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 . . .

14. 14 The Return of the Ten

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


A gentle, damp touch nudged her neck, a whimpering sound from near. Somehow, the touch seemed familiar, and the gentleness roused her back to consciousness. The Seeker repeatedly blinked to gather her bearings and cracked her eyelids open. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out a white muzzle with a black snout. Two eyes of dark hazel gazed at her with concern. As her vision cleared, she saw that it was a small animal, more like a fox.

'Sky, are you feeling all right?' the fox seemed to speak through her mind. Its voice was very familiar.

The Seeker raised her head, blinking in surprise. "Sleet?"

'Yeah, it's me.' The fox stepped back to crouch on his hind legs. Small, he was, a fox with silver-white fur all over, perfectly spotless. Long, pointed ears perked up, occasionally twitching for any faint sound. His tail was thick in fur, curling around his small paws. The Seeker gazed at the hazel eyes. They were not the cautious eyes of an animal - no animal ever has hazel eyes - but the sly-sparkling, foxy eyes of the Keeper.

"You've changed," the Seeker murmured in astonishment, kneeling up. Then she grew speechless as a hand went to her neck. Her voice was changed; it sounded very much like the soft chirp of a dove.

'And so have you, Sky.' the Keeper grinned with his canine lips.

She stared at her hands, which were now covered with suntan-colored feathers. In fact, her entire arms were wings. Her arms were still there; she could feel them, but they were lined with ran plumes, perfectly matched to her skin color, long to her waist. Looking down, she was still a human, but covered with colorful feathers. It seemed that her clothing were made of feathers, golden-yellow on her upper body, sky blue along her legs. Even her shoes were feathery, dark grey. She would bet that her hat and hair were now feathers, azure and chestnut mingled. Her face were the only thing that was free of feathers. Her cloak and knapsack have vanished, and she had no idea how.

"What happened to us?" she asked, her voice trilling.

'I don't know,' the Keeper answered, returning on fours. 'But everybody is changed, too.'

The Seeker gazed around, the amazement growing into bewilderment.

Two beasts just stirred from her far front, but she instantly recognized them as the Master and the Guardian, although she wondered how could she know. The Master was a giant lizard, or a dragon to be precise. Umber-orange in color, his scales were huge and glossed. The Master's head was scanning around, his pale tan eyes sharp. The Guardian was a wolf, his head coming up only to the Master's flanks. His fur was pure golden, glazed, much like metal. His grey-blue eyes were also sharp, but full with worry as he nudged something near his paws. At first, the Seeker thought it was a just a chunk of a shadow, but then she realized it was actually the Seer. She was completely made of living darkness, the shadowy, detailed replica of the girl.

The Reconciler and the Guide were together, near the beasts and the shadow. The Reconciler's appearance amazed the Seeker the most. Similar to the Seer, he was completely made of his element - water. His body was fluid, crystal-clear with breathtakingly luster rippling through the formed liquid. He was aiding the Guide up to her feet. The Guide's skin has turned in an earthy tone of fair green. Her own pink hat seemed to have the appearance of wide, simple petals of a rose, separating into several portions, demurely swaying over her head. There were thin stems of many modest leaves trimming her green-streaked honey hair.

From the corner of her left eye, the Seeker perceived a soft glint of light, and she turned to face the last of the transformed children - the Savior and the Saint. The soft light came from the Saint - or from the Seeker's further thorough observation, the light was the Saint. She was covered by an aura of ivory-white divine light, reminding the Seeker of when the young child was aglow under the sewers of the collapsed city some time ago, along with small pink-white cherub wings on her back. The Savior was an angel, like the last time, with the white eagle wings, eyes of the sky, and the spiked halo. He was curiously testing his wings, fluttering lightly.

'Is everybody all right?' the Master's beastly voice broke through her observation.

"Hai, Blaze, we are," the Reconciler replied. Surprisingly, his voice sounded garbled, like from underwater, unlike his usual hushed one, but clearly understandable.

"Why are you calling him 'Blaze'?" the Seer spoke in wonder, standing in between the beasts. Her voice was wispy, quiet.

"It's his name," the Reconciler said, puzzled. "Isn't it?"

The Master blinked, then frowned as much as his dragon features allowed. 'Are we already transformed?'

'Must be,' replied the Guardian, his voice a soft growl. 'I knew my form is a wolf, and my name is Ghost.' He then made a bark that sounded much like an amused chuckle. 'Ghost? What a silly name for me.'

"Yet, it suits you," the Seer said, a shadow of a smile appearing on her black face. " My name is Moon, and it suits me."

'Indeed, it does,' the Guardian agreed as he caressed her hand.

The Savior hovered up into the air, wings spreading. "I am Angel, and she is Dawn," he added as the Saint returned to his side in the air.

"Dew," the Reconciler reintroduced himself, "And she is Petal." He beamed down to the smiling Guide.

'Sleet,' the Keeper barked out, grinning.

"And I am Sky," the Seeker spoke with a coo in her voice as she stood.

"But why are we called by those words, not our names?" the Guide questioned.

'But I did tell my name,' the Keeper said. 'I just said my name, and somehow, it came out like this. Sleet.' He made a snort, his long ears pulled back. 'See?'

"Interesting as it is, however," the Seer said, "that Blaze, Ghost, and Sleet are speaking telepathically. They must be psychic to be able to speak. I know this because my Digimon is psychic."

"It doesn't matter how or why," the Seeker's voice sharply cawed like a raven. "Amayamon has Spark and our Digistones. We must stop her because she does something terrible!" She then widened her eyes - she just called the Warder 'Spark'.

"But what about Akemimon?" the Savior said.

'Akemimon!' the Master remembered and turned to the Digimon, who was still slumped against the wall, unconscious. The large dragon sank his fangs in his white shirt. He gently shook him, and when Akemimon didn't respond, the Master growled low, letting go of the fabric.

"Is there something wrong with him?" the Guide asked.

'He won't wake,' the Master replied, narrowing his tan eyes on the Digimon.

The glowing Saint moved close to Akemimon and placed both hands on his limp arm. "Akemimon, wake up. We need you." Her wise, encouraging words seemed to work. She allowed a part of her light to cover the Digimon for a moment, then returned to her body.

Akemimon began to rouse, his face taking in faint spasms of agony. He straightened up, his hand going to his side tenderly. He then observed the transformed children standing - or, in the Savior's and the Saint's case, floating before him. He looked surprised, then frowned.

'Akemimon, you must know what happened to us. Are these our 'true forms'?' the Master demanded.

The humanoid was silent for a moment, watching the kids. Then he slowly stood, flinching at the pain in his side. "Tell me how did this happen."

The Savior answered from near the Master's side, "We got Moon back, but then you came in, hurt by Amayamon. Spark hurt us and stole our Digistones. Amayamon said that she was gonna destroy us, but . . ." He shrugged.

"Nothing more?" Akemimon said, narrowing his emerald eyes.

The Guide spoke out, "Well, I remembered, just before she tried to hurt us, my palms burned."

"Mine, too," the Seeker said, recalling. A chorus of agreement rang through the air, surprising each other. Everybody had their palms burned at the exact same time.

"I suspect so," Akemimon muttered. "Your marks must have burned to protect you from her attack. Or perhaps, the burns transformed you in order to protect yourself." He crossed his arms. "I never know."

'Nice to know,' the Guardian growled. 'But I would like to know why are we called in different names. I'm called as Ghost, but not by my real name. Explain this.'

"These are your Heart-Names," Akemimon answered.

"Heart-Names?" the Reconciler repeated.

"That's what your mortal names are truly meant in the universal language. It's always being like this. Now that you are in your true forms, you begin to be called by your Heart-Names." Akemimon then raised his hands to halt any question, his face growing anguished. "I'm more than willing to answer your queries, but we must stop Amayamon before she could destroy the world."

"But where could she and Spark be?" the Saint asked, her white eyes full of worry.

"She must be at the Friends of the Stone," the Digimon answered, "so she could activate your Digistones."

"But the Stones are fake," the Seeker protested, then paused. "Are they?"

"Only you Digidestined know the true form of the Friends of the Stones," Akemimon said with the secretive smile on his lips.

The Master's head turned to his companions. 'We must travel in groups to the Stones. The faster, the better.'

"I will take Dawn," the Seer said. "Shadow and Light travel the fastest."

"But you don't know where the Friends of the Stones are," the Seeker spoke.

'Don't worry, Sky,' the Guardian said. 'I already gave them the directions.'

The Seeker began to question, then remembered that the Guardian's power was Spirit. He can send thoughts telepathically. "Arigatou, Ghost."

The Master crouched beside the Reconciler and the Guide. 'Come on, Dew, Petal. I will take you outside, then you both are on your own.'

As the Reconciler aided the Guide mounting the dragon, Akemimon spoke, "I will be at the Stones to halt my sister before she could activate. I await your arrival. Good luck." He then vanished in thin air, just like that.

"Good luck," the Seer echoed as she darkened herself into a perfect shadow. The Saint shrank herself into a floating tiny orb of ivory light. Not surprisingly, the Seeker wasn't curious. She just knew they have the abilities to do so. The shadow and light vanished in the corridor.

'Follow me', the Keeper called and sped through the corridor with the Guardian, then the Master with the Reconciler and the Guide hanging on following behind. The Master's loud footsteps shook the chamber, eventually quieting down.

"Ready, Sky?" the Savior asked as he hovered nearby.

"Ready." The Seeker spread her arm-wings and leaped in the air. She was incredibly light, like a bird, and she was feeling ecstatic, like she was long waiting for this experience. With smooth flaps of her arm-wings, she glided for the corridor with the Savior remaining near.

***

Shadow and Light travel the fastest.

A glob of the living darkness slid between bushes and under trees, following the directions given mentally by her mate, Ghost. She moved so silently that not even twigs, grasses, or fallen leaves stirred as she glided among them. The dimming light that shone between the leaves above had no power to touch upon the shadow. She was too dark to allow any light to shine upon her. Instead, she gave out dark light, blackening her surroundings.

Above, the floating orb of ivory light followed. Very unlike to the shadow, she radiated divinely light to brighten the area, except upon the shadow.

Soon, they arrived to an empty clearing that was the place Ghost told them to go to. There was a moderate opening formed by the encircling trees above, and the sky was already darkening steadily into a dusky blue. The shadow hesitated, her dark eyes cautious. The floating orb lowered to the ground next to the shadow, waiting, wondering why did Moon hesitate. But when she saw Moon altering, she, too, followed suit. Soon, two girls stood at the edge of the clearing.

"Moon, what's the matter?" Dawn asked. She was no longer aglow with her light, but her eyes were all ivory, softly glowing. There was a thin circlet of pure ivory light around her forehead. Not even the hood of her present cloak could darken the light.

Moon was changed, too. No longer a shadow, she was a human in her silver-hemmed cloak, but there was an almost hidden outline of blackness along her body, and her whole eyes were now pitch-black. The black eyes studied the clearing. "I'm not sure, Dawn. I see no stones or anybody." Moon stepped forward in the open.

Dawn curiously followed, staying close. The clearing seemed isolated, harmless, but Moon was right. Dawn saw nothing else. Where could the Friends of the Stones be? And where were Akemimon, Amayamon, and Spark?

A blur of orange and green just passed in her vision, too swift. Dawn gasped, grabbing on Moon's hand. The dark girl also tensed as she captured a glimpse of the blur. She whirled quite fast enough to keep her keen eyes on it. Finally, the blur came to a sudden halt, and Moon quickly pushed Dawn behind her for protection.

Spark narrowed his eyes at the girls from under his hood. His eyes were no longer black, but now glaring silver, like lightning bolts charging from a mad thunderstorm. Occasionally, Moon could see a brief flash of a silver bolt snaking over his body. Would he have been already transformed? she mused. She was cautious; Spark was not doing anything, just watching.

"Spark?" Moon risked to take a step closer.

Spark raised his hand in front. "Stay where you are, Moon," his voice was full of dark suffering. "I wonder how you survived Amayamon's attack, but it doesn't matter this time. If you value yourself and Dawn, stay back."

"No, Spark!" Dawn pleaded, stepping aside. "Onegai. Can't you remember us?"

"We can't do anything, Dawn," Moon whispered, her heart clenching in anguish. "Blaze and Sleet have the water."

"But we can distract him!" came a familiar voice. Dew was just running into the clearing at the girls' far right. He was back in his human form, but there was the water luster lining his body, partly hidden by his cloak.

Indeed, his voice distracted Spark. Before he could react, vines sprouted around from the nearby ground and quickly bound his body, trapping him. Beside Dew, the cloaked Petal appeared from the trees. Her skin was now ivory-colored, but her hat was still in petals, and the stems in her hair slightly swayed in motion.

"Spark, try and fight the curse," Petal encouraged. "We all need you."

Moon saw a scornful look growing on Spark's face, then a simple sneer appeared. "You never need me." Suddenly, the lightning aura was surrounding him. The bolts wildly shocked the vines, they twitching in agony at the power. Petal was wailing in pain, experiencing the jolt she shared the link with the vines. Agonized, Petal collapsed in Dew's arms.

Spark's feet returned to the ground as the tortured vines released their hold. He pointed a finger toward Dew and Petal. "Awareness of Lightning!"

"No!!"

Immediately, a barricade made of bluish-white ice rose from underground, steadily blocking the oncoming purple orb of silver bolts before it could injure Dew and Petal. Turning to where the voice came from, Moon and Dew saw Sleet running to his destined brother's and his mate's sides. Now in human form, he possessed the long ears from his fox form, the points perking out through his russet hair, and a snowy-white, bushy tail, and Moon could also see two small fangs in his mouth.

"Moon! Dawn! Are you both all right?" Moon heard her mate calling. Turning around, she then embraced Ghost, who dashed out from the bushes behind them. He was not in his wolf form, but she saw two fangs curling from the front of his teeth, and the grey-blue eyes were now slitted, like a wolf. Ghost then knelt to soothe an upset Dawn.

"What can we do about Spark?" Dawn asked, anxiously watching as Spark aimed another orb at Sleet, who summoned a protected dome of his snow-white aura to defend the three children.

Moon then heard clamorous noise, like a huge beast prowling between the trees. The ground began to tremble. Suddenly, breaking through branches, Blaze burst in, still in his dragon form, his head lowered, coming for Spark.

Spark tensed, then sprang several feet up in the air. Moon was incredible at how could he possess such strength. Blaze was bewildered by that; he skid to a stop and wildly frisked around. Spark landed upon the dragon's back, easily balancing himself. Blaze twisted his head around to glare at the boy. Spark was not looking every inch as the gentle, passive redhead. Upset, he again leaped to puncture his heel against Blaze's muzzle. The dragon bellowed in surprised tantrum as Spark flipped off, avoiding him. He came down to the ground and faced Blaze, his eyes maddened. The dragon confronted the boy, deeply growling his throat.

Moon saw Sleet beginning to aim his hands toward Spark. She hasted forward, shouting, "Sleet, don't!" Sleet wasn't looking so thrilled at her warning, but then lowered his hands.

Ghost also advanced toward Blaze, his hands up to stop him. "Don't hurt him! Remember the last time!"

Last time? Moon watched as Blaze hesitated, backing down for a moment, then he glowed with an orange light, then shifted until she saw him in the human form, his own red eyes distressed. Cloak rustling around his legs, he continued to step back, and Spark narrowed his eyes, obviously displeased.

"Are you afraid to fight me, Master?" he spoke, taunting. When Blaze didn't answer, his face revealing sympathy, he made an angry grunt, aiming his hand. "That does it!"

Blaze was completely frozen in place as the orb soared for him. As Dawn cried out for her brother, a sudden blow of the wind easily heaved the attack out of the way. It crashed onto the ground harmlessly, belching a shower of damp muck upward. Spark was furious as he hotly gazed upward. Sky was just gliding downward from the opening above, her arm-wings outspread, her tan feathers swishing.

"Onegai, stop," she was seeking as she landed beside her mate, Blaze. Angel hovered after her, remaining aloft above Sky and Blaze. She continued, "You must understand that we would never leave you."

Spark snorted sourly. "I know what're you doing. You're trying to fool me into believing your honeyed words for being 'friends', then laugh behind my back."

"You know we are not like that," Petal said from nearby, still in faint agony.

"Liar," Spark sneered at her paling face. He then faced Blaze, but his words meant for everybody. "Nothing will ever change my mind. I should never have listened to you all."

"Spark," Angel spoke calmly, now descending in front of Blaze and Sky. His wings shrank into nothingness behind his back, and his spiked halo shifted into a simple, smooth halo. His eyes remained the same. "Do you remember last night's talk together?" He stepped forward.

"Angel!" Ghost shouted, panic in his voice, but Angel held up a silent hand. He knew what to do.

"Remember when you were sad?" Angel asked quietly, stepping closer. "I was puzzled about why you were sad."

Spark was unmoving. "I was fooling with you, Angel. Stay back."

Slowing down, Angel shook his head. "I don't think so. You were sad last night. You were sad because you missed Butterfly."

Moon saw Spark receiving a shake of his body, then he stiffened up, glaring down at the patient Angel. But she could swear she saw his hand flickering, as if it was going for his neck.

Angel did see it. "Remember the butterfly pendant? She gave it to you so you won't forget. You never did. Remember?"

Spark looked troubled, his hand reaching for his neck, seeming to close his shaking fingers around something. He took a step back, his silver eyes on the boy. "How-how did you know?"

"You told me," Angel replied, reaching to hold on his arm. Spark didn't snatch his arm out, staying where he was. "You told me not with words, but with your heart." Angel then smiled. "I was sad, too, because you were gone. All of us were sad for you, Moon, and Dew. That's why we wanted to find you, just you guys. Because you are our friends. But now that you are back, we are happy. Are you happy you came back?"

Clever boy, Moon thought in awe, Who knows he has such powerful words for such a young boy? During the heartbreaking statement, Blaze got out the nearly empty bottle of the purified water and managed to get close without alarming Spark. The redhead never noticed, enchanted by the words. Blaze quickly drenched Spark's right shoulder with the remaining water.

Spark's body went limp, but Blaze already caught him, both settling down. Angel was worried, kneeling beside them.

"Spark? Spark?" Blaze whispered, gently shaking him. Spark had his eyes closed, but his face was full of misery. Moving closer with the others, Moon saw teardrops streaming from closed eyes.

The redhead was murmuring softly, "Goman nasai. Goman nasai. I didn't mean to hurt you guys. I never meant to. Goman nasai."

"Spark, it's all right," Blaze spoke with a shaking smile of relief. "You are back, that's all to us."

Sitting up, Spark opened his misted eyes. He gazed up at each kid, and his voice began to quaver. "Can you forgive me?"

"Nothing of this's not your fault," Sky said with a gentle smile. "It was all Amayamon's doing."

Spark remained silent, letting the tears touching his face. Moon felt her throat suffocate with crushing emotions, tears already streaking her face. She understood exactly what he was knowing. It was not all Amayamon's doing. It was their heart-darkness's doing. Because they allowed all of this happened, they grieved and suffered the most. Stealing a glance at Dew, she saw him keeping his misted eyes on Spark, his face stony, yet touched with teardrops. Three of the Digidestined were at fault, and it will be painful for them to forgive themselves.

With her skilled sight, Moon saw Sleet's fox ears perked up, picking up an unheard sound. She then heard a hushed rustling from near. As one, two of the Protectors, Ghost and Sleet swiftly stood, facing the sound as the others huddled around Spark in an instinctive shield.

Soon, Moon could see another Spark stepping from the bushes, clearly the Fool. He appeared surprised at the sight of the ten children, then scowled darkly as he became aglow with the lightning aura. Moon leaped in front of her friends and spoke one word.

"Stop."

The Fool appeared angry, but moved not as he simply vanished in thin air, nothing but a mirage. Only the Seer can stop the dark children. After all, she was the one who gave them bodies. She can take them away.

Angel's voice chirped blithely from the group, "Finally, we are together."

His words roused something inside the children, breaking through the sullen moods that seemed to hang around them for eternity, and they smiled, embracing each other in tearful bliss, just for solace and affinity. Ghost nodded. "That's right. Nothing can ever destroy our steadfast bond."

The Digidestined were silent, warm in the companionable embrace, then, all of a sudden, a piercing scream rang between the trees, shattering the silent lull.

Akemimon!


To Be Continued . . .