Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, big surprise. But I'm going to borrow some of the characters.
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"I'm very sorry to hear that you must take your leave of us," the man said. He was about fifty and the signs of his age were apparent. "Please say that you will return to us someday."
"I promise it," Koushirou said. "But, I won't be leaving yet. I must prepare for the journey."
"Please," the man said. "Ask for any help you may need. I can arrange passage for you to the next city on the next convoy of Kuwagumon."
Koushirou smiled and nodded. "It would be much appreciated. I am thankful that you were the first person I met on this world."
The old man closed his eyes and smiled. "I am thankful as well. The next caravan should be here in less than a week. May I assume that you will be prepared by then?"
"Yes sir," Koushirou said. The boy bowed and said, "If you don't mind, I will be off to attend to matters."
The old man nodded. Koushirou walked out of his caretaker's study and stopped at the door. "Thank you Tallas."
"Go on now," the man waved.
**
"This was the library that I materialized in," Koushirou explained. He and Yamato were halfway up the path that spiraled around the inside of the building. "This is a geographical library. There is information on every discovered city of every discovered country on this world. Information down to the last detail. Some of it is obscure though, like the scrolls."
Yamato nodded. He didn't really care. He was tired from walking up the spiral pathway, circle after circle. "So what do you need to take with us?"
"Well," Koushirou said, "besides the obvious things like food and clothes and stuff, I'm not really sure. What kind of stuff did we need when we were in the Digital World?"
"A way home," Yamato joked. "I guess a map. But I already have one."
"Perhaps I could get more maps. They might come in handy."
"We could use money, too. Gold pieces, things of value, ya know?"
"Yes, I was thinking about that." Koushirou thought for a moment. "They don't have a system of money here. There is a main treasury that's only used for trade of supplies. I guess I could request a loan."
"Would they let you?"
"Most likely. I've kinda made a name for myself here these past few months," Koushirou said. "I'm kinda sad to leave it behind."
Yamato patted Koushirou on his back. "It'll be alright. We'll come back eventually. Say, what happened to your computer?"
"The batteries ran out," Kourshirou said dryly. "I haven't been able to use it in a while. Not that it was any good to me here when it did work."
"Try and catch me V-mon!" they heard Daisuke yell from below. He was running up the spiral, looking back at V-mon who chased him. "C'mon, you're so slow!"
"Daisuke this is stupid!" V-mon complained.
Daisuke ran faster and didn't see Yamato and Koushirou ahead and ran into them. The crash threw Daisuke over the railing of the spiraled path.
"Daisuke!" Yamato and Koushirou yelled as they ran to the railing.
"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"
V-mon jumped over the rail and shouted, "V-mon digivolve to…XV-mon!" and as he evolved, silvery wings appeared on his back. XV-mon caught Daisuke before he could hit the ground, then carefully set him down.
Yamato gave a sigh of relief, "Tai was never that much trouble."
Koushirou laughed.
"Koushirou, have you ever had to fight any bad Digimon here?"
He shook his head. "This place has been pretty peaceful. That Airdramon that attacked us was the first."
"Something about that bothers me," Yamato said.
"What?"
"Airdramon are vaccine types, right?"
"Yeah."
"So it shouldn't have attacked us. Vaccine types are always good unless controlled."
"Maybe attributes here are different."
"Maybe," Yamato said distantly. "What if Ken turned bad again?"
Koushirou didn't say anything.
"We don't know what could have happened to him here. And that Airdramon knew we were Digidestined, someone had to have sent him that knew who we were."
"But it didn't have a dark ring or anything."
Yamato sighed. "Who knows? We shouldn't have let Kabuterimon and XV-mon destroy it. We could have gotten some answers from it."
Koushirou leaned against the railing. Daisuke was now walking up the path. "This place is dangerous. There are only three of us and two our Digimon. Neither of which can evolve past Champion level. What if we were to be attacked by Ultimate or Mega leveled Digimon."
"I guess we'll have to wait until that happens," Yamato sighed.
Daisuke made his way back up to the two, a bit embarrassed. "So what's up?"
**
"The caravan has two stops before they reach New Topalla," Tallas said. "There they will restock and prepare for another supply run to other installations. I suggest you search through New Topalla. It's a very large city, perhaps you will find some of your friends there."
Koushirou shook his hand. "Thank you, sir. You have been more than helpful."
"The least I could do," he said. Tallas pulled Koushirou close and gave him a hug, the first real show of affection that he displayed to the boy. "Good luck my boy. Find what you seek."
Koushirou bowed. "It's been good to know you." He jumped into one of the carriages that the Kuwagumon pulled. Yamato and Daisuke were already inside, and they waved to Tallas and also thanked him for his help. There were seventeen Kuwagumon, all pulling along wheeled crates filled with supplies for the places on their route. There was one covered carriage that Daisuke, Yamato, Koushirou, Tentomon, and V-mon rode along in.
"So you boys headed to New Topalla?" one of the Kuwagumon said. He had a very raspy and rugged voice.
"That's right," Daisuke said.
"It should only take us a few days non-stop give'r take," the Kuwagumon said. "Sometimes my buddies here can lag up, ya know?"
They heard grumbles from the other Kuwagumon.
"See, I'm their leader," he said. "They listen to me. Since I'm the one that handles the pay." He chuckled.
More grumbles.
"Anyway," he continued. "We're gonna stop at a Monastery about 20 miles up. We can rest there for a night if ya like."
"Oh we wouldn't want to keep you," Yamato said.
"Suit yourself," he said. "We are at your service, since you are friends with the Tallas. He's a good man."
The others agreed.
**
As it turned out, the Kuwagumon decided to stay at the Monastery through the night, since it had already been dark at their arrival. It was a secluded building deep into the forest hidden beneath tall trees and darkness. There were four main buildings, all with trails leading to each other. One building was larger than the other three, plainly decorated except for elaborate stained glass windows one the chapel side. Hidden within was a large courtyard with a tree growing out the middle.
Daisuke lay on the grass at the foot of the tree staring up to the skies. Although he always seemed like the dense and stupid and irrational Chosen Child, he still took the time to enjoy the things the others never thought he cared about. The sky was very clear that night, a deep and dark blue dotted with twinkling stars. To the west a shooting star flickered through the sky for a fraction of a second.
The constellations of that world were so different to the ones back home. Nothing was familiar in that world, and to that day, Daisuke still found himself lost and unable to find one way from another.
Across the courtyard, Yamato stood in the shadows of a long corridor. He watched Daisuke lying lazily across the grass at that late hour. A monk approached him and placed a hand on Yamato's shoulder. He was cloaked in a tan robe that draped over his whole body. He reminded Yamato of a young Gennai.
"What bothers you, child?" the monk asked.
Yamato sighed. "My friend out there," Yamato motioned in Daisuke's direction. "He's trouble."
"Oh, how so?"
"He's young. He doesn't think. He's a lot like me when I was that age."
The monk chuckled. "You still have some growing up to do yourself my boy."
"Yeah, I know. But Daisuke worries me. He's going to get in trouble one of these days. He just doesn't think sometimes. My friend Taichi was a lot like him."
"What is Taichi like now?" the monk inquired. His voice went up a bit at the AI part of Tai's name.
"Last time I saw him, he was a lot like me."
The monk smiled. "You should give the young Daisuke some time to grow. With age comes wisdom, I'm sure he will meet your expectations."
Yamato looked back out to the courtyard. "I'm not sure about him though. He just doesn't think."
"Could it be he does not think the way you wish him to think?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"This is a dangerous world we live in," he said. "I'm afraid boys have to learn the trials of this life far too early on. They do not have the time to be innocent, to be a child. Let him be for now, he'll come around."
"Why are you telling me this?"
The monk smiled. "I am merely an agent of the higher powers." The monk bowed to Yamato and then turned and disappeared into the darkness to which he had arrived. Yamato looked back out to Daisuke, who was still lying at the base of the tree. Yamato walked out slowly and quietly, and it wasn't until he was at Daisuke's feet before he noticed him.
"Hey," Yamato said. Daisuke nodded to him and looked back up to the stars. Yamato say down next to him and said, "What are you looking at?"
"The stars. It's really clear tonight." Daisuke paused, then looked to Yamato. "Hey, do you- do you- do you hate me, Yamato?"
There was shock to that question, Yamato couldn't really believe that he asked it. "No, 'course not. What made you think that?"
Daisuke looked back up to the sky. "I just get the feeling, that you think that I'm just a stupid kid and that you hate me."
"Nah," Yamato said. "You're okay. It's your sister I'm worried about."
Daisuke managed a smile, but he was still uneasy. Yamato wondered if he had really been so harsh to Daisuke that it would make him think that he hated him. He cursed himself for being so hard on the young one.
"I'm not a kid, ya know. I'm a Chosen Child too," Daisuke finally said. "I wouldn't have been chosen if I were just a stupid kid."
"I know," Yamato said. "You aren't a stupid kid. I guess I've been kind of hard on you."
"Do you hear that?" A question that came out of no where.
"What?"
"Razor Claw!" they heard from outside the walls of the holy building. There was a crash and an explosion and screams. Daisuke and Yamato sprung up and ran to the nearest doors yelling for Koushirou, V-mon, and Tentomon. They were outside in a matter of seconds, to see the convoy of Kuwagumon trying to defend themselves against a large Gigadramon as he pointed his arm at the pack.
"Genocide Gear!" he shouted. It echoed through the silence of the forest. The blast of his attack knocked two of the Kuwagumon out and deleted two others. The remaining four continued to use their attacks on the Gigadramon, but with little effect.
The Gigadramon looked down and saw Koushirou, Yamato, and Daisuke and pointed his other arm at them. He recognized them as the Digidestined, and said, "Guilty Claw!"
The blast came at them, and Tentomon and V-mon both evolved to Kabuterimon and XV-mon, protecting their human friends behind. But the blast knocked them both down, and XV-mon landed on Daisuke.
"Kabuterimon Digivolve to … Mega Kabuterimon!" he shouted. "Horn Buster!"
XV-mon pulled himself up and looked down at Daisuke. "Daisuke, are you okay?" he pleaded.
Daisuke sat up with the wind knocked out of him. "Huh?"
Yamato and Koushirou pulled Daisuke up. When all looked okay, XV-mon jumped out forward to Mega Kabuterimon and Gigadramon, only to get a claw struck against him. XV-mon flew downward and struck the side of the monastery, creating a gaping hole into the courtyard within. A moment later he flew back out and went back to Gigadramon.
"XV-mon you have to Digivolve!" Daisuke pleaded as his two friends tried to pull him back. He broke free and ran out into the open, holding his D-3 out towards XV-mon. "You have to Digivolve!"
"Daisuke!" he said, looking back to his human counterpart.
"Genocide Gear!" Gigadramon shouted, directing his attack towards Daisuke. With every fraction of a second, the blast of fire and ice and metal and horror came closer and closer to Daisuke, who was frozen in terror.
"Daisuke!" XV-mon shouted. He threw his own body in front of the attack and got hit with the full force of it. But it was too much for him, as the attack threw XV-mon back and he hit Daisuke again and they both carried the burn of Gigadramon.
"Horn Buster!" Mega Kabuterimon yelled.
The remaining four Kuwagumon used their Razor Claw attacks and along with Mega Kabuterimon they managed to subdue the Gigadramon. Seeing himself beat, the Gigadramon lefts as quickly as it came. None of the others bothered to follow him.
**
The morning air was damp and warm as the sun slowly rose across the horizon. Yamato sat by Daisuke's bed as the room filled with the new day's sunlight. It had been this way for several days now. Ever since the attack, Daisuke had been unconscious. Luckily, the Gigadramon had not returned to finish what he started. The monks and the nuns did all that they could for Daisuke, setting his broken bones and covering his wounds with herbs and bandages.
But he had didn't wake up.
Yamato awoke from his dreamless sleep and was disoriented for a moment. He looked down to Daisuke, who in his bandages and stitches looked so innocent and helpless. Yamato stood up and walked over to Daisuke and placed his hand on his forehead which seemed to be an automatic motion.
Daisuke's eyes slowly opened and he looked up to Yamato. "Hey," he said weakly.
Yamato smiled. "Hi."
"What happened?"
"XV-mon fell on you."
"Is he okay?"
"He's a little burned, and really tired. Out of commission for a few days. Hey, how do you feel?"
"Tired," he said. Daisuke looked up, "And I can't feel my legs."
Yamato's eyes shifted. "You'll be okay."
But Daisuke wasn't okay. What was left of the caravan of Kuwagumon left that day, leaving Daisuke, and his friends behind. Not because they were insensitive, but that it was important that they return to the city and report what had happened, and to mourn the loss of their friends lost in the battle.
Two days later, Daisuke still couldn't not leave his bed. Nothing below his waist seemed to work right, and although he managed to sit up and move his arms, he couldn't get out of bed. The nuns nursed Daisuke back to strength and everything seemed well other than his legs. He still had two broken ribs and a sprained wrist.
Two weeks later, Yamato was sitting on Daisuke's bed. Neither of them said anything, they just stared down at the sheets below them. Daisuke's legs had no power in them, and although he could move them just slightly, the idea of him walking or running or kicking a soccer ball seemed like a fairy tale.
Daisuke looked up, "Yamato, you have to leave."
"What are you talking about."
Daisuke fought back tears, as his eyes seemed to glaze. He looked away to hide his emotion from Yamato. "You, you can't stay here and wait for me to get better when you know that I won't get better. You and Koushirou go off and find the others."
"No way," Yamato said. "That's out of the question. We aren't leaving you behind."
Daisuke looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Yamato. I, I'm no use to you like this. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine here. The nuns like me, and I don't think the monks have any big grudges on me." He tried to make a smile.
Yamato stared at him. "It's too risky. We can't start splitting up just as we started to find each other."
"Yamato, you know I'll be here waiting. You find the others, and then come back. V-mon will be here to protect me and the Monastery, don't worry."
Yamato stared at him, drilling into his head with his eyes of both confusion and realization. "Me and Koushirou will leave after your bones are healed."
Daisuke smiled. "Okay."
It was his selfless act. In Yamato's eyes, Daisuke would never be that stupid kid that always thought through his fists and never through his brains. He took one for the team that day and it was understood that forever from that moment, Daisuke was a man. Daisuke looked up to Yamato with eyes of innocence that shielded Yamato from the pain and hurt and terror that filled Daisuke's soul.
The goodbyes were short and simple. They tried their best to show as little emotion as possible, because this was not a time when one should cry. A road of hope lay ahead, and although the paths were now split between the small group, the end would ultimately be at the same place. Two paths would be one someday, and Daisuke and Yamato and Koushirou would be reunited with their friends, and each other.
Authors Notes: Sorry this chapter jumped around a lot. I wrote it over the course of two or three days because I kept getting writers block. Towards the end the paragraphs seemed to lack some depth, but ah well. The story continues my friends! And no, there is no hidden or hinted Daisuke x Yamato. Hehe. Chapter 4 is coming soon.....i hope.