The Kingdom of Digitopia, the blackened, and scorched Utopia, occupied by the Kurokami Brigade, who is searching for the last Annulment stone, which is in the possession of Guardians, who are planning to use the stone as bait, this will never end well. Going through the wreckage of this formerly untouched kingdom, which, if you look closely, there is still some shred of elegance a sign that it could pull itself from the ashes like the phoenix and rise to glory again. The schools, Clock towers, and all the homes of its residence, people surviving, people with hope, unlike myself, Right now, Princess Mikuni Suzubuya.

The sound of shattering glass, I am now falling, I have been thrown out a stained glass window, I am going to die, I have given up, and soon I'll meet the ground and fully embrace it, and the death it brings.

Mikuni stares up at the window, she had been thrown out of, and everything seemed like it was in slow motion, the shards of glass hovering above her, as she felt she was falling slowly towards the earth, the Church tower right in front of her. And soon her life would start flashing before her eyes, this was what she was told would happen before someone dies, then she would be taken to the door, and maybe I'll get to see my mother again.

Digimon Sync Episode 48 "Pride Before a Fall"

-Several Days Earlier-

Mikuni lay on the ground, having been floored by, Runine had a hold of her left arm, He was pulling it back, a snapping noise, and a grinding sound reverberated in Mikuni letting her know it was broken, before the pain seized and she screamed. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, her arm now limp at her side. How did this happen, how did she drop her guard so badly that arm was now broken, she screamed again when she tried to move it. She was so useless as a champion of justice.

Mikuni awoke, she was covered in sweat, and she had been having that same since her arm had been broken, that snapping noise still a vivid memory. She looked down at her still useless arm, which was still in a cast. After changing out of her pajama she exited the royal tent, her father was waiting for, and her brother was nowhere to be seen. He was probably with his Kurokami Brigade friends.

"It's good to see you again, I thought you wouldn't ever want to see me again, my Daughter?" Daisuke Suzubuya said, placing his hand on Mikuni's shoulder, only for her to push it away.

"The only reason I am here is to get training from my uncle, not to reunite with you" Mikuni said not even looking at her father "now please leave me alone" she stormed off leaving her father alone.

"But Daughter I love you!" King Daisuke called after Mikuni, with her, ignoring him and not turning back.

The rest of the Digidestined and Virgil, were there waiting for her, when Mikuni entered General Kizuguchi Ida's tent, the general was shouting instructions while the rest of them were doing calisthenics of various kinds. Kizuguchi watched as Mikuni entered, even though he continued to shout at her companions. Mikuni started doing them too, but rather halfheartedly, she knew she had to train, but couldn't get a lot of enthusiasm in doing it.

Hikaru watched Mikuni with a worried expression, she noticed that she was continually getting worse since the last time they had been in Digitopia, she might speak every now and then to pretend everything was ok, but nothing was ok with Mikuni. Later she would have a nice talk with her, seeing if she can help companion deal with her insecurities.

A masked man dressed in a black tunic, ran into the room, and whispered into General Kizuguchi's ear, and he shook his head "there's still no news on the Guardians and Annulment stone, it's like they just vanished after they sneaked into Digitopia" he said as the spy left.

"You would think if they intended to use that stone as bait, then why aren't they making it known that they are here?" Takajin asked, looking confused.

"Either there is something else going on, or they are waiting for the right moment to make themselves known so it doesn't look like a trap" Kizuguchi answered not knowing the answer himself. "Hopefully whenever they do, you guys would be ready for it. On one side there would be the Kurokami Brigade and the other side the Guardians with you Digidestined right in between, hopefully nothing worse is going to happen"

"I think the Guardians will be easy to talk to since aren't we on the same side, We both want to defeat the Kurokami brigade, and destroy Lilithmon, Right?" Takajin asked Kizuguchi, and Virgil. "Once we find them, we could join them in their trap"

"That is a possibility" Virgil said, looking not sure about the idea "We will have to find them first to determine that" with Kizuguchi nodding in agreement at what he said.

They trained for a couple more hours before, they called it for the day. They each left their own tents in the servant's area, Takajin and Hikaru went to the tent their mother was in.

-Village of Misty Trees-

-Misty Tree a village with a picturesque land of lilac trees, making it look like it was surrounded by a purple mist at its center was a quaint fisherman's hub, Famers and Fisherman going about their daily routine of gathering crops or preparing their fish for market out of town.

A lazy boy sat beside a tree with a digimon that looked like a candle, they were fast asleep, a girl walked up to him and smacked "What was that for" he mumbled as he awoke.

"Sonic, we are not here to relax" the girl grumbled back at him in a stern tone. "We are here for supplies, this is the nearest fisherman's village to Primary Village"

"E-Chan, it's a beautiful day, why can't we just enjoy ourselves?" Sonic said, giving a gloomy expression.

"We need to get home before we run out of food, these supplies are needed, and stop calling me E-Chan, its Echo!" Echo shouted, as the shadow left her face showing the scar across the bridge of her nose. She turned and left, and running towards the market place.

Sonic sent to follow by that's when a weird symbol appeared in front of him, it looked like a cross with a bunch of triangles. Which started to back away from him, every bone in his body told him to follow it. It was important for him to follow, He was going after when Echo spotted him, and shouted at him, before following him. It leads them to the outskirts of misty tree, after taking them through alley ways and the market place passed the friendly pastry that had given them both a free éclair. And passed the major's house, the major waved jubilantly at them as they passed, he has been just as friendly as the majority of Primary village. Breathing heavily they followed the symbol to the caves known as the Cavern of thorns. The symbol. Inside the mouth of the cave was a stone which looked like a tablet, it had the weird on it. Sonic walked towards it, his right hand extended, reaching for it. His digimon partner Candlemon right beside him. A light shot into Sonic's hand, revealing a digichip. It was the virtue of reliability.

"I am a digidestined" Sonic said, looking at the digichip in his hand. He couldn't believe it, that's when screaming noises came from behind him, he turned and ran towards it, when he got into visual range it was enclosed by a dome, everyone was dying inside.

"Those guys are Paradigm Shift, Scythe told me about them" Echo said, pointing at the masked figures visible in the distance. "But this is one Logene's barriers, let's see what is going on and maybe stop them before more people die"

They crept towards the masked Paradigm Shift members, they were standing around a console, one person was at the center of them it was Logene, he was wearing a mask too, but it wasn't covering his face like the others.

"That was a perfect test" Beautiful Sky said, looking at the console that "there wasn't enough bio data at this village for this device I based off the Digivices those Digidestined to work, Once it sucks all that's ate Digitopia, I will be finally linked to my digimon partner I won't be a cursed one anymore"

"Right, this will work!" Leviathan said "But it will take a few more days till it's ready again, "This barrier has been just like the one I put over Tabula Rasa, but that was tested that failed, my former company the Kurokami Brigade weren't aligned with what I am doing like your group Paradigm Shift"

"The secrets of Digivolution will be ours" Beautiful Sky said, smiling behind her mask, looking at her digimon partner Gabumon.

Echo turned to face Sonic "You go to Digitopia, you are a faster runner than me, I'll head back to the Primary village to warn Scythe. She needs to hear this "She whispered, while slowly backing away from the scene, "We can't help those people, but we can make sure it doesn't happen again"

Sonic hesitated and followed Echo in her backing away, he was beyond angry, his greatness had been ruined by this event. Once Echo, and himself were safely away, they both sprinted in opposite directions.

Sonic and Candlemon had been running for what seemed like an eternity, till they spotted very familiar, someone Scythe had told them if spotted they turn and running in the opposite, but this was important and he wasn't wearing his Kurokami Brigade disguise, because standing not that far from him would have likely killed him. He ran up to him "someone murdered an entire village, I think they called themselves Paradigm Shift" he called out to the silver haired man, who turned to face him.

"You said Paradigm Shift, I am looking for them, and do you know where they are going now?" Tajiri Kamiya Asked, walking up to Sonic "Sorry for jumping into business I didn't introduce myself, I am Tajiri Kamiya, who might you be?"

He couldn't use his Codename because Sorami probably told him about it, he had to go by his real name, something he hadn't done since his family had died when he was very young and Scythe had given it to him after she rescued him from the streets. "Nice to meet you my name is Leoben Kamina" he said, trying not to panic, Tajiri Kamiya told always like bogeymen in the horror story Scythe him and the rest of the orphans. "They said they had the same plans with Digitopia, they are going to put a barrier over it and suck the life out of it"

Tajiri's expression change to one of complete disgust "Donica is now working with Logene, that barrier sounds like the exact one he put over Tabula rasa, She is now really sinking low, I'll take pleasure in paving the ground with her blood" he turned and gestured Leoben to follow him. "It's not safe here, I'll escort you to Digitopia" He led him to an encampment of Guardians with pony digimon drawn carriages with various weapons on them. "We need to get there and stop Paradigm Shift, and get the annulment stone the trap is canceled" he pulled out a messenger digimon and tied a note to it, and tossed it into the air "Hopefully it's not too late"

The Messenger digimon, which was looked like a ladybug, stretched its wings and looked like it was going to plummet to the ground, launched itself into the air it's wings flapping very quickly before vanished into the horizon with a twinkle.

-Suzubuya Encampment-

The sun ascended in the distance, its golden radiance climbing into the morning sky, Queen Mizumi Subaru was attending to laundry, her heart was filled with glee at the reunion between her and her children Takajin, and Hikaru, and she hugged them tightly as they walked into her tent. She would hug them again when they come out after waking up, she never wanted to let them go again but she understood it was their destiny as Digidestined to save Digitopia from occupying Kurokami Brigade, then save the rest of the world from Lilithmon. She then spotted approaching their tent. She recognized that expression in the girl's eyes, it was the same expression other survivors of the tournament massacre, but she thought myself she had that same expression too.

Mikuni entered the tent looking for Takajin and Hikaru, and found them both eating breakfast, she took a seat beside Hikaru, and took measure of both Subaru siblings. "There is still no news on the stone front, I am starting to doubt the guardians are even here" She said forcing toughness into each word.

"Wasn't it your kingdom spies that said they were here, and they sneaked the Annulment stone into Digitopia" Huang said, finally speaking, having not spoken in a while.

"They are probably in Digitopia, that's why I am starting to doubt, not completely doubt" Mikuni replied, knowing that it was herself she doubted.

"Whatever your issues, we need to work them out" Hikaru said, trying to comfort Mikuni, she placed her right on her shoulder.

Mikuni shoved Hikaru's hand away from her "I don't have any issues, and if I did I can take care of them myself" She shouted at Hikaru "I am a champion of justice, we don't leave our issues in the hands of idiots!" She got up and stormed out of the tent, without even looking back, a minute later Hikaru, and Thania chased after her. They didn't care what Mikuni said she wasn't going to let her deal with this on her own.

"I really don't understand girls" Takajin said, looking for answers from Huang, who shrugged in response "I know she suffered a major moral blow, When she was defeated by Karone, she needs to pull herself together we need her courage, more than anyone needs my love or my sisters kindness, "

"Don't look at me, I can barely stand all of you guys equally, except for Thania, she is kind of weird but she is worldly in her ways" Huang said before turning his back to Takajin, he didn't mention Juniko because he missed her so much, and she was dead in a way. Something he didn't want to think of.

"What is your issue with us?" Takajin thinking of the question he should have asked months ago, because Huang had barely talked to any of them, other than Juniko.

"My people were constantly being killed off, while you, your sister were safely being protected behind a barrier, Mikuni's kingdom sided with the enemy" Huang crossed his arms as he spoke "That makes me sick, I can accept you as fellow Digidestined but I will never be your friend" he got up and stormed out like Mikuni had before but Takajin didn't give chase like the others did for her.

Mikuni ran until she stopped in her tracks coming face to face with her brother Akira, they glared at each other.

"The Prodigal sibling has returned it seems" Akira said, with venom in his tone, his hand at his side like he was reaching for a weapon. "You shouldn't be successor to the throne of Suzubuya it should be mine"

"I won the tournament fair and square, even though I don't want it anymore but I don't want you to have it either" Mikuni said, trying to show

"No you cheated little sister, now I am going to take my rightful place as heir" Akira said, seething, only responding to the first part of what his sister said and ignoring the rest.

"Fight me in the next tournament, there is no rule against being Digidestined, I'll still beat you down" Mikuni said putting on a false bravado. Like the courage she should have.

"There should be a rule against it, using a power that isn't yours, a virtue created by who I worship, Lilithmon, She created and it shouldn't be allowed" Akira said, almost foaming at the mouth with rage. By all appearances, he looked like he was about to lose it. At that moment he pulled out D-Saber, and got ready to charge at his sister.

"Stop it Son! What are you doing, were you are going to kill your own sister?" King Daisuke Suzubuya shouted as he made the scene "I heard voices and I came out, and this is what I see my own as he was going commit murder on his own family"

"Life is meaningless with the throne in my future, I'll go through anyone to get it!" Akira shouted "Even you father" his last sentence was in a slow maniacal tone.

"Guards!" Daisuke shouted, and knights in silver marched onto the scene "You are no longer an heir to the throne, you are under arrest for treason against the crown"

"This is not over!" Akira shouted, before he made a run for it, as the guards gave pursuit.

"I am sorry you had to see that my precious Mikuni, I didn't think he would go that far, the throne could have been his again if he faced you in honorable combat and defeated you, but now that's over" Daisuke said, walking towards his daughter, a sad expression crossed his face, but it turned into a smile when he came close enough to Mikuni "You will be a great monarch"

Mikuni just turned and walked away from her after bowing briefly and headed somewhere to be alone, she didn't want to be near anyone right. She didn't want to deal with anything at all. But she wouldn't get that since Thania followed her to where she was going.

"Can you leave me alone" Mikuni said, turning to face Thania "I don't want to be bothered right now"

"I am not of the leaving until you share of your problems" Thania said, crossing her arms, "We are of the Digidestined, we share to of each other of our problems"

"I barely understand what you just said. But ok why do you even care, just because we are Digidestined doesn't mean my problems are yours?" Mikuni said, looking rather annoyed "If you can't answer without using Digidestined as a reason go away, I can deal with this myself"

"Not with both you and your digimon same arm of the broken" Thania said, pointing at Mikuni's arm that's still in a sling.

Mikuni didn't reply, she gritted her teeth, and ran away from Thania, who just touched on a sensitive subject with her, which she did not want to deal with. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and nearly ran into one of her kingdom's spies. a green eyed fellow dressed in grey spy division attire, the only thing visible was his eyes through the cowl he wore.

"Oh sorry Princess Mikuni I didn't see you there" the spy said, trying to stay on his feet, "I was coming to deliver this message to the general" he held out an envelope, which Mikuni grabbed it from him.

"It's delivered, I'll take this to my uncle myself, and you are dismissed" Mikuni said as the spy bowed and left in the direction he had come from.

Mikuni opened the letter, and read. Her eyes widened "The Annulment has been found, " she said to herself, she found the coordinates written in the code only her uncle, her father or herself could decipher, she read them over, and decided to take care of the matter herself. She called for her digimon, Lopmon sauntered over, and he always followed like a good digimon should.

"I think you should really show the others this, we are in no condition to do this by ourselves, these are guardians, what if they won't hand over the stone?" Lopmon said giving Mikuni a concerned expression.

"Thania is still following me, I'll leave the message here" Mikuni said writing the location the cipher means on the letter, picks up a rock, places the paper on the ground and puts the rock on top of it. She left with Lopmon following in protest. It was only a few minutes before she reached her usual spot where she sneaked into Digitopia when she was the Blackavar. Lopmon and Mikuni pried open the hatchway to the kingdoms water reservoir. They both slid down it, it leads to a lake that was being siphoned by a pump, the tower the stone was in was visible even from where she was now.

It took Mikuni and Lopmon an hour to reach the cathedral tower church, she looked up at the tower above, and so far there wasn't any guardians in sight. She entered the cathedral, there was still no one in sight this made her wary, maybe they were all in the tower. And she walked over to the staircase leading into the tower, the stairs seemed to go on forever, this was an enormous, so it didn't surprise her at all, she reached the top of the tower, to come face to face with a stained glass window depicted the final battle of the legendary Digidestined and Lilithmon, it was depicted in a very fantasy like type of way.

"I said it wasn't over!" a voiced said, from the shadows of the room at the top of the tower "You stone is in another tower, that spy was mine, that letter was fake, you should look at your face right now, it's weak, frail, it's disappointing that we share the blood of our father"

"Akira!" Mikuni said, ascending the final step "Where is the annulment stone?"

"Beats me, I have been looking for it too, but I wanted to deal with you first, and then I'll kill father after you and name myself king" Akira shouted, pulling out the D-Saber, and turned it to its lowest setting "The Same blood runs through you and me, the blood of conquerors, our father wanted to change the ways of our kingdom, he has gotten soft just like you

At this point she noticed her digimon partner Lopmon was pinned by a strange looking armored horse like digimon, was that Kudamon's evolved form.

"This is Kentaurosmon, the Kurokami Brigade helped me achieve digivolution, I was going to wait for the tournament to unveil him, but this opportunity was too good to let pass bye" Akira said his tone taking on a cold cadence. Even though this statement contradicted by his previous attempt to kill her, He run towards his sister brining the D-Saber in an upward, Mikuni had just arm herself with her Quarterstaff, but D-saber went through it like wasn't there, it only struck her hand, it still some of her life out of her, causing her to drop the quarterstaff, the horrific pain shot through her entire body.

"I'll throw you a bone, if you relinquish the throne, and give it to me, you are just like me, we hate father together. He is the reason your mother died, and he ignores mine until she moved out of the castle. We are both kindred that way so how about it!" Akira asked offering her his hand, to help her up. Only for Mikuni to swat it away.

"Like I said I don't want it, but I don't want you to have it either" Mikuni said, taking that moment to strike out, and it made contact with the D-Saber, the device launched out of his hand and smashed against a wall, she reveled in the expression momentarily of Akira's face, till he drove his fist into her gut driving the wind out of her. He then picked and tossed her into the same wall the D-Saber lay in pieces. He was now furious at her. He ran up and kicked her bad arm, pain shot through her entire body. He did the same to her good arm, with an audible cracking noise and the pain made her scream as he had broken her other arm. Akira then picked up again, and tossed her in the direction of the window.

Akira leaned up to Mikuni, and smiled menacingly and whispered into "I hired the assassin that ended up killing your mother, " he then picked up briefly only to shove her out the stain glass window.

Everything seemed to slow down, as Mikuni's life flash before her eyes, she was going to die, she wasn't going to fight anymore, she was giving up, she was no champion of justice just a scared girl with nothing left to live for. She saw her mother's face, she tried to wave bye to her, but now she was probably going to see her again. She now saw the faces of her Digidestined companions, those she had been traveling with for months, it wasn't the fact she didn't need their help that she had to run from them it was because she didn't like the way they looked at her, she had grown weak since the incident of the tournament.

"Stop that Mikuni!" a voice called her from within her thought it was Virgil, "Please we need you, you are digidestined"

"Look, I might not say it, but your courage inspires, when I lost hope you were there to remind me, of who I am supposed to be" said a voice that was Hikaru.

"Be of the courage, that's of your heart" said a voice that was obviously Thania.

"I might not like you because you were spoiled royal, but I respect you as Digidestined, we need your courage" said a voice that was Huang's.

Last voice to call out to her of the Digidestined was Takajin "You are a champion of justice"

Then there was a brief flash, this wasn't in her mind, she barely made out the figure in the flesh, but the voice was unmistakable, it was Lorrimon "Your courage is a beacon to the others, they really need you" then the flash was gone taking Lorrimon with it.

A smile crossed Mikuni face, as she fell she was encased in a sphere of light, Akira watched with an unbelieving expression, when another bright light caught his attention.

"You are so screwed!" Lopmon said, before being engulfed in the sphere of light. Making Akira's digimon partner leap away from him.

Inside the sphere Mikuni felt the power course through her entire, and both her arms tingled, and fingers started to move, the digivolution had regenerated her broken bones, she could use them again. When the spheres dissipated, she was with her digimon partner KazeLeporimon, they both looked up as Kentaurosmon smashed through the entire stained glass window, as he and Akira were coming down to meet them.

-To Be Continued-

Will Mikuni defeat her brother Akira, and will the Tajiri and Leoben arrive in time to stop Donica and Logene from putting a barrier over Digitopia? To answer these questions and more, please tune into the next Digimon digital monsters.