Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!
Miyo cried out a little and buried her face in Hiroki's shirt when the door began to break open. She felt him reassuringly hold her closer and back towards Kari. She opened her eyes a little and gasped.
"D-daddy…"
"Don't worry it'll be okay," he automatically reassured, still backing away.
"N-no, it's not th-that. L-look," she stuttered, pointing behind them.
Forgetting for a second about the villagers trying to get in through the jagged holes in the door, he turned around and paled. 'Holy shit,' was his first thought. He saw Kari standing by one of the hatching eggs, petrified, and was about to call out to her when a burly arm wrapped around his throat.
He was pulled back roughly, choking, and nearly dropped Miyo. It wouldn't have mattered if he had though, because she was pulled out of his arms seconds later. He heard her cry out and struggle, and used his hands to try to pry the arm off of his neck. It was no use though, as several other people came to help the man that was currently holding him. A set of hands grabbed each arm and leg and he was hefted off the floor, stretched out flat.
He continued his futile struggle while trying to see what had become of the others. From the brief glimpses he got, they were in the same position as he was, all fighting, save for Meersa. He didn't have any time to contemplate why that was, though, as, at that moment, he was hit over the head with something very hard. His vision swam before he blacked out and fell limp in the hands that were holding him.
-
Kari sighed softly as she woke up. The last thing she remembered was being held up by some angry villagers while watching some of the centipedes emerge from their eggs slowly. Then she felt some pain and blacked out.
She opened her eyes, expecting to find herself back inside the cell. She was surprised to find herself stretched out of a table of some kind. It was tilted at a sharp angle so that she was nearly vertical. She craned her neck as she tried to look around.
"Hiroki?" she called out weakly, "Miyo? Meersa? Is anybody there?"
"Yes, Precious, somebody's here."
Kari whipped her head to the left and saw the same man that had been talking on the alter. He was now smiling at her devilishly.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"
"Not that it matters, but I am called Rinjo. I am Master of the centipede creatures."
"You didn't answer my second question, what do you want?"
"I just want that little girl."
"Why? Why Miyo?"
"Miyo? Is that what you call her? No matter. I want her because I want her power."
"What power?"
"Oh, the child has great power, she just lacks the ability and training to use it. I have the training and the ability, so I may as well relieve her of it, no? It is too bad that she will have to die in the exchange, though."
Kari scowled. "I won't let you hurt her!"
"You won't have much of a say," he said, stroking her cheek slightly, smirking as she flinched. "You see, by stumbling on that rookery, you disturbed the eggs. They hatched earlier than expected, and I don't have quite enough food stored to feed them all. However, I believe that you will more than be enough to nourish them."
"You sick bastard," she growled, surprising herself with her language. She had never been one to curse, but she was just so disgusted with this jerk, she couldn't help it.
Rinjo just continued smirking. "Now, now, flattery will get you nowhere." He tilted his head, as though listening to something that Kari couldn't hear.
He turned back to her a few moments later, smirk still on his face. "It seems that my newly born servants are hungry already. I do wish I could stay and watch the show, but I have a sacrifice to get to. So long Precious," he said, leaving through a small door and closing it behind him.
Kai scowled after him and struggled against the straps holding her to the table. She needed to get free so that she could help the others, especially Miyo. But it was no use. The straps were just too strong. And her wind power wasn't going to help as she was having trouble calling upon it. It was almost the same kind of feeling she had when the Numbing Stone had been near her, but to a lesser extent.
She sighed as all she succeeded in doing was making the straps cut into her flesh. She relaxed a bit, trying to think rationally. Suddenly, a scratching sound entered the room. She tensed up, looking around, but saw nothing.
The scratching came again, louder this time. Again it came, sounding like whatever was making it had her surrounded.
Kari held her breath as the scratching suddenly ceased. She wasn't sure what to expect next. When no sound came for a few minutes, she relaxed again. That was a mistake.
As if it had been waiting for her to lower her guard, the sound came back with a vengeance, this time accompanied by grinding metal and crunching wood. Kari's eyes widened as mini-centipedes began to scurry in through holes they made in the room.
She began to struggle violently again, praying that she would be able to get away. The straps cut deeper into her flesh, but she didn't care anymore. Her struggling increased as the creatures scurried towards her, a few dropping from the ceiling. When they reached her, they began to slowly climb up onto the table and on her, as if testing to make sure it was safe.
Kari gulped. While these centipedes were only about half the size of the others, they were still very large and intimidating. She closed her eyes and tried to retreat within herself as the centipedes began cautiously nibbling and prodding her flesh with their razor sharp fangs. She couldn't believe what was happening.
The nibbling and prodding then stopped. Opening her eyes slowly, fearfully, she saw a few of the centipedes poised above her, fangs clicking. She opened her mouth and let out an involuntary scream as they dove for her throat. She felt a sharp pain, and then sweet nothingness.
-
Miyo shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. She was scared out of her mind and was shivering in fear. She was all alone again, for now, and was chained on the alter again. She had been separated from her Mommy and Daddy, and even from that new girl she didn't really know. Now she was in the dark.
The scary man had said that he would be back after he was done with her Mommy and Daddy, but she wished that he would just stay away. He scared her, with his knife and loud voice. He said that she was going to be sacrificed. She didn't really know what that meant, but she could understand that it wasn't going to be good.
Suddenly, a jolt went up and down her spine. She couldn't explain where it had come from, but it was telling her that something was really wrong. Her eyes flashed, and the jolt and bad feeling went away.
She sighed and rested her head on her hands, trying to wake from this horrible nightmare. However, the distinct fear she felt told her that it was real. She turned her head as the door opened and torches flickered on. Her eyes widened as she saw the mean man walk in, followed by some men pushing her Daddy forward. His hands were chained together too. He was struggling, but looked weak.
"Daddy!" she cried out, forcing herself to stand up.
Hiroki's eyes shot over to her. "Miyo! Are you alright!"
Miyo nodded fearfully as Hiroki was forced to his knees a few yards from the alter. His hands were chained to a ring in the ground so that he couldn't move more than a few inches in any direction.
The mean man then walked towards the alter. Miyo shied away instinctively. He smirked and pulled a knife out of a hidden pocket. He kneeled down and pressed it against her neck lightly.
"Are you ready, my little sacrifice?" he cooed.
In the backround Hiroki growled, but was silenced by a couple of punches. The mean man then unlocked the chains binding Miyo's hands and pulled her roughly towards a table on the side of the alter.
Miyo tried to pull away, but she was only 5-years-old and he was a full grown man. She received a slap when she continued her struggle. She felt tears burn her eyes as her cheek stung. She heard her Daddy growl again, but there was really nothing he could do.
Just a few feet away, Hiroki struggled against the chains, trying and failing to call on his fire power. He received a few kicks, warning him to be quiet and stay still, but he ignored them for the most part. Frustrated when his attempts failed, he then thought of something that should have been obvious. He stopped struggling and focused.
""Fury!""
His cry seemed to bounce off a wall and back to him. Confused, he closed his eyes, called upon more energy, and tried again.
""Fury!""
""Hiroki? What is wrong?"" Fury's voice sounded far away and weak.
""Fury! Fury, listen. An evil man has captured us. We need help now! You must come!""
No answer. The weak connection had broken. Hiroki cursed, they were on their own then. He snapped back to attention as he heard Miyo cry out a small meak protest.
He saw that the man, who had identified himself as Rinjo, was forcing Miyo onto a table. He spread her out on her back and strapped her wrists and ankles down. She whimpered in fear and tried to pull away, but the restraints wouldn't allow it.
Rinjo then walked over to a long table on the back of the alter and picked up a sharpening stone which he used to begin sharpening the knife. He smiled maliciously as he did this, enjoying Miyo's look of fear and Hiroki's look of rage. When he had finished sharpening the knife, he pulled out a small vile and advanced back towards Miyo slowly, wanting to draw out the suffering.
Hiroki struggled and was kicked and punched again, but he didn't let it deter him. He went deep within himself, searching for a way to use his fire powers. He knew he needed to get out of here and save Miyo. Hikari too, wherever she was.
-
Something was wrong, something was very wrong.
That was the thought that ran through Kari's head as she took in her surroundings. She had woken up and found herself in what looked to be desolate ruins. There were crumbling walls, covered in ivy, and fragments of pottery and such scattered amidst rubble.
But, the ruins weren't what bothered her. The fact that it was completely silent and void of any motion was what worried her. Looking around curiously, she saw that the ruins seemed to go in one general direction. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she followed the path cautiously, being aware for any danger that might be lurking.
She hadn't gone very far when she felt a slight pressure on her foot. Looking down, she jerked back and yelped. The green and black snake that had been crawling over her shoe hissed, annoyed, before continuing its journey. It slithered lazily across the broken path and disappeared into one of the holes in the wall.
Kari sighed, relieved that it hadn't been a threat, and continued. The further she went along the path, the more life that seemed to exist. She saw many snakes and spiders and other creepy crawly things in the ivy and on the walls. None seemed to bother her, though, provided she kept her distance, so she continued even further.
She noticed a growing unease about the creatures that she encountered as she went along. They were jumpy, disoriented. And she didn't blame them.
The more she walked, the more she could sense a darkness lying ahead. Evil, she could tell, but….not necessarily bad. She didn't understand it. She knew she should turn back now, she knew it, but she just couldn't. She had to find out what this strange darkness was.
She started, surprised, when a door seemed to come out of nowhere. Hesitantly, she reached out, just brushing the wood with her fingertips. She jumped back when it opened. She tried to look beyond, but could see nothing but pitch black.
'This is way too creepy,' she thought, about to turn around and just leave. The bad feeling inside her had gotten worse.
"Don't leave Wind Elemental," cooed a soft voice. "You are meant to come through."
Kari's head whipped back to the door. "Who's there?" she demanded.
"Come, and you will see. Worry not, my Guardian, no harm shall befall you here."
Kari stepped towards the door, but stopped herself. How did she know that this voice wasn't evil? But…the woman didn't sound evil…and her voice gave Kari a warm feeling.
She stepped forward suddenly, towards the black, not letting herself second guess her actions. She gasped loudly as the black encompassed her. It closed in on her mind, seeming like it was trying to engulf it. It made her limbs stiff, and it was slightly difficult to breathe. It scared her.
"Be not afraid, my Guardian, you are nearly through. Just a few steps more."
Gulping, Kari took those last few steps, not knowing where they would take her. Before she knew it, she was out of the black.
She was in a room with statues of slightly demonic beasts all around. A gray mist clung to the floor. Ahead of her, she saw a terrifying dark doorway of some sort. It was emitting the bad feeling she felt. It flashed imposingly every so often, and Kari was tempted to back even further away. However, she was not ready to go back into the black yet.
She simply watched as a snake came through the black as well, seeming to be physically drawn to the door. It was struggling and hissing in alarm, but to no avail. When it got within a foot or two of the doorway, it exploded.
Kari yelped in surprise and alarm. Would that happen to her if she got too close? She shuddered at the thought. She jumped again as a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned and found herself looking at a floating woman.
"My Guardian," the woman greeted, "Welcome to the Underworld."
-
Miyo struggled against the hand holding her chin and trying to force her mouth open. She didn't want what was in that vile, and she had no plans of drinking it. However, her size caused her struggle to be futile, yet again.
Rinjo pried her mouth open and proceeded to pour the vile of horrid tasting stuff down her throat. She coughed and gagged, but he just kept pouring. Her need of air forced her to swallow. When he released her chin, she sank back, gasping for air slightly.
She shook involuntarily as he slowly raised the knife. She whimpered and closed her eyes as it was raised above his head and he prepared to strike.
"NO!" Hiroki yelled as Rinjo started to bring the knife down.
Rinjo paid no attention to him or the whimpering girl, he only concentrated on driving that sacred knife as deep into the small girl's flesh as he could. When the knife point was within mere centimeters of the girl, it was stopped.
Rinjo stared in surprise, a look that turned to horror as he felt the energy around him growing. He was flung away from the table, landing hard against the wall. He was dazed, but not unconscious. Looking up at the alter, he saw that the girl was tense, eyes clenched, in the middle of the great energy engulfing the room.
The energy swirled around her before expanding, causing anything and everything to shatter or break. The guards were thrown away from Hiroki, but the boy was unharmed. His restraints snapped, but that was the only thing that happened to him.
The energy, however, didn't stop. It hit the walls of the room with such force that the bricks began to crumble. A weaker section of the room crumbled, falling on, and killing, the two guards beneath it.
Then, it headed for Rinjo. The man felt the psuedo-Numbing Stone in his pocket shatter, cutting deep into his thigh. Then the knife that he had miraculously held onto was ripped from his hands. It whirled around and around, suspended by the energy. He watched, frozen, as it whipped around him, coming uncomfortably close.
Then, the knife seemed to disappear. He breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking that the most dangerous object around was away from him now. Suddenly, he made a small choking sound, hands going to his chest. Or, more specifically, the object buried in it.
His hands clumsily groped at the hilt of the knife sticking out of the middle of his torso. He was in shock, so he couldn't feel the pain yet. He hacked sharply and felt blood dribble down his chin. Collapsing against the wall and sliding down, he finally felt the pain. It was sharp, yet powerful. He thanked the Darkness when his vision began to fade, signalling that death was close. The last thing he wanted was to be alive when that child's full power was unleashed.
From the side of the room, Hiroki watched Rinjo's death with wide eyes. Was he imagining things, or was Miyo behind all of this? He couldn't believe that sweet, innocent little Miyo had this kind of power. It just wasn't possible…was it? He was jerked out of his thoughts by a desperate cry.
"Daddy! Daddy, help me!"
His head snapped up and he saw Miyo struggling on the table. She looked terrified. He tried to get up to help her, but the force of the energy forced him back down. Gritting his teeth, he began to crawl towards her slowly, concern and adrenaline fueling him.
On the table, Miyo was frightened beyond belief. All of this energy was circling her, surging through her. She tried to stop the energy, but she couldn't control it. It just kept getting more and more powerful. It was draining her, she could feel it. She couldn't escape. Not sure what else to do, she called out for help from the one person she knew was around and would save her. Her Daddy.
"Daddy!" she cried out again, feeling tears beginning to run down her cheeks.
"Hang on Miyo!" Hiroki called back.
He had made it to the alter finally, and was attempting to pull himself up over the side. It took a few tries, but he was able to get on top of the stone platform. Staying close to the ground, he proceeded to make his way over to the table. The closer he got, the more repulsion he felt from the energy, but he kept pushing his way through.
Finally, he reached the table. Grabbing the side with his hands, he pulled himself up and quickly untied the straps holding Miyo down. He pulled her close as he crouched down, not sure what to do next.
"Make it stop Daddy!" she pleaded. "It's too much, make it stop!"
Internally fumbling for an idea, he decided to just let instinct take over. He began to gently rock her, murmuring comforting phrases, assuring that it would be alright. Gradually, she began to calm down. As she calmed, so did the storm of energy in the room. Suddenly, she fell limp, exhausted. At the same moment, the energy disappeared completely.
Hiroki stood upright shakily, keeping Miyo close. Forcing his unsure legs forward, he started towards the door. He turned his head and closed his eyes briefly as he passed the skewered Rinjo. The bastard had deserved it, if not more, but the gore still bothered him. He was glad Miyo was unable to see. As he approached the door, he briefly wondered if the energy had gone past this room.
He didn't have to wonder for long. As soon as he opened the door, he saw blood, lots of blood. On the ground were corpses of centipedes and villagers alike. Some bodies were completely destroyed, but many were mostly intact.
His breath caught in his throat as he saw two specific figures in the midst of the rest of the bodies. Bernadette and Jonas. His Ma and Pa. Strength gone, he dropped to his knees by them. Their faces looked peaceful, and their bodies were intact. For that, he was thankful. However, they were still dead; a thought that sent sharp pangs through his heart.
Closing his eyes and sighing heavily, he began to stand again. There was no point in staying to grieve, they were dead, that wouldn't change. And in a small part of his mind, he was thankful. He was sure that they were better off where they were now than how they had been here, having Rinjo controlling them.
With a grim yet determined look on his face, he started to walk down the halls again. While he could do nothing for the dead, there was one person that he needed to find that he knew was still alive. Or, at least, he hoped so.
'Hang on Hikari, I'm coming.'
-
"So, this will give me back my life, but it won't heal me? Is that what you're saying?" Kari asked, somewhat skeptically after hearing what the Angel of Death had to say about her mysterious Life Force Stone.
"Yes," the Angel of Death replied. "It will allow you to return to your body and will then heal it at a normal pace."
"What body?" Kari scoffed. "The centipedes will have devoured it completely by now."
"They never had the chance my Lady Guardian."
Kari looked up sharply. "What are you talking about?"
The Angel of Death smiled mischieviously. "It is not something I can explain. You must find out on your own."
Kari frowned. "Fine, I'll use it. Just tell me how."
"Concentrate, and you will know my Lady."
Kari's frowned deepened a little as she concentrated on the airy blue stone within an even lighter blue barrier. Without thinking, she brought the crystal up to her chest and pushed in slightly. She gasped as it became absorbed into her. At first, it wasn't painful, only different. But then…
She cried out and dropped to her knees as the blue crystal itself began to meld with her skin. It felt as though her entire body was on fire. She felt the Angel of Death's cool hands brush gently over her face soothingly. It was hard to be calm, though, as the pain intensified. Suddenly, all went black.
-
"Hikari? Hikari, where are you?" Hiroki called desperately as he ran through the maze of halls that composed the central building.
He had been searching for Hikari for nearly half an hour, and had yet to find any trace. To make matters worse, the shockwaves from the energy had severely weakened the building, and it was getting closer and closer to collapsing every minute.
"Hikari!" he called out again.
"She is this way," came Meersa's voice.
Hiroki whirled around and saw the girl standing just a foot or two away. He didn't have time to ponder how she had gotten behind him so suddenly as she grabbed his upper arm and dragged him further along and to the right. He struggled to keep up without dropping Miyo. They reached a door just seconds later, and beyond it, Hiroki saw Hikari.
But, all around Hikari, was more blood. Pieces of centipede flesh were scattered, and it looked as though all of the creatures that had been in here had been completely obliterated. Save Hikari.
He ran over to her, gasping as he got closer. He hadn't noticed before, but she had four large wounds on her neck, all bleeding profusely. He feared she was dead and nearly collapsed in relief as he noticed that she was breathing shallowly. His relief was short lived as the room they were in began to creak loudly, a sign that the supports were failing.
"We have to get out of here!" called Meersa.
"I know," Hiroki snapped, trying to figure out how he was going to get Miyo and Hikari out of here when they were both unconscious.
Suddenly Meersa snatched Miyo from him. "Grab your lover and let's go!"
Hiroki blushed slightly, but did as she said. Quickly tearing a strip of cloth from his shirt and tying it around her neck loosely, but firmly, he hoisted her onto his back and head towards the door after Meersa.
"Where to now?" he asked loudly over the ever increasing creaking.
Meersa made no reply, but headed to the left. Grumbling, Hiroki followed closely, not wanting to lose sight of her in the cloud of dust that was falling from the rafters. Suddenly, she stopped. Hiroki nearly ran into her.
"Why are we stopping?" he demanded.
"The door's locked, genius," was the snappish reply. "The fake Numbing Stone is gone, so you can use your power to break through. Come on, hurry!"
Not giving Meersa's rudeness a second thought, he began to concentrate. Meersa had been right, he could feel his power now. Carefully locking on the door hinges as targets, he released small bursts of intense fire. The hinges melted into nothing on contact and the door fell halfway forward, held up only by the padlock.
"Come on!" Meersa urged, running through.
Hiroki didn't have to be told twice. Carefully, he stepped over the debris and found himself in the crisp night air. Sighing in relief, he continued to follow Meersa throughout the streets. He felt Hikari stir on his back.
"Hiroki?" she croaked out, wincing at the pain in her neck.
"Don't try to talk yet Hikari," he replied softly. "You're still hurt."
Kari frowned as she tried to recall exactly why she was hurt. It all came rushing back to her. Rinjo, the centipedes, the Underworld, and the Life Force Crystal.
"Miyo," she forced out in a slightly panicked voice, "Where's Miyo?"
"She's safe," Hiroki assured. "Get some rest now, we'll be camping soon."
Kari gave a nearly imperceptible nod as she let her head lie limply on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Hiroki smiled in relief, glad that she was going to be okay. Then, he noticed something in the sky. Or rather, two somethings.
""Fury?"" he asked, tenatively.
""Hiroki"" came the relieved reply. ""I am so sorry, my master.""
""I told you, just call me Hiroki. And why are you sorry?""
""We were attacked and couldn't reach you. We failed in our duty to protect you.""
""Everything worked out, and it's not like you could have helped it. Now tell me, is there a good place to camp around here? We may need to stay in one place for a while"" he added, thinking of Hikari's condition.
""To the northwest, Hiroki, follow us"" the great figures in the sky turned and flew in a definate direction.
"Come on Meersa, this way," he called, changing course.
Meersa sighed and followed. She couldn't remember why she had agreed to help these people, she had always been a loner, and could have easily gotten away herself ages ago. Oh right, she was helping them because they were two of the Guardians and the Watcher had told her that it was her duty to help them.
She sighed again. She had always hated duty.
-
They reached the campsite about half an hour later. It was a clearing in a ring of trees, easily hidden from enemies. Hiroki gently laid Hikari down on the ground. Her eyes fluttered and she muttered something, but soon fell back into a deep sleep. Looking over, he saw Meersa laying Miyo down. The smaller girl was beginning to rouse.
Making sure that Hikari was alright, he rushed over to Miyo. He didn't want the girl to be frightened by waking up and seeing someone she didn't know. He was just about to lift Miyo, when Meersa stopped him by grabbing his wrists and sending a glare.
"She needs to be healed," the older girl said in a tone that dared him to defy her.
He stared back, unhappily, but did not try to retrieve Miyo again. He watched silently as Meersa began to chant softly in a language he didn't know. She placed her finger tips on Miyo's temples, and her hands began to glow slightly. Miyo shifted a little, but otherwise was still. After a few minutes, Meersa sat back.
"She will be well now. Stay with her while I heal your lover."
Hiroki was about to protest that Hirkari was not his lover, but decided to just be quiet and do as the elder girl had ordered. Scooping Miyo into his arms, he sat and watched as Meersa unwrapped the bandage covering Kari's neck. He winced as he saw how much blood was on it.
He saw Meersa place her glowing fingertips on the wounds and begin to chant again. His eyes widened as he saw the flesh begin to heal, closing itself up. Soon, they were just a few red spots, that was all.
He then saw Hikari stir and open her eyes. He rushed over and dropped down, holding the now semi-awake Miyo. He gently helped Hikari into a sitting position, still amazed by what had happened.
Hikari smiled at him and threw her arms around his neck. "We're safe for now," she murmmered, petting Miyo's hair.
"Thanks mostly to Meersa," Hiroki replied, turning around to face the elder. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Still holding onto him, Kari nodded her thanks as well.
Meersa allowed a small smile to grace her face. Maybe these Guardians weren't so bad. Suddenly she tilted her head, appearing to listen to something that the others couldn't hear.
"I must go now," she said quietly. "Take care Guardians, it's too early for you to die just yet."
With that, she flicked her wrist and a small 'rip' in the air appeared, glowing white. Meersa turned away from the group and stepped into this 'rip', disappearing instantly. The 'rip' then sealed itself.
The three humans, plus the two birds, stared at the place where the portal had been, uncomprehending. Suddenly, Hiroki got an indignant look on his face.
"Hey! If she could do that the whole time, then why didn't she help us out earlier?" he fumed.
Kari smiled. "I don't know, but she must have had a good reason." Suddenly, a strong tugging feeling entered her mind from the northeast. "Hiroki, do you feel that?" she asked quietly.
Hiroki stopped his silent fuming and tilted his head in concentration. A surprised look came over his face. "Yeah, I do. But…what is it?" he asked, staring in the direction it was coming from.
Kari frowned, wondering the same thing. Then, it dawned on her. "Pomarius. It must be Pomarius," she said breathlessly. She jumped up and headed for Whisper, "Come on, we're getting closer!"
Hiroki smiled and rose too, holding Miyo. He shared her excitement as well. After all these months of traveling, it would be good to finally reach their destination.As he climbed onto Fury, he cast one last look at the city behind them. Sorrow briefly passed through him as he thought of what had become of his folks, but he replaced it with determination. As he had thought earlier, he could do nothing for them now, but he could do much for Hiata.
'It's what they would have wanted,' he thought as Fury rose into the air and headed to the northeast.
He looked over at Hikari and smiled before looking down at Miyo. He had a feeling that, as long as they were together, there was nothing that could stop them. He only prayed that that feeling was right.
-
"Your plan failed old man," the defiant woman snarled. "They escaped, and now they are even stronger."
The old man glared at the woman in annoyance. "Actually, I think the plan was a success. We learned more about their power than we knew before, and now know what we must defeat."
"But, if they reach Pomarius, they will become even stronger!" the woman protested. "How will we defeat them then?"
"Silence!" the old man roared. "We will deal with that when and if they reach Pomarius. We are not the only ones after them, remember. I'm sure their old enemy wants them to reach Pomarius even less than we do. Let her deal with their new power. At best, it will destroy all of them, at worst it will give us valuable information."
The woman growled quietly. "This had better work old man."
"Don't worry, my dear," he snarled back. "It will."
A/N: If you're confused about the different description of the Underworld, remember, it appears uniquely to everyone. Takeru, being the Shadow Mage, found it inviting, while Hikari found it slightly intimidating. For Takeru, the souls were represented by brilliant lights, while snakes and spiders represented them for Hikari.
I need reviews if you want me to continue! Until next time, ciao!
