Beware the Eastern Sun
Chapter 14
"Let
loose the hounds of war..."
-Julius
Caesar, by William Shakespeare
"T.K., it's time I showed
you," Matt said.
T.K. looked up from the books that
Matt had given him to study. Matt had a proud look on his face, hidden behind
harsh features. His face had changed over the years from a soft amiable look to
a sharp, hawk-eyed stare, complete with high, angular cheekbones, and a lean
face. But with T.K., he was a little more relaxed, though only slightly. He
showed a little more freedom of self-expression, which he usually repressed in
the presence of others. Maintain your dignity, he had told him, and the others
will follow.
Matt gestured to T.K., who rose in
response. He followed his older brother into the deeper parts of the library,
dark and dusty with disuse. They went to a back study room which Matt did not
allow anyone to enter but himself. Matt had a slight smile on his face, as if
he were about to divulge some secret to T.K. T.K. wasn't sure whether to be
excited or worried, and frankly, he was both. As he entered the room, Matt
flipped a switch and a dim, florescent light filled the room.
The room was covered with ancient
artifacts, tomes, and scriptures. Little statues and figurines lined a shelf in
one corner, while in another corner stood a bookshelf filled with books that
looked as if the slightest touch would cause them to disintegrate into
nothingness. Various stone tablets, maps, and other exhibits were carefully
arranged and labeled in neat rows. In the back lay boxes and tables of items
not yet categorized and organized.
Matt moved to a table where a large
stone tablet lay. Inscribed in white were symbols and words. The writing could
not have been ink, yet could not have been carved from anything imaginable. The
white was perfectly uniform and bold, the writing exact as if done by a
computer. It origins were definitely mysterious, though its purpose clear. It
was a prophecy-the same prophecy which Matt kept reciting and telling him
about.
"Here. Take a look at this."
Matt showed him the stone tablet as he ran a hand over its strangely smooth
surface. T.K. followed, feeling almost no roughness in its make. It was cold,
absorbing heat with such completeness that it seemed at one point to be sucking
the life out of T.K. He removed his hands from the tablet and rubbed his
fingers together. On the tablet were the verses-all but the verse for the
seventh sign. For some reason, it had been scratched, dented, and worn away
with time, even as the rest of the tablet had kept its glossy sheen.
"Now, T.K., I shall show you
something greater." Matt moved over to a bookshelf and carefully removed a
book. Weighing it in his hands, he looked at T.K. "Do you know what this
is?" When T.K. shook his head, he walked over to him. "This is the
true prophecy. Written by the same beings that created the tablet, this
explains in detail the prophecy, the Light, and the Dark. This is where the
true power lies." He gripped it as if it were a large gem. "And there
are only two known copies of this. Long I have sought that second copy, to all
but seal my power in this realm, but it remains out there. Heavens know what
those barbarians will do if they ever discover its true meaning."
He looked back at T.K. "But you,
my friend, my brother. You must read this, for I trust you with its
power." He smiled. "You are destined for greatness, T.K., a greatness
that I can only dream of. I can feel it." He handed him the book.
"You will always be my brother, T.K. Remember that. My blood is within
you."
With that, he sent T.K. away, and
continued to pore over his ancient menagerie of artifacts.
"Kari?"
Kari woke up groggily by Gatomon's
side. She looked up at Tai, who wore a serious face about him. "Oh. Hi,
Tai."
"We need you."
"Can you wait a little? I
just..."
"The sooner the better," he
interrupted, ambiguously.
He walked outside. By now, Kari was
able to walk somewhat. She still tried to limit herself, but she could manage a
pretty good limp. Joe said it wouldn't hurt, but she'd still have to get a lot
of rest. Tai's attitude struck her as strange. He seemed abnormally grave,
which actually meant he was dead serious, given his normal gravity. Casting a
final glance at the feverish Gatomon, she limped her way outside to that same,
old wooden table.
As she walked there, she saw Agumon
whispering to Biyomon, who was nodding. At the sight of Kari, they walked idly
away, but Kari still caught their mouths moving slightly. She frowned at the
strange sight. Tentamon and Palmon were nowhere to be seen, but this was not
unusual-they were probably out with Mimi or Sora, doing some sort of harsh
work.
She sat down at the wooden bench where
Tai waited. Joe and Izzy were with him, watching on silently. Tai had his hands
folded in front of him and was looking straight across the table at her.
"Kari. I know you've just got better, but we need some answers. It's for
your safety as well as ours."
Kari shifted uncomfortably.
"Now who did this to you?"
Kari looked off into the distance with
a vast emptiness in her face. Tai bit his lip as Kari seemingly took this trip
in time. But moments went by and she said nothing. "Kari?" he called.
Kari's look returned and she brought
her eyes upon him. "I don't know."
Tai sat speechless. Farther along the
table, Joe shifted in his seat. Then Tai asked in a bewildered tone,
"What?"
"I said I don't know."
Tai almost laughed. "How can you
not know."
"I just...don't."
Tai's face turned serious. "Kari,
if you know anything..."
"I said I don't know!" Kari
cut him off viciously. Regrouping herself, she continued. "All I can
remember is the pain, and falling on the ground, and getting slashed here or
there. Maybe a glance or two. That's all."
"Is this really true?"
"Would I lie to you, Tai?"
Tai remained silent, biting his lip
and digging the tip of a knife blade into the table. "Well, I guess we
can't do anything about that. If you remember anything Kari..."
"Yes, I will."
Tai stood up and started to walk away.
He paused after a few steps and turned around, as if he were about to say
something, but then turned back and continued on his way. Joe coughed and
looked around aimlessly before rising and walking away also. Izzy remained in
his seat, in silent thought.
Kari, feeling suddenly very tired,
limped back to the hut, and closed her heavy eyelids.
"I tell you, there's something
up."
"No kidding."
"No really. Something
strange."
"Hmmm."
"Can't you feel it?"
Kari emerged from the hut. Agumon made
his glance in her direction as discreet as possible. "Come on." He
pushed Biyomon in the direction of the forest. "Do you know what I
mean?" he said from the corner of his lips.
"I...I suppose."
"Haven't you been paying any
attention at all?"
"Well..."
"Look, it's clear. How do I
explain this?" As he thought for a moment, they entered the cover of the
forest. "The prophecy. You had a look at it?"
"Yup. Just a little."
"The signs, right? You know about
the signs?"
"Yes. Seven signs, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Agumon looked
behind him instinctively. "It's us. It's all us. The seven signs."
"What are you saying?"
Biyomon asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Each of the seven signs. You,
me, Tentamon, Palmon, all of us. There's seven of us, right?"
"What about Gabumon?"
"He doesn't count."
"Why not."
"He just...doesn't."
Biyomon did not look satisfied.
"All right. Let's look at this.
Each Sign represents an event, right?"
"Yes, I see that."
"But they also each represent one
of us. Well, us and our friends."
"How do you figure?"
Agumon covered his head with his claws
in frustration. "I don't know! I don't know!" He calmed down.
"It just...seems right doesn't it?"
"Sort of..."
"Look, maybe..."
A grunt and a rustle came from the
green shadows. The two froze, looking around them. For a while it was silent,
but a little too silent. Finally, another rustle came from behind them. They
turned around swiftly. Agumon looked into to the trees. He thought he caught a
movement ahead of him. Squinting, he looked harder. He could almost see...
"Hello."
The two whirled around to see a
towering figure standing in the road, blocking out the sunlight. Its shadow
formed a silhouette as it eclipsed the sun. Squinting and shading their eyes,
they watched as it moved into the shadows.
"Leomon!" they exclaimed
simultaneously.
"Shhh!" Lemon glanced around
nervously. "Your little friend Matt has spies all across the land. He
can't see me here!" He leaned in close. 'How do you think he found your
camp?"
"He knows where we are?"
"You bet. He knows a great deal
more than you all do, certainly."
"What are you doing here,
though?"
"Well, I have a message."
"From who?"
Leomon glanced around. "Let's
just say from a friend."
"Can't you tell the others
directly?"
"I'm on a strict timetable."
"Oh."
"Anyway, this 'friend' of mine
needs to meet with you guys. He is waiting at Matt's castle." When Biyomon
and Agumon gasped, Leomon smiled and put up his hands in reassurance.
"Don't worry. He's got everything set. You won't have to go into the
castle. Well, at least not the main way. Meet him in the forest surrounding the
caslte. You wait, he will find you."
He turned away, leaving Agumon and
Biyomon with their mouths open. "Oh." Leomon turned around. "You
should also know that Matt is preparing for the final push. And fast. Beware!
As we speak he's readying his armies. Now farewell, my friends! May the Tides
of Fate and Destiny be with you!"
Agumon and Biyomon could only stare
after his slowly diminishing figure. When he was out of sight, they glanced at
each other for a moment before racing back to camp.