Get comfy. It's a long one.

Chapter Six

Kari and The Paladin (Part One)

The eerie silences of the Protocol Ruin's various hallways and concourses was only punctuated by the footsteps of Ken, Yolei, and Cody tapping against the cracked stone floors; and within the near suffocating darkness that permeated every inch of those walkways, only the faint violet glow coming from Ken's digivice served as a means of leading them onward.

"You guys holding out okay?" Ken asked, glancing back at them.

Yolei took her eyes off the strange symbols that patterned across the walls, alternating between a stylized heart and something resembling a pair of glasses with one lens smaller than the other. "I'm okay," She replied, her hand remaining squarely on Ken's shoulder.

"I'm fine as well," Cody whispered, running his hand along the lines of Digicode that lined the walls beneath the symbols. They seemed to be repeating in a specific pattern as well.

"Good," Ken nodded and turned frontward again, switching his sights between the purple and red dots on his digivice screen and the spot in front of him while navigating.

"Hey, Ken?" Cody pierced the silence with a query. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What's that?" Ken queried in return.

Cody bit his lip, "About how you've been helping these Digimon. Just how long have you been doing so?"

Ken quirked a cheek, not in any sort of dread to reply, but more in thoughtful reflection, "I'd say—maybe a few months? I think it was sometime in February when I was first called over here by Wormmon."

"February? That was two months ago!" Yolei exclaimed. "You've been doing this all by yourself for that long!?"

Ken smirked and tilted his sights back to his friends, "Well, yeah, I guess I have."

"And you've been running yourself into the ground this whole time?" Yolei gasped. She squeezed Ken's shoulder. "Ken, that's insane!"

Ken's smirk lessened, not disappearing completely, but still staying put in a subtle way. "Believe it or not, I've been through crazier stuff around these parts than this." He sighed and looked back at them again, "But still, I guess I do owe you an apology. I would've liked to tell you, at least to have some shoulders to lean on, but can you imagine how hard it'd be for me to convince you this place was real?"

Cody brought a hand up to readjust his scarf, tucking its plushy material deeper into the neck of his shirt, "I suppose you do have a point with that."

"Still…" Yolei's hand fell from Ken's shoulder. "I just wish we could've lent you a hand sooner…"

Ken frowned and looked down, And I wish I wasn't putting you two in danger…

"Hey, what's that?" The dour reflection in Ken's mind was thankfully cut short by Cody calling attention to something, something that when Ken looked up, appeared to be a pinkish-red glow in the distance.

Wait, I know that light, Ken thought as an image of an irascible little cook popped into his mind.

"I don't care if you can't smell him anymore, we are not slowing down, Red!" Impmon was looking back at Guilmon when he met up with the three Digidestined, realizing they were there just in time for him to run straight into Ken, leading him into falling flat on his rear where his little fireball fizzled out.

"Hey, what's the big idea!?" He groused, glaring up at Ken. When he saw it was him, his anger dissipated. "Wait, Ken, that you?"

Ken smiled and crouched down to help Impmon back to his feet, "It's good to see you, Impmon."

"Kenmon!" Guilmon appeared a few seconds later, bounding into the small sphere of light Ken's Digivice exuded. "You're here! Did you bring bread!?"

Ken laughed, "Yes, Guilmon, I brought you some bread." He gestured back to Yolei and Cody, "But first I wanna introduce you to some friends of mine. Yolei, Cody, meet Impmon and Guilmon."

Cody was quick to step forward, extending his hand towards the Digimon amicably. "Hello there, Impmon and Guilmon, it's nice to meet you," He said, chuckling himself when Guilmon confusedly placed a claw into his palm.

Yolei eked herself out from behind Ken, observing the two Digimon warily, "Oh, wow, they're actually pretty cute."

Impmon sneered and crossed his arms, "Who're you callin' cute, toots?"

"Be nice, Impmon," Ken reprimanded, kneeling down to the two Digimon. He reached over his shoulder, pulling the sack of food he had brought from base onto the ground.

Guilmon jolted the second the unmistakable scent of his favorite foodstuff tickled his nose.

"IT'S THE BREAD!" He cried, leaping onto Ken and knocking him onto his rear. "KENMON REALLY DID BRING BREAD!"

Ken laughed despite being knocked down and quickly fished out a flaky croissant for the hyperactive dino, "Of course! I can't have you going hungry now, can I, Guilmon?"

"Oh, thank you, Kenmon!" Guilmon cried, immediately scarfing down the croissant.

"Cool, you brought grub," Impmon said, glancing back into the darkness he and Guilmon had come from. "Now I suppose you want us to lead you to those Digimental things, right?"

Ken stood up, fishing out a small scone that he handed to Impmon, "Ideally yes, but if you feel uncomfortable to do so, you're more than free to leave back through this passage behind us. There are others outside waiting for you."

To Ken's complete surprise, Impmon shook his head. "No," He said, taking a small bite of his scone. "I gotta lead the way. Not only because there's some holes and stuff you gotta watch for, but I made a promise I gotta keep."

Ken raised a brow, "A promise?"

Impmon nodded, "Yeah, I made a promise to the digimentals that I'd lead their partners to them." He glanced over at Yolei and Cody, "And something tells me I've found the people I'm supposed to be leadin'."

"Us?" Cody guessed.

"Yeah, yous," Impmon confirmed, "Unless there're some other kids running around I don't know about."

"Well now that you mention it—" Yolei began.

"Well if it's the digimentals asking, then who are we to deny them?" Ken said, slinging the bag of treats back over his shoulder. "Lead the way, Impmon."

"Right," Impmon agreed, turning back towards the darkness. "But before we go, I gotta warn you; Red and I ran into something while we were in here."

Ken's face darkened, "What was it?"

"Can't say," Impmon said with a noticeable shiver going through him. "All I know is that it was big and had an arm cannon."

"Any halo?" Ken probed.

"Nope," Impmon replied.

Ken bit his cheek, "Then…At the very least we can hope that reasoning with it is an option should we run into it." He looked back at Cody and Yolei, now appearing more than a little concerned at the news, "Just make sure you two stick close to me, okay?"

"O-Okay," Yolei gulped.

"Got it…" Cody said, a tinge of nervousness creeping into his voice.

"Don't worry." Guilmon stepped between Cody and Yolei, shocking them a little, but brushing that shock away by his kind and gentle gaze, "I'll be here to help, too. Any friend of Kenmon's is a friend of mine."

Cody and Yolei couldn't help but smile at the sweet declaration.

"Thank you, Guilmon," Cody said, bringing a hand to pat the top of Guilmon's head.

Thus, the group ventured on into the darkness.

POP! "Gah!" Veemon brought his hands over his little spiked nose, now stinging smartly from the concussive force of the pink energy popping two inches in front of him.

"Hah! Veemon loses!" Buccheimon cheered, throwing his hands into the air. "That's twenty times in a row!"

"You still think this is fun?" Gatomon asked, standing by with her paws set on her hips.

"I'll win soon, I know it!" Veemon protested, his voice nasally from multiple pops to the nose.

"He controls the ball!" Gatomon objected.

"That'll only make it better when I do win!" Veemon cried, pumping a fist determinedly.

"Aw jeez…" Gatomon groaned.

Meanwhile, over at the base of the pyramid, Davis and Kari sat hunched together with their faces bent low over the screen of the D-terminal.

"Jump over the shell! Jump over the shell!" Davis cried.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Kari yelled, hammering down on the D-terminal. "They just keep coming one after another! They're not sto—Ohhhh…" Her words fell when the beep of her losing a life came from the D-terminal.

"Aaaaaand it's my turn again," Davis said, holding out an expectant hand.

Kari grumbled and flipped the D-terminal into his hand.

"And now I can show you how it's done," Davis chuckled, starting the level again.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kari grumbled, leaning over to watch Davis play anyway. At least she could get catharsis by watching him beat the turtle lord.

This was how their part of the group had spent the last fifteen minutes, pretty much just playing games and enjoying one another's company. Well, playing games in that Buccheimon was pretty much just popping Veemon in the nose with little energy bursts over and over, and Kari kept losing lives in every level of Donkey Madness she tried, that is.

"Ha! Got 'em!" Davis crowed when the turtle lord exploded in a pixelated burst.

"Ha! I win!" Veemon yelled after kneeing the ball up into Buccheimon's face just as it popped.

"And that's how it's done, Kari," Davis gloated, flipping the lid of the D-Terminal shut and spinning it on the tip of his finger.

Kari clicked her tongue and snatched the D-terminal before it could fall off his finger, "Cool, I'll remember that next time you need help with your math homework."

"Sure…" Davis sighed, relaxedly leaning back against one of the steps with his hands behind his head. "Like you'd ever let me flunk outta math."

I hate that he's right, Kari thought with a roll of her eyes.

"So…I've been wondering—"

"Oh, did it hurt?" Kari smarmed.

"Yeah, haha," Davis snarked right back. "What I wanted to ask was—Well…" He tilted his head to look at Kari with a single eye. "From those stories you told me about this place, craziness is kind of…well, kind of considered normal around here, right?"

Kari smirked and laid back on the steps herself, "You don't know the half of it."
"Well, I've heard some stories from Tai as well," Davis went on. "And while his stories were weird too, they didn't make this place seem this…" He waved his hand as he searched for the words, "Dark, I wanna say?"

"That was before I joined the group," Kari explained. "Apparently before they came back to our world the first time, the Digital World was a lot brighter. Still full of dangers, but not nearly as much as when I joined them after we beat Myotismon." She frowned as she gazed up at the speckled sky, gradually shifting into a gradient facsimile of a sunset, bright orange with spots of lavender dotted across it.

It was all still beautiful, startlingly so, just like in her memories. But beneath that nostalgic veneer, Kari couldn't help but see some frightening similarities between now and the time when she herself had come to the Digital World for the first time.

The fear that permeated the air, the stifling stillness that pervaded the world, the undeniable sense of something being fundamentally wrong with the very Digital World itself; it reminded Kari of that dark time.

The time of the Dark Masters.

"Kari?" Had it not been for Davis reaching out to jostle her shoulder, Kari would have fallen under the spell of the anxiety that was beginning to burn across her skin. Thanks to Davis though, she was snapped out of it before it could get any worse, instead jerking into sitting up with a start.

"You okay?" Davis sat up with her, eyes wide with concern. "You were starting to break out into a sweat, like something was bothering you."
Kari took in a sharp breath, bringing her hand to grab the front of her tunic. Davis was right, she could already feel a fine sheet of sweat chilling her previously burning skin. "I—I'm okay," She gulped, squeezing the fabric between her fingers.

"You sure?" Davis asked further. "Because I've seen you get like this before. If you're starting to feel sick, I can get you some water or something?" He swiveled his sights to and fro around the grounds of the ruins, "I don't know where I'll get it from exactly, but I'll get it."

Kari's heart started to relax, it's frenetic beats growing soothed by the warmth Davis summoned from its very core. "I'm okay, Davis," She hummed, unclenching her fist and pressing her palm to her chest. She offered him a small smile, hoping to convince him that she really was doing better.

Davis frowned, but brought his hands back to rest behind his head. "If you say so," He conceded. "But make sure to tell me if you do start feeling squeamish, okay?"

Kari smirked and laid back against the steps as well, "Don't worry, you'll be the first to know."

"That better not be code for you hurling on me," Davis griped. "Once was enough thanks."

Kari blushed, "We were on a field trip. It was the third grade. I got car sick on the bus. I said I was sorry, let it go…"

"Can I have another croissant, Codymon?"

Cody smiled and pulled a croissant in addition to the scone he was currently rifling through the bag for. "Here you go, Guilmon," He said, handing him the requested bread.

Yolei chuckled from the other side of Guilmon, "Wow, that's the fifth one you've had. You're quite the bottomless pit, aren't you, Guilmon?"

"You don't know the half of it," Ken confirmed with a smirk. "There are days where half of what he and Impmon cook ends up in his stomach before it even gets to the mess hall."

"Aren't chefs supposed to taste test their food?" Guilmon asked demurely.

"Yeah, usually a small taste, not three servings worth, Guilmon," Ken responded with a roll of his eyes. He returned his sights forward after he shared a laugh with Yolei and Cody, watching Impmon eke his way up to a corner. "Are we close, Impmon?" He asked in a hush.

Impmon held his fireball aloft, using it to peer around the corner. "I think so…" He said, narrowing his eyes so he could try and focus on what laid within the darkness. When he caught the faintest glimmer of red and purple, he jolted. "Yeah! We are close!" He confirmed, turning back to Ken, "I think this is the last passage!"

Ken crept up to the corner alongside Impmon. "And any sign of that other Digimon you two ran into?" He asked, poking his head around the corner.

"Not that I can see," Impmon reported.

The two of them stared through the darkness for a moment longer, trying to find any semblance of movement that they would need to take heed of.

"I think we're good," Ken said after a while. He turned back to the others, "Let's get going. Keep close to me though, okay?"

Yolei and Cody nodded in response. Guilmon just continued to enjoy his bread.

Together, the five of them moved around the corner, following the lights of Ken's D-3 and Impmon's fireball. Around them, the bleary illuminations of the ruin's gray stone walls flickered with their shadows.

Eventually, the hallway opened into a grand atrium practically drenched in darkness with the only light coming from the top of the multi-tiered alter within the atrium's center.

"I'm guessing those are the digimentals?" Ken asked.

FWEEEE! As if to confirm the digimentals' presence, Yolei and Cody's digivices screeched in response to the close proximity of the lights, jolting them into pulling them out.

"That answer your question, bossman?" Impmon replied with a wince to the lights of the digivices.

"So our partners are up there?" Yolei asked, taking a step towards the altar.

"Either that or they talked Impmon's ear off for fun," Guilmon said, tossing the last bit of bread down his gullet.

Impmon crossed his arms over his chest, staring up at the altar with a shadow of a frown. "Either way, the two guys waitin' up there have been looking forward to you for a long time." He glanced over at Yolei and Cody, "So get up there, got it?"

Ken sighed at Impmon's impetuousness, but concurred with, "He's right, we don't want to keep them waiting much longer now. It's time for you two to meet your partners."

Cody nodded, "Right."

Yolei gripped her digivice tight, "Right."

KROOM!

They weren't allowed even a single step, as not even a second later, a gargantuan force landed behind the group, making the ground quake with their slamming weight and the air reverberate with their bestial roar.

"CRAP!" Impmon screamed.

Ken swiftly brought a fist to the screen of his D-3. "Yolei! Cody!" He said, pulling his fist back and producing a black grip with a glowing beam of bright lavender light acting as a blade. "Get up the altar!"

"But what about you!?" Yolei objected.

"Yeah, Ken, we can't leave you!" Cody agreed.

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Ken replied, brandishing his blade towards the enemy stepping into its exuded light. "Just please! Get up there!"

Before they could object anymore, the hands of both Digidestined were grabbed by the red leather gloves of Impmon.

"Trust me!" Impmon said, pulling them towards the first steps of the altar. "You'll be more helpful to him after you get your partners, come on!"

"But Ken—"

"But nothin'!" Impmon growled. "Just hurry up!"

Yolei looked back at Ken as Impmon forcibly led them up the stairs, standing bravely against the hulking mass of shadows advancing upon him and Guilmon. "Ken!" She called out, reaching a free hand out towards him as the distance between them grew. "Be careful!"

Ken gripped his sword tighter as the Minotarumon revealed itself at last. "Don't worry, Yolei," He said, crouching into an offensive stance. "I've handled much worse."

"So how was your first day with your partner, Veemon?" Buccheimon asked.

The three Digimon sat out on the barren dirt in front of the pyramid, arranging themselves in a triangle as they got better acquainted with the mythical newcomer.

"It was great!" Veemon exclaimed with gusto, his hands flying into the air. "After we left that school place, we went to this place called a convenience store! There, Davis got some really tasty stuff for us to eat. Other than the ramen he made for me; my absolute favorite was the chocolate! Then, after that, Davis gave me a really comfortable bed to sleep on! Then the next day, we went back to that convenience store and got even more tasty food!"

Buccheimon laughed and conjured up a small pink orb of energy to balance on his fingertip. "Sounds like a good time! Wish I could've been there!"

"Not for today," Gatomon griped with a glinted glare at Veemon, "You have no idea how annoying mister blue here was as Demiveemon today."

"Oh come on!" Veemon protested. "It was my first time seeing any world in who knows how long! Cut me some slack!"

"It had to have been considering how long it's been since anyone's even seen a Veemon," Gatomon murmured with a paw to her chin. She looked over at Buccheimon, "Buccheimon, how long would you suppose it's been?"

"Eh, a couple thousand years, give or take a few thousand," Buccheimon nonchalantly answered, far too focused on the energy sphere on his fingertip. "We're talking antiquity level time here."

"Antiquity level time?" Veemon parroted. The excited smile that had been gracing his face faltered, and he instead stared down at the yellow, mud-matted grass they all sat upon. "So I really have been gone a long time…"

Any residual annoyance brought on by the memory of Demiveemon's antics were squelched within Gatomon, once again abated by the genuine wistfulness Veemon exhibited. Aw jeez, this guy's probably thousands of years older than me and yet I feel like he's a total little kid when he looks like that. She bit her lip and swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape her, instead focusing her attention on the then and there.

"Hey, Buccheimon?" She queried. "Before we got here, Veemon was telling me about some lake he used to hang out at? Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"A lake?" Buccheimon said lackadaisically. "Hmm, there are tons of lakes all over the digital world. Got anything to narrow it down?"

Veemon scratched his cheek, "Umm, lots of flowers? Green hills? Really clear waters?"

"That doesn't do me much good," Buccheimon said, bouncing the ball from one finger to the next. "Flowers and greenery tend to be par for the course for lakes, y'know."

Gatomon scowled at the pink and white elf digimon when she saw Veemon deflate from his answer. "Well are there any lakes nearby?" She asked scathingly.

"Eh, there's Divermon's lake past the forest," Buccheimon replied, not noticing Gatomon's irritation. "I suppose that's as good a place to start as any."

"Divermon's lake? That dingy old—"

"That sounds like a solid idea," Veemon interrupted. "I wouldn't mind checking it out. Even if it isn't the one I'm looking for, we can at least go for a swim."

Gatomon stopped mid-rejection. "Ohhhh yeah! That sounds like a ton of fun!" Guess keeping this guy happy really isn't that hard.

"Then it's agreed then!" Buccheimon leapt to his feet, lifting his energy laden finger skyward. "Once we get this whole thing squared away, it's lake time! And ain't nothing gonna stop us! Nothing at a—"

"PETRA-FIRE!"

Buccheimon's bright pink hue was overtaken by sickly green light, and following that garish illumination, a frightful dullness came over him, leaving the armor Digimon as a petrified piece of stone, lacking even the glow of the energy sphere he had been playing with.

Veemon and Gatomon cried out in shock and jumped to their feet.

"What happened to Buccheimon!?" Veemon cried.

Gatomon saw another gleam of green come from the trees. "Crap! Outta the way!" She said, hooking an arm around Veemon.

"PETRA-FIRE!" Gatomon just barely hopped out of the way before she and Veemon were petrified.

"Gatomon! What's going on?!" Kari ran up behind the two Digimon, Davis in tow. "What's going on?"

Gatomon bared her fangs at the tree line, her fur bristling when she saw two digimon stepping out towards them.

A Dinohumon and a Kokatorimon, both bearing the searing golden glows of haloes above their heads.

"We've got a fight coming our way," Gatomon replied.

"Guilmon, he's open!" Ken cried, slinging his plasma whip around the gun-welded arm of Minotarumon.

"PYRO SPHERE!" Guilmon reared his head back and launched a fireball up towards their assailant. The flames arced through the air, slamming into Minotarumon's chest and sending it stumbling back.

"GRAAAH!" Minotarumon lifted his ensnared arm, picking Ken up off the ground. "YOU WILL NOT DESTORY ME, HUMAN SCUM!" He roared, swinging Ken clear off his arm.

Ken cursed when he slammed back first into the stairs of the altar.

"Kenmon, are you okay?!" Guilmon asked in alarm.

Ken groaned and forced himself back onto his feet, "I'm fine, Guilmon." It's not like I need vertebrae… He added in a bitter afterthought. He swished his whip back, transforming it back into a sword. He then looked back to the top of the altar, where Yolei, Cody, and Impmon were at last nearing. "We just need to keep fighting…" He said in a pant.

Meanwhile, Impmon was still pulling Yolei and Cody up towards the altar. Upon his white-faced brow, a fine sheet of sweat had formed and his legs ached with the burn of all the stairs they had traversed.

"Mr. Impmon, you can let go of us now," Cody said when they finally ascended the final step.

Impmon did so, falling to his hands and knees upon the stone floor he had rested upon earlier when he and Guilmon first arrived. "Hey…" He gasped. "When I'm given a job, I make sure it gets done."

"Impmon?" The posh voice of the silver Digimental rang out to him.

"Hey there, Pally!" The rustic voice of the amber Digimental greeted. "Ya came back pretty quick! You get away from that beastie okay?"

Impmon groaned and lifted his head towards the Digimentals at the opposite end of the altar top. "No we did not! And now we need help. Can you please get out here? I brought your partners!"

Cody's eyebrow quirked and he tilted his head towards Yolei, "Yolei, who is Impmon talking to?"

"I think he might've cracked a little bit," Yolei mumbled.

"Our partners?" The amber Digimental gasped.

"It is! It is our partners!" The silver Digimental cried.

FWEEEEEE! No sooner than the two Digimentals realized that, did Yolei and Cody's Digivices suddenly burst with outcries of red and purple light.

"Augh!" Yolei brought a finger to her ear as she glared at the crimson crystal device in her hand. "What is with these thi—Ah!"

Yolei let out another yelp when she found the light from her Digivice had spread, going over to outline the entirety of her body.

"What's going on?" Cody asked, alarmingly examining the purple outline that surrounded him with widened eyes.

"It's your partners calling out to you!" Impmon explained. "Now go and get 'em! Ken needs us!"

The mention of their endangered friend snapped the two Digidestined out of their sudden nightlight statuses. The following rumble that came from below paired with a muffled roar only incentivized them to move quicker, and in a dash spurred by concern, the two stood before their respective Digimentals, color coded to show who they were paired with.

"Well, here goes nothing, Cody," Yolei mumbled, setting her hands on the sides of the silver Digimental emblazoned with a heart. She trembled when she felt a warm buzz travel up her arms upon making contact.

"Yeah," Cody agreed, placing his palms against the oblong sides of the amber Digimental emblazoned with the lens-like shape. He swore he felt his hair stand up when he touched it.

Warmth cycled through the deepest depths of their respective beings, telling them that something momentous was about to happen, something that would change their lives forever.

Suddenly, the craziness of the Digital World and the Digimon themselves didn't feel so frightening anymore.

And so, Yolei and Cody lifted the Digimentals from their pedestals.

FWOOOSH!

Red and purple light erupted from the spaces left empty by the removal of the Digimentals, prompting Yolei and Cody to stumble back. The light particles span in a cyclone of shimmering brightness, and from their centers, two distinct forms began to coalesce. As the particles converged upon the shapes, they took on more detailed forms until at last…

"HOWDY THERE!"

"HELLO-HELLO!"

From the red light came a small avian creature vaguely resembling some sort of bipedal bald eagle. Its body was primarily covered with scarlet covered feathers with its head and face sporting a collection of softer white feathers. At the edge of its wings were three black digits poking out from its feathers. It stood upon a pair of great yellow talons each sporting three viciously sharp looking claws. Lastly, above its clear blue eyes was a black belt tied around the top of its head, securing a red and orange-tipped feather against the back of it.

From the yellow light came a creature bearing a strong resemblance to an armadillo. Its quadrupedal body was covered in a criss-cross patterned shell of hardened amber, with its face, legs, and tail sporting a softer yellow tone to them. Beneath its amber shell, the creature's underbelly was bright purple and its bright green eyes sparkled as it beheld Cody.

"Hey there, partner!" The armadillo flapped its little fan like ears as it stepped up to Cody, "The name's Armadillomon! Good to meetcha!"

Cody, though significantly less afraid than before he touched the Digimental, still couldn't bring himself to step towards his partner. "I—It's nice to meet you too, Armadillomon."

The avian digimon sauntered up to Yolei, using one of its arms to massage its shoulders. "Goodness me, who knew spending several thousand years in stasis could leave one with such a multitude of aches?" It looked up at Yolei and extended its wing up towards her, "But that is a conversation for another time. Hello there, miss, I am called Hawkmon. And who might you be?"

Yolei was equally wary. "Um, I'm Yolei," She said, her shoulders rising against her neck.

"Well don't be shy, dear girl!" Hawkmon chided with a harumph. "Shake my hand!"

Yolei jumped, but took the digits of her partner into her hand. "Right, sorry," She apologized with a much steadier tone. She shook the Digimon's hand, "It's really nice to meet you, too."

Armadillomon closed the distance between him and Cody, clambering onto his hindlegs so he could give him a facsimile of a hug. "It sure is great to finally see you, Cody," He said, the little red mark on his forehead giving off a subtle glimmer. "We sure have been waiting a long time for you."

Cody felt his heart grow warm, and something bade him to return the hug, difficult as it was to get a grip on Armadillomon's smooth shell. "You have?" He asked with a soft frown. "Well, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Hey…" The sentiment was broken up by Impmon pulling their collective attentions to him.

"Impmon!" Hawkmon said, raising his wings up. "It's good to see you with my own two eyes! You have our eternal thanks for bringing our partners to us! If there's anything we can do to repay you, just ask!"

Impmon hoisted himself onto his feet. "Funny you should say that," He panted. "Because as it turns out, we have some friends who could really use your help."

"That's right!" Yolei said with a start. "Hawkmon, our friend is battling a Digimon just down those stairs! Is there anything you can do to help us?"

Hawkmon brought his wing to his shoulder again, "Well we could always armor digivolve. You have the digimentals after all." He tipped his neck and winced with the great cracking sound it gave off, "All things considered it may be helpful to stretch our muscles."

"I'm rarin' to go, Cody!" Armadillomon agreed with a nod.

"Then get digivolvin'!" Impmon pressed. "Say that thing that Ken always says!"

Yolei brought her hands up, appraising the Digimental in one hand, and her Digivice in the other. "What did he say again?" She asked, searching her mind for the phrase.

"I remember!" Cody exclaimed, holding out his own Digimental and Digivice towards Armadillomon. "Digi-Armor Energize!"

Yolei followed suit, holding her own pair out to Hawkmon, "Digi-Armor Energize!"

The same scarlet and lavender lights that had borne Hawkmon and Armadillomon burst out from Yolei and Cody's hands, spiraling over to their partners.

"Hawkmon armor-digivolve to—" The red light spiraled off into several rings, rising above Hawkmon. As they dissipated, his form was suddenly covered in mist, and above that mist, the spectral images of a pink bird Digimon, a fiery bird Digimon, and an ornately decorated bird Digimon appeared for the briefest of moments before disappearing themselves.

SHING! The mist hardened into a grand silver helmet with razor-sharp winged protrusions coming off its sides. On its front, the crest of love was etched in blue, bringing out the bright azure tones of the new creature's eyes as well. The rest of the mist took shape, and from out of it came a being akin to a griffin, with much the same coloration as Hawkmon before him, with even Hawkmon's wings hanging below the silver wings of its helmet. As it stepped forward on all four of its powerful legs, its massive talons, one pair white, the other purple, gleamed menacingly, ready for battle.

"Halsemon! The Wings of Love!" The new Digimon declared.

"Armadillomon armor-digivolve to—" Over by where Armadillomon stood, the lavender light burst over him like a miniature supernova, and in the crackling purple bolts it exuded, Armadillomon was encased in a craggy rock exterior. The rocks built themselves up, growing taller and taller as within the light, images of insectoid Digimon, one with a red shell and bright green eyes, one in blue with a great horned helmet, and one in a much bulkier red shell and an even fiercer looking horn came and went.

KROOM! BZZT! The craggy shell shattered with the emergence of two bright silver drills, cracking and falling off the body of the new being that had formed beneath it; a creature resembling a cricket with a bright amber exoskeleton with purple accents, most notably the lens-like symbol of its Digimental proudly emblazoned on its back. Beneath its drill hands, two more hands, dark gray in color, clenched into fists as it stepped forward.

"Digmon! The Drill of Knowledge!" It declared, spinning the drill that took place of its nose.

"Wow…" Cody tilted his head, trying to crane it far enough back to see the entirety of Armadillomon's new form.

"And I thought Wormmon's transformation was crazy," Yolei whispered. She walked around Halsemon, "Are you really Hawkmon?"

"Yes and no," Halsemon replied with a nod. "I've digivolved from Hawkmon using the Digimental of love. Now I am Halsemon."

"And you can call me Digmon now, Cody!" Digmon informed. "I digivolved from Armadillomon using the Digimental of knowledge!"

"How incredible…" Cody said in hush.

"Can we cut the admiring hour short, please?" Impmon brusquely called out. "Ken and Red need our help! NOW!"

"Cool your jets, Impmon," Digmon said, taking a few hunkering steps forward. "You can count on us! We'll save your friends faster than two shakes of a Digi-tail!"

"I concur," Halsemon said in his gruff voice. "Yolei, are you ready to see what I am capable of?"

"As long as it saves my friend, then you bet," Yolei replied.

"Then let's go!" Digmon crowed.

"Fire rocket!" Flamedramon thrust his clawed hands forward, sending out a flaming sphere towards his Dinohumon assailant.

"Lizard dance!" The Dinohumon cleaved straight through the flames with its blade, scattering it to cinders and leaping at Flamedramon in poise for deadly slash.

"Yipe!" Flamedramon found himself dancing out the way of several swipes, only narrowly avoiding becoming a Digimon kebab by bending backwards at a rather uncomfortable looking angle.

It was a good save—had it not ended in him falling on his back, leaving him vulnerable for Dinohumon's next attack.

Thankfully Dinohumon was stopped by a rock bouncing right off its olive-skinned forehead.

"Get away from him!" Davis shouted, lobbing another rock at his partner's attacker. "Flamedramon, you okay!?"

Flamedramon smiled and swiftly swept Dinohumon out from under its legs, bringing it to the floor with him. "Doing great, thanks, Davis!" He replied, jumping over with his fist bursting into flame once more.

Meanwhile, about fifteen feet over, Kari stood beside the petrified Buccheimon, cheering Nefertimon on as she battled with Kokatorimon.

"Nefertimon, look out!" She warned.

Nefertimon held up her staff just in time to intercept the deadly swipe brought down upon her by Kokatorimon's giant black-tipped talons. "Thanks, Kari," She said, tossing the thick-legged bird Digimon back. "Desert Sun!"

"KWAH!" Kokatorimon was sent sliding back by the large orb of light that slammed into it.

"Didn't know light could be heavy, did you?" Nefertimon couldn't help but gloat.

Kokatorimon let out a guttural growl, and to Nefertimon's surprise dispelled the ball with a swipe of its white and purple wings.

"PETRA-FIRE!" It roared, rearing its head back. With its follow up thrust, it sent out two beams of green energy, streaking straight past Nefertimon and right towards Kari.

"KARI!" Nefertimon cried.

Kari squeaked and ducked behind Buccheimon. The beams made their mark, but thanks to Buccheimon already being petrified, they had no effect.

"Thank you, Buccheimon," Kari mumbled, reaching up to pat him on the head.

Buccheimon said nothing, but Kari felt that despite being frozen, his smile was still genuine.

Nefertimon whirled back towards Kokatorimon after she was sure Kari was safe. "How DARE you try and hurt my Kari?!" She hissed, raising her staff. She span it above her head, conjuring a ring of light. "You will pay for that! Desert Radiance!"

As Kokatorimon was assailed by multiple rays of light, Flamedramon continued to keep the pressure on Dinohumon.

"Sorry, pal!" Flamedramon said, swiping a sword out of Dinohumon's hand. "But I've been working with my fists way longer than you've been working with your swords. Fire rocket!"

Dinohumon cringed heavily with the heat of the flames scorching his stomach, and above his head, the halo began to crackle, growing dimmer.

Over by Nefertimon, Kokatorimon's halo was doing the same thing.

"Flamedramon, the haloes are weak, aim for them!" Nefertimon directed. She waved her staff. "Desert sun!"

"Fire rocket!"

An orb of light and a ball of fire converged on the haloes of their respective opponents, cloaking them in their particular energies. Beneath the strength they forced upon the objects of control the haloes could only do one thing.

Shatter.

"Augh!" Ken tumbled along the ground, coming to a stop besides Guilmon against the bottom step of the altar stairs.

He had fought valiantly, but even he had his limits, and Ken Ichijouji had very much reached them. Even when he tried reaching for the pool of energy he and Wormmon shared, he was unable to gather any additional strength. Something had happened to his partner, and he feared he wouldn't be able to go to his aid.

"Kenmon…?" Guilmon whimpered from his spot across from Ken. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can fight anymore."

Ken's fingers clenched against the gritty stone floor. Through his blurred vision, he could see Minotarumon lumbering closer. "It's okay, Guilmon," He murmured. "I can't say I blame you. I'm not exactly up for another round myself."

"Don't worry, Kenmon," Guilmon said as Minotarumon took another step towards them. "I'm sure Impmon will pick us up at Primary Village."

Ken didn't have the heart to tell Guilmon that death did not mean the same thing for a human.

Just please, He begged to whatever force would be willing to listen. Let the others get out safely, please.

"Digi-Armor Energize!"

"Digi-Armor Energize!"

Suddenly, the entire atrium was lit up with scarlet and violet light, banishing the darkness that had cloaked Minotarumon so well.

That light… Ken thought, forcing his head to turn upward. They did it. They got the Digimentals!

"Look out below!" An impassioned cry sounded off just before a hulking figure of gleaming amber fell between Ken and Minotarumon.

Wha—?

Before Ken could finish his thought, another Digimon appeared, a crimson feathered griffon that hunkered down to where he and Guilmon were laid upon landing.

"Both of you, on my back, quickly!" It directed.

Ken didn't bother asking any questions. The crest of love upon Halsemon's head made it clear he could be trusted. "Thank you," He said, putting an arm around Guilmon so he could haul him onto his back as well.

"Digmon, I'll be back," Halsemon said, taking to the air.

"No need to hurry!" Digmon chuckled, clacking his drills together. "I can handle this large side of beef!"

"Who you calling beef, insect!" Minotarumon barked, tapping his fist against his gun arm. "Bull fighting attack!"

"Drill jab!"

Ken watched the fight begin whilst Halsemon carried him towards the top of the altar, the metals of the two Digimons' arms creating sparks as they collided.

"Ken!" His attention was pulled away from the fight by the call of Yolei. When he felt Halsemon land upon solid ground, he twisted his body to the side, falling off the Digimon that had saved him and Guilmon.

"You're okay!" Cody said, going to kneel by him.

"Red!" Impmon cried, going to check on Guilmon.

Ken brought a hand to wipe the grime off his forehead. "Glad to see you two managed to meet your partners," He said with sardonic smirk.

Yolei couldn't help but smile in return, "Hilarious, Ken."

Halsemon turned around, returning to the top step of the altar, "I'll be back."

"Give 'em hell for me and Red, Halsemon!" Impmon hollered.

Halsemon nodded and leapt off the altar.

"Earthquake arm!" Minotarumon roared, slamming his gloved hand onto the floor. The ground rumbled and shook, with cracks extending outward, even making the ones standing above the fight quiver and shake.

But Digmon didn't even flinch. "You call that an earthquake? I'll show you an earthquake!" He lifted his drills above his head, "ROCK CRACKIN'!"

He slammed his drills into the ground, and the ground shook with a force so violent that the cracks that Minotarumon made opened into full fissures, causing Minotarumon to sink into the earth with an infuriated roar.

"I would advise against doing any more of that, Digmon," Halsemon coolly informed as he flew over them. "We are in a stone building, after all."

"Hey, I set 'em up, you knock 'em down!" Digmon laughed.

Halsemon scoffed, "Quite. TEMPEST WING!"

With a vertical spin, Halsemon morphed into a spinning red cyclone, rapidly closing in on Minotarumon and then pushing him further into the group of fissures Digmon had created.

"GRAAAH!" Minotarumon bellowed as he was pushed further down.

Within the red cyclone, a spinning light glowed, "I believe it is time that you settled down! EAGLE EYE!"

Two beams of bright red shot out from the cyclone, bending and lifting Minotarumon from out of the crevice and carrying him upward. They lifted him a good fifteen feet into the air, bending again at their apex and sending the irate Digimon careening into the wall where the two beams burst in a small explosion of unleashed energy.

Minotarumon gave a final cry before slipping into an exhausted groan, falling from the smoke of the explosion and landing flat on his front.

"WOOOIEEE!" Digmon crowed, throwing a drill into the air. "Good to see ya haven't gotten rusty Halsemon, but did you have to go so hard on the guy?"

Halsemon ceased his spinning and landed upon the broken-up ground once more. "I only did enough to knock him out," He reported. "He'll be sore when he wakes up, but he'll be okay."

"THAT WAS SO COOL!"

Halsemon smirked and turned his head towards the altar, where Yolei was cheering them on from the top. Next to her stood Ken, his arm around her shoulder in needed support.

"Looks like we got some admirers," Digmon chuckled.

"So we do," Halsemon confirmed.

The two Digimon waited for the others to join them, patiently watching as Yolei helped Ken down the steps, and Cody and Impmon did the same for Guilmon.

"Are you alright there, hoss?" Digmon asked, his form suddenly glowing in white light. Within the light, he seemed to shrink and from his body came a purple light that flew and slipped into Cody's Digivice, much to the shock of the boy himself.

"You look pretty beat up," Armadillomon finished when the light faded to reveal he had reverted back.

"Indeed," Halsemon concurred, his own body taking on the same light. When a stream of red retreated from him in favor of Yolei's digivice, he returned as Hawkmon. "Perhaps a rest would be prudent?"

"Can't," Ken replied with a shake of his head, "During that fight, I suddenly lost my connection to Wormmon. That can't mean anything good, for him or the others. I'm sorry to ask this, but please, we need to get to him fast." The calm sense of caution he normally carried himself with had gone, replaced instead with a quiet fear that made him sound breathless.

"Then if that's the case, we'll go to them right away," Yolei soothed. She looked over at her partner, a sudden feeling of relatability cropping up in her heart for Ken's fear. "Coming, Hawkmon?"

"Indubitably, Yolei," Hawkmon replied with an emphatic nod.

"Hey, don't forget about me, Cody," Armadillomon said, trotting up to Cody.

Cody beamed at Armadillomon, a warmth of his own creeping into his heart, "I wouldn't dream of it, Armadillomon."

Impmon scoffed, glancing over at the fatigued Guilmon, "Great, yeah, we're all kumbaya, now let's get moving!"

No one said anything more, they just did as Impmon said, making quick headway into the passageway they had arrived from and disappearing into the darkness in favor of finding the friends they came with…

And to show their new friends the world they had awoken to, for better, and for worse.

"Are you sure you're alright, Mr. Dinohumon?" Kari was crouched down to the freed Digimon, inspecting the burned skin around his stomach.

Dinohumon placed a hand over his stomach, "I am quite alright, thank you, Miss Kari."

"Sorry again about scorching your gut," Flamedramon said.

Dinohumon huffed and propped himself onto his feet by use of his sword, "A small price to pay for my freedom, my friend. You have my utmost thanks."

"Speak for yourself!" Kokatorimon squawked. "Do you know how much those light attacks hurt?!"

Nefertimon clicked her tongue and turned away from Kokatorimon, "Well excuse me for freeing you."

"Whatcha gonna do now, Dinohumon?" Davis asked.

Dinohumon slung his sword across his back, "The Paladin still has a slew of Kotemon under his control. It is my duty to go back and free them."

"By yourself?" Nefertimon balked. "That's a suicide mission! Why don't you join us? We could aid you!"

Dinohumon turned away, "I'm afraid that I find your little resistance rather ineffectual. The past few months have shown that."

"Hey!" Nefertimon protested, the top of her scepter sporting a subtle glow.

"Count me out, too," Kokatorimon clucked, turning in another direction. "One run in with the Paladin was more than enough for me, thank you."

"Would you like to fix something for us before you go?" Flamedramon pointedly asked. When Kokatorimon looked back at him, he gestured toward Buccheimon, still with a finger raised to the sky.

"Oh, right," Kokatorimon dully said. He raised a feathered digit and snapped.

"—Nothing at all!" Buccheimon cried when the stone faded from his body. He blinked when he realized Veemon and Gatomon weren't sitting before him. "Wha—" He span around, catching sight of his two now armor-digivolved compatriots and the assailants that had caught the drop on him. "What'd I miss?"

"We'll explain to you in a sec," Flamedramon said.

"Now if you excuse me," Kokatorimon said, turning back to the forest, "I am out of here."

"As am I," Dinohumon concurred, going off in another direction, "Farewell, Digidestined. May fate let our paths cross once aga—"

SCHING!

Before the two Digimon could reach the trees, a single line of light ran through them both, and without even a second for either them or anyone else to process what had happened, they burst into particles of data.

Kari gasped, "What was that?!"

"Above us!" Davis cried.

The five of them looked skyward with Davis. Above them, in the garish rays of the sun, a silhouetted Unimon galloped down to them, and upon its back was a rider, carrying the weapon that had dispatched Dinohumon and Kokatorimon.

"Who is that?" Davis asked, his arm going out in front of Kari.

"It's him…" Nefertimon whispered as Unimon swept down and the figure leapt from its back. "The Digital Paladin."

The Digital Paladin landed as gracefully as if he had hopped off a single stone step. His pristine white hooded cape fluttered delicately along his back and when his feet made contact with the ground, he brought the massive gleaming white blade of his sword towards the object in his other hand.

A D3 Digivice.

The Paladin's D3 wasn't crystalline like those of the Digidestined. No, the Paladin's digivice was made of smooth, shining white metal with gleaming gold accents. The screen wasn't square like the other D3's either, but rather, circular with a black circle around it that glowed white when his sword disappeared into it.

As for the Paladin himself, he was certainly dressed for the part. He was dressed in what one expected a typical fantasy knight to be adorned with; a pair of metal greaves, a hammered series of plates over his waists and legs, a bright reflective cuirass over his torso, circular pauldron atop his shoulders, and a pair of gray leather gauntlets over his hands and forearms with little studs of metal in the knuckles.

All of his armor was white, startlingly white, like it was made from moonlight itself. Between what little gaps of armor there were, the group could see glimpses of forest green colored materials, all inscribed with tiny scrawlings of gold Digi code.

Despite how dazzling his armor itself was, the most eye-catching feature was the Paladin's helmet. It gleamed on his head in a lustrous emerald hue, with four bands of welded in white metal creating an 'X' towards the center where a circular blue gem rested; shining like an iridescent star in the rays of the setting sun.

"So it is true…" The Paladin was the first to break the silence he had cast on the clearing. "The Digidestined of light; Kari Kamiya has returned to the Digital World."

The lower portion of his face was the only part that he showed to them, and as he spoke, Kari swore she saw the subtlest of smiles play across it, disappearing as soon as she saw it.

"How do you know my name?" She asked, forcing the words past the sudden dryness in her throat.

"Everyone knows of your exploits here in the Digital World," The Paladin explained. "Stories of your actions are widespread, cherished even." He took a few steps forward, crunching several bits of matted grass beneath his foot. "You were the one whose appearance spurred and ended Myotismon's crusade in the human world, the one who freed the Numemon from their chains during the reign of the Dark Masters, and the one whose light aided the fall of Machinedramon."

Davis moved in front of Kari when he started getting close, "Cool, y'know a lot about her. Nothing creepy about that all."

The Paladin stopped his advance. "Forgive me," He said, clearly sizing up Davis despite the helmet covering his eyes. "But I believe this matter is between Kari and I. Please step aside."

"Why don't you please piss off?" Davis hotly retorted.

"Davis…" Kari lightly pushed down the arm he was holding in front of her so she could move in front of him. She faced the Paladin, creasing her eyebrows determinedly, "So you know who I am. Now would you mind returning the favor and telling us about yourself? Just who are you?"

The Paladin slid his D3 into a slot within one of his hip plates before crossing his arms over his chest. "Who am I? Simply put, I am the appointed arbiter of the Digital World, doing what must be done to ensure the fragile peace that must be maintained within it."

Davis scoffed, "Dude, I've only seen this place twice and even I can tell that's not you're doing."

The Paladin's lip twitched, "Again, please keep quiet. Allow those versed with the workings of this world to speak if you don't mind."

"He's right though," Kari agreed. "We've seen what's been going on around here, and it's clearly not good." She raised her fists up, "Those haloes of yours are controlling Digimon! How is that okay?"

The Paladin's frown deepened. "My haloes do no such thing," He objected tersely. "They are simply a means of subduing the darker urges that can crop up within Digimon."

"If that's the case, then why do you not administer them to Virus type Digimon?" Nefertimon interjected. "By your own logic, wouldn't they benefit from them the most?"

The Paladin's hands fell to his waist, curling into fists, "They would be a waisted effort on such vile beings. They are too far gone from the moment their existences begin to even try. Their potential for corruption lies within their very cores. Better to do away with them before they can corrode the Digital world any more than they already do simply by existing!"

Kari gulped, a ball of ice falling into her stomach by the sheer malice in the Paladin's declaration. "That's…That's horrible. How could you think that way?"

"What about Dinohumon and Kokatorimon?" Flamedramon pressed. "They weren't Virus types. Why'd you waste them?"

"I disposed of them because they were not able to overcome their weaknesses in the absence of their haloes," The Paladin said with a click of his tongue. "You heard how Dinohumon was planning to go against me. As for Kokatorimon; I have no place for deserters."

"Yeah, because you clearly inspire loyalty," Buccheimon snarked, his hands beginning to glow.

The Paladin shook his head, "As if you'd know anything about loyalty, you little worm." He focused his helmet-covered sights back on Kari, "Now, back to you, Kari. I know that my means of ensuring peace can seem a little extreme, but would you be willing to give me a chance to prove otherwise to you?"

He extended his hand out to Kari, "Come with me, so that I may show you the good I am doing for this world we both love so dearly."

The sight of the Paladin holding his hand out to Kari, his lustrous armor reflecting the harsh light of the sun, the greens of his ensemble looking sickly, the azure gem in the center of his helmet seeming to take on a vile shade; everything about him screamed of the corruption he claimed to fight against. This supposed paragon for the Digital world made Kari's stomach practically coil in upon itself in how horribly twisted he obviously was.

But despite the fact that Kari had no intention whatsoever of going with him, something deep within her couldn't help but feel something else; some sense of something she couldn't quite describe.

Her eyes briefly fell on the D3 upon his hip.

"Yeah, that's not happening, no friggin' way!" Davis took a protective stance in front of Kari again, this time spreading both his arms out to better guard her. Upon his beltloop, the screen of his D3 started to emit a faint orange glow. "No way is she going with you, you King Arthur wannabe!"

The Paladin pulled his hand back with a snarl. "Would you just shut up, you accursed interloper! You have no business here! Speak again and I'll snatch that Digivice right off of you! It clearly chose a poor owner."

Davis bared his teeth at the Paladin, the anger he felt at him for scaring Kari combining with the anger that had never quite went away from Ken's criticisms of his status as a new Digidestined, melding together into a ball of rage that bade him to call out his threat.

"Why don't you try and take it?" He hissed.

What came next happened in a fraction of a second. The Paladin leapt forward in a spur of motion, his arm pulling back and just as swiftly pistoning forward to brutally slam his metal studded knuckles into Davis' stomach.

The sickening expulsion of air that came from Davis' lungs rang through Kari's ears, and she could only watch in horror as he flew in the opposite direction, sliding across the ground several dozen feet before he came to a stop in a rut of displaced mud, going completely slack once he stopped completely.

"Davis!" Kari screamed.

"Now that he's been sufficiently silenced…"

Kari turned back to face the one who had harmed her friend.

The Paladin stood right by her. In his hand, he flipped Davis' D3 in his palm nonchalantly, as if he'd just snatched a pair of scissors from a petulant child. "We can speak amongst ourselves."

"You…" Kari gawked at the Paladin, her face blanching stark white.

"Davis!" The air suddenly grew much hotter, and from above the two of them, Kari saw Flamedramon appear, his face contorted in rage and his fists aglow with flames of vengeance.

"Flamedramon, don't! Kari's there!" Nefertimon cried.

Nefertimon ironically had nothing to worry about as in another span of a second, The Paladin's free hand went to his D3, and in a swipe faster than a hurricane gust, the bright white claymore he had previously wielded reappeared, slashing a line of light across Flamedramon that sent him flying back.

"Gah!" Flamedramon fell back with a grunt, landing on the ground in a squelch of mud. His body glowed white, and an orange beam of light went from him into Davis' D3, returning him to Veemon, defeated in the mud with a noticeable slash mark on his circular white belly.

"Veemon!" Kari cried.

"Uh uh, not taking this lying down!" Buccheimon cupped his hands together, forming a rose-colored orb crackling with black static in his palms. "HEARTNER CANNON!"

"Buccheimon, no!" Nefertimon shouted.

Again, the Paladin ironically had it covered. He span back, holding his sword up to the beam of energy sent out at him. His sword glowed, taking in the beam along with its color.

"None of that, filthy Virus," He snarled, taking the sword and slashing at Buccheimon in a blur of motion. The rosy color faded from his blade, and Buccheimon was suddenly enveloped in an explosion of his own energy. When it faded, Wormmon was left prostrate in the mud, same as Veemon.

"Do I need to make an example of you as well, Nefertimon?" The Paladin challenged, turning to face the last armor Digimon.

Nefertimon's staff glowed, but she stayed put. "Just don't hurt Kari," She growled.

"I wouldn't dream of it," The Paladin coolly said. He faced Kari again. "Now, can I assume that you'll be joining me, Kari?"

Kari wasn't listening to him. Her attention was solely focused on Veemon, Wormmon, and perhaps most importantly, Davis, all lying frightfully still in the mud. When she did face The Paladin again, she didn't look at him, but rather, Davis' D3, still gripped tightly in his hand.

"Give that back." Kari's voice came out harsh and unyielding.

"I beg your pardon?" The Paladin asked, his blade lowering in slight surprise of the venom in Kari's voice.

"Give it back," She repeated. At her side, her D3 gave off the faintest gleam of pale pink light, and beside it, little pink sparkles coalesced around her palm. "That isn't yours…" She bared her teeth and as if driven by some sort of primal instinct, she swung her hand, "THAT ISN'T YOURS!"

FWISH!

The sparkles brightened and took form within Kari's hand, and as she swiped upward, they caught on the palm of The Paladin's gauntlet.

"Gah!" The Paladin grunted when a sharp edge slashed along his hand, swiping the D3 out of his grasp and sending it flying through the air.

Kari caught Davis' D3 in her hand and pulled her newly formed weapon back.

It was a sword, a rapier to be exact, with a rose-gold blade and a pale pink guard curved over its sterling white grip. Embedded into the guard, the spiked star symbol of the crest of light shone in crystalline form, providing a great shine that stood out even amongst the gleam of the rest of the blade.

The Paladin stumbled back, pressing his bleeding palm against his chest. "A weapon?! A crest weapon?! How did—you shouldn't—"

"Nefertimon, go for it!" Kari said, leaping back.

"Got it!" Nefertimon swung her staff. "Desert sun!"

The Paladin held up his own sword, blocking off the spheres of light sent out against him. "Grr…" He dispelled them with a slash of his sword. "How dare you!" He faced Kari; a scowl of great anger etched on his face.

"The answer is no, Paladin!" Kari shouted, brandishing her blade at him. "I am neither going with you, nor am I going to listen to any justification for what you are doing!"

The Paladin held up his sword as well, "Then I'm afraid I'll have to rescind the illusion of choice for you then!"

"FEATHER BLADE!" Before the battle could begin, a spinning blade of red and white came down upon the Paladin, just barely dodged by a quick sidestep from him.

What was that? He thought, scanning the sky for wherever the assault had come from.

The spinning blade flew back down, landing in the grip of Hawkmon, who placed the feather back on his head.

"Back off, Paladin!" Ken ordered, stepping off the final step with Yolei's help. "Or suffer the attacks of our new comrades!"

"Yeah!" Armadillomon agreed. "You don't wanna see my gold rush, Mr. Tall, bright, and shiny!"

The Paladin sneered, stepping back as the new challengers stared him down. His hand stung with the wound Kari had inflicted upon him and when he looked down, he could see his white armor getting progressively more smeared with blood.

This meeting hadn't gone down to plan, and when he thought it over, he'd rather bow out and regroup rather than risk further injury in another fight; even if it was a fight he was sure he could win.

Besides, he wasn't willing to give up on Kari just yet, and if he wished to pull her to his side, he'd have to maintain some dignity.

"I will retreat for now," He told the Digidestined. He turned to Kari, "But know this, Kari Kamiya; this will not be the last time I extend this offer to you."

"Then this won't be the last time I say no," Kari growled.

The Paladin sneered and then leapt to the air. "Unimon! Come!" He called just before he was swept up by the called out Digimon.

Kari watched the Paladin fly off into the orange and pink sky, her jaw tight as her heart blazed with anger towards the one who admitted to being the cause of all the strife the Digital World faced, the one who hurt her friends.

Speaking of friends.

"Davis!" She gasped, jolting into a run towards the one who had tried to protect her.

AN: I've always wanted to do a major stinger cliffhanger XD

Looks like we've got our first two-parter of the story. At 10,000 words I sorta found the need to do so. Nevertheless, it looks like our intrepid group of Digidestined have met face to face with the Paladin at last, with Kari in particular feeling mighty disturbed at the person he seems to be. Will the team be able to move forward to face this threat? Will they be able to acquire the strength to do so? Stay tuned, dear readers, because adventures of growth and change await our heroes in "The Digital Paladin"! Coming to a screen near you!

And as always, reviews and feedback are always greatly appreciated! Doubly so for the more in-depth ones!

Manegie, Staying Digital!