Chapter Three-

"Satoshi? But my name is Ash!", Ash stated, slightly confused. Satoshi was an old name, people didn't use those kinds of names anymore...

"Yes, yes, you are Ash... My mistake.", the Spirit said, also looking confused... and somewhat sad.

"So who are you?", Kuribute asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had crept into the conversation.

"My name is Shigeru, and this is my E-Mon, Anjiosi."

"So you were a T Midew back when you were alive?", Ash asked, always interested in other T Midews and their E-Mon.

"Yes, when I was alive I was a T Midew. In fact, I came from a family of T Midews. My father had won the M-City Virginia tournament."

"You're not serious! That would make you famous!"

"Yes, but I was sealed within this rock when I was only a boy. When I was alive, I bet I was around your age, Ash. I lived past my death, which caused me to turn into a Spirit."

"I get it."

"So, T Midew—who are you? I mean, besides Ash. What kind of adventure are you on?"

"I'm on a mission from Musa. I need to go find these cards for him, or something like that."

"Musa??", the Spirit said, blue mouth hanging open. His quiet E-Mon even let out a little gasp of shock, and it was the first thing he'd said since being freed.

"Yeah, Musa. The guardian of Tulun-"

"I know who he is! But YOU are on a mission from HIM? No, beyond that—you KNOW him?"

"Yeah, everyone in Tulunk knows him. He's really nice."

"These are truly different times, are they not, Anjiosi?"

"Yes, T Midew."

"What do you mean, different?"

"Back when I was alive, Musa was a god. He was high above all Tulunk, always flying among the clouds. He watched over us—but we knew our place."

"Wow.. Musa, flying? How?"

"He used his powers."

"What did Musa look like back then?"

"Like a green, turtle-dragon. Young, with sharp bright green eyes. Musa wasn't a very old dragon back then. Actually, he was a bit full of himself..."

"Well, Musa's not like that anymore. And he doesn't look young anymore, either. Musa's an old dragon."

"So he has grown humble in his age. That seems better for him, and this village. Your people are not in fear like mine were."

"Yeah, I guess that is better."

"But—what of these cards? I mean, I know nothing of them."

"Musa said they were the source of his powers or something."

"And he allows a simple boy to go find something so important?!"

"He's always said he had faith in my innate T Midew skills."

"Maybe so..."

Shigeru looked at Ash, wondering what Musa saw in him—what made him the candidate for this task. But instead of finding any of that—all he recognized was how much like Satoshi he looked... It was amazing! It was as if Satoshi's body had come back to life with a new spirit!

A spirit that didn't hate him.

"What are you thinking about, Shigeru?"

Ash had noticed that the boy-spirit's eyes were faraway, while somehow staring at him. It should have been unsettling, but it only made him curious.

"Only why Musa would pick you.", Shigeru lied.

"Well, I don't really know. But his house is just up ahead, so we can go find out."

"A house? Musa didn't have a house back when I lived in Tulunk."

"Well, things have changed."

The boys approached the huge house of Musa. Ash calmly walked up to the door, while Shigeru stood in awe. The doorbell on the wall was placed at human level, although the door was dragon-sized. Ash rung the bell and waited.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, hold on..."

The green turtle-dragon pulled the massive door open, looking happily down at Ash and slightly puzzled at his new friend.

"Well, Ash, who's this?"

"My name is Shigeru, great Musa. I am a Spirit from a time long ago."

"I see.. I bet you want to live a human life again, don't you. If I had the Reform and Test Cards in my possession, I could easily restore you to a human state."

"You COULD?"

"Yes, but remember, it's only if I had my cards back."

"Are those the cards you have sent Ash to retrieve from thieves?", Shigeru asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes. And speaking of that, Ash, I have my own supplies to give you for your trip. Actually, it's only one item, but it will serve you well. One of my own customized D Shoot."

Musa held gently between his claws a cell-phone like item. Presenting it to Ash, he began to explain to him how it worked. "A D Shoot is a phone used to call E-Mon to battle. At least, that is what the most basic D Shoot does. This one, however, contains an E-Mon classification guide, and a map. Along with the standard E-Mon numberbook and the transfer antenna."

Ash just stood in awe. He'd dreamed of the day he got his own D Shoot and became a true T Midew.

And said D Shoot was very cool-looking indeed. Normal D Shoot were yellow, but those made by Musa were a bright and striking red.

"You should be able to impress many E-Mon with that D Shoot, Ash. Remember, it's not if you beat them in battle or not that determines whether or not they join you. It's if they are impressed by you as a T Midew or not."

"I understand."

"Well then, Ash, I have no more to say to you except good luck, and catch those thieves! Use the antenna tree to go to Kelina Village. It's the only place the thieves could have gone. And you there, Shigeru. Why don't you go with Ash? If you want to be changed back, I'll need my Cards. If you go along, you'll only speed your transformation."

"Then I will most certainly travel along with Ash, Musa."

"That's what I like to hear. There's nothing better than companionship on an adventure."

Ash smiled at the spirit-boy. He thought he would get lonely on his T Midew journey, but now he knew that that wouldn't be so, because Shigeru was coming along.

The two boys and their E-Mon exited Musa's house, and Ash attached his D Shoot to his T Midew Belt—something his mother made for him.

"So, Shigeru, are you happy about coming along with me?", Ash asked, nervous about the answer.

"I told you that I would aid you in any way possibly, T Midew Ash."

"Whoa, you don't have to be so formal. What I'm asking you, essentially, is if you want to be my friend."

"Friend?", Shigeru froze. He'd heard all this before... From a boy who looked exactly like the one who was saying it now...

"Yeah, my friend. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No.. I'll be your friend, Ash."

A silence came over the two, and they just walked—walking toward the antenna tree of Tulunk Village.

They reached it before the silence stopped, and they both stepped forward to enter the tree. At least, Ash and Kuribu did. Shigeru and Anjiosi both stopped.

"What's wrong, guys?"

"We were both thinking the same thing."

"What?"

"You need D Shoot to travel by antenna tree. I have one, but it's spirit- formed, just like me. I don't know if the recognizer will read it."

"What happens if it doesn't?", Ash asked, knowing the answer.

"We can't go along with you."

"Well then," Ash said, filling with determination. "We'll just have to try."

The boys stepped into the tree's hollow chamber, and both held up their D Shoot. Ash held up his shiny new red one, and Shigeru held up his ancient blue glowing D Shoot.

Ash's D Shoot beeped first. That signified that the D Shoot had been programmed with the destination, and would activate and warp him there. Shigeru's had not beeped. He started to worry. What if it never beeped? He would eventually warp and leave him—

Ash's thoughts were cut off as he warped.

When the light died down, Ash was standing in the hollow space of Kelina's antenna tree, along with Kuribu.

"Where's Shigeru?"

"I don't know, T Midew."

But then—a crackling sound. Someone was being transferred *slowly* over to the village. A few seconds later, Shigeru appeared, along with his Anjiosi.

"Looks like I made it.", Shigeru said, smiling. He gave his Anjiosi a pat, and it smiled back.

"It's strange...", Ash said, voice quiet.

"What is?"

"You can touch spirit, but I don't think you can touch living things."

Shigeru nodded, and then looked at Ash's eyes.

A mistake. To look at the eyes which looked so much like Satoshi's...

He reached forward with his hand, to touch Ash's face, when it glided through it.

"Shigeru?"

Shigeru quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Why did you do that?"

Shigeru just looked down.

"I don't know.", he lied.

End Chapter Three