"Where are the others? I hope Rach isn't killing herself…" Gio mumbled, walking with Palmon through the forest.
"I'm sure everyone's okay." Her Digimon partner assured, smiling reassuringly up at her.
"…I guess…"
"Hey, cutie!!"
Gio jumped as two Digimon slid down from a tree.
"That's just Sukamon and Chuumon."
Gio sighed.
"…Have you two seen any other turtles like me anywhere?"
"Yeah! We saw one with a Tentomon fall near the old ruins!"
'Don! HE'LL know what to do!'
"Can you show me the way?"
"Sure!"
She followed the two until they came to the edge of the island, another island moving alongside it.
"Over there?"
"Yep! And since we helped you and all, why not give us a kiss as a reward?"
"…Palmon…"
Her partner nodded.
"Poison Ivy!"
They swung across, landing safely, and walked deeper into the forest.
…
"What were these ruins for, Tento?"
"I'm not sure…"
"DON!!!!!"
Don turned in surprise when Gio tackled him in a hug.
"I'm so glad I found you!! I've been looking EVERYWHERE!!"
Don patted her shell nervously.
"Okay, Gio…You can let me breathe now…"
She released him, a huge smile on her face, and both stood up. He turned to enter the ruins, and Gio gave him a puzzled look.
"Aren't we going to look for the others?"
"Right after I investigate this." The purple-banded turtle answered.
Once inside, Don inspected the large, rotating Black Gear in the floor and then familiar symbols on the walls.
"I wonder…"
Don sat down, laptop on his lap, and started typing.
Gio sat behind him with Palmon and Tentomon, getting bored.
"When are we going to look for the others?"
"Once I figure this out…"
Gio sighed, propping her chin up on her knee.
"…Don, I'm getting bored…"
A vein pulsed in her forehead when he didn't respond.
"Don."
Still nothing…
"Don!"
Was he even LISTENING to her?!
"DON!!!"
He was ignoring her on purpose!!
She stomped her foot as she stood.
"DONATELLO!!!!"
His head snapped up, eyes focused on her, but the damage was done.
"If you didn't want me here, you should've just said so!!"
She ran deeper into the ruins, Tentomon chasing after her.
"GIO!!!!"
Don held Palmon back.
"It's too dangerous! It's a labyrinth in there!"
He went back to the laptop, pulling up an overhead map of the temple, a blinking green dot on the screen.
"That's the signal from that device Gio has." Don explained when Palmon seemed lost.
He put on a small headset, adjusting the mike.
"Gio?"
…
"Don?"
The smartest male turtle sighed in relief.
"Gio, I need you to listen, alright?"
"…Yeah…"
"Follow my instructions and you'll be out of there."
As he guided her, another dot blinked to life on the screen, and he started to worry.
It was catching up to Gio and Tento fast.
He turned to Palmon.
"Let's go!"
Palmon nodded, following him in his run to where Gio was supposed to be.
"Poison Ivy!"
They busted through the wall, seeing a frightened Gio and a centaur-like Digimon.
"Centarumon!"
Don turned to his partner.
"Digivolve!"
…
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
They moved outside.
"Palmon, Digivolve to…TOGEMON!!"
The large cactus Digimon charged.
"Light Speed Jabbing!"
"Solar Ray!"
Togemon flew back.
"TOGEMON!!"
Kabuterimon flew down.
"Electro Shocker!"
It hit the Black Gear in Centarumon's back, disintegrating it.
Centarumon, now back to normal, showed them a carving of what looked like the devices they had on their belts.
"This is a carving of the Digivice, a powerful weapon of the light. This is its temple, and I am its guardian."
Don looked at his own, deep in thought.
"Digivice…"
He turned, hearing footsteps, and tensed when he saw a pupiless Leomon.
'Oh no…'
He looked from his Digivice to Leomon, and held it up when Leomon got closer.
A bright white light from the small screen made Leomon cry out in pain and rear back.
Gio held up her own, and the bright lights made Leomon run out.
They headed back to the entrance with Centarumon, and Don picked up the laptop.
"Do you know how to stop this gear?"
"No. Its power is beyond me."
"Wait. You mean THIS stupid thing is why you ignored me!?!" Gio growled, kicking it.
The Black Gear jerked to a stop, starting up again after a moment, only turning in the opposite direction.
They went outside, seeing the island heading for Infinity Mountain.
"Looks like we're heading back…" Don noted.
'We're coming, guys…we're coming…'