Batteries 7 ==Tournament – Marble Land! (2)
By: Mirai_no_hikari
A/N: Hallo! Hey, I really did not get many reviews at all! Is it the summary that is not appealing, the starting of the story, or are people just bored and lazy to read long chaptered stories. (But come to think of it, Batteries is NOT long!) However, Lilac Kamiya-san has been reviewing for nearly every chapter of mine! ^-^ Thankies, Lilac-san! This chapter will be dedicated to you, and everyone else who took the time to write even the shortest review for me! Of course, this includes JE-chan (u know who u are), Terry (even though I don't think he even took a glance at this), and Carolyn (even though her reviews are thoroughly confusing, and she did criticise me a lot… :[)… ^^*
Of course, Sorato stinks and Taiora lasts forever!!! So OUT SORATOEY FANS! This chapter's in your FACE~! * Smacks story like pie onto all those Sorato fans out there who even dared to read Batteries or like Sorato. Humph! *
Beru: Mind her, she is getting aggressive after seeing most of the Taiora sites being revamped into Sorato sites.
M_N_H: * cuts in * Some say that the site is Taiora and Sorato friendly. But guess what? Revamping a Taiora site into something gastly (Sorato) is a CRIME! You hear? CRIME!!!
Beru: * sighs * Pardon her, everyone.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Taichi, Taichi, wake up!"
"Urh…?" Taichi opened one of his chocolate brown eyes into a slit.
"We've got to get ready to go off!"
"Why go off, Sora?" Taichi mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes furiously.
"I know we had a hard battle yesterday night, but the Batteries have not been completely collected, and there are no more in Ice Land!" Sora replied, giving Taichi a light smack on the head.
"Yet another day to save the world," Taichi yawned, getting out of bed, leaving his bedclothes in a pile.
"Mou! Taichi! You and your laziness!" Sora grumbled and started to make his bed.
The hustle and bustle in Taichi and Sora's room was rather… mild, compared to what was happening outside…
"Kiyaaaaaaa~! Where are my boots?!"
"Huh? I thought they were outside…"
"I'll sniff them out! … Bet they stink…"
"KURU!!!"
"Hey, chill, guys…"
"I FOUND THEM!!!"
"What, Beru? My boots?"
"Nope, the BATTERIES!"
"Ah…"
"But… WHERE ARE MY BOOTS!?"
The whole house vibrated.
"Aha! Found them!"
"Those are MINE, Mirai!"
"Why are they in my cupboard, then?"
"How and why should I know?!"
"Huh? What's up, Mirai, Setsuna?" Taichi asked, slightly blur and confused as he stepped out of his bedroom.
"My boots! Did you see them? Taichi?" Mirai asked.
(A/N: After that plotless starting, we finally get to see [and guess] who's who… -_-*)
"Nope," Taichi shook his head.
"I think I found them, Mirai!"
"Sora! You did?"
"You bet! But… um…" Sora paused.
"What?" Mirai asked.
"Weelllll, they were… in the washing machine…"
"Who put them in the washing machine?" Mirai flared.
"Heheheheheheh…" Setsuna sweatdropped sheepishly.
"SETSUNAAAAA~!"
"GAAA!"
"@*$@^@(#%_"
"Ouch…" Setsuna winced. Rubbing his head where a huge bruise had risen. "I think I need a boiled egg…"
"I'll get one for you," Taichi said, helpfully.
"Taichi knows how to cook?" Mirai asked Sora as Taichi skipped to the kitchen.
"Yup, he has to cook for his sister almost everyday when their parents are not at home," Sora stated.
"Oooooh, lucky duck." Mirai grinned.
"Who? Hikari?" Sora asked.
"Light? Why would light be lucky?" Mirai blinked.
"Hikari is Taichi's sister!"
"Oh… nope, I meant you… I mean, as his girlfriend, you won't need to think of cooking!" Mirai teased, whispering her 'joke' into Sora's ear.
Sora turned a truly bright shade of red. "I'm not his girlfriend!"
"Any proof?" Mirai's eyes narrowed slyly.
"MIRAI!!!"
And yet another wild goose chase started. Setsuna still rubbing the bruise and watching the commotion.
"Kawaii…" his expression softened as he looked at Mirai. [Kawaii :: cute]
"Hm? What did I hear you say, Setsuna?" Kuru joked mokingly.
"Huh?" Sora stopped chasing Mirai and the two girls suddenly got very interested.
"He said, 'cute'!" Kuru said triumphantly.
"Iiiiya-" Setsuna turned red, "I, I, I, meant… ur… The Bird! Yeah, the bird was cute!!!"
"Bird?" Mirai turned her head to look at the window.
"It, uh… flew away! Yeah! That's right! It flew away! Eheheheheh…" Setsuna sweatdropped nervously.
Mirai nodded, with large eyes, taking in everything, while Sora, being the bearer of Love, looked slyly at Setsuna, "Oh yeah? I bet it must've been a bird wearing clothes!"
"Eh-…" Setsuna turned maroon at this statement.
"A bird that wears clothes? I've never heard of it." Mirai blinked. "Not even a monster bird wears clothes."
"Oh, there was, Mirai-chan, Setsuna-kun was looking at a bird with RED clothes…" Sora sidled up to Mirai. (A/N: Mirai wears a red vest over a pink long sleeved shirt.)
"Takenouchi-!" Setsuna frowned at Sora, even redder than a beet. Sora grinned back at him mischeivously.
"Sweet, sweet revenge," Sora muttered to herself in satisfaction.
"???" Mirai stared at her new best friend.
"The boiled egg is ready!!!" Taichi's ultra genki voice sounded through the house.
(A/N: Come to think of it, they are in a hotel aren't they??? Hm….)
~*~
"Portal open~!" Mirai exclaimed as the orange coloured portal that would take them to Marble Land opened.
"Well, I guess we'd say bye bye to Ice Land…" Taichi looked at the hotel.
"Yup," Sora grinned.
All of them, including the monsters walked in the portal, and as they vanished into the portal, Setsuna muttered, "Hey, have we paid the fee for the hotel yet?"
"Oooops," Came Mirai's reply.
~*~
The whole group fell downwards and landed in a pile in the bushes.
"Ouch! Get off me, Beru!!!" Kuru complained.
"I'm the one who should be saying that," Setsuna grumbled, at the bottom of the pile.
Everyone managed to get off poor Setsuna, after a few moments of hustle and bustle; 'I don't see why everyone's so heavy!' 'It's not my fault!'
"Hey, you there! Got a boyfriend?!"
That exclamation brought up everyone's curiousity. They peeked out from the bushes they were in.
Due to Mirai's portal opening, they had not actually gone through the actual gate of Marble Land. From the bushes they were at, they could see the gate of Marble Land, with what seemed like two guards standing at each side of the gate. Everytime a monster walked through, and was a female, the guards would ask the question, 'Got a boyfriend?' and it seemed like the monsters were so scared of the question, the female monster would grab ANY male monster that passed by.
"I wonder what's up?" Sora blinked.
"Yeah," Taichi agreed, "Hey look! That cute girl just picked a drooling monster for a boyfriend!" He laughed.
Sora hit him on the head. "It doesn't seem to be THAT simple… she looks almost… desperate…"
"Hey, Mirai, come look at this!" Beru exclaimed, pointing at a wooden sign post.
"Huh? Let me see," Mirai got out of the bushes and went in front of the sign post and started to read the notice pinned on it.
In the bushes, Agumon spotted a guard.
"Hey, look there! I found a guard!" Agumon pointed.
"And the guard looks interested in Mirai, Sora," Biyomon noted.
Taichi, Sora, Setsuna and Kuru blinked. They couldn't understand why a guard would be interested in Mirai. At that moment, Mirai seemed to have finished reading the notice, she looked up determined to tell her friends what she saw when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around slowly. It was the guard.
"Hey, you got a boyfriend?"
This time, it looked like Mirai was as desperate as the other female monsters, she smiled, sweatdropping, reached in the bushes and dragged Setsuna out. "He's my boyfriend," She sweatdropped nervously.
"Eh-?" Setsuna turned red. True, he did kiss her, but it was still… weird to be introduced as 'her' boyfriend to a passing stranger.
"Oh," The guard turned to look in the bushes, saw Sora, "You got a boyfriend?"
'What?' Sora thought. "Ur… nope…?" She saw Mirai shaking her head vigorously and pointing at Taichi. 'One of Mirai's stupid jokes again…'
"No boyfriend, come." The guard grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged her off.
"Hey! That hurts you know!" Sora complained and struggled in the guard's grasp. She saw Mirai trying her best to explain everything to an astonished Setsuna and Kuru.
"Hey! Where do you think you are going with her?!" Taichi chased after the guard.
The guard turned, "She's got no boyfriend, she has to come with me. Are you her boyfriend?"
Taichi turned bright red. 'It's my chance, I could just… get Sora out of this mess… I can… not!' He shook his head. Sora's eyes widened, 'Didn't he say…? Oh, he didn't finish his sentence and we got interrupted…' She hung her head down in despair, so Taichi didn't like her at all then.
"Then she comes with me!" The guard marched off with Sora in tow.
Taichi just stared at the guard's retreating figure, his brown eyes wavered. 'I messed it up again… I lost my courage again… some kind of bearer of courage I am…'
"Taichi!"
He heard Mirai's voice, Agumon's, calling his name. He also heard Biyomon's desperate call for Sora. He didn't bother to look, he just buried his head in his hands… he'd lost her… again…
~*~
"Taichi, want some water, buddy?" Setsuna offered Taichi a cup of water, they were at a hotel (again), taking a break from all that shock. Mirai had explained everything to them. According to the poster, the was a battle tournament to be held, and all females without a boyfriend (single) were to be brought into the castle (of whom, she did not know) and the best three were chosen to be the prizes of the tournament. Those who did not qualify for the expectations of 'him' would be killed.
Taichi stared out of the window, not hearing what Setsuna said.
Setsuna shook his head sadly at Mirai, both of them exchanged glances. Taichi had been in this state ever since he shook his head at the guard's question. It was rarely that Taichi would not breathe a word in a minute for a long time, and now was 'rarely'. Everyone was worried sick.
"Hey, do you think I could participate in the tournament and win Sora back?" Taichi suddenly perked up.
"I don't see why not," Mirai smiled, happy to have Taichi back.
"I'll help you Taichi!" Agumon grinned, showing his teeth.
"Biyomon will be Taichi's cheerleader!"
"You can't forget me!"
"Another pink Griffon in you service!"
Kuru and Beru both showed enthusiasm in helping Taichi too.
"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use monsters to battle, though…" Taichi said unsurely.
"They did not say so in the rules," Setsuna grinned, "So they can't stop you! Go get 'em, boy!"
"You bet!" Taichi grinned. 'Just wait Sora, I'll get you out, like I did before… And this time, I'm going to pull out my courage… for you.'
"The tournament is tomorrow, why not take a good rest today and get ready for the battle?" Agumon suggested.
"Food! Food! Food!" Biyomon cheered.
"You want it, you got it, I'll go out and order!" Mirai stood up and headed for the door. Setsuna caught up with her.
"I'm going with you, otherwise you may have no boyfriend to show to those guards!" He joked, slipping his hand into hers.
Taichi laughed as Mirai towed Setsuna out of the room. Then, dispair surged through him like poison. What if, just what if, Sora did not meet 'his' standards? He could not even save her then!
~*~
The sun shone through the window in bright rays, the birds chirped merrily. The sky was blue, and so was Taichi. (A/N: Not literally blue…) He had hardly slept a wink the previous night, worrying about Sora. Even though Setsuna and Mirai had promised to help get Sora out with Mirai's reputation (as a princess of Central Land), he was still worrying whether Sora would be there for him to save.
"You're awake, Taichi!" Setsuna slapped him on the back, grinning, "Mirai's got the breakfast ready."
Taichi nodded, in a daze. Could he do it? Was he really that good?
"Taichi! Hurriaku! Hurriaku!!!" Agumon chanted from the sitting room of the hotel. [Hurriaku :: Simple, means Hurry Up! Sounds the same, ne?]
"Mirai cooks food very well, Taichi!" Biyomon exclaimed.
"Of course Mirai does, she practised very hard because last time, she lost a date with Setsuna just because the chocolates she made were dis-…" Beru was cut of by Mirai who clapped her hand over Beru's beak,
"Hahahahaha! Those were history Beru!!!" Mirai laughed, sweatdropping.
"Well, disgusting they were, Setsuna still ke-…" Setsuna hit Kuru on the head with his fork,
"No nonsense when eating!"
Taichi laughed, "Where do you keep them, Setsuna?"
"Oh, in my bedroom, on my tabl-…" Setsuna turned red and shut his mouth when he realised what he had said.
"Wow! Taichi is good at getting the truth out of others!" Agumon cheered.
"Really, Setsuna-kun? You kept those disgusting chocolates I made on your table?" Mirai looked at Setsuna's almond eyes and smiled.
Setsuna turned maroon. "E-…"
"Hontoni???" Mirai smiled happily, "I'll make nicer ones for you to keep next time!" [Hontoni :: really]
Setsuna nodded stiffly.
Kuru nudged Setsuna's legs, "Regretting you did not give her the CPR?" He joked. (A/N: Check out the previous chapter if you lost the memory about the CPR… :p)
Setsuna bashed the fork and spoon he was holding onto on Kuru's head. Taichi contained his laughter. Mirai blinked. Beru rolled on the floor in peals of laughter, holding her stomach. Biyomon and Agumon exchanged glances and giggled.
~*~
"Well, I guess it's time we made off for the castle!!!" Agumon exclaimed.
"I have the map of Marble Land in here somewhere…" Mirai searched through her laptop for the map program.
"Don't bother," Setsuna switched off Mirai's computer and pressed down the cover, "Kuru remembers where the castle is, right?"
"Right on!" Kuru grinned, and led the way.
They walked through the sandy and clayey grounds of Marble Land, occasionally meeting a few monsters Setsuna and Mirai had befriended before, and some they did not know and attacked them. Those monsters were rather easy opponents for Mirai and Setsuna, their monsters seemed to have experience working together, taking down the opponents down with skill and class. Taichi offered to help. But Setsuna and Mirai rejected him and told him and Agumon to save their strength for the tournament itself and not with the random battles that they were handling right now. Biyomon, without Sora, was nearly useless, but she did help with the occasional ''.
And finally, they reached the castle. An old, gigantic building with vines creeping up on its sides made a shadow loom over the cheerful flowers and grass around it. A musty scent filled the air with mystery and around the castle, no birds were heard, the silence was so piercing that one can hear a pin drop.
Mirai blinked, "I remember coming here before, but this castle… didn't look like that… come to think of it, the King here was a nice person who gave me the 'eye' straight away when I asked." [the eye is… well… some kind of badge that allows you to travel from one land to another (???) I've only played the japanese version of Devichil, so I'm not sure of its real name…]
"Of course its different, the aura around here is just not right…" Setsuna muttered.
Kuru sniffed the air, "There is a familiar smell emitting from this castle…"
"Batteries!" Beru exclaimed, "It's the aura of Batteries!"
"E-???!!!" Taichi screeched, "But I thought the King was a nice person, and he was a battery all along?!"
"No," Setsuna shook his head, "Don't you get it, Taichi?"
"Then," Agumon said thoughtfully, "The King must have been…"
"Caught, banished or even killed- by the Batteries that are inhabiting the castle right now…" Kuru continued for Agumon.
"You mean Sora's life is in the hands of a BATTERY???!!!" Taichi groaned, "Just what I needed to know."
"Well, you never know, Taichi, it could be many Batteries…" Mirai said unsurely.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=
End!!!
A/N: Hahahahahahaha! So I didn't end it yet!!! Why, you ask? Cause I've already written 2,749 words!!! That's right, and I know some people hate long stories… so I'm breaking the tournament into 2-3 parts. That's right!!! The next chapter will be the second part to this… coming soon!!!^^ That's right!!! (Hey, I've already said 3 'that's right's in this paragraph… I must've caught Meowth fever!!! Meowth! That's right!!! @~@)
Well, Taiora mush sensors, detected anything??? That's right, the next part of the tournament is gonna have… (finally!) Taichi confessing to Sora!!! Hm… but that'd be too easy… maybe I should make Taichi wait… (Taichi: Hey~!) * shrugs * Well, I don't know… Maybe I will, and maybe I won't… but the next chapter's gonna have mush, confession or no confession! ^^
Please R&R!!! Even if you hated it, you've got to tell me what's wrong or… many people will have to read my 'unimproved' fics!!! Please R&R if you liked it, tell me what you liked and I will continue to try to put up to your expectations!!! And if you are just feeling neutral, why not just gimme a Review to stop you and I from dying of boredom, ne? ^^
-mirai_no_hikari
I HATE SORATO!!! I HATE SORATO!!! * starts to chant *
By: Mirai_no_hikari
A/N: Hallo! Hey, I really did not get many reviews at all! Is it the summary that is not appealing, the starting of the story, or are people just bored and lazy to read long chaptered stories. (But come to think of it, Batteries is NOT long!) However, Lilac Kamiya-san has been reviewing for nearly every chapter of mine! ^-^ Thankies, Lilac-san! This chapter will be dedicated to you, and everyone else who took the time to write even the shortest review for me! Of course, this includes JE-chan (u know who u are), Terry (even though I don't think he even took a glance at this), and Carolyn (even though her reviews are thoroughly confusing, and she did criticise me a lot… :[)… ^^*
Of course, Sorato stinks and Taiora lasts forever!!! So OUT SORATOEY FANS! This chapter's in your FACE~! * Smacks story like pie onto all those Sorato fans out there who even dared to read Batteries or like Sorato. Humph! *
Beru: Mind her, she is getting aggressive after seeing most of the Taiora sites being revamped into Sorato sites.
M_N_H: * cuts in * Some say that the site is Taiora and Sorato friendly. But guess what? Revamping a Taiora site into something gastly (Sorato) is a CRIME! You hear? CRIME!!!
Beru: * sighs * Pardon her, everyone.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Taichi, Taichi, wake up!"
"Urh…?" Taichi opened one of his chocolate brown eyes into a slit.
"We've got to get ready to go off!"
"Why go off, Sora?" Taichi mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes furiously.
"I know we had a hard battle yesterday night, but the Batteries have not been completely collected, and there are no more in Ice Land!" Sora replied, giving Taichi a light smack on the head.
"Yet another day to save the world," Taichi yawned, getting out of bed, leaving his bedclothes in a pile.
"Mou! Taichi! You and your laziness!" Sora grumbled and started to make his bed.
The hustle and bustle in Taichi and Sora's room was rather… mild, compared to what was happening outside…
"Kiyaaaaaaa~! Where are my boots?!"
"Huh? I thought they were outside…"
"I'll sniff them out! … Bet they stink…"
"KURU!!!"
"Hey, chill, guys…"
"I FOUND THEM!!!"
"What, Beru? My boots?"
"Nope, the BATTERIES!"
"Ah…"
"But… WHERE ARE MY BOOTS!?"
The whole house vibrated.
"Aha! Found them!"
"Those are MINE, Mirai!"
"Why are they in my cupboard, then?"
"How and why should I know?!"
"Huh? What's up, Mirai, Setsuna?" Taichi asked, slightly blur and confused as he stepped out of his bedroom.
"My boots! Did you see them? Taichi?" Mirai asked.
(A/N: After that plotless starting, we finally get to see [and guess] who's who… -_-*)
"Nope," Taichi shook his head.
"I think I found them, Mirai!"
"Sora! You did?"
"You bet! But… um…" Sora paused.
"What?" Mirai asked.
"Weelllll, they were… in the washing machine…"
"Who put them in the washing machine?" Mirai flared.
"Heheheheheheh…" Setsuna sweatdropped sheepishly.
"SETSUNAAAAA~!"
"GAAA!"
"@*$@^@(#%_"
"Ouch…" Setsuna winced. Rubbing his head where a huge bruise had risen. "I think I need a boiled egg…"
"I'll get one for you," Taichi said, helpfully.
"Taichi knows how to cook?" Mirai asked Sora as Taichi skipped to the kitchen.
"Yup, he has to cook for his sister almost everyday when their parents are not at home," Sora stated.
"Oooooh, lucky duck." Mirai grinned.
"Who? Hikari?" Sora asked.
"Light? Why would light be lucky?" Mirai blinked.
"Hikari is Taichi's sister!"
"Oh… nope, I meant you… I mean, as his girlfriend, you won't need to think of cooking!" Mirai teased, whispering her 'joke' into Sora's ear.
Sora turned a truly bright shade of red. "I'm not his girlfriend!"
"Any proof?" Mirai's eyes narrowed slyly.
"MIRAI!!!"
And yet another wild goose chase started. Setsuna still rubbing the bruise and watching the commotion.
"Kawaii…" his expression softened as he looked at Mirai. [Kawaii :: cute]
"Hm? What did I hear you say, Setsuna?" Kuru joked mokingly.
"Huh?" Sora stopped chasing Mirai and the two girls suddenly got very interested.
"He said, 'cute'!" Kuru said triumphantly.
"Iiiiya-" Setsuna turned red, "I, I, I, meant… ur… The Bird! Yeah, the bird was cute!!!"
"Bird?" Mirai turned her head to look at the window.
"It, uh… flew away! Yeah! That's right! It flew away! Eheheheheh…" Setsuna sweatdropped nervously.
Mirai nodded, with large eyes, taking in everything, while Sora, being the bearer of Love, looked slyly at Setsuna, "Oh yeah? I bet it must've been a bird wearing clothes!"
"Eh-…" Setsuna turned maroon at this statement.
"A bird that wears clothes? I've never heard of it." Mirai blinked. "Not even a monster bird wears clothes."
"Oh, there was, Mirai-chan, Setsuna-kun was looking at a bird with RED clothes…" Sora sidled up to Mirai. (A/N: Mirai wears a red vest over a pink long sleeved shirt.)
"Takenouchi-!" Setsuna frowned at Sora, even redder than a beet. Sora grinned back at him mischeivously.
"Sweet, sweet revenge," Sora muttered to herself in satisfaction.
"???" Mirai stared at her new best friend.
"The boiled egg is ready!!!" Taichi's ultra genki voice sounded through the house.
(A/N: Come to think of it, they are in a hotel aren't they??? Hm….)
~*~
"Portal open~!" Mirai exclaimed as the orange coloured portal that would take them to Marble Land opened.
"Well, I guess we'd say bye bye to Ice Land…" Taichi looked at the hotel.
"Yup," Sora grinned.
All of them, including the monsters walked in the portal, and as they vanished into the portal, Setsuna muttered, "Hey, have we paid the fee for the hotel yet?"
"Oooops," Came Mirai's reply.
~*~
The whole group fell downwards and landed in a pile in the bushes.
"Ouch! Get off me, Beru!!!" Kuru complained.
"I'm the one who should be saying that," Setsuna grumbled, at the bottom of the pile.
Everyone managed to get off poor Setsuna, after a few moments of hustle and bustle; 'I don't see why everyone's so heavy!' 'It's not my fault!'
"Hey, you there! Got a boyfriend?!"
That exclamation brought up everyone's curiousity. They peeked out from the bushes they were in.
Due to Mirai's portal opening, they had not actually gone through the actual gate of Marble Land. From the bushes they were at, they could see the gate of Marble Land, with what seemed like two guards standing at each side of the gate. Everytime a monster walked through, and was a female, the guards would ask the question, 'Got a boyfriend?' and it seemed like the monsters were so scared of the question, the female monster would grab ANY male monster that passed by.
"I wonder what's up?" Sora blinked.
"Yeah," Taichi agreed, "Hey look! That cute girl just picked a drooling monster for a boyfriend!" He laughed.
Sora hit him on the head. "It doesn't seem to be THAT simple… she looks almost… desperate…"
"Hey, Mirai, come look at this!" Beru exclaimed, pointing at a wooden sign post.
"Huh? Let me see," Mirai got out of the bushes and went in front of the sign post and started to read the notice pinned on it.
In the bushes, Agumon spotted a guard.
"Hey, look there! I found a guard!" Agumon pointed.
"And the guard looks interested in Mirai, Sora," Biyomon noted.
Taichi, Sora, Setsuna and Kuru blinked. They couldn't understand why a guard would be interested in Mirai. At that moment, Mirai seemed to have finished reading the notice, she looked up determined to tell her friends what she saw when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around slowly. It was the guard.
"Hey, you got a boyfriend?"
This time, it looked like Mirai was as desperate as the other female monsters, she smiled, sweatdropping, reached in the bushes and dragged Setsuna out. "He's my boyfriend," She sweatdropped nervously.
"Eh-?" Setsuna turned red. True, he did kiss her, but it was still… weird to be introduced as 'her' boyfriend to a passing stranger.
"Oh," The guard turned to look in the bushes, saw Sora, "You got a boyfriend?"
'What?' Sora thought. "Ur… nope…?" She saw Mirai shaking her head vigorously and pointing at Taichi. 'One of Mirai's stupid jokes again…'
"No boyfriend, come." The guard grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged her off.
"Hey! That hurts you know!" Sora complained and struggled in the guard's grasp. She saw Mirai trying her best to explain everything to an astonished Setsuna and Kuru.
"Hey! Where do you think you are going with her?!" Taichi chased after the guard.
The guard turned, "She's got no boyfriend, she has to come with me. Are you her boyfriend?"
Taichi turned bright red. 'It's my chance, I could just… get Sora out of this mess… I can… not!' He shook his head. Sora's eyes widened, 'Didn't he say…? Oh, he didn't finish his sentence and we got interrupted…' She hung her head down in despair, so Taichi didn't like her at all then.
"Then she comes with me!" The guard marched off with Sora in tow.
Taichi just stared at the guard's retreating figure, his brown eyes wavered. 'I messed it up again… I lost my courage again… some kind of bearer of courage I am…'
"Taichi!"
He heard Mirai's voice, Agumon's, calling his name. He also heard Biyomon's desperate call for Sora. He didn't bother to look, he just buried his head in his hands… he'd lost her… again…
~*~
"Taichi, want some water, buddy?" Setsuna offered Taichi a cup of water, they were at a hotel (again), taking a break from all that shock. Mirai had explained everything to them. According to the poster, the was a battle tournament to be held, and all females without a boyfriend (single) were to be brought into the castle (of whom, she did not know) and the best three were chosen to be the prizes of the tournament. Those who did not qualify for the expectations of 'him' would be killed.
Taichi stared out of the window, not hearing what Setsuna said.
Setsuna shook his head sadly at Mirai, both of them exchanged glances. Taichi had been in this state ever since he shook his head at the guard's question. It was rarely that Taichi would not breathe a word in a minute for a long time, and now was 'rarely'. Everyone was worried sick.
"Hey, do you think I could participate in the tournament and win Sora back?" Taichi suddenly perked up.
"I don't see why not," Mirai smiled, happy to have Taichi back.
"I'll help you Taichi!" Agumon grinned, showing his teeth.
"Biyomon will be Taichi's cheerleader!"
"You can't forget me!"
"Another pink Griffon in you service!"
Kuru and Beru both showed enthusiasm in helping Taichi too.
"I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use monsters to battle, though…" Taichi said unsurely.
"They did not say so in the rules," Setsuna grinned, "So they can't stop you! Go get 'em, boy!"
"You bet!" Taichi grinned. 'Just wait Sora, I'll get you out, like I did before… And this time, I'm going to pull out my courage… for you.'
"The tournament is tomorrow, why not take a good rest today and get ready for the battle?" Agumon suggested.
"Food! Food! Food!" Biyomon cheered.
"You want it, you got it, I'll go out and order!" Mirai stood up and headed for the door. Setsuna caught up with her.
"I'm going with you, otherwise you may have no boyfriend to show to those guards!" He joked, slipping his hand into hers.
Taichi laughed as Mirai towed Setsuna out of the room. Then, dispair surged through him like poison. What if, just what if, Sora did not meet 'his' standards? He could not even save her then!
~*~
The sun shone through the window in bright rays, the birds chirped merrily. The sky was blue, and so was Taichi. (A/N: Not literally blue…) He had hardly slept a wink the previous night, worrying about Sora. Even though Setsuna and Mirai had promised to help get Sora out with Mirai's reputation (as a princess of Central Land), he was still worrying whether Sora would be there for him to save.
"You're awake, Taichi!" Setsuna slapped him on the back, grinning, "Mirai's got the breakfast ready."
Taichi nodded, in a daze. Could he do it? Was he really that good?
"Taichi! Hurriaku! Hurriaku!!!" Agumon chanted from the sitting room of the hotel. [Hurriaku :: Simple, means Hurry Up! Sounds the same, ne?]
"Mirai cooks food very well, Taichi!" Biyomon exclaimed.
"Of course Mirai does, she practised very hard because last time, she lost a date with Setsuna just because the chocolates she made were dis-…" Beru was cut of by Mirai who clapped her hand over Beru's beak,
"Hahahahaha! Those were history Beru!!!" Mirai laughed, sweatdropping.
"Well, disgusting they were, Setsuna still ke-…" Setsuna hit Kuru on the head with his fork,
"No nonsense when eating!"
Taichi laughed, "Where do you keep them, Setsuna?"
"Oh, in my bedroom, on my tabl-…" Setsuna turned red and shut his mouth when he realised what he had said.
"Wow! Taichi is good at getting the truth out of others!" Agumon cheered.
"Really, Setsuna-kun? You kept those disgusting chocolates I made on your table?" Mirai looked at Setsuna's almond eyes and smiled.
Setsuna turned maroon. "E-…"
"Hontoni???" Mirai smiled happily, "I'll make nicer ones for you to keep next time!" [Hontoni :: really]
Setsuna nodded stiffly.
Kuru nudged Setsuna's legs, "Regretting you did not give her the CPR?" He joked. (A/N: Check out the previous chapter if you lost the memory about the CPR… :p)
Setsuna bashed the fork and spoon he was holding onto on Kuru's head. Taichi contained his laughter. Mirai blinked. Beru rolled on the floor in peals of laughter, holding her stomach. Biyomon and Agumon exchanged glances and giggled.
~*~
"Well, I guess it's time we made off for the castle!!!" Agumon exclaimed.
"I have the map of Marble Land in here somewhere…" Mirai searched through her laptop for the map program.
"Don't bother," Setsuna switched off Mirai's computer and pressed down the cover, "Kuru remembers where the castle is, right?"
"Right on!" Kuru grinned, and led the way.
They walked through the sandy and clayey grounds of Marble Land, occasionally meeting a few monsters Setsuna and Mirai had befriended before, and some they did not know and attacked them. Those monsters were rather easy opponents for Mirai and Setsuna, their monsters seemed to have experience working together, taking down the opponents down with skill and class. Taichi offered to help. But Setsuna and Mirai rejected him and told him and Agumon to save their strength for the tournament itself and not with the random battles that they were handling right now. Biyomon, without Sora, was nearly useless, but she did help with the occasional ''.
And finally, they reached the castle. An old, gigantic building with vines creeping up on its sides made a shadow loom over the cheerful flowers and grass around it. A musty scent filled the air with mystery and around the castle, no birds were heard, the silence was so piercing that one can hear a pin drop.
Mirai blinked, "I remember coming here before, but this castle… didn't look like that… come to think of it, the King here was a nice person who gave me the 'eye' straight away when I asked." [the eye is… well… some kind of badge that allows you to travel from one land to another (???) I've only played the japanese version of Devichil, so I'm not sure of its real name…]
"Of course its different, the aura around here is just not right…" Setsuna muttered.
Kuru sniffed the air, "There is a familiar smell emitting from this castle…"
"Batteries!" Beru exclaimed, "It's the aura of Batteries!"
"E-???!!!" Taichi screeched, "But I thought the King was a nice person, and he was a battery all along?!"
"No," Setsuna shook his head, "Don't you get it, Taichi?"
"Then," Agumon said thoughtfully, "The King must have been…"
"Caught, banished or even killed- by the Batteries that are inhabiting the castle right now…" Kuru continued for Agumon.
"You mean Sora's life is in the hands of a BATTERY???!!!" Taichi groaned, "Just what I needed to know."
"Well, you never know, Taichi, it could be many Batteries…" Mirai said unsurely.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=
End!!!
A/N: Hahahahahahaha! So I didn't end it yet!!! Why, you ask? Cause I've already written 2,749 words!!! That's right, and I know some people hate long stories… so I'm breaking the tournament into 2-3 parts. That's right!!! The next chapter will be the second part to this… coming soon!!!^^ That's right!!! (Hey, I've already said 3 'that's right's in this paragraph… I must've caught Meowth fever!!! Meowth! That's right!!! @~@)
Well, Taiora mush sensors, detected anything??? That's right, the next part of the tournament is gonna have… (finally!) Taichi confessing to Sora!!! Hm… but that'd be too easy… maybe I should make Taichi wait… (Taichi: Hey~!) * shrugs * Well, I don't know… Maybe I will, and maybe I won't… but the next chapter's gonna have mush, confession or no confession! ^^
Please R&R!!! Even if you hated it, you've got to tell me what's wrong or… many people will have to read my 'unimproved' fics!!! Please R&R if you liked it, tell me what you liked and I will continue to try to put up to your expectations!!! And if you are just feeling neutral, why not just gimme a Review to stop you and I from dying of boredom, ne? ^^
-mirai_no_hikari
I HATE SORATO!!! I HATE SORATO!!! * starts to chant *