Chapter 4: Lionheart

"Can you slow down? My very life is flashing before mine eyes!" Kira cried out at Exveemon who shook his head a little, at the boy's complaints.

"I'm getting air-sick!" Biyomon added hurling over the edge as he rubbed his belly.

"This is great, I can feel the air in my hair, feel that breeze," Sakura said loudly looking out over the sea unable to help herself but enjoy the air, the breeze, she loved flying.

"Tell me about it," Kotemon agreed with a smile as his tail waved up and down a little, his shinai strapped to his back.

Michiru had by now grasped onto the huge reptilian digimon, his eyes closed as he prayed to every kami out there for help, as his sister cackled happily, likewise enjoying the feeling of flight. Itachi was in the same boat except he was busy screaming alongside Elecmon who had reacted with just as much horror as his partner.

"This is enjoyable, can you fly faster?" Kaitou called out to the huge digimon, as Dorumon giggled a little even as he glanced worriedly over at Biyomon and Itachi, while Dracomon enjoyed the moment next to his partner, ignoring his cries of desperation as best he could.

"Yeah, speed it up a little would you!" Dracomon called out, while Keramon sighed irritably at the loud reactions of all the humans, and digimon, all too panicked or excited to properly think or behave themselves with a modicum of dignity.

"I'm getting mixed messages over here, calm down kids just a little bit further," Exveemon yelled back at them, only to wince his powerful shoulders as several of the digimon dug their claws or talons in at, the same time that the humans dug their finger-nails into the flesh of his arms, from where he was holding onto them. "YEOW! Lighten up a little on the claws would you all? I swear I won't drop any of you, so loosen your grips a little please!"

They were at the last leg of their journey, with Exveemon more than eager to put them down despite all they had done for him, and how scared most of them were. Thankfully the castle lay just a bit below them, or more specifically the front entrance, where he came in for a landing in front of the doors.

Most breathed a sigh of relief, while others such the girls, Kotemon and Dracomon grumbled in disappointment as Exveemon with all the gentleness in the world put them down on the stone steps leading up to the great gates of Castle Isle.

"There you go, Castle Isle as I promised, I hope Agunimon can provide more assistance and information than I have been able to, best of luck Digidestined." Exveemon said as he stood up in preparation to take flight for Byakko Isle back to the Motimon Village.

"Bye-bye Exveemon!" Dorumon shouted at his back, waving his arm energetically.

"Take care Exveemon," Yelled Michiru, Sana, Sakura, Itachi and Kotemon.

"Bye, thanks for everything!" Kira called out after him with both of his arms after the huge aerial digital monster.

"What a kind digimon," Dracomon remarked cheerily, as he flapped his wings a little to better express himself.

"He may look dorky, but yeah," Kira retorted with a chuckle as he turned to the great barriers of the castle, with a grin.

"I sure hope this Agunimon knows how and why we were brought here," Michiru said turning as well from Kira's left, at the center of the group he led the charge to turn his mind from gratitude to their newfound friend, to the greater matter of entering Agunimon's domain.

"Me too," Sakura added, studying the thick bolted iron doors that loomed over them at almost ten feet high, with the castle towers topped with gargoyles and with battlements that would have any Philip II or Edward I shuddering at the thought of trying to overtake even without the Folder Sea between them and it.

"What kind of castle is it?" Sana asked studying unfamiliar with the style, as she had seen the castles in Kyoto years ago with her parents and brother, and Edo castle but this was different.

"It's a western one," Itachi explained with an admiring look at the battlements, which seemed to loom almost all the way to the heavens to him.

"Yes, what we saw years ago, was the Japanese styled ones," Michiru added.

"How do you know that?" Sana asked with a glance at Itachi who shrugged his tiny shoulders.

"I read it in a book once," He replied as he explained, "I wasn't allowed to have games."

"Sounds terrible," Kaitou said while the nerd nodded his head vigorously, an active kid who loved video games and had played many with his cousin, despite his grandfather's pure hatred for everything new and of the current generation.

"I like this style of castle," Sana said admiring it also, with Kira smiling at her warmly while he nodded, he loved everything European himself.

"Let's go in, I'm sure Agunimon won't mind us knocking," Kotemon encouraged them, pleased by their admiration for one of the principal digimon heroes of the area's home, and impressed himself by its grandeur as he had never seen save from a distance.

"Whatever," Keramon muttered indifferently, he had no interest in the castle, only in seeing what he knew about the Real World and the Digiworld and how travel between them might work.

"I can't wait to meet him, how does my fur look?" Dorumon asked Biyomon as he tried to flatten some of his fur to meet the second most famous digimon in the entire archipelago.

"As fat and thick as ever," Biyomon chirped back at him with a grin.

"Thank you-why do you do that?" Dorumon grumbled in reply, having caught onto the joking insult a heartbeat too late.

"Because you make it so easy." Was the witty response.

The twelve of them stumbled on forward, as Sakura took one of the great knockers connected to one of the huge leonine heads connected to the gates. Knocking three loud times, no more and no less, as was considered proper, or so she thought the girl waited about a minute before she got impatient and shared a glance expressing such with Kira, who looked about ready to try it himself.

They waited another minute, wherein they all fidgeted and waited, each one of them as eager as the last to enter, as Kaitou rubbed his legs together, suddenly needing a washroom, as he scowled at the door.

"Can't we just go in?" He asked plaintively eager to hide how desperate he was, with only Dorumon glancing back at the rear, where he stood.

"Patience, Kaitou," He counseled emphatically, only to mutter to himself when he faced the doors once more, "Even if it is difficult."

'Patience he says,' The boy thought annoyed by the digimon's scolding him when he already knew the lesson of patience well enough, it wasn't his fault his worst enemy moreso than even Kuwagamon or the Dark Rings was his own bladder.

"Nobody is answering," Keramon noted only to remark, "Open the doors already before the boy wets himself."

"And I really need my third nap today, I mean I hate sleeping with the splashing sound of the sea in my ears," Elecmon added applying extra pressure to the older kids, with two of them sighing wearily at the impatience of the party while the last one rolled his eyes at the other two's reactions.

"What did you expect? We haven't had much luck since we got here," Kira grunted as he moved to check the hinges of the gates, to see which way they went, only to conclude that they went inwards, "We'll have to push against it."

They at first tried to shove it open it with only the strength of the two older boys, with Sakura pressing them impatiently, "Hey put your backs into it. Don't hold back, more strength you two, put your weight too while you're at it."

"Yeah, you two need to work out more," Sana noted unimpressed, by the two boys who ceased their pushing only to glare back at them.

"Maybe you two would like to try, rather than sit back and judge," Michiru snarled furiously at them, with Kotemon shaking his head at their antics.

"Let's all put our backs into it," He decided with a warning look to the two sheepish girls the younger whom giggled in response a little, having been partially teasing.

The gates opened not immediately, the strength of the iron behind it impressive in its thickness and weightiness as it slowly peeled open until they could all slip inside of it. To the surprise of all they found a small square courtyard, with the stone path leading forward to another set of iron gates, which looked slightly smaller than the first set. Off to the left, was a small sign attached near to the roof with a sign for a woman's bathroom, while to the right of the doors was a men's room.

"Thank heavens," Kaitou gasped as he raced forward with his partner right behind him, calling out after him.

"Kaitou not so fast, be careful! I'll go with you," Dorumon said loudly at his back, as he tore across the courtyard leaving the others behind to wait for them, which they did for about two minutes.

"It's strange that Agunimon isn't here, he's renowned for his good-manners," Biyomon was busy explaining to the group with Michiru rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"How very Japanese of him," Sakura remarked comparing him favourably to the incredibly polite Japanese people of earth.

"Yeah," Kira agreed with a grin, "Thought he's not showing it today."

"True, though I imagine there must be a good reason holding him up," Kotemon responded with a glance at the gates that stood before them.

"Perhaps he's already got guests, who flew or swam in," Itachi suggested scratching the back of his head.

"Or maybe he's given up on being polite, and became a jerk," Sana suggested also, as Dracomon shot her an annoyed look.

"He'd never do that!"

"He's too honourable, almost as much so as Apemon!" Biyomon snapped irritably, admiring both digimon a great deal, though a trickster he had grown to love the tales and rumours of the heroism and goodness of the two most celebrated digimon in the locality of the archipelago.

"Try telling him that," Kira said sarcastically, as he glanced over at the bathroom where Kaitou had disappeared off to, only for the door to flap open as he raced back towards them. "Why do you think there is a medieval European styled castle built on an island, only for the first thing to be seen inside its walls, to be a set of washrooms?"

"Who knows," Michiru replied.

"Well, doesn't it make sense the first thing you'd want to do is use the washroom?" Dracomon rebutted confused by their questions as they shook their heads unable to figure out how to answer.

"Sorry for that," Kaitou apologized embarrassed, as Sakura nodded her head at him.

"Did you wash your hands?" The twelve years old girl asked sternly as the others stepped forward towards the doors eager to enter inside.

"Uh-huh."

"I made sure he did wash his hands," Dorumon informed her proudly, as he smiled widely at his partner who shot him an irritated look, feeling outraged as he knew he was a kid but he didn't need to be supervised or reminded to wash his hands.

"Now can we get going?" Keramon asked impatiently, eager to get going as he didn't care one way or another about this pathetic Agunimon, only that once they did these children would be satisfied with trying to leave the thrice-bedamned isles of Folder.

"Yeah, yeah," Elecmon uttered waving away his impatience, as he began to hop forward, "Let's hope these next ones, aren't as heavy or stubborn as the last doors."

"Yeah, or we might need you to lean against them with all your weight rather than just a part of it," Biyomon teased as he glanced at the plump belly that was growing out, from Elecmon who scowled at her.

"I'm just big-boned."

"Knock it off you two," Sakura commanded, thinking they were fighting (they weren't, not completely), as she moved to the doors to examine them, "Do you think we're supposed to knock on these doors?"

"Maybe, it'd be the right thing to do," Michiru commented in complete agreement with her about being respectful and polite, but he knew he'd soon be starving, thirsty and tired as they always were on this alien planet, as he once again wondered about how all the stars were out of place, no north star? It proved his theory, he thought.

"I don't think the kids will last, if you wait around forever, given how they all look tired or impatient," Dracomon pointed out as he hurried to keep up with their strides, and to throw himself against the door in an attempt to open it.

"Dracomon! We need to show at least some respect," Kira said startled by his partner's impatience, only to glance behind him at the impatient Sana and Itachi, and the weary Kaitou.

"Yeah!" Biyomon agreed at once.

"Respect can wait, once we're inside I'm sure Agunimon won't mind," Kotemon said mildly, trying to hide his own impatience and eagerness to get inside, as he stepped forward to add his own muscles to those being used to push open the doors. "This thing is almost as heavy as Elecmon!"

"You know, I'm standing right here," Elecmon grunted as he sighed and decided to help also.

Once it was pushed open, the kids milled in, some against their will as was the case with Sakura, Michiru and Biyomon, whilst others did so relieved to be indoors for the first time in what felt like months but was in reality just a day and night or so.

The ceiling was dark and stony, as one might expect from a castle, while the walls were littered with tapestries, mostly of famous digimon, some even had strange symbols on them that confused even the digimon, such as an orange sun with shard like rays around it. The famous digimon were identified as Apemon, what Elecmon called Leomon, and even what was identified as the heroic Ogremon from old tales, who helped a group of great heroes destroy a wave of darkness.

Unfortunately, who or what those heroes were, had long since passed out of legend, with none of the digimon able to tell them much (or willing to say much on Keramon's part). Though, as they passed Michiru took a keen interest in the heraldry, as it looked otherworldly, beautiful and yet simple in design.

"Those markings are quite something, what do you suppose they mean?" He tried asking of his partner who shrugged.

"Agunimon knows a lot, and so does Apemon, but who knows? I'm not familiar with those symbols, maybe you could ask Agunimon, after we stop by the dining hall." The red and blue digimon suggested, not wholly interested as he noted more the architecture and the defensibility of it, and prayed that there were no traps.

Once they had reached the megaron though, several doors revealed themselves, several to the left others to the right, a set of stairs were also spotted, leading up to two more doors one to each side. Everyone looked divided.

"We should look for the kitchen," Dorumon advised wisely, "Everyone will soon be hungry."

"That's true," Sakura agreed at once, though she didn't feel all that hungry at the moment, it paid to be prepared, she then noticed one thing about two sets of doors to the right, "Oh look, more bathrooms why another set?"

"Maybe Agunimon has a weak bladder," Keramon suggested sarcastically.

"Don't be mean, even if it is possible," Biyomon objected weakly.

"I say we find this Agunimon, who cares about food right now," Sana said firmly, "I want to know if he knows a way back home, why should we waste our time on food now?"

"Kid has a point," Kira pointed out, only to hurry to add when they glanced back at him, "About the finding the authority figure in the local area, not about the other thing."

"Then it looks like we are at an impasse," Michiru noted passively, though he primarily agreed with Kira and Sana.

"Is this where we imitate Scooby-Doo and split up and search for clues?" Kaitou asked excitedly with a laugh, as his levity cheered them all up a little, causing a round of laughter to circulate amongst several of them (save for Kotemon, Keramon and Itachi).

"I guess so," Itachi assented though he was not as familiar with the western cartoon, a frown on his lips he glanced from one direction to another.

"What exactly is a 'Scooby-Doo'? Or is he a digimon from your world?" Kotemon asked his partner confused.

"A crime solving dog, it's quite a good cartoon, weird but good." She explained as she thought about which way to go.

"What an interesting concept, and you say our world is strange," Kotemon remarked as he shook his head, "I say we aim for the summit of this castle, I want to see the ocean from it."

"Let's first try looking for either Agunimon or the kitchen then we'll see about the top of the castle," Sakura decided instead, trying to be wise as she glanced at Michiru pondered her idea, as he then nodded alongside Kira.

"I'll go with the group that goes looking for Agunimon, maybe we'll find a clue on the next floor." Kira suggested before he added, "You could check out the bottom floors after you find the kitchen, then double back and meet us on the roof."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," Michiru assented with a shrug now of his own, as he threw a glance at the children, "Sana will come with me."

"Sure, I guess." Sana said shooting a look to the doors and stairs, "But what if we run into trouble?"

"Maybe, we should divide those who's digimon can digivolve further, between the two groups." Michiru said to her concerns, thinking rapidly as Sakura objected.

"But two of them are children!" Sakura said forgetting that she was a child herself.

"Then why don't you take the two with you, while Kira sticks with me," Michiru replied aware he was taking on the harder task of managing the melodramatic Kira and the eternally defiant Sana with him, on top of the whiny Elecmon and prankful Biyomon.

"Fine," Sakura assented with a sigh as she whipped about to take off, saying over her shoulder to Itachi and Kaitou who had been preoccupied with a tapestry of a strange digimon, holding claws with his hands and in full armour and an armoured face of sorts with three horns.

"Um sure," Kaitou said at once, only to remark as he had been half-listening, "So the kitchens first, then where are we going?"

"The roof I think," Itachi answered uncertainly, indifferent to which group he was on, so long as it wasn't Kira's group.

"We're headed to the kitchen then the lower levels of the castle, then to the top floors," Sakura explained as she swept out of the room towards a door on the right next to the washrooms, only to turn to the digimon, "Could you try looking into every door on this floor? I want to see if maybe it's directly connected to the dining hall, it'd make sense I think."

"Roger," Kotemon said at once, as he took off for another door.

"Fine," Keramon agreed indifferently whilst Dorumon nodded his head eager to help the group, however he could.

"Let's get going," Sana cheered pumping her right arm up in excitement, ecstatic at the chance to have an adventure and explore this strange castle, which she had never seen the style of all that often in the past.

"I'm fascinated Sana, why haven't you seen this sort of castle before? Don't you read comics or manga?" Kira asked as they headed up the stairs, only to decide on the left set of stairs and doors.

"Eh, don't need 'em," Sana retorted without much interest, "I don't like school neither."

"I hate it too," Kira agreed at once, as he was fairly disgusted with school himself, as it was too boring for his taste.

"I hope we find something shiny," Dracomon murmured as he traipsed after his partner.

"Don't think you can take it for yourself," Elecmon scolded as he followed.

"I'm no thief!" the dragon digimon snapped, unaware that he was for all intents and purposes exactly that.

"Sure, and I'm no bird," Biyomon joshed as always, as he flew overhead of everyone, too impatient to walk up the stairs and to wait for the group to hurry it up to the door they were intent upon.

'It's a wonder this group has managed to stay together,' Michiru thought as he studied those around him, he did not exclude himself from his analysis of the situation and of those involved. He had his own flaws, it was only natural to include them when applying an over-all psychological evaluation of everyone he figured.

Kira and Sana were prone to breaking rules, anything to get their own way, Itachi was usually angry or bitter, Sakura was bossy and tended to try to force those around her to behave a certain way, while Michiru himself simply didn't care one way or another for most of them. Which left Kaitou, as the only one who didn't care to change those around him, all he seemed to want was attention.

'But why? Oh well, not my problem,' Michiru mused as he moved his mind onto examining the digimon: Keramon was greedy and selfish, clearly he hid his own desires occasionally Michiru had noticed how he hated anyone being near his partner, and having overheard one of those conversations, he was uncertain if he was a positive influence upon Itachi.

Still though, he was a genius and undeniably invaluable as a comrade and ally, Elecmon was perceptive but lazy, Kotemon was chivalrous, intelligent and ambitious, Biyomon sneaky and selfish at times and yet underneath all this, he seemed kind, whereas Dorumon was kind and loyal, if needier than Kaitou or Itachi.

Which left Dracomon who was materialistic and faithful, if at times prone to enabling Kira's behaviour, or even Itachi's. Michiru considered all this as he hummed to himself a little tune from his childhood, just a simple diddy his father had been fond of, as he thought to himself. 'Why did the aliens select us? They could have chosen better children? That is if it had to be children, or were we chosen because of how dysfunctional we are? So many questions, and so few answers so far.'

"What are you humming, Michiru?" Biyomon asked him curious, for his thoughts as he noted it.

"Just something my father used to sing, before he tucked us into bed. He said it was the song the stars sang before they went to bed, though I suppose his own family, probably his mother used to sing to him." He explained his voice a little raw, as he looked away at the metal suits of armour that lined the walls of the hall that went on for almost fifty meters only to veer to the right.

"Do you remember the words?" The bird digimon wondered curiously, only to remark warmly, "I really like it."

"Negative, I don't. I just remember the tune, he used to hum it when watching sports, or while my mom cooked for us," Michiru explained thinking back on better times, he missed those days with all his heart and soul, more than anything in the world he wished he had those days back, but he did what he always did when he thought back on them; he buried the memories in his mind, focus on a puzzle, seek to crack it and leave no thought or energy for anything else. "I do wonder though, who crafted these suits, I've seen you digimon fight and I highly doubt you need any such armour."

"Fair point," Biyomon agreed with a light laugh, he did that a lot Michiru noted he figured then that it must be because the bird simply preferred laughter to tears or because he looked on the bright side of things at all times.

Further to the front, Sana heard their exchange and felt tears well up in her eyes, tears she suppressed with all her might. She hated tears. They were weak, and she was no such thing. She had to be a tough girl.

'I hate it when he talks about daddy and momma like that,' Sana thought furious with him, as she loved remembering them but the way Michiru talked it was as though they no longer mattered, as though he had no wish to talk or think about them, as though they were in the way.

"Who do you think sewed these tapestries together?" Kira asked having not been paying attention, instead he was studying one tapestry at the end of the hall, of the night sky that brought tears even to Elecmon's eyes, due to its beauty.

"Maybe Agunimon did it," Dracomon suggested captivated by it, as he came to a stop in front of it.

"A great warrior like him? No way," Elecmon said naively, "He probably had it ordered in, I mean he's got 'bigger' things to do than sit around and sew."

"You sure? I think if anyone could create masterpieces like this, then there is nothing better to do." Dracomon replied convinced.

"I thought you were obsessed with gold and jewels and treasures," Kira asked lightly of his partner curious to learn more.

"Not all treasure is gold or gems, some are simply works of art and beauty." Dracomon explained.

"Too true."

"Guys, we need to get a move on, we'll come back to this later," Michiru said with a longing look of his own at it, as mesmerized as they, but aware that they had to get a move on.

As they stepped along this hall, they found a large staircase to the left that, led up to door at the top of it to the right, while to the left it veered onto a short flight of more stairs then a long hall that led to a darkened door, which looked fairly ominous to them.

With a shared glance between the three humans and three digimon, they opted for the less ominous door, to their right. Inside they found one of the strangest sights they had ever set eyes upon in the entirety of Digiworld thus far. A large circular room with peculiar character inside of it, with its own internal glow/light, when they glanced up it was to find that it went on forever that way.

"What's with this room?" Sana asked with a bored look around at the dark inked signs on the wall.

"What an ugly room," Kira added unimpressed also.

"What a magnificent room," Michiru murmured as he pressed a hand against one of the walls, as he examined one of the signs closely, "Is this a code? An alphabet? Or is it akin to Chinese characters, where one symbol suggests an idea and a letter or concept?"

"Oh no, he's off in his own little world again," Sana muttered unhappily, as Michiru bent down a little to examine a second one, wondering if it was written from top to bottom, or from left to right, or from right to left.

"Great, now if only he'd figure out or calculate the location of the exit back into the room we just left," Kira grumbled as he glanced behind him, longing for the safety of the hall they had just left behind, where it was safe from Michiru's absent-minded obsessions.

"I wonder what would happen should I activate my laptop in this room? What happens if I smudge one of the letters?" Michiru mumbled to himself excitedly, like a kid at Christmas as he rubbed his thumb against one of the letters, only for the lights and fires to go out in the entirety of the castle.

"HEY!" Elecmon shouted impatiently, "Can you please avoid doing that? That scared me, I nearly tripped over Biyomon!"

"Please don't do that, I don't want him to fall on me!" Biyomon shrieked terrified for his life.

"Yeah, and I think I just hit the corner of the doorway with my foot, ow!" Dracomon whimpered, having been pacing around outside while this was going on, only to rush forward and slam his foot into the doorway with a cry when the lights went out.

"Michiru, stop touching things!" Sana snapped irritably, as she stomped her foot for emphasis, "It could be dangerous!"

"And you just endangered two of our digimon," Kira added wincing in sympathy for Dracomon and Biyomon.

"What danger? No harm ever came from studying an alphabet or from studying too much." Michiru pointed out rationally, as he then took out a highlighter of the same dark colour as those on the walls from his bag, in order to repair the smudge he had wiped with his thumb.

"Tell that to my foot," Dracomon muttered to himself, just as the Brainiac sank to the ground to study with his computer.


Meanwhile, just as Michiru had wiped out the lights and fires, the other group who had just found the kitchen, and left it for the megaron again in order to get to the stairs that headed downstairs, froze.

Sakura tripped over Kotemon, falling over him and onto her back with a short yelp of pain, Itachi bumped face-first into Keramon's back, while Kaitou and Dorumon rushed forward only for Kaitou to halt himself and be sent stumbling to the ground as he came to a stop as the lights flickered out, just to be sent crashing into a wall by his partner who hadn't expected the sudden stop.

"Ow," He murmured breathlessly as he slid to the ground with a groan of agony.

"You okay Sakura?" Kotemon asked worriedly as he bent down to help her to her feet.

"I don't know, right now everything hurts," She complained, only to wonder, "Just who flicked off the lights? Is it some sort of magic on the part of Agunimon?"

"Not that I know of, I don't think he can do magic," Kotemon remarked with a frown on his lips beneath the safety of his helmet, as he studied the darkness worriedly, only for it to flick back on out of the blue. "What the-what happened?"

"Their warranty wasn't expired?" Kaitou joked/asked not sure if it was applicable given how strange this world was.

"Don't even joke," Itachi grunted as he climbed back up to his feet ill-impressed by this castle and having fallen over.

'I'm guessing someone must have played with the programming, either that or something akin to a demon or magic digimon is down here,' Keramon thought unsure of whether to speak up about his concerns regarding the guardian of the castle, or of whomever had played with the fires and lights inside the keep.

Further downwards, near the base of the castle in the dungeon, a ring slipped onto a red arm as this person rose to his feet, he had not been aware of the presence of anyone in his home, yet now he was. And he knew he'd have to destroy them, as he was intended to no matter who they were.

Stomping his way towards the opening of his cell, he moved through the bottom floor with a fluidity and grace that was uncommon in this part of Digiworld.

"Let's go, hurry it up I want to see where Agunimon went to," Kaitou was in the midst of saying as he pressured Sakura to head downstairs with him.

"Okay, but be careful those stairs look rather questionable," Sakura warned thinking them too steep and not wide enough, as her partner sighed.

"Sakura, there is a risk in everything we do, from eating to getting up in the morning, let the boy have his fun, I'm sure there's a limit to how much he could hurt himself." Kotemon said soothingly as he patted her hand.

"There is no limit, it is my job to make sure he's fine," Sakura replied as she followed with Itachi raising an eyebrow at the young girl.

"Just how severe was your upbringing?" Kotemon muttered to himself, "I understand your concerns but without burning his hand, he won't be able to learn to not put his hand on the oven-top, so to speak."

"Better safe than sorry," She maintained stubbornly, as Kaitou moved cautiously, with Itachi having had it with her slow pace, and moving past her to climb down at a more even pace.

"I don't disagree, but life is about taking risks, throwing the dice and seeing whether you win or you have to get back up, it is meant to be this way and always will be." Kotemon retorted gently, eager to impart this lesson to her, to help her relax a little as she was so bound up that, he expected it to be only a matter of time before she exploded or burnt out.

As to Sakura, she thought of her much-loved parents, of how they had raised her and just how successful her father was and how always prepared her mother was for all things, and she could not help but feel resentful of Kotemon's attempts to change her. Her education and mother had raised her a certain way, and to appreciate the current system and way of things, it was done this way because it was tried and true she thought. To question it, was to be ungrateful for it, she thought why aim for the mountain-top when the mediocre base of it would more than satisfy oneself within the great pyramid of life? One was not meant to be an individual who stood out, and who burnt brightly and showed up others, no she had been taught to simply be one of the multitude no matter what, no matter individual desires.

'How can he dress in such a Japanese manner, and yet be so unlike our current way of doing things,' She wondered unaware of the beauty of Japan's more traditional life, of just how individualistic older Japanese were, and of just how her desire to conform as the education system had taught her, had limited her ability to understand her partner. She was proud though of her country, of it's way of doing things, and shouldn't she? They had given so much in recent years, both materially and culturally, theirs was a beautiful society with many kind and intelligent people, so why not take pride? Unaware that those people, the very idols she had, had taken many risks in life in order to get where they were, even if they had not upset the system and order of things.

'If only she'd realize that trial and error, is how all successes come out,' Kotemon in turn was thinking as he followed after her, unaware of how close his thoughts were to her own and how they contradicted them.

"Hey, I think someone is coming," Itachi remarked as he noticed something move in the shadows ahead of them, just a little bit ahead of where they stood.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she came to a stop staring at them as they squinted into the darkness to try to discern whatever the shadow was.

"Itachi says he saw something," Kaitou explained pointing behind him and into the darkness, "So we stopped to wait for you to get here, before we moved on."

"Um, let me see I'll take point on this one, if need be so just wait here and let's see what it is," the twelve years old girl decided with both boys though impulsive unsure and eager for her to take charge as she liked to so often, they both nodded at the same time that Dorumon did.

"Be careful," the purple digimon warned, all but biting into his claws so frightened for her was he.

"I'll step ahead of you, Sakura." Kotemon told her, as she went to shake her head he explained, "I'm your partner, just as you need to protect the boys, I need to protect you."

"Oh, alright but let's try not to let it take too long," Sakura agreed reluctantly, deep down a little scared but not wanting to alarm or frighten the boys under her charge, but just as she stepped forward a new light flicked on.

It was a flame, or a series of them as someone stepped out from the shadows with darkened eyes, his bright orange hair and crimson and black body armour and near-human face marked him as someone to beware of should one intend him harm. His fists were flaming at the moment, with gathered up energy.

"Oh, it's just Agunimon," Dorumon said with a sigh of incredible relief, "Hullo there Agunimon, you gave us quite the scare there for a moment."

"Agunimon?" Sakura enquired surprised, as part of her had already figured he had left or died or something some time ago.

Digimon Analyzer/Kotemon, "Yes, Agunimon a Champion level digimon who punishes the wicked with his Pyro Punch and Pyro Darts, his flame is one of the hottest and purest in the whole of Digiworld. But don't worry, as strong and pure as his flame is, it is a snowstorm compared to the pure flame that heats up his heart. For he's one of the greatest defenders of justice and goodness throughout Folder."

"I see, I was scared there for a moment," Sakura said sagging in relief, only for Keramon to be the first to react.

"Something doesn't feel right," Keramon noted as he studied the expression of the large digimon closely, "Agunimon, isn't reacting."

"True, maybe he's just surprised to see us," the gullible Dorumon suggested not at all suspicious or thrown off by Agunimon's rigid expression and pose.

"Pyro Punch!" Agunimon declared as he suddenly struck out just as Kotemon shoved Sakura to the ground and out of the way, of the punch that punched through the wall to her right, and only to melt the stone-work there.

Their screams were heard throughout the halls of the keep as they got up, and raced off away from him, for the top of the castle, hoping to put some distance between them and the seemingly enraged fire digimon.

"Why is he mad at us? What did we do?" Kaitou screamed as he raced as swiftly as his short legs could carry him.

"Why don't you ask him that?" Keramon growled back, unsympathetically.

"No thanks!" Itachi shot back as he huffed and puffed as he ran, "I like my face unmelted and intact thank you very much!"

"Just shut up and run!" Sakura called back to them.

"For once we agree," Kotemon shouted at her from her side.


Back to Michiru and the gang, he was in the midst of using his computer, and had decided to access this room, and the characters on the wall. So far so good, but then the code scrambled itself, only for him to unscramble it again, and then it did it again.

"Not good, but I think I can fix this," Michiru uttered as he leant forward with the piece of technology sitting on his legs.

"Hey Michiru, your friends and sister just left, shouldn't you go after them," Elecmon suggested importantly only to be waved off.

"They could do as they please, are they headed down that other door? Good, they'll only get in the way." Michiru replied as he sank deeper into the puzzle, frowning he studied the character intently.

"Michiru! I love that you always want to improve yourself, and learn, but what about your friends and sister? They just wanted to help." Elecmon scolded him, as he rose to stand on his hind-legs, "Why do you always do this? Push or hide from others, and focus on that thing?"

"Because I want to know everything that I can," Michiru retorted simply as he punched in the code, with a few alterations, he did it so that the first few he had punched in last time were last, and the last few were first, reversing the order of things.

"But Michiru, by doing this you are closing yourself to them, and even to me. You have something in you, something great and aggressive yet you hide it away by hiding yourself away. Life should be lived not hidden away from, what is it that you are trying to hide from or retreat from?" Elecmon asked as he leant closely, eyes boring into him with concern in his eyes. "I mean you just dismissed your sister, and left her in the care of someone else, she's the most important thing in your life right now, and you're pushing her away my friend."

'I don't mean to,' Michiru thought, but knew this to be a lie told to protect his own feelings, it wasn't like he liked doing this. It's just he didn't know what else to do, he was lost without his mind, without puzzles and part of him, was tired. So very tired, of responsibility, of the perpetual sorrow and sense that he was inadequate compared to those who had preceded him. How could he care for his sister, when he didn't know how to care for himself, when he just wanted to cry, to return to happier times.

As to retreat, or fleeing was that so bad? Was it so wrong in theory for him to do? He had good reason, and simply needed the time to recuperate, to recover, so what if it had been four years? Heck, he really didn't care to return to some things where he came from, such as the humiliation of doing the coding for those bast-he interrupted that thought and resumed his work.

"Let's see, if I just keep pushing it, I'm sure I could crack this mystery that's been haunting this place for days my alien theory will either be proven or blown out of the-woah I think I got something!" Michiru declared pleased, as he clicked away energetically at his computer, watching avidly as the screen showed him the room he was in, as though there were little more than squares put together to hold it together.

"Great, he's ignoring me now, ugh can't you be content to smell the roses as life passes, or to enjoy the small things? Whatever, I give up let's see what you've got," Elecmon said to himself giving up on this particular up-hill battle, as he looked over his friend's shoulder at the screen, "Is it supposed to do that?"

"No, it-wait what's going on?" Michiru asked as he stared closely, while the room was shown to be connected to what seemed like a digital version of the castle, with several purple dots running from a crimson one, and with four of them moving towards the roof. Then the castle was shown to be connected to the isle, then to a series of them, with one at the center and then-the screen went black. "Hey! What the heck happened?"

"Maybe you should roughen it a little," Elecmon suggested helpfully.

"Don't you dare!" Michiru growled heatedly, as his partner backed up a little surprised by the anger on his normally placid face. "But so much for the alien theory, that much I do know is likely disproven."

"Then what's your current one?" Elecmon asked as his partner started the computer back up, to try placing the codes in a different order.

"I don't know, I don't have a clue anymore, I just know I was close I must have pushed the computer too far," Michiru murmured, as his thoughts moved to the moving dots, what could they have been? The others? The dry-cleaners? Simply dots? For all he knew, he had logged onto a game, but he wasn't so sure.

This time, he accessed the same stuff but was more mindful, not to access too much going only so far as the castle, then he logged away from it after seeing that the dots were all converging for the roof. He tried clicking on them, and suddenly through the computer he heard the voices of his friends.

"Is he still behind us?" Kaitou hollered.

"DUH! Why do you think we're running?" Sakura asked back.

"Stop bickering and keep running, he's gotta run out of steam sometime," Kotemon ordered them both.

"Oh dear, sounds like they're in danger Michiru, we gotta do something!" Elecmon said worriedly as his friend hesitated.

"But I'm close, to solving this puzzle!" He protested loving a good mystery and puzzle, it was what he lived for after-all.

"Which would you prefer? To solve this puzzle, only for your friends to die, or for you to not solve it and for them to live?" The rabbit-eared crimson digimon asked bitingly.

"But what could I do? Besides they're the ones whose partners can digivolve."

"Look your sister and Kira, if these dots are them are moving over to help, so what's it going to be? Let them all go up in flames, or do something about it? Michiru, how do you know we can't help, unless we try?" Elecmon argued passionately as he turned to leave.

Michiru studied the dots representing Sana and Kira attentively, only to give up and for him to close the computer, just as his partner was on the verge of giving up on him, he stood up. "Wait, I'll come with."

"Atta boy, I knew you'd come through!" Elecmon cheered as he leapt forward into action.


Originally it had not been Sana or Kira's intention to involve themselves with the others, simply because they didn't know what was going on, all they'd found at the end of the hall was a large bedroom, with nothing particularly noteworthy inside. They'd decided to double-back, check in on Michiru then head back down the stairs and then head for the right-stair case door, which they hoped would lead them to the roof.

"Tell me, is Michiru always like that?" Kira couldn't help but ask, as they walked down the hall with a glance over his shoulder.

"Like what? Tuning everything out?" Sana asked for clarification, at his nod she gave her own nod, "You have no idea."

"Must be annoying," Kira judged as he shook his head.

"Shut up, what would you know about it?" She shot back, deep down she loved her brother even if at times she questioned whether he really loved her.

"A lot, actually." Kira replied as he thought back on his childhood, and on his-he squashed the thought with a ruthlessness that surprised him as he looked around. "You think we're getting near the roof?"

"I hope so!" Biyomon said with a loud laugh, "I really wanna see the view!"

"Me too!" Sana added, to the thirteen years old's amusement.

"Me three, though I do hope there's a nice view of Asuka Isle, I miss my home and my nest there," Dracomon murmured as he thought longingly of his home-island he loved this adventure he was on, but home would always be Asuka Isle he thought, because; it was where he kept all his stuff, such as his treasures.

Then they heard the scream, from further down the hall, sharing a glance all four of them bounded off into action, as Sana stated, "That sounded like Sakura and Kaitou, we gotta do something!"

"Yeah!" Dracomon agreed as he and Kira bounded off to go help the others.


"Keep running," Sakura panted as she threw open yet another door, this one though led to the worst of all possible dead-ends; the roof. Which she had previously been curious about, but was now no longer all that eager to see as it meant that they were unable to go any further, save to the rocks and sea below.

"Don't worry you two, I'll protect you," Sakura promised as she grabbed both boys and tried to shield them with her own body even as they back up to the edge, just as Agunimon advanced upon them with a smirk on his lips.

"Thunder Kote!" Kotemon shouted as he charged with his shinai, only to fail as Agunimon responded in kind.

"Pyro Punch!" And the short lizard digimon was punched and thrown aside, to the left where he collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain, he'd try two more times only to fail, but by then Dorumon and Keramon had joined in.

"Bug Blaster!"

"Metal Cannon!"

They tried rapid-firing and it proved completely ineffectual, only for Agunimon to finish with Kotemon, and then turned to them in irritation, "All trespassers will be deleted!"

"Figures," Keramon grunted as he stared him down. "Just our luck, wouldn't you all agree?"

"Kotemon!" Sakura screamed tears forming in her eyes, at the charred and obviously pain-stricken digimon, who was still struggling to his feet.

"It'll take more than that to, oh never mind I'm down." Kotemon gasped as he fell to the ground with a short moan of pain.

"Fire Darts!" And Agunimon began tossing fire balls their way.

"Kaitou!" Dorumon called out as he jumped in the way of the blasts, only for Kaitou's digivice to start glowing a bright green light, "Dorumon digivolve tooo… Dorugamon!"

"I got them!" Agunimon gloated only to be caught off guard, when the smoke cleared, to reveal Dorugamon's dark form standing protectively over the others, with his left wing spread over them and his other one folded close to his body. "Grrr."

"Thanks, Dorugamon! You really are a hero!" Kaitou cheered, hugging his partner with a loud laugh, resulting in a warm smile to spread onto Dorugamon's lips, before he turned around with a growl.

"Phew, thank heavens for him," Itachi muttered sagging a little in relief, as his partner nodded absently.

'Hopefully it'll be enough,' Keramon mused as he studied the enemy closely.

But just as it looked as though Dorugamon would have to fight Agunimon alone, Kira and Sana appeared bringing up the rear. Both of them panting from the exertion of running through the entirety of the castle.

"What's going on? Why is Agunimon attacking you all?" Biyomon asked confused as he stared, in bewilderment.

"Who cares, if he threatens one of us, he's a threat to all of us, so let's go Biyomon!" Dracomon stated baring his teeth, just as Agunimon turned to fire away some of his fireball-darts at them.

"You said it buddy!" Kira agreed at once, as his own digivice began to glow.

"Spiral Twister!"

"Pyro Darts!" Agunimon snapped, as he fired upon the small pink digimon who was thrown down, in pain, as her partner called out to her.

"Dracomon digivolve tooo… Coredramon!" Suddenly the mini-dragon was gargantuan and loomed over all of them, and managed to bat away the fire-darts. Not wasting any time, he took flight in order to fire at the enemy from a better angle, and to fire on him more from the left, so as to provide him with easy access to shield both Kotemon and his partner. "Blue Flare Breath!"

But the blue flames were useless, as Agunimon kicked through them expertly, only to be attacked from behind by Dorugamon, which sent him sprawling to his knees, as he had been unprepared for that attack. "Power Metal!"

"Aggghhh!" Agunimon shouted in pain, only to turn upon the other digimon.

Michiru arrived just in time to see the battle heating up as Agunimon had grabbed Dorugamon and tossed him through the blue firey breath of the giant blue dragon, and into him. He took it all in, he'd have loved nothing more than to leap forward, grab Sana and race off with her, but that wouldn't solve the problem.

Studying the enemy closely, he wondered how he could possibly be of assistance; if Elecmon were able to digivolve surely, he'd be of assistance, but as things stood he and Michiru were only in the way.

So instead he applied his mind to studying Agunimon from a distance, examining how he moved, how he fought and his armour for a chink, he supposed the dark sections, even that dark-ringed part could be considered a weakness or-that's it, he realized!

"He's good," Kira muttered furiously, as Coredramon moaned and tried to bite at Agunimon who grabbed him with both hands one on the upper snout and the other on the lower section, only to use him to bash at Dorugamon, his muscles bulging as he did so.

"But Dorugamon's gonna get him!" Kaitou insisted from the other side of Agunimon, he knew Dorugamon was better, he'd outlast that loser, no matter who he was.

"Michiru finally here, decided to join in for once?" Sana asked nastily, as he arrived, only for him to shrug in response.

"I figured you all needed me to come clean up after you all," He snapped as he signaled Elecmon over, "Elecmon take him down."

"What? You know something we don't?" Kira wondered.

"Yes, fighting isn't all about muscle, in fact discipline and planning are more important," Michiru boasted as his partner grinned back at him, "Aim for the area around his right elbow, just a few centimetres above where the red elbow-pad is, there's a dark-ring hidden there."

"Got it," Elecmon said with a nod as he bound forward to call out as electricity crackled from him, "Super Thunder Strike!"

But it had little effect as the flames that now surrounded Agunimon, as he performed his greatest of all his attacks was too hot.
"Pyro Tornado!" He began to circle where he was, burning Coredramon and Dorugamon, with more intensity than they had ever endured in all their lives.

The two of them de-digivolved, both too exhausted and wounded, to be of anymore assistance as Agunimon turned to one of the last digimon in his way; the short Elecmon who blasted at his arm again, this time the warrior realized what it was he was trying to do, and knew he could not allow him to have his way.

"Pyro Punch!" He snapped as he charged through a Super-Thunder Strike and struck Elecmon directly in the face causing him to yelp loudly in pain, only for his partner to rush forward without thinking to catch him, and fall onto his rump.

"Elecmon! I got you!" He called as he groaned immediately after doing just that, "Man, you're heavy!"

"Big-boned, get through your thick head, big boned not fat," Elecmon defended instinctively, as he glanced over at his partner, "Any other ideas?"

"I'm thinking," Michiru replied just as Agunimon reached him, from the right-side, Sana called out to her brother, and was held back by Kira, while Keramon studied the situation forgotten, whilst Itachi and Kaitou stared in horror and Sakura screamed and covered her eyes.

"You are the brains, you must die," Agunimon growled at Michiru, recognizing his voice from a few seconds before.

"What? Crap!" Michiru cursed as he felt his blood freeze in his veins, and all thought stop in his head as fear leaked in.

'Michiru may be a block-head obsessed with puzzles, games and the like but he's my partner and friend, the best one I've ever had even if he doesn't always show his best side at all times. Still though, he's willing to change in order to help others, and that takes courage, real courage.' Elecmon thought as he glared up at Agunimon who reared back his fist, 'If I could just digivolve, I'd show this shmuck what true fire was all about!'

"Save yourself, Elecmon!"

"No way, we stand and fall together!"

"No need, for both of us to die, after-all the needs of the many outweigh those of the few!" Michiru argued as he instinctively thought back to one of his favourite sci-fi western series of all times, but Agunimon was already looming over them.

"Pyro-Punch!"

"What a load of-WOAH!" Elecmon was in the midst of cussing, only to feel a surge of energy, as the fire-covered fist came bearing down upon them, he began to change as light surrounded him and his fur thickened, he grew pants and became more humanoid and feline in nature. "Elecmon digivolve tooo…. Leomon!"

The blow landed but did little against Leomon, whom was unaffected by the heat of the blast, as his were even hotter when he put his mind to it.

"Woah, who's that?" Sana wondered, as Biyomon explained from in her arms.

Digimon Analyzer/Biyomon, "That's Leomon, he's a feline digimon who's sword is pure steel and could easily cut through stone, and who's Fist of the Beast King is hotter than an inferno. He's tough, and the best protector any digimon could ever ask for, trust me when I say though you don't want to end up throwing out his kitty litter, or you'll regret it."

"Who cares, if you digivolved! Pyro Punch!" Agunimon called out as Leomon kicked him in the gut and away a few feet, sending him gasping to the ground, as he laid there stunned for a second only to jump back to his feet.

"No one hurts Michiru, and lives to tell the tale. Now stand down, or face my wrath Agunimon," Leomon warned furiously, as his partner stared up at him in awe.

"Incredible," Michiru murmured before he shook his head a little, "Leomon remember where to hit!"

"Got it."

"Pyro Darts!"

"Fist of the Beast King!" Leomon roared over him, as he fired his blast straight through the darts and into Agunimon's bulging arm, which caused him to give a loud shrill scream of pain, as the ring fell off and disintegrated in a cloud of dark sparkles of black light.

"Another Dark Ring," Keramon noted.

"Yeah," Itachi agreed, as Agunimon collapsed to the ground, "I wonder who's behind them, maybe some monster or something."

"More importantly, is Agunimon okay?" Dorumon wondered as Leomon de-digivolved.

"Wh-what happened? Who-what are you?" Agunimon asked as he woke up a few minutes later just as the children and their digimon loomed over him.

"You don't remember, attacking us?" Sana asked him curiously.

"No, not at all." Agunimon admitted before he apologized sincerely, "Sorry for that, last thing I remember was checking out the dungeon where I'd stored my wine, thinking that I'd make a visit to the Motimon settlement to visit my friend Exveemon and share a bottle with him."

"Well that's okay," Biyomon reassured him with a wide smile, "We all know you'd never hurt anyone if you could help it."

"Wait, do you know anything about how we humans got here, or why we're here?" Michiru asked curiously.

"I know a little, but not as much as Apemon, you'd be better off asking him, it might be more fitting. All I can tell you, is that if you have the digivices and partners, it means that you are the Digidestined, and are here to liberate our islands from evil." Agunimon explained, as he looked vaguely uncomfortable, "Apemon really does know more than I. I'm just the protector of the castle, he's the real chief of all digimon here."

"Oh, okay." Kaitou said disappointed.

"Wait, you said you liked to go visit your friends, but how? We're on an island and you can't fly," Elecmon said weary from the battle.

"I use one of my row boats, I have two of them and would be more than honoured to give you one of them," Agunimon offered happily as he smiled down at them, "After you've all had a hearty meal and used the washrooms and stayed the night. It is the least I could do."

"Oh, in that case, thanks Agunimon," Sakura thanked him with genuine happiness, "Do you have any baths here?"

"Yes, they are on the second floor, near the yoga room, and just across from the tennis-room where I love to practice my tennis." Agunimon explained.


Michiru Akechi: Michiru is one of those characters who started off far blander than you could imagine. I really love him as a character, he started off as one of my least favourites, almost disliking him as he was just there to fill a quota, so that it was a five-man team, but then he grew from there.

In the beginning he was to be the computer kid, and to be a bit of an Izzy 2.0 but then he changed, it was decided that he'd be Sana's older brother, then it was decided that he should be a mentor of sorts to Kaitou. But then, from there he kinda've also became Itachi's. The thing about Michiru was that, he was to start off being bland, then the idea was that he'd be a bright young man, with a disconnected attitude, at odds with his own humanity, because he had a hard time connecting.

But this idea fell through, with the idea altering so that rather than being an orphan in an orphanage or a young man with a single uncle or grandparent to care for him, he'd be a young boy heavily traumatized, and embittered by years of people taking advantage of him. After watching Grave of the Fireflies, and Digimon Season 1, it was decided to inject him with the personal mission of protecting and safeguarding his little sister from all harm. All the while, he struggled with the truth of his own helplessness and loneliness. While he retained the Izzy level intellect, he's become almost softer in nature, so that he's a markedly and subtly different person.

Michiru is autistic, is something of a character who with his obsession with order, with keeping things together became possibly the kindest Digidestined on this team, as he became one of them to keep things together. Evolving from a bland character, into a strained, heartbroken boy shattered by loss, troubled by responsibility and forced to make adult decisions to try to avoid the streets. Over-all I love how he turned out, and what he's become, maybe not a leader, but surely a heart to his team. As a writer he's a joy to write, and somewhere between Tai, Matt and Sora when it comes to the younger kids, moving between frustrated with them and over-protective or coddling.