A choice of Three. [Sci]

More than 'run-down', the chapel that K now stood in held an antique vibe. Old wooden boards would creak with each step, and both the walls and the ceiling showed signs of their age. It would almost feel like she had taken a step back in time, completely removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Perhaps that was the intent: alone in the chapel, the Renamon would be left with her own thoughts, only the light from the stained glass and from her own band streaming through the room.

As K would call out, the tone in the room would change. Hanging lanterns on either side of the chapel would flicker, coming to life with a light blue flame, as a faint wind breezed down the center of the hall. "My, you seem like a tired one. Come on in; these doors are open for all who need it." A gentle, warm voice filled the chapel, and if the Renamon took a few steps forward, the owner of the voice would reveal himself:

The masked priest would seem to appear out of thin air, the Reppamon's mask facing the Renamon. Beneath, the exposed muzzle of the weasel gave a kind smile; behind, his tail gave a cautious flick, the eye of the scythe carefully observing the band on K's arm. Carefully, the Reppamon would take a step forward, before he would sit tall in front of his guest.

"Hm..." He mused. "It appears as though you have come to this place for a reason. I am Guru. I welcome you, and all who come to speak of their troubles." And it was clear, at least to Guru, that K seemed troubled in one way or another. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of welcoming Jesmon's blessed?"

In Guru's case, the priest simply stopped hiding his presence to appear before the Renamon. His kind often had the power to vanish from sight or slip into the shadows. The Reppamon may have frightened a few, but there was a method to Guru's actions.

Right now, though, the priest would simply listen from behind his mask. The tail, holding a more tense and potentially irate personality, flicked away as the Renamon mentioned she had an 'issue' with the sigil. "Hm? My apologies, my assumption got the best of me. Those who have been marked by a knight in a way such as yours are generally a special sort... perhaps that will remain the same for you."

It sounded like the Reppamon was simply musing out loud, and as the Renamon mentioned that she had quite a bit to explain, the masked weasel gave a nod. "A good friend... and one whose aware of my talents? What a small world we live in." But he got her point well enough - tapping his tail once against the ground, the doors of the chapel would slowly swing shut, a light 'click' audible behind her.

With that, he'd give a nod. "Now, K, take a moment to relax, and as much time as you need to gather your thoughts. Not a single secret of yours will ever leave my lips." His voice sounded warm and sincere, fitting for one of his stature. "What's on your mind?"

Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time that Reppamon's tail got the wrong tone across. Sensing K's slight discomfort, the Reppamon briefly turned to face the blade, his gaze meeting the the crimson eye. The tail itself gave a slight glare back, before ultimately resting flat behind the weasel.

Ultimately, he left it at that, turning his attention back to the Renamon. It was about at this point that K brought up her specific reference: 'Doctor Mikemon'. "Oh, yes, the one with the red crystal? He's a good sort, even if he and I don't see eye to eye in our methods." What did that mean, that the doctor even referred her out this far? It more or less confirmed that K was, indeed, a 'special case'.

Soon enough, the two were separated from the sounds of the city, allowing K to gather her thoughts with more ease. In truth, there wasn't a single mechanism in the walls at all - Guru commanded the wind and his own spiritual energy, and his tail had a hold over the shadows. Combined, and with careful control, he could maneuver this chapel with ease, without even changing his expression.

That thought was soon far away, as K finally started her story. As the Renamon spoke, she'd find that the Reppamon was quite the listener. He was patient and attentive, his tail occasionally giving a flick and a glance at the more poignant parts of her story. He remained respectively silent, not wanting K to lose her train of thought nor muddy his initial perception of the words, though that didn't mean there was no reaction.

After all, these past few days seemed absolutely dreadful for K. She lost not only her home, but her entire town, overtaken by her own anger. Slowly, the Reppamon lowered his head, as if in reverence for what was lost, but his attention would quickly perk up at her anger. Three days, simply letting that hate fester, until the doctor finally managed to calm her down. But...

A thousand years? The Reppamon's lips parted in a light display of surprise, the tail flicking up at attention. She'd stayed alive for so long, but had felt her mind and body change so recently. He paid attention to her description of the diagnosis - both at her inn, and in Whitewater...

... And it would soon come to the crux. The Renamon standing before him did not have her own core, but was the 'average' of three cores in her depths. Taking this information in hand, the Reppamon gained a thoughtful tone, closing his eyes under the mask to try and piece their reasoning together. If one side 'won', balance would be returned and K could continue to exist. If her condition remained as it was, she'd cease to exist upon reaching her highest tier of strength.

As K reached the end of her story, Guru took a few moments to collect his thoughts. "Jesmon and Examon... both Royal Knights of legend. And the cores of their past echoes live on in you. It makes sense why the doctor referred you to me." His voice still had that kind tone, a smile finally returning to his face. "I can certainly put you on the right path, but it will be on you to make your way to find the three of them. Come along."

Guru motioned for K to follow briefly, before asking her to wait just in front of the altar. Briefly, the Reppamon would make his way to the back, returning with two dusty, fine mats. One was set up on the left, and one on the right, the Reppamon taking a seat on the latter mat.

"Take a seat," Guru instructed, "And clear your mind of as much thought as you can." Slowly, the weasel raised his front-right paw, an azure glow strongly pulsing around it. "When you are ready, take your hand into my own."

And if she did, well...

---

... K would find herself, for a moment or two, simply floating in a white expanse before everything simply turned black. Eventually, she'd feel a firm, warm soil beneath her paws, and if she'd pry herself up, the Renamon would find herself in the clearing of a bizarre forest. Looking straight up, she'd see a clear night sky, shooting stars occasionally streaming overhead. If she looked to her arm, the sigil was nowhere to be found.

The clearing was a bare circle of dirt, and the Renamon would be sitting on one side of it, facing the Reppamon. Surrounding the circle is what seemed to be a nearly impassible wall of trees, with thorny bushes and thick brush blocking the way. Behind the Reppamon was a single trail, expanding outwards in a dark, winding path.

Should K look behind herself, she'd see the same. Though, somehow, the 'feel' of that second path would seem far more intimidating, a definite pressure tingling at the edge of her fur.

"Welcome." The Reppamon would address K as she wakes. "Please, take a moment to acclimate. This place represents our psyche." He would briefly add: "Where we stand now represents the 'selves' we choose to show each-other, and show the world. And behind me," the Reppamon glanced over his shoulder, "Is everything else about me. My every virtue and vice, every fear and value, exist somewhere in those winding woods. And, naturally..."

The Reppamon nodded towards the Renamon's own path. "That, is yours."

This Renamon was quite the intuitive one, Guru noted. The reactions that Guru had from patrons brought to their own psyche were quite varied. Some where panicked, some awestruck, and others were reverent. K fit a different bill altogether: she seemed nervous but resolute, as if she was ready to simply stride right in and meet the three cores that lied within.

But it would hardly be that simple: "Down the path itself is the destination our mind seeks. Should we traverse all the way to the end of this path, we may find the answers you seek. But I must urge you to take caution: along the way, we will see the deepest parts of your mind. Aspects of yourself you've long denied will be on display. And considering your recent experiences, well..."

The Reppamon left it at that. This wasn't a trek that she would take alone, however: as K turned to face her path, Guru stepped up right alongside her. Starting down that winding path, the very clearing they came through would soon be shrouded in the shadows of the forest.

---

But it seemed that the woods were not a consistent theme of this place. Past the clearing, the dirt path turned to cobblestone, and should K take a look over her shoulder, she'd see the small, dense woods that they had just come from. Rather than a forest, the Renamon's mind took that of an expansive hilly field. Not much was in sight, initially, but the path would soon come around a bend.

And, cruelly, K would find something that stuck heavily on the forefront of her mind. There, just off the path, was her inn. From the outside, it seemed exactly as she remembered it: that simple wooden structure, that sign above the doorstop, even that bell that rang when someone opened the door. Just past the windows, though, a raging fire roared on, the inferno tearing through every inch of the abode. That would have been enough by itself...

... But, besides that, several visages surrounded the place. One, a CresGarurumon, roared out in anger, tearing through the dirt below. Another, a Shutmon, gave a chuckle in K's voice: "Is that it? This town didn't want me, anyway...". A third, a Renamon, sit on the porch, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried into her fur. And, inside, another fox wiped over the counter, blissfully ignorant of the flames wrapping around the entire building.

So long as they looked, the fire didn't gain any progress. The inn burned, and ash blew through the air, but the building itself remained as K last remembered it. At this image, the Reppamon gave a sigh. "Anger, denial, despair... a heart in disarray is never a pretty sight." Despite the wording, there was nothing offhand about the Reppamon's tone, a true weight held to every word. "Each and every one of them here has the potential to be 'you'. Maybe you've even worn their masks already."

It was never easy to look at your inner self.

Through all of Guru's treks into the mind, this fact held true more often than not. Inside this space, one would be forced to witness themselves without filter, and be confronted with every heartache head-on. And so, as K looked over those four renditions of herself amidst that blazing inn, the Reppamon carefully observed the Renamon's reaction. It was true that she felt uncomfortable, and perhaps even hurt by the sudden vision, but the innkeeper managed to compose herself. She didn't deny these aspects of herself, but then again, how could she? These were all feelings that were recently on the forefront of her mind.

"They are you," the Reppamon corrected. "They are parts of yourself without filter or distracting, openly expressing what they want to express. And as they are so close to the front, each of their mutterings has an impact on your mind. That being said..."

The priest glanced at her, and gave a nod. "You have quite the level head. I've seen representations of anger turn aggressive against their own host, or thoughts of greed and desire try and pull travelers far off the path. I feel," the Reppamon paused, "That your true challenge will come when you meet those thoughts that are not your own. For now, I suggest we don't linger long." And when the Renamon was ready, the two would make their way down the path...

... Though, that wasn't to say that every figment in K's mind would be a passive one. Just as they would make their way around another bend, the path would seem quite clear for a bit. But just a few yards beyond, another Renamon would follow in-step, just slightly behind K. And whether or not K would notice, she would speak up:

"Why did you stay there so long, anyway?" Her voice was curious, but also just a bit cutting! "All those years in the inn, wasting away... wondering what was out there but never bothering to look! How could you just sit around in that same, dingy village your whole life?"

"I guess its not every day you see them face to face?" With a small smile, the Reppamon would give a nod to her next point. "If you are certain, they know. After all, as much as they are part of you, you are a part of them as well."

To be honest, it had been a long time since the Reppamon had visited a 'level' mind. Even in the throes of agony, K found the strength to pull forward. And the one aspect that did come up to talk to her seemed more curious and frustrated than anything else, like one who had been told 'no' just a few too many times! Even as K gave her answer, the other Renamon gave a huff, even rolling her eyes as K wagged her finger.

"Well, I guess you're on the road now, so it doesn't really matter... but c'mon, its not like you couldn't have rolled back and said hi. You could have been anything, K: a doctor, a soldier, a medic! I'm not asking for much, K. But..."

With her own pause, she gave a chuckle: "When's the last time you just 'went for it'?" And with that, the fox would vanish, receding back into K's mind. To her plea, the Reppamon gave a shrug: "Mm? It almost sounded like she was trying to lecture you. Hard to tell if that was your spirit of adventure, or frustration at boredom. Still, its interesting to see such mild vices." His tone, once again, gave an earnest reply.

---

Overall, it didn't seem that K's mind was 'naturally' bothered by much. She just had the simple drives and fears that most had, and thus there path down the trail would be largely uneventful. But it wasn't just her own personification that would have been pressed onto this land: pressing further and further down the trail, at the bottom of what seemed to be the last hill, the two would come to an incredible sight:

The path led to a sheer cliff. The fields ended on a rocky outcropping, giving way to a deep, foggy expanse below, one that extended beyond the horizon. And as for the trail? Well, it did lead to a way forward: to a rickety old bridge, made of rope and wood planks, barely enough for the Renamon to walk across. A howling wind blew overhead, sheer silence filling this expanse of the mind.

Guru gave a thought, and spoke: "My... this is troubling. Tell me, K," Guru turned to the Renamon: "What does this represent? I can feel that your three spirits have nothing to do with this much, so far - I only sense your own mind's hand in this."

As the two of them peered over what seemed to be the edge of this world, the Reppamon sat back and observed. He was both curious and nervous to see how the fox would take this - would this overwhelm the Renamon? Would it probe impassible, or would she slip? It was both a breathtaking and nerve-wracking sight to behold...

... And K, after a moment's hesitation, walked right up to it. She examined the path, and observed the road she had to take. This was not without fear, but with sheer grit and determination. Her mind was made up the moment she saw that bridge.

"You trust in yourself. That, in your case, is the most important." The Reppamon stepped forward, and took a seat several yards from the bridge. "But this is not a path I can walk with you. Our steps are too different to keep the bridge in balance."

That said, the weasel gave a smile: "I will wait here, for your return. Go on, and hold that bravery close to your heart."

---

And as K would walk forth, she'd find herself traversing through a thick fog, one that threatened to choke the air. Perhaps mercifully, or perhaps not, K would barely be able to see her own feet and the rickety, wooden path below. A light, cold breeze cut through the air, even stinging under her fur.

But what could be said? K was now entering the parts of her mind she didn't even know she had until a day prior. This mystery is what made the fog, and the trial, the bridge. But so long as she persevered, eventually, her feet would hit warm soil as she reached the other side.

Well... if she could even make it the whole way across.