Everyone is going off on their separate ways. Sticking to individual training and prepare themselves to better themselves. With only one week till they enter the Dark Network everything is becoming tense! Kiya belongs to  dragonsurfer and RD belongs to  rainbowdragon

Digimon belongs to Bandai.

Max, Jesse, Scav and Flare belong to me. Enjoy ^^

---

Seperation



Max was slowly coming too. Eyes opening slightly as they tried to adjust to a very dimly lit atmosphere. He knew he certainly wasn't in the hotel, and he wasn't at the arena. Fearing the worst, he jumped up to his feet using the muscles in his saurian legs and began examining the area. "Have I been captured by the enemy?" He ran his hands along the walls, noticing the faint symbolic signs of digicode but unlike those he read back in the union cave they seemed cryptic, ancient text that he couldn't make out with instinct alone.


It didn't help that the room was lit so little. He had to fumble along the walls, feeling every detail and depression in the walls till he felt something fuzzy. "What's this?" he moved his hands through the fur, a look of puzzlement on his face. "It feels like fur...Maybe they decorated the walls with some sort of pelt..."


Then suddenly he heard a growl, the sound of which vibrated through the fur he had been reaching over. "Who are you calling a fur pelt?!?"


Backing up, Max formed a ball of light into his paw and looked up with wide eyes. Staring at purple striped white tiger that towered several stories above him. He looked into those four eyes that scrutenized him. "Y-You're huge! I didn't know digimon came that big!!"


"You know..." Baihumon's eyes narrowed, looking Max over and lifting but a single paw, when it came down it left the room trembling. "For the worlds chosen hero you're awfully cheeky. I take it Smithy did not explain anything to you before hauling you down here."


Max started flailing around, already trying to figure out how he'd battle such a beast then blinked when he heard his uncle's name. "Wait...You know my uncle?"


Letting out a deep chuckle, Baihumon sat on his haunches, staring down at the Guilmon before him. "I am Baihumon. The digital lord of the west. Yes I know your uncle seeing as he serves me."


"Wait he serves...you?" His eyes went wide before giving a slight bow. "S-sorry about that sir! I had no idea that you were THAT Baihumon. But errr...why AM I here?"


"Well...seeing as you're still so FULL of energy. I guess I may as well put it bluntly. We've only one week to pour a years worth of training into you. According to Smithy, you've already begun to show signs of mastery of the light. One such sign was the fact that you managed to walk on the air. It took your Grandfather years of training under the four of us before he could even begin such complex tasks." Baihumon commented, a hint of amusement in his voice.


Max sweatdropped, noting the grin on Baihumon's face. No matter what the guy did, it made Max uneasy, like he could be snapped up like a piece of candy. He then looked at his legs and nodded. "Yeah, I had to think on the fly in the middle of a battle. I lacked wings so I imagined myself wearing Jet Boots."


Baihumon nodded, looking over the area and suddenly, lit the chamber around them using his own field of light. "It took more than imagination. It took concentration, skill, and a steady stream of light that you were able to produce. Because of that, I'm going to drive into you...TWO new techniques that...while I'd feel more comfortable training you in for a few years. You'll have to learn now if you expect to survive in the Dark Network."


Scratching his head, Max looked around the room. Now completely lit thanks to Baihumon's light abilities. "Lighting up this whole room would take up half my reserves...What are these two techniques that I'm to learn?"


Baihumon chuckled softly, his claws scraping against the ground. "I want you to keep in mind, these two techniques are the most advanced forms of light manipulation that can be taught. Soul Charge, and Soul Cross."


"Soul charge...and Soul Cross. What do these two things do exactly? And why is it that you'd prefer to teach them to me with more time on our hands?" Max asked, crossing his arms as he tried to ponder the meaning of each technique.


"I was getting to that!" Baihumon grumbled, licking his fangs a bit. "Soul Charge works around gathering energy from the earth around you. If you're in need of a recharge of light energy that is how you'll do it. What I can teach you is the rudimentary method at best given our short time frame. And Soul Cross...That will probably take up most of our time."


Max rubbed his chin, thinking them both over. Then he realized something. "You only explained what Soul Charge is. What bout Cross? What does it do?"


Stretching out, Baihumon tested the ground below him. "Before I tell you. And before I teach you either of these techniques. I want to ask you, what is your solution? What will you do if you finally confront the Darkness. Your Grandfather was always asking the same question, and his solution brought us to this moment right now."


That caught Max off guard. He looked down below at his feet as he gave it some thought. "Honestly...I've been wondering about that since I got here. The darkness is an incorporeal being. Born from the negativity brought about by both humans and digimon. What we do, can only slow it down or seal it's base power temporarily. I do have a solution but...pulling it off might be more than I can do with my power alone."


"Would you mind telling me?" Baihumon inquired, leaning his head down to meet Max's.


At his insistance, Max started explaining his solution to Baihumon, who stared in shock. "What do you think...? I think it's the best way to prevent things from getting this bad in the years to come."


Baihumon closed his eyes for a moment. Thinking deeply before giving a subtle nod. "You have my blessing in your endevour. If you can get the blessings of Ebonwumon and Zhuqiaomon as well as Blades, then I think that we can all work together to make your solution come true. But you do realize what this will mean for you don't you?"


"I already know. And I'm ready to deal with any and all consequences. I also know it means I'll have to say good bye to the world I was raised in." Max looked almost sad. But a big grin spread across his face. "But to protect it, and know that it will be safe is all that I need."


nodding, Baihumon chuckled softly. "Make sure you that by the time you guys finish your buisiness in the Dark Network that you let them know about your plan. It won't help anybody if they're left in the dark. Now...Let's start with teaching you how to Soul Charge!"

---

Fang was standing on the tip of his toes, watching Smithy hammering down on a new set of armor in his forge, he watched the sparks fly before smiling. "So when will it be ready?"


To the side, was what looked to be a half completed suit of armor, the coating for most of it was blue, and one could see the helmet was shaped in the form of a Gaomon. Bending the metal on the piece that Smithy was working on, he was trying to get the bends just right before dipping the piece of metal into a container of water. "You provided me with a challenge I've never been offered before Fang." Smithy grunted and dusted off bits of debris from his shoulder. "Give me one more day and most of the componants will be finished. Then we can work on your training."


"So this armor will be linked directly to my soul?" Fang asked, picking up the helmet and admiring the shine that came off of it.


"Most of my works rely on digimon that have already passed...using fragmented data left behind. Or corrupted pieces that are too far gone to regenerate into a new digiegg. This is my first attempt trying to make one with that data still intact and in physical form. You're holding up pretty well so there doesn't seem to be any side effects." Smithy pointed out with a sigh. Giving Fang a pat on the head.


Laughing, Fang pushed away Smithy's hand and looked up. "We're all making what preparations we can. Before we set foot into unknown territory. We don't know if we'll even be able to sustain ourselves in the Dark Network or if all of us will come back alive. We can't afford to play it safe anymore, and that's why I asked you to do this for me."


Smithy nodded, sitting back to give his muscles a break before looking softly in Fang's direction. "Normally I'd charge for this kind of rush delivery. But the seriousness of the situation demands that I do this free of charge. That and you being my Nephew has something to do with it."

---

Scav walked along to the coast with Lyle. The Liamon carrying the sleeping RD on his back as they neared an impressively built ship. It seemed to be the same size as their previous ship, but the build quality as much improved. The sides being reinforced to handle the rough waves they were sure to encounter.


"Alright Scav...I don't have time to teach you or RD how to operate this ship so I'll be coming along. Like before, I'll need your digivice so we can set the coordinates." Lyle pointed out, holding a paw out for the digivice.


Not hesitating, Scav handed his digivice over to the champion leveled lion. Who hopped onto the vessal, accidentally knocking RD off his back who landed in the ship's cabin in the corner. "Whoops...heh sorry RD. You'll be feeling that one in the morning..." He chuckled as he noted the red bump that formed on the back of the Dracomon's head.


To the side of the ship, Leviamon was resting on the beach. Kiya was carrying Blade within his digivice as he boared the leviathan. Climbing into it's mouth. "You guys be safe okay?" Kiya called out, holding onto Leviamon's fang. "We're all going to meet back at the base a week from now."


Scav gasped, feeling the ship suddenly taking off, and waved a paw in Kiya's direction. "I'll send you a status report when we get to the North alright?!"


Grinning, Kiya nodded. "And we'll keep you posted on the East!" He then gasped as Leviamon closed his jaws over him, plunging into the deep waters of the ocean.

---

Nova groaned, rubbing over his temples deep in the underground base. "I honestly don't think us seperating our forces is the best way to be handling the situation."


Jesse sighed, shrugging his shoulders as he rubbed over his Loweemon armor. "Everyone's preparing for our final strike. In fact...I'll be leaving shortly myself to train with Triceramon. I need to learn how to fuse the two spirits of Darkness together. Same with the Light, which Doru will instruct me."


Coronamon leapt onto Flare's shoulders, playing piggyback on him as the Agunimon adjusted himself for the extra weight. "And we'll be heading off to Max's grandpa. I need to learn how to fuse the spirits of flame myself."


"Heh you have to learn how to summon BurningGreymon before you can combine him with the spirit of Agunimon." Coronamon commented, poking Flare on the back of his head a few times.


"Ack! Hey! I know how to summon it...I just...have trouble controlling it." Flare blushed a bit, looking at some of the damage he caused to the base.


Facepalming, Nova looked at some of the beds which were reduced to white ash. He really should have had Flare go outside and practice rather than damage his perfectly good base. "YOu definitely lack the natural intuition that the rest of your group clearly has. YOU I don't mind taking off. Just when you come back try to be a bit more responsible..."


"I promise!" Flare held up his hand as if he were in the boy scouts. Which made Coronamon facepaw, the small mon giving Nova a look that pretty much said. 'don't count on it.'


Jesse sighed softly, then blinked when Flare started pushing him out of the base, the trio rising up the elevator as they began their ascent.


He waited until their ascent and sprawled on the floor. Nova looked up, and hit a single button on the control dashboard as the image of his wife appeared on the monitor. "I promise once this is over we'll be a family again..." He whispered. letting out a low groan and rolling onto his back. "Our son's grown up...And all I want to do is protect him from the responsibility that was thrust upon him...And at the same time. I'm proud of him..."


Having said that, Nova started closing his eyes. Allowing himself to rest after a tense few days. They'd all need to be ready in case something went awry.


(To be continued)