I don't own digimon and it is very unlikely that that will change.

Chapter 7. The rewrites got postponed until later. I changed Jean's name in this one her name is now Shula. Not the best name but it fits, for now.

I didn't believe in destiny,-

C7) -------

narration----

What's that? What happened in the clearing? I told you we had been totally beaten, even if we survived. A most humbling sensation, losing, I never did get used to it. Never got used to helplessness either.

Brent ---

"Gently Brent." Fay's scolding wasn't helping the ringing in his ears. He had been the first to rise from the ground after the defeat of the wild one, only shortly before Fay could finally move. His head felt ready to split in half and the blurry shapes around him only made it worse.

Sometime while he was out cold his glasses had gotten lost and now all he could see was hazy blobs of color. Fay had recovered quickly enough and had lead him around looking for the others.

They had found Vincent, lying protectively over the rookies and in better shape than Fay expected. The rookies where a good as good be expected but so tired that they would not be doing anything for a while. Then he and Fay worked over the burnt ground to where Shula and the man had collapsed. They would have come to them first but the heat from the attack was slow to disperse. Even know Brent could feel the ground under his knees as if it was a hot frying pan.

"Brent I said gently." Fay pulled his armored hands away from the man's arm where he had been feeling for breaks.

"I'm sorry but I can't see what I'm doing." Brent felt Fay grip his head and saw two purple blots close before his eyes. He heard her sigh in exasperation and let his head go. He leaned back as he heard her check the man himself, "how is the Kyubimon doing? That attack had to have taken a lot from her."

Brent didn't like being blind like this but he couldn't even look for his glasses without help. He didn't like being helpless and without his glasses that was what he was. Fay muttered a curse as the man moaned in pain, she hadn't heard him, "he has a broken rib but I can't find anything else. I wonder why he fought beside us?"

Brent felt her tail wrap around his hand and pull him to his feet. He felt a blush spread across his face, as this was very embarrassing. "Here. We need to more Shula over under the trees. She might use fire attacks but this heat still isn't good for her." Brent felt her guide his hands down to soft warm fur. "You are going to have to do most the lifting and she is going to be heavy. Can you get her front legs around your neck?"

Brent crept his hand along fur-covered muscles and down the hard shoulders until his gloved and gauntleted hands felt heat. He pulled his hand away as he smelled the material of the gloves start to burn, he had found her paws with its white fur that twisted and flowed like flame and was hot enough to burn him if he wasn't careful. "Yeah I can but I can't see to make sure I don't get burnt or pull on her wrong and hurt her."

"Don't worry about hurting her, she is only exhausted and can take a little pulling. Just be careful about the fire." He heard something being dragged beside him and turned his head, seeing a vast brown/ black background that was the burnt ground and a white and purple blotch that might have been Fay. "I need to drag him out so you will have to move her."

Brent griped a well toned shoulder and pulled up, leaning down and grunting as he slowly maneuvered the unconscious digimon onto his shoulders. His face twisted for a moment as he felt a fiery foot brush his neck and almost igniting his hair. Then as her weight sealed on his shoulders her gritted his teeth and forced himself to take a step.

He pulled forward, her body dragging out behind him and pulling him back even as her weight pushed him down. "Can you do this Brent?" Brent only nodded at the blotch he thought was Fay, as he pulled forward another step. Fay went ahead of him, her strength much greater than her size would expect. The white blotch disappeared into the green and brown ahead, off to where they had already moved the others.

His feet slowed as his back began to protest and his jaw popped from clenching it. He continued on towards the tree line and the sound of a quickly disappearing Fay. She was gone when he reached the trees, narrowly avoiding one that loomed up before his eyes. He stopped for a moment before continuing forward, staying as strait in his path as possible.

For a while he continued on, knowing that Fay and the others had to be in front of him. After a while when he didn't come along them or the stream that ran by where they had camped he began to get concerned. After a few more struggled steps he stopped and lowered Shula to the ground. He sagged against the tree and cupped his hands over his mouth, "FAY! Fay! Where are you!" he slid down the tree clutching his head as his shouting made the pain and ringing double.

Brent struggled to hold back the pain as it drummed against his mind, driving deeper into him and sending all other thoughts away. He closed his eyes and leaned forward and then laying down on his face as the pain begin to drum like his heart.

He only closed his eyes for a moment before suddenly he was tossed onto his back, sending a new set of ringing around his head and pain that lanced into him from stiff muscles and joints.

A heavy paw thumped down on his chest, forcing out his air and the heat of it beginning to melt the decal on his shirt. "Where is my daughter?" he managed to force his sleep crusted eyes open to look up above him and see only dark shadows and a slightly brighter one above him. The foot pressed harder, "what did you do with my daughter?"

"Daughter? I, I… who is your daughter?" Brent's only thought was to wish that someone would answer that phone. He brought a hand up and griped the foot on his chest and pushed it up, not understanding why his hand started to grow warm in his gauntlets or why the lighter shadow above him growled in agitation.

Brent felt the foot press back against his hand and wondered why it would do that and gave it a shove. The lighter shadow fell away with a grunt of pain before their was a flare of blue light and Brent felt his clothes burning as something was shouted. He swatted at the flames, not seeing the pulse of darkness as they were snuffed instantly.

He pulled himself slowly up, his head rolling around slightly and feeling ready to float up and away. "Where are my glasses?" he said it to himself and dropped to his knees to look for them as something roared and shot past where his head had been. He turned his head and watched blearily as the lighter shadow landed and spun to face him again. "Have you seen my glasses?" a thought tickled at the back of Brent's mind but it slid away as the shadow hit him with a large paw.

"Tell me where my daughter is!" Brent got up to his feet again and looked around at the darkness. Up overhead there came a pink light that started to shine down between darker patches. "MY Daughter!" a large yellow shape launched at him from the darkness, the pink light from above turning it into shooting mango colored projectile.

Brent raised a hand and placed it palm outward, "halt." He spoke so simply that he didn't know he had spoken but the result was far from simple. The battered glove covering his gauntlets burst away like a bursting balloon as a misty white light spread out from his hand. The very air around them shuddered and rippled as the light surrounded him and cast everything in its painfully brilliant glow.

Shula skidded to a stop before him as the light entered her mind, clearing it of its fear and confusion. The light also entered Brent's mind, allowing him to see what had happened to him as well as what was around him. She blinked and stumbled as Brent walked forward, no she wasn't stumbling she was kneeling. He walked forward, his body moving easily and calmly despite the damage it had suffered. He dropped to his knees before her and raised her head to look in her eyes.

She pulled her head down again, "I am not worthy great Knight. Do to me what you shall." She pressed herself lower but Brent held her where she was and made her look at him.

He could feel everything around him, the stir of wind in the branches overhead, the light of the three moons warming his skin and heart, and the fear she had of him. "Help me." It was strange to say those words for Brent, he rarely asked for help and then only his closest friends.

Shula she snapped her head up in surprise and looked him in the eyes before she stopped herself and tried looking away again. Brent could feel the spell around him start to fade and knew that his head injury would return when it did, leaving him helpless and confused. "Shula, you must help me get to Fay. My skull is shattered and this spell will fade leaving me blind and unable to think clearly. Help me."

The light was little more than a glow on his skin and he could feel reason slipping away as pain drummed at his mind again. She climbed to her feet as Brent swayed and started to fall forward, she caught his arm in her teeth and grimaced as her eyes saw the matted bloody lump on the side of his head.

Brent wondered where he was, as he was swung around with jostling and noise until he was draped over something and his cheek was pressed against something warm. He rubbed his face against it and closed his eyes, hearing a string of harsh words as everything started to rise up in down in a steady rhythm. He heard as if from a great distance, "don't you dare die you stupid fool. Not yet."

Fay ---

Fay placed the man down by the stream next to Vincent, she tried prying the charred hilt of his sword from his hand but his grip wouldn't loosen. The blade was gone, burnt away in the attack that had destroyed the Cherrymon.

Fay glanced that the rookies, five young digimon forced into something far bound them. The grimaced as her burses forced her to sit carefully beside the man. She watched him and wondered again why he had suddenly awoke and fought for them, it made no sense.

"I hope Alex and the others get back soon." When there wasn't an answer she looked over at the smashed trail that the Woodmon had beaten down. "Brent?" she got to her feet again and walked to where she could see back along towards the clearing. She saw no sign of Brent or Shula and took a step to go look when she remembered the other behind her. She couldn't leave them alone but she had to find Brent, he hadn't let her check him over and she was still concerned about his head.

She stood there for a long moment before turning back, something cracking under her foot. She reached down and picked up Brent's glasses, the one lenses with a crack along the edge and the frame twisted. She looked back again and whispered, "please be ok."

A few hours later the sun had sank down out of sight and the pink seraphimoon had rose up and covered everything with its pink glow. She hated this time of year, the blue oaphonimoon was dark and the small golden kerapymoon would only just come over the horizon before dawn and sink faster than the sun could rise.

She tossed another branch on the fire she had made and looked at where everyone laid still. She couldn't leave to look for Brent until one of them woke but waiting here while he was out there lost and possibly hurt was grating on her nerves. She shouldn't have gone ahead of him but she didn't realize how bad his eyes actually are. She picked up his glasses and looked at the thick lenses before holding them up before her eyes and seeing everything become little more than colored blobs.

She lowered them and saw that someone had sat up, the man. She jumped to her feet but wasn't sure what to do, he had tried to kill her and everyone and just now had saved their lives. She watched as he examined the hilt of his burnt sword, he hadn't noticed her watching him yet. He stood and paced towards a tree that was nearby, he place his palm against it but after a moment moved to the next. She watched as he placed his palm on each tree until he stopped beside a short scraggly tree that was stunted between two towering oaks.

He placed the hilt against the trunk of the tree and said something that slid through the air sent a tremor into her bones but never reached her ears. The tree started to grow, sprouting branches and leaves while its twisted trunk straitened and pushed the trees beside it away.

She watched in awe as the tree towered up above her, its spreading roots churning the soil into slow moving waves. The tree glowed brightly and the man stopped speaking, with a sharp yank he drew the hilt away from the truck. A new blade was there gleaming and sharp, the glow of fresh digicode spreading over the hilt and removing what damage it had suffered.

He patted the tree and then with a sharp slash drew the new blade across his arm, she gasped and ran towards him. She was halted as she watched the wound close it and the man pushed the bloodied sword back into the opening it had been drawn from. The tree glowed a bright green for a moment before dozens of sharp buds burst from its trunk. They grew quickly and started to blossom into the loveliest red flowers she had ever seen.

As the last petals open her eyes grew wide as she saw sword hilts like the one in the man's hand. Every petal twisted as it grew and became some part of armor, the tree had grown more armor like that the man had worn. The man drew his sword from the tree slowly and the cut in the truck healed slowly, leaving a leaf shaped scar in both wood and bark.

The man turned and saw Fay watching him; he placed his feet wide and griped the freshly grown sword in both hands. Fay stepped back in fear, she couldn't fight him alone and she could flee and leave the others here at his merci. Suddenly the man sagged as if defeated without a single stroke or even a word.

He walked forward calmly and Fay waited, not knowing what else she could do. The man stopped before her and raised his sword up above his head and Fay thought he would pin her to the ground with it. The tip touched his chest and tilted forward, pressing the tunic shirt against his flesh and a bead for red stained it.

Fay didn't understand what he was doing, 'he wouldn't kill himself would he?' the man griped the hilt hard and Fay jumped up, pulling the sword tip away as he pulled it inward. The sword scraped along the man's side and blood begin to run from the wound. "What are you doing? Why would you want to kill yourself?"

The man ignored the blood running down his side and tried to pull the sword from Fay's hands. She let go before it cut her but slapped it with her claws, watching it spin away and land against the wagon wheel. The man dropped to his knees and held his hands out before him. "I have done much harm. It was by my hands that countless innocents died, they died in flames or on my blade. Poisson had coated my sword because of the evil I had committed. I disserve life less than those who commanded that I do it."

Fay tried to reach for his wound but he grasped her hands in his. His eyes burned with self-loathing and disgust, "I will not fight anymore. My blade will not touch another's blood. If you will not let my life end here at my own thrust than I will sit here and wither as the rot in my soul consumes me."

He released her and stood moving back to the sword tree, he settled against it and closed his eyes. Fay came forward to try and help him but a branch of the tree bent down and blocked her path. She tried moving around but the branch moved to block, the hilt of a sword twitching at her threateningly.

Fay moved back and watched helplessly as his blood pooled under him. Her life as a healer shouted at her to stop him but she couldn't, not just because the tree but because of his piercing eyes that fallowed her. "What is your name?" she couldn't let him die without knowing his name.

The man closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree. "My name was once a proud name of honor and truth but now it is nothing but a husk. I will not be remembered by such a great name, let you know me as Black Wood the Rotten. This tree is my only legacy, men and women will come and find it one day and take up the same weapons I used but hopefully with more wisdom than I had." The man didn't move and Fay thought he had died but his eyes opened again and looked at her, "warn Brent Miller that he can't let the black bands touch him. Not even the welders of the Spirit armors could resist them, he stands no chance." Black didn't know how much of a warning that was because he had never seen Brent's gauntlets.

The man leaned back again and his chest stilled so Fay went forward to move him to where she could bury him. The tree swung a branch at her before the bark split with a crack andBlack was drawn inside. The wood closed around him without a mark but a moment later a new bud formed where he had been and it opened slowly.

In the center of the bud was an open hand that held a silver pendant with a drawn seed in its center. On a silky brown petal above the hand was wrote, 'his hand had done wrong but his heart was always healthy and good. He clamed the name Black Wood the Rotten but the forest of his spirit have deemed he be called Hard Heart the Sorrowed.'

Fay smiled at the thought of his spirit resting within these woods. She walked over and picked up his sword, she ran her claws along the gently carved leaves that wound around the blade. She saw no sign of the poisons sap that had covered the blade before. She climbed up into the wagon and sat the sword next to the box containing the rest of Heart's armor.

She stepped down from the wagon just as Shula burst from the woods panting hard. She saw Fay and covered the ground between then in almost an instant. Fay saw Brent's limp form over her back and lepta up, griping him and lifting him down and placing him beside the fire while Shula stood beside her.

Fay found the matted hair and the soft flesh below it, he had shattered his skull but it felt as if the damage wouldn't be terrible. She jumped to the wagon and tore open boxes with medicines and anything she would need. She spent the rest of the night boiling water and gently removing bone.

Dawn neared and as she sat the last fragment of bone in boiling water. She had nothing to cover the gap in bone and that concerned her. The brain tissue looked unharmed but she wouldn't know until he awoke. He must have had this since the Woodmon had hit him, that he had been moving at all was unbelievable.

She folded the flaps of skin closed around the wound and put only enough stitches to hold before wrapping his now shaved head in bandages. She flopped to the ground existed and unsure if she could do anymore than this. Shula was still where she had been watching Fay work, her eyes and bulging but not at the blood or damage but at his gauntleted hand.

Fay watched her for a while, wondering what she was thinking. It was clear she knew what the gantlet was but Fay wondered how. Everyone born in the village knew of the gauntlets and those that hadn't been learned eventually and then were told the story behind them. Renamon had learned quickly but her mother never had, strange enough in its self but she had never asked what was meant if someone mentioned something about them in passing.

"Shula where are you from?" Fay asked the question that hadn't been asked since Shula had first arrived in the village. It had been asked many times but an answer never came from her or from Renamon. The two of them didn't mention their past and acted as if they had never lived elsewhere.

Shula finally sat down but her eyes still stayed on the gauntlet covering Brent's hand. "I had lived away to the distant south, across the glass dessert. They're where the kings did not rule humans there but them. The small oasis was a hard place to live but it was the only safety where the kings never sent their troops."

"One day a troop of the royal army arrived suddenly and without warning. The town was destroyed and my husband fought while me and Renamon fled. He was a brave fighter but without his rider he was no match for the knights." Shula finely took her eyes from Brent to look at her daughter who was curled up against Biomon and Wormon. "The kings couldn't stand the thought of a free place and destroyed us without mercy."

Fay looked over at the rookies, watching as Veemon turned over in his sleep and punched the ground with a half clenched fist. She turned back to Shula, "what is a rider? And before, with Heart, you fought with him easily."

Shula looked at Fay and her eyes narrowed for a moment before she gave an impatient sigh. "I rider is a knight. They ride or fight beside digimon, it was something that was started away on another continent shortly after the fall of the Spirit Knights." Her eyes drifted back to Brent but she pulled them away. "My grandmother came across the sea with a few dozen others. They had meant for us to gather information on the kings but they rapidly became intent on avoiding destruction. We were raised as warriors and can fight past our limits."

"Do you have a rider? And how did you track us down?" Fay was growing tired but wanted to stay awake as long as possible.

Shula rested her head on her crossed front legs and stared into the flickering fire. "No I never took the bond of a knight, I was busy being a mother. I fallowed you by sent, humans have a strange sent that clings to everything and fades slowly. Two humans left one way while the hard tire of that mega's bike went another. All the rookies couldn't have road on that bike and Renamon would be more interested in a human than a mega."

Fay had stiffened at her first sentence, wondering if to tell her know or let Brent and Renamon tell her that they held a bond together. Shula looked at Fay again, firelight and the pink light from above turning her fur a raging orange. "Why did you take my daughter and her friends? I know you wouldn't want them around during battles and the harsh life of a wandering rebel but you didn't chase them away."

Fay dropped her head, she hadn't wanted to bring them along but they wouldn't stay behind. "They threatened to tell everyone where we had gone. We didn't need anyone to know that. And there was a problem where they couldn't be left behind."

"What is it? What could let you bring children down this road in their life?" Shula sounded resigned to the matter, as if she had already decided something.

"I can't tell you. It isn't my secret to tell you need to ask Renamon. She might tell you or she might not, it is her chouse. And Shula she is still going to want to fallow us, and she should." Fay watched as Shula stood and went over to her daughter, picking her up carefully in her mouth and pulling her away from the others. Shula curled around her daughter and closed her eyes.

Fay leaned back and looked up at the seraphimoon as it started to sink below the trees and saw everything splashed with golden light as the kerapymoon rose up into sight. She watched it start its short trip across the sky, letting herself relax some now. She would have to get Brent somewhere to have his skull repaired but for the moment she could do nothing so she let her worry slip away as her eyes closed.

Narration ---

Well of course I was all right, I am talking to you right now. Sometimes you don't use that thing on your shoulders very well. Go on and go do whatever you want; I will be here tomorrow to tell you more.

Another chapter done.

Ok I think I have the names of the moons right but tell me if I'm wrong. I don't think I ever knew witch moon was witch so if you know please tell me.

Finally got around to using some magic, I don't know when technology will appear but it will. An explanation of many things will be coming in the next chapter but feel free to ask questions.

Review, please.

My email is in my bio for anyone to see