After spending a few days helping with the burial of dead of Old Tabula Rosa, they were on the road again, now the city was barely visible, they traveled till it started getting dark forcing them to set up camp, Wilhelm hummed away as he gathered firewood.

"I think you must have been dreaming" said Takajin shrugging at Juniko; after she told that weird thing that happened that she just has a vague memory of everything that she saw.

"But I saw Lilithmon, how can I dream something about something I have never seen before" said Juniko chopping the palm of her right hand with her left hand frantically. "She was very scary"

"But you heard stories of Lilithmon, how did you know that you dreamed about that" Takajin replied rubbing his goggles in frustration.

"She wasn't like the stories, they speak of her like she was some sort of enormous demon, that could devour children, this Lilithmon was human sized but gave off chilled aura about, she talked like a demonic child, she gave me the creeps" Juniko argued in great detail, with rapid arm gestures.

Before the argument could continue, a Hawkmon landed in the middle of the camp, it was holding a letter with a strange seal on it, which looked somewhat familiar, it was the symbol of the guardian, Sorami had this symbol on her, Wilhelm walked up to the Hawkmon and it handed him the letter, and a package, then flew away. He opened the letter, and read it out loud "You have been summoned to the Guardians Sanctum, come and get further instructions"

"Why should we go, she had us go on this road trip of constant danger, and now she wants us to come to her?" said Huang crossing his arms, he was annoyed at the sudden summons, after she had sent into Suzubuya nearly getting them killed in the process.

"We could give her a piece of our mind when we get there" said Takajin clinching his right hand into a fist.

"I know you don't like Sorami, but she has always been an honorable girl, and she has always had a reason for everything she has done, I trust her with my life" said Wilhelm looking at all the digidestined expressions, making sure to look them all in the eyes. "First we have to make our way through the wild woods, and then get on a ship, the guardian's Sanctum is an island south of the equator, we start in the morning"

Digimon Sync Episode 18 "Secrets of Survival"

After packing up in the morning, they set out on their journey to reach the Guardian's Sanctum, regardless of how any of them felt they were going.

Takajin tapped Juniko on the shoulder "I am sorry I snapped at you, I want to believe you but everything you told me is kind of hard to absorb, and all of it seem very vague" He said not like liking the look she had been giving him this morning, she is his best friend, and never liked to upset her in way.

"Kiss and make up always, this sappiness is giving me a headache" said Mikuni rolling her eyes "if whatever she told us is true at least we know about it now, and can go ahead and stop it from happening. We need to focus on the now, because the wild woods are dangerous, and I heard its protected by a goddess of mischief in the form of a fox girl"

"Fox girl?" Hikaru asked out of curiosity, she had never heard of this myth.

"The legend starts with a baby being abandoned in the woods, the spirits of the forest took pity on this child and made her part nature spirit, which caused her to take on characteristics of a fox, she grow up and in that she became a goddess who is worshipped by travellers, she murders those who do not respect the forest, and now we are heading into her forest" said Wilhelm "The legend varies from telling to telling "Some say she is a goddess that because of her mischievous ways was banished from the land of the gods"

"My mom use to tell me stories, that the fox girl would kidnap naughty children taking them into her forest to never be seen from again, I use to have nightmare about this, then realized it was a story to scare me into behaving" said Huang looking away so none of them saw the look on his face from talking about his mother.

"They are just stories right?" said Hikaru looking around like a hunted animal, her fear stemming from the childhood trauma she has yet gotten over, and will eventually have to get stronger.

"Yes they are just stories" said Wilhelm nodding in agreement, "we will reach the forests edge by nightfall,

It was hours later, when the wild woods were starting to become visible in the distance, but still hours away, the forest was old and its tree over a thousand years old, looking at it even from where they were seem very intimidating, it seemed like the trees could rip you to shreds, even the sun seemed to be afraid of it too, as they got closer it seemed to get darker, and it was still not late enough for it to doing so.

Hikaru couldn't keep her eyes off, it was like the forest represent death, it reminded of the time she ended up outside of the Digitopia barrier, a wild digimon tried to kill her, that memory haunts more as she looked at the forest, like it was stalking her, and she didn't want to take her eyes of the demonic forest.

They now finally reached the edge of the wild woods, it towered over them, but something weird was there too, it was a massive shrine carved out of solid gold, it looked like a fox face, its mouth wide open, they came to a stop right in front of it. Wilhelm was the first off; he pulled the package that The Hawkmon had given him, and headed toward the shrine. When they got closer to it, there was music playing. He then ripped opened the package; it was basket of fruit, cheeses, and bottled wines, he placed it in the open mouth of the fox shrine. A claw lowered on the right side of the shrine, and it was holding some kind of orb filled with red liquid "This is the fox fire Sphere, also known as the tear of Kitsu, to get this a tribute must be left, it is one of the only ways to travel safely" he said placing the sphere in his pocket "but we need for it to activate before we can go any further, its light will guide to a safe path through"

"My mom use to tell me tales of the Tear of Kitsu, she said it grants wishes?" Juniko asked remembering the bed time stories her mother use to tell when she was a little child.

"That is one of the myths passed around, but I have used this thing a couple times, and tried to make a wish every time I used it and nothing has happened yet" Wilhelm replied pulling the sphere out of his pocket "it is the same wish every time, for my daughter to be returned to me, but it never happens I know the dead can never return. An old man can always hope for something"

Camp was set up, and now the sun was setting in the distance, they now sat in front of the camp fire eating dinner, being near this forest was making them all anxious. They hoped that the tri through this twisted and ugly forest wasn't too long.

"Looking at that forest makes me want to ask why we aren't just going around, it looks more trouble than it's worth" said Hikaru still looking at the forest; she could keep her eyes off it.

"This forest stretches for miles the size of several cities, and going around it would take too long, we are heading through it, we have no choice" Wilhelm answered pulling out a map to show Hikaru what he was talking about.

"We are all safe as long as I am here to babysit you, as a champion should, and as de facto leader I say we go through this forest" said Mikuni pointing at the forest after she finished talking, she then pointed at Hikaru "you have been nothing but an anchor, being afraid of anything or everything remotely scary, you brother should have left you behind"

"How dare you speak to my sister like that" said Takajin going to slap Mikuni, but was instantly floor by her instead, now she had his arm twisted painfully behind his back. He yelped in pain, before she finally let go of him.

"How dare I what tell the truth, Every time we get in trouble, your sister freaks out making things a lot worse for everyone else has to snap her out of it before she gets herself killed" said Mikuni dusting herself off "now I am off to deal with something more important like my hair" she marched off back to her tent.

Hikaru ignoring her friend's calls to her, she ran off to her tent, before she started to cry, because she knew that what Mikuni had said was true, and didn't want anyone trying to convince her otherwise would be a waste of time in her current mood.

Later that night Hikaru was awakened by a rustling noise coming from her stuff, she turned to see her bag bouncing around; she got out of bed to see what was going with it, a yellow head popped out of her bag wearing her goggles. A wild Viximon had made its way into her tent, and now was playing with her things, she was usually afraid of wild digimon but this was one of the exceptions because it was so cute, it suddenly noticed she was watching it, it ran out the hole it came in but still had her goggles. Hikaru ran after it, The Viximon was faster than she had expected, while just focusing on trying to catch the Viximon, she ran into the wild wood.

In the morning, everyone was getting their tents put away, and noticed Hikaru hadn't started putting hers way, Takajin went to check on her, and found her gone, and came to the conclusion that his sister had ran away during the night, He would have slapped Mikuni but that would have gotten him floored again for his trouble, so instead he went to Juniko, and told her what happened, and she went into Hikaru's tent, and grabbed a shirt from her bag, and called Mikemon to her.

"There are two scents on this thing, Hikaru and what smells like a Viximon, those are harmless" said Mikemon as she finished sniffing the shirt, and now sniffed the air. She sniffed the ground "oh no her scent leads to the forest, she followed the Viximon into the forest"

"Lucky the sphere is glowing we can head in after, hopefully she remained on the main path or she will be in so much trouble?" said Wilhelm making everyone rush to pack up their stuff including Hikaru's, and now they were heading into the wild wood to rescue Hikaru.

-Wild Wood-

Hikaru chased the Viximon until she realized where she was, she froze in her tracks, she was in so much trouble, she was now lost in the wild wood, what made it more terrifying was how silent it was here, anything could be out there, she suddenly spotted her goggles, she could barely make them out but knew it was them. Forcing herself to have some courage, she walked slowly toward them, the Viximon wasn't there with them, she went to pick them up, they ripped off the ground, and now hovered in the air held by a disembodied hand, more like a hand/claw, it twirled them in the air now teasingly, in the blink of an there was now a girl twirling her goggles instead of just the hand.

"Well? Well? Look at the cute lost human girl" said the girl scratching behind her pointy animal-like ears, she smiled like she was looking at prey.

"My friends will be here soon" said Hikaru trying to bluff her way into more time, so her companions could find her, where ever she was.

"There aren't any friends in this wood, everyone is just out for themselves, just look at me" said the animal, as various wild digimon brought out spot lights "first you see me, now you don't" she vanished and all you could hear now was her singing "now you hear me, now you won't?" She appeared right behind Hikaru, causing her to run for it. She only got a few feet before the animal girl right beside, "its my secret of survival in a nasty world" she continued to sing as Hikaru tried to get away. Hikaru hid behind a tree, she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned thinking it would be the animal girl again, and there was no one, but on her back was the disembodied hand, "you felt me then you didn't" she appeared suddenly beside Hikaru, causing her to start running again, but didn't get too far before the animal girl appeared again still with the singing "Am I real, or perhaps am I not" she had suddenly turned into a statue that shattered "these are my secrets of survive in a very nasty world" she appeared a right in front of Hikaru.

"Is it really such a nasty" asked Hikaru in a terrified mumble, she was now shaking in terror.

The animal girl smirk "oh yes, a very nasty world indeed" she said walking up to Hikaru and started singing again "nastier than you could ever dream of"

Hikaru took off again, dodging the animal girl as she appeared in everything from trees, and the very ground she was walking on, eventually making her trip.

"Eyes and Jaws, Claws and teeth" Animal now bared fangs, and had claws the size of those in nightmares "ready to attack you, make a snack out of you, better run" she lept at Hikaru, making her scream and run off.

Hikaru kept running, and running, till she could run any more, she tried hiding behind a tree again, she took deep breath trying not to hyperventilate from how terrified she was, the "forest was now silent again, but there she was again the animal girl standing right in front of menacingly looking down at her.

"You're in the Wild woods, and very child could… Tell you that you have no… business to be here!" She still was singing to Hikaru but now in loud threatening shouts. This caused her screaming in terror again, and running trying to get away from the animal girl again.

Hikaru spotted a clearing, and there they were the wagon, and her Brother, and companions, she ran to them every fiber in her being relieved, but suddenly it vanished, and it was replaced by the animal girl, she grinned playfully at her, she turned and ran away.

"Now you see it, now you don't" said the animal girl, before starting to chase Hikaru anew, this time there was a bounce in her step like she was playing with her favorite toy. "Is it real, perhaps it's not?"

Hikaru ran a few feet, and then the animal girl was in front of her, she turned to avoid her, but only getting a few feet in the another direction before she was in front of her again, Hikaru feeling like a cornered prey, no matter which direction she went in there stood her predator always in front of her. It was like she was playing with her before finally devouring her completely, it was really unnerving.

-Wagon-

Takajin was now really worried, after a few hours of travel in their search for Hikaru, she had appeared out of nowhere, and then vanished, after that Wilhelm stopped the caravan, it was like he was listening for something, he didn't seem anxious at all. He now waved the sphere around, its light illuminating the darkness of the forest, in the lighted area, they could see brief images of Hikaru running around freaked out, and an animal-like chasing her.

"Kitsumon, please stop torment one of my clients, you had your fun!" Wilhelm shouted now following the animal-like girl with the sphere.

The animal-like girl appeared, and so did Hikaru, who ran into the awaiting arms of her brother, who tightly hugged his sister tightly "you are never useless" said Takajin whispering into Hikaru's ear.

"You have never changed, still messing with travellers who wonder into your forest" said Wilhelm with nostalgia in his tone; he turned to the digidestined "This is the goddess Kitsumon in the flesh"

"It's lucky I found her, and guided her back to you, are you sure I can't just eat her?" said Kitsumon licking her right fang, "I am just kidding" she smiled cutely.

"As you can guess she is a hybrid, yes she is like Arukenimon, except she is worshipped by the locals for being what she is, she might not be a higher being but she is close to being one, if Crispin village knew what they had, Arukenimon would have been worshipped as well, but sadly she didn't know that" said Wilhelm saddened by bringing up that memory, which was still hadn't healed because not much time had passed for it to do so. "Just look at Kitsumon, everything she is wearing is either silver plated or jewel encrusted, you don't have to be scared of her, and she just likes to mess with people unless they defile her forest"

"I came to guide you through my forest; it's far too dangerous this time of year, and someone hired me" Kitsumon admiring the beautiful emerald ring on the 3 claw on her right hand, "Also very fond of this one" she joined in on Hikaru and Takajin hug "Group hug, everyone pile in"

-To be continued-

Will Kitsumon be enough to guide them through the forest safely, and what lies ahead of them in the wild woods, to answer these questions, and more, please tune into the next Digimon digital monsters!