It'd been little over a week since the festival but the events of that day still felt like yesterday to Nova. As if the rest of his time in the digital world were merely time wasted or time that had stilled for him.

Rolling out of bed this time, Nova once again found that Shade's bed was empty, but he could tell that his brother had been there just a short while ago. The darker toned Guil always made up his bed before breakfast even began. But then…why did he not make it up this time?

Sniffing the air, the aroma of fresh pancakes filled the young Guilmon's nose. There were many things that his father cooked that were common in the human world but Pancakes were by far some of his favorite foods. It got him out of the room quicker, dashing down the staircase that would eventually lead him into the kitchen.

While he'd expected his father, the former Dukemon to be cooking today's breakfast, instead it was Shade, standing in front of the stove with a black apron draped over his body. Not unheard of in this house…Shade would cook whenever their father was busy working out in the woods. While Dukemon was exiled from most of the world, that did not include the forests that lay just outside their home on the hills.

"You're…cooking today?"

That remark got the stern dino to turn his head around, eye ridge raised. "Is there something wrong with my cooking?"

"N-no not at all."

"It really WASN'T bad. Shade had a way of cooking that was taught entirely by their mother. But he was more methodical about his ways than their father would be. A perfectionist…if you wanted to be nice about it. If he couldn't get a dish exactly the way he'd wanted it then he'd start over from scratch or convert the meal into something that would be equally as appetizing but still meet his standards.

"You know, with how much attention you put into your cooking you should consider becoming a cook. You'd definitely fit in well with the digimon down in the city."

Before Nova could take a seat at the table his brother let out a brief snort as he started setting stacks of pancakes over a small plate, drizzling them with some syrup that their dad collected on his daily trips out into those wilderness areas outside their home. Living off the land did have it's perks. You couldn't get the natural flavor of certain dishes if you were to get them out in the city…Something Shade thought he'd told his brother the last few times he'd cooked.

"I'd rather not. I prefer the provisions we can get out here. I don't know what the city uses or where they get their resources." Shade finally answered while setting the plate down. He did however wait for his brother's paw to reach out for a stack before he smacked it aside. "Not yet. This is for both of us."

"Ow!" Nova reeled his paw back, rubbing it with the other, grinning. "I think you're probably just worried you'd keep all your customers waiting." He quipped while waiting for the darker toned Guilmon to set down a couple plates so they could separate their shares for one another. "I'm surprised you were satisfied with this on the first try."

A grunt came out of Shade at mention of the first try being enough for him and made to drizzle a bit more syrup onto his own stack and sighed once he jabbed a claw into some of his share. "Fourth try actually. I couldn't get the batter down the way I liked it…So I gave some of the excess to dad before he left. But I know how you and your stomach are…so I settled with this last batch."

Lifting up what he'd grasped in his claw, Shade took the first bite and savored the flavor in his mouth just for a moment, chewing over the piece he'd taken before looking defeated. "I could have done better here…"

"What are you talking about?" Nova cut a piece with his own claw and chomped down on it with a gleeful look on his face. "This is perfect. It's a great breakfast to top off the beginning of my adventure."

Sometimes Shade wondered if Nova genuinely meant what he said or if his rather rambunctious brother was trying to spare his feelings. But every time he'd cook Nova never had a bad thing to say about it. He was going to miss that, as he figured his brother would be gone for quite awhile.

"Dad should be back soon. He just had to make some last minute touches to your 'travel ticket' and then you'll be free to go."

"Are you sure you don't want to come along? We'd get to see the world Mom grew up in."

The offer was tempting. While he had an interest in their mothers origins, he also found himself unwilling to tear himself away from his only home he'd ever known. "I'd rather stay here, dad's strong but since he can't become a knight anymore I'd feel more at ease to be around here to help him out."

"Make sure that he stays safe." Nova cheered, having already consumed a good two thirds of his stack. Where he put it all away was anyone's guess. It was one of the few qualities he had that could outshine Shade who had a smaller appetite than most Guilmon.

"I should be saying that to you." Shade finished, slowly pulling himself away from his share of food to return to the fridge. "I forgot our milk."

The rest of their breakfast was spent talking about their plans for the day. Shade would hound Nova, making sure he was ready for the trip and if he remembered to keep the digivice safe. It would be his lifeline in the human world after all. The link that would connect him to the human he chose.

Once the preparations for his journey were in place, both Shade and Nova made their way out of the home they grew up in, walking towards a small shed that really only existed to serve as a small storage area for their father's tools, as well as his old shield and javelin that signified his time with the Royal Knights.

In this shed, they were supposed to have found Nova's ticket out of here, but instead was left a note by their father. Digimon Caligraphy wasn't the best, especially for those who lacked thumbs. "So…what does it say?" Nova asked, having been just behind Shade who plucked up the note left in the shed.

"I've taken your ticket to the bottom of the hill for some last minute adjustments. Meet me down at the river that bends around the stone pillar." Shade recited, handing the note over to Nova with a brief smile on his muzzle. "He wants to see the both of us down there."

"Down the bend? Sure. You remember the way right?" Nova was sure that his brother still did. It was a landmark that they were accustomed to visiting when they were just Gigimon. It was more or less their play space before either of them had real feet.

His only response was a silent poke to the nose by Shade's claw before the darkened Guilmon made his way downhill, Nova never too far behind.

Their home, the hill that their cottage was set up on was surrounded by dense forest. This was a requirement by the Royal Knights AND King Drasil that Dukemon's Exile would be carried out. The layout of the land made it exceedingly difficult for anyone not native to these grounds to navigate and make their way into their territory.

If that wasn't enough, as a secondary measure, there was a strange fog that remained settled around the deepest reaches of their territory. Their father referred to that fog as a digital barrier. It kept him contained within the confines of the forest and prevented him from leaving. At the same time, the land was plentiful. Enough that they as a family would never go without.

The barrier worked both ways, in that those going in couldn't trust their senses to get them the rest of the way into the area. The only ones unaffected by the hindrances of this barrier and the layout of the land were of course the wild digimon that inhabited it, as well as Nova and Shade, who for some reason remained unfazed by the barrier. Their senses untouched…and their familiarity growing up in the forests around their home meant they knew their way around.

Shade took the lead, sniffing at his surroundings every few steps as if to make sure he were taking the right direction. His nose ALWAYS knew the right way. And while his paws would crunch over a few dead twigs, he for the most part remained quiet in their approach towards a rushing river that cut partly into the forest and served as a primary marker for anyone so deep into this territory.

Of course it did many people little good thanks to the digital barrier, but for Nova and Shade, they were easily able to traverse alongside the river, followng it's current upstream until they reached their destination.

Just as the two boys were accustomed too. A large, stone structure that had been erected within the flow of the river that seemed to alter it's course to return the flow right back into the outer bands of the forest. Neither rookie understood who'd erected such a monument but it was more correct to call it a monolith rather than a spire.

There was writing, etched into the stones surface, using a text that seemed older than either boy was taught by their father who by their own accounts was of the wisest of digimon.

"It's been here since long before I was born. There are some accounts that claim that it came from the very world our ancestors hailed from."

That was the only thing, their father would tell them when they first showed the wise Guil of this spot during one of their adventures.

Looking to the other side of this monolith, Nova caught sight of their father. His name was Ray, a Guilmon named after the brilliant glow that the sun would cast at it's height. He'd lived many lifetimes…at least in human terms, judging by how his muzzle had whitened over the years, his skin looking not nearly as fresh and protective as his two offspring. How long had he lived to get those features?

He was holding a strange mirror in his paw. It's shape was rounded, as one might see common. About as large as their head might be, but was framed with some shimmering silver digizoit metal that could only be guessed upon, with digital code lined along the edges with the words {With Courage} etched into them.

Ray had been wiping down the surface of the mirror while humming a gentle tune that their mother always sang to them when they were younger. Another habit that the elder Guil picked up on from his unusual wife.

With a deep breath, he turned to meet his son's gaze. While they looked at him, Nova in confusion an Shade with concern, he met theirs with tired but kind eyes. Some kind of relief swept through him as he beckoned his sons to him.

"I guess I could have brought this to you at the house, but it felt more appropriate to do it here…" Ray stepped forward, his paws carefully cradling the mirror as if he were holding a newborn. "This will be your ticket into the human world. It's a priceless piece. It's something that's been passed down from Squire to Knight amongst the Dukemon line of Royal Knights. However…with my banishment, there cannot be a new Dukemon that I can pass this treasure onto."

Carefully, he extended his arms out to Nova, who looking fearful of dropping the mirror, carefully took it into his hands like it were the most precious thing he'd ever hold.

"Do not be afraid." Ray reassured, watching his son tense up with this gift but continued. "My sensei gave this to me after I'd succeeded him and now I am giving it to you. It is one way to avoid the barrier that usually blankets the gateway between our world and the human world. The Firewall." He gestured to the words etched into the mirror's frame and chuckled softly. "This is what's really important however."

"With Courage…There are many ways to interpret this my boy but know this. Without Courage you will not make it anywhere."

The words sounded nice, but Nova didn't understand a word of it. He didn't understand what having courage had anything to do with his adventure, but his father was always known to speak in vague phrases. 'It must be that part of the knight that is still within him…'

Shade didn't say anything. He didn't know WHAT to say. Or what to do. But inside he was a little frustrated. His brother was going to be leaving, and he'd KNOWN it was coming sooner or later but he always thought it might be later.

"Just try not to break that gift." Shade mentioned, crossing his arms with a teasing smile. "How else will you be able to come back and challenge the digimon back in the city? They'll be expecting you."

The mention of breaking the mirror got Nova's ears perked up, to a point he started hugging the mirror closely. "I won't break it. And I'll definitely be back." He stared into the mirror's reflection, of himself…He thought he saw the faintest tinglle of light from it, but was pulled out of it's allure when he heard his father clearing his throat.

"BEFORE you leave, there's just one more lesson that I'd like to leave with you…Ingrain it into your heart so that you never forget it. These words are what will separate you from the rest of the pack."

Ray took a small breath, letting the air fill his lungs before putting his arms around Nova, pulling him into a warm hug from father to son. "Follow your heart. As a Knight I have learned many things, and in my exile I have not regretted the actions that led to my seclusion. I know what I did was right because my heart does not lie. It is always better my son…To Follow what your heart says than to lose your soul. Keep those words with you, and there is nothing that you cannot overcome."

It seemed a strange last few words…But they were words he'd always heard growing up. Tears started welling inside of Nova as he wrapped one paw around his father as he had this strange feeling that he wouldn't see them again for a while. There would never be a good way to say goodbye…Not one that would leave him completely satisfied and devoid of tears.

Pulling away, Ray wiped the tears from his son's eye and smiled, giving a brief pat on his shoulder. "Go on now. Your adventure's just on the other side of this mirror. Jump in."

"But…If I jump in…how will I take it with me?"

It was a reasonable question, but not one that'd be answered unfortunately, given that Shade walked up behind his brother, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Just…get in…!"

"Wait…!"

But Nova wasn't given too many options, as his brother grabbed his arms and shoved them into the mirror. Instead of shattering, they gave into his touch, sucking him inside almost like a vacuum might. Within a mere span of seconds, the once cheerful guilmon was pulled into the mirror's world, the mirror dropping with a small clack as it touched the surface of the ground.

Shade took a few breaths, now that his brother was gone, he allowed himself to shed a few tears. As stoic as he might be, he hated long goodbyes. And the longer Nova stayed there, the more he'd be tempted to run along with him…! But he had his own tasks…his own life that he needed to live, and he didn't share the same affinity for humanity that his brother did.

"We'll be waiting for you…You AND your tamer…" He breathed out, carefully picking up the mirror even as Ray put a comforting hand on the son that remained behind with him.

It wasn't anything what he'd expected from being sucked in…The world was a completely blank slate…The Guilmon floating in a white void that seemed to have no beginning or end to it.

There were so many things he still wanted to ask his father. How he would get back, because it didn't seem as though the mirror came in along with him. And where WOULD he go…?

"I'm lost! How the heck am I supposed to get to the human world from here! Stupid Shade…He could have at least let me ask for directions…!"

Nova crossed his arms even as he floated about in this never ending space, a pouty look on his muzzle as he flew about.

Nothing gave him any indication that he was going in the right way…No lights or shadows…Just an empty void. Did his dad give him the wrong mirror? Or had he suffered a concussion when his brother tried to shove him into a mirror. "Nnngh…I know I'm not dead…I'd be in a digi-egg if I were…Or maybe this is what it really looks like inside of one?"

It's not like he ever really knew. HIS birth was different from other digimon…No egg just…birth. Then again his parents weren't exactly your traditional mother and father either. He closed his eyes for a moment, finding things a little clearer now that the blankness of space wasn't staring into his soul. "There's gotta be an exit…there's just got to be…"

"Not necessarily…!"

His eyes shot open at the new voice. Deep, and even somewhat ominous. It had a bit of a growl to it that he was unaccustomed to. "Who said that?" He twisted his body around, trying to find anything that might resemble another person but was coming up short.

"I must be hearing things. Yep…I'm…going delusional…" He closed his eyes just for a moment, looking as if he might just cry again as reality dawned on him. "This is a very cruel prank if my dad thought I'd get to the human world this way."

"This place is connected to many worlds and none."

There that voice came again. He tried finding the source of it and found himself getting increasingly frustrated. "Why are you talking and not offering any real help?"

"You haven't asked for my help." The voice continued, a deep, throaty chuckle coming from it as the air wavered just ahead of Nova.

He'd thought there was only the blankness of space…but as he stared into the white void he was beginning to make out shapes…A massive one at that…Nearly blending into the place.

It's body was mainly of a light pink coloration that made it hard to spot. But as Nova was brought closer…He could see more features…His best visual description of the creature in front of him was a large dual colored rabbit of pink fur that made up most of it's body, safe for it's broad, round belly that was mostly white with the two colors separated by a ribbon of yellow that ran along both sides of it's belly lining up with its kind black eyes. With the weird crest around it's neck it reminded him a lot of the court jesters he'd read about in his mothers books.

The ears and those feet were what gave away it's bunny like nature, but it was those massive pink hands…that reached over and enveloped him as if he were a small object that truly dwarfed the Guilmon. Before he could so much as utter a cry, he found himself enveloped in a gentle warmth, though as those fingers curled around him his view was darkened.

In some ways, this helped clear his head. No longer was he blinded by the void…At the same time this large creature…he feared it might eat him, but from above he could hear only the faintest of chuckles.

It was not sinister in the slightest, but whoever had caught him was clearly amused. "Do not be afraid." The voice rang out again, while deep and certainly had a bit of an ominous tone to it…the beast's words were not directed out of anger or malice. It instead, slowly uncurled it's fist, giving Nova the briefest of light in his new confines. "You are unaccustomed to the light aren't you?"

Something told Nova to be wary of this creature…It wasn't a threat here…but judging by their size differences he imagined it would be just a single gulp to snuff out his own existence and the rabbit KNEW it. That's why it was so calm towards him…It KNEW it held all the power in this conversation.

"I was supposed to be going to the human world…But I ended up-"

"In here?" The voice interrupted just for a moment, not out of rudeness but it seemed to just be unable to help itself. "As is usually the case." The rabbit further uncurled it's hand, letting light slowly filter through so as to not overwhelm the reptile, all the while using another finger from his other hand paw to pet Nova.

"This is the right direction but it's up to you. This dimension…This world of nothingness is a border. It does not necessarily GO anywhere, and yet it is connected to everything."

More riddles…Why couldn't this rabbit speak clearly. How can it not go anywhere and be everywhere at the same time. "You're not making any sense…Can't you be clearer…?"

"Hmmm hmhmhm…" The creature was laughing at him again. It reached a finger but kept it just an inch from Nova's head before pulling away. "It is the beginning of everything. It can go wherever your heart wishes, but you have to know where it is you're wishing to go. Otherwise…you will remain adrift..For all time if you're indecisive."

Trapped here…? Could his father even FIND him here if he realized Nova was trapped? Wait…the Heart…? What was it that Ray mentioned outside… "Following your heart was better than losing your soul…? Something like that…"

"Hmm?" The rabbit looked at Nova questioningly. It's eyes narrowed just a bit, as if squinting to get a better look at him. "Follow your heart hmm? Well then. Where does your heart tell you to go?" He let go of the young digimon, letting it float just in front of him, now that the light did not appear to be completely hindering him. "Listen to it's call and leap. If you come from Sir Dukemon's line, then you can certainly do it."

Sir Dukemon? This digimon knew his father! Is that why his dad didn't mention this void? Maybe he trusted this guy to help him. Whatever the case…his words made sense now. "With Courage…Follow your heart…"

Nova closed his eyes, not knowing just what to expect but…everything felt clearer! He didn't feel like he was in nowheresville. Where his heart wanted to go…He knew he wanted to go to his mother's world…To know what his father felt when they saved the humans. When they lost their title…

The rabbit monster grinned from the corner of his muzzle, fangs glinting a bit despite there being no light source that could be reflected from. Something about this Guilmon felt special…He needed to watch this one. Such youth with innocence like this was rare, but to enter the human world, he feared that the boy might quickly become overwhelmed yet again.

Noting a strange device that was attached to the Guilmon's waist via a rather thin looking belt, he flicked a small sphere towards it, watching as the dull light from it vanished and gave an approving nod to the boy. "If you've found it…Leap! Don't look twice!"

Nova didn't need to be told a second time. He propped against the bunny's arm and dove downward. He didn't feel confusion. His eyes closed and yet at the same time he now knew for the first time since leaving that this was the right direction…!

He'd only opened his eyes once he felt a wash of energy coming over him…as if he'd stepped through a shallow river. The sun got into his eyes just a moment to which he had to bring a paw up to shield himself…

It was soft…wherever he was sitting. So much grass…and he could smell many strange and unfamiliar scents...Strange sounds too…He could hear people talking…But he couldn't fully make out what they were saying, like he'd been under water for too long…Words were muffled…

Eventually though, his senses fully came to, and when his eyes adjusted, he found that he was sitting in the middle of what he could only describe as a field of berries. He was in a park of some kind…And…

There were humans…Lots of them! He saw some families passing by the fields, parents holding their children's hands. Some were running, with some weird head piece in their ear with a wire dangling to their pants…At one point he'd even fallen back a bit when he saw a male teen cruising by on a yellow bike.

The human just by his recklessness seemed to make an impression on Nova…He couldn't make out too many features of the boy however, as he could only make out the back of them, but made a note of that black spiked hair though the outer bands were highlighted with silver.

"This is amazing…" He stared at the scenery in awe, taking in the sights until a few of the park visitors sights were on HIM… "Wuh uh…Time to…go!"

He quickly got up to his feet, when he heard the first word that he just knew might come out of their mouths. "MONSTER!"

There was a stampede of people that seemed to run at the sight of him…To them he probably looked as though he were a hungry dinosaur that might gobble them up. He'd gotten into the human world, but now he had the unfortunate situation of actually trying to SURVIVE this one.

He heard the sound of a can being chunked at him even ONE point felt something round and hard hit the top of his head. He looked at the strange red and white sphere that plopped to the ground beside him and DEFINITELY had a feeling it was time to go now. He turned around and started running deeper into the parks more wooded area. Hearing screams of dismay and curses being thrown at him but he didn't stop to listen to what any of them had to say.

Once he was safe and free from the crowd that had half stormed after him and the other half having fled from the scene, he wondered just how crazy this world was.

"Capture…?" He'd paused in a thicker set of bushes when he thought about the words one of those humans had yelled out. "Capture it. It might be a rare one!" A rare what though?

Nova was too tired to think about that though. He could figure all that out later but now after so much excitement he was now tired and even a little hungry. His belly let out a low gurgling sound as if to signify that it was time to eat again.

"Well…Dad you said that humans were weird…but you didn't say they were like THIS…I hope I can get some pancakes here…"

(To be continued.)