Notes: Sorry for the delay but a lot has been happening at home recently, but here we are. So sit back and read, hopefully you will enjoy your self, but either way I hope you review. (Warning: this chapter will be short, then again it is technically only part of a chapter.)

Chapter Two Part B

The Final Test

"It's funny, how while your asking as about courage, you're busy hiding in the shadows!" Davis yelled out as he finished pulling himself up to his full height.

"So using all of one's advantages is being a coward? Now there's a silly notion if I've ever heard one." Nabta riposted chuckling.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Tai mumbled sheepishly, while looking at his feet, "But still…"

"But still what? Nabta snaps from the shadows, "You can't even define courage, yet you still accuses me of not having a trait you don't understand, such arrogance! The fact is you can't see the distinction between courage and reckless stupidly!" He spat out the last part as he stepped shadows into the thin light at the center of the room with a scowl plastid on his face.

"And what's that supposed to mean." Davis asked as he took a signal, defiant step froward.

"Simple remember the fight with Malo Myostismon? Turning down Ken's help was exceedingly stupid."

"How's that?" Davis snorted out.

"Come now, a single champion versus one of the most powerful meges? With Ken it would have been a mega versus a mega, do the math."

"So what, he was afraid!"

"What does that have to do with anything? He was willing to put aside his fear of death to help you. That's real courage, being afraid but doing what you have to do anyway. There are only two types of people who aren't afraid of death: idiots, and people with nothing left to live for."

Davis could only stare numbly ahead as what Nabta said sunk in. "I, I never thought of it that way."

"Of courses not, you to busy rolling in your own putative heroism. Were my employers are sending you there will be no magical dream land to turn non existing courage into a power boost, all you would have accomplished is getting you're self killed, and that won't help anyone."

* * *

"So who've been taking martial arts for quit a while hu?" T.K asked with a small smile on his face, he had been taking to Henry for the last eleven minuets, he seemed like a nice enough person, but for some reason T.K couldn't understand he didn't seem to want to talk about his Digimon. "I take it that Terriermon is dog Digimon."

"Well," Henry replied with a soft simile forming on his face, as he thought of the days past. "That's up for debate."

"Really, my I ask what else he might be?" T.K inquired curiously, remembering how a lot of people had described Patamon as a "bat-eared pig".

"A rabbit." Henry laughed softly, before looking a little remorse, yet still somehow happy like he was reliving better times.

Hearing Henry's response T.K could only laugh as he attempted to imagine what sort creature that Digimon would look like. "You're kidding right?"

Despite himself Henry found himself laughing along with T.K. "sorry, no," he confided while shacking his head. Then out of the corner of his eye he noticed his sister approaching, obviously curious about his conversation with T.K. "I think we should discuss this a little further away." He advised T.K while singling to Susie to go talk to someone else.

Confused T.K just nodded his head and followed Henry a couple a feet away. "What is it?"

"It's about our Digimon." Henry started to explain as he glanced back to make sure that Susie hadn't followed him. "After we completed our test," He let a little bit of malice enter his voice showing that he was quit upset with the deception on the part of Nabta's employers. "Our Digimon, had to, to leave us, it's something we still haven't full gotten over, specially Susie, my baby sister."

"I'm, sorry," It was all T.K could think to say as he attempted to grasp the information being imparted to him. So many questions flooded his head, how, why? He could still remember the uncertainty he felt when he nearly lost Patamon, at the age of eight, and yet to now discover that it was literally some game to group of cosmic beings sitting high, He had no clue what he felt.

* * *

"Right this way Gatomon." Demi Devimon instructed the champion Digimon as he lead her down a large stone hallway cloaked in darkness, except for the occasional torch on either sided of the walls, not that there was that much to see, unless one enjoyed looking at bricks. As they neared the end of the hallway Gatomon noticed something; the walls had changed from stone bricks to the jagged untamed walls of a cave. Then she saw what was at the very end of the hallway, two huge metal doors at their hinges they were engraved with humanoid skulls, and the sides facing the walls where shaped like huge bones. The rest of the sides where strips of bolted metal that formed a large box off area on both sides of the door, in it were engraved words in a language she had never seen before. She couldn't make what any of it read through the thick dust, which covered it until Demi Devimon's flapping wings blow away some of the dust as he neared the door. All she could make out was the last line, which read "Lasciate ogne speranza, yoi chintrate." As she entered the slowly opening doors, she felt a chill run up her spine, as if she had just ignored a terrible warning. The doors slammed closed behind her leaving her shrouded in darkness with only the flapping of Demi Devimon's wings to guide her.

"Gatomon." A voice rang out from the darkness.

Gatomon was shocked at the sound of the voice; it was the voice her thoughts had seemed to manifest themselves in, but as far as she could remember she had never met the master before. "Yes, master?"

"Fear, confusion, surprise." The voice called out smugly. "Just to name a few of the emotions you're currently experiencing, am right?"

Gatomon could only numbly nodded her head and whisper her reply. "Yes master."

"Good." The way he said that simple word was so clam, and neutral that one could almost forget that it indicated his joy of the terror of others. "I have an assignment for you, I need surveillance in province 82. I need you to keep an out for a group of group of humans, and Digimons if you spot them report it to me admittedly. The province leader is to know nothing of these do you understand?"

"Yes master." Gatomon replied in the same voice as before.

"Good, now go, quickly." He ordered, in the same clam, civilized voice as before. Gatomon quickly bowed before leaving the room remembering those strange words "Lasciate ogne speranza, yoi chintrate."

"Well master?" Demi Devimon asked as he flew over to the chair in which the mysterious master sat.

"She is like the rest." He replied smugly. "Discontented, but her thought are completely in my grasp."

"If I may ask sir, why are you allowing them to have time to recuperate in province 82, why just kill them when they arrive?" Demi Devimon inquired as he perched himself on top of his master's chair.

"Knowledge, my small friend they may yet be of use to us." His master replied well shaking a bony finger. "The leader in that province is, overzealous. Should he be defeated by those sent here, it shell be good for him to be humbled. On the other hand if he defeats the "heroes" then they will not be a problem, and probably wouldn't have been of use anyway, as for the leader I would humble him personally."

"And if the humans and their Digimon manage to defeat him, than what?" Demi Devimon queried with a small amount of curiosity.

"We will leave them clues leading to here," The being replied in an offhanded manner, as if what he was saying was obvious. "and I will deal with them. Why let them run amuck in the other provinces throwing every thing into unnecessary chaos, and gaining the strength and knowledge to defeat us."

"Ten steps ahead as all ways." Demi Devimon said chuckling softly.

"I do try."

* * *

"But if we have to turn tell and run how can we claim to be representatives of courage!" Tai protested after recovering from the point Nabta had just made.

"There two very good reasons why that isn't problem." Nabta replied lively. "First, by doing so you have admitted to being afraid, something that takes a vast amount of courage for two. Also, it doesn't matter!" He said all but shouting the last part. "All of reality is resting on your shoulders, quit bit of pressure might I add, and that's far more important than your pride. What's that old saying "pride goeth before a fall?" with that Nabta moved back into the shadows. "I have said all I can, you ether of learned what it, or you and all of reality will die." With that a door opened at the opposite side from where Tai and Davis had entered. "Go, for well this was the finale test the ultimate test is succeeding."

"What about our survival?" Davis called out.

Nabta replied only with a one word, as his voice seemed to become hard and distant "Go."

"But you didn't answer my question." Davis called out, but there was no answer, realizing they would not receive one Davis and Tai left through the new door into the light of nothingness.

* * *

"So Izzy what's your opinion of theses Tamers?" Matt inquired the younger child.

"Hard to say Matt, I haven't really had the chance to talk to them yet, but they seem nice enough."

Before Matt could reply the door that Tai, Davis, and Nabta had entered opened, and Nabta exited. "Matt Ishida enter." He stated in a firm voice and turned to reenter the small room.

"Where's Tai, and Davis?" Matt called to him before he could reenter.

"On the other side." With that he once again entered the darkness of the room.