Chapter 9: Temple of Truth:

The Sovereigns' old lair stood forgein, while in the distance was a beautiful temple set in elegant white marble, a sanctuary that housed the green crystal for the seal of the fallen Sovereign and his corrupt human partner.

Arriving at their destination, Takato's vehicle and Guilmon's bike pulled up to the temple, where Takato then emerged from his ride, finding that though Guilmon had come to a halt, the red dino Digimon was yet to remove himself from his ride, having Renamon remaining with her arms wrapped around his chest.

"Hey, Renamon, wake up. We're here!" Guilmon said crossly, shaking Renamon a little, which caused the vixen to stir from her slumber, open her eyes and look upon Guilmon with a small smile.

"Sorry. It's been a long day for me." Renamon apologized, a little embarrassed she had fallen asleep during their journey, but the warmth Guilmon's body gave off comforted her and lead to Renamon falling into a more relaxed state.

Ignoring Renamon, dismissing her apology, after managing to break away from the foxy Digimon, Guilmon headed toward the entrance of the temple, followed shortly by Rika and the others.

Approaching the front door, but before entering, Rika faced Takato and the others and asked. "So only two people are allowed to go in at each time, right?"

"According to the legends to this temple, yeah. This temple is known as the Temple of Truth" BlackGatomon said in reply, sharing her continued knowledge of the Digital World and its ancient secrets.

"The temple of truth?" Alice questioned, finding herself further curious to what other secrets it held, and what other information her partner held in her mind.

"It helps adventurers find what they seek inside deep within their hearts." BlackGatomon informed, keeping a silent composure as she, alongside Renamon, Rika and Alice secretly hoped the temple would help Takato and Guilmon set them back on the right path, or the very least, convince them their greatest desire was to be with them.

"You four stay here, Guilmon and I will do this alone." Takato said bluntly, pushing the set of door open and headed on inside, followed closely by Guilmon.

However, the second the pair stepped within, both sensed the same chilling dangers experienced in previous fights, telling they were not alone.

"Heads up, we've got more of those monsters coming our way!" Guilmon let out in warning, concerning the girls, with Renamon questioning. "But how is this possible?!"

"Most likely our new enemies informed his superiors, and they don't want us from spoiling their plans." Takato said in reply.

Concerned by this, Alice asked. "So, what do we do now?"

Having an answer already set up, Rika withdrew her staff and said, taking a more leading role. "Takato, we'll handle the monsters coming our way. You just head into that temple and find the crystal."

Silently nodding in reply, Takato and Guilmon headed deeper within the Sovereign's sanctuary, the darkness of the area obscuring their figures from Rika, Renamon, Alice and BlackGatomon's sight, leaving the girls sharing a similar concern for Takato, Guilmon and each other.

"Takato, please be careful. I care about you so much to lose you." Alice called out to them as she withdrew and grasped her katana, this earning a nod from Rika, who added. "Remember what I said before, Takato? I don't want you to live a lonely empty life. I want to be part of it with you. So please, come back safe."

"I care and love you so much Guilmon so please don't die on me." BlackGatomon said emotionally, her words causing Renamon to nod and add with her own care and emotion. "I feel so strongly about you now, Guilmon. I care for you, and I don't want you to be lonely anymore, so come back alive."

"Don't worry, we don't plan on dying for anyone or anything." Takato's voice called back through the darkness.

"Just be sure you don't drag us down, ok?" Guilmon added as both ventured deeper within the temple.

Leaving on their own goals, and leaving the girls with their own objective, Rika, Alice, Renamon and BlackGatomon turned their attention, looking over the horizon to find a swarm of monsters coming their way, finding the forces of the creatures varying in terms of power and form with their increasing numbers.

A little worried to the sight before her, but remaining strong for her friends, Rika looked to Alice and told her. "Alice, if things get rough, don't force yourself."

"Don't worry. I won't let you down." Alice said in reply, promising to look after her friends, and to help in any way she could.

"Try not to slow me down, sis." BlackGatomon teased as she eyed Renamon, this causing the vixen to grin back, no longer hindered by jealously and to say back confidently. "Same to you. I am not losing to you or any of those freaks."

"Even though they are now more friendly with each other, they still act like rivals." Alice remarked, this causing Rika to grin and say in reply "That's our Digimon for you. Proud fighters and wild and determined lovers."

.

.

.

Inside the temple, Takato and Guilmon found the area crawling with a new form of monster, which included more beastly variations, such as snakes and bulls.

However, despite facing off against newer enemies and greater numbers, Takato kept his composure and his arm steady, firing off several rounds from his revolver and delivering a line of headshots, taking down twenty with a continued precision and accuracy.

Similar to his Tamer, Guilmon showed his skill, with the Digital Hazard Digimon avoiding the fangs of the snake creatures, the overpowering strength of the bulls, while cutting through any that got too close to him.

And using his wits, Guilmon continued to switch from close and long range at the perfect moments as to further cut down the forces against them, even avoiding a bull from smashing its fists down upon Guilmon and shooting the creature through its heart.

Depleting the forces against them, the halls now filled with corpses, blood and the smell of death, Takato and Guilmon continued ahead, reaching the centre of the temple, where the duo saw their prize, being the green crystal, which rested on a pedestal.

"There it is. But something's amiss here." Guilmon said, feeling as though their conflict was too easy, a feeling Takato shared as he nodded and said in reply. "Well, demon or whatever, we'll just do what we can if anything else gets in our way."

Taking caution, their revolvers drawn as the pair scanned the area, slowly approaching the crystal, Takato and Guilmon froze up as a bright circle suddenly appeared beneath their feet.

Believing this to be another trap, suspecting another onslaught of monsters or even a great and demonic creature to overwhelm them, a confusion filled Takato and Guilmon as the light around them only seemed to increase, before a sudden pain filled their hearts, causing Takato and Guilmon to fall to their knees and clutch their chests as a dark miasma pooled from out their bodies.

Groaning from the pain they endured, Takato and Guilmon looked on, seeing the miasma fleeing their fallen forms and seep through a hole set upon the very top of the roof.

Confused by the trap, Takato returned to his feet, but felt something was off.

"What the heck was that?" He asked, looking himself over and felt as though the darkness inside his soul, gnawing away at him had faded.

"My body... it stopped fighting within myself..." Guilmon let out, looking over his claws and sharing the same puzzlement as his Tamer, before having to ask. "Why...?"

"The circle of light has separated you from the darkness residing within you." A calm voice informed, this causing Takato and Guilmon to turn, finding a Wizardmon, clad in pure white robes, which now stood before the duo.

"But after they were cast out, they will take on new forms so you will expect to see them again." The magical Digimon added, expressing some concern in his tone.

Confused by the appearance of the Digimon, and what he was saying, Guilmon questioned. "And who are you?"

"I am the keeper of this temple. I am MageWizardmon." The Digimon, MageWizardmon said in reply, before telling Takato and Guilmon. "That circle you stepped through is the cleansing circle, the circle of light."

"Cleansing circle?" Takato questioned.

"It finds the darkness within the person who stepped in it to be casted out of the person. However, it was supposed to erase it but it appears to have escaped in order to gain their own physical bodies, so you will have to take care of them yourself eventually." MageWizardmon then said.

"We didn't ask for your help." Guilmon let out, before questioning. "Why'd you do it?"

"Because I know of your heroic deeds. Even if you two have changed, I still believe the light in your hearts will return." MageWizardmon said in reply.

"The light in our hearts... that died a long time ago." Takato said coldly, which brought a small smile to MageWizardmon's stitched face and say. "So you believe, but in your hearts, that's incorrect."

"What would you know of us?!" Takato retorted as he and Guilmon rose their weapons toward the mage.

"I am not your enemy, but I see you're both in deep denial to accept the truth. Here, in the temple of truth, will help you unlock your heart and free you from the denial you two deny for far long" MageWizard assured them.

"Sounds to me as though you have a death wish." Guilmon said, the coldness growing in his tone as both he and Takato slowly pull the triggers.

"STOP!"

"Don't kill him!"

Takato and Guilmon were struck with shock from a set of voices, each expressing a clear concern, stunning the pair that the voices came from themselves.

"What is this?!" Guilmon questioned as he and Takato looked around, both drawing their revolvers, with Takato then yelling. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"Guilmon musn't shoot! MageWizardmon good! Guilmon must learn to trust friends again!" The voice said as Guilmon looked down and was in shock to see a transparent version of himself when he was first started as a Tamer partner tugging at his coat.

"What is this? Why am I seeing two of me?!" Guilmon questioned.

Following Guilmon's confusion, Takato looked down to his right and was shocked to see a transparent version of himself when he started out as a Tamer, this leaving the brunette to ask. "Just what sort of sick joke is this? Who are you?!"

"I am you, the you from the past. Thanks to that ring dispelling the darkness, we can finally be able to communicate with you." The younger Takato said, trying to keep a calm voice as to not induce any conflict or violence amongst them.

"So it was you who's been fighting against the darkness within me?" Takato asked bitterly, this causing the past Takato to nod and say in reply. "Yes. I only want to help you, to talk to you, as we are both the same person."

"This is your doing, MageWizardmon! Undo the spell right now!" Guilmon let out with a growing anger, but found his past side speak up, expressing his continued care. "This is Takatomon's and Guilmon's doing. Nothing to do with MageWizardmon!"

"I think I'll leave you four to talk in peace." MageWizardmon then said with a small smile, before a white misty barrier surrounded Takato and Guilmon with their transparent past selves, leaving them in a space to themselves.

Angered by MageWizardmon's antics, Takato let out. "Damn that mage! He's only delaying the inevitable."

"Is that what you usually see nowadays, as another enemy? Because you should try and see the good in others, as you used to." The past Takato declared with a fair seriousness.

"You're far too kind. That what lead to the betrayal in the first place." Takato said bitterly, causing Guilmon to nod in reply and add. "So we're done being nice to everyone. Anyone who gets in our way is an enemy to us now. It's kill or be killed."

"But what about Rika and Alice? What do you see in them?" The past Takato asked, which caused Guilmon to look to Guilmon with confusion and add. "And Renamon... and BlackGatomon? Does new Guilmon still not trust them, even after Renamon shows so much kindness? Renamon hug Guilmon when she saw you alive."

"Tch. And how was I supposed to do with a sobbing Digimon like that clinging to me?" Guilmon asked.

"You be kind and return feelings. Renamon very sweet to new Guilmon." The past Guilmon replied as a faint blush appeared on his face. "And feeling Renamon's soft body, Guilmon gets all warm inside."

"Whatever. To answer your question, we only share a common goal... to kill that human and Sovereign, after that, we return home and we disband from the Digimon Tamers for good." Takato said.

"Don't! Rika and Alice confessed their feelings to you and you just turn them down? That's not who we are!" Past Takato declared.

"Just because of the ones who attacked us on that bridge, you now view our friends are villains, but it's never too late to realize your mistakes. Deep down, you both care about Rika, Renamon and everyone close to you. You saw how relieved everyone was when they saw us alive, and even you have to confess it felt good to know there's some trust within them." The past brunette then said, continuing to reason with his counterpart.

"Tch. You're only a figment of our past. Our trust in others lead to our betrayal." Guilmon said coldly. "We won't be part of anyone's lives."

"But Renamon want to be in Guilmon's life. Don't cast Renamon out." The past Guilmon said, a smile growing on his face as he added happily. "BlackGatomon too. They trust and love you so much, so try and be nice to them."

"Come on. Who knows you better than us? We are you. Maybe we can help you two out?" The past Takato offered, before saying with worry. "We don't want you to cut our friends out of our lives forever."

Takato and Guilmon scowled from the further irritation their past sides expressed, but knowing they couldn't ignore them, that there was a faint part of them lying deep within their hearts, both gave a frustrated sigh.

"Fine. We'll talk... even to ourselves. So start." Takato finally said, opening up a little as he, Guilmon and their past counterparts began to grow deeper in their conversation.

-Meanwhile-

Rika looked at the monsters they had bested so far, finding that alongside her own skill, her teamwork with Alice, Renamon and BlackGatomon had helped take down many of the forces opposing them.

"That just keep coming!" Alice called out as she sliced off a snake's head clean off.

"We just need to keep at it until..." Rika began to say, believing Takato and Guilmon would return to their aid, before a familiar voice caught their attention.

"Mega Barrage!"

From the mighty call, a set of missiles bombarded the beasts, wiping out a great line of monsters, leaving no remains behind, this causing the girls to turn, finding MegaGargomon and the other Tamers had arrived.

"Guys!" BlackGatomon let out, her tone of relief and confusion, before she found she had to ask. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to find you to warn you. We now know who our traitor is!" Jeri replied, turning as she looked around, searching for the brunette.

"Where is Takato?" She then asked.

"In the temple. They should be done by now." Rika merely said in reply, more interested in the later of Jeri's words, with the red haired Tamer questioning. "So you finally found our betrayer?"

"Yes. We know who shot Takato and Guilmon down at the bridge..." Ryo said, before a sudden a cry came from Jasmine and Biyomon, as the pair were struck down by gun fire, shocking the other Tamers at the sudden attack.

"Jasmine! Biyomon!" Renamon called in concern as she and Rika rushed to their side, checking over their wounds, where the vixen then asked. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine... just a bit of wear and tear..." Jasmine replied, doing what she could to ignore the damage to her body, less she concern her friends further.

"So it was you two the whole time!?" MegaGargomon questioned, disengaging the Biomerged, where Henry and Terriermon, alongside the others stared upon their new enemies, at their traitor, who came prepared with couple of handguns aimed at the group.

The ones who shot Takato and Guilmon down at the labyrinth, the traitors amongst the Tamers were Kuja and BlackGabumon.