Chapter 4:New Faces, in New Places!

"King Andros knew about the plot to storm the castle." Master Alden, apowerful Bancholeomon, and a trusted friend of the old King's, retold the plans to save the four royal teenagers. "He trusted me intervene when i saw fit."

"You couldn't have stepped in sooner?!" Eli sat in his royal blue gi, an outfit he had recieved upon his arival. He was kneeling over a small pallet on wich his furry partner, Saphiramon, was lain. He spoke to his new Sensei without removing his eyes from the unconscious dragon in front of him.

"Lord Elliot," The wise lion digimon walked beside the young lord,placing his hand on his shoulder, "It was necessary. I needed you to feel the strength of The Dark Legione, in order to learn what I have to teach."

"I'm back." A tall boy, looking to be sevnteen, or eighteen, years of age apeared in the wooden doorway. His accent was french, his hair was a platinum blonde, an his clothes he wore a grey,and gold gi, made in the same style as Eli's. Behind him, an extrmely tall grey skinned humanoid digimon, whose face was shrouded with a golden mask. His hands almost drug the floor, and his wings came close to scraping the ceiling.

"Ah, everyone, this is Coop, Coop du'Crepsy. He and Neodevimon are my apprentices. As are you eight now." Bancholeomon smiled, baring large fangs.

"We shall begin at six am, on the dot. you will be served breakfast, and we shall begin training at six fourty-five. Get acquianted with Elliot, he is your room-mate."

"It's Eli!" Eli got his final words in, just before bancholeomon left.

"Ma lady," Neodevimon degenerated into Impmon, and Coop had crossed the room, and was on his knee in front Arrianna, whose gi was a deep purple color. He took her hand, and kissed it, befor she had time to react. "Your name love?"

~"He's SO cute!" Her inner self shouted in her head. "Keep your cool"~ Arrianna caught herself smiling, but whiped it off immediately, "Arrianna, and I am ABSOLUTELY no love of yours." ~"Nice save."~

He stood, and walked to Mary-Alice, who wore a the same style clothing as everyone else but in pink. "And you ma lady?"

"Mary-Alice." She giggled, as did Impmon, Gatomon, and Dorumon.

"And you sir are Lord Elliot?" Coop wlked to Eli, holding out his hand.

"It's ELI!" He stood, furious, hands curled into fists. "Three letter's! E-L-I ELI! not Elliot! You bottle blpnde, Fake accented, REJECT! ARGH!" He stormed through the doorway, outside.

Coop was speechless, as was every occupant of the room. Arrianna, Mary-alice, and their digimon knew Eli wasn't one to blow up like that. they knew the reason to. Eli had been distans, and angry Since the prior days events.

"I'll go find him, come on Gatomon." Mary-Alice exited the room, while Arrianna appologized, and explained the situation to Coop. The pixi-like Mary-Alice seemed to have a connection with Eli. Not that they were not close to Arrianna, the cousins were closer than siblings, it was just that Mary-Alice, and Eli had a bond.

She didn't need to look very far, Bancholeomn's dojo was on a cliff. Her cousin was sitting on a pile of rocks, looking out at the grassy valley bellow him.

"El?" Mary-Alice approached her best friend, and cousin, holding Gatomon in her arms.

"What is it May." They reffered to each other as El and May, nick-names they'd given each other when they were just toddlers, learning how to speak. He addressed Mary-Alice, without removing his forlorn eyes from the valleys.

"That wasn't nice, El, Coop was just being cordial, he didn't know you went by Eli." She took a seat by her favored cousin, and scratched Gatomon behind the ears.

"Him, and that blasted Bancholeomon," He spat after refering to Alden," They're both the same, they're going to wait till we're attacked, and run like the cowards they are." His blue eye's that were unique, in that they had flakes of gold in them, were full of anger and hate.

"El, what happened to Saphiramon wasn't..." She stopped when Eli stood, his hands balled into fists once again.

"No! it wasn't their faults, it was mine! If I wasn't head strong," He began to tear up, his voice break, and he began to sob, "I would have digivolved Saphiramon, I would hav, have, stepped in, I-I-I" he sank to his knees, he had never felt so vulnerable. He sat on the pile of rocks, while Mary-Alice held him, crying along side him.

"Eli, Mary-Alice, it's Saphiramon, come look!" Arrianna, stuck her head through the doorway of the dojo. Eli stood, and sprinted into the training shack, Mary-alice on his heels.

"Saphiramon!" Eli pushed through the digimon gathered around his partner, Coop stood over the crowd, and Bancholeomon, leaned in the of the room. "Your awake! Are you ok, can you talk? do you know who I am? Say my name, Do you know who you are? why are you not answering me!" He was in histerics, he held the dragon in a hug, shaking himside to side.

"Um Eli?" Saphiramon squeeked out. "Can you do something for me?"

"Yes buddy, anything!" Eli smiled, he was no longer crying, but was excited

"Your choking me, let go!" Saphiramonwriggled out of Eli's arms, and rammed into his chest, knocking him on the floor. He then proceeded to lick his face, all over.

"Now that we're all accounted for," Master Alden stepped forward, "We will begin training tomorrow."