The Crystal Gate

Part Two: Daunting Dilemma

Standard Disclaimer Thingie: Digimon, not mine. Plot, mine. Don't steal, don't sue, don't forget to moo.

Moo. Enjoy!

A few minutes past midnight, Iori awoke suddenly to find that sweat had appeared on his brow and goose bumps on his arms. He shivered a few moments, pulling the covers over his shoulders once more, and shut his eyes, but sleep didn't return. In fact, he felt a strange sort of nervous tightness in his stomach. In truth, he'd been awakened this way for the past few nights, and he couldn't figure out why.

He laid in bed for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. In the weeks since he'd arrived, the village had slowly been rebuilt and Iori had moved from sleeping on an ancient, huge couch to sleeping on a small but surprisingly comfortable cot, and he was no longer in a small, cluttered, dusty sitting room beside a fireplace, but in an upper, empty bedroom.

After a few moments, Iori gave up on trying to sleep. He got up and crossed the small room to the wide windows and pushed them open. With a creaking moan, they parted, letting in a gentle, cold breeze.

"I keep thinking the village is going to be attacked again," Iori said aloud, to no one in particular. "I think that's why I can't sleep." He sighed and pushed the windows open further and leaned partway out of the building. "No sign of anything, yet."

"Go back to sleep," Armadimon mumbled from his perch on the end of the cot, where he was still curled in a ball. "There's no one here. Koushiro said there was no sign of a crystal in the area, so they won't attack again."

"They might not know there's no crystal here," Iori disagreed. "They might attack again because they know I'm here."

His partner mumbled something mostly unintelligible and fell back to sleep almost immediately. Iori stared out into the dark night and tried and failed to feel tired. When he listened intently, he thought he could hear noise, but it was nothing at all.

Shijo awoke after the sun had risen, his cloak wrapped around his shoulders as a blanket. It was cool in the early morning, and the dew made the soft grass wet and damp. He yawned deeply and sat up, feeling a bit disoriented for the moment, and saw that he had spent the night on the bank of a lazy stream.

Koromon was still sleeping, snoring softly on the ground beside him, but V-mon had taken to examining something of apparent interest to him in the stream, and was crouched on the bank nearby, looking down into the water. Intrigued, Shijo crawled through the cool grass and peered into the water. Below, he could see a few small, colorful fish as they swam about in the clear water.

"Not big enough to eat," V-mon said with a disappointed tone of voice, turning away from the water. "I was sort of looking forward to fresh fish."

"You could still eat them," Shijo pointed out. "You'd have to eat a lot of them to not be hungry, though."

"Don't pay attention to him," Daisuke said from further inland, where he was poking at the fire so it would grow stronger. "He's always hungry. He'd have to eat every fish in the ocean to not be hungry."

"Not that much," his partner disagreed, frowning. Shijo giggled at the digimon, who began to eye his stomach self-consciously.

There was food, though not fresh fish, to eat. It was mostly dried meat and a few fruits that Daisuke had packed before leaving. Shijo ate as little as he could without still feeling hungry – he didn't want to seem as though he might be a burden.

"So," he said casually, mouth half-filled with fruit. "Where are we going?"

"We?" Daisuke echoed, frowning as he had the evening before, sternly. "You ought to go home. Or at least back to the palace."

The younger boy shook his head. "There's nothing for me there. I'm not going to be a mage, so there's no point in studying. They won't let me work, so I don't have anything to do. I'm…bored…and I can't go home. Please, don't make me go home. I want – I want some sort of adventure. I promise, I won't get in the way, I won't…."

Daisuke had started shaking his head halfway through the speech, and now he spoke, interrupting, "I'm not going looking for adventure, Shijo," he said gravely. "I'm not looking for danger. I'm…I'm not sure what I'm looking for."

"Then you've nothing to worry about!" Shijo pointed out. "I won't get hurt, I won't get into trouble, and so Mama will have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not looking for trouble," Daisuke repeated. "That doesn't mean it won't find me." He tossed another fruit in the boy's direction. Shijo caught it and devoured half of it before he was fully aware of what he was doing.

"Well, then I'll help you get out of trouble," he offered.

There was a long moment of silence. Shijo stuffed the last of the fruit into his mouth and silently admired everyone else present for not bursting into laughter. The statement sounded ridiculous to even him.

"He has a point," V-mon stated. He was lying on his back on a large rock nearby, tossing the pit of a recently devoured fruit in the air and catching it.

"He does?" Koromon asked.

"I do?"

Daisuke made a grumbling mumble of a noise, the sort one makes when reluctantly agreeing. He got to his feet, pulling his cloak after him, and shook it so that the dirt would fall out of it. A small shower of grass fell to the ground before he threw it over his shoulders.

Shijo didn't dare to move for a few moments, and then he hurriedly got to his feet and pulled his own cloak up after him. The sun was warm, and so he folded it in his arms rather than carry it.

"It's not exactly wise to travel alone these days," V-mon said, not having moved from his previous spot. He was looking up at the sky, watching fluffy clouds float by. "Even a boy would be better than no one."

Shijo didn't dare speak. He studied the grass at his feet for a few moments and became suddenly interested in a mark on the toe of his right shoe.

"Yeah," Daisuke mumbled, turning back to Shijo. "All right. You can come, if we make a deal."

The boy's head immediately turned away from his shoes. "Yes, sir," he said quickly, aware of the almost immediate painful expression that briefly crossed over Daisuke's face. "I mean, yes. Yes."

"If anything attacks, you run for safety. You stay out of the way. I don't care what happens to me or anyone else, you and Koromon get out of the way. Understand?"

"Attacks?" Shijo echoed. "Something's going to attack?" The only response to this was a sharp glare. "I mean, right. Yes. I understand. Safety first."

Daisuke sighed heavily and glanced toward V-mon. "He's going to get himself killed," he told his partner.

V-mon shrugged, sitting up on his rock. "Yeah, so would you," he pointed out, grinning mischievously. "So quickly you forget."

This only made him frown deeper. "Fine. Secondly, we send word back to your brother so he knows where you are and doesn't panic."

"Oh, he won't panic," Shijo assured him. "He probably won't even notice that I'm gone. He's been so busy studying."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he disagreed, sighing heavily. "All right, then. Come on."

"Yes, right," Shijo said, almost biting his tongue in refraining from another "sir." "Um…where are we going?"

"The Eastern Lands," V-mon told him in a deep voice, waving both arms around to indicate that this was a frightening place to travel to. "Where it all began."

"Where what all began?" Shijo questioned, but Daisuke was already ten steps ahead of him, and he had to hurry to catch up.

The rebuilding of the village of Hida had been turned over to the professionals. The villagers were beginning to move into their new homes and to fill them with the objects they had recovered from the destruction. Kimiko had led the women in the creation of blankets and clothing and everything else that would be necessary for making a home. The men who were not assisting with the rebuilding and moving were in the fields, planting and tending to what promised to be a very successful harvest.

Iori busied himself within the manor house, searching through dust-covered clutter, disposing of ancient furniture that was nearly destroyed. Despite the rumors he and Koushiro had heard before they arrived, he'd seen no sign of Bakemon, but the house was a disaster nonetheless. The last message he'd received from the palace had indicated that they were very close to deciding upon a new Lord of Hida, and he decided to make what would be that person's new home as comfortable and clean as possible.

This was, of course, a daunting task, especially in a house so huge. Iori started in the cluttered study he and Koushiro had occupied their first night there and set to work tossing out all of the old furniture that had not been taken from the manor. Most of it was ancient and in horrible condition, so he simply disposed of it. The curtains, too, were taken down and thrown out – it would be far less work to make new ones – and the windows were creaked open for the first time in years, letting in clean air and sunshine. Iori stood in the center of the mostly-empty room, wiping the sweat from his brow and surveying his work. There was still much to do, for the floor had not been cleaned in many years and there were cobwebs in the corner, but the presence of clean air and fresh light made him feel as though much had been accomplished.

There was a well not far from the back entrance and many still-good buckets in the kitchen, and so Iori used these to haul much water through the house and into the empty study. He found a mop, a brush, and some soap that had been salvaged from the village and set to work immediately scrubbing and mopping the floors until they shined in the sun and the cobwebs were gone. It was late afternoon by the time he had finished, leaning against the mop to assess his work.

"Not bad," Armadimon noted. He had been helping his partner by using the scrub brush rather than napping, and now was feeling tired. He yawned. "Let's take a break for some food."

"Wonderful idea," Iori agreed, stretching his tired arms, exhausted from endless mopping. "I'm a bit hungry." He turned and saw that a young woman was standing in the doorway, looking at him and the room with wide, blue eyes.

"Oh…," she said slowly. "It's…amazing. You did all this by yourself?"

Iori shrugged modestly. "There's not really that much," he said, "and there's still much to do. The chimneys will all still need to be cleaned, and the windows," he gestured toward them, "but it's a start."

"Wow," was all she had to say.

"Did you come to say that food is ready?" Armadimon questioned, thinking of his stomach.

"Oh, no," she answered, shaking her head. "I don't know about the food. I just thought I'd come and tell you that they spotted a carriage coming this way – they think the wizard's returned."

"Koushiro?" Iori asked. "Finally!" Forgetting his tiredness, he let the mop fall to the ground and hurried out of the room.

"Oh, not much," Koushiro answered, handing off the bag he carried to an eager-looking young boy. "There's news, of course, but that will wait." He looked unusually pleased with himself, a state that Iori had not seen him in before and so worried him.

"What news?" the old woman, Kimiko, demanded. "Has the King decided who he will send here to lead us or are we to become the property of some other Lord?"

"Property?" the wizard echoed. "I should hope not. Yagami outlawed slavery quite some time ago and I am quite certain the King has no intention of reinstating it."

"Kimiko is outspoken with her words," one of the village men interrupted, an apology of sorts. "Has a decision been made yet? Do you bring news?"

"News, of course, as I said," Koushiro repeated. "It will wait, however, until I have had some food and maybe some rest. It's a long journey I have been on, half-way around the kingdom and then back again. Iori!"

Iori took hold of the other bag Koushiro had been carrying. "They've just finished preparing food," he informed the wizard. "It smells delicious."

The youngest of the Chosen was covered in thick dust and dirt and smelled of dirty mop-water. Koushiro chuckled silently to himself. "Hand that off to someone," he said in a voice only loud enough for Iori to hear. "I've got something to tell you."

Confused, Iori nodded, obediently passing the

heavy sack to someone else. In a loud enough voice to be heard by all, he said, "I expect you'll want a bath before you eat?"

"This won't do," Koushiro muttered to himself, frowning severely. "Iori is well suited for it, of course, but he's not used to that life."

"What do you suppose he'll say?" Tentomon asked his partner from his perch at the top of a tall wardrobe. "What if he refuses?"

"Oh, he won't refuse," the wizard assured him. "I'm pretty sure he won't refuse it."

"And if he does?" his partner pressed.

"If he does? Well, then, I'd guess Hida is in much trouble."

"Why do you say that?" Iori questioned, having emerged from a much-needed bath. A small towel was around his neck, and his hair hung limp and wet, dripping slightly. "Why is Hida in much trouble?"

"It's not," Koushiro assured him, glancing briefly toward his partner. "I was speaking hypothetically, of course."

"Hypothetically…," Iori repeated, still appearing confused. A drop of water fell on to his nose. He took the towel from around his neck and rubbed it over his hair quickly, drying it.

Koushiro took a deep breath. "Iori, sit down."

Still confused, Iori glanced quickly between the wizard and his partner before slowly sitting in the nearest chair. It was an ancient, filthy, overstuffed armchair that had likely been in the house for nearly a hundred years. A small cloud of dust rose from the cushions.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this," the wizard began, taking another deep breath and folding his arms behind his back. "A decision has been made about Hida."

"Has there?" Iori asked, interested. He leaned forward so that he was sitting on the edge of the chair. "Will it be part of Fujiyama? Or Yamamoto?"

"No," Koushiro answered.

"Then…."

"It won't be part of any other Lord's holdings," Koushiro interrupted before he could run through the entire list of landowners in the kingdom. "It's going to remain as Hida."

Iori glanced briefly toward Armadimon, who had seated himself on the floor beside the chair and was watching Koushiro with the same amount of interest as his partner. "Then, they've found a new Lord of Hida?"

"Yes," Koushiro began, and took another deep breath. Before he could continue, Iori had gotten to his feet, already immersed in his thoughts.

"Fujiyama has a second son," he mused, "although I'm not sure if Hideki is best for Hida. Yamamoto has only the one son, who will inherit his land…."

"Iori," the wizard interrupted, clearing his throat. "Might I finish?"

"Oh, sorry." Iori looked up, remembering Koushiro's presence, and sat down again quickly. "Go on."

"As I was saying," Koushiro began again. "After much discussion and debate, the King has come to a decision that Hida will remain Hida and that it will be under the control of a new Lord of Hida."

"The previous Lord's daughter?"

"Released herself from her claim to the land many years ago. She has been living in the Northern Kingdom for quite some time and had no interest in Hida. The papers verifying such were finally located."

"Hmm," Iori said, nodding. Koushiro waited for him to interrupt further and was pleased when he did not.

"Iori," he said then, although Iori was already paying attention. "He wants to give Hida to you."

There was a long moment of silence. Koushiro had, since being told of this plan, spent many hours wondering and thinking, trying to anticipate how Iori would react to this news. He might disagree, he might, as Tentomon had predicted, refuse, he might be overjoyed – although the last did not seem likely.

Iori stared blankly at Koushiro as though he had spoken these words in a foreign tongue. For a moment, it didn't seem as though he understood what had been said. Koushiro waited and then, when nothing seemed to happen he said, hesitantly, "Iori…?"

Now, he did speak, and he seemed to be dumfounded. "What?" he said, blinking a few times. "Me? But, I'm not…."

"You're Chosen," the wizard reminded him. "That seems to be enough for him."

"But, I'm not…," Iori repeated. "I'm not…I'm…."

Koushiro sighed heavily. "Now, it would seem you are."

"What?"

"'How does one get to be of noble blood?'" Tentomon quoted. "'Someone says that they are of noble blood.'"

"Indeed," Koushiro said in agreement.

"'If not the word of a King, then whose word makes one noble?'" Tentomon continued.

"I don't know," Iori admitted. "I suppose that makes sense…."

"Let us only hope," Tentomon mumbled.

"I'm only passing on information," Koushiro informed him. "You're perfectly within your rights to refuse, though I don't know what will happen to Hida then."

"It will be in much trouble, as you said," Iori noted. He sighed heavily. "Koushiro…."

"If you don't want the job, there's no one saying that you must take it," the wizard continued. "You need only say so, and this place will become the responsibility of someone else."

"No…," Iori disagreed, shaking his head. "I can't leave this place to someone else, not after all I've done here." He sighed. "Still…."

"It's a big decision," Koushiro acknowledged. "Think on it for a bit. Sleep. Take all the time you need."

Moving on, as slowly as ever. What will Iori do? How will the others (especially Kimiko) react? Stay tuned.

Coming up: stuff, stuff, and more stuff. Exciting battles, thrilling danger, and plenty of other junk thrown in. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Ja ne.