Check it out! It's chapter 2! If you're looking for the A/N and the warning, plus the disclaimer, read chapter one, again.

            Sorry for some minor bad grammar, I'm still working on it.

For my hero, have I loved thee?

Chapter two: Flames of Courage – The search for the crystal, Davis' anxiety

Something grumbled near the coves. Flamedramon realized that he's hungry. He smiled. Three days past since he agreed to get the crystal, which is a few miles down the coast, twenty miles to be exact. He wanted to continue to reach his destination, but he tripped, head over heals into a rock pool. "Whhaaaaahhhhhh!"

            Small Crabmons scuttled this way and that to avoid a falling blue dragon.

            Splash! Flamedramon looked startled, but felt relaxed in the cool water. He muttered to himself as he was washed down by a small wave. The clean digimon lifted himself out of the waters and looked at the afternoon sun. It glowed a radiant orange and red. He sometimes has seen the sun not directly in the eye, but most of his time he's been doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and eating.

            Food has now become his major problem. Sagittarimon told him to go south along the coast of Server to Azulongmon knows where. He never visited the southern regions of the digital world, but it's like an adventure. It's like finding somewhere that no other digimon has gone before. He couldn't find any villages near the beach or food, but now he figure out why.

            Suddenly, something burst from the water in front of Flamedramon. He was surprised, but he backed away from the rock. A lobster-like digimon with large claws appeared. It was Ebidramon and it seemed to be hungry.

            "Uh oh, I'm in deep trouble. I should either run, or I should fight and either one of us will become seafood?" he thought.

            Before Flamedramon could do anything, Ebidramon leaped out and landed on top of him, knocking him flat. [This was the first battle without Davis, but I was unusually strong.] It rammed its double claw towards him, but Flamedramon rolled on one side and fired, "Knuckle Fire!" (A/N: I used the Japanese attack for Flamedramon for Flaming fist, because I'm lazy. L-A-Z-Y)

            Ebidramon flipped over crying in pain as Flamedramon flipped backwards and landed on his feet on a karate pose. Dude, that was weird. Then flames shot all round him as he launched himself for the last attack, "Fire Rocket!"

            He hit the lobster under his belly and Ebidramon shot up in the air, then it fell into the ocean, creating a large tidal wave. Flamedramon realized what he have done ran like his tail was on fire.

            He ran like never before, but the wave caught up to him and swept him up to the cliffs where he laid unconscious until a band of digimon found him lying there.

            Later on Flamedramon regained conscious. He opened his eyes, recognized a familiar face, and sat up.

            "Sagittarimon?! How did ye-?"

            "Hush, now, you're in a village near the coast. You need some rest. You looked hungry and tired."

            "Do I look like I'm hungry and tired? Do I? I just beat crap out of some digimon who wants to eat me, which I'm also hungry too!"

            "Flamedramon! Do you always have a hot-temper?"

            "I have and I will always do."

            "Lesson number one, learn to control your temper. That's how a warrior should be. Lesson number two, don't beat up a hungry digimon on an empty stomach. It can hurt."

            "I'm not hurt."

            "Look at yourself."

            "I repeat. I am not- oh."

            Flamedramon's anger changed to a puzzled look as he peeked down at his stomach. It was bandage neatly, but some blood was staining it. He then looked at his tail, and the tip was also bandage.

            "The doctor said that you've got a sprained tail and a piece of narrow rock was stuck on the left side of your body, but he managed to take it out. I wondered how you couldn't wake up from all the big hassle we have when we tried to take it out. It kinda logged in pretty good."

            "I'm a deep sleeper… it's just great," Flamedramon exclaimed [I was disgusted, too.] as he stood up and felt woozy, "I am losing time to get that stupid crystal you wanted pretty bad."

            "Sit down, Flamedramon, or you'll get no food."

            He sat down mumbling as a digimon entered the room. It looks like a yellow fox, but it was clothed in a Buddhist style. The ridges of it's clothing was adorned in gold and a large yen-yang was etched on the front of its clothing. It carried green tea and fried fish with rice balls. Sagittarimon stood up and bowed while Flamedramon hesitated to stand up and bowed, too. The fox digimon smiled, "I see that your companion have quite some nerve, Sagittarimon."

            "Aye, he can be quite brave, Taomon, and quite stupid. Do you know the digidestined from the eastern hemisphere of the digital world? He's one of their partners," said Sagittarimon, avoiding Flamedramon's glare.

            "Oh, and why is he away from them?"

            "I-uh,"

            "I was heartbroken by a digimon, so I needed a timeout," Flamedramon said sheepishly.

            "Huh! Must be another Gatomon," Taomon muttered.

            "H-How did she-?" Before he could say anything more, Taomon swirled her long, pale sleeves and disappeared before Flamedramon's eyes.

            Sagittarimon sighed and sipped some tea, "Sometimes she can scared people like that. Want some fish?"

            Flamedramon started to drool at the fish, "Oh yeah." He attacked the food and began to eat hungrily.

            Sagittarimon sweatdropped and asked, "Say, there's a food contest tonight. You want to come."

            Flamedramon stopped to swallow, a little piece of fish was hanging from his mouth, looked at him, and exclaimed, "Will I ever?! Man, I'm so hungry that I want to eat a MetalGreymon!"

            Sagittarimon thought, "Hmm, I thought so, since he's one of my brothers, it wouldn't hurt if he have a time of his life before he pasted the test Gennai talked about and become a legend of the Fire Angel."

            As Flamdramon entered the village square, many heads turned towards him with interest, but they continued to talk after they glimpsed at the fiery visitor. He and Sagittarimon went to the sign-up table. The digimon in charge of the table was a Floramon. She asked them, "Who's entering the contest?"

            Both of them raised their hands. Flamedramon looked at him, "Are you going to do it too?"

            Sagittarimon chuckled, "Haven't eating for days, you?"

            Flamedramon answered, "Four days, almost."

            They entered the arena. The place was filled with large digimon such as Greymons and Tyranomons. Taomon was the judge and some Terriermons and Lopmons were the referees. Flamedramon gulped at the large sight. Many villagers and little In-trainings crowded around the area.

            They sat down on their seats facing each other as Taomon silenced the village with her robe. She yelled in a booming voice, "All right digi-lads and digi-gals, today's the annual food contest. The first digimon who enabled to eat the food longer than others will win two crystals shaped like the crest of courage and love in honor of Ebonwumon! The rules are simple. There will be no cheating and we allowed taunting other players. Villagers not participating in the contest will not help them eat his or her food, but they can either encourage or discourage the players. Let the feast begin!"

            After she clapped her hands, she managed to wink at Sagittarimon. He blushed as he began chewing on his bread. Flamedramon picked a digimon fruit and said to him, "You like Taomon, don't you?"

            Sagittarimon just shrugged and said, "We're just best friends from the beginning. Gennai pick me out of every digimon to guard a temple only I should protect, but the crystal we are searching for will be put there and no one should know until the time's right. Before I became a guardian of an empty temple, I visited her most of the time. So, tell me about your partner, Davis…"

            They kept on chatting and eating while the villagers cheering the other digimon on. One Greymon heaved a sigh and passed out. A Lopmon examined it and announced, "A Greymon's down. He will be removed from the arena onto the sick bay."

            After three hours, many digimon passed out or either fell asleep on the food. One was disqualified for sneaking food to her friends outside the arena. Only two digimon (which is a Pumpkinmon and a RedVeggimon), Sagittarimon, and Flamedramon were left. Flamedramon told Sagittarimon that once Davis and him had an ice cream contest. They both tied and they were both in bed, suffering from a major brain freeze. Sagittarimon chuckled, "My, what partner you have. Too bad that you are on this adventure instead of a your human's home, snuggled in bed like a good ole digimon."

            Flamedramon shrugged and swallowed a small cake, "I told you. I just needed a time out from the real world, where there are so many emotions and etcetera. Man, I'm still hungry, you?"

            "Almost there!"

            Clatter! Thump! Snore… Flamedramon looked around and saw the Pumkinmon on the ground, sleep as RedVeggiemon laughed at him and continued eating when he burped and staggered to the floor, clutching his stomach and passed out. Flamedramon sighed as he ate the salad that a Terriermon gave to him and said, "RedVeggiemons still gives me the willies when I was a V-mon. Thank Oikawa that he passed out before I did. I still remembered the time he beat the crap out of me so I could make Davis happy. Of course that I figure out that he likes Hikari, another digidestined."

            Another four hours passed and some villagers left the square to make the in-trainings to go to sleep. The arena grew tense between the fire dragon and the centaur.  Flamedramon whispered something to Sagittarimon. Sagittarimon agreed and they both got up. The village was quiet. A Terriermon walked up to them and asked what happened. The duo told it that they don't want to win the contest over the other because they did it for amusement on the other digimon.

            The Terriermon went back and the referees and the judge were having a discussion. It went on, rambling about the duo. Finally the conversation broke and Taomon waved at the crowd. "We declared a tie due to these gutful two who wanted to eat the food and watched the contestants passing out in amusement and betting each other with the food," She announced as many digimon laughed as Flamedramon's ear tips went red and Sagittarimon's head bowed low, his lizard-like fore foot shuffling around the dirt, "so, the crystals belonged to them."

            There was a cheer of relief as Flamedramon walked to the judge's table to receive the crystals. One was carved similar to the crest of courage and flame-like patterns were decorated all over it. The other one was carved like the crest of love and the colors were deep crimson red with whitish markings inside it. He held them up high with both hands and the crowd cheered. He thought as he put them down, "Man, I am really a respected digimon. Maybe Gatomon's wrong. I am worthy. She wouldn't mind if I gave her a souvenir."

            Flamdramon then summoned Sagittarimon. He stepped up and he gave the crystal of courage to him. He spoke, "I might not need that as you might have seen me carrying the symbol already (laughter), so I gave this crystal of courage to Sagittarimon and the village contestants for many I bet will have some guts to beat us some day in a food contest, which I had quite some amusement with some digimon, thank you very much and I'll see you some day, since I must go tomorrow to continue my journey."

            There was a series of clapping as Taomon silenced them, "Now, bedtime!"

            The following day, Flamdramon stretched out his arms and yawned. He got up and looked at the sleeping Sagittarimon, cuddled in a corner; with his upper body exposed and thick blankets covered his lower abdomen. He was kneeling down in a horse-like way and his human shaped body was up right, but his head was bobbing up and down.

            Flamedramon then looked at his stomach and he peeled away at the bandage. It unraveled and his skin was as good as new. He sighed and he picked up the crystal of love. He put it in a pouch and hanged it around his neck, along with Gatomon's tail ring.

            "Well, I gotta go," he muttered as he wrote a letter to his friendly companion and set off to find the crystal. "It should be no problem."

            At last he found a cave near the coast. Flamedramon was lucky since the tide didn't come in. He entered it and it was pitch black, so he groped around the cave hoping to find a torch.

            The digimon kept feeling around in the darkness not knowing that he had entered a chamber. He cried in frustration and slammed one of his fists against the side, but instead, he fell down, knocking away a movable rock.

            Suddenly, the chamber was illuminated with lights all over the place. Flamedramon looked around him and got up, scratching his tail. "This is weird," he mumbled.

            He spotted a glint at the far-end of the chamber. Flamedramon walked towards the glint and saw the crystal. It was transparent with a rainbow color inside. The shape looks like spikes jutting all over it. It looked peaceful, but the surroundings looked bleak and dark.

            Flamedramon approached an altar and he read a part of the altar in Digi-codes, "Kowtow to our fallen angel!"

            It showed a picture underneath the code someone very familiar, like he demolished the digimon before. He shivered in fear, but he proceeded to remove the crystal from the altar because Sagittarimon needed it and it doesn't fit the environment it was in.

            As Flamedramon removed the crystal from the black altar, there was sudden shaking all over the cave. Confidence was in his eyes, so he ran towards the exit, clutching the crystal. The stalactites were falling around him, but he either managed to dodge them or jump over them.

            Boom! Rrraaauuuggghhhh! Suddenly, he met a fully ultimate digimon with thorny vines and five of the vines have flowers with teeth. The flowery face is yellow and purple with narrow blue eyes and jagged mouth. Leaves sprouted from his back.

Flamedramon's right fist was in flames. He pulled it back and cried, "Knuckle Fire!"

            The attack didn't bother it. The digimon looked at him ferociously and cackled, "So, what a little champion doing in my master's cave like this? Stealing my master's crystal? Punishment should be done! Thorn Whip!"

            Flamedramon's eyes widen as a long vine rushed at him. Thwack!

            Next thing he knew he was sprawled against a fallen stalactite. He gasped his breath and got up, tucking the crystal inside the pouch. Flamedramon clutched his left arm, which it was oozing with blood and a long crack appeared on his chest armor. This is stupid! How can Blossomon have no weakness against fire? No duh! He's an ultimate! Anyway, Sagittarimon didn't tell me that there's a guardian that protected this stupid crystal!

            Blossomon taunted him, "So, you want some more?"

            Flamedramon smirked and his body was in flames again to make the attack, "Nope, the party's just started. Fire rocket!"

            "Thorn Whip!"

            Blossomon missed and was later moaning in pain as the Flamedramon caught the green leaves on his back on fire. He rolled around in the dust as Flamedramon mocked at him, "Punishment should be done! Yeah, right. This is just a game, isn't it?"

            Flamedramon approached the plant, but then he was suspended in the air by one of Blossomon's thorns! Blossomon stood up, shaking his leaves, and laughed, "It's a game, indeed! Now, it's time for you to be banished! Spiral Flower!"

            Flamedramon gulped in panic. He was beginning to suffocate as the vines gripped tighter. Uh oh! I'm… in trouble! Gatomon's… right, I'm… not… powerful enough…Sagittarimon…Davis!

********* Somewhere in the digital world*********

            "Davis! Slow down!" cried Kari. She panted for breath as the goggle boy ran as hard as possible, looking for Veemon. He worried more and more when four days passed until the digidestined made the decision for a search party. The older digidestined were in high school and couldn't find time to look for him, so Davis is with Kari, Yolei with Ken, and Cody with T.K.   

            "I can't! Veemon's has to be here! We've shouldn't trust Sagittarimon at all! Maybe it's a trick! Maybe Veemon fought a battle and got - ACK!"

            Davis tripped over a root and skinned his leg. Kari gasped and took out a roll of bandage and a bottle of water. She walked over to him and saw tears in his eyes. The girl stooped down and washed away the dirt on his leg. She bandaged Davis' leg as she spoke to him, "It's okay, Davis. Veemon couldn't get along without you. I'm sure he'll come back. He's a strong digimon to any imagination. Just think of his highest form, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode! That's tight. Cheer up Davis! Miracles can happen when there's enough hope and light around."

            He looked at her and smiled, "Thank you."

            Kari got up and Davis slowly rises. They walked towards the nearest port to home and then, they're gone. They did not notice that Davis' D-terminal was missing an egg. (Any Takari fans and Daikari bashers still reading this, back off!)

***********Back at the Cave***********

            Just as Flamedramon lost all his confidence, someone roar out, "Judgment Arrow!"

            Two arrow-like energy shot out of nowhere and deleted one of Blossomon's vines that held Flamedramon. He gasped as the vine was gone and collapsed on the floor. He staggered towards the light as the silhouette of the familiar centaur digimon galloped at full speed. Sagittarimon!

            Sagittarimon reared in front of Blossomon and shot four more, "Judgment Arrow!"

            Blossomon screeched in pain as it became deleted. The cave shook again and Sagittarimon held Flamedramon's hand, "Quick! The cave's collapsing! Climb on my back!"

            Flamedramon managed to saddle up and Sagittarimon, with all his power, tore after the only exit. Something inside the chamber exploded and flames were erupted all over the chamber, destroying anything in its path. The flames caused more rocks and debris to fall, creating more cracks on both of the armors of the duo. Flamedramon urged him on, "Hurry up! The fire is on our tail!"

            Sagittarimon snorted and looked like he had the time of his life, "Yeah, like I didn't notice!"

            Flamedramon saw the light. Five seconds we'll be free. 5…

            The flames engulfed a boulder and moved on.

            4…

            Flamedramon sweated because his left arm couldn't hold on to Sagittarimon's waist.

            3…

            The fire is getting closer…

            2…

            And closer…

            1!

            Boooooommmmmmm! Floooosshhh! Sizzle! AAAAAHHHHHHEEEEEE!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Is it the end for them? Why didn't Sagittarimon mention about Blossomon? What does he mean about 'my brothers'?

Check it out on: For my hero, have I loved thee?  Chapter 3: The Tears of Sacrifice.

Sagittarimon is a real digimon. Not on TV, but in the battle cards. Its V-mon + digimental of hope = Sagittarimon. Why did I pick Sagittarimon as a mentor of V-mon? You'll find out…right…about…later.

Man! This story is the shortest fic I've written, except Courage on Wings, which is the humorous fic about digidestined doing outrageous things. How do you like this fic? I'm just asking some friend of mine who reads, but not write. Anyone who finished reading this, R&R. The button's down there. Flamers go to the recycling bin in your desktop somewhere on your computer. I ACCEPT NO FLAMERS, NO CUSSIN, NOR FIGHTIN DURING THIS FIC! See ya!

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