Chapter 6: The Ancient Sage, the Eternal Martyr

"Scarabmon, how are you doing on those bonds?" Sediba yelled.

"I'm sorry sir, but removing these bonds would be much easier if you would quit jostling me." Scarabmon, four legs busy clinging to the back of his tamer while his forelimbs tried to untangle the mess of wires Mesme had wrapped around Sediba's wrists.

"Well I'm sorry, but I'm busy running away from a bloodthirsty eldar so I can regroup with an insane eldar who is busy racing a human."

"I thought we were trying to go to-"

"Yes well, in case you hadn't noticed, that human was completely oblivious." Sediba growled, remembering what had started this four-part chase in the first place.

OOOOO

"Wait, what?" Tamas had said in response.

"You're the Chosen Children. Well the Chosen Children of this particular realm of existence during this period of time, but you are the Chosen Children I was looking for, all five of you." Antigonus repeated in response.

"Five? So is Spirimon too old to count as a child?"

"What? No, the digital beings aren't included in that count. I meant the five children from the physical plane."

"Is my hearing bad?" Jalith had said, stalking over to the hologram. "Because I just heard you put me in the same group as the human."

"I'm not the one who picked you, I just went looking for you." Antigonus responded.

"And why should I listen to you, mon-keigh?"

"Because-"

"You have a way home." Tamas had interrupted.

"I know how you can find a way home." Had been Antigonus's response. "To the north you will find an ancient warrior in a stone temple, and it is he who knows your true destiny."

OOOOO

"Ha, first!" Jalith crowed as he slammed his foot onto the stone doors of the temple. In the next second he flinched to the side as Tamas's boot hammered through the space Jalith's body had been occupying.

"You tripped me." Tamas yelled, throwing a wild swing at Jalith's head.

"Show me proof or it didn't happen."

"You mean you forgot about it already?" Reavmon asked, coming up from behind. Jalith turned around and glared at Reavmon, who simply shrugged. Before anything else could be said, the three people who had already reached the temple were interrupted by a frantic Sediba.

"Are you done yet?" Sediba yelled.

"I can barely hold on!" Scarabmon replied.

"Why is he running so fast?" Saldramon asked, stomping behind Sediba.

"Can't talk, feeling sick." Scarabmon said. Sediba reached the steps of the temple and turned his back to Jalith.

"Quick, cut me loose." The necron said. Jalith unsheathed his knife and cut through the wires wrapped around Sediba's wrists in one smooth stroke, making a great show of licking the blade before putting it back in its sheath. "Come on, we need to take shelter in here before the eldar arrives." Sediba said, rubbing the skin of his wrists.

"Wait, I'm you guys' enemy." Tamas said, pointing toward Jalith and Reavmon.

"I thought that human from the hologram said we were part of the same group." Sediba said.

"Because he was obviously delusional." Jalith replied. "I've been trying to get my revenge on this human ever since he beat my partner. That's what the trap at the tower was about, remember?"

"This is the human you keep talking about?" Sediba asked, nodding towards Tamas. Jalith and Reavmon looked at him dumb faced. "What? My assumption would be that if the human really provoked such a strong emotional response then you would attack him whenever a good opportunity, such as now, presented itself, and you would use the most efficient weapon available, in this case your dagger." Sediba paused. "So, why aren't you attacking him right now?"

"Come on, don't you have a sense of class?" Jalith responded

"And you?" Tamas asked.

"Okay, style then. I need to have style."

By then Mesme and Spirimon reached the temple, Mesme carrying Piramon on her head and Spirimon holding Rhia in his arms.

"Put me down, Spirimon, it's time to finish this." Rhia said.

"No, not when I'm right next to the maniac" Tamas said, waving frantically and nodding towards Jalith. Before they could fight though, the stone doors of the temple began to groan as they slowly opened.

"Oh please, the doors open by themselves?" Reavmon said.

"Well obviously." Scarabmon replied. "A door shouldn't need help doing its job."

"Shut up and get in the temple." Jalith said. "You, distract the craftworlder." He added while pointing his fingering.

"Me?" Tamas said, pointing to himself. Jalith paused and frowned, remembering his current situation.

"Stay here until we can set up an ambush." Jalith said before turning and sprinting into the depths of the temple with his partner, Sediba and Scarabmon following close behind.

"Wait, no!" Tamas yelled, running in after him. Everyone else was left to stare at the disappearing figures.

"Hey, why aren't you with your tamer?" Piramon asked Saldramon.

"He didn't ask me to go with." Saldramon replied, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"You're his partner, you've got to stay with him."

"Stop bickering, we can't let them escape." Rhia said, and Spirimon made his way into the depths of the temple, followed by Mesme and a reluctant Saldramon.

OOOOO

Jalith stuck out a foot and skidded to a halt a he came to the end of the temple, the path ending at the bare stone platform a giant figure in white robes sat upon. One by one the other tamers and digital beings came to a stop behind Jalith.

"Oh, come on." Jalith yelled. "Those are mon-keigh robes. That idiot sent us to a mon-keigh for advice."

"At least he's not a lying eldar." Tamas said, stepping up and planting himself right next to Jalith.

"Well at least if he was lying to us then he'd actually know something and we could cut it out of him."

"Yeah right, you couldn't stop him from lying, it's a physical compulsion." The robed figure let out a deep sigh and rubbed his hand against his forehead, revealing a huge furred claw.

"I suppose you two are the rivals then." He said. Dead silence followed.

"Rivals?" Jailth said softly. "Rivals?" He said again louder. When he robed figure didn't respond, Jalith continued. "Rivals implies that this thing," He said as he pointed at Tamas. "Is my equal, which, being a mon-keigh, he is not."

"Yes, you're definitely the rivals." The sage said, ignoring Jalith's protests. "So, you're the chosen children-"

"What does that mean?" Tamas interrupted, waving his arms at everyone else around. "How can these be of the same set as me?"

"There will be tensions, yes." The sage said. "There are always tensions, and fears, and anger. True strength comes with costs, and if we did not pay those costs we would be part of the evil that gnaws at this world, and not the ones chosen to stop it."

"Evil? Costs? Don't make me laugh." Jalith responded. "I can already see what's going on. You and that other human are going to stay in your little hideouts while we go risk our necks for your little games, and we're supposed to believe it's 'good' and 'just'. Well I'm not here to pay your costs-"

"My costs?" the sage growled, shifting in agitation. "Have you ever died dark child? I know your perverse technology would bring you back."

"You say that as if anyone could kill me."

"No, I say that because I have died." The sage said, pointing his furry hand at himself. "Every time darkness and destruction threatened this world and the physical one I had to pay the ultimate price. Every brave-hearted being on this plane will give it's life if that is what it takes to protect you children and I will not let you dismiss that."

"If you died so many times then why are you still here?" Sediba asked. "Do you mean a true death, or only the destruction of the body."

"It is as true a death as a digital being can have." The sage replied. "The body is erased and the mind is shattered, and only the data is left. It takes much power for the data to reform in its original form, and only the most ancient or mortal-empowered beings can reform with the same mind as they once had. "

With a grunt the sage settled down and paused. The air hung heavy as the children realized that something was troubling the sage.

"And that brings us to why you are here." The sage said. "We only realized the true extent of what was happening after the great war, but something has interrupted the natural cycle of death, something dark-" Before the sage could say another word the air was cut by a sharp, shrieking laugh from the front of the temple, making the children turn to face the intruder.

"Well, if it isn't my lucky day." The grotesque thing said. Its skin was a fleshy red and stretched taught over its alien ribs that sat at the center of four arms while a pair of double jointed legs supported it. The bald, egg-like head sneered with teeth the size of knives as the monster brandished its bone-sword and cracked its whip. "Finding you all in one place, how exquisite. Now I-"

"Tyramon, champion level virus, alien warrior type." The sage said, interrupting the monster's performance. In one smooth motion the sage stood and threw off his white robe, showing his form for the first time. The orange furred humanoid stood as tall and as strong as a space marine, bare to the waist to show his powerful figure and warrior nature. His proud mane waved in the wind from his throw robe, and his eyes burned with an intensity none of the children had ever seen in their lives.

"You will not harm these children, Tyramon, nor will you stand in the way of destiny." The sage said. "I, ancient martyr Leomon, shall put an end to you!" Leomon jumped into the air, almost enough to reach the temple's ceiling, and drew back one arm while extending the other, roaring in fury. "Fist of the Falcon!"

Flames erupted around Leomon's fist as he descend and slammed his fest straight into Tyramon's chest, driving him into the floor and sending him sliding until he crashed against a stone pillar. Tyramon coughed as his body blurred and reset. Leomon calmly stood up from where he had landed in a crouch, but before he could speak the temple filled with the soft sound of jazzy music, unfamiliar to any of the children.

"Man, you can never trust a virus." A voice said, soft and smooth. "Turn your back for one moment and they start acting like they're in charge." The speaker looked like something like an orangutan, but with circular yellow spectacles on his face and gaudy rings on his giant finger, rings that squealed as he dragged his long arms across the floor.

"Jokaeromon." Leomon said darkly.

"Thank you, thank you very much." The intruder said, waving an arm. "It's been forever since we last saw each other."

"Almost thirty-nine thousand years." Leomon replied, shifting to put himself between the monkey and the children.

"Ha, what a time that was." Jokareomon said, giving a short laugh, before suddenly pausing. "WHEN YOU DELETED ME!" He suddenly screamed, shocking the children and making them edge back. Leomon stood his ground and kept calm as he replied.

"I didn't survive that encounter either."

"Who cares? You wouldn't have had a problem if you stayed out of my way. I had plans. I- eh, that's all in the past. Kinda' like you, really. What's so scary about reformatting?" Leomon refused to reply, and Jokaeromon waved him off. "Never mind. Now, kids," He said looking past Leomon to the children and digital beings behind him. "I want to make a deal…"

"Enough of this!" Leomon said.

"What?" Jokaeromon asked, squinting to see if he had missed something. He jerked back as Leomon drew back his arm and began to roar.

"Fist of the-" Leomon was cutoff as Jokaeromon suddenly curled his hand and fired a scarlet beam of light from one of his rings, carving out a hole in Leomon's chest. For a moment the two digital beings regarded each other with equal looks of surprise, but Jokaeromon twisted his face into a look of contempt and lowered his arm as he watched Leomon fall to the ground.

"Center…" Leomon said, struggling to speak as his body dissolved. "Go down to…" Before he could finish, he was already gone, his shards draining into the ground.

"Now as I was saying-" Jokaermon began, waving an arm around pointlessly.

"We'll never work with you, monster." Tamas said, stepping forward from the group. "Saldramon-"

"Oh come on." Jokaeromon moaned. "You know what? I don't have to deal with this. Tyramon, get up. We're leaving." Tyramon moaned as he grabbed at the pillar and pulled himself up.

"Now? They're-" He asked.

"We'd turn 'em into paste. Just send in the Hormamon to deal with them." With that Jokaeromon left the temple, Tyramon following close behind and waving angrily at the children, promising to return.

"So, what now?" Jalith asked.

"Uh…" Was all Tamas could think up in reply. Before anymore could be said, there was a rumbling and a hoarded of digital beings flooded in, cutting the children off from the exit. The creatures were purple, scaly, and crouched low to the ground like animals, with plates of flak armor hanging on their back and combat blades clutched in their claws.

"Ah, so those are Hormamon." Sediba said with total obliviousness.

"Well thanks, got anything useful." Piramon said. Sediba tilted his eyes from his D-Spex.

"Well, seeing as they aren't attacking us there's not really any need to do anything." The Hormamon horde responded with a chorus of hisses, waving their knives wildly.

"It's not like they're going to let us out." Tamas said.

"Hey kid." Reavmon said, nodding towards Saldramon. "Wanna' play a game?"

"What?" Saldramon asked, tilting his head in confusion at the flippant remark.

"Most kills wins." With that said, Reavmon turned and charged the Hormamon.

"Then a fight it is." Spirimon said. "Protect the children!" He yelled as he and Saldramon charged forward to join Reavmon. Each one proved a devastating force as they hit the line one by one. Arms swung while fire and ice erupted through the enemy lines, shattering Hormamon with a single touch. Piramon and Scarabmon chose to stay by their partners, attacking from afar. Even with all the damage they dealt, the digital beings barely dented the horde of enemies, and the three in the front quickly found each of themselves surrounded.

Matters only got worse when one of Piramon's bubbles caught Reavmon, and it was luck that one of Saldramon's claws slashed through the bubble before a Hormamon could finish Reavmon off. Tamas tore his eyes away from the fight in fear of Jalith's anger. When he saw that the dark eldar wasn't there, he looked around wildly until he finally saw Jalith in the back of the temple, entering a passageway that had been hidden behind a sheet of stone.

Tamas instantly knew what he had to do.

"Guys, Jalith found a way out." Everyone turned to see where Tamas was pointing, and Mesme and Sediba were quick to move towards the new exit.

"Spirimon, we've found an escape." Rhia called out.

"Get everyone else out." Spirimon replied as he used two Hormamon as flails. "I will cover the escape."

"Fine by me." Reavmon hissed, ducking a Hormamon's attack before rolling out of the melee and heading for the exit.

"Saldramon, come on!" Tamas yelled, but his words only fell on deaf ears. Saldramon had become caught up in the fight, roaring like a wild monster as he fought, ignoring the knives that cut his back and arms. "Saldramon!" Tamas yelled again. Now some of the Hormamon started to turn their attention away from the two digital beings destroying everything they touched, and started to look towards Tamas.

"Child, your tamer calls you." Spirimon roared. Tilting forward he forced his way through the horde and grabbed Saldramon by the neck, hurtling him away to land at Tamas's feet.

"Come on, boy." Tamas said, helping the green reptile up and leading him away from the fight.

OOOOO

"Well, now we know they won't follow us." Rhia said as they watched Spirimon emerge from the collapsing temple. "Their leaders aren't anywhere around here either."

"Which is far more troubling than if they were." Jalith added.

"As long as we're alive there's a chance to change things." Tamas said, staring into the distance as he held a sleeping Saldramon's head in his lap. A net of blurry wounds covered the reptile's back, and he moaned as he slept.

"They'll come back." Jalith said, eyes darting around to scan his surroundings. "They'll look here and anywhere else we'd run to."

"So we'll hide under their chins." Mesme said, smiling but shaking from the attack. "They want us to run, they want to chase us. If we go to them, they'll never see us."

"Us?" Reavmon said skeptically, busy rubbing a shallow wound he had gotten during the fight.

"Strength in numbers." Sediba replied. "Its only logical."

"Until this over." Spirimon said. "We can settle our feuds once this is finished. Is this agreed?" Tamas shifted around to look at the rest of the group.

"Why not?" He said. "All that junk those guys said back there? I think I just got sick of not knowing what's happening."

"Well, so am I, mon-keigh." Jalith said. "I'll deal with you once the monkey's out of our way." Spirimon turned to face Rhia, who sighed and turned away.

"And I will tolerate the necron's presence for now."

"Then we're a team." Mesme said. "We're the Chosen-"

"No!" Everyone else said.

Author Note: What's this? A new chapter? With the actual plot? Unthinkable...

Well, please review if you have something to say, I'll take whatever I can get.