Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, big surprise. But I'm going to borrow some of the characters.
NOTICE: I rewrote chapters 11 and 12 so please check those out!
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How strange this new land was. They stood on the edge of what may have been a close step to the end of their journey. As the sun slowly set across the horizon falling into night, Yamato and Koushirou looked down over the cliff to the small village world that sat nestled in a huge valley surrounded by volcanic walls, untouched by time. Each tiny building settled down far apart each other with thick trees and underbrush in between. Dozens of tiny streams cut through the isolated land, reaching from house to house, which suggested that they were manmade. A thick mist settled over the land, making it seem all the more serene and eerily calm.
At the center of the circular valley were larger buildings, still primitively built. They were hard to label, it as mix of far-eastern and ancient European architecture, with pale white walls and triangular roofs carefully detailed with carvings of warlike and holy creatures. There was something beautiful of this place, something that made the travelers feel somewhat at home.
Five tall pillars of a dark gray stone stood in the square of the city. They towered high above the trees and buildings within, easily the tallest structures in the whole village. They were placed in a circle, as the square was also a circle, with intricate angles in which the stones were placed on the ground. Inside the circle of pillars was a statue, to which the features were unknown what with the distance between it and the eyes of those on their quest.
"It seems so quiet here," Koushirou said. Tentomon landed behind his friend and tugged at his pant leg. "What is it, Tentomon?"
"I'm hungry."
Yamato laughed and gently kicked him along. "Let's see if we can find you something to eat. And while we're at it, some old friends."
"This village is quite isolated," Panjamon said. "They may not like visitors."
"Why do you say that?" Koushirou asked.
"Had it not been for the signal, I doubt if we would have ever found this place. It is isolated from the outside world by the walls. This entire village is built on the inside of an ancient volcano."
"A dormant one I hope!" Tentomon exclaimed.
"Most likely my little friend," Panjamon assured. "We must be careful of what we do here. The villagers might be frightened by us."
Yamato thought for a moment. "Panjamon, perhaps you should stay behind and wait for us."
"Yeah." Koushirou said. "A giant ice lion thing might scare some people."
"But what if there is trouble?" Panjamon said.
"Don't worry about us," Yamato assured. "Tentomon can keep a lookout. And if worst comes to worst, you can come in and save the day."
They found themselves having to trek through the forests dodging tree after tree, branch after branch, as the undergrowth was quite thick and difficult to surpass. At many points, Tentomon was needed to use small energy blasts to get through the thicket of the valley's trees. After several hours, darkness had set in deeply, as the moon shined brightly in the sky. It was then when they stumbled onto an ancient and worn pathway made of an off white colored stone.
They chose the direction in that most likely would lead them to the middle of the village, despite the fact that the structures were spread out across the entire valley. The valley was quite large, and even with the easy pathway, it took them another hour or so to slowly navigate the narrow path towards what might have been the town square.
It was a quite large monument, with a few sparse buildings not far beyond that could be seen above the trees. They had nothing but the light of the moon to guide them through the wide and open site. Only the sounds of the steps they mad and the buzzing of Tentomon's wings echoed in the night air as they made their way to the standing stones. Although the light was dim they could now make out the statue that stood on the interior.
It was a Digimon, in the form of a man. A great beast with strikingly human features stood with his huge and thick hand reaching out to the sky. He evoked the image of a beast and a Viking, with a wide set frame and a huge fur coat that hung around his neck and reached down his back. Two massive mace balls sat atop thick and wide tubes that came from his back, which was reminiscent of Ankylomon's tail hammer. A thick leather belt tied around his waist with a long cloth hanging down between his thick and muscular legs supported by wide feet. The craftsmanship of the sculpture was astounding.
"You boys are out late," a voice echoed from behind.
The three swung around to search for the voice that summoned them. There was a man behind them, much older then they but still within his 30's. A few moments of silence followed as the four sized each other up.
"You aren't around here," he finally said. "There hasn't been a Digimon here in a while."
"We are travelers," Yamato said confidently. He stood straight, trying to be at the level of the man. "We were hoping to find some friends of ours."
"Hasn't been anyone through here in a long time." He had a very overpowering voice, which was not the least bit frightened of the strangers. The echo of his voice had little respect for them. "No one 'cept that fella behind you," he said, as he pointed upwards to the statue of the Digimon.
The man for no particular reason, other than the way that he carried himself was annoying Yamato. "We don't mean to intrude on anything, we're just looking for a friend."
Koushirou could see the tension growing between the two. It amused him how easy a rivalry could be created with such few words. He decided to speak up before things got any worse. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Digivice and showed it to the man. "Have you seen anyone with something like this?"
"Nope," he said arrogantly. "Why don't you boys run along to where every you came from. Whoever you're looking for isn't here. I told you, we don't get visitors here."
"Listen," Yamato said, considerable irked. "We have good reason to believe that a friend or friends of ours are somewhere in this valley and if you don't want to help us then I'd thank you to just leave us alone."
He let a breath of superiority and shook it off, before rolling his eyes, turning around, and walking away.
"Jerk," Yamato said under his breath, glaring at the man as he left.
"Someone else is coming," Tentomon buzzed.
"I'm sorry about Javen," a voice said. A woman stepped from behind.
"A bit late to be out, isn't it miss?" Tentomon asked.
"I came to admire the sculpture," she mused. "So you boys aren't from around here, I gather."
"No miss," Yamato said. "But we've already been welcomed," he said grudgingly.
She laughed faintly. "Sorry about him. He's a jerk, no two ways about it."
'Could you help us, miss?" Koushirou asked, hoping that she would be more forthcoming with information.
"You're looking for a friend?" she queried.
"Yes," Yamato said. "Perhaps more than one. They would have a Digivice like ours, or a D-3 that kind of looks like a Digivice." He showed her Koushirou's device. "And they would most likely have a Digimon with them."
"There was a boy," she said sullenly. "He came here about a year ago, with a Digimon. He had a device with him, I'm not sure if it is the D-3 you speak of, though."
There was hope.
"He," she continued, "was very young, but very brave as well. I knew him myself."
"What became of him?" Koushirou asked, sensing bad news ahead.
"He protected us from dark forces from beyond the valley. His Digimon fought the creature and destroyed those that would destroy us, but it lost its life in the process…"
Koushirou was assessing the possiblilites in his mind. Daisuke, Takeru, Hikari, Iori, Ken, and Miyako were the only ones with D-3s. Daisuke, Takeru and Hikari had already been found. Ken and Iori were the last boys. That meant either Wormon or Armadillomon were gone. The thought saddened him.
"…Many of the villagers," she continued, "believed that it was because the boy and his Digimon came that attracted the evil Digimon. Those who disagreed did with loud voices. His presence tore the village apart, and so he left, but not far. People say that he still lives within the valley, somewhere close to the edges, alone in a tiny cottage."
"What was his name?" Yamato asked flatly.
"Iori," she said.
**
Knock, knock, knock. Three knocks on the heavy wooden door by use of a metal doorknocker. Three more knocks followed which resonated in the quite little huddle of a home. The morning's sun was rising over the walls of the valley, which had lit the way for Yamato and his partners to find the tiny little cottage in the east of the valley. Some vegetables grew in the ground on the sides of the modest home. It didn't seem like enough to keep someone alive.
Yamato knocked again before falling into another silence. They stood there for several minutes, as the dew from the morning began to cling to their clothes as the thick mist of the morning settled in the air, slowly disappearing with the rising sun.
He knocked again.
"Whoever is out there, go away," a sullen voice said from within. How could a child of only ten survive alone?
"Iori," Yamato said, as he leaned his head against the wooden door. Nothing could have prepared him for this. He never truly realized that someone close to him or close to them could have lost their lives. He though of Gabumon.
By some sick surprise, he said, "Go away Yamato. You're too late."
Yamato shut his eyes tightly and thought about the statue of that Mega Digimon that had saved an entire village at the price of his own life. It was the Armadillomon that had saved his friends and many others in his short lifetime. Yamato slammed his fist against the door in a plea for attention and justice. "Iori, open this door!"
Koushirou and Tentomon stood in silence as they watched what unfolded before them. A latch was unlatched on the inside, then a second, then a third. They could hear another bar be lifted from the center of the door, and then another latch at the foot of it. Slowly, the door slowly creaked open and Yamato lifted his head from it.
Iori had grown, standing only a head below Yamato at the age of ten. His hair had over grown and came down to his eyes. He didn't have the cold and rational look in his eyes anymore. He was eyes were filled with despair and hopelessness as if his face and body had been scared with a thousand blades. He looked up to Yamato, then to Koushirou and Tentomon, with eyes of death.
"You're too late," he repeated. "You're all too late!" He slammed the door hard in Yamato's face and latched each lock over again.
Yamato stood in silence, nothing thinking of what Iori had done, not thinking of the sacrifice of the gentle and kind Armadillomon. He turned to Koushirou and met him with the same dead eyes as Iori. He stared at his companion for several minutes as the sounds of morning birds filled the empty air.
He fell backwards to the ground in tears and landed his back against the doors, burying his face between his knees crying out for nothingness. The tears seem to come with no force of his own; flowing as if a dam had broken after keeping rough waters behind for far too long. He cried for the loss of his Digimon friend, the hope of his human friend, the bonds of the team, and most of all, the tie with his best friend and partner.
He looked up. Tentomon and Koushirou stared at him with sad eyes.
"We were too late," Yamato said quietly.
Koushirou wanted to cry because Yamato was, but kept his composure so as not to make a bad situation worse. He stepped forward and came down to the ground. "It's still not too late. We'll find a way."
There wasn't much that the three could do to coax their fallen friend outwards from his home. Yamato sat with his back to the door as he mindlessly poked at the dirt with a stick while Koushirou walked around in the forest only a few feet from the cottage, kicking up stones and dirt.
"Why won't you leave me alone," a voice said from inside.
"Because we're your friends, Iori," Yamato flatly said.
"I don't want you guys here, you don't have to stay on account of me."
"Don't be stupid."
Koushirou popped his head from around the corner as he heard talking after hours of silence. Tentomon was hovering behind him.
"I'm no good to you anymore, I can't fight."
"We don't want you to fight, we just want to be together again."
"The 12 of us only bring trouble wherever we go. Tell me that you haven't caused pain and suffering because you are a hunted Digidestined, and I will call you a liar. We scar this world with every step we take, and innocent people will suffer because of it. Like Armadillomon."
Yamato snapped the stick in his hands. "We are destined to save this world."
"You don't know what you are saying. We are killing these people."
"No, Iori. We're a team, and we will protect this world as one."
"I'm no use to any of you."
"There is no I in team."
"That's why I am not a part of it."
Yamato stood up and stared at the door where the words were being spoken. He leaned his head against it, breathing softly trying to gather his words. "Iori," he said softly, "there have been some unfortunate times, but we must all be strong and find a way to get back together. We are strongest as one, and we will find a way to complete our mission on this world. Then we can go home."
There was silence in the air. Yamato was close to tears once again, as this world had torn him apart into a hundred shattered pieces of pain. The latches unhooked. He had no idea what would open that door and had no way to prepare for the strike of a branch that struck across his face with a hard blow, which sent him crashing to the ground. As he fell to the dirt he could hear Tentomon and Koushirou gasp as they ran to his side.
The blur from his eyes cleared as he looked up to Iori, holding the branch of a tree that he must have kept by the door for intruders. He had a look of anger, hate, and satisfaction in his eyes. But that moment of rage passed quickly as the branch slipped from his hands and fell to the floor of his home. His eyes return to their sullen state, as he stared at the blood that ran down the side of Yamato's face.
He held his head down in shame. "I don't want this destiny," he said. "I don't want to save the world." His eyes thinned as he held his fist up and yelled, "All I want is justice!"
It was a feeling that Yamato hadn't felt in years. The feeling of pure energy surging through the air around as an aura of energy would surround a person, strength drawn from the power within. He looked up to Iori from the ground, as his heart glowed in a bright yellow. The entire valley permeated with the energy of the power of Iori's spirit and heart. It was time.
Before them appeared a tiny little plate, each side shined with the glare of glass that covered a tiny symbol. It was a crest. Iori pulled it from the air and stared at it with disdain.
"This is what allowed Armadillomon to evolve to Vikmon," he said flatly. "It did him no good."
"But he saved the village, didn't he?" Yamato asked in a whisper.
"Yes."
"Is that not justice?"
Iori stared down at Yamato for a moment, holding the glowing crest in his hand. The yellow light that surrounded it shot into the air straight upwards for about five feet before making a 90 degree turn and flashed through the forest, making its way over the volcanic walls. They stood without words, as Yamato finally pushed himself off the ground and wiping the blood from his cheek, nursing the wound at the edge of his temples.
"I wonder what that was?" Tentomon finally said.
Iori grasped the crest in a fist, and said, "We'll see."
Authors Notes: That was kind of short, but I think that I got the point across. We're getting close to the end..or are we? ^^ please r/r.