Disclaimer: Still don't own digimon
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! So, I was so worried about getting this up before I left that I worked extra hard and got it done two days early(Luckily, I didn't put anything too important off for it). I like this chapter a lot better than the last two, but that might just be me. Anyway, enjoy!
Question responses:
'?'1)Miyo and Akio didn't really do anything of importance while the four were training at Vorago and Pomarius, they were just kind of there. 2)You've figured me out, I do have a lot of free time, however I also tend to put less favored things(like homework)off in order to write, I should probably stop that.;)
RinoaHeart7I could tellyou when Tejuku reappears, but it might ruin some suspense for the story. You'll just have to wait to find out.Hope ya aren't too mad.
TK smiled slightly as he watched Akio playing with the wolves and lionesses on the other side of their camp. The boy had grown a bit in the seven months since they had found him and he could now reach around TK's stomach instead of his waist. TK smiled as Katya came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him lightly.
"We're nearly back there," she said. "After all, it took us about four months to reach Vorago, and we've been traveling for nearly 3 months now."
TK nodded. It really had been three months since they had left Vorago. Suprisingly, they had run into very little trouble, just a few rebels here and there that fled as soon as the two revealed even a fraction of their true powers. The lack of resistance may also have been due to the fact that they traveled through less-inhabited places and moved stealthly, trying not to be seen. The last thing they needed was yet another attack on their lives.
TK sighed contentedly as Katya's arms wrapped around him more tightly, though it would never go any farther than that. Ever since that night at Vorago, they had unconsciously set a code for their behavior. They never said 'I love you,' said anything about what they sometimes did, or showed more than the simplest affection in public, gestures that could easily be mistaken as a close friendship, nothing more. It was their way of protecting themselves from the inevitable separation that they knew was coming one way or another.
After a few moments, Katya stood up and stretched. "It's getting kinda late, we should probably get some sleep."
TK nodded. "You and Akio go ahead, I think I'm going to go get some water from the stream over there first."
Returning his nod, Katya started to walk over to Akio. "Be careful," she said quietly as she walked past him. He smiled slightly at her concern over such a simple thing as getting a drink and started to walk off into the woods. Apocalypse followed, being the closest.
It took him about 15 minutes to walk to the stream with Apocalypse's guidance. He patted the wolf's head before kneeling down and cupping his hands in the water. Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he slowly sipped the ice-cold water. He reached down to get another handful.
Takeru…TK jumped a bit as the voice echoed through his head. He looked over at Apocalypse, but the wolf was still drinking from the stream as if nothing had happened.
Takeru…/Apocalypse, do you hear that voice? It's come twice now./
Apocalypse looked at him oddly. /I didn't hear anything. Is something wrong? Is it danger/
TK shook his head slightly. "I don't know," he mumbled orally. He waited to see if the deep, masculine voice would come again. It did.
Takeru…it's time to repay the favor I granted you…'Favor?' TK thought. 'What favor? Who is this?'
Come Takeru…you will not be hurt…come…follow my voice…you must…TK inwardly debated. He didn't feel a particularly evil aura from the voice, and he felt that it was honest when it said that he wouldn't be hurt. He also felt that he needed to go. The tug from his Life Force Crystal sealed his decision.
Rising, he headed for the direction he thought the voice was coming from, across the river and to the south.
/Takeru? Come back/ Apocalypse pleaded, bounding after him. /It is too dangerous to go off alone. Let's call one or two of the others at least. We can't risk you getting hurt again./
TK smiled slightly inwardly. His wolves were always overprotective. Placing a hand on Apocalypse's head, he stopped the wolf's pleas. /No Apocalypse, don't contact any of the others. We'll be fine./
/I'm not worried about we, I'm worried about you/ the wolf muttered.
TK scratched the wolf's head reassuringly before continuing. Apocalypse sulked and followed. He knew he should contact Rage at least, but he had been ordered not to. And since there was no immediate danger that could be sensed, he couldn't disobey. Instead, he just stayed alert, ready to defend his beloved master to the death if necessary.
Ahead of him, TK was barely even aware that the wolf was there. He was too busy focusing on locating the voice.
You're close Takeru…just a bit further…When TK came upon an embankment that led down to an open cave, he instinctively knew it was the place. He also knew that he should go in alone; Apocalypse wouldn't take too kindly to that. Turning, he placed a hand on Apocalypse's neck, trying to reassure and relax the beast before he said anything.
/Apocalypse, I want you to stay up here./
/No/ the wolf protested before TK even finished. /It is my duty to protect you, I can't allow you to walk into an unknown place full of unknown dangers while I just sit up here./
/Apocalypse/ TK crooned softly, going for the soothing approach/I will be fine, I can sense evil after all. And I promise I will call the second I feel that I need any help, Besides, the cave is shallow, you won't lose sight of me for long./
Apocalypse let out a sigh and hung his head; he knew he wouldn't win. Takeru had ordered him to stay here and not call any of the others, so that was the only thing he could do.
Smiling at the wolf again, TK turned and headed down the steep embankment. When he reached the mouth of the cave, he peeked in hesitantly. When he saw nothing outright, he sent in a mental probe. He could detect nothing. But, he could have sworn this was where the voice was coming from.
I am here Takeru…come in…do not be afraid…Swallowing his small fear, he stepped into the cave; slowly at first, but more quickly as he went deeper. He could feel Apocalypse's aggitation in the back of his mind. He subconsciously sent out soothing energy waves to the wolf. Suddenly, his connection with the wolf was cut off completely.
It was then that all the doubt he had forced away came back with a vengeance, the fear too. He gulped nervously as he continued deeper. It wasn't the lack of light that concerned him, he was the Shadow Mage and could see in the dark, it was the fact that he still couldn't sense any presence.
Suddenly, the darkness grew so severe that even he couldn't see within it. He felt the palpable shadows pushing down on him heavily. Then, out of the darkness, an even darker figure appeared. TK could sense that it was very, very powerful.
"Who are you?" he asked, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.
Do you not remember me? the husky masculine voice asked. We have met once before, though I was not in this form. Do you not recognize my energy, at least?
TK silently concentrated. The figure's energy did seem familiar, but he couldn't place it. It felt dark, very dark, but good at the same time, to TK at least. But, the only energy that had felt that way to him before had been…the Portal of Death. Could this figure be…no, it wasn't possible.
Anything is possible in Hiata, the voice replied. I am who you think. I am the Portal of Death, and I am here to collect a debt.
"What debt?" TK asked, feeling a bit unnerved.
While I did not create your Life Force Crystal, I gave you the opportunity to use it instead of pulling you through. In order for this to continue, you must repay me every six months.
"Repay you with what?" TK asked, still nervous.
For a small time every six months, you must relinquish everything you are to me. Your energy, your power, your memories, your soul, everything. I will take what I desire and return the rest.
TK's eyes widened substantially. The Portal of Death saw this and continued.
Do not be afraid, I swear I will not harm you. What I need more than anything is energy. You surrender the other things to show your loyalty, and just incase I do need something more. Now, will your debt be repaid, or shall your life be taken for good?
TK considered, it was really no choice at all. He had to keep living.
"How do I perform this ritual?" he asked quietly. He felt, more than saw, the Portal smile in satisfaction.
Call out your Crystal.
With slight hesitation, TK obeyed, grateful that it no longer hurt to do so. He held it in his hand, aura and all, and awaited the next direction.
Take your dagger and prick the center of your right palm, then grasp the Crystal in your hand. Not the aura, the actual Crystal.
With a perplexed look on his face, he pulled his dagger out of the sheath on his belt and carefully cut the center of his right palm. He quickly wiped the blood on the tip on his shirt and sheathed the knife again. Then, he placed the Crystal in his right hand. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on going past the aura's barrier. He was both surprised and dismayed to find that the barrier was fairly weak.
When he held the very fragile Crystal in his bleeding hand, he looked back up at the figure in front of him.
Immerse yourself entirely inside your Crystal, severing all ties with your body so that I may enter your Crystal as well and take what I will as payment. You may want to sit down for this, he advised.
Lowering to sit with his legs tucked under him, he did as he had been told. In a practiced way, he descended within his Crystal, mentally walking on the familiar twisted pathways. He went down as far as he could, to the glowing orb that marked his ability to transform. Once there, he sat down cross-legged and focused on blocking the head of the pathway that led back up to reality. While it would not be a difficult barrier for him to disable later, it should suffice in temporarily cutting him off from his body.
When the barrier had been successfully made, he experienced the most amazing feeling. It was like he was suspended in time and space. Nothing was moving and he felt weightless because he was not tied down to a physical body. However, this weightlessness also sent small waves of nausea through him.
He closed his eyes, but snapped them open again as a figure entered his Crystal. He first reaction was rage; no one was allowed in this most private place of his! But then, his mind flashed back to just a minute or two ago. It wasn't an intruder then, but the Portal of Death, a visitor.
He looked up and stood as said visitor appeared in front of him. The Portal didn't say anything, and the two simply stood in silence. Suddenly, the Portal raised his hand and TK felt other unwelcome visitors in his Crystal. Before he could move, however, shadow bindings wrapped around each of his arms and legs, holding him still. He gasped and looked up fearfully, subconsciously gathering what power he could to defend himself.
Be not afraid, this is for your protection. Should you try to move or fight during the exchange, you could be seriously injured. Depending on how you fare this time, this may not be required in six months. Now, are you ready?
Hesitantly, TK nodded. He was still a bit unsure about this whole thing. He tried not to show his fear as the Portal of Death grasped his chin firmly and lifted it up, forcing the boy to look into its face. Well, it wasn't really a face, as it had no features, but it was where a face should be.
Relax, the Portal ordered. You must surrender yourself completely to me. I promise yet again that no harm will befall you. Do you understand?
TK closed his eyes for a second, bracing himself for the frightening unknown. When he reopened them, he stared at where the Portal's eyes should have been and focused on disabling his own mental barriers. He nodded slightly when his defenses had been lowered enough for the Portal of Death to enter.
Still grasping the boy's chin firmly, the Portal looked past the boy's eyes and into his very mind and soul. He saw memories of Earth and the Digital world, of Takeru's friends and family. He could feel the pain of the divorce, Angemon's deletion, and his brother's desertion. He could feel Takeru flich at being reminded of such memories, and could feel the resistance the boy felt towards someone going through them.
Since he didn't wish to have a mental fight with the boy, and the memories weren't what he wanted, the Portal of Death went deeper within the small Mage, stopping as he came to his life energy. This was what the Portal wanted.
Dipping invisible hands into the pool of life energy, the Portal began slowly absorbing it. He could feel the results almost immediately; he hadn't anticipated that the boy's life energy would be this strong and potent, not that it was a bad thing. As he continued to absorb it, he found that it was nearly intoxicating. He didn't want to stop. He had to remind himself twice not to take too much. When the pool was close to empty, he pulled away.
Rising back up into his own body, he noticed that the boy had gone limp in the shadow bindings. He wasn't worried, it was to be expected after the massive energy transfer. It wouldn't take him long to wake up. Carefully releasing the boy, the Portal left the Crystal, taking his shadow bindings with him.
Once back in the cave, the Portal saw that Takeru had slumped to the side, Crystal lying in a slack hand. Receeding into the shadows and heading for the Underworld, the Portal of Death allowed himself to feel some satisfaction. It had been a wonderful trade.
Takeru woke up only minutes after the Portal of Death had left. At first, he was very confused and disoriented. Where was he? What had happened? Why was he so tired? And why was he holding his Crystal?
Then, the memories of the past several minutes came rushing back to him. He remembered the Portal of Death going through some of his more painful memories, much to his distress, before going down to his life energy and draining it. That must be why he felt so weak. He was thankful that he wouldn't have to go through that somewhat frightening experience again for another six months.
Taking a few seconds to gather his strength, he tried to force his exhausted body upright. However, he was only able to get to his hands and knees. Sighing at his weakness, he reabsorbed his Life Force Crystal before beginning to slowly crawl towards the mouth of the cave, glad that no one was here to see him lose his pride. It took him about 5 minutes to reach the place where his connection with Apocalypse had been lost. He was very comforted to find it back again, but he could feel that the wolf's anxiety was now bordering on panic.
/Apocalypse? Calm down./ he said soothingly.
/Takeru/ the wolf replied. /I was so afraid something had happened. I lost touch with you, but you said I couldn't call the others or go in to find you. I was so worried/
/It's alright/ TK said in a calm, yet exhausted voice. /But, can you please come get me? I'm too tired to walk back on my own./
He felt Apocalypse's panic flare up again and felt the wolf coming closer quickly. In only seconds, he found the wolf at his side.
/You are hurt/ the wolf stated guiltily, bowing his head. /I should have been here to protect you. What happened/
TK reached out and took the wolf's head into his hands reassuringly. /I'm not hurt, only tired. And nothing that happened here was against my will. I wouldn't have allowed you to protect me, even if you had disobeyed and come./
The wolf raised his eyes, feeling slightly less guilty. /But, what happened/
TK frowned a bit, trying to figure out how to word it. In the end, he decided that a picture was worth a thousand words. Closing his eyes, he quickly sent the images from his memory of the last ten minutes or so to his wolf. At the end, Apocalypse nuzzled him.
/But, you are alright now/ he asked, still concerned as was his nature.
TK nodded. /Like I said, I'm just tired. Do you think you could carry me back to camp? I'm almost positive I won't make it on my own./
Mentally nodding, Apocalypse crouched down close to Takeru. TK scooted as close as he could before grabbing a couple handfuls of fur and trying to hoist himself onto Apocalypse's back. He smiled gratefully as the wolf turned his head and gave his side a gentle nudge, successfully helping him up.
TK automatically balanced himself as Apocalypse rose and started out at a mild pace. As he laid on the wolf's great back, head resting on the soft black fur, he found himself easily dozing off. But, before he could let himself sleep, there was one more thing he had to do.
/Apocalypse/ he started in a slightly groggy voice.
/Yes/
/You may tell the other wolves what happened, but if Katya, Akio, or any of the Lionesses ask, simply tell them that I decided to take a rest at the stream before heading back and fell asleep, okay? All they need to know right now is that I'm not hurt./
Apocalypse silently consented, not quite sure what his master's motives were, but trusting him completely. He carefully made his way back to the camp, moving gracefully so as not to jolt his sleeping master.
When he arrived at the camp, he was greeted with a barrage of mental questions from the other wolves, though they really showed no outward movement. Quickly, Apocalypse shared with them the images that Takeru had shown him. While they were slightly unsettled, they accepted it easily enough. Apocalypse turned his head as Katya sat up from where she had been lying, and looked at Takeru with a bit of concern.
"Is he hurt?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake the already asleep Akio.
Apocalypse shook his head, obeying Takeru's request.
"Oh, just sleeping then?" Katya asked, smiling slightly as the wolf nodded. Satisfied that her lover was not harmed, she laid back down and closed her eyes.
Apocalypse carried Takeru over towards the other wolves. When he laid down, he felt Frenzy gently lift Takeru off of him and place him softly against Midnight. The latter female then moved her tail so that it was covering Takeru before lying her head back on her paws and closing her eyes.
From just a few feet away, Rage watched his master slumber. He was a bit disturbed by what had happened, and hoped that it wouldn't come back to haunt them in the future. They had enough to worry about without this too.
In the morning, Akio was one of the first awake. He sat up quietly, not wanting to wake his Mama. Looking over, he saw that his Papa was sleeping with the wolves. He frowned, something wasn't right.
Standing up, he walked over to his Papa, uneasy feeling growing as he got closer, though he couldn't place it. When he got close enough, he realized that it was his Papa's energy that was sending off the warning signal. It was dangerously low.
"What happened?" he asked Midnight, who had just woken up.
Expending some energy, Midnight answered him in human tongue with the story that Takeru had come up with. At the end, Akio looked into the wolf's eyes, unblinking.
"You're lying," he stated.
Midnight's eyes, as well as the eyes of the other wolves, widened. They watched as Akio reached out a hand towards TK and closed his eyes. They could sense that the boy was going through their master's memories, but how was that possible? It just didn't make any sense.
After a few moments, Akio reopened his eyes. They no longer looked like the eyes of a boy, rather, the eyes of an elder. He looked at the wolves.
"Do not worry, I will not tell the others. It is not their time to know." Suddenly, his eyes reverted back to their normal, carefree state. "Come on," he said to Tempest, tugging her fur a little. "We have to go get water for Papa."
Tempest nodded and rose, still confused by the rapid and drastic changes that had overtaken the small boy just seconds ago. She couldn't fathom how the happy boy skipping ahead of her, canteen in hand, could seem so much like a serious wise-man at such sudden intervals.
Shaking her head and deciding that it was all just too perplexing, Tempest continued to follow the boy who, for some reason, seemed to know where he was going. Was it possible that he had seen how Takeru had gotten to the stream and was following the same path? After what had just happened, she didn't doubt anything.
It took the two just over 20 minutes to reach the stream, as Akio's legs were shorter than Takeru's and he couldn't make the trip as quickly. Humming a nonsensical tune, Akio knelt on a rock that jutted out into the stream and leaned out to fill the canteen. Tempest stayed close, ready to leap into action should any enemies come or should he fall in. But, no enemies came, and he didn't fall in.
Standing back up, Akio looked at the filled canteen in his hands and sighed. He knew this water would help his Papa, but not very much, and not very soon. His Mama would get suspicious. He wished that he had that special blood tonic, it would make things so much easier.
As he continued wishing, his eyes suddenly flashed, and the canteen in his hands glowed. He nearly dropped it in shock and Tempest rose, alert for any danger. Peering into the canteen curiously, he gasped. It was no longer water, it was blood-red liquid…the blood tonic! How did that happen?
Mentally shrugging, he decided that it didn't matter how it happened, all that mattered was that it had. Capping the canteen, he turned and bounded over to Tempest. He tugged on her fur.
"Come on, we have to get back to Papa before Mama wakes up!"
Tempest nodded as she grasped the back of the boy's shirt with her teeth and placed him on her back. She then trotted quickly, arriving back at the camp in just a few minutes. Luckily for them, Katya was still sound asleep. Going over to Midnight, Tempest knelt, allowing Akio to slide off.
Akio shook TK's shoulder. "Papa? Papa, wake up. I got something for you."
TK slowly opened his eyes, groaning slightly as he still felt so weak. "Kid? What is it? Is something wrong?"
Akio shook his head. "Nope, nothing's wrong. But, I got something for you. Here." He opened the canteen and held it out to TK. "Drink this, you'll feel all better."
Shakily, TK pulled himself up so that he was propped against Midnight. He took the canteen and weakly held it to his lips. Tilting it slightly, he expected to find water in his mouth. He was very pleasantly surprised to taste the blood tonic. He only drank about a third of it before he felt that all of his energy was restored. Recapping the canteen, he decided to save the rest for emergencies.
Holding out his arms, he beckoned for Akio. The boy smiled and clambered into his lap. TK smiled back and gave him a small hug.
"Where'd you get this kid?"
"I dunno, it just kinda…appeared."
TK frowned. That was…odd. Wait…how did Akio know what was wrong with him anyway? Had his wolves told? Mental contact with Midnight quickly ended that theory and created a new disturbing development. He sighed. He wasn't sure he'd ever understand Akio, and if he did, it would take forever and a day.
He thought about it for another minute or two, until movement to the side alerted him. He turned his head and saw that Katya was getting up. She smiled and walked over to the two of them.
"You must have been very tired yesterday to just fall asleep at the stream. And here I thought you were supposed to be all tough and indestructable," she teased.
TK rolled his eyes, glad that she didn't doubt his story. Standing up, he placed Akio on Midnight before heading over to Rage. "Come on, let's get an early start. I want to get back as soon as possible," he said. But, what he really meant was, 'I want to get back to someplace safer before you have to deal with the Portal of Death.'
Still smiling, Katya nodded and walked over to Star. They had no real 'stuff', so it was easy to simply leave at a moments notice. Really, they each only had a small bag with a change of clothes and a canteen. They also each had weapons that they had bought from a blacksmith a few towns back. TK had twin double-edge swords while Katya had a metal staff with an eight inch blade coming out from the top, and a 6 inch blade going out from the side where the other blade met the staff. They were top class weapons, but they hadn't really been needed yet.
Starting their journey at a brisk trot, the group made very good time. At this rate, it would only take them a few weeks to get back to Karina's. While none of them were very keen on seeing Karina again, they really wanted to see their friends.
For most of the day, the journey was smooth and uneventful, just riding through fields and forests, really. But then, around twilight, TK started to get a bad feeling. It was his 'evil' sense going off. From what he could tell, it was coming from about 150 yards ahead of them. However, he couldn't tell exactly what or who was causing the feeling. That bothered him more than anything else.
"What should we do?" Katya asked after he had told her what he felt.
TK shrugged. "There's not much we can do. We have to keep going ahead unless we want to add another couple weeks to our journey. I can't pinpoint where it's coming from, so I suppose we'll just have to be extra careful. There's also the chance that I'm simply misinterpreting the feeling."
Katya nodded. "Makes sense, I guess. I just hope this isn't a trap."
"We'll be ready if it is," TK replied, urging Rage forward.
Star followed, as did the rest of the Shadow Beasts. After traveling about ninety more yards they saw that there was a town up ahead. It looked fairly developed; large, with both stone and wooden buildings. However, there was no defensive wall surrounding it, a slightly unsettling fact. Who lived in this town that they felt they didn't need any security barriers?
Approaching cautiously, they were surprised to see that the town appeared deserted. TK slid off Rage and took Akio off of Midnight.
/Stay around the town limits, but don't be seen./ he told his wolves.
Swiftly and silently, they bounded off. Katya's lionesses weren't far behind. Handing Akio to Katya, TK started to walk further into the town. First they passed the houses of the poorer people on the outskirts; all the lights were out. Then, they came to the main streets, where the businesses and taverns were; again, everything was dark and quiet and the buildings looked slightly rundown.
Katya edged closed to Takeru, unnerved. In every other town that they had been in, there had been crowds at every time of the day and night, why was this town so different? Walking deeper in, they found that the whole town was empty. They were about to leave when suddenly, Katya's power flared up.
She found herself looking at another reality. She was in the same town, but it was flourishing. There were people everywhere, almost all were happy and laughing. Children were playing in the streets, women were gossiping, men were heading in to the taverns from work. It looked like a picturesque place. However, there were two figures that looked anything but happy, a fact that caught Katya's attention almost immediately.
It was a young girl and boy, they looked to be brother and sister. The boy looked a year or two older. They both had black hair, pale skin, and odd purplish eyes. They were dressed all in black and stood apart from the crowd. Suddenly, they began to run. Katya mentally followed them, wanting to know why they looked so terrified.
They ran down the main street and down a side road to the right. At the end of this side road, there was an alley on the left. The two went down the alley and came upon a trap door in the ground.
The boy opened the door and went down a few of the steep steps before turning and beckoning for his sister. The girl started towards him but before she entered the trap door, she turned and Katya could have sworn that she looked directly at her, as if asking her to come as well. Then, they were gone and the trapdoor slammed shut.
Katya was then thrown from her vision back to the present. She was very confused. Her gift allowed her to see into the future, but that had almost seemed like the past. All the buildings had been in top shape, not rotting as they were now. Everything had been the same in the layout of the town; an unlikely thing for a city of the future. Normally, the town would have been bulldozed and a new one put in its place.
Was it possible, then, that she had seen into the past? It didn't really seem plausible. After all, if that power hadn't developed when she had been training at Vorago, why would it suddenly flare up now? There was no sensibility in it.
She was jerked out of her thoughts by Takeru shaking her shoulder. She jumped a bit and looked at him curiously.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You spaced out on us there for a minute."
Katya nodded, mind still stuck on the vision. The only way it was going to not bother her was if she checked it out.
"Come on," she said suddenly, starting down the main road, still holding Akio.
TK blinked. "Katya? Where're we going?" he asked, following her.
"I have to check something," she mumbled just loudly enough for him to hear.
TK nodded and stayed silent, recognizing that this was important to her for some reason. He stayed alert though, watching the shadows for any hidden beings. He followed Katya down the street and to the right. Then, they went down an alley to the left. Katya placed Akio on the ground and began to pull away the debris at the end of the alley.
TK watched, confused. "Umm…Katya? Why are you going through that trash?"
"There's something underneath here," she muttered, not stopping. "I saw it."
It didn't take TK more than a second or two to realize that she was referring to her ability to see into the future. He was surprised though, as it usually didn't flare up too often. Deciding to ask questions later, he started to help her move the debris. Akio tried to help too, though he was so little that he could only move the small things.
Between the three of them, it took only a few minutes to completely clear the small area. Katya knelt down and began brushing away the dirt. TK silently watched, wondering what she was looking for. Apparently she found it, he noted, as her face lit up.
"Help me with this," she beckoned, not looking up at him.
He knelt as well, not sure what he was helping with, but ready to help all the same. When he was on his knees, he noticed that there was the outline of a door in the ground. This must have been what Katya was looking for, no wonder she was so anxious and excited.
Each taking hold of a side of the door, they tried to pull it open. At first, it wouldn't budge. Then, it started to move little by little. With one last hard pull, it opened. Before they could see what was in it, though, something darted out and slammed it shut again.
TK instinctively stood and pulled Akio behind him; Katya stood to the other side. In the dark, TK could make out that it was a girl figure, probably their age, with long dark hair and pale skin.
"Trespassers aren't welcome here," she hissed. TK could see her large fangs as she spoke. "Leave now."
"We aren't trespassers," Katya stated, carefully creating a small ball of light in her hand, slightly illuminating the small area. "We are travelers. Nothing more."
The figure backed away from the light slightly. "Nothing?" she hissed. "Nobody is nothing. What purpose have you, travelers?"
The two Mages glanced at each other, unsure of what to answer. TK couldn't be sure if the bad feeling was coming from this girl, but it didn't appear to be so. He felt as though they might be able to trust her…maybe. He decided to take a risk.
"Do you want to know the truth?" he asked.
The girl nodded hesitantly, as if debating on whether or not this was a trap.
"We are two of the Guardians," he stated simply. "We came here simply to rest."
The girl gasped sharply. "The Guardians, you say?" she asked, voice sounding less beast-like, and more human.
She stepped forward towards TK slightly. Reaching out slowly to show that she meant no harm, she took his hand. Using a sharp fingernail to trace a pattern in his palm, she closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. After a moment, she pulled back.
"You speak the truth," she said quietly before turning around again. "Come, my brother will wish to meet you."
She reopened the trap door and walked down. They followed, still wary. Katya picked Akio up for extra insurance. As soon as they had walked inside, the trap door slammed shut again. Dark torches lined the stone hallway they were in, casting a shadowed glow, just enough for Katya to see in. TK, of course, had no problem.
After just a few minutes, they reached an archway. Walking through, they found themselves in a large open room with hallways on each side. The girl started to walk down another one. TK stopped, dark sense going haywire.
"Wait," he called to the girl. "Just who are you and where are you taking us?" he realized that it was a little late to be asking, as they had already followed her, but they could easily find their way out from here if this whole thing turned out to be a setup.
The girl faced him with a slight smile on her lips. "I am Siara. Right now, we are in the underground part of the city, where we few surviving residents live. I am taking you to see my brother Denzo. We've been waiting for the Guardians for as long as I can remember."
TK paused, looking her over. She appeared to be sincere. And if this Denzo person was an enemy, it might be better to meet him now and gather some information on him. But, if he was a friend, this meeting could prove all the more critical. Nodding, he motioned for her to continue leading them.
Small smile still on her lips, she did. Looking behind him, he saw that Katya had an odd look on her face; like she sensed something, but didn't know what it was. She caught his look and sent him a reassuring glance. Satisfied, he turned and followed Siara down the hall. They arrived at a large door not long after. Not bothering to knock, Siara opened it and motioned for them to follow.
This room was lighted a bit more than the corridors. They saw that there were several chairs in the room, all facing a large wooden desk. There was a larger chair behind the desk. Off to the side, there was a table that appeared to have a map on it. There was a boy that greatly resembled the girl at this table. He looked up as they walked in.
Baring his fangs at the unknown strangers, he seemingly transported over and placed himself in front of Siara.
"Are you hurt, little sister?" he asked softly, not taking his eyes off the travelers for a second.
Siara shook her head and took his arm, trying to soothe him. "No, dear brother. These are two of the Guardians. They have come to save Hiata."
The boy's fierce gaze softened slightly at this. "Is it true?" he asked them.
TK nodded. "Yes. I am the Shadow Mage, and she is the Light Mage. I assume you are Denzo, correct?"
The boy nodded, stepping into the light a bit more. As soon as he did, Katya gasped.
"You're the boy from my vision!" she exclaimed. "Only, you're older."
"What vision?" he asked, genuine curiousity in his voice.
"I have the power to see into the future, and apparently the past. I saw you two run to the trap door among all of the happy people when this place was blossoming. Is it true? Or was it my imagination?"
Denzo nodded sadly. "It's true. We could sense the danger coming, so we ran here many years ago. Shortly after, the plague swept through the city, killing everyone who hadn't been able to get down here. However, it did have some…affects on us as well."
"It turned you into vampires, didn't it?" TK asked.
This time, Siara nodded. "We had always had some vampire blood in us, but it was dormant and didn't show. This plague caused it to overun our systems and turn us full-blooded. But, how did you know that? How did you know we hadn't been born vampires?"
TK shrugged. "I am generally in tune with the Darkness, and I suppose I just sensed it. I can't really explain. But, tell me. Does the plague still exist near here? I sensed a great evil around this area, but it's not coming from you, yet I can't pinpoint it."
Denzo shook his head. "The plague is long gone, we merely stay down here out of habit. I do not know what you sensed but please, make yourselves comfortable. We have been waiting for your salvation for a very long time, far be it for us to make you stand the whole time you are here, no?" he asked, smiling slightly.
TK smiled back, he liked this pair. It felt like they had found another worthy ally. After sitting down and being served some special wine, Katya turned to Siara and asked a question that had been bothering her since they had met.
"Siara, how did you know that we were telling the truth? You had every right not to believe us."
"I am a Mage like you, my brother as well. My mental power is being able to see someone's lies."
"And what of your other power? And yours too," she added, turning to Denzo.
Denzo answered for both of them. "My sister controls Song, meaning that she can create deadly illusions with her voice. I control Time, to an extent, and can anticipate my enemies moves. It is helpful in battle."
TK nodded and was about reply, when suddenly his dark sense flared up again, this time worse than the others. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to determine where it was coming from. After a moment or two, he was able to determine that it was coming from the east. Tempest, Frenzy, and Dusk were around there. Keeping his eyes closed, he used his Sacred Sight to see through each of them. However, while he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he felt that someone was holding up a barrier to block his powers. That had only happened once before that he could recall.
"Oh no," he stated quietly, reopening his eyes. He felt everyone looking at him.
"What is it?" Katya asked.
"It's Tejuku. He's here. And he's not alone."
Katya's eyes widened while Siara and Denzo simply looked confused.
"Who's Tejuku?" Siara asked from her position on the floor by her brother's chair.
TK's expression grew darker. "My twin brother, you could say. My evil twin brother, anyway. He's out to settle the feud that his father had with mine and he will stop at nothing to complete his task."
"We shall help you fight him," Denzo declared.
TK considered it. "It would be nice to have help with his army, but Tejuku is mine."
Denzo nodded in understanding before rising. "Come on, there are several tunnels that lead in every direction. Just tell me which way he is, and we may be able to have the element of surprise on our side."
"He is to the east."
"This way," Denzo said, walking out the door.
TK and Katya rose, but then Katya remembered Akio. She placed him back in the chair.
"Akio," she said. "Stay here, where it's safe. We'll come get you when the fight is over."
"But Mama-"
"No buts," TK cut in quietly, remembering what had happened the last time Akio had been around Tejuku. "Stay here."
Akio silently nodded, recognizing the authoritative and determined look in his Papa's eyes.
"I will send someone in to stay with him," Siara offered. "But, we must hurry now."
Understanding the urgency, the two nodded and followed her, leaving Akio behind. The four walked briskly down the hall before turning down another. This was the one heading east. As they came closer to the end, TK could feel that his wolves had already moved into the area. Tempest, Frenzy, or Dusk must have told the others of his thoughts. He could also feel Katya's lionesses.
They soon reached the end of the tunnel and a ladder that reached up into the darkness.
"We are about a mile from the center of the town, so we can fight without endangering the others. Are you ready, then?" Denzo asked.
TK nodded. "Just one question. Do you have Shadow Beasts?"
The two smiled slightly mischeviously. "Because we have the same blood, we have the same Shadow Beasts," Siara answered. "Between us, we have twenty very large and very poisonous spiders."
"That ought to tip the odds," Denzo added.
Katya nodded. "Yes, but don't underestimate him. He is very powerful. No doubt his allies are as well. Now, let's go."
Giving an affirmative nod, Denzo started up the ladder, followed by Siara, Takeru, and finally Katya. When he reached the top, Denzo pushed open another trap door and climbed out. The group found themselves in a large open area still insight of the town, but far enough away to avoid having to worry about destroying it.
Soon after they emerged, the ten wolves and ten lionesses appeared. Then, there was a scurrying and TK noticed several 3-foot-long tarantulas. He could hear their fangs clicking together in anticipation. He turned his attention to the top of the hill in front of them, waiting for Tejuku and his lackeys to make an appearance. A few minutes later, they did.
Tejuku appeared first, twin swords on his back, followed by a girl his age with a spear similar to Katya's. After all of them, there came his ten coyotes along with ten large, female cheetahs. Following them was the force of ground soldiers, mostly lowly Shadowlore and weak Mages. However, they all appeared to be seasoned warriors.
"Well, brother," Tejuku spat out venomously. "We meet again. You won't be so lucky as to escape this time."
"As I recall," Takeru started in a neutral tone. "You were the one escaping with the help of your 'mistress'. Are you really so weak that you can't fight your own battles?"
Tejuku scowled. "You'll regret that," he growled out. Then, he looked to Katya. "And don't think that I've forgotten about you, pretty little Light Mage. I've brought you a playmate. This is Reitya, and she's been very anxious to get to fight you," he said, motioning to the girl next to him.
Reitya glared at Katya, who returned the look. She gripped her spear more tightly in anticipation.
"Now," Tejuku said, drawing his swords and staring Takeru down. "It's time to fight!"
A/N: just a reminder that I'll be on vacation for the next week, so the next chap. could possibly be 2 weeks away. I'll try as hard as I can to get it up soon! Well, you know the drill, please review! Adios!
