Drat! It appears that I'm NOT dead, after all. Aren't you all annoyed with me? =D

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Yamato had had it with the heat and humidity of the South. A scowl was etched onto his almost-sunburned face as he nimbly leaped down from the back of his father's Digimon. Gabumon followed him, although he hopped down less gracefully, struggling with the heat given to him by his extra fur. They were now in Angewotep. It was a beautiful city, so much room and space to run around, but Yamato didn't feel like running around if it would entail him sweating even more.

It appeared that they were the last delegation to arrive at the splendid golden gates of Angewotep. Yamato would have liked to think that it was because they lived so far up north, but in truth, it was because they had to stop every so often to adjust to the heat.

He was given rooms in the great Palace of Gatoris, though in his opinion, it wasn't as beautiful as the crystal palace of Garurunil. Istas and Nieve were much lower in rank when compared to him, so they were given one room to share down the hall. Yamato was glad that Takeru's rooms were just down the corner. He was certain that he would be deathly bored by the other heirs to their Kingdomes, and was glad that he had his friends and his brother to talk to.

Yamato shrugged into the light clothes provided to him by the servants who prepared his room. As feathery light as they were, his face was still shining with a thin layer of perspiration. Taking a bath hadn't really lessened the intensity of the heat upon his fair skin.

Emerging out into the corridors, he found Istas and Nieve waiting for him. They, too, were sweating slightly.

"It's about time you came out, Beauty Queen," Nieve teased.

"Beauty *Prince*," he retorted. "And where's Takeru?"

Istas answered, "Cousin Takeru is, at the moment, with his acquaintance from the Kingdome of Hope. Akeril, I believe her name is, and Nakeli, the son of the Duke. Our Digimon are, at the moment, exploring the palace. They will be at the hall, though. They seem to know their way around much better than I do." She paused. "It is a little embarrassing that we from Friendship have arrived so late."

Yamato rolled his eyes. "Does it matter? Nothing could happen until all of us got here. If you think about it, our delay gave them a chance to rest."

His cousin sighed. "Let's just forget that I ever said anything. You always turn everything I say to suit your own purposes."

The Prince shrugged in a feigned helpless manner. "What can I do? I'm found to be extremely talented in that area. Perhaps it's my smooth and urbane manner which enables me to converse with utmost ease where others would be perplexed."

Nieve laughed and cuffed him on the shoulder as they made their way down the stone corridors which they thought to be rather confining, at least in the Palace of Gatoris. The Palace of Garurunil was more spacious in their curving ice sheets and soaring tinsels. It was still some time before they would have to appear to the other delegations of the land so they still had time to explore their new surroundings with vigor, at least, for the ever spirited Nieve and the sensible Istas.

When Yamato and his friends turned another corner, they found themselves in a wide hallway wherein a boy their age was arguing with someone who looked far more dignified than any other queen in many ways.

"Why can't I see her?" The boy wildly gesticulated as he spoke, the pain in his eyes evident to even one as proud as Yamato was. He had extremely large brown hair and wore loose desert clothes but upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were no ordinary desert-wear, for they were of the highest quality. The noble woman was wearing an elaborate headdress upon her head, resting quite well upon her long brown hair. She was a beautiful woman and Yamato instantly recognized her to be the Queen, as she and her handmaidens had greeted them upon their arrival.

The young-looking Queen of Angewotep glanced at the newcomers and smiled graciously. "Not now, our dear Taichi. Have you met the delegation from the Kingdome of Friendship in the ice lands far to the north? This is the Prince of their fair city of Garurunil and his companions. Your Highness, Prince Yamato, this is our son of the Kingdome of Courage, the next Tribal Caller of the deserts to the East."

Yamato nodded his head briefly in respect while his friends curtsied gracefully. "Greetings to you, Your Majesty, Queen of this fair golden city and also to you, Your Highness, Prince Taichi of the desert."

"The correct term is," interrupted the youth, "Heir of the Tribal Caller of the Tribe Greysenai. There are many modes of address, you know."

Yamato leveled his ice blue eyes with the other's light brown ones. "Forgive my ignorance," he said coolly, "but I'm afraid that I cannot forgive yours."

Taichi glared at him then turned back to his mother to give her a reproachful look. "I told you that this wasn't going to work, mother." Apparently, that was his farewell to the Queen, for after giving one last indifferent glance to Yamato, Istas and Nieve, he promptly turned down another corridor and left.

The Queen sighed as she turned back to the other youthful royals. "Please pardon our son."

"Excuse the Prince Yamato, too," Nieve put in. "He's not normally that rude and neither am I this impertinent unless, of course, there is fresh snowfall. I suppose that the heat's getting to us again." She sighed. "I should have stayed another hour in the bath but Istas here kept hurrying me up. It's so hot here."

"Hot?" the Queen asked in astonishment. "The weather today is quite cool and lovely." She paused. "Oh, yes. We remember now." She gave a little apologetic laugh. "We are sorry. We seemed to have forgotten that you come from a much colder climate than we do."

Istas spoke up. "Your Majesty, might I ask about what was His Highness, the Heir of the Tribe Caller of the Tribe Greysenai Taichi discussing with you before we arrived and changed the topic, if you don't mind my asking. He seemed vehemently dissatisfied at your disapprobation. Could this issue possibly concern us that we may extend our help to your son? Perhaps, in doing this, we will have patched the hole your son and my cousin unintentionally made in the fabric of our associations."

Yamato marveled at his cousin's amazing courtesy. He *could* be that eloquent if he wanted to, but he never really had the inclination.

The Queen looked slightly sad as she thought about it. She nodded, the grief quite apparent in her clear eyes as she gazed down upon them. "We trust that you are acquainted with at least a brief and recent history of our person's family?"

It was slightly strange yet oddly comforting to hear the Queen's speech. Her royal bearing was found in her speech when she spoke for herself while speaking for all. It was a little confusing at first, but soon, Yamato got the hang of it.

After trying to recollect everything the King of Garurunil had said to them, Yamato turned his eyes to the Queen and shook his head. "I believe that my father tried to educate us on what to expect but we were too fatigued with the heat to remember, moreover, listen to what he had to say."

She answered, "It's explicable, our young companions. Let us commence at the beginning so that all the baffling particulars will be clear. Long ago, the City of Light lived in ignorance of the roaming nomads of the east. These nomads had only one city, and they called it Agulis. They were the people of the Kingdome of Courage. Many years ago, a traveling band of scientists from Tentorelle and a few from Agulis had encountered the great Tree of Wormtii in the antediluvian forest of Biyoara. There they found the Kingdome of Kindness, and the Wormtiines proceeded to show them more of the world. They introduced to the newcomers the hidden Kingdome of Love, which lived on in each Biyoaran's heart though it has no urban city, for the forest is their home. Also, they were introduced the beautiful Kingdome of Reliability in Gomatelen, rising proud in the waves of each sea.

"At last, they were shown the Kingdome of Light, the city of Angewotep. We are the oldest city in this land, placing the first foundation before Tentorelle even formed in their people. We, for all our scholars and seers, never knew any other kingdom existed. We have had several clues, though. When my ancestors discovered that there was another kingdom right here in the desert, we immediately set out to make an alliance with this kingdom, the Kingdome of Courage. We went away, satisfied. There were ideas if intermarriage between the two kingdoms, and these ideas were put into action, so now we may see strains of Courage in the blood of our people and hints of Light in many of the people from the eastern desert."

"Peace," Nieve drawled. "You gotta love it, especially if it gets you more worshippers."

The Queen of Light nodded, laughing lightly. "Indeed, it may be so. But we must cherish this peace, for we fear that it will be in our grasp no longer. This news will be known to you, in any case, so we have decided now that it may be better for some others to know when we will announce it. We gather that this will not leave your mouths until we tell all the others?" They nodded. Her eyes were grave as she looked at them each. "Our daughter, Princess Hikari, the Heir to the Ancient City of Angewotep, the Kingdome of Light, has been poisoned."

"What?" Nieve cried. "How could that be? I heard that the warriors in the city of Angewotep are fearsome people to be reckoned with! How could someone have let it slip?"

The Queen shook her head slightly. "Silence, our young friend. There are ears all around us. As you said, our warriors are fearsome to be reckoned with. Do you not think that our spies are more formidable?"

But Yamato was thinking of something else. (He already knew about Kingdome intermarriages; he and his brother were examples of one)  "Princess Hikari…why would Taichi want to see her?" He glanced at the Queen. "Tell me, Your Majesty, is Princess Hikari Taichi's sister? Are they kinsmen?"

"Yes. Indeed they are." She smiled wistfully. "Though they have never met, their bond for each other is stronger than we thought possible. So many times has Hikari begged us to allow her to visit Agulis, but never have we allowed her to, for fear for her safety. And now, in our care, she has been struck down by a poison so rare that we fear it is incurable. It is a wonder how she is still breathing, but with each breath, we feel her life slipping away."

Istas bowed and took the woman's hand. There were tears in her eyes. "Your Majesty," she said softly. "Perhaps it would be better to allow Heir Taichi to visit his sister. I wouldn't know what to do if something like this ever happened to my own siblings."

The Queen's eyes were misty as she smiled at the fair-haired girl. "Perhaps." She then looked outside. "My, the sun is sinking fast tonight. The banquet will start soon. We must hurry now or we'll be late."

"We are ready to go, Your Majesty," Yamato told the woman. "If you could show us the way, we could be there in no time."

The Queen nodded. "Let us call our niece instead. She will lead you to the Hall." She looked straight at a statue of a black cat and said, "Felismon, would you please contact your Human? We would like to speak to her."

And to Yamato and his friends' amazement, the statue of the cat stirred and nimbly sprang down from its pedestal. It was a Digimon in the shape of a cat. The cat nodded and turned its head to glance back into the darkness. A girl with shiny black hair was emerging from the shadows. Her eyes mirrored her Digimon's, bright green with a certain cool spark in them. She was clothed in dark robes of the highest quality and her hair was set in an elaborate style. She seemed about their age.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" the girl asked, curtsying deeply.

"We would like you to take Prince Yamato of Garurunil and his two friends to the Hall. They are ready and we fear they will be received at any moment. How odd it will be if they are not there to be called."

"Indeed, Your Majesty." The girl turned towards the others. "My name is Eleni. If you would follow me…?"

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Taichi was still grumbling to himself as he sat down at the table which he was assigned to. He wore heavier robes this time, for the night was coming. As was common knowledge, the desert became almost freezing at night. His hair was unchanged, for it was too large to be styled into anything else.

Not that he would have agreed to be styled in the first place.

He was so thrilled to be going to the city of Angewotep because it was in his mind that he would finally meet his sister. But then, he found out that his sister was poisoned beyond consciousness and he was not allowed to see her. She was on the brink of death! Who cared about this city's damned rituals?

The Heir to the Kingdome of Courage was quite angry.

He glared at the bright festivities among him. It rather vexed him that the people of Light would still have the heart for merrymaking when their princess was lying prostrate and nearly dead but for some strange phenomenon keeping her alive.

He descended down the stairs rather grumpily into the open-air banquet celebrating the presences of all the Kingdomes of the East. Agumon, his Digimon partner, followed but he wasn't as grumpy as he was sad. He wanted to know his friend's sister.

Taichi and Agumon made their way to the table where they were to sit and sat. There was nobody else sitting there yet, as they were to be announced after them. There were eighteen seats in the high table where they sat, each grand chair engraved with beautiful designs of the crests of each Kingdome for the Heir and his or her Digimon. Taichi wondered who would fill the empty seats of the Kingdome of Light.

Agumon asked, "Taichi, when are we going to eat some Angewotep food? I hear that it's really sweet because they put in lots of yummy milk and honey." (A/N: Ahem, ahem. Land of milk…honey? Canaan reference.)

Taichi replied, "As soon as all the royals are seated." His eyes scanned the crowd, wondering where Alyro and Eredain were.

Soon, another announcement was made and Taichi watched the descending of the Heir from the Kingdome of Reliability, his interest slightly piqued by the Heir's dark blue hair. He had never seen blue hair before. The Heir's name was Jyou of Kido and he seemed to be a mild-mannered youth, a year superior to Taichi's. He looked proper and noble, unlike his cavorting white and purple Digimon with strange spiky hair. As he drew nearer to the high table where Taichi waited to be joined by others, Taichi saw that his eyes seemed to be ringed with dark circles.

After a few moments of wondering, he remembered that the original Heir to Reliability, who had perished in a disaster in Gomatelen, was his brother. Taking his older brother's place was no easy task, Taichi was sure, and, despite his grumpiness, he smiled slightly at the approaching Prince and Digimon.

His Digimon was looking around rather eagerly. He didn't seem to share his friend's slight depression

 "Hello, Prince of Reliability. I'm Taichi. This is Agumon."

He nodded, returning him a much sadder smile. "The Tribe Caller's son from the tribe of Greysenai. I am glad to meet you. This is Gomamon." He them bowed in the odd way his people bowed. He placed his knuckles together and separated them, causing them to face forward palms up and bowed his head over them. In describing their way of paying respect, it does not sound like much, but when the people did it, it was made a beautiful and completely dignified action.

As soon as Jyou was seated in his chair, another announcement was made.

"From the vast and mystical Forests of Biyoara, the Prince Terran Kellores Leinterr Takenouchi and his Digimon partner, the Heir to the Kingdome of Love and to the throne of the Biyoarin life among the trees of the wood," boomed the announcer from his post next to the door.

Taichi and Jyou, who had been conversing about the city, looked up in time to see a timid-looking boy with his bright red hair pulled back in the strange manner of the Biyoaran culture. He wasn't short but he seemed much younger than he looked. By his side was a bright pink birdlike Digimon. The Prince of Biyoara made his way down the stairs rather haltingly and looked around, slightly overwhelmed.

He and his Digimon didn't know where to go, Taichi realized and stood up, calling the prince over. "Over here, noble Prince. This is our table."

The lad looked around and saw him. He and his Digimon hurried through the court and took their seats. The boy, whose face was elfin and eyes were a deep ruby color, smiled at Taichi and gratefully thanked him.

Taichi laughed, putting aside his anger at the sight of his miserable companions. "It's all right. It's very confusing in this city, though I come from the same desert. My name is Taichi and I'm the Heir to the Kingdome of Courage, son of the Tribe Caller and fruit of the Tribe of Greysenai."

"I'm Agumon!" his Digimon piped up. "And he's Gomamon. Are you a Biyomon?"

The bird nodded. She looked slightly frightened of everything, but remained calm. "I'm Biyomon. The only one, actually."

"That makes you special," Jyou murmured gravely. He glanced at the Prince of Biyoara and extended a hand in greeting. "I am Prince Jyou. From Gomatelen, the Kingdome of Reliability." For a few moments, the Prince seemed to just stare at his hand. He looked confused but reached out and took the hand, gripping it in the wrong way. Jyou winced but shrugged. "So, what are we to call you?"

"Me?" His voice seemed light, almost feminine. "I-uh. You can call me So—ah, I mean, Terran."

Taichi stared at the Prince Terran. He seemed incredibly overwhelmed and panicked to be in the social gathering. He was timidly looking around and remained silent. His cheeks were burning red and he fidgeted in his seat.

Taichi's pity came to him immediately and he wondered if the lad had much training in comportment and regal duties. He seemed to be like a simple country boy who was suddenly thrust into the role of a prince. (A/N: Not that far off the mark, Taichi!) He also speculated whether his teachers had ever told him anything about the Kingdome of Love having parties. Terran didn't seem to be comfortable with the social scene, which was odd, at least for a Prince.

"Have you ever been to the Tree of Wormtii?" he asked, trying to make the diminutive prince more comfortable. "I've always wanted to go there but I never had the occasion to leave the desert before."

Terran smiled. "It's a lovely place there, but the altitude can make one very dizzy. I almost threw up once when I climbed up to the highest branch level with my friend Te—uh, Terry."

"Terry?" Jyou inquired. "Terran and Terry?"

"He's my brother," Terran said quickly. "My younger brother."

"But you said that Terry was your friend," Jyou objected, looking slightly amused.

"Can't my brother be my friend?" Terran asked, looking slightly flustered by the seeming interrogation. "Because he is. My friend, I mean. We do almost everything together. It's like we're not brothers sometimes and just best friends. Like—"

Jyou held up his hands, smiling gently. "All right, I understand. It's all right." The smile on his face sobered. "I was like that with my older brother, too. We were inseparable for so long." He sighed.

Terran reached out and put his slender hand on Jyou's arm. "I'm sorry, Jyou. I heard that Shin was a great person. Just remember his life with Love and cherish each moment you had spent together with a pure Heart of Sorrow. He was brave and deserving of the ethereal Home Tree of the Forest of Gods and Goddesses."

Taichi realized that it must have been some kind of ritual from the forest of Biyoara because Terran's eyes seemed to shine when he spoke those words. He himself felt slightly more at peace when he heard those words, though he never knew Shin.

Jyou's eyes were slightly teary, but he held them in, as noble as always. "Thank you, Terran."

Terran smiled. "No problem. But are you going to be all right?" Jyou nodded.

Their conversation ended here because another announcement was to be made. As they watched, they saw a girl with bright pink hair appear at the foot of the steps. She was tall and slender and her Digimon was a sort of plant type.

"From the tropical Jungles of Togesanra—"

The girl suddenly turned on the announcer and said some things. The announcer looked shocked but resumed his announcing. "F-from the tropical Jungles of Togesantira, Heir of the Kingdome of Sincerity and the Throne of the Temple Palace of Palmera, the Empress Mimi Tachikawa and her Digimon partner."

The Empress slowly descended down the stairs. Although her clothes were brilliant in color and style, her hair was slightly mussed, as though she had sped through her preparations in haste. Her eyes seemed slightly puffy, like she had been crying.

She reached the table and sat down in her appointed chair. Her Digimon sat next to her, looking just as sad as her Human did.

"Greetings, Empress Mimi Tachikawa," Taichi said. (A/N: I suppose he appointed himself the welcoming party of the Heirs. I certainly didn't do it.) "I'm the Tribe Caller's son, Taichi from the Kingdome of Courage and of the tribe of Greysenai, that's Prince Jyou of Kido from the city of Gomatelen, the Kingdome of Reliability, and over there is the Heir to the Kingdome of Love in the forest of Biyoara, Prince Terran."

Agumon picked up where his Human left off. "I'm Taichi's Digimon, Agumon, this is Gomamon, from Reliability and the bird is Biyomon, Terran's Digimon."

She gave them a wan smile and nodded. "It is good to meet you. I am Mimi and this is Palmon."

"Are you well, Empress Mimi? Empress Palmon?" Terran asked hesitantly. "You both seem somehow unhappy. Is there something wrong?"

"How could you tell?" Palmon seemed surprised. "We're hiding it well, with the best of our learned etiquette."

Terran shrugged.

Mimi glanced at them silently then turned to Palmon, who nodded to her. Mimi faced them again and sighed. "Yes. Something happened to us on the way to this fair city. We were traveling well, though it was very hot in the rocky desert, when we came upon two parallel cliffs facing each other and forming a dividing gorge wherein the path which we were to traverse lay. As we entered this gorge, something strange seemed to be watching us. When we were in the very center, there was a battle cry…" She closed her eyes, then opened them to reveal hardened russet eyes.

"We looked around and saw strange shadows leaping out from everywhere. There were no creatures to cast the shadows however. The attackers were the shadows."

Taichi let out a sharp intake of breath. "The shadows…" he murmured. He glanced at Mimi. "You passed by the gorge, didn't you?"

Mimi nodded.

"That's the way we passed, too," Taichi noted. "And they attacked your party."

"Not only that," Mimi said, her eyes softening with sadness. "They did something to my friend, Miyako, the High Priestess. They say she's recovering, but slowly. I haven't been allowed to see her." Her expression shifted into an angry one. "She's my friend! Why can't I see her?"

Taichi nodded, the wheels in his head slowly beginning to turn. "I know how you feel. They won't let me see the Princess of Angewotep—my sister."

Jyou spoke. "I've heard about that." His face was creased with worry. "She's been poisoned with something strange and deadly but still she lives. Barely. She must have a strong immunity system to poison."

"Excuse me." It was Terran. He seemed very hesitant to speak. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand something. Why don't they allow you to see your ill people here in Angewotep? I'm certain that none of these problems are contagious."

"It's their damned rituals," Taichi growled, slamming his fist on the table. "They won't let anyone see their sick because they believe that their god is taking a close hand with them and conferring with them about their lives. That he is actually with them whenever there is light from inside the walls. Nobody is allowed to see that except for the priests and the priestesses, so they let nobody in." He sat back. "It's a foolish idea, if you ask me."

"Not quite. There are many evidences that the Palace of Gatoris is indeed imbued with a divine prescence, which may very well be a god. You may be blaspheming and you don't even know it. Surprising how many mistakes we can make out of ignorance, isn't it? And that's the exact reason why we must strive to rid ourselves of it."

They turned around to see a red-haired boy their age standing at their table in splendid garments, listening. There was also a red bug-like Digimon with him. They stared at him for a few moments until Taichi asked him rather brusquely, "Who are you?"

The boy looked offended for a moment, but seemed to brush it aside. "Mind your manners next time, my dear Tribe Caller. They aren't very becoming, and I'm certain that you know better, as well-bred as I'm sure you are. Or at least, as well-bred as I hope you are. You'll never know once you get down from the mountains."

Taichi glared at him. "I don't need an assessment on my etiquette. Who are you?"

He replied smoothly, "I'm the Head of the Council of the Kingdome of Knowledge." He held out a hand to Taichi. "Koushiro Izumi, and my Digimon, Tentomon, at your august and ever regal service."

Taichi looked at him as he grudgingly shook the redhead's hand. "Are you mocking me?" He decided at that moment that he agreed with some of the Tribe Chiefs. The people from Tentorelle were indeed quite haughty and simply very high and mighty. Puffed up with their own imagined importance.

"Would I do that? Now," Koushiro glanced around and bowed. "Empress Mimi Tachikawa of Palmera, Prince Jyou of Gomatelen and…" He cocked his head as he examined Terran. "I'm certain that you're from the Kingdome of Love. You look like Prince Terran, but…"

"I am Prince Terran," Terran cut in and sat back, looking nervous. "From Biyoara. Nice to meet you."

Koushiro shrugged and took his seat. "I won't trust those inaccurate files. For now. This is a splendid banquet, isn't it?"

Taichi remained silent while the rest of them (excluding Terran; he seemed somehow exhausted) conversed with each other. Mimi seemed to brighten up a little when they began talking about the people in the room and Jyou (although he still remained as sober as ever) also seemed to be willing to contribute his ideas to the conversation. Taichi watched the dancing people and caught sight of Eredain. He was bowing deeply to a slender, pale-looking girl with blonde hair.

He smiled. He never thought that the solemn young chief would ever ask anyone to dance, or even dance at all. He supposed that it would make sense to ask this girl to dance, though. She was beautiful.

Taichi realized that she was one of the three people who he had left with his mother earlier that evening and wondered where the other two were. And as if to answer his question, the trumpets blared out again and the announcer called out to the people, "From the wintry northern ice tundra of Gabuniere and the palace of Garurunil, the Prince Yamato Ishida from the Kingdome of Friendship and his majestic Digimon partner."

They all turned to look toward the stairs. There, descending down the stairs, looking rather bored, was the same person who had unknowingly insulted Taichi's pride. Of course, he probably knew no better because Taichi was simply feeling angry at the world.

Still, Taichi felt slightly irritated with the way the Prince Yamato seemed to look down on everything.

Taichi sighed. It seemed that he would have to hold his temper.

Well…he'd try.

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Sora watched as the blonde-haired Prince approached the table and took his seat silently. His Digimon did the same. She wondered briefly why he seemed slightly irritated. The party was splendid, really, as the Master Koushiro had said. Of course, Sora couldn't really enjoy it because she was almost sick with worry that she'd make a mistake with her act. She was supposed to be her brother, Terran, who was enjoying himself among the crowd, she could see.

She wasn't used to such formal clothes and manners—back in Biyoara, they didn't have so many utensils. She didn't know the proper etiquette, although she was briefed by her parents about how to act. And of course, she wasn't used to pretending to be a male.

Everyone else at the table seemed to wait for a greeting, but none was made until the Empress Mimi said, "Hello, Prince Yamato."

He looked at her and nodded. He seemed to realize that everyone was waiting for him to say something and sighed. "Am I expected to converse with all of you? That could get very tiring."

Koushiro spoke up. "Like Taichi, your manners do need improvement, but I'm certain we're all willing to put that aside, aren't we?" he glanced at everyone. Taichi shrugged, but everyone else nodded.

As Koushiro made the introductions, Sora sat back and examined the newcomer. He was handsome, certainly, but the look on his face told her that he was a very haughty person. She sighed, wondering when the banquet would end. It seemed that she had been sitting there for hours.

She stared at the large hall they were in. It wasn't exactly a couple of pillars and statues on a big stone floor in the desert, but it was close. It was open air and the cool breeze gently ruffled Sora's trimmed and pulled back hair. The desert was beautiful, she decided, but she still missed the humid forests of her home.

She turned back to her fellow rulers and saw Yamato looking at her thoughtfully. She thought with a sizable amount of panic, 'Does he know that I'm a girl?' If he did, what would happen? Would she be declared unable to rule because she was a girl?

"Prince Terran," he began. "Why are you so silent?"

She nearly collapsed with relief. She glanced up at him. The look in his eyes was proud and self-aggrandizing, almost mocking. She felt twinges of annoyance. Almost irritably, she retorted, "I could ask you the same question. Why are you so silent, Prince Yamato?" She almost panicked after saying such rude things to a monarch when she realized that she, too, was one of them, and besides, he didn't seem offended by her impudence.

He laughed, but didn't further continue the conversation. She and Biyomon exchanged a look. Was he the kind of person they'd have to spend time with?

She glanced around and saw with some relief that her cousin, the Prince Ken was at the top of the stairs. When he arrived at the table, she gratefully watched him sit next to her. "How are things going, Sor?" he asked her in a low voice which she was certain no one else could hear.

She weakly smiled at him and watched as the introductions among the table were made. When at last Ken had a chance to talk to her, he whispered, "Are you all right?"

Sora said in a low voice, "Get me out of here."

Ken laughed. "Sorry, my friend. We cannot even eat until all the royals are assembled into the hall. Until then, we must strive for patience and mentally urge our fellow sovereigns to pick up their pace."

"I can do that while walking away."

"I'm positive you can, but everyone prefers it if you do it here."

The conversation turned to other things as Sora once again returned to watching the dancing people in the hall. They seemed like they were having fun. Unfortunately, no one could say the same for Sora at the moment. She suppressed the urge to run away and sighed. Who would have thought that being a royal was so boring? Being related to Terry was excellent, for they were almost like brother and sister, but she very much preferred being a simple backyard count's 'daughter'.

Speaking of the real Prince Terran, she saw him sitting with the other lesser sovereigns and chatting gaily with some pretty girl with long dark hair. She was probably a Gatorin. Sora observed them. Terran wasn't eating, though she saw the food ready on his plate.

Typical.

Seated on much grander thrones and before a much more luxurious table heaped with exotic-looking foods were their parents, the Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses (excluding Mimi and Koushiro, of course. They were heirs to the throne, although theyalready possessed theirs.) They all appeared to be very stately and dignified, although she saw the brown-haired King of Garurunil shooting frequent glances at the food, as if fearing to touch it.

He didn't seem as cool and arrogant as his son did, Sora noticed. And definitely less aloof..

It appeared that all nobles acted differently, so how was Sora to know how to behave if they were all so different and complex? Less gradually now, her fears and worries rose and claimed her for their own. Perhaps she could return the role of Heir Prince to Terran. He knew the comportment and things like that, even if he usually acted like he didn't. She wasn't meant for this role.

She met her mother's gaze and tried to smile (and failed). The King and Queen of Biyoara beamed at their daughter, love and pride shining in their eyes. As she received this love and pride, Sora felt the smile come easier to her lips and knew that at that moment, she couldn't let her mother down. The Monarchs of Biyoara put trust in their daughter.

She turned to look at Terry, who also looked at her at the same time. Simultaneously, they smiled hesitantly at each other. Sora felt hope in her heart.

Terran had been quiet on the trip to Angewotep, causing Sora some concern. He was her twin brother, and she was also certain that she knew him well enough from childhood to tell that Sora's sudden elevation to Heir to the throne, a position he had been holding until then, might not sit too well with him. She was wondering whether he was mad or indignant with her for that because of his silence.

Feeling a lot more cheerful now, Sora gave Terry a little wave and turned back to watch the next entrance of the final Heir coming in. (A/N: You remember Hikari's unconsciousness? So this has got to be the last. [Unless I'm included!] Argh.)

The announcer articulated, "The Heir to the Seat of Democracy in the Kingdome of Hope's center, the City of Angesdale wherein resides the Palace of Pataru, the Prince Takeru and his royal Digimon!"

A tall, fair-haired boy began walking down the stairs. Sora observed that he was around Ken's age and looked slightly familiar. As he drew closer, Sora could see that he was beaming happily and that his Digimon appeared to be some sort of a four-legged creature with bat ears on his head.

"Yamato!" the prince cried delightedly. "I've been looking for you in the halls, but I couldn't find you. Mother said that you were with your friends, but Akeril and Nakeli wanted to see the sights so we had to go on tour."

The others gaped at him and Yamato, who smiled slightly and said, "We're brothers."

"How can that be?" Mimi wondered.

"It's unpretentious, really," Koushiro scoffed. "Just like the Kingdome of Courage and the Kingdome of Light, the Kingdomes of Hope and Friendship were apparently of the same blood and they've been having intermarriages across the two lands to keep everyone happy."

"It's not that simple," Sora heard Yamato mutter under his breath.

"Of course, my dear Prince."

CLANG! CLANG! Two people were ringing a gong on the other side of the hall.

The Gatorin announcer stepped up and bowed deeply. "My Kings and Queens, Emperors and Empresses, Princes and Princesses, Heirs and all, nobles and common alike, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. At last, we are complete, but for the Daughter of Light who will ascend the throne, for she lies unconscious yet alive in the hand of our Master, the Great God of Light and everything good, Elin, the Divinity who lives in the walls of our Sacred City. Alas, she does not wake up, for this foul attempt on her life has left her on the brink of it, and, as of yet, there are no signs of her recovery and this renders us desolate, for I am certain that you remember the eternally jovial Princess Hikari and her lively escapades through the golden walls of our city. Her mirth and cheer shone through us then, but since her assault and brush with death, the walls of Angewotep and Gatoris no longer appear bright to our eyes and the sands of time inevitably draw closer."

"Windy, pompous and eloquent," Yamato remarked. "Just like a good speech. But who understands his cryptic babble?"

"I do," Taichi growled. "It's not babble."

"Oh, I suppose it's something you grew up with, then," Sora spoke up hurriedly. There was no need for them to be fighting. She could sense the tension between the two. "It's part of your culture, so we couldn't know because we're all from different places. It might also be so complex that it came from long, long ago. You can't expect us to understand that."

"You can expect me to understand everything," Koushiro declared.

"Everything simmering down now, boys?" Mimi grinned.

Taichi and Yamato shrugged and leaned back.

At last, the announcer finished his long and windy speech and declared that it was time to begin eating. Many people hungrily attacked their food while others seemed to stare at it for a few moments, analyzing its characteristics and wondering what it was.

Sora and Ken glanced at each other and began to eat their feast. The others were already finishing the appetizers. To Sora's surprise, the strange paste actually tasted good. She smiled and continued to eat.

More of the reigning monarchs made lengthy speeches of thanks, of sadness and of cheer that the Children of each Kingdome were all gathered under one roof. Once everyone was well-digested (A/N: Hehe. I can see a picture of this literally, but it's not a pretty one…*gurgles*.), the formal dancing began.

Sora observed the people who were taking advantage of this formal dancing. They all were extremely excellent dancers. The dance seemed to be of no origin whatsoever, but it was one all of the Kingdomes knew. (A/N: The chicken dance?) Sora, for that matter, did not know it.

Mimi was immediately whisked away to dance with the sudden cloud of her admiring suitors while females all sorts gathered around Yamato and Taichi to ask them to dance. Jyou, apparently, was obliged to dance as one of his princely duties, so he left his seat and went into the throng. Koushiro remained in his seat and ignored any attempts of women to lure him out of it.

Looking around, Sora suddenly spotted some women who were making their way for her. There were some strangely predatory looks in their eyes as they stared at her. Sora then realized that she was supposed to be playing a man and began to panic.

This was going to be a long night.

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Ken sat and watched silently as the older Heirs began to be picked off for dancing partners. Well, everyone except for Koushiro and Sora—Prince Terran. Koushiro apparently wanted to have nothing to do with dancing and adamantly refused to recognize the women who were pestering him for a dance. Sora denied each suggestion the women made and seemed almost frightened of them.

Well, it was understandable for her to feel wary—most of the girls here were out to get husbands and, well, Sora was not an option for that. Besides, he was certain that she wasn't a very good dancer, and it would be very awkward for her to be dancing with a girl. Sora, by the way, cut a strangely attractive figure in the man's clothes her mother had modified for her. Ken had to laugh when he saw the expressions of the women who gazed upon his 'cousin'.

Ken sighed. He knew that it wouldn't be long before the girls would turn on him and Takeru. He turned to the Prince of Hope and smiled when he saw that Takeru was pressed far into his seat in a failing attempt to look invisible.

"It appears that you don't want to dance, either," he observed.

"Who would?" Takeru replied. "Those women attacking my brother completely scare the Prince out of me. Suddenly, I'm wishing I were just some commoner's farmhand. This nobility thing is extremely dangerous."

Ken smiled. "It would be pleasing to have no such responsibilities like attending to the needs of boisterous nobles and simpering courtesans and simply collapsing into a bundle of leaves to stare at the sky until nighttime falls."

"But we have an extremely large duty in our hands," Takeru pointed out. "This Heir business has a lot more to its name than its name." (A/N: Hehe.)

Ken nodded. "I believe that the Prophecies had many things to do with it."

"And we're at the very tip of it."

"Agreed."

They fell silent after that and watched as a girl finally managed to drag off a silently screaming Taichi. Yamato appeared to be no luckier. The girls seemed to be gaining the upper hand. Some of them began to search for new partners.

Ken suddenly turned to Takeru. "Takeru. Wouldn't you say that it's about time we went to…uh, talk with our parents?"

Takeru looked puzzled. "Whatever for?"

Ken smiled through tightly gritted teeth. "To avoid the throng, why don't we circle around it and go beyond the dining tables so we can easier evade the people who might want us to do things that we don't want to do?" His eyes gestured towards the suddenly fascinated girls.

Takeru then caught on and took a quick glance to where his brother had once been—it was now overrun with female bodies of all nationalities. He swallowed and looked back at Ken. "Our parents seem to be calling to us. Even if we ourselves are royalty, it would be rude to refuse a summons from the Kings, now wouldn't it?"

Ken agreed and said, "But, of course, we might not even reach our royal parents and instead depart from the area and leave the ball…"

"We may get a sound reproach for this," Takeru mused, "but all is better than this, isn't it?"

The two boys nodded to each other and in a flash, disappeared from their seats to run through the mass of celebrating people. As he looked back, Ken saw Sora being carted off by a woman who seemed slightly older than his cousin. He wished her luck. Sora would be difficult to animate.

"Where are those other two princes?" Ken suddenly heard a girl ask. "The ones who were much younger than that Prince from Biyoara. They were quite handsome!"

They sounded suspiciously near.

"I prefer the dark haired one to the blonde one!!" a deep female voice replied. "So where are they?"

Ken decided to run a little faster.

*              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *               

Takeru looked around in confusion. Where had he ended up?

Last he remembered, he and the Prince Ken from Wormtii had agreed to escape from the prospect of spinning around the floor with some conniving or brainless woman and dodged their pursuit, running into the crowd. Takeru remembered that the line of the crowd had ended some time ago, though for some reason he kept running.

He had left Patamon behind, but he was certain that his Digimon didn't mind—last Takeru had seen his friend, the Digimon had a pile of Gatorin food heaped up on his plate. He knew then that Patamon probably wouldn't notice that his Human had gone somewhere. If he would, Patamon probably would wonder where his Human was then continue eating.

Takeru, however, put more concern into the matter and wondered where he was, too.

He glanced around. This was still Gatoris. At least he hadn't continued running until the border.

It was the entrance to a hall of halls built with sturdy-looking yellow stone blocks. He walked down the major hall, noting the one he came from with a special eye. Most of the passageways here looked exactly alike, with all their intricate designs and mosaics.

He walked down a hall and nearly ran into someone who was running out. He stumbled back, apologizing profusely.

"It-it's all right, friend," the other said brightly, although he had practically been knocked down. "I've still got my fingers working. That's all what's important, really. It wouldn't matter if my legs broke, but never the hands."

Takeru glanced at the fellow curiously. He had tanned skin and spiky auburn hair. He seemed of Agulian descent. The other youth looked at him, too, scrutinizing the Prince.

Takeru decided to avoid the guessing and introduced himself. "I am Takeru, from Angesdale. I'm sorry to have collided into you. I meant you no harm."

The Agulian shook his head, laughing. "It's all right, really!" He puffed his chest up. "I doubt that a waif like you could hurt me. My name is Daisuke from the Tribe of Fladraki in Courage. You're the Prince of Hope, aren't you?"

Takeru nodded, choosing to ignore the "waif" part. It probably wasn't meant, anyway. Takeru stood half a head taller than the Agunatran Daisuke. "I don't believe that I've seen you before. Do you belong to the entourage from Courage?"

Daisuke let out another delighted laugh. "That's the funny thing. Actually, I came from Reliability. I'm a mechanic from Agunatra who works in Gomatelen. How strange is that?"

They started to converse back and forth. Daisuke laughed heartily when he heard Takeru's reason of why he was wandering around the halls alone.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Ken is faring?" Takeru wondered.

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It was morning already.

Prince Jyou of Gomatelen stared out at the bright blue sky hanging over the golden sea of sand. The seas were never this blue…they were much darker. He closed his eyes. These days, they were much, much darker now that so much death and suffering had polluted the waters. The Mother Sea was still mourning the loss of so much life. It would be some time before the waters returned to their beautiful sapphire blue, reflecting back the rays of the sun on its glassy clear surfaces.

He sighed and sat up from the strange sofa-like canopy bed which was the fashion of Gatorian beds. As he washed (each of the Royals' rooms had their own personal areas for these activities) and dressed, the heavy feeling in his heart grew heavier still. How could his brother be dead? Jyou couldn't imagine life without Shin and his sensible advice. Who would help him out of problems now? In many ways, Jyou felt that a part of his life died along with that of Shin's.

Last night, he felt lost. The ball was grand in many ways, and there were times when he almost felt like himself again. Well, himself before the destruction of the Ocean's serenity. He admitted to himself that he found the younger Heirs to the neighboring kingdoms rather charming, in each of their little ways. The Empress from Palmera, in particular, had charmed him rather perfectly, although there were times when she, too, seemed melancholy, most probably thinking about her friend the High Priestess.

He smiled thinly and stood up from lacing his sandals. It was too hot in the desert to wear boots. Today, there was going to be a Council among the monarchs. Jyou had a feeling that they would discuss things exceptional and fantastic, like the Prophecy and a potential enemy across the Sea.

When he left his rooms, he saw Gomamon waiting for him, looking fresh and as lively as ever. "Good morning, Gomamon," he greeted his Digimon.

"Hi, Jyou!" his Digimon said brightly. "It's a lovely morning today, isn't it? If I were back home, I'd be floating on the waves and—"

"Getting horribly sunburned," Jyou interrupted, smiling slightly. Gomamon had the tendency to peel, even though he was as furry as, say, a Gabumon.

"Hey, Jyou!" Gomamon exclaimed. "Are you becoming happy again?"

"The meeting will start soon," Jyou replied, choosing not to answer his question, striding down the halls. "We shouldn't be late."

"Whatever you say, friend."

The Council Hall of the Palace of Gatoris was grand, extremely large and, like all other areas in Angewotep, open and spacious. There were many seats carved into rock for spectators, but the seats for the people personally taking a hand in the meeting were carved from marble and heaped with cushions. Each of these had panels with little horns dangling from a hook. These were for calling attention to the rest of the people when one wanted to speak.

Jyou's seat was found up front next to his father's with the other Gomatelenians who were taking part in the discussions (high officials, like General Aes). The rest of the Heirs' seats were also formed in these manners.

He smiled to himself when he saw Taichi dozing slightly in his seat and Agumon sneaking various little treats into his mouth. Yamato sat in his own seat, looking bored and slightly irritated (an expression that he seemed to wear very often, Jyou noticed) while the young Prince of Hope was chattering avidly with a youth his age. The brothers' Digimon were conversing with each other. The Prince Terran sat silently in his marble chair, holding Biyomon's hand, and in a chair near him was another young lad with vibrant red hair that Terran also had. Jyou assumed that the two were brothers, in fact twins, and that this fellow was the Terry that Terran had spoken of the other night. Terran frequently threw glances over to the other Prince's direction.

Jyou was suddenly reminded of the first time he had presided over a royal meeting among the advisers in Gomatelen. He remembered that he was very nervous and that he did the same, always looking to Shin for strength. He closed his eyes momentarily, remembering his wise brother.

He then turned his gaze to the Head of Tentorelle, Koushiro and the Prince Ken. The red-haired fellow seemed to be arguing with another Kabuteric girl, along with his Digimon. Across the room, Prince Ken was comfortably speaking with his Digimon partner in the next chair, although he twitched every now and then with pain from a bruise over his cheek. Jyou then saw the Empress Mimi sitting completely still in her seat, back rigid and staring straight ahead, being spoken to by a large bull-like man. Her eyes seemed sad and weary.

 Jyou's ever-constant grief was swept aside suddenly and he was filled with concern for the girl. Was her separate sadness caused by the ailment of the High Priestess? Jyou wished that she could be spared from such sorrow. She didn't deserve such sadness. (A/N: ^_^)

"Excuse us," the Queen of Gatoris called to the murmuring crowd. "We will begin the first Council of Nations now."

As soon as the crowd grew silent, the Queen gave a small pained smile. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "Today, we hold the first ever council wherein there are royal representatives from each Kingdome. We am immensely honored that this council is held in the City of Angewotep, the Palace of Gatoris. Our palace is bowed down by all of your presences." She paused. "We are all in awe of each other, we are certain—"

Taichi, who had awoken when his mother called their attention, coughed loudly. The Queen looked at her son sternly and he blushed slightly and bowed his head in apology.

"Awe," the Queen stated, continuing her speech. "Ergo, we do not feel the need to express my entire admiration of each congregation. We all know how courageous and skillful the Children of Courage are, how fair and amiable the Children of Friendship, how intelligent and erudite the Children of Knowledge, how resourceful and practical the Children of Reliability, how caring and benevolent the Children of Love, how gentle and humane the Children of Kindness, how eager and optimistic the Children of Hope, how honest and open the Children of Sincerity.

"We Children of Light, however, do not quite exhibit much of these traits openly, for we are a people who devote ourselves to the Light." She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "May the Light be bestowed upon us all on this day and continue nourishing our lives with its goodness eternally."

This seemed to signal the end of her speech because she then sat down and the Tribe Caller stood up. "Greetings, all," said the man. "We are all suitably flattered by the Queen of Light's humble words, but let us put a lid on our flattery, the Queen demotes herself and her people. Why, wasn't last night a large piece of evidence of their people's gaiety and amazing cooking? I shall be the first to say that the Children of Light aren't simply zealots to the Holy Light. Indeed, they are all devoted people dedicated to life itself!"

Many people applauded him and the Tribe Caller continued his discourse. Soon after, the other monarchs had stood up and said their own separate orations. Koushiro and Mimi made their speeches along with the others, since they were already ruling countries of their own.

As soon as the major clapping died down, the Queen of Light stood up once more, nodding to all the people. "We are glad to have such an attentive audience. It makes the prospect of speaking up much easier." The smile faded from her face. "All proprieties passed, we believe that it is time for us to get down to the important matters. May the Emperor of Reliability please rise to give us an accurate account of their lamentable destruction?"

She sat and Jyou's father stood up, his face grave. "A week ago, an enormous percentage of the outskirts of our underwater city was torn down. What caused this enormous level of destruction? All it takes for an avalanche may be a little pebble, falling down in the wrong place and setting of the destruction, but in our case, the little turn-point stone was thrown into place by a mysterious hand." He then turned to Jyou, his eyes full of sadness. "This hand was the cause of much death. The Mother Sea still grieves its loss."

Shin's image suddenly sprang into the solemn Prince's mind and he closed his eyes, feeling the tears blurring his vision. He must not cry in front of the audiences of the world. When his unshed tears finally disappeared, Jyou opened his eyes and saw that his father had continued talking.

After the Emperor's report, Koushiro stood up and blew his horn to get attention. "Excuse me, Emperor of Gomatelen. I'd like you to know that you have my condolences. We people of Tentorelle sympathize with yours for we ourselves have once experienced a horrible landslide, burying half the Kabuteric West. However, I would like to ask your Imperial person a question which I am certain many others also have asked in their minds. Do I have your permission?"

"Certainly."

Koushiro nodded. "Thank you. What makes you so certain that this incident and the others we will encounter in the future are events dictated by prophecies? The Prophecies of the Ages, in particular. Certainly, some events might hit the mark, but what is the indicator that war is heading towards us in a straight line and that this line is dictated in the sayings of a blind seeress whose entire life, if I am correct, was spent illiterate and in isolation?"

"That is part of the miracle, Koushiro," Jyou's father answered. "One day, a hermitess emerged from the mountains and began speaking to the people with a strange tongue which only the priests could understand back then. It was the language of God, or so they said. And then, when they had listened to her for a day or so, she was given a quill and some animal skin paper to write her sayings. The people then were always on the lookout for prophets. That's when they found out about her illiteracy."

Then continued the argument Jyou was certain had been passed around each Kingdome council on the validation of the Prophecy. Eventually, they got around to discussing the Prophecy itself.

"There will be a trip across the ocean to the sea," said the young Kabuteric girl Koushiro had  been arguing with. "A journey across the vast ocean to the continent we all know nothing about."

Jyou thought that it was rather amazing that a Kabuteric girl admitted that even her glorious Kingdome of Knowledge lacked some in any department. Apparently, so did a few others because one could hear gasps of surprise echoing all over the room.

"The voyagers will not be well-seasoned sea captains but for the Gomatelenians, who we all know are able water-goers," the girl continued, "but the Heirs to each of their thrones and several special others involved with the Prophecy."

There were shouts and protests at this. The Queen of Angewotep stood up and had to sound her horn several times until the uproar had died. The arguments were heard out and protests rang out every other comment. In the end, they all agreed that nothing would happen until they found a mode of transportation that could carry them even halfway into the immeasurable ocean.

All in all, Jyou mused, a typical Council wherein absolutely nothing was done and much time was wasted.

*              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *                Yes, I know that it's honking long, but I've decided that many-chapter stories aren't good for my fingers' health. In a way. You know what, just forget that I said anything, 'kay?