Chapter 11: Spirit Evolvers
"How many people grieve?
Watching from the shadows
Envying and yet helping
And you don't even know they're there.
Pull it out
Burn it in
Release the spirit
But don't crossover…"
Year: May 13, 2308
Location: Spirit Alley, Africaus Tri-Border
The grizzly bear growled as it raged across the empty plain, leaving deep furrows in the ground. Its eyes flashed a crazed red as it edged nearer then veered off again, continuing its frantic pacing.
Nearby, at the four corners of the plain, four great dragons sat and watched the bear.
After a while the pink dragon to the south and the blue dragon to the east flew off, seeming bored.
The other two sat silently arguing over who could have the boy but finally the golden dragon of the west relented and flew off.
The red of the north, clearly the winner of the silent debate, flew over to the grizzly bear and spoke almost too softly "You are mine now, the third world calls..."
The dream changed then, a swirl of different scenes and images that made no sense. Finally, it settled again on another strange meeting.
This world was very different from the others; it hardly seemed to have substance. The spirits of animals, digimon, and humans alike floated by in a thick mist.
The scarred boy hovered near the edge of the crowd, his eyes shadowed by longing as he looked for one creature in particular but no matter how hard he looked, he could not find his lost partner.
At that moment though the boy was distracted from his grief as an angel digimon flew up to him with the appearance of a child.
"You are touched by the north dragon, a strange choice" the digimon murmured, gazing back into the crowd.
The boy glanced blankly at the angel and made no reply.
The angel smirked and shook his head "You shouldn't come back here, the next time you won't be able to leave"
Keith started awake as he pulled out of the strange dream. It had been three years since the dream had first started, three years since the mauling that had left him scarred and nearly dead, yet that stupid dream wouldn't go away.
"You okay?" a voice called from the alley as an older boy poked his head in.
"Fine Alex" Keith muttered, shaking his head as he shook off the dream and got up for the day.
Alex looked ready to argue but he just shrugged and ducked out again, calling to someone else outside "He's up Liana, is breakfast ready?"
"Yep, drag him out while it's hot" the girl's voice replied, followed closely by the sound of sizzling bacon.
Keith sighed and stretched before snagging a shirt off the floor and slipping it on. Almost like home, too bad I'm leaving today He stepped out of the box he had been sleeping in for nearly a month and headed down the alley to the cart table.
Alex was already seated beside Liana, his strange bat features more noticeable in the sunlight, while Liana's white lioness tail twitched occasionally.
Liana glanced up as he approached, taking in the burn on his wrist, and sighed "Decided to join us after all?"
Keith shrugged, piling a plate with bacon and stale biscuits before sitting opposite them "Guess so, might as well do something"
"So you're set on tracking down that wolf pack? They disbanded years go now" Alex muttered, filling his own plate while Liana just nibbled on some bacon.
"They're the only lead I have, it would be easier if I could go to the digital world freely" Keith grumbled, continuing an old argument as he ate.
"Of course but we can't, you have to have a digimon to cross freely" it was Liana that answered, getting up to fetch juice.
Alex nodded, pausing to check the near empty butter bowl, and sighed "Remember what I said, some of the others will help."
Keith nodded, finished his breakfast, and went to pack his bag.