Chapter Five

The beanstalk seemed to stretch on forever but Takato was stubborn and wouldn't back down. When he had seen his mother throw the beans away, his heart twisted, but when he woke up that morning and saw the beanstalk, his heart soared. Resting on a rather large leaf that could have let Milky the cow on it without bending, Takato looked over the edge at the kingdom sprawling below. The woods seemed like a green cloak spreading close to miniature houses that some child seemed to have left outside. Takato felt like a cloud, soaring over all the kingdom. Surely not the princes or even King Satsuma himself had been this high. Even though his mother had scolded him, Takato felt proud that he had exchanged his cow friend for those magic beans.

Feeling like he had enough of a rest, Takato started to climb again. His limbs ached as he climbed but he wouldn't go back down. There had to be something up that high. There just had to be. Takato's stomach rumbled hungrily but he still wouldn't go back down to get food. Each inch felt like a mile but still Takato bravely climbed on. Bird Digimon laughed at him as they flew past and he exchanged insults with them but continued on. The clouds were coming closer. Ever closer. "Soon," Takato said to himself as he climbed. "I'll touch the sky. I'll be the first one in the entire kingdom to do so!"

What was in the sky? That question was one that had always been in Takato's mind, even as a young child clinging to his mother's apron strings. Was there Digimon dwelling there to eat any birds who flew too close to the sun? Was there riches to be had there, protected by dragons? Did the spirits of the dead live up there? Takato just had to know. No one, not even his own mother, was going to let him throw away this chance for adventure.

Higher and higher, he went. Takato's chest ached for lack of the air he was used to. The air at this height was dreadfully thin but even this obstacle was not great enough to make him turn back. It only made him rest on another leaf and that only briefly. His desire to see what was above the clouds was too strong for him to do otherwise. There, the clouds seemed to be close enough to touch. Takato needed to move again. So, turning around and finding hand and foot holds, the boy started his upward journey again.

The clouds were white but wet, Takato's clothes were damp when he emerged from the cloud cover. He blinked, the sky seemed to be still miles away but the clouds were the strangest part. It seemed like he was back in the kingdom again but the clouds were the ground. Blades of grass, twice as tall as Takato, grew as far as he could see. He turned and looked at the beanstalk, it grew no higher.

"This is more like it," Takato said, satisfied that this was the adventure of a lifetime and set off to explore in the jungle of grass.

-

The ground started to shake and Takato fell forward. He looked up and saw the smiling face of a giant. His face was rounded, like a child's, and his green eyes twinkled with a small child's curiosity. "Bug," the giant said, his voice was like thunder and Takato had to cover his ears for the great volume of it.

The giant moved a hand towards Takato and he tried to run. When the hand didn't touch him, Takato looked up. Another giant, more terrible and far bigger than the other, was grabbing the other giant's arm. This bigger giant's eyes were angry, and to Takato's great relief, aimed at the smaller giant and not at him.

"Tomoki!" the bigger giant barked, and Takato's ears started to ache. "You brat! This is the Ishida place! Mother told you not to play here! Do you want Yamato after your hide?!"

Tomoki, the younger giant, put on the biggest pout Takato ever saw. "Big brother," Tomoki said, trying to reason with the older giant. "I thought I saw a little man."

Tomoki's brother raised an eyebrow the size of a wagon. "Huh," he said. "A little man? I doubt it."

Takato crouched down to try to hide himself, but the giants seemed to be only interested in arguing over the existence of little men. Taking advantage of this, he sneaked past them towards a castle that seemed to rise from the ground like a plant.

-

It probably took him hours to reach the castle but Takato couldn't care less. This was a real adventure and he was enjoying every moment of it. When he had reached the castle of the giants, Takato felt a lump in his throat. A giant, lean with light blond hair, was leaning on the door. A Digimon, a flying creature called Patamon, was by this giant's side. The giant sighed and moved away from the door.

Takato, seeing his chance, lunged and crawled under the door. Neither the giant nor Patamon noticed him, or if they did, they simply didn't care. His heart shaking in his chest, Takato moved into the great castle of the giant Yamato.

Inside of the castle, Takato crept carefully down the main hall of the castle until he saw a female giant sweeping the floor with a broom the size of a house. Her long purple hair fell around her face and shoulders. Unlike the other giants Takato had seen so far, this one was wearing glasses and noticed him. Straightening up, the giantess moved towards him after setting her broom down.

Takato dashed back towards the door but the giantess was faster and grabbed him before he could get away. "What do we have here?" the giantess asked Takato, raising him to her eye level. He winced as she unintentionally squeezed him too hard.

-

Yamato was the richest of all the giants. When he was a young giant, he had dared to climb down to the ground and raid from the kingdoms of men. Within time, he had gathered quite a lot of gold and valuable objects. None of the other giants tried to steal from him, he was far too large and strong for that, even if his fighting days were long gone. Yamato now just wanted to live a quite life with his younger brother, Takeru, and his wife, Miyako.

On the day that Takato had entered his castle, Yamato was just getting up from a long nap. He had popped into the kitchen for something to eat. An old familiar scent came to his nose as he entered the kitchen and saw Miyako leaning against the table. Could it be...? Yes, the scent was unmistakable. A man was in the kitchen. Miyako hadn't noticed him coming in but Yamato thought he saw movement on the table. He had spotted Takato.

Takato saw the giant enter the room and froze. The giantess was a friend and wouldn't harm him, she even gave him good food to eat, but this newcomer was big and hungry looking. The fun was done, time to leave. Without a word to Miyako, Takato launched himself onto her dress and slid down her apron string. The giantess was surprised at this and was about to say something when she noticed Yamato coming in to grab Takato. That just wouldn't do.

-

Takato patted the sack of gold at his side proudly. It was difficult getting out of the castle of the giants but, with a little help from the giantess, it was done. Although, Takato thought, the giantess didn't look pleased with the fact that he had stolen some gold. That was to be expected, though, and Takato didn't think much of that. His family would be set for a while.

That thought kept him going as he climbed the beanstalk down to earth. His mother would be proud of him.

-

Sora groaned as she woke up. After searching for the lost cow for a few hours without seeing it, she had given up and decided to sleep on the ground. It had been a bad move, her clothes were filthy now and her back ached terribly. Standing up, Sora picked a few dead leaves out of her hair and took stock of her surroundings. Before she could gather her wits fully, the sound of feet came to her ears. Being in a cautious mood, Sora ducked behind some bushes and waited.

-

Daisuke was surprised when he saw his brother, Junpei, in the woods. With V-mon at his side, he had confronted his brother. "Junpei," he said. "There you are. Father was getting anxious. Where have you been?"

Junpei gave a great yawn and stretched lazily. "I've been searching in the woods since the ball ended last night," Junpei said.

"For what?" asked V-mon, curiosity getting the better of him. Daisuke nodded, he too, wanted to know.

"For the maiden I danced the night away with," Junpei sighed wistfully. "You know the one, Daisuke. The loveliest maiden in the entire kingdom, that one..."

"Oh, her," Daisuke said, nonchalantly. "She was quite beautiful, it's true, but the loveliest? I've seen the loveliest maiden in the kingdom and she's not a blonde."

Junpei raised an eyebrow, not impressed by Daisuke's statement. "Oh? Is that why you're in the woods?" he asked sarcastically. "Show me this lovely maiden you speak of."

Daisuke shrugged his shoulders, sheepishly. "If I could, I would. She's lives in the woods. Three leagues east of here, past the grassy knoll," Daisuke said. "That's true enough but in a high tower that has no doors or stairs."

"How do you pay her a visit, then?"

"I say, 'Hikari, Hikari, let down your hair to me'. Then she lets down the most beautiful hair in the entire kingdom, as rich as cream, to me. Then I climb it," Daisuke said and glared at his brother when he gave a low chuckle.

"I don't believe it," Junpei said. "This Hikari sounds like something you made up."

Daisuke was offended and V-mon glowered at Junpei. "She's as real as your maiden," Daisuke said. "And saner. Who ever heard of a maiden running away from a prince?"

"I have," Junpei said sadly. "Did I abuse her? Did I insult her, Daisuke? If not, why did she run from my open arms? If I never find her again, how will I gain the heart she stole and ran off with?"

Daisuke shook his head, he didn't have any answers for Junpei's questions. "Hour by hour she sits maintaining the most beautiful hair. She keeps singing a lighthearted song, it's maddening when you climb her hair," Daisuke stated. "I know she would go with me, if there only were doors."

"It's agony," Junpei sighed.

"Pure misery," V-mon said.

"Oh what woe!" Daisuke cried.

An expression of joy passed over Junpei's features. "I think I know why she ran," he said proudly. "The girl must be mad!"

Daisuke scoffed. "You know nothing of madness!" he nearly shouted. "Until your climbing someone's hair! Oh and she keeps singing while you do it! Always singing!"

"I'll marry her," the brothers said nearly in unison. With this statement, the princes departed in seperate ways.

Sora stuck out her head. "Two princes, each more handsome than the last," she said wistfully. "No! Get the hair!"

This was a fun chapter to write and not nearly as cracky as the last chapter. Takato got his adventure in the sky and the Princes talk about their loves that are out of reach. In fact... The idea of Junpei and Daisuke singing "Agony" was the insperation of this fic.