Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

"Thank you again, Guardians for allowing us the privilege of dining with you," the nobleman thanked graciously as the group pushed back their chairs and stood.

"The pleasure was all ours, good sir," Katya replied automatically as she inwardly sighed.

They had been at Prince Larin's castle for just over a week now, and it seemed that all of their free time was spent with one noble or another. They were never allowed to dine alone, and they could never find time for just each other, save for late at night. However, they were usually dead tired by that time and could barely find the strength just to get into bed.

As they filed out of the rooms of Nobleman and Noblewoman something or other, they were immensely delighted that it was their lasted engagement of the day. If they could make it back to their rooms without being seen and hassled, they would have the rest of the day to themselves.

Moving quietly and quickly, they actually succeeded for once. Katya immediately latched onto Takeru's arm and smiled mischievously at the other two.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but Takeru and I are going to go on to bed early tonight. Have a good sleep." With that, she drew Takeru into the room and closed the door quickly, not even letting the Shadow Beasts inside. However, the Beasts didn't seem hurt, as there were many other places they could go, such as the room housing Akio and Miyo.

Hikari simply rolled her eyes. "Those two."

"Yeah," Hiroki chuckled. "No kidding. So, why don't we get in our room too so that we're not seen?"

Hikari nodded and followed him. Once inside, they sat in two of the chairs, facing each other. After a few minutes of silence, Hikari spoke.

"Hiroki? What do you think of Takeru and Katya's...relationship?"

Hiroki shrugged. "I'm happy for them, for being able to find such happiness."

Hikari nodded, seeming somewhat troubled. "Yeah, me too. Umm...have you ever felt...that way about someone?"

Hiroki paused. "Yes, I have. What about you?"

Hikari nodded. "Do you mind if I ask...who? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she added hurriedly.

Hiroki stayed silent for several moments, wondering what to say. Then, he thought back on Katya's words. Deciding that it was now or never, he took a deep breath.

"Actually, it's...you," he tensed, waiting for her reaction.

"M-me?" she stammered, feeling that it was too good to be true. "Do you-do you truly mean it?"

Hiroki nodded and she broke into a fierce grin. She jumped out of her chair and darted the short distance to his, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh, Hiroki," she said quietly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to say that."

Hiroki recovered from shock and returned her hug. "You mean...you feel the same?"

Hikari nodded and gave him a kiss. "For many months, at least."

Smiling, Hiroki rose, lifting her bridal style and turned towards the bed. "Since we are like Takeru and Katya, and can't afford to actually love, would you like to try their method?"

Hikari blushed as she held on around his neck but instantly nodded. She shivered in anticipation as he carried her over to the bed. She had a feeling that this was going to be a very delightful experience.

/o-o/

In the morning, Hikari and Hiroki woke to soft chuckles. Opening their eyes quickly, they saw that Takeru and Katya were by their bed, holding hands, nothing more. The two in the bed glared at them as they made sure that they had covered themselves securely.

"Well, I'd say it's about time you to finally admitted it," Katya teased. "We were starting to wonder if we'd have to lock you two in a small dark room for hours to get you to say anything."

Hiroki just continued to glare. "Why are you two in here anyway?"

Takeru's teasing smile turned to a small frown. "Larin wants to have a private breakfast with us, his current general, and the general's wife."

The two in the bed frowned as well. "We'll get cleaned up and be ready as soon as possible," Hikari said somberly.

Katya nodded. "We'll be in our room, just knock when you're done." The two then turned and left the room in a much more serious mood than they had been in just seconds before.

Hikari sighed and looked down at the bed sheets. "Come on Hiroki," she said softly, getting out of the bed and heading for the washing room. "Let's get this over with."

/o-o/

Just half-an-hour later the four of them stood outside of the prince's dining quarters, waiting for permission to enter, Miyo and Akio had been staying in a separate wing with the Shadow Beasts for most of the stay and weren't present. They looked up as the door opened and Nadia appeared. She bowed to them.

"My Lord will see you now."

"Thank you Nadia," they all said quietly as they passed.

Once inside, they found that this room was like most of the others, only larger. It had cathedral ceilings, large tapestries on the wall, a long table in the middle on top of a lavish rug, and several hand carved chairs around the table. Larin sat at the far head of the table, the general and his lady to his right. Four places had been set to his left. He nodded a greeting as they entered, not bothering to rise as was courtesy.

"Guardians, come sit," he said, motioning to the four seats.

They walked single file down the side of the table and sat, Takeru grudgingly taking the place right next to Larin.

"Guardians, may I introduce my current general, Lord Rason, and his wife Lady Rason. Lord and Lady Rason, these are the Guardians."

"A pleasure," Takeru greeted, trying to sound sincere.

Across from him, the two Rason's nodded, not looking very impressed.

"So, these are the children you want to give my control of the Swords over to?" Lord Rason asked Larin, pointedly ignoring the Guardians.

Larin nodded and Lord Rason looked over to the four Guardians.

"Are you sure that you children are up to the challenge?" he asked, keeping the scorn out of his voice, though it was clearly implied.

Takeru smiled pseudo-graciously, ready to get this man back for his implied insults. "And what challenge is that? Surely being in control of the Swords can't be all that difficult if a man such as yourself can manage."

The vein in Lord Rason's neck popped out noticeably. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked as food was brought in by servants.

Katya scooped up a forkful of eggs as she answered. "He simply means that if a non-magical being like you can manage it, there is no reason that we should not be able to. In fact, it should be easier for us."

"I'll have you know that there is a great amount of difficulty involved, and I'm not sure that you children are up to it," he replied, trying to stay civilized as Larin simply watched with interest.

"First of all," Hikari stated, "Stop calling us children, we are much more than that. Second of all, stop assuming that we're going to take control of your army, we've made no decision yet."

"But surely you must see that you need us to win," Rason protested.

Hiroki smirked. "No, you need us. We are perfectly capable of winning this fight on our own and, to be honest, your forces would most likely slow us down. After all, it is to be a magical being against magical being fight, and your soldiers are all regular humans. The only thing they would be good for would be holding down places that we have already conquered."

Rason shot up. "How dare you insult the prince's army! You should be hanged for your treason."

"Peace Rason," Takeru said diplomatically. "For one thing, we state only the truth, not insults, and for another, how can we be treasonous if we have not pledged our allegiance to your prince?"

Rason grumbled, looking ready to pounce over the table and strangle the blonde-haired boy, and his friends after that. Takeru and company simply watched with slight amusement. It wasn't in their nature to be rude, but in their opinions, these arrogant, ungrateful bastards deserved it, if not more.

"Sit Lord Rason," Larin ordered.

Rason immediately obeyed. Larin then turned to the four Guardians, frown on his face.

"I do not appreciate such rudeness at the dining table, save that for after the meal if you must be rude at all."

"When we need your rules, we'll be sure to ask for them," Hiroki shot back with a pleasant tone, though his words were anything but. Who did Larin think he was, ordering them around?

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Takeru falsely apologized. "We did not mean to be rude, as I told Rason, we were only speaking the truth. Would you rather that we lie?"

Larin frowned. "No, I wish you to speak the truth," he answered as was expected of a high-ranking official. "But, is this truly what you think of my army?"

Takeru tilted his head, considering. "Well, this is our truthful opinion, though we haven't seen them in action, I'll grant you. We could, perhaps, be swayed if you can show us that you have something more grand to offer than we imagine."

Larin smiled, and this time it was somewhat real. "How about a demonstration after breakfast? They train everyday, and I could always take you down to the practice arenas to observe."

Takeru nodded. "Very well," he answered after making sure that the others had no objections.

"Excellent!" Larin exclaimed, clapping his hands. Immediately, two servants appeared to clear the table. Pushing back his chair, Larin stood. "Come, let us go. I assure you, you will not be disappointed by what you see."

/o-o/

An hour later, the group was still surveying the army. As much as they hated to admit it, and they really hated to admit it, Larin's army did have more to offer than they had previously thought. All of the men were very well trained in battle, and the army even had a few weak Mages and Elementals. Larin stopped as they came upon the archery range, the last stop on their tour.

"Well?" he asked with a smug look on his face, "what do you think now?"

Hiroki tilted his head before answering. "We admit that our opinion was unjustified, Larin, it seems that your army could be at least slightly useful in battle, if they were needed."

"Of course they're needed," Larin dismissed Hiroki's insinuation with a wave of his hand. "Now, I have kingly matters to attend to, feel free to look around a bit more, and do not forget about your luncheon with the Lord and Lady Yohira, they are very high-ranking officials in my court, and it would be a pity if you made a bad first impression."

"Of course," Hikari forced herself to reply. "We wouldn't want that."

Flashing them one last arrogant smile, Larin strode off with his usual company of advisors flocking at his every whim. The four Guardians rolled their eyes at his swelled ego. Takeru turned to the rest of them.

"What should we do about our decision?" he asked softly, not wanting to be overheard.

"As I said to Larin," Hiroki started, "they have the potential to be useful."

"Yes," Hikari agreed. "And we'll probably need all the help we can get."

"As long as Larin knows his place and ours, I don't see how it could hurt," Katya added.

"Are you really taken in that easily?" asked a voice from behind them.

The four whirled around, sighing in relief when they saw Meersa.

"Oh, it's you Meersa," Katya greeted. "We were afraid it might be an enemy."

"The only immediate enemy to you right now is your own naivete."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Takeru asked, curious, not indignant.

"Do you believe that Larin's word? Do you believe that his troops will aid you, and not turn tail and run?"

Takeru hesitated, unsure. Meersa continued.

"You see? You do not know. Why risk that in battle?"

Hikari pursed her lips. "I think I get what you're saying. You're trying to warn us not to trust Larin and not to make his army an essential part of our battle plan, right?"

"Perhaps," Meersa answered vaguely. "Or, perhaps I am trying to tell you that any alliance with Larin is a bad idea."

Takeru looked at her suspiciously. "You know something about Larin that we don't, don't you?"

"Not about Larin himself, but I was told some things about his heritage," she drawled.

"By whom?"

"The Watcher, of course."

"Who's that?" Katya asked.

"The Watcher is a person who's been in Hiata for as long as Hiata has existed. He is immortal, here only to observe and make note. He are not supposed to get involved, but he often does."

"And what has this...Watcher told you about Larin's family?" Hiroki asked.

Meersa shrugged. "They are a shady bunch, always making false promises, taking advantage of less intelligent people. They want nothing but absolute power. It's not wise to get involved with them."

"Larin only thinks he's in control," Hikari interjected. "It's not as if we've fallen into his trap."

"Not yet," Meersa replied sharply before stepping back. "Though, it is your decision. Perhaps your plan could work. I only came here to caution you. That's all. And with that being said, I must go now. Good luck to you, and try not to do anything too stupid."

With a smirk, she created a rift in the air and disappeared.

"Man, sometimes I just want to strangle her," Hiroki ground out.

"Only sometimes?" Hikari chuckled.

Takeru smiled too before looking around one last time at the arena. "Let's not make any decision just yet, we should wait and think about it. For now, let's go back to our rooms and rest while we dread our meeting with the Yohira's."

The other three smiled at his tone and quickly agreed. There was no need to rush things, it could wait. Or, so they hoped.

/o-o/

By the end of the second week, the Guardians were exhausted from all of their social obligations. However, there was still one matter that they had to attend to; they had to have one final meal with Larin and his Court and announce their decision. For this occasion, Miyo, Akio, and the Shadow Beasts would be present as well. Two hours or so before sunset, the group of ten stood outside of the main dining hall, waiting to be allowed in. Apparently, this meal was going to be very extravagant, many courses long, along with entertainment and dancing; it was all one last attempt by Larin to buy their support.

"Papa, how much longer?" Akio whined.

Takeru shrugged, sharing Akio's agitation. "Hopefully soon."

As if on cue, the door opened and Nadia stepped forth. She bowed deeply.

"They are ready to receive you," she said quietly. "Please follow me."

Nodding silently, they obeyed. Walking in, they saw that the room had been arranged so that there were two long tables on either side of the room and one long table on a raised step on the far side. All of the chairs were facing the large open center of the room. In the left corner, a small orchestra sat, ready to play.

The group saw that Larin and his most high ranking officials were sitting at the raised table. There were six open seats to Larin's left, supposedly for them. On his right sat a young girl, no more than twenty. They found it quite odd that they had never seen her before. If they had, they would have remembered. She was a beautiful girl, and had been dressed to flaunt it. Larin had his hand over hers as he looked at the Guardians; she looked less than pleased.

Following Nadia silently as protocol dictated, they were led behind the raised table, and the six humans were seated. The four Shadow Beasts laid down behind their seats. Much to Takeru's dismay, he was once again seated right next to Larin. Then came Akio, Katya, Hikari, Miyo, and Hiroki. When they had been settled, Larin stood and raised his goblet of wine. Everyone else followed suit, save for Miyo and Akio.

"A toast," Larin declared. "To our honored guests, the Guardians. May they once again bring honor and dignity back to our fair world."

Lifting the cup to his lips, Larin took a generous drink. Next to him, the four Guardians sipped politely.

"Now," Larin continued, clapping his hands once, "Let the feast begin!"

With this simple command, a flood of servants came rushing into the room, bearing several kinds of food. At the same time, the music began. It was a lively beat, appropriate music for a feast. As the servants walked by, the four Guardians pointed out what they wanted and began to slowly eat the delicious food. Though they tried to ignore it, they could sense that every eye in the room, especially Larin's, kept focusing on them. It was very...uncomfortable.

They sighed with relief when all of the people had been served their first course and the acrobats came in, drawing their attention. They tried to focus on the show as well, but found they could not. They were too distracted by Larin's almost constant watch of them. And then there was the matter of the strange woman, who was she? Larin's pleasure slave, perhaps? They wouldn't put it past him. Though, they supposed that it wouldn't make much difference to them who she was, because they would have very little contact with anyone in Larin's court after tonight. Deciding to try to actually enjoy themselves a little, they focused back on the performers, finding themselves somewhat awed by the strange tricks that they were performing.

After about an hour, two more courses had been served, and the acrobats had departed. When the orchestra began playing another song, Larin and his lady rose. Larin turned to the Guardians.

"Perhaps you would honor us by joining in this dance?" he asked, though it was more of a demand. He was testing his control.

Takeru internally shrugged. Perhaps they could lead Larin on for a bit, just to make it all the more painfully clear later that nothing they did was because of him. Nodding to the prince, he rose and took Katya's hand. Hiroki and Hikari rose as well, along with most of the nobles in the room. It seemed that everyone wanted the honor of sharing the dance floor with not only their prince, but also their Guardians.

Moving down to the dance floor, the Guardians stood close together as they danced. Katya wrapped her arms around Takeru's neck and rested her head on his shoulder so that she could speak to him without anyone noticing.

"I'm getting an odd feeling from that girl with Larin, who do you think she could be?"

Takeru shrugged slightly before replying softly. "I don't know. However, it really makes no difference to us provided that she isn't a spy or a member of the Abbey. I doubt she is either of those, though, because I don't sense an abnormal amount of darkness in her."

"She may not be full of darkness," Hiroki whispered from beside them, "but she is full of fear."

"Fear of what?" Katya asked.

"Everything. This place, Larin, us..."

"Maybe this fear is good," Hikari interjected. "If she is that afraid, then there is no way that she can be a threat to us."

Nodding in agreement, the four fell silent, painfully aware that people were watching them for every angle. They didn't want to take the chance that someone who somehow knew the Old Tongue would get close enough to hear. When the song ended, they returned to their seats, as did some of the other dancers, Larin and his lady included.

"I trust you are enjoying yourselves?" Larin asked, leaning towards Takeru as he gulped down another glass of wine.

Takeru, who was still sipping his first glass, nodded slightly. "It is enjoyable. However, don't you want to hear what we have to say on our decision?"

"Later, later" Larin replied, carelessly waving his hand as he looked out the high window. "Just wait until later, hmm?"

Eyes narrowed slightly, Takeru nodded, taking a drink of wine. He knew Larin was up to something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Internally sighing and shrugging, he decided that he'd find out later, and there was no reason to worry about it now. After all, what could Larin possibly have up his sleeve that was more powerful than the four of them, plus the Shadow Beasts?

'Nothing,' Takeru told himself, trying to be confident. 'Absolutely nothing.'

/o-o/

The festivities continued for many hours, never seeming to wind down. Finally, after nearly five hours, Larin held up his hands for silence. Most of the nobles were drunk, but even they quieted down.

"Now, my friends, the reason for this banquet was to celebrate our guests' last day here and to hear their decision. So, let's hear what they have to say, and then we can get back to feasting." He turned to Takeru, about to give him the signal to speak, when a soldier came rushing into the room. "Explain yourself," Larin ordered as the soldier bowed deeply, though the prince didn't seem in the least bit surprised by the sudden intrusion.

"My Lord," the soldier gasped. "Invaders, from the north!"

Larin's eyebrow raised. "How many?"

"An entire army, sir."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Send the troops to meet them. We can defeat the hostile Northerners with no problem, can't we? After all, it's only one army."

"But sir-"

"Are you questioning me?" Larin asked in a dangerously low voice.

The soldier seemed to be fighting with himself, torn between obeying and doing what he felt was right. Like a truly loyal warrior, he chose the former. "Yes, my Lord," he said, quickly bowing and leaving.

As Larin sat back down and took yet another drink of wine, Hiroki looked at him, shocked.

"Are you just going to continue eating while your troops are in battle!" he exclaimed.

Larin seemed unfazed. "They can handle it."

"How do you know that if you're in here when they're out there?" Hikari joined in.

Larin shrugged. "We will win, and we can handle whatever casualties occur. We have more than enough growing peasant boys here to make up for nearly all that we could possibly lose."

Fire burned in Katya's eyes. "What kind of a leader are you?" she asked quietly. "You feast while your soldiers die for you. Don't you feel even the least bit guilty?"

Larin turned his gaze to her, glaring. "You will not question my ability or morality while you are in my court, do you understand me?" he growled out.

"Oh, we understand you perfectly," Takeru said somberly as he stood. "We understand that your troops need guidance right now that you either can not or will not provide. Therefore, we have no choice but to aid them. We will not stand by as innocents lose their lives because of a noble fool's ignorance and incapability."

That said, he quickly transformed to his true form, the other three following suit.

/Tempest, take Akio and Miyo to a safe part of the castle and then come outside to the battle./ he ordered as he walked towards a slightly open window.

The wolf nodded and swiftly picked up the younger two, taking them towards the Mages' room. Takeru pushed the window open the rest of the way and leapt out, spreading his wings. The other three followed. Looking around, it was quickly obvious where the battle was. As they headed towards the smoke and fire, Takeru looked back at them. They had not brought their weapons, so they would have to make due with their powers and whatever else they could utilize.

"Quickly, call your Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals," he said shortly, turning his attention back in front of him.

Nodding, the other three obeyed. As they flew over the battlefield, they could easily tell the two sides apart; Larin's men were wearing green, while the invaders were dressed in red. At least they wouldn't accidently kill someone that they were supposed to be helping, if nothing else. Turning his head slightly, Takeru gave another order, automatically falling into his role as leader.

"Split up and defeat who you can. If possible, try to just chase them off, we're not here to kill."

Giving another simultaneous nod, the group split up. Takeru headed to the east. Below him, his wolves ran, snarling and swiping at every invader with their claws. However, as Takeru had ordered, they tried to keep the enemy mostly alive. Takeru's eyes narrowed as he saw some of the invaders ganging up on a pair of Larin's men. Swooping down, he created a ball of Shadow Energy and shot it at the largest invader, supposedly the leader. Much to his surprise, the man not only blocked the attack, but counteracted with an Energy ball of his own. Takeru barely had time to swerve.

He couldn't believe that the invaders had Mages, he hadn't sensed anything. Were there Elementals as well? He was about to send out a mental radar to find out, when another Energy ball from the large invader came barreling towards him. Dodging, he shot back his own Shadow Energy. Yet again, the enemy dodged and counter-attacked. Takeru gritted his teeth in frustration and prepared his own counter-attack when one of Larin's men swiftly stuck a blade through the distracted invader.

"Thanks for the distraction, kid," one of the soldiers called as he ran his sword through two other invaders. "Knew we could count on you."

Takeru blinked. Had they...planned for that? Did they know that he would help them? It seemed unlikely, but...maybe they were just as cocky as Larin was. He wouldn't doubt it. Inwardly shrugging, he put it out of his mind and returned complete focus to the battle. He only hoped that the others were having as easy a time as he was.

/o-o/

To the north, Hikari was busy fighting a group of her own invaders. She had thought that they were normal humans, and had only found out that they were Elementals when they had returned her attack. Darting through the sky to avoid their attacks, she unleashed wave after wave of her own. Her theory was that their shields couldn't hold forever; she hoped that she was right.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed something else darting through the sky. Turning her head to get a closer look, she discovered that it was an arrow. Apparently, the invaders had noticed it too, but were unable to block because all of their energy was focused on her. The arrow embedded itself in one of the invader's neck, and several other arrows followed suit, killing all in the group of invaders.

Hikari watched, slightly confused, as Larin's men collected their arrows. If Larin's soldiers were able to take out the invaders, why had they not done so earlier, before the Guardians had come to help? The battle had probably been going on for a good ten minutes before the group had gotten their, and it had appeared that Larin's troops were helpless. Now, they seemed like unbeatable seasoned warriors. It didn't make any sense.

To the south and west, Hiroki and Katya were having the same experience. After diving in to help a supposedly 'helpless' group of Larin's soldiers, the soldiers had become self-sufficient, killing the invaders instantly. The soldiers then looked up to make sure that the Guardians had been watching. It almost seemed like they were putting on a show for the four Guardians.

Only a few minutes after the Guardians had gone to help, the battle was over. It was very odd; it seemed like the invaders stopped trying when Larin's soldiers took the offensive. It was...too easy. However, who were they to complain that they finally had an easy battle? They didn't want to seem ungrateful. Still troubled, they regrouped and headed back towards the castle. Larin was waiting to greet them. He had a smile on his face, but it seemed more smug than anything.

"I told you that we can handle any enemy that comes our way," he said arrogantly once the Guardians had landed.

"So it would seem," Takeru replied, frowning. Then, his frown became suspicious. "If that's true, then why do you need us?"

"To help keep order and to make every battle a sure win for us. And now that you've seen my troops in battle, I'm sure that you are eager to take control, no? You were just about to announce your decision before that untimely interruption, weren't you?"

Takeru's frown deepened and the other three frowned as well. That 'interruption' had actually been very well timed for Larin to help prove his point that his troops were worthy. And now that they had seen the soldiers in action, they couldn't very well say no. It seemed like a compromise was the only way to still have dignity when they left.

"How about a deal, Larin?" Takeru asked.

Larin raised an eyebrow. "Well, that depends. What is the deal?"

"We will take control of your troops, and consult with you before doing anything with them, but that doesn't mean that we serve you. We will continue to be 'free spirits,' as you called us."

Larin frowned, this obviously not being the response he had hoped for. However, if he accepted their deal, he would always have the opportunity to bring them completely under his service. Smiling falsely, he looked down at them.

"I suppose that would be sufficient, providing that you hold up your end of the deal and consult me before your every move."

"Not before our every move," Hiroki corrected, voice barely concealing his constant coldness towards Larin. "Just the moves that involve your troops."

"Of course," Larin forced out through his teeth. "So, tell me Guardians, what will you do now? Will you continue to grace us with your presence here?"

"No," Katya answered. "We have remained here too long, I fear. There are other things we must do, other things to prepare for, before the final battle. We will leave immediately. You shall not hear from us again until the final battle is nearly upon us, I think."

"Is that so?" Larin asked in response. He gritted his teeth, seriously agitated at having his absolute authority undermined. "Well then, I wish you the best of luck."

He held out his hand to Takeru, who hesitantly took it. Larin shook it tightly, almost too much so. Takeru returned the brutal handshake as Nadia appeared with Miyo and Akio. Nodding their final farewells, the group of travelers turned to leave, trying not to show their anxiousness. Larin simply flashed them one last predatory smile before turning to go back inside, unknown lady still at his side.

Once the whole entourage was gone, the entire group of forty eight let out a simultaneous relieved sigh. If they never saw Larin again, they would die fairly happy beings. However, they knew that they'd have to come into contact with him at least one last time. They all shuddered at that thought, sure that facing an entire army of Shaukaka's and Isan's was a more pleasurable experience.

Oh well, they sighed, it was unavoidable. Besides, they couldn't worry about it now, there were more important things that they had to do. Much more important things. Starting with discovering the whereabouts of this secret Abbey.