Enter The Light
Part Twenty-Seven: The Mummy's Spectacle
Standard Disclaimer Thingie: Digimon is not mine, the plot is. There. Now, read and enjoy.
The sun had gone down and Miyako and Takeru were flying by the light of the moon and stars overhead, flying with all speed despite the limited visibility.
"How much farther, do you think?" Miyako shouted to her partner over the sound of the wind roaring in her ears. It was cold for a spring night, colder when flying high in the sky with the wind rushing past her, even with a cloak wrapped tightly round her, the hood pulled over her eyes to shield her face.
"Not too much farther, I think," Holsmon replied. "Hard to tell in the darkness."
"How will we know when we're there?" she wondered. As if in response to her question, she suddenly was able to make out the sound of her digivice informing her of the presence of other Chosen. She was not surprised to make out four blinking dots glowing in the middle of the box. "Ken must be nearby too," she realized.
"I think I see something!" Takeru called, and she was able to hear his words as Holsmon slowed to a less blinding speed. "Down there!" He pointed with one arm, a shadowy shape Miyako could just barely see in the darkness.
"The village?"
It wasn't the village – or rather, it was not the village which caught her eye, and which had caught Takeru's attention, though it was certainly below them. Instead, it was a glowing, blazing circle of flames that surrounded the small town on all four sides, cutting off all possible exits. The villagers appeared to be becoming aware of their predicament, for they were beginning to gather in the square in a large crowd.
"Looks like we're here," Miyako noted. Holsmon began to fly closer, preparing to land.
"Do you have anyway to douse the flames?" Takeru questioned when they were safely on the ground, just outside the fire. "You managed to put out the fire once in the forest, before the cabin was destroyed."
"The water spell," she remembered, nodding. "I don't know if that would work here. These are not ordinary flames."
"What? You mean the Tyrannomon didn't make the fires?" Patamon asked, having de-evolved, now resting on his partner's head.
Miyako shook her head. "No. I see dark magic in these flames, and lots of it. They're not going to be doused by a bit of water. I'm guessing that, digimon or not, that sorceress Sora saw is behind this."
"Do you think it would be worth it to try?" Hawkmon asked. "Or is there another spell that might work?"
For a moment, the light of the fire paled in comparison to another light that flashed suddenly, just beyond the village but within the circle of flames. Over the sounds of panic and confusion in the village, Jun could just make out the sound of a single voice calling out: "Tailmon evolve! Angewomon!"
The sound of Tailmon's evolution told Jun that danger was most certainly approaching, but the villagers hadn't needed any further warning than the flames. Chaos was ensuing. Many of the townspeople were gathering in the village square, nervously talking among themselves, but others had locked themselves inside their homes, and others were running around frantically, moaning loudly and wondering what was to become of them.
"What should we do?" Alraumon questioned twice, having to repeat herself over the sound of the commotion around them.
"I would like to go home," Jun confessed, "but I don't think that's going to be possible without being seriously burned. Let's try and find Daisuke and Hikari…."
"And head directly into the source of the danger?" her partner asked, disbelieving. It was plain she did not think this was the best course of action.
"We're no better here than there," Jun told her. "I daresay I'd feel safer closer to them than here in the open." She'd already begun walking in the direction they'd heard the evolution in, and it was with some reluctance that Alraumon followed her partner.
It was plain to see that, as powerful as Angewomon might be, she would not be able to defeat the approaching enemies without great help. There were dozens of Lopmon, another dozen Tyrannomon, several Mammothmon and Monochromon, and a few flying Airdramon to complete the army that spread out before them, just beyond the flames. At the lead of them all was a tall, thin man dressed in long blue overcoat and a tall hat of the same color, leaning heavily on a walking stick.
"Who is that?" Daisuke wondered, but Hikari only shook her head.
"I don't know, but if he's caused the fires and brought that army here he's certainly not my friend," she decided. Turning to her partner, she said: "Go. I'll do what I can to keep these people safe. I know you're strong, but you can't beat all of them. Just do what you can, all right?"
"Right," Angewomon responded, and was gone, flying off.
Hikari turned back to Daisuke and the village beyond. "I know your memory is not what it might have been, but I need your help. Do you remember any thing underground in the village – some sort of storm shelter?"
He was quiet for a moment, frowning deeply. "I don't think so," he answered slowly. "The only thing underground was…," he turned to glance toward the eastern side of the river, beyond the flames, "the basement dungeons in the prison, but that's destroyed…and on the other side of the fire."
Hikari frowned deeply. "There has to be something we can do. The flames will keep the villagers here, and we can't divert that army away from them. If only there was a way we could break through the fire, just for a little bit."
"I'm reluctant to try to use the wind," Miyako admitted. "I'm afraid the flames will fly about and cause more damage. I suppose it's worth it to try that water spell…it's not my best, though…." She frowned in thought and rummaged in the bag she'd brought along for a useful spell book.
"Do you suppose that if I ran fast enough I could make it through the fire?" Takeru wondered, eyeing the flames with a calculating eye.
"You'd be burnt," Patamon told him.
"Don't even think about it," Miyako scolded, pulling a volume from her bag. "I'll try to douse them, if only for a second, and then we'll both dart through. No sense getting burned to a crisp – you'd be no help then."
"You're right," Takeru agreed, shrugging lightly. "Just thought I'd offer up an insane suggestion. Might be necessary as a last resort."
"It's not like running through water," she pointed out. "If the flames catch your hair or clothing, it'll keep burning, even after you're beyond the wall."
"I could roll on the ground," he suggested.
Miyako glanced up from her book, the pages of which she was flipping through quickly, and shook her head. "Just because Daisuke isn't here doesn't mean you have to - ," she began, but then was cut short by a suddenly blinding flash of light.
"An evolution?" Hawkmon wondered aloud, and then his question was answered by the sight of a beautifully glowing humanoid digimon floating above the village, white wings behind her.
"Maybe he is here," Takeru said. "Hikari's here."
"Then let's go help them!" Patamon encouraged.
"I've got it," Miyako declared, having located something in the book. "It's sort of complex, but I think I can do it. A combination of water and the shield spell, which I think I've nearly mastered."
"So – a shield of water?" Takeru concluded. "Do you think you can maintain it long enough for all of us to get through unharmed?"
She was reading quickly, her eyes flickering over the page. "I think so," she mumbled as she read, glancing up only briefly. "Shouldn't be too difficult. I can try."
Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of a massive explosion from somewhere within the circle of fire. Takeru shielded his face with one arm. "Try quickly, please," he urged.
"What was that?" Jun wondered, hearing an explosion, but her question was quickly answered by the sound of a Tyrannomon roar very near to her face. The heat of fire was present, suddenly overwhelming. Jun thought to run, to duck, to do something to move away from the dinosaur digimon whose massive face was less than an arm's length away from her own. She didn't move, didn't duck, didn't run, didn't hardly breathe. Found only that she couldn't move, could only stare into massive yellow eyes and wait to be burned or crushed or devoured or some horrid combination of all three.
"Jun!" she heard a voice shout from somewhere, distantly. It might have been her partner, it might have been her brother, it might have been someone else entirely. The part of her mind that distinguished it, recognized it, had completely shut off.
The Tyrannomon opened its mouth. Jun could see massive, sharp teeth, and feel its hot breath. If she didn't move, it would all be over.
Suddenly, something or someone grabbed hold of her arm and she was flying through the air – but only a short distance – and then she was on the ground again, landing sharply.
"Look out!" called another voice. Someone grabbed hold of her hand and she was moving, not knowing where she was moving to, aware of only the heat of the Tyrannomon's breath behind her.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. The monster was too large, too huge, and there was no where to escape to, to run to. From somewhere, beyond the screaming sensation in her brain, Jun became aware of a repetitive high-pitched noise. Then, she heard a voice shouting.
"V-mon evolve!"
There was an overwhelmingly bright light for a brief moment. Jun felt as though her mind was slowly returning to her body. She could make out her brother only a short distance away, and seeing him clearly made her feel a bit safer. Daisuke was staring past her, watching the light.
"XV-mon!"
The Tyrannomon, nearly forgotten, drew himself up to his full height and opened his mouth, preparing to attack. Again, the air grew hotter, and Jun braced herself. Before anything happened, however, a massive blue lizard-like digimon flew directly at the dinosaur, fists flying.
The Tyrannomon shouted out in pain briefly, tilting backwards, and then regained its balance, roaring his anger out in a blast of fire directed directly toward XV-mon, who spread his wings and flew quickly and effortlessly out of the way.
"Daisuke?" Jun asked, because he didn't seem interested in moving or doing anything, only in staring, eyes wide open, at the battle. "Are you all right?"
Daisuke turned toward her at these words and she could see that his eyes were no longer clouded with confusion, but clearer than she had seen them since his return. He nodded once, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. "You?"
Jun hesitated for a brief moment. There was no real way to answer that question. Still shaking slightly, she brushed some of the dirt from her skirt and tried to take a few deep breaths. "I think so," she finally said. "I'm not used to all this, you know."
Eventually, the Tyrannomon had to pause to take a breath of air in, and when he did, XV-mon took his own shot, spreading his arms. There was a large gray colored X on his chest and when he spread his arms and legs wide in midair, he shouted "X Laser!"
The massive fire breathing dinosaur never stood a chance. From the x-shaped mark on his opponent's chest came a shining bright light of destructive power that blasted through the Tyrannomon. While it cried out in pain, the humans on the ground watched as the dinosaur's skin seemed to peel off, revealing a smooth-black center that crumbled and then deleted into nothingness.
"What was that?" Alraumon gasped. "That was no ordinary deletion – that was no ordinary digimon!"
"What's that?" Jun wondered, a movement off to the side having caught her eyes. She turned and saw, strangely enough, a bubble of water appearing in the center of the flames, with two people and two digimon within. One person was Miyako, obviously in a state of concentration, and the other was Takeru, who was staring with partial amazement and partial fear at the walls of water around him.
"Miyako?" Hikari realized, having seen the bubble of water from a distance and run up to see it closer. "Takeru?"
Having cleared the blaze, the walls of water slowly disappeared, sinking into the ground. Miyako sighed with relief, and Takeru grinned. "Made it," he said cheerfully. "I knew you could do it, Miyako."
Wiping sweat from her brow, Miyako sighed again. "Yeah. No problem. Unfortunately, I don't think I have enough strength to do that again…certainly not long enough to get all the villagers out."
There might have been further conversation, but it was interrupted then by the sound of shouting, and when she turned to see what it was, Jun saw a crowd of angry looking Lopmon of various colors running towards them, shouting loud battle cries.
"Looks like we came just in time," Takeru said cheerfully, grinning. Patamon took to the air, surrounding himself in another bright light.
"Patamon evolve! Angemon!"
Surprisingly, the appearance of Angemon did not halt the advance of the Lopmon, but before he could attack, a dark green blur zoomed past, deleting a row of Lopmon in exactly the same manner as before.
Miyako muttered a curse under her breath, just loud enough for Jun to hear the end of it, and then Angemon had entered the battle.
"Who was that?" Daisuke wanted to know, just barely managing to follow the green blur as it began to pummel the remaining Tyrannomon. It paused in mid-air just long enough to be seen clearly as a bug-like digimon, and then it returned to the battle. "Amazing. He moves fast…. Who?"
"I don't know," Hikari answered. "I don't think I've seen him before…."
"I haven't either," Takeru agreed. "I think Sora and Mimi did, though I don't remember them saying that he'd introduced himself."
"Whoever he is, the help is much welcomed," Jun decided. "Right?" She glanced toward Miyako briefly, noting the strange expression on her face, but was unable to determine what it meant.
"Are you all right?" Hikari asked the young mage. "Did that spell tire you?"
"I'm fine," Miyako answered dismissively.
The sound of another explosion turned all their heads in another direction then, interrupting any further conversation. The tall, thin man in a long blue overcoat and tall hat had slowly limped closer on his cane, directing the rush of Lopmon and Tyrannomon ahead of him. Overhead, a shadow passed over the village, as a few Airdramon circled. Behind him lumbered a few massive Mammothmon and some Monochromon brought up the rear.
The explosion they'd heard was followed immediately by a few dozen more, and then the tall thin man threw off his hat and coat and became something else entirely.
"Not him again!" Hikari said, remembering the bandaged digimon from their previous encounter a few weeks earlier. Miyako groaned, half from frustrated anger, half from simple frustration. "He's behind this?"
"Him, and a sorceress, also a digimon," Takeru told her. "We're pretty sure she's the one who conjured the flames. This isn't the first village they've attacked."
"And it won't be the last, either!" the bandaged digimon shouted, raising what had once been a cane, sending mini explosions in their direction.
"Nobody move," Miyako advised, raising a quickly contrived shield, hoping that it would hold against a repeated onslaught better than it previously had.
"You can't hold against him forever," Takeru reminded her as a thousand or more of the tiny missiles crashed into the invisible barrier.
"I'll hold as long as I can," Miyako retorted, her face contorted in exertion.
"Ah, and then what, eh?" the bandaged digimon retorted. "I can keep this up far longer than you can hold that shield, I wager!"
"Can you?" said a voice from behind him, and then the bug-like digimon was there, connecting a solid punch to the digimon's head, halting the barrage of explosions and sending the bandaged creature flying.
Miyako lowered her shield, casting a grateful look toward the bug digimon. He nodded, and then flew off after the creature.
"I don't suppose you know what he is," Jun said, watching as the bandaged digimon got to his feet and resumed his battle with the bug.
"I don't know what either of them are," Takeru replied, staring in the same direction. "That's not the first time that bug has saved any of us, nor is it the first time that other digimon has attacked. I don't know how the two are connected, either."
"Mummymon," Daisuke said then, speaking as though he was recalling some sort of memory. "He's…"
"Mummymon?" Takeru echoed. "How did you - ?"
"I don't know," Daisuke admitted, scratching the back of his head in thought.
"What about the other one?" Jun asked. "Do you know who he is?"
"No idea," her brother responded, shrugging. "I don't even know how I know who Mummymon is."
"What do you know about him?" Miyako asked.
Daisuke shrugged again. "Um…he's…evil? He works for Demon, I think…but not directly."
"Not directly? So he works for someone who works for Demon? Who?"
"I don't know," Daisuke repeated. "I don't know how I know any of this."
"Yah-ha!" shouted the digimon identified as Mummymon, having gotten to his feet. He began firing his weapon again, sending miniature explosions in every direction, damaging a few of his own Tyrannomon and Mammothmon in the process.
"Get down!" Takeru shouted. Everyone did so immediately, throwing themselves at the ground to avoid the thousands of missiles.
"X-Laser!" came a shout, and then another voice called out "Spiking Finish!"
The explosions stopped and they could hear the sound of Mummymon shouting in pain. Then, a large explosion shook the ground and flung everything backwards.
"You think this is over?" Mummymon demanded. "Far from over! You fools haven't got the power to stop me! Not even close! Fools!"
"Oh, quiet," interrupted a woman's voice, and, looking up, Jun could see that a tall, thin woman with silvery-gray hair, dressed in a red skirt and a red hat had appeared from nowhere and was scolding Mummymon in a bored voice. "They're not impressed by your theatrics, Mummymon."
Mummymon turned toward her, obviously upset by her words. "Talk is cheap," he retorted. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," she answered, shrugging lightly, running a few thin fingers through her hair. "We're leaving." With her free hand, the woman reached out, taking his grimy bandaged arm. With the other hand, she tugged lightly on a strand of her silvery hair and then they were gone.
Instantly, the fire was gone, the Tyrannomon, the Lopmon, the Airdramon, the Monochromon, the Mammothmon…all gone.
The sun was slowly rising, and the village was becoming clear in the morning light. The fire was gone, but it had left a circle of scorched earth around the town. The digimon army was gone, but they had damaged buildings and fields and a few people had been injured – though none seriously.
A few bright lights shone and those who had been battling the invaders had de-evolved and began to make their way towards their partners. Included in their midst was a small blue digimon, blinking confusedly in the sunlight, eyes wide.
"Chibimon!" Daisuke called through the confusion, and the little blue digimon ran toward his partner. After a hug, Chibimon promptly fell to sleep.
"I don't understand," Takeru said as Patamon landed atop his head. "Where - ?" He was interrupted when Hikari poked his arm.
"Later," she said, shaking her head. "I think we all need to get some rest."
"But - ," he protested, looking around. "I don't…."
"We'll figure it all out after we've had some sleep. It's morning, Takeru. We haven't slept. I think anything further can wait until we have the energy to think about it clearly." Hikari yawned once, and then turned toward Jun. "I hope you don't mind if we infringe on your hospitality a little longer."
Jun yawned, shaking her head as she did so. "I need to get some sleep myself," she answered. "You're all perfectly welcome to come back to the house and get some rest. I'm sure my father can take care of cleaning up the rest of this village."
It was mid-afternoon when Miyako awoke, still tired but much more well rested, to the sound of quiet conversation outside her window and sunlight streaming through the open window. The smell of spring blossoms was heavy in the air, carried on the gentle warm breezes. Breathing deeply, Miyako rose from the bed and made her way to the window.
Hawkmon, also awakening from his rest, settled on the window sill to peer out at the world beyond. "A most interesting experience, last night," he commented. "What do you suppose drew Ken here?"
Miyako sighed, turning away from her view of the gardens. "I suppose he knows something more than I do," she said as she crossed the room, stopping before a mirror and examining her reflection. "Something…. I don't know what."
"Do you think he knows what they're after?" her partner questioned, watching as she finger-combed her hair, flattening down the strands that had chosen to fly away from the rest of her head. She shook her head, frowning at both her reflection and the thoughts inside her head.
"I'd like to suppose that he's been following Mummymon and whoever that sorceress is. He knows about them, knows they're up to no good. I'd like to think that he followed them here because he wants to stop them, too." Most of her hair flattened down, Miyako left her reflection and began to search for her shoes and stockings, which she had abandoned while she slept.
"You'd like to think that," Hawkmon repeated. "And yet, what do you think?"
Having located both beneath the bed, Miyako sat down and began to pull on the stockings. "I don't know what to think," she answered, pushing back her skirts as she pulled up her left sock. "I thought it might just be some sort of revenge and yet…." She paused, shook her head, grunted as she pulled the end of the sock past her knee. "I didn't think that I'd ever hear of the Dark Bandit again. That doesn't make any sense. I suppose he didn't want Sora to know who he was – but why?"
"Maybe he doesn't feel like answering questions," he answered pointedly. "Maybe because he doesn't have any answers yet."
Miyako shrugged lightly, finishing with her right leg, and began to rummage under the bed for the shoes. "Maybe," she admitted. "Or maybe there's something about Daisuke…."
"You think he's behind this?"
"Not exactly. I don't know if he remembers Ken. When the spell was first…put to sleep…Daisuke told me that he remembered that he and I shared a secret. I don't know if he remembers what that secret is or who it's about or anything about Ken at all. I think, though, that Ken's been looking for him."
"In the midst of battle," Hawkmon recalled. "When you first saw him…."
"Right," Miyako answered, pulling her head out from under the bed, dragging both shoes behind her. A few more strands of hair had begun to fly away, and she flattened it down again, sighing. "He said something to Shijo, too, about looking for someone."
"So, maybe he's been looking for Daisuke all this time and that's why he's come back here? Because he's following his memories? Or because he's got some sort of magic still in him…?"
"Maybe," she agreed, having put on her shoes. She returned to the mirror and examined her reflection again, flattening down her hair, smoothing her skirts. Then, she sighed again, shaking her head slightly, feeling suddenly tired again. "I don't know."
Jun found her brother in the gardens again, lounging on a bench below a tree whose wide branches and blossoms shaded the entire section of the yard. This time, however, his attention was focused on another section of the garden, in which Miyako, Takeru, and Hikari were having a rather animated discussion. They were too far away to be heard clearly, although an occasional word could be heard here or there.
Daisuke was watching the conversation with a frown on his face, but he didn't seem inclined to join in the discussion. Instead, he was lounged on the bench, legs stretched out before him, the newly returned Chibimon sleeping lazily on his lap.
"You're going to leave with them, aren't you?" Jun asked, noting the direction of his gaze. She leaned on the back of the bench with one arm.
"Huh?" he said, starting awake, not having noticed her arrival. He turned, taking his legs from the bench, and then frowned again, shrugging. "I don't know. I feel like I should, but…I feel like I shouldn't."
Jun sat on the section of the bench his legs had vacated and studied him with such an intense gaze that he fidgeted slightly and said: "What?"
Feigning casualness, she shrugged, leaning back against the bench. "Have you seen Father?"
"Mm," he answered, nodding. "This morning."
"And?"
Daisuke frowned deeper than before. "He told me to do what I need to do." He paused a moment, and then said, "The trouble is, I don't know what that is."
Jun watched the blossoms fall from the tree as a gust of wind blew past and scattered them in the wind. She caught a few words from the conversation nearby, but nothing of substance. "What does Hikari say?"
He exhaled deeply. "She says I need to make my own decisions."
"And she's absolutely right!" Jun agreed passionately, sitting up straight and turning to face him. "You've got to do what you want to do, what you need to do." He blinked in surprise, and she frowned, reigning in her sudden fervor, leaning back in the chair, trying to go back to a casual sort of demeanor. "What do you want to do?"
Again, Daisuke sighed, frowning. "I don't know," he said, but with such hesitation that Jun opened one eye and glanced toward him. After a moment of further scrutiny he got to his feet, taking the still sleeping Chibimon with him. "I think I sort of want to go back to how things were," he said so quietly that she could hardly hear him.
Jun sat up once more. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded.
He shrugged, looking up through the blossoms of the tree toward the blue sky beyond, suddenly remembering a hundred unrelated memories of his past. "It's easier," he said, still looking upward, "when you don't have anything…. Any decisions to make, any memories to forget or remember, any…anything."
"Daisuke…."
"I'm not saying that's how I want it to be," he clarified, watching a single pink blossom float lazily down through the trees. "Maybe I do. I wanted to remember things, but…." The blossom settled gently onto the grass, amidst a pile of like petals, a sea of pink. He shook his head, turning back to his sister. "I don't know what I want anymore."
"There's so much I just don't understand," Takeru said. He'd taken a seat on a bench and adopted a frown. "Where was Chibimon this entire time? How did Daisuke know that digimon's name is Mummymon, when we found no mention of him in the books? Why is he not mentioned in the book?"
"Takeru," Hikari said with a sigh, shaking her head. "Leave him be."
"You don't think this is important?" he questioned.
"It's important," she agreed. "Leave him be."
Sulking slightly, Takeru sighed, folding his arms at his chest, sinking down into his seat. "What if whatever happened to him has the answer to … to everything?"
"Forcing it out of him isn't going to help us get any answers," Hikari retorted. "He must remember his memories on his own, and that includes the memories of what happened to him while he was gone. Battering him with questions he doesn't know the answers to won't help, Takeru."
He fell quiet, sighing again. "You're right, I know," he admitted.
"Now what?" Patamon questioned after a few moments of silence had gone by. Takeru was still sulking, Miyako was lost entirely in her own thoughts and had been since she'd awakened, showing no sign of opening up, and Hikari was also someplace else in her mind.
"We came here to do something and we did it," Hawkmon pointed out. "Should we leave, then?"
"What if they attack again?" Patamon asked.
"No, I don't think they will," Hikari said. She'd seated herself on the ground beneath a tree, stretching out her fingers in the cool, soft grass, wishing she could be barefoot in the middle of a green meadow a long way from here.
"They haven't attacked the same place twice, yet," Takeru agreed. He folded his arms behind his head and studied the soft fluffy white clouds in the blue sky above, feeling lazy. "It doesn't seem like they found what they were looking for here, either."
"They could change their minds this time," Tailmon stated.
"They could," Hikari conceded. "And yet, I don't think they will. I don't think there are any powerful crystals around here, or whatever it is you think they might be searching for."
"Powerful crystals…," Takeru echoed, and then sat up. "That's it. If we could find the crystals, we could figure out where they're going to strike next. Are there crystals here at all?"
Every eye turned toward Miyako, who had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't paid a bit of attention to what was being discussed. She was sitting on a large tree root not far from Hikari, her eyes apparently intent on studying some spot on the ground. When she made no indication that she'd heard, Hikari gently reached over and tapped her on the arm.
"Miyako," Takeru said when she'd come awake, "are you all right? You've been awfully quiet since last night…."
She nodded dismissively. "I'm fine," she said, repeating her words from the previous evening. "What do you need from me?"
"The crystals, Miyako," Hikari said, frowning as though she didn't completely trust the claim of health. "They must have some sort of energy that you can see or sense when nearby…can you, have you sensed anything like that around here?"
She was quiet for such a long time that Takeru began to wonder if she had forgotten the question. He glanced toward Hikari, who once again shook her head in his direction. After what felt like a near eternity, Miyako shook her head.
"I haven't," she answered. "And I don't, right now, but I'm distracted."
"I hadn't noticed," Takeru mumbled under his breath, just quiet enough to not be heard, or at least ignored, by the others. Patamon poked him.
Miyako frowned, getting to her feet. "You can return today, but I'm going to stay here, at least another night. There's something I need to do."
"Something? What sort of something?" Takeru wondered.
"Takeru," Hikari said sharply, and he sighed, leaning back once more against the bench. "Do what you need to," she said to Miyako. "We're not going to leave here until we're certain there's not going to be another attack, and we can only be certain of that if we're certain that there aren't any of these crystals nearby."
Miyako nodded, brushing the dirt of the tree from her skirt. "I'll try tonight to sense them," she said, and turned to leave.
"Miyako," Hikari called. "If you need anything…."
But she was gone already, across the gardens, a flurry of blossoms falling in her wake.
Yay! Battle's finished. Gosh, that was exciting.
Lots of questions raised, very little answered. Do I have answers to everything? Maybe, maybe not. Stay tuned.
Coming soon: the search for the first crystal. Will they find it? Where is it? How many are there, anyway? Another fun battle. Actually, a bunch of fun battles, and a section devoted to Iori, as promised. Until next time, ja ne.