In the Dark

Part Nine: Ambush - !?!

***

Standard Disclaimer Thingy: All characters and creatures in this story are the property of some companies that I am not connected with in any way. I get no money for writing this, and so I would appreciate it if you didn't sue me as I have nothing to give. The plot situations and the storyline itself are, however, mine, and so don't steal either. That said, read!

***

Daisuke awoke with the early morning sun to feel a definite chill in the air. He searched through the single bag he'd brought with him for warmer shirt but found the effort futile. He hadn't expected to stay as long at Primary Village as he had and now he was regretting not having brought more clothes. Takeru, noting his dilemma, suggested he borrow one.

The camp was cold when he emerged from the tent, shivering even in Takeru's wool-lined shirt, and he made a mental note to see if would be possible for him to go home for a day or two to restock. It was emptier now, as most of the doctors and nurses had been sent home. The flood of refugees from the eastern lands had slowed for now, and Elecmon was attempting to settle back into some semblance of normalcy. Fewer digimon were born during the cold winter months, giving him a welcome respite from the normal ceaseless flowing of babies.

Miyako, wrapped in a warm sweater and scarf, handed Daisuke and Takeru each a steaming bowl of soup. "If we're going to stay here much longer, I hope we get semi-permanent buildings," she complained, sitting on a log close to the cooking fire. "We can't be expected to stay here through the snows in just tents."

Takeru frowned. "I really hope we're not here that long," he said with a grumble. "But I'm sure we will."

Daisuke didn't bother with utensils, just slurped the soup directly from the bowl. "We haven't made much progress here," he stated between gulps. "Probably have to stay through the winter."

Miyako was about to reply to that with a less than optimistic response, but just then they were interrupted by a flurry of activity that appeared to be Jyou. Koushiro was trailing behind him, responding to the doctor's statements with calm, unconcerned responses in hopes that would calm him down.

"There's no way! No way at all! I told you, didn't I? That I would end up without my head? I just knew it. Knew it," Jyou was saying as he helped himself to the morning soup.

"You won't be beheaded," Koushiro replied with the exasperation of one who has repeated the same statement over and over again.

"Oh no. Not right away," the doctor replied. "First I'll be tortured. Beaten. Thrown into prison and never heard from again. Just one day 'hello Jyou' the next day, 'Jyou who?'"

"What's going on?" Takeru asked, pausing in his eating long enough to ask.

"The doctor is overreacting, that's all," Koushiro stated calmly, sitting beside the boy. Takeru seemed to accept the explanation and returned to his food.

"I'm not overreacting!" Jyou practically shouted. "This is serious! I'm about to loose my head! One day you'll all be talking and saying 'I wonder what happened to the good Doctor Kido?' and I'll be dead!"

"Why?" Miyako wondered, naïve enough to attempt to try to make sense of his ramblings.

Daisuke paid no attention to the arguing going on about him. He stood, passed his empty bowl to Iori, who was collecting the used bowls, and filling another with soup. He was partially concerned about Jyou's mental health, but knew that everything was probably not nearly as bad as the doctor was making it out to be, and so was mostly unconcerned. Instead, he left the relative warmth of the campfire and headed towards the tents.

A doctor was exiting one particular tent, and he nodded greeting. The doctor gestured that it was all right for him to enter, so he pushed the thick fabric flap aside and ducked under the low opening.

"Brought you some soup," he offered in as pleasant a voice as he could muster.

The tent, like most tents, had been constructed rather quickly. Sturdy poles just barely taller than the average person were placed in the four corners of the square, and thick fabric was stretched across to form the roof and walls of the tent. Mammothmon hide added another layer of protection and insulation atop that and kept out much of the howling cold winds that tended to appear in the colder parts of the year.

The center of the tent had another supporting pole, and there was a thin metal construction beside it that was a stove. Though completely useless for cooking, the fire burning inside the metallic box was enough to create a minimal amount of heat to warm the tent. The three cots within were arranged in a triangle around the stove so that sleeping would be comfortable.

Hikari sat upon the cot furthest from the wall, warming her hands in front of the stove. She was dressed in simple but warm clothes and had a blanket draped across her lap. She didn't notice when he entered, but when her visitor spoke she turned towards him with a wide smile that immediately improved the boy's overall mood.

"Thank you," she said appreciatively as she took the soup. "Is it terribly cold outside?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "The first frost has come."

She nodded as though it was not much of a surprise, and gestured to the empty cot across from her. "Sit," she said, half suggesting, half ordering, and he did so, perching on the edge of the unused cot. "You must be freezing."

"It isn't bad inside the tents," he said as though brushing aside the comment, but put his hands by the stove nonetheless. "Miyako thinks we should build more permanent buildings if we stay much longer."

"Hmm. Not a bad plan," Hikari agreed between sips of the soup. "Doesn't that shirt belong to Takeru?" she questioned with a slight amount of surprise.

Daisuke nodded, glancing self-consciously at the shirt for the first time and almost blushing. "I need to go home for a bit and get some warmer clothes," he explained by way of excuse.

"You could write home," she suggested.

"I could," he agreed. "But I'd rather go myself and not have to worry about someone else getting lost." There was a moment of silence then and from outside they could hear Jyou's continuous ranting as he walked past the tent.

Hikari laughed slightly and shook her head. "Poor Jyou," she sighed.

"What's he upset about now?" Daisuke wondered.

***

Miyako shut her eyes and tried to feel the magic the way Koushiro had encouraged. She could imagine seeing it as it flowed about her fingertips, and was aware of the warm touch of power at her hands. 'Got it,' she thought with some amount of accomplishment.

Now all that remained was to try to remember the ways to move her hands. 'Fingertips in, out, in out, feel the blaze, make it stronger,' Miyako recalled, visualizing the words on the page in the book of spells. 'Outward, because the power is directed outward. Inward because it comes from within. Out…out…out.' She imagined and then felt the power escaping her, moving up her arms and then out her hands.

It began with a spark. A simple flicker of light on the side of a twig, and then another spark beside it. Before long a fire was burning brightly on the twigs, and Miyako opened her eyes to see the blaze. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good." Koushiro's voice cut into her triumphant thoughts. "Be sure your magic is no longer connected with the fire. If it is not cut off completely then you will affect the fire with your own thoughts and the fire will affect you." She turned to look at her hands, but he interrupted. "Feel it, Miyako. Vision can be misleading and you one day may not have it. Learn to feel the magic."

Disappointed but understanding, Miyako did so, shutting her eyes and sensing that tiny tendrils of magic were still connecting her to the fire through her fingertips. "I feel them, they're still there," she replied. "Still connected."

"Rein them in, the way you do with your aura. The control is very much the same."

And so Miyako did so, managing some how to sever the connection between her and the magic. She felt now that part of her aura was gone, and with it part of her magical energy, but she knew that the power would return with time and the weakness she felt now was not as great as when she had produced the protective shield. "Done," she announced.

The wizard's response was to reward his apprentice with a rare treat – a grin from ear to ear. "Fabulous," he stated. "Your control is still something that needs to be improved, but the power you possess is very strong, and your natural ability is good." He paused for a moment and his face returned to its ordinary solemnity. "There are words to spells, you know," he explained. "Words which help to control the direction of magic. Most students learn the words to the spells to guide them and then, as their power and ability improves, they do it without the words."

"Words?" Miyako repeated blankly. "I didn't see any words…" She looked back in the direction of the book of spells.

"That's because that book doesn't have them," he replied. "I gave that to you so you would be able to see what there was to do with magic. I never expected you to even attempt a spell, let alone succeed at one."

"Well, I…" she blushed pink. "I just…I never really thought…"

"No, no," Koushiro assured. "It's perfectly all right. That incident made me realize that your magic may play an important role in this fight after all."

***

Daisuke was about to enter his tent when he heard the telltale sound of squeaky carriage wheels. He turned his head in curiosity to see that Jyou had heard the noise as well and was dashing quickly from his tent, wringing his hands. Iori, who'd been cleaning the dishes that day, looked up from his post at the main fire. Koushiro and Miyako, who had separated themselves from the camp for the purposes of magical practice, turned to see the visitors on their reentry into the camp. Takeru stepped from the tent. "Here already?"

"It would appear so," Iori replied, setting down the bowl he'd been wiping dry and stepping away from the fire.

"Who?" Daisuke wondered, clueless.

"Didn't you pay any attention?" Miyako wondered. "We were talking about this just this morning." He merely blinked, staring blankly at her.

The carriage stopped in the center of the camp and the driver climbed down from his post to open the door. Before he could make it, however, one of the doors opened, and Daisuke was surprised to see his sister exit the carriage, dressed in comfortable warm clothes and smiling from head to toe.

V-mon, who'd made his way out of the warmth of the tent with Takeru, peered from around his partner. "I didn't know she was coming," he commented.

"I didn't either," the boy replied, dumbfounded.

Behind the girl, who was shaking hands with Jyou now, came a non-descript young man, carrying two thick bags that apparently belonged to her. Though none made note of him and few noticed him, Daisuke peered closer at him.

There was no time to wonder why this person made an impression on him, though, because a moment later, his sister had noticed him and was making her way over.

"So good to see you in good health, brother," she said in a way that struck Daisuke as odd or perhaps rather formal.

"I didn't know you were coming," he replied with confused delight. "Why did you?"

"We are family, are we not?" she asked with some of the same formality. "I also thought that, it being winter, you might possibly require some warmer garments." She gestured for the boy carrying the bags to step forward, and again he was struck by the oddity of his sameness.

"I do," he said, trying to regain some amount of composure. Focusing once more on the conversation, he thought that perhaps it was some sort of a game for his sister. Adopting the formal tone, he grinned with some amount of amusement and replied: "The arrival of the garments and yourself is a fabulous and unexpected surprise, sister. Will you stay long?"

She appeared delighted that he had caught on, and grinned the same grin back. "A few days," she replied. "I'm sure that some sort of accommodations can be made, am I wrong?"

Daisuke had absolutely no idea if such a thing was true, but he agreed nonetheless. "Certainly," he replied, confused. "We shall provide…something."

"Fabulous," she intoned, and turned to Takeru, who was standing beside him, appearing almost as equally confused. "Do assist with the bag, would you?"

"Um…uh…" Takeru stammered for a moment. "Certainly." He reached out and took one of the bags from the boy who'd been carrying it previously and fell in line behind Jun as she made her way a few tents over to where Hikari was peering out of the flaps.

"Welcome," Hikari said pleasantly with no indication of confusion. "You're welcome to the extra bed within our tent." She glanced toward Miyako for approval.

"It's not much but it's better than the ground," the other girl nodded. Daisuke noticed the confusion on her face as well, but said nothing.

Hikari stepped aside from the entrance and Jun and the strange boy following her entered. Takeru made to follow, but Jun held up a hand. "That bag is for my brother," she announced. "No need to bring it in here."

Takeru glanced towards Daisuke with a questioning glance, but he was too busy almost gaping at his sister to respond. The rest of the camp separated itself and returned to its ordinary business. The driver slapped the reins against the side of the Monochromon and the carriage rolled away from camp.

Iori returned to the wiping of the bowls. Koushiro returned to his tent. Miyako slipped away from camp so that she could continue to practice her magical abilities. Jyou, still sweating bullets, slipped into his tent. Takeru tapped the boy on the shoulder and gestured towards their tent. Shrugging, Daisuke helped him to carry the bag.

They'd been inside the tent only a few moments when the entrance flaps parted and Jun emerged, grinning, her partner Alraumon behind her. "Think anyone suspected?"

"Suspected you're strange?" Daisuke questioned without looking up from the unpacking of the winter clothes. "No, no, you hid that fabulously." His voice held a hint of sarcasm.

"Suspected what?" Takeru wondered. "I thought Taichi was – …"

"Quiet!" Alraumon hissed, motioning with her hands. She peered out the entrance flaps. "Can you be trusted?"

"Not in the least," Daisuke replied dryly.

"I know you can't," the plant digimon replied. "I meant him." She gestured towards Takeru.

With a shrug, the boy replied: "As much as anyone I suppose."

"There'd best be no one listening," Jun warned them.

"Only us," Patamon put in. "But I'm not sure what we're listening to."

"That makes two of us," V-mon commented, confused. He seated himself on the edge of his partner's cot and peered impatiently at Jun.

"I thought Taichi was supposed to come," Takeru said after it had been assured that he could most definitely be trustworthy.

"Is that why Jyou is such a wreck?" Daisuke questioned, setting aside his packing for the moment. "That explains a lot."

"He did," Jun replied with a grin, and her brother, unexpectedly, understood immediately.

***

"I still don't like this," Sora confessed to Yamato. "I don't like it a bit."

"Of course you don't," he replied with understanding. "That's why you weren't told. I don't like it either, but I wasn't given a choice."

"At least you were told about it!" she answered, frustrated. She sat down in a soft chair and wrung her hands. "I don't understand why he needs to do things like this. I know he cares for his sister, but still…"

"It wasn't exactly the best idea," Yamato replied, kicking the floor with his shoe. "But you know how he is when he has an idea. He can't let it go. And you know how he is about Hikari."

***

The tent was quiet, unaffected by the raucous noises of the building commencing just outside. Daisuke held the entrance flap in one hand, suddenly sensing a change of atmosphere within the tent. Miyako was not there; he was fairly certain she was assisting in the building process, but Takeru was there. He stood beside Hikari, who sat on the cot, and they were conducting a quiet conversation. Daisuke took a step back, feeling as though he had intruded, but the conversation appeared to be over, because Hikari turned to him now, smiling warm welcome, but with a serious expression at the same time.

"I was hoping you would come," she said with a strange tone in her voice that indicated she searched for more than simple company. She gestured for him to sit on the empty cot across from her.

"Iori said you needed me? "he questioned with some hesitation.

There was a moment of silence. Hikari nodded. "I do," she replied, and then stood up and moved away to a chest where she kept most of her belongings in this tent. "My brother has often had dreams or feelings which foretell future events," she said as she opened the chest and began to search within. "For many years I had thought that this gift was unique to him. But, as you are aware, I have had my own prophetic dreams."

Daisuke nodded slowly, recalling with some intensity the dream she'd had about him only a few weeks before. That dream had proved quite true. "You've had another?" he guessed.

She shut the trunk with a solid clunk and stood, now carrying an object in her arms. "Yes. We will soon enter a new phase of our current battle, I believe."

"A new phase?" he echoed. "A new enemy?"

Hikari shook her head. "That I do not know," she confessed. "But I have had dreams."

'She wants me to be careful,' he thought to himself, nodding in comprehension. "I understand."

"There's more," Hikari interrupted before he could continue. She held out the object in her arms to him. "I think you'll need this."

Confused and hesitant, he took it - a long, thin object wrapped in blue velvet cloth. Recognizing what it was almost as soon as he held it in his arms, he shook his head and then looked up at her with confusion, holding it out as though to return it.

"You must," she intervened once more. "It will save your life, I think."

"But this..." Daisuke hesitated, unwrapping the object. Beneath the soft royal blue cloth lay the shiny, polished metal of the blade of a sword reflecting the light back on him. Beyond that was the hilt, brilliantly carved to allow for easy holding. A jewel was embedded in the center of the handle, and one at the top, more as a decoration. Though it was large in size, it was remarkably lightweight and therefore would be quite easy to wield. Daisuke was no expert on swords, but he had handled a few in his life and was able to tell that this particular object was most likely worth more gold than he had ever seen. "I - can't!" he protested, eyes pleading.

Hikari paid no attention to his eyes or his words. She turned away, facing Takeru, who'd been silent and unmoving and therefore nearly forgotten. She shut her eyes and spoke in solemn even tones:

"That sword belonged to my grandmother. Females were not generally permitted to carry swords then, even the queen of a nation, but as my grandfather could not always protect her, he taught her the art of the sword so that she might protect herself. Grandmother would not wield a simple sword however, and so he had many fine craftsmen make one that was an ornament in as much as it was an instrument of defense.

"It was definitely used, however. Grandmother was skilled, so I'm told, and that sword saved her life several times. It is not to be taken lightly as a weapon. When Grandmother grew old and unable to use it, she passed it to my mother so she might learn. Father taught my mother to use it, and she has passed it on to me now that I am of the age where I might require protection. I give it you because it is mine to give." She turned then to face Daisuke. "It will serve you well."

There was a long moment of silence as he examined the weapon, turning her words over in his mind and considering it. "If you think I will need it, then I will take it," he said slowly, with hesitation in his voice. He met her eyes, some amount of confidence in his own.

"You shall most definitely need it," Hikari replied after a moment, and her voice held no trace of doubt.

"What do you think will happen? What did you dream?" he wondered, curiosity overwhelming him.

Hikari shook her head and broke his gaze to turn to the floor as though it was too painful to speak of. "I cannot say," she said, so softly it was difficult to hear her. "Just promise you'll keep it with you."

Daisuke nodded, standing then and taking the precious weapon with him. "I will." He turned to leave, lifting the flap of the tent.

"Daisuke...," her voice was soft again, and he barely heard it. He turned his head. When she didn't continue, he spoke aloud.

"Yes?"

There was some amount of fear in her voice now. She'd turned to stare at the back wall of the tent. "Will you do something else for me?"

"Of course," he said, concerned at the sound of her voice.

She turned then so that she was facing him, but did not look in his direction. Instead, she stared fixedly at the floor. "When this - fighting is over and everything returns to normal, I have a request of you." She paused. "I'd like you to teach me."

She spoke so softly that even Takeru, standing arm's length away, could barely hear her. There was a long moment of silence, and at first the blond observer wondered if Daisuke had heard the request at all. But the boy was only going over the seriousness of the question in his mind. Then, in the solemnest voice he could muster, he replied:

"I shall do my best."

***

It was early morning, the sun barely visible over the edge of the trees. In a small clearing, a few steps away from the Primary Village, five tents encircled a small pile of stones that were most likely used for cooking. A few steps away from the tents were piles of wood and stones, prepared for the purpose of some building project that had barely started.

Not far from the camp was a river, which served as an unofficial boundary between the occupants of the camp and the dangerous forests beyond. From higher points of land or the tops of the trees, one could see several dark obelisks hidden within that forest.

It had been nearly a week since Hikari's encounter with the Dark Ocean, and things had remained quiet for the camp's occupants. With the distraction of the planning of the building project, none had been willing to reenter the forest and do battle. Hikari herself spoke not a word of the incident, even to her brother who had appeared in secret after hearing of it. The only apparent change in her behavior was a difficulty sleeping.

Miyako, who shared tent with the princess, attempted to understand or to help her tentmate, but even to Miyako, Hikari was silent about whatever troubles she might have had. As for Miyako herself, she and Koushiro had speculated and debated endlessly about the reasons behind the abduction, but came to no definite conclusion. Miyako suspected that the Light Magic Hikari possessed might have been attractive to the Dark powers within that shadow world, and suspected that giving Hikari that explanation would comfort her. Of course, there was no definite way to prove this, and of course, Hikari could not be told.

Jyou, knowing nothing of Hikari's relation to magic, suspected her trouble sleeping might have been related to the addition of a third, if temporary, tentmate. As there were limited amounts of tents and Hikari and Miyako the only females, it was decided that Jun would have to share space with them for the duration of her stay.

Thus, distracted by the problems and concerns of building the winter cabins and the existence of Hikari's problems, the inhabitants of the camp had nearly forgotten about the enemy that lurked within the woods. That, however, would change.

***

It began early, with a loud noise in the predawn hours that awoke all from their slumbers and caused them to throw on robes or warmer outer clothing and dash quickly out of their tents. They had no way of knowing that the loud noise was caused by a very large rock being dropped from a very high altitude only steps away from the camp, but they were able to quickly discover who was responsible.

The questions were easily answered in the form of five flying serpents overhead. Even in the dim light, it was not difficult to discern that they were Airdramon. Nor was it hard for any to see the tall imposing figure atop the lead flier or to guess that he was the one who controlled them.

That sight alone was enough to alarm them, but that was not all that would be seen that day, because behind the commander was the invading army. Some, like the Airdramon, Flymon, and a few Piyomon, flew. Others, like the Gotsumon and Yukidarumon, walked.

Taichi cursed under his breath. Agumon, standing beside his partner, stared with visible shock. "That's a lot!" the small yellow digimon breathed in amazement.

"And that's a big rock," V-mon noted.

Their partners wasted no time with words, seeing that the rock was about to land directly on them. "Run!" Taichi shouted, grabbing his partner by the claw and dashing quickly aside.

"Spinning needle!" the Airdramon shouted, aiming directly for them and dropping its rock cargo directly on the tent they'd just exited.
"That was too close!" Patamon breathed.

"Shall we?" Takeru asked. His partner nodded with determination. "Digimental up!"

"Patamon armor evolve! Pegasmon!" The shining white horse appeared in a flash of light, and not long afterward, Takeru was in the sky.

Daisuke wasted little time, glancing toward his partner to see that he was ready and nodding. "Digimental up!"

"Right," V-mon replied without hesitation. "V-mon armor evolve! Fladramon!"

Jun screamed loudly at the sight of the encroaching army and again when the rock that fell on the tent a short distance away. She didn't notice the lead Airdramon flying an even shorter distance above her head and preparing to drop its own rock. Miyako, however, did notice, and took the only logical course of action.

"Digimental up!" she shouted instinctively, and heard Hikari's voice echo her own.

"Digimental up!"

"Hawkmon armor evolve! Holsmon!"

"Tailmon armor evolve! Nefertimon!"

"Let's go!" Miyako decided. She climbed quickly on her partner's back and grabbed Jun's arm, pulling her along. Holsmon managed to take off only seconds before the giant stone landed where they'd been standing.

"Koushiro, look out!" Iori shouted as the Airdramon, now relieved of its cargo, zoomed directly at the wizard. "Armadimon! Do something! Digimental up!"

"Armadimon armor evolve! Digmon!"

"Spinning needle!" the Airdramon fired, and Koushiro dodged by too close of a distance. The flying serpent flew higher, preparing to turn and come back for another pass. The attack missed the group and crashed uselessly into the supply tent, where thankfully there was no one to be hurt.

"Don't suppose you can evolve?" the wizard questioned of his partner as he tried to comfort Jyou, who was quite shaken up.

"I can try," Tentomon replied with a shrug. "Tentomon evolve!"

There was a brief flash of light, but nothing. "It was a long shot," Koushiro sighed.

"Here it comes again!" Gomamon shouted a warning as the Airdramon flew closer.

"And here comes the ground forces," Digmon commented, placing his drills to the ground and preparing to attack the oncoming Gotsumon.

"Duck!" Jyou shouted, flattening himself along the ground.

"Spinning Needle!" the Airdramon attacked again, but this time the spiny needles bounced off an invisible barrier and landed on the ground.

"Woohoo!" Gomamon cheered. "Great shield, Koushiro!"

Koushiro lowered the invisible shield to save his magical energy and shrugged modestly. "Not too difficult, really," he replied casually.

When the Airdramon came around to attack the second time, Takeru was safely in the air. As it zipped past him, Pegasmon fired his own attack and managed to crack the dark ring around the creature's tail.

"Fire Rocket!" Fladramon fired from below, and succeeded in cracking it the rest of the way. The Airdramon screamed in pain and flew upwards and away from the scene of the battle, no longer having interest in the fight now that he was freed.

"All right!" Daisuke cheered, pleased at the result of the teamwork, but Taichi quickly brought the younger boy to the ground again.

"Ground troops," he said in a low voice, pointing towards the tall, lumbering Yukidarumon that were heading toward them.

"And more in the air," Agumon pointed towards the horde of Flymon that was also getting closer.

"Not more Flymon," Daisuke grumbled, remembering the last time he'd encountered one of those flying creatures and shuddering.

"Angry Rock!" came the battle cry of a controlled Gotsumon not far from him, and the creature ran full speed towards him, rocky head ducked in intention of head butting his opponent.

"Fire Rocket!" shouted Fladramon in response, surrounding the creature and a dozen like him in a circle of fire.

"Shooting Star!" Pegasmon called, freeing a group of them with one shot and leaving them dazed and confused.

"Baby Flame!" Agumon fired, tired of being left out of the battle, and freed a few more of the small creatures.

"That was cutting it a bit closer than I would have liked," Miyako sighed, holding onto her partner's feathers with one hand and Jun with the other.

"Just a little!" Jun replied, still a bit dazed and afraid. "What's going on?"

"I believe we've been ambushed," Holsmon answered. "Should I get her somewhere safe first, Miyako?"

"That would be the best idea," Miyako sighed. "But where can we take her?"

"Wait a minute," Jun interrupted. "What do you mean, somewhere safe?"

"Do you really want  to be caught in the middle of this?" Alraumon questioned. She'd latched tightly to her partner and had not let her go.

"Look around," the girl replied sensibly. "Is there anywhere safe around here? We'd probably have to go some distance, and then we'd risk being followed by one of those crazy flying things." She pointed towards the Airdramon.

"We're already being followed by them," Holsmon commented, swerving upward in an attempt to throw the flying serpent off his tail.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon attacked from somewhere behind them, injuring their attacker and denting the dark ring.

"Pull up!" Miyako ordered, abandoning her concern for Jun for the moment. "Hold on tight!"

Holsmon came to a quick stop and pulled up. The fast-moving Airdramon, unable to stop as quickly, flew past. Quickly, the large bird changed direction. "Red Sun!" he attacked, just managing to hit the tail, and the dark ring around it.

"All right!" Miyako cheered, forgetting for a moment that there were still more enemies to fight. "Great job, Hikari, Nefertimon!"

"Watch out!" a shout from somewhere below her on the ground called, and she saw that Koushiro, Iori, Jyou, and two doctors that had not been sent home were throwing themselves at the ground to avoid a dive bombing Airdramon. Miyako saw that Koushiro was extending magical shields in order to protect them, but although the shields repelled the spinning needle attacks, they were weakening against the power of the Airdramon itself.

Digmon and Iori, with some assistance from Tentomon, were able to hold off the encroaching ground forces, including two dozen Gotsumon and a few Yukidarumon, but they were nearly helpless when it came to the Airdramon.

Hikari flew closer to Miyako. "Shall we assist?" she questioned, and Miyako nodded.

"What, exactly, does she mean by 'assist'?" Jun asked as Hikari flew around to the other side of the group on the ground.

"I think she means we take out that Airdramon," Alraumon replied. Miyako, paying no attention to her passengers, was coaxing Holsmon into the correct position for the attack.

"Red Sun!" he called, firing his attack and hitting the Airdramon sharply on the head.

"The head?" Jun wondered. "I thought you were supposed to take out that dark ring?"

"It's hard to aim from so far a distance," Holsmon defended himself as the Airdramon, now uninterested in the helpless people on the ground, turned towards the real fight and began to pursue the flyers.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon called, bringing for the giant stone and cracking the dark ring on the Airdramon's tail before it could catch up to Miyako.

Jun, a bit dazed, groaned slightly from the fast motion of the flying. "I'd guess we should let you off down there," Miyako apologized. "Koushiro might be able to keep you safer than I could."

"As long as I'm not in the air anymore," the older girl replied, watching the freed Airdramon depart with a slightly green face.

***

Cliffhanger! [insert evil laugh here!]

If this chapter seems slightly disjointed from the rest of the fic, you're not imagining it. This is actually one of the only things that I've written mostly on actual paper before transcribing to the computer. The reason for this being that I recently moved into a new dorm and there's [gasp of horror] no room for my computer right now! ::sob:: Aside from the other distractions – school, life, etc, I now have the added issue of no personal computer. I really intended to have another chapter out before I went to school but, alas, it was not to be.

Anyway, I finally wrote the darn thing, and got into a bit of action. Needless to say the fight isn't over yet, and I'm sure some of you can see what's coming. Warn me if you think the foreshadowing is too obvious – I want people to know what's going to happen, but I don't want it to be blatant either.

Questions, comments, complaints, rave reviews? Leave a review or feel free to email. Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far. As you can probably see, this story has a lot to happen and so don't expect it to be over soon. Thanks for reading!