FicWad

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Ten: The Katana of Courage

The shop clerk looked around her, unnerved by everything that was happening, and with everyone around her.

In front of her, looking rather irritated with even being in the store, was Hell Mel himself, along with a number of Meribia’s finest. They were presently interrogating the only other employee in the store, who didn’t know anything more than she did, other than the fact that he didn't know that Dross was a crook. She was starting to sweat a great deal.

And Mel just stood there, looking around the store, probably thinking of what he could break in here before Dross showed up to try and stop him.

A sound in the backroom drew everyone’s attention to the door, their eyes intent. Weapons were drawn, preparing for whatever it was that was coming out.

So it was with a great deal of surprise that they saw the owner of the shop run out like the demons of the Zophar were after him, wielding amop and bucket. Without paying any attention to the world around him, he hurtled up the stairs like the Goddess was after him, and began mopping. The Clerk and Mel stared at him for a moment, then back at each other. The clerk pointed up at the man's retreating backside, making her point clear. Mel shrugged, at a loss as well.

The clerk turned around, ready to go check the back, when she faintly heard, through the door…

“What about going green, Mimi? You’d probably look good in it.”

“I’ll think about it, Izzy. But only if you start wearing purple. You’d probably look sexy and tough.”

“Great Goddess. Mimi Tachekawa and Koushiro Izumi, flirting? You’re giving yourselves away.”

“Shut up, Luna!” Two voices sounded off quite loudly.

The clerk heard laughter from what sounded like a small number of people. That could only mean that the Alliance was on their way back, and presently in a far better mood. Add in Dross's actions, and the situation... did not add up. Confusion reigned supreme.

That confusion ended when, a few scant seconds later, the door opened, and out came the Digi-Destined, the adventurers, Sailor Mercury, and Greg, all with various tears in their clothing, and Mimi now wearing Greg’s coat, but all hale, hearty, and extremely happy. She also saw that Ramus was carrying the Dragon Diamond in his hands, and moving with a confidence that hadn’t been there a few scant hours ago.

“Hiya, Mel.” Gomamon waved one of his paws in the governor of Meribia.“How’re you?”

“I’m doin’ fine.” Mel was understandably confused with the clash of their general appearance, and their current attitudes, not to mention something else that had happened. “Why’d Dross run up to the upper levels?”

“I think he’s waxing the floor, just like he said he would,” Tai answered, chuckling.

“Ah. Why’s he doin’ it?”

Ramus stepped forward. “Because I now own the shop,” he explained. “Dross works for me now.” He derived great pleasure at seeing the beast man’s face frozen with shock. “I know, it’s weird, sir.”

“You mean, you beat the monster that my people fear in the sewers?” A group of very pleased nods answered his question, and he grinned. He was going to enjoy holding this tidbit over his troops heads. The next time he told them to go and take care of a threat, maybe they would do it, instead of waiting for someone else. “Good work, lads and lasses! What’s next for ya?”

Mimi looked down. “A clothes store,” she answered for all of them. “Some of us are wearing little better than rags at this particular moment.”

“And some of us are barely wearing anything at all,” Palmon muttered under her breath, earning her a slight glare from her human partner.

Mel thought about it. “Well, I can’t help the majority of ya, but I think you and me daughter are about the same size and build, Mimi. I don’t think she would mind sharing. Besides,” he added with a twinkle, “it’s dinnertime.”

Tai chuckled as Mimi blinked in surprise. Quite honestly, he didn’t want to think that the staff would mind too much with what Mimi was wearing, even if it was simply a trench coat and two strips of cloth. On the other hand, he and the other guys might have a problem eating if she sat there in that attire.

And personally, he was hungry.

----

The maid allowed Mimi to slip her arms into the sleeve of the dress, before lacing it up for her. “Master Mel was right!” she gushed, observing the young lady. “You and Lady Jessica are about the same size.”

“Pretty close,” Mimi agreed, looking herself over in the mirror. A one piece affair, it was white with blue striping. It molded itself to her body in a way that would make most men would probably worship her like she was a temple. She figured Izzy would like it a great deal./‘He’ll probably gape at me like a fish out of water,’/she thought, not appalled with the idea, though blushing faintly. It was a little tight around the chest, but other that, it fit perfectly.

The maid beamed. “You shine like a new penny. Now you better get downstairs. Master Mel does not like to wait to eat.”

Mimi’s stomach rumbled. “Neither do I,” she admitted. What she had told Sora was true, her appetite had become atrocious lately.“And I think I’m going to be fighting with Mel for it,” she added.

----

Everyone had managed to find some clothes relatively fast, and would work for the night. They would search more thoroughly for clothes that were designed for the rigors of everyday life and travel, but for now, they could push it to the backs of their minds.

The cooks, upon learning that they were cooking for more than just Mel, had almost succumbed to despair. However, Tai, Matt, and Sora offered their services to them, and then worked their fingers to the bone cooking up a culinary masterpiece. The cooks were so grateful that they offered them jobs on the spot. They had refused nicely, thanking them just the same.

Dinner was very relaxed, and cordial. Mel and Mimi had not, as Mimi had predicted, entered a war for the food, instead going into an undeclared contest to see who could eat the most. It was done with elegance, though. After all, Mimi was not raised to be a glutton, and Mel had learned good manners through his servants and his wife. After all, he wouldn’t have survived long in high society acting like a pirate.

As they ate, those at the table spoke of past adventures, and aspiring hopes for the future, and making jokes at each other's expense. They were only a little surprised to learn that Mel had once been apirate, and a feared one at that.

“It was freedom,” he said at this point. “The high sea, no authority but yer own, all the excitement that you could ask fer… then I met Dyne, and found that there were things out there that were better than that.”

“Like family?” Tai asked knowingly.

“Like family.” Mel’s gaze grew distant. “Jessica’s not much older than you, Alex.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, yeah! The girl’s got a heart o’ gold, and a soul to match!”

“So, you’re saying she’s adopted?” Nall asked.

The beast man shot him a look, pretending to not hear him properly.“Hmmm? What’s that?”

“Nothing!Nothing at all!”

Tai restrained from groaning. Only Nall could be so stupid to ask aquestion like that to someone built like a tree trunk.

Mel looked at the little flying ball of fur for a few seconds, just to see if he was going to repeat his statement, before shrugging. “She’s at Althena’s shrine, learnin’ to be a priestess… and she’ll be a great one!” He grinned heartily. “You should meet her! I think she’d like you as much as I do! Though you’re gonna have to grow some more before I let you marry her, lad!” he added in jest, laughing.

Alex grinned. “Thanks, but I’ve already got my eye on someone else.” He turned in Luna’s direction.

Luna almost ducked under the table in embarrassment, but she managed not to. Instead, she said, “This food is very good. My compliments to the chefs.”

Tai bowed. “On behalf of myself, Matt, Sora, and the cooks downstairs, we will accept that praise, and pack it away for further ego boosting at a later date. They also wanted me to tell you to/never/ have company for dinner ever again.”

Mel laughed, not offended in the least. It was apparently something that they told him every single time he had more than one person. “Well-,” he began, only to be interrupted by someone knocking at the door.“Yes?” he growled, making it perfectly clear that he didn’t like being interrupted while at the dinner table.

A nervous looking intern walked in, staring at the collective number of people. “My apologies for intruding,” he said, his voice surprisingly steady, “but I am to deliver a message from Lady Sere to a Taichi Kamiya.”

“Sere-san?” Tai raised his hand. “I’m Tai.” He took the envelope from the aide, bowed once in thanks, opened it, and read the letter, his gaze becoming more and more serious.

Sora noticed this. “What is it?” she asked.

Tai looked up. “She wants to see me before we leave tomorrow. She says she has some information that I might want to have.”

“Wonder what it is.”

“Me too.”

Sora looked up. “Well, after we go and get some extra clothing, as well as food, we’ll head over to Ramus’s store, and you head over to Sere’s.”

“I agree.” Izzy turned his gaze to Tai. “We will also need to obtain some form of mobile transportation. Our feet will certainly appreciate it.”

Mel nodded. “It’ll also be faster. I suggest horses. They’re a lot cheaper than chocobo’s, and they don’t try to breed every three weeks.”

Greg chuckled. “Let’s worry about transportation tomorrow,” he said lightly. “Right now, let’s just enjoy this meal.‘Cause only the Goddess knows when we’ll have another one like it.”

Everyone agreed with him, Mimi most of all, who had already finished her fourth helping, and the Digimon, who were starting to catch up.

----

The shadow observed them for a moment, intrigued by how people with such different mind sets could form such a cohesive team. He was impressed even more by the fact that they could be so casual after defeating such a powerful creature. A force that he and his brethren shouldn’t underestimate.

He had been somewhat surprised when the Leader had requested that he keep an eye on them since their arrival, learning what he could of their habits

Inevitably, and quite surprisingly, he found his gaze shifting to Mimi. ‘Truly an impressive young lady,’ he thought. ‘So full of inner beauty and strength. She has an indomitable soul, and a truly lovely body to match. It is the kind of body that would make a man want to worship her, to give her everything she could ever dream of…’He found himself thinking on how he could bring her to their side, to woo her, to give her the world.

At the edge of his gaze, he saw the one they called Koushiro turn to stare at Mimi as she sipped at her wine. He saw her return his gaze, smiling softly, and felt a surge of jealously go through him./ ‘A/woman of her caliber should not have to be in the presence of such filth… No, I must not think on those lines. I have a mission to complete.’

Tearing his gaze away from Mimi, who was saying something to the keeper of Knowledge, he turned to their leader, Taichi Kamiya. He was really unimpressive, with a mop of thick brown hair, a pair of goggles situated on his forehead, a band of some kind on his arm. Someone agodly number of people wouldn’t even look at, though the females may find him attractive. He could already see the effects of living on Lunar beginning to change him, saw how his body was starting to grow, but he was still unimpressive at this point.

However, there was an aura of inner strength around him, a presence of power and will. It was that combination that could unite the many different personalities into an unstoppable force. ‘He is a man who can mold armies, and lead them to victory. He must be crushed.’

He grinned under his hood, though that faded when he noticed the messenger enter the room. Something was clearly up if he was willing to interrupt Mel in the middle of his meal. His intrigue grew when the messenger handed Taichi a piece of paper. Whatever was written on it, was enough to get the young man's attention.

He vowed to keep a close eye on this, and see where it led...




----

As the night wore on, Mel had finally told them all to get some sleep, after Agumon almost fell out of his chair, nearly unconscious. None of them disputed him on that. The adrenaline rush from battling the Water Dragon had finally worn off, and they had a lot to do tomorrow.

Now, as Tai climbed into bed, making sure that he didn’t squash Agumon in the process, he was struck by how much things had changed. In the Digital World, the Digi-Destined’s only function was solve puzzles, and give their Digimon the power to digivolve. Here, they were fighting/alongside/ their partners, watching their backs and actually beating their opponents. It was very… uplifting in his eyes.

Still, they were still sidekicks in this world. Their only goal was to find a way to get home to their families, to their world. They had no real purpose here, no adventures of their own. They were just following Alex and his friends around, giving them support. Not a bad thing, but for him, it was somewhat grating.

Tai just wanted an adventure of his own, something that would help him figure out what he was supposed to do during his time here. Something that he could do on his own, without any help from the others.

Something that would help him achieve some peace of mind.

Sighing, the young man closed his eyes, finally allowing sleep to blissfully claim him. He could figure it all out later, when his mind was fresh. Besides, even if he didn’t have his own adventure, he was still helping Alex with his. And he did have his friends with him. That was very good.

Sometimes, that was the best thing to have.

----

If Leomon had seen the Digi-Destined that morning, he would have shaken his massive head in amazement, and probably walked the other way.

Additional clothing had come first, as they weren’t prepared to wear the same thing for eight months. They also knew that their old clothing, designed for the rigors of Twentieth Century life, were ill suited for Lunar. They had had to replace their shoes back in Meryod because they had already been worn out by then.

Surprisingly, they found clothing that matched each of them perfectly, and bought several sets. Sleepwear was out of the question, so those were stashed in Nall’s subspace pocket. Boots were even easier, and were in abundant supply. They also cheaper than anything back home, considerably more comfortable, and tougher to boot. For that, the Digi-Destined were eternally grateful.

Then came the hard part. Transportation.

“No, I only want eleven horses, not twenty!” Joe exclaimed, gesticulating vehemently. He had been arguing with the horse dealer for almost twenty minutes, and it was starting to attract a crowd.

Greg finally lost patience with the whole affair. “Will you just pay the man?” he shouted, taking his hands out of the new trench coat he wore. He didn’t recall meeting anyone who could carry on an argument like the Digi-Destined of Reliability. It was probably due to all of that practice with his own partner.

Grumbling, Joe did so, then grabbed several of the reins. “I swear, this is high way robbery. What are we going to do with nine additional horses?”

Izzy picked up the last of them. “We probably could have gotten them for free. We could’ve given them Gomamon.”

Joe and Greg chortled. “Yeah, but then they would pay us to take him back,” Joe stated. “After all, we only put up with him because he’s our friend, right, Izzy?”

Izzy didn’t answer, because at that precise moment, Mimi walked up, clad in a combination of pink and green. The dress itself was based on a similar design to Luna’s. She averted her eyes to the ground. “I got the identity of the maker of Luna’s dress,” she said softly, looking back up to stare at what her friend was wearing.

Izzy had chosen to follow Mimi’s advice, and had purchased a purple ensemble of long sleeved shirt and pants, complete with a cape that hung to his knees. He had also gotten a haircut, so his hair was slightly more manageable. Mimi suppressed a sharp inhale of breath. She had been right, at least in her opinion. Izzy did look sexy in purple.

Izzy thought Mimi looked lovely with that color combination. And judging from the odd silence that was emanating from behind him, he guessed that Joe wasn’t complaining either.

Greg, who was next to him, smiled. “Mimi, you almost outshine Amy. Almost.”

Mimi giggled, giving him a good pat on the back. “Thanks for putting me on a lower pedestal than Amy.” She turned to Joe, and stared at him blankly for a moment. “Umm… Joe?” she queried. “You might want to close your mouth, before the flies start moving in.” She turned back to Izzy, giving him a shy smile. “How do I look?” she asked.

Izzy almost swallowed a lump of coal. “You look…” he stumbled for a bit, then settled for the truth, “…lovely beyond words.”

Mimi’s eyes showed her happiness, then her curiosity as she surveyed the area. “Where are the others?” she asked, a hint of merry wickedness entering her features. “I want to see the look on all of their faces when we walk up.”
Greg shook his head, laughing. “You are a sick and twisted individual, Mimi. You know that?”

Palmon walked up, handing her partner her pack. “She is and she’s damn proud of it, too.”

“Well then, shall we?”

Mimi giggled evilly. “Let’s.”

----

Tai walked into Sere’s shop, and was at once struck by how large it really was on the inside.

The store, on the outside, probably looked only as big as Mel’s mansion, without the many towers. On the inside though, it was composed of three levels. One of those levels was almost subterranean, with two levels above it. It had windows installed on the roof, so as to let light come down on the people below them, and was stocked with everything imaginable. It even had a clothes section, and a book store off to one side. In short, it had a place for everyone on the team. Even Izzy.

A portly looking man looked up from the front display, seeing Tai for the first time. “Welcome,” he said in a deep voice. “May I help you with something?”

Tai pulled out the letter, handing it to him. “Yes. I received aletter from the owner yesterday evening, and I was hoping if she is here.”

“Ah, yes Mr. Kamiya. She is here, in the back. She has been expecting you.” The man gestured. “Please, this way.”

Following him, Tai took the time to observe his immediate surroundings. The setting reminded him of some of the super stores back home. There were even cashiers manning the Lunarian equivalent of registers. And there were customers already there, buying something or other.

“Yes,” Sere’s voice suddenly said, “it is usually this busy by this time. So I usually am ready by eight.” She held out her hand. “Glad you could make it, young man.”

Tai shook Sere’s hand. “I got your message.” He looked around one more time. “This is a pretty big store,” he added.

Sere laughed. “We’ve actually had to add on to it, just to keep up with the demand. Sometimes I wish we weren’t so popular.”

Tai nodded. “You wanted to see me?” he asked, getting back to the reason why he was here.

Sere nodded to her employee. “Roco, I’ll take it from here.” The man bowed before heading back over to the front. “Like Isaid in my letter, I have some information for you. It pertains to your Crest of Courage. Please, come into my office.”

‘Now it gets interesting,’ Tai thought, following her into her office. He noted how much paper occupied the majority of the space, so much so that there was barely any room left. And it was a rather large space.

Sere shut the door behind, apologetic. “Sorry about the mess,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about looking through all of it, and getting all the junk stuff out, but I’ve been extremely busy.” She walked over to her desk, and motioned Tai to sit down. Then without preamble, she pulled a map from the top of one of her filing cabinets, and set it on her desk. “A few years ago, one of the traveling salesclerks stumbled upon a cave, located halfway between the Shrine of the Goddess, and the Vane Transmission Spring.” She looked up. “There was nothing special about it, except for one thing. It had a strange symbol on it, one that they had only heard about. It's the Lunarian symbol of Courage, which I think you possess.” She opened one of her desk drawers, and pulled out a photograph., and handed it over to Tai. Eyes narrowing, Tai took it. “Am I right?” she asked.

“It definitely fits my Crest to a tee,” he allowed. The symbol was definitely the same design as his crest, but he didn’t know how it was possible. “Any idea what’s in this cave?”

“No idea. Aside a somewhat large outcropping that looks like it was put there deliberately for shelter, the cave entrance is protected by some type of force field. So I’ve kept a close eye on it. Nothing happened, until about few months ago.” She pulled out another picture, and handed it to him.

Tai looked at it, confused. This picture didn’t look any different from the first one. Then he saw a minor detail. Something that he hadn’t seen in the other pictures. “Is it… /glowing?/” he asked, stupefied.

Sere shook her head. “No, it’s pulsing,” she elaborated.“It was been pulsing a faint orange when I last saw it. And it began doing that, as I said beforehand, few months ago.”

Tai grasped what she meant by that. “That was about the time my friends and I… arrived in Burg.” He was extremely careful how he phrased his sentences. He did not want one of the people who was helping them thinking he was crazy. “Which means the two events are connected.”

“Precisely.” Sere sat down gracefully. “So I think you should check it out. Have an adventure of your own for once. And maybe you’ll find areason for being here.” She gave him an appraising look. “Nice clothing, by the way. Are you trying to impress a certain young lady?”

Tai blushed crimson. “I better get to Ramus’s,” he muttered. “Thank you for the hint.”

Sere smiled. “Don’t mention it.” She watched as Tai, still bearing the blush, walk out of her office, before she opened her other drawer, and pulled out a communication device. “Roco, please call our tailor, and send her to my office.” She leaned back in her chair, lost in her memories… and waited.

----

Dross was supervising the removal of his sign from the front of the store, and the placing of Ramus’s in its place, when he saw Ramus approach. “Hello, boss,” he said in greeting. “I’m just putting your sign before we open up for the day.”

Ramus took a look at the new sign, nodding in approval. “Nice work, Dross. Though I think the sign is a little crooked. Hey, guys!” he called out to the people who arrived. “So, I see Izzy approves of the outfit, Mimi.”

Greg chuckled. “Oh, yes. So did Joe. Isn’t that right, Gomamon?”

“Yep.”

Joe gave them a particularly deadly look before returned his attention to Ramus. “So, everything under control here? Or do we have to sic Greymon on Dross?”

Ramus nodded, his smile fading. “Everyone else is inside, including Nash. He wants to tell us all something. As for Dross… he’s so blasted frightened of me as is, I think Greymon will give him a heart attack.”

“Good.” Now they were intrigued, they had to admit. “So much for trying to find him,” Greg muttered good-naturedly. “Let’s go see what he has to say.” With that said, he led the way in.

Nash looked up from the book he was reading to see Greg and his little group walk into the store. “Hello, guys. You’re all here… except Tai. Excellent!” He put the book down before clapping Alex on the shoulder. “I heard about your journey through the sewers to find the Diamond… and how you killed dozens of monsters along the way!”

“And swallowed,” Agumon grumbled.

“Yes, I heard about that too. A pity I wasn’t there to watch you do it. I would have found the look on your face worth the stench.” The magician turned away as Agumon gave him a very dangerous look.“You may not have any magical abilities, Alex, but you’re still very strong.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Strong enough to come to Vane with me!” he said. “I’ll introduce you to Ghaleon, and get you into some magic classes at the Magic Guild.” He watched as their faces morphed into delighted surprise. “Think about it, Alex. You could finally learn to use magic!”

Nall stared at Nash suspiciously. “Alex, this is an imposter!” he stated with certainty. “We all know the real Nash would never praise someone other than himself!”

“Would you let me finish, cat? Thank you! As I was saying… Alex, despite your dubious choice in pets, I enjoy your company… and I see the enormous potential in you, and the obvious potential in Mimi.” He gave Mimi a small nod of respect before continuing.“The Magic Guild is always looking for us, people who are willing to take that potential and turn it into skill.”

Palmon was impressed with the sales pitch. More to the point, she was impressed that Nash could even be impressed with someone other than himself. “Mimi, maybe you should check it out,” she suggested. “You might just learn to control your power even better.”

Mimi nodded. “Maybe…” she murmured thoughtfully.

“And,” Nash continued, his enthusiasm contagious, “if you come to the Guild, you’ll meet Ghaleon and Lemia! Two of the Four Heroes, boys and girls! They might be able to tell you more about the Dragons, and if there is a way to get you home!”

Alex’s mind wrapped around what Nash had just said. ‘He does have apoint. There are two of the Four Heroes living in Vane. One of them might know something about the Dragons, and know how to get our friends home. And I get to meet them, which is a very big bonus.’

Nall looked at his best friend. “What should we do, Alex? Go with Nash, or go home?”

Alex copied Nall by looking at Luna. Luna giggled. “Don’t look at me, Alex!” she said. “This is your life, and your choice… but I promise to follow you no matter where you go.”

Alex nodded, smiling. That was all he wanted to hear, and thus turned back to Nash with an uplifting of his spirit. “The Guild sounds great. When do we leave?”

Nash almost jumped up and down in glee. “Excellent! Alex, you won’t regret this decision!” He looked at all of them. “We should leave for Vane immediately!”

“With one little detour.”

Nash looked over Alex’s shoulder to see that Tai had come in. “What minor detour?” he asked suspiciously. The last time someone had said for him to take a detour, he had found himself in the Old Hag’s forest in a trap.

“Sere told me there is a cave that’s near the Transmission Spring. It has the Crest of Courage on it, so you can understand that I’m curious as to what’s in it. Any problems with that?”

Nash shook his head, turning to look at Mimi, really look at Mimi. His jaw promptly dropped.

So did Tai’s.

Mimi laughed outright at the expressions on their faces. She did enjoy having the ability to make boy’s heads turn. “My mission was a success.” She looked at Izzy, who was grinning openly.

Everyone laughed at this… except one. A fact that everyone noticed after only a few moments.

“Ramus?” Sora looked at him. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Ramus was silent for a moment more, visibly collecting himself. Finally, he straightened out, having come to a decision. “Guys,” he began. “I’m going to stay in Meribia.” He held up ahand to stop the inevitable exclamations of surprise. “Magic is beyond my grasp, and I’ve definitely had my fill of nearly getting killed by giant monsters.” He looked around him. “And besides, I’m a businessman now. I’ll be too busy remodeling the store to go anywhere!”

Alex stared at him, surprised. He had always known that he would have to say good bye to his friends one day. He just didn’t think it would be so soon. Nor did he think that he would do so on his journey. “Ramus…” he choked out, unable to continue.

“I know, it’s hard to say good bye, but you know I have to. Alex, promise me you’ll keep having great adventures.” Ramus’s face was near the point of shedding tears, but he was resolute.

Alex grinned. “I will, I promise.”

Nall was much more difficult to console. “Ramus, you just have to come with us!” He began choking up. “We’ll… miss you…”

Ramus scratched under the little flying creature’s chin. “I’m sorry, Nall, but I’ve already made up my mind.”

“It’s just not going to be the same without you to make fun of…”

“I know. Koushiro Izumi, it has been a pleasure to match wits with you.”

Izzy chuckled, shaking Ramus’s hand. “Same here. You take care of yourself, Ramus. Don’t do anything Tai would do.”

“Hey!”

Everyone laughed, breaking the somber mood that was threatening to overwhelm them. “And hey,” Ramus continued, a smile now on his features, “it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. I want you all to stop by the shop whenever you’re in town! I know I’ll have made a profit by then. I’ll be filthy, stinking rich, just not as soon as I had hoped.”

Alex chuckled. “Sometimes, our objectives will take a long time to complete. It simply makes the success all the sweeter.” The two friends hugged. “You watch out for yourself, doughboy,” he said, calling Ramus by the nickname he used to in his childhood.

“You too, Dragon Squirt. And thank you… for everything.”

Luna hugged him, and gave him a little peck on the cheek. “Take care, Ramus,” she said, “and good luck.”

“You too. All of you.”

----

Riding a horse, Tai realized, was much more difficult than he thought. And infinitely more painful. What had begun as a sixteen minute tutorial by Nash, became a one hour trial by fire as Tai, Sora, Izzy, Joe, Alex, and Luna all tried to get on their horses, and were properly thrown off. Matt, who was on Garurumon, and Nash, who was on his horse already, were laughing their asses off.

Mimi, who had had prior experience riding horses, was trying to give them advice on how to even get on. “No, Tai, don’t use your right foot to mount it! You’ll…oh!”

“Ouch. I didn’t know Tai could fly.”

“That’s because he can’t, Garurumon. He can, however, fall with style.”

“I see. How strong is Althena’s Statue, Greg?”

“Ouch. Apparently, strong enough to withstand a horse thrown person. Are you all right, Tai?”

“As soon as my head stops spinning, I’ll let you know.”

Mimi sighed. “How about I help you guys out there? Otherwise, Nash, Garurumon, and Matt are going to die from laughing too much.” She got off her horse, and headed over to Izzy. She showed him how to sooth his steed, then how to mount properly. She repeated this process with the others, before remounting her own. “Now, we’re going to go slow for a while, until you all get used to it.” She maneuvered her horse closer to Sora. “Everybody ready?”

“No,” Joe responded, his horse still prancing around nervously.

“You’re never ready.”

Chuckling, Mimi led the way out of Meribia, the others behind her, moving verrrrrrrry slowly.

----

Sere watched them leave from her window, that feeling increasing. She knew something big was going to happen at the cave, but she didn’t know what. And for some reason, she didn’t want to know.

“Now then,” she said, getting back to the topic in hand, and the person sitting across the desk from her, “I understand that your daughter is going to being taking the Trial.”

“Yes,” her tailor replied, looking nervous.

Sere nodded. “Tell her to take it easy, and if she comes across anyone who might be able to help her, to at least think about that help.”

“Okay. Now, let's get you fitted. I'll need to see how long the cloak is going to be…”

Sighing, the owner got up, and stood perfectly still, as her tailor began making measurements. She really hated fittings, but this one was important. It would help her get around without anyone seeing her. And in this time, that was a necessity.

----

The shadow nodded to himself, thumbing his communicator. “My Lord, they are on their way,” he reported. “I am returning home to report in.”

“Understood, brother. You have done well. I will take over.”

----

For the entire morning, the group was on the move, heading for their first destination of the trip, somehow managing to remain on their horses with little difficulty. It was faster than if they had walked on foot, but still slow going in their opinion. Several of the Digi-Destined were visibly nervous of the fact that their horses could throw them off at any moment. Alex and Luna were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to control their mounts if something should spook them. However, Mimi had assured them that they would improve over time, and that it would soon become second nature. They visibly relaxed after that.

Izzy was already getting better at it, as he was already becoming comfortable with his horse. Though the fact that Tentomon was buzzing next to the horses still made it jittery. Apparently, giant insects had that kind of effect on most animals.

Tai looked ahead as Mimi took point. In about a day’s time, they would arrive at the cave. He wasn’t at all sure what he would find, but he knew that he could prepare himself. Of course, he also knew that there were things that no one could prepare for. As he knew from personal experience, there were

“And if you remove the pigeon, what do you get?”

“A joke that makes no sense.”

Of course, there was Gomamon and his strange, twisted sense of humor to contend with, as well as Joe’s paranoid behavior. But then, who could prepare for that?

----

Lunch that day was different. Mimi attempted to give them horseback lessons, but the majority of them were so sore from riding for four hours straight, so she ended up just showing them. It was appreciated by all of them, as well as informative.

Tentomon, the only one who didn’t have to worry about resting his wings, landed next to Izzy as he accessed his computer while eating lunch. How he could do that while eating, the insect Digimon didn’t know. So instead of thinking it out, he said, “Izzy, could you remove your head from your computer for a moment? That way, when I’m talking to you, I know you’re paying attention-”

“Actually,” Izzy interrupted, not even looking up, “I have been paying attention to you ever since you landed right next to me several minutes ago. Also, I know what you want to know, I know what you and Palmon are planning, and I’m grateful that you care so much. But I have been ignoring you deliberately, because of those reasons.”

“Damn.” Tentomon buzzed off, landing next to Palmon, and began talking to her. Tai chuckled. ‘Izzy, you sure know how to take the wind out of ones sails…even if we all agree with him on this! If you’re not careful, we’ll help them.’

“Could you scoot over a bit, buddy?”

“Sure.” Tai shifted to the right so Agumon could plop down next to him. “So, what’s on your mind?” he asked.

“Palmon.” Agumon picked up a piece of melon, and chomped it in one bite. “I’m like you; fixating on one womon. Though in your case, it’s Sora.”

“Everybody’s a critic. You stick to your species, I’ll stick to mine.”

“And what, pray tell, are you two talking about?” Mercury asked, walking up to them.

“Crushes.”

“Ah. Can you tell me where I can find T.K. and Kari?”

“They’re over there with Alex and Luna, talking about something. I don’t know what it is about and I’m too hungry to care about it at this particular moment.”

Agumon looked her for a moment. “Why do you want know anyway?”

Mercury actually fidgeted for a moment, which was kind of interesting to watch. “I wanted to ask them about their weapons,” she replied sheepishly. “Kari’s scepter, and T.K.’s sword. They look so…familiar…to me somehow.”

Both Digi-Destined and Digimon’s heads snapped up at this confession. “Did you just say familiar?” The Digimon asked.

“Yes.” Realization blossomed as she put the pieces together. She sighed in exasperation. “Kari and T.K.”

“And Patamon and Gatomon.” Tai stole a glance at Greg, who was currently speaking to Gabumon about something. “Am I going to sound crazy if I ask if Greg has had the same thought‘s going through his head?”

Mercury sighed in relief. “No, you wouldn’t,” she said.“Here I though it was just the two of us with delusions.”

Agumon threw his plate into the kindling bag, having had finished his lunch a mere eight seconds ago. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that you six have a mystery on your hands. So, go over and talk to them at some point. Who knows, with all of you trying to figure it out, you just might do it.”

“I will, thanks.” With that, Mercury turned, heading back over to Greg.

Tai watched her for a moment before turning back to his partner. “Now I know something’s up, if a Sailor Scout and a Seer start having the same flashes of deja-vu as Kari and the others. There is no coincidence when a Sailor Scout, a Seer, two Digi-Destined, and two Digimon have the same exact sense of familiarity for this place.”

Agumon nodded. “It definitely smacks of someone trying to tell them something. Something that’s very important for them to know. But what?”

“Well, their new strength, their powers, even the way they’ve begun acting means that whatever’s happening, it’s happening for a reason. T.K. and Kari have been spending more time in each other’s company than when they were in the Digital World. Patamon and Gatomon have been giving them some leeway for whatever the reason, and also the fact that they are both wielding weapons that belonged to these Guardians. This place is changing them all. Into what, I don’t know.”

“I don’t think they’re the only ones, Tai. Those six are probably the most drastic, but I think we’re all changing too. I mean, you and I, we’re having an intelligent conversation about them, trying to put the pieces together about something we know so little about. We’re keeping a secret from the rest of the group, something I know you never would have done before…whatever happened. I know I’m feeling a little bit different.”

Tai nodded, agreeing fully with him. “And what about my crest?” he asked rhetorically. “It’s apparently a Lunarian symbol, so how could Gennai have created it? How would he even know of it? And if my Crest is a Lunarian symbol, what about the others? I also can’t help wonder what is in that cave. Mystical artifact?A great test?”

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t pose too much of a problem. Imean, you’re the bravest human I know.” Agumon got up.“We won’t find out what is in that cave by sitting here, though. We’ve been here for about an hour, and everyone else is probably finished by now. So what do you say we get back on the open road?”

“Good idea.” Tai turned to Alex. “Hey, Alex, are you guys ready to head out?”

“Just about.” Alex moved his hand away from his horse’s mouth.

“Well then. I’m going to try to get on my horse, and I pray that Idon’t get thrown off.” Tai petted the mane of his mount and got on. When he wasn’t thrown off, he silently congratulated himself before helping Agumon up. “At least I got that right,” he said.

Agumon grinned, as only an Allosaurus like creature could. “Let’s just hope that the others have the same ease as you.”

“Ah!”
“Oh, Joe. You don’t need to show fear to it! It’s not going to hurt you!”

“Joe shows fear to everything, Mimi. You don’t expect him to change overnight, do you?”

Thanks for reminding me, Gomamon.”

Agumon sighed. “I retract my earlier statement.”

----

The shadow silently watched the group from his hiding spot, observing them as they went about their business. His brother had been right; they were a rag tag bunch of kids, each with certain personalities that should have clashed with the others. And yet here they were, all getting along… with the possible exception of the aquatic Digimon and his human partner, and even that seemed to be a habit that formed out of their bond.

He shifted his attention to his target, the Digi-Destined leader. Once again, his brother’s observations seemed to be right on the dot. Physically, he wasn’t overly special, though there were signs of an accelerated growth spurt. But even from a distance, he felt akin to great will and confidence in himself and his friends. Those were the signs of a mighty leader. And that was dangerous to their well thought out plans.

He set himself up for the night, entering a meditative phase. Tomorrow, they would reach the cave. There, they would see whether or not he was worthy to use the sword, or if they would have to wait for another generation to come forth.

----

Sora looked up after dismounting. “That has got to be the elaborate cave I have ever seen,” she stated. “Is it supposed to be a cave, or a castle of rock?”

Tai nodded absently, not really paying attention. He was instead looking over the smooth rock face, trying to find his Crest on the wall.“Now, where is it?” he muttered.

“Hey, Tai!”

He turned his head to turn and look at Joe irritably. “Yeah, what is it?”

The Digi-Destined of Reliability, who had been standing underneath the outcropping, gestured at him to come over. With a sigh of exasperation, Tai did so. “Is this it?” he asked, pointing at a symbol on the wall.

Looking closer, Tai realized that Joe had found it. “Hey, guys! Joe found it!” He looked at Joe. “This is why you’re good old reliable Joe. You haven’t let us down yet.”

Joe actually preened for a moment, which was unheard of. “I try.”

Gradually, everyone gathered around the two of them, trying to get a look at it. Mimi sighed, and levitated over their heads.

Izzy also got a closer look, pulling out his computer out of his bag. “It definitely looks like the Crest of Courage, though a little more elaborate. And it’s pulsing exactly as you described it, Tai.”

Tai took a closer look. It was indeed pulsing, but rather rapidly now. It also was a bright orange now, indicating that it had increased in power as they had moved closer. Curious, he held his hand out, expecting it to feel like fire. When his hand touched it, though, he felt only cool rock, warmed by the sun. “That’s weird,” he said. “Why would it glow, but not emanate heat?”

Tentomon flew in. “What are you talking about…oh. That is weird.”

Izzy began typing in his computer, trying to get some information on the cave. “Nothing on the cave,” he reported. “In fact, there isn’t even a small reference on it. Guess this means no one knows of this place, or has been able to enter it.”

Mercury activated her visor, and began scanning it. She blinked. “Well, that’s impossible. According to the scans, there is absolutely-”

“-Nothing,” Mimi finished. “Nothing physical, anyways.”

Luna nodded. “It feels like a magic barrier of some kind. Whatever is powering it, it’s mystical. And it’s extremely powerful.”

Tai walked back to the entrance, and peered at it, as if he were trying to see whether or not there was something in there. “So whatever it’s guarding must be important.” He shrugged.“Okay. I still want to see what’s in it.”

“Now/there’s/ the Tai we all know and love!” Agumon gleefully noted. “Let’s go in!” And with that, he and Tai headed directly for the field. The others were right behind them.

They reached the threshold…and Tai passed through safely, as if there was nothing there at all. Agumon, on the other hand, bounced off like he had hit an invisible wall, and hit the ground. Rubbing his snout, he stared at the invisible field, confused. “What just happened?”

Matt ran his hand over the field, feeling a solid, though invisible, wall.“I’d say,” he began, “that whatever is in that cave, it’s for Tai to see, and no one else. Bad luck for the rest of us.”

“So, now what do we do?”

Izzy sighed. “I say, we wait.”

Tai groaned. “I just knew you were going to say that.” He also knew, though, that there was nothing they could do.

Nash noticed the look on his face. “Go on,” he urged gently.“We’ll all still be here when you get back. Let this be your adventure, because you might never get another one like it.”

Tai nodded. “Alright, I’ll be back in a while. Don’t eat all the dinner, okay?” With those words, he turned, and entered the Cave.

----

The shadow watched as Tai disappeared into the darkness, impressed beyond measure by the bravery the leader possessed. Very few humans, or demons for that matter, would enter a cavern alone, without some sort of reassurance that they would come back out. ‘Still, he is only human. We shall see if his courage can hold out into the night. For it is time for my nemesis and I to meet.’

Quickly shrouding himself, he scurried past the adventurers, entering the cave. All the while, he knew what needed to be done to destroy the Digi-Destined.

After all, soldiers always fell when their masters were dead.

----

Tai walked down the stairwell carefully, making sure his feet hit the stair in front of him. The only source of light that he noticed was coming from the door, and that was fading the farther down he walked. Not a good sign on any day.

Soon, however, he entered a well spaced corridor, lit by torches that burned the bright orange that his crest usually glowed. He was vaguely surprised, but the surprises of this world were starting to wear thin on him. He was starting to expect just about everything to happen to them.

As he walked, he started to notice that the hallway looked exactly like the hallway inside Datamon’s Pyramid. It was the same design, the same colors, even the same set-up. The only things missing were Datamon, Etemon, and his flunkies, as well as the strange hieroglyphs. In its place was what he was rapidly beginning to understand as the Lunarian language, a dialect surprisingly similar to Japanese. It was ancient though, and he didn’t understand aword of it.

Other than that, if he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn he was back in the Digital World. It was frankly quite disturbing.

After a few hours, the corridor shifted to the right, and leveled out. There were no symbols adorning the walls, though he caught sight of what looked like a massive picture chiseled into one side. He looked at the wall, observing the images for a moment. He noted that they were extremely well crafted, which struck him as odd. He moved in to take a closer look, thinking they were images of Lunarian dragons… and blinked, when that proved untrue. “Agumon?”

What he had thought was a simple image of a dragon turned out to be arather old-looking pictogram of his Digimon partner, though incredibly well carved. Next to him was a Digi-vice, though of asomewhat primitive design, connecting to a picture of something that looked like Greymon. That was next to a picture of the Crest of Courage.

Tai immediately realized what it was. ‘It’s a digivolution chart for Agumon!’ he thought, surprised. ‘Which means…’ He checked the rest of the wall, and sure enough, Metalgreymon and Wargreymon were indeed on the chart. ‘But how’s this possible?’

(So many questions.)

“Huh?” His gaze snapped around in surprise. “Who’s there?”

(Keep walking, and you shall find your answers. I have been expecting you for a long time, warrior of Courage.)

Tai turned around and around, trying to gauge where the obviously male voice was coming from. However, no echoes were present, and no one was near him. He was completely, and utterly, alone in the hall. And yet, the voice was there. Shaking his head, he started walking again, keeping a wary gaze around him.

He left the corridor almost an hour later, entering a very large room, also lit by the same kind of torches that had been the hall. The room seemed to have a large amount of silver perfectly stacked, as well as objects made of gold, set in perfect position throughout it. The room also had statues set up around it, in what appeared to be defensive positions. Words were emblazoned on the walls, which Tai realized were in Lunarian as well. The Crest of Courage was in stark relief on the far side of the wall, by far the largest thing in the area. He began checking the statues, curious to see what they looked like.

They were not people he was familiar with. In fact, they looked extremely…alien to him. Then again, everything here was alien to him. He quickly guessed that these were the warriors who held his crest as well. He couldn’t see the connection between them and him

That was his thought until he came across the last statue. When he set eyes on it, his eyes widened in absolute shock. “D-dad?” he managed to get out. It was absolutely impossible.

And yet, the statue that he was staring at did look like his father, though it depicted much younger man. He had a look in his eyes that Tai knew that he shared, as well as a feel that he could forge an unstoppable force just by being there. He shook his head. “That can’t be him. It’s probably just someone who looks like him. Yeah, that’s it. My dad's never been here before. He’s lived in Tokyo his whole life.” Satisfied with his answer, he began to turn around.

(Actually, that is your father, though thirteen of your years younger.)

“Not again,” Tai groaned, then blinked in shock as what the voice stated suddenly connected with his brain. “What?What do you mean by that?”

(Your father is Lunarian by birth, as is your mother. He was the former holder of the weapon of Courage. He left it here, as all did before him, so it could wait for the next one who could command its power. It is surprising for someone who is a second generation warrior of Courage to be the next person to command the weapon, but also a sign of hope.)

“Hope?For what?”

(That the weapon can now leave these hallowed grounds forevermore.) The voice seemed to pause. (And to answer your unspoken question, no, you are not/ going crazy, Taichi Kamiya.)/

Tai shook his head. “Okay, so I’m not going crazy. So what do I do?”

(Impressive. You realize that there is a challenge that you must face, and that it must be done before you can obtain the prize. Walk forward to see what shape your test will take.)

“Okay,” Tai replied, walking forward. “Now, what am I looking forward to?”

(You will know when you see it.)

“Cryptic. Just great. Why can’t I get straight answers out of you? That’s rhetorical,” he added hastily, as he began walking forward again, not missing any details. He really didn’t want to hear the answer. He saw various stories throughout the cavern, some prophetic, some arcane, and some that made some sense if you were apriest. What got him was that it was all in Japanese. He turned his head back to where all the wealth lay. “Where did all of this silver and gold come from?” he asked.

(The wealth is the accumulation of more than seventy generations of warriors, all leaving everything they ever earned for the next warrior to use.)

“Oh, is that all?”

The voice simply chuckled, leaving Tai to wonder as to what that voice knew that he didn’t. “Okay, how did my Dad get to Earth, then?”/ /he asked.

(What is this Earth?)

Tai racked his head to describe what he meant. “What you’d probably call the Blue Star, just in a parallel dimension.”

(Ah. Well, I’m not exactly sure about that. I have no knowledge on the finer points of dimensional travel.)

“So, you don’t know.”

(No.)

Tai didn’t continue the conversation as he reached the other end of the room, thinking it wasn’t worth trying to pump a voice for information. So he let the topic drop. After all, he had enough of dimensional jumping for a while.

Now that he had reached the end of his journey, he looked around, finding the area devoid of anything other than the statue of his father. He noticed a small hallway that seemed to glow blue, and moved forward again. Until he came close enough to see what the blue glow was… and promptly froze in his tracks, his hands and feet going numb with fear. ‘Oh no, oh no, oh no. It can’t be. Not this again!’

In front of Tai was an energy field, a force comprised of lines diagonally crisscrossing to form an impenetrable barrier, and set so close that the bars were nearly invisible. And Tai recognized it, because it was identical to the field in Datamon’s Pyramid. That one period of time marked quite possibly the only time in the Digital World that he was afraid for himself.

‘But I got through it okay,’ he thought, ‘by going through afalse spot in the field. But, what if there isn’t one in this one? What if it is simply here to stop me? What if-?’

(Now you see the meaning of the test, as well as the dilemma. This is completely impenetrable, but at the same time, it can be penetrated. You must find the strength within to stop, and to do that, you must find Courage.’

‘Courage?You mean, the courage deep inside to go through the barrier? Not let my fear control me?’

(No. It is Courage, but not the type you need for this challenge. The Courage you need is the kind that only a few leaders can find, and hold on to. If you can find it, then the field can be penetrated.)

Tai had no idea what the voice meant, so he stretched his hand out, feeling the field crackle beneath his hand as he felt for a weakness. All he felt, though, was the field. There were no puffs of air to indicate a weakness anywhere. “Well, so much for that theory,” he muttered. “Now, then. I need to find out what type of courage I need. Now, the throwing-myself-at-the-field-and see what-happens kind of courage is out of even consideration, so what now?” He looked around. “Maybe these translations will give me a clue as to what the voice means.” With that in mind, he went back to the wall, and began reading at it.

----

The shadow finally halted in the middle of the corridor and deshrouded, looking around. It was just as he remembered it from the last time he engaged a Warrior of Courage in battle. Apparently, the corridors hadn’t change in the slightest.

He turned in one particular direction, his golden eyes narrowing. According to his estimates, the main room of the cavern was about fifty feet in that direction. The young man was most likely trying to figure out the challenge that had been selected for him. That would take a while, several days in fact.

He couldn’t take any chances, though, so he started running again, mentally preparing himself… unaware that he himself was being followed.

----

Tai had no idea how long he stood there, reading the stone carved words of the room, but he had learned a little bit about those before him, and a few of their more daring exploits. He had even read everything on the far wall.

Unfortunately, all the wall had were his profile, the battles he had participated in, and the name of his crush. There was also some obscure prophecy about some sort of Sahiya that he couldn't make heads or tales about. All in all, nothing there that could help him. He began to feel the first tendrils of despair go through his system, but he shook them off, and started to think about the problem in finer detail. “Now, what have I missed? I mean, it’s a Courage that only a few leaders have, so being brave in battle is not an option. Urgh!” he growled, kicking the wall. “Have to stop doing that,” he muttered, massaging his toe. “Otherwise, I’m never going to figure this problem out. I’m supposed to be smart. Time to use those brains.”

Suddenly, he sighed, slumping. “Oh, who am I kidding? I’m never going to figure this out by myself.” He sank down to the ground. “I’m afraid…I’m afraid that if Inever figure it out, and then I won’t get out of here. I need…I need help.”

For a few seconds, silence reigned in the cavern as Tai rocked back and forth. /‘Izzy, guys, I need your help,’ /he thought.

(You have passed the test, and in a much faster time frame than your father, or the others before him. He had been in here for several days trying to figure it out.)

The message took a few moments to register before Tai’s head snapped up in shock. “I…passed?” Suddenly, it hit him. “The Courage I needed was the one to ask for help? It was that simple?”

(Yes. It is a Courage that few leaders have, and even fewer hold onto. I’m glad to see that you are one of those few. Most would have been too stubborn to admit it.) The voice contained such warmth, that Tai could feel it calm him down. (The barrier is now penetrable by you, so rise up, and take the weapon that is now yours.)

Slowly, Tai got up, and looked at the barrier. For some reason, it didn’t seem so terrifying to him anymore, though he was still a little concerned. Steeling himself, he took a step forward.

“Stop right there, Taichi Kamiya.”

His head snapped around, for the voice was definitely spoken out loud that time, and had a harsher aspect to it. It also had a rather small echo, indicating that it was in the room. He looked around. “Who’s there?”

For a moment, all was as it should, forcing him to move away from the barrier to try and locate the source of the voice. His eyes jumped from shadow to shadow, noting each one. Every muscle in his body tensed as he readied himself.

Then, his eyes set on one particular shadow… and the shadow /moved/.

It moved in his direction, into the light. Tai stared at him, wondering if he had taken a time jump back to medieval Japan and not even been aware of it.

The person who had spoken was a ninja, dressed in a skintight uniform that showed off his muscular physique. A black line, flanking either side of neck, intersected diagonally on his upper torso, and then broke into a crisscross pattern over a field of gold. Bracelets with a similar pattern adorned his wrists. His face was covered by a black and white head mask, hiding his feature from his opponent. All in all, a human at first glance…except for one thing. His eye glowed with power. And he radiated evil from his very pores.

Tai took a defensive stance. “Who are you?” he demanded, staring at the creature.

“I am a being beyond your pathetic human comprehension. I am Racc, the almighty leader of the Uruk-Hai ninjas!”

“Uruk-Hai?!”/‘Where does he think he’s from?! Lord Of The Rings?!’/

(It would explain a great many things. However, he is from Lunar, as his aura, though evil, has a great deal of Lunarian power. It courses through his veins. He is a demon of the worst kind.)

‘Just great. So I’m screwed then.’ “What are Uruk-Hai?” he asked aloud, stalling for time as he tried to come up with a plan.

“Your doom, Kamiya. Now, I will give you the chance to die in battle.” The ninja put himself into an aggressive stance, beckoning. “So now, fight me, human.”

Tai shifted his own stance accordingly, calling up everything Alex had taught him in basic combat training. “Remember, you must keep your eyes on your opponents eyes at all times. You must also be aware of your surrounding environment, because your enemy may be able to move faster than your eyes. Also, your instincts and your mind must work in synch with each other. And remember, anything can happen, so be prepared for anything.”

(Sound advice. I don’t think Dyne could made it sound as simple. Be careful.)

‘I will.’ “Alright asshole! Let’s see what you got.”

Racc chuckled. “I would be delighted.” With that, he charged.

Tai waited until the last possible second, then jumped up, slamming both of his feet into Racc’s chest. Then he swept the Uruk-Hai’s feet from underneath him, finishing it with a kick to the face.

Racc, not even phased by the attack, was on his feet in an instant, his own body whirling around in a roundhouse kick. It caught Tai in the side of his head, hurtling him about several feet through the air. He slammed into the wall, sliding down to lay in front of a selection of blades.

“Ninja Star Shower!”

The young man rolled as Racc threw what appeared to be a storm of shuriken at him, each one razor sharp. He grabbed what looked to be aspear, and threw it. While the ninja jumped over it, Tai ran forward, his fist coming down. Racc blocked it, and swung his own fist upwards. Tai blocked it, though he still felt it as the pain ran through his arm.

Racc grunted, using his obviously superior strength to push the Digi-Destine leader down. He smirked. ‘I though there was going to be challenge here waiting for me. Oh well. It was interesting, to say the least.’

Tai grunted, trying to push back, but wasn’t able to halt his slow drop to the ground. In desperation, wondering if it was good form when someone was trying to kill you, he slammed Racc in the family jewels with his knee. Racc immediately released Tai, clutching his injured manhood in pain. Tai then gave him an uppercut, knocking him flat on his back. Then he charged, kicking Racc again and again.

Refusing to take that lying down, the Uruk-Hai scissored his legs, and tripped the Digi-Destined leader, leaping back up to his feet. He then brought his foot down, ready to crush the boy’s head.

Tai reached up, and blocked the leg at the halfway point, flipping Racc onto his back, then, grabbing hold of the limb, threw him into the electric field. Racc roared in pain as the power of the field coursed through his veins. He slumped down, and Tai, taking a chance, ran towards the field.

As he reached it, Racc’s hand shot out, catching his foot. Tai fell down to the ground, then felt himself being thrown in the opposite direction. He hit the ground, skidded for a few moments, before coming to a halt at the statue of the first warrior of Courage. He slowly got back to his feet, eyeing his enemy warily.“Okay, you’re a better fighter than me,” he gasped, clutching his chest in pain. “Why don’t you tell me why Ihave to die, or do I get killed in ignorance?”

The ninja grinned, though he kept his guard up this time. He had clearly underestimated the boy’s determination and instincts. “You must die because you are a threat,” he explained pleasantly. “A threat to all of our carefully laid plans, like your father would have been before you. With that weapon in his possession, he had arepository of knowledge, experience, and abilities that made him one of the most lethal fighters in the world. If he had stayed, he would have been the one I would have had to kill. But since he didn’t, I will make do with you.” And with that, he charged.

Tai, moving faster than he had ever moved before in his life, ducked, then did another uppercut, catching Racc in the jaw. The Uruk-Hai staggered back, and the Digi-Destine slammed his fist into his stomach, doubling Racc over, then laced his hands together, and clubbed him in the back. Not knowing how effective that was, he kicked Racc in the jaw. Then Tai ran forward, with the intent of getting to the field.

Racc’s foot came out of nowhere, catching Tai in the nose. He saw a red film go across his vision. Then the foot connected again, and he saw stars. A third kick, and Tai found himself on the ground, blood pouring out of his nose. Ignoring it, as well as the taste of own blood in his mouth, he got back up, not willing to give up.

The white ninja nodded. “You are as much of a fighter as your father,” he said in respect. “”I guess I’m going to have to take it up a notch.” He stood straight, the brought his hands together. He went into a trance, then snapped out of it, roaring…

“Samurai Transurgence!”

And before Tai’s eyes, he began changing.

Leg armor, greenish gray in color, appeared on his legs. Similar colored arm bands snapped onto his white clad arms. Body armor appeared, and finally, a helmet settled on his head. A katana appeared around his waist, its edge glinting in the firelight. Despite that, though, the feel of evil remained.

Tai suddenly had a very bad feeling that he was going to have to start praying.

----

Outside, the other Digi-Destined were resting. Izzy and Mimi were currently playing a game of /Secar Triad, /with their Digimon watching from the sidelines, plotting as always. Joe was currently discussing current Earth medical techniques with Mercury, and had been doing so since dinner time. Greg and Matt were keeping an eye out for any trouble that might come their way. Alex, Luna and Nall were presently talking about what they were going to do when they reached Vane. Nash and the Digimon were engaged in a somewhat civil conversation about certain aspects of the Digital World, as well as the similarities and contradictions between magic and computer code. Agumon and Sora were dozing underneath the shade of the cave, wanting to be there when Tai came out so they could see what he had found. In short, a brief interlude to what was most likely to be a very interesting discovery.

Suddenly, Agumon sat up sharply, eyes alert, shaking Sora out of her own doze.“Something’s wrong,” he said.

Sora rubbed her eyes, trying to piece her concentration together enough so she could actually understand what he was saying. “What?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that something wrong… /Tai!/”

Agumon’s shout alerted everyone else, who began heading over to them. Sora was oblivious to them as her gaze fixed itself on Tai’s digital partner. There was nothing lethargic in her gaze now. “What do you mean?” she asked, a note of panic entering her voice.“What’s wrong with Tai?!”

“I don’t know, Sora! All I know is that Tai‘s in trouble, and I need to get to him!” Agumon turned around. “PEPPER BREATH!” he roared, aiming at the barrier. It dissipated, which he knew would happen. “Someone, please tell me that there’s another way in!”

Greg ran his hand over the field, or rather, tried to, but found that his hand had gone through the field. He gestured for Amy and T.K. to do the same thing, and watched as the same thing happened to them.“Well, whatever emergency there is, it isn’t going to hold the six of us back. We’re going in,” he said. “Izzy, see if there is an emergency exit of some kind, just in case the cave is compromised.” With that, the three, followed by Kari and the two Digimon, ran into the cave.

Izzy began scanning all over the outer surface of the cave. “I’ve found something!” he declared a few minutes later. “There’s an opening near the top of the cavern. Biyomon, see if you can get through it.”

Without replying, the little Digimon flew upwards to the hole. When she reached it, she looked in. She only saw a tunnel, but what she heard terrified her. “I’m going in!”

“/Biyomon!”/Sora and Gabumon shrieked as Mimi took flight, heading for the hole. When she reached it, what she heard told her everything she needed to know. The distant sounds of battle were raging somewhere. “Tai is under attack!” she shouted to the others. “And I don’t think it’s a test!”

Izzy began scanning into the cave, his blood running cold when he focused on the creature. He turned the computer so everyone else could see it.

Racc: The most powerful of a band of warriors known as the Uruk-Hai. He is wields a powerful katana, rumored to have been forged in the distant frontier by the non-believers.

Uruk-Hai: Very little is known about them, though they are among the most vicious warriors on Lunar. No one knows where their allegiances lie, or how they came to have their powers. However, no one, not even amage, has been able to defeat them.

“Mimi, get in there!” Matt shouted. “This Racc is extremely powerful! He’s going to need all of the help he can get!”

“You got it!” The young woman dropped down the hole, out of sight.

Sora turned around, staring at the cave with nothing less than fear in her heart. “Tai…”

----

Tai grunted, barely avoiding another slash from Racc’s blade. He rolled, planting both of his feet into his chest plate, not doing any useful damage, but forcing him back several feet. ‘I’m going to be shish-ka-bob if help doesn’t get here soon!’he thought desperately as he assessed his current situation.

The minute Racc’s transformation was complete, Tai had realized that his fists and feet were not going to of any effect, and had thus settled into a defensive pattern that had so far kept him alive. And he had still given Racc quite the workout.

However, he had not emerged unscathed from the confrontation. He was sporting small cuts on his arms and chest, as well as a decent slice on his leg. His blade, which he had finally managed to get out, had been knocked out of his hand within the first few minutes. And to make matters even worse, he was tiring, while the samurai was still fresh.

“Come now, boy! Except your fate!” Racc swiped low, catching Tai in the same leg. The young boy grunted, barely feeling the pain, and staggered away from one blow that would have decapitated him. He heard Racc shout, “You know you can never defeat me!”

(Why do I get the feeling that he is right?)

‘No ones unbeatable.’ “I’m never going to stop fighting! So come on, you horse’s ass! Try and kill me, if you can!”

Racc raised his sword.

“SPIRAL TWISTER!”

‘/Biyomon.’/

(I didn’t know birds had supernatural powers.)

‘They do when they’re from a different reality, and are the norm.’

A funnel of charged air particles, Biyomon’s primary attack, struck the samurai in the face, making Racc look up in disgust. “It is a disgrace to think that a little bird could ever hope to fight me!” he roared, bringing his sword up. Biyomon tried to get out of the way, but Tai saw that she wasn’t going to make it. Taking his life into his hands, like he always did, he charged at the samurai.

Racc’s aim shifted immediately, having seen Tai approach from the corner of his vision. His katana dipped downward and to the side. And Tai could do nothing to get out of the way.

The blade sliced through his shoulder, going through bone and muscle, cutting one of the major veins. Tai screamed out in pain, but didn’t stop moving. His momentum, though deflected a little by the attack, succeeded in slamming him into Racc, knocking him onto the ground. He fell down, and rolled off of his nemesis, clutching his shoulder in agony.

(Are you still conscious?)

‘YES!A little help would be reeaaallly appreciated!’

(Get up, and get through the barrier!)

‘With… him… standing… over me!’ Tai thought back, his mind starting to blank out because of the pain.

‘He’s going into shock!’ Biyomon thought, flying back into the fray.

Racc leapt back to his feet, now enraged. “For that,” he hissed, “your death will be slow, painful, and shall require the use of seven different coffins!” With that, he raised his weapon, and brought it down.

Biyomon released twister after twister, but was not having much success distracting Racc. ‘Please, Goddess, if you can here, please help Tai! Agumon and Sora will never forgive me if he dies!’

The six warriors ran into the antechamber. “Tai!” Kari cried out, running forward, T.K. and Gatomon right behind her.

Mimi flew in right behind them, realizing that she wasn’t going to make it. ‘I should have gone in immediately, but no!’she berated herself harshly. ‘I had to tell the others what was happening! Now Tai will pay for my mistake! It isn’t fair!’

Tai’s eyes scrunched shut because of the pain, so he didn’t see the katana coming in. When the feeling of his legs separating from the rest of his body never came, though, he summoned the rest of his willpower to crack one eyelid open.

Mimi stopped in midair, her eyes conveying her disbelief. ‘Okay, who is she, how did she do that, and how did she get in?’

The person in question was a young lady, around the age of seventeen, standing over Tai’s prone body. She had reddish-brown hair, cut to her neck. She was dressed in jeans and a white blouse, both looking like they had been made in the United States. And currently, her blue eyes had a steely undertone to them. She was holding Racc’s wrists with an iron grip, but her gaze was on Tai. “Are you all right, Kamiya-san?” she asked.

Mimi’s eyes widened further. ‘An English accent, but her Japanese is very good. Question is; how does she know Tai?’ She looked at the situation. ‘It’s a question that can wait,’ she decided.

Tai nodded. “Just… lost… a little… blood,” he gasped.

The girl chuckled, impressed with the answer. “Still has a sense of humor, even when on the verge of death. Well, I hope you can walk, because you need to get through that barrier. We’ll keep this creep busy.”

“Count me in on that,” Mimi stated, landing next to her. She noted the girl's eyes widen fractionally in surprise as she looked at her. “Get through that field now!”

Tai nodded, staggering to his feet, and headed for the field. ‘Oh, please, make sure I don’t fall unconscious,’ he added.

(On that, we will both pray,) the voice threw in.

Racc struggled to remove his sword from the girls grip, but was unable to do so. It became moot, though, when Mimi connected with his jaw, using a right hook. Racc staggered back in surprise, holding his jaw. He gave Mimi a small nod of respect, something he knew would confuse her, before turning his attention back to the girl. “I don’t know who you are, young lady, but you are going to regret interfering in my affairs.”

The girls jaw jutted out confidently. “We’ll see about that,” was her reply. “In the meantime, let’s see what you got.” With that, she got into a battle position.

Kari’s eyes widened in shock. For whatever reason, that position was insanely familiar to her. However, that could wait, as she and the others joined them in front of the samurai. “Want my brother?You gotta go through us!”

Racc agreed with that statement, and charged.

----

Tai staggered through the field, falling to one knee the second after he had crossed the threshold. He couldn’t believe the lucky star he had been born under, but he wasn’t about to question it. After all, if someone came to save your life, you don’t complain.

Looking up, blinking the dark spots out of his vision, and forced his mind to clear. ‘I need to get that weapon,’ he chanted to himself. ‘I need to get that weapon. Oh, look. Stairs.’

(I do not recall your father being this…loopy, I believe the word is…when he got injured.)

‘Please be quiet, voice from inside my head. And let me be loopy in peace.’Tai staggered up the stairs, willing himself to put one foot in front of the other, wondering all the while if it was worth it. ‘Besides, I’m losing a whole lot of blood, so I have the right to be delirious.’

The voice wisely said nothing else.

The young man reached the top of the stairs, and realized what kind of weapon it was. How he realized it was beyond him, but he realized it.

There in front of him, placed upon an altar with the Crest of Courage placed above it, lay a sword. The altar was gold, though covered in dust, but it was the sword that had captured Tai’s now disintegrating attention. “Is that…a katana?” he asked aloud.

(Yes. It is the weapon of Courage, a katana forged in the fires of Mount Maria, made of a mythical metal known as Mythril. Magical properties were bestowed upon it by the fairies to make it even stronger, and allow it to be used by only the warriors of Courage. Go on, take it, as it is yours by right, and you will see what I mean.)

Tai stepped forward, and reached out with his uninjured hand to the sword. Clasping the sheathed blade, he lifted it off the altar, and held it in his hands, curious as to what he meant.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Tai felt a strange warmth go through his body, centering in his shoulder. The pain disappeared, and he could feel the muscles and bones re-knit themselves. The light headiness disappeared, leaving him feeling like he was floating on Cloud Nine. He was still covered in blood, but other than that, there was no way anyone could tell he had been injured. ‘Well, that’s something,’ he thought, standing up fully.

(I thought you would like that. With this sword, you will now have the full knowledge and power that has been handed down through the ages. And even if the sword should be captured by the forces of darkness, or corrupted in some way, you are capable of performing your Digimon’s attacks. It is limited to how powerful your Digimon is currently, but still a useful ability. Also, you will begin to learn fire magic, which will grow stronger. And of course, I get to tag along.)

‘/You? Why?’/

(Because I am the sword, in tune with you. I can help you with information, and even on getting a date if it becomes necessary. But as of this moment, I suggest you return to help your friends, and turn the tide of the battle.)

‘Got it!’ With that, Tai turned around, and charged down the stairs.

----

The mystery girl slammed into the force field, electricity crackling around as she collapsed. She was up immediately, though, entering the fray once more. She threw a side kick at Racc, who blocked it.

Mimi could only marvel at the girl’s toughness. Then again, she was finding out exactly how tough she herself was. Already, she had been thrown into a wall twice, and had gotten back up.

Greg’s foot connected with the Uruk-Hai’s head, snapping it to the side. Mercury’s fist sent him up several feet. T.K. prepared to hit him with his attack. Racc’s feet, however, came up, catching both of them in the jaw, forcing them back, then used his katana to block T.K. Then, apparently deciding that enough was enough, he brought his sword up, and brought it down. “Samurai Blade Shockwave!”

The whole lot of them had to scatter as a wave of fire spread from the downward swipe of the katana. “Whoa!” Kari exclaimed, watching as the shockwave dissipate against the far wall.

“Lightning Blade!” Greg roared.

Racc used his armored arm to deflect the attack, then charged forward. Biyomon raked his eyes though, and Gatomon slammed one furry fist into his abdomen.

“BOOM BUBBLE!”

“Hope Sword Breaker!”

“SPIRAL TWISTER!”

“Pathetic!And to think you are guardians!” Racc roared, blocking the attacks with his sword. “I had more of a problem with Kamiya!”

“Hey, Racc! Your problems with ‘Kamiya’ just went into overdrive!”

Racc’s head, indeed, everyone’s heads, snapped in the general direction of the field in disbelief. Seven of them went into a sort of a shock. The girl just smirked, as if she had expected that to happen.

Tai was now standing tall and proud again, his shirt still covered in his blood. However, no cuts were apparent on his body, no bruises visible. The only evidence that he had been injured in any way was arather large scar in place of the injury, going from the middle of his right pectoral muscle all the up to his shoulder. He had a sword now attached around his waist. A katana, if Mimi recalled correctly. And he was looking at Racc with a look of understandable anger.

Taichi Kamiya, the leader of the Digi-Destined, was fully healed. And he looked decidedly pissed off. “You,” he growled, “have been a very annoying person.”

“Indeed,” Racc replied, looking put off.

“And now, you’re going to pay for it.” With that, Tai unsheathed his new found blade, and held it up, then beckoned with his other hand. “Come on, you son of a bitch.”
Gatomon turned to Kari. “You are not to repeat this,” she said.

With a roar, Racc charged, his own katana swinging downward. Tai’s came up automatically, blocking it, then hitting him with an uppercut. Now it was Racc’s turn to fly through the air, hitting the wall and sliding down. He got back up, looking at the boy in amazement. He knew how to use that sword, and was a great deal stronger than he was just a few scant seconds ago. And what was worse, the others were now staring at him like he had a giant target on his chest. Under normal circumstances, this would not pose that much of a problem. Mimi would have made it a little more difficult, but not impossible.

However, the newcomer threw it all out of proportion. He knew nothing of her combat style, her abilities. He didn’t even know her name. All things that he usually had before engaging someone in battle.

He remembered his secondary mission should the primary fail; obtain their weapons, and return them to his masters. However, he knew that wasn’t going to happen this time. He would have to tell them the bad news. “You win this round, Kamiya,” he growled,“but I will be back!” With that, he jumped up, and out of the hole.

Tai grunted, putting the sword back in its scabbard. “I’ll be waiting,” he said, before heading over to the girl who had saved his life. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Someone who has a stake in your futures,” she replied, smirking for amoment, before adding, “Be on your guard. Racc was only the beginning. Lady Tachekawa.” She bowed to Mimi before repeating Racc’s jumping act, pausing to wave to them all before disappearing from view.

Mimi watched as the girl vanished from view. “You know,” she mentioned casually, “she’s not a bad fighter. What I want to know is how she knew you, Tai?”

“Haven’t a clue. Though I think she recognized all of us. And I want to know why she called you, ‘Lady Tachekawa.’” He patted the katana affectionately. “I think she also knew what this was,” he added.

“Maybe she’s a protector of some kind,” Biyomon suggested.

“I think the term, ‘Guardian,’ is more accurate. I mean, it’s what Racc called us.” Kari looked upwards. “She had one heck of a smirk.”

“Reminded me of Peter Pan, just of the opposite gender.”

“And no fairy,” Mimi added, giggling.

Greg chuckled. “Let’s say we get out of here,” he suggested. “Sora is sick with worry, and we all know why.”

Tai nodded, even as a wave of exhaustion went through him. “I’ll go with that. Let’s leave before I collapse in exhaustion.”

Mercury nodded. “I concur.” With that, she led the way out of the cave, the others right behind her.

‘Is this always going to be the way? I use the sword, and I’ll lose my strength.’

(No. The healing spell used on you actually takes a great deal of energy to use. A good night’s sleep will restore it.)

‘/Encouraging.’/

----

Everybody breathed a sigh of relief when Tai and the others left the cave, then reacted with worry when Tai simply collapsed on his bedroll, asleep before his head even hit the pillow. A quick explanation from Mimi explained everything, and they set up for the night, with Sora putting her bedroll near Tai. No one deemed it a good idea to argue with her on this, and the matter was dropped. In a few moments, everyone, except Mimi, was fast asleep.

Mimi was stewing over what had transpired in the cave, including the girl calling her ‘Lady’ Tachekawa. ‘What is going on around here?’ She had a definite British accent when she spoke, and she had yet to meet anyone with that kind. Other than that, her Japanese was flawless.

The girl watched from afar, her eyes glinting with excitement. “This is like watching history unfold, and I get a front row seat. Oh, Iwish the other were here to see this.” She looked around, and her eyes became thoughtful. “Rest easy, Digi-Destined,” she whispered, speaking her native tongue. “Tomorrow will begin the rest of your adventure. And you may learn more about yourselves than you ever thought possible.

----

Racc massaged his sore jaw, simmering. “One day, Kamiya, we will meet again,” he growled. “And when that day comes, you will die!”