A/N: FFN, behave yourself while I keep working on updates! Don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten the Dark Masters. They're just taking a tiny backseat for a little bit longer. Please enjoy!

3-7

MetalGarurumon is fast, his attacks are heavier. Yet little Taichi is still capable of those hits that catch Yamato off guard. He dodges and rolls away from Yamato's longer limbs and easy catches, and WarGreymon dodges and counters like he was born an Ultimate instead of raised by Vamdemon and it hurts, hurts, burns-

"Yamato!" MetalGarurumon shouts and the noise is cut off by a whirring whine. Pinocchimon is flying into view again, chased by Takeru and his partner. There's a slash of energy sword against metal hammer, and Pinocchimon howls a giggle. Takeru flinches and Yamato wants to yank him from the air, but he's distracted by MetalGarurumon's screeching howl as WarGreymon's meteor of flame strike at his right side hard enough to send him skidding.

Taichi coughs and rolls off him. "Do you feel better yet?"

Yamato doesn't answer, making to brush past him because it's clear for all WarGreymon's strength, Taichi is still a little kid. His stubbornness will only take him so far.

He almost makes it into the trees when something hard -an elbow- slams into his spine. It's not Taichi's, it's not strong enough. Yamato spins, reorients, faces-

Hikari.

Hikari, whose eyes are their former soft red turned a dangerous cold, curdled color, who has her scythe leaned against another tree with Plotmon curled around its handle.

Yamato manages to see Taichi's face. He looks equal parts overjoyed and terrified and in the back corner of his mind, Yamato wonders if that's the way Takeru had looked at him before.

"Why are you attacking my brother?" Her voice keeps that odd, unsettling calm.

Because he hit me, because he's not letting me protect Takeru, because you two are too similar and think you're so clever when you're not-

All of these answers are on the tip of Yamato's tongue. He doesn't say them, just looks up at MetalGarurumon takes the upper hand and knocks WarGreymon into a tree.

Hikari only regards him, and like before, before the heterochromia and the fire, he finds himself not afraid of her. Then she smiles. "Should I attack yours?"

It's a feint. He knows it is. The Hikari who is looking at him right now wouldn't do that, he's sure, he's positive-

He lunges for her anyway.

Taichi shouts, she rolls, and the fight starts again.