Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadow War ❯ Chapter 11
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.31.2005 | Pages: 12 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 255 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.31.2005 | Pages: 12 | Words: 4.8K | Visits: 255 | Status: Completed
Chapter 11:
*********
Liam stood on the balcony of the Master’s house, looking down onto the subterranean village. In his hand he held a tall glass of some unknown liquid, but like everything else in this place, it seemed to rejuvenate him.
Maybe this was all just a dream, and he would wake up the next day, with a rifle by his side and a cold camp bed beneath him, but somehow, he didn’t think so. Even he couldn’t dream up something this weird.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Mimi. He’d been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t heard her come onto the balcony. He smiled at her. Her pink-dyed hair was mottled, the conditions of the past day forcing it to revert slightly to it’s natural brown. The image was slightly comic, and his smile twitched slightly as he realised that the rose he had given her now decorated her brow.
“Just wondering when we’ll get out of this mess. Yourself?”
“Pretty much the same. I… wanted to thank you, Liam.”
“Why would you have to thank me?”
“Because every time I’ve been in trouble lately, you’ve been there to bail me out. I owe you for that.”
He shook his head.
“You don’t owe me a thing, Mimi. All I’ve been doing is my job.”
“No. You’ve been doing more than that, for all of us.”
Liam shook his head. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but now wasn’t the time. Even as he opened his mouth to speak again, a strange harmonic melody started to filter up from the underground chasm beneath them.
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In the house, Davis looked up at the sound of the strange song, and ululating rhythm that cut through the caves still air.
“Why are they singing?” asked Kari.
The master turned from the window to face them, his bearded face smiling ironically.
“They sing because the Paladin is here.”
Davis looked confused.
“For me? But why?”
“Because you are the Paladin, Daisuke Motomiya. The people in this valley, like me, have been waiting for your return for a long time.”
TK looked over from where he leant on the wall.
“Why for Davis especially?”
“Because he is the one on which all rests. He is the one on whom the fate of both the digital and human world is placed. We are the people of prophecy, Takeru Takaishi, and we know for whom we have waited.”
“Who are you?”
“All in good time, Daisuke. For now, you must rejuvenate yourselves. Quarters have been set aside for you, but feel free to take a look around the village and town. You may find it enlightening.”
Davis stood.
“Thankyou, Master.”
“You have no need to call me master, Daisuke, but for the moment, it is as good a name as any. I will explain all when you have rested.”
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Kari walked through the village, looking around. Davis had dropped into a deep slumber the moment he had hit the bed in their chamber, and so she had left him alone with his exhaustion, choosing instead to look around this strangely calm village underneath the digital world. Gatomon walked alongside her human partner.
“It’s so peaceful here.” Kari admonished.
“It’s completely isolated Kari. There’s no need for war down here, only peace.”
They rounded a corner, and Kari smiled. A group of children were playing there, and she hung back slightly, not wanting to disturb their game. One of them spotted her, however, and they crowded round, hugging her legs. She smiled, despite the fact she was almost being pulled off balance.
“Hey, careful there.”
The kids grinned up at her, then backed off. Kari grinned after them, and turned. One of the smallest kids was standing there. And she knelt in front of the little girl.
“Hey.”
The child smiled.
“Why are you so sad?”
“What makes you think I’m sad?”
“It’s lying on you like a weight. What happened to make you sad?”
“Have you ever been sad?”
“Sometimes. I usually get over it though.”
“Well, I can’t get over it yet, because it happened only a little while ago. My friends and me were trying to stop some bad people… but things didn’t work out the way we planned.”
“Sometimes that happens. You can’t do anything about it, Lady Hikari.”
Kari looked at her oddly.
“How do you know my name?”
“Everyone here’s been waiting for you. I’m learning the prophecy at the moment.”
“The prophecy?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to learn, but I’m trying hard, honest!”
Kari laughed at the girls affronted tone.
“I’m sure you are. What does the prophecy say about me?”
The girl smiled, and instead of answering, held out her hand. Kari reached out, and took it. As she did, she felt the little girls mind gently press against her own – not in the forceful way that the power of the dark crests, but a subtle, peaceful way. The girl was obviously waiting for an invitation before being allowed into Kari’s mind, and the Digidestined, curious, concentrated and allowed her mind to open.
Light surrounded her and Gatomon, and she looked down. The little girl was still holding her hand, and smiling up at her.
“Where are we?”
“This is the prophecy. I have the gift – I can go to the prophecy when I want. I like to come here when I want to be alone.”
Kari smiled. The light faded, and she found herself standing in a cave. Along the low walls were paintings.
“What do these mean?” she asked.
“They show what is yet to come.”
“Dayla.” A third voice joined in the conversation.
The little girl twisted around, Kari following suit. The Master stood there, his arms folded. He was giving the girl a bemused look.
“What have I told you, Dayla?”
The little girl gave the exaggerated sigh of a child who knows a rebuke is coming.
“That I’m not to bring people to the prophecy chamber without permission.”
“That’s right. I don’t mind you coming here on your own, but your mind isn’t subtle enough to bring others here yet, okay?”
Dayla pouted. The Master grinned at her, and then at Kari.
“Lady Hikari, if you’re finished, can you come back to my house please. I need to talk to you all, properly this time.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Dayla, you go and play, alright? If I need you, I’ll send for you.”
The girl glared at him, but nodded. Then the Master made a quick motion with his hands, and Kari felt her mind subtly shift in focus,
Bringing her back to the real world. She looked down at Dayla. The little girl pouted.
“I can too cope with other people. Are you going now?”
“I really should, Dayla. But thankyou.”
Dayla wasn’t listening.
“Please wait a second, Lady Hikari…”
“Just Kari, please.”
The girl nodded, and quickly dashed into the building next to her. She scampered back out, and handed Kari something. It was a bracelet, made of interwoven strands of thread. The threads were so fine that the bracelet weighed almost nothing on the palm of her hand. She looked into the girls eyes.
“Thankyou, Dayla… but I don’t have anything to give you…”
“You don’t have to give me anything. That bracelet means that we’re connected now. I’m your guide. That’ll show the master.”
“How old are you, Dayla?”
“Six.”
“You’re very confident for someone your age. And very clever too.”
Kari thought quickly, and then unslung her light backpack. She rummaged around in it for a minute, before she located the item she wanted. She passed it to Dayla.
“There. Now you have a gift from me too.”
Dayla grinned, and slipped the chain on over her neck. The small metal whistle at the end fell against her small chest, and she lifted it to her lips, and blew it gently. Kari smiled.
“Whistle if you ever need my help, okay? I’ll try and get there as soon as I can.”
She stood, and slipped the bracelet on over her wrist. Again, she felt the light touch of Dayla’s young mind, this time in a small farewell. The little girl grinned up at her, and Gatomon, who had watched the exchange silently, surprised Kari by suddenly dodging forward and licking the girl gently on the cheek, before scampering back to Kari’s side, and leaping up onto her shoulder.
Kari almost said, goodbye, but then she realised she didn’t need to. She turned and walked away, grinning broadly.
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Davis crawled his way back to consciousness as he felt someone shaking his arm. He looked up, and saw that Kari was smiling gently down at him. He blinked in the bright lights of the underground chamber, and stood.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“The Master said he’s gonna explain everything to us now, and to wake you.”
He nodded, and reached for his shirt. He glanced briefly at the golden Katana that lay by the bed, and decided to take it with him. A little intimidation always helped.. They walked through to the main living space, where the others were already gathered. The Master was again standing looking out of the window at the village beneath them. He turned, and pulled a book from the shelf next to him.
“Welcome back, Daisuke. Now that you’ve joined us, we can begin.” He said wryly.
Davis cast the small man a look of slight annoyance, and sat on the carpet, sprawled against one of the walls.
“Do you mind telling us why you brought us to this place, Master?” he asked.
The other man smiled, and opened the book.
“Daisuke, your coming to this place has been pre-destined for a long time now. You may not know it, but you are currently the most important person in both the worlds.”
He flicked through the old parchment pages of the book, until he found his place.
“In this book, Daisuke, is recorded all the prophecies of the Paladins. It is one volume of many, but it is the most vital to your cause.”
He stopped, and frowned slightly.
“Hikari, where did you get that bracelet?”
Kari blushed.
“The little girl, Dayla gave it to me Master.”
The older man sighed.
“Trust her to take her own destiny in hand. I’ll have to talk to her about that. Anyway.”
He turned to look back at them.
“Your quest has been recorded long before you came to this place, Daisuke. You and your companions have been chosen before your battle for Coast town even begun. It was doomed to fail from the start.”
Michael, Davis noticed, turned away. The Master glanced at the blonde man.
“Yes, Michael, you were being manipulated. But I shall start from the beginning.”
He turned back to the book, and began to read.
“And it shall come to pass that the Paladin shall come to the houses of Prophecy, and shall have the prophecy revealed to him. His battle before shalt have failed, and he walks, unknowing into the future. but so long as his companions remain true, he shall prevail, no matter how long it takes.”
He pointed at Jun.
“The Healer, daughter of the house of Motomiya, who shall turn the tide of the darkness in her own way.”
Next he shifted his gaze to Mimi.
“The Maiden, whose hope shall keep the company strong, and guide them to their ultimate prevalence.”
He turned to look at Tai, Matt and Sora.
“The trinity, the three who art the shield of the company, defending it with all their might.”
Then he turned to Nick Pallet.
“The soldier, strong and true, skilled and mighty, the foe of the shadows.”
He turned to Michael, and seemed to pause for a moment. His gaze showed no anger, only pity.
“The traitor, whose act for peace caused only war. Be stout of heart yet, for you may find redemption.”
Davis noticed that Liam remained quiet throughout the revelation, even as the Master turned to him.
“The Knight. Sworn protector of the Paladin’s house, who shall be gifted with the weapons he needs.”
With that ominous phrase, he turned to TK and Tasha.
“The Sword and the Huntress – the two strongest weapons of the Paladin’s household. Once started, nothing can stand in their way.”
Then he turned to Kari and Davis, sat side by side on the floor.
“The Rose. The Paladin’s one true love, whose bloom shall drive away all the darkness from his life, keeping him from forgetting his course.”
Then those kindly eyes settled on Davis.
“The Paladin – the holy warrior of the line of Motomiya. Protector of the digital world, guardian of the crests and bearer of the sun-blade.”
He closed the book. Davis was startled out of his reverie at the Masters strangely hypnotic words.
“Is that it?”
“It is all I am permitted to reveal at this point Daisuke.”
He glanced at Michael.
“Do not fear, Michael. The way things turned out was not your decision. Your role was chosen centuries before you were even born – if it had not been you, it would have been one of the others. Believe me when I say this.”
He stood.
“Liam, Takeru, Daisuke. I must ask you to accompany me.”
The three stood. Davis turned to his companions.
“Wait here, please. I think we might have to leave in a little while.”
The master stopped at the door, and glanced over his shoulder.
“Regretfully, Daisuke, that is indeed the case.”
He walked around his house to a small door set directly into the walls of the cavern. Pulling a golden key from around his neck, he twisted it in the lock. The metal door swung open, revealing only darkness inside.
“Follow me.”
“Where are you taking us?” asked TK.
“There are things you must be given.”
They followed him down the narrow passageway.
“Why couldn’t you tell us anything more about the prophecy?” asked Liam.
“Because I am not permitted to. To reveal the future is to influence it’s outcome, and I cannot do that. Events must take their course. But there is some help I AM permitted to give.”
Davis, despite the darkness, heard the sound of another door opening, and gentle light spilled into the passageway.
The room was large, and the three of them could fit inside easily. The Master shrugged.
“I apologize for the tight fit of the corridor. No-one told me that Liam would be so… big.”
Despite himself, Davis laughed. The heavy, almost ceremonial air dissipated, leaving a feeling of intense relief. The Master turned to him.
“What you are about to see was a burden placed on me by your ancestor, Ichiro Motomiya.” He shrugged. “Yes, I am that old. My duty can only be performed me, and so I live on. That’s what you get for volunteering for anything a Motomiya asks you to do.”
He grinned broadly at Davis, and pressed a button on the wall. A hole opened in the roof, and light shone down onto a small Dais in the centre of the room. Snow floated gently down through the portal.
On the table lay two swords. The Master strode forward, and first picked up the one on the left, a Katana, shining silvery in the winter light. He turned, and walked to TK.
“This was once the sword of the Paladin’s brother. It can only be borne by the man who is the Paladin’s truest partner in battle. From what my Guardians have told me, that is you.”
He turned the blade, and laid it gently across his own forearm. TK hesitated for a moment, and then took the shining sword. Davis felt his own Katana sing in exultation. He drew the golden blade, and TK held out his own sword. The two blades touched lightly together, and Davis felt a surge of immense joy emanate from his sword, as if it was glad to see its brother once again.
The Master turned back to the Dais, and lifted another sword. This one was different – instead of a Katana, it was a steel grey longsword. The flat of the blade was decorated with a spiralling pattern, and in each loop was contained the symbol of Courage that was on Davis’s own crest. The Master turned to Liam, and lifted the blade, one-handed, to his face, the flat facing the big Irishman.
“This, Liam, was my sword. I swore, in those early days of the first Paladin, that I would protect his household, and when my duty was finished, I would wait until the next who would take my duty arrived. You are my Oath-brother, Liam Dillon, so take my sword, and fulfil your duty.”
Liam didn’t hesitate. The Irish warriors hand came up, and grasped the upper half of the silver-inlaid hilt of the longsword. The Master let go.
“Ichiro Motomiya was my best friend. I have now fulfilled the oath I made to him, and from this moment on, I shall finally start to age.”
Liam looked startled.
“Does that mean…?”
“No, Liam!” The Master laughed. “You will not have immortality placed upon you. Believe me, it’s an extremely overrated element of life. No, you will live your life, and you will pass the sword down your own line now.”
Liam nodded and withdrew his old sword. Turning it, he offered it to the Master.
“Please, take this, as a gift from the new Knight to the old.”
The Master nodded, and took the blade. The two stepped back, and raised the flats of their swords to their faces in salutation. The Liam sheathed his new sword. The four of them turned and made their way back up the passageway.
“May I ask your name, Master?” Davis asked.
“Of course. My name is Tetsato Dartha.”
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They moved back into the house, and sat down. TK handed his old Katana to Tasha, and sheathed his new silver blade in the scabbard over his back. Mimi moved next to Liam.
“So, you’re a knight, are you?”
“So I’ve been told.”
She grinned slyly, and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.
“The knight’s gotta have a favour, right?” she said.
Liam smiled, and took the handkerchief. He tied it around the hilt of his new sword, and smiled at her.
“So what now?” asked Tai.
Before anyone could answer him, the sound of a whistle blasted up from the village.
“That’s Dayla!” cried Kari, diving for the door. One of the Guardians was waiting outside, his sealed face still managing to convey a sense of panic.
“Master! The Shadowmon are here!”
The Digidestined grabbed their weapons, and ran for the village.
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The attack had come completely without warning, slamming home with the force of a spear strike, but not all was lost. The guardians fought against the mass of Shadowmon, their blades flickering in the light of the cavern.
“Get the people into the tunnels!” yelled the Master.
He turned to Davis and the Digidestined.
“You must leave.”
“I can’t just leave your people!”
“The Shadowmon are here because of you, Daisuke! If you go, they have no reason to be here!”
Davis paused, but he saw the logic behind the little mans argument.
“…FUCK!” he snarled. He turned to his companions. “Let’s go!”
“Take the tunnel to the right! It leads to an old mining shaft, with carts big enough to hold people! They’ll take you far enough away that they can’t catch you here!”
“Thankyou, Master.”
“Just go, fast!”
The Digidestined turned, and ran for the tunnel entrance on the far side of the village. The Master looked after them.
”God help you, Daisuke. And you, Liam Dillon.”
With that, he turned, drew his battered sword, and faced the Shadowmon ranks alongside the Guardians.
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Davis ran through the dark tunnel, his sword in his hand. Every time! Every time they found safety, it was snatched away from them! His anger almost overwhelmed him, but instead formed a steady litany of curses that spewed from his mouth.
They reached the mine carts, and they were easily big enough to hold the small group in two of them.
“Where’s the release switch?” asked TK.
“Over there, by the door!” said Tasha. Davis immediately saw the fault in their planning.
“Whoever releases the switch is gonna have to stay behind.” He looked down at Veemon, who nodded, the turned to his friends. “Get into the carts. I’ll find some way to catch up.”
“Davis!” Kari gasped.
“You cant stay behind, Davis!”
“This is what I have to do! Don’t try and stop me!”
Kari turned to Liam.
“Tell him, Liam!”
The rest of the group had already climbed into the carts, and Liam gestured for Kari to follow them. He clapped his hand on Davis’s shoulder.
“You’re a brave man, Davis.”
“Thanks, Liam. You’d better get into the cart…”
He was cut off as the big Irishman’s fist slammed into his belly doubling him over and knocking the wind out of him. Liam picked him up like a child, and put him in the cart. Mimi stood.
“Liam, No!”
He cut her off by suddenly kissing her full on the lips.
“Remember me, Mimi.”
He turned, dashed over to the release switch, and pulled them hard down. The mine carts started to roll away.
“Liam!!!” Came Davis’s agonised cry.
The big Irishman ignored his friend, and picked up his rifle. The sounds of the Shadowmon echoed down the passageway. He looked up slowly. The cars vanished round the corner, and Davis’s voice was cut off.
He heard the snarls, and the hot air of the Shadowmon wafted towards him. He raised his rifle to his hip.
“Right, you bastards!”
He pulled the trigger, spraying on full automatic at the deformed creatures, cutting them down like wheat before a scythe. The flying bullets ricocheted round the corners in the tunnel, cutting down the enemies that Liam couldn’t even see yet.
The firing pin clicked on empty, and Liam casually tossed the rifle aside, and drew his sword. The blade shone in the darkness, and he raised it in front of him. Bright light sprung from the pommel, blinding the creatures in the tunnel.
The Shadowmon stumbled, and when they got back to their feet, out of the shining light sprang an Irish warrior from the realms of myth. Liam’s sword cut down the first of them, decapitating them even as he went past. He lunged, and kicked the one he had impaled through the stomach neatly off the end of his blade. He slashed through them with reckless abandon, as the adrenaline took over. He neatly cut the last ones throat and turned. He could here more in the corridor, and he retreated to the chamber. He pulled a grenade from his belt.
“That’s it. Last stand done.”
Pulling the pin, he threw the grenade with all of his strength into the passageway. The explosion set the ground writhing, and it cracked open, as the Irish warrior fell into the darkness.
*********
Liam stood on the balcony of the Master’s house, looking down onto the subterranean village. In his hand he held a tall glass of some unknown liquid, but like everything else in this place, it seemed to rejuvenate him.
Maybe this was all just a dream, and he would wake up the next day, with a rifle by his side and a cold camp bed beneath him, but somehow, he didn’t think so. Even he couldn’t dream up something this weird.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Mimi. He’d been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t heard her come onto the balcony. He smiled at her. Her pink-dyed hair was mottled, the conditions of the past day forcing it to revert slightly to it’s natural brown. The image was slightly comic, and his smile twitched slightly as he realised that the rose he had given her now decorated her brow.
“Just wondering when we’ll get out of this mess. Yourself?”
“Pretty much the same. I… wanted to thank you, Liam.”
“Why would you have to thank me?”
“Because every time I’ve been in trouble lately, you’ve been there to bail me out. I owe you for that.”
He shook his head.
“You don’t owe me a thing, Mimi. All I’ve been doing is my job.”
“No. You’ve been doing more than that, for all of us.”
Liam shook his head. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but now wasn’t the time. Even as he opened his mouth to speak again, a strange harmonic melody started to filter up from the underground chasm beneath them.
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In the house, Davis looked up at the sound of the strange song, and ululating rhythm that cut through the caves still air.
“Why are they singing?” asked Kari.
The master turned from the window to face them, his bearded face smiling ironically.
“They sing because the Paladin is here.”
Davis looked confused.
“For me? But why?”
“Because you are the Paladin, Daisuke Motomiya. The people in this valley, like me, have been waiting for your return for a long time.”
TK looked over from where he leant on the wall.
“Why for Davis especially?”
“Because he is the one on which all rests. He is the one on whom the fate of both the digital and human world is placed. We are the people of prophecy, Takeru Takaishi, and we know for whom we have waited.”
“Who are you?”
“All in good time, Daisuke. For now, you must rejuvenate yourselves. Quarters have been set aside for you, but feel free to take a look around the village and town. You may find it enlightening.”
Davis stood.
“Thankyou, Master.”
“You have no need to call me master, Daisuke, but for the moment, it is as good a name as any. I will explain all when you have rested.”
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Kari walked through the village, looking around. Davis had dropped into a deep slumber the moment he had hit the bed in their chamber, and so she had left him alone with his exhaustion, choosing instead to look around this strangely calm village underneath the digital world. Gatomon walked alongside her human partner.
“It’s so peaceful here.” Kari admonished.
“It’s completely isolated Kari. There’s no need for war down here, only peace.”
They rounded a corner, and Kari smiled. A group of children were playing there, and she hung back slightly, not wanting to disturb their game. One of them spotted her, however, and they crowded round, hugging her legs. She smiled, despite the fact she was almost being pulled off balance.
“Hey, careful there.”
The kids grinned up at her, then backed off. Kari grinned after them, and turned. One of the smallest kids was standing there. And she knelt in front of the little girl.
“Hey.”
The child smiled.
“Why are you so sad?”
“What makes you think I’m sad?”
“It’s lying on you like a weight. What happened to make you sad?”
“Have you ever been sad?”
“Sometimes. I usually get over it though.”
“Well, I can’t get over it yet, because it happened only a little while ago. My friends and me were trying to stop some bad people… but things didn’t work out the way we planned.”
“Sometimes that happens. You can’t do anything about it, Lady Hikari.”
Kari looked at her oddly.
“How do you know my name?”
“Everyone here’s been waiting for you. I’m learning the prophecy at the moment.”
“The prophecy?”
“Yeah. It’s hard to learn, but I’m trying hard, honest!”
Kari laughed at the girls affronted tone.
“I’m sure you are. What does the prophecy say about me?”
The girl smiled, and instead of answering, held out her hand. Kari reached out, and took it. As she did, she felt the little girls mind gently press against her own – not in the forceful way that the power of the dark crests, but a subtle, peaceful way. The girl was obviously waiting for an invitation before being allowed into Kari’s mind, and the Digidestined, curious, concentrated and allowed her mind to open.
Light surrounded her and Gatomon, and she looked down. The little girl was still holding her hand, and smiling up at her.
“Where are we?”
“This is the prophecy. I have the gift – I can go to the prophecy when I want. I like to come here when I want to be alone.”
Kari smiled. The light faded, and she found herself standing in a cave. Along the low walls were paintings.
“What do these mean?” she asked.
“They show what is yet to come.”
“Dayla.” A third voice joined in the conversation.
The little girl twisted around, Kari following suit. The Master stood there, his arms folded. He was giving the girl a bemused look.
“What have I told you, Dayla?”
The little girl gave the exaggerated sigh of a child who knows a rebuke is coming.
“That I’m not to bring people to the prophecy chamber without permission.”
“That’s right. I don’t mind you coming here on your own, but your mind isn’t subtle enough to bring others here yet, okay?”
Dayla pouted. The Master grinned at her, and then at Kari.
“Lady Hikari, if you’re finished, can you come back to my house please. I need to talk to you all, properly this time.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Dayla, you go and play, alright? If I need you, I’ll send for you.”
The girl glared at him, but nodded. Then the Master made a quick motion with his hands, and Kari felt her mind subtly shift in focus,
Bringing her back to the real world. She looked down at Dayla. The little girl pouted.
“I can too cope with other people. Are you going now?”
“I really should, Dayla. But thankyou.”
Dayla wasn’t listening.
“Please wait a second, Lady Hikari…”
“Just Kari, please.”
The girl nodded, and quickly dashed into the building next to her. She scampered back out, and handed Kari something. It was a bracelet, made of interwoven strands of thread. The threads were so fine that the bracelet weighed almost nothing on the palm of her hand. She looked into the girls eyes.
“Thankyou, Dayla… but I don’t have anything to give you…”
“You don’t have to give me anything. That bracelet means that we’re connected now. I’m your guide. That’ll show the master.”
“How old are you, Dayla?”
“Six.”
“You’re very confident for someone your age. And very clever too.”
Kari thought quickly, and then unslung her light backpack. She rummaged around in it for a minute, before she located the item she wanted. She passed it to Dayla.
“There. Now you have a gift from me too.”
Dayla grinned, and slipped the chain on over her neck. The small metal whistle at the end fell against her small chest, and she lifted it to her lips, and blew it gently. Kari smiled.
“Whistle if you ever need my help, okay? I’ll try and get there as soon as I can.”
She stood, and slipped the bracelet on over her wrist. Again, she felt the light touch of Dayla’s young mind, this time in a small farewell. The little girl grinned up at her, and Gatomon, who had watched the exchange silently, surprised Kari by suddenly dodging forward and licking the girl gently on the cheek, before scampering back to Kari’s side, and leaping up onto her shoulder.
Kari almost said, goodbye, but then she realised she didn’t need to. She turned and walked away, grinning broadly.
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Davis crawled his way back to consciousness as he felt someone shaking his arm. He looked up, and saw that Kari was smiling gently down at him. He blinked in the bright lights of the underground chamber, and stood.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“The Master said he’s gonna explain everything to us now, and to wake you.”
He nodded, and reached for his shirt. He glanced briefly at the golden Katana that lay by the bed, and decided to take it with him. A little intimidation always helped.. They walked through to the main living space, where the others were already gathered. The Master was again standing looking out of the window at the village beneath them. He turned, and pulled a book from the shelf next to him.
“Welcome back, Daisuke. Now that you’ve joined us, we can begin.” He said wryly.
Davis cast the small man a look of slight annoyance, and sat on the carpet, sprawled against one of the walls.
“Do you mind telling us why you brought us to this place, Master?” he asked.
The other man smiled, and opened the book.
“Daisuke, your coming to this place has been pre-destined for a long time now. You may not know it, but you are currently the most important person in both the worlds.”
He flicked through the old parchment pages of the book, until he found his place.
“In this book, Daisuke, is recorded all the prophecies of the Paladins. It is one volume of many, but it is the most vital to your cause.”
He stopped, and frowned slightly.
“Hikari, where did you get that bracelet?”
Kari blushed.
“The little girl, Dayla gave it to me Master.”
The older man sighed.
“Trust her to take her own destiny in hand. I’ll have to talk to her about that. Anyway.”
He turned to look back at them.
“Your quest has been recorded long before you came to this place, Daisuke. You and your companions have been chosen before your battle for Coast town even begun. It was doomed to fail from the start.”
Michael, Davis noticed, turned away. The Master glanced at the blonde man.
“Yes, Michael, you were being manipulated. But I shall start from the beginning.”
He turned back to the book, and began to read.
“And it shall come to pass that the Paladin shall come to the houses of Prophecy, and shall have the prophecy revealed to him. His battle before shalt have failed, and he walks, unknowing into the future. but so long as his companions remain true, he shall prevail, no matter how long it takes.”
He pointed at Jun.
“The Healer, daughter of the house of Motomiya, who shall turn the tide of the darkness in her own way.”
Next he shifted his gaze to Mimi.
“The Maiden, whose hope shall keep the company strong, and guide them to their ultimate prevalence.”
He turned to look at Tai, Matt and Sora.
“The trinity, the three who art the shield of the company, defending it with all their might.”
Then he turned to Nick Pallet.
“The soldier, strong and true, skilled and mighty, the foe of the shadows.”
He turned to Michael, and seemed to pause for a moment. His gaze showed no anger, only pity.
“The traitor, whose act for peace caused only war. Be stout of heart yet, for you may find redemption.”
Davis noticed that Liam remained quiet throughout the revelation, even as the Master turned to him.
“The Knight. Sworn protector of the Paladin’s house, who shall be gifted with the weapons he needs.”
With that ominous phrase, he turned to TK and Tasha.
“The Sword and the Huntress – the two strongest weapons of the Paladin’s household. Once started, nothing can stand in their way.”
Then he turned to Kari and Davis, sat side by side on the floor.
“The Rose. The Paladin’s one true love, whose bloom shall drive away all the darkness from his life, keeping him from forgetting his course.”
Then those kindly eyes settled on Davis.
“The Paladin – the holy warrior of the line of Motomiya. Protector of the digital world, guardian of the crests and bearer of the sun-blade.”
He closed the book. Davis was startled out of his reverie at the Masters strangely hypnotic words.
“Is that it?”
“It is all I am permitted to reveal at this point Daisuke.”
He glanced at Michael.
“Do not fear, Michael. The way things turned out was not your decision. Your role was chosen centuries before you were even born – if it had not been you, it would have been one of the others. Believe me when I say this.”
He stood.
“Liam, Takeru, Daisuke. I must ask you to accompany me.”
The three stood. Davis turned to his companions.
“Wait here, please. I think we might have to leave in a little while.”
The master stopped at the door, and glanced over his shoulder.
“Regretfully, Daisuke, that is indeed the case.”
He walked around his house to a small door set directly into the walls of the cavern. Pulling a golden key from around his neck, he twisted it in the lock. The metal door swung open, revealing only darkness inside.
“Follow me.”
“Where are you taking us?” asked TK.
“There are things you must be given.”
They followed him down the narrow passageway.
“Why couldn’t you tell us anything more about the prophecy?” asked Liam.
“Because I am not permitted to. To reveal the future is to influence it’s outcome, and I cannot do that. Events must take their course. But there is some help I AM permitted to give.”
Davis, despite the darkness, heard the sound of another door opening, and gentle light spilled into the passageway.
The room was large, and the three of them could fit inside easily. The Master shrugged.
“I apologize for the tight fit of the corridor. No-one told me that Liam would be so… big.”
Despite himself, Davis laughed. The heavy, almost ceremonial air dissipated, leaving a feeling of intense relief. The Master turned to him.
“What you are about to see was a burden placed on me by your ancestor, Ichiro Motomiya.” He shrugged. “Yes, I am that old. My duty can only be performed me, and so I live on. That’s what you get for volunteering for anything a Motomiya asks you to do.”
He grinned broadly at Davis, and pressed a button on the wall. A hole opened in the roof, and light shone down onto a small Dais in the centre of the room. Snow floated gently down through the portal.
On the table lay two swords. The Master strode forward, and first picked up the one on the left, a Katana, shining silvery in the winter light. He turned, and walked to TK.
“This was once the sword of the Paladin’s brother. It can only be borne by the man who is the Paladin’s truest partner in battle. From what my Guardians have told me, that is you.”
He turned the blade, and laid it gently across his own forearm. TK hesitated for a moment, and then took the shining sword. Davis felt his own Katana sing in exultation. He drew the golden blade, and TK held out his own sword. The two blades touched lightly together, and Davis felt a surge of immense joy emanate from his sword, as if it was glad to see its brother once again.
The Master turned back to the Dais, and lifted another sword. This one was different – instead of a Katana, it was a steel grey longsword. The flat of the blade was decorated with a spiralling pattern, and in each loop was contained the symbol of Courage that was on Davis’s own crest. The Master turned to Liam, and lifted the blade, one-handed, to his face, the flat facing the big Irishman.
“This, Liam, was my sword. I swore, in those early days of the first Paladin, that I would protect his household, and when my duty was finished, I would wait until the next who would take my duty arrived. You are my Oath-brother, Liam Dillon, so take my sword, and fulfil your duty.”
Liam didn’t hesitate. The Irish warriors hand came up, and grasped the upper half of the silver-inlaid hilt of the longsword. The Master let go.
“Ichiro Motomiya was my best friend. I have now fulfilled the oath I made to him, and from this moment on, I shall finally start to age.”
Liam looked startled.
“Does that mean…?”
“No, Liam!” The Master laughed. “You will not have immortality placed upon you. Believe me, it’s an extremely overrated element of life. No, you will live your life, and you will pass the sword down your own line now.”
Liam nodded and withdrew his old sword. Turning it, he offered it to the Master.
“Please, take this, as a gift from the new Knight to the old.”
The Master nodded, and took the blade. The two stepped back, and raised the flats of their swords to their faces in salutation. The Liam sheathed his new sword. The four of them turned and made their way back up the passageway.
“May I ask your name, Master?” Davis asked.
“Of course. My name is Tetsato Dartha.”
=============================================================
They moved back into the house, and sat down. TK handed his old Katana to Tasha, and sheathed his new silver blade in the scabbard over his back. Mimi moved next to Liam.
“So, you’re a knight, are you?”
“So I’ve been told.”
She grinned slyly, and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.
“The knight’s gotta have a favour, right?” she said.
Liam smiled, and took the handkerchief. He tied it around the hilt of his new sword, and smiled at her.
“So what now?” asked Tai.
Before anyone could answer him, the sound of a whistle blasted up from the village.
“That’s Dayla!” cried Kari, diving for the door. One of the Guardians was waiting outside, his sealed face still managing to convey a sense of panic.
“Master! The Shadowmon are here!”
The Digidestined grabbed their weapons, and ran for the village.
=============================================================
The attack had come completely without warning, slamming home with the force of a spear strike, but not all was lost. The guardians fought against the mass of Shadowmon, their blades flickering in the light of the cavern.
“Get the people into the tunnels!” yelled the Master.
He turned to Davis and the Digidestined.
“You must leave.”
“I can’t just leave your people!”
“The Shadowmon are here because of you, Daisuke! If you go, they have no reason to be here!”
Davis paused, but he saw the logic behind the little mans argument.
“…FUCK!” he snarled. He turned to his companions. “Let’s go!”
“Take the tunnel to the right! It leads to an old mining shaft, with carts big enough to hold people! They’ll take you far enough away that they can’t catch you here!”
“Thankyou, Master.”
“Just go, fast!”
The Digidestined turned, and ran for the tunnel entrance on the far side of the village. The Master looked after them.
”God help you, Daisuke. And you, Liam Dillon.”
With that, he turned, drew his battered sword, and faced the Shadowmon ranks alongside the Guardians.
=============================================================
Davis ran through the dark tunnel, his sword in his hand. Every time! Every time they found safety, it was snatched away from them! His anger almost overwhelmed him, but instead formed a steady litany of curses that spewed from his mouth.
They reached the mine carts, and they were easily big enough to hold the small group in two of them.
“Where’s the release switch?” asked TK.
“Over there, by the door!” said Tasha. Davis immediately saw the fault in their planning.
“Whoever releases the switch is gonna have to stay behind.” He looked down at Veemon, who nodded, the turned to his friends. “Get into the carts. I’ll find some way to catch up.”
“Davis!” Kari gasped.
“You cant stay behind, Davis!”
“This is what I have to do! Don’t try and stop me!”
Kari turned to Liam.
“Tell him, Liam!”
The rest of the group had already climbed into the carts, and Liam gestured for Kari to follow them. He clapped his hand on Davis’s shoulder.
“You’re a brave man, Davis.”
“Thanks, Liam. You’d better get into the cart…”
He was cut off as the big Irishman’s fist slammed into his belly doubling him over and knocking the wind out of him. Liam picked him up like a child, and put him in the cart. Mimi stood.
“Liam, No!”
He cut her off by suddenly kissing her full on the lips.
“Remember me, Mimi.”
He turned, dashed over to the release switch, and pulled them hard down. The mine carts started to roll away.
“Liam!!!” Came Davis’s agonised cry.
The big Irishman ignored his friend, and picked up his rifle. The sounds of the Shadowmon echoed down the passageway. He looked up slowly. The cars vanished round the corner, and Davis’s voice was cut off.
He heard the snarls, and the hot air of the Shadowmon wafted towards him. He raised his rifle to his hip.
“Right, you bastards!”
He pulled the trigger, spraying on full automatic at the deformed creatures, cutting them down like wheat before a scythe. The flying bullets ricocheted round the corners in the tunnel, cutting down the enemies that Liam couldn’t even see yet.
The firing pin clicked on empty, and Liam casually tossed the rifle aside, and drew his sword. The blade shone in the darkness, and he raised it in front of him. Bright light sprung from the pommel, blinding the creatures in the tunnel.
The Shadowmon stumbled, and when they got back to their feet, out of the shining light sprang an Irish warrior from the realms of myth. Liam’s sword cut down the first of them, decapitating them even as he went past. He lunged, and kicked the one he had impaled through the stomach neatly off the end of his blade. He slashed through them with reckless abandon, as the adrenaline took over. He neatly cut the last ones throat and turned. He could here more in the corridor, and he retreated to the chamber. He pulled a grenade from his belt.
“That’s it. Last stand done.”
Pulling the pin, he threw the grenade with all of his strength into the passageway. The explosion set the ground writhing, and it cracked open, as the Irish warrior fell into the darkness.