctors said that she couldn't be able to handle another sickness." Taichi lowered his gaze. "I know because I was there. Her parents putted her on medication so she won't get any sickness. She didn't, anyway, but I always get scared that she would get sick, and even though a fever is a simple malady, she would die from it."

"You've got to be kidding," Yamato murmured, his hear clenching in pain for Kimika.

"Am I looking like I am kidding around?" Taichi spoke sharply. He repeated the process of soaking the glove again and returning it to the girl's forehead.

Yamato observed Kimika. She appeared that she was getting better, although her skin was too pale to be healthy. The red flush was gone already. He checked her temperature, and the heat was diminishing. "Tai, she is cooling down. She will be fine."

Taichi had the upset, solemn look on his face as he gazed at Kimika. He was like that for a moment, and Yamato wondered if he should leave him alone for a moment. Yamato began to step toward the entrance when Taichi stopped him with his words, "Yamato, tell me something."

Matt went to sit beside the girl, waiting for him to answer. Taichi was quiet, then finally, he said, "You really like Kim, don't you?"

Yamato was surprised at what Taichi said. Was his fondness for her obvious? He wondered how did Taichi find out. Did she tell him? Yamato wasn't that comfortable to reveal his own attraction to Kimika to anybody, feeling reserved about it. And he was surprised at himself when he answered with flawless honesty, "Hai, I do. I really like her very much."

Taichi turned to him, and he saw solemn expectation in the tan eyes. "Then I trust that you will treat her kindly?"

Yamato grimaced, not believing what he just said. "You know me, Tai-kun. I would never harm a hair on her. I may be reserved, but I know my feelings for her. My heart doesn't lie."

Taichi seemed to relax, then watched Kimika, who was now peacefully sleeping, her breaths deep and even. Yamato watched as Taichi took out a small blanket from Kimika's backpack that she possessed and covered it over her upper body. Watching him, Yamato wondered why Taichi was so protective over Kimika. Does he have the same feelings for her as he does? Or was it just a strong sibling instinct to guard cherished ones? Yamato knew Taichi and Kimika were best friends, but he had no idea that they were so close-knitted.

Yamato stood, his hair brushing the low ceiling of the small cavern. "I'm going to get some firewood. You okay, man?" he added, placing a hand on Taichi's shoulder. The dusky-haired boy barely nodded, kept a watchful gaze on her. Yamato sighed and went outside into the bitter coldness.

***

Sora and Takeru spent their time working with Vesamon. Takeru found it enjoyable to aid Vesamon around the cottage, cleaning and cooking. Vesamon found it very pleasant to converse with the young children and teach him everything he knew. Takeru seemed wise beyond his age like Hikari, and he listened patiently to Vesamon's lessons and answered with his childlike questions that amused both Vesamon and Sora.

Sora helped around the cottage, but for a motive, Vesamon has decided to train her with the power. She didn't know that Vesamon had some knowledge of helping train Digimon like Piximon, and the fond, clear memory of Piximon has made her feeling nostalgic. Vesamon was very meticulous, but perpetual to aid her to accustom to her wind energy. Sora discovered it strange because her power always came to her naturally like taking a breath. She knew that using her power ate up most of her energy, and she wondered why was that. Vesamon warned her not to use it unless necessary and in an emergency. He also cautioned Takeru not to use his own power because it was too complicated to be fully understand, especially for him, such so young, and was not to be used idly.

Sora was worried about Koushiro all day, couldn't shake the anxiety from her mind that he was ill or something. She often checked in the room, only to find him dozing in an untroubled languor. He didn't look sick, just pale and expended. She didn't wake him for lunch; Vesamon said to leave Koushiro to his slumber so he could regain his lost strength.

At about evening time, Koushiro finally woke. He was at his usual self, and he was really hungry, wolfing down rations Vesamon offered. He looked much better, although his skin was oddly waxen. Sora noticed something different in Koushiro when Vesamon insisted to check on his wound. Koushiro's eyes, too sharp, too bright eyes, watched the tortoise as if he didn't like what he see in him. His face had the hidden visage of some emotion that Sora couldn't identify.

Vesamon was checking on Koushiro's wound as Sora and Takeru watched. Vesamon looked disheartening as his fingers stroked the scars that emerged as a 'V'. Koushiro slightly winced at the remaining pain.

"I wish I would never see this kind of scar, not now," Vesamon was mumbling to himself.

"What's it?" Sora asked from Koushiro's side.

Vesamon was silent for a moment, his eyes unfocused, then said, "This wound is the result of a forbidden curse."

Koushiro blanched dreadfully, pausing from buttoning on his orange shirt.

"I don't know much about it since it was hidden, but I know the symptoms. I see them in you, Warder. The paleness, the loss of energy. The one who cast the curse somehow takes your energy. That's why you are tired lately."

"Is it serious?" Takeru asked, looking clearly worried.

Vesamon shook his head. "No, it's not serious, but permanent. You will be tired for the rest of your life unless you stop it."

"How?" Sora wondered about Kimika and Jyou, who were also under the curse, wondering how could she stop the curse before it became worse. Or maybe it already got worse, from the sights of a haggard, weak Koushiro.

"I truly don't know," answered Vesamon. "But there's a Digimon who knows of the curse, but she disappeared years ago. Many of us hid during the reign of the Dark Masters, but I never heard of her since."

"Are you aware of her name so we could go seek her?" Koushiro said calmly, but his eyes were full of dread.

Sora protested that he was too weak to go anywhere, but Koushiro was hardheaded lately. He still wanted to search. He refused to be hopeless and useless. He said so with a bold voice and persistence on his face.

Vesamon quietly smiled. "The Warder has a point here, Seeker. However, I don't know her name, but she dwelled in an isolated temple. I doubt that the temple might be still standing now."

"You know where it is?" Takeru asked.

"No matter where you are, always head north and you shall find it." Vesamon then stood. "I want to make gifts for you all to keep warm in this cold weather. Seeker, I need your help." Sora followed him to one of the three small rooms that contain in the cottage. Takeru watched Koushiro, who was sitting beside the window, watching outside. It was snowing, like a blizzard, the window almost covered by a curtain of snow. Koushiro seemed quiet, but Takeru felt that he was okay. He went into the room where Sora and Vesamon were.

The forest seemed like a winter land, the snow packing on the branches of the tropical trees, the weight bending them to the point of breaking. The ground was like a white carpet, sparkling even in the diminishing light. Koushiro found it odd, the lush, warm jungle suddenly in an unexpected blizzard.

Koushiro wondered about the curse. He didn't understand two things about it. He pondered about how came the Medawmon have the power to cast the curse upon Kimika, Jyou, and him. Did someone find about the curse and use the Medawmon to curse the Digidestined? If so, how came they curse only Kimika, Jyou, and him? Why didn't they attack the others? Why would that someone even want to curse three harmless kids?

Koushiro's head hurt, and occasionally, it hurt whenever he attempted to remember his memories. Lately, he got a dazed throb in his head whenever he tended to ponder. It was like someone was attempting to prevent him from grasping on the meaning, prevent him from finding the truth.

Koushiro glanced down, then was surprised to find an odd-shaped stone laying innocently on his lap. How did he even not notice it until now? It was a stone, yet, hued grey-brown, but it was really a small rod, thick in diameter and about six inches long. It had five rings around it, deeply engraved. Somehow, he believed that the five rings were like his crest symbol of five bound circles.

So he had a stone like Yamato, Hikari, and Sora? He gently grasped on the rod with both hands curiously, wondering what would happen. Suddenly he received a painful burning sensation that stung on his palms. He let it go with a stifled yell, the now cool stone falling on his lap. Koushiro gaped in incredulity at his bare palms. Like the other kids, he had the burn marks on his hands, three lines on his right palms, and since his left hand was wrapped, he premised that the left palms must have two lines, as well. The lines were the duplicates of the five lines around the rod. But why? Why must it happen to him, and to the others?

His hearing perked at coming footsteps, and he quickly covered the rod with both hands, looking up. Sora came in, concerned. "Izzy, are you okay?"

Koushiro acted casual. "Yeah. Why?"

"I thought I heard a yell from here in the other room. Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine, just watching the snow. You know, Sora-chan, you needn't be so worried over me. I'm fine, really."

Sora sighed. "I'm just worried, that's all."

Koushiro smiled slightly. "And I'm thankful for that, but you know someday I will get better, along with Kim and Joe after we stop the curse."

Sora haltingly smiled, then entered the storage room. Koushiro usually didn't lie, but he didn't want her to know about the rod stone and his burns. Not yet. Not until he found the reason why did he and some of the kids have the stones and the burns.

He sadly fingered the silver butterfly pendant he carried, given by the girl he has lost his heart to. "Butterfly," he whispered, staring at the rod, "What can I do?"

To be continued . . .