The Digidestined landed inside the cavern with a loud "Thud" and their digimon landed on top of them. Ruaraidh was the first to stand up, and ran to greet her grandmother, who was waiting for them in front of the Gate. Grandmother Whitecloud hugged her granddaughter tightly, then turned to greet the other Digidestined.
"Welcome," she said. "I am sure you already know the danger this world is in, and that of all the others. And saving them rests in all of you bringing Davis back to this world. Only here can he decide his fate, because it was fate that brought him here in the first place. You must not let Rayya kill him, or all the worlds will die."
"Don't worry," Demiveemon said. "I don't plan on letting anyone harm Davis!"
"You are brave, little one. Its no wonder you are Davis's partner. Now, we must be quick about this. Time grows short as it is."
Grandmother WhiteCloud turned to the Gate and began to chant softly. It was a chant Ruaraidh knew as well, and she joined in. Within seconds this new Gate was open, the passage glowing bright blue. This time none of the Digidestined hestitated before jumping in. Ruaraidh was the last to go, as she wanted to bid her grandmother farewell.
"Be safe, my little grandchild. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."
"Don't worry, I will be back, and we'll bring Davis with us. I promise."
Ruaraidh turned and walked into the Gate, closing it behind her. She didn't see her gandmother bow her head in a silent prayer, or the single tear that fell from the old woman's eye. Then Grandmother WhiteCloud turned away herself and walked back down the path to her house to wait.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Gate opened up at the top of an icy mountain where a blizzard was going full force. But that was outside. The Digidestined landed inside a hall made from cold marble and granite, and statues of griffins stared down at them with stone eyes. It was creepy, but then, so was the eerie silence that filled the air. Everyone stood up and began to look around, only to find, much to their dismay, that not all of the statues were made from stone.
"Halt, tresspassers! What business do you have here?" Demanded a large griffin that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Excuse me, Sir," Cody said, "but we are looking for our friend Davis. We were told that we could find him here."
That wasn't entirely true, but it was worth a shot.
"And who told you this?" asked the griffin.
"Hoku-ao, Goddess of the Stars," Ruaraidh answered, stepping foreward. She pointed to the mark in the center of her forehead that the Goddess had placed there herself. "She speaks through me."
"The Star Goddess! If you are sent from Her, then I will not question your presence. Follow me."
The griffin led them down the hall and into a huge room lit by large fires. Sitting in the center of the room was the largest griffin any of them had ever seen, though so far they had only seen one. His golden feathers glowed brightly in the firelight, and he watched them carefully with his amber colored eyes. Once the Digidestined were in the room, the golden griffin said something in a language none of them knew, and the other griffin bowed and left. Then the griffin turned his attention to the children.
"So, you are friends of Davis, are you?" asked the griffin. "And how do I know you are not really spies fro Rayya? After all it is my job to protcet the prince..."
"We are not spies!" Ken shouted indignantly. "We're trying to rescue Davis, not hurt him!"
"They speak the truth, Jerul," a lady's voice said as a woman appeared from the shadows. "They are his friends. I am Cearo, Davis's mother. You have come to take him back to the Earth?" her voice sounded sad.
"Where is he?" Demiveemon asked. "Where's Davis?"
"Right here, buddy," Davis said, appearing next to his mother. Demiveemon ran up to his partner, who scooped the little digimon up into his arms.
"Davis! You're alright!" everyone cried at once. They gathered around their friend, happy to see him again. Only Ruaraidh didn't celebrate their reunion. Her eyes were turned towards the window, even though she didn't need her eyes to tell her what was coming. She had seen it already, and knew that Rayya was not far from this tower. They had to go, and quickly.
"You guys, Rayya is coming this way, I can feel it. We have to leave, and fast. Cearo, where is the closest Gate?" Ruaraidh demanded.
"At the base of the mountain," Cearo answered. "But it would be insane to travel in this blizzard."
"Yeah well, I've done some pretty insane stuff myself, and this is going to be the worst by far. You have to get down to that gate and get back to the earth. I'll keep Rayya busy."
"Not by yourself you won't," Ken snapped. "Wormon and I are helping."
"So am I," Tai said. "Me too," replied Agumon.
"Fine, but the rest of you go with Davis and Cearo. Rayya might have men waiting near the Gate. We'll meet up with you as soon as possible."
"My clan shall fight with you," Jerul said. "I will send half with the Queen and Prince, and the rest shall fight by your side."
Ruaraidh shook her head. "No, all of you must protect Davis. It is his life that is in need of protection, not mine. It is Ken and Tai's decision to follow me with their digimon, but I cannot allow any others to follow. You must go now if you are to get away without running into him. I will go and greet the guest, after all, it would be impolite to keep him waiting."
"Welcome," she said. "I am sure you already know the danger this world is in, and that of all the others. And saving them rests in all of you bringing Davis back to this world. Only here can he decide his fate, because it was fate that brought him here in the first place. You must not let Rayya kill him, or all the worlds will die."
"Don't worry," Demiveemon said. "I don't plan on letting anyone harm Davis!"
"You are brave, little one. Its no wonder you are Davis's partner. Now, we must be quick about this. Time grows short as it is."
Grandmother WhiteCloud turned to the Gate and began to chant softly. It was a chant Ruaraidh knew as well, and she joined in. Within seconds this new Gate was open, the passage glowing bright blue. This time none of the Digidestined hestitated before jumping in. Ruaraidh was the last to go, as she wanted to bid her grandmother farewell.
"Be safe, my little grandchild. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."
"Don't worry, I will be back, and we'll bring Davis with us. I promise."
Ruaraidh turned and walked into the Gate, closing it behind her. She didn't see her gandmother bow her head in a silent prayer, or the single tear that fell from the old woman's eye. Then Grandmother WhiteCloud turned away herself and walked back down the path to her house to wait.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Gate opened up at the top of an icy mountain where a blizzard was going full force. But that was outside. The Digidestined landed inside a hall made from cold marble and granite, and statues of griffins stared down at them with stone eyes. It was creepy, but then, so was the eerie silence that filled the air. Everyone stood up and began to look around, only to find, much to their dismay, that not all of the statues were made from stone.
"Halt, tresspassers! What business do you have here?" Demanded a large griffin that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Excuse me, Sir," Cody said, "but we are looking for our friend Davis. We were told that we could find him here."
That wasn't entirely true, but it was worth a shot.
"And who told you this?" asked the griffin.
"Hoku-ao, Goddess of the Stars," Ruaraidh answered, stepping foreward. She pointed to the mark in the center of her forehead that the Goddess had placed there herself. "She speaks through me."
"The Star Goddess! If you are sent from Her, then I will not question your presence. Follow me."
The griffin led them down the hall and into a huge room lit by large fires. Sitting in the center of the room was the largest griffin any of them had ever seen, though so far they had only seen one. His golden feathers glowed brightly in the firelight, and he watched them carefully with his amber colored eyes. Once the Digidestined were in the room, the golden griffin said something in a language none of them knew, and the other griffin bowed and left. Then the griffin turned his attention to the children.
"So, you are friends of Davis, are you?" asked the griffin. "And how do I know you are not really spies fro Rayya? After all it is my job to protcet the prince..."
"We are not spies!" Ken shouted indignantly. "We're trying to rescue Davis, not hurt him!"
"They speak the truth, Jerul," a lady's voice said as a woman appeared from the shadows. "They are his friends. I am Cearo, Davis's mother. You have come to take him back to the Earth?" her voice sounded sad.
"Where is he?" Demiveemon asked. "Where's Davis?"
"Right here, buddy," Davis said, appearing next to his mother. Demiveemon ran up to his partner, who scooped the little digimon up into his arms.
"Davis! You're alright!" everyone cried at once. They gathered around their friend, happy to see him again. Only Ruaraidh didn't celebrate their reunion. Her eyes were turned towards the window, even though she didn't need her eyes to tell her what was coming. She had seen it already, and knew that Rayya was not far from this tower. They had to go, and quickly.
"You guys, Rayya is coming this way, I can feel it. We have to leave, and fast. Cearo, where is the closest Gate?" Ruaraidh demanded.
"At the base of the mountain," Cearo answered. "But it would be insane to travel in this blizzard."
"Yeah well, I've done some pretty insane stuff myself, and this is going to be the worst by far. You have to get down to that gate and get back to the earth. I'll keep Rayya busy."
"Not by yourself you won't," Ken snapped. "Wormon and I are helping."
"So am I," Tai said. "Me too," replied Agumon.
"Fine, but the rest of you go with Davis and Cearo. Rayya might have men waiting near the Gate. We'll meet up with you as soon as possible."
"My clan shall fight with you," Jerul said. "I will send half with the Queen and Prince, and the rest shall fight by your side."
Ruaraidh shook her head. "No, all of you must protect Davis. It is his life that is in need of protection, not mine. It is Ken and Tai's decision to follow me with their digimon, but I cannot allow any others to follow. You must go now if you are to get away without running into him. I will go and greet the guest, after all, it would be impolite to keep him waiting."