Holy War

by Griff4823

The sequel to "A Dragon in Shining Armour". The Royal Knights secured victory, and peace set over the continent, but it isn't to last. The autocratic Metal Empire, a team of amoral mercenaries, and a mysterious Digimon in the shadows; it's up to the Order of the Royal Knights to intervene. Can they stop things from spiralling out of control, all while dealing with their own issues?

10. Chapter 8 Part 2: The Aloof Hermit

(Author's Notes: Part 2 of Chapter 8. Enjoy!)

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Chapter 8: The Aloof Hermit (Part II)

Paildramon walked down a wide, cobblestone street. Unlike many of the other streets in New Terminal, this one was fairly quiet. This was because it was located in the wealthiest borough of the city, near the financial district. It was in flying distance from the council building and it was positioned close to the New Terminal military base in order to deter crime and loitering.

On each side of the street were massive mansions, many with gated-off yards. Affluent Digimon resided in these large, luxurious houses - mostly aristocrats, politicians, commanders, and wealthy bankers or businesspeople. At first glance, the whole area was tranquil and scenic, but really, the financial district and military base were a few blocks away, so there was a constant amount of Digimon going back and forth not far off. Flying Digimon often passed over in the sky above.

Paildramon turned and walked towards one of the mansions. The two-storey mansion in question was quite big and it had a pair of tall, wide, front doors, which showed that it belonged to a large Digimon. It did not have a front yard. It only had a stone pathway of several meters leading up to the entrance. She walked up the path and stopped in front of the doors. The dragon woman Digimon raised her hand and rapped a metal, dragon-head door knocker to announce her presence.

After about half a minute, she could hear shuffling on the other side of the doors. A Digimon looked through the peep hole at her before unlocking the doors and opening them. The doors swung open to reveal a tall, hardy, red dinosaur who was dressed in a formal suit. The Tyrannomon smiled, showing off rows of straight, shining teeth.

"Lady Paildramon," he said, walking forwards and giving her a brief hug.

Paildramon smiled and returned it lightly before letting go. "You know I don't like titles, Tyrannomon," she said to him. "Besides, I'm not sure you can be that formal while hugging me."

Tyrannomon chuckled and turned to the side to allow her to walk in. "I'm sorry. It's been so long since you transferred to the Royal Knights'. I've missed having you visit."

The two of them walked inside. The entrance hall was layered with teal-hued, marble tiles. Like the front doors, everything in the house was spacious. Given her father's species, it needed to accommodate the size of an Imperialdramon Dragon Mode. This included the staircase that stood opposite the entrance hall. The stairs were wide and they led up from the entrance hall in a straight line until it split horizontally in separate directions in a sort of T-shape. The spacious steps were garnished with a long, red carpet for decoration.

Over to the right was the living room, which contained a large, soft couch, several seats, and a coffee table.

"I've missed you too. Are my brother and father home?" she asked him.

The dinosaur butler nodded. "Master ExVeemon is upstairs and Councillor Imperialdramon is in his study. Shall I fetch them?"

"No, it's fine. I can—" Paildramon began to say. However her voice was drowned out by a youthful male one that rang out from the top of the stairs.

"Sis!" a teenage dragon called out.

Paildramon looked up to see the form of a blue and white dragon man on the landing of the stairs, where the staircase diverged into two parts. The dragon leapt onto the banister and slid down its length, using his white wings and long tail for balance. As soon as he reached the bottom, he leapt off boastfully and flipped in front of Paildramon and Tyrannomon.

"That's dangerous," the butler said with a sigh.

ExVeemon grinned and hugged Paildramon tightly. "You're back!"

Paildramon smiled warmly and embraced her younger brother. "ExVeemon. How are you?"

The younger dragon let go and put his hands behind his head with a grin. "Pretty awesome. I got a new girlfriend. What are you doing here?" he inquired.

"I'm here with some of the Royal Knights," she explained. "They're having a meeting with the Council and I'm apparently here to make Dad more agreeable. Not that I've ever managed to do that in the past," she added with a playful smile.

ExVeemon chuckled. "Hey, you don't have to live with him," he said to her. "He doesn't let Tyrannomon clean my room for me. I need to learn responsibility by making my bed, apparently."

"To be fair, your room is a war zone," Paildramon told him.

Tyrannomon smirked. "She's not wrong, Master…" he chimed as he walked off.

Paildramon's smile weakened. "ExVeemon… Father isn't still pressuring you to join the army, is he?" she asked him.

ExVeemon shook his head and smiled sheepishly. "I think he's given up on that… He at least doesn't mention it anymore. Now it's all "School!" and "Chores!" He'll probably want me to get a government job eventually."

Paildramon frowned. "Do you think? Since I enlisted in the military so that you wouldn't have to?" she asked him.

"Nah, I'm just talkin'," ExVeemon said with a smile. "We both know you're better suited for the military than I ever was. You're the badass between the two of us."

Paildramon smirked and ruffled her brother's head. "If you say so. It's just a pity our dad doesn't think so," she said, although with a faint sigh on her voice. "He was adamant that you join the military and that I didn't."

"Yeeeaah…" the younger dragon admitted.

"He doesn't think that I can handle myself, and that I'm better suited behind a desk," she said with touch of indignation.

ExVeedramon shrugged. "You know how he is. He's stubborn. He'll probably change his mind when he sees you rise through the ranks of the Royal Knights' Order."

Paildramon sighed. "Perhaps. Anyways, I don't mind just as long as you're off the hook. Can you handle him if he starts on about all that again?" she asked him.

"I don't think he will, but yeah, I can," ExVeemon reassured her. "You just worry about all the Royal Knight stuff you get up to."

She gave him a wry smile. "It isn't as exciting as you probably think," she told him.

"Paildramon?" a deep, gruff, male voice spoke from the living room.

Councillor Imperialdramon Dragon Mode walked over with heavy footsteps. His large draconic form walked out of the living room and onto the marble floor of the entrance hall. He stopped in front of them and looked down at her. "I wasn't expecting this…" he rumbled, raising his a front claw to pull her into a gentle hug.

Paildramon raised her arms to return it, but instead settled for placing her hands on his shoulders. "Father…"

"Are you on leave?" he asked her.

"I'm here with Alphamon and some of the Royal Knights," she explained. "I believe you're due for a meeting with them later today?"

Imperialdramon nodded. "I've been told." He turned to ExVeemon. "Excuse us, ExVeemon."

"But I want to talk to Paildramon," he protested, folding his arms.

"You can talk to her after. Don't you have work to do for school?" his father said to him.

ExVeemon rolled his eyes and trudged back up the stairs.

Councillor Imperialdramon sighed and shook his head. "So, how have you been? Are they treating you well?" he asked her.

"I've been good, thanks. And they have been treating me no different than any of the other members of the Order," she responded. "At least, except for this instance."

"So, diplomatic missions aren't typical for you?" he asked her.

"I'm part of the Strike Forces, so not especially," she explained. "It's just because I'm from New Terminal and I'm well-acquainted with the workings of the Council."

The councillor nodded, though his scaly brows furrowed also. "Do you know what they want?"

Paildramon shook her head. "It seems important, though. Whatever it is, I think you should hear them out."

"I was planning to," Imperialdramon answered. "I'm an open-minded Digimon."

Disbelievingly, Paildramon raised an eyebrow, but she decided not to press the issue. "I'm under the impression that the Council of Seven isn't exactly inclined in favour of the Royal Knights."

Councillor Imperialdramon walked over to the living room, prompting Paildramon to follow. "Alphamon and DORUgoramon have some sort of rivalry, and a few of us aren't fond of their protectionist economic policy, but we respect their opinions when it comes to net security. I don't think you have to worry about that."

"I hope not," Paildramon answered. She smiled a bit at him. "I wouldn't want it to be known that I have an inflexible father…"

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode looked at her blandly. "…I'll do what I can," he said with a sigh. "Keep in mind, I can't promise anything, and I'm only one vote out of the seven."

"I understand," she assured him. "I know how it works."

The councillor smiled a bit and nodded. "You could have made a fine councillor one day, you know. You have just the maturity and level-head needed."

"Let's not get into hypotheticals…" she dissuaded him.

He grinned. "Afraid I'll make you reconsider? …No, despite how different you two are, you get your stubbornness from your mother."

"I'd say I take it from both sides," she corrected teasingly.

"Perhaps…" he said. He grew thoughtful. "Have you seen her at all these past several months?"

Paildramon shook her head. "I've been busy. So has she, most likely. You know how she is: always on the go."

Her father nodded his head quietly. "Well… I have some paperwork that I need to get done before the meeting. You're free to stay here, you know."

Paildramon nodded. "Thank you, Father. I'll do that," she told him.

Councillor Imperialdramon turned around and began to plod through the house, back towards his study.

The dragon soldier turned and began heading in the opposite direction. She decided that she'd stay there until the meeting time and would go up ahead of her father. Paildramon vaguely wondered what the Digimon who she came with would do to pass the time…

---

MasterTyrannomon popped the bones in his neck as he walked down the sidewalk towards his house. It was only a few blocks away from his smithy. He approached a house that was about as large as Alphamons' parents' home, but it had less of a front and backyard.

The blacksmith pulled off his heavy, fireproof apron and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped up to the house and opened the front door.

"I'm home, hun! Sorry I'm late!" he called into the house.

"Good, Ty. You're back," a smooth, female voice said.

As MasterTyrannomon hung up his apron, a Digimon floated out into the vestibule. She had a long, serpentine body with silky, azure scales. Her yellow-helmeted head observed the dinosaur Digimon. Ouryumon's adoptive Seadramon mother wrapped around her husband once and gently hugged him before letting go.

"Can you do something about our son?" she asked him with a sigh.

"Huh?" he inquired, blinking. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's been in one of his moods ever since he showed up," Seadramon explained.

MasterTyrannomon frowned. "He seemed fine when he came by the smithy," he noted. "Is Alphamon here?"

"Alphamon? No... Ouryumon's in the backyard training with his swords. Or venting, more like. Can you go out and talk to him?" she asked.

"Couldn't you?" he responded with a grin.

Seadramon rolled her eyes. "You're better at dealing with him when he's in one of his moods. Whenever I try, we usually end up arguing."

"That's because he gets his temper from you," he teased her, although hugging her neck.

"Don't test me, Ty," she told him.

"See?" He chuckled and let go, walking by her. MasterTyrannomon walked through the house and poked his large head through the backdoor.

In the backyard was Ouryumon. He held his Gairyu scimitars loosely in his clawed hands. They sliced through the air in front of him with smooth, dexterous, yet passionate strokes. He slashed downwards and then twisted his long body to spin around and carve diagonally.

His father watched as he continued to practice his form, footwork, and swordsmanship.

"It's like an art form, isn't it?" MasterTyrannomon said aloud as he stepped into the backyard.

This prompted Ouryumon to stop after his next swing and glance over his shoulder.

"For me, it's an art to make them, and for you, it's an art to use 'em," the dinosaur blacksmith observed.

Ouryumon sighed and lowered his arms, sheathing his scimitars in his belt. "I guess so…"

MasterTyrannomon grinned and put his hands on his hips. "There was a lot of force behind those swings for just practice," he noted.

"It's how I usually do it," he responded dismissively.

"Is there anything wrong?" his father asked him.

"No," Ouryumon said almost immediately.

MasterTyrannomon raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh…" he spoke in a sceptical voice.

After a few seconds of silence, Ouryumon placed his claws back on the hilts of his swords. "D'you mind, Dad? I want to practice."

"Weren't you with Alphamon before?" MasterTyrannomon pointed out with a slight grin. "Where'd he go?"

"He had somewhere he needed to be," Ouryumon muttered, his voice obviously downcast.

"Did you two have an argument?" he questioned.

"Not exactly." He then growled. "Look, Dad. I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just leave me alone for now," he told him, though it was clear he was trying to rein in his anger.

MasterTyrannomon began to turn around to head inside. However, he stopped and paused, thinking for a few moments.

"…Was it a lover's quarrel?" he asked suddenly.

Ouryumon froze. He spun around and looked at his dad with shocked, violet eyes. "W-W-What?!" he demanded, fear and horror suddenly coursing through his body.

MasterTyrannomon turned to him fully and gave him a warm, reassuring smile.

The dragon's heart began to pump harder and blood started to pool beneath the scales of his face. "Y…You… know…?" he asked, realizing that it was pointless to deny it.

"Yeah… We know…" MasterTyrannomon told him. The big dinosaur walked over to Ouryumon and gave him a warm hug. "We love you, Ouryumon."

Ouryumon grimaced and tentatively hugged him back. "…You sure?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't be stupid," MasterTyrannomon said with a chuckle. "You're our son. Doesn't matter if you're gay or not."

The gold dragon flushed hard. "…When did you find out? How did you? …Was it gossip?" he asked, letting go of his dad although he still couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes.

"Come on. Give me some credit," MasterTyrannomon said, grinning. "It was a few years ago. We've known you and Alphamon since you were little kids. You grew up together. We noticed there was a change in the way you two acted around each other. …Like how you would often glance at him when you think nobody's looking," he said with a teasing chuckle.

"Dad!" Ouryumon complained in embarrassment as he rubbed his heated face. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Your mom wanted to, but I thought it was best to let you tell us on your own terms," he explained.

Ouryumon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry… I only just told my friends recently. S'not exactly easy to do. I kept thinking of the worst scenarios… Alphamon did too."

MasterTyrannomon nodded and patted his shoulder. "We understand… You didn't have anything to worry about though…" he assured him. "So… Was it an argument between you and Alphamon?"

Ouryumon paused. He then sighed and shook his head. "We split up a few years ago during the whole thing with DarkKnightmon… Well, not exactly split up, but we decided to go on a break after we made up over a big argument we had…" he admitted, his narrow, violet eyes glancing to the side. "What happened today was just me doing something stupid, as usual…"

"Tell me about it," the blacksmith said to him.

"What's to tell?" Ouryumon dismissively said. "I misread the signals and tried to get back together with Alphamon. He wasn't ready for it. He couldn't get away fast enough…"

MasterTyrannomon sighed. "Sorry… You know Alphamon, though. He likes to think about things before he makes a commitment. It's a consequence of having the fate of the world on your shoulders time and again. …Hell, even before he was a Royal Knight, he was like that."

"I dunno. I don't want to go into it, but he had a pretty good reason to want to break up with me," Ouryumon countered, wincing guiltily.

"Like you've never done anything stupid before," MasterTyrannomon teased him, messing his purple hair up with his claws. "Alphamon's never been one to hold grudges, Ouryumon. Just give him time and I'm sure he'll be ready for you again. I know patience isn't your strongest trait, but… try."

Ouryumon sighed and nodded. "Yeah… Guess so…"

"Now come in for some emerald tea. It'll help you relax," MasterTyrannomon suggested.

The dragon nodded, albeit hesitantly. "I guess I should tell Mom while I'm at it, huh?"

"Probably a good idea," the dinosaur told him with a grin before walking in through the backdoor. "Don't want to run afoul of her."

"…Thanks, Dad," Ouryumon's voice spoke up.

MasterTyrannomon stopped in the doorway and smiled over his shoulder at Ouryumon. "Don't mention it," he assured him before disappearing inside the house.

After a few moments, Ouryumon smiled faintly and followed him inside.

---

A few kilometers away, Alphamon flew through the cerulean New Terminal sky. The afternoon sun beat down on him. It caused his flowing, white and blue mantle to glow as it flapped against his winged back. The rays heated his blackish armour and caused the ebony and gold metal to shimmer resplendently.

He gazed at the Argent Mountains ahead of him. The Royal Knight soared outside of the edge of the city and began to ascend up the inclined peak of Yggdrasil's Mount.

The mountain was covered with grass, rock, dirt, and shrubbery, for the most part. The World Tree's root coiled once around the perimeter of the upper part of the mountain before it curved off, towards the sky. Along the sides of the several mountains were hiking trails which eventually led up to the peaks and plateaus of Yggdrasil's Mount. Traditionally, one was supposed to take these trails if they wanted to travel up the mountains, either for pilgrimage, exercise, or adventure. It wasn't an overly difficult trek, but it was time-consuming enough for Alphamon to choose to take the direct route over the scenic one.

The Royal Knight spread his wings as he arced upwards, flying up along the steep face of the peak. He soared high into the air and passed over the rocks and vegetation below. It wasn't long until he made it past a kilometer, and the air pressure began to change. The air was a bit cooler on the mountain, and the breeze blew down slightly from the apex that was another kilometer or so up.

However, Alphamon has a destination other than the mountain's summit. There was a reason why this mountain was known as the Wise One's Peak. There was a sage – a hermit – who lived in a hut high up on the cliffs of the mount. He lived in recluse, but he often received customers who would visit for advice or fortunes in exchange for money, so he was like an oracle in that regard. He also had a small inventory of materia medica – mostly herbal remedies and potions. He was a Digimon shrouded in mystery to most, and some people would travel up the mountain just to say they saw him.

However, Alphamon knew his true identity.

The black-armoured Royal Knight continued to fly up a steep cliff. It was above the point that the World Tree's root emerged from inside the mountain and constricted around it: fairly high up on the mount. Once he scaled the cliff, he stopped his ascent and flew forwards and touched down gently on solid, sturdy grass and rock.

Alphamon was on a wide plateau that was carved into the side of the mountain, about three-fifths of the way to the top. The plateau was flat and covered with shrubs, grass, flowers, and rocks. Over to the left was a semi-travelled path that led up from lower on the mountain range. It was a small trail that branched off from the main one. To the right side of the plateau was a humble hut. It seemed to have several rooms judging from its size and composition. The hut had a beautiful view overlooking the entire city of New Terminal. The natural landscape, the low altitude clouds lying just overhead, and the sound of the Fountain River rushing down from another part of the mountain gave the whole area a serene, idyllic atmosphere.

The Lord of the Empty Seat stepped onto the dirt path and turned towards the hut. He stared at it and sighed.

"There's no turning back now, Alphamon," he whispered to himself.

He moved his legs and strode towards the hermitage with his cape flowing behind him in the mountain breeze. He approached the single-storey hut and knocked.

There was silence.

"…Enter," a voice as deep as his own finally answered from beyond the door.

Alphamon opened the door and walked inside. As he entered, he found that the front room was minimalist and austere. The floors and walls were wooden, and there were no windows to allow light to enter. Instead, the place was illuminated by a white, astral glow coming from the ceiling. It shifted and wavered, giving the abode an eerie, yet serene ambience. In the center of the room was a single table with two seats facing opposite the other. Behind it, on the opposite wall, were two doors that led elsewhere in the dwelling.

There were rows of shelves on the two side walls. On the nearest shelves, on the left side of the room, were potion bottles and cases of herbs, flowers, and spices of varying varieties. They all had price tags on them. On the far end of the room, on the right side, were shelves crammed full of countless books. They seemed to be the sage's personal collection. Around the room were several decorations and religious-looking curios. They added to the spiritual appearance of the place.

The Royal Knight looked to the opposite side of the room. Behind the glowing aureole was a humanoid Digimon who stood with the left side of his body facing Alphamon. The Digimon was clad in tight, pristine-white clothing from shoulder to toe. It was an image that seemed at odds with one's perception of a secluded hermit. Over the top part of his upper body, he wore a golden breast plate. More white cloth draped down around his hips from underneath this armour. It draped down to his knees, covering the backs of his legs but opening up at the front. This revealed two belts around his waist; they held up a gold loin guard and a white sash that hung down between his legs. A long white and blue cape, very similar to Alphamon's, draped down from the gold chest plate as well. It hung over his broad back, which contained four pairs of black wings sprouting out of his back. Over his foot, he wore a grey, knee-high, laced boot, and over his hand he garnished a white gauntlet.

He had a humanoid face with a tanned skin tone. Long, flowing, white hair swathed down his back, with a few bangs dangling down onto his face. Contrastingly, he had a thick, scraggly, black beard that covered his entire jaw line. This was where the humanoid aspects of his face ended. He had two pairs of long, pointed ears on each side of his head. Protruding from his head were five, crimson horns. One jutted out of his forehead, while the other four stuck out of the sides and back of his head. His red eye matched the colour of these horns.

That eye glanced towards Alphamon. "Alphamon…" he greeted, turning his body to face the Royal Knight fully.

As the Digimon turned towards Alphamon, the light illuminated the rest of his body. Anybody who wasn't expecting it would be horrified at the sight. The whole right half of his body was skeletal. His right arm, leg, and half his chest and face were made up of a petrifying, skeleton-like wood that seemed akin to bone. His right leg had a serrated, bonelike design. His right arm was similar except it was massive. It was the length of his whole body and it looked more like a spectral tree trunk. The giant forearm had a long, crimson spike running up to its elbow, and the arm had a hand enough to grab a whole Digimon. His right eye was gone, the socket hollow except for a faint, red glow from inside the dark hole.

"Bagramon," Alphamon answered back.

Bagramon looked at Alphamon quietly. "I'm a seer and even I didn't expect to have the leader of the Royal Knights visit me today," he said to him.

"I'm… sure it must come as a surprise," Alphamon replied with uncharacteristic awkwardness.

Bagramon extended his long, demonic arm and ushered Alphamon to take a seat at the table in the middle of the room. As Alphamon began to walk over, the demon man looked at him pensively. "The Aloof Hermit meets with the Sage of Death, but who is who in this situation?" he asked him as the corners of his lips curved into a wry smile.

Alphamon winced faintly before managing a slight smile. "Neither of them are very flattering titles, are they…?" he spoke as he sat down across from Bagramon.

"I suppose every nickname has a reason," Bagramon admitted to him. He raised his left arm and gestured to the devastated right half of his body. "Besides… I can hardly hide from my past or the reason that I was given the name."

"I guess not…" Alphamon answered softly, staring down at his hands which rested on top of the table. "Even though he gave the name to me in jest, I suppose it stuck."

"Who?" the demon man Digimon asked.

Alphamon paused. "…DarkKnightmon," he said ruefully.

Bagramon closed his eye. "Oh… My brother…"

A silence overtook the hovel. For a few uncomfortable moments, the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the wisp of light on the ceiling.

Alphamon thought about what he wanted to say. However he found himself unable to find the right words. He came to that mountain hut for a reason, but he found his resolve lacking. He refused to leave and put the issue off any longer, remembering the trouble that occurred between himself and Omegamon the last time he did that. However, he stalled, just until he could find the courage and the words to do what he set out to do.

As the moments passed, Bagramon became painfully aware of the uneasy silence. "…Can I offer you some tea?" Bagramon asked him. He glanced over his shoulder, to the door behind him. "I have water boiling in the kitchen."

Alphamon contemplated his response. "…That would be great. Thank you," he answered, deciding that it might help him relax.

Bagramon nodded and stood to his feet. "I have a feeling I will need some as well," he mentioned, turning around and walking through the door from which the sound of boiling water came.

Alphamon closed his eyes as he waited. He felt faint twinges of guilt in his chest. Back when DarkKnightmon was part of the Royal Knights, he rarely ever spoke about his brother Bagramon. It was only during an uncommon moment of DarkKnightmon opening up about himself that Alphamon had learned of his existence. Alphamon and Bagramon had also later crossed paths during a fateful moment, and not under amiable circumstances. However, he felt that Bagramon had a right to know. It was just a matter of wording it the right way. However, Alphamon wasn't entirely sure that his syntax would make a difference, under the circumstances.

A few minutes passed and Bagramon returned with two cups of tea. He placed them on the table, side by side, signalling to Alphamon that he could take whichever one that he pleases. Alphamon thanked him and took one of the cups, raising it to his lips and giving it a small, cautious sip.

Bagramon picked up the remaining one with his left hand and took a sip from it as well. "My apologies. I'm out of sugar and I haven't gone down to New Terminal for groceries lately. I've been busy."

"It's fine," Alphamon responded before taking a fuller drink from the cup.

The sage nodded and held his steaming tea cup in front of him. "So… What brings you here, Alphamon?" he questioned.

Alphamon paused. "…Well…"

Bagramon closed his eye and took another drink. "Do I need to worry? Is there a platoon of Empyreal Host special forces waiting outside to finish me off?" he asked, a reserved levity in his deep voice.

"Do you think you still need to fear the Heavenly Choir and their military?" Alphamon asked him curiously, diverting the conversation for the time being. "The Heavenly War was decades ago."

"Well… I may have a personal bias, but I think I've been punished enough," he responded with a touch of dry humour as he gestured to the skeletal right half of his body. "Though, I suppose I was lucky when I consider how the Heavenly Choir handled some of the other rebels; I only lost half of my body…"

Alphamon quietly took a sip from his cup of tea, his eyes gazing at Bagramon's.

Bagramon smiled. "I'm not blaming you, Alphamon," he assured him. "I know the Royal Knights were only involved in the fighting and the immediate aftermath of the civil war. Everything that happened afterwards was squarely due to the Heavenly Choir." He took a large gulp of his tea and leaned back in the seat, closing his eye. "Does the Choir still call it 'The Heretics' Rebellion'?"

"I believe so… Though the 'Heavenly War' is the generally accepted term for the rebellion," Alphamon responded diplomatically.

There was a soft scoff in Bagramon's throat. "You can see why their opinion of us rebels doesn't inspire confidence. We're the heretics who rebelled against God. …Though, to answer your question, I suppose if they wanted to finish me off or send me to the Dark Area with the Seven, they would have tried by now… However, the worry is always at the back of my mind," he admitted.

"Do you resent them?" Alphamon asked him.

Bagramon's gaze met with Alphamon's. "I'm much different now than I was… My younger self was impulsive, idealistic, impatient… I made a big mistake taking part in that rebellion against the Heavenly Choir. It was a foolish thing to do," he explained. "I don't believe that my reasoning was wrong, but I deeply regret the escalation and the outcome of the strife."

"The Night of Falling Stars…" Alphamon spoke, knowing what Bagramon was referring to.

Bagramon nodded. "After my punishment and exile, I decided to change. I… wanted to make amends within myself. So, I wandered the Digital World for a long time. It was partially to learn what I could, and partially to avoid further persecution from the Choir," the demon man informed. "I suppose I changed my way of thinking during that time. For the past five decades, I've been trying to live in peace. I no longer live in resentment, but harmony and knowledge."

Alphamon nodded. "And the religious followings of the Heavenly Choir?" he asked him.

The fallen angel Digimon smiled. "I've made my peace, but their God is no longer my God," he responded. "Nor is He your deity, is He?"

Alphamon shook his head. "I follow Yggdrasil, although I still despair that you couldn't find peace with your faith," he told him kindly.

"There is no reason to despair for me, Alphamon," Bagramon told him in a calm, self-assured manner.

The Royal Knight's eyes tightened at those words. They brought the conversation back around to the topic that he had come to discuss.

He lowered his hands beneath the table and held the tea cup on his lap as he forced his gaze up from the table top and to Bagramon's face. "…When was the last time you spoke with DarkKnightmon?" Alphamon asked him heavily.

"Back when he was still one of the Royal Knights…" Bagramon responded. "Before the Heavenly War… Before his… banishment to the Dark Area."

Alphamon glanced down at the tea cup in his hand. "…I see."

"…He and I weren't on speaking terms," the fallen angel Digimon said plainly. "The last time we spoke, we had a massive argument."

A subtle grimace formed on Alphamon's face. "Did you…?" he asked, as if the comment even made things easier for him.

Bagramon glanced down at his original hand. "Yes… It was strange, but we both wanted the same thing, really. We both wanted to make the Digital World better… However, the way we went about it was different." He grinned wistfully. "…Or maybe not so different, after all."

Alphamon was silent. He allowed Bagramon to continue.

"I was wrapped up in my own life at the time. The new faith, the exodus of the believers to the Sky Colonies, the founding of the Heavenly Choir… That was my vision for the future. That was how I thought the Digital World could be changed for the better, and my comrades agreed," Bagramon explained. "Your Order of the Royal Knights was fairly new at the time. He was excited about it. …DarkKnightmon didn't get excited about much, and he wouldn't show it easily, but I could tell from the way he talked. He really believed that you all, working together, could make a massive difference to the Digital World."

"…I know he did…" Alphamon responded with a bit of pain in his words.

"…However, our beliefs were incompatible to one another," Bagramon stated. "We both had grand plans and ideals. But he was the pragmatist and I was the idealist. He accused me of being naïve, brash, and being taken in by a cult of heretics. I accused him of being short-sighted, cynical, and clinging onto a stagnating world. Our words became heated... We said some things we couldn't take back. …That was the last time we spoke."

Alphamon stared down into his drink.

"Yet, it seems that we both revolted against the paths that we chose, in the end…" Bagramon said ironically. "I suppose we were both right about each other… It's funny how things turn out, isn't it, Alphamon?"

Alphamon lowered the tea cup and placed it gently down onto the table. "…He's dead."

Bagramon opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly stalled. The atmosphere of tension and discomfort between them grew dramatically. After a few moments of silence, he gently put his tea cup down on the table as well. "…I see…"

"…It was me who killed him," Alphamon said with a grimace.

"…So the rumour I heard was true," Bagramon spoke, closing his eye. "He escaped from the Dark Area and tried to overthrow you."

Alphamon nodded grimly. "Yes, he did… Did you hear about the World Tree?"

Bagramon nodded, although his features seemed heavy. "I knew that DarkKnightmon had been sent to the Dark Area after he rebelled the first time. Even though we weren't speaking, I knew he had been in the Royal Knights, so when he suddenly wasn't, I wanted to find out what happened." He raised his regular sized hand to stroke his beard. "I don't know how he could have escaped the Dark Area, so that's why I had trouble believing the rumour that I heard awhile ago."

"I'm sure this is a lot to take in…" Alphamon said. "How do you feel…?"

Bagramon's remaining eyebrow lowered in thought. "I feel… at a loss," he admitted, lowering his hand and beginning to trace the rim of the saucer that the teacup was on. "I feel like I'm missing something now… however… I wept all I could for DarkKnightmon a long time ago. I think that he wept all that he could for me as well. Now, there are no more tears to be shed…" Bagramon looked up at Alphamon. "How do you feel?"

Alphamon raised an eyebrow. "…Me?" he questioned.

"You didn't come here just to tell me that DarkKnightmon has been deleted. You came here for something else, didn't you?" Bagramon asked him. "I'm the only family that DarkKnightmon had, so if you wanted either absolution or condemnation, then it would have to be from me…"

Alphamon winced subtly and glanced away. "I'm not that self-centered…" he retorted.

Bagramon looked at Alphamon. "I'm a sage. I like to think that I know a thing or two. …It's understandable that you feel guilty for killing him. He was your friend, after all, even though he turned against you. …I don't blame you for doing what you did. I'm sure that you were left with no other alternative, in the end."

"But still…" Alphamon whispered, more to himself than to the sage.

"Alphamon… You know as well as I do how stubborn DarkKnightmon could be. Once he decided that something was important to him, he was implacable in working for or towards it," he told him. "I don't know the circumstances or his reasons, but I know that he probably left you with no room to manoeuvre."

"I suppose not…" he said reluctantly.

Bagramon closed his eye once again. "It's sad…" he spoke regretfully. "I know how much he loved the Royal Knights. It's too bad that he couldn't be happy with the way things were. Although… I don't think that's to say that he didn't value you and the others." He opened his eye and gazed at Alphamon. "I like to think that, where he lost a brother in me, he found new brothers in you and the Royal Knights…"

Alphamon sat quietly, not responding to the words.

"I'm not sure that I can give you my forgiveness because it's not my place to forgive you. However, I understand the reason, and I don't blame you for it, Alphamon," Bagramon reassured him. "It's not me who is the issue, though… I think that you need to forgive yourself."

"Perhaps…" Alphamon admitted.

Bagramon smiled a bit and stood to his feet. "It's up to you, Alphamon. The Aloof Hermit. Lord of the Empty Seat," he told him. "Perhaps this advice will help you, free of charge. …Live with DarkKnightmon's ideals in mind. Have a firm hand against the unjust and never shy away from upholding righteousness in the Digital World. Act with good conscience and be responsible for the innocent. That was what DarkKnightmon lived by, as you well know. You don't have to take it as far as he might have wanted to, but bear that in mind. Maybe in doing so, you can begin to alleviate your conscience."

Alphamon thought about it and stood to his feet. "I'll keep those words in mind, Bagramon. Even so, I'm still sorry that it had to come to that..."

Bagramon nodded. "Don't be. Thank you for making the journey up. I appreciate the effort."

"It was the least I could do," Alphamon responded. "Thank you for the tea."

"May you have strength and resolve in whatever trials you face in the near future," Bagramon told him.

Alphamon glanced at him and nodded as he turned towards the door. "I appreciate it."

"Goodbye, Alphamon," Bagramon spoke, gazing at Alphamon thoughtfully.

The black-armoured Royal Knight strode out of the hovel and closed the door behind him. He breathed in the fresh air and released a slow, calming exhale. The crisp mountain breeze seemed to energize him, and he stared up into the sky, appreciating the change in cloud colour as the sun began to make its descent towards the horizon.

He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. That discussion was one that he needed to have. He had been thinking about it for a couple years now. He had just never had the time nor the willingness to act upon it.

It helped him to put things into perspective, and, while the guilt wasn't entirely gone, he felt a lot better than he did before. He didn't forget about what had happened between him and Ouryumon, but he felt like now he was in the right state of mind to be able to talk with him reasonably.

However, that would have to wait until after the meeting with the Council of Seven. With the sun beginning to set, he knew that the meeting would be starting shortly. He had to head directly there.

Alphamon walked across the verdant plateau and reached the edge of the cliff. He leapt off, vaulting into the sky, and spread his wings. He soared through the air, feeling lighter than before. Angling his wings, he swerved and made a direct route for the council building, which he headed towards at a steady descent.

He felt ready to throw himself back into the world of politics.

---

As dusk threatened to crawl over New Terminal, the group waited for Alphamon to arrive. UlforceVeedramon, Dynasmon, Ouryumon, and Paildramon waited outside of the council building, standing in the courtyard beneath the massive statue of an Aegisdramon.

UlforceVeedramon folded his arms and scanned the horizon with his keen eyes. He drummed his fingers against his bicep impatiently. "We're going to be late for the meeting if Alphamon doesn't get here soon," he pointed out. He looked at Ouryumon. "You don't know where he went?"

Ouryumon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He began to think that Alphamon wasn't showing up because of him. "Uh, no clue. Last I saw him, he was at his parents' house."

"Lucky guy," Dynasmon said. "He's probably getting fed delicious food right now."

UlforceVeedramon gave him a look. "We just ate, like, an hour ago…"

"Yeah, but—never mind, there's Alphamon," Dynasmon observed, nodding towards the dim orange sky, faintly illuminated by the sun behind the mountains.

The group looked over and saw Alphamon flying towards them with a faint glow against his back. Dynasmon waved him over, prompting Alphamon to descend.

The Lord of the Empty Seat flew down and landed in front of the front gate, allowing the guards to formally let him in so that they didn't get in trouble. He strode down the courtyard in front of the council building. His eyes glanced to Ouryumon as he approached the group.

Ouryumon looked at him but then turned his head away, though it seemed to be more out of embarrassment than anger.

"Hey, Alphamon," UlforceVeedramon greeted with a smile. "We were beginning to think you got attacked by fanboys."

"Sorry I'm late," he told them. "I had some business to attend to." He gave a momentary glance at Ouryumon again. "Have you all been here long?"

Dynasmon shrugged. "Nah, not that long," he answered dismissively. "They're still probably getting ready for us in there, anyway."

"We should go in now," UlforceVeedramon remarked. "I don't like to keep people waiting."

Alphamon nodded. "I agree. It probably wouldn't do us any favours to keep them waiting," he concurred.

Paildramon turned to Ouryumon. "Sir?" she asked him formally. "May I stay out here?"

Ouryumon, although distracted with other things, pivoted his head to look at her. "Huh? Why?" he questioned.

"I'm only an over-sergeant. I'm not sure that I'd feel comfortable attending a high-level, confidential, diplomatic meeting, even if my father is one of the Councillors," she stated. "I've already talked to him, so I'm not sure that my presence would add anything else."

"Sure. I think I'll keep you company, come to think of it," Ouryumon responded. He glanced over at Alphamon. "You don't mind, right?"

Alphamon frowned. "No, but don't feel like you have to," he assured him, trying to be as diplomatic and warm as possible.

Ouryumon sighed and sat down on the nearby bench. "I don't. I just don't want to end up lashing out at DORUgoramon and screwing up negotiations. He winds me up sometimes," Ouryumon answered, leaning back and glimpsing at the sky. "Besides, I want to think."

"If you're sure…" Alphamon conceded, although he felt uneasy about it.

"I am," Ouryumon answered succinctly.

The Aloof Hermit decided to respect his wishes, albeit reluctantly. He knew that Ouryumon was still thinking about what happened between them earlier. The old Ouryumon would have made his feelings clear. However, Ouryumon changed from the hot-tempered, impulsive Digimon that he once was. He wasn't completely different, but he was making more of an effort to be calmer and more agreeable. Alphamon had a feeling that this was one of the times that Ouryumon was taking a step back and trying to keep his emotions under control.

"Alright. Let's go. See you soon, Ouryumon, Paildramon," Alphamon said to them before heading towards the double-door entrance.

"Good luck," Ouryumon told them.

"Councillor Okuwamon is susceptible to flattery," Paildramon added.

"Thank you," Alphamon responded, striding to the entrance with an impression of self-assurance that he lacked a few hours ago.

UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon looked at each other and followed him. "Is there something going on?" UlforceVeedramon whispered to Dynasmon, gesturing with his head towards Alphamon, who was walking in front of them.

"Maybe. Both Alphamon and Ouryumon have been acting different since we went off," Dynasmon responded quietly.

"What do you think it is?" the cobalt Royal Knight asked him.

"Beats me. I don't want to speculate," Dynasmon retorted, a bit louder.

"Shh. Speak quieter," UlforceVeedramon whispered harshly. "He'll hear you with those bunny ears of his."

"He's right, Dynasmon. These bunny ears can hear quite a lot," Alphamon spoke up in a dry voice, glancing over his shoulder to the two Royal Knights.

UlforceVeedramon laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his horned head.

Dynasmon chuckled and walked up beside Alphamon. "So, what's up?" he inquired amiably. Being as forthright as he was, Dynasmon preferred to ask Digimon things directly and personally.

"I'll tell you all after the meeting, I promise," Alphamon assured him. "I think we should focus on the task at hand right now."

UlforceVeedramon walked up to Alphamon's other side. "Did something happen?" he questioned.

"Not really. It's fine now. Mostly," the black knight insisted. "I'll sort the rest out later."

"If you're sure," the blue dragon knight responded as they stepped up to the building's entrance.

The guards opened the doors for the three Royal Knights and allowed them to walk into the lobby.

Inside was a pink, avian Digimon, who turned towards them as they entered. "Oh! Hello, Sirs," he chirped.

The trio turned towards the Piyomon. "Hello," Alphamon greeted in return.

"The Council of Seven is ready for you now. Please, follow me, if you don't mind," the Piyomon told them. "They're in the embassy room."

When they nodded, he started to flap his wings and fly leisurely towards the open door on the opposite side of the lobby.

Alphamon, Dynasmon, and UlforceVeedramon followed him down a very wide and tall hallway. Its marble floors were shimmering and pristine – so much that they reflected the light of the single chandelier hanging above the middle of the hallway. Apart from this, the hallway was minimalist and practical. The walls weren't gold-plated and there weren't lavish sculptures, paintings or designs. This might be because the Councillors weren't monarchs; they were temporary and they were elected, therefore, having an overly ostentatious building might be seen as wasteful of taxes. That said, the hallway leading up to the embassy room was still quite nice.

At the end of the hallway were two massive, double doors that were held wide open by a pair of guards. The Piyomon led the guests there and stopped at the entrance, flying in place

"Please, go in," he told them. "Would you like any refreshments?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Alphamon responded politely.

"Me neither," Dynasmon told him.

"Can I have some water so that I can spit-take at something outrageous?" UlforceVeedramon asked with a smile.

"Ulforce…" Alphamon said as he shot him a disapproving glance.

UlforceVeedramon grinned and shrugged. He stepped inside the embassy room, prompting his two friends to follow. The trio of Royal Knights walked in, ready to face the Council of Seven.

As they entered, they saw the familiar white glow of the room from light sources at each corner of the room, as well as the ceiling. The room was expansive, with plenty of room for even large Digimon to move around. This was because guests of all sizes could come to see the Council. In front of them, in the center of the room, was a long, rectangular table. The surfaces were pure white and glossy, and there were ornate designs along the rim and the legs. Rows of chairs – both big and small – were set up along the opposite lengths of the table so that the Council could face the guests that they were receiving.

The Council of Seven were waiting for them on the other side of the table. They were seated in no particular order other than the larger councillors sitting on the ends of the row. On the left end was the sizeable, draconic body of Councillor Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode. He sat with his forelegs resting on the wide table, his scarlet eyes watched as the Royal Knights approached after briefly looking around for his daughter.

To the right of him was a giant insect Digimon with a silver exoskeleton. He had four legs and a pair of arms on his body, all of which had sets of jagged claws at the end of them. Councillor Okuwamon had a fearsome face completely with jagged teeth and a pair of guillotine-like mandibles. He also had dark brown hair coming from the back of his head, as well as red markings all over his carapace. Despite having no eyes, he was able to watch the Royal Knights approach.

On the other side of Councillor Okuwamon was a beautiful, feminine, angel Digimon. She had eight feathery, white wings coming from her back. Long, blonde hair flowed down her back from under the metal helmet that covered the top half of her face. She was dressed in asymmetrical clothing consisting of white stockings, belts, high heel boots, and a bodysuit around the waist. Councillor Angewomon also had a long, violet, holy sash resting loosely around her arms and shoulders.

The Councillor in the center of the table was Councillor DORUgoramon, who was fixated solely on Alphamon. There was a stern and uncompromising look in his eyes as he stared at his counterpart.

To DORUgoramon's right was Councillor Butenmon. He was a god man Digimon covered in the red armour of a samurai. The sophisticated set of armour consisted of a cuirass, spaulders, a horned kabuto helmet, and thigh and loin guards. As he came from an avian lineage, he also had a broad set of wings jutting from his back. The warrior rested his blue arms on the table and nodded quietly at the Royal Knights.

Dynasmon perked up when he saw the councillor who was beside the avian samurai. Councillor Rosemon was there, sitting next to him. Her slender body was clad in her usual scarlet bodysuit and her green cloak. She had long, blonde hair hanging down from her rose-like head, the golden locks draped over the back of her seat. She glanced briefly at Dynasmon before turning her head away disinterestedly.

Finally, at the right end of the table was a large sea serpent Digimon. Councillor MegaSeadramon had vibrant crimson scales as well as a white underbelly along his serpentine body. He had several flippers and athletic body muscles, built for aquatic movement. His head was masked by a gold helmet. It sported a large, bolt-shaped blade that protruded out from the forehead. Sprawling out from the back of that helmet was long, flowing hair that had the colour of algae.

Imperialdramon, Okuwamon, Angewomon, DORUgoramon, Butenmon, Rosemon, and MegaSeadramon made up the Council of Seven.

However, there was another Digimon in the room other than the guards.

Standing behind the seven councillors was an eighth Digimon. He was a dragon samurai by the name of Gaioumon. His muscular yet limber body was clad in jagged, black and gold plate armour. It matched the loose, black, cloth leggings that covered his lower body. His scales had the same ebony colour as his segmented armour, contrasting with the long, white hair that cascaded out frolm the back of his head, and down his back. Crystalline features on the dragon man's armour seemed to glow in places, suggesting that he may be an X-Antibody Digimon. His cold, golden eyes meticulously inspected the Royal Knights as they sat down at the table.

Gaioumon was the Sitting Advisor for the Council of Seven. Although he was mysterious, he had an abundance of knowledge.

The three Royal Knights took their seats, with Alphamon sitting between UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon.

"Alphamon, Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon. Welcome," Councillor DORUgoramon greeted them in a deep voice.

Just as Alphamon began to open his mouth, he heard the doors behind them open. The Royal Knights looked over their shoulders and were surprised to see Ouryumon walking in.

"Ouryumon?" Alphamon asked, puzzled to see the gold dragon coming in after he said he wasn't interested.

"Hey. I'm feeling fine now," he responded, walking up to the seat beside UlforceVeedramon. "I just needed a bit of fresh air to clear my head."

"It's nice of you to join us, Ouryumon," DORUgoramon said familiarly.

"It's nice to be here, DORUgoramon," Ouryumon answered politely.

Despite their words, there seemed to be an undercurrent of tension in their voices.

Alphamon looked over at his friend with a bit of concern. "Are you sure you're okay?

Ouryumon nodded. "I'll be fine," he insisted.

The Royal Knight accepted it and turned to their hosts. "Thank you for taking the time to have us," Alphamon spoke up, looking around the table at all seven councillors.

Dynasmon looked across the table at Councillor Rosemon. He gave her a broad smile and a flirtatious wink.

Rosemon, however, simply ignored him and turned her attention elsewhere.

Dynasmon swallowed nervously and he felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head. It seemed that she was still angry from when he left her on her own in Facture. Meanwhile, UlforceVeedramon stifled a laugh.

"You did say that this was an urgent matter," Councillor Imperialdramon spoke up.

"How urgent, exactly?" Councillor MegaSeadramon inquired, lowering his serpentine head so that it was nearly on level with the table.

Alphamon nodded. "Variable, but it has the potential to be catastrophic if we don't all act," he intentionally answered ominously.

The brows of the Councillors furrowed and they exchanged glances of both trepidation and scepticism. Gaioumon raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Please explain, Alphamon," DORUgoramon spoke.

"It has to do with the Dark Area…" Alphamon began.

Gaioumon took a step forwards. "More specifically, the prisoners of the Dark Area?" he inquired astutely.

Ouryumon observed the black dragon samurai with suspicious eyes, but he said nothing.

"They're more of an effect than a cause, but yes," the black Royal Knight answered. "The barrier of the Dark Area is unstable. When DarkKnightmon was released over two years ago, dark rifts cropped up across the Digital World, having various effects on the surrounding environment and nearby Digimon. These, on their own, are dangerous enough, as even one had the power to corrupt Omegamon's data. For the past couple years, we have been trying to contain and isolate these rifts, but we don't know the extent of their reach or how many there are. Our Order doesn't have the numbers to scour the Digital World for these rifts."

"What else is there?" Councillor Rosemon asked him in a no-nonsense tone.

"These dark rifts are a result of the Dark Area's instability. The Digimon who released DarkKnightmon didn't seal the barrier up properly, and these rifts are the visible damage to that barrier," Alphamon explained. "We have to assume that the problem is getting worse."

"Do we 'have' to?" Councillor Okuwamon asked rhetorically. The silver insect leaned forwards on the table and turned his head towards Alphamon. "For example, the generals of our military see everything through a military lens. The water level of the Fountain River is rising? Their answer would be, 'Declare war on it.' Likewise, you Royal Knights are primarily concerned with world and network security; you're predisposed to assume the worst on these matters, when in actual fact, these rifts could be isolated anomalies."

Sensing his opposition, UlforceVeedramon acted. "You hair looks nice!" he quickly the bug Councillor, shamelessly attempting to flatter him.

Okuwamon was silent, obviously taken off guard by the comment. "W…What?" he stammered.

Alphamon and Dynasmon inwardly sighed. The Lord of the Empty Seat turned to Okuwamon. "We have to assume the worst because the consequences of being wrong are too catastrophic to do otherwise," he answered him. "We can't afford to ignore it."

"You think that the rifts will grow larger?" Councillor Butenmon questioned calmly.

"It's possible," Dynasmon said. "The worst case scenario is that more prisoners break out. When DarkKnightmon was freed, it was a disaster, but there are way worse Digimon in there than him."

DORUgoramon grunted and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "We're all well aware of the Royal Knights' failings with regards to DarkKnightmon," he spoke up, the veneer of politeness that he had during their first meeting suddenly absent. His eyes tightened and glared across the table at the Royal Knights contentiously.

Dynasmon frowned, a swell of anger suddenly forming in his chest at the sudden accusation. "...What?"

Ouryumon gritted his teeth furiously, but he did his best to keep a lid on it. Alphamon narrowed his eyes at the dragon Councillor, matching the glare that seemed specifically aimed at him.

"He was a former Royal Knight of the Order, and he ended up nearly destroying the World Tree," DORUgoramon stated bluntly. "Also, the Dark Area was expanded from a purgatory to a prison by Plutomon, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode and Anubismon. Your Imperialdramon was the one who came up with the idea of placing the most dangerous Digimon in a dimensional prison, and you agreed with him. You've come here to ask something from us, but all of this is a Royal Knight problem, Alphamon."

Alphamon locked his gaze with DORUgoramon. "Will it still be just a Royal Knight problem when you have Leviamon on your doorstep?" he countered. He made a pointed glance towards Angewomon, who he knew had ties to the Heavenly Choir and would have enmity towards the Demon Lords.

Councillor Angewomon frowned, quietly debating Alphamon's point. The prospect of the Demon Lords escaping was a terrible one. "Don't be hasty, DORUgoramon," she told him. "You can't deny them before they've even asked anything."

"It just seems like they're overcompensating for what happened with DarkKnightmon," he said simply. "They made a blunder and now they're trying to save face."

"We can do this without personal remarks, DORU," Councillor MegaSeadramon told him chastisingly. He turned his head to the Royal Knights and smiled diplomatically. "Sorry. He's been working hard today."

At this, DORUgoramon let out an annoyed grunt. "I don't need your patronizing excuses, MegaSeadramon," he responded. "I'm not going to give the Royal Knights special treatment. They only came to us because they need something."

Alphamon closed his eyes. "It's fine. I'm used to DORUgoramon."

"We were friends at one point," DORUgoramon muttered as he folded his arms.

UlforceVeedramon wondered quietly what had happened between them. However, he decided that this was a question for another time. "It's in everybody's best interest to cooperate on this," he said. "It's not just in the Free Area where there have been incidents involving the rifts. And if something does happen to the Dark Area's barrier and a bunch of the prisoners escape, then it would be a disaster for the whole Digital World," he added.

The Council of Seven exchanged quiet looks. "Cooperate in what way?" Councillor Okuwamon asked. It was clear from his voice that they were willing to entertain the idea, but not willing to make a commitment yet. "What exactly did you come here to ask from us?"

"We want to find and isolate all the dark rifts that we can. We believe that we should work together with the Council of Seven and others on this. They are destructive anomalies that need to be contained," Alphamon explained, putting their proposal on the table. "We would also like your help thinking of ways to fix the Dark Area's barrier. Naturally, this is top secret, but we would like to gather the greatest minds around to figure out the safest and most successful way to deal with this problem."

Rosemon looked over her shoulder and smirked at Gaioumon. "Looks like they're after you, Gaioumon."

Gaioumon smiled politely. "I'm afraid that data science isn't my realm of expertise," he stated. "Although I would be willing to discuss strategic solutions, should the Council allow me."

"I don't know why they wouldn't," Ouryumon spoke up. "All we're asking for is help with containing a problem that could threaten the Digital World. It's not anything dramatic like a military alliance."

DORUgoramon gave Ouryumon a look. "Maybe not, Captain, but we have things to consider. We would need to use the military to find these rifts, for one thing. We can't have untrained Digimon wandering around them when they don't know what they're dealing with; those rifts are dangerous," he explained.

Alphamon smiled a bit at his words. "I'm glad that we can agree that they're dangerous, DORUgoramon," he said to him. He knew that DORUgoramon would be the biggest voice of opposition, so having him concede that point was a step in the right direction.

DORUgoramon looked across the table with an adversarial leer. "I guess so, but I'm still not convinced that all of this isn't just your fault."

"It's not like we were the ones who freed DarkKnightmon, Councillor," Dynasmon spoke up in Alphamon's defence. "We tried to contain the situation the best that we could. We took him and his mercenary alliance down in the end."

UlforceVeedramon nodded. "We're trying to fix the mess that was left behind in his wake. It would be a lot easier and more efficient if we had your help. We're not asking for much."

"The benefits outweigh the costs heavily," Alphamon said in agreement.

Councillor Angewomon looked over at her fellow Councillors. "I'm inclined to agree," she spoke up. "If there is even a one percent chance risk that the likes of the Seven Great Demon Lords could escape, then that alone should be enough to prompt us into action."

"I concur," Councillor Butenmon agreed, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "I was still a wandering warrior during the Night of Falling Stars. From the plains of the Digital World, I saw what the Seven are capable of. And that's to say nothing of the other prisoners incarcerated down there."

"I don't have a problem with helping out," Councillor MegaSeadramon also spoke.

Alphamon turned towards the crimson sea serpent. "If that's true, would that extend to your influence at sea, as well?"

"Sorry?" MegaSeadramon asked, tilting his head with confusion.

"Duftmon and Imperialdramon Paladin Mode both theorize that there could be dark rifts on the seafloor as well," the ebony paladin explained. "I know you have your navy, but with both of our connections, if we could both talk to GigaSeadramon of the Deep Savers, I'm sure we could convince him to do an ocean-wide search as well."

MegaSeadramon grimaced. "Searching that vast area won't be easy…" He sighed. "But I don't want the oceans to be contaminated with darkness. We need to find a solution to the problem."

Alphamon glanced to Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Ouryumon. That was three Councillors down. They technically only needed one more to side with them in order for a vote to pass in favour of their proposal with a four-three majority. However, he would prefer that all seven Councillors supported them unanimously.

Councillor Imperialdramon frowned and turned his head towards Gaioumon. "And what's your opinion on all this, Gaioumon?" he asked their advisor.

Gaioumon folded his arms behind his back and walked forwards to the table, his yellow eyes looking over at the Royal Knights with an unreadable, icy gaze. "I believe that there is merit to the Royal Knights' words…" he spoke.

"Gee, thanks," Dynasmon whispered under his breath at what sounded to him like the advisor being patronizing.

Gaioumon bowed his head and closed his eyes in thought. "I doubt that anybody here wants more of the Dark Area's prisoners escaping. And creating a team of intellectuals to brainstorm solutions is a good idea. However, the logistics of searching for these dark rifts are going to be incredibly difficult. The Digital World is massive, yet some of these rifts are no more than a meter long. Is there an efficient way of dealing with this? I'm not sure that randomly scouring the Digital World is the best solution," he supposed calmly.

"We have the DADAR system," Alphamon responded. "That detects data anomalies such as dark rifts. It isn't foolproof, but it's the best option under the circumstances. It will require close coordination."

"How do we proceed when we find one?" Okuwamon questioned.

"Close it off, don't get too close, and report it. We don't want Digimon getting corrupted by the dark data," UlforceVeedramon responded. "We'll send in a specialist."

"And what if there are rifts within the Metal Empire?" Gaioumon inquired pointedly. "There seems to be an increasing rise in tensions up in Facture since the night of the party."

"We're investigating that," Alphamon explained to them. "Any aggravation between the Metal Empire and the Mamemon Kingdom is caused by communication errors."

Gaioumon smiled. "Is that so…?" he asked, his words lingering.

Ouryumon frowned. "What do you mean by that?" he asked him suspiciously.

"Considering all of the recent military activity within the D-Brigade… It's as if somebody threw a stone at the Royal Base and stirred up its wasp defenders," Gaioumon stated calmly. "There is a lot of sabre-rattling for merely a communication error."

"Gaioumon's right," DORUgoramon spoke firmly. "Do we need to worry about that?"

"We can keep PrinceMamemon under control," Alphamon assured him. "And Chaosdramon is pragmatic. I doubt he seriously wants a war…"

"That doesn't really have much do to with the Dark Area issue anyway," Dynasmon spoke up.

"It's all connected," Rosemon stated. "We don't want this to turn into a diplomatic problem."

"If you're worried about associating with us, it's a bit late. You already sent us all those troops from your military," UlforceVeedramon said with a shrug.

Imperialdramon nodded. "I suppose. Well, as long as there is a clear plan of action, I am willing to put my support behind it," he stated. He looked at Gaioumon. "You can't see any more problems?"

Gaioumon thought for a few moments. "No… This seems like a logical proposal to me."

The Royal Knights inwardly breathed sighs of relief. That was four councillors down, as well as the support of their advisor. They glanced at the remaining three: DORUgoramon, Rosemon, and Okuwamon.

Okuwamon tapped his claw on the table. "I'm with Imperialdramon, just as long as we have a strong strategy as well as continuous communication and cooperation between you and us."

"We intend to," Alphamon reassured him. "Poor communication is the first step in the breakdown of relations." He looked over and gave both Dynasmon and Ouryumon meaningful glances.

Dynasmon smiled a bit. He turned his focus over to Rosemon. "What about you, Councillor Rosemon?" he asked her, hoping to get back on her good side.

Rosemon eyed him for a moment before examining her fingernails. "Hm, I'm not sure… You already have the majority support of the Council, so what does it matter what DORUgoramon and I say?" she asked dismissively.

"We'd like to have all of your support," Dynasmon assured her. "It's for the good of the Digital World."

"'For the good of the Digital World'…" she echoed, tracing her finger along the face of the table. "So… In that case, you would be willing to do anything to that end, wouldn't you? You're duty-bound as a Royal Knight, correct?"

Dynasmon frowned but nodded. "I guess I would, yeah."

A mischievous smirk grew on her lips. "I see…" she slyly spoke, gazing at him with growing interest. "In that case, if you want my support… woof like a Dogmon."

Silence swept across the table. Even the rest of the Council of Seven were stunned by the demand. Dynasmon's eye twitched incredulously. "Y-You… what…?"

"You can't be serious…" Ouryumon said aloud, his mouth nearly agape.

Angewomon looked down the table at Rosemon with a miffed expression. "…That's incredibly petty, Rosemon."

Butenmon also glanced at her with an annoyed look. "You would have our guest – one of the Royal Knights – dishonour himself in such a manner? The indignity…"

Rosemon smiled and shrugged. "I merely want to test his level of commitment."

Dynasmon's face began to heat up and he stifled a groan. In his mind, this was revenge for when he flew off right before they were about to have sex. He knew that it wasn't his most chivalrous move ever, but he didn't expect this. He raised his large hand and placed it over his face. Dynasmon could practically hear Ulforce's lip trembling as he tried not to laugh.

There was a sense of apprehension across the table. The other members of the Council of Seven didn't want to speak out against their fellow Councillor too much in front of guests, but at the same time, they were worried that asking one of the members of the prestigious Royal Knights to do such a thing would cause a break down in diplomacy.

Alphamon felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. "…Now, Councillor, I don't think that—"

"It's fine," Dynasmon spoke up after a resigned sigh. "I'll do it."

Alphamon blinked and turned to his friend. "Dynasmon?"

"You… really don't have to," Councillor Angewomon told him.

Councillor Rosemon, however, smiled a little bit wider.

"It's okay," Dynasmon responded, although his face was still red. "I have a big mouth, but I back up my words with actions…" He tugged at the collar of his armour with one of his claws. He sighed again and cleared his throat.

"…Arf. Arf. Rrrrrrr. Woof!" he barked, feeling the heat and sweat of embarrassment all over his face.

When he stopped, there was silence. The Councillors looked on with varying degrees of awkwardness, apprehension, and amusement.

Alphamon was blushing behind his armour, feeling embarrassed for Dynasmon. Ouryumon bit his lip, either to keep himself from laughing or saying something hostile. UlforceVeedramon's face was crimson, his eyes were watering, his lips were trembling, and he seemed like he was literally going to burst into a fit of laughter at any moment.

"…Did that suffice?" Dynasmon asked, putting his hand over his face and slouching down in his chair, unable to look anybody in the eye anymore.

Rosemon giggled gently. "More than sufficient," she responded with a shit-eating grin. "You are definitely a committed Royal Knight, Dynasmon. And as a reward for entertaining my silly whims, I'll support this proposition."

"Oh, thank Yggdrasil," Dynasmon sighed, half-worried that she was going to decide not to after that.

"And perhaps you can show me again a little later," Rosemon suggested, smirking seductively at the Royal Knight.

At this, Dynasmon immediately perked up. A tiny smile grew back on his face. "Well…"

"Let's move on, shall we?" Alphamon was quick to interrupt.

"Yes, let's," Imperialdramon spoke up. He looked down the table at the councillor sitting in the center. "DORUgoramon? What are your thoughts?"

DORUgoramon folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Seems like I'm outvoted…" he spoke.

Alphamon placed his hands on the table top and looked at his counterpart with a raised eyebrow. "Are you opposed to the idea?"

The dragon councillor opened his eyes and stared across the table at Alphamon. The Royal Knight looked back into his eyes, as if trying to read him. DORUgoramon held the gaze for several more seconds, leering defiantly.

However, he grunted and looked away. "I suppose not," he admitted, although it sounded like it was a pain for him to say so. He knew that he was at a disadvantage here. Given that it was for the security of the Digital World, they couldn't negotiate any demands without losing moral traction, especially not when all of his fellow councillors put their support behind it. "…Very well, this proposal has our support."

"Thank you," Alphamon responded graciously.

"But I want the Council of Seven to be directly involved in the decision making process," DORUgoramon added firmly.

"We intended for this to be a fully cooperative effort," the black-plated Royal Knight assured the councillor. "You don't have to worry about us ordering you around."

"Good," DORUgoramon spoke. He then reached his arm across the table and outstretched his hand.

Alphamon blinked and looked down at his hand. Although somewhat surprised, he immediately took it and shook firmly.

"We have a deal then," the dragon spoke, returning the handshake with force. "We'll hash it out a later date. I'm sure we both have other things that we're busy with at the moment."

Alphamon nodded but looked at the other six councillors as well. "We'll keep in contact and we'll find a suitable time to talk again."

"Who else are you planning to involve?" Okuwamon asked, flexing his mandibles nonchalantly as he talked.

"The Warrior Ten," Dynasmon spoke up. "Kaiser - I mean – AncientGreymon is eager to fix the Dark Area. AncientGarurumon and AncientSphinxmon are also keen. AncientSphinxmon – also having Anubismon as a form – helps Plutomon to watch the Dark Area, after all."

"There's also the Mesozoic Kingdom and the United Dramonic Coalition. Among others," UlforceVeedramon chimed in. "Basically places with large amounts of territory, influence, and monpower. Probably not the Metal Empire though... I think we're off their guest list."

"We'll be sure to put in a good word for you," DORUgoramon told them with a bit of humour to his voice.

The Royal Knights were also thinking of speaking with the Devas, the Jungle Troopers, the Olympus XII, and the Heavenly Choir, but they didn't want to give away all of their plans immediately.

"Thanks," Ouryumon said as he began to shuffle in his seat. He looked at Alphamon. "Is there anything else, Alphamon?"

Alphamon looked at the Council of Seven. "I think we've said all that we wanted to say," he said to them. "Was there anything you wanted to add?"

"No. We'll talk with the commanders of our military and navy," Butenmon assured the Royal Knights. "Though that should go smoothly. They'll be happy for something to do other than training."

Alphamon nodded. "We'll leave it to you," he said as he made to leave, prompting Dynasmon, UlforceVeedramon, and Ouryumon to do the same. "You'll hear from us."

"You're setting out tomorrow, correct?" Councillor Imperialdramon asked them.

Dynasmon stood to his feet and stretched his wings. "Yeah, we're spending the night. Although Ulforce and I are still looking for a place to stay."

Councillor Rosemon gave Dynasmon a smirk. "I'm sure that I can arrange something for you…" she suggested with heavy undertones.

"How very kind of you, Councillor," Dynasmon responded, grinning and bowing slightly.

UlforceVeedramon gave them a flat, sideway stare. "Where does that leave me, exactly?" he wondered to himself.

Noticing UlforceVeedramon's look, Rosemon turned and smiled at him. "Would you care to accompany us too?" she asked him.

Both UlforceVeedramon's and Dynasmon's eyes widened as they comprehended her underlying message. "No!" they both stated in unison.

Alphamon smiled sheepishly. "We should be going now. Thank you for your time, Councillors," he told them politely.

"If we don't see you before tomorrow, safe travels," DORUgoramon said in response.

The Royal Knights and Ouryumon bid them farewell and began to walk towards the doors of the embassy room. The guards promptly opened the doors for them and allowed them to walk out.

The four walked past them and down the hallway, towards the lobby. The sounds of their feet echoed against the marble floor.

"I think that went well…" UlforceVeedramon spoke up.

"It seems that way," Alphamon replied with a sigh of relief. "It could have gone worse."

"Yeah, it could have. I guess we should be relieved," UlforceVeedramon agreed. He then glanced over at Dynasmon with a broad smirk. "Especially you. Considering how you're now out of the dog house…" He then laughed. "Haha! Get it? Dog hous—OW!"

Dynasmon removed his fist from the back of Ulforce's head with gritted teeth. "We're not telling the others about that, got it?" he warned him.

UlforceVeedramon rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah…" he mumbled.

Alphamon smiled slightly at the two. He looked over his shoulder to see Ouryumon lingering behind. He slowed his paces to walk beside him.

"Ouryumon…" he said in a caring tone. "I want to clear things up - you know, about what happened earlier. Can we talk?"

Ouryumon's brows furrowed and he seemed hesitant. "Uh… I'm pretty exhausted, Alphamon…" he responded.

"Please?" Alphamon beseeched him. "I don't want either of us to brood over it."

The golden brown ryu glanced down pensively. After a few seconds, he exhaled. "Yeah… Okay…" he said in a resigned voice.

Alphamon nodded. After a few moments of quiet walking with Ouryumon, he spoke up. "I'm sorry about the way I handled that…" he said to his friend, looking over at him.

Ouryumon looked off to the side, away from Alphamon. "I'm sorry I did it in the first place…" he muttered.

"Don't be," Alphamon reassured him, placing his hand on Ouryumon's shoulder. "It's just that… the timing wasn't right. I had a lot on my mind when you asked. It came as a shock to me. It was that more than anything…"

"What? The meeting with the Council of Seven?" Ouryumon asked, his eyes darting over to Alphamon.

A frown formed on Alphamon's face. "No… Not exactly. It was something else. The personal business that I mentioned… It was weighing heavily on my mind."

"What was it?" Ouryumon inquired. "At the time, I thought you were going to come out to your parents or something."

Alphamon rubbed the back of his neck and looked over at Ouryumon with a sheepish expression. "Actually… I did that a few months ago, Ouryumon…" he admitted, his guilt lacing his words.

"My parents told me… Why didn't you tell me?" Ouryumon asked, more calmly than Alphamon was expecting.

Alphamon blinked with surprise. "They did…? And because I didn't want you to feel pressured to tell your parents too," he explained.

"I did that today," Ouryumon responded with a small smile. "Actually… they already knew."

Alphamon managed a chuckle. "So did mine, somehow…"

Ouryumon put his claws behind his head and walked. "And here I thought we were hiding it pretty well. I'm not flamboyant like RhodoKnightmon, am I?"

"I think it's just because they're our parents," Alphamon said with a shrug.

Ouryumon nodded. He then turned his head and looked at Alphamon. "So… I know I shouldn't ask, but… I guess you don't want to get back together yet?"

The black-armoured Royal Knight looked at Ouryumon as they walked out of the lobby and into the courtyard. "To be completely honest, Ouryumon, I haven't even thought about it until you asked me today," he admitted to him. "We've just been so busy since DarkKnightmon's defeat. It sounds bad, but it just hadn't crossed my mind…"

Ouryumon sighed a bit. "So that's a no…" he spoke. "I understand."

"It's a 'not yet'," Alphamon told him. "Right now we're busy with the Dark Area and the Metal Empire. However, once these things begin to calm down, I promise I will think seriously about it…"

The Captain of the Strike Forces nodded uncertainly. "Okay… You'd just tell me if you didn't want to, right?" he asked him.

Alphamon smiled at him. "I wouldn't string you along, Ouryumon. You know that," he reassured him. "Those feelings haven't gone away; I just need time to think about it. I want to be able to put effort into us, and I can't do that with all these other things going on."

Ouryumon returned the smile. "Yeah, okay… But on one condition."

Alphamon raised an eyebrow. "I thought I just left the negotiation table," he spoke with dry humour. "Yes?"

The dragon folded his arms. "You tell me what that personal problem was."

"Yeah!" UlforceVeedramon called out from ahead of them. "We were wondering that too!"

"You were supposed to be improving on that whole 'handling the burden by yourself' thing, Alphamon," Dynasmon chimed in with a grin.

Ouryumon's face grew blood red. "You two were eavesdropping?!" he shouted in a fluster.

"Naturally," a smirking UlforceVeedramon said. "We wanted to know why you two were acting so weird."

Alphamon smiled a bit and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should have said something," he conceded. "I just didn't want you all to be distracted during that meeting with the Council. I'll tell you what happened."

UlforceVeedramon and Dynasmon slowed down to walk with them as they passed by the various statues outside of the council building. "Go on," Dynasmon urged him, eager to know what was secretly bothering him.

"I went to visit Bagramon," Alphamon stated plainly.

The three Digimon walking with him suddenly stopped, leaving Alphamon to saunter for a few more strides before he realized that they had all halted.

"What?" Ouryumon demanded.

"Bagramon?" Dynasmon asked incredulously.

"The guy we fought against during the Night of Falling Stars?" UlforceVeedramon inquired, arching an eyebrow.

Alphamon turned around. "…Yes, him," he answered calmly.

"Why?" the azure dragon knight wondered. "I mean, visiting your parents, sure, but why would you want to see him?"

"He's DarkKnightmon's brother," Alphamon explained, closing his red eyes.

Ouryumon gritted his teeth at the mention of DarkKnightmon's name. "That doesn't really explain it…"

UlforceVeedramon scratched his cheek with a finger before turning to Dynasmon. "I thought DeadlyAxemon was his brother," he stated curiously.

"He was his new 'brother'. They weren't actually related. Bagramon was his real brother," Dynasmon explained.

Alphamon sighed and walked over to a nearby bench to sit down, being careful not to sit on his cape. "I felt that I owed Bagramon an explanation," he told them. He looked down with a light grimace. "After all… it was I who deleted DarkKnightmon."

"You still feel guilty…?" Ouryumon wondered with a concerned expression.

"…If I'm honest… yes, I have been feeling guilty," Alphamon responded with sombre, thoughtful eyes. "I know that maybe I shouldn't, given what he's done, but he was once a very good friend of mine… a brother, even."

UlforceVeedramon winced. "Oh… Sorry, Alphamon. It's easy to forget that you two used to be friends," he said understandingly.

"Have you been keeping this in since the battle?" Dynasmon asked him.

"I suppose, a bit…" Alphamon sheepishly answered. "They were my own problems. I didn't want to—"

"—bother us?" Dynasmon finished, walking up to him. He lightly flicked the Digicore Interface gem on Alphamon's forehead with his claws. "So much for working on that responsibility complex. We're your friends. And part of being a good leader is trusting your subordinates."

"…You're right," Alphamon said, smiling slightly and rubbing his forehead. "I've been trying to do that more, but I suppose it's not as easy as I thought…" He stood to his feet. "I have talked with Omegamon about it a few times."

"Okay, but you can talk with the rest of us about it too, if you need to," Dynasmon encouraged him,

"I know. Thank you… Though, I don't think I need to now. I feel better after speaking with Bagramon," the leader of the Royal Knights responded.

Ouryumon walked over. "What did he say?"

"We just talked about blame and forgiveness. It helped to put things in perspective for me," Alphamon explained.

Dynasmon frowned but nodded quietly.

"I'm glad it helped," UlforceVeedramon said. "But how was Bagramon? I mean, he was part of the Heavenly War… Is the Choir still after him?"

"Those wars were a long time ago," Dynasmon told him. "A lot has happened since then. Digimon change."

Alphamon nodded in agreement. "He seemed enlightened… He's just a sage living in the Argent Mountains now. It's just too bad DarkKnightmon and I couldn't put our differences aside like I did with Bagramon. At least... not until it was too late," he said, the last part in a murmur.

Ouryumon looked at Alphamon sympathetically. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The Lord of the Empty Seat sighed but smiled faintly. "Yes… It's just been a long, tiresome day. We should head out," he told them.

Dynasmon nodded with agreement. He suddenly raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Hey… where's Paildramon?" he asked aloud.

"Right behind you, Sir," she said from directly behind him.

"Gah!" Dynasmon flinched with a yell of surprise. He spun around to face her, flustered. "Have you been taking lessons from Karatenmon or something?!"

Paildramon blinked with confusion. "N-No, Sir Dynasmon. Sorry?" she sheepishly apologized, not expecting to startle him.

UlforceVeedramon laughed.

"Er, did the meeting go well?" she asked them.

Alphamon nodded. "Yes, thank you," he told her. "We have their full support, it seems."

Paildramon sighed with relief. "That's good to hear…"

"Worried about your dad embarrassing you?" UlforceVeedramon teased her.

Paildramon blushed a bit and glanced away. "Somewhat," she admitted.

"He was quite reasonable," Alphamon assured the dragon woman Digimon.

"Anyway… I guess I'll check into an inn or something since Dynasmon's going to be busy tonight," UlforceVeedramon said, flashing Dynasmon a grin. "Are you three staying with your parents?" he asked Alphamon, Ouryumon, and Paildramon.

He received three affirmative responses.

"In that case, why don't we all go to a bar before we call it a day?" UlforceVeedramon suggested mirthfully.

"I think I'd rather just head straight home," Alphamon replied.

"Oh, come on! It's barely sunset," Ouryumon urged him, pushing him along. "You're as bad as a Jijimon."

"Yeah, loosen up a bit!" Dynasmon agreed, pulling Alphamon by the arm.

"G-Guys!" Alphamon complained as he was pushed along.

UlforceVeedramon laughed and looked at Paildramon as they began to follow after them. "Hey, at least now we can enjoy the rest of our visit here…"