Chapter IV: The Fighting Spirit
"Leomon, tell me about Ogremon," Tantomon said during their usual resting period after lunch.
"He is my direct opposite," Leomon said." And because of that, we are both very much alike."
"How can that be?" she asked, mildly confused. In her experience opposites where completely unlike each other. It was the definition of the word.
"Opposites, true opposites, are often just different sides of the same coin," Leomon explained. "He and I have always fought, for as long as I can remember. We represent the eternal clash between good and evil. Ogremon believes in using his strength and power to suit his own ends. Still, he has a code of honour, although a twisted one."
"Do you hate him?" Tantomon asked.
"I once did, in the beginning," Leomon said with a sad smile. "But then I realised that hate was the wrong way. I have no real reason to hate him, since he lives his life as he believes he should. He does not have the same values as I have, and for that I feel sorry for him."
"You feel sorry?"
"Yes. Had we not been born into opposite forces, destined to fight each other, we might have become allies and even close friends. Tantomon, you must know one thing; the path of hate is the path to self-destruction. Hate corrupts the soul and hardens you."
"But isn't that a good thing?" Tantomon said. "Not the soul-corruption thing, becoming hard. We are training all day long to make me stronger, aren't we?"
"Yes, but you must not believe that being hard and being strong is the same thing. Hard breaks, while strong endures. You must be able to bend or you will become too strong and your strength will also become your weakness. Do you understand?"
"Not really. How can one have too much strength?"
Leomon smiled. "Let me tell you a story. Once there was a mighty tree, an oak, larger the any other, growing next to a river. It was very full of itself, being so great and so strong, and it mocked the reed growing by the river for being thin and weak."
"Can trees talk?" Tantomon asked.
"This is a fable," Leomon said, slightly irritated for being interrupted. "In fables trees can talk. Anyway…"
"It wasn't a Cherrymon, then?"
"Do please be quiet and listen? The oak was mocking the reed, saying it was so much stronger then them. "Look at me!" he said. "You only stay until end of the season if you are lucky. But I will stand here for many, many years, for nothing can break my branches or move my roots." But the very next night a terrible storm, worse then any storm anyone had ever seen before, drew by, leaving a path of destruction. The wind was so strong it threatened to overthrow even the mighty oak. It fought hard against the storm, using all of its strength, but it the end it was in vain. Not even a mighty tree such as itself could resist the fury of the storm. When the morning came, the once so proud oak had been uprooted, but everyone could see that the reed was still standing. Instead of fighting the storm, which was impossible, the reed had bent for the wind, allowing it to pass over them without breaking them. So you see, even if you are very strong you must always be bendable less you want to be ripped up by the storm."
"I see," Tantomon said. Leomon had just given her something to think about, but she saw his point. "But, Leomon...?"
"Yes, Tantomon?" Leomon sighed.
"Do you think Ogremon hates you?"
Leomon was quiet for a moment before answering. "No, I don't think so. He may claim to hate me, but I wonder. Sometimes I almost think he enjoys our eternal battle, as if it were some kind of game."
"Do you think you will ever stop fighting?" Tantomon asked. "Will one of you ever win?"
"I do not know the answer to neither of those questions," Leomon answered. "Only time may tell if we will ever break this destructive circle."
Tantomon nodded. She was beginning to understand her teacher better, and she saw a fighting spirit within him that carried a heavy responsibility to protect and preserve. She tried to imagine the opposite, a creature with the ambition of destruction as his final law. She didn't like that image, but remember what Leomon once said. Destruction is an important part of the world, no matter how much we dislike it. Everything has to be destroyed to give place for something new, and without destruction there could be no development and no improvement. She was beginning to suspect that Leomon and Ogremon perhaps needed each other more then they were ready to believe themselves. In any way, she kept her suspicions to herself.
One evening she returned to the cave after a quick walk and found Leomon kneeling in front of the fire, with his eyes closed as if he was meditating. He was holding up his sword in front of his face with one hand on the hilt and the other under the blade. He was as silent and still as a statue, but opened his eyes when the other Digimon came closer.
"What are you doing?" Tantomon asked, curious on this new technique.
"It is an exercise for the mind;" Leomon explained. "Try it. Sit down and hold your sword up for as long as you can."
Tantomon obeyed and positioned herself in the same manner as her master. She took her sword, held it up in front of her and closed her eyes.
"This is easy," she thought. "I wonder why Leomon… Oh." Almost instantly she felt her arms starting to ache. The tension increased but she forced herself to keep her arms up. She tried to use the mental training Leomon had given her, but she realised that she was only delaying the unavoidable. She kept on concentrating for what felt like an eternity. Her arms started to ache even more. Finally she gave up. The sword dropped in front of her knees.
"How many hours?" she asked.
"Not even five minutes," Leomon answered.
"Oh," she said, somewhat disappointed. "What is the goal?"
"To hold it up for as long as you can," he said. "To the point where it is you and not your body that decides when to put it down."
"But that is impossible," Tantomon argued.
"Not at all," Leomon shook his head. "It is merely a matter of mind over matter. Your body can perform tasks that might seem impossible if your mind only tells it to."
Tantomon picked her sword up and resheathed it. "Will I ever be able to reach that far?"
"With time and learning you will reach even further," Leomon said. "But that will be enough for today. You will have plenty of time to train your mind."