Chapter Four: The Chase
As the two humons walked back towards the celebration, a branch snapping caught Garurumon's attention, making his golden eyes flash in alert.
"Did you here that just now?" He asked Agumon turning around and looking down the trail behind them. Agumon looked over his shoulder at his companion.
"I didn't hear anything. You sure you're not just imagining it?" Garurumon remained quiet, darting his eyes back and forth through the woods.
"There's something out there..." Garurumon confirmed, he stood on guard, still darting his eyes. Agumon ran his fingers through his hair in semi annoyance.
He sometimes wondered how it was he became friends with such a person. Garurumon was aloof, quiet, and shy. Always on his guard, the wolf like teenager was. He was bright, very intelligent, and loved music. Often when they were young and attending the same school in the Primary Village, Agumon would sneak away from the other kids he'd been playing with to see Garurumon sitting contently under a tree playing a harmonica. The orange haired boy had often asked the loner to join him with the others for a game of tag, but the shy boy would turn it down and continue to sit there by himself.
He remembered once hearing their teacher, Elecmon, saying he'd be known around the Realm as the 'Lone Wolf'. Elecmon had been a short man with the appearance of chubbiness (although it was indeed muscle). He had violent red hair and a read stubble of a beard; much like many pin points of red dabbed across face. He had worried about the loner and suggested a transfer to Leomon's School of Martial Arts and Power Up Techniques to Garurumon. He agreed to it, and so two weeks later Garurumon left the Primary Village. Agumon made a promise to Garurumon on the day he left. He promised he'd meet up with him again at the same school. He supposed that it was on that day that the 'Lone Wolf of the Realm' attained his first true friend.
"You always get jumpy over the simplest noise. It was probably nothing." Agumon half pleaded with his best friend, but this time his friend was adamant about something being out there.
"Six years at Leomon's place will do that to you!" A mixture between a raspy and squeaky voice bellowed. Suddenly something darted overhead of them at lighting fast speed and back into the shadows. Garurumon glared up at it as it passed overhead before chasing after it into the shadows.
"Huh?" Agumon blinked confused at what just took place. "Garurumon!?" He shouted to his friends back. "I have a bad feeling about this..." He muttered to himself before running after his friend.
~*~
"Wise One, it is an honor to meet you." Angemon bowed gracefully to Gennai. The young man stood and bowed his head to Angemon out of respect. He had heard many great things about him as a well respected gentleman.
"Likewise. I have heard many great things about you." The Wise One replied courteously. He looked past the gentleman before him to the lady behind him. Her eyes were a cold blue and she wore a stoic face. She caught his eyes and a cold shiver rippled down his spine.
"I wouldn't want to be on her bad side..." Gennai thought to himself suddenly uneasy. The beautiful woman stepped forward and bowed, her long light yellow hair falling over her shoulders.
"Tell me Wise One, do you think you are capable of such a position?" Gennai was taken back by that; he knew some of the realm were skeptical of him, but he didn't think such hostility would hit him head on.
"Angewomon!" Angemon scolded under his breath to his companion.
Gennai held his hand up to Angemon. "It is a fair question."
~*~
Wizardmon observed the Wise One at work from his seat next to him. He sat there legs crossed, sipping a glass of sweet wine. Angemon, a young man close to the age of Gennai, and well respected among humons and humans alike, bowed to Gennai with a pleasant smile on his face. Behind him stood the emotionless Angewomon, another well respected humon. She observed her companion's actions with cold blue eyes and then casted them over towards Gennai. The young boy looked over to her and Wizardmon felt tension fill the air.
"Her eyes are so cold..." Wizardmon thought to himself taking another sip of wine. "I wonder if it's because of her past...?"
Wizardmon gazed at her. She had grown up to be a beautiful, intelligent lady. No longer was she the scared little girl he once knew.
"Tell me Wise One, do you think you are capable of such a position?" Angewomon had stepped up next to Angemon and bowed to Gennai. Gennai had been a little taken back from the hostility, Wizardmon noted. Gennai was a very good actor, not letting his mask fall for a moment, but he knew the boy too well.
Wizardmon watched the situation unfold before him. As Angemon made a attempt to compensate for Angewomon's hostility, Gennai held up his hand to silence him and responded calmly to the defiant Angewomon.
"It's a fair question. At times I even wonder if I am, but I do not doubt myself. Doubt only leads to a negative outcome. If there is no hope, there is no light, and if there is no doubt, there is no balance. I may be young, but I believe I am capable of handling the duties of a Wise One. I'm not saying it will be an easy task and I'm not saying I will be as great a Wise One as my father was, but I will do my best to fulfil my duties and deliver our Realm from peril."
Angewomon stood and stared Gennai in the eye. Wizardmon smiled to himself. What Gennai's eyes would do would determine how Angewomon would regard him. Gennai decided to keep eye contact.
"A wise decision." Wizardmon grinned to himself. Angewomon broke her intense glare and softened.
"Well, then it seems there is nothing to worry about." She replied to the Wise One. Then to Angemon who stood there calmly, "Let us go, we shall return tomorrow for the festivity."
The ice angel turned and walked down the steps, her white duster and blonde hair flowing behind her in a blithe fashion. Angemon bowed to Gennai and then to Wizardmon with a warm hearted good night before following in hot pursuit of Angewomon. Gennai sighed relieved before slumming down into his chair.
"That went rather well." Wizardmon commented.
"/That/ was a nightmare." Gennai rebuked. "I was afraid she was going to burn me!"
Wizardmon laughed, "Oh I don't think she'd do anything that drastic in front of this many people." Gennai groaned.
"Yeah, I'd never want to offend her that's for sure."
"Angewomon had a rough past. She interrogated you to see if you were worthy enough for /her/ to consider you Wise One. /You/ made the right choice by looking into her eyes with sincerity. We now know where her loyalties lie." Wizardmon replied sagely.
"What do you mean?" Gennai asked his advisor.
"In so many words, you proved you were worthy of Wise One." And that was all Wizardmon said on the matter.
~*~
Garurumon ran in hot pursuit of the round object that had flown overhead of Agumon and him. He paid no heed to Agumon's shouts to him and continued into the dark woods. Anger swelled within him.
"It had to be him." He said to himself dodging young saplings and branches in the dark. He was unaware that his friend had followed him in his pursuit.
"What is he chasing!?" Agumon asked himself. "Hey! Wait up!" He yelled to the teen way ahead of him. Still Garurumon paid no attention, Agumon wasn't even sure if he could hear him.
A moonlit clearing came into view, the entrance to the celebration closest to the Wise One's throne. With the help of the light, Garurumon noted that the round object was harry, with ashen gray bird like feet and bat wings. He glared.
"It is him!" He thought to himself. "Then this means..."
Garurumon stopped short, skidding a little on the dirt. He concentrated on his energy, not his anger, and began the first power up technique he learned from Leomon. A electric blue aura surrounded the teen, making his white hair defy gravity as it lifted up and down like wind was ripping through it. He threw his right arm back and a ball of electric blue energy grew in the palm of his hand.
"BLUE BLASTER!" He cried throwing his hand forward. From the energy ball came a few strings of blue electricity, contacting the thing a some odd feet away from him.
The ball with wings dropped to the ground with minor twitching. Agumon caught up in time to see the power attack hit whatever it was that Garurumon had chased all the way from the pound.
"Garurumon! What are you doing!?" Agumon gasped. He started to run over to the fallen object, but Garurumon protested.
"Don't go near that slime ball!" He ordered. Agumon stopped short next to Garurumon with a confused look.
"Huh? What-"
The bowling ball with wing began to lift itself up. "C-cheap s-shot.." It gasped. Garurumon took a fighters stance. Agumon looked from his friend to the talking bowling ball in utter confusion.
"This time I'll send you flying." Garurumon snarled, eyes flashing a dangerous light yellow. Agumon gulped. Garurumon was usually a pacified guy who wouldn't harm anyone, so he wondered what the furry ball with wings had done to get him so upset.
"I can already fly you moron!" The battered ball spoke. Agumon blinked surprised.
"What the heck is that thing?!" He demanded.
"/That/ is Demidevimon." He said vehemently. "Go warn the Wise One that someone wishes to do him harm." Agumon broke into a cocky grin.
"What is a bowling ball with wings going to do that the Wise One can't handle?" Agumon asked somewhat amused.
"Something that could destroy our entire realm." His friend replied seriously as the thing known as Demidevimon took flight. Garurumon growled.
"Get out of here Agumon!"
"But..."
"DEMI-DART!" The flying bowling ball cried releasing a needle like object that flew straight towards the two.
"Get out of the way!" Garurumon pushed Agumon out of harms way before jumping backwards. The dart made contact with the ground, which started to bubble and sizzle a little.
"What the!?" Agumon exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Are you okay?" Garurumon asked his friend who was propped up on the ground on his elbows staring at the dart.
"I think so..."
Garurumon looked up from his friend to see where Demidevimon was. He cursed noting the bat-winged bowling ball's departure. "Damn it! I have to get to the Wise One!" With that stated he took off like a bullet down the path that lead to the ceremony. Agumon stared after his friend surprised and still rather confused.
"W-what's going on?!"
Author's Note: I know the whole power up technique thing may remind people of Dragonball Z, but it was the only logical explanation for this presently. You will learn more about this in chapter five ^_^. In anycase, how am I doing? Do you guys like the story thus far? Leave me some reviews and tell me what ya think!
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Eraya ^_~