I am back! Sorry that it took so long, but I needed to nail down the last
few hanging drapes of this story…remind me not to be figurative in speech.
Here it is! At first, all you'll see here is the preparation. Read and
enjoy. (But don't forget to review!)
****
The blood slowly dripped down to the gushing floor. Collapsing in a heap deep within the flooding ground, the man let out his last breath as the shadowy figure let out an evil ear-shattering laugh. The youth's companions had fled a long time ago. The fool stayed there, supposedly giving them a chance to escape. There was a bit of protest here, and the evil cared little for the reason, though he knew it not. But it deduced that perhaps its victim had been of some substance to have such staunch companions.
The youthful man and his strange animal had certainly given it a bit of trouble. But that was all well, for the more resistance it encountered in a victim, the more spirit they possessed within their filthy living bodies.
And the figure of darkness fed on such lively spirits.
The fish swam by, ignoring the murky character as he seemed to glimmer with darkness. They had no interest in these affairs. Perhaps they would tell certain Digimon, those who were one with the water, but it was doubtable that they would remember it after feeding. They swiftly avoided the gaping hole the cloaked figure had created to enter.
The ghostly silhouette stared at the fish. 'All life must be vanquished…' A shadowy appendage shot out to drain the life out of the innocent and simple creatures when knives of pain shot through the arm. Crumpling to the floor, it deemed itself too weak to be able to do any more.
'But my time will come soon…Life shall crumble beneath my rule…'
Shouts rang out through the glassy hallway. The dead one's attendants had managed to send out the alarm of danger. More lifelings would be coming along soon.
'But I will be back to destroy. And none will live to stand in my way. My reign of dread begins….'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
An announcement rang throughout the glassy corridors. There had been an incident in the Outer Levels of the outskirts of the Kingdome of Reliability. Someone was brutally murdered then actually partly-eaten. It was a young man. Nothing more. But it was important to Jyou, the Prince of Gomatelen.
And the new heir to the throne of the Emperor of the Kingdome of Reliability.
Yes, the man whose life was mysteriously ended was his older brother.
(A/N: I didn't want to do it! I don't write about deaths! No, no, no, no!! No one but the bad guy's supposed to die. But how the heck am I supposed to kick Joe into the Emperor's seat?)
Jyou and his water-going Digimon, Gomamon, stared blankly at the sea world beyond the glass coverings. Both of them were seated in the Imperial Hall as condolences were being delivered by the score. Jyou still couldn't believe that this happened.
'He is dead.'
The thought echoed in his and Gomamon's minds and they glanced at each other, each a mirror of sadness. Gomamon had also been close to his brother's Digimon. They both felt the loss very keenly, perhaps more keenly than his silently weeping mother or his devastated father. The brothers were as dear to each other as the sea was to the Kingdome of Reliability.
In other words, the sea was their lives and they dedicated themselves to it.
Jyou's life wasn't over, but a part of him had died and was also eaten by some demon-like creature.
It brought matters to another area, though. What could have possibly been strong enough to fall someone like his brother, who was the best warrior in the realm along with his Digimon? It certainly was something powerful enough to cause a break in the diastone-hard glass walls which protected Gomatelen from the great pressure of the vast ocean of Zudo. There were specialists and architects at the outskirt sectors accompanied by several well-trained warriors attempting to seal the vast rooms. The area where the Emperor's first heir died and several adjacent other supply sector crystals had been annihilated by the sea pressure and they had managed to rescue his body through the scouts of the areas.
It was distressing that the sector crystals were destroyed but the death count was a devastating number of fifty-eight. There had never been many murders or calamities in Gomatelen; ten was an unbearable number. (A/N: Might seem small to you fellows, eh?)
The hours flew past and soon the trusted guards of the realm shut the massive doors which lead to the hall. There were no more sympathizers and all who were left in the court room were his father's most trusted advisors.
He and Gomamon exchanged a glance then turned to look at his parents.
His mother's tears had subsided but one look at her revealed the depth of her pain. After all, she and her oldest son were close, too, although Jyou was more like his mother (a scholar, not a warrior). Her face became more regal and imperious than he had ever seen it. His father's morose face was business like as he straightened himself up more on his throne.
A realization came to him and he spoke up. "Father. Mother. There's a lot more to his death, isn't there? What's happening? What was he doing there in the first place?" Jyou was bursting with questions.
His father held up a hand. "That is what we are here to discuss." He glanced at who he asked to remain in the room and they stepped up onto the dais, bowing slightly.
"State the destruction, General Acua Aes," he said to one of Jyou's friends.
The navy-haired girl stepped forward and bowed again. "Emperor Kido, the impact of the sea caused by the breach hole damaged several sector crystals and one major dwelling crystal was partly damaged, but the workers have managed to patch the hole and set off the pressure locks, so only half of the crystal was shattered. The harm to the belongings and other things is off the rack and death toll is…the death toll is fifty-eight people, most killed by the collapsing of the crystals, some by drowning and others of different methods."
The Emperor's face was grave as he took this in and nodded slowly. "Thank you, General Acua Aes."
Acua bowed once more and stepped back.
"Now," the Emperor cleared his throat. "We all know here that…that my son was to be next in line for the throne. As he…" he swallowed and Jyou's mother smiled sadly and put her hand on his. His father smiled at her and continued, "As he is gone, so Jyou will be the Emperor when I am gone. My son," he turned to Jyou and Jyou regarded him with a slight nod. "The responsibility is now yours. You must understand the task you will undertake as the next ruler of Reliability."
Jyou nodded again. "Yes, father."
"Jyou, my son. It is serious to take your duties as the future Emperor seriously. Your brother was prepared, but it took him long years to get ready, yet you have such little time to understand and learn."
Gomamon shot up from his seat. "What are you talking about Emperor? Is something going to happen?"
The Emperor sighed grimly concurred, "Yes, Gomamon. Jyou will need to grow up very fast. You see, the Kingdome of Reliability has always been at the edge of the seashore for important reasons. We are the first line of defense our continent has from a possible assault from across the sea. There is a land across Zudo but the sea is too vast for our limited technology to cross. Nothing is known about the lands beyond our reach other than the fact that there is a war brewing there. We have feared for a long time for anything like this to happen, and now it has."
"What do you mean, Father?" Jyou asked urgently.
His eyes were dark as he responded, "My son. There is an ancient prophecy concerning visitors from across the sea. They will bring danger with them and devastation will spread throughout the land at their behest. Therefore, we must prepare the Kingdomes of our lands and our Heirs to go into battle."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The sandstorm had abated. The sun shone hot and bright upon the spotless yellow dunes. The desert air was warm and a gentle breeze was all that remained of the furious cyclones sweeping across the desert, slightly blowing back the tops of the trees in the Oasis of Greymi and adding sand to two curious lumps just outside the oasis. A horn sounded far in the distance.
The large-haired youth rose up from the sand, shaking it out of his burnoose. (A/N: The ten points are back and running! The large-haired part ought to give you a clue.) Unlike the custom of his people, he wore no head turban. After all, the longest agal cord could not tame his brown hair. As soon as his long woolen cloak was free of sand grain, he turned to the small mountain of sand next to him. "Agumon, you can come out now. The storm's over."
A little quivering of the sand and a fiery orange lizard's face popped out of the tiny mountain. "Is that the Tribal Horn I hear, Taichi?"
Taichi Kamiya nodded. "We'll need to get home now. I wonder why they're using it. SandSeadramon!" he called out. "It's time to go!"
Silence. Shaking himself out, Agumon came to stand next to Taichi. "Did he hear you?" The only answer he got was a shrug from his human counterpart. "SandSeadramon!" he shouted into the desert.
A second later, something exploded out of the sand.
Roaring stridently, a humongous figure rose up, columns of sand shooting out behind it, adding a good background to the splendor. It was a long serpent-like creature, looking very much like a Seadramon only its scales were shades of orange and yellow and its 'ears' were a lot larger for its personal air-conditioning system. Also, the scales on its back were raised like spikes.
"Enough dramatics!" the Agumon yelled up to the magnificent creature. "We've got to get back to the tribe!"
The serpentine Digimon paused and looked down at the little orange lizard. "Who gives you the right to boss me around, little lizard?" its booming voice soaring high.
Agumon rolled his eyes. "We're the Tribe Caller's son, don't you forget."
"Kind of hard to, since I'm the Royal Guard of the Tribal Caller." SandSeadramon snorted. "It was a rhetorical question, Agumon."
Taichi cut in. "As much as I'd love to listen to you two arguing, we need to return. There is something about. Otherwise, they wouldn't use the Tribal Horn."
Irritably, the Royal Guard nodded and lowered his coils, allowing Taichi and Agumon to clamber up and grab a hold on his fin spikes. "Now come on. I wouldn't want your grubby hands to smudge my scales. I had them cleaned yesterday."
As they plunged along the sand at breakneck speed, the wind carried one last remark back to the lonely Oasis. "You know, for a Royal Digimon, you sure don't act like one."
"Ever since water is wet."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The red-haired boy walked along the long corridor, his attention completely riveted upon the ancient walls. His eyes scanned the wall's intricate carvings and pictures. He wished that he knew how to read the alien symbols on the walls. What if they could tell him the real story of how humans WERE? Or how Digimon came to be? Or—
"Excuse me, Grand Head of the Council." A voice reverently cut into his thoughts. (A/N: Ten points gone to waste if you haven't gotten this right.)
His head snapped up from his examination of the walls. Koushiro Izumi shook his head dazedly and turned to the boy who called his attention. He was years younger than him and his name was Iori, a trainee of the History Unit.
"Yes, Iori? Please, I'm not like the other scholars. Address me as Koushiro."
"OK. I—I am sorry to interrupt you."
Laughing, Koushiro said, "Be glad that you interrupted me instead of those stuffy scholars." Iori looked scandalized at this.
Koushiro rolled his eyes. "You know how high-and-mighty they can be."
Iori nodded seriously. "Well, you are needed in the Council room." His Armadillomon agreed, nodding his head. "And I suggest you hurry. They are looking a tad bit ruffled at your absence at such a crucial time."
Koushiro shrugged. "The meeting can't start without me." His eyes kept wandering to the walls behind the young black-haired boy. There was a pictogram of twelve people carved on the wall. Two of them looked suspiciously familiar…
A sudden buzzing noise startled Koushiro's inspection of the picture. His Digimon complement Tentomon flew through the halls and to where he stood with Iori and his Digimon. "Koushiro! Koushiro! They need you to start the meeting!"
Koushiro sighed. "Yeah. I'm coming. This'd better be good, though. I'm not in the mood for anything short of prodigious."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Her legs pumped quickly as she raced through the trees. Her breath came out in small sharp exhalations as she sped along. Although the trees looked all the same to someone who didn't belong to the forest Kingdome of Love, each tree and rock was a familiar landmark to her. But this helped her very little. Her pursuer knew most of what she knew about the forest, too. Stealthily, she ducked behind a tree and waited. (A/N: I'll ask you to guess who this 'she' is. I'll give you ten lovely points!)
In order to defeat her hunter, she had to fight back.
Slipping her dagger out from her boot, she tensed, hearing footsteps. As they ran past the old tree she used to play in, she leapt out in time to careen into her chaser. In a mass of yells and shouts as they attempted to best each other, they suddenly tumbled down the hill. The force of the fall forced them apart.
Quickly, she rolled to her feet, short red hair flying and shoved her dagger down, pausing at his throat.
"Do you yield?" her soft voice sounding deadlier than a black widow's poison.
He smirked devilishly at up her. "What else do you think?" This gave her a split second's warning before his foot sprang out and knocked hers out from beneath her. Simultaneously, they sprang up to their feet. Circling each other, they warily eyed their opponent. She realized that the fall down the hill had knocked her dagger several feet back.
He grinned. "Guess you're weaponless now. Yield?"
"You think that I can't fight weaponless? Damn chauvinist. You're in for it, buddy."
"Sure," he drawled. "A fighting style of a woman."
She narrowed her eyes. "What else do you think?" throwing his words back at him right before she launched a flying tackle. With a grunt, he fell down, taking her with him. But he managed to throw her off and into a tree. She rolled back and once again, they got up using rolling techniques.
He ran in for a punch but she spun and evaded his attack. Ending her spin was an impossibly high kick to the back his head (and he was a good deal taller than her, too.). He was propelled forward, nearly face first into a rock which would have marred his perfect features if he hadn't the mind to do a handstand and force himself at her using the tree behind it as a springboard.
As he tackled her down, he held her wrists to the sides of her head. "Yield, woman. Your defeat will be well for me, so no spoiled attitudes now."
Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Certainly, my Lord."
Now, his first mistake which would eventually cause his defeat was to believe that the shimmering in her eyes was defeat or tears, not sheer defiance and pride.
His second was to relax his hold on her wrists.
Her crimson eyes flashed again and her left hand grabbed his fist that had been pinning down her right and punched with all her might into his face. Letting out a cry and staggering back, he rose up a little, flinching. She took the opportunity and drove her head forward and forcefully colliding with his, dazing the both of them.
But he was on the receiving end.
She recovered quickly and rammed him to the ground face first. Grabbing his gold dagger from its sheath and positioning it at the back of his neck, she slammed him into the ground again and hissed, "Yield now."
"Watch the face!" he yelped. "Sora!"
She pressed the point of the knife to the nape of his neck. "Yes, Terry," she said sweetly. "But I must hear you yield first. Otherwise, who's to say you'll forsake your noble birth of noble births and pull a similar trick like that on me? How dishonorable."
"Yield, then," he grunted.
"A Royal Command!" She continued to depress the expensive-looking knife a little more until a little trickling of blood welled up. "See, I can hold the knife here for as long as I want. I'm a patient sufferer, but I'm not sure that you are, so you'd better say it nicely."
A little growl sounded came out from him and with a forcedly pleasant tone, he muttered, "I yield."
A smile grew on Sora Kagami's face and she stood up. Terran Takenouchi rolled over and accepted his old friend's delicate hand. She pulled him up easily. A little of his surprise had registered on his face and she smirked, nearly mirroring the look he had given her earlier.
(A/N: Curious about the names? NOT TELLING!!! [Yet])
"Surprised that little Sora has grown strong without changing her slim figure?"
Her phrase seemed to have mirrored his thoughts exactly. He frowned. "Why is it that you can always read my mind and I yours?"
She shrugged. "No idea, really. Some people even say that we look alike," gesturing to their scarlet hair. "But my eyes are different from your green ones. I guess it's true that you start to look like your best friend if you hang around him for forever. Some people mistake me for you. One time, Mister-High-and-Mighty Chamberlain almost made me wear your clothes! It's a good thing that the serving maid was there to spot me. You should have seen the look on his face!"
They laughed at the mental picture of the Royal Chamberlain's face as they started to walk through the trees. Chatting, they didn't notice thee two Digimon ram right into them. Apparently, the Digimon were engrossed in some story themselves.
"Biyomon!" Sora grinned. "And Elamon! What brings you two here?"
"Why do you two look tired?" Biyomon asked curiously, cocking her pink head.
"I know why!" Elamon's voice soared out cheerfully. His cheerful brown head feathers rustling with resignation. "The Prince and Sora had been at it again!" he gave the two a look.
Sora grinned at the Royal counterpart of the Prince of the Kingdome of Love. "Well, you know that we've got to keep in shape."
Arching his caramel-colored eyebrow, Elamon replied in his haughty voice, "I'm sure that hunting each other down and inflicting physical injury counts as such. However enjoyment you may have running through the forests covered with brambles and sweat—"
Laughing, the small bird Biyomon slapped the brown primate on the back. "You're such a prissy-mon! Just give Terry the announcement and be done with it!"
Rolling his lovely golden eyes, Elamon announced lavishly with a sweep of his cloaked arm, "Heir Prince to the Kingdome of Love, get your Royal rear to the Imperial Clearing this instant!"
Chuckling, Prince Terran asked if Sora could come. Elamon nodded. "In fact, she is requested to."
Startled, Sora tripped over a rock. Terry caught her and scolded, "What happened to the evil huntress who caused me to yield? Was I actually defeated by some klutzy wench?"
Emitting a growl, Sora lunged out of his grip and tackled him. "Say that again," she challenged, holding the front of his tunic in her fist. "I dare you to."
"Which sentence?"
Rolling her eyes, she got up off him and said to Biyomon, "Where to? I've never been to the Imperial Clearing before."
"Follow me, then," Elamon called. He swung up a tree branch and peered back down at them. "Better hurry, eh? I hear that the King and his Digimon friend aren't ones to anger. Banana cream pies could go flying."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The clouds in the sky blocked out the sun, like they did for most of the year. They cast shadows down to the snow that often looked like mysterious dancing raindrops. The patterns they threw upon the beautiful ice palace of Garurunil caused the castle to shine inside with magnificent rays of color. (A/N: After all, light shining through raindrops gives rainbows, right? Hey! I'm adding a bit of science here!)
A youth was perched on the roof of a small turret, staring at the sky. He had the characteristic paleness of skin of his people in the Kingdome of Friendship, slightly difficult to spot in the white snow. His eyes, though, were uncharacteristically pale blue, as his people were all dark-eyed and his hair was an intense gold. (A/N: Ten points! This is a sure giveaway!)
He unknowingly painted the perfect picture: a handsome youth deep in thought perched high above the ground upon an ice roof with hair as bright as the sun contrasted by the dark gloomy sky. (A/N: That's a long run-on sentence.)
Yamato Ishida stirred from his reverie. He knew something was afoot. The artic lands of the Kingdome of Friendship were very close to the western sea. Beyond the sea, nobody knew what was there. Not even the sages of Knowledge or the sea-faring people of Reliability had managed to develop an engine or a ship that could cross that vast ocean.
But lately, if one looked across the sea with a telescope, the skies there were changing. The skies across the sea were black when they were once simply blue throughout the year.
Curious.
He gave the sky one last stare and lithely sprung down from the steep roof to the balcony. Absorbing the shock in his legs, he recovered fast (as he had done this so often) and walked into his room. It was very tense in the Palace. There was supposed to be some messenger from the Kingdome of Reliability but he hadn't appeared yet.
His father, the King of Friendship, had sent out scouts to search the ice land they knew well for the messenger. It must have been an important message, he deemed, for they sent the King of Reliability's own Digimon to the icy realm as a caveat to tell them that a messenger was coming.
"Prince Yamato!" someone came skidding into the room. Her frame was willowy and slender, her hair dark and thick. She was the daughter of the Sorceress Yuki, a family friend.
"Yes Nieve?" (A/N: Pronounced NEEV not NIYEBE)
"Are you done thinking? I've got to show you something!" Her eyes were dancing with excitement.
Rolling his eyes at her animation, he pulled on his shoes and told her that he was done. "So what is it that you're so eager to show me?"
"Istas and I found an aurora!"
Yamato's head shot up. "An aurora? You're kidding me, right?"
Shaking her head excitedly, Nieve jumped onto his large and bounced up and down happily. "Why would we kid you on such a matter like that? Istas is so happy!"
Istas was another one of his friends. She was his cousin, daughter of the Ice Duke Tushar. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were shiny brown as she glided into the room right after Nieve. "Really, Yamato, you've got to believe us! It's in the east side of the castle near the lake so you can't see it from your roof!"
Yamato turned from his friends and looked back out his window. If they were saying things right, and if there really was an aurora borealis, that would mean…
He shrugged as he turned back to them. "Show me the way. If you guys are lying to me, that's nothing off my back, then."
Nieve took on a valiant pose standing on the bed and cried, "We promise that we aren't going to gyp you!"
So off they went, bundling up a little. Although they were used to the cold, it was the colder season of the year.
Before they left, they called for their Digimon. Yamato called for his Digimon, Gabumon. Gabumon was a strange little Digimon who looked like he had a wolf blanket on his shoulders. Gabumon was a very useful Digimon for going out into icy lands. Istas already had her Nevamon with her, a little seal-like creature. Nieve sent for Karlimon, a little mouse-like Digimon who looked perpetually covered with snow. (A/N: It's a Turkish name that means covered with snow, so I decided to overturn a pail of snow over this Digimon before giving it life!!)
"Yamato!" Gabumon ran over to his protégé. "What do you need?"
"Gabumon." Yamato nodded to his friend. "We're going out to the ice and I thought that you'd like to join us."
"Well, I guess I could tear myself away from our Princely duties." Gabumon grinned. "Let's go!"
They all set out into the snowy grounds beyond the palace gates and headed east. The frosty tundra sped by as they rode on their Digivolved Digimon. Yamato set out upon his Garurumon, following the flying Eiramon who was carrying a laughing Istas. Nieve was riding on the back of swiftly hopping Chilalimon.
Soon enough, Eiramon came to a halt on a cliff overlooking an ice lake. "It's up there!" Istas called, pointing to the sky.
Looking up, Yamato saw the dazzling array of lights playing high in the sky. "Amazing," he breathed, and slid of Garurumon. "Garurumon. It's the one we're looking for. Do you know what this means?" he asked without taking his eyes off the aurora.
Sitting back on his enormous haunches, the Digimon nodded. Eiramon came spiraling down to them, landing right next to Garurumon and folding her wing flaps. Chilalimon came to a halt right next to them. "What does it mean?" her mellow voice wondered.
Garurumon replied in his rough voice, "Whenever an Aurora appears in the artic tundra at the coldest times of the year, something will happen."
Yamato nodded. "It is supposedly said that the Aurora is a message from the angels of whoever first placed life upon this planet. But this message is difficult for someone to read. The color of each ray has something to do with prophecy." His eyes wandered over the Aurora.
"So…" Istas' eyes were thoughtful. "Who could read it? It may be important…"
"Yeah," Nieve agreed. She demanded, "So how do you know about this, Yamato?"
He looked back at them, pausing from looking at the beautiful light show. "The messenger will come with a warning. Evil comes from across the Sea of Tides. Life will be threatened and bonds will form. The Prophecy of…hmm…that's a new color. Well, I can't read that word, but it says that the Prophecy thing begins when the Heirs come together. Hmm…" He glanced back at the Aurora.
Nieve looked back at him, eyes wide as saucers. "You can READ it?"
Yamato shrugged. "It's highly unlikely that I was creative enough to make a good spur-of-the-moment lie."
Istas bobbed her head. "And we all know that Yamato is a horrid story- teller."
They stayed there, looking at the Aurora until they heard some screaming coming from below. They peered down and saw someone wildly splashing around in the lake. The three youths stared at the person for a few moments.
Yamato broke the silence, asking his friends, "Should the lake be water?"
Nieve shrugged. "It was all ice and snow the last time I looked. He's a good swimmer." They fell into silence again, watching the poor fellow floundering.
Istas gave a little shudder. "What are we doing? You forget that it's freezing cold in there? We must help him!" She stood up straight and leaped off the cliff as Eiramon flew out. Perfectly synchronized, she landed on her broad back and they flew down to the lake.
"Why haven't we thought of that?" Nieve wondered as she mounted Chilalimon. Together, they sprung down the gorge and raced to the lake. Garurumon picked up the ice prince in a well-practiced move and he leapt up, looking extremely picturesque along with Yamato on his back and the Aurora in the background before they plummeted down.
Yamato couldn't resist letting out an exhilarated whoop as they rapidly fell down the cliff (which was a lot higher than he expected.). Istas was already circling the blonde-haired swimmer, calling out to him, and Nieve and Chilalimon hopped over a protruding rock before getting to the lakeside. Garurumon landed on a springy pile of snow and catapulted over Chilalimon into the water.
"We'll take care of it," he called to his friends over his shoulder. Garurumon easily evaded the large blocks of ice and they soon arrived at the spot where the boy was thrashing around.
"Hey, kid!" Yamato called out. The boy turned to look at him, nearly causing Yamato to fall off Garurumon. He had Yamato's blue eyes. (A/N: Ten points! Ten points! I should make it 5, actually, but I like being nice.)
"Takeru?" Yamato said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"Drowning," his kid brother from the Kingdome of Hope answered as he continued to struggle to keep from slipping under the waves. "And f-f- freezing. Get me out of here!"
Yamato snapped out of his amazement and pulled his brother out of the water onto Garurumon's back.
Garurumon acknowledged the two princes on his back and said, "I'm heading back now, Matt, but where is Takeru's Digimon?"
Takeru answered, "He's supposed to be searching for help, but you guys found me before he could play hero. Thanks." Yamato gave him his fur jacket to quell his freezing.
As they reached the shore, Chilalimon and Nieve were bouncing up and down with worry. "Yamato! Yamato!" Chilalimon shouted. "Who is he? What's he doing here?"
Not to be outdone, Nieve yelled, "Is he all right? Where's his Digimon?" The two soul mates looked at each other and grinned.
Istas and Eiramon gracefully landed next to them. "There is a Digimon heading towards us, Yamato," Eiramon said, folding her flipper-like wings. "It is in the skies."
They all looked up and saw something flapping toward them. Takeru grinned and waved. "It's Patamon!"
As they waited for the flying Digimon to land, Yamato introduced his friends to his brother.
"So now you know who we are," Nieve announced. "But who are you and what are you doing here?"
"My name is Prince Takeru from the Kingdome of Hope and I am Yamato's younger brother. I was sent to bear the Kingdome of Friendship a message of gravest importance."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The vast jungles of the Kingdome of Sincerity are hard for foreigners to navigate in, thus newcomers often hired guides, unless they preferred to unknowingly walk into the lair of a furious Sunimon or stumble onto a mine field of sand traps. And when the herald from the Kingdome of Reliability hired a guide, his business was stated to be with the Empress and the Empress alone.
This news traveled to the Empress's ears and she was prepared to receive the messenger.
The hours dragged by and no couriers appeared at the Temple Palace of Palmera. Empress Mimi Tachikawa's fingers led a staccato beat on her armrest. Palmon, her Royal Digimon companion stared at the jungle scenery around them. A warm wind blew the tops of the trees back slightly.
A few moments after, the young empress exploded from her seat and announced, "I'm tired of all this waiting!" She glanced down at the sentinels by the entrance of the Temple door. She leaned over the balcony and yelled, "You will call me once they arrive! Palmon and I will be at the shrine." She grinned at Palmon. "All this waiting is making my hair stand on end. Let's visit mother."
"Good idea, Mimi!" Palmon exclaimed and hopped off her throne.
The two of them made their way down the Temple Palace's hallways and eventually ended up in front of two large heavy-looking doors. The carvings on each were very ornate and looked like a jungle after rain has fallen. Close inspections revealed the dew drops falling off the leaves and the slight mist in the air.
The guards gaped at her. They had not expected to see the Imperial Empress and her Digimon come by today.
Mimi stood there, tapping her feet impatiently. It was fine to let them have a look, but did they have to take so long? Soon, she grew edgy at the prolonged wait and yelled, "Open the door already!"
They came back to life and hastily unbolted the doors, pulling them open.
Mimi stepped in and barely remembered to thank the guards. She always enjoyed coming into the shrine as a little girl. It was a lovely and large place and occupied a larger part of Palmera. There were exotic and tropical flowers everywhere, which were being attended to by several priestesses-in- training. The strong overpowering scent of sun begonias filled her nostrils as she walked to a particular altar.
'Mother always did love sun begonias…they were just like her personality…'
Mimi and Palmon bowed their heads in reverence. Palmon's eyes were misted over and Mimi was lost in her thoughts as she stared at the appropriately decorated altar.
Her father had died long before her mother did, but it didn't matter to the kingdom. Only women ruled the Kingdome of Sincerity, after all. There never was anything like an Emperor ruling in Palmera. The blood of the first Tachikawa ran in Mimi's blood, coming from her mother's line. (A/N: In Sincerity, things are different with the last names and all. You see, they take the maiden name as their last ones.)
Her mother wasn't born an Empress but was next in line for the throne. The cruel and bitter Empress who had ruled before the Tachikawa regime had mysteriously died. Her remaining followers continually persecuted her mother as she ascended the throne, accusing her of an assassination. Further study of the death revealed that there were no toxins found in her bloodstream. Eventually, the previous Empress's zealots stopped their harassment once it was clear that the Tachikawa family had nothing to do with her death.
(A/N: Damned politics.)
The Tachikawa reign was ruled justly but eventually, the fanatics rose again and attacked Mimi's mother through food poisoning. She had died due to a poison so rare and deadly that it would take years to cultivate a single seed. Mimi was merely five years of age when her father perished in an accident but she was thirteen years old when she ascended the throne.
Mimi often thought about this with curiosity. Her first few years as the Empress were difficult, as she was too young to understand politics. She never understood how she had survived the court. There still seemed to be too many of the earlier Empress's supporters to be comfortable and she still had a lot to learn about being a ruler.
She missed her mother so much. She hadn't really known her father that well, but she and her mother were so close to each other. Mimi frequently wished that her mother was still with her to guide her. She lost her temper too many times whenever her servants did the littlest of errors. She regretted doing all that, but still wished that…
'No…wishing never solves anything…'
She gave one last regretful sigh before she and Palmon rose their heads.
Palmon looked at her mistress and took her hand. "Mimi," her sweet voice said. "We're gonna make it through, don't you worry. She would be so proud of what we've become."
Mimi gave her a watery smile and hugged the plant-like Digimon tightly. "You're right, Palmon. I love you so much." She sniffed, a very un-Royal action. "Thanks."
"Um…Empress Mimi?" Someone was standing behind her and she turned to look. It was the lavender-haired High Priestess, Miyako Inoue. She, like Mimi, had assumed her title young, and the two of them became fast friends, although there was a gap in their ages. They were introduced when Mimi became the Empress of the Kingdome of Sincerity, as Miyako's position was the second most important station as the High Priestess of Palmera.
Miyako, unlike Mimi, was born to her title and had both of her parents and a full set of siblings to be her support during her harder training sessions of studying to become fit to rule.
"What is it, Miyako?" Mimi smiled irritably at her friend, who looked troubled.
"Mimi…something is in the air and I don't like it. The messenger has arrived and…" Miyako hesitated. "Well…I'm afraid that he brings tidings of danger. It would be wise to prepare for the worst."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Every morning, the citizens of the Kingdome of Kindness would see the heir Prince and his Royal Companion (his Digimon) run past in a hurry to get to the highest levels of the Great Wormtii Tree. They often would be greeted before the Prince ran past. Their Prince's name was a rather plain one, but it suited him well, for he wasn't known to be a pompous prig.
Prince Ken of Ichijouji waved cheerfully to several people who knew him well. In spite of everything, Ken and Wormmon, his Digimon, often encountered them on their way to the highest branch which overlooked the land. After all, the height of the tree was immeasurable. Up there, they could see leagues around, the entire forest of Biyoara and glimpses of the desert of Agunatra. The seashore was also visible, along with occasional flickering views of the city within it.
The twosome emerged from within the trunk to the broad main branches. He greeted the citizens who lived on this area. It was a lovely place, particularly because it was shaded by the higher branch, and they had a little village built here. It was named Worsamin Village. This village had the advantage to getting most of the assorted fruit Wormtii provided and was a thriving community.
Ken looked up then back to Wormmon. "Ready?" The little worm Digimon nodded and replied, "Let's go!" He picked the Digimon up, placing him onto his shoulder, and said, "Hold tight, all right?"
Thus the Prince began his daily climb to get to the winch that would take them up to the highest levels of the tree. He had to climb using the branches that covered the outer bark of the tree. These branches were smaller versions of the enormous ones that were large enough to build villages on and were equally as sturdy.
After half an hour of easy climbing, they reached another main branch. This bough was where the winch was situated. Ken put Wormmon down and made his way down the branch to the winch. The winch was a something like a pulley, but more advanced. When the people from Knowledge visited a long time ago, they devised the winch so the citizens of Kindness could traverse their Home Tree easily. The winch crossed through the entire exterior of the massive tree.
Ken and Wormmon hurried catch the winch coach they always used. They didn't need to worry about getting a seat on the winch, as crowded as it tended to get. The workers who used the winch daily got to know the heir very well, as he also needed to use the winch every day to get to the top of the tree, and always saved the two of them a seat.
They made it just in time as the coach doors closed and started its rise to the higher levels.
"Over here, Highness! I saved you a seat!" a rather rough voice called. Ken glanced in the direction of the voice and saw his friend, Seflisster, waving to him. He grinned and made his way over. Several people bowed deferentially as he crossed their paths. He and Wormmon plopped into the seats Seflisster provided rather thankfully.
Ken and Seflisster started a conversation as the coach rose through the air. Wormmon was playing a game with Seflisster's Digimon, a spry-looking dragonfly named Odonatamon.
As he and Seflisster discussed the construction of the latest underground caverns, a sudden lurch caused everyone to fall from their seats. Ken glanced out the windows and saw that they were at one of the higher levels across the trunk. This was wrong; the coach wasn't assigned to stop here.
Startled, someone asked the engineer if something was wrong.
"No, no…" the engineer murmured, looking back. "Nothing's wrong. Are any of you all right? I'm sorry."
"We're fine," Ken spoke up. "But why did you stop us here?"
She replied, "Your Highness, I just received a correspondence commanding me to bring you to this level. Your father has sent for you and it seems that he would like it very much if you made your way to the Stingilens Court immediately." The other people in the coach started to buzz with confusion and curiosity.
"What's the matter?" Ken asked urgently. "Did he say anything about why he called me?" He was apprehensive. The last time something so urgent had summoned him from his daily venture, it was to inform him that his brother had died.
The young engineer looked back at the dispatch and looked back, worry apparent in her eyes. "Your Highness…there isn't anything here other than a demand to get you there. You must hurry. There may be lives at stake."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The magnificent splendor of the city of Angewotep was inscribed in countless ballads and verses as incomparable and rightly so. It was a beautiful city that rivaled the fairy-tale grandeur of Gomatelen, deep within the sea. The golden walls of the city alone were causes for awe. The Palace of Gatoris was even more astounding to see, if it was possible, and it was. The soaring towers were breathtaking and the gardens of desert flowers were stunning splashes of color across a gold canvas.
The people of Angewotep were all with dark hair and surprisingly pale complexions, although they wore light clothing that didn't exactly keep them safe from the sun. Perhaps they were different, as the Realm of Light was the most ancient of all Kingdomes. Their bloodlines spanned innumerable millennia.
The most royal and longest ancestry belonged to the single unbroken heritage which tapered off to the young Princess Hikari. She was a young girl who would be the Queen of her kingdom when her mother reached the age of sixty. As her mother was still pretty young, she had a long wait and didn't mind at all.
Although servants catered to her every whim, she had never been allowed out in the desert for fear of stray Digimon. The city of Angewotep was a large place, but it did little to soothe her desire to travel and see the world. Not only did she wish to journey across the world, she wished to do the simpler thing and meet her brother for the first time. (A/N: Another case of 'So close yet so far'.)
Her brother, Taichi Kamiya by name, lived with the desert people of Courage and was son to the Tribal Caller, equivalent to a King among the desert vagabonds. Her mother, as a requirement due to some ancient treaty, wed the Tribal Caller's son due to the conditions of the accord. She, according to an ancient prophecy divined by the last seeress, was to be the mother of a great ruler.
As of yet, Hikari had given no sign to be a great ruler. At least, to her she hadn't. Hikari spent most of her time studying the ancient prophecies in the library when she wasn't staring out into the desert on the highest tower. She was continuously fascinated by the accuracy of them when compared to history.
Hikari ran her finger down the page until she spotted the area she last finished reading before she was called to her duties. Her companion, the Royal Gatomon, was seated on the heavy oak palm table and also scanning through a scroll. Her tail ring flashed crimson in the torchlight as it danced around.
Absently, her eyes skimmed the words but her mind registered every single character on the page. The citizens of Light had started using books a century ago, but scrolls were still used frequently.
Suddenly, her hands moved on their own accord and knocked aside the book she had been reading, reaching for a strange-looking scroll she hadn't ever seen in all her years within the library. She was startled and tried to turn to Gatomon for help, but she could not move on her own bidding. Her fingers flipped through the pages, eventually landing on a single page and her eyes were riveted to the page. Almost mechanically, the words burned themselves into her memory. Her eyes read without her prompting.
But what of the land across the sea? Mine eye sees though they are blindfolded, and see they a world of continuous strife. Aye, the land we know little of is a perilous one indeed. Yet destiny saw it fit to besiege me with visions of life there. On the day when devastation strikes true on the Blue City will time be threatened by a Shade of Iniquity from across the great boundless ocean. The king falls under the assault of the Bloodless Shadow, his spirit flees. On this moment will one true meaning of the foresight be interpreted under the sparkling waves of our pure sea and a siren will be spread throughout the kingdoms of the lands in the east, for a cloaked Menace stalks the innocent peace. Darkness.
Thus the Futures of the Kingdomes under the calendar of Knowledge will set eyes upon each other for the first time. Lo! For bonds will be made unbreakable and nothing in all its evilness shall severe it. Thus was familiar to the link with a human and his Soul-Friend. Nothing short of death may cause the ties to break.
The Seeker of the Past will discover that prophecy lies within the walls of his home, hidden in ancient characterizations only one of the most ancient Kingdome can translate. As the divinations of seers of old are unraveled, the future also is taking place as the eyes of Dusk burn with death. The once-pure land of the East will start to mold upon itself and greatness the product of the Bonding Seed be met with destruction from within.
Yes, Instrument of the Mighty Sun. Thine eyes art trapped unto this parchment, like the striped bee to the lovely sun begonia within the jungles of the East, for it is of great consequence that mine Prophecy be known to thee. Nothing may rend thy sight from the words inscribed. Thou wilt hearken unto mine words millions of revolutions after I have rested mine bones upon the earth I stand on. Thou must keep these words with thee, for thy tasks art of greatest importance and wrought with peril. Choose thy path wisely and understand the meaning of the Counsel of Light, for his outlooks on life wilt aid thee greatly.
Take this with thee and knowest that what I tell thee is true. Thy eyes will return to thee now, for thou knowest of the great import mine message possesses. A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading, bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency, and nothing will be the same again. Thus will thee know that all said here is valid.
The tragedy shalt be know to thee and the sand which is familiar to thee shalt be turned to black grains under the glare of the sky. Be warned, child! Thus will be the handiwork of the fiend who spread death like a disease far away, the monster who sheared the Stone of Life apart! The Stone of Life in thy land is well-hidden, though that will stop the shadow not. Protect it, and when the Marks are joined together in the place above the sky, it will reveal itself. Care for thy life at the moment of darkness, for the flying arrow hides deadly deceptions. Thou must fight! For if the seed of evil spreads over thee, thy life will be forfeit and all will rend to pieces, floating in the wind of evil. Be warned, Instrument of the Sun, for thou wilt be weaker than a newborn pup when the sun covers its eyes. Live well and take comfort in thy surroundings, for dark times run before us with evil at its heels.
(A/N: Man, that sounded cool. All lovely gibberish to me!)
The weathered book suddenly snapped shut and Hikari reeled back, her back rigid on the soft posterior of the chair. She was slightly wheezing, for the strange compulsion of her eyes to read had returned her will with great force. Her head rang and she placed a hand on her temple, wincing at the effort she required to lift her hand.
Gatomon glanced at her mistress with concern etched upon her feline face. "Hikari. Are you all right?"
Hikari slowly placed her hand on the parchment and returned the other to her lap. She then looked up at her Digimon. 'Should I tell her what just happened? Do I believe what happened?' She tilted her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Gatomon. Just a little spell of dizziness."
Gatomon still looked worried. "Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't have tried that aroma Eleni had given you."
"And why not?"
"Well, isn't she noted for being a famous assassin? She enjoys intrigue and those dangerous games you two play are often deadly. Pure dumb luck is the only thing that saves you two from blowing Gatoris up."
Hikari shrugged. "The two of us graduated from the assassin training. What else do you expect?"
The cat Digimon looked at her with what could only be described as frustration and sighed. "Never mind." She suddenly sprang off the table and landed on Hikari's lap, nuzzling deeply into her arms.
The brown-haired girl smiled gently and closed her eyes. A breeze ran through the pillars of the room and ruffled her hair, which she kept short according to the latest fashion in Angewotep. (A/N: Short hair rules!) She closed her eyes and smiled gently.
"Princess Hikari!"
Her head jerked up in surprise and the two of them turned to the archway where a dark-haired girl stood. It was Eleni, the one whose games she and Hikari often undertook in frequently were cause for worrry. Eleni was her cousin, and they both often played dangerous games with each other, Eleni in hopes of her succession to the throne and Hikari because she simply enjoyed them.
Of course, Eleni was never serious.
"Yes, Eleni?" she stood up. Gatomon jumped back onto the table, greeting Eleni's Digimon, the black and yellow cat Felismon. The two cats nodded to each other, tails waving accordingly.
"Your mother calls for you. She's asking you to make your presence at the hall." Eleni smiled at her cousin.
A cold feeling dominated all others as Hikari froze. "Wh-what for?"
Eleni shrugged. "Some messenger from Gomatelen came here today. He looks ragged. Why do you ask? In my opinion, princesses should do their duties without any questions."
'A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading…'
Hikari put on a forced smile. "It's nothing, Eleni." Gatomon looked at her curiously,
'…Bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency…'
"Is it serious?" Hikari got up and gestured to Gatomon to follow her. Both of them walked down the open corridors with Eleni and Felismon, leaving the breezy library behind.
Eleni shrugged. "There was a sense of exigency in your mother's voice when she commanded me to find you." She shook her head, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "As if I were some kind of servant."
"What do you mean?" the smaller girl asked.
"Well, the queen had broken the chalice she was drinking from. I honestly didn't know that auntie had that sort of strength in her." Eleni continued to banter on and Hikari by now had drowned her out. She was immersed in her thoughts. What the old seeress had said was true. A courier HAD come. There was urgency in this letter. But what about the last part?
They finally reached the grand open hall. Hikari bowed gracefully to her mother, as did her cousin and their Digimon. The Queen smiled at them, although it was strained. There was a piece of parchment in her hand and evidence of a spill of wine at her feet. She, it appeared, had not allowed any of the servant to clean it up for her.
"You sent for me, mother?" Hikari asked as soon as she was allowed to take her seat next to her mother's throne.
The Queen nodded, her eyes grim. "Hikari, my daughter. How would you like to see your brother, Taichi?"
Hikari's heart leapt. Surely nothing bad would come out of this, if she would be granted the liberty to do so! She would be able to see her brother at last! What happened in the library must have simply been a little coincidence. "Mother, of course!" she exclaimed, glancing excitedly at Gatomon, whose eyes mirrored the joy Hikari felt strongly.
"Hikari…" her mother cleared her throat. "Today, a message was conveyed unto us from the Kingdome of Reliability. Now—"
"You mean brother Taichi is in Gomatelen? Are we going to Gomatelen?" She was so excited.
"Hikari." Her mother's stern tone indicated that she shouldn't have interrupted and that her behavior was unseemly. "I haven't finished speaking yet. Please wait until I am done."
The princess bowed her head. "Sorry, mother."
The older woman smiled and took up where she left off. "As I was saying, Hikari, something important has happened in the city of Gomatelen. The Heir Prince died, leaving young Jyou to the throne."
A crash resounded outside and several people screamed. And the world was thrust into darkness. Hikari's eyes glazed over as pain shot through her shoulder. Her eyelids lowered and she fell to the floor, no longer feeling anything. Not even fear.
'…And nothing will be the same again.'
****
Cryptic, isn't it?
****
The blood slowly dripped down to the gushing floor. Collapsing in a heap deep within the flooding ground, the man let out his last breath as the shadowy figure let out an evil ear-shattering laugh. The youth's companions had fled a long time ago. The fool stayed there, supposedly giving them a chance to escape. There was a bit of protest here, and the evil cared little for the reason, though he knew it not. But it deduced that perhaps its victim had been of some substance to have such staunch companions.
The youthful man and his strange animal had certainly given it a bit of trouble. But that was all well, for the more resistance it encountered in a victim, the more spirit they possessed within their filthy living bodies.
And the figure of darkness fed on such lively spirits.
The fish swam by, ignoring the murky character as he seemed to glimmer with darkness. They had no interest in these affairs. Perhaps they would tell certain Digimon, those who were one with the water, but it was doubtable that they would remember it after feeding. They swiftly avoided the gaping hole the cloaked figure had created to enter.
The ghostly silhouette stared at the fish. 'All life must be vanquished…' A shadowy appendage shot out to drain the life out of the innocent and simple creatures when knives of pain shot through the arm. Crumpling to the floor, it deemed itself too weak to be able to do any more.
'But my time will come soon…Life shall crumble beneath my rule…'
Shouts rang out through the glassy hallway. The dead one's attendants had managed to send out the alarm of danger. More lifelings would be coming along soon.
'But I will be back to destroy. And none will live to stand in my way. My reign of dread begins….'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
An announcement rang throughout the glassy corridors. There had been an incident in the Outer Levels of the outskirts of the Kingdome of Reliability. Someone was brutally murdered then actually partly-eaten. It was a young man. Nothing more. But it was important to Jyou, the Prince of Gomatelen.
And the new heir to the throne of the Emperor of the Kingdome of Reliability.
Yes, the man whose life was mysteriously ended was his older brother.
(A/N: I didn't want to do it! I don't write about deaths! No, no, no, no!! No one but the bad guy's supposed to die. But how the heck am I supposed to kick Joe into the Emperor's seat?)
Jyou and his water-going Digimon, Gomamon, stared blankly at the sea world beyond the glass coverings. Both of them were seated in the Imperial Hall as condolences were being delivered by the score. Jyou still couldn't believe that this happened.
'He is dead.'
The thought echoed in his and Gomamon's minds and they glanced at each other, each a mirror of sadness. Gomamon had also been close to his brother's Digimon. They both felt the loss very keenly, perhaps more keenly than his silently weeping mother or his devastated father. The brothers were as dear to each other as the sea was to the Kingdome of Reliability.
In other words, the sea was their lives and they dedicated themselves to it.
Jyou's life wasn't over, but a part of him had died and was also eaten by some demon-like creature.
It brought matters to another area, though. What could have possibly been strong enough to fall someone like his brother, who was the best warrior in the realm along with his Digimon? It certainly was something powerful enough to cause a break in the diastone-hard glass walls which protected Gomatelen from the great pressure of the vast ocean of Zudo. There were specialists and architects at the outskirt sectors accompanied by several well-trained warriors attempting to seal the vast rooms. The area where the Emperor's first heir died and several adjacent other supply sector crystals had been annihilated by the sea pressure and they had managed to rescue his body through the scouts of the areas.
It was distressing that the sector crystals were destroyed but the death count was a devastating number of fifty-eight. There had never been many murders or calamities in Gomatelen; ten was an unbearable number. (A/N: Might seem small to you fellows, eh?)
The hours flew past and soon the trusted guards of the realm shut the massive doors which lead to the hall. There were no more sympathizers and all who were left in the court room were his father's most trusted advisors.
He and Gomamon exchanged a glance then turned to look at his parents.
His mother's tears had subsided but one look at her revealed the depth of her pain. After all, she and her oldest son were close, too, although Jyou was more like his mother (a scholar, not a warrior). Her face became more regal and imperious than he had ever seen it. His father's morose face was business like as he straightened himself up more on his throne.
A realization came to him and he spoke up. "Father. Mother. There's a lot more to his death, isn't there? What's happening? What was he doing there in the first place?" Jyou was bursting with questions.
His father held up a hand. "That is what we are here to discuss." He glanced at who he asked to remain in the room and they stepped up onto the dais, bowing slightly.
"State the destruction, General Acua Aes," he said to one of Jyou's friends.
The navy-haired girl stepped forward and bowed again. "Emperor Kido, the impact of the sea caused by the breach hole damaged several sector crystals and one major dwelling crystal was partly damaged, but the workers have managed to patch the hole and set off the pressure locks, so only half of the crystal was shattered. The harm to the belongings and other things is off the rack and death toll is…the death toll is fifty-eight people, most killed by the collapsing of the crystals, some by drowning and others of different methods."
The Emperor's face was grave as he took this in and nodded slowly. "Thank you, General Acua Aes."
Acua bowed once more and stepped back.
"Now," the Emperor cleared his throat. "We all know here that…that my son was to be next in line for the throne. As he…" he swallowed and Jyou's mother smiled sadly and put her hand on his. His father smiled at her and continued, "As he is gone, so Jyou will be the Emperor when I am gone. My son," he turned to Jyou and Jyou regarded him with a slight nod. "The responsibility is now yours. You must understand the task you will undertake as the next ruler of Reliability."
Jyou nodded again. "Yes, father."
"Jyou, my son. It is serious to take your duties as the future Emperor seriously. Your brother was prepared, but it took him long years to get ready, yet you have such little time to understand and learn."
Gomamon shot up from his seat. "What are you talking about Emperor? Is something going to happen?"
The Emperor sighed grimly concurred, "Yes, Gomamon. Jyou will need to grow up very fast. You see, the Kingdome of Reliability has always been at the edge of the seashore for important reasons. We are the first line of defense our continent has from a possible assault from across the sea. There is a land across Zudo but the sea is too vast for our limited technology to cross. Nothing is known about the lands beyond our reach other than the fact that there is a war brewing there. We have feared for a long time for anything like this to happen, and now it has."
"What do you mean, Father?" Jyou asked urgently.
His eyes were dark as he responded, "My son. There is an ancient prophecy concerning visitors from across the sea. They will bring danger with them and devastation will spread throughout the land at their behest. Therefore, we must prepare the Kingdomes of our lands and our Heirs to go into battle."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The sandstorm had abated. The sun shone hot and bright upon the spotless yellow dunes. The desert air was warm and a gentle breeze was all that remained of the furious cyclones sweeping across the desert, slightly blowing back the tops of the trees in the Oasis of Greymi and adding sand to two curious lumps just outside the oasis. A horn sounded far in the distance.
The large-haired youth rose up from the sand, shaking it out of his burnoose. (A/N: The ten points are back and running! The large-haired part ought to give you a clue.) Unlike the custom of his people, he wore no head turban. After all, the longest agal cord could not tame his brown hair. As soon as his long woolen cloak was free of sand grain, he turned to the small mountain of sand next to him. "Agumon, you can come out now. The storm's over."
A little quivering of the sand and a fiery orange lizard's face popped out of the tiny mountain. "Is that the Tribal Horn I hear, Taichi?"
Taichi Kamiya nodded. "We'll need to get home now. I wonder why they're using it. SandSeadramon!" he called out. "It's time to go!"
Silence. Shaking himself out, Agumon came to stand next to Taichi. "Did he hear you?" The only answer he got was a shrug from his human counterpart. "SandSeadramon!" he shouted into the desert.
A second later, something exploded out of the sand.
Roaring stridently, a humongous figure rose up, columns of sand shooting out behind it, adding a good background to the splendor. It was a long serpent-like creature, looking very much like a Seadramon only its scales were shades of orange and yellow and its 'ears' were a lot larger for its personal air-conditioning system. Also, the scales on its back were raised like spikes.
"Enough dramatics!" the Agumon yelled up to the magnificent creature. "We've got to get back to the tribe!"
The serpentine Digimon paused and looked down at the little orange lizard. "Who gives you the right to boss me around, little lizard?" its booming voice soaring high.
Agumon rolled his eyes. "We're the Tribe Caller's son, don't you forget."
"Kind of hard to, since I'm the Royal Guard of the Tribal Caller." SandSeadramon snorted. "It was a rhetorical question, Agumon."
Taichi cut in. "As much as I'd love to listen to you two arguing, we need to return. There is something about. Otherwise, they wouldn't use the Tribal Horn."
Irritably, the Royal Guard nodded and lowered his coils, allowing Taichi and Agumon to clamber up and grab a hold on his fin spikes. "Now come on. I wouldn't want your grubby hands to smudge my scales. I had them cleaned yesterday."
As they plunged along the sand at breakneck speed, the wind carried one last remark back to the lonely Oasis. "You know, for a Royal Digimon, you sure don't act like one."
"Ever since water is wet."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The red-haired boy walked along the long corridor, his attention completely riveted upon the ancient walls. His eyes scanned the wall's intricate carvings and pictures. He wished that he knew how to read the alien symbols on the walls. What if they could tell him the real story of how humans WERE? Or how Digimon came to be? Or—
"Excuse me, Grand Head of the Council." A voice reverently cut into his thoughts. (A/N: Ten points gone to waste if you haven't gotten this right.)
His head snapped up from his examination of the walls. Koushiro Izumi shook his head dazedly and turned to the boy who called his attention. He was years younger than him and his name was Iori, a trainee of the History Unit.
"Yes, Iori? Please, I'm not like the other scholars. Address me as Koushiro."
"OK. I—I am sorry to interrupt you."
Laughing, Koushiro said, "Be glad that you interrupted me instead of those stuffy scholars." Iori looked scandalized at this.
Koushiro rolled his eyes. "You know how high-and-mighty they can be."
Iori nodded seriously. "Well, you are needed in the Council room." His Armadillomon agreed, nodding his head. "And I suggest you hurry. They are looking a tad bit ruffled at your absence at such a crucial time."
Koushiro shrugged. "The meeting can't start without me." His eyes kept wandering to the walls behind the young black-haired boy. There was a pictogram of twelve people carved on the wall. Two of them looked suspiciously familiar…
A sudden buzzing noise startled Koushiro's inspection of the picture. His Digimon complement Tentomon flew through the halls and to where he stood with Iori and his Digimon. "Koushiro! Koushiro! They need you to start the meeting!"
Koushiro sighed. "Yeah. I'm coming. This'd better be good, though. I'm not in the mood for anything short of prodigious."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Her legs pumped quickly as she raced through the trees. Her breath came out in small sharp exhalations as she sped along. Although the trees looked all the same to someone who didn't belong to the forest Kingdome of Love, each tree and rock was a familiar landmark to her. But this helped her very little. Her pursuer knew most of what she knew about the forest, too. Stealthily, she ducked behind a tree and waited. (A/N: I'll ask you to guess who this 'she' is. I'll give you ten lovely points!)
In order to defeat her hunter, she had to fight back.
Slipping her dagger out from her boot, she tensed, hearing footsteps. As they ran past the old tree she used to play in, she leapt out in time to careen into her chaser. In a mass of yells and shouts as they attempted to best each other, they suddenly tumbled down the hill. The force of the fall forced them apart.
Quickly, she rolled to her feet, short red hair flying and shoved her dagger down, pausing at his throat.
"Do you yield?" her soft voice sounding deadlier than a black widow's poison.
He smirked devilishly at up her. "What else do you think?" This gave her a split second's warning before his foot sprang out and knocked hers out from beneath her. Simultaneously, they sprang up to their feet. Circling each other, they warily eyed their opponent. She realized that the fall down the hill had knocked her dagger several feet back.
He grinned. "Guess you're weaponless now. Yield?"
"You think that I can't fight weaponless? Damn chauvinist. You're in for it, buddy."
"Sure," he drawled. "A fighting style of a woman."
She narrowed her eyes. "What else do you think?" throwing his words back at him right before she launched a flying tackle. With a grunt, he fell down, taking her with him. But he managed to throw her off and into a tree. She rolled back and once again, they got up using rolling techniques.
He ran in for a punch but she spun and evaded his attack. Ending her spin was an impossibly high kick to the back his head (and he was a good deal taller than her, too.). He was propelled forward, nearly face first into a rock which would have marred his perfect features if he hadn't the mind to do a handstand and force himself at her using the tree behind it as a springboard.
As he tackled her down, he held her wrists to the sides of her head. "Yield, woman. Your defeat will be well for me, so no spoiled attitudes now."
Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Certainly, my Lord."
Now, his first mistake which would eventually cause his defeat was to believe that the shimmering in her eyes was defeat or tears, not sheer defiance and pride.
His second was to relax his hold on her wrists.
Her crimson eyes flashed again and her left hand grabbed his fist that had been pinning down her right and punched with all her might into his face. Letting out a cry and staggering back, he rose up a little, flinching. She took the opportunity and drove her head forward and forcefully colliding with his, dazing the both of them.
But he was on the receiving end.
She recovered quickly and rammed him to the ground face first. Grabbing his gold dagger from its sheath and positioning it at the back of his neck, she slammed him into the ground again and hissed, "Yield now."
"Watch the face!" he yelped. "Sora!"
She pressed the point of the knife to the nape of his neck. "Yes, Terry," she said sweetly. "But I must hear you yield first. Otherwise, who's to say you'll forsake your noble birth of noble births and pull a similar trick like that on me? How dishonorable."
"Yield, then," he grunted.
"A Royal Command!" She continued to depress the expensive-looking knife a little more until a little trickling of blood welled up. "See, I can hold the knife here for as long as I want. I'm a patient sufferer, but I'm not sure that you are, so you'd better say it nicely."
A little growl sounded came out from him and with a forcedly pleasant tone, he muttered, "I yield."
A smile grew on Sora Kagami's face and she stood up. Terran Takenouchi rolled over and accepted his old friend's delicate hand. She pulled him up easily. A little of his surprise had registered on his face and she smirked, nearly mirroring the look he had given her earlier.
(A/N: Curious about the names? NOT TELLING!!! [Yet])
"Surprised that little Sora has grown strong without changing her slim figure?"
Her phrase seemed to have mirrored his thoughts exactly. He frowned. "Why is it that you can always read my mind and I yours?"
She shrugged. "No idea, really. Some people even say that we look alike," gesturing to their scarlet hair. "But my eyes are different from your green ones. I guess it's true that you start to look like your best friend if you hang around him for forever. Some people mistake me for you. One time, Mister-High-and-Mighty Chamberlain almost made me wear your clothes! It's a good thing that the serving maid was there to spot me. You should have seen the look on his face!"
They laughed at the mental picture of the Royal Chamberlain's face as they started to walk through the trees. Chatting, they didn't notice thee two Digimon ram right into them. Apparently, the Digimon were engrossed in some story themselves.
"Biyomon!" Sora grinned. "And Elamon! What brings you two here?"
"Why do you two look tired?" Biyomon asked curiously, cocking her pink head.
"I know why!" Elamon's voice soared out cheerfully. His cheerful brown head feathers rustling with resignation. "The Prince and Sora had been at it again!" he gave the two a look.
Sora grinned at the Royal counterpart of the Prince of the Kingdome of Love. "Well, you know that we've got to keep in shape."
Arching his caramel-colored eyebrow, Elamon replied in his haughty voice, "I'm sure that hunting each other down and inflicting physical injury counts as such. However enjoyment you may have running through the forests covered with brambles and sweat—"
Laughing, the small bird Biyomon slapped the brown primate on the back. "You're such a prissy-mon! Just give Terry the announcement and be done with it!"
Rolling his lovely golden eyes, Elamon announced lavishly with a sweep of his cloaked arm, "Heir Prince to the Kingdome of Love, get your Royal rear to the Imperial Clearing this instant!"
Chuckling, Prince Terran asked if Sora could come. Elamon nodded. "In fact, she is requested to."
Startled, Sora tripped over a rock. Terry caught her and scolded, "What happened to the evil huntress who caused me to yield? Was I actually defeated by some klutzy wench?"
Emitting a growl, Sora lunged out of his grip and tackled him. "Say that again," she challenged, holding the front of his tunic in her fist. "I dare you to."
"Which sentence?"
Rolling her eyes, she got up off him and said to Biyomon, "Where to? I've never been to the Imperial Clearing before."
"Follow me, then," Elamon called. He swung up a tree branch and peered back down at them. "Better hurry, eh? I hear that the King and his Digimon friend aren't ones to anger. Banana cream pies could go flying."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The clouds in the sky blocked out the sun, like they did for most of the year. They cast shadows down to the snow that often looked like mysterious dancing raindrops. The patterns they threw upon the beautiful ice palace of Garurunil caused the castle to shine inside with magnificent rays of color. (A/N: After all, light shining through raindrops gives rainbows, right? Hey! I'm adding a bit of science here!)
A youth was perched on the roof of a small turret, staring at the sky. He had the characteristic paleness of skin of his people in the Kingdome of Friendship, slightly difficult to spot in the white snow. His eyes, though, were uncharacteristically pale blue, as his people were all dark-eyed and his hair was an intense gold. (A/N: Ten points! This is a sure giveaway!)
He unknowingly painted the perfect picture: a handsome youth deep in thought perched high above the ground upon an ice roof with hair as bright as the sun contrasted by the dark gloomy sky. (A/N: That's a long run-on sentence.)
Yamato Ishida stirred from his reverie. He knew something was afoot. The artic lands of the Kingdome of Friendship were very close to the western sea. Beyond the sea, nobody knew what was there. Not even the sages of Knowledge or the sea-faring people of Reliability had managed to develop an engine or a ship that could cross that vast ocean.
But lately, if one looked across the sea with a telescope, the skies there were changing. The skies across the sea were black when they were once simply blue throughout the year.
Curious.
He gave the sky one last stare and lithely sprung down from the steep roof to the balcony. Absorbing the shock in his legs, he recovered fast (as he had done this so often) and walked into his room. It was very tense in the Palace. There was supposed to be some messenger from the Kingdome of Reliability but he hadn't appeared yet.
His father, the King of Friendship, had sent out scouts to search the ice land they knew well for the messenger. It must have been an important message, he deemed, for they sent the King of Reliability's own Digimon to the icy realm as a caveat to tell them that a messenger was coming.
"Prince Yamato!" someone came skidding into the room. Her frame was willowy and slender, her hair dark and thick. She was the daughter of the Sorceress Yuki, a family friend.
"Yes Nieve?" (A/N: Pronounced NEEV not NIYEBE)
"Are you done thinking? I've got to show you something!" Her eyes were dancing with excitement.
Rolling his eyes at her animation, he pulled on his shoes and told her that he was done. "So what is it that you're so eager to show me?"
"Istas and I found an aurora!"
Yamato's head shot up. "An aurora? You're kidding me, right?"
Shaking her head excitedly, Nieve jumped onto his large and bounced up and down happily. "Why would we kid you on such a matter like that? Istas is so happy!"
Istas was another one of his friends. She was his cousin, daughter of the Ice Duke Tushar. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were shiny brown as she glided into the room right after Nieve. "Really, Yamato, you've got to believe us! It's in the east side of the castle near the lake so you can't see it from your roof!"
Yamato turned from his friends and looked back out his window. If they were saying things right, and if there really was an aurora borealis, that would mean…
He shrugged as he turned back to them. "Show me the way. If you guys are lying to me, that's nothing off my back, then."
Nieve took on a valiant pose standing on the bed and cried, "We promise that we aren't going to gyp you!"
So off they went, bundling up a little. Although they were used to the cold, it was the colder season of the year.
Before they left, they called for their Digimon. Yamato called for his Digimon, Gabumon. Gabumon was a strange little Digimon who looked like he had a wolf blanket on his shoulders. Gabumon was a very useful Digimon for going out into icy lands. Istas already had her Nevamon with her, a little seal-like creature. Nieve sent for Karlimon, a little mouse-like Digimon who looked perpetually covered with snow. (A/N: It's a Turkish name that means covered with snow, so I decided to overturn a pail of snow over this Digimon before giving it life!!)
"Yamato!" Gabumon ran over to his protégé. "What do you need?"
"Gabumon." Yamato nodded to his friend. "We're going out to the ice and I thought that you'd like to join us."
"Well, I guess I could tear myself away from our Princely duties." Gabumon grinned. "Let's go!"
They all set out into the snowy grounds beyond the palace gates and headed east. The frosty tundra sped by as they rode on their Digivolved Digimon. Yamato set out upon his Garurumon, following the flying Eiramon who was carrying a laughing Istas. Nieve was riding on the back of swiftly hopping Chilalimon.
Soon enough, Eiramon came to a halt on a cliff overlooking an ice lake. "It's up there!" Istas called, pointing to the sky.
Looking up, Yamato saw the dazzling array of lights playing high in the sky. "Amazing," he breathed, and slid of Garurumon. "Garurumon. It's the one we're looking for. Do you know what this means?" he asked without taking his eyes off the aurora.
Sitting back on his enormous haunches, the Digimon nodded. Eiramon came spiraling down to them, landing right next to Garurumon and folding her wing flaps. Chilalimon came to a halt right next to them. "What does it mean?" her mellow voice wondered.
Garurumon replied in his rough voice, "Whenever an Aurora appears in the artic tundra at the coldest times of the year, something will happen."
Yamato nodded. "It is supposedly said that the Aurora is a message from the angels of whoever first placed life upon this planet. But this message is difficult for someone to read. The color of each ray has something to do with prophecy." His eyes wandered over the Aurora.
"So…" Istas' eyes were thoughtful. "Who could read it? It may be important…"
"Yeah," Nieve agreed. She demanded, "So how do you know about this, Yamato?"
He looked back at them, pausing from looking at the beautiful light show. "The messenger will come with a warning. Evil comes from across the Sea of Tides. Life will be threatened and bonds will form. The Prophecy of…hmm…that's a new color. Well, I can't read that word, but it says that the Prophecy thing begins when the Heirs come together. Hmm…" He glanced back at the Aurora.
Nieve looked back at him, eyes wide as saucers. "You can READ it?"
Yamato shrugged. "It's highly unlikely that I was creative enough to make a good spur-of-the-moment lie."
Istas bobbed her head. "And we all know that Yamato is a horrid story- teller."
They stayed there, looking at the Aurora until they heard some screaming coming from below. They peered down and saw someone wildly splashing around in the lake. The three youths stared at the person for a few moments.
Yamato broke the silence, asking his friends, "Should the lake be water?"
Nieve shrugged. "It was all ice and snow the last time I looked. He's a good swimmer." They fell into silence again, watching the poor fellow floundering.
Istas gave a little shudder. "What are we doing? You forget that it's freezing cold in there? We must help him!" She stood up straight and leaped off the cliff as Eiramon flew out. Perfectly synchronized, she landed on her broad back and they flew down to the lake.
"Why haven't we thought of that?" Nieve wondered as she mounted Chilalimon. Together, they sprung down the gorge and raced to the lake. Garurumon picked up the ice prince in a well-practiced move and he leapt up, looking extremely picturesque along with Yamato on his back and the Aurora in the background before they plummeted down.
Yamato couldn't resist letting out an exhilarated whoop as they rapidly fell down the cliff (which was a lot higher than he expected.). Istas was already circling the blonde-haired swimmer, calling out to him, and Nieve and Chilalimon hopped over a protruding rock before getting to the lakeside. Garurumon landed on a springy pile of snow and catapulted over Chilalimon into the water.
"We'll take care of it," he called to his friends over his shoulder. Garurumon easily evaded the large blocks of ice and they soon arrived at the spot where the boy was thrashing around.
"Hey, kid!" Yamato called out. The boy turned to look at him, nearly causing Yamato to fall off Garurumon. He had Yamato's blue eyes. (A/N: Ten points! Ten points! I should make it 5, actually, but I like being nice.)
"Takeru?" Yamato said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"Drowning," his kid brother from the Kingdome of Hope answered as he continued to struggle to keep from slipping under the waves. "And f-f- freezing. Get me out of here!"
Yamato snapped out of his amazement and pulled his brother out of the water onto Garurumon's back.
Garurumon acknowledged the two princes on his back and said, "I'm heading back now, Matt, but where is Takeru's Digimon?"
Takeru answered, "He's supposed to be searching for help, but you guys found me before he could play hero. Thanks." Yamato gave him his fur jacket to quell his freezing.
As they reached the shore, Chilalimon and Nieve were bouncing up and down with worry. "Yamato! Yamato!" Chilalimon shouted. "Who is he? What's he doing here?"
Not to be outdone, Nieve yelled, "Is he all right? Where's his Digimon?" The two soul mates looked at each other and grinned.
Istas and Eiramon gracefully landed next to them. "There is a Digimon heading towards us, Yamato," Eiramon said, folding her flipper-like wings. "It is in the skies."
They all looked up and saw something flapping toward them. Takeru grinned and waved. "It's Patamon!"
As they waited for the flying Digimon to land, Yamato introduced his friends to his brother.
"So now you know who we are," Nieve announced. "But who are you and what are you doing here?"
"My name is Prince Takeru from the Kingdome of Hope and I am Yamato's younger brother. I was sent to bear the Kingdome of Friendship a message of gravest importance."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The vast jungles of the Kingdome of Sincerity are hard for foreigners to navigate in, thus newcomers often hired guides, unless they preferred to unknowingly walk into the lair of a furious Sunimon or stumble onto a mine field of sand traps. And when the herald from the Kingdome of Reliability hired a guide, his business was stated to be with the Empress and the Empress alone.
This news traveled to the Empress's ears and she was prepared to receive the messenger.
The hours dragged by and no couriers appeared at the Temple Palace of Palmera. Empress Mimi Tachikawa's fingers led a staccato beat on her armrest. Palmon, her Royal Digimon companion stared at the jungle scenery around them. A warm wind blew the tops of the trees back slightly.
A few moments after, the young empress exploded from her seat and announced, "I'm tired of all this waiting!" She glanced down at the sentinels by the entrance of the Temple door. She leaned over the balcony and yelled, "You will call me once they arrive! Palmon and I will be at the shrine." She grinned at Palmon. "All this waiting is making my hair stand on end. Let's visit mother."
"Good idea, Mimi!" Palmon exclaimed and hopped off her throne.
The two of them made their way down the Temple Palace's hallways and eventually ended up in front of two large heavy-looking doors. The carvings on each were very ornate and looked like a jungle after rain has fallen. Close inspections revealed the dew drops falling off the leaves and the slight mist in the air.
The guards gaped at her. They had not expected to see the Imperial Empress and her Digimon come by today.
Mimi stood there, tapping her feet impatiently. It was fine to let them have a look, but did they have to take so long? Soon, she grew edgy at the prolonged wait and yelled, "Open the door already!"
They came back to life and hastily unbolted the doors, pulling them open.
Mimi stepped in and barely remembered to thank the guards. She always enjoyed coming into the shrine as a little girl. It was a lovely and large place and occupied a larger part of Palmera. There were exotic and tropical flowers everywhere, which were being attended to by several priestesses-in- training. The strong overpowering scent of sun begonias filled her nostrils as she walked to a particular altar.
'Mother always did love sun begonias…they were just like her personality…'
Mimi and Palmon bowed their heads in reverence. Palmon's eyes were misted over and Mimi was lost in her thoughts as she stared at the appropriately decorated altar.
Her father had died long before her mother did, but it didn't matter to the kingdom. Only women ruled the Kingdome of Sincerity, after all. There never was anything like an Emperor ruling in Palmera. The blood of the first Tachikawa ran in Mimi's blood, coming from her mother's line. (A/N: In Sincerity, things are different with the last names and all. You see, they take the maiden name as their last ones.)
Her mother wasn't born an Empress but was next in line for the throne. The cruel and bitter Empress who had ruled before the Tachikawa regime had mysteriously died. Her remaining followers continually persecuted her mother as she ascended the throne, accusing her of an assassination. Further study of the death revealed that there were no toxins found in her bloodstream. Eventually, the previous Empress's zealots stopped their harassment once it was clear that the Tachikawa family had nothing to do with her death.
(A/N: Damned politics.)
The Tachikawa reign was ruled justly but eventually, the fanatics rose again and attacked Mimi's mother through food poisoning. She had died due to a poison so rare and deadly that it would take years to cultivate a single seed. Mimi was merely five years of age when her father perished in an accident but she was thirteen years old when she ascended the throne.
Mimi often thought about this with curiosity. Her first few years as the Empress were difficult, as she was too young to understand politics. She never understood how she had survived the court. There still seemed to be too many of the earlier Empress's supporters to be comfortable and she still had a lot to learn about being a ruler.
She missed her mother so much. She hadn't really known her father that well, but she and her mother were so close to each other. Mimi frequently wished that her mother was still with her to guide her. She lost her temper too many times whenever her servants did the littlest of errors. She regretted doing all that, but still wished that…
'No…wishing never solves anything…'
She gave one last regretful sigh before she and Palmon rose their heads.
Palmon looked at her mistress and took her hand. "Mimi," her sweet voice said. "We're gonna make it through, don't you worry. She would be so proud of what we've become."
Mimi gave her a watery smile and hugged the plant-like Digimon tightly. "You're right, Palmon. I love you so much." She sniffed, a very un-Royal action. "Thanks."
"Um…Empress Mimi?" Someone was standing behind her and she turned to look. It was the lavender-haired High Priestess, Miyako Inoue. She, like Mimi, had assumed her title young, and the two of them became fast friends, although there was a gap in their ages. They were introduced when Mimi became the Empress of the Kingdome of Sincerity, as Miyako's position was the second most important station as the High Priestess of Palmera.
Miyako, unlike Mimi, was born to her title and had both of her parents and a full set of siblings to be her support during her harder training sessions of studying to become fit to rule.
"What is it, Miyako?" Mimi smiled irritably at her friend, who looked troubled.
"Mimi…something is in the air and I don't like it. The messenger has arrived and…" Miyako hesitated. "Well…I'm afraid that he brings tidings of danger. It would be wise to prepare for the worst."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Every morning, the citizens of the Kingdome of Kindness would see the heir Prince and his Royal Companion (his Digimon) run past in a hurry to get to the highest levels of the Great Wormtii Tree. They often would be greeted before the Prince ran past. Their Prince's name was a rather plain one, but it suited him well, for he wasn't known to be a pompous prig.
Prince Ken of Ichijouji waved cheerfully to several people who knew him well. In spite of everything, Ken and Wormmon, his Digimon, often encountered them on their way to the highest branch which overlooked the land. After all, the height of the tree was immeasurable. Up there, they could see leagues around, the entire forest of Biyoara and glimpses of the desert of Agunatra. The seashore was also visible, along with occasional flickering views of the city within it.
The twosome emerged from within the trunk to the broad main branches. He greeted the citizens who lived on this area. It was a lovely place, particularly because it was shaded by the higher branch, and they had a little village built here. It was named Worsamin Village. This village had the advantage to getting most of the assorted fruit Wormtii provided and was a thriving community.
Ken looked up then back to Wormmon. "Ready?" The little worm Digimon nodded and replied, "Let's go!" He picked the Digimon up, placing him onto his shoulder, and said, "Hold tight, all right?"
Thus the Prince began his daily climb to get to the winch that would take them up to the highest levels of the tree. He had to climb using the branches that covered the outer bark of the tree. These branches were smaller versions of the enormous ones that were large enough to build villages on and were equally as sturdy.
After half an hour of easy climbing, they reached another main branch. This bough was where the winch was situated. Ken put Wormmon down and made his way down the branch to the winch. The winch was a something like a pulley, but more advanced. When the people from Knowledge visited a long time ago, they devised the winch so the citizens of Kindness could traverse their Home Tree easily. The winch crossed through the entire exterior of the massive tree.
Ken and Wormmon hurried catch the winch coach they always used. They didn't need to worry about getting a seat on the winch, as crowded as it tended to get. The workers who used the winch daily got to know the heir very well, as he also needed to use the winch every day to get to the top of the tree, and always saved the two of them a seat.
They made it just in time as the coach doors closed and started its rise to the higher levels.
"Over here, Highness! I saved you a seat!" a rather rough voice called. Ken glanced in the direction of the voice and saw his friend, Seflisster, waving to him. He grinned and made his way over. Several people bowed deferentially as he crossed their paths. He and Wormmon plopped into the seats Seflisster provided rather thankfully.
Ken and Seflisster started a conversation as the coach rose through the air. Wormmon was playing a game with Seflisster's Digimon, a spry-looking dragonfly named Odonatamon.
As he and Seflisster discussed the construction of the latest underground caverns, a sudden lurch caused everyone to fall from their seats. Ken glanced out the windows and saw that they were at one of the higher levels across the trunk. This was wrong; the coach wasn't assigned to stop here.
Startled, someone asked the engineer if something was wrong.
"No, no…" the engineer murmured, looking back. "Nothing's wrong. Are any of you all right? I'm sorry."
"We're fine," Ken spoke up. "But why did you stop us here?"
She replied, "Your Highness, I just received a correspondence commanding me to bring you to this level. Your father has sent for you and it seems that he would like it very much if you made your way to the Stingilens Court immediately." The other people in the coach started to buzz with confusion and curiosity.
"What's the matter?" Ken asked urgently. "Did he say anything about why he called me?" He was apprehensive. The last time something so urgent had summoned him from his daily venture, it was to inform him that his brother had died.
The young engineer looked back at the dispatch and looked back, worry apparent in her eyes. "Your Highness…there isn't anything here other than a demand to get you there. You must hurry. There may be lives at stake."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The magnificent splendor of the city of Angewotep was inscribed in countless ballads and verses as incomparable and rightly so. It was a beautiful city that rivaled the fairy-tale grandeur of Gomatelen, deep within the sea. The golden walls of the city alone were causes for awe. The Palace of Gatoris was even more astounding to see, if it was possible, and it was. The soaring towers were breathtaking and the gardens of desert flowers were stunning splashes of color across a gold canvas.
The people of Angewotep were all with dark hair and surprisingly pale complexions, although they wore light clothing that didn't exactly keep them safe from the sun. Perhaps they were different, as the Realm of Light was the most ancient of all Kingdomes. Their bloodlines spanned innumerable millennia.
The most royal and longest ancestry belonged to the single unbroken heritage which tapered off to the young Princess Hikari. She was a young girl who would be the Queen of her kingdom when her mother reached the age of sixty. As her mother was still pretty young, she had a long wait and didn't mind at all.
Although servants catered to her every whim, she had never been allowed out in the desert for fear of stray Digimon. The city of Angewotep was a large place, but it did little to soothe her desire to travel and see the world. Not only did she wish to journey across the world, she wished to do the simpler thing and meet her brother for the first time. (A/N: Another case of 'So close yet so far'.)
Her brother, Taichi Kamiya by name, lived with the desert people of Courage and was son to the Tribal Caller, equivalent to a King among the desert vagabonds. Her mother, as a requirement due to some ancient treaty, wed the Tribal Caller's son due to the conditions of the accord. She, according to an ancient prophecy divined by the last seeress, was to be the mother of a great ruler.
As of yet, Hikari had given no sign to be a great ruler. At least, to her she hadn't. Hikari spent most of her time studying the ancient prophecies in the library when she wasn't staring out into the desert on the highest tower. She was continuously fascinated by the accuracy of them when compared to history.
Hikari ran her finger down the page until she spotted the area she last finished reading before she was called to her duties. Her companion, the Royal Gatomon, was seated on the heavy oak palm table and also scanning through a scroll. Her tail ring flashed crimson in the torchlight as it danced around.
Absently, her eyes skimmed the words but her mind registered every single character on the page. The citizens of Light had started using books a century ago, but scrolls were still used frequently.
Suddenly, her hands moved on their own accord and knocked aside the book she had been reading, reaching for a strange-looking scroll she hadn't ever seen in all her years within the library. She was startled and tried to turn to Gatomon for help, but she could not move on her own bidding. Her fingers flipped through the pages, eventually landing on a single page and her eyes were riveted to the page. Almost mechanically, the words burned themselves into her memory. Her eyes read without her prompting.
But what of the land across the sea? Mine eye sees though they are blindfolded, and see they a world of continuous strife. Aye, the land we know little of is a perilous one indeed. Yet destiny saw it fit to besiege me with visions of life there. On the day when devastation strikes true on the Blue City will time be threatened by a Shade of Iniquity from across the great boundless ocean. The king falls under the assault of the Bloodless Shadow, his spirit flees. On this moment will one true meaning of the foresight be interpreted under the sparkling waves of our pure sea and a siren will be spread throughout the kingdoms of the lands in the east, for a cloaked Menace stalks the innocent peace. Darkness.
Thus the Futures of the Kingdomes under the calendar of Knowledge will set eyes upon each other for the first time. Lo! For bonds will be made unbreakable and nothing in all its evilness shall severe it. Thus was familiar to the link with a human and his Soul-Friend. Nothing short of death may cause the ties to break.
The Seeker of the Past will discover that prophecy lies within the walls of his home, hidden in ancient characterizations only one of the most ancient Kingdome can translate. As the divinations of seers of old are unraveled, the future also is taking place as the eyes of Dusk burn with death. The once-pure land of the East will start to mold upon itself and greatness the product of the Bonding Seed be met with destruction from within.
Yes, Instrument of the Mighty Sun. Thine eyes art trapped unto this parchment, like the striped bee to the lovely sun begonia within the jungles of the East, for it is of great consequence that mine Prophecy be known to thee. Nothing may rend thy sight from the words inscribed. Thou wilt hearken unto mine words millions of revolutions after I have rested mine bones upon the earth I stand on. Thou must keep these words with thee, for thy tasks art of greatest importance and wrought with peril. Choose thy path wisely and understand the meaning of the Counsel of Light, for his outlooks on life wilt aid thee greatly.
Take this with thee and knowest that what I tell thee is true. Thy eyes will return to thee now, for thou knowest of the great import mine message possesses. A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading, bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency, and nothing will be the same again. Thus will thee know that all said here is valid.
The tragedy shalt be know to thee and the sand which is familiar to thee shalt be turned to black grains under the glare of the sky. Be warned, child! Thus will be the handiwork of the fiend who spread death like a disease far away, the monster who sheared the Stone of Life apart! The Stone of Life in thy land is well-hidden, though that will stop the shadow not. Protect it, and when the Marks are joined together in the place above the sky, it will reveal itself. Care for thy life at the moment of darkness, for the flying arrow hides deadly deceptions. Thou must fight! For if the seed of evil spreads over thee, thy life will be forfeit and all will rend to pieces, floating in the wind of evil. Be warned, Instrument of the Sun, for thou wilt be weaker than a newborn pup when the sun covers its eyes. Live well and take comfort in thy surroundings, for dark times run before us with evil at its heels.
(A/N: Man, that sounded cool. All lovely gibberish to me!)
The weathered book suddenly snapped shut and Hikari reeled back, her back rigid on the soft posterior of the chair. She was slightly wheezing, for the strange compulsion of her eyes to read had returned her will with great force. Her head rang and she placed a hand on her temple, wincing at the effort she required to lift her hand.
Gatomon glanced at her mistress with concern etched upon her feline face. "Hikari. Are you all right?"
Hikari slowly placed her hand on the parchment and returned the other to her lap. She then looked up at her Digimon. 'Should I tell her what just happened? Do I believe what happened?' She tilted her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Gatomon. Just a little spell of dizziness."
Gatomon still looked worried. "Are you sure? Maybe you shouldn't have tried that aroma Eleni had given you."
"And why not?"
"Well, isn't she noted for being a famous assassin? She enjoys intrigue and those dangerous games you two play are often deadly. Pure dumb luck is the only thing that saves you two from blowing Gatoris up."
Hikari shrugged. "The two of us graduated from the assassin training. What else do you expect?"
The cat Digimon looked at her with what could only be described as frustration and sighed. "Never mind." She suddenly sprang off the table and landed on Hikari's lap, nuzzling deeply into her arms.
The brown-haired girl smiled gently and closed her eyes. A breeze ran through the pillars of the room and ruffled her hair, which she kept short according to the latest fashion in Angewotep. (A/N: Short hair rules!) She closed her eyes and smiled gently.
"Princess Hikari!"
Her head jerked up in surprise and the two of them turned to the archway where a dark-haired girl stood. It was Eleni, the one whose games she and Hikari often undertook in frequently were cause for worrry. Eleni was her cousin, and they both often played dangerous games with each other, Eleni in hopes of her succession to the throne and Hikari because she simply enjoyed them.
Of course, Eleni was never serious.
"Yes, Eleni?" she stood up. Gatomon jumped back onto the table, greeting Eleni's Digimon, the black and yellow cat Felismon. The two cats nodded to each other, tails waving accordingly.
"Your mother calls for you. She's asking you to make your presence at the hall." Eleni smiled at her cousin.
A cold feeling dominated all others as Hikari froze. "Wh-what for?"
Eleni shrugged. "Some messenger from Gomatelen came here today. He looks ragged. Why do you ask? In my opinion, princesses should do their duties without any questions."
'A courier shalt visit thee within moments of thy reading…'
Hikari put on a forced smile. "It's nothing, Eleni." Gatomon looked at her curiously,
'…Bearing thee a message of truth, devastation and immediate urgency…'
"Is it serious?" Hikari got up and gestured to Gatomon to follow her. Both of them walked down the open corridors with Eleni and Felismon, leaving the breezy library behind.
Eleni shrugged. "There was a sense of exigency in your mother's voice when she commanded me to find you." She shook her head, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "As if I were some kind of servant."
"What do you mean?" the smaller girl asked.
"Well, the queen had broken the chalice she was drinking from. I honestly didn't know that auntie had that sort of strength in her." Eleni continued to banter on and Hikari by now had drowned her out. She was immersed in her thoughts. What the old seeress had said was true. A courier HAD come. There was urgency in this letter. But what about the last part?
They finally reached the grand open hall. Hikari bowed gracefully to her mother, as did her cousin and their Digimon. The Queen smiled at them, although it was strained. There was a piece of parchment in her hand and evidence of a spill of wine at her feet. She, it appeared, had not allowed any of the servant to clean it up for her.
"You sent for me, mother?" Hikari asked as soon as she was allowed to take her seat next to her mother's throne.
The Queen nodded, her eyes grim. "Hikari, my daughter. How would you like to see your brother, Taichi?"
Hikari's heart leapt. Surely nothing bad would come out of this, if she would be granted the liberty to do so! She would be able to see her brother at last! What happened in the library must have simply been a little coincidence. "Mother, of course!" she exclaimed, glancing excitedly at Gatomon, whose eyes mirrored the joy Hikari felt strongly.
"Hikari…" her mother cleared her throat. "Today, a message was conveyed unto us from the Kingdome of Reliability. Now—"
"You mean brother Taichi is in Gomatelen? Are we going to Gomatelen?" She was so excited.
"Hikari." Her mother's stern tone indicated that she shouldn't have interrupted and that her behavior was unseemly. "I haven't finished speaking yet. Please wait until I am done."
The princess bowed her head. "Sorry, mother."
The older woman smiled and took up where she left off. "As I was saying, Hikari, something important has happened in the city of Gomatelen. The Heir Prince died, leaving young Jyou to the throne."
A crash resounded outside and several people screamed. And the world was thrust into darkness. Hikari's eyes glazed over as pain shot through her shoulder. Her eyelids lowered and she fell to the floor, no longer feeling anything. Not even fear.
'…And nothing will be the same again.'
****
Cryptic, isn't it?
