I'm feeling slightly proud of this chapter. Long and fun to read (At least, for me. I *like* these kind of stuff.)
****
The dark shadow had looked up, and it hissed terribly. It had left the strange underwater city after it had wreaked destruction upon the crystalline levels. The sun was bright here, a shining vision of life. Unacceptable.
Letting out a sound of pain as sunlight struck it, it soared over the living beach to hide in the shade of a jutting rock. The light would have to go.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
There was nothing.
She was dead.
Darkness was all around her. It was as intangible as the stars one may see in the desert sky, so clear and bright. They would seem so near, but when you reach out to touch them, there is nothing. But dimly, Hikari began to see a little dancing light. Slowly, little by little, she returned to being, her mind reaching out toward the light. And as she returned to being, feeling came along with it.
And coming along with feeling was pain.
She let out a soul-searing cry as burning lanced through her body. She could feel her heart and its pulses, and each beat seemed to further drain her strength to remain awake and force her into pained unconsciousness. She was certain that that which gave her life would also end it. There was no sound coming from her lips, though. Curiosity caused her to shut her mind from its agonized screaming and wonder where she was, if she was not dead.
All of a sudden, overriding the pain was the unbearable sense of loneliness. Where was Gatomon? Hikari knew that she could not live without her Digimon. She hoped that Gatomon wasn't feeling the pain she was feeling. She didn't deserve that.
"MY CHILD." An awful presence suddenly overwhelmed her mind. A carefully set shield protected her, though. But where did that shield come from?
Suddenly, she saw herself in her mind's eye. She stood up, looking around carefully for the tremendous voice. Somehow, Hikari didn't fear this presence; it was somehow familiar to her. Like an old toy she had forgotten, but never stopped loving. But this presence was more than that of a loved one, it was like some awesome force bearing down on her mind…
Like a god. Oh, great merciful Elin. Hikari suddenly had a strange suspicion sneaking up on her.
The voice let out a chuckle. "THOU WERT ALWAYS KEEN-MINDED AND PERCEPTIVE. FOR THINE ASSUMPTION OF WHO I AM RINGS TRUE AMONG THE HEAVENS; INDEED, I AM THE GOD OF THY PEOPLE, THE FATHER OF LIGHT."
Hikari felt awed at the magnitude of the god's mind. But that was all that she could feel. Suddenly, another round of fire enveloped her senses and she sent out a desperate cry. "Save me, father!" she pleaded. "Or at least aid me by ending my life. Please!"
In her mind's eye, she saw the god of her people, Elin. He was not exactly as he was described among the priests in the Temple of Light. For one thing, Hikari couldn't see thunderbolts adorning his head; he wore a simple turban instead of a magnificent headdress. His beard was as white as the clear clouds hovering over the desert and his golden eyes were brighter than the sand.
He was shaking his head. "NAY, MY DAUGHTER, THOUGH IT RENDS MINE HEART TO SEE THEE IN THY SUFFERINGS ANND TEMPTATION DOTH BECKON TO ME TO ERADICATE ALL EVIL THOU WILT ENCOUNTER, THERE IS NAUGHT I CAN DO TO GIVE THEE COMFORT, THOUGH I AM INDEED A GOD, BUT TELL THEE THAT THY COMPANION DEAREST TO THINE PURE HEART—NAY, FOR THY COMPANION IS THY HEART." Elin paused pensively. "'TIS A NEW CONCEPT TO BE DEALT WITH," he mused. "PERHAPS—"
Hikari interrupted him, as the pain in her overwhelmed all other senses of propriety. "Please tell me where Gatomon is," she beseeched. "Where is my Digimon? Is she well?" She was a little startled to see that her god had some human qualities. His rambling indicated that, along with his windy speech.
"AH, YES." The god smiled at her. "I AM GLAD TO SEE THAT THY CONCERN FOR THY SOUL PERSISTS EVEN IN THE BINDINGS OF PAIN. LOVE IS A HUMAN CONCEPT TO BE STUDIED GREATLY, FOR GODS, TOO, HAVE THEIR FLAWS, AND DISTANCE HATH INDEED TAUGHT US SO. YES, I HAVE LEARNED LOVE, AS THIS IS WHAT I FEEL FOR THY PEOPLE OF THE DESERT."
"Gatomon?" Hikari begged. Elin seemed to be wandering off the subject. The idea of a blathering god was amusing, but she had no strength to laugh, as pain superseded everything else. Her worry for her Digimon caused a sick feeling in her mind.
"THY INTREPID HEART DOTH BEAT STRONGLY, THOUGH EACH GENUINE BEAT OF THY PHYSICAL HEART DRAWS THEE NEARER TO ETERNAL DARKNESS." The god looked slightly abashed. "I AM SORRY, HIKARI, FOR WANDERING OFF THE POINT WHICH THOU SO SORELY FRETS OF. IT ALWAYS EXHILARATES ME TO BE ABLE TO CONVERSE WITH ONES I FEEL STRONGLY FOR." He smiled fondly at her.
Somehow, his presence abated her fear and more calmly, she asked her god, "What is happening to me?"
"THOU WERT POISONED, DAUGHTER OF THE RULER," he told her, his ancient yet youthful face growing mournful. "AND THY POISONER HATH YET TO BE APREHENDED BY THY SUBJECTS. KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THY POISONER IS DANGEROUS, AND RUNS FREE AMONG THY CITIZENS, WEAVING MISTRUST AND TROUBLE IN THE STREETS OF THY GOLDEN CITY. THOU AND THY ATTACKER WILT MEET ANON."
Hikari was startled. That was the cause of her throbbing pain in her blood. "Am…" she hesitated, and then decided that it wasn't a serious break in decorum. "Am I dying?" she asked, fearing the answer.
Elin answered carefully. "THE POISON HATH NO KNOWN ANTIDOTE AND HATH NEVER FAILED TO TAKE ITS VICTIMS INTO THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH—"
Her heart sank.
"BUT E'EN AT THIS MOMENT DO THEY MAKE THEIR WAY HITHER AND TOWARDS ETERNAL MEMORY," the god continued, his face lightening as he smiled benevolently at the princess. "AND THOU WILT BE CONTENT. REST NOW, FOR A GREAT DEAL OF IMPERATIVE EVENTS WILL COME TO PASS."
His presence slowly diminished and Hikari began to drowse, wondering what the god of Light meant.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Before all the light disappeared, before the desert of Agunatra was thrust into darkness, all of the tribes under the Kingdome of Courage were gathered into the desert city of Agulis, where the Tribe Caller ruled over the Kingdome of Courage. They were all called to the only city Courage possessed by the current Tribe Caller, Saiotchi of the Greysenai tribe. The castle was named Greyansil and was constructed with large yellow blocks so abundant deep in the deserts.
Taichi had been busy greeting the Tribe Chiefs of each clan as they entered the room they used for Tribal Gatherings when every Tribe of Courage assembled in Agulis, which were very rare, as the common means for discussing events were messengers sent across the desert. There was wise old Dainkin, a close family friend, who was the Tribe Leader of Merasen. The young leader of Candlesear, Alyro, was there. He and Taichi were good friends. He was enthusiastically greeted by the fiery Alyro when he returned from the desert. The two of them and their Digimon made their way through the city and into the palace.
Taichi was currently seated next to his father and Alyro, waiting for order among the lightly chatting Tribe Leaders. When all of them were silent and waiting for Saiotchi to address them, Taichi's father stood up.
"My brothers," he began, when he was interrupted by a soft, "humph," coming from the direction of the only female leader, Jun of the Tribe Fladrakis. He let out a chuckle and said, "Excuse me, Jun. I've forgotten that your brother declined the post of Tribe Leader. Now," he continued, "There is turmoil from across the sea, am I right?"
Several chiefs bobbed their heads, urging him on, although this was common knowledge. Satisfied, the man went on:
"We don't know much about them, but recently, there came news from the Imperial city of Gomatelen."
Dainkin nodded. "They sent a messenger and we picked him up before he got lost in the rocky areas of our desert."
"What message did he bear?" Raio of Lavaloi asked curiously.
"A very important one," Saiotchi answered. "But none of it is pleasing. My fellow rulers, how much do you know about that land across the sea?"
"Only that there is great evil abroad that continent," the sober leader of Flarelizanai spoke up. "And that, should anyone from across the ocean come to our continent, we should be on our guard, for they may bring their wars with them."
"Anything else?" Taichi's father looked around.
"No, Saiotchi," the large bearded chief of Flamelak rumbled. "Old Eredain pretty much summed everything up what we know about those people." He jerked his thumb to the last speaker, who looked slightly offended.
Eredain gave him a thin smile. Eredain was very much younger than most of the Tribe Leaders of Courage, although he was wiser and more intelligent than most of the people in the room of Tribal Gatherings. He was only a few years older than Jun, who was a few years older than Taichi and Alyro.
"Thank you, Angkchi." The Tribal Caller nodded to him. "Now. The letter that was given to us is very urgent. It seems that there was a major breach in one of their crystals, and a chain reaction caused by the water pressure destroyed most of their first defenses against anything the beings from across the sea might throw against us. There is talk of an intruder in the city of Gomatelen. From the looks of it, the interloper left a wide trail of destruction behind it."
"What were the casualties?" Taichi asked, looking alarmed.
"A large number," his father replied. "At least, to them. That city is full of fishermen, and fishermen aren't known to cause much wars, so their opinion for the death toll numbers are different from ours. More importantly, among their dead is the Crown Prince of Gomatelen."
There was a stunned reaction among the Tribal Leaders. Jun spoke up:
"Saiotchi." She looked at him. "I knew the prince. I accompanied the emissaries who went to Gomatelen from our own Tribe, as Fladrakis' territory is closest to the shoreline." Taichi noted curiously that there was a look of pain in her eyes.
The girl continued, "He and I became good friends and I learned from him about the task he was destined to—"
"Yes," Saiotchi of Greysenai said. "And now his responsibilities fall to his younger brother, Jyou. What do you know of his character?"
"I'm sure that Jyou will be able to handle the burden. He's very responsible and studious."
Saiotchi nodded. "Good. Then we won't have to take any steps."
"What does this concern us?" The Tribe Leader of Agundaro demanded. "Reliability may be on our border, but why do their affairs concern us? They are simply fishermen with a grand city and no sense of battle. What use do they have for us? We are the Warriors of Courage."
Taichi's father fixed him with a cool gaze which Taichi knew too well. The leader of Agundaro was going to get reprimanded rather badly. "Neschi." He frowned at the burly man. "Do not dismiss such important matters with the air of a pompous fool. Are you so uneducated that you don't have the sense to tell that Gomatelen and its adjacent cities along the coast are our first lines of defense from the probable danger presented to us from across the sea? They are not mere fishermen as they are geniuses. Where do you think most of the pragmatic inventions get invented? Tentorelle is too busy inventing dramatic machines for anything useful. All they invent are things to aid in their research. Don't be a fool."
Neschi's lowered his head and said through gritted teeth, "I beg for forgiveness for my impertinence." (A/N: 'What's impertinent?' Hehe. Jaina.)
Taichi watched the man carefully. Neschi was a shrewd and devious man, something not palpable to his uncivilized appearance. Not many people ever wanted to have him against them. The big man's dark eyes were narrowed and glinting angrily. Perhaps Saiotchi shouldn't have berated him so embarrassingly, but it was understandable that he was foolish to think that Gomatelen was just a pretty city under the waves of the ocean. Inventors in Reliability were second only to the ascetic scholars of Knowledge, who were too cuddled up with their books and pompous arrogance to care about the problems of the world. The workers in the Kingdome of Reliability, on the other hand, were more perspicacious and actually spent time to consider building things that were actually constructive.
"You are forgiven," the Tribe Caller said shortly. "But do not dismiss the people of Reliability, nor the other Kingdomes in our land. Times draw close when we must come together to rise against a common enemy. Their defenses are very formidable and they can create weapons that kill five men in four seconds. Fortunately, they haven't persisted on developing this machine. They had the insight that if normal people had been able to get their hands on this new technology, deaths would happen everyday."
"What an idea," marveled Angkchi. "That would be a marvelous tool to have in battle."
Grimly, Saiotchi of Greysenai nodded. "Alas, the time may come when they may have to return their attentions back to this machine of death."
Alarmed, Eredain stood up and stated, "Great Tribe Caller, there is something I fear my mind suspects. May I speak of it?"
Taichi's father gave him a smile. "Do not hesitate to speak, young Eredain. Your words may shed light on things that remain a mystery to us other leaders. Your mind assesses things much faster than do ours, thus your words may be meaningful."
Eredain bowed and said, "You compliment me but I feel that my words will do nothing but bring worry into the hearts of our brothers. I have observed your words and I find that there is something else in this meeting, that you had not called us all here simply to discuss the letter of the messenger. You would have merely sent us couriers top inform us of anything momentous."
"And?" Aingku of Agulai asked, impatient and a little worn by the younger leader's eloquence. "Come on, get to the point, boy. We've no time for dallying. I've got places to go, places much more enjoyable than this stuffy council room. Make your little speech and sit down."
Taichi didn't doubt what he meant. The chief of Agulai was a notorious drunkard and often frequented the taverns in Agulis. He was a burly man in his forties, a well-seasoned warrior by then as were all men at that age among the tribes of Courage, and had an equally large attitude. His asperity toward Taichi's father was well-known among the tribes in the desert. The Chief of the Clan of Agulai was supposed to ascend the title of Tribe Caller and dwell in the castle of Greyansil. After a long, complicated series of events, they somehow lost the right to the right to taking the title and his enmity was released upon the new chief, Taichi's father.
Eredain looked at the warrior coolly. The two of them had instantly disliked each other when they first met. But then again, it was no secret either, for most of the chiefs despised the scheming man, as it was that he imposed his antagonism on every other man. But Aingku seemed to concentrate his hostility to Eredain in particular, and that fired up the young man's hatred, which was rather odd, as Eredain was a serious, practical man, usually liked by everyone unintentionally.
The other leaders watched, afire with curiosity. Taichi rolled his eyes. They were no better than the peasants in their urge to know all the latest gossip.
The young red-haired chief of Flarilizanai shrugged indifferently. "I'm sorry, Chief Aingku, if my words bore you, but I must work my way through the idea before I make any conclusions. It is a pity that impatience is not one of your traits, for perhaps that would have given you a lot more than a small Rookie tribe."
Having made his own insult to the older man, his face resumed its normal apathy. "But I digress. Tribal Caller, you speak of a wish that this tool of destruction to be mastered and completed, which seems an abominable idea to me because this item would certainly cause trouble. You speak of the import of the defenses of the city of Gomatelen and how it is our first field of resistance against any sieges. You speak of unity among the Kingdomes, therefore the threat before us will involve all of the other kingdoms, thus requiring us to come together to form an alliance in preparation for the coming war against the forces which may come from across the sea."
There was silence in the room. Taichi marveled at the extent of Eredain's wisdom and shrewdness.
Saiotchi nodded approvingly. "Once again, young Eredain discerns the truth from my unobtrusive speeches. Fair work. Indeed, war is what I speak of, and war against the shady people from across the sea."
He suddenly turned to glance at Taichi. His eyes were filled with a great sadness. Taichi was startled. He hadn't seen his father's eyes like that since his little sister, Hikari, left with his mother, who was the ruler of the Kingdome of Light. "My son, a great burden lies ahead of you as the successor to the title of Courage."
In a voice which addressed all of the people in the chamber, he asked them, "How much do you know about the Prophecy of the Ages?"
He was answered with puzzled looks on all sides.
"Prophecy?" Angkchi snorted. "Saiotchi, you spend too much time with your head in the sand. Everyone knows that those scrolls full of gibberish are foolish and unreadable. I've tried to read it once, and the first paragraph gave me a migraine!"
The Tribe Caller shrugged. "Perhaps it is gibberish. But it is surprisingly accurate."
"But the Children of Knowledge have studied it for years," Dainkin interjected. He looked confused. "And so have the citizens of Light. Why couldn't they have predicted the disaster in Gomatelen if the scrolls are correct in predicting the events?"
"Who knows why those people do the things they do? We are a warrior people," Taichi's father replied. "But the point is that I've never known it to be incorrect." He picked up a book. "I don't quite feel the need to convince all of you and I certainly don't want to waste time on a debate whether they are true or not, so I'll get down to business."
"Finally," Aingku muttered.
Saiotchi looked at him sternly. "Do I sense hostility, Chief Aingku?"
Aingku averted his eyes and muttered an apology.
"There will be a council in the city of Angewotep, where we will discuss the possibilities of the falsity of the Prophecy, along with the more believable issues of the recent destruction of several levels of Gomatelen," the Caller continued. "The Emperor of Gomatelen suspects that the intruder came from across the sea."
Surprised, Sateel, the chief of Meraniag mused, "That would entail that this intruder's intentions are no good to have purposefully ruined the first defense." He raised his head. "This fellow must be quite strong."
"Why is that?" Jun questioned.
He answered, "The barriers of Gomatelen are extremely powerful and made of around ten feet of diastone. You couldn't cut through their walls with an army, no matter how many years you try."
"Plus," Raio added, "He would've had to swim all the way across the great sea. It would have tired him to a great extent."
"Don't be too sure," Jun disagreed. "He might have had the use of a machine to ferry him across the ocean. My brother, Daisuke, is in the shores of the Kingdome of Reliability because he wants to experiment with machinery. So far, he's been able to get his contraptions further across the water than anyone else has." She made a face. "I'm actually sticking up for him. Good thing he hasn't succeeded yet or else he'd be unbearable to live with when he comes back."
Taichi chuckled. He knew Daisuke and was positive that if he *did* succeed in sending a ship across the ocean, he would shove it in his older sister's face in an ostentatious display of triumph. The two of them took sibling rivalry to the extremes, but he often found himself envying them for their surprising closeness. He wished that he could meet his little sister, Hikari. Correspondence from Angewotep informed him that she was a studious girl, serious to a fault. Taichi found that idea interesting and often wondered what would happen if they would meet.
Saiotchi was speaking. "All of this may be premature, but I advise you to command your warriors to gird for battle. The rulers of each Kingdome have been called to gather at the palace of Gatoris for a conference. I shall leave Dainkin in charge of the affairs of state while I am gone."
"He's an old man, Saiotchi!" Aingku exploded. "He won't be of much use when war calls."
"I give you my word that I would be rather competent with the role of administering the city at the Tribe Caller's command, Chief Aingku of Agulai," Dainkin said mildly, though the significance of his words dug much deeper, implying the difference of Aingku's rank to Saiotchi's. "And of war? Why, how else do you think I survived all my years to live such a ripe old age? I'd think it best to say the same for all other old men, wouldn't you?"
Aingku's face darkened and he glared at the judicious old man.
"Well, then," Saiotchi announced. "I trust Dainkin's word and so does everyone else." He gave Aingku a long hard look and continued, "Now that that's settled, I suppose I can go to Angewotep without worrying about loose ends, eh Taichi?"
Taichi grinned at his father. "I'd guess so, father."
Saiotchi clapped his hands in a businesslike manner. "All right. We leave at noon tomorrow. Now, since we're all here, I'd like to take advantage of the rare significant moments when all of the brave Leaders of Courage are together in a council. On to other matters…"
As Taichi's father continued, moving the topic onto the tax rates and commerce issues, Taichi noticed that the Chief of Agulai was shooting a glare at Saiotchi. There was a deep hatred in his eyes and something that seemed to pierce into the very depths of his being. A murderous intent…no, a promise. Aingku moved his gaze to Taichi for a brief moment then turned away.
Somehow, Taichi couldn't help shivering from the look he was given. Aingku was not finished yet. He would take his time and watch until the time was right for him. Make sure that the circumstances were right and that no allies were around to intervene.
Then he would strike.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Koushiro gaped at the sky through the circular window installed into the ceiling. He was seated on a seat, one vulgar display of wealth and pomp. He didn't like this seat very much, but he was obliged to sit there, due to the fact that he was the Head of the Council of Knowledge. He was, at the moment, at the meeting which young Iori had called him to attend and sitting with the Heads of the other factions which made up the Kingdome of Knowledge.
They had finished discussing the letter from the city of Gomatelen and dismissed the tired-looking messenger, sending him to his rooms. Koushiro was going to go south to the city of Angewotep, along with several of his companions. They were moving on to the prophecy (as the scholars and skeptics of Tentorelle, it would be expected of them to waste time arguing about whether the prophecies of the Ages were true or not) and were at the finer points of their arguments when suddenly, the world was plunged into darkness.
All of the scholars had jumped to their feet, gasping at the sky. Koushiro just sat there, gawking at the sky until Iori, who sat at his side quietly until then, leaned over and asked him, "Koushiro, shouldn't you try to get them to quiet down to discuss what it is?"
Koushiro shook himself out of his reverie and stood up, hoping that this would be noticed by the panicked scholars. It didn't really help much, though, since the Head of the Council of Knowledge was, to put it in rather gentle terms, diminutive, therefore barely anyone paid him any heed. He frowned at this. People at his tender adolescent age don't usually like being ignored.
He sighed irritably and hoped that Tentomon would fare better in the Digimon Council.
"Sit down," he called to his fellow academics. But he wasn't heard through their panicking and fretting.
"Will I have order in this council room?" he yelled, a tic suddenly twitching in his temple.
Immediately, the frightened scholars stopped and stared, fascinated, at the pulsing tic on their Head's forehead head, their terror at the unexpected darkness forgotten. Their eyes seemed to bounce with it.
Silence enveloped the room. Koushiro noticed this with satisfaction and waited for them to sit down to hear his words. But they didn't move at all. In the flickering of the torches by the stone walls, he noticed that their eyes were bobbing all to the same tune.
"What are they looking at, Iori?" he asked from the side of his mouth. Perhaps there were stains on his black mantle? He wore his black mantle and high hat as symbols of his authority. The people of Knowledge always did. The colors were as follows: black for the members of the Council, white for the sages, and gray for the scholars. There were several levels within each level (sage, adept sage, senior sage) and badges which signified which level they belonged to.
A persnickety complication, but it kept the stuffy scholars happy.
"You, Koushiro," he replied in the same way, though he was looking at the redhead, too.
"Me? Whatever for?"
"You have a very fascinating bulge on your forehead when you're mad, did you know?" Iori grinned.
He scowled at the black-haired boy and turned his glowering gaze to the others. "Stop that," he demanded to the watching sages, although none of them were acting very sagely at the moment. "Sit down!" he bellowed.
Hurriedly, all the venerable citizens resumed their seats. As soon as they were all settled in, they glanced at him, waiting.
Koushiro cleared his throat. "As you can all see, none of us expected this darkness, and that caused *quite* a stir." He gave all of them stern looks. "I expect that next time, during an unexpected emergency, you will all keep your heads on straight?"
Looking a little sheepish, most of the scholars nodded.
"Now." He rubbed his hands in a businesslike manner. "Does anyone have any theories about this phenomenon?"
A girl in a white mantle stood up. "Master Koushiro."
He nodded, smiling faintly. "Go ahead, Sage Phinen." Phinen was one of the wisest members of the Council of Knowledge, despite her young age. Her opinion was greatly respected, but she tended to go off toward the more arcane studies. Phinen belonged to the Ancient Study of Mysteries department. Although some people in the Kabuteric Mountains disapproved of her, she and Koushiro had quickly grown close, probably due to the fact that both of them were the same age and both were also regarded as 'odd', although they were both high in position and power.
"I know that all of you are probably tired of hearing me say this," she started, standing up. "But this time, I *mean* it. Though the people of Tentorelle are those who rely most heavily on facts which can be achieved through repeated experiments, we shouldn't let this fact block our view of the other side of logic. There are many ways to look at a problem, but the best way to look at it is from all sides, so as not to miss anything.
"The way I propose to look at the problem may seem unconventional to most of you, but I believe that, this time, I may be right. I present the plea to all of you to just hear me out before you say anything." She turned to Koushiro and there was a pleading yet threatening look in her eyes.
Koushiro smiled faintly. Phinen was shrewd enough to ask for the ritual which wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt her until she sat down. He nodded perfunctorily, following the formal procedure. "We take this plea in and listen to your words, Sage Phinen of the Ancient Study Department." Koushiro knew that he would get a reprieve later on for not reciting her entire title. He knew that it would unbalance her, and that was a thing he enjoyed doing, for some reason. Nobody was allowed to boss him around.
Phinen looked peeved as she replied the formal words of gratitude. "Uh…yes. Well, I thank the Council for their wisdom and kindness. As I was saying, my possible solution to the problem lies in the letter from Gomatelen. The events quite closely mirror the predictions of a certain seeress from many years ago."
"Preposterous!" a stuffy Physics scholar exploded.
Koushiro turned to him with a stern look on his face. "Scholar Korrun, I advise you to follow the ritual for once. I'm willing to pardon your offensive flouting but quite honestly, the mere sight of you makes my stomach turn. If you have nothing better to say, I'd like to tell you that any further eruptions from you will be treated otherwise." He turned to look at the other scholars and asked pleasantly. "Would anyone else like to add his reactions to the pile so we may sweep it out permanently?" His words, though, had undertones of a challenge.
The members of the Council shook their heads.
"Good. You may proceed, Sage Phinen."
Phinen smiled. "Thank you, revered Head of the Council. May Logic see fit to place you among the stars. The words of the seeress Kihira from the Year of Search still ring true after all these centuries. I'm sure that some of you have delved into her scrolls at least once. I request permission for those of you who did to stand up."
Koushiro nodded. "Permission granted. Stand up now."
Five of the members stood up. Koushiro knew each one of them. There was Koowa, the Head of the Medicine Department. He had no idea why the physician would ever read books of prophecy. He was far too matter-of-fact for things which may sound like fairy tales.
Scholar Andephin, the Sage of the Ancient Study of Mysteries, nodded to Koushiro. She was an elderly lady who looked fifteen years younger than her actual age. *That* in itself was a mystery for her to study. Koushiro nodded back. She was a lady greatly respected.
Academic Oushen's standing up was a surprise. He was one of the high members of the Council and many thought of him as a no-nonsense sort.
Senior Scholar Eniros stood with great dignity. She was a revered member of the Council, and she was the Head of the Department of World History.
Last to stand was the great Sage Gishide, the leader of the Researcher's Facility. He stood last because of his vast paunch. Although he was a little too fond of food and good strong ale, Gishide was one of the shrewdest members of the Council.
"Now," Phinen continued. "Tell me if I'm making this up." She cleared her throat. "Skipping the introductory passages and several meaningless sentences, we start:
'On the day when devastation strikes true on the Blue City will time be threatened by a Shade of Iniquity from across the 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.'
"So, did I quote everything correctly?" Phinen asked the five who stood up. They nodded. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that Gomatelen was called the 'Blue City' exactly three thousand years ago?" Phinen asked the scholars. "It's also odd that the letter from Reliability warns us of danger from across the ocean?" She quoted again, "'On this moment will one true meaning of 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.' Correct?" She looked inquiringly at the members standing.
"You missed the part where Seeress Kihira says, 'Darkness', Sage Phinen," Gishide told her.
"Darkness?" Phinen looked startled. "Where do you find that, Sage Gishide? I don't have it in my copy."
"It comes right after your last sentence. I suppose your copy is corrupted. I took mine from the libraries of Angewotep."
Phinen looked thoughtful. "All of the major books come from the City of Light…Yours must be more accurate." She paused. "If that is right, doesn't it mean that it's true? Look outside, scholars! There is the darkness being referred to!" Her tone was excited.
"Get back to the point, Sage Phinen. You're wandering," Koushiro reproved.
"I beg forgiveness, Master Koushiro. Right then in Gomatelen, didn't the King mention something about the prophecy in his letter? It's entirely possible that he meant it only figuratively, but when you think about it, the tone in his message was alarmed and indeed was a siren spread throughout the kingdoms. The King of Reliability had indeed sent messengers to every Kingdome in the land in the east to inform them of his suspicion of an intruder from the west.
"The survivors who last saw the prince of Reliability before his demise had also testified that the prince's murderer wore a hooded cloak. They could not, however, see the intruder's face because they had run to sound the alarm. Also, let us take into count the history of our land in the east." Phinen looked around. "Am I right to say that there never was a war between any two kingdoms? The only thing we ever had that ever came near to being a war was so long ago when the first citizens of Courage fled this Holy Temple. And that was only a minor skirmish. If you read the entire set of Kihira's prophecies, you'll see that this seeress was extremely accurate in her predictions.
"That is all I have to say about my speculations. I hope that I have planted at least a curiosity about this in your minds. Maybe there is a lot more to life than the things we see past our noses. I hereby sit down and request Academic Oushen, Sage Gishide, Head Koowa, Senior Scholar Eniros, and Scholar Andephin to do the same. I offer you my thanks and a share in the Book of Wisdom. My plea for a free-speaking voice of reason has come to its conclusion and I offer the Head of the Council my thanks also and a share in the Book of Wisdom."
Phinen then sat down, as did the other five.
The other scholars started to buzz. Koushiro could hear catches of conversations.
A plump little lady, a senior sage, according to the white mantle she wore and the badge pinned to her cloak, was agreeing with Phinen but an equally small man, also a senior sage, argued with her on that point.
Koushiro cleared his throat. "Thank you, Sage Phinen, and may Logic guide you in your studies. Does anyone have anything to say?"
A man in a gray mantle stood up. "Master Koushiro, I do not agree with her line of thinking."
Koushiro nodded to him. "Anyone else share his opinion?"
Several more scholars stood up. A girl rose angrily and announced, "Phinen is correct!"
Another scholar got up and countered, "I think that she's not. Those wastes of parchment were written by crackpots!"
Pretty soon, the debate got under way.
Koushiro sighed and leaned back in his seat, trying to get comfortable. The people in Tentorelle were excellent researchers, marvelous academics and extremely patient. Unfortunately, this patience resulted in long windy debates and speeches, most of which were pointless. By the looks of things, this one would be twice as long and windy.
He and Iori exchanged a cursory glance.
This would take a while.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PPPPPHHHHHSSSSHHH…
Jyou silently regarded Gomamon as he came out of the air lock. The two of them were surveying the waters of the area which had collapsed four days ago. It had taken them a while to convince the Empress that they would be safe out there. There had been visible signs of the intruder's leaving for the surface, so it wasn't very likely that he'd come back down to kill Jyou just for the sake of it.
Jyou didn't really understand why he so desperately felt the need to explore the ruins with the investigators. He was certain that they'd do a thorough job of inspecting the ruined areas for pointers on why the place collapsed. There were some doubts among the people about whether or not there really was an intruder. Perhaps there was some laxity in maintaining the diastone walls of the city?
Jyou highly doubted that. He was required to know everything there was about maintaining the walls, the defense mechanisms of the stones itself and everything else as a prince of the Kingdome. And now, since his brother Shin died, he would have to know more. The histories and substances used to create such powerful defenses. There was almost nothing that could break through the walls. Nothing except that which had just did.
And Jyou was determined to find out exactly what it was. Perhaps that was why his urgings to survey the area were so strong. He was soon to be the Emperor of Gomatelen. He would need to know everything about defense in order to protect his people. That was the reason why he continuously dreamed of the site, thinking to reason how this creature had broken through their omnipotent walls. He knew there was something he had to find within the wreckage. Something important. That was all. Nothing else…
Right?
The two of them swam through the wreckage, raising their arms in recognition to several of the workers there. The workers were searching the wreck for the same reason they were. There would be no survivors to be found here for if they didn't die because of the pressure, they wouldn't last long enough to be saved by the search parties. They each wore the customary flippers and trunk-like masks made out of genxoy moss. Jyou himself wore a suit like that, but his was also powered by a little machine given to him by his desert friend, Daisuke.
Daisuke was an inventor from the Tribe of Fladrakis in the desert of Agunatra. He came to Gomatelen because nobody in his tribe respected his ideas and little machines. He decided not to go to the mountains of Knowledge, partly because of the age-old enmity between his Kingdome and theirs and partly because he knew that Gomatelen would have more use for his creativity than the stuffy academics of Tentorelle.
Gomamon easily swam beside his partner. Jyou gave him a quick glance, making sure that he was still there. Gomamon was notorious for swooping of during one of their swims and coming back, dragging bundles of fish wrapped in ropy seaweed. A utilitarian habit, but hardly necessary. Gomamon could hardly afford to disappear now, as these waters might be dangerous, although it was reported that that which had lain ruin to a part of his home had escaped to the upper world.
The seal-like Digimon looked back at him, his round eyes telling the prince that he would not stray. Reassured, Jyou returned his concentration to swimming. He scanned the blue sea, though it wasn't so blue anymore, now that some great evil had passed through, leaving not only a trail of devastation behind but also infecting the waters with its mere presence. The waters weren't as blue as he remembered, nor as clear and pure.
Jyou sighed inwardly as he surveyed the wreckage. The bodies they had found were already brought into the rest of the palace city. It was a horrible sight to see the destruction to his home. The people from Gomatelen were fiercely protective of their homes, which was one of the reasons why they were best for the defense of the east. It was something not known to the rest of the continent because of their usually mild demeanor.
It was not often when disaster would strike the fabled city of Gomatelen and when it did, its toll was expensive, as it was shown by the ruins of the outskirt sectors. Many had died, both Digimon and Human partner. Only less then ten times had the enchanting city of glass and spires been attacked and worn to rubble.
He and his Digimon silently swam through the floating debris, searching for clues to anything that might give them indication of what went wrong. Their eyes swept the ravaged bottom of the ocean. There were no signs of life anywhere near here at all. The seaweed, once beautiful and lush, was dry and dead, clinging absently to the ground it could not touch. There were bodies of dead fish starting to float up toward the surface.
Even the sand felt something when the creature had destroyed the city of Gomatelen. It was no longer bright white and yellow but dull and forlorn gray in many great patches, unsightly to any eye. Jyou felt his heart rend at the sight of it.
The City of Gomatelen was connected to the sea. It was a part of the sea, the life of the sea concentrated in one place. When the sea would be polluted, the city would feel it too. In this case, the sea mourned the loss of the outskirts of Gomatelen. She had created the city with such care.
Something suddenly caught his eye. He gestured to Gomamon and dove deeper into the waters to investigate. The pressure here increased, though he was protected by the strange effects of the genoxy moss. It was a very handy species of underwater vegetation. Gomamon had no problem with pressure; it was one of the things in the water that couldn't affect the Digimon of his species at all.
Jyou and Gomamon drew nearer and saw it. It was barely visible underneath the rock it had fallen under; something helped much by the sand covering most of it. There were some signs of the fast-growing seaweed called Seaman's Spread already beginning to cover it. They reached it and saw it for what it was.
It was a large shard of diastone, much bigger than Jyou himself. It measured a possible eight feet sideways. It was hard to see through the mask, but he could see one thing that was much more important than the size, the seaweed or the sand:
There were several large gashes searing through the center.
Jyou and Gomamon recoiled when they saw it. A dreadful fear ran through their bodies as they looked at it in horror. The slashes across its face looked angry, furious even, but what struck fright so close to their hearts was the dark feeling which emanated from it. It was an evil sensation, a feeling of darkness and death to life.
They exchanged an alarmed glance and in one silent agreement, they raced back towards the air lock, not looking back. This news would have to reach the Emperor immediately. It might not have seemed so urgent, but the thing was this:
Whatever had slashed through the walls of Gomatelen was had the claws to do them in one single stroke.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The bald legionnaire who was a member of the Reliability Corps sat down. He was the messenger from Gomateen.
Sora sat through the conference silently, listening. Although it may not have seemed so, she was worried about the news report. It was the custom of their kingdom not to show emotion, although they were the Kingdome of Love. Indeed, to outsiders, the people who lived in Biyoara seemed quite stony and indifferent to each other, but that was only in view of outsiders. To each other, the Biyoarans were quite emotional with each other, developing strong bonds with even the most introverted person.
Of course, her training wasn't so good that she couldn't help sneaking looks at the delegation from the great Tree of Wormtii. There were several of them and they were all extremely pale-skinned from living in the Tree with only the plants and stones for light. The youngest one was a boy, perhaps a few years younger than she was. He had pale regal features, and she knew him, even though he was a Wormtiine. Several years ago, there was a festival in which they were invited to and she and Terran entertained the young Prince Ken. She rather liked him and hoped he remembered her.
The delegation from Kindness was there because of an ancient treaty forged eons ago. The treaty had stated that they were kinsmen, the Biyoarans and the Wormtiines and to consult together in the Biyoaran forest should any urgent matter which concerns the entire land appear.
The commission was so dignified and noble that Sora felt completely out of place. She wondered why she was invited to sit in at the council. She didn't have anything to offer; she knew nothing of prophecies and war. She often fidgeted in her branch seat and looked around, amazed at the royalty.
The King of Biyoara stood up again and she forced herself to overcome her nerves and listen. Biyomon glanced at her and Sora saw that she was also uncomfortable with all the finery of each guest. Both of them looked disheveled and mussed.
If it was any comfort, though, the Crown Prince of Biyoara and his Digimon was also looking as messed up as they were.
"My kinsmen of the forest," he began, his regal voice soaring over the clearing. "We have heard the news of the world and sorrowed, for it seems that darkness once again chooses to rear its twisted head in an attempt to disband the peace we had so long cherished. I believe that we must consider the possibilities of war seriously." He nodded to Terry. "Tomorrow, we leave to go north to the desert to the City of Light. We must make haste, for evil does not wait for the good to catch up to its foulness."
Sora felt a pang. She had never been separated from Terry before. She and Terry went everywhere with each other. People sometimes thought that there was romance going on between them but whenever they thought about it, the idea seemed wrong somehow. Besides, they knew each other too well as best friends and would remain nothing less and nothing more. A glance at him told her that he too was afraid of being away from her. Their eyes met and her lip trembled and she bit it furiously to stop herself from crying, looking away. She was a brave girl who hadn't cried in fifteen years.
Biyomon cheeped a sound of distress softly. Sora moved her hand down and rested it upon the pink bird's head. They shared a glance of sadness.
The King continued, "We hope that all of you bode us well on our journey and thank you for expressing your opinions with us." They recognized it as a cue to take their leave and everyone leaped nimbly off their branches, even the Wormitiines because they were all people of the trees. Sora did, too, stumbling a little towards the exit along with the steady stream of people.
"Sora, Biyomon, wait!"
Sora turned around and saw Terran's red hair through the crowd. She smiled. Perhaps he knew she wanted to go. She was positive he did. Could he use his excellent bargaining skills to win the King over to her side? She stepped aside and let the tide of people pass by her. She waited as he and Elamon caught up to her.
Panting, he said, "You know, I'm your prince, so why didn't you obey my order?"
She shrugged, fighting back tears. It would be so empty without her best friend. "I did. I waited for you."
Terry rolled his eyes and said, "Well, anyway, father wants to have a word with you."
She nodded, not daring to hope, and followed him back top the tree in the center of the clearing. There, upon the majestic branch seat sat the King, looking right out from a fairy tale with his regal splendor. On the branch to his right was the sharp looking King of Wormtii. To the left sat the Prince Ken.
Idly, to avoid jinxing her hope, Sora wondered why he had such a plain name. She was the daughter of a minor noble but her real name was Soraiallin Mayileirr Kagami. Terry's was Terran Kellorres Lenteirr Takenouchi. His was simply Prince Ken Ichijouji. The Ichijouji was a mouthful but his Ken was too plain for a prince.
She curtsied deeply to the three monarchs and straightened, wondering why they had summoned her out. She searched their faces for anything that might give them away but their faces were expressionless as they looked at her. Ken looked as clueless as she did, though, and Terry was perceptibly puzzled, though she didn't look at him. It was like that sometimes. The two friends were so close that they didn't need to look at each other to see how they felt.
There was a short silence, and then King Ichijouji shook his head, chuckling. "I can't believe I missed it before, Takenouchi," he laughed, looking from Terry to Sora. "It's so obvious but I never put two and two together."
"You weren't supposed to," Terry's father said solemnly, though his eyes were amused, if not exasperated with the King sitting next to him. It appeared that they had discussed the matter several times.
"What do you mean, father?" Terry and Ken asked at the same time then grinned at each other. Sora smiled inwardly. It appeared that they still hadn't forgotten each other either. That was good.
"Hello, Sora," Ken then said to her. She curtsied again and smiled at him. He had grown from the little boy she used to take swinging with her down the cliffs. He would be difficult to carry now that he was quite taller than her. She chuckled at the mental picture.
Terry looked at her strangely then turned to his father. "What is this, father?" he asked the King. "Are we taking Sora with us when we go to Angewotep?" The tone in his voice was clearly begging for her to.
The two Kings glanced at each other then King Ichijouji nodded. "In a way, she's supposed to go with us."
Sora was baffled but she didn't say anything in her joy. She was going with Terry to the City of Angewotep! "Thank you!" she exclaimed happily. She curtsied again, this time too quickly that she almost tripped over her two feet. Her cheeks were burning but she didn't care. She wasn't going to have to swing through the forest without her friend!
"Careful, Sora," King Takenouchi said to her. This sort of stopped her excitement. He never called her Sora. It was always Soraiallin. She gaped at him, thrill gone. What was really going on? Come to think of it, why was she being invited to go, anyway?
Terry cocked his head. He also noticed the difference. "Father. You're not telling us everything."
King Takenouchi sighed. "Yes, Terran. You are right. There are things that I am withholding from you that you need to know before we set off to the Kingdome of Light. None which shall be said here will be heard by others, for it is a deep secret in which we all partake." He glanced at King Ichijouji, who nodded encouragingly. It suddenly occurred to Sora that they were cousins, or at least, distantly related. They both looked slightly alike.
She returned to listening again. "And you need to know it too, Ken. I know you're a boy who can keep things to himself." The King of the Grand Forest of Biyoara paused, searching for the words. "Seventeen years ago, my dear Telniniel was with child." Sora recognized the Queen's name and bowed her head with respect. The Queen was very close to Sora, and for some reason, she treated Sora like her own. At the moment, she was sick and unable to attend the meetings. The Queen of Kindness was with her, for they were good friends, thanks to the forest's proximity to the Great Wormtii Tree.
"So when her time came, we all hoped it was a boy because only men can rule the throne of Biyoara, according to the Great Goddess Xylia, Goddess of the Forest and Deity of the Song. A little puzzling, coming from a Goddess, but it is not man's place to question the will of the Gods."
"And you did get a boy," Terry put in. "Me."
The King looked at him for a long time, eyes somnolent. "Terran. You are my son. A Prince of this Kingdome. But you are not my first child."
Terry's face suddenly paled and he took a step back. "What?" His voice was barely a whisper. Ken looked startled. Sora wondered why she needed to know this and thought that maybe she overstayed her welcome. She began to inch away from the throne.
"Stop, Sora," the King said. "You need to hear this also."
Terry's face was surprised, but there was a searching look in his crimson eyes. He looked at his father and at Sora. For some reason, understanding dawned upon his face, but he was still pale and shaking.
"Terry, are you all right?" Sora asked worriedly.
"Go on, father." His voice was surprisingly steady.
The King never looked more world-weary. "It appears that my son has understood. Well done, Terry." He shifted in his seat to look at Sora. "Sora. Do you know who my first child was? Do you know who the real heir to my throne is?"
Sora was about to answer that she didn't know when she thought about it. Why did he think she knew? She was popular among the girls, but she knew very little boys her age but Terry. Why would he be asking her to stay when he announced that Terry was not the true heir? The Heir which the Prophecies spoke of? And why was she supposed to go to the City of Angewotep?
Why her?
But could it be…?
She felt strange. It was all hazy. She was always nervous when she spoke to the King but now, all around her was pure calmness. The notion…it felt right. All seemed complete and whole when she thought about it.
She looked up at the King, chin firm, looking far more regal than a queen raised so ever did. Her eyes didn't have their usual spark, but they glittered with confidence and promise. "Me. I am the Heir to the throne of the Kingdome of Love, the Turning of the Heart to the Sun."
Somehow, she knew that she had spoken the correct words and felt at peace. It was correct. She was startled. Her? The Heir? The future Queen?
The King Takenouchi looked sad yet proud of his daughter. Indeed, she had the pride of the unbroken bloodline of the Takenouchi line. King Ichijouji looked at the girl, approval and respect in his eyes. Terry's expression was unreadable but Ken's was visibly startled.
"Yes, Sora," her father said. "You are my first child, a daughter fit to rule a kingdom but not allowed to. I saw it in your eyes the moment I held you in my arms that you were destined for greater things. Yet, at that time, it was a decision of either killing you then or hiding you in the arms of a lesser noble. But even at the first sight of your face, we knew we could not kill you for your whole life lay before you. Therefore, we stole in the middle of the night to our good friend the Viscount and entrusted you to his care. When we returned, we found that your mother had given birth to another child." The King looked at his son. "Terran. We rejoiced, but our hearts were low, for we thought that never would our son see the face of his older sister.
"We were wrong, though," he chuckled. "Little did we know that as soon as they could walk, they ran right into each other, each one a mirror of the other, for you two looked almost exactly alike. Hence the name Kagami, the mirror."
He stepped down from the throne and took his daughter's hand. "Finally, I may look upon my daughter's face as a father and take her hand as a father may take his daughter's own. I am proud to do so, for she has grown beyond what I had expected: from a laughing child to a better woman. And although we met often in the past, we were never as family, and now that the truth has been revealed, I exult with all my being; I celebrate with my heart. My family is complete again!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Yamato was slightly startled and more than a little irritated as he left the conference room. He was going to have to leave Garurunil and enter the hot lands to the south. At least his cousin Istas and his friend Nieve were going with him. He was glad not to suffer alone.
He was also thrilled to meet his younger brother for the first time. Takeru was a good-natured lad, a prime example of the personalities of the people who belonged in the Kingdome of Hope. The People of the Ice were more distant and held themselves aloof. But they were not contrary to their names, the people in the Kingdome of Friendship. They were mostly hard to make friends with, but when a foreigner did manage to get past the icy exteriors, their friendships always spanned eons, although their lives wouldn't.
Before they left the beautiful ice lands of the north, Yamato and his father went out to the snow to read the Aurora, accompanied by no guards. Their Digimon were quite enough protection to defeat any roaming monster the ice hid. They didn't take Takeru along, not to exclude him but because he knew nothing of Aurora Prophecies.
Loping along on his Garurumon, Yamato glanced at his father, the King of Winter. He cut a striking figure upon his majestic ice dragon. He and his Digimon were perfect examples of the soul bond which joined Digimon and human souls together, giving them each emotion the other felt and every awareness possible.
Garurumon dimly felt his partner's admiration and turned his head slightly back to grin wolfishly. He wanted Yamato to know that they would be like that one day. Matt grinned back at him and said, "No, we'll be better." Yamato looked around. Where did his father go?
Suddenly, right before them, the ground abruptly ended and there was a deep fissure spreading far. Garurumon leaped over it easily and landed on the other side, a snow covered area…just as he realized it was ice.
Skidding and sliding, the Digimon let out a series of Ice curses. They skidded far down the lake…which happened to be connected to a waterfall going down.
"Jump!" Yamato cried, and together in mind, they leaped to the right, managing to scramble onto an outcropping wall of rocks—which just happened to crumble underneath their weight. For the first few moments, Yamato could see nothing but blurs of white.
Laughing, the wolf let out a howl of fierce joy as they bounded down the wall, skirting around falling rocks and pebbles. No stone ever touched Garurumon's back. Yamato also crowed out triumphantly as they landed upon the icy banks. They stood there, trying to get their breath back.
A slight rumbling sounded behind them and Yamato's father appeared, perched high upon the Ice Dragon's back. "Lovely dancing," the King called down. "If only the dancing instructor could teach you that way."
"Why bother learning Southern dances?" Yamato replied. "The dances of the North are far more graceful and meaningful than the mindless patterns of the kingdoms to the south." His voice had a little sneer in it.
"Patriotism is well enough, my son, but we must also learn to respect the customs of the kingdoms we share the world with." His father's voice was stern.
Yamato was familiar enough with reprimands to recognize this one. "I understand, father."
"Do you?"
But before Yamato could answer, the dragon sped on toward the lake which the waterfall opened into.
Garurumon glanced once at his partner then said, "You should listen to your father."
Yamato sighed and held on as Garurumon plunged down after his father. When they arrived at the Aurora site, the King was dismounting and striding towards the shimmering curtains of rainbow light. He followed suit, trailing after his father.
As he reached his father's side, he was once again overwhelmed by the singing colors of the Aurora. He wasn't as adept at 'reading' the Aurora as his father was yet, but he could manage the basics. He heard danger and read in his heart that great and evil things were coming.
"Learn, Yamato," the King said.
Yamato closed his eyes and softly whispered, "Aurora, ang magandang ilaw ng kulay sa Langit ng mga bituin, tulungin niyo po kami at sabihin sa amin ang iyong mensahe upang makaintindihan namin ang kailangan naming gawin…"
He felt his father nod approvingly.
Out of the blue, the 'words' came in a torrent. A wind which wasn't really there whipped their furs around in a dizzying frenzy. This was wrong. Yamato glanced at his father, their eyes mirroring each other's worry.
'Listen,' his father mouthed to him. Yamato nodded and turned his face to freely confront the gale which howled loudly through their minds.
He kept his eyes open, reading the colors, most of them unidentifiable, and at the same time, he also listened to the ancient language singing in his mind with the screaming gust in his ears.
'Heirs…come together…final battle to open sea…what of light?...light master…tool sick…dying…helped by master…smart…flatterer…knowledge? What of…home walls…seeress pictures inscriptions…hidden prince…princess…at last…contraptions of desert…sea…death across...no, no…little girl…darkness…come across sea…open declaration…death…traitor…keys inside…evil searching…circle of face…no fail…silence…who will win?'
It went on and on. Yamato was able to easily commit it to memory—this ability came with his ability to read the Aurora. The sun began to rise, proving that they had been standing there for hours, watching and listening to the Aurora. They had been standing enraptured in the beauty of the light dances and hearing the sweet melody underneath the wailing racket pounding in their minds.
Soon enough, the King lowered his head from watching the Aurora as the light play began to die down with the rising of the weak sun. There was a weather-beaten look to his face. It appeared that he had been able to read far more than Yamato could.
"We have read enough, my son." His voice was quiet. "This morning, we return to the palace and make ready to leave for Gomatelen." (A/N: By the way, they aren't weary from lack of sleep. Call it Aurora Author magic) "Will you be ready?"
Yamato nodded. "You can count on it."
Although he wasn't too enthusiastic about coming down to the hot sticky climates of the south, Yamato was only slightly intrigued to understand what the Prophecy meant. That, of course, didn't mean that he was a willing participant in this.
Not very likely.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She sighed. It was so different, this burning temperature. She definitely much preferred the nice heavy humidity of the jungle.
They had been traveling for days now. Empress Mimi and several select contacts were going with her to the City of Angewotep. They were traveling the longer way, not through the desert of Agunatra. They would emerge into the cliffs of Botake and soon be free to head straight down to the desert where Angewotep was found.
She glanced to the side and saw Miyako not on her Digimon's shoulders as she was. Hawkmon was walking right next to her. She wished that she was. This foolish display of majesty scared her slightly. She didn't mind riding on Togemon's shoulders but she was unsure that this was the proper way to treat her associates down there. She was certain that they were tired from walking all this way towards the desert.
What would it matter, though? The Head of Committees had insisted it. His name was Goror and he was a large man, in his late forties, and a staunch follower of the Empress who died mysteriously, the one whose supporters had killed her mother. She didn't like to admit it but she was scared of him. He often managed to get his way because she was afraid of his voice. Whenever he would yell, his voice was so loud and booming…
He had grown cocky and even more arrogant, swaggering through the Temple Palace as though it was his own. He wasn't in her list of people who would go with her to Angewotep but he bullied his way in. She hated it. She hated him, but if she had him sent away or executed, *his* followers would probably make a revolt against the throne.
She saw Miyako wave to her from down on the sandy terrain and smiled as she waved back. She quite disliked the way Goror wanted her to display her power and might and make her rise above her friends. She was glad, though, that Miyako understood. She didn't want this power. She didn't want her hair dyed a ceremonial pink. She loved her brown hair color and hated the stars which dangled here and there in her bright pink locks.
They traveled through the burning air of the desert. Soon they would reach the area where the cliffs of Botake would rise and she was told that the air was cooler there. Eagerly, she watched as the scenery ambled by and soon enough, there were the overwhelming cliffs of Botake, rearing high on their stone pedestals of solid foundation.
Togemon whispered, "There's something here."
Mimi nodded. She sensed something here, too. Something dangerous. She glanced an uneasy eye around as she clung to her Digimon's shoulders. "Do you know what it is?" she whispered back. "It feels dangerous."
"Don't worry, Mimi," Togemon answered. "I'll protect you from anything."
"I don't doubt that," Mimi replied, hugging the part of her cactus friend where there weren't any prickly spines. "You can do anything."
So on they went, walking silently through the soaring cliffs of natural brilliance. The feeling of danger was now growing stronger. The entire party was now uneasy. They were now able to sense that something was not only watching them, it was following them.
But what could they do? They couldn't afford to send any scouts; the fool Goror was stubbornly stupid in areas of tactics and strategy. He didn't want to send anyone out because he wanted to have them all surround him to protect him.
Mimi scowled. "There's a large fool—"
Suddenly, there was a blood-chilling battle cry echoing off the cliffs. Several of her associates who were walking suddenly huddled together. Goror, she saw, was bawling in fear. Weakling. She noticed that Miyako had her Digivolving device at the ready. She was glad. At least *someone* knew how to keep her head in these sort of situations.
Mimi's shoulders tensed and she cast an eye around, scanning the cliffs for anything unusual. There seemed to be a lot more shadows than usual and she swallowed. Togemon flexed his odd gloves for a few moments, readying his lightning-fast knuckles.
And then he said, "It's coming."
Abruptly, more howls erupted from all around and screaming black shadows fell upon the band. Several landed on Togemon and he whirled, sending them flying. Mimi leaped off and shook out her whip.
Just because she was a lousy Empress didn't mean that she wasn't raised in the warrior ways of her culture.
Ripping off her veil, she threw it at the face of the dark figure cloaked in shadow. They were smaller than she was, but they were incredibly fast. She lashed out with her whip—a horrid swing, for they were hard to see and catch—and surprisingly, she managed to catch one. She whirled around and flung it at the wall. It dissolved in a flash of sand.
She soon came next to Miyako, who was keeled over by the edge of the cliffs. Hawkmon lay next to his partner, unconscious also. Another handmaiden of their deity hovered worriedly over the form of their High Priestess. "Something's wrong with her," she whispered. "Look at her face, Empress."
Mimi tilted up her friend's face and gasped in horror. Miyako's face was pale and drawn and her normally vibrant eyes were pure black.
"No," she whispered. "Miyako, wake up!" she cried, shaking her friend's shoulders frantically. "Come back!"
She whipped her head around and searched for Togemon. Sand grains were flying everywhere as Togemon continued to finish off each little shadow with his flying needles. She caught sight of him, laying to waste each shadow which he saw. Mimi silently urged him to hurry up and come to her.
Just then, another shadow caught her eye. It was creeping along toward her and to where Miyako lay prostrate and unmoving. She felt furious and sent her whip's end hurtling toward the little shadow. Tears blurred her eyes as she thought of Miyako. Green light flashed before her eyes and she exploded. (A/N: Hehe. Boom.)
"I hate you!" she shrieked at it. "You evil foul miscreant! How could you??"
And although her strike was much off-balance thanks to her tears, the whip suddenly reared up and coiled around the small figure. The figure recoiled and screamed loudly, causing Mimi to go temporarily deaf. She blinked in confusion. A shadow fell upon her.
She looked up and smiled. It was Togemon.
"Togemon," she whispered. "How many are hurt?"
Togemon glanced around. "Lady Tarsako was wounded by Goror's foolishness and Olinol of the Committee Board was knocked out when he was slammed against the rocks. I managed to nail his attacker before it could do any more damage, though," he said rather proudly. "It was a hard shot, but I managed to get it on the face." He paused. "Mimi, what were those things?"
Mimi shrugged. "Togemon. Miyako is…there's something wrong with Miyako."
Togemon hunched over and took a look. "What happened to her eyes?" he gasped. "They're black!"
She shook her head. "I don't know. Hawkmon has also changed." She showed him the Digimon. His eyes were as black as Miyako's and his feathers seemed unnaturally stiff. "Togemon, we must get to Angewotep. Now."
****
See?
(Or maybe you don't. *Shrugs* Who cares?)
