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 . . .

10. 10 Digiunity

The Friends of the Stones:
Part Ten: Digiunity
By Debbie (Dai-chan) and Chicobo, too!


Taichi brushed away a low branch of the underbushes and took a tired look over his shoulder. Behind him, his friends followed in a huddle, covered in the dark green cloaks, appearing as six moving piles of living mosses. Six of them were there with him. Three were gone.

Taichi's face twisted into a glowering visage of trouble and remorse as he looked ahead. Right now, he felt that it was all his fault that Kimika, Koushiro, and Jyou were taken captive by that corrupted Digimon, Amayamon. He knew that the others would object that there was nothing that they can do; they never presumed anything of this. Nevertheless, Taichi felt that he was helpless to do such anything, and he was determined to find Akemimon. He must know something about the curse, the strange stones the kids found, and the mystery of the boys' 'transfigurations'.

Taichi again glanced over his shoulder, this time his sudden curious eyes landed on a slumbering Takeru, who was hitching on Yamato's back. He was astonished, as the others were, at Takeru's transfiguration into an angel. Takeru was exhausted after using all his energy to attack Amayamon and remembered nothing of the battle.

Taichi remembered about his own transfiguration and Yamato's. They have came to the decision to fill the rest in about what happened to them earlier, and to their surprise, Frankie had been through the same thing, this time into a silver-white fox. Taichi wondered if the stones were responsible to the changes, or maybe it was just a deeper level of their untrained powers. He wished to find why, and he knew that Akemimon had the answer.

After all, what other reason Akemimon would have to choose to allow himself known to them?

Taichi abruptly came to a stop, jerking up his head, and his sister nearly bumped into him. Blinking, Hikari gazed upward and saw the astonishment on his face.

"Tai? What's it?"

He said nothing, his face now glowering, turned around to eye at Frankie at the end of the line. Frankie also had the same look on his face, and he began to move forward to his side.

Taichi said calmly, "You all stay here. Frankie and I are gonna investigate, ok?"

"Tai, is it Akemimon?" Mimi murmured from Sora's side.

Taichi kept silent, striding into the bushes near his left side, Frankie silently following. The two boys struggled through the thick bushes, their powers sensing a presence near. Eventually, they soon saw the humanoid Digimon, as they sensed, sitting cross-legged, his back to them.

"What a surprise," Taichi said angrily. "He just sits there while our friends are probably dead, thanks to his sister! I should teach him a thing or two."

He lunged forward, only to be held back by Frankie's quick clutch on his arm. Taichi roughly seized his arm away, but the older boy was stronger.

"Hey, calm down," Frankie voiced. "Don't get angry like that. He has a reason to be here."

"Blast that Digimon!" Taichi growled. "Why didn't he help out instead of hiding like a coward?"

"Hush! He will hear you!" Frankie risked a glance at Akemimon. The Digimon moved no muscle. Frankie then calmed Taichi down, gazing downward at him. "Remember when the Digimon Analyzer said? Akemimon can change destiny, so perhaps that's why he's secretive. If he helped out earlier, everything will be changed. We would get hurt, or worse, killed by Amayamon."

"Or our friends would not get cursed by her," Taichi spoke darkly. "Then we would get home."

Frankie bit back a reminder that he was the only one who can get them home, then sighed. "Look, I told you countless times that I didn't sense any danger from him. He's harmless. He's our ally from the poem, remember? Akemimon has a perfectly good reason to let us come to him. He has something to say, or at least I believe so. I suggest we hear him out. All right?"

He let go of Taichi's arm, and Taichi looked, all of a sudden, wearied. He nodded, then walked toward Akemimon, Frankie watching his back. Taichi stood in front of the Digimon, his arms crossed, his eyes bitter. Akemimon has his hands entwined on his lap, his head lowered.

"Well, Akemimon, you know by now that your sister, Amayamon, has taken our three friends, or 'betrayers' as you have warned us. What do you think of this?"

Akemimon gazed up, a light smile on his lips. "I think that it's not too late to get your companions back since you are already digiunitied."

Taichi blinked and gazed back to a clearly confused Frankie. "Digiunited?"

One of Akemimon's large hands raised and pointed at Taichi's hands, then to Frankie's hands. "The Digistones have marked you, haven't they?"

"Digistones?" Frankie murmured, then reached out his cone stone from his backpack. "This's a Digistone? What can it do?"

Akemimon nodded, then smiled a bit wider. "I believe all of your companions should listen to this."

Taichi exhaled sharply, then turned to the older boy. "Go get them." When Frankie left, Taichi eyed Akemimon. He stared back calmly. Taichi scowled, disliking how could that Digimon keep his composure like that. "You do know something about us. What has happened to your sister?"

He thought he saw a light scowl passing on Akemimon's face, but then the face became stony. "All I know is that after the reign of the Dark Masters and Apocalymon, Amayamon began to act strange. She wasn't her usual self, and she grew corrupted day by day, speaking of a cryptic prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Taichi muttered with tired irritation, pecking at the bandages around his arm where the female Digimon had wounded the skin. He had enough prophecies to last several lifetimes.

"Not exactly a prophecy," Akemimon smiled at the boy. "But a kind of enigma. More of a riddle."

Taichi sighed. "Too bad Kim isn't here. She is the expert at that." He began to shiver in the cool gale. "What about the poem - I mean the riddle Kim, Izzy, and Joe spoke out? You will help us, right?"

Akemimon said, "I honestly don't know."

Taichi nearly gawked. "But! You said you need our help to get your sister back. We need your help to find out friends back. Is that a good deal?!"

Akemimon shrugged. Taichi hotly seethed, then snapped his head up at the footsteps of his friends coming in. They looked suspicious at the sight of the Digimon, who was still watching the Master. Then they noticed Taichi's bitter face.

"What's the matter?" Frankie asked. "I told them everything, but what's up with the face?"

"Guess what?" Taichi uttered with an upset glance at the Digimon. "Akemimon decided not to help us out."

The friends were silently astonished and puzzled. Taichi turned to glower at Akemimon, who was chuckling softly. "I didn't said I chose not to help you, Master."

"Your body language says otherwise." Taichi then boldly met Akemimon's gaze. "Look, we need your help. You seem to know something about us. You know these Digistones, 'digiunited', and I assure you do know about the curse. After all, that curse is what caused Joe, Kim, and Izzy to be the betrayers, right?"

Akemimon calmly watched back, then shrugged. "I can help you out, but I'm forbidden to aid thoroughly."

"Then you can tell us everything, and we won't bother with you again," Sora suggested.

Akemimon shook his head. "I cannot. If I am to help you, I only can do it without be involved thoroughly. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm forbidden to do anything straight with you." He then gazed around the kids and smiled. "I believe you can do fine without my help."

Akemimon gestured the kids to sit themselves. After a hesitant moment, the children finally took a seat around him and waited for him to speak. He said, "You might have noticed that you all are already marked by your Digistones. I cannot say what are the Digistones truly, for you will find out in the future. But they aid you to tap on your power deeper, revealing your true forms."

"True forms?" Mimi said in interest.

Akemimon nodded. "Yes. As you already know, the boys are already transformed. The Master can change into a dragon; the Guardian, a wolf; the Keeper, a fox; and the Savior, an angel."

"You mean we can change into animals?" Hikari questioned.

"Not all of you. I have no knowledge of what forms are yours."

"What purpose is this?" Yamato demanded.

Akemimon kept silent, made it clear that he wasn't telling any more. "Ok," Frankie finally spoke, "How about this? How can we save our friends from your sister?"

"There are two places that you must go in order to save your friends. One is called the Fountain of Purity at the sea. The water can remove the corruption, but only temporarily. The other is called the Friends of the Stones. There, you must place your powers together to stop my sister and stop the curse. Only then, you will give the worlds peace they starve for."

"Where are the places?" Mimi asked.

Akemimon silently whispered in a mystic voice that disturbed them:

'Follow the Moon as it sleeps.
You shall be buried in a prison of blue.
You shall find white and violet among the rainbow.
Seek the one Guardian that swims with in one of your companions.
He shall aid you with a stone that matches the color,
And you shall be given the water that brings peace.'

"What kind of riddle is that?" Yamato said, distracted, but Akemimon responded nothing, kept on speaking in that mysterious voice:

'Follow the Sun as it wakes.
A circle within a circle, they stand
To keep the balance in the universe.
Face the Guardian with faith, and you shall win.
She shall ask for a heart to leave.
Grant her this, and you shall take over.
Call on your friends, return the stones to their rightful places.
Only then, you shall bring peace and peril to us, but beware.'

Akemimon fell silent, and faced the Digidestined, who were deeply awed and distressed. Finally, Frankie cleared his throat and leaned over to Taichi. "Um, should I write them down?"

Taichi blinked and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead." As Frankie recorded the riddles with the help of Sora and Hikari, Taichi glanced at the Digimon. "That's it? That's what we should do to save our friends?"

Akemimon nodded.

"You can't help any farther."

Akemimon then shook his head, his eyes rueful.

Taichi slowly exhaled and turned to his friends. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think we should do it," Yamato answered. His brother was sitting by, his eyelids drooping, but still he seemed aware of the discussion. He added, "It might be our only chance."

Taichi smirked. "Well, we need to decide who will go where before we rest for the night."

Sora looked up, her face serious. "Tai-kun, I think I should go to where the Friends of the Stones are. I don't know, but I just have a gut feeling that I'm needed there."

"It's a risk to go alone, Sora-chan," Taichi protested, his tan eyes full of concern.

"We can go with her, TK and I," Yamato insisted, then smiled. "After all, it's my responsibility as a second-in-command, isn't it?"

Taichi smiled back with ease. "Good. Then Frankie, Mimi, and Kari will go with me to the Fountain of Purity. Fair?" The kids nodded in agreement. He then looked up at a standing Akemimon. "Where are you going?"

Akemimon answered, "No worries, Master. You will be safe here. My power will protect you as you sleep. Right now, I must go somewhere." He then turned to leave.

Taichi watched until he was gone, then began to give orders to gather wood for the night.

***

Silent as always, his bare feet shuffled on the cool grey stone as Akemimon strolled though one of the numerous passages of his temple. He never saw it as a 'temple' because no Digimon have held it sacred, but preferably as a special place where he and his sister dwell, always having a soothing air of serenity. Right now, as he walked through it, after a long time, he noticed that the peacefulness was gone, replaced by an unmistakable feeling of misfortune.

Akemimon entered one of the large chambers that seemed to have no purpose to be built, or perhaps do have a hidden purpose only known to him. This place was where he and his sister enjoyed to socialize together. But like the halls, it was dark and malevolent. And where he was about to find only brought him horror and anger.

A small thin beam of the silver moon shone from the upper window, and Akemimon soon saw three dark figures in the moonlight. He saw that they were the missing children, sitting side by side. Too silently. As he closed, he could see that they had their heads bowed as if they were slumbering from where they sat.

But what he was going to see made him inhaled in a sharp breath, a cold hand clenching over his heart. Thin clear tubes came out their left wrists, two in each, a kind of liquid flowing steadily through the tubes away from the wrists. The tubes ran into the darkness behind the children that cannot be penetrated by the moonlight.

The liquid was varied in color from each child. The Warder had intense purple liquid coming out his wrist, the Reconciler had misty blue fluid in his tubes, and there was pearly silver elixir in the Seer's tubes. Akemimon's usual expressionless face contorted into disbelieved horror as he took in his surroundings.

He knelt by the Seer and gently lifted her head by a large finger under her chin. She had her eyes half-shut, in a trance. Her skin was too pale, and he knew the Warder and the Reconciler looked exactly since they were marked. They looked like they were simply sleeping, but only Akemimon knew what terrible things wait for them, and this made him angry.

"So, what do you think, Brother?" came the voice of the night wind behind him.

Akemimon lowered the Seer's head and stood, turning to face his sister. Amayamon left the untouched darkness, a simple sneer on her face. "Pleased with what have I done to them?"

"You use Life Leech on them," Akemimon murmured horridly. "It's the Forbidden Attack! How could you do that to human children?"

Amayamon quietly shrugged, walking up to the Warder, opposite from Akemimon. Kneeling down, she reached to brush her pale fingers though his fiery red hair with ironic affection. "They are the death of me unless I am their death. I would take their lives if I choose to because it's the sensible thing to do."

Akemimon slowly shook his head. "Everything has gone wrong since you found that Digistone."

Amayamon gave out an amused laugh, keeping on stroking the Warder's hair. "You let the Digidestined get their Digistones."

"Those Digistones are possessed by good forces. The Digistone you have is possessed by an evil force. It's controlling you."

"Controlling?" Amayamon hissed. "I don't think so, my dear brother."

Akemimon took a sad gaze down to the three Digidestined. "You say they will destroy you. You are wrong. Yes, there will be three who will destroy you, along with four other children. They aren't them." He turned to walk out.

"Surely, you are lying," Amayamon calmly said, but Akemimon could hear the consternation in her voice.

Akemimon turned to her. "You know I never lie, my dear sister." He bowed deeply to her, then disappeared in the darkness.

***

Sora smiled, hidden by her red-hemmed hood. When she woke, refreshed, she saw a boy sitting on the branch above her head, almost unseen by his dark cloak. It was Frankie, who was keeping the last watch. He was, once again, scribbling in his journal, his usual mischievous face now serious. For a strange moment, Frankie looked a lot like a fox, patiently waiting, hiding, and Sora got a sudden vision of him as the white fox. She blinked surprisingly. Frankie seemed to have vulpine qualities, such as his cleverness and quickness. Though she noticed this somewhat before his power, it seems to stand out more recently.

She looked down to her hands. She couldn't see the burn marks on her palms, covered by her gloves, but she could feel the thin scars that recently formed over the marks. She wondered if she ever would transform into an animal. A bird seemed possible, since her power was wind, but why? Why must they transform into animals, and for what? She may be the Seeker, but she just couldn't find the connection.

"Hey, Sora-chan, penny for your thoughts?" came the teasing voice of Frankie.

Sora nearly startled, then smiled upward to the boy. He has putted away his journal in his backpack, and was gazing down, his legs dangling, his white-hemmed cloak covering his body for warmth. She said, "How long have you watched me, Hiso-kun?"

"Since you watched me," Frankie answered with a grin. Then his face changed into solemnness. His voice was troubled. "Sora-chan, are you sure you want to go to the Friends of the Stones? What if the gut feeling is wrong?"

"Hiso-kun, wherever we go, there will be danger," Sora then grinned in reassurance. "Why, it sounds like you are worried about me."

"Of course, I am," Frankie responded, still looking sincere. "I'm worried about you. I'm worried about everyone. I don't like what is going on here. Have you been through this before?"

Sora shrugged. "Iie, not exactly. None was more bizarre than this, but I'm sure we can handle this." Her face then saddened. "Before, we always handle it together the whole time. Now, we lost three."

"Iie, Sora-chan, they aren't lost. They are just . . ." Frankie trailed off, couldn't find the word. They were truly lost, and it was up to the rest to find them.

Sora could hear her friends waking from behind, near the campfire, but she stood in silence, leaning against the tree. Above, Frankie was in silence, too, deep in thought. Sora watched the dawn, then she saw a figure walking toward from between the trees.

"Akemimon!" She ran after him, then stopped by the sad and raged glint in his emerald eyes. He seemed to bear a gained weight on his shoulders, his body slightly laggard. "What's the matter?"

Akemimon gazed at her and responded sadly, "I've witnessed something terrible that you shouldn't hear about."

"Nani?" said Mimi as she arrived at Sora's side. "Is it about our friends? You have seen them?" When the male didn't answer, Mimi's hazel eyes misted over. "You have. Why didn't you save them? Why?"

As Sora tried to calm her, Akemimon said to the coming kids, "I cannot do it. My sister is too powerful. I would recommend that you go to the hidden places fast. Your friends' lives are hanging by a thread."

"You did see them," Takeru's young voice quivered. "What's wrong with them?"

"They grow weaker by the moment."

The kids reacted in fear for their friends. Taichi scowled, turning to his friends. "Then what are we waiting for? We must do it now and quick before they are -"

"Don't say it," Sora warned. Taichi bit back the last word.

The kids looked up at the voice of Frankie, who was still sitting on the branch. "I think I know where the places are. I have looked through the riddles and figured out the directions. The Friends of the Stones are in west. 'Follow the Moon as it sleeps.' The moon usually sets in the west. And this: 'Follow the Sun as it wakes.' The sun rises in the east, so the Fountain of Purity is in east, too."

"Pardon me, Frankie," Yamato said with an uneasy grin, "But you act disturbingly like Izzy."

Frankie half-smiled as he climbed down "Again, I take that as a compliment."

"How about you?" Hikari asked, looking to Akemimon. "Are you coming with us?"

Akemimon shook his head. "No, I will stay here and await your return."

"Our return could take days," Taichi said.

Akemimon sat down into a cross-legged position and quietly smiled. "Time has no meaning to me."

The children gave encouragements of luck and accomplishments to each other, and so they divided in two groups - Yamato, Sora, and Takeru to head for west, and Taichi, Frankie, Hikari, and Mimi going eastward. Soon, Akemimon was alone, sitting in the middle of the jungle, patiently waiting.

***

After the entire day of walking eastward through the jungle, they knew, by the minute, they were getting farther separated from their other friends. They just hoped that they would get to the Fountain of Purity sooner; they were getting weary of this adventure. They noticed that the trees were thinning, the ground ascending into a knoll of round hills. And soon, the hills seemed to transform into wide dunes of tan sand, peeking through blankets of snow.

"Strange," Mimi was whispering from behind Taichi. "I can smell salt air."

"Are we close at an ocean?" Frankie asked from the end of the line.

"Impossible," Taichi grunted. "We are in the middle of a jungle in the middle of the continent. How could we get close to an ocean?"

Frankie held up his hands. "I don't know, man. I'm a newbie here, remember? Seems like anything goes around here."

Taichi shrugged and paused at the base of one of the dunes. He took a look up at the high top for a moment.

"Are we climbing up there or do we go around?" Hikari curiously asked.

Taichi smiled down to his sister. "Why won't you go ahead and tell me what you see up there?"

Hikari began to climb. Mimi watched her, then said, "I will go with her."

Frankie watched the girls, then to Taichi, who was sitting down, putting away Jyou's medicinal bag he volunteered to carry, and pulled his hood low over his head to avoid the binding sunlight. Although the sun was rather bright, the air was still nippy, and the snow wasn't going to melt, either.

"Are you discouraged lately, Tai-kun?" The words meant to be teasing.

A light smile appeared on his face, and Taichi peeked from under his hood. "Nah, not anymore. I begin to think that we could have a chance to get our friends back, and sooner than we think."

"That's the spirit, Master," Frankie grinned.

"Hey, guys, get up here!" the boys heard Hikari shouting down to them, and they quickly ascended up the dune, and stood by the girls. What they saw made them gawking in astonishment. Before them, a vast ocean of deep blue was currently in silence, the sunlight reflecting on the sleek surface. Gentle waves crashed among the tan sand near the kids.

"I knew I smelt salt air," Mimi said with a grin.

"This's amazing," Frankie murmured.

Taichi answered him, "Well, I can say this. Do expect everything in the Digiworld."

"One problem, though," whispered Hikari. "How can we cross this if we are supposed to go west?"

Taichi rubbed the back of his head. "Um, maybe the ocean is the Fountain of Purity."

"Tai, I don't think an ocean is exactly a fountain," Mimi spoke. She picked up the hem of her skirt and drifted clumsily down the dunes onto the beach. The rest followed after.

The kids searched for a possible way to get across the ocean, but the only thing to get across was by boat, and there was none. Taichi was grumbling that Akemimon played them for fools. Frankie again reminded him that he didn't sense any danger from the Digimon, so he would not lead them to a wild goose chase.

Mimi was staring at the horizon, enjoying the vast water. She was saddened by it, too. The water reminded her of Jyou. She felt helpless before that she couldn't recognize his symptoms of weakness and paleness sooner. If she knew then, she might stop him from leaving. Her hand slowly clenched into a fist at her side. Rarely she got upset, but the feeling of helplessness began to taunt her.

The feeling abruptly changed into faint interest as she saw a tiny brown speck floating in the horizon. She waited for a moment until she noticed it was getting bigger and floating toward the beach.

Her voice drew the others, "Hey, guys, look over there."

The children watched the speck as it grew larger and more distinguished. Soon, the speck was a moderate wooden ship with no figurehead. It had no sails, but it seemed to slide over water well on its own. It looked like a yacht, only cheaper. It stopped pretty close to the beach, and a primitive rope ladder rolled off the rim. They could make out a small midget climbing down and idly treaded on the water toward the kids! They gawked as the midget came closer, a cheerful and docile expression on his plumpy face. He wore a sailor outfit - all white with blue lining, along with a plain sailor hat.

"Did someone say they need a ride across the ocean?" he said as he arrived onto the beach. His voice was harsh, but with a gentle spirit. He was very short, not even to Hikari's height. His watery tan eyes sparkled.

"What is your name?" Hikari asked politely.

"I'm one of the Seamon who sail the ocean. This ship is one of our precious treasures," the midget answered, tipping his hat. "Now, are you the ones who need a ride?"

"A ride?" Taichi asked, blinking.

"Yep! We offer rides to anyone who wants to get across the ocean. It's a honor to us, you know, to have the Digidestined traveling in our ship."

"Oh, ride in this marvelous ship?" Mimi said, beaming. "We would love to!" Taichi and Frankie glanced sidelong to her in surprise.

Seamon blushed crimson and bowed pleasingly to her. "Thank you, Guide. Where are you heading?"

"East," Taichi replied.

"Excellent. That's where we are heading for. Follow me, Digidestined." Seamon then turned to step upon the water. He turned after several steps to see that the kids were still on the beach, looking uncertain at the water. "Oh, that's all right. The water is pretty thick at the shores, solid enough to walk on it. One of the advantages of the oceans. Come on."

The kids followed Seamon to the ship and climbed upon it. On the deck, they were jovially greeted by several curious Seamon, who reached to touch them, peeking at their things, awed of the eminent Digidestined. The kids instantly unfolded a playful liking to the gnome-like Digimon, found them humorous but kindly, relieving their morose mood. True to their word, the Seamon set the ship for east. Soon, the ship glided like a dolphin, speeding in a smooth motion.

Hikari was leaning against the rim, taking a delight to watch the ship cutting through the water. Her pink-hemmed cloak flapped around her small body by the wind. Lately, she was in a depressed attitude since the three kids vanished, but being young, she wasn't the one who would hold any grudge or grief. She still had hope in her heart that her friends will certainly find the absent kids soon. And hopefully, then they could start searching for their Digimon. She missed her Digimon with witty sapphire eyes and quick attitude.

She felt someone shifting beside and gazed up to Frankie, his own eyes downward at the breaking water.

"Are you enjoying this, Kari Girl?" Frankie asked, smiling quietly.

Hikari returned her eyes downward. "Yeah, it's beautiful." They were in silence for a minute, then Hikari asked, "Hiso-kun, do you think that we will find the Fountain?"

He turned to her. "What do you think?"

Hikari shrugged. "I hope so. I just wonder if the ocean is really the Fountain. If not, would it be on another land or an island?"

Frankie knelt by her, smiling. "Just keep hoping, Hika-chan, and you will find the answer. Have no worries." Then he turned around in puzzlement as the Seamon began running around, yelling about something. "Hey, what's going on? Geez, it's not like an iceberg is gonna hit the ship or anything."

A small Seamon ran up to him, his eyes wide with alarmed fear. "A monster, Keeper! A monster is attacking our ship!" He then ran into the rush of the sailor Digimon.

"What a coincidence," Frankie grumbled dryly as he pushed Hikari back from the Seamon. He noticed that the ship was beginning to rock slightly, as if in a sudden gale. He then saw Taichi and Mimi running to the other side, peeking over. Suddenly, Mimi yelled in fright, grabbing on Taichi's arm. The kids rushed backward as Frankie saw a huge snake-like monster rising from under the rim, its golden eyes glaring.

"Megaseadramon!" shrieked one of the Seamon.

The Megaseadramon just ducked its head back in the water, and there was a spooky silence around the Digidestined and the Seamon, as if they knew that the sea serpent will attack, but when? Suddenly, like a blow, the ship heaved to one side as the Megaseadramon jostled its head against the side. Frankie and Hikari crashed onto the deck as the Seamon held their balance. Taichi and Mimi, however, lost their footing and slid across the deck toward the other kids.

Frankie quickly caught Mimi as Taichi crashed beside him. "Tai, what are we supposed to do?!"

"We must attack -" Taichi was cut off by another bump. The ship began to bob violent, as the Seamon now lost their balance, still yelling. They seemed to attempt to upright the ship and sailed it away from the Megaseadramon.

"You must be kidding!" Frankie shouted over the yelling. "Attacking a Digimon that big?!"

"We have to go to the Fountain," shouted Taichi, "and we will not get there unless we stop it!"

Another rock of the ship, and the kids forced to hold on the rim. "You're plain crazy, Tai!" the older boy barked.

"Do you have any better ideas?!" the younger boy grasped on the rim, glaring back.

Frankie had no chance to answer him for the Megaseadramon finally did some damage to the ship. The final blow to the ship caused it to nearly roll over, and the kids and the Seamon were thrown out in the air, then into the water.

Frankie opened his eyes, and found, to his alarm, himself deep underwater. As his lungs burned for fresh air, he fanatically climbed for the surface. But his consciousness began to slip away. As he fought for the surface, he thought he saw something white swimming past his eyes, and cool touches supporting his body . . .

Then all went black.

***

Sora led the way through the thick under bushes as the brothers followed in silence. Just a day they have traveled, and nothing different has happened so far. They assured that they must find some kinds of stones, on account of the name of the places. All they found were jungle and snow, nothing else.

Sora paused in her tracks, stretching her weary limbs. Yamato stopped beside her, carefully scanning around, his eyes narrowed, almost graphically like a wolf on watch. Takeru kept on walking to some bushes ahead, was curious to find what was over there.

"Well, Yama-kun?" Sora asked after a moment.

Yamato shook his head, shrugging. "Goman, Sora-chan. I couldn't smell anybody. We are alone here."

Sora shifted uncertainly. The night before they left, she was very convinced that someone was calling for her. She felt that she was needed at the Friends of the Stones, wherever it was, but now, she wasn't sure anymore. It was like when Taichi sensed Akemimon in the jungle and left with Frankie and Takeru. Oh, how many days since it happened? Ten? Fourteen? It seemed so long ago. Sora hugged her arms around herself underneath her cloak, her amber eyes upon Takeru, who was partly hidden in the bushes. What if her senses were wrong?

"Sora, do you have that paper?" Yamato's calm voice cut through.

Sora nearly jumped and sheepishly grinned to a concerned Yamato. "Yeah, I have it." She drew out a folded paper from her knapsack and opened it. Frankie has written the Friends of the Stones' riddle on a piece of paper for her so she could figure out the riddle along with the others.

"What does the second verse say?" Yamato asked, gingerly fidgeting with Kimika's red backbag over his shoulders beneath his cloak.

"Um, 'a circle within a circle, they stand to keep the balance in the universe.'"

"Hmm, a circle within a circle." Yamato glanced around. "We have to find two circles like that."

"But, Matt, what are these 'they'?"

"Could they be our Digistones?"

"They could be us. You know, the Friends of the Stones."

Yamato turned westward. "We will find soon. We have to go east, find two circles, then -" He took a quick glance at the paper, "- then we have to face a Guardian." He then grimaced.

"What's the matter?"

"It's strange. I thought I am the only Guardian. I didn't know there are other Guardians."

Sora said nothing, not knowing how to respond. She scanned around in hopes to find any two circles or a Guardian. She soon noticed that Takeru was missing.

"Hey, Take-kun, please get out from the bushes. You got us worried," she was calling, then she saw a sudden blur of orange from the trees, speeding past her eyes. "Matt!"

"What, have you found TK?" Yamato said, his voice having deep, bitter worry he bore whenever his brother or one of his friends was gone.

Sora shook her head. "Iie, but I saw an orange blur." She fell in silence when she saw a small person stepping in from the bushes. "TK!" She then saw the fright on his face, then she gasped as someone else stood behind a terrified Takeru, his hand clutching firmly on the littlest boy's neck.

"Izzy . . ." Yamato murmured in dread. Koushiro was there, yes, but somehow he wasn't the same genial and considerate Koushiro. Around him, there was a kind of shadow that shrouded him, seeming to make him appear corrupted. On his freckled face, Koushiro had distress, as though he has suffered terribly. But he possessed disdain in his raven-black eyes. His eyes narrowed as he gazed over to Yamato, who spoke his name.

"Izzy?" the red-haired boy said, slightly puzzled. "I'm not Izzy. I'm the Fool."

Not understanding what did Koushiro mean, but knowing that he was tainted, Sora tried to soothe him, "Kou-kun, please don't hurt Take-kun. He did nothing to you. Let him go."

"Let him go?" Koushiro softly whispered, tightening his grip Takeru's neck, making him twitch in fear. "Why should I?"

Yamato dared to step closer, his eyes wide in alarm. "Let him go, Izzy!"

"I'm the Fool, not Izzy!" he bellowed, his eyes flashing. He then calmed down and said, "Since you value your little oniisan, Guardian, you must fight me for his freedom."

Yamato looked disbelieved at this. "Iie, I won't. Why must I fight you?"

The Fool grimaced. "To prove my strength. The measly Master refused me to prove my power to him, and he was very grateful he finally realized his mistake."

Yamato remembered Taichi's disclosure about not letting Koushiro having the chance to fight Piedmon. "So, that's it. Listen, Tai had a good reason for this. He didn't want you to get hurt. He cares about you."

"He lied . . ." the Fool growled, unconsciously contracting his grip.

"Ok, ok! I will fight you!" Yamato burst out as the small boy began to choke.

"Matt, you wouldn't!" he heard Sora yelling.

"It's the only way!" he snapped at her, then turned back. "Let TK go, and I will fight you."

"Good." The Fool loosened his grip, and the terrified Takeru ran to the opened arms of Sora.

"Take him away from here!" Yamato ordered Sora, turned, and ducked just in time to avoid a purple orb of charging silver lightning bolts soaring past his head. Heart beating wildly, Yamato gazed over to the Fool. The boy was surrounded by his lightning bolt aura, a dark frown on his lips.

"Well, Guardian," the Fool was walking toward him, "I thought you are a valuable fighter. Perhaps I was mistaken. It's a pity that I would easily destroy you."

Yamato backed away, his grey-blue eyes concerned on him. "You are my friend. I don't want to fight you, but I know you are a worthy fighter."

The Fool shrugged. "You want me to prove it to you. Fine." He held up his yellow-gloved hands and entwined the fingers together. "Nonsense of Lightning," he whispered as his hands came apart, revealing an electric orb in between. It grew in size until it was almost half the size of himself. Yamato could hear quiet cackles breaking in inside the orb. Like a flash, the Fool cast the orb toward Yamato.

Yamato dove to a side, and the orb crashed behind, harmless. What Koushiro had said before befuddled Yamato. He spoke the words 'Nonsense of Lightning,' not 'Awareness of Lightning.' What has happened? What happened to Koushiro? He must stop him from hurting them. Yamato hasted to his feet and faced him. "I don't want to fight you, Izzy!"

The Fool grimaced as if he was hurt by Yamato's words, not mocking, but simply hurt. "I thought I told you my name is the Fool, not Izzy."

Yamato was surprised at his quiet voice, and he began to step closer. "But you are. You are Izzy. You are Izumi Koushiro, my friend."

The Fool quietly closed his black eyes, held his open hands, facing the blond. His purple aura darkened into black, and two large rugged lightning bolts leaped from his hands. Gasping, Yamato's hands involuntarily went up, glowing, and a thin shield made of night-blue rays summoned out his hands, blocking the bolts.

Somewhere, he heard the vague voice of his brother calling for him, but Yamato's mind on was Koushiro. He wanted Koushiro to understand why did Taichi refused him to fight. He wanted to show him that he was cared by everyone, and he didn't have to prove his strength, because he already did. Yamato gazed Koushiro with calmness. He knew one thing. The Guardian of Friendship doesn't fight. He won't fight him, but he will make him understand.

For a brief moment, his mind was not of the mortal mind of Yamato 'Matt' Ishida, but of the mystical, outlandish psyche of the Guardian. Yamato closed his eyes as the night aura began to encompass around him. He began to speak, his voice not his own, but of an ethereal, disembodied one. "By the Power of Spirit, I, the Guardian of the Digidestined, command you, Ghosts of the Digital World, to stand beside me."

His blue-hemmed green cloak began to sway as by a hidden breeze, although there was no movement of the air around him at the moment. His ash-blond hair also swayed, untouched.

Nearby, the air seemed to mist, a thin of grey fog flowing in from nowhere, surrounding the Guardian. From the slowly befogging air, there was a too soft groan, almost like a cry of sorrow. The groan grew into many, a chorus of cries. The fog formed into vague, blurred figures, obscure except sorrowful eyes and groaning mouths, floating behind the Guardian. They were shadows of past creatures.

The Guardian opened his eyes, toward the Fool, who was silent, eying the ghosts with understanding suffering. The Guardian turned a finger toward him, and the ghosts drifted forward, commanded by their guardian to ease the Fool's suffering. The fiery-haired boy widened his eyes and fell back, his hands up to shield himself.

"No . . . no! Stay back!" he cried as one phantasm simply touched his skin with icy-cool hands. The ghosts didn't attempt to harm him, simply reaching to touch as though they wished to touch flesh at last. They also distracted him from the Guardian.

The aglow Guardian stepped forward in silence, hoping to hold on the Fool. He gently grabbed on the Fool's arms, each hand on each forearm. The Fool was now struggling in his hold, his face possessing dread. The Guardian summoned on his power, and soon, the two boys were surrounded by the night aura. The Guardian fiercely directed a solid stroke to bolt through the Fool's psyche and attempted to demolish the impurity that kept his friend captive. Somehow, somewhat, there was a burst of agony, small but sudden, stabbing in the middle of the boys' foreheads, paining the eyes. The Guardian let go of the Fool, and they collapsed onto the ground, suddenly exhausted and weak, aware only of the quickly fading pain behind their eyes.

Groaning, Yamato sat up, holding his head as he vaguely heard running footsteps. He heard his name being called by a familiar voice, and he opened to see the concerned face of his brother gazing back.

"Oniichan, are you okay?" Takeru was asking.

Yamato didn't answer, vague thoughts buzzing through his head. He then gazed over to Koushiro, who was being supported in Sora's arms. He was visibly light-headed, blinking his eyes repeatedly. Then his eyes rolled up in his head, and he swooned in her arms.

Yamato couldn't hear the alarmed yell of Sora and the panicked cry of Takeru as he tumbled to the ground, losing his own consciousness.

To be continued . . .