The Guardian Sanctum was kind of intimidating; flying everywhere was the Kamiya family coat of arms, it had the face of a Wargreymon on it, there were no seams to this city like it had grown out of the earth itself. Takajin wished he could have been there under better circumstances, with what they did to him on the way here he was still pissed off, and looking at all of his companion's faces they were too. Everything in front of them looked like it was made from limestone, checkered with doors made of polished bronze, which also had the coat of arms engraved in them. People were waiting in the streets for them, and one man came out of nowhere started playing a horn as they got closer to the crowd.

Digimon Sync Episode 23 "The Guardians"

Mikuni started waving and bowing to the crowd, and they all cheered in response, "The digidestined are here" she called to them. "I am the Champion of Courage, and these are my companions"

Juniko rolled her eyes in reaction to what Mikuni was saying, before falling on her back into a crowd of Children that were making their way toward them; they promptly pushed Juniko back on her feet, and surrounded Mikuni asking for her autograph. Vasantmon even posed in various heroic poses beside Mikuni causing the kids to squeal happily, and one boy to jump up and down clapping.

Huang didn't want to bother; there was nothing about him that should be happy to see, he wasn't going to pander to these people who think him more than just a joke that he was. Since the days spent in the forest he had lacked confidence, he despaired because he had nothing to hope for. He was suddenly tackled by Juniko, who started tickling him, he laughed loudly.

"Can you please enjoy this, when will we ever get another welcome like this, it's like we are the conquering heroes returning after to vanquishing some ultimate evil, but instead you are brooding like someone who just lost a best friend" said Juniko before rejoining the others hoping she had knocked out of his emotional turmoil, and it did somewhat do so.

Huang watched Juniko leave in a slightly more uplifted mood, that he couldn't help but smile inwardly, her friendship is the best thing to come out of the tragedy of his family's massacre, she who is like a velvet spirit of cheer, happiness, and clumsiness.

They reached a huge building; it was different from the others it was azure like it was like the sky was reaching down to the earth, it glowed in the sun's light, it was breathtaking, reaching the front door it felt like they were approaching the castle of the gods themselves, the doors opened admitting them entrance, they were followed Closely behind by Sorami, and two others who looked vaguely familiar but from where it was unknown. Inside the building was filled with sound of piano music, happy yet depressing, alluring yet foreboding, other than the music there was nothing else to welcome them in this building not a soul was waiting for them. Now entered what looked like a grand meeting, there people were waiting for them, and watched them like predators who have spotted dinner enter their line of sight and got ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

Sorami walked passed, her demeanor has unpleasant as ever, she was exactly the way of them remembered her, cold and callous, they all hoped that she would explain why she had to put them through the wringer, those tests they had put through, Takajin himself still haunted by the man with the strange eyes and his laugh that still torments him so much that he could still hear it now.

Sorami came to stop, and was now standing in the center of the room, joined by two the two others, and one more, a woman in a lab coat stood behind Huang, she study him with curiosity as they came to a stop.

"I Welcome you all to the Guardian Sanctum, I give you my full apology for what you have been through, we needed to know if you were worthy of joining us on a mission, a rescue mission into the heart of Infinite Citadel, to my side are your trainers" she gestured to the older of the two "Drake Hawkins, he is out weapons master" Drake Hawkins smiled and winked at Hikaru, he was fairly handsome, his short raven black hair, and fiery red eyes, he looked completely battle hardened. Sorami gestured to the man on the other side, looking at him made Takajin to start hyperventilating, It was the man who brutalized him in that test but he didn't have the weird eyes this time "Trevor Paynn" He would be handsome with his long hair dark blue hair and almond eyes, if he wasn't terrifying to look at, and from the look at his friends especially Huang, who was seething at the Trevor he had the same encounter as himself. Sorami now gestured to the woman in the lab coat, she had silky strawberry blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the sky "this guardian's doctor, Donica Skies, she will take of any health needs during your sat here" said Sorami, as the woman placed her hands on Huang.

"Who was that girl, the one you put the towel, is she dead?" asked Takajin trying not to look in Trevor Paynn's direction.

"Yes she is dead, she had the same as we put on you but it malfunctioned and fried her brain, but hers was a prototype for the generation of that device The D-Synapse, a training device without physical harm, that model will go back to R&D" said Donica Skies looking rather saddened by what she was saying.

"Despite that death, The test showed us your greatest fatal flaws, most of you do know a trap when you are walking into one, get disoriented when things get confusing, and last only two of you are an effective team with your digimon partner, you treat them like they are supposed to fight for you and not with, you also treat them like pets and an ally or a friend" said Sorami picking up her digimon partner Impmon, and placing on her shoulder. "My digimon partner and I are a team, we fight as one, you guys are pathetic, and before we go anywhere we will teach you to fight like we do"

"Another question what was with that mirror, and that person in it giving us some kind of warning" asked Hikaru looking intently at Sorami. "We each were fighting Teatime, and then we were suddenly standing in front of a mirror"

"there was no girl in a mirror, I have no idea what you are talking, your whole test was recorded, Donica, Trevor, Drake and myself were all in there with you, even when you didn't see us there, we were there" said Sorami looking confused at what they were talking about.

"I played the part of Lilith, I thought it would be a great way of seeing your reaction to the name" said Donica Skies looking embarrassed and smiling sheepishly, she might look like she was in her late twenties but she was acting like a silly child.

Takajin went to ask about who they were going to rescue only to be waved off by Sorami "No more question your training is about to begin" she said as she left with Donica, having inaudible conversation of their own.

-7 hours later-

They all others collapsed into bed, their quarters were the guardian's recruit barracks, it was drab compared to everything else, but still had that elegance and heavenly feeling, The beds were stiff but welcoming since they left their respective home, they had been sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags.

"my Everything hurt, that Trevor wasn't actually a bad guy but he is really a ball buster" said Takajin groaned since head to toe he was in pain, he wished they could have used that test device again, he wasn't angry that they used it on him anymore, and would welcome it.

"Join the club" said Hikaru agonizing over her training as well, she had suffered a sprained ankle, it kept her awake with its throbbing, and she was fighting back tears, she wished she was home back in Digitopia she longed for the days where she was carefree, her side suddenly spasms started again, and screamed into her pillow.

Huang just moaned in bed, for him it seemed to hurt to even talk, they came down on worse than the others, and that doctor kept taking his blood and asking him stupid questions. She had taken an interest in him from the moment of their arrival, maybe she had picked him at random.

Sorami and Mikuni were the only two that seemed to be less injured, they had training in combat before this so it was easier for them to take to this, and were only slightly hurt, and they were just as exhausted though.

Suddenly something grabbed Takajin, and rolled him over, he winced in agony almost screaming out in the process, hands started pressing into his back "just relax" said Juniko as she massaged Takajin's back, Juniko's father had taught her all about pressure point for combat use and she was instead using it to ease the pain in his back, he wished she would have warned him that she was going to do that it scared the crap out of him.

"What do you think about this rescue mission, they haven't explained at all who they were going to rescue only that the person was important and needed rescuing soon" said Juniko pressing deeply into small of Takajin's back.

"I think this person might be really important for us to go right into enemy territory like this, it makes me uneasy about what they aren't telling keeping us in the dark the way they are" said Takajin starting to his pain lesson in his back.

Juniko crawled up into the bunk above Takajin bed; she lies on her bed "I hope we can get prepared enough this like a big leap going right to the Citadel like this" she said uncomfortable tone in her voice.

-Training day 1-

A conch horn sound rousing them from their sleep, Startling Takajin to fall out of bed and face planting on the floor, Next Trevor Paynn ran into the room yelling at them about getting up and getting out for training, he stepped on Takajin on the way through the room, he screamed and got up. All of them getting dressed in rapid pace and he continued to yell at them to hurry up. Mikuni was the first out the door.

First order of the day was to run around the training compound doing 50 laps because of injuries for most it was part running and limping, around the 10 lap Hikaru began to slow down only for Trevor to yell at her to pick up her pace. Takajin fell on his face with Huang tripping over him; he gave Takajin a dirty as he got up. It was two hours before they were finished.

Next was dueling with kendo sticks with Drake, he was brutal and after they were done most of them were covered head to toe with bruise. But drake was a lot nicer than Trevor, he let them rest a bit before they moved on what was next which was the obstacle course with their digimon partners with Trevor, having them work as a team to overcome each obstacle, he would remind them by yelling at them that communication was the key to victory.

After that it was being poked a prodded with very gadgets by Donica skies, which was very annoying more so with Huang who seemed to get the most of it from her, after that it was time to eat, although mainly vegetables, looking at spinach made Juniko want to gag and throw up.

After that was jumping jacks, push up, climbing a rope, boxing and more running of laps, by the time they were done it was time to eat again, Takajin and the other were really starting to hate it here.

-Training day 2-

The next day it started all over again, this time it was Drake Hawkins waking them up banging a metal pot with a spoon to wake them, and usher them outside, and chased them all the way to an arena, it was dank and smelled of rather nasty. There he handed them armor, and shields all emblazoned with the Guardian crest, the Kamiya family coat of arms.

Each will have an opponent, a wild digimon, and the only way you will defeat it as a team, with your digimon partner, but before you begin I'll demonstrate, when he said that a digimon that looked like goat knight was now standing beside him, it was a Dynasmon. An enormous door opened in the arena, and out came a digimon covered in flames with four arms, it was an Asuramon.

"Pardon me" said Dynasmon walking over the digidestined's digimon, he shook Vasantmon's iron clad paw, he tried to do the same thing with Coronamon, who attempted to burn in response, and then he kissed Mikemon's and Lunamon's paws "Mademoiselles, both you beauty takes my breath away" he said to them "I am honored to be the instructor to the digidestined" he bowed to all of them except Dracomon, who he seemed to have ignore when he had been shaking hands, much to the annoyance of Huang.

The Asuramon didn't look rather happy that it was being ignored, it didn't wait for Dynasmon to return, it charged at Drake, who was dodging it at the moment, he from the looks of him he was apparently happy with the workout as Dynasmon had been making his introductions before making his way back to his partners side, now they were dodging in tandem. Together with one attack they knocked Asuramon off its feet, it growled and came at them again, only to be floored again, they were playing with it, even when doing that they looked like the perfect team, somewhat Like Vasantmon and Mikuni but more polished in their actions.

This went on for another 20 minutes, before Drake nodded to Dynasmon, who now raised his hands into the air, with drake mimicking him but unlike Dynasmon who was building up energy in the palms of his hands, its wings spreading as he did so. His blast slammed into Asuramon launching him back through the doors, and the door slammed shut, behind the door a scream of agony sounded, which suddenly went silent.

"Now who is next" asked Drake looking at each of the digidestined, but before anyone can reply Sorami cleared her throat, and walked over to him.

"I decided I wanted to watch this" said Sorami now staring at Takajin and his companions, with her steel grey eyes, her platinum white hair flowing in the air of the arena, she was very intimidating, and radiant, She seemed way more mature than they were despite not being older than they were. she was supposed to be digidestined like them but she never journeyed with them at all, instead after rescuing most of them except Mikuni, she left them in the care of Wilhelm and traveled for no apparent reason getting into one bad situation after an another till she finale summoned them to the Guardian Sanctum, to mess with our heads then train us.

Hikaru walk forward, Lunamon joined her standing at her side; they walked toward the door, she was shivering but she had more confidence than she use to but wild digimon still gave her the creeps, she couldn't help it but she will try to never run from anything again. She and her partner were enveloped by spheres, as the digivolution began. The doors opened once again this time it was a SkullSatamon, it looked as angry as the Asuramon, it charged Hikaru, who lost her nerve suddenly and cowered, so much for her not running, Crescemon ignored her human partner and danced into battle firing arrows at SkullSatamon, it dodged away every attack like it was nothing.

"Must overcome my fears" Hikaru squeaked standing up, she was still shaking but she now joined Crescemon in battle, and was clocked by her own digimon by mistake, an elbow right to her face, Crescemon helped her up, this time they both charged into battle.

SkullSatamon was now laughing at them, as he still dodged each of their attacks, because they were not fighting as one, Sorami was shaking her as she watched, she wasn't very impressed. Hikaru was hit in the shoulder by one of Crescemon's ice arrows; it froze her entire left arm. This distracted Crescemon giving her opponent a chance to attack and it did accordingly, SkullSatamon's attack hit Crescemon, it caused her to crumple to one knee, SkullSatamon laughed and got ready to attack again, a fireball hit SkullSatamon coming out of nowhere, standing behind SkullSatamon was Firamon, he was dragged off by Dynasmon.

"This is their match not your stay out of it" said Drake pointing at Takajin, who was glaring at him "how is she supposed to learn if you hold her hand, I know she is your older sister and you don't like seeing her hurt its better that she learns now instead of when it's not safe"

"This hurts me too seeing such a beautiful digimon get harmed" said Dynasmon pinning Firamon to the ground.

SkullSatamon was now eyeing Takajin in annoyance; it then turned its attention back to Hikaru and Crescemon, who were now on their feet again, trying to figure out what they were supposed to do as they locked eyes with their opponent. Hikaru whispered into Crescemon's ear, and she nodded in response. Crescemon began to dance, while this was happening Hikaru sneaked up SkullSatamon so she was now behind him, she tapped on the shoulder, he swung around, she dodged around him so she was still facing his back, she tapped again, he turned around again, she was still standing behind him, Crescemon was nowhere to be seen, Hikaru tapped on his back again, but this time when he turned around Crescemon had her blade right in his face, a blast came out of nowhere it knocked SkullSatamon back through the door.

"Good job who is next" said Drake looking to each of them, as he clapped for Hikaru, even though Sorami still didn't seem that impressed, she was just cold and distant.

Mikuni stepped forward, she crackled her knuckles "I'll show you what a real champion can do" she said walking towards the door, as it began to open.

-To Be continued-

Which digimon is Mikuni going to face in the arena and who is this person they have to rescue in the mission for the guardians? To answer these questions, and more, please tune into the next Digimon digital monsters!