Wira Digital Chapter 46: Movie Arc II: Legends Unfold, a digimon fanfic

"How can those witches escape?" Ice blue eyes stared upon the royal guards coolly. The eyes' owner felt a tinge of satisfaction when he saw the guards flinch. "Find them. Surely you don't want your children slaughtered by them just to satiate their devil master's thirst for blood?" His voice however harbored no coldness, it instead reflected only disappointment.

"We've tried, Baron Lucifer," one of the guards explained. "But a local girl we have met told us that she saw them vanished just like how they appeared."

Baron Lucifer snorted. "And you believe her, just like that?" He shook his head as the guards nodded, apparently annoyed. "I think, and I feel that I am most probably correct, that those witches have either brainwashed or threatened the girl to say those things to you in order to avoid you all from pursuing them. They are out there somewhere, hiding. It's impossible for them to just let go of all the children this glorious kingdom has to offer for their dark arts!" He narrowed his eyes towards the guards. "You have been tricked, I believe so," said the baron softly.

Scandalized murmurs were heard from the guards. Evidently, they did not like what the nobleman had declared. The captain of the guard, the one who spoke to Baron Lucifer, straightened himself up and looked at the baron over the eyes. "What should we do, Baron Lucifer?"

The nobleman turned away from the guards, and his eyes glimmered briefly with white hue. He closed his eyes for a moment, before a sneer formed on his face and he opened his eyes again before turning back to face the guards. When he did so, the white hues on his eyes were gone.

"Find the girl," he instructed. Despite having no authorities over them – only the royal family and the prime minister did – Baron Lucifer had garnered enough respects from the guards throughout his long tenure at this kingdom. To the guards, he was only acting for the sake of the kingdom. They would have no reason to contradict him. "The witches are with her, as I have predicted. They are using her to escape our eyes. For this kingdom's safety, find them as soon as possible." He watched as they dispersed and a strange smile appeared on his face.

xxx

In the meantime, the atmosphere was tense in the Forest Sanctum. TobuCatmon and Jackie scoured through several thick books and tried out many ways to conjure up images of the DigiWira on the sun staff, but for the last couple of hours they were unsuccessful. Manny sniffled through his flu, his sneezes occasionally attracted the attentions of others while Penguinmon stood by him, grumbling and complaining but still loyally handed his DigiWira partner tissues when he needed them. JD stood at a corner of the sanctum, leaning against a tree with his expression unreadable, and Agumon fidgeted beside him, torn between wanting to ask JD what was bothering him, and not wanting to bother him. The three sacred ladies of the Lost Mountain had excused themselves to a chamber they had made for themselves within the jungle shrouding the sanctum, wanting to heal themselves from the injuries they sustained from Lucemon. Dina and Bel sat near the fountain, wanting to help but not knowing what to do. They remained there out of worry for Gayathri, Liu Ying and Adam.

"Where could they be?" Jackie said out loud in frustration. "We've tried everything!"

"There has to be a way for us to find them," TobuCatmon insisted. "We have to keep trying. There's bound to be something that we've missed."

TobuCatmon sighed. "If only Aldiyamon or Xianamon were left behind, we could probably use their teleportation or astral projection power to give us a clue. Now we're stumped."

The sun staff flickered all of a sudden, alerting everyone to look at it. Everyone thought that they finally would get to see where their missing friends were, but the sun staff revealed something else instead, much to their disappointment.

"Shit!" JD swore angrily upon taking a look at the sun staff. "Goddamnit! Perfect timing!"

"It looks like all of them are here this time," Manny said worriedly as he peered over JD's shoulder to look at the staff. His nose twitched and he accidentally sneezed, earning him an ugly glare from his teammate. Shrinking back, he quickly apologized and the irritated look on JD softened. Manny then carefully peered over JD's shoulder again once he was sure that he would not sneeze, perfectly aware that JD was watching him warily.

The sun staff revealed the Darkshadow Brethren generals, sans Lucemon and with two creatures in black they did not recognize which looked almost identical – their only difference was one of them humanoid while the other bestial. They were attacking a neighborhood familiar to JD and Manny – it was a residential area near where they were staying. They saw burning houses, wrecked roads and people running about in panic as the generals launched their attacks haphazardly.

"How can we beat them without the others?" Agumon said despairingly. "It was a tough fight when Aldiyamon wasn't around. And now we're without Aldiyamon, Xianamon and Puspamon."

"We'll help you." The three sacred ladies stepped in the sanctum. Ophanimon glanced at the sun staff and her mouth was set into a fine line as she observed the damage the Darkshadow Brethren were causing to the real world. "We've recovered and we're ready to help you ward off those villains from your home world," she told them, and the other two ladies nodded. "The Darkshadow Brethren generals are all Ultimates, and those two beings in black are Champions. D'Arcmon can hold her own against the Champions, I'm sure, while you two in your Wira Digital forms, Rosemon, and myself can battle the four generals."

JD nodded. "That feline whore is mine," he snarled when he saw Persiamon displayed on the sun staff. His face contorted with rage as he thought of what Persiamon had inflicted upon him. 'I'll strangle answers out of her neck this time,' he thought. His silent fury was only quenched, ever so slightly, when he felt a soft pressure on his shoulder. Calm as the water, Manny's grasp cooled JD down considerably.

"Let's get moving," Manny said finally.

xxx

WIRA DIGITAL: The Movie – Part II

Chapter 46 – Legends Unfold

xxx

"See that highest peak there, Adam?" Tuah asked after they stopped trekking the forest for a break. They were now at an edge of the forest – at a cliff overlooking a breathtaking view of mountains, rivers and lush greenery of the trees that grew on the lower ground. Some of the mountains were partially obscured by fogs and clouds, adding an aura of coolness and mystery to them. Out of all the mountains, the highest stood out with its greenery. Half of it was covered by fogs and clouds obscured the peak, giving the mountain shades of green, blue and purple. It wasn't a very tall mountain, but certainly tall enough to be called as one.

"Wow…" Adam couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight that greeted him. His current predicament momentarily forgotten, he marveled at the sight of the beautiful mountain. "What is it called?" he asked, genuinely interested. He wondered whether he would come across information from this time which he had already known by asking Tuah about the mountain.

"That is Mount Ledang," Tuah informed, and he saw Adam's face lit up. He grinned. "I've scaled Mount Ledang two weeks ago. It's a very beautiful and peaceful place, with a waterfall halfway the journey up and abundant of edible plants." The shaggy-haired teen exhaled softly, casting the mountain a long look. "When I'm old and counting my remaining days, I think I'd like to settle there."

Adam sighed as he was reminded of what would happen to his newfound friend. 'Somehow your fate does intertwine with that mountain, Tuah…unfortunately it's not a happy one,' Adam thought wistfully as he gazed on his friend's back.

Tuah turned around and saw the melancholic look on Adam's face. He frowned. "Why look so sad, friend?"

Adam quickly shook his head and forced a smile. "Nothing. It's just…"

"You're missing your home," Tuah assumed quickly.

Adam blinked. It wasn't what he was thinking about, but Tuah wasn't wrong either. He had to pretend that Tuah was right. "Is it that obvious?"

Tuah shrugged. "You look like you have a lot in your mind. And you're pretty quiet too." He grinned again at Adam. "Am I that boring?"

"What? No!" Adam said quickly. "I like hearing your stories."

Tuah narrowed his eyes as he searched Adam's gray irises. "You look like you have experienced some interesting stuffs as well. It's your eyes…tell me if I'm wrong or anything…but I think they don't really suite you." Seeing Adam's confounded response, the older teen raised his hands quickly. "I mean, it's not that they're mismatched or anything, but…you're young, friend, but your eyes look like they belong to someone's older who've experienced a lot."

"How can you tell?" Adam wondered, running his hand subconsciously over his eyes.

Tuah shrugged. "Just a hunch. I could be wrong."

"Not really," Adam said, and began telling his friend about his own history. He only kept the Digimon part out.

"So you've lost both parents and your big brother," Tuah said softly after Adam was finished. He patted Adam's shoulder. "I'm so sorry to hear that. It must be awful for you."

"Thank you. And don't worry about it. I've moved on." Adam told it to himself more than to Tuah, but nowadays he was glad that he actually felt that way, instead of just saying it to keep others from worrying about him. His encounter with Grademon had taught him a lot, and JD and his family made him feel like he was part of a complete family once again. "I've had helps from many people around me," he confessed with a smile. "I couldn't ask for anything more."

"I'm glad to hear that," Tuah said. "It's important to have friends you can count on."

Hearing Tuah mentioning friends gave Adam the opening he was waiting for. "Speaking of friends, do you think I'd get to meet your best friends? Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu and Hang Kasturi?"

"Eh?" Tuah looked at Adam curiously. "Jebat is my best friend and my disciple brother, almost a real brother to me, but I barely know Lekir, Lekiu and Kasturi. And for your information they don't have Hang in their names, because they're not Tuk Guru Adiputra's disciples. They're my Tuk Guru's brother's disciples and I've met the three of them only once, last year. I suppose they are quite alright, but they're more like my acquaintances than my friends."

"Huh?" Adam was very surprised of the revelation. 'I thought the FIVE of them are best friends, training under the same master,' he thought, subconsciously rubbing his chin. 'How different the legend is from the actual fact. But then again, this is six centuries in the past,' he reminded himself. 'Maybe that's it. Tuah is just a teenager now and I bet the others are too. Their legends haven't begun. There are things I still don't know here. If Tuah and Jebat barely know the other three, maybe something will happen soon…something that will make the five of them best friends.'

"Adam?" Tuah waved in front of Adam's eyes, and stopped when the other boy blinked. He shook his head. "Wow, you're really a thinking person, aren't you?"

Adam realized that he had revealed some stuffs occurring in the future prematurely to Tuah. He had to stop doing that; he had read something about the future changing just because someone tampered with a very small thing in the past. His presence here was already a threat to history. He had to make sure not to interfere with events that would be happening in this era.

"Now that I think of it – you seem to know something about me when I introduced myself," Tuah said, his tone lowered, revealing his suspiciousness. "Something about becoming a legendary admiral and you also know about Jebat and the three others…"

"I think I've picked your names up from somewhere," Adam said hastily. Before Tuah could contradict this, Adam abruptly stood up. He wasn't good in handling interrogations, thus it was best for him to avoid one while he still could. "We've rested long enough, I think. You think we should get moving now?"

Tuah seemed like he wanted to press Adam on for some information, but upon Adam's inquiry he decided against it. "Yes, I think we should." He clapped his hands once, causing Adam to look at him curiously. "In fact, we probably will have to camp out somewhere tonight. I'm thinking of doing so at Mount Ledang if you're up to it."

"How long will it take for us to get there?" Adam asked, gazing up at the late afternoon sky. "It's going to be dark real soon."

"What's the matter? You're not afraid of the dark are you?" Tuah grinned, wanting to coax his new friend in following him.

Adam smiled slightly. 'You might be a warrior in training, Tuah, but I'm the DigiWira of Light!' He shook his head. "Darkness doesn't scare me," he declared. "Lead the way."

"Glad to hear that, friend. If we start walking now we'll reach there before midnight."

With that settled Adam and Tuah continued their journey, unaware that a distance away, a pair of eyes was observing their every movement. The silent observer remained inconspicuous from the two teens, using the shadows cast by the trees of the lush jungle to his advantage. When Adam and Tuah were far enough, the observer stepped out from the shadows and tailed them, his intentions shrouded in mystery.

xxx

"Stay here," Teja instructed Liu Ying and Gayathri, gesturing at the fruit orchard where they were at. It was just outside the town center. "I'll be right back."

"You're going back into the city?" Gayathri asked.

"I have to seek out my friends," Teja explained. "I can't hide you from those guards on my own for long, but my friends can. They know the ways in and out of this kingdom like the back of their hands. We already know that five major exits from Malacca have guards stationed in order to avoid you two from escaping." She shook her head. "That yellow-haired man's declaration that you two are witches is making it difficult for us to escape."

"Will you be alright on your own?" Liu Ying asked worriedly.

Teja smiled. "Don't worry about me." She adjusted her shawl, and her face was once again shadowed by it. "I'll be back soon."

Reluctantly, the DigiWira watched as their new friend darted past the trees towards the village, which would lead her back to the town square. They barely were about to settle down when screaming echoed from the other side of the orchard.

"Let me go!!"

The DigiWira girls recognized the scream instantly. "That's Teja!" Gayathri realized. She heard sounds of men saying something to Teja, but Teja only answered by yelling for them to let her go. "Liu Ying, we have to save her!"

Liu Ying nodded; her face grim. Together they made their way across the orchard and saw four men – guards, from the way they were dressed. One of them was holding Teja by the wrist, seemingly the captain of the guards from an insignia he wore on his shirt which the other men lacked. Teja was struggling but the man who was restraining her was bigger and far stronger. Gayathri wanted to charge at those men right there and then, but Liu Ying stopped her. She indicated for them to hide behind the nearest shrubs where they could see what was going on. If things got out of hand, they would step out instantly to come to Teja's aid.

"I've told you what I know!" Teja said angrily. "Why are you doing this? Let me go!"

"We're ordered to take you back to the town square," the guard who was restraining her answered.

"By whose order?" Teja demanded, tugging at her seized arm to no avail. "The Sultan? The Prime Minister?"

"By Baron Lucifer, miss," the guard captain said. "Now, if you just follow us quietly…"

"By that foreign man?!" Teja exclaimed once again, her voice turned frosty all of a sudden. With her free hand she pulled her shawl off her head, and her long dark hair cascaded down her back. Her hair was tied by golden ornaments into a ponytail and upon looking at her, the guards froze. Teja used this opportunity to yank her arm away from the guard, and the guard didn't even resist her this time. "Unhand me, by order of the princess!"

"The princess?!" Liu Ying and Gayathri were both shocked at the revelation. They knew Teja's name was familiar, but they didn't know that she was a princess.

But apparently the guards all knew of her. Their demeanors to her instantly changed to reverence as they all bowed at her. "Princess Tun Teja!" This confirmed to Liu Ying and Gayathri that their new friend was indeed no commoner, but one belonged to the royal family. But why in the world was she dressed like a peasant?

"Your highness, I beg for your forgiveness for my rash behavior earlier," the guard who held her earlier apologized quickly, his voice quivering. "But you were attired so differently…you are not in your royal outfit as usual… I honestly did not notice that it was you. Forgive me, your highness. But pardon me asking…what were you doing out of the palace? And…and with street clothes…"

"That's not of your concern!" Teja snapped, her voice condescending. The guard captain, despite being bigger, took a step back as Teja pointed her right index finger at him. "I shall grant pardon for you if you leave me alone promptly!"

"But your highness, your uncle the Sultan is looking for you," another guard said. "You've been missing from the palace for two days now."

Teja rolled her eyes. "I know what to tell my uncle. Now, I command you to stop with this…witch-hunting nonsense and do something more sensible." She looked at the four guards with a superior air, and was quick to intercept when the guard captain was about to say something. "That's all." She flicked her hands in a go-away gesture, and the guards had no choice but to comply with the princess's wish. Disobeying a royal family member would be considered treason – a crime of highest degree – and no one wanted to risk that. Teja knew that, and heaved a relieved breath as the guards were out of sight. "That was close," she murmured, and readjusted her shawl back to her head.

When the guards were gone, Liu Ying and Gayathri were about to step out from the shrubs where they were hiding, before they saw three figures running towards Teja. Quickly they retreated back, thinking that they could be another bunch of guards. But they soon saw that the three figures – males – were not the guards, but it was better for them to know exactly who they were before revealing themselves to Teja. After all, Teja had gone to great lengths to protect them; it would be a waste if the DigiWira acted hastily.

"Princess Tun Teja! Princess!"

Teja looked at them and her expression brightened. "Ah, you three!" Her gaze fell on three male teenagers as they stopped and simultaneously knelt before her; each had their hands joined on their erected palms together – a gesture of reverence from normal people to royals. "Just the ones I'm looking for in times like this," she added and beckoned for them to stand normally.

"Your highness, your uncle the Sultan is wondering of your whereabouts. So was the crown prince Mahmud Shah," the tallest and burliest of the three informed her with a polite voice. He had dark brown hair, wavy and parted in the middle, with a simple light blue cloth tied over the forehead and around his head. He wore light blue long-sleeved shirt and same-colored pants that reached just past his knees. A keris was slipped behind the black sash he'd tied up around his waist, over his shirt. As he addressed the disguised princess he clumsily ran a sleeve over his sweaty face.

"I know, Kasturi. The guards have just informed me," Teja said, frowning at the boy. "And what did I…"

"Prince Mahmud especially was wondering why you've left him all by himself," a thin boy with straight black hair, in a soft yellow outfit similar to Kasturi, interrupted. He and the other boy in light red were about an inch shorter than Kasturi. He grinned at Teja, and his tone suggested that he and the princess was used to a more informal way of speaking.

Teja rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't you accompany him instead, Lekiu? His Silat skills need a lot of improvement; maybe you can impart some of your skills."

Lekiu made a face. "You're cruel, princess," he said, and glanced at a quiet boy beside him who was dressed identically to Lekiu and Kasturi, but his choice of color was pale red. "Am I right, Lekir?" The boy who was referred as Lekir merely smiled at the princess and Lekiu, but didn't nod or shook his head. "I take that as a yes," Lekiu said easily.

'Kasturi, Lekiu, Lekir?' Liu Ying and Gayathri shared surprised looks between themselves. 'Aren't they part of the famous five Hang brothers?' They gazed at the three boys, noting that Kasturi seemed to be the eldest, although that might be because he was the burliest. Lekiu and Lekir shared near-identical features, but while Lekiu had his curly hair grown to his shoulder Lekir adopted a short-hair look with bangs falling over his forehead. They looked to be around thirteen or fourteen.

Teja merely smiled at the three boys before her face adopted a serious expression. "Enough talking, you three. It's good that you're now here, because there are two people that I'd like you to meet," she said, and was about to take them across the orchard when Liu Ying and Gayathri stepped out. "Oh, you're here." She scanned their faces, searching for something in their bewildered faces. It was easy to see that their "I suppose you've seen and heard everything, then?" As usual, she did not sound so surprised.

"You're a princess?" Gayathri said in amazement. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Teja smiled sheepishly. "I'd rather not, because I'm getting tired of how people my age treat me differently just because I'm a royal." She gave Kasturi, Lekiu and Lekir sharp looks which made them flinch. "I had no choice when the guards was mistreating me back then, and decided to put my princess rank to good use. Now the guards won't be bothering us for a while, unless my uncle or Prime Minister Tun Perak issues the order for your capture. Hopefully by then you'll be long gone from this kingdom, safely hidden or returned."

'Tun Teja…of course! She's the queen of the Sultan in that Puteri Gunung Ledang movie.' Liu Ying's thought was stopped short when the teen known as Lekiu stepped in front of her. She raised an eyebrow upon the boy's curious-grinning expression.

"Are you princesses from China and India?" Lekiu asked the DigiWira girls bluntly. "You seem to be friends of our princess…"

"They're actually the witches that pale-skinned baron hyped about at the town square earlier," Teja said dryly and giggled when Lekiu, Lekir and Kasturi balked in surprise as Liu Ying and Gayathri gave her shocked glances. The princess shrugged. "Which I discovered that they are not," she added, and the three males calmed down.

"That's a relief," Kasturi said and pressed his chest to calm his nerves. "I mean, stories got around that two witches came out of nowhere and started attacking the people with their black magic," he added.

The DigiWira girls both frowned at Kasturi's statement. "That would be us, only that we're not witches and we don't use black magic to attack the people," Gayathri corrected him.

"So what are you then?" Kasturi asked.

Liu Ying and Gayathri shared a look before they glanced at Teja. Teja raised a hand and beckoned to herself. "Kasturi, Lekiu, Lekir…I would like you to meet Liu Ying and Gayathri. They are from a distant future, and they're here by accident." The princess paused as the three males became wide-eyed, gaping in shock. "Six hundred years in the future, exactly," she added and the boys gasped once more. "They're from a time so unlike ours, so do act cordially and try not to unease them with your antiques. Yes, I'm talking about you especially, Lekiu," she finished and gazed sharply at the younger boy.

It took a full minute before the shock wore off from the boys. Then Kasturi stepped in front of the DigiWira girls and bowed his head slightly. He gave them a sincere smile.

"I don't know what else to say but…welcome to our time," he said. "If Princess Tun Teja believes that you're good, then we believe you as well. I am Kasturi, and these two are cousins Lekir and Lekiu. If their near-identical names confuse you, just remember that Lekiu is the chatty one while Lekir acts like he has a gold bar in his mouth." Gesturing to the three of them, Kasturi continued: "The three of us are Princess Tun Teja's personal bodyguards." He sounded proud as he mentioned that.

"And childhood friends," Teja added quickly, frowning at Kasturi. "Really, Kasturi, you should say that first before mentioning about that bodyguards thing! The four of us grew up together!"

"Apologies, princess," Kasturi said with a sheepish smile. "It's just that we're trained to hold you in high regard when your father appointed us as your guards."

"You'll do that in front of other people," Teja said and pulled Kasturi's ear, much to the boy's surprise. He yelped and Teja let go of his ear instantly.

"Well, I have no problems with that, Teja!" Lekiu announced and grinned at the DigiWira girls. "I knew someone as pretty as you two can't be witches," he said suavely, and Lekir giggled at his cousin's remark. Their behaviors instantly reminded the DigiWira girls of a pair of cousins who were their dear friends. One was in their own time, while the other should be somewhere in this past. All the while, they were wondering about Adam, and decided that they would ask their friends about him after they had gotten themselves acquainted.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Liu Ying said. "And we're very grateful that you're going to help us."

"Question," Gayathri said with one hand raised. "Aren't you supposed to come in five instead of three? I mean, where are your other two friends Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat?"

At the mention of those names, Lekiu snorted in displeasure while Lekir frowned. Kasturi had his mouth set thin, as if Gayathri had brought up a taboo subject. The DigiWira girls turned to Teja helplessly.

"Alright, you three…" The princess took charge of the situation. "Liu Ying and Gayathri need to return to their own time, and until their friends from the future can figure out a way to retrieve them, we have to make sure that they are safe," she said. "That Baron Lucifer has ignited rumors about them being witches and no thanks to him now probably the whole kingdom of Malacca is now fearful of them wanting their children's blood for satanic rituals. Liu Ying and Gayathri are vulnerable here; we need to take them out of here to someplace safe. I trust you three know of a perfect place to hide."

Kasturi nodded. "Mount Ledang is a perfect spot." He looked up at the sky. "If we set out there now, we can reach there by tomorrow morning," he deduced.

Liu Ying and Gayathri saw how their four friends sidestepped their question about Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat. They appeared uncomfortable in discussing about them. The DigiWira girls wondered why, but realized that it was too early for them to be pressing their new friends about something that was not their business. They shifted their thoughts to what Kasturi had mentioned. "Do we have to walk there?" Gayathri asked slowly.

"Of course. It's a tough journey there otherwise," Kasturi answered. "Mount Ledang is very secluded and the path leading to the mountain is obscured by jungles and misleading trails. The three of us found the mountain by accident." He gazed at the sky. "It's getting late. Let's start walking and along our journey we can trade stories."

The DigiWira girls shared pained looks with each other, both thinking of the same thing. 'Walk?'

xxx

Back in the present time, Satriamon and Samudramon saw that the Darkshadow Brethren didn't strike far than their hometown Subang Jaya, but the place was a bit farther than any of them were living at. People were deserting the area, and some exceptions were firemen who were getting some people out from burnt houses. Above the sky, three Velgemon appeared to be in sight. The Wira Digital was about to strike towards the buzzards but a mantled figure blocked their view.

"Allow me! You take care of the burning houses!" Rosemon flew past the Wira Digital and blasted the Velgemon with her Forbidden Temptation and Roses Rapier. No match for her, the buzzards were immediately deleted.

The Wira Digital blinked. "Wow, that was quick," Samudramon commented. Satriamon merely grunted his agreement; his attention was elsewhere as he searched for the one he wanted to fight.

Suddenly a stream of black laser and a symbol of darkness appeared from a distance and slammed upon Rosemon's back. Rosemon whirled around, her breath nearly taken away by the sneak attack. She gritted her teeth angrily upon seeing Astamon and Doumon approaching her. Her luscious lips set thin, she gathered her energy and prepared herself to fight the Majin and Shaman Generals.

"You might be older, but you're still my type, sweet stuff," Astamon said lecherously. "I always love flower-based Digi-women…"

"Let's see if we can't beat you," Doumon said to Rosemon, his giant paintbrush ready to strike. "Rumor has it that while it's true that you're a Mega, but your strength has been reduced to that of a strong Ultimate when you abandoned the Lost Mountain."

Rosemon's confidence faltered. She might be able to beat the Velgemon easily, but these two Ultimates were of a different league. But she soon realized that she was not on her own, when Ophanimon leaped in midair as well and tackled Doumon from the melee, and skillfully knocked away Doumon's paintbrush before the fox shaman could unleash any attack with it. Doumon retaliated with his Thousand Curses but they were destroyed by Ophanimon's seven orbs of light before a blast of crystals slammed upon the monk's chest. In the meantime Rosemon had unleashed flurries of Thorn Whipping upon Astamon, alternated with furious stabs of her Roses Rapier.

The generals were quick in realizing that they were no match for two Mega Digimon, even with the latter's powers compromised. Doumon opened a Demon Gate Escape and with Astamon they retreated to the Digital World.

"That was quick," Samudramon realized. He summoned rains and mists to quench out the flames on the burning houses, and was successful at that. However a tornado of water suddenly slammed upon the houses and destroyed them, much to his horror. The culprit showed himself soon enough and Samudramon gritted his teeth in anger upon witnessing the total destruction the water tornado had caused. "Shawujinmon!"

"This time, I'm not gonna lose to you, Wira Digital!" Shawujinmon summoned his staff and slammed it onto Samudramon.

Samudramon called out his trident and countered his foe's attack. Their weapons locked together with a metallic screech as the two aquatic beings began using their physical strengths to outdo each other. Neither could force the other away for they were pretty much evenly matched when it came to strength and power. Samudramon wanted to electrocute Shawujinmon but with his trident immobilized by his foe's staff, he couldn't summon it. And it seemed that Shawujinmon realized of this, too, as the general persistently kept his staff in a position that'd make it impossible for Samudramon to pull it back.

All of a sudden, Samudramon's nostrils began to itch. He couldn't control it and at once, his prowess was reduced. "Ha…ha…haaaa……CHEEEEWWW!!"

At this, Shawujinmon yelped and without thinking pulled his staff away in disgust and Samudramon, seizing the opportunity, gave the Kappa General away with one direct thrust of his weapon. Shawujinmon clutched his chest, and he snarled angrily at the marine Wira Digital. "Sneeze all over me, ughhh!!" The general shivered in revulsion as he heard Samudramon sniffling. He raised his staff, wanting to attack when a strange sensation crossed over his hidden nostrils above his beak. He lost his concentration, before letting out a loud sneeze which stunned even himself. "What…what's happening to me?" Three rows of sneezing ensued thereafter.

Samudramon blinked. Surely this could not be this easy? "Ha, ha, you've caught my flu! First you'll experience runny nose then your throat becomes dry. You'll feel like sneezing, you'll have a headache and your temperature will increase." He laughed and sniffled again. "Feel any of that now?"

"What's wrong with me?" Shawujinmon moaned as he let out another thunderous sneeze. His body felt warm all over but at the same time he was shivering – something he had never felt before. A strange liquid began trickling out from his nostrils as they twitched. His throat felt sore and ticklish at the same time. Shawujinmon sneezed again and gasped when he saw green gooey liquid sputtered out from his nostrils. The Kappa General shivered in disgust once more. "Ugghh! Yuck! What the hell is that!!?" He decided there and then that he was not fit to fight Samudramon in his sickly form, and decided to retreat too.

"Thank goodness," Samudramon muttered, and sneezed loudly before devolving back into Manny and Penguinmon. "I never thought I'd owe my life to a flu virus," Manny murmured.

"Don't get too used to it, pal!" Penguinmon snapped, and sneezed loudly. He groaned and glared at his DigiWira partner, who gave him a sheepish smile. "NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU HA--HAACHEW!! HAACHEW!! UGGGHH!!"

Over the sky, D'Arcmon was cornered by Devimon and Devidramon who were able to resist her light-based attacks. She could not harm them, being Champion level herself. She was further at a disadvantage because her opponents attacked her together instead of sequentially like cliché villains. Her body was bruised in many parts, courtesy of the villainous duo's dark energy attacks which she could not evade, for when she tried losing Devimon Devidramon would attack her and vice versa. After a while she began feeling a bit fatigued.

"Let's get her!" Devidramon said. "She reminds me of some angels I really would love to have their wings clipped!"

"Ooh, let's," Devimon replied as he brandished his sharp claws. "Touch of…"

"Not so fast!" A female voice stopped Devimon and at that instance a whip lashed at his long arms, pushing him away. Surprised, the Puaka Generals saw that the battle was no longer in their favor. Ophanimon and Rosemon hovered before them, pointing their javelin and rapier dangerously at them. Should they attack, the Puakas – now in their Champion forms – would be destroyed.

"What the hell? Two Megas against two Champions?" Devimon said incredulously. "Doumon!!"

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon shot the Puaka Generals with a stream of holy energy which blasted them into the portal they had summoned. Their shrieks could be heard gradually diminishing as the portal closed.

Satriamon – the one who remained on the ground – saw that one by one the Darkshadow Brethren generals were forced to retreat. He heard a snide laugh and turned sideways, snarling upon seeing a feminine figure waltzing amidst several destroyed vehicles. She was examining her sharp claws as she walked, but Satriamon realized that she was observing him from the corners of her eyes.

"Hello, Satriamon," Persiamon greeted sweetly. "How's life treating you so far?"

"It sucks, and you're causing it, bitch!" With a roar Satriamon blasted his Shadow Flame Helix upon Persiamon. The Virago General laughed haughtily as she froze his attack without much effort, and still had the audacity to yawn, further infuriating Satriamon.

"Don't strain yourself too much, hon." Persiamon winked at the fiery Wira Digital. "We both know how…unwell…you are right now. And get your fact straight; I am not a bitch, seeing as I am actually a cat. But that pretty sorceress friend of yours…isn't her Digimon a canine? If you think about it, doesn't that make her…?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!! Dragonforce Striker, Powered Up Mode!!"

"Helter Skelter!"

The two attacks cancelled each other out before Persiamon swiftly darted towards Satriamon, and with a skillful flick of both her hands she released crimson ribbons from in-between her fingers. Another flick of both hands and the ribbons spun around Satriamon before they bound him tight. "This is so much fun," Persiamon murmured. "You must be dying to know what I'm up to by giving you my Blight of Bastet, right?" she taunted.

'Blight of Bastet?' Satriamon didn't need to hear Persiamon's explanation because he already knew it from D'Arcmon's visions of the future. It scared the wits out of him upon realizing that his days were numbered, but he refused to give Persiamon the pleasure in knowing how frightened he was now. "If I'm going down, then you're coming along with me, you slutty whore from hell!" With a roar he unleashed flames that caused the ribbons to disintegrate and smirked upon seeing the alarmed look on Persiamon's eyes. But before he could attack the Virago General, a sharp stabbing pain soared from his chest and he let out a pained howl. Clutching his chest tight, he cursed Persiamon when the Virago General chortled. He wanted to attack, but another bout of pain ensued and he unwillingly devolved back into his composite selves.

JD trashed about on the ground as Agumon looked at him painfully, not knowing what to do. Persiamon laughed and with a flourish flick of her arm a portal opened, and she entered it. Before the portal vanished she glanced over her shoulder at JD, and threw him a wicked smile. "Don't worry. You won't die today. But treasure your limited time, boy, for when the next full moon occurs in this world after tonight, you shall cease to exist! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

When Persiamon vanished, the pain JD was feeling subsided and he was able to breathe normally once again. He took a moment to gather himself, but soon realized that his cover was blown to a fellow DigiWira and cursed inwardly. He didn't want any of his fellow DigiWira, not even Adam, to know about the tattoo and the pain, but it looked like he wouldn't be able to hide from them for long.

"JD…what did Persiamon mean by that?" Manny asked, wide-eyed with shock. "What's happening to you?"

xxx

It was now night as Adam and Tuah trekked the dark jungle, heading to Mount Ledang with aid of the full moon and the glittering stars, and the sounds of rustling leaves and crickets played in the background, breaking the otherwise silent atmosphere. For Adam, he was slightly panting and was amazed of how Tuah seemed unfazed from the journey. As Tuah had estimated, they were getting nearer to the mountain and Adam couldn't wait to reach there; part of the reason was to rest for the night. Another reason was that he had been made known from his time that some day, his new friend's fate would intertwine with the mountain, and Adam naturally was curious to step foot on the mountain. He had not the chance to do so back in his time; he might as well do it here in the past.

"You're alright, Adam?" Tuah stopped and turned around, noticing that Adam was particularly quiet. He saw Adam stopping as well, taking the opportunity to take a few deep breaths. "Need another break?"

"No, I'm okay," Adam said, his breaths steadying, and readjusted Patamon who was silently perched on his head.

Tuah nodded. "It's a peaceful night, perfect for walking." He glanced up at the full moon, staring at it with wonder. "You know, I've always thought the full moon as beautiful, but tonight it looks kind of eerie." He gave Adam a pointed look, asking for Adam's opinion without actually saying it.

"Huh?" Adam looked up, and saw that Tuah had the point. The moon was in dark orange shade, and spots of clouds obscured some of its surface. Adam shook his head. "It does, but I think it's nothing to be worried about, right?"

Tuah grinned. "I don't know," he said. "I've heard tales from some foreign traders, saying about men who transform into half-man, half-beast beings whenever there's a full moon. Have you heard of it?"

'I've seen those,' Adam thought, thinking about the three werewolves Digimon he and the others had battled before they ended up here. It unnerved him when Tuah mentioned about werewolves, as Adam and his friends had just faced them earlier, but it might just be a coincidence. How could Tuah have known about the battle?

But his thought was quenched when he heard a wolf-like howl echoing the night. He shot an alarmed look at Tuah, and was stunned to see Tuah laughing at him as he clenched his stomach. Adam realized that he had been duped; Tuah was the culprit for making that horrendous howl. He glared at the other boy.

"Sorry, sorry. But you're lost in thoughts again so I thought maybe a howl might jolt you back to reality," Tuah said with a sheepish grin. "Forgive me, will you?"

Adam ran a hand over his nape and arms before nodding slowly. The fine hairs on them had stood up in response to his shock. His glare softened when he realized that Tuah was only joking. "You shouldn't do that, crying like a wolf," he muttered just to calm himself.

"Relax, Adam. It's not as if there are actually wolves around here."

Another chilling howl echoed and Adam glared at Tuah, annoyed that the other boy pulled such trick again, but the other boy had an equally alarmed look this time around. Adam heard another wolf howl and this time he was sure that Tuah wasn't doing it. The howl, compared to Tuah's, was more realistic, echoic and sounded twice as menacing. Tuah held the hilt of his keris as he scanned his surrounding while Adam felt Patamon's grip on his head tightening. They heard the sound of a branch being snapped in half, as if being stepped on, coming from a bush located fifty meters away from them. A pair of blood red eyes appeared in the darker parts of the woods and both boys saw a humanoid figure stepping out from the shadows.

"Oh, my God!" Tuah exclaimed when the figure stepped into the moonlight where they could get a good look at it.

It was a wolf man; a werewolf with a white fluff of hair sprouting out of its chest. It wore leather-tight black trousers and had sharp deep blue claws on its hands and feet. Standing at roughly five-feet-ten, Adam thought that it looked like a miniature WereGarurumon and his fighter instinct kicked in as he stared at the werewolf's scarlet eyes, thinking that this creature could be a cub of a WereGarurumon. Its large eyes reflected the fact that it was not an adult – a child – but that was defied by its height and muscular torso. Amidst the moonlight its hairy body emitted out a silvery sheen, adding to its menace.

"We meet again, DigiWira," the werewolf said coolly. Adam thought that this spine-chilling snarling voice was awfully familiar, but he was sure that he had never met this Digimon before.

"A talking wolf-man!" Tuah exclaimed and took out his keris, pointing it towards the werewolf.

Stunned, Adam realized that he had met this Digimon before. His form might be different, but there was no mistaking the voice. "ExWereGarurumon…"

"You know him, Adam?" Tuah saw that Adam was shivering slightly. To his surprise 'the Patamon' that had been quietly sitting on Adam's head flapped its wings and sailed down so that it flew at Adam's eye level. "He called you a 'wira'…" his voice trailed off, seeing that both Adam and the werewolf were ignoring him as they stared at each other. He could have sworn that the air had grown still. He heard rustling of the leaves from above, and whipped his head up, thinking that another werewolf would ambush them from above. However he saw nothing, before soft winds blew from the sky and caused the lighter branches to sway, causing the leaves to rustle.

"I was," the werewolf replied to Adam's statement. "However, I have unfortunately dedigivolved back into my Rookie form, Strabimon!" Then with a bloodcurdling howl, Strabimon leaped towards them, both claws hoisted forward, ready to strike. "Die, DigiWira!" he screamed and lunged towards Adam.

"Adam, look out!" Tuah shoved Adam out of the way and with lightning reflex he thrust his keris towards the lunging Strabimon. "You die, werewolf!" he said as the keris slashed Strabimon's right-side waist. With a loud cry Tuah launched a flying kick and successfully forced Strabimon to retreat.

Strabimon growled as he clutched his bleeding waist. "I don't know who you are, foolish brat, but you'll pay for your meddling!" He ran towards Tuah and avoided another thrust of Tuah's keris before smacking him on the body, throwing the teen on the ground.

Adam saw that Tuah was in great peril, and it was because the other teen had tried to save him. 'He can't fight Strabimon! I have to…' His thought however was interrupted by a loud yell, nearly causing his heart to stop in fear for Strabimon to be joined by his comrades. He gave an uneasy look to Tuah, who met his gaze with his eyes shot wide in shock. Looking up, they saw a humanoid figure shadowed by darkness plummeting towards Strabimon in a spinning motion, before planting a forceful kick on the werewolf's head, throwing him onto a nearby tree trunk. The figure landed on the ground and the moonlight illuminated his figure.

'Who is that?' Adam saw that the newcomer was a teenaged male in burgundy shirt and black pants the same style as Tuah's. This male had straight black hair pulled back, held by a band of dark red cloth tied around his forehead and reaching past his shoulders, a somewhat gaunt face with a long nose and high cheekbones. His sharp hawk-like eyes bore into Adam's for a fleeting moment before they shifted to Tuah, and Adam saw the corner of the stranger's mouth twitched a little, as if he was straining not to smile.

"Jebat!" Tuah exclaimed, sounding very happy and relieved. Adam's eyes shot wide upon hearing another familiar name.

"Looks like you need my help after all," Jebat said with a smirk as he helped Tuah got back on his feet. "You're getting rusty, brother. I was tailing you and your new friend since late afternoon and you didn't even notice me." He said that with a triumphant tone, and Tuah only smiled back at his disciple brother in return.

'So this is Hang Jebat,' Adam thought with awe upon seeing Tuah and Jebat stood back to back with their keris unsheathed, ready to battle Strabimon. The two most famous Hang brothers were now before him, protecting him. Adam couldn't shake the majestic feeling he now had, but was snapped back to reality when he was reminded of who their opponent was. Heroes or no heroes, humans couldn't match a Digimon's strength, especially those without special powers. "Patamon," Adam whispered. "Tuah and Jebat can't fight Strabimon on their own. We should Digital Access."

"So the mysterious boy talks to animals now, does he?" Jebat inquired to Adam and gave the boy from the future a lopsided grin – a trait that caused Adam to blink in surprise as it easily reminded him of his cousin. "Leave the fighting to the big boys now, kid. Go hide somewhere."

Adam frowned. Unlike Tuah, Jebat was not instantly likable, but Adam decided to hold his judgment. After all, he and his cousin didn't get off nicely at first but now they were close. Nevertheless he still resented Jebat's arrogant tone; after all he was the DigiWira. But then again, how could Jebat know who he really was? Even Tuah wasn't made aware of the fact that Adam was a DigiWira yet. Looking past Jebat's arrogance tone, Adam realized that Jebat had meant well. To Tuah and Jebat, Adam was just a younger boy who needed their help.

However he couldn't risk them getting injured by Strabimon. He was a DigiWira; it was his responsibility to take care of evil Digimon. Besides he was keen on proving them wrong.

"Digital Access Digivolution, HAAAA!!"

The burst of power was absent. So was the lightshows which usually accompanied the Digivolution sequence. Looking down, Adam saw that he and Patamon hadn't digivolved into Aldiyamon. He shot Patamon an anxious look and Patamon shook his head, appearing shocked as well. Adam saw his Digivice radiating a soft violet glow and a strange symbol materialized on the screen, giving off an aura of malevolence, before they vanished and the glow subsided. 'What's going on? Why can't we Digital Access?'

"Hey, kid, stop acting ridiculous and get to safety!" Jebat said impatiently.

"Adam, take your Patamon and run straight ahead towards Mount Ledang," Tuah said and beckoned for the mountain. "We'll join you after we take care of this beast, alright?" He gave Adam an assuring smile. "Don't worry about us. Jebat and I make quite a team. We'll be fine."

Still somewhat stunned of his inability to Digital Access, Adam nodded numbly and took off with Patamon. Strabimon attempted to stop him but he was quickly intercepted by both Tuah and Jebat. Adam looked back and halted, seeing Jebat grappling with Strabimon while Tuah struck Strabimon's back with a chopping-style strike.

"Leave Adam alone! Your opponent is us!" Tuah said and attempted to stab Strabimon with his keris. Strabimon snorted and kicked him on his chest. Not going down quickly, Tuah grabbed on Strabimon's leg and swept a kick on the wolf's other leg, causing Strabimon to fall. "Jebat!"

Jebat somersaulted and landed a foot on Strabimon's throat, causing the wolf-man to choke violently. "Looks like we've beaten this man-wolf," he declared.

"Heh. Not quite, fools!" Strabimon's eyes flashed crimson and dark blue mists sprayed out of his mouth, obscuring both Tuah's and Jebat's visions. Taking advantage of his opponents' disadvantages, Strabimon leaped back on his feet and swept a roundhouse kick on both teens, sending them crashing upon a tree. Then he flexed his claws and approached the two teens, a sinister smile fixed on his face as he stood by the two defeated teenaged warriors. "You're not so tough! Who do you think you are, trying to fight a Wolfsbane? I might not be in my Ultimate form, but against you two cretins I need not to in order to defeat you! Now…DIE!!"

Strabimon swept his dangerous claws upon his foes, but was left astounded when both Tuah and Jebat vanished in swirls of bright orbs of light. Swearing loudly he saw them reappearing behind his prime target, now standing several meters before him. The DigiWira boy was glaring at him with his Patamon partner staring at him with slanted eyes.

"They don't have anything to do with this!" Adam said. "Your opponent is me!" He ignored the amazed murmurs from Tuah and Jebat pertaining to his teleportation power.

Strabimon snorted. "Without your ability to become a Wira Digital, you're just writing your own death sentence by challenging me!" Strabimon ran towards Adam, swinging his claws about menacingly.

"Don't be so sure!" Adam readied himself and when Strabimon was near enough he teleported away, and reappeared behind Strabimon along with Patamon. "On three, Patamon! Ok, THREE!!" Employing a skill taught to him by JD, Adam delivered a sound kick on Strabimon's back, while Patamon launched several Boom Bubbles on the same spot. The combined blows caused Strabimon to land on the earth facedown. With a roar Strabimon spun around and sprayed Adam and Patamon with mists, but the DigiWira paired vanished and reappeared several meters away, safe and sound. Infuriated, Strabimon got back up on his feet and charged towards Adam and Patamon. Instead of attacking Adam, he targeted Patamon by slapping him away against a tree before grinning at Adam wickedly.

"Now your partner's down, little boy," he snarled, enjoying seeing Adam's fearful expression. He darted towards Patamon and snatched him before Adam could teleport him away. "Now, let's see whether I can't squeeze the life out of your partner…"

"No! Stop!" Adam shouted, and tried to call upon his partner. However he hadn't refined his teleportation skill; he couldn't teleport Patamon while the Digimon was in Strabimon's grasp.

Tuah and Jebat watched the battle between Adam, Patamon and Strabimon with awe as they got back on their feet, both clutching their chests painfully.

"Tuah, who's your friend, really?" Jebat demanded. "Did you see what he could do? He vanished in swirls of light!"

Tuah shook his head, his mouth partially opened in bewilderment. In just a brief moment he'd been made known that Adam possessed otherworldly powers which he had never revealed. "I don't know, brother. Adam's been pretty quiet all these while. I don't know any of these. I thought he came with the traders, but he neither confirms nor denies it. I'm beginning to think that he isn't with the traders."

"You think?" Jebat snorted. "I know he's not with the traders. And I also know that he can't be trusted. Nobody has that kind of power! We better be careful with that kid, Tuah. He might be up to no good. He's been hiding a pretty major stuff from you all this time."

"If Adam is up to no good, he would've done something horrible to me already. He's had the chances but not once did he try to harm me." Tuah laid a hand on his disciple brother's shoulder. "I think there's more to this then we know. But so far I think he's a good guy. That werewolf called him a 'wira', and in my book all Wira are good guys. And now, he needs our help."

Jebat considered his disciple brother's words and nodded. "Well, if you say so, brother."

Patamon struggled to get out of Strabimon's grasp but the werewolf was too strong for him. He glared at Strabimon who was chuckling evilly as the werewolf slinked towards Adam, who out of fear for Patamon's life, remained unmoving. 'Adam's in danger! I must protect him!'

Taking a deep breath, he willed his own power to take its course and transformed into Centarumon, his natural Champion form, and was able to break free from Strabimon's grasp. With a neigh he slammed his front hooves on Strabimon's chest, sending the wolf man skidding towards a nearby tree. Centarumon neighed and galloped once more, this time intent on deleting Strabimon. But to his surprise Strabimon leaped back with blood pouring out of his mouth and clawed Centarumon viciously on the chest before smashing his feet on Centarumon's face, causing him to devolve back into Patamon.

"No! Patamon!!" Adam teleported Patamon back to him, and narrowed his eyes at Strabimon.

"What are you going to do now, boy?" Strabimon taunted. "Your friends are down, your partner's down…you're next!"

"Dream on, wretched monster!" Tuah and Jebat roared before Adam could reply, and he saw them somersaulting above him with their keris thrust towards Strabimon. Strabimon saw through their moves and evaded their strikes, but then Tuah and Jebat dispersed and attacked him from two sides. Avoiding Tuah, Strabimon had inadvertently left his back exposed for Jebat to strike with his keris. He snarled painfully as a sharp pain rose from his back, Jebat had viciously slashed him from the right shoulder all the way to the left side of his waist in a diagonal pattern. He turned around to strike Jebat but was halted when his shoulders are slashed by Tuah in one straight line, adding to his agony. Both slashes were deep and Strabimon felt liquid pouring out from them. Jebat leaped and delivered a kick on his butt while Tuah laid a foot on his back. Their combined forces threw Strabimon towards a tree trunk.

"Adam, take this!" Tuah threw his keris and Jebat followed his gesture just seconds later. Adam looked up at the two keris and teleported both blades into his hands. Without thinking, only trusting his instincts, Adam teleported in front of Strabimon and stabbed the werewolf on the right chest and stomach with both keris. Strabimon howled in pain as Adam vanished, reappearing in the middle of Tuah and Jebat, panting hard from the last attack he'd inflicted on the enemy.

Strabimon heaved his breath slowly and painfully and felt his power drained slowly as blood dripped from multiple wounds he had on his body. His vision became hazy, all of a sudden losing their efficiency in enabling him to see clearly in the dark. He realized that he was vulnerable now; there was no way he could fight without risking his life.

He hadn't expected this; these three human boys had managed to injure him so severely. Adam alone couldn't fight him, but backed up by two apparently skillful fighters they were a force to be reckoned with. He decided that he would deal with them later. He'd come back for them when he regained his full-digivolved form. 'I can have my revenge if I survive this night!' he thought with gritted teeth, not liking his decision at all. But he had no choice.

"We'll meet again, humans! Next time you won't be so lucky!"

Strabimon leaped onto a tree branch and from there he jumped from one branch to another, until he was gone from Adam's sight.

"Thank God he's gone…" Adam murmured and picked up Patamon from where he'd left him. The Digimon was unconscious. He then saw two shadows looming upon him and looked up at the curious gazes of Tuah and Jebat. "You two…thank you for your help," he said, knowing that he had a lot of explaining to do.

"You owe me a keris, kid," Jebat said with a low tone. "My keris is irreplaceable, and that wolf man creature has taken it away along with him!"

"Not really. Keris!!" Tuah and Jebat stared wide-eyed as on Adam's hands two familiar keris materialized in swirls of white orbs, cleaned and appearing as if they hadn't been used in the battle. Adam returned the keris to their owners and offered them a weak grin. "Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat…" he said and took a deep breath. "Do sit down. I owe you a lot of explanation...and I'm going to tell you everything. I just hope you'll be able to believe me after I'm finished."

xxx

Meanwhile, at a park close to the battle the DigiWira had with the Darkshadow Brethren, Manny gaped in shock after JD finished recounting the story behind the black cat tattoo on his chest. He didn't know what to say or even how to response. What would one do if a friend told you that he would die soon?

"JD…why didn't you tell us? Did Adam know about this too?" he asked, and struggled to keep his breaths steady. "Did your family know?"

"No, they don't. Nobody does except Agumon, TobuCatmon, those three ladies, and now you. I was careful not to show this tattoo in front of anyone," JD said with an even tone. "And look at you! This is precisely why I chose not to tell anyone!" He snorted and looked away at the night's full moon, Persiamon's last words echoing in his head.

"But JD, this is important. This isn't something you should keep from others!" Manny said with a broken voice. He thought about what JD had said about D'Arcmon's visions – he and Adam were both there when JD would meet his end. He shivered. "Don't…don't you think we deserve to know?"

"Hmm." JD didn't respond. Inward, he was scared, but he didn't need for both of them to be frightened. Manny alone was enough.

"JD, we're your friends. How do you think keeping this away from us makes us feel?" Manny said again. "What would Adam feel? Among all of us, he's closest to you. You're his family. How do you think he'll feel if one day he wakes up and sees you…sees you…"

"I know exactly how he's gonna feel!" JD snapped. The brave front he'd kept on his face faltered, as D'Arcmon's words about her vision crossed his mind. "I know exactly how he's gonna feel," he said again with a softer tone when he saw his friend flinch. His hazel eyes glinted. "I won't let him feel the pain of losing another family member, which is why I'm gonna get to the bottom of this before my time's up!" he said with determination. "Until then, no one will know about this, got it Manny?"

"But…"

"Manny! If words about this got around the others or my folks, I know precisely who's to blame!" JD gave Manny a warning look.

"But, JD," Manny protested. "What if…what if you can't find a solution before the next full moon? What then?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there!" JD said evenly. "Let's hope I won't have to," he added lightly, not wanting to make Manny feel worse. Actually, he was touched by his friend's concern, but he didn't know how much he could handle with Manny now knowing about this. It was easier when nobody knew; he'd be able to go on as if things were normal with the others. But now, whenever the five of them were together he'd always know that Manny could see through his pretense. "Man, this sucks!"

Manny nodded silently before reaching out to place an assuring grasp on his friend's shoulder. "JD, we're in this together. If that's what you want, I won't tell anyone. And JD, if there's anything I can do…"

"Don't act like I'm made out of glass," JD said quickly. "Really man, don't. I can deal with the pain but what I can't deal is people crying over me. I know you meant well, and I appreciate your concern…but I'm just…not that type of person, okay?" He paused and gazed at his younger friend and saw his russet eyes shimmering. He shook his head. "Just act normally with me. This is the reason why I don't want to tell you guys. I know the girls will freak out, and you remember how Adam was when Kak Lisha was in coma? I'd hate to see him becoming like that again. Knowing that you know will make things harder for me. At least when all of you don't know about this I can at least act normally, forget about this damn thing for a while. Now I know that you know, and I'll always know that you'll see through my act. Although in the end, if after one month…you know…you guys might hate me for keeping this all to myself…"

"Don't say that, JD," Manny cut in quickly, not wanting to even think that there was a possibility that JD would die in one month. "We'll figure out a way."

JD kept his gaze affixed to the full moon while quenching his growing anxiety of his apparent doom. Agumon and Penguinmon who were sitting on a seesaw nearby gazed at him; Agumon looking like he was going to cry while Penguinmon – normally sarcastic and loud – looked sympathetic as he patted his dino friend softly. For a moment there was silence.

A beep from their D-Terminals broke the uneasy quietness. JD was the first to take out his D-Terminal and he wildly scanned the entries, hoping that now it was not a false alarm. He was not disappointed this time around.

"C'mon. TobuCatmon's found where Adam, Liu Ying and Gayathri are at right now."

xxx

Author's Notes:

Plots unfold in this second part of the Movie arc. If you're confused with all the historical references, everything will be made clear on the Movie's finale chapter. As I have mentioned in the previous chapter's author notes, I'm using the lack of information about the characters as a chance to develop them into fuller characters. Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat are both renowned warriors, but for Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu and Hang Kasturi I have to figure out ways to make them as interesting as the other two. Princess Tun Teja is a very minor figure in the history but she's known to exist so I chose her to become the main female figure of the past in this arc.