Archive of Our Own

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Over the course of many lives there is an ongoing war between the light and the darkness. There will always be warriors of light as well as heralds of the darkness. As long as there is hope, the light will never be extinguished. This however means that there will always be darkness as well, but where there’s hope, there’s light, where there’s light, there lies the ever growing potential for miracles. One must have the resolve necessary to move forward in a world that has lost its compassion and kindness. In a world where the tides close in, one must have the necessary virtues to move forward and believe in that miracle.”
~~Silence filled the space of a faded world with crashing waves. The grueling, grey waves that were painted with sorrow and bitter regret were the only thing capable of breaking the suffocating silence that surrounded the shore. Not even the painful screams of those oppressed under its grip were heard, they were left muted underneath the waves. A young girl that typically radiated with light from her heart, stood dimly on the shore, staring at the sight before her, a place she never thought she’d see again.
“The light belongs with the darkness” She turns around trying to find the piercing voice that fills her ears with a screeching howl ,but there was nobody there. She took a step on the sand, feeling the pressure of each step. Suddenly she found herself standing in the water, the waves of the sea crashed against her as she attempted to back off.
Her hearing was muffled and her vision was beginning to fade.
She remained silent, wanting to cry out for help ,but no words would escape her lips.
A dark presence begins to grow closer, with each step she took she felt herself sinking. The water pushing her back as the shore was vanishing right before her sight. The darkness grabs her, beginning to pull her back to the sea, dragging her down as the water fills her lungs. She closes her eyes, hearing a muffled voice.“Kari! Wake up!”
She quickly opened her eyes to see a white cat with yellow paws blinking at her with a saddened expression and eyes full of worry.“Are you okay?” Gatomon asked her partner with concern, tracing each word. Gatomon had woken up to see her trembling and struggling to breathe. There had been other times where her partner had shaken in her sleep, but she had never spoken a word of any of the dreams that had transpired.“I’m fine, Gatomon” Kari smiled at her partner as she began to pet the feline. Who looked at her unconvinced. Gatomon looked down sadly, letting her partner pet her. Hopefully a day would come where she was a bit more honest.They both remained in silence before a loud bang was heard on the door before being opened rather aggressively. Her brother, a person with a courageous heart and a strong will bolted in, stumbling to put on his socks and with a piece of bread in his mouth. Muffled, he tried speaking ,but the two only looked at him, still confused. Realizing this, he grabbed the bread from his mouth and spoke.
“Kari what are you doing sleeping, get up we’re late” Tai said before putting the bread back in his mouth and leaving the room.
Kari watched as he left, still a bit confused. She stood up and looked at her calendar, she had forgotten that they had a meeting with the rest of the chosen children today. She was about to start getting ready before her door opened once more.“Forgot my sock” Tai said as he picked up the sock he had dropped on the floor and left. He knocked on the door and said “Hey get ready or Izzy’s going to kill me” Tai said as he walked away from the door. She let out a small laugh and began to get ready.~~~Kari shuts the door behind her and looks at Tai who was waiting for her. He looked somewhat worried, maybe it was a good thing that he had finally realized that being late would get him in trouble eventually.
“You ready?” Tai asked and she nodded.The fall breeze hit the pair of siblings as they walked in silence. It was the final month of the year, but the winter atmosphere had yet to make its complete appearance. It had been a year since Meiko had moved back home and it had already been more than a year since they had saved the world, by ending the life of her partner Digimon. Tai looked over at his sister and stayed silent. She had been a bit different since then, but she wasn’t the only one. He knew he had been different since then too and while a part of him felt bad, he didn’t regret it, but he can tell she didn’t feel the same way. After all, she really did believe there was another way.
“She believed in me and I let her down…like I always do”
Tai tells himself quietly as memories from their past lingered in his mind.“Hey Kari, you know you could always talk to me, right?” Tai stops walking and looks at the water to his right, the sun was shining on it, but he could feel a sort of loneliness emitting from it. It was the same kind of loneliness he felt from his sister, a loneliness that was covered by the light.“I know…” She says quietly, looking at the same sight he was. Looking at the water put her heart in turmoil, a part of it felt relieving because it was full of color and light, but she couldn’t help ,but wonder what would happen when the Sun would set. When she closed her eyes, would she see that lifeless ocean devoid of any color?“Yeah I know you know, but I know you won’t listen to me. You never do” Tai laughs, breaking the silence. She looks over at her brother and smiles faintly. Despite what had happened, despite the grudge she still felt. It would never change the fact, she looked up to him, more than anyone in this world.“It’s not like you listen to me either” Kari laughs too and Tai looks over at her and smiles. That was a lot better, maybe he hadn’t been able to change her mood, but the fact he had reached her, even just a little bit, made him feel better.
“Guess you’re right. So don’t get mad at me next time, I don’t listen” Tai says with a laugh and she rolls her eyes unable to hide her amusement.
“By the way, uh, we should probably run now before we get in trouble” Tai chuckles.“What’s this we?” Kari looks at him with a serious expression. Maybe it was her fault this time, but no one would believe him if he tried to say that.
~“Sorry we’re late. '' Tai burst through the door and was panting as everyone looked up at him. Everyone ,but Meiko was there including Davis, and the younger digidestined who had all gone missing last year.
It appeared that everyone had been waiting for them.“Kari you’re late? How could you keep us waiting like this?” She was approached by her hat wearing friend who chuckled at her misfortune. He had a warm smile and bright,hopeful eyes that looked at her very amused as if he had won some sort of imaginary argument.”You know Tai, he can never wake up” Kari playfully rolled her eyes at T.K. as she took a seat. He chuckled as he took a seat next to her while everyone turned to look at Tai, it appeared he really would be taking all the blame.
“She was supposed to wake me up!” Tai said in pure shock. “Wait and what do you mean it was my faul-'' Tai tried to protest when suddenly he felt a force drag him. One of his closest friends who had ice cold eyes that hid his loyal heart, forced him to sit down.“Shut up and sit down already. We waited long enough for you Tai'” Matt, feigning annoyance, shook his head at Tai who only sighed. Tai looked at Izzy, another close friend he always trusted who has immeasurable knowledge in his heart. He had gathered everyone to discuss something important.
”I gathered you all because I developed a new software for the Digivice,”Izzy said as he pulled out his Digivice.
Joe, the oldest of them who was constantly worried, but immeasurably reliable, looked at Izzy curiously then pulled out his Digivice, observing it in his hands before looking back at Izzy and asked,”What does it do?”“In case we receive a message it will no longer only be sent to my computer instead the Digivices will receive it as well. This is in case there is some sort of malfunction with my laptop or it doesn’t have any charge.” Izzy exclaims, it appeared to have been a project he had been working on for a while.
Izzy’s partner, a red bug with bright green eyes, buzzed behind him and remarked “Which would never happen because Izzy always charges his baby.” Tentomon said in a tone indicating he was proud of that remark. For some reason the Digimon felt it was information that needed to be clarified.
Izzy began to pick up each device one by one and install the program. No one exactly understood how it worked ,but everyone seemed grateful regardless. The program was installed surprisingly quickly and thus the meeting was concluded.
“Wow it took longer to wait for Tai then the actual meeting” Mimi, a sincere girl with a strong drive, mischievously teased Tai who sighed, it seemed no one would let him off the hook today.“Yeah Tai, you’re always late” Sora, a caring friend, full of love, decided to join in on the fun with Mimi as they both teased his sleeping habits. For as long as they all knew him, he had always been a heavy sleeper and a professional napper.
Tai sighed once more, it was somehow all his fault , but he supposed he couldn’t blame everyone for thinking that. Kari always had to get him out of bed for anything, but this morning she didn’t. Tai looked over at his sister who was staring blankly at the floor, she seemed lost in thoughts and T.K. was looking at her as if he wanted to say something.Matt looked over at Tai, noticing the direction he was glancing in. Both Tai and his brother had the same worried expression on their faces and he could assume the reason.
Tai was a little better at hiding the fact he was worried ,but his eyes told a different story. A worry that was trying not to break through. “Everything okay Tai?” Matt asked as he nudged Tai who turned his attention away from them and back to Matt.“Yeah, everything’s fine Matt” Tai said as he sat up straightening his posture. There wasn’t really much he could do, hopefully she’d say whatever was on her mind to someone, but knowing her she wouldn’t. She never did.
“Alright then, I don’t want to see you sulking…It’s annoying” Matt said adding in the last part as he looked away. If Tai needed anything, he just needed to ask, that’s what friends were supposed to do for each other.“I won't,” Tai said, appreciating the gesture. The day Matt admitted he cared would be the day that the world decided to end or the day Agumon stopped being hungry.Davis, an energetic boy with a strong resolve, looked over at everyone in the room, he yawned and turned his head to the window. Sure he was tired, but the sun was out. That meant there were still a lot of possible ways to have a good time today.”Well now that that’s over with, Kari, do you want to catch a bite?” Davis nonchalantly stretched as he asked his question. Yolei, a lively girl with a compassionate tenacity, looked at him, catching on to his ploy, and decided to completely disregard his scheme.
”Good idea Davis, we can all go eat,” Yolei smirked as she watched Davis hang head. He let out a defeated sigh, though if he was being completely honest, he wasn’t entirely disappointed.
It had been a long time since they had all done something together since a lot of them were busy, he didn’t mind spending time with everyone, well for now at least. Though he didn’t think that feeling would ever change.
“Have fun” Tai said as he stood up and began to leave the room and Matt followed.”You guys aren’t coming?”T.K. looked at them both as they stopped at the exit and turned to him.
In unison they both answered back, ”No I got plans.” Sora laughed at how they were synched ,but they both shot her a look that made her go quiet.
She sighed, hoping that there wasn’t another argument she didn’t know about. Sora looked at them and hid a smile, they were just embarrassed.
“Well, I need to get going too, the laundry isn’t doing itself or the grocery shopping…or the flower arranging” Sora said with a mixture of enthusiasm and reluctance as she left the room along with Tai and Matt.“Bye everyone” Joe said as he stood up and grabbed his backpack, placing it on his back and then picking up Gomamon.“I suppose you need to study then Joe.”Cody, the youngest of them all, but with strong virtues, looked at Joe who smiled with pride and answered as if he was a national hero,
”Nope I have a date.” Joe said with an enormous smile on his face.
”A date with your books”Mimi teased,it was a bit cruel ,but none of them had actually met the mystery lady so there was no real proof she existed and whenever he said she would come to an event, she always mysteriously cancelled.”Hey. She’s real I promise“Joe looked at everyone desperately, he was practically begging them to believe him.
“I’ll believe it when I meet her” Mimi said teasingly as she began to find her way to the exit as well. It appeared that they all had something they needed to do.
”I guess it’s just us then” Ken, a kind boy with a painful past,looked around in the room,noticing only the younger chosen children remained except Izzy who was back to working, implying he probably wouldn’t go either.

“Just like old times,”Yolei smiled. It for sure had been a while since they had all gone out to eat. Especially considering two thirds of them had gone missing for a while. It would probably be nice to spend time together like this again, especially over food.
“Alright then! Last one there is a rotten Digi-Egg” Davis yells with a smile and despite still being in the building, he makes a run for it. “Ouch” he said as he accidentally bumped into a table and kept running.”Davis we’re not kids anymore we can’t-”Ken put his hand out and attempted to stop him ,but Yolei grabbed his hand and smiled.”C’mon let’s go” she dragged Ken along who was more concerned over his larva partner, Minomon’s safety than breaking a minor rule. He brought his partner closer to him as he followed along.“Yolei wait for me!” A small pink bird head called out ,but it seemed that his partner didn’t hear him and she left the room. Cody walked over to him and picked the small Digimon up.“I don’t really want to run today” Cody sighed and began to run as well ,but he was having a difficult time considering he had Upamon and Purramon in his hands.
“Hey you can’t run in here!” a voice called out as they all stumbled their way through the narrow halls in the building dodging confused employees who were trying to go about their day.“What was the point of me running ahead if this stupid elevator doesn’t work?” Davis’ voice echoed through the halls as he aggressively mashed the button waiting for the elevator to appear. His eyes lit up as he saw the elevator symbol going up, but it then immediately went back down as he continued to mash violently.T.K. watched as everyone vanished from view and then turned to Kari. She didn’t seem like she was doing too well and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Everyone else leaving was just the opportunity to do just that.
”Hey, are you okay? You seem distant. If there’s something wrong, anything at all, no matter how small, you can always tell me ”T.K. looked at Kari, trying to meet her eyes. He wanted to help her, but he knew she probably wouldn’t tell him, but that wouldn’t mean he’d give up.”Oh, it’s nothing…” Kari said, refusing to meet his gaze. That wasn’t enough to put him at ease and she knew it, but she couldn’t help it.
He looked at her and frowned. He shouldn’t and wasn’t surprised about her response ,but it didn’t change the fact
it still bothered him.
“I’ve known you long enough to know you aren’t telling the truth”
He says as he bends down and finally manages to meet her eyes. “Don’t forget, I’m always here for you. You don’t need to hide the truth from me”She looks at him in silence for a while, the light in her eyes glowing a little brighter then shifting to a playful expression. “What if the truth was that I don’t like your hat?” She says as she pushes it down a bit and covers his eyes.“B-but you got me this one?” He looks at her confused before they hear a very distant yet very familiar voice yelling at them from outside.“Guys hurry up” Both of them looked down at the window where Davis was yelling at them to hurry up. Davis looked up at the window and frowned what in the world were those two doing. At a time like this they should be worried about becoming the rotten Digi-Egg.Davis sighed, he felt a presence approaching him. He looked behind him, noticing Yolei was sneakily passing him while he had been distracted looking at the window. He thought he was way ahead of them, what happened? It must have been the stupid elevator, they probably all took the stairs. Davis quickly turned around and made a bolt for it.
“We didn’t even discuss where we were going, didn’t we?” T.K. says with a sigh.Kari laughs lightly at his statement and then says “Do we ever?”He shakes his head and they then both begin to leave the building, waving goodbye at Izzy before making their way out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Took you long enough to get here”Davis grinned, a victorious smile plastered on his face. “Looks like I win,” Davis said as he shot his fist up in the air and smiled.

”Davis you only got here a couple of seconds ago”Demiveemon, a blue fun loving digimon,perked up and hungrily looked at his partner, who quickly tried to shush him.

“And hey I won!” Yolei looked at Davis in protest since she had gotten there just a few seconds before Davis did.

“Oh it’s true, since you tripped on that inconveniently placed-” Ken tried to say before getting interrupted.

“ANYWAYS, T.K. you were last so you pay for everyone.” Davis quickly said, acting as if no one had mentioned his unfortunate circumstances leading up to his painful loss. It was all the more frustrating that T.K. and Kari made it so soon after he did considering they were still in the building last he saw…wait how did they get there so soon.

“Since when-” T.K. attempted to object ,but he stopped himself, he knew it was pointless to argue with Davis, so he decided that he would trick Davis into paying later.

“How about we all start ordering?” Cody turned to everyone who all nodded. He set down his backpack on a nearby table and then went to look at the treats. He wasn’t sure what he wanted. He decided he would ask his partner to provide his input, almost as if he had read his mind, Upamon begins to speak.

“Cody! Cody! Look a churro” Cody looked down at the partner in his arms who was gesturing towards the delectable treat. Cody looked at his partner and smiled, he wasn’t worried about anyone questioning his partner since Yolei and Davis were making a loud ruckus about how ramen flavored ice cream shouldn’t be a thing.

“You’re not the one eating it! I am! So stay out of it!” Davis points at Yolei.

“Fine ,but don’t come crying to me when it ruins it forever for you” Yolei remarks back.

“Have you decided what you want Cody?” T.K. looked at his friend as he held a frozen yogurt in his hand that Patamon was gleefully begging for. He handed it over to Patamon and then ordered another one.

Cody nodded at his friend and gave him a reply. “I’ll take a churro”

“Filled with strawberries, right Cody?” Upamon looked up at his partner, hopefully.

“Right.” Cody smiled back at his ever so hungry partner.

T.K. grabs the churro from the shopkeeper and hands it over to Cody.
He then gestures for them to sit down. Kari who already had her treat as well joins them.

“Alright T.K. you can pay now-” Davis searches the area for his friend who has seemingly disappeared.
Davis looks around side to side searching for him, where did he go? He was supposed to pay.

“How has middle school been treating you?” T.K. smiles at his friend as he ignores the calls of his other friend who sounds more and more desperate with each call.

“It’s been good” Cody responds, it was honestly nothing new. He felt fairly prepared for it. The subjects were the same as always, it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

“Davis I think T.K. is ignoring you” Ken taps Davis on the shoulder as he points out to Davis the location of their friend. Ken holds onto Davis’ treat and his own as he sees Davis’ desperation continue to grow more and more each second.

“Yeah, I could see that” Davis begrudgingly pulls out his wallet and purchases the treats. They had caused enough trouble for the clerk and he really didn’t want to get banned from the place or even worse, get his food spit in or something.

“It’s a shame you just got there and we’re leaving this year.” Kari looks at Cody sadly while Gatomon makes an effort to lick the ice cream cone in her hands “If there’s anything you need just let us know”

“Will do” Cody nods seriously at his friend even though he didn’t think there was anything he would need their help in. He had gotten through most of this first year fine, he was halfway through it and nothing particularly interesting had happened.

“Yeah if anyone is causing you trouble let us know and we’ll take care of them” T.K. smiles at his friend mischievously and then takes a bite out of his treat. His hat is slightly slipping from his head. Cody shivers at the thought, recalling the encounter the seemingly pleasant boy had with the Digimon Emperor.

“Uhhh…” Cody looks at Kari for help who only has a playful smile beginning to form.

“No one will definitely bother you if we have something to say about it” She says with a grin. For some reason Cody couldn’t help ,but feel a bit scared. On their own they were quite nice, but when they were together he couldn’t help ,but feel they were kind of menacing. If someone did end up bothering him, he kind of felt bad for them.

“Is that T.K. and Kari? What are they doing here?” a voice appeared to have been observing the group for quite a while. Davis,Ken,and Yolei all find seats next to their friends and sit down.

“The same reason we’re at a sweets shop idiot” the other voice’s friend replied.

“No fair T.M. you were supposed to pay you were last” Davis pointed at him upset.

“I’m a trademark?” T.K. faked confusion and Davis looked at him bewildered.

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN” Davis yelled as all the other customers turned to look at him, but no one from the group batted an eye.

“Sit down,” Yolei said as she sneakily took the seat next to Ken. Davis raises an eyebrow at her, that wasn’t fair. He had to comply with her tricks ,but she never did the same for him. He shakes his head and turns his attention back to T.K.
“You better pay back, you got here last after all” Davis says as he takes a seat.
“Hm? If I remember correctly Kari got there at the same time as me” T.K. said trying to hide a smirk. He found it a bit too enjoyable to mess with his friends, especially Davis. The way Davis got upset was just too amusing. Kari looks at him slightly offended and then begins to pull out something from her bag. Davis shakes his head and then sighs, yeah there was no way he’d force her to pay.

“I won’t be so forgiving next time.”
Davis says, hiding a smile with his words. The truth was he was already prepared to pay for everyone, he did invite them after all. Well technically, considering two-thirds of them were just freeloaders at that point.

“Hey, it’s not just them. Look, it's Davis and Ken and a high schooler?” the other voice responds. It seemed as if the group had appeared very interesting to the bystanders ,but for some reason the strange creatures with them had nothing to do with it.

“Seriously, you don’t know who that is? That’s Yolei. She was at our school just last year. She was the president of the Computer Club” The voice appeared annoyed at it’s friend.

”Who’s that little kid they’re with?” a voice rang out from behind.

”Beats me probably got stuck babysitting him”another voice responded with a laugh. The other kids were too busy still discussing payments to notice the cruel laughs of the strangers as they looked at Cody.

Cody looked away from them, trying to ignore their words, but for some reason they wouldn’t stop laughing and he couldn’t stop thinking about them. He had always made sure to be aware of his surroundings in case anything had happened, it seemed to have added to the mature side everyone saw in him, but in that moment he could feel some regret in being that way. Was he just a bother to everyone? They had always treated him nicely, but…he couldn’t help ,but feel a bit of doubt.

Cody looks at the table, feeling a sharp pain in his heart. He really wasn’t that much younger than everyone else. After all they all went to the same elementary school together, they all went to the Digital World together- maybe that was the reason they were stuck together…

He looked at them feeling uncomfortable and then he stood up from his chair, merely picking up Upamon who was seizing the moment to eat part of the treat and began to get ready to leave.

“I have Kendo.” Cody looked away from them, he didn’t want to ruin the others' images. He knew they were all somewhat popular, not that they wanted to be, but he didn’t want them to have to experience the kind of thing he felt now. What if they got laughed at too just for being with him? For their sake he was willing to leave. After all, they didn’t deserve to be made fun of. This was the right thing to do and once he set his mind on the right thing it was his duty to do it.

”Wait, isn’t your Kendo only on Tuesdays and Thursdays?” Yolei looked at him puzzled at his sudden action. Now that she got a good look at him, he looked kind of sad. Cody stayed silent, he couldn’t come up with a good response. If he responded it would mean coming up with a lie, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

”Something bothering you?”T.K. looked at his friend with a worried expression. Cody looked fine a few moments ago, but he had a certain lonely expression on his face. One of the worst expressions a person could have.

”No…”Cody sat back down and took a bite into his churro and waited for everyone else to finish their treat.
For some reason every second began to feel eternal when previously it felt as if they had all gone so fast. Time normally considered precious felt like a slog.

“Hey guys, all of you free tomorrow?” Davis says as he eats his final scoop of ice cream and sets it down on the table.

“I don’t work tomorrow” Yolei says as she finishes her treat and begins to eat the one she got to go. “So yeah probably.” Yolei turns her head to the counter. Good they still had more she could get to go.

“I don’t really make plans” Ken says honestly, because most of his plans were things Davis dragged him out to do.

“I should be free too” T.K. says as he lets Patamon eat his treat as well. Kari looked at him and raised an eyebrow. That was the third one, Patamon was having since they got there. That couldn’t be good for him.
“Great that’s more yeses then no so the rest of you have to come no matter what” Davis chuckles and a giant smile plasters his face. He was already getting excited for this.
“What are we doing?”
Ken turns to Davis expectantly.
“Uhh…I didn’t think it through that far…” Davis admits and Ken smiles lightly, unsurprised.

“I heard there’s a festival tomorrow,” Kari says as she looks at the window of the shop that had a flyer advertising the event.

“Really? Where did you hear that from?”
Yolei asks excitedly. She hadn’t heard of such an event, but from the sound of it, it sounded like a good time.

“Um…heard it from a friend” Kari says as she pretended she hadn’t just read it off a flyer in the window.

“You definitely read it from over there” T.K. says as he looks at the window.

“That’s a coincidence”

“Uh huh”

“You’re just jealous you didn’t come up with that great idea. So come on guys let's go tomorrow!” Davis scolds T.K. and then stands up with a smile.

“Cody what do you think?” Ken looks at Cody who had remained silent the entire time. “Does it work for you?” Ken asked him kindly.

“I’m not sure I can…” Cody says, he didn’t really feel well and he wasn’t sure if he would be up to it. Besides, this would be for their sakes. The right thing to do was to not trouble them any further.

“Why not?” Yolei frowns as she looks at him. For some reason she couldn’t help, but felt as if Cody was avoiding them, but he didn’t have a reason to do that, at least not one she knew of.

“Well if you’re not going we might as well call the whole thing off it isn’t the same without you there.” T.K. looks at Cody who then looks down with a hint of guilt.

“I need to check my schedule” Cody says as he pulls out a small notepad from his backpack and he flips to the calendar.

“Lemme see,” Davis says as he enthusiastically snatches it from his hands. “It’s empty so you can totally come.” Davis says with a wide smile. He was glad Cody had as little going on in his life as he did.

“Oh… that’s good” Cody says as he grabs it from Davis’ hands and puts it away again.

“So do you guys wanna hang out a bit more before then” Davis smiles and the rest of them nod. They leave the place and they all begin to wander, wherever their hearts took them into the night as they created new memories that were woven together by time.

Despite spending the rest of the day together with everyone,
Cody didn’t feel as if he was there with them. He spoke a few words for the rest of the day, not unusual for him, but even if he did have input to say, he couldn’t find it in him to speak. He desperately wanted to go home. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with them, he truly cared about his friends and wanted to spend time with them, but the bitter laughter of the two voices stained his memories with nothing but pain.
Pain that tainted an otherwise good day where they could have all had a great time together.

Were they just stuck with him because they were all Digidestined? The bitter thoughts began to flood his mind one after another like if a dam had burst, a dam he didn’t even know existed in the back of his mind.

“See you all tomorrow,”Davis waved goodbye as he and Ken left in the same direction. Maybe it had become a habit, since he knew Ken could go home on his own, but he still wanted to make sure he got home safely.

Kari tagged along with the other three who left her at her apartment’s door and then they made their way home. To the same apartment complex where they had coincidentally met each other as if it was destiny.

“Man, I’m tired” T.K. says as he puts his hands behind his neck and keeps walking.

“Me too, but I just got a message from my parents saying they need help with inventory” Yolei says, looking tired as she walks. The message had actually said they needed it for tomorrow, but because she didn’t want to change plans she decided she’d do it tonight.

“What about you, Cody?” T.K. asks Cody who hadn’t heard him and was silently walking, his head only facing forward.

“Cody are you there?” Yolei taps him on the shoulder and he turns around.

“Sorry, were you speaking to me?” Cody looks at his two friends who only look at him worried.

“Cody? Are you sure you’re okay” T.K. looked at the boy once more with concern.

Yolei nodded. “You’re acting pretty strange, did something happen?” She noticed his behavior had shifted slightly, but maybe it was all in her head.

Cody shook his head and urged them not to worry. He didn’t want his friends to know a silly comment had troubled him so much. It wouldn’t be mature after all, Right? He had to be the person they knew who he was. No one else. If he couldn’t be that, then he really would be just that one kid they were stuck with, because destiny had willed it.

“I’m fine.” Cody fakes a smile and nods at his friend. He reaches his apartment door and waves goodbye. He opens the door and walks in, his smile vanishing as soon as he makes it through the door.

“I’m worried about him.”
Yolei frowns as she observes Cody’s strange behavior.

“Yeah,he gets like that when he’s troubled.” T.K. nods, he then thinks about the way Cody had acted when he had first witnessed his rage against the powers of darkness.
He held the same distance from that time now. “Cody’s really independent, we’ll have to let him be for now.”

Yolei nods sadly
“I know but maybe… he’s too independent.”

“I know what you mean, he really deserves to enjoy himself more” T.K. nods at Yolei who only sighs, she had known Cody for years, he felt like a little brother to her. She didn’t think he needed to change; she only wished he would let himself be vulnerable.

“I’m sure he’s got this, Cody’s wisdom and morality always helps him pull through.” T.K. smiled, he had full belief in his DNA digivolution partner. After all, that evolution had led him to understand his friend a little better. Yolei smiled, T.K. really did have a contagious smile. It put her kind of at ease, though that wasn’t always the case. Sometimes it felt a little deceitful. She shook her head, it must be all in her mind. It was genuine now at least and that’s what mattered. Yolei waved goodbye and wished him a goodnight as she opened the door to her home.

~~~

Cody entered his home, looking around the living room, it was tidy as always. He removed his shoes and entered his room. Neatly placing his stuff down on a corner. His mother and grandfather had gone out shopping for the day and it appeared they hadn’t returned. He left his room and went to the table and served himself dinner and Upamon a portion that exceeded his one. Once his mother had found out about his partner she had been cooking more than enough for both of them.

“This is the best Cody,” Upamon said as he happily dug into his portion. Cody looked at him with a small smile and continued to eat. The others had all eaten out ,but he refused, knowing his mother had cooked something. He didn’t want it to go to waste, not that it would with his partner Digimon, but still. He didn’t want to deny what she had made for him with her own two hands.

After finishing, he began to prepare himself for bed, getting his nightly routine out of the way. He would not end his night, without a silent prayer as he looked at his father’s memorial. He closed his eyes,unable to concentrate, and left. For the first time in a while he couldn’t think of what to say during it. He just didn’t feel like he could face him at this moment…and even if he tried denying it he knew why.

Soon he went to his room and laid down on his bed with his partner. He closed his eyes and felt the door to his room open. A small light creeped inside as his mother checked in on him. She smiled as she shut the door and left him to rest. Cody opened his eyes, unable to fall asleep. He hated how troubled he felt and even worse how he couldn’t do anything about it.

The wall's of Cody's room were lined with nothingness and a certain bleakness. Cody found himself staring at the walls, wondering why he felt wounded that day. The mocking tone of the words hung in his ears as sorrow began to fill him up. The pain in his heart felt like it was strangling him.

“Cody, are you okay?” his small partner stared at him with compassionate eyes. Behind the hungry exterior Upamon was full of love for his partner. It wasn’t strange that Upamon could sense Cody's heart, they were connected after all and Cody knew this.

“Am I doing the right thing?” Cody said his eyes remained fixed on his walls. Puzzled,Upamon tilted his head indicating he had a desire to help his partner. After all, that’s what he was born into this world for. To be with Cody no matter what.

“Never mind” Cody later laid down on his side, staring at the bleakness of his walls and perhaps even his own life. For the first time in a while, he felt empty. A sort of emptiness that was painful and lonely. A loneliness he hadn’t experienced since before he first went to the Digital World.

“Cody, I think you're doing just fine” Upamon stared at his partner and brought out a smile. “You aren't always going to make the right decisions. I ate your churro today, was it delicious? Yes, but I felt bad” Cody paused as he turned his head to face his partner. Puzzled, why did Upamon feel guilty? If Upamon had just asked,he would have happily shared with him. After all they were partners, friends.

“Why did you feel bad?” Cody asked him, unable to hide the confusion it brought him.

“Because I hid something from you, I couldn't be honest with you,I missed out on a memory I could have shared with you. If we assume our friends are going to be upset, we hide things. What's the point of friends then? Friends are there to help each other.” Upamon looked at him guilt in his eyes, but most of all, a smile was painted on his face

Cody could feel the walls of his heart tightening, he felt pain. It was strange ,but they had felt the same thing. Pain at hiding stuff from those they care about , but he didn't know how it was that he was supposed to free himself from his burden. For on his small shoulders Cody was allowing himself to carry the weight of the world.

“Thank you, Upamon” Cody embraced his partner who was soundly asleep with a smile. Upamon had fallen asleep because he knew that no matter what, Cody would be okay. After all, this was his partner, his partner who he was always proud of.

~~~

Ken placed Minomon gently on his bed and placed a blanket over him. The small digimon had fallen asleep on the way home. He left the room and then prepared himself to go to bed as well. As he finished up, he felt a searing pain enter his body. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, feeling that pain and darkness through his body.

“Ken, are you okay?” Minomon lifted his head up, immediately waking up and looking at him in concern. Ken looked at him apologetically, feeling bad at having woken him up.

“I’m okay Minomon. You should go back to sleep” Ken said as he moved Minomon’s head back onto the pillow and smiled. He moved the blanket up and wrapped him up and patted him on the head.

“Ken…you can always trust me. If you bottle everything up, you’ll only be in pain and I would hate to see that…” Minomon said, his voice sadly cracking as he looked at his partner. His beloved partner who harbored so much pain.

“I just…have a bad feeling. Like something bad is going to happen…” Ken lays down next to Minomon and
puts his hand on the back of his neck. He hadn’t felt his neck react that strongly since last year, right before they had been taken…he was starting to get scared.

“Even if something bad does happen we’ll be okay.” Minomon gets closer to him and brings the blanket with him. He closes the gap between them and shares the small blanket with Ken.

“You’re right…”Ken said with a small smile, still uncertain, but with the pain in the back of his neck,feeling a lot less heavy than it did before. He was really happy to have his partner with him.

~~~~~~~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Embrace the darkness after all without it there can be no light”

Once more she stood on the lifeless shore of the dark beach as the ocean dimly glimmered. The air around the ocean felt suffocating, when the waves met the shore with their aggression the water managed to reach her, it burned her with its touch. It felt strangely acidic.

“Come embrace us” the voice rang in again, repeating the same sentence over and over again, each one louder than the last and each one more demanding of the matter as time flew by.

”I- I don’t want to go with you...stay away” She began to tremble as she stood on the shore, her fear was making her shake and she couldn’t stop. She closed her eyes and called the names of those she knew she could rely on, but nobody came.

”HEY! KARI WAKE UP!”

The ocean soon began to fade away. Melting away as if it didn’t exist, as if she hadn’t been there. She arose with a startle to see that her older brother, Tai was there looking at her with concern.

”Everything…Okay?”Tai looked at his sister with worry. She had been shaking in her sleep and calling for people, begging to be saved, but it looked like nobody came. Now that he thought about it, yesterday it looked like she had a bad dream too. Maybe that’s why she was acting so strange.

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine” Kari nodded and looked at her brother, but she did not dare look him in the eye. If she did he’d know, and she didn’t want him worrying.

“You sure? You kept going, Gatomon, T.K., help me please. I think at one point you even called for the Navy.” Tai stifled a laugh, he didn’t find her suffering funny, but he couldn’t help ,but wonder why in the world she wanted the Navy to come. The other two he wasn’t surprised at, more than anyone else he trusted them to look after her.

Kari looked down, embarrassed at her words in her dreams. She understood why she called for Gatomon and T.K. , after all they were the reason she got out the first time, but really the Navy?

“Don’t worry since you wouldn’t stop calling for T.K., I took the liberty of telling him for you that you need to talk to him” Tai tossed Kari’s phone at her with a smirk and walked out. If he couldn’t pester his sister enough then T.K. surely would. That guy was basically an expert at it.

“Hey, Tai!” Kari called out for her brother who proudly sat at the table with his orange dinosaur eating a meal. Kari sighed and she began to get ready for the day. When she finished preparing herself she walked into the kitchen to see Tai and Agumon looking pleased at themselves as they filled themselves with toast. It must have been a big breakfast to have lasted more than ten minutes with Agumon at the table.
She patted Agumon on the head and smiled.

Without warning they heard a knock at the door. “Hey I think that’s for you” Tai grinned, exceedingly proud of himself. Kari rolled her eyes, she really didn’t want to bother T.K. with this.
She opened the door to see T.K. attempting to catch his breath, it was almost as if he had run all the way there. Knowing him, this was probably true. As soon as he saw that she answered the door he quickly stood up and regained his composure.

”Hi Kari '' the little hamster with wings said as he smiled and flew inside. She smiled at Patamon as he sat down next to Agumon and Gatomon on the table. Gatomon offered Patamon a toast ,but it appeared Agumon had yet to notice the small Digimon was there.

“Kari, I’m here, what's wrong?” T.K. looks at her, still out of breath yet making an effort to pretend he wasn’t completely exhausted. As soon as he had received the message he came as quickly as he could. Cody had asked him where he was going and he wasn't even sure if he made any sense with his explanation.

“Nothing, I’m sorry to bother you.” Kari let out a small smile and shook her head at him. She felt bad looking at him, he had worn himself out and it was her own fault…well and Tai’s too, but still, he shouldn’t have had to do something like that.

“Don’t say that! You know it’s never a bother! I’m always here for you” T.K. looked at her sadly as he strung off, almost as if he wanted to say more ,but he restrained himself. Tai sighed, it felt like a cliche every time. He was starting to get tired of watching them both dance around their words when what they wanted to say seemed so obvious to everyone.

“She’s lying, don't let her off the hook.”
Tai said as he grabbed another piece of toast. Was that toast infinite? Gatomon looked at the toaster, the poor thing must be working overtime.

Agumon suddenly perked up “Hook? Is there fish?” They all couldn’t help ,but smile at the goofy dinosaur who was always hungry.

“No silly” Tai lightly tapped his head. Agumon placed his hand on his chin as if to think and realized what was missing.

“Oh Hi T.K., Hi Patamon, I didn’t see you there.” Agumon said with a wave as he munched on a piece of bacon.

T.K. chuckled and waved at the dinosaur with a smile. He then looked up at Tai. “Don’t worry Tai, I didn’t intend on it.”

Kari sighed she knew there was no escaping it; she walked out and closed the door behind her. “Hey! Why’d you-” the door closed before Tai could finish, her brother was being way too nosy today.

“You don’t need to hide it, You can rely on me.”T.K. gently grabbed her hand and gave her a sincere look. Her demeanor was finally broken, a bashful smile painted her face and she nodded. “I know…I’m sorry.”

He smiled weakly at her admittance, in part relieved that she had taken him for his word. He looked at her, noticing her eyes fixated on a tree below them.

“Let’s go talk at the usual spot” He tells her and she nods as they both walk to a tree. A tree that’s normal lively colors was beginning to fade away as the seasons changed. Its leaves were falling ,but there was something beautiful about how something so frail would bloom once more when spring came around.

For some reason they had always spoken underneath it. There was something oddly comforting about a tree that changed so much as the years passed ,but was still the same. They both looked at it for a few seconds before beginning their conversation.

“Hey, what's wrong? You’ve been acting strange since yesterday…kinda like you’re afraid. I’m really worried about you” T.K. looked at her. There was worry tracing each corner of his eyes.

Kari stayed silent, she knew he would only continue to worry if she didn’t say anything. “If I’m being honest here, it was actually Tai that messaged you, he heard me talking in my sleep and well I’ve been having dreams ...about

that place

”

T.K. looked at her with great concern, immediately understanding what she meant. They hadn’t seen or heard anything about that place in ages, but it didn’t change the fact it was a horrible place and he never wanted her to wander there again.

”You don’t need to worry about that place, I’ll always be here for you. No matter what. If you sense anything out of the ordinary you tell me and we’ll beat the darkness together.”
Kari stared at him for a second, losing herself in his words. It was hard to believe what Tai had told her how he was before they met. Always crying and even running away from the darkness. Now he wanted to be strong and fight the darkness. The one time she remembered him crying was when Patamon disappeared. That was the most broken he had ever looked. She felt herself wondering why and when this change occurred. There was something so admirable about the person standing in front of her.

“S-sorry” T.K. had wondered if his words had perhaps come off as too strong. He put his hand behind his neck embarrassed, he knew he came off as too strong sometimes, but he couldn’t help it, especially when it came to her.

“What?! NO. I’m sorry. I really appreciate it. Thank you.” Kari looks at him with a smile.

T.K. looks at her and smiles back, noticing that her cheeks had flushed ,but he shook it off, thinking it must have been his imagination. A song from his brother’s band filled the air as T.K. looked at his phone.

“Ooo someone’s calling you.” Kari gave him a playful smirk ,but T.K. laughed it off as he was about to answer, he noticed the time. Davis was the one calling him. Oh no.

Davis was calling.

“Oh no! We’re late!”
Kari said, suddenly remembered the plans they had made. They both made a run for it till they had to go back when they realized that they had forgotten their digimon.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Cody woke up and looked at his partner who was still asleep. He looked at the time, he had overslept by a few minutes.
He remained laying down, still looking at the walls. They looked a little less bleak than they did the previous night, but something still felt off about them.

“Good morning!” His partner yawned and looked up at him with a big smile.

“Good morning.” Cody said as he patted him and stood up from his bed. He couldn’t deny the fact he had woken up, his heart still feeling empty, but he didn’t want to think about it. After all, they had all agreed to go to a festival today.

“How are you feeling today?” Upamon asks almost as if he had caught on to him.

“Better” Cody said with a small smile, it wasn’t a fake one, but it wasn’t an assertive one. He did feel a bit better, but a part of him had woken up with a painful, emptiness.

“Great then let’s get ready” Upamon cuddled up to him with a smile, if Cody felt a little sad still, then he would have to make him feel better. After all that was his destiny as his partner.

~~

Yolei woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. Updating the storage had ended up being more work then she originally thought and she had gone to bed extremely late because of it.

“Yolei you need to wake up” her partner digimon jumped viciously on her. Her alarm had gone off a few times and it was driving him mad.

“Five more minutes pleaseee.” Yolei groaned as she placed a pillow over her face. She then heard a faint knock on the door and groaned even more. She stood up and about as quickly as she could, got ready and answered the door.

”Are you ready?” Cody asked politely as she opened the door. He had been waiting there for a while. He had seen many neighbors leave their homes and even seen T.K. who quickly tried to explain where he was going to him. He hadn't understood much of what T.K. had said other than a quick apology, but seeing him rush like that only led him to one conclusion.

“I am now,” Yolei grabbed her bag and locked the door behind her. They had all agreed to go to the festival the previous day. Yolei searched the area and noticed one of her friends was missing. He couldn't still be getting ready after all she had just woken up a few minutes ago. How she managed to get ready so quickly, even surprised herself.

”Where’s T.K.?”Yolei looked at Cody confused. Usually when they all met up they would all leave together ,but today he was nowhere in sight.

”He went to see Kari, I think something was wrong.”Cody said, still a bit puzzled himself, “He seemed to be in a rush. He didn’t really say much and I could barely understand him”

”Hmm...do you think they’re still coming?”Yolei looked at Cody with suspicion. For some reason there was a part of her that felt they were going to ditch them and she wasn't sure why.

”They’ll be there,”Cody affirmed. Yolei sighed, it had been a while since she had done anything with Kari so she had intended on stealing her away. Hopefully her suspicion was wrong, it had to be. They wouldn't do that…

“Are you coming?” Upamon impatiently looked at Yolei who nodded. The four of them departed and soon arrived at the festival. They both waited at the festival entrance for the rest of the gang.

~~~

”He didn’t answer the phone.” Davis, looking annoyed, groaned.

“Davis, he didn’t answer your twelve other calls,
I don’t think he will answer,” Ken said, trying to find the most gentle way possible to tell Davis he should probably stop calling.

“They’re always last,”Davis sighed as he looked at his watch. He had already been waiting for half an hour and was getting impatient.

”Does that bother you, Davis?”Yolei grinned as she teased him, however Davis at that moment did not care what they were doing. They could have gone on a boat and left the country and he didn’t care. He just wanted them to arrive already. He sighed and only continued to wait more impatiently.

”Sorry we’re late”T.K. and Kari were panting as they both arrived with digimon tightly in hand.

“Sorry?! I called you thirteen times!” Davis says in a very accusing tone.

“Oh uh I didn’t notice…” T.K. says and Davis looks at him upset.

“You’re lying! How could you not! I’ve heard that damn ringtone of yours, it's the same song my sister has as hers!” Davis groans, he liked Matt’s music too ,but man was his sister way too obsessed.

“Well I didn’t notice the first seven calls…the other five I didn’t answer because we were already on our way here” T.K. says, seeming to have not noticed the comment on his ringtone.

”Whatever Man.” Davis scoffs.

What took you guys so long?”Davis looked at his two friends in defeat.

”We forgot the Digimon”
The two of them said in unison.

“How do you forget them?!” Davis looked at the two of them stunned. “DemiVeemon would not shut up about today!”

“HEY!” Demiveemon snarked back at his partner who was just as excited as him to be there. Yolei, whose patience finally snapped,began to run inside the festival “Festival Gate Open!” Yolei smiled as she went inside the park and everyone followed.

”Hey, that's not fair!” Davis and DemiVeemon both shouted in unison as they ran past the gate.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So what are we going to do?” Ken turned to Davis as he caught up.

“Well uh we're going to get on the rides,eat,play some games?” Davis pondered at what else anyone would go to a festival for.
“Maybe puke,” he added in realizing that the rides and food were probably not the best idea.

“Not me though. I'd never” DemiVeemon cheerfully added.

“Well you're not tall enough for the rides so of course you won't.” Davis teased his pal who only began to complain loudly.

The Digidestined all laughed at the exchange and began to plan what they would do. “Well Kari how about we-”
Davis hopelessly began till he was interrupted.

“Sorry she's mine today” Yolei smirked as she pulled her confused friend close. “Right?” Kari nodded, though really it didn't seem like she had much of a choice.

“Come on, let's go!” Yolei smiled widely. She didn’t have a single plan in the slightest ,but there was so much they could talk about…if Kari cooperated.

“Ah wait” Kari slowly released herself from Yolei's grasp and approached one of her friends.

“Your hat is so crooked”
Kari looked up at T.K., his hat must have gotten crooked when they ran, if that’s how it worked. She was honestly surprised it wasn’t glued to his head.

“Oh, my bad” before T.K. could fix the cap, Kari fixes the direction. T.K. observes his friend in surprise. His eyes fixated on hers.

“Thanks-”

She stared at the set of eyes awestruck before realizing they were staring back softly at her. A sense of playfulness and bashfulness filled her eyes and before T.K. could understand what was going on, she acted quickly. Without warning his cap fell onto the floor. Patamon flapped his wings and picked it up and returned it to his partner.

“Hey! You just made it worse!” T.K. attempted to tease back as he put the cap back on.

Hiding her embarrassment, she stuck out her tongue and began to walk away. Yolei observed her friend with suspicion then followed, a smirk on her face. Well that was certainly a conversation she would make sure Kari cooperated on

Davis eyed his two friends with confusion. Something strange had definitely just happened ,but he didn't know what. Well maybe he did, he just wasn't sure if it was true. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but really he was more observant then he was given credit for.

“What was that about?” he looked at T.K. for an answer who seemed just as confused.
T.K. was used to her messing with his hat ,but somehow, something was different this time. He couldn't tell what ,but there was something different in the way she moved it, in the way her eyes gazed at his. He stays silent for a while and then only delivers a shrug at his friend's question and looks at Cody.

“Hey Cody? Let's go.” He smiled gently at Cody who attempted a smile. It was a thought he wanted to suppress, but he couldn't help ,but wonder if T.K. had gone with him out of obligation or out of friendship.

“Hey! That’s not an answer!” Davis calls after him, but they are already gone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What do you wanna do?” T.K. looked at his friend who was silent most of the way there. “I don't know…”
Cody replied still lost in his own thoughts

“Come on, there must be something you want to do.” T.K. puts his hand on Cody's shoulder and signals towards the many attractions.

“Isn't there something you want to do?” Cody asked, hoping to find a solution. He didn't exactly feel like having fun that day,there was something in the atmosphere that felt off, to put it lightly. He had realized it when he had arrived, despite his best efforts to ignore the feeling, it grew viciously in him.

“Well if I'm honest! I don't know either” T.K. smiles at Cody and then begins to laugh. Cody laughs back, slightly taking his mind off the multitude of things that plagued his mind.

Cody observed his friend, recalling that at one point he was the youngest chosen child.
He pondered whether or not he should ask, but maybe there was a sliver of a chance he could help.

“T.K.?”
Cody turned to him.

“Yeah?” T.K. looking at him, he was relieved Cody seemed to be talking, the silence was making him impatient, not because it bothered him, but because he knew something was wrong with his friend and he didn’t know how to help.

“How did you feel before Kari joined the Digidestined?” Cody asked. He had been the youngest before she joined. How did the others feel about him? Did they see him…as a burden
they had to deal with?

“Huh?” T.K. tilted his head at his friend. Not understanding the question.

“Did you feel something was missing?” Cody attempted his question again in a different matter. Right now he felt so empty…like something was missing, even though he had never felt this way with them.

“W-what?” T.K. found himself getting flustered at the question. He was honestly confused at Cody's question and why he was even asking that in the first place.

“I mean, you were the youngest before. You never felt left out?” Cody said, noticing his friend was getting somewhat agitated.

“Oh. That's what you meant. Well not really. I never really felt left out.” T.K. says recalling the first time he went to the Digital World. He didn’t remember everything, a lot of memories from the time were clouded, but he could remember what he felt, both the good and the bad.

“Oh I see…” Cody said, unable to hide a sort of disappointment in his voice. Then what he was feeling…it was just something strange, something immature.

T.K. remained silent, analyzing the question. Wondering why Cody had even asked that in the first place. It then clicked in his mind that Cody, currently was the youngest Digidestined. It was a fact that was easy to forget with his maturity.

“Have we ever made you feel left out?” T.K. looked at his friend sadly, wondering if they had caused that effect on him. He would hate to think Cody felt left out,after all they all enjoyed spending time with him.

“Ah no. It's not that…I was just curious that's all” Cody says, it wasn’t a lie, that he could say with conviction. They never made him feel left out…it was just a weird feeling
he got from those other people.

T.K. delivered a counterfeit smile and began to think about their time together. If Cody had felt this way, why hadn't he said anything beforehand. No, he must be overthinking it. Cody wouldn't lie like that, Cody was known to be curious though, that had to be it. He paused and began to choose his next words carefully.

“If you really want to know, I have felt left behind before” T.K. said with a somewhat weak smile. Of course, he knew that feeling well. Being left behind, that was always the way he felt, everyone left and he could never do anything for them.

Cody looked at his friend in surprise, so it wasn't just him, right? Before the thoughts could continue in his mind, T.K. continued speaking.

“But it wasn't because I was younger than everyone else. It was because of what I couldn't do.” T.K. looked at Patamon who was looking at the rides with brimming curiosity. Whenever he saw Patamon’s innocent eyes, he could only remember the painful tears in his eyes, the tears that they both shared, not wanting to leave each other.

Cody looked at his friend puzzled, and then began to analyze the words his friend had spoken from his soul. What he couldn’t do? What did he mean by that? No, he had a feeling he knew what he meant. Matt had told him about T.K. 's regrets and that look he had in his eyes, that look of pain, it was the same one he had back then.

“I was the last one to get my digimon to evolve into the champion level.” T.K. paused, and a pained expression entered his face.
“I was the only one whose digimon
died.”
T.K. says his voice breaking slightly, no matter how much time passed, that sight he remembered so clearly, always brought him the same amount of pain it did back then.

Cody observed his friend and how a different demeanor painted his face. He was always different when it came to talking about the time he lost Patamon. Really who could blame him. Cody grips tightly onto Upamon,he knew he'd feel the same way if he lost his partner.
Upamon was irreplaceable to him and if he had to watch him die in front of his very eyes…he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Just the thought of it, made his heart drop and sting with immeasurable pain.

“I was the only one who knew their digimon was infected…and there was nothing I could do.” Cody remained silent, he had heard about Patamon going through the outbreak. T.K. had lost his partner, More then once and had to do nothing ,but watch as he suffered. T.K. had remained silent out of fear, but Cody wondered what exactly that fear was. For Cody, he refused to tell his friends because he didn't want to be a burden, but T.K. stayed silent out of fear. Fear of the inevitable…

“But, it's no longer about what I couldn't do. It has to be about what I can do now.” T.K. turned his attention from Patamon to the younger boy who had prompted the question. “Being young might make you feel powerless sometimes, but there are some things you can only do because you are young.”

“Being younger than everyone doesn't mean that they don't trust you. I remember when we were fighting Piedmon, he had taken everyone. It was just me with Kari and Patamon. It was terrifying ,but I couldn't lose hope. I had to stay strong. Everyone put their faith in me. I’d say Tai was pretty crazy leaving his sister in my hands,” T.K. found himself laughing at himself ,but through those laughs there was a semblance of admiration of the person he once was. A sort of desire to have that blissful innocence once more.

“I wouldn't blame him if he didn't believe in me, but at the same time he did trust me and he still does. So how can I not have faith in everyone after everything we've been through together. Friends are always there for each other. It doesn't matter how different they might be.”
T.K. smiled at his friend and thought back to his own experience of finding himself unable to tell his brother what was going on. It was hard to talk about it and he didn’t end up telling Matt. But when the time came, Matt had comforted him even though he was uncontrollable with grief, even though Matt had also lost his other half on that day as well.

“Cody, if there's something you're going through right now that you can't tell us, that's okay,but just know that we're your friends and we're here to support you every step of the way. We will always believe in you.”
T.K. looked at him with a reassuring smile, one that had not a hint of doubt in him.

Cody remained silent, he didn't want to lie to his friends ,but he couldn't understand what he was supposed to do. Was this really the right time for a lie? He knew he could trust his friends, but what if he hurt them by telling them what was going on…

There were lies that hurt people and lies that saved people. This would be a lie to save his friends…at least that's what he was choosing to believe ,but at the end of the day he knew the truth. That lie would only be hurting himself further down the road.

“Thank you, T.K. I'm okay though”
Cody nodded at him.

“I know you'll be okay no matter what” T.K. smiled genuinely at the boy and for the first time in a while,Cody could feel himself smiling back without restrain.
There was something oddly comforting about his friend’s smile when there wasn’t something that felt off about it…It was difficult to explain ,but he didn’t want to worry about it too much. After all, he trusted his friend.

“Hey can we play that game” Patamon looked at the two with a smile, as he pointed towards a booth. Patamon had waited patiently for the right time to bring it up. He didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. Cody looked kind of sad and whenever he was sad T.K. always helped him so maybe he would be able to do the same for Cody.

“Of course. So what do you want to do?”
T.K. picked up Patamon and looked at him with a smile. This partnership…he could never let it end. No matter what happened.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Kari look at these snacks, they look so good don't they!” Yolei beamed at her friend as they both looked around the exhibits. Kari nodded, they did look quite good.

“Should we get some?” Kari asks her, she was starting to crave the snacks they were looking at, she had skipped breakfast so Agumon could have some more, but if Yolei didn’t want to get any she wouldn’t push the issue.

“Bingo! You're a mind reader” Yolei smiled as she gave the vendor the money.

“It's on me today! I got a raise at the store” Yolei smirked as she walked away from view for the digimon to partake in the treats as well.

“Smile” Kari pointed her camera towards Yolei and Poramon who were quickly munching away. They were both munching the snacks as if there was no tomorrow.

“Wait, I'm not ready,” Yolei says ,but Kari grins and takes the picture anyway.

“Aw come on, that's not fair” Yolei loudly complains.

“I like this shot, it's so natural” Kari smiles at the picture and shows it to Yolei.

“Hey you didn't capture my good side!” Both Yolei and Poromon loudly complained.

“Oh brother” Gatomon sighed at their unison and Kari giggled.

“Don't be silly. The two of you look great.”
Kari says and Yolei observes the picture once more and smiles.

“Hey I haven't seen your pictures in a while, come on show me!”
Yolei really did miss her friends and wanted to spend some time seeing what she had missed. Even though her friend didn’t often say much about her own life, Yolei always felt that by her pictures she was able to get a glimpse into that life she kept hidden away.

“Sure” Kari smiles as she begins to show Yolei all kinds of photos from her camera.

“Your photos are nice and everything ,but I'm surprised your memory isn't full with how many photos of T.K. you have.”
Yolei says, noticing there seemed to be a certain theme with her pictures and it was painfully obvious.

“Oh, thank you for reminding me, I need to move them to my computer.” Kari said as she stopped moving through the galley. She had been meaning to do that for a while, but had forgotten.

“Have even more photos of him there?”
Yolei looked at her friend and smirked, Kari only looked down at the floor embarrassed.

“He has very natural shots.”
Kari answers, still not looking at her friend.

Yolei looked at her friend in suspicion once more. “What’s so natural about this one?” Yolei pointed at a photo of T.K. asleep on his desk with Patamon,Gatomon,and Kari herself all in the frame seemingly teasing him.

“It’s a perfect representation of the average student” Kari looked up and spoke quite proudly. Yolei looked at her, trying to hide a smile, she was not buying the story in the slightest, but this meant she now had an amazing opening. Now truly was as good of a time as any to tease her.

“Ohhhh, I see what's going on here” Yolei grinned.
She wasn’t going to let her get away with this especially after what she had witnessed earlier.

“Huh, see what?” Kari looked at her friend confused, afraid of the next words that would come out of her mouth. Yolei was unpredictable after all, maybe she had caught on to the truth…the truth that no one else joined the photography club so T.K. joined out of pity.

“That someone has a crush” Yolei playfull teased her friend who was only frozen in silence. Yolei observed her friend with surprise at her silent admittance. She had expected her to put up more of a fight, but it looked like she couldn’t fight the feelings in her heart.

“AHH! I KNEW IT! '' Yolei smiled and embraced her friend tightly. She then began to excitedly ask questions, while her poor friend was still struggling to find her words. “Am I the first person you admit this to? Not counting Gatomon.” Yolei had asked her question hopefully. For some reason the thought of knowing before anyone else…it made her feel like she was, well, special? It was hard to put into words, but that’s how it felt.

“I-I didn’t say yes” Kari said, still looking away from them.
“She didn’t tell me, but I already knew,” Gatomon says a bit too casually.
“H-huh” They had caught her with her guard completely let down and it was already too late for her to recover. She could hear her heart beating quickly and it felt like everyone else could too. It wasn’t necessarily that she was trying to deny it, but the topic made her so nervous she didn’t know how to react.

“So when did you realize?” Yolei asks with a victorious smile. Flustered, Kari tried to answer her questions as sparingly as possible.
There was no use denying it from Yolei, after all she was relentless.

“I guess it was when we went to look for Ken…” Kari answered her quietly. She couldn’t say she had never thought about it before that moment, but it became so…clear to her in that moment. After all, the moment kept playing in her head like a broken record. The way he smiled at her,the way he reassured her,the way he looked at her, it was something that was almost painful.

“Huh, when you went to look for Ken?”
Yolei looked at her a bit confused. Was she talking about the time they went missing and they went to look for Ken? That was kind of a strange time to notice…

Kari nodded. “I don't know…he just seemed so grown up...” She didn’t exactly understand how she felt before then. The way she felt heart drop when she thought about someone else being with him or the way he made her nervous or even the way he made her smile. They were all feelings she was trying to avoid thinking about until she couldn’t any longer.

Yolei looked at her friend and smiled slightly ,but she couldn't help ,but feel slightly bothered by it. To Yolei, it had always been rather clear that Kari had feelings for him. It was just a matter of time before she realized it ,but somehow it bothered her that Kari had noticed while she and the others were gone. It was like if…she didn't even care they were gone. Like if…no one else mattered to her, but him. Like she didn’t matter to her…

Yolei quickly shook the thought away, she shouldn't be thinking that. It was just a coincidence that was when it happened.
The maturity he handled the situation in was likely what had made her realize how starstruck she had been this whole time. She was most likely debating it before that moment regardless. Besides, with Davis’ yapping, who would notice such a thing. Yes, that is what she had silently concluded in her own heart.

“Yolei, are you okay?” Kari looked at her friend with concern, noticing that she had remained silent after her comment. Yolei had been extremely happy just a few seconds ago. All of a sudden she looked devastated,Kari hoped she hadn’t touched a sensitive spot somehow. Maybe it really was best to keep everything to herself especially if it only hurt the people around her. That was the last thing she wanted to do…

“Of course I'm fine! Sooo…when are you going to tell him” Yolei shook off the question, she didn't want to acknowledge the thought that had creeped in her mind. It was wrong it had to be…but she always was good at jumping to conclusions.

“Well…”
Kari says, wondering how she was supposed to tell her friend she didn’t plan on it. The truth was, she already knew he felt the same way. She just didn’t want to be anymore of a burden to him then she already was…he deserved better. Someone that was stronger, then she was. Someone that was worth fighting for…

“Probably never” Gatomon interrupted and then continued to munch on her treat. Agumon had nearly eaten the table cloth so she was glad to have at least something.

“You can't be serious right?”
Yolei looked at her in shock. Kari stayed silent as Yolei processed the information in frustration. There was no way she was serious?! He had always been head over heels for her, she had no way of failing this. Why would she just give up like that?

“Come on Kari, you have to do it! Trust me! I don't have the Crest of Love for nothing!” Yolei says rather proudly at herself. She didn’t have a doubt in her mind, it would all go well for her if she just gave it a shot.

Kari giggles at her friend's bold claim “I don't think that's how it works.”

“Why not?...Nevermind Sora” Yolei quickly answered her own question to which the rest nodded.

“Well we have Halsemon here, the Wings of Love. So clearly that means I'm your Wingwoman” Yolei playfully tosses Poromon into the air. Poromon attempted to act upset however he could not hide his smile.

“Yoleiii put me down,”
Poromon complained, despite looking like he was having fun.

“Fine fine” Yolei smiles at her partner and settles him back on her lap. That digimon was far too prideful for his own good. Kari giggles once more, she found the duo quite endearing and had missed them greatly. They brought a sort of bright energy that kept everyone motivated.

“So you in?” Yolei turns to her friend with a smile.

“I'll do it when you tell Ken.” Kari teased her friend back ,but to her dismay Yolei had
much bigger plans and zero fear.

“Okay” Yolei grins as she pulls out her phone.

“NO!” Kari nervously grabs her arm, knowing full well the dangers Yolei was capable of. Yolei had no qualms over asking Ken out, in fact, the only reason she hadn't already was because she wanted the experience of a guy asking her out first.

“I'm only playing, it is actually Ken on the phone though.” Yolei says, a very confused Ken could be heard on the other line.
Kari looked at her still looking stressed, sure Yolei had him favourited ,but Yolei had dialed his number far too quickly for her liking.

“Make sure Davis doesn't lose his D-3” Yolei quickly hangs up the phone and then stands up.
“Well that's enough of that let's go do something” Yolei says with a smile. She wanted to keep talking, but if Davis asked what they had done this whole time she wouldn’t have a good excuse.

“Mhm.” Kari agrees as she stands up. Still a bit shaken from Yolei's fearfully quick moves. They begin to walk more through the park when Kari notices a booth with a wide variety of bracelets.

“Wow these are beautiful” Yolei stares at the jewelry in awe. The Digimon stare as well however they are unable to comment on its beauty. Kari turns to see two bracelets, with red and white beads. It looked exactly like the colors on their D-3 when they DNA digivolved. Kari smiled and decided to get one for Yolei and one for herself.

“I already used up my budget for today, my dad- I mean my boss is stingy-” Yolei chuckles nervously as she walks away from the booth so as to not get tempted and waits for Kari who comes back with a smile.

“Yolei here” Kari smiles and hands her one of the bracelets. “It reminded me of our D-3s when we DNA digivolve and I knew I had to get you one. We can match” Kari smiled as she handed it over.

“Kari…” Yolei wiped a dramatic tear from her eye as she embraced her friend.

“Thank you!” Kari hugs her friend back,
“Forever friends?”

Yolei smiles brightly and nods “Of course!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What are you a 911 operator?” Davis sighed at Ken who was looking at his phone. Ken had just been called by someone else a few seconds ago. Sure it was a scam number, but he didn’t get called by scam numbers so it wasn’t fair.

“It's Yolei,”
Ken said as he looked at the phone. Davis closed in on his friend and
looked at the contact information and noticed there was an emoticon of a heart next to the name.

“A heart?” Davis asked his friend in confusion. He had a feeling Ken wasn’t the one to put that there. Considering the guy had just figured out last week what “ :)” was. Ken had asked him so confused too. “Davis, why did Yolei send this, is it a math equation she needs help with? I don’t think I can help her with such advanced mathematics…” Ken had told him in the most serious face ever. The poor guy.

“Yeah she put it there” Ken nonchalantly answered the question and looked back at his phone.
“She said something about it symbolizes who she is to me. Maybe it’s because of her crest”
Ken ponders, wondering if he should add some to his other friends, but he didn’t know how to put those little pictures.

Davis sighed, was his friend really that oblivious because Yolei had to be the most obvious person ever and that said a lot coming from him. Ken pulls up the phone to his ear and answers. “Hello?” Ken could hear nothing ,but a ruckus in the back. For some reason he sensed some sort of panic emitting through the other line.

“Make sure Davis doesn't lose his D-3”

“OK?” Ken says confused, he knew that was a Davis thing to do, but why didn’t she call Davis for that information.

“Bye?” Ken confusedly hangs up the phone.

“What did she say?” Davis asks, noticing how confused Ken looked.

“Make sure Davis doesn't lose his D-3.” Ken repeats as Davis checks his pocket in a worried panic ,but sees that the device is still neatly sitting there. He never went anywhere without it after all he had to always be ready for any adventure.

“Why only me?” Davis sighs. It was only one time he had accidentally left it in the soccer field…why couldn’t Yolei just forgive him already. It’s not like the soccer team kicked it more than once.

Davis looked at the floor and his thoughts began to trail off. A thought he hadn’t expected to think about, but he couldn't help it. What he had seen go on earlier between his two friends…he didn’t think there was any mistaking that kind of scene. It wasn’t something he really wanted to acknowledge, but he needed to know…

“Hey Ken…” Davis asks quietly.

“Yeah?” Ken said as he put his phone away in his pocket.

“Can I ask you something?” Davis had a somewhat timid expression on his face, catching Ken off guard.

“What's up?” Ken asks him concerned, he had never seen Davis look this way.

“Well…do you think there's something going on with Kari and T.K.”
Davis looked at his friend, searching for a sincere answer. He trusted Ken to be honest with him even if the truth was painful. “I always thought they were close, but it's like ever since we got back things have been different. Like…I don’t know” Davis said, still uncertain.

Ken remained silent, honestly he couldn't say he noticed a change. The two always seemed close to him. “Honestly Davis, I don't know”
Ken answers sincerely.

Davis sighed, realizing he had probably asked the wrong person.

”What would you do if there was?” Ken searched his friend’s face for an answer, uncertain of what he would say next.

“Fight!” DemiVeemon playfully said as he threw punches in the air. “We can beat that guy Davis. He’s nothing!” DemiVeemon says with an encouraging grin.

Davis
chuckled lightly at his partner and patted him on his head.
“Nothing.” Davis responds as he looks away from his partner and into the distance.

“Really?” DemiVeemon observed him with surprise. That was the last thing he expected, Davis was supposed to get fired up. Not give up after the first failed attempt…or millionth failed attempt.

“Yeah, they're my friends and I want them to be happy.”
Davis says with a small laugh. Yeah, it kind of did hurt ,but he couldn't get mad at them for following their hearts. After all, he always followed his own heart and that would never change. He wanted them to do the same.

“But Davis haven't you-?” DemiVeemon continued to inquire ,but was interrupted.

“Liked her for ages? Yeah ,but if she's happy. I'm happy too” Davis showed a mature look on his face as he spoke. There was something different about his attitude.

DemiVeemon looked at his friend in surprise and then smiled.
“You've sure changed Davis”

“And you haven't changed a bit” Davis playfully grabbed his partner and looked him in the eyes. DemiVeemon had a look of acceptance in his eyes too, it seemed that whatever Davis decided he would follow, no matter what.

Ken smiled at the two, he had thought Davis would be more hurt by this ,but he was just fine. He was glad his friend was fine. It's Davis of course, how could anything drag him down. He was their strong leader, the fortress of their group.

“Now let's go get on some rides!” Davis began to run off to the nearest ride.

“Wait Davis I just ate” DemiVeemon says, despite still eating as he spoke.

“Thought you said you wouldn't puke” Davis looked playfully at his shoulder as his partner stumbled about.

Demiveemon slowly crept his way on his head and pulled at the hair. “OW”

Ken observed the two bickering and began to walk towards them. Yeah, Davis would be okay. No matter what Davis would be Davis, and that's what they all needed. If Davis wasn't okay…who knew what would happen to the group.

“Finally you made it! You'd think the Rocket here would make it here sooner” Davis playfully tapped Ken on the shoulder.

“How about we have a rematch?” Ken smiled. It had been a long time since they had raced, well ignoring Davis’ Rotten Digi-Egg scheme which was obviously a ploy to make everyone get there faster.

“Oh yeah then how about it. I've been waiting for this day for years.” Davis smirked. He had to prove that he still had it in him. In part he still saw Ken as a rival, not in a bad way, but in the way that he wanted to prove that he was good enough to be his best friend.

“Yeah Davis will definitely win” Demiveemon rose his voice

“No, I'm sure Ken will,” Minomon objected.

The two began to “argue” when suddenly a ringtone filled the air.

“Do people not get tired of calling you? You would think I get called by people is your middle name” Davis looked at Ken who pulled out his phone once more.

Davis glanced at his phone and eyed it in fear. He had fifteen missed calls from Cody alone, he didn't want to imagine how many times Yolei had called him.

A voice rings out from the other end of the line “Finally someone answered. We're waiting at the Crazy Eights ride, hurry up”

“Crazy Eights? I've been wanting to go to that one since it opened!” Davis excitedly heard. “Well you better hurry up then”
Yolei's voice loudly rang through the other line.
“Also Davis really thirty two missed cal-”

Davis quickly grabbed Ken's phone and hung up.

“Let's go”
Davis looked at Ken with a scared expression.

Ken, noticing he also had many, many missed calls from Yolei, fearing for his life, ran off too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After a lot of dashing, Davis and Ken eventually made it to where their other friends were. “You never answer the phone Davis! You’re lucky we saved you a spot!” Yolei quickly pulled them both in the line while other patrons eyed them.

“It’s not like T.K. ever answers his phone either” Davis says, trying to save himself.

“Hey don’t throw me into this” T.K. says, Davis always did have that habit.

“Really? He always answers me” Kari says, seemingly oblivious.

“I wonder why?” Davis sighed “...I bet he jumps at his phone when he sees you called” Davis mutters quietly, and T.K. looks at him half offended.

“Oh he always answers me too” Yolei says.

“Yeah me too” Cody agrees.

“Oh, so it’s just me you don’t answer?!” Davis looks at him bewildered and T.K. looks away and whistles.
“Oh you-” Davis feels his eye twitch. “Let’s not fight Davis” Ken taps Davis on the shoulder and Davis sighs. It wasn’t that he was going to fight the guy, but he was definitely going to get a lecture, maybe it would make the time for this line pass…
“This is taking so long,” Davis groaned as he waited for what felt like an eternity in line. After a while of waiting it was finally their turn. The employee looked at Cody from head to toe and then spoke.

"Sorry little boy, you can't ride this,"the employee told Cody.

"I’m not a little kid…I'm thirteen."Cody sighed. The employee apologized to Cody however he would not allow him on the ride.

"How about we ride something else,"Yolei said, having noticed how uncomfortable Cody seemed. She didn’t care if they had been waiting for what felt like an hour, she didn’t want to do something if he was excluded.

“No it's fine I know you guys wanted to ride this so I'll stay behind.”
Cody looked at Yolei, who looked at him sadly. For a second she felt she saw the same little boy she had first met when he moved in.

The person behind them in the line, annoyed, spoke. “You guys gonna hurry up or what.”

Yolei looked back at him and snapped,annoyed at the man. ”We’re having a conversation that doesn’t involve you.” she could feel her teeth clicking with every word.

The man got closer to the Digidestined and groaned
“ Just leave the baby behind!”

Davis turned around irritated at the man
“Mind your own business.”

“What’d you say?”
the man looked at him upset.

“He said mind your own business” Ken too looked at the man annoyed over his comment towards their friend ,but did his best to keep his cool.

“A grown adult like you is the one acting like a baby.” Davis pointed angrily at the guy who was upset at them. Davis felt prepared to fight if he needed to. He didn’t care if the man was way bigger than him, no one would make fun of his friends. The man prepared himself to fight too and approached them enraged, when the employee finally spoke.

“Please don’t cause any problems or we will be forced to remove you all.”

The man looked back at the employee furiously and practically yelled.“The only ones causing problems here are these imbeciles”

T.K. removed his hat and resisted the urge to throw it at the man. He looked at the man fiercely then spoke, “The only problem here is you. This whole thing wouldn’t have lasted this long if you knew when to keep your mouth shut. Maybe you’d already be up on the ride if you could get off your high horse.”

“Whatever. I don’t want to ride with little punks.” The man scoffed and walked off.

Kari looked at Cody gently and pretended she wasn’t still upset at the encounter and then spoke, “Are you sure? We really don’t mind not going.”

Cody politely declined and picked up the bags of the rest of the Digidestined and took their digimon. Cody moved to the sidelines and watched as the others got on the ride. None of them looked like they wanted to ride it anymore.

“This isn’t fair,” Davis mutters as he gets on the ride. Not a single bone in him wanted to get on this stupid thing anymore ,but Cody looked so insistent.

“You’re right, but Cody wanted us to do this…” Ken says he got on the ride disappointingly. He could see Cody sitting down. He looked kind of…lonely.

“Cody would feel bad if we missed this, but it doesn’t make this feel any better...”
Kari says as she gets on the ride. She didn’t want Cody to feel any worse, but… “Did we do the right thing?” She says.

“We all know exactly the kind of person Cody is, he’ll always do what he thinks is right. Let’s believe in him, no matter what happens.” T.K. looks at the others and they all nod.

“I believe in him, but…I’m so worried about him,” Yolei says, trying to find him in the crowd, but she didn’t wear glasses for nothing.

“He’ll do what’s right no matter what. That’s the kind of person he is” T.K. says reassuringly, they all knew Cody, even if he was going through something difficult, he always had the necessary virtues to push forward.

“Yeah, you’re right! That’s Cody for ya” Davis says with a laugh. In his mind he was trying to come up with a way to make it up to Cody for not getting the chance to stand up for him. Besides this ride was kind of lame anyways…even though it kind of made him want to puke.

~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Cody had sent them off with a faint smile ,but it soon went away when he sat down on the bench. His mind was filled with poisonous thoughts that he would never have thought on his own. Cody observed the digimon playing together as Armadillomon walked up to him.

Cody softly whispered, not knowing Armadillomon was there. "Do they spend time with me because they're my friends or because they have to….just because I am a Digidestined." Cody said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He didn’t want to cry, that would be pathetic after all, but he couldn’t help ,but feel so much pain in his heart.

Armadillomon looked at his partner, noticing the sad expression in his eyes and he bluntly spoke “If they didn’t care about ya they wouldn’t have stood up for you”
Armadillomon looked at him, eyes full of determination, eyes that believed in their friends. He had the same look everyone else had when they told off that man.

Cody looked at his partner aghast and began to contemplate the words when all of a sudden the lights went out and he heard a boom. Waves of colors flashed and smoked fill the air. Cody quickly turned around attempting to trace the noise and witnessed a gray, metallic serpent reading itself to destroy the park. It was a Gigadramon attacking the park."Cody let me,"Armadillomon said as a white light began to bathe him.

“Armadillomon digivolve to Ankylomon."

“Tail hammer." He brought down his giant tail towards the ground and a boulder went flying and hit the offender.

"Genocide Gear" a blast shot through the air and destroyed the boulder in half. It then moved closer and aimed another attack towards Ankylomon who fell to the floor,struggling to stand up.

“ANKYLOMON” Cody desperately ran up to his partner. He looked all around him, his friends stuck on the ride with no way to get down. Innocent people shaking in fear, civilians below the ride looking up towards their family in fear. Cody knew he needed to do something or everyone including his partner would be gone. As if his prayer had been heard his D-3 vibrated and a message glittered as if it was a miracle. Yet its words loomed with a sort of uncomfortable darkness.

"

When the shackles are released you will unlock your true crests

But in the process you will doubt your resolve

Whether you listen to the darkness or light will determine the fate of both worlds

You will begin to grow apart as the tides close in

Miracles will fade

Virtue will sink

Compassion will disappear

Kindness will be lost again.

The final strike will be when despair comes in and light is diminished

What will your fate be?"

Cody read the message carefully and shook his head. The pressure of the situation was making his head hurt ,but he knew what it was he needed to do. He needed to fight, no matter what he needed to fight and protect the people here. It was the right thing to do after all.

"I have to do something. I'm not about to stand by and watch innocent people die. I will never be able to live with myself if I just stand here and do nothing. It wouldn’t be right" Cody looks at his partner determined, there would be a time to dwell on his feelings later, right now there was something important he needed to do.

A bright beacon of light began to flash as a glowing symbol appeared, both the light and the crest bathed Ankylomon and the flashing beam glimmered ever more intensely than before."Ankylomon digivolve to” horns began to appear from the front of its head as it began to change form into a new prehistoric beast from the cretaceous period. The creature absorbed the light and screamed out its name

“Triceramon." Triceramon rushed towards the Gigadramon and knocked it down. Triceramon pinned the creature down as it lay weakly on the floor "Cody are you certain?"Triceramon looked at his partner for approval.

The sudden realization
of what he meant hit Cody and the light that had appeared began to waver. Cody observed them in silence and he could feel sorrow in his heart." I…"Cody stuttered as he contemplated his morals ,but he knew what it was that had to be done. Before Cody could even answer, fragments of data circled in the air as they faded into the sky. An explosive seemed to have fired before then and Triceramon was immediately blown away by something and tumbled away, returning to Armadillomon. He went over to Armadillomon and pet him on the head.

“I’m sorry Cody” Cody shook his head and smiled at his partner. He knew he did the right thing ,but in his heart he could feel the growing pain of having ended a life. It wasn’t his first time, but he knew it wouldn’t be the last and that only made the pain grow deeply.

“Cody” He looked up to see Davis calling out to him as all the chosen children arrived. The waves of digimon approached Armadillomon and congratulated him on reaching the ultimate level.

“I knew something was off...” T.K. looked at his D-3 and Kari nodded in agreement. It looked like they would have to face a threat after all…that place had called to her. “If the Digimon are still here it can’t just be for fun and games”

Ken placed his hand on his chin as he began to analyze their situation. He shook his head after a while, perhaps it was best to figure things out later and make sure Cody was doing alright first.
“In any case though your digimon reached ultimate level congratulations.”Ken gave an approving look at Cody and Armadillomon.

”Guess you don’t need me anymore” T.K. smiled gently as he congratulated Cody on the achievement. It was impressive that his digimon had reached that level even though so much time had passed since back then. Back then getting an ultimate meant facing yourself and Cody must have done just that. He knew he could do it.

“Sorry you had to do that alone ,but this shows how connected you and your partner really are”
Kari looked at him apologetically. She really did mean it when she said this was an excellent reminder of their bond.

“You did great though, Now you have a new awesome power"Davis smiled as he ruffled Cody’s hair. Ken nodded in agreement. The four of them knew Cody was unsettled by his actions ,but they did not want to remind him of it. Yolei could feel her lips tremble. In that moment she had allowed her emotions to overtake her.

"How could you…" Yolei
closed her eyes as she wiped angry tears from her eyes. It wasn’t the first time, sure, but it didn’t change the truth. The truth that it was something they didn’t have the right to do. End a life. “You’re a monster…”

"Yolei, it's the only thing he could've done, he had to save those people,"Ken looked at Yolei sadly and spoke gently. He was trying to do his best to calm her down.

"It doesn't matter, a life is still a life and you of all people have no right to speak!"Yolei remarked angrily at Ken. He looked away from her, she was right… he shouldn’t have said a word. All those horrible things he did…it didn't give him the right to stand there as if nothing had happened.

"Yolei! Cody had to make a tough decision. Do you think it was easy for him? And Ken of all people knows what he’s feeling,"Davis sternly spoke to his friend who only stormed off.

"She's right I did something awful." Cody looked down glumly at his D-3, wondering if perhaps he had too much power and this had led him astray. He always wanted to do what was right because he wanted to be like his father, but did he fail him…

"Cody, You did what had to be done. It was a difficult decision ,but you saved people’s lives." Ken knew what it had felt like to carry the burden of sin. Yolei’s words had brought him pain, but in his heart he knew he needed to be there as a support for Cody so he wouldn’t feel what he himself had felt.

“I…I don’t want to hear that from-'' Cody stopped himself in his tracks. The guilt of even beginning to think of Ken’s past brought him a great deal of shame ”Sorry, I need some time.” Cody looked away from his friend and stayed silent as he began to walk off.

“Cody are you going home?”
Davis attempted to stop his friend. Cody shook his head and without a word he dashed off.
He ran into a path he didn’t know where it would lead
him, but a path he wanted to find comfort in. He ran, feeling the cold breeze on him and fragments of what the wind carried including a pink feather flying past him as he ran.

“He's going to be fine, I know it. '' T.K. looked off to the distance where his DNA digivolution partner had run off. “Cody may struggle sometimes ,but he always follows his heart and does what's right. Let's leave it to him.”

“Yeah you're right, Cody is strong, we'll meet up again tomorrow. Hopefully both of them will feel better” Davis said with a smile as he began to walk off. Ken looked down at his own hands and lost himself in thought. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck, he closed his eyes and thought to himself that he had no real right to tell Cody what it meant to do the right thing.

Davis observed his friend and lightly tapped his back “C’mon Ken” Ken breaking out of his trance nodded, he was very grateful that his friend made sure he got home because it always made his mom very happy. Ken waved goodbye at his other friends as he made his way home.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“MAN. That festival was so much fun. Right Ken?” Davis said with a grin. Even though it had ended on such a sour note, he had a really good time. Any time was great as long as he was with everyone…but he hated the way it ended. Though there wasn’t a shred of doubt in him that things wouldn’t turn out okay between Yolei and Cody.

“It was fun,” Ken says with a soft smile. He did have a good time, but he wished that it hadn’t ended in such a sad way.

“Oh man, can we go through the stairs…I kinda hate elevators” Davis said. He was admittedly still upset about how he had lost yesterday because of the darn elevator.

“Are you scared of elevators?” Ken asked him teasingly as they both went through the stairs, arriving at Ken's apartment complex.

“Of course not!” Davis says loudly he then shifts to a small laugh. He was glad Ken was comfortable enough to have fun like that. Though, he was admittedly a bit worried about the stuff they had told him getting to him.

“Hey Ken! You know what they said isn't true right? We all love having you around man. Don't ever forget that” Davis tapped him on the shoulder and smiled widely. It was always fun when Ken was around even if he stopped him from doing certain things and he was sure everyone else felt the same way.

“Thanks Davis…but I don't think they are entirely wrong” Ken says without looking at Davis as he begins to unlock his front door. He didn’t think he had a right to talk to them about the topic of ending digimon lives. He had done it before so many times, it was all a cursed game that landed into his hands and tarnished his heart with sin.

“Huh? Of course they are. You've changed so much since back then. I can't even remember when you were evil”
Davis says with a genuine smile. One that was completely traced with sincerity. Even though the days of the Digital World were perfectly traced in his mind when he stopped and looked at Ken, he couldn’t see the Emperor in him, but that shadow, it always followed him behind.

“Thanks…” Ken responds with a weak smile, after all, he still perfectly remembered those days himself. He could never forget those days as much as he may want to escape those memories he couldn’t,

he shouldn’t

.

“Hey! I know I'm right. When am I not?” Davis says with a smile and notices Ken is about to answer ,but he stops him. “Don't answer that”

“Besides…I was never wrong about you man and I'll never regret having you around” Davis looks at him, his eyes looking determined. The same kind of look he always had when it came to his friends and his dreams. Saving Ken, it was

never

a mistake and it

never

would be and he wasn’t going to let him forget that.

“Thank you Davis.”
Ken looked at him with a small smile. A bit of relief in his heart. He knew Davis would never lie to him. All the time they had spent together it had been both fun and hard and he was grateful for it.

“Of course now see ya later. Maybe tomorrow everyone will wanna do something too. I'm sure they'll all feel better then” Davis said energetically whenever he felt sad, he just went to bed and by the next day he was already feeling better, after all it was a day for new beginnings, new possibilities.

“We'll ask tomorrow then” Ken gently encourages him and says goodbye. Grateful to have a friend like him around as he opens his door and goes inside.

Ken is quickly greeted by his mother who happily asks him about his day, it appeared she hadn't seen the news about the Digimon. She had dinner served up and ready for him. She appeared to have been waiting for him. Ken smiled at her and spoke of the festival leaving certain parts of the story out as to not worry her. After a while his father arrives from work and joins them.

Ken smiles faintly, even though a part of him still felt like there was someone missing at the dinner table, he was glad to see his parents smiling. It was enough to make his past feel distant no matter how overwhelming it felt. When he walked away from the table the dark walls of his room reminded him of what he missed, but looking at his partner reminded him of what he needed to do in the future.

Ken stood up from the table after a while and excused himself. There was something he couldn't help ,but felt he needed to do. Ken sat down on his bed feeling himself lost in thought. Wormmon lay peacefully in sleep next to him. Exhausted, from the long day.

Yolei and Cody's words still lingered on his mind. He knew they didn't mean it ,but maybe just maybe they hadn't really forgiven him. Were they even friends in the first place?

Ken closed his eyes and thought of the many times they had all laughed together, saved the world together. There wasn't a possibility those bonds were fake. At least that's what he believed.

Ken looked at his phone, wondering if he should call. He didn't want to wake Wormmon up nor did he want to intrude on his friend. He held up his phone and stared at the contact information. He observed the contact, the numbers on the screen, and
his fingers trembling on the dial. “Ken if you have something to say you should say it” Wormmon awoke from his slumber and looked at his partner. “Sorry I didn't mean to wake you.”

Wormmon shook his head “I always keep an eye out for you Ken.”

“Oh I'm sorry”
Ken apologized, he didn’t want Wormmon to lose sleep over him.

“Don't be, I do it because I want to” Wormmon smiled happily at his beloved partner. “Thank you Wormmon” Ken tapped his partner on the head and dialed the number listed.

~~~

Yolei lay in bed, confused. She was upset that the digimon had died ,but at the same time she knew that was what had to be done. She was feeling high on emotions and honestly could not understand what was going on in her heart. The turmoil was driving her insane. There were so many feelings jumbled up in her heart, feelings from the past and the present, she just didn’t want to deal with it.

A soft ring filled the air, a familiar ringtone covered the air. “Yolei, you're being called,” Poromon gently pushed the phone towards Yolei.
Normally she would have jumped at that number, but she didn't feel like answering.

“Yolei” Poromon repeated, knowing she was avoiding the topic.

“Fineee”
Yolei grabbed the phone begrudgingly and looked at the caller ID. She hesitated, would he yell at her?

Yolei stopped, Ken wouldn't do that. Right? But she had said something so awful to him…he didn’t deserve to be told that, he had suffered enough.

“What’s up” Yolei spoke casually, she didn't want to make a big deal.

“Oh uh hi” Ken caught off guard, stuttering as he meekly replied.

“So what's with the call” Yolei says, she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings.

“I just wanted to know if you were okay”
Ken says, his soft voice ringing through the other end of the call.

“I'm not the one you should be calling to see if they're okay,”
Yolei said in a rather snappy tone. She appreciated the gesture, but he should talk to a certain someone else instead.

Ken paused, he didn't know how to put it ,but he knew Yolei was the one he had to call.

“Well if that's it goodbye-” Yolei said as she was about to hang up, but she hesitated.

“Yolei wait-” Ken paused after he spoke, he never found himself speaking so determined like that. The sentiment caught Yolei off guard and she remained silent. Intrigued at what he had to say. Ken regained his composure and continued to speak, “I'm worried about you.”

Yolei remained silent and then spoke.“You think I'm not acting how I'm supposed to right? That I’m not being like me. That I’m just being a heartless monster right now”
Yolei says, thinking that she knew what Ken was thinking.

“No that's not it, I just know you. I know you and I know you've got a beautiful heart and well-”

Yolei paused the rest of the sentence flying over her head, jeez what a way to play with her heart, she thought to herself. Still, the flattery didn't mean much at the moment,she didn't think her heart was beautiful. She knew they had to defeat evil digimon to save people's lives ,but at the same time she was angry they had to do that. It was something she didn't want to do, but destiny forced her to. She wouldn't trade her partner nor her friends for anything, but the way they had to do things, it was awful.

“It's not beautiful, it's just naive” Yolei said, with a sort of resignation in her voice.

“No, it's a pure and innocent heart. It's not one that's been stained by the darkness.”

Ken paused for a second and continued “It's not like mine.”

Yolei had recalled at that moment the cold words she had spoken to Ken, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She didn’t mean to hurt him like that…but she did and nothing would change that fact.

“Ken…I'm so sorry for what I said…”

“I don't mind” Yolei could feel the kindness seeping through each and every word. Yolei could picture him already, with a gentle smile. This was exactly the reason she felt herself so drawn to him, a broken soul that didn't want others to suffer like he did. She wanted to be there to support all his decisions along the way, to be there for him when things might go the wrong way. Yolei shook her head from the trance.

“Ken…” Yolei said, her voice with a sort of gentleness.

“Yeah?” Ken asked.

“You're the kindest person I know. I hope you never change.”

Yolei hesitated to speak her next words, eh what the heck. She thought to herself, being bold wasn't anything new to her. She just wished she could see his flustered face in person.

“I love that about you”

Ken froze, he felt his face warm up and delivered a bashful smile. He looked at Wormmon for help who only looked jealousy at the phone. Ken of course didn't know this though. Yolei was no stranger to affection ,but something about the way she said it was different. Unsure of what to say himself, he merely thanked her.

Yolei put her hand to her cheek. Her wishful thinking would have Ken say I love you, but she knew that only happened in fairy tales. Besides, now wasn't the time for that. She
knew there was something important she had to do. There would be a time to be delusional later.

“Thank you, Ken. I'll talk to you later” Yolei smiled and hung up, a part of her wanted to continue talking, but she knew she had to make things right.

“Come on Poromon, let's go!” Yolei energetically stood up with a smile and began to leave her home.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The cold wind touched the tip of Cody's nose as he stared at the engraved stone. Cody stared at the stone and brushed away the dust that had accumulated on the center to reveal a name. Hiroki Hida. Armadillomon rested his head on Cody's knees as they both gazed at the tombstone in silence.

“Dad, I did something today. It was difficult ,but I-” Cody looked away from the tomb and closed his eyes. Feeling his heartbeat with each thought he had in his mind.

“I did what was right. I thought, what would you do and
I…I just know that you'd do what you can to protect everyone.” Cody could feel his heart waiver as he faced his father.He wanted an answer, anything, he wanted reassurance that he did the right thing because a part of himself was beginning to doubt.

“I…I'm scared,” Cody said, his voice cracking. He was scared of becoming someone tainted by evil. After all it had happened to someone like Ken…what if it happened to him. Ken was fine now, yes, but if he went down the wrong path would anyone be there to stop him? If he doubted what was right and wrong, would he ever make a choice? He didn’t want to hesitate…Armadillomon looked at his partner with concern as he slowly began to bring himself into Cody's arms. Armadillomon knew he had to be there for him, no matter what.

“What if I'm not doing the right thing?” The cold wind brought itself to a stop. The leaves in the air stopped drifting off and the rain began to fall. It was somehow warm. It hadn't rained in a while inside Cody's heart. After a while the rain had stopped, his heart felt refreshed. He knew that once more he would find his convictions here. Always whenever he needed to find himself again, he just needed this comfort, the comfort that his father gave him even if he was no longer here.

“Thank you Dad” Cody began to stand up and he picked up his partner who he tightly embraced and they began to walk home. Armadillomon felt so comforting at that moment. He smiled at his Digimon who yawned, he had a long day, but he was still there for him, always. He was a source of comfort too, a comfort he knew would always be with him.

As they walked in silence with newfound light the sun began to light up their path. Through this Cody noticed a familiar face gazing at him. “Yolei?” Cody began to run up to his friend who only stayed silent, wondering
what she should say. Poromon nudged his partner and gently encouraged her.

“Speak from your heart” He said and Yolei could feel the tears begin to fill her eyes as her heart tightened. She was afraid, afraid of her own heart. What if she said something that hurt him? Or something that hurt herself? Or something that just made everything worse.

“Yolei, I'm sorry”
Cody said and she shook her head at him ,but he only continued to speak. “I have nothing to gain from destroying any digimon. I have something to save though. I will never be okay with destroying them ,but I will always be okay with doing the right thing” Cody looked at her firmly with newfound virtue and conviction. He had found his heart once more and it was nothing, but clear. Yolei could feel her heart begin to waiver as she faced him. There were
tears that soon began to fill her face. Spilling out from her heart.

“I'm so sorry. You're no monster I-” Yolei could feel Cody's small hands on her shoulder. The small shoulders that were trying to comfort her despite the pain she had inflicted on him. How could she be so immature she thought to herself as her tears lined her eyes.

“It's okay. I know you didn't mean it” Cody said, silence filled the air and the only thing that could be heard were the sniffles of Yolei, who was full of regret.

“Let's go home, maybe my mom can make brownies.” Cody gently smiled at her as he helped her stand up. She didn’t feel deserving of this compassion he was showing her. She had said some horrible things to him…but he was still there, with a look of determination on his face.
Yolei finally looked at him, his eyes glittering with a newfound resolve, she believed she owed it to him to figure things out.

“I’d love that” Yolei said with a weak smile as tears continued to roll down her face. Their way back home was familiar, but lined with a certain pain. There were no flowers in sight, the sun had already set, and the leaves were crunching beneath their feet. Soon they both reached their complex when suddenly they observed a moving figure.

“T.K.? And is that Kari?” Yolei observed them and somehow she felt bitterness. Yolei decided to ignore her feelings, normally she would have been overjoyed at this chance to tease her friends with this sort of situation ,but somehow she didn't feel it.
There was another feeling in her heart, one she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Should we go see what's up?” Cody looked up at Yolei who was staring off in the distance. Yolei shook her head. It was strange ,but she didn't feel like herself lately. It was as if her very heart was ready to collapse.

“Nah let's leave them, let's go get brownies!” Yolei faked a smile as they both went inside. There was an inescapable feeling beginning to rise in her heart, a thought she wanted to ignore for the longest time, but now she couldn’t.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Do you think Yolei and Cody will be okay? I would hate to see this drive a wedge between them” Kari stopped walking and looked at the floor sadly. T.K. stopped walking and tilted his head down trying to meet her eyes.

“Of course, they will. They're too close for anything to bring them apart like that. They're like siblings. Even with Tai, you’ve had times you disagreed with him but you're still close”

Kari looked up at T.K. remembering Meicoomon and how she told Tai she wouldn't forgive him if he destroyed her, but he still did it. She didn’t think he wouldn’t do it so she was prepared to share that sin with him, but it didn’t change the resentment she felt in her heart. The resentment of how bitter destiny turned out to be. “Are you talking about Meicoomon…”

“Yeah…” T.K. looked sadly at her, he didn't mean to bring her down. He knew it had been hard on her, after all it was hard on all of them, but if there was any way they could have done it without her help, he would have taken it. Since then it felt like she had lost a part of her innocence and he couldn’t do anything about it, but it didn’t surprise him. After all he never could do anything to protect those he loved…

“It's alright, I do feel bad having told Tai ,but I-” she paused herself at the thought. Back then she genuinely believed he could have saved her, she believed there was another way.
What fueled that belief was always what kept her going even when the world seemed like it was ending right before her very eyes. “I had hope T.K.”

T.K. looked at her dumbfounded for a while and then gently smiled. He couldn’t help ,but admire the fact that she managed to shine so bright. “I think it's okay to still have hope because then we can find the light.” Both of them sincerely believed that was true, that somehow if they had hope. Meicoomon would somehow return even though they had all witnessed her die before their very eyes. Even though they were the ones who killed her.

“Mhmmmmm, You think you're so clever with that wordplay” She playfully teased T.K. who only smirked back.

“Of course. Aren’t I a littérateur?” T.K. said with a cheeky grin.

“What does that mean for those of us who aren't part French?” Kari asks, trying to hide a laugh. “Were you trying to impress me?”

“Well uhh…” he scratches his head and looks away embarrassed. He hadn’t exactly told her that he was planning on going into literature to write a novel yet. He hadn't really told anyone yet. Well Davis knew, unfortunately, but he didn't say a word, surprisingly.
He looked at her and sighed, he could tell that she was trying not to laugh.

“Did it at least work?” He looked at her hopelessly as she began to laugh.

“Maybe”
“That’s not a no,” T.K. says with a teasing grin.
“Wasn’t a yes either” Kari looks at him and returns the look.

“Guess not” T.K. says with a small laugh hiding a bit of disappointment.

“So uh anything you wanna do before going back home” T.K. asks Kari as they both continue to walk.

“Not sure, why?” She looks at him and asks oddly in anticipation.

“Well…I got nothing to do” He whistles almost as if he was trying to be nonchalant while acknowledging that he was being obvious at the same time.

“Oh…well I don't think I have anything to do either” Kari says looking at him and seeing his expression immediately brighten up.

“That's good to know since you avoided me the whole festival” T.K. looks at her pretending to be hurt.

“I did not! We all just went our separate ways…” Kari answers him, feeling somewhat bad ,but also being completely aware of the teasing tone he had.

“Heh, I know. Did you have fun with Yolei?” T.K. asks with a small laugh.

“Yeah ,but we didn't do much, mostly just talked,” She tells him. Truthfully she did have fun with Yolei, but she had noticed a minor shift in her behavior before, that still worried her…It wasn’t like Yolei to get so down, especially when she seemed to be having the time of her life a little before then. Even though she had known Yolei for a while, she still didn’t entirely understand her.

“Talk about anything interesting?” T.K. asks her, noticing a somewhat troubled expression on her face.

“Uhhh…nope” Kari answers, looking away from him. He had been a bit too present in the conversation for him to know what it was about.

“Huh gotcha.” T.K. says a little confused. He wasn’t going to pry, that was never his intention, but he didn’t think she’d say they didn’t talk about anything interesting. He shakes it off and smiles “So how about some ice cream. I know you can never get enough”

“You spoil me too much…” Kari mutters, she couldn't help ,but feel she had just been manipulated. Her soft spot for ice cream was such an easy way to get her to go.

“And why wouldn’t I?” He says with a teasing smile as she tries to hide the smile on her face by rolling her eyes. Soon they both arrived at the parlor seamlessly knowing the way there. Even though the atmosphere was already cold, it didn’t stop them from visiting. It had become somewhat of a tradition.

“We might as well be regulars at this point” Kari says as they go inside.

“Oh, we already are and I bet that they even know it’s for you when Tai comes to pick something up for you” T.K. says with a mischievous smile.

“Hey!” She says half offended and then begins to think. Tai and Agumon would probably want some. “Maybe I should bring him one,” she says.

“Sounds good, but let’s get it after or it’ll melt.” T.K. tells her and she nods. After a while they finish their own treats and begin to get ready to leave. “Ready to go?” T.K. turns to her.

“Let me just call Tai real quick to see what he wants me to bring him.” Kari pulled out her phone and dialed his number. He didn’t answer. She frowned and put her phone away. For some reason, she had a very bad feeling about this. Tai almost always answered the phone even if he was busy.

“Hey,well you know their favourite flavors so it should be easy. Agumon’s favourite is melon, right?” T.K. says with a small smile and she returns it. She hadn’t expected him to remember that. They ordered the treats and placed them in a bag. They’d likely last the whole way since it wasn’t particularly hot outside, instead a cold breeze filled the air.

“So speaking of ,why didn't Tai show up today at the festival? Did he have something to do?” T.K. looks at her. They had invited the others to the festival, but they had all declined because they had something to do. Tai was the only one who had said a maybe, but didn’t show up either.

“I…honestly don't know.” Kari answers, Tai had told her in the morning that he wasn’t going to show up, but he never gave a reason as to why.

“Does he hate us or something?” T.K. asks jokingly.

“No, just you”
Kari responds back sarcastically.

“Oh really? Guess I'll have to tell Matt” T.K. says with a wink

“That's a way to cause another argument between them,” Kari says with a laugh. They both continue to walk making their way through the streets. Thinking about the busy day they had today, it was a day that was supposed to be fun, but its ending had been kind of sour.

“Hey…T.K.?” Kari turned to him and they had already arrived at her doorstep.

“Yeah?” He looks at her.

“Nevermind” She says with a faint smile. She probably shouldn't say anything. He was right, Yolei and Cody would be fine, but for some reason she couldn't help ,but feel there was something deeper going on with Yolei. It was a bit frustrating that she didn't know. After all T.K. seemed to have immediately figured out what was wrong with Cody and Davis was always supporting Ken. Knowing that she couldn't help Yolei the same way, it made her feel like a horrible friend.

“Are you sure?” T.K. looks at her concerned.

“Yeah I am…” She looks at him with a faint smile and nods.
“Okay then…” He says feeling a bit uncertain. If she had something on her mind she should have said it. Maybe he wasn't dependable enough… he shakes the thought off. That was just the way she had always been.
“Well I'll see you tomorrow,” he flickered a smile at her as they departed from the crossroads separating the two.

“Right” Kari smiled back as he waved and made his way off.
Kari stared at him as he walked off, waiting for him to disappear fully, before walking in.

Kari slowly opened the door to her home to see her mother was not there. Usually when
this happened she would leave a note on the counter unless Tai was at home. She approached the counter only to see that there was no note in place. That meant Tai must have been home.
She turned to look at the table seeing that dinner had been neatly left out. That was strange. Dinner was never neat as long as Agumon was there.
The atmosphere of the room felt heavy yet vacant at the same time. “Hey Tai, I'm home” she called out, she anxiously waited for his reply ,but he was nowhere to be found. Something felt really wrong.

“Agumon?” It was unusual that the orange dinosaur was nowhere to be seen. He was always the first to run up to her and greet her when she arrived. He always greeted her with a big smile and would talk excitedly about what he did and what he ate.

”I have an idea” Gatomon began to call out for them as well. “We have some food Agumon,” Gatomon looked around , surely this would work, there was no way Agumon wouldn’t show up at the sight of food if he was here, but there was no response. Kari frowned, she didn't like playing with the little guy's feelings like that , but it really was their only choice.

“Hey Agumon, you're going to miss out. It’s your favourite, melon flavor.” Kari began to frantically walk toward her brother's room. Her grip tightened on her partner. Even Gatomon could feel her fur standing on its edge.

“Tai?” She slowly opened the door to his room.

The floorboard creaked and the wind blew in. A TV remained flickering and a bright light shone on the floor. Slowly she moved through the creaking floor and looked down on the floor. There lay a pair of goggles shining in the light.

“TAI” suddenly Kari turned around and ran out her door. Lunging herself with Gatomon towards her next door neighbor. She rang the doorbell and a kind woman answered the door.

“Hi, I'm sorry to disturb you, but is Izzy here?” Izzy's mother shook her head and a solemn expression painted her face.

“Is everything okay?” she asked and Kari nodded and apologized for the worry and left. Claiming that Izzy had been with Tai, however that was far from the truth. At least as far as she knew.

In a rush she hurried towards the elevator in her apartment and left for a search in the night. The anxiety grew deeper with each step she took in the night. The night had never felt so terrifying to go through alone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T.K. set down his stuff carefully in a corner. He turned on the lights to an empty apartment and looked around. Of course no one was there, however there was a small part of him that wished to be greeted with a smile when he entered through the doors.
His mother's work always kept her busy, he didn't mind. It was her life, he had no business getting in the way. He didn't need anything else, at least that's what he told himself.

He walked over to his fridge and opened it. Pulling out a microwavable dinner and setting it on the counter. He looked at it and frowned. He wasn’t particularly hungry. He warmed it up and placed it on the table.
“Patamon come eat”

Patamon stood up lazily from the couch and flew over there with a smile. Patamon began to eat and T.K. looked at him with a smile.

“Aren’t you gonna have some?” Patamon looked at him and T.K. shook his head.

“I’m not hungry” T.K. smiles at Patamon and wipes his face. His partner had always been a messy eater ,but he didn’t mind because Patamon looked so happy eating, it made him happy to see him there. Happy. That’s what Patamon deserved to be….not in pain like how he was back then. He took a step back and walked away and went to the sink. He could see his own reflection, he looked at it and sighed. His own reflection felt abrasive to look at, he could only see someone powerless reflected in it.

The thoughts began to flood his mind once more. Even if he had a good day when night came he couldn’t stop the memories of the darkness creeping back onto him. The memories that made him angry, angry at what was taken from him, angry at himself for what he couldn’t do.
He clenched his fist and looked away. He didn’t want to look at that pathetic person any longer.

Patamon stops eating and looks at him. He hated seeing his partner like this. Even though he had a smile on, he could always tell when it wasn’t a real one.
Patamon flew over to him and cuddled up to his neck and smiled.

T.K. smiled back at the little guy and softly patted him. He was glad Patamon was there…sometimes it was the only thing that kept him together. Without Patamon where would he be? Life would be so lonely without him.
In the Digital World he had met Patamon, met all his friends, and mended his relationship with his brother. He was grateful for it really because without it he would be alone. Yet he couldn’t change the fact that time had hurt him, scared him, broken him, and now he stood there with all this pain he wasn’t sure how to let go, no matter how hard he tried.

A part of him wasn’t sure who he was anymore. Was he that weak coward who couldn’t do anything for anyone? Or was he the person that always had hope and a smile? Maybe he was both, but he didn’t want anyone to see the pathetic side of him. That side wasn’t one worth fighting for.

His mind continued to wander on and on like the waves crashing against the shore when suddenly he was startled by a knock on the door. He looked at the door and wondered who it could be at that hour. He peered through the door and saw a familiar face, “Kari..?” Frantically he opened the door and immediately spoke.

“What's wrong?” When he saw her worried face he slowed down his breathing and attempted a still face.
He needed to stay calm for her sake. She was clearly panicking, clearly…scared. The look of fear he had seen her had very few times in his life.

“Tai's missing and so is Izzy and I called Sora and she didn't answer.'' Clearly panicking she scrambled her story and attempted to explain it to T.K. as if he understand why she showed up at the doorstep he nodded and spoke determinedly

“Let's go check on Matt”
~~~
“Hey Matt” T.K. knocked aggressively on the door ,but there was no reply. He searched around the area for a place he knew hid a spare key however he could not find one. Maybe Matt had gotten rid of it or their dad took it and lost it…he was always kind of clumsy, from the few memories he had with him. He turned around only to see that Kari's expression began to look more worried by the second. He felt despair begin to ache in his heart ,but he shook it off and decided that he'd have to get this door open no matter what. He observed the door, noticing it was unlocked. He moved the door, it was jammed. There was still a way inside There was still hope.

“I'm going to have to force it down, Patamon, Gatomon. Can I count on you two?” The two digimon nodded as they began to lunge themselves towards the door as well.

“Hey you're all going to get hurt” Kari attempted to stop them however the three of them seemed very determined to get the door down. All of a sudden the door clicked open and unjammed itself allowing entry. T.K. observed the apartment. It was messier than his own ,but surprisingly well kept.

“Oh uh I guess it's your first time here…Welcome?” T.K. said and Kari softly laughed. Surprisingly his plan managed to work. He smiled, feeling warm inside, it was always nice to see her smile. Seeing her worried or sad, it broke him.

“T.K.” a shocked expression painted her face as she stared at the kitchen.

“Is it that messy-”he turned around and stopped himself in his tracks and saw the very thing that brought her expression.

There were glass shards all over the floor and a fire growing from the stove. Kari began to make her way towards the stove in an attempt to turn it off, however T.K. stopped her and quickly dashed toward it and turned it off. Nearly avoiding a catastrophe.

“I don't think Matt is the type to leave the stove on is he?” Kari worriedly looked at T.K. and he nodded. For as long as she had known Matt, he had always been cautious so it was concerning to see this sight.

“Glass shards are a huge no too, I could already imagine him cleaning them because he's worried Gabumon will get scratched” T.K. smiled gently as he spoke of his brother. Speaking of, it looked like Gabumon wasn’t there. It seemed to match Kari’s story about Agumon being gone too.

Kari looked at him as he spoke. She couldn’t help ,but find the affection T.K. had for his brother endearing. She smiled back fondly, his warm smile somehow made her forget
the reason they committed a borderline felony in the first place.

They both investigated the apartment and found no trace of anyone in sight. Kari sadly looked at the apartment, she could feel so much just from being there. Just like T.K.'s it was vacant. There was a sort of brokenness that could be felt in the atmosphere. Broken with no attempt to fix it. She couldn’t help ,but feel sad that neither T.K. nor Matt had felt the warmth of a home. She couldn’t imagine how painful it would be if she rarely saw her brother. It would be very lonely…

“Is something wrong Kari?” her partner digimon looked at her with eyes full of concern and she shook her head. She bent down and began to pick up pieces of glass.

“Hey be careful you’ll cut yourself” T.K. looked at her a bit frantic as he moved her hand away from the glass.

“Oo scary glass” Kari teased him as she moved a piece of glass closer to him.

“Hey!” T.K. looked at her with an amused look as he tried to snatch it from her hands.

“Be careful. You could cut you-” She stopped herself as soon as she saw the grin on his face. The kind of grin that looked victorious.

“Scary glass huh” T.K. winked at her and she sighed.

“Yeah I guess so” She admitted defeat with a small laugh.

Patamon and Gatomon looked at each other and sighed. They had their work cut out for them with these two. They picked up the glass and threw it away. Making sure there wasn’t anything there. Maybe it wasn’t a good thing to clean the evidence, but they didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

They walked out of the apartment and closed the door and stopped walking a little bit away from the complex. They both pulled out their phones. Looking for anything they could do.

“Joe never answers his phone…” T.K. sighed.

”Neither does Mimi.” Both called multiple times to no answer. Even if they were not missing they knew calling them was futile.

Kari sadly looked down and spoke in a broken tone.
“They're all gone…aren't they?”

T.K. placed his hand on her shoulder and met her eyes. She looked sad and worried. He had to do something for her.
“We'll find them. I know we will.”

A warm feeling washed her face as he spoke. There was a certain tenderness to those words that put her at ease. His eyes were gentle and honest as they glimmered at her. A look that said everything is going to be okay and it set her at peace despite the situation around them.
At that moment she was reminded yet again how much he had grown. It was the second time something similar to this had happened ,but she couldn't help it. She wondered when the change had happened; it was as if it was in the blink of an eye. Awestrucked, she could only nod as they began to walk off.

The walk was mostly silent, it wasn't an awkward silence ,but a comforting one. It was as if nothing needed to be said even if there were things that had yet to be said. Only the two digimon chatted away as their two partners stayed in silence. Even though they were both making their way back home, neither had noticed that their legs had carried them near the ocean.

“Let's let the others know tomorrow so we can meet up.” T.K. said, finally breaking the silence. “We can’t waste any more time.” He was starting to feel anxious for some reason. He really did think they’d find them, but something felt off.

Kari nodded at the idea. It had to be their next course of action. Maybe this had something to do with why that digimon had attacked the festival today. There was a destiny they had yet to fulfill.

A sudden ring filled the once silent night. Hoping that it would be one of the chosen children, Kari quickly pulled her phone out and looked at the caller ID. T.K. leaned in to take a look as well, he squinted at the name and did not recognize the name. In fact it wasn’t even a name. The ID was a concerning mesh of ones and zeros almost like a code. Patamon flapped his wings and moved closer, sliding T.K.'s hat down as he looked.

“Who is that?” T.K. asks as he pushes his hat back up.

“I don't know…” Kari answered honestly as she looked at it again. She began to move her finger to answer the call however she felt a firm grip hold her back. A firm grip that was shaking as it held her wrist. She halted her movement and looked at T.K. who had a worried look on his face.

“Sorry…” He let go of her hand, hoping he hadn’t hurt her when he grabbed her so suddenly, but he couldn’t help it.
He didn't want to even fathom the thought of something happening to her because she answered the call. Right now they didn’t know where anyone else was and he didn’t want to risk losing her too.

“T.K. …what if it's them? Or someone that knows where they're at?” Kari responded gloomily. He frowned, he knew that she was right ,but the risk…he didn't want something to happen to her again. He would lose his mind if she disappeared too. The bitter taste of abandonment lingered as he spoke his next words.

“Let me answer…please” he was practically begging her for the phone. She looks at him, noticing his once calm demeanor had changed to one that was stressed. Patamon looked at his partner with concern as well sensing the tension in the air rising.
She nods and hands the phone over to him.

“Hello?” A sharp pain seared through his fingers causing him to drop the phone. The pain was horrible, he hadn’t expected such a thing. It was a pain that he could feel in his very veins, it was like they were being scorched.

“T.K., are you okay?” Patamon flew off his head and approached his partner and looked at him sadly.

“I'm fine.” T.K. forced a smile, it was a very strange pain indeed. He could still feel it searing through his fingers and making his hand go numb. Gatomon looked at the phone and picked it up, she decided to hand it over to her partner.

“Thanks Gatomo-”

Static filled the air. Kari felt a strong force overcome her and suddenly she collapsed. T.K. quickly lunged at her and grabbed her before she hit the floor. “Kari!” He called her name ,but there was no response. He looked at her unable to catch his breath or stop the anxiety filling every bone in his body.

“We need to get her out of here,Patamon can you digivolve or something?!” he asked frantically. They had to do something, take her someplace or just anything, he didn’t know what ,but he had to do anything he could to make sure she didn’t vanish like the others did.

“No I can't,” Patamon sadly tilted his head.
He could see T.K. looking more worried each second that passed. Patamon looked at him, frustrated in his eyes. He wanted to do something for them ,but he just couldn’t.

“Why not?” T.K. asked, his tone was drowned in fear and despair.

“You're starting to despair, I can't,” Patamon shook his head, his voice cracking. He didn’t like seeing his partner like that, but there wasn’t anything he could do if he kept panicking like this.

“T.K. please calm down she'll be back in no time” in truth Gatomon was panicking as well ,but she knew that someone had to keep a calm head and the way he was now, T.K. was completely incapable of it.
T.K. looked down at her unconscious face. He felt so scared, so sad ,but he knew Gatomon was right.

“I hope you’re right” T.K. softly spoke. Noticing her begin to tremble he removed his coat and placed it over her and brought her closer to himself. There was nowhere they could go at the moment so they decided to wait till she came to.

He felt his eyes begin to tear up. He was back to feeling so powerless, the feeling he could never escape no matter how hard he tried.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The wind blew softly as the night felt dim and feeble. In silence they lay awaiting for the light to shine through the quiet night. Seconds that felt like minutes passed. Minutes that felt like hours progressed when finally the light arose.

“Kari…please don’t leave me” T.K. tightly clung onto her once hollow body. Kari could feel warm drops of water on her shoulders from the arms that tightly embraced her despite the shakes that he demonstrated. “I don’t want you to go…” he said with his voice still cracking.

“T.K…I’m right here,okay?” she had decided to wait to say what had happened. Right now, she needed to make sure he was okay. She was able to see clearly the part of himself he had desperately tried hiding. Desperately tried to pretend it didn't exist, but he wasn’t fooling her and nor was he fooling himself.

“I…I know you are, but I-” He could feel himself shaking. The more and more he tried to calm himself the more panic set in. Even though he could feel she was there he couldn’t help ,but still feel anxious. For some reason, he didn’t have the strength to let go of her.

“T.K. you're going to break her bones” Patamon fluttered by and sadly looked at his partner. Even though she was right there he still had despair all over his face, it was a look that reminded him of the nights they had. The nights where he had to get closer to him just to remind his partner he was still there.

“I’m…sorry…I didn’t mean to hurt you” he made sure she could stand before embarrassedly letting go and forming a small bashful smile. He wanted to just pretend this never happened, but he knew that wouldn’t be possible. She never would let it, he couldn’t ever think of a time she had left someone who needed help alone.

“T.K… it's okay. You didn’t hurt me. I promise.” Kari looked at him sadly ,but he was unable to meet her eyes. He was hiding something, no that wasn’t right. He was hiding someone. A part of himself that she could tell he hated. The same part of himself that she had to stop as he reached out for Patamon who flew away with an infection, an infection that broke them down. An infection that was another bitter farewell. “You can talk to me, you know”

“No no it’s fine…I’m okay yeah you’re right. I’m sorry for you know” He jumbles his words and looks at her with a small smile, an unsettling deceitful smile, one that she was able to see through clearly. The one he always thought was enough to escape. She looked down on the floor, she could sense his worry and his sadness even though he was trying to lie with a smile. Silence continued to fill the eternal night till finally she spoke.

“When was the last time someone was there to hold you…?”
The way he had held her, there was something that felt very lonely about it. It was a different way of asking, when was the last time you were scared because someone you cared about left, but she didn’t want to ask that, because she didn’t want to hurt him anymore then he already was. It was another way to ask for permission to be there for him. To help him pick up the pieces that were held together by a fragile adhesion.

T.K. stayed silent for a moment and spoke “It was when Patamon and the other digimon left, after the reboot. It was Matt…”
the memories of that day filled his mind. It was a painful week where he had to watch someone he loved leave him yet again. Now his brother is gone too. He could feel the tears beginning to form in his eyes again, it seemed that no matter how hard he tried to keep the people he loved close to him, they always vanished, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

“And before that…?” she softly asked. A part of her feeling upset at herself
for not having been there for him. He closed his eyes and spoke honestly

“Other than Patamon, I don't remember” a small tear left his eye and he put his hand over his face. He didn’t want her to see this person. Sure she had seen him before and even comforted him, but she deserved better. Someone else should have been the bearer of the Crest of Hope, not someone like him who couldn’t even keep the light shining.

“Sorry, I'm being pathetic. I should be asking if you're okay ,but instead I'm here crying like a lost little kid.” T.K. wiped his eyes and looked away. This wasn’t the side of himself he wanted to show to anyone, not even Patamon. It was a side of himself he hated, the side that was weak and powerless to do anything. The same side of himself he had to constantly live with, the side that watched Angemon vanish with feathers floating away.

“T.K. it's okay” Patamon nuzzled his partner's neck and looked at him sadly. As much as T.K. tried to hide it, Patamon was able to sense that pain, that hatred he could feel coming from his partner’s broken heart. “You don’t have to pretend to not be sad” Patamon looked at him with a sad smile, a sad smile that made his heart sink. It was the same smile he had given him before the infection, the smile that made him want to burst into tears just looking at it.

“There's nothing wrong with crying. It's okay to let it all out.” Kari looked at the gap between them and decided to close it by wrapping her arms around him; she had to make sure he knew she was there. This was probably the least she could do for him, after all he had done so much for her, she wanted to be there for him too, like he was for her.

“I could never see you as pathetic. In my eyes you’ll always be strong, always be admirable, always be enough” She spoke, gently holding him as he stayed silent and breathed slowly, allowing himself to feel her warm light.

“You can rely on me as much as you tell me to rely on you.” T.K. looked down at the floor, he only felt the need to apologize further.
He didn’t want her to worry about him she had enough to think about already, without him making a big fuss.

“Sorry…I” his throat tightened around every word that left his mouth. It felt like he was being suffocated, as much as he may have wanted to speak there were no words that would leave his lips.

“T.K., I care too much about you to leave you without a fight.”

There was a silence in the air where the words lingered in the night. She had seen right through him. Somehow Kari had known his fears of losing everyone he cared about. Really he shouldn't have been surprised, but T.K. found that he was at a loss for words. It was a bit embarrassing that she had remembered those words. They felt heavy yet warm. There was a certain tenderness of it being repeated almost word for word that brought him a sense of comfort. Was he really worth fighting for? There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was worth it so hearing her say that…It made him happy.

“Thank you…” He said, closing his eyes and finally taking in the moment and returning the gesture and letting himself cry a little longer. They both stay in silence, feeling the moon shining on them as they stay in the moment.
A moment that felt eternal, but not for the wrong reasons. A moment that was blissfully comfortable despite the impending doom.

“You don’t need to thank me. I’m doing this because I care about you, more than I could ever really express in words” Kari finally responds to him. For some reason she didn’t want to let go of him, but they couldn’t stay like that all night. She let go of him and took a step back.

T.K. took a deep breath and stayed in silence. Even though the moment ended, he could still feel her warmth and he was grateful for it. He knew she cared, but hearing it outloud…it felt so nice that it pushed him to more tears and he couldn’t deny it. Being remembered like that…it made him feel like he mattered.

Kari looked at him and smiled. She hadn’t lied for a second. When she said he was strong, when she said he was enough. She meant every word. She had seen him change over the years, at times she felt he had left her behind, but he was still as moving as always.

“You've really grown up you know” Kari looked at the ground, she felt embarrassed at the words ,but somehow she knew those were the words she needed to say the most. His eyes reflected a kind of look that said he was as pathetic as he was back then, but the truth was he had always been strong, even back then. T.K. felt the warmth rise in his cheeks and he looked away, embarrassed as well.

“You've grown too ,but you're still as kind as always.”
It was somewhat bizarre to him that somehow everyday he could only care more and more about her ,but he couldn't help himself, she was an irreplaceable piece of his life. He wanted her to always be in it.

“Hey why are the two of you acting so shy?” Patamon flapped his wings and placed himself on his partner's head. “We won't tell” the little creature smiled in innocence. Somehow the comment had only made things worse with neither of them being able to look the other in the eye.

Gatomon attempted to hide a smirk, but it was a difficult situation to be placed in. Like Patamon, she didn’t really understand why they were so embarrassed. They had always made it obvious to each other how much they cared for one another. It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. Gatomon motioned for her partner to pick her up and then spoke, “We should return before it's too late.”

The two humans nodded as they began to make their way back.
“Kari…What happened back there?” He was somewhat afraid to ask ,but decided it was for the best.
She looked over at the moonlit shore that stood to her left, remembering the day her brother had come back when she thought he had gone missing forever. A part of her was looking over at the sea hoping that he would come out of those waves, just as he did once before, but knowing it wouldn’t happen

She looks at him, hoping that he wouldn’t forget what she said, “It was a place…I never thought I'd see again ,but I shouldn’t be surprised. I haven’t stopped seeing it in my dreams. Maybe I went there in those times too, but I know I was there for sure this time.”

“We’ll find them. I know it” he says as he wraps his hand around hers and lifts it up, looking her in the eye. Silently swearing to himself he would never let them take her. She looks at him and nods, feeling as if the look in his eyes said something different then what he said. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe what he had said, he had said it with such certainty earlier that she was sure he meant it and still did, but now it felt like he was really saying something else.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So…what do you want to do?” T.K. asks her as they both continued to walk down the streets they had come to know so well. Each step knowing where it was they needed to go. Unlike their hearts, which were troubled, wondering where the others had gone. Directionless in their search for them, all ,but a single clue.
“What do you mean?” Kari continued to walk, she had a feeling she already knew what he meant, but she wanted to make sure.
“What do you want to do? I mean I know that place…it haunts you. Do you really want to go back there? It’s like a living nightmare…” T.K. says as he trails off in the end. He didn’t want her to suffer , but he didn’t want to leave anyone behind. Yet nightmares were unpleasant and he knew what it was like to live with nightmares that you weren’t sure you’d wake up from. Nightmares that haunt you with each passing day.
She halts her steps and remains silent, wanting to be honest with him. “No, I don’t want to go back…It’s a horrible place, but we have to.” He looked at her sadly. Her voice was breaking and she was doing her best to hide it.
“I close my eyes and see that nightmare and I don’t want to go back, but if I spend enough time in that nightmare, I’ll forget how to dream and that’s something I never want to lose…” The sort of sadness emitting from her wasn't just talking about the kind of dreams she had when she slept, but the kinds of dreams where you place your hope in the future.
“No matter what, I'll be there for you.” T.K. says placing his hand on her shoulder and looking at her reassuringly. No matter what happened he needed to make sure she knew he was there for her.
“What if I…pushed you away and did something stupid?” Before she had fully thought it through she had asked the question uncertain as to why.
“Then I’ll run to you and do something even stupider” T.K. says with a small laugh. Half teasing ,but entirely serious. “I promise.”
She looks up at him and smiles. “Thank you”
“Yeah of course. Just promise me, you’ll never stop dreaming…it’s one of my favourite parts about you.” T.K. looks at her seriously, the light illuminating his face and the moon reflecting in his eyes that seemed to twinkle like the stars above them. She stayed quiet looking at him for a while before speaking.
“I promise.”
“Now come on, let's keep going.” T.K. says with a genuine smile that made no effort to hide any affection. The kind of smile that made her feel weak and stopped her from thinking properly.
“Y-Yeah of course…” She says with a nervous smile. Wishing the moment would last forever and wondering how it was possible she hadn’t realized sooner just how badly she had fallen for him.~~~They continued to walk in the night in a comfortable silence. She didn’t mind the extra time they had together, but it did make her feel guilty. He looked kind of tired even though his attitude was bright.
“You don’t need to take me all the way you know,” Kari looks at him.
“Sure I do. What if there’s glass on the way?” T.K. says with a teasing smile.
“I’ll just trip on it, get cut, and die then” She shrugs nonchalantly and he looks at her concerned.
“That’s not funny,” He looks at her and she begins to laugh. He lets out a small laugh. “Well…maybe it kind of was.” he admits. His ringtone fills the air and he pulls out his phone.
“Even at this hour?” She asks him teasingly. He smiles and shakes his head. Looking at the ID, it was his mother.
“Sorry. Do you mind if I take this? Just real quick-” T.K. looks at her.
“Of course you can. You don’t need to ask” Kari nods and he looks at her with gratitude.
“Yeah that’s fine. Good luck, I’m sure you’ve got this. I’ll see you soon” T.K. says as he hangs up the phone. A weak smile paints his face, his mother had called saying that she wouldn’t be home tonight.
“Was that…?” Kari begins to ask, she didn’t want to intrude, but she couldn’t exactly avoid hearing his conversation on the phone.
“Yeah, just my mom. She’ll be home tomorrow, probably…” T.K. says as he puts his hands in his pockets and keeps walking.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Kari looks at him noticing the slight shift in his behavior.
“There isn’t anything to talk about, besides, at least she calls, I don’t think Dad ever calls Matt” T.K says as he continues to walk.
“Yes but-” Kari tries to say before she gets interrupted.
“Well looks like you’re here” T.K. says and she frowns at him. He had completely dodged her ,but somehow it didn’t feel like it was because he didn’t trust her. It felt more like…he was somehow running away.
“I'll see you tom-” T.K. tries to say before getting his sleeve tugged at.
“Can you wait here for a second? I just remembered I have something to give you” Kari looks at him, letting go of his sleeve and he nods. “It won’t be long. I promise”
“I’ll always wait for you no matter how long it takes” He says a bit too smoothly leaving her embarrassed as she goes inside. She comes back fairly quickly with a notebook in her hand and hands it over.
“Huh? What's this” T.K. looks at it a bit confused.
“W-well…I know it's been a while, but you lent it to me that one time I was sick and didn't go to school for a week. I always meant to return it to you, but I kept forgetting…”
“Oh that? You still have that?” T.K. chuckles as he looks at the notebook.
“You almost made me fail all my classes,” he says teasingly. “You see me everyday how’d you forget for so long”
“I-I’m sorry I feel awful but I forgot and-
“Nah I'm just kidding. That was never my notebook.” He chuckles as he sees the shocked expression in her face. “It's always been yours. I bought it just for you. I took those notes for you that week and then gave them to you”
“B-but you told me you'd be needing it again in the future” Kari asked, still shocked over the revelation.
“Hah sorry I meant that I'd need it next time you got sick so I'd take more notes for you, ,but then I guess after that I kinda just wrote them on the notebook you already had” T.K. puts his hand to the back of his neck and begins to chuckle.
“Th-though honestly I'm surprised you still kept it” He looks away from her, hiding the embarrassment he was feeling.
“Well it was cute…”
“Huh what was that?” T.K. looks at her puzzled.
“I-It was acute. Yeah I really needed help with acute angles.”
“Nice save…”Gatomon mutters sarcastically.
“That’s not what you said” Patamon looks at her confused.
“Huh I don't remember you struggling with those” T.K. says not having heard the digimon as he began looking through the pages. Most of these pages were literature since he hated math class. Huh there was even a small note explaining what other stuff she missed during the school day, like Davis breaking another window. They did keep track for a long time of his record.
“I uh, don’t think it’s on there anymore. Agumon must have eaten it.” Kari says as she puts her hand over the pages and closes it.“That makes sense” T.K. says, taking her word for it while Patamon and Gatomon looked at her with suspicion. “Well honestly, I’m not sure what to do with this. You can do what you want with it”
“Then I guess it'll be staying here a little longer” Kari takes the notebook from his hand and smiles. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to keep it all along, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to admit that.“Guess so then” T.K. says with a small laugh. “Well I'll see you tomorrow?” he says with a hopeful smile.
“Yeah of course. Let me know when you get home” Kari says as she locks her eyes with his own. He looks at her for a few seconds before shaking out of his trance and answering her.
“Yeah sure,” He says with a smile.
“And hey.” Kari gets closer to him and smiles. “You should be a bit more honest with yourself. You’re not as good of a liar as you think you are. I can see through you even if you don’t think I can” Kari says as she pushes the brim of his hat down. He looks at her surprised and then laughs softly.
“I’ll try” T.K. tells her, he wasn’t sure if he could do that. As much as he might want to be honest, he was unfortunately, naturally phony. Still, even if there were a lot of lies here and there, there was one thing he knew was true. The care and passion he felt for them, it was undeniably true. “And hey…thanks for today.” T.K. says with a sincere smile.
“It’s nothing. I know you’d do the same for me” She adjusts his hat for him and looks at him, her eyes with the same look she had given him earlier today. The look he thought he had imagined. They both remained in silence for a while, merely looking at each other. The two digimon look at each other, wondering if they should say something. The silence is broken by the sound of a phone ringing. Kari pulls out her phone and looks at it, her mother is calling her.
“Right, it’s late, I should go home.” T.K. says with a small smile. She had a way of making him lose track of time.
“Yeah…me too” Kari says before laughing nervously. Realizing, they had been standing there for a while and it would be kind of embarrassing if anyone saw them.
“Aren’t you already here?” T.K. asks her a bit confused considering she was inside her place, standing just below the door frame.
“Uh, not yet,” Kari says, taking a step back. She hadn’t noticed how close she had gotten to him. She was close enough to… She quickly takes another step back through the open door and shuts it. She takes a deep breath before opening the door again “See you tomorrow.” she says before closing it once more.
“Of course…?” T.K. asks, a bit confused at how abrupt that had been. He shrugs as he begins to walk home. He walked through the night, taking each step to look at the stars above him. They were beautifully lit up and painted the night sky with a tremendous beauty. A beautiful light that filled his heart with hope. They reminded him of her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“That was…bad wasn’t it” Kari puts her hand on her face and sighs.“That wasn’t your best move…” Gatomon looks at her partner and answers honestly.
“I know…” She says embarrassed, she couldn’t believe she had panicked that badly. She shook her head and pulled out her phone. She needed to call back her mom before she worried and before she lost her opportunity to call back.
Kari looks at the phone in her hand and dials the number. She was hesitant ,but her mom needed to know what had happened.
“Hi Mom”
A sweet voice replies to her “Hi Kari, how’s everything going.”She pauses for a second
and hesitates to find her words.“Something’s going on in the Digital World and Tai’s missing.”
She pauses,realizing that she shouldn’t make her mother worry like that. “But don’t worry we’ll find them”“I know you will. Take care!”“Of course”“I know you're in good hands” Kari could feel the smile and trust emitting from her mother’s voice. She had to do what was right“Say Hi to Gatomon for me, I love you bye”
“I love you bye” Kari hangs up the phone and looks at the floor in silence.“Kari are you okay?” Gatomon gently asks her partner. She nods softly.“Are you worried about Tai?”
Gatomon looks at her partner. The last time her brother had gone missing, she had completely broken down, but right now she didn't seem as broken as back then.“Kind of yeah, but I know he’s going to be okay. He’s got Agumon after all. Anyone can do anything with a partner”
Kari looks down at her partner and smiles at her. Yeah Tai has Agumon, he’ll be okay.Gatomon looks up at her eyes and notices a sad expression. “Kari what’s wrong?”She only stays in silence trying to find her words.“Is it about T.K?” Gatomon looks at her partner who remains silent, confirming what she had just asked. She looks away from the cat’s eyes and looks at the photos on her wall.“He always has such a bright smile…” She pauses and looks at the photo the two had taken when they went to visit Mimi.
“He’s a person that’s lost a lot.” The empty apartment fills her mind and the scenery of Patamon flying away during the infection. She remembers holding him back and his broken expression that day. He was a person that had been fractured and broken before he could even have a chance to build himself back up again, that broke her heart.“He doesn’t have to pretend to be strong if he’s in pain…”Gatomon looks at her partner and places her paw on her partner’s hand. That was her favorite thing about her partner, how sweet and kind she was. “Kari, he isn’t pretending to smile, he can be strong because of you”She feels her face turn red as she looks away. “No, I’m sure it’s for other reasons”“He feels strongly about you there is no doubt, the moment you were gone he started worrying.” Gatomon says reassuringly.“He shouldn’t have to worry about me. I don’t want to trouble him.” Kari stops herself and feels a weight in her heart, a weight that she doesn't want anyone else to bear.“But isn’t that what you're doing right now?” Gatomon looks at her partner and speaks bluntly. Sometimes this was the only way to get her to understand.“Oh…” Kari pauses as she realizes the words coming from her partner's mouth.“And he’s not a burden to you right?” Gatomon looks at her.“Of course not” Kari looks at her surprised that the thought would even cross her mind. Kari thinks about the times he's always had a smile ready for her and smiles softly.“I hope he never stops smiling, it's my favorite part about him”Gatomon looks at her partner's flushed face and smiles. “It's okay for you to be open with me about this.”“I’m sorry! It's not that I don't trust you, it's just kind of embarrassing” Kari looks away from her partner in embarrassment. Being open had always been difficult and even though she had learned to be a bit more honest with her partner, this was still something difficult to share.“There’s nothing wrong with it. It doesn't bother me” Gatomon follows her eyes and speaks genuinely. Nothing Kari could talk about her would ever bother her, after all Gatomon felt that her greatest purpose even more than saving the world was to always be at her side. No matter what.“R-right” Kari looks at her partner and makes an attempt.“O-kay I kind of lied it's the smile and the eyes”Gatomon begins to laugh softly and Kari begins to laugh too. She looks at her partner tenderly and thinks about the times they've laughed together, the times they've had fun together, the times they fought together, and even the sad times together.
It was hard to explain the bond they had together, but it was precious.“You know Gatomon, there's a lot of things I love about you too”
Gatomon feels herself become embarrassed ,but then smiles back she thinks about the time they've had together and how her light rescued her from the darkness that held her heart captive. “And I could say the same for you”Gatomon feels her partner's grip on her tighten as she brings her close. “Thank you for everything.” The words were few, but they conveyed far more than a single moment, but a lifetime worth of precious memories from an invaluable bond.“That's what partners are for.” Gatomon says as she closes her eyes, feeling her warmth. This was the future she had hoped for back then. The future she wanted to believe in despite how much Myotismon made her suffer. The bitter, dark days were behind her already and now she was in the light. It made all the pain from back then worth it.~~~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Patamon, do you remember when Tai went missing? When we all thought we'd never see him again last year” T.K. said as he turned to look at his partner who yawned and curled up on his bed. He had already gotten ready for bed and Patamon seemed exhausted, he hated to keep him up, but there was something he wanted to talk about.

Patamon nods at his partner. “Yeah. I remember. I remember how sad Kari was and that you stayed right there with her.”

“Back then I honestly wasn't sure how I could help her. I think now I understand her a bit better…I'm worried about Matt” T.K. looked at a photo he had hidden in his cabinet of his family together.

“T.K. he's going to be okay. Just like how you have me. He's got Gabumon!” Patamon happily exclaims to him. They both knew Gabumon would never let anything happen to Matt, so things must be okay if they’re together.

T.K. chuckles at the little guy. His mind drifts off to when Tai went missing. He had never seen Kari so broken. It tore him apart to see her like that. He couldn't blame her though, right now he was really afraid that he'd never see his brother again ,but Patamon was right. Gabumon would never let anything happen to him.

“You know…Kari's changed a lot. She didn't fall into the darkness when she found out about Tai this time, she just kept going.” T.K.’s expression suddenly shifts into a sad one. “I haven't changed a bit though.”

“That's not true you've changed a lot! I've seen it. You've grown up so much. Even Kari said it.” Patamon smiles brightly at the boy.

“R-right” T.K. feels his checks flush.

“Plus I think one of the reasons she hasn't lost hope is because you're right there with her.” Patamon says his eyes are bright and happy.

T.K. laughs softly at the remark before shaking his head. “Nah honestly she doesn't need me. I'd say I'm the one that needs her.”

Patamon shakes his head. “T.K. Never forget that hope and light are there to help each other. With it, we can create a miracle” Patamon smiles gently at the boy.

T.K. smiles back at him and pats him “I think that's just what we need right now”

“Never stop hoping T.K.!” Patamon says excitedly as he continues to smile at him.

“Of course.” T.K. freezes as he remembers the times he despaired. How afraid he was a few hours ago, and how afraid he was a year ago, how afraid he was seven years ago.

“T.K.” Patamon flaps over to his partner and lands on his shoulder.

T.K. smiles at the little guy, whenever Patamon called out for him it always made him happy. He always found the voice of someone you loved could often be the most soothing thing, even if they didn’t know what to say. It was kind of like music and how Matt’s harmonica had always brought him comfort in the Digital World.

“T.K.?” Patamon looks at him, a bit serious.

“Yeah?” T.K. looks at him, growing a bit concerned.

“Sometimes we might get separated for a bit ,but you know I'll never leave you forever” Patamon nuzzles his partner's neck and smiles.

“Of course.” T.K. smiles back, he was always afraid of losing Patamon ,but he knew the digimon was right. No matter how many times they got separated they would always reunite…but still. Sometimes that fear crept up in his heart stronger than any hope he thought he had…

“But T.K. if I ever hurt you, it isn't because I wanna. It's because I have to protect you”

Patamon looks at his partner with tears in his eyes. An expression with fear at the thought of that was reflected on both their eyes.

“Patamon…” T.K. looked at his partner sadly. He could feel his heart drop and spoke. “I don't want to be protected if it means losing you.” He clenches Patamon tighter, not wanting to ever have to let go of him…he didn’t want to think of that world and this was the closest he got to giving himself that illusion that the time would never come.

“T.K. things are going to get dangerous ,but you don't have to worry because I'll always be there for you. No matter what.” Patamon smiles at the boy.

“We're partners okay?” Patamon looks at him with eyes full of determination and hope. The care shining through his eyes.
With eyes like that T.K. couldn't help ,but put his faith in him.

“Of course” T.K. smiles at him, his grip loosening on his partner. He lays down with him and looks at the ceiling. He wouldn't let anyone take him from him. Ever again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yolei closes the door to Cody's apartment and waves goodbye at him. She begins to make her way to her door and stops, noticing a familiar face.
She looks around and hides, making sure he doesn't notice she's there. She wasn’t entirely sure why she had hidden from him though. They were neighbors, there wasn’t anything unusual about seeing each other, but for some odd reason she felt the need to hide.

“Yeah, I just made it home.” T.K. says as he holds up the phone to his ear and pulls out the keys to his apartment. He appeared to be struggling to open the door. Yolei observes him struggling, maybe I should help, she thinks to herself and as soon as she is about to reach him she stops, hearing him say something.

“We’ll figure things out. They're not the kind of people to just vanish like that for no reason” He says into the phone as he finally unlocks his apartment. “I promise everything will be okay.” He says before he goes inside and shuts the front door.

Yolei stops in her tracks, the kind of people to vanish? Did someone go missing or something? Yolei looks over at her phone and goes to her calls. It was just a hunch, but she needed to make sure. She dialed Mimi’s number, to no answer. Sure she didn’t always answer, but… Yolei shakes her head and calls Sora, if anyone would answer it was her. Once again the phone doesn’t pick up. Yolei puts it in her pocket and goes home, a part of her was starting to feel resentment.
Yolei turns to her apartment and opens the door and shuts it behind her. Yolei scoffed, wondering if her friends thought she was the kind of person to vanish like that, after all, they didn’t even bother looking for her.

Yolei opens the door to her room and lays down on her bed. She thought that getting ready for bed would help clear her mind of things ,but something just didn’t feel right. She felt strangely upset and she wasn’t entirely sure why. She lays down on her side and sighs, maybe a quick call would put her mind at ease.

Yolei dials her friend’s number, quickly her friend answers her.

“Hello? It’s nice to hear from you. Are you feeling better?” Kari’s voice rings through the other side.
“Hi, yeah everything is fine,” Yolei said. Feeling better? What, did she think she was acting strange? Sure last she saw her she had left angrily, but it wasn’t any of her business…well she was just worried. That made sense, where in the world had that thought come from.
“I called to ask you, Is everything okay?” Yolei asks her friend. Maybe this would give her an answer or some kind of clue…or maybe she just wanted closure or some kind of clarification that would put her heart at ease.
“Yeah everything’s fine,why do you ask?” Kari asks her friend, a bit puzzled over the question. Yolei was the one who seemed a bit upset earlier, if anything the question should be the other way around. Had she given off the impression she wasn’t doing well?

“Oh it’s nothing, I just stopped by your place and you weren’t there” Yolei says in a somewhat annoyed tone, sure it wasn’t the truth, but she needed answers.
“Oh sorry…I went to do something with T.K.” Kari admits, unsure if she should tell Yolei the truth. She didn’t want her friend to get worried so maybe it would just be best to do everything tomorrow as planned.
“Yeah of course, you always do,” Yolei says, an unintentional sigh coming from her mouth. She knew they were doing something together and for some reason it bothered her. No it didn’t bother her, it made her kind of angry. Did she think all of them weren’t reliable enough to tell them whatever happened? Were Davis and Ken not enough, was Cody not enough, Was she not enough?! If they want to be their own team they should just go ahead and do it instead of wasting her time.
“Yolei are you okay?” Kari asks her friend, concerned. There was something strange about her tone of voice. She frowned, she didn’t really want to play a guessing game, she’d prefer if Yolei was just honest. Maybe she did make her upset earlier. “If there’s something wrong you can always tell me-”
“Of course I am. Goodnight” Yolei says as she hangs up the phone, without even letting her friend finish talking.

“Yolei, will you tell me what’s wrong?” Poromon looked at her, starting to notice how agitated she was. She had seemed fine after making up with Cody, but now he could sense a searing anger beginning to rise from her. Like a bomb she had kept in her heart had finally set off.

“No.” Yolei responds, admittedly upset, that her digimon had managed to read her so quickly. She didn’t want to talk about it…after all she didn’t exactly understand what was going on. She closed her eyes and laid down, this should all pass in the morning, she was probably just still unsettled by today…yeah that had to be it.

Even though she felt exhausted, she couldn't fall asleep. Maybe she just needs a second answer, maybe there was a way for that closure after all.

Yolei grabbed her phone and contemplated calling before deciding against it. She sighed and right as she closed her eyes, her phone began to ring.

It looked like just the person she was going to call earlier. Considering it hadn't been that long since she saw him struggling to get inside his apartment, she shouldn't be surprised that he was still up. She answered the phone and brought it to her ear.

“Hey Yolei. Hope I'm not disturbing you, but I just wanted to check in on you. Did you and Cody, you know...figure things out?” T.K. asked, it appeared he was still concerned about them.

“Yeah…I apologized to him and we had brownies,” Yolei said quietly. T.K. listened closely, he could barely hear her, which was completely unlike her. She must be tired after today and who could blame her.

“That’s great to hear. I knew you guys would be okay.” Yolei could have sworn she could hear his smile emitting from the other line, but for some reason it made her strangely irritated to think about.

“Well you sound tired so I'll leave you to it. Have a good night” T.K. says.

“Night…” Yolei mutters

“Oh and before you go. Thanks”

“For what?” Yolei remarked she didn't intend to come across as snarky as she did when she asked that.

“Well Kari said she had a great time with you and that's a huge relief cause…I was worried something was up with her” T.K. says his voice trailing off at the end. Yolei listened, completely unsurprised. Of course he was worried sick about her. He always was, but to be honest she hadn't noticed something was up. Maybe T.K. was just being paranoid or…maybe she didn't really know her friend that well…

“That's not something you need to thank me for.” Yolei said her tone was somewhat upset. Sometimes that guy was painfully nice.

“I know but-”

“No nothing. Goodnight” Yolei said before hanging up. She looked up at her ceiling. Was that really true? Did she happen to accidentally lift Kari's mood up? Not that it mattered much…she probably messed it up earlier. Yolei continued to look at the ceiling, the darkness was the only thing she could see. Her vision began to slowly fade away as the world around her turned black.

Poromon looked at his partner and got closer to her. Removing her glasses for her with his beak and setting them to the side safely. He snuggled up to her and closed his eyes. He knew this would pass even if she was upset, she would always be the Yolei he knew. The partner who gave him purpose in this life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yolei opens her eyes, the sun entering her room. She stands up and gets ready for the day ahead of her.
She checks her phone, there were a few messages here and there. There was one in the chat with everyone asking if they could all meet up today. It seemed that everyone had said yes but her. Yolei shrugged as she answered, saying she could make it.

Yolei looks over noticing a second message. It was from Kari, the message was simultaneously apologizing and wishing her well. Yolei smiled weakly at it, that was just like her, she thought to herself ,but for some reason she couldn’t help ,but feel a bitter feeling rising in her. She shook it off and continued to get ready.

When she finished she walked out her door and approached Cody’s apartment. She knocked, but his mother answered saying he had already left. He must have gone on ahead, she thought. She walked out of the complex and began leaving to where they had agreed to meet, she didn’t bother checking if T.K. was still at the complex, he was probably already gone. Yolei walked through the crosswalks, lost in her own mind. For some reason she couldn’t help ,but felt as if they had all left her behind.

“Yolei” she heard a voice from behind her say. Yolei turned around, noticing Cody was right behind her.
“Sorry Yolei, I didn’t wait on you because I-” “Don’t worry about it.” Yolei interrupts him and lets him catch up. Cody looks at her with thankful eyes and they both begin to walk to their destination. Yolei looked at them, it looked like T.K. and Kari were there already. Davis and Ken had probably yet to arrive, they all tried picking a place a bit closer to Ken, but it was still far for him.
“We need to bring back the others, things could get messy if we wait any longer”
Yolei could hear Kari speaking.

“Of course, but what’s the call? Are you going to tell them about that place?” T.K. asks her.
“...We have to. Even if…I don’t want to go there. It's our destiny and we can't run away” Kari looks at him, a mix of determination and some sadness in her eyes. “You won’t be alone” T.K. puts his hand on her shoulder and looks at her firmly. She nods at him.
Yolei looks at them, pretending to not have heard the conversation as she walks towards them. Cody looks at her puzzled, she had stopped right at her tracks earlier. He could feel there was something off about her since he had seen her, but he wasn’t really sure what…
“We’re here” Yolei says with a false sort of cheer in her voice.

“I’m glad you guys could make it,” T.K. says with a smile.

“This is something important, right?” Cody asks him and he nods.

“Important? Then I’m glad we’re all here” Davis says as he and Ken walk in. It looked like everyone had finally arrived.

“Let’s get started then” Ken says immediately, he had a sinking feeling that there was something very wrong going on.

T.K. and Kari look at each other and remain silent for a few seconds before finally explaining the events that had transpired in the previous night. How they found Tai and Matt’s place, how Izzy’s mother hadn’t seen him and how neither Sora,Joe, or Mimi had answered. Not their personal phones or even the home phones.

“They're gone?!” Davis stared in shock as he heard the story. He couldn’t believe it, neither of them could get ahold of any of the other Digidestined, not even their brothers.

“Do you have any clue where they went?” Cody looked around for answers as he pondered the question.

“Kari?” Ken placed his hand on his chain and looked towards her. He had a feeling there was a part of the story they had yet to tell. “You know where they are, don't you?”
Ken placed his hand on the back of his neck with a face of acceptance. He didn’t want to believe it, but that stinging on his neck, it couldn’t have been for nothing.

“Yes, the Dark Ocean.” Kari looks at Ken and he grunts. He knew it. He didn’t know how, but there couldn’t be any other explanation. The World of Darkness had probably taken them.

Davis and Cody looked at each other with surprise ,but full understanding of the situation. Davis looked at the group and spoke, “We've got to do something as soon as possible guys. They could be in danger.”

Yolei remained silent, she could feel her anger rising up from within her heart. It was a strange anger, it was one that had lost every shred of compassion. “Why should we care? It's not like they cared about us when we disappeared!”

The rest of the Digidestined looked at her with shocked expressions. Yolei didn’t understand either where such cruel words had come from, it was a ugly thought that she didn't want to acknowledge for the longest time. A thought that hadn’t just crept up in her mind when she saw her two friends last night, but a thought that had been persistent.

Ken was the first to speak, he was completely caught off guard by her words “What?! Are you insane?” Ken was in complete disbelief over her words. The Yolei he, no, the Yolei they all knew was compassionate and knew the value of a life. She would never suggest they all leave their friends to die.

“Yolei, you're not saying we should leave them to die are you” Cody felt a great concern rise in him from not only the other kid's disappearance ,but the suddenness of Yolei's character changing. He thought she seemed better…earlier ,but there was something that still felt off, he should have listened to that feeling earlier and asked her if she was okay.

“We can't just do that! They're our friends and some of them are family. " T.K. raised his opinion on the matter. It was certainly what many of them were thinking.

Kari nodded and said “I would never forgive myself if we left them in such a place. Especially a place I know full well how horrible it is” Kari seemed determined, which only allowed the anger Yolei harbored to burst.

“Now you two care huh! Oh ,but when it was us that went missing you didn't bolt out to go find us in the middle of the night,huh?” Yolei looked at T.K. and Kari furiously. The two only stayed silent as they observed their friend.

“Yolei!” Cody ushered for her to stop ,but she only kept going. He didn’t want her to keep going. He didn’t want her to say those things, he knew her. She would regret it later.

T.K. looked up at her and finally decided to speak, “We tried…we really did ,but things were getting crazy and-”

“Tried? What did you knock on our doors and called it a day”

“Yeah kind of…we hoped for the best” T.K. looked sadly at his friends.

“When are you going to realize that hope doesn't do anything!” Yolei looks at him upset. Right, it didn't do anything. None of their crests did, it must have all been a sham.

“You don’t care about us. You only hang out with us because you have to ,but I bet you’d leave us any second you could. That’s why you always disappear without telling us! You think you’re so much better than us right? Because you went to the Digital World before us, because you don’t need us to get your digimon to ultimate, huh?” Yolei looks at them, her anger only growing more the more she speaks.

“Of course not…there’s no world where I think I’m better than you. I’ve always thought you were better than me to be honest…” Kari looks at her friend sadly who still looks upset, it appeared she didn’t believe her.

“Yeah right” Yolei muttered.

“I’m not so sure what you find so hard to believe that we care about you guys after all these years of fighting together and having fun together and even the times we’ve suffered together” T.K. looks at Yolei, he knew she wasn’t a fool. All these years couldn’t have meant nothing to her.

“Yolei, You aren't being yourself. Please do not speak words you will regret” Poromon looked at her sternly however she only made him quiet down.

“Be honest here T.K., you didn't care. I bet that if Kari went missing for even an hour you'd move heaven and earth to find her.” Yolei looked at Kari who only looked at her ashamed.

“Of course I care! You guys are my friends too but-”

“But what?! You need to keep having hope so that the light doesn't leave!” The more time passed, the more angrier Yolei looked and the less he knew what to say. T.K. stayed silent, he was completely unsure of what to say.

Since they were little he felt connected to Kari from the moment they met. He didn't know why ,but he knew since he was small that their crests would go hand in hand. When he was little he promised to Sora that he would protect her and he intended on keeping that promise. Even if that wasn't the only reason he still did it…but all of that he didn't know how to put it into words

Yolei had a feeling of what was going through his head ,but she didn't quite understand. “She’s too weak to be on her own, right?” Yolei looked at
him, a sentence she wasn’t entirely sure she believed herself coming out of her mouth.

“She's not weak! Don't ever say that again!” T.K. hadn’t been angry the entire time Yolei was scolding him, but this one word burst something inside of him. He was feeling furious, that wasn’t something he could just let her say so easily. He knew Yolei knew her pretty well so he didn’t appreciate at all that subject of insecurity being thrown around like nothing.

“T.K., it's okay…” Kari moved him back and approached Yolei. She looked at her, full of remorse and guilt.

“Yolei, we know we should have tried harder to find you guys ,but with the whole infection going on we were really worried about our partners. We told ourselves you guys were okay because we know you're all strong. We really are sorry. You're our friends and of course we care about you guys.”

Yolei felt her heart ache ,but her anger was still moving her and it wasn’t going to stop. “Sorry doesn't cut it” She said coldly.

Ken turned to their leader Davis who only stayed quiet. He could tell that there were millions of words Davis wanted to say ,but he held himself quiet.

Davis looked at his friends and pondered, he was the leader. He had to keep them together, but it was all falling apart in front of him. He didn't want his friends to hurt each other ,but he didn't think Yolei should keep everything inside. It was very much unlike her to be saying those things ,but he believed in Yolei. He believed that she was kind and compassionate and her anger had made her lose herself. He knew he had to keep a cool head because yelling back at her would do nothing.

Davis also believed in T.K. and Kari. He knew that they tried and were in a difficult position where they couldn't exactly help. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt for T.K. to lose his partner a second time before his very eyes. Davis looked down at DemiVeemon and knew. He too would try to do everything he could to stop himself from losing his beloved friend. If right now he found out DemiVeemon was dying…he wouldn't go after the others either. Not because he didn't care, no. That wasn't it, but without DemiVeemon, he can’t do anything for any of them. Davis from the bottom of his heart really believed that everyone gathered there were all friends.
Even if horrible words were spoken, they were friends and that's why he knew he could not let this continue.

“Yolei, be quiet” Davis spoke sternly with traces of gentleness still in his voice.

Yolei looked at him upset and spoke. “Stay out of this, Davis!”

He spoke in a sterner voice, one that they had never heard him use“I said be quiet.”

Yolei decided to stay silent and listen. She didn’t want to argue with Davis too, it was pointless. They would all probably take his side anyways…

“How were they supposed to look for us when we didn't even tell them where we were going? For all they knew we were all on vacation or angry at them for some stupid reason. We were the ones that kept the whole thing as if it was a secret for some reason.”
Davis spoke and then felt a pain in his head. He took a step back and touched his forehead. Was that right? Something wasn't adding up…but he wasn't sure what.

“It's not like they haven't been keeping stuff from us this whole time too! Back then they- they always left us behind! We could have died ,but they didn’t care!”

“Yolei” Ken looked at her and shook his head.

“Don’t Yolei me! I’m only telling the truth. In fact, I bet that the only reason they care is because Tai and Matt are involved. If it was just Sora and Mimi and Joe and Izzy I bet they would have left them to die too like they did to us!” Yolei continued to speak, her words were becoming colder and more jumbled up the more she spoke. She wasn’t even entirely sure what she was saying anymore, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to set this rage free
because right now her rage felt like it was strangling her.

“All of you are our friends. We’ve had adventures with all of you. Every single one of you and we wouldn’t trade any of you for anything.”
Kari tells her.

“Not even a chance to fix your mistake. The horrible thing you know you did” Yolei looked at them upset and they both remained silent. “Killing an innocent digimon.”
“You don’t have any right to talk about that! You weren’t there for that!”
T.K. looks at her upset. He didn’t know how much more he could control himself. Yolei was his friend. He didn't want to say anything that could hurt her, but he didn’t want her to bring back something so painful. He needed to keep calm, but he wasn’t sure how anymore. He was impulsive and he knew it… “We weren’t there because you left us behind! WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND”

Davis looked up at his friends with a stern look that hid his sadness and spoke, “It's not their fault. I don't want to hear anyone blaming anyone. What's done is done. We're all supposed to be friends here. Friends fight, but friends also forgive each other and try to understand each other. Yolei, I know you. You're not like this. So please, stop and think for a second that what you’re saying isn’t true.” Davis was being sincere and honest; he had hoped that this would clear the situation up ,but it didn’t. Yolei turned around and without a word she ran off.

“Davis” Demiveemon pointed at the floor, where a bracelet with red and white colors lay.
Davis curled up his fist and looked away from it. He had failed all of them, He couldn’t fix things. They all knew where that bracelet was from, it was at the festival where the four of them had decided to match. How could they not know when Yolei had talked about it so excitedly and just like that things changed so easily. It was hard to believe that was yesterday.

Ken looked at it sadly and bent down and picked it up. He attempted to give it to Kari ,but she only shook her head, her eyes full of a deep sadness. Every word Yolei said, she believed she deserved to hear it. Yolei shouldn’t have had to keep all that inside. She should have been honest from the beginning that she hadn’t forgiven her or maybe she had been and she was just
too foolish to understand at the time.

A heavy silence filled the air, it was almost suffocating. “I think we should let her be for now…I’ll talk to her tomorrow” Ken sadly looked away from the other Digidestined as if he had spoken those same words she had. He felt so guilty, but also in part scared. Scared that the blissful days he shared with his friends were over.

Cody spoke up and decided he needed to be there for his friends too. He couldn’t bear the thought of the group falling apart. It had become clear to him yesterday that they all had a place in the group. They were all there for a reason. “I'll see what I can do when I get home.”

“Davis, thank you” Kari spoke softly and sincerely and before he could reply she walked away. She felt terribly ashamed, ashamed at her excuses and ashamed that she felt so empty, ashamed that her friend was right, that she was weak and had abandoned them.

“Kari-” T.K. began to go after her, but he stopped himself and looked at his friends. If he left now, would they resent him for it? Would they choose to leave him too? If they did…he probably deserved it. T.K. looked sadly at Cody who would need to make his way home alone.

“Ay don't worry T.K.!” Davis placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I'll make sure they both get home safe. Make sure Kari is okay!” Davis smiled sincerely and gave him a thumbs up.
Cody softly nodded as well. T.K. felt a wave of relief wash over him. He should have known his friends would understand. T.K. smiled back and thanked him as he ran off after her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T.K. ran after her, trying to do his best to catch up. Even though he couldn’t see her that well, he knew she was walking with nothing, but sorrow. Knowing, the world around her inflicted a pain on her as she took each step.

“Kari'' T.K. calls out to her and then he finally reaches her. He takes a second to breath and then looks at her with a smile.
“Let's grab some ice cream” T.K. places a hand on her shoulder, his smile gentle.

”I don't think now's the time…” Kari mutters, but before she could finish, Gatomon nudges Kari.
“I would like some ice cream” Gatomon says, as manipulative as the tactic was, she knew Kari wouldn’t say no to her.

“Me too” Patamon cheerfully joins Gatomon in the persuasion.

T.K. came closer and began to plead as well, “C'mon you can't say no to them”

Kari sighs, it was difficult to say no to three pairs of cute and pleading eyes. “Okay…” she responds, she didn’t feel like she deserved it at all, but then again, she didn’t feel there was anywhere she could go that she felt she deserved.

T.K. smiles even brighter than he did before and grabs her hand.
The sudden gesture catches her off guard and she looks away from his eyes.
The way his hand felt, it felt so warm and it made her heart feel like it was going to jump out.

“Something wrong?” T.K. tilts his head at her.

“N-No...” Kari shakes her head at him and he smiles back as if to reassure her. He continues to hold on, leading to her where it was they needed to go. He needed to make things right and even though he didn’t know how he was supposed to do that he didn’t want to ever give up on her,

“Smooth T.K.” Gatomon grins as she observes the two.

“Yeah T.K. is pretty soft, how did you know?” Patamon flaps his wings as he looks over at their direction. Gatomon shakes her head and goes after them.

”Hey wait for me” Patamon stumbles as he flies off after them.

~~~

The way over there was silent and no words were spoken. T.K. looked over at Kari and sighed. She had a broken look in her eyes and he didn’t want to see that, but he wasn’t going to let himself get down. He would do all he could to cheer her up. They soon arrived and looked at the colorful arrays that lined the store.

T.K. turned around as he looked at the frozen treats and smiled.”What do you want?”

“Anything's fine” Kari softly spoke almost as if she wasn't there at the moment. She looked so distant, her eyes looked so sad. He hated seeing that look on her. He wanted to see anything whether it was a glint of happiness or a mischievous look or even being annoyed at him, he just didn’t want to see that sad look. The look reminded him of the look she had before she had wandered onto the Dark Ocean for the first time, when he almost lost her because he couldn’t help her. He shook off his thoughts, he needed to keep a smile, for her sake.

“Come on. If you don't say anything, I'll get you the worst flavor.” T.K. teased her lightly. He wouldn't do that of course, not to her at least. Especially since he already knew her favorite flavor. He once ordered the worst flavor of it to Matt once and things didn’t exactly end up well.

As to why exactly the place had spicy tuna rice ice cream with egg that was lactose free, T.K. would never know. Matt had argued saying that this food isn't ice cream for a reason and just a main dish. He made a fair point ,but the younger sibling's urge had overtaken him and he couldn’t resist, even if he did feel a little bad afterwards, key word a little, he still thought it was funny.

“Kari?”
T.K. looked at her sadly, she hadn’t replied and was very silent the whole time. T.K. frowned and asked the digimon to take her to the table outside while he ordered the four treats. After a while T.K. arrived with the desserts and placed each in front of them all, Kari stared at her frozen treat in silence till T.K. decided to break the ice. He placed his hand over hers and spoke lightly and sincerely.

“Yolei must be feeling overwhelmed right now, but we know her. She didn't mean what she said. Yolei is a compassionate person and she cares about us all”

Kari silently nodded. T.K. was right. Yolei did care about them and she knew that…and that's exactly why it hurt. Yolei must have finally gotten fed up with her since she wasn't able to show that same amount of care back.

Gatomon looked at Kari and spoke up as well “The two of you are forever friends, no matter what”

Kari looked at both of them and spoke, trailing off “I'm not a good friend…” she said quietly. She knew they heard them, but that wasn't why she had said it like that. It felt too painful to even speak right now.

Patamon tilted his head confused at her and spoke. “What are you talking about, you're a great friend. You’re always so nice and funny and I like being with you”

Kari turned to look at Patamon and shook her head sadly “A great friend would have
looked for her friends…” She then trailed off and looked at T.K. sadly. “A great friend wouldn't be a burden to you…”

T.K. quickly stood up from his spot on the table and spoke abruptly “You're not a burden! Stop saying that! Would a burden make me smile every time I looked at her?!” T.K. stared deeply and very closely at her with frustration in his voice.
He remained looking at her, his eyes and heart unmoving.

“T.K.…” Kari looked at his deep eyes as she found comfort in them. The look he gave her, it was the same kind of look he always gave her when she said something like that. It was a passionate and caring look that made her feel kind of weak, but that also made her want to keep going.
They both stayed silent for a moment as they gazed at each other.

Patamon looked at them both in surprise and covered his eyes “Your faces are almost touching.” Kari quickly turned her head from him and embarrassedly looked away. Patamon was an expert at making them feel embarrassed. T.K. could feel the warmth rising up in his face as he backed off and looked down at the table, extremely embarrassed.

“S-sorry” he stuttered and breathed in order to regain his composure.
He didn't mean to get so close…or be so loud. It was embarrassing, but he couldn't help it when it came to her. He let himself calm down a bit before speaking.

“Besides, I didn't do anything for everyone else either…but I think something was wrong with us” T.K. says, not entirely sure of what he was about to say.

“What do you mean?” Kari looked at him confused and asked him to elaborate further.

“I just think it isn't normal, it's like we forgot our friends existed in the first place. It's like when I forgot about the incident with Greymon and Parrotmon. It helped cause my parent's divorce, but I…I forgot. It was important, but I forgot. It was like it never happened in the first place” T.K. said, clenching his fist. There was something that unsettled him about the whole situation, even though the others had let go of the situation for the most part, it was like they didn't exactly know what had happened either.

Kari looked at him sadly ,but then she began to understand what he meant. It really wasn't normal. All of them had been so close and to just move on with their lives like nothing had happened when they disappeared felt wrong. Even now the fall out managed to be extremely painful so it was difficult to understand how this whole thing happened.

“Do you think…someone did this on purpose?”

T.K. nodded as he stood up and spoke boldly “That's why we got to find the others before something happens to them,before something happens that makes us forget! I never want to let our friends vanish again with the risk that we’ll never see them again!”

Kari looked at him dumbfounded for a while and then she stood up as well and nodded. “You're right, we can't let this happen again”
her eyes looked a lot less sad then they did before, he could feel the relief washing over him. That was a look he loved seeing. The one that inspired him to always have hope.

T.K. smiled at her and pointed at her ice cream “Now eat up before it melts. I paid good money for that” Kari nodded and began to eat hers when T.K. looked at his treat. It was already gone. Patamon didn't want it to go to waste after all. Patamon looked up at him and smiled. T.K. shrugged it off and just petted him, he didn’t actually like it that much anyways, but Patamon did, which is why he always picked it.

“Hey T.K.?” Kari looks up at him, feeling herself get somewhat nervous.

“Yeah?” He responds lightly as he somewhat laments the disappearance of his treat. He at least wanted to get one bite out of it…

“C-could I walk you home?” Kari looks away embarrassed at the question.

“Huh? Shouldn't it be the other way around”
T.K. looks at her in confusion.

“Well it should be my turn to take you.”

T.K. begins to chuckle “There's no way. I'm letting you go home alone.”

Kari looks at him and pouts, “I'm not alone! I have Gatomon!”

“Tai would have my head if I let you go home alone. Besides I'm a big boy I'm not going to get lost” T.K. teases her, feeling enjoyment from his words as he catches the look on her face.

“That's not it!” She says, a bit more forceful than she had intended. T.K. once again looks at her puzzled.
He hadn't expected her to come off so strongly.

“I…I just want to spend more time with you…” Kari avoids his gaze as she speaks her mind. She couldn’t believe she had just said that.
She hadn’t exactly thought it through and now that she had said it aloud it was starting to set in what she was implying.

T.K. pauses, feeling his heart stop. He could feel the tension in the air causing the heat in his cheeks to flourish. Sure, other girls had said similar things before in the past to him, but never did any of them break his cool like that. T.K. paused his thoughts and decided that it was normal to want to spend more time with your friends. He was probably overthinking it. Then again…the look she had, it made his heart race. “We don't have to end it here…”

She looks at him a look full of confusion, intrigue, but also a glint of hope and he quickly averts his gaze. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his composure. The very thought of her feeling the same way, it was making him feel like his heart was going to jump right out…

“Yeah you're right! Alright let's go” Kari nervously smiles as they both begin to walk off. Both digimon sigh behind them as they follow their partners.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They were both walking, not knowing where it was that they were supposed to go. Kari sighs, still thinking about the events from earlier and with her mind drifting off to the future that awaited them. Somehow even though they were wandering aimlessly they had made it near the ocean once more. But maybe it wasn’t for no reason, maybe there was a purpose.

She stops walking and turns her head to look at the sight. T.K. stops walking as well and taps her on the shoulder. “We’ll find them, I know it” He tells her and she quietly nods. She looks forward and back at the ocean. She turns around and makes a detour making her way towards the sea, walking towards the arenaceous shore that she had been avoiding.

“Hey, where are you going?” T.K. goes after her seeing her make her way to the place they had been avoiding. They both walked through the sand, feeling each step as they walked through the sand. The sand that made it a bit difficult to reach the crystal clear waves of the ocean that reflected the blue sky above them.
He reaches her and stands next to her and takes a deep breath.

“When you look at the ocean, what do you see?” Kari asked him, she was waiting for him to arrive. Part of the reason she didn’t answer him and just made her way to the sea was because she knew he wouldn’t want to come here. She knew he was trying to shield her from looking at the ocean because it reminded them both of that place. A place that made them afraid, but they weren’t the same sight and he needed to know that.

“Huh?” he looked at her confused, wondering what it was he could say to her that wouldn’t bring her down, but that wasn’t what she wanted to hear… and he knew that, but he didn’t want to make things worse especially after what happened earlier or maybe…he was the one who was afraid. He takes a step back and opens his mouth “Well normally I would think it’s nice and relaxing…but it’s different right now.” T.K. responds to her honestly yet holding himself back from saying the words he kept in his heart.
“How so?” Kari looked at him curiously and then grabbed his arm and brought him closer to her and then took a step forward, bringing them so close to the ocean, the waves almost reached them. He looks down at the water uncomfortably and is about to take a step back again before her grip tightens on him. She wasn’t sure anymore if she was doing this because she was scared too, all she knew was that she wanted him to stay there to help her face those gentle waves of the ocean in their world. To give her a reason to remember that the ocean was something beautiful when someone was by your side. “I just see it and think of that place…that horrible place that took you” T.K. said quietly, tightening his fist as he thought of it. She didn’t deserve to be taken to such a revolting place. The darkness didn’t deserve to have her.

Kari tilted her head and looked at him. “Really? I see something else.” She said as she went back to looking at the ocean in front of her.
“Huh-” T.K. turned his head to look at her. “Well, what do you see?” He asks her and she smiles softly. “I see one of the most beautiful things in this world. I see the water that always keeps moving and gives itself as a home for many creatures. I see the way it reflects the sky with its beautiful colors and the way the sand holds the warmth of the sun.” She said her voice full of sincerity and appreciation for the sight in front of her. At first she thought the same thing, she had avoided looking at it too for that same reason, but she didn’t want to think like that. They were different places and she felt safe looking at the one in front of her, especially with him standing right there, but she wasn’t sure if it would be the same way when they reached that horrible place.
He looked at her awestruck, completely stunned over what she had said. Somehow she always managed to surprise him with the words that came out of her mouth or rather the words that came out of her heart. It was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her and he wanted to hear more of those words. He wanted to hear more from her heart. The heart that was so beautiful, but so closed off from this world. A world that didn’t deserve that heart that he loved so much. A heart that wasn’t closed off because it was afraid of getting hurt. Rather he had always felt it was because she didn’t want to hurt anyone. That was the reason that the heart he loved so much felt so distant even though she was right there next to him.

“It’s the opposite of that other world and I don’t want something so horrible to ruin this sight before me. So don’t you agree it’s one of the most beautiful things there is?” Kari turns her head from the ocean to look at him and smiles. She had always found that there was beauty in the world, beauty in the hearts of people and she didn’t want to forget that…even if she felt her heart wasn’t that way. Right now her heart was still tearing itself apart over how she felt. She was still in pain over what she had done or rather what she couldn’t do for her friends. Though she honestly believed Yolei would come around, Yolei was compassionate and understanding even if she didn’t deserve it. Yolei’s heart was still kind despite the words she had spoken, but her own heart…she didn’t believe in it. She didn’t believe that she wouldn’t hurt the people she loved again…

T.K. continues to look at her dumbfounded until he notices her eyes flickering with pain. He shook out of his trance and then turned his head away from her and began to speak. Locking his eyes onto the ocean right in front of him. “I think you’re forgetting something.”

“Huh? What is it?” Her smile vanished and she searched his face for an answer for some reason feeling a bit afraid of what he was going to say.
“The reason the ocean can shine so brightly. The reason it’s such a beautiful color and the reason it’s worth looking at.” T.K. said, his eyes still staring at the ocean in front of them. “Without the light there wouldn’t be such a thing as the color that makes it so beautiful nor would it be as inviting if it wasn’t so gentle and so warm and it’s not just the ocean. If the light didn’t exist, nothing in this world would be as beautiful as it is. Don’t you think so?” He said as he looked at her right in the eyes with a serious expression on his face before finally breaking into a genuine smile. She looked at him and she laughed lightly. She could always count on him to say something all sappy that still manages to be just the right amount of encouragement that she needs to hear. The truth was,she was a bit afraid of what he was going to say. She was afraid that he had seen right through her, but now she was feeling grateful for it. She wanted to be more open with him, that was the truth. She trusted him with her heart, but admittedly she didn’t trust her own heart. She was scared of the possibility of hurting his heart that had already been so hurt and so broken, but right now, she didn’t want to think of that. She just wanted to enjoy the moment even if one day she’d be forced to face those feelings again. “...Yeah I guess you’re right” She said as she moved her head to look at the ocean in front of them. It really was beautiful, but she wouldn’t be able to appreciate the sight before her if she didn’t have that hope in her heart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Davis stared at the bracelet in his palms sadly as he walked with Ken and Cody towards their homes. The more he looked at it, the more he didn’t feel comfortable leaving things as they were. He had seen them laugh together, smile together, have fun together, that was what being friends was. Sure, fighting was a part of it, but those moments where they were all happy together were the moments that meant the most to him, and he knew they felt the same.

“AGHH” he suddenly screams out and the other two boys look at him as if they're already used to the sudden outbursts.

“I changed my mind! Yolei has had enough time to think by herself! Let's go talk to her '' Davis looks at his friends for their approval and to his surprise they nod. Davis grins and they all rush out to the apartment complex.

“So do you have any plan on what we’re doing?” Ken asks Davis as he runs beside him.

“Of course not, but we’re gonna give it a try regardless” Davis smiles as he begins to run even faster. Ken stops running and looks at him, completely unsurprised. Ken laughs lightly and shakes his head and then runs after him.

“Do you have any ideas Cody?” Ken asks him.

“Not at all,” Cody responds honestly.

“See, sometimes we just have to act first and think later,” Davis says, still running.

“I think we’ll be fine, it’s Yolei after all, if we know anything about her, we know she has a good heart” Cody responds and the other two boys nod at him, in complete agreement.

“What he said” Davis grins as they continue to make their way to their friend. A friend they needed to help, a friend they all believed in, no matter what happened. Davis continued to run, feeling the breeze, he knew that their other friends felt the same way and that it would all work out.

~~~

Yolei looked at her front door. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go home. Everyone would probably bug her or try to figure out what was wrong. It didn’t matter, she would just ignore them. All she had to do was make it through the living room, but her house was always loud and lively. Never a moment of break and solitude was difficult to achieve.

She could always try to hide it with a smile and say “I’m fine”, but that wasn’t who she was. She knew she couldn’t hide the truth and that very fact frustrated her. She just wanted for once in her life to be left alone.

“Yolei, I think they need you down at the store” One of Yolei’s sisters told her as she opened the door to her home. Yolei groaned, she knew it. She shouldn’t be surprised after all she was always stuck in that store.

“Why don’t you go…” Yolei muttered as she threw her key onto the table and walked away from her. Walking past the table despite there being a really good looking cake on there. It was actually one of her favourites if she didn’t get a piece right now, it might run out, but she wasn’t in the mood. It was something that would probably cheer her up , but right now she just had to be angry.

“Yolei?” Her sister went after her ,but Yolei ignored her and went into her room. She was tired of the store, tired of her life, she was tired of everything. It felt like nothing made her happy anymore. They had survived just fine without her when she was gone, they’d be fine now. She was sick of doing things she didn’t want to do anymore.

Yolei closes her eyes and buries her face into her pillow. She hears the calls of her siblings ,but she only stays there in silence, wishing they would just leave her alone.
It felt like no one ever listened to her, she buried her face deeper into her pillow and attempted to cover her ears, still hearing their voices. She was at the verge of yelling at them to leave her alone, but she didn’t feel like it, her throat kind of hurt with how much she had yelled earlier.

“Yolei” Poromon says as he begins to cuddle up closer to her. Yolei flinches and stays silent as her Digimon observes her with rebuke yet glints of sorrow. After a few minutes of silence she finally speaks to the small bird.

“What do you want, Poromon.”Her tone was somewhat snarky yet it held some inner meaning.
Poromon continued to get closer to her, he could sense something was wrong, the voice she used held some sort of pain despite the exterior. Even if she thought she was hiding it well, she wasn’t, after all, she wore her heart on her sleeve.

“You're not acting like yourself” The digimon looked at her partner who only looked away and stayed in silence. Poromon stayed quiet for a few seconds, waiting for a response. He sighed, realizing she wasn’t going to answer.

“Yolei, what you said to T.K. and Kari was cold, it wasn't like you in the slightest. You’re always talking about how much you love your friends, so it isn’t like you to say such a thing. ”
Poromon looks at her. Yolei finally turns around, removing her face from the pillow and turning to look at him.

Yolei's voice cracked as she spoke sternly at her partner, “What do you know about me?!”

“I know that you're full of compassion and would never call your friends weak and self centered” Poromon looked at her and stayed quiet before speaking some more, “After all, I know you sincerely love your friends”

Yolei stayed silent as the air filled the room, she closed her eyes and thought for the first time her digimon had DNA digivolved with Gatomon. Yolei had told Kari she was the strongest person she knew, and that together they would fight the darkness...but earlier she said the exact opposite. Tears began to well up in her eyes ,but she refused to cry.
She didn’t want to, she didn’t want to feel that relief of letting the tears roll down her face nor the growing pain she was feeling in her heart strangle her.

“Yolei” Poromon spoke and she looked over at her partner digimon who gazed at her with concern. She begins to gently touch his feathers, feathers that were full of love and sincerity.

“I said something I shouldn't have again… right? Just like with Cody” Her voice cracked after every word. “I just felt so abandoned…” Poromon gently places his head on her lap.

“Sometimes we feel lost and abandoned, but in that darkness when a hand reaches out, that’s when we are reminded that we are loved.” Poromon says, feeling a warmth growing from his own body and a warmth in his partner's.

“How do I fix things?”
Yolei slowly let the tears on her face gently fall as she held Poromon tightly. He was right, she couldn’t help ,but feel foolish for forgetting all the other times they had shared and how happy they had been to see her again.

“I know that whatever you choose to do, will be the right thing,” Poromon smiles gently at her and Yolei continues to embrace him, the warm tears falling from her eyes and onto his feathers. Sure, there was that pain she didn’t want to feel earlier, but holding Poromon made that pain a lot less hurtful.

The two stay in silence for a while when they hear a knock on the door. Yolei exits her room and looks around. It looked like her family had left. They probably gave up on calling her and she couldn’t blame them. She hears a knock at the door and she debates whether or not she should open it, as she peers out the window. She notices three of her friends waiting for her.

“Yolei!” Davis exclaims as he pants, it was as if they had all run over. Yeah…they definitely did, Cody looked like he was at the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.
The poor guy definitely needed to stop carrying around so much in his bag.

“Look Yolei! We’re friends. All of us and that’s what matters. You’ve been mad at me so many times and I’ve been mad at you. Sure it’s always petty things , but everyday you still choose to be my friend and I’m grateful for that” Davis looks at her with a genuine smile.

“Yolei, it’s okay to feel the way you did, but if we let our anger control us. We can never move on from the past and it’ll only continue to hurt us more and more each day.” Ken looks at her, his eyes in pain. He knew what it was like to be so angry you hurt others and he didn’t want her to do something she’d regret…like he did.

“Yolei, we all have our place here. Somehow all of us met and I think that’s enough. I know you know what the right choice is and even if you don’t make it, we’ll all be here for you” Cody looks at her his eyes sincere yet ever so virtuous as always.

“Everyday is our chance to prove something new and it’s up to us to make the choice. Personally, I can’t sit down and think about the past. There’s stuff I have to do now” Davis looks at her, his eyes full of determination.

Yolei looked at them all, feeling a hint of gratitude. She was grateful to have them as friends, all of them…all of them. Davis, Ken,Cody, T.K., and Kari…they were all friends and together they had achieved so much, laughed so much, she didn’t want to forget that even if there were times her heart might have wavered.

“You guys…” Yolei says. She turns around to her partner who had digivolved already. Hawkmon blinked at his partner and Yolei blinked back. Neither of them were sure when the change had happened, but it was no use fighting it. They both shared a smile. Yolei nods and looks up at her friends and before any of them could share any words a loud ringing fills their ears.

“Over there!” Cody points at the landscape. They all look and see a black stuffed bear with a red cape approaching the district.

“Another Digimon?!” Ken observes in shock.

“Guys quickly we gotta stop him!” Davis begins to run out of the complex with Veemon following, as they approach the bottom floor they jump over the rails and continue to run towards the bear.
The other Digidestined nod and follow their leader.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Veemon!” Davis shouts as he grabs his D-3 with a smile.

“Right” Veemon smirks back at him. “Veemon digivolve to…” Wings appear from his side as he grows taller in height. A more muscular build appears as it grabs the bear's fist in his hands. “ExVeemon” the blue digimon roars.

“Wormmon” Ken faces his partner.

“You got it Ken.” The green worm jumps from Ken's back and is engulfed by a brilliant line.
“Wormmon digivolve to…” The once slow and limp worm stands on its hind feet. Brilliant crimson hair runs behind its face and its spiked shoulder plates stare down the world.

“Spiking finish” it rushes toward the opponent and delivers a piercing blow.

Cody quickly turns at his partner with a nod, “My turn” Armadillomon smirks as a bulky dinosaur appears from where a western creature once stood.

The black bear, Warumonzaemon stares angrily at the newly evolved Digimon and unleashes its attack. “Heartbreak attack.”

All the digimon weakly limp on the ground. “Stingmon you got to stand up.”

“Ankylomon! You got to digivolve to the ultimate!”

“ExVeemon we're going to need Paildramon!” The destined, shout out their desperate cries ,but the Digimon only continue to lay on the floor

“What's the point?” Exveemon looks grimly at the other Digimon who silently agree.

“Hey! You guys can't just give up?!” Davis looks at them stunned.

“Heartbreak attack…” Cody looks down at his D-Terminal and begins to read the information off of it.
“If you suffer this attack, your feelings become dark and sorrowful, and you completely lose your fighting spirit.”

Davis
looks over in frustration “You've got to be kidding me! Now's not the time to be depressed!”

Ken looked over at his friend. “We've got to keep encouraging them, it's our only choice!”

“Yolei” Hawkmon looks at her partner who appears resistant and looks at her with determined eyes. “We must,”

Yolei nods. “Stay safe..”

“Hawkmon Digivolve to…” a massive bird with two great horns appears where Hawkmon once took its place. “Aquilamon” It's giant wings flap as it approaches its target.

“Heartbreak attack” The WaruMonzaemon targets the flying bird. In an instant it appears as if he’ll get hit ,but a glowing white light appears before Aquilamon and covers it.

“Huh?” The DigiDestined look up as they see an angel with a helmet and six wings blocking its attack. A cat leaps from its shoulder and lands a punch on top of the bear's head.

“T.K.! Kari! You guys are late” Davis smirks as he observes his two friends running.

“Hey Kari! Catch!” Davis throws something in the air and to everyone's surprise she actually manages to catch it.

“What, you think I couldn't have caught it, Davis ?” T.K. playfully calls back.

“Of course not T.A. Your basketball career ended ages ago.”
Davis makes no effort to hide the enormous smile he has plastered on his face. He was glad they came. He knew they would.

“Yolei!” Kari runs up to her friend and places something in her hand. Maybe Yolei wouldn’t forgive her and that was okay if that was how she felt, but she wanted to at least let Yolei know that she was there for her no matter what. “Sorry! I know I'm a bit late ,but I'm here now...”

Yolei looks at the bracelet in her hand, a tear falls from her eyes and a never before seen symbol begins to glow around her.
She could feel so many emotions overwhelming her ,but it wasn't the only thing. She remembered the warmth of the memories they had all created together. The memories that were an irreplaceable part of her life. The memoirs she never wanted to let go. “I'm sorry I doubted you guys…” The cry of her heart resonates from within and a beautiful glowing light paints the skies as it falls down onto Aquilamon. Aquilamon closes his eyes, feeling that strength.

“Aquilamon digivolve to”
a muscular bird begins to rise in its place. A large amount of feathers trace the back of its head. A scarf appears in its chest and a skull in its pants. “Garudamon.”
Everyone stares at the Digimon in surprise as it stands up straight and flies toward the beast.

“But it looks different from the one Sora has.” Everyone looks in surprise noting the visible differences between each.

“That doesn't matter! Right now we got a digimon to beat. Can I cou-” Yolei stops herself and shakes her head
“Ready guys?” Yolei looks at T.K. and Kari with a smile, there was no need to ask if she could count on them.

“Hand of fate”

“Lightning Paw” the Warumonzaemon turns at the Digimon attacking it
and
prepares its Heartbreak attack once more. It strikes the two however it leaves itself vulnerable, Garudamon takes the opportunity to strike

“Great spirit” Garudamon picks up an enormous totem pole and hits the Warumonzaemon with its strength.
The Warumonzaemon collapses and it begins to breathe weakly. Garudamon looks at its partner for affirmation who only looks fearfully and sorrowfully into Garudamon's eyes. “Yolei…”
Garudamon looks at her sadly. He didn’t want her to suffer, but…they didn’t have a choice.

Ken observes his partner Digimon on the ground solemnly and turns to see Yolei shaking. He looks at her digimon who is debating whether to commit the final strike or not. He could feel some pain begin to well up inside his heart as he looked over at Yolei struggling. “Stingmon!”

Instantly responding to the cry of his partner's heart he stands up and strikes the bear down.“Spiking finish” a cloud of smoke appears
that blinds them and Warumonzaemon vanishes. Seemingly its particles begin to fade into the air and vanish without a trace.

“Poromon…thank you” Yolei picked him up and patted him slowly with a smile. “If it wasn't for you…”

Tears begin to fall from Yolei's eyes. In that moment all she could feel was gratefulness that her friends weren't upset at her and that Poromon was the one who was destined to be her partner. Poromon weakly shakes his head and smiles before falling into a peaceful slumber.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Silence filled the air for a while, no one knowing what to say, till Cody spoke. “Now Hawkmon can reach the Ultimate level too…”

“Hey what was it, a prophecy that appeared for you?” Davis asked.

Cody nods. “Yolei, did you see anything of the sort?”

She shakes her head. “I didn't see it… but I don't doubt that it was there. I kind of wasn't looking at my D-3 at the time” Yolei sticks out her tongue playfully.

“Hmm…check if it's there” T.K. looks at Yolei who nods and pulls out her D-3 and reads a message.

"

When the shackles are released you will unlock your true crests

But in the process you will doubt your resolve

Whether you listen to the darkness or light will determine the fate of both worlds

You will begin to grow apart as the tides close in

Miracles will fade

Virtue will sink

Compassion will disappear

Kindness will be lost again.

The final strike will be when despair comes in and light is diminished

What will your fate be”

T.K. reads the message once more. “Light…”
he says and Kari looks at him confused.

“It's not you silly,” Yolei teases her friend. It was nice to feel normal again

“No, I think it is. Look Kindness is on here too. ” Yolei looks at where his finger is located and looks at it in confusion.

“That can’t be because that thing says kindness-” Davis looks at his friend who had remained silent since the last battle. He looked away from it, he didn't want to believe it, no he didn't believe it. It was a sham. Ken would never. He had to change to the topic before Ken started believing something so horrible.

“Guys!” The Digidestined all turn to their leader.

“Tomorrow, let's go to the Digital World! We've got to find everyone. So be ready.”

The Digidestined nod in agreement. “Well let's go home then and get some rest”
Cody turns around and walks inside the complex. Grateful to be right at home.

“Lucky…the three of you are right here” Davis groans as he begins to walk the opposite direction. “Come on Ken”
Ken nods and follows his friend without a word.

“Do you think Ken is okay…?” Kari looks at her two friends for an answer. Ken had remained silent the whole time after the battle. They had all seen what he did. It was an act of kindness what he did, but in his eyes it was probably something wicked he had done.

“He might not be right now, but I know he will be okay!” T.K. smiles gently and Kari nods back. Ken would be okay, no matter what that supposed prophecy said it didn't matter. They all knew Ken had changed and they didn't doubt that. “Now c'mon let's get you home”

Yolei looks at her two friends, she could hypothetically play wingwoman right then and there ,but she changed her mind. Eh what's a little more waiting for them.

“Sorry T.K.! But I'll be taking Kari home” Yolei grins as she pushes Kari toward the direction of her home.

“Hey! No fair” T.K. playfully pouts and feigns frustration. Kari couldn't help ,but giggle at the situation.

“You got everyone fighting for you don't you” Gatomon rolls her eyes, hiding her own amusement. What? Can a cat not find entertainment?

“Don't worry T.K., she'll find time for you later!” Yolei looks at her with a smile and Kari finds herself with red cheeks and nods as she waves goodbye, unable to speak. Yolei begins to walk off ,but she turns around and walks up to T.K. She needed to make things right.

“Before I go, I'm really sorry. I hope I can make it up to you.”

T.K. smiles gently and points toward Kari. “Just make sure she gets home safe.”

“And hey, I’m sorry too. I should have kept myself calm” T.K. looks at her sadly and Yolei shakes her head. “I don’t think I’d expect you to keep a cool head when it comes to her” “Maybe so” T.K. says with a small laugh. “Now go on before I steal her away.” If she didn’t leave now it would get dark soon and he didn’t want either of them walking alone in the night.
Yolei gives him a thumbs up and turns around and begins to walk to Kari ,but then she smirks. She knew a way to make it up to them, it would just be a long term investment. She turns around and shouts at him. Much to his horror.

“T.K. don't be so possessive, you'll see her again tomorrow.
Don't worry, I'm sure she already misses you too. Right?”
Kari freezes at Yolei's evil ploy and stays silent. She wasn’t sure if anyone , but Yolei could say or hear such a thing without getting embarrassed. Before she could answer, a voice rang in “Hey let me sleep!” Poromon huffs as he buries himself again in Yolei's arms. They all laugh and soon part ways.

“Well let's go Patamon”
From the top of his head, Patamon perks down and teases him

“T.K.…I think you lost”

T.K. chuckles at the statement. “I think you're right” he turns around and enters the building behind him. Relieved that everything seemed to be alright. Now he just needed to put his trust in the two of them, that they’d be able to make things right.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Yolei, that was evil”
Kari looks at her friend in embarrassment. She still couldn’t believe Yolei had decided to embarrass them like that…well she could believe it, but she didn’t want to think Yolei would do something so evil.

“Look, I was only trying to help!” Yolei defended herself. There wasn’t any need for them to be embarrassed; she just said the truth for them after all.

Kari couldn't help ,but giggle at her friend. “I know, thank you.”

The two continued to walk away attempting to make conversation. The atmosphere is still a bit awkward and still a bit tense, from earlier. Kari looked at Yolei, unsure of how she should apologize to her. Would now even be the right time? She didn’t want to ruin her friend’s chipper mood. She looked at her friend who was holding her digimon in her arms.

“Garudamon was very cool,” Kari noted as she observed Poromon sleeping in Yolei's hands.
The digimon looked very exhausted, yet very content in his partner’s arms. The sight of a digimon and their partner always made her happy to see, which is why more than anything, remembering how she destroyed a partnership, crushed her.

“Right?” Yolei smiled ,but a flame of regret plastered her face as she remembered the digimon disintegrating. Remembering that Stingmon was the one who had finished the bear off. Yolei looked at Kari, maybe she'd know. After all, they were kind of alike. They both always kept silent even if they were in the midst of drowning. Yolei had a knack for choosing her closest friends as pure opposites of her. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for them to keep everything to themselves or rather…was it hard for them? Or was it just the life they were accustomed to?

“Hey…why do you think Ken finished it off?”
Yolei looked at Kari, a sad look on her face. As much as she wanted to try and understand Ken, there were many times she didn’t feel like she did. Despite all this she always tried being compassionate to him…but she couldn’t think of a reason as to why Ken would end a digimon like that..

Kari looked at her friend after the question and then spoke. “Because he's kind…But also I think it's because he's sad.” Kari said sadly. Ken was a person that had changed a lot, but there was an undeniable sadness he always had. A painful regret she could sense from just seeing him at times. The look he had before ending the Digimon, it was a sad, heartbroken look.

“Sad?” Yolei looked at her friend confused. Kari was better than she was at noticing the little things so that’s why she turned to her for answers. But being sad? Did sadness have something to do with committing such an act?

Kari only nods back.
“I think he knew how much you don't want to destroy anyone and by finishing the job it would only add more to his guilt then your own. He knows what it’s like to live with guilt, so he doesn’t want you feeling that way.” Kari said, thinking about it, it only made her sad. Ken had chosen to add another burden to his shoulders, Ken was carrying so much sadness all on his own, all because he didn’t want anyone else to suffer the way he had. No, the way he was still suffering.

Yolei remained silent as she analyzed her words. That made sense. Ken was a kind person. Now that she really thought of it, his time as the Digimon Emperor, it was because he had been sad too. Sad at the loss of his brother. Sadness was something…so horrible.

“I think he really cares about you.”
Kari smiles gently at her friend, noticing a troubled expression forming on Yolei’s face. Ken was a very kind person, even if his actions may have seemed cruel, there wasn’t a doubt in her that he had done it out of kindness and she wanted to remind Yolei of that.

“Yeah…” Yolei smiles back. A part of her hoping that one day, Ken would let her share his guilt with her. That way he wouldn’t have to suffer alone, his mistakes didn’t define him, instead he moved past them by learning from them, she wanted to do the same.

“Kari!” Yolei says it was a bit more intense then she had realized.

“Yeah?“ Kari looks at her and stops walking.

“I'm really sorry…” Yolei looked at her friend sadly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“No, I should be the one who apologizes” Kari looks at her, her eyes full of sorrow too.

Yolei shakes her head. “No. I said stuff I shouldn't have. Stuff that isn't true and stuff I quite honestly don't believe. You’re not weak, not in the slightest. I mean you’ve been through so much and I…I’m so sorry, I just, I said something that I knew would hurt you. I hate that I lashed out like that, I hate that I did something so awful…”
Yolei let the tears roll down her eyes, her sentences jumbling. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how to say it. All she knew was that every word was spilling from her heart.

Kari shakes her head at her friend. She could feel the pain coming from each word, pain that was coming from the depths of heart. She hated that she had caused her friend so much pain, she was angry at herself, angry that she always managed to hurt the people she cared about. “You don’t need to apologize, Yolei. It's okay. Besides, the stuff you said wasn't entirely wrong…”

Yolei looked at her friend puzzled. The stuff she had said were things she had assumed without asking, she didn’t want Kari to think they were true…besides even if Kari did think that it was true, she probably wouldn’t admit it. Yolei looked at her and frowned, hopefully she would be a bit more honest one day about her feelings. “You know-”

“Besides, we're good now. Right? If you want to forgive me, that is…” Kari hides a pained expression behind a small smile. Yolei looks at her and smiles back as she wipes tears from her face. She didn’t want to feel this pain any longer. The pain that she hurt her friends nor with the pain that hurt her. It was a wound she could bandage or let bleed and she wanted to do the former rather than the later.

“Of course. We're friends for life” Yolei hugs her friend tightly and smiles.
The two began to laugh and the warmth of their laughter filled the air. Freeing them momentarily from their pain. The pain that their hearts had harbored for so long, a pain that was deeper than any physical wound.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rain droplets filled the air rolling down on them as they walked in silence. Davis turned to look at Ken, worried.
He had attempted to make conversation the entire time ,but to no avail Ken was unresponsive. Ken was completely lost in thoughts.

Ken continued to walk feeling oddly numb. The rain on him meant nothing and for some reason he couldn't feel sad. He closed his eyes remembering the sight from earlier. He had told Stingmon to finish Warumonzaemon off. It was the only way and at least Yolei wouldn't have to deal with that choice. A choice no one should be forced to take. He opened his eyes again and kept walking. Kindness will be lost again? For some reason he wasn't surprised…he should have known these blissful days wouldn't last forever. Nothing did….

“Ken, if there’s something wrong, tell me! We’re friends ” Davis spoke boldly at his friend, hoping his words would reach him. Ken remained silent for a while and then eventually spoke. Each word tightening around his neck. “Davis, why was I chosen as a Digidestined?”

Davis stopped himself in his tracks and gently laughed.”Do you need a reason? It’s not like you can change it. I don’t know why I was chosen either , but I don’t need a reason if it means keeping the people I care about safe.” Davis gently pat DemiVeemon on the head as he spoke.

”I know ...I just meant why me? Others wish they had a Digimon”Ken trailed off in his statement. Wormmon looks at his partner with sadness and pain tracing his eyes.

”You and Wormmon are friends, you don’t need a reason for that.”Davis looked at his friend sternly. Davis looked at Ken, wondering where such a thing had come from. It wasn’t something he should question, after all, he was still there because of Wormmon and he knew Ken knew this.

”Of course not ,but why would they choose someone like me?” Ken’s voice cracked as it loosened its grip. His voice sounded broken, it didn’t sound like it wanted to push through anymore. It was like he had given up in putting the pieces of his heart back together again.
”Ken, you're a good guy. You messed up a bit along the way ,but who doesn’t. What matters is what you do now. You can’t run away from your destiny” Davis’s words were bold yet carried a certain weight to them, a weight that said he believed every single word that was coming out of his mouth.
“I don’t want to run from
my destiny. ''
Ken stopped walking and his eyes observed the world around him. The rain was falling, he could hear a very far sound of thunder, he could hear the wind growing more aggressive with each drop and the water finding its way to the ground.

Davis smiled at his friend, “Yeah that’s it-” but he was soon interrupted.

“ I want to reach my destiny because that’s the end.”
Ken said as he looked up at the sky, the rain continued to fall on him, rolling down his head and onto his chest. He looked up at the rain, remembering how he had always liked the rain before his brother had passed away, but now he looked at it and felt pain, the pain that reminded him his brother was gone. It had rained the day he attended his brother’s funeral.

“Ken…” Davis looked at his friend, too surprised and heartbroken to say a word. The pain in his heart grew, the more he thought about what Ken had said. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this sad, the thought of his friend wanting to just die like that…it hurt him more then Ken could ever know.

Ken continued to walk and Davis followed him, unsure of what to say. That sadness Ken was feeling, it was making Davis’ heart feel like it was falling apart. He continued to walk, remembering Yolei and Cody. They were in pain too, but he couldn’t do anything about it…Before he had even realized it they had already reached Ken’s apartment.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Davis” Ken opened the door to his home and entered the building. Davis remained silent as he watched his friend leave. He curled up his fist, he had to do something, anything for his friend. He didn’t want Ken to ever forget how much they all valued him.

”I hope you feel better soon.” Feeling like a failure, Davis merely turned around and began to walk home.
His hands in his pocket as he walked home, the world felt so lonely in that moment. As long as he had a dream to chase and friends to have fun with he always thought he’d be okay, that didn’t change, but did his friends feel the same way?

“Davis he’ll be okay” DemiVeemon pats his friend’s hand. He rests his head on Davis’ chest, trying to comfort his partner in any way he could.
Davis remains silent for a while and then nods.

“Yeah…” Davis answers as he walks home, the road feeling desolate and broken.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Davis walks up the stairs, one hand in pocket the other holding DemiVeemon tightly, still wondering what he could possibly do for Ken. Everyone seemed to be acting differently these past few days. It was unsettling because he really didn’t know what he could do for them and now Tai and the others were gone. Was he really fit to fix things?
Davis opened the door to his apartment and walked in. Soaked from the rain that had fallen, but he didn’t care. At least he knew everyone was home safe. Davis walked in and removed his coat, leaving it on the couch.

“Hey pick that up” A voice said, Davis groaned. His sister Jun really loved nagging him. He grabbed the coat and went to his room, placing it on a chair in his desk. He sits down and spins on the chair and looks at his wall.

“Come on Davis spin it again that was fun” DemiVeemon says with a smile and Davis grins and spins it again. Both began to laugh before stopping.

“Davis, what are we going to do?”
DemiVeemon looks at him.

“I don’t know, but whatever we do, it has to be something good” Davis removes his goggles and gently places them on his desk. He looked at them with a small smile, they had always been enough proof to him that he was a leader and he didn’t want to forget that.

“Hey DemiVeemon?”
“What’s up?” DemiVeemon looks at him curiously.
“As long as I have my dreams, I won’t give up on them. I’ve got an idea” Davis looks at his partner with a form of conviction that was always in his eyes no matter the situation.

“Don’t you mean our dream?” DemiVeemon looked at Davis, his eyes twinkling with the same resolve his partner had.

“That’s right. It’s our dream.” Davis said with a smile. It was nice having someone to share a dream with, someone to encourage you on it no matter what. His dream wasn’t lonely and he was going to prove it to everyone.

~~~

Ken entered his apartment and removed his coat,his mother walked up to him with a small smile and a towel in her hand. She handed it over to him and he thanked her. He picked it up and dried Wormmon and then himself.

“Did you have fun today?” His mother asked him with a smile.
“I did…” Ken said as he removed his shoes and carefully placed them in a corner. He then dried the floor and stood up. “But I’m kind of tired. Can I take dinner to my room tonight?” Ken asked and his mother nodded.
“Thank you” He said as he made his way to his room. He gently placed Wormmon on his bed who looked up at him sadly.
“Ken?” Wormmon said. But Ken merely patted him on the head and smiled.
“I’m going to take a shower, I’ll be back soon”

Ken shut the door to his room and entered the shower. He closed his eyes and felt the water falling on him. For some reason the water didn’t feel hot nor cold as it fell down on him. Ken opened his eyes and looked at the water falling down on him.

“Sam…I wonder how things would be if you were still here.” Ken closed his eyes once more in pain. Whenever he was sad he couldn’t help, but think about his brother. Years had passed ,but he still missed him. Ken felt himself begin to shake, but he wasn’t cold. No matter what happened, his brother would never return. He was dead and there wasn’t a single miracle that could ever bring him back.

Ken opened his eyes once more, but he was no longer in his home. He took a step back in fear and looked around him, breathing heavily. A sea full of darkness stared blankly at him. He felt the anxiety in him rise as he looked at the sight before him. The pain in his neck throbbing harder and harder as he looked at the sight before them and before he knew it, he was screaming. Screaming his lungs out in fear as the air around him began to disappear and he could feel water filling his lungs.

“KEN KEN KEN ARE YOU OKAY?”
A voice said frantically as it banged against the door. Ken shook his head and continued to cough, spitting water from his lungs. The water wasn’t salty so it couldn’t have been real.
He had almost drowned in the shower ,but at least he was finally home. He took a few deep breaths and responded.

“I’m okay” Ken responded, still shaking. He soon finished up and left the place. Carefully closing the door and Wormmon immediately jumped on him. Looking at him, his eyes full of worry.

“Ken…” Wormmon looked at him and Ken smiled weakly.
“Are you okay?” Ken’s mother asked him frantically and he nodded.
“I..I just slipped” Ken looked at his mother apologetically and with Wormmon in hand left for his room. He shut the door and took a deep breath. He picked up Wormmon and looked him in the eyes.…this was real. He was at home and he was safe. What happened earlier, it wasn’t real. He hadn’t been to that horrible place, his mind was just deceiving him. Ken looked at his D-3 and pulled it out.
“Digi-port open…” he said, underneath his breath. A part of him hoping, that it wouldn’t open the gate to the sea and it didn’t. The World of Darkness wouldn’t open and he sighed in relief. It wasn’t real. If a hallucination had done this to him, would he be able to handle the real thing…
“Ken? Why are you trying to open that port” Wormmon asked him in concern.

“Wormmon earlier, I thought I went there and I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t real” Ken looked at him with a smile and Wormmon looked at him, his heart breaking.

“Let’s go to bed, Ken,” Wormmon says and Ken nods. Ken lays down in bed and closes his eyes, falling asleep faster then he thought he would. Wormmon continues to look at Ken and then tears begin to roll down his face. This was his partner, his partner who suffered so much and he couldn’t do anything about him. His sweet boy who had been hurt so much by the darkness and he had to watch.

“I’m so sorry Ken…I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you” Wormmon cries out before curling up next to him and closing his eyes, his heart sinking deeper and deeper as they lay there in the dark.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“You should have been the one to die. You have no right to live. You are the one that will never be forgiven.” a dark hand clasped Ken’s throat and continued to tighten its grip. Nothing but screams could be heard in the distance ,but they weren’t his screams.

The screams cried out
in desperation “Please stop Digimon Emperor” and the weeps of the Digimon that would draw their final breath. Smoke filled the air and the burning scent of rumble filled the atmosphere. A monstrosity
hybrid of a Digimon smiled amidst the chaos
as evil resonated from within it.

“Watch and watch as you relive your sins, over and over again” With a jolt Ken stood up from his sleeping position and attempted to breathe. He felt asphyxiated as he drew each and every breath. His hand quickly reached the back of his neck that seared with pain. But that pain could not compare to the pain of what he had lost, and what he had done.

The storm crackled in the night sky as the wind blew heavily through the mist. The rain was the final touch to the scenery as Ken looked out his window. The droplets jittered loudly in the night sky. He could feel he was shaking, he was so tired of having to relive these sins, but he didn’t want them to stop, he didn’t deserve to forget what he had done.

“Ken?” Wormmon felt his partner’s cold hand on the back of his head as he heard Ken’s faded and broken breaths. Ken remained silent, still trying to breathe and regain his composure.

“I’m right here Ken.” Wormmon knew asking
what happened would bring nothing. A sadness filled Wormmon as he stared at his beloved partner in pain. The kind boy he knew had been through so much pain that he was kind to everyone ,but himself.

“Thank you, Wormmon.”
Ken stared at his partner’s gentle blue eyes that only glowed with a desire to help
his broken friend with a heart that had been mutilated by the darkness. An innocent heart that the darkness sank its claws into deeply, making sure that his partner would never stop bleeding.

“I wish I didn’t have to feel this anymore, Wormmon” Ken’s grip tightened around his partner. It was true, he wished he wouldn’t have to feel it, but he deserved it.

“Ken. I know it hurts, but we can’t just run away from what we did” Wormmon gently replied to his partner. He gets closer to Ken and rests his head on his leg.

“That’s the thing Wormmon! It’s not what we did. It’s what I did…I- I was a monster” Ken could feel the tightness in his throat grip him firmly. He looked at his hands, they were shaking, they were the hands that were covered in blood.

“Ken! I didn’t do anything to stop you.” Wormmon nudged him, his small arms gently patting him. Ken shouldn't have to take the blame himself, Wormmon wanted him to know that he was there to shoulder the burden with him.

“You died because of me!”
Ken said, in a stern voice. Wormmon looked at him in shock before looking at his partner sadly, he had never heard him raise his voice so firmly. It wasn’t the kind of voice from when he was the Emperor, it wasn’t a voice he feared, it was a voice that was filled with so much care that it hurt to hear. Wormmon closed his eyes, he could feel himself tearing up. He wanted to cry, he wanted to cry not just now, but every single moment he had to see his beloved partner suffer like this. Wormmon opened his eyes and looked at his partner.

“I died because I believed in your future and I believed in you and I’m never going to stop believing in you. I'm not going anywhere!
I’m not letting you leave this world without a fight! As weak as this body might be, I’ll fight for you!” Ken froze at the words of his small friend as he stared at him determinedly with tears in his eyes, Ken too had never heard him raise his voice in such a way. Ken closed his eyes, a different sort of pain filling his mind. He didn’t mean to hurt Wormmon like that.

“I’m so sorry Wormmon. I should have known better than to say I just wanted to die” Ken said quietly, as he looked out the window. Before he knew it there were tears rolling down his eyes and he couldn't stop them. The thought of having hurt Wormmon like that….it tore his heart apart.

“I’m sorry too Ken. I’m sorry that I let you feel that way” Wormmon said as he placed his head on Ken’s chest. Quiet sobs filled the night that were covered by the fiercely blowing wind. The downpour in their hearts continued throughout the night before they eventually fell asleep. A silent regret covered the air with its lingering pain. A pain that would last a lifetime.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Wormmon opened his eyes and looked over at his partner. He frowned as he looked at his face. A gloomy expression was painted on his face as his eyes looked anguished, despite being closed. There were dry tears on Ken’s cheeks. Wormmon moved closer and tried cleaning them off the best he could with his small, helpless arms. Wormmon looks at him, deciding he would let him get some more sleep.

“Hey KEN! Wake UP” A loud banging on the door filled the air. It was bright and early, Ken woke up, he wouldn’t mistake that voice,even though this was a time no one would ever expect Davis to be running up and about, but the real question was how he had made it inside his house.

Ken got off his bed and walked towards his door, he opened the door and Davis nearly tripped inside because he was still knocking.

“Davis, when did you get here?” Ken looked drowsily at his enthusiastic friend.

“We got here hours ago!” DemiVeemon smirked as he jumped up and down in place.

“Hey don’t say hours you’ll make us sound creepy!” Davis grabbed his partner and began to shake him. Wormmon looked at them confused because the fact they were already in their house was already creepy enough.

”Hey!” The two loudly argued
and Wormmon and Ken stifled a laugh.

“Well go get ready dude! I got something I want to show you!” Davis said after finally getting DemiVeemon to be quiet.

“But aren’t we going to the Digital World today?”
Ken looked at Davis confused. He was certain they had all agreed to meet up today.

“Uh yeah of course. We’re leaving straight from there. I just wanna show you something first” Davis smiles brightly at his friend.

“I’ll wait for ya outside” Davis says with a smile as he shuts Ken’s front door and takes a seat on the couch.
After a while Ken appeared, ready to go.

“I thought you said you were waiting outside?” Ken asked Davis who just laughed.

“Yeah outside your room” Davis said as he stood up.

“Now come on, let's go,” Davis said with a bright smile. Ken shrugged and followed him, while Wormmon still looked at Davis confused as to how he had even managed to break in.

~~~

“Ken, have you ever considered moving? Everything is just too far from you” Davis groaned as he began to lead Ken through the city streets.

“Where exactly are we going?” Ken asks his friend as he follows him.

“Don’t worry we’re almost there”
Davis says with a smile.
They soon arrived at a street that was littered with buildings and a sense of familiarity.
A place that harbored memories. “Do you remember this place, Ken? It’s the place where we first got fighter mode.” Davis looked at him and Ken nodded. Davis smiled, that was a great start, Ken remembered so that skipped a step of the plan.
“You’re probably wondering why I brought you here, right?” Davis asked him and Ken nodded once more.

“Well on that day, we saved a lot of people. People who were in danger. People who had hopes and dreams that would have ended on that day. I think everyone has the right to pursue their dreams as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.” Davis smiled at his friend gently.

“My dream is-”

“To have a noodle cart, right?” Ken answers Davis before he could finish. It was something that Davis had mentioned so many times, his dream was a part of him and it was difficult to imagine him without that core part of his identity.

Davis laughed at his friend’s answer. “That’s right! But I have another dream. It’s a dream to make a world where everyone can pursue their dreams. By pursuing their dreams, everyone can be happy.”

Davis turned and looked at his friend seriously. “But if I want that dream to come true. I need your help. I can’t do this alone and I’d never forgive myself if I let you hurt yourself.
I want you to be happy too Ken. You’re my friend and if I can’t even help my friends, what's the point of my dream?”

Ken observed his friend, too shocked to speak. “You’ve saved people. You’ve helped build a world where people can smile and dream. I think you're way too hard on yourself man. You’ve already started over and no matter what all you gotta do is continue and enjoy it.” Davis smiled at his friend and outstretched his hand.

“It doesn’t matter where you start or where you continue. It’s how you build the world that counts. I want to reach my destiny too, because I want to see just how much we were able to see our dreams come true”
Davis says with a grin. Ken looked at his friend with admiration. He closed his eyes and thought of Wormmon, the other Digidestined, his parents, and of course the kids with the spores.

“I hope no one ever has to suffer like you did Ken” Davis says while looking at him.

Ken observes his friend’s hand and shakes it with a small smile. “And I hope that every one who does suffer has a friend like you Davis.”

Davis smiled and embarrassedly scratched his nose.

“Come on Davis don’t be embarrassed” DemiVeemon jumped on his shoulders and smirked.

“I’m not embarrassed! Now come on let’s go everyone is waiting for us!” The other boy nodded and soon the two were off to a new adventure.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I vote we leave Davis and Ken if they take five more seconds” Yolei held her phone in her hand as she checked the time.

“Yolei, we can’t just leave our friends,” Poromon quietly protested in her arms.

“Why not we have two ultimates and you two have megas right?” Yolei turned to her two other friends who were still debating what hat T.K. should wear.
She couldn’t believe he had actually brought all of those with him.
“The bucket hat is a classic” “But it’s kind of goofy”
“T.K. why don’t you wear the one from when we first met” Patamon flapped behind his partner and smiled.

“That one doesn’t fit”

“That's the goofiest of all!”

“I’ve always wondered what exactly that hat is. I thought it was a backwards cap but then again
it just has a random jewel right in the middle.” Kari tilted her head in confusion.

Honestly, T.K. had no clue himself what that hat was either or where it came from so he instead decided to just shift the tables. “You think about me so much that you’re questioning why my hat from second grade has a jewel?”

“It keeps me up at night”

“You have nightmares over my hat?”

“You don’t?”

Cody looked at his two friends in confusion as well, wondering what in the world this forbidden hat was. He shrugged and looked at the distance where he saw two figures begin to approach them.
“Why would I have nightmares over my hat?” “All the girls in school would run from you if they saw you in that”
“No I think it would bring about a revolution”

Yolei sighed. It was like watching a chase between a cat and mouse that never ended. No offense to Gatomon. Gatomon looked at Yolei who was still waiting for an answer and responded.

“Yes we can”

“Alright then let’s go” Yolei honestly didn’t have any intentions of actually leaving her friends behind. Davis had let her know that he wanted to cheer up Ken. She only wished that she could have done something herself.

Two figures soon reached them and Davis plopped down his heavy bag on the floor and sat down on the bench.
“We’re here, sorry”
Ken entered with a small smile. Yolei smiled back brightly at him, she was glad Davis had managed to help. Yolei thought Davis could be a bit dense sometimes , but he truly cared for his friends and was a great leader.

“Let’s go guys!” Davis stood up and was ready to go when he noticed two of his friends were in the middle of something.

“Just say you want me to wear the jewel hat” “Maybe it would humble you if you did”
“I see what’s going on. You want everyone to run away from me so you can have me all to yourself”

“Yeah you wish” “You have such jealousy issues”

“I do not. I’m just protecting everyone from you”

Davis looked at the argument in confusion wondering what in the world was a jewel hat. Ken too observed them in confusion. He also wondered if he should get a “jewel hat”(?) himself so that lovestruck girls would leave him alone.

“Hey guys, shouldn’t the Digital World change your outfits?”
Cody asked curiously knowing that if the outfit was automatically changed there would be no need to choose a hat.

“Strangely enough, it didn’t happen for us last time we were there” T.K. replied to his friend. Kari nodded in agreement.

“That’s strange. It changed for us” Cody noted.

"Yeah it was a huge shame for Yolei to wear a basketball on her head again-" Davis begins before he catches Yolei's stern look.

“No use thinking about something we can’t figure out. Let’s get going guys” Davis stood up from the bench with a smile.
The Digidestined all turned to their leader and nodded. Ready for a new adventure.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Alright guys let’s sneak in quietly-” Davis crouched down as he began to infiltrate his old elementary school. The rest of the Digidestined except for Cody crouched down as well as they sneakily made their way towards the gate.

“It won’t open!” Davis said in complete surprise.

“Well school is closed-” Ken
noted.

“REAL LIFE GATE OPEN” Yolei began to aggressively move the gate to no avail.

“Yolei stop, they'll call the cops on us” Ken looked at her in surprise.

“It’s fine we’ll just say Cody really needs his homework.”
Davis assured.

“I don’t go here anymore,”
Cody says flatly.

“The cops don’t know that” Davis says a bit too casually for comfort.
“Wait…” Cody paused as he looked at the ruckus his friends were making. “Can’t we just use any computer” “Yep, that's what we did last time.” T.K. replied brightly.“Why didn’t you tell us?” Cody asked him. “We wanted to see how far this would go” Kari began to suppress a laugh.
“AH well I’m glad at least two of you were having fun!” DemiVeemon quipped sarcastically.

“Four of us” Patamon and Gatomon both added with a smile.

“T.K. you’re evil”
Davis looked at them in surprise.
“Why just me? It was her idea in the first place” T.K. looks at Kari who pretends to not have heard him. “You’re a bad influence,”
Davis points at him.“Says the one planning to lie to the cops” T.K.
tells him. “Hey guys if we don’t hurry up the cops will actually be here for us” Ken nervously observed his surroundings.
The other Digidestined nodded as they all made their way to the closest of their homes at that current moment. Davis entered the building and came back with a laptop.

“Eh Jun can get mad at me later for this.”
Davis pulled out his sister’s computer which had a wallpaper of Knife of Day.

“Huh I thought she was over Matt?” Kari looked at the screen in confusion.

“If only,” Davis sighed loudly as he pulled out his D-3.

“Wait! Won’t she want to use her computer and see this?” Cody asked in confusion.

“Oh that’s true” Davis looked at the floor gloomily. He didn’t want to waste any more time.

“Good thing, I brought out a laptop” Kari reached into her backpack and pulled out a laptop that appeared to be hers.

“Why didn’t you say anything!” Davis tells her a bit frustrated. He couldn’t believe how lightly she was taking this.

“I wanted to see how long this would last,” Kari admits.

“For someone who’s brother is missing you sure are relaxed!” Davis was honestly surprised at how easygoing Kari’s attitude was at the moment. He wondered why.

“Well, I believe in Tai! I think he’s going to be alright no matter what…at least that’s what I’m hoping." She looked up at her hat wearing friend and smiled.

Davis continued to look at her, whatever T.K. had done, it was working. Davis felt a wave of relief. Yeah they had to get going ,but he was glad that she was doing alright.
They had told him what had happened last time Tai disappeared and he was worried something would happen again. He should have known he had to have faith in his friends.

“Alright we’re all ready?” Davis turned to the group. Davis received varying answers, from nods to thumbs up to shrugs, to a why don’t we do this next Thursday instead from DemiVeemon.

“Huh why is there a folder named after me?” T.K. looked at the screen confused and Davis looked at the screen even more bewildered. Kari widened her eyes and pushed both of them slightly away from the screen.

“Digiport open!”

“Hey! That’s my line!” Yolei protested.

“Digiport open” Yolei repeated as everyone pulled out their D-3s toward the screen. In flashing lights they were soon all gone in a flash.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sky of the digital world shone a radiant blue, as the light penetrated the corner of each realm. The verdant grass was vivint with many hues and the ocean in the distance sparkled.

“How are we supposed to get to the Dark Ocean from here?” Davis looks at the lush scenery in awe. The Digital World was just as amazing as in his memories, he sighed, remembering that wasn’t his destination. He had never been to the Dark Ocean, he didn't know how they were supposed to get there.

“Maybe if we're really negative it'll pop up” Veemon stated both proudly and sarcastically.

“You know that's not a bad idea, let's get sad everyone” T.K. quipped.

“Jun will never move out” Davis folded his hands and thought intently, repeating it over and over again until he became frustrated.

“Guys it's not working” Davis says somewhat disappointed because he had made himself so sad all for nothing.

“Davis that's mean” Kari looked at him in disappointment.

“No! I mean it because she wants to find a boyfriend and move out ,but it's not happening any time soon. Her sadness makes me sad” Davis taps his heart and nods very sadly.

“Mhmmm” Yolei utters, not believing a word he said.

“Anyways, can't we just open a gate with Ken's D-3 like we did for Daemon” T.K. points out.

“That's what I was thinking too” Kari nods in agreement.

“Why didn't you guys say anything from the beginning. You had to make me all sad for no reason!” Davis groans in frustration.

“We wanted to see how long this would last,” both say in unison.

“You guys are just mean!” Davis points at them in disbelief.

“About that…” Ken began and everyone turned their heads to look at him.

“I tried that, and it just didn't work.”

“When did you even try that” Yolei looked at him in confusion but got no answer.

“I guess we'll have to find another solution,” Cody remarked. The Digidestined all turned to Davis for an answer.

“Right guys let's get moving. It's better than not doing anything” Davis looked at them seriously and gave them his answer. Everyone nodded and they all began to walk aimlessly, hoping to find a fragment of a clue.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been here” Cody said as he observed their surroundings.

The Digimon at his side motions him to look down towards his direction.

“Cody I'm hungry”

“Armadillomon we just got here” Cody frowns at his partner.

“The Digital World makes me hungry” Armadillomon looks sadly at the floor.

“Sorry guys ,but we can't afford to eat away all our resources so soon,” Yolei shakes her head at the digimon.

“Aw…” Armadillomon looks at the floor sadly, maybe the grass would make a good snack.

“But I brought plenty of snacks! And I promise we'll eat them soon!” Yolei looked at the Digimon with a smile.

“Thanks” Armadillomon immediately perks up and they continue to walk.

“...Is it soon yet” Armadillomon looks at Yolei hopefully.

“Armadillomon not yet” Cody shakes his head at his partner.

“Armadillomon we can't just eat yet. We've got to-” Veemon pauses for a second and everyone hears a very loud crunch.

“Keep going,” Veemon says, muffled as he continues to munch on something.

“You know I'd think that was real wise if I didn't know you better then that!” Davis quickly turns to his partner and rips out a bag of chips from his hands.

“Hey Davis! I was eating that!” Veemon replies angrily.

“Save it for later!” Davis grabs a chip from the bag and munches on it.

“Hey that's no fair” Veemon objects.

“I'm putting it away. It's not my fault you tempted me” Davis shoves the chips into his bag and then continues to walk.

“Did you guys not have anything to eat?” Yolei turns to the two and asks.

“Well I had a piece of bread-” Davis says rubbing his fingers together.

“If you knew we were going to be here why didn't you eat” Yolei looks at them and sighs.

“I had more important stuff to do okay?” Davis kicks a rock and thinks about how he waited for Ken. It didn't matter to him that he didn't get to really have breakfast, his first concern was his friend and whether or not he was okay.

“It was for me wasn't it?” Ken thinks as he observes his attitude. He was grateful
for what Davis had done for him ,but he shouldn't have neglected himself like that.

“Hey guys! Can we go over there?”
T.K. pointed towards the direction in the distance.

A green landscape painted the floors and small cradles were all over their floor with babies neatly placed. Trees full of toys and play blocks surrounded the area. T.K. had always felt a strong connection to the village and wanted to make a quick stop to greet Elecmon and the babies.

Davis looked at his friend who had nothing ,but a pair of pleading eyes.

“Alright sure ,but we gotta make it quick,” Davis smiled.

“Are you sure about this Davis?” Cody looked at the boy in concern, worried about their time.

“Of course now the last one there is a rotten Digi-Egg!” Davis grinned as he began to run towards the village.

“Wait, we can't afford to lose energy-” Cody hopelessly began till he realized it was pointless and just smiled and ran off. Sometimes it was okay to have fun.

“Come on we’re not that unfit Cody” T.K. smiled as he began to run off as well.

“I don’t know about that, you always lose,” Kari says as she follows him.

Ken looked at
his group of friends stumbling towards the village, he honestly didn’t feel like running at the moment. Not that he could say why he just didn’t feel like it.

“Ken, is something wrong?”
Ken looked behind him to see that Yolei was looking at him in concern.
“Ah no sorry for making you worry” Ken looks at her and shakes his head. “Are you sure about that?” Yolei eyed him in suspicion to which he just nodded.
“Ken, if you need someone to talk to, I'm right here for you. Just know that I’m here to support you every step along the way.”

Without thinking Ken asks bluntly “But why though”

Yolei chuckles and
grabs his hand and smiles at him. Ken could feel his heart pause for a second. “I’ll let you figure it out. So now let's go!” She pauses and then she smiles mischievously

“Or can the Rocket not run anymore” She begins to lightly tease.
Ken looks at her embarrassed at being called that ,but then smiles
softly. “Of course he can” “Well then I want to see it” Ken looks at her smile and then smiles gently back at her.
“Your hand is really warm, Yolei…” Ken could feel his face warm up as he softly spoke, he really did find comfort in the grip and a part of him was hoping she wouldn’t let go.

“Well you can hold it as much as you like” she playfully winks at him and moves him close to her as she begins to run off.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“You guys out on a peaceful stroll or something” Davis smirks at his two friends. He couldn’t throw hints forever right?

“No sorry” Ken quickly apologized to which Davis merely sighed. Nothing would ever work, but at least Yolei couldn’t say he never tried to help her. He tried and she shouldn't hold it against him.

“No, don’t apologize. In fact you should do it more often” Kari looked at Yolei sneakily who appeared to be plotting a comeback before being interrupted by a crying
baby.

“You guys are too loud” Cody shook his head at his friends while gently patting the baby. T.K. nodded as he gently patted the babies on his shoulder.

“Ah T.K. these must be the rest of your friends?” a red Digimon with blue stripes appeared and looked at them. He nods.

Elecmon looks at them and smiles gently. “I’m glad T.K. has such good friends”

Ken looked at the red Digimon and then looked at the babies. He remembered the Digimon in the primary village the day he went looking for Wormmon, the day he went to look for his soul. He looked at the Digimon sadly.

“You seem like you have a kind heart.” Elecmon looked up at Ken and smiled gently. Ken could feel himself run cold as he remembered the many lives he took as the Emperor. Yet it appeared as if no one remembered what he had caused.

A small Digimon looked up at him from Davis’s arms and smiled.

“My name is Yuramon. Who are you?” The words struck a chord in Ken’s
heart, one that sung a song of sorrow. He should be happy, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t be happy, he shouldn’t be. He couldn’t forgive himself for what he did, even if every Digimon forgot what he had done, he would remind himself every day of that
pain. He had no right to feel relief, this pain he felt. It won’t be for nothing, he wouldn’t let it go. He simply couldn’t. Ken began to tremble, the magnitude of his grief colliding in his mind with what he had done. Before he could even understand what was going on, his feet were moving. He was fleeing from the village, as fast as he could, before his grief consumed him.

“Ken, where are you going?” Davis looked at his friend as he ran off.

“Is he okay?” the small Digimon looked up from Davis’s hands with sadness. Davis only remained silent, he had no idea what to say.

“Ken no” Wormmon stumbled as he tried to reach his partner, he walked
,but he wasn’t fast enough. He couldn't reach him, once again he watched his partner tremble with pain, and there was nothing he could do. Wormmon didn’t stop though, he promised Ken he would always fight for him,even in this weak body and he meant it.

“Ken…please, I need you to be with you” the tears began to well up in his eyes. They glimmer with sorrow at a familiar site. Kari looked at the small worm sadly as he tried to reach his partner. She bends down and picks him up, she looks at the Digimon who struggles in her arms wanting to move forward.
A partnership with a Digimon was something that’s worth couldn’t even be described, if anyone was able to help Ken, it was his partner.

“There’s something only you can do Wormmon '' she stares at the digimon’s rain tinted eyes and begins to run off in the same direction, both hoping they would reach Ken on time before
it was too late.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ken didn't know where he was going, but he kept running. Running as far as he could ,but every corner in the Digital World reminded him of what he had done. Rather than seeing the beauty of this world he could see flames engulfing it with the destruction from his own two hands, the sins he committed reflected on each corner of the realm.

He kept running until finally his legs could no longer carry him and he fell down. He rolled onto the floor, weakly feeling his body onto the floor, his limbs feeling lifeless and frail.

Ken looked in front of him, his vision felt like it was fading, but he could see the D-3 that had fallen from his pocket so clearly. He dragged himself on the floor and picked it up. Sitting up and staring at it.

This was the device he had tainted. A holy device meant to signify the bond between him and his Digimon had been tainted by the darkness of the sea, the same darkness he had harbored in his heart. He looked at it, a reminder of what he had done. A reminder he couldn't and wouldn't let go. After all he didn't think someone as revolting as him deserved to feel such peace of mind after what he had done.

The feelings in his heart began to grow sharper and more painful each passing second.
It felt like a knife being pointed at him, taunting him claiming that if he let it pierce him all the pain in his heart would finally be let go.

The bitter weeps of a boy who had lost so much in his life were the only thing that could be heard as the sun shimmered as if nothing had happened. Ken could feel nothing but pain, pain that pierced his heart like bullets. His arms banging against the floor, over and over again. The only time he had ever done this before, was when he realized what he had done as the Digimon Emperor.

He looked at his own hands, covered in dirt and scrapped from his beatings on the floor. They bled slightly and
trickled through the floor. His gaze moved from his hands to the floor, he looked at the grass, the once peaceful grass that had been untouched was now wrinkled. He sobbed. Ken looked at the grass and back at his hands, he had done it again. He wept bitterly and apologized to the grass,over and over again. A part of him hoped that it would forgive him, but he wasn’t expecting it.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” his voice dejected as he held the pieces of grass that had fallen in his hands.
He slowly places it where it once stood and stares at his arm. His arm reflexes as his other arm hits it, he stays in silence. He should bring pain only to himself, no one else. Only he deserved to suffer that fate.
The blood in his knuckles continued to trickle down his hands after every hit. He lifted his arm once more ,but before he could hurt himself again, a voice rang out.

“Ken! Stop!” the worm leaped toward his arms and placed his head gently on his partner’s lap. He spoke gently, but his voice was full of so much fear.

“Don’t hurt yourself Ken.” Wormmon said as Ken felt Wormmon’s warm tears on his body. It reminded him of when his mother hugged him after he went missing. There were tears coming from her eyes, but he didn’t understand why. It was because he hadn’t found his heart just yet,but this felt different. Deep down he knew why Wormmon was crying, and he hated that he caused it. It was another mistake along his path. Ken stopped himself, and looked at his partner who lay in his arms. He turned and noticed one of his friends standing there as well, looking at him with a compassionate pity.

“I’m sorry you had to see that sight” Ken stands up from the floor holding Wormmon in his hands and gently places him on the floor. He observed his partner once more, what if he hurt him again. He found himself taking a step back and averting the creature’s eyes. He didn’t think he deserved to face him as he was.

“No, don't say sorry. We all have our moments of weakness” Kari looks at him and Ken looks away. Maybe that was true, but it felt like all of his moments were born from weakness, the weakness he gained the moment he ran away from the truth about his brother.

“Ken, why did you run away?” Wormmon looked at his partner gently. When he had run away it was like something had finally broken inside him.

“I just couldn’t bear it.” Ken answers and Wormmon looks at his partner puzzled.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of my sins being erased so easily” his voice trembled, after every syllable. “Ken?” Kari interrupts her friend and continues talking once he looks at her. “Gatomon is a Digimon that suffered a lot, and I wish I could have been there from the beginning ,but I wasn’t. I didn’t know she was in so much pain.” Ken looked at the digimon under him and thought about the ways he had made him suffer and he felt a bitter tang in his heart.
“When the reboot happened, and she forgot everything, I thought. Maybe she’d be happier that way and she was. It was a blissful innocence, but at the end she still remembered me. She remembered everything that had caused her so much pain ,but at the same time she remembered everything that made her so happy too…she dark digivolved because of me too, but I know it happened for a reason. All that pain Gatomon’s felt, it helped her help someone in need.” Kari smiled weakly and felt a tang of pain as she choked back a tear. It was true…Meicoomon was helped, but if the way that help came, it was still painful.

“We can’t erase the past ,but we can change our future. If we’re constantly beating ourselves for our mistakes, nothing will change. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself.” Kari looked at her D-3, she recalled the time Tai had gotten in trouble because he wanted to play with her. She had almost died that day ,but she didn’t feel angry at her brother, only herself. She had been plagued with the lingering frustration of believing to be a burden and somewhere deep down she hadn’t forgiven herself for that.

“Ken, I hope you can start being kind to yourself and that you never forget your partner is right there with you. No matter what”
Kari smiled gently at the two and turned around as she began to walk off to where the others were.
“Be kind to myself…?” Ken said a bit confused. He didn’t know why that was necessary after all…he didn’t really deserve that. Wormmon nods at his partner and smiles gently at him too. “Yes Ken. The kindness you have for everyone else, you deserve to show it to yourself too”
“How am I supposed to do that after everything I’ve done? After all the mistakes I made. After all the people I’ve hurt. No matter how hard I try it keeps coming back like a bad dream” Ken’s sobs continue to fill the room as his partner only stays quiet. Wormmon could feel his pain, he knew how Ken felt, but right now there was nothing he could say. He didn’t want to interrupt Ken, he had to let everything all out. The dread in Ken’s heart, it all needed to be set free, even if just for a little bit.

The two stayed in silence as each second lingered in the air like an eternity. The moment felt like it had the same timespan as a nightmare. It felt never ending,painful, and inescapable, just like his mistakes. His mistakes were nightmares that haunted him, that he would wake up from when he saw the people he cared about…but what if one day, he could never wake up again. Ken and Wormmon both remained in silence until a roar pierced the skies.

“Huh?” Ken shook out of his trance and looked up at the distance.
Coming from the Village of Beginnings, they could hear a magnificent roar. A bony figure appeared in the distance and they stared in disbelief. The roar was chilling and unsettling. There was a mass of smoke beginning to appear from the sight. “Ken! We need to go!” Wormmon looked at his partner. Ken looked at the mass of bones facing the distance, he trembled and stared in silence.
“Ken” Wormmon said more desperately.

“Right…” Ken said, standing up and shaking out of his trance.
He couldn’t afford to make another mistake. He needed to go help the others, if not he would end up with another sin in his life. Maybe he could have ignored them, after all what was another sin to the multitude he had already committed, but he didn’t want to do that. That wasn’t who he was. A white light falls from the heaven’s and bathes Wormmon in its purity.

“Wormmon digivolve to… Stingmon.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

A bony beast looked at the village and nothing ,but rage and darkness filled its eyes. A large orange, organic missile pierced its back and stuck out. Its vicious , verdant eyes lusted with powers. It stares at the small babies waiting to crush them beneath its feet.
They shook in fear at the organic missile heading straight toward him. Feathered,holy wings picked up the small digimon and flew away. T.K.
observed the creature, his blood ran cold. He knew exactly what it was capable of. When the rest of the other kids met the beast, they had not seen him to the extent of his horrifying might. They had only seen a part of him, none of them understood just how dangerous he really was.

“Agumon?” Kari ran up to the other kids observing the beast. It couldn't be…it couldn't. Agumon was supposed to be with Tai, protecting him, and smiling,laughing,eating,playing…anything but destroying everything in his wake.
“Kari!” The cat jumped off of the holy angel’s shoulders and looked at her partner in determination. “Right” She pulled up her D-3 and a pink light washed her partner as a holy angel woman appeared from the cat.“Gatomon Digivolve to…Angewomon” “Where’s Ken?” Davis looked at her in concern.
“He’ll be here. I know it. We just need to believe in him” Kari replies.

“I sure hope that’s soon because we can really use his help here” Yolei looks at her digimon who is picking up babies from the village.

“ExVeemon and Ankylomon aren’t strong enough to hold him back it seems” Cody looked at the two digimon attempting to hold him back. Ankylomon had taken a horrendous blow earlier, not allowing him to digivolve further.

T.K. looking at the digimon, could feel himself trembling with rage. Someone was messing with the darkness and if that really was the Agumon they all knew someone was mocking them. If it wasn’t because that was Agumon a Heaven’s Gate would have wrapped this up by now.

“MagnaAngemon keep saving the Digimon!”

The Digimon nods at his partner as it continues to pick up the babies, the Village of Beginnings meant a lot to him and he wasn’t about to let anyone mess with it. No matter who it might have been.

Cody eyed him with concern, he could tell that T.K. was starting to become enraged ,but he couldn’t blame him. This bothered him as well, but no one could afford to act on impulse.

“Hey look over there” Yolei pointed at the distance as she saw Ken with Stingmon heading there way.

“Took ya long enough” Davis smiled as he saw his friend ,but he noticed the scratches on his hand and the blood trickling down his fingers, it filled him with dread. Nothing ,but a single thought crossed his mind “I failed my friend.”

Davis looked down at his D-3, at that moment he couldn’t feel Ken’s heart and he knew it would be impossible for them to go further. Ken had something to figure out and Davis would do his best to hold the line until he did. He had to, no matter what.

Ken paused as he saw the vicious beast growling with rage. A painful memory flashed before his eyes, the abuse he caused on Agumon, the digimon he hurt with Skull and Metalgreymon, and most of all the beast he created out of Skullgreymon. The Digimon’s screams for help seethed through his might and his head felt overwhelmed.

“Ken!” Yolei called out to her friend who had frozen on the battlefield, a missile heading his way. A bird flew towards him and picked him up, missing by a mere second.

“KEN! You can’t just stand there and do nothing! Everyone will die if we don’t do anything.” Ken looked at her and quickly realized what she meant.

There was no way he would ever let anyone perish again because of his mistakes ,but at the same time,he was so afraid he couldn’t move or even think.

“Stingmon!” Was the only word that left his lips. The Digimon slashed the beast and attempted to hold it back.

“Ken! Remember who you are” Stingmon cried from the depths of his heart, as he was hit with a spikey attack.

Ken looked at Stingmon who was fighting for the life of every digimon in the world, not just the digimon ,but for every human too. Ken put his hand in pocket and lifted a tag from his pocket and held it in his hand. Blood dripped from his fingers and covered its sides. The small fragment in his hands, the pink rose bud that emitted kindness.

“I…”
Ken closed his eyes and thought of all the pain he caused, but he also thought of the smiles of the digimon that had forgiven him for his past. The smiles of his friends that accepted him despite everything and most of all his partner. His partner who had suffered under him ,but believed in him no matter what. His partner who gave up his life for him to find himself again.
Ken opened his eyes once more and stared at his hands, the scratches that covered him, the blood that was beginning to dry out. “I’m sorry…” He hadn’t realized the pain he was causing his partner, his partner who had shown him such kindness because Ken had been kind first. Even if he lost his path along the way “I’m sorry for being so cruel to myself, If Stingmon was able to forgive me, Why shouldn’t I forgive myself?” A heavy pain had dropped from his heart and he could feel an alleviation.

“Stingmonnnnn! Save them all!” Ken could feel the cry from his heart warm himself up. For the first time in a long time his heart didn’t feel so heavy. For the first time in a long time, he felt free.

A brilliant pink light shone forth and bathed the broken heart with its shine Ken and Stingmon could feel the warmth emitting from it that purified them. Stingmon closed his eyes as began to feel the sudden power surging through him.

“Stingmon digivolve to…” from an emerald green color to a glowing bright green.
It shoulder’s stood proud and prism armor gleamed. It held a red lance in its hands and four gray wings covered it’s back,

“Jewelbeemon”

“I don’t believe it” Ken observed his partner with surprise ,but also a sense of pride.

“Ken, never lose that kindness” Jewelbeemon stared at the bony beast
in the eyes; he only looked back,dazzled at the glowing armor.
He lifted his spear and struck the beast, the shocks emitted paralyzing it.

The beast screeched and began to shoot a missile from its back. The rest of the digimon looked at JewelBeemon who seemed to command them with his presence. They all continued to strike at Skullgreymon and weaken it. “Shot Claw” Jewelbeemon lifted his spear and repeatedly jabbed at the beast’s side, even hitting its lethal eyes. It kept screeching over,and over again as if it understood the meaning of the word pain.
It seemed as if it was in pain, but it was not because of the attacks that slashed him over and over again. It seemed like it was in pain for a different reason.

“Agumon!” Kari looked at the broken soul in distress, she could feel his cries. The cries of pain as he slowly begins to gain consciousness. As he found his heart once more and guilt washed over him, telling him to stop hurting everyone.

“Everyone! Stop! Please!” she begged them as she watched her brother’s partner. He clamored for help. He was screaming in pain.

“Kari we can’t stop if we do Skullgreymon will-” T.K. stopped himself,
the situation was filling him with anger and he wasn’t thinking straight.

“Please trust me” Kari looked at him, her eyes full of pain. She didn't want to see Agumon have to be in pain…he didn't deserve that. He was…supposed to be happy.

He did trust her ,but Skullgreymon was a force to be reckoned with… it was dangerous ,but at the same time; No matter how dark the beast may be, he was still Tai’s partner. He knew Tai would want them to fight but… he began to tremble.

“T.K.” A hand placed itself on his shoulder and Kari’s eyes pierced his own. He was just about ready to break right then and there.

Davis looked at his surroundings; the burning village, the trembling babies, his friends' expressions, and the screeching digimon. It seemed like everyone was struggling to know what to do so he would carry that weight of the decision for them.

“Alright everyone stop for now ,but make sure nothing hurts the babies” Davis called to the team as the digimon halted their attacks.

“I trust Agumon. I know he’s still fighting in there”

Skullgreymon continued to scream with every bone in its mouth quaking and trembling. It moved weakly and began to gnaw at itself. It shook its head as if it was fighting for his very mind. The creature screamed one last screech before it began to shine and shrink. A small dinosaur fell on its face weakly and trembled.
Over and over again, Agumon looked at the flames of the village and began to shake. He was tired of that demon that lurked inside him. The cowardly beast that destroyed everything.

“Agumon!” Kari ran up to the small dinosaur and held him in her arms. She hugged him tightly, the only thing left of her brother…

“I’m Sorry” Agumon cried weakly, tears rolling down his eyes, tears that were full of a broken courage.

“It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault. You’ll be okay now” she held the dinosaur in her arms as he silently whimpered at the destruction he caused. The small dinosaur’s mind felt overwhelmed and he closed his eyes only crying a single word over and over again.

“Tai! Tai! Tai…” Agumon cried out as he shook on the floor, his eyes closed. He could feel his bones stabbing into his flesh and his once brave heart lost, without his partner. He wanted to see Tai again. He missed Tai…Tai would know what to do right now…Tai wouldn't hurt him…Tai would forgive him…

Tai would have protected him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The smell of smoke penetrated the air with its grimly sorrow. The sinister inferno covered the town with ashes.
The air around them is suffocating with its sin. The sin was committed, without consent.

There were flowers, scattered over the floor, all crushed, but one. A single white flower lay alone in sorrow. It lay next to Agumon, empty and forsaken. Kari picks up the flower and gazes at it sadly. She could feel some sort of forgotten pain pulsing through it. Memories of a friend's bitter farewell through blindness.

“I'm sorry” Agumon whimpers sadly. She shakes her head and gently pats him. He looks at her weakly before letting his head collapse.

“It's not your fault Agumon” she places the flower back down and the little dinosaur remains in silence. Quietly looking at what he had done. What he had destroyed.

T.K. looks over at the flower and picks it up. He gently puts it away in his pocket, uncertain as to why, but somehow he felt he needed to do it. It shouldn't have to be alone after all.

“Let’s go guys” T.K. stood up and faced the ashes of the village, the smell of the burnt village filling his nostrils.

“Let’s go?!” Cody looked at him bewildered at the words that left his mouth.

“We don’t have a choice here” T.K. replied. He held the babies closely in his hand.

“You want us to just leave the village like this?! More than anyone you know how important this village is!” Cody was unable to hide how shocked he was at those words.

“What’s important right now isn’t the village, it's the babies! We need to find a safe place for them and stop them before it’s too late” T.K. spoke firmly. There was no denying the village was important, he had always found the Village of Beginnings to be one of hope and he had always treasured it, but if they let the servants of darkness wander in they would destroy it again and he’d have to watch over and over again as it got destroyed while running the risk of letting some babies die. He wouldn’t allow that.

“And who are they?!” Cody was surprised at himself for arguing ,but he really believed they needed to help before they left. They couldn’t just leave things like this. The others would be fine waiting a little longer, but leaving these babies defenseless, it was wrong.

“The darkness of course! Think about it, they had Agumon who’s to say they don’t have the other Digimon.” T.K. 's grip tightened on Patamon. No, he wouldn’t let the darkness take anyone again. He was feeling his anxiety rise,if this happened to Agumon where was Tai? Where were the other Digidestined and their Digimon? And Matt…was Matt okay? No…he couldn’t lose him. His brother had always protected him and he couldn’t do the same for him. It wasn’t just Matt, all of them had watched over him the first time they went to the Digital World and he was never able to help them the same way. He was so pathetic he just watched them all suffer with tears in his eyes.

“We all know Agumon would never hurt anyone like that” T.K. says as he looks at Agumon sadly. Agumon was bruised,scratched, but most of all he had a sad look on his face. Agumon, the Digimon that was always happy, was on the verge of tears. It made him furious that someone did this to him and he couldn’t deny it.

“Agumon…he didn’t mean to”Kari tightly held Agumon in her hands as she patted the unconscious dinosaur carefully. A part of her was so afraid, afraid the other digimon had been taken, the other Digidestined were gone, and that Tai would be in danger without Agumon.

“Davis, what should we do?” Kari asked him. Placing her trust in his role as their leader.

Davis looked at Cody and T.K., they could argue about it as much as they wanted ,but a decision had to be made, and that burden lay on his shoulders. He would make the choice for them. Even if they weren’t happy with it, it had to be done, it had to be made. That choice was up to him, he was the leader after all, he was destined to hold the burden, that was what Tai had entrusted him with.

“I agree with Cody, where will the new babies go if the village is destroyed!” Yolei spoke. Where in the world were they supposed to take the babies? Were they supposed to just leave them in a broken village with no defense?! That wasn’t right ,but maybe she didn’t have the right to think that. After all…she was going to leave the others here.

“There will only be new babies if more Digimon continue to die.” T.K. continued to insist. Right now they needed to make sure there was no one that could hurt these babies again. If they just stayed here defenseless, they’d lose again and more babies would die, but he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“It’s true when Digimon die they return to the village. We can find a safe spot for them and take care of business before things get worse.” Ken agreed. He had seen Wormmon return to the village , and every digimon who would be born anew deserved that chance. They needed to find the source of this before things got any worse.

“Exactly! If we can stop the darkness then we can save everyone.” T.K. responded. He was glad Ken understood. The others still had a part of their innocence after all. Even though they knew the Digital World was dangerous, they still had an innocence that painted the Digital World as an untouchable paradise and maybe in part it was, but the truth was, it was dangerous, deadly, and ruthless.

“I’m sorry T.K. ,but we can’t save everyone” Cody responded sadly looking away from him. He could see the broken cradles, cradles that may have housed babies, babies they weren’t able to do anything for.

Davis breathed in slowly and then spoke in determination. He could see the frustration and sadness in everyone's eyes and he didn't want to see it anymore. He needed to do something before things got worse. He couldn’t have them all fighting again. They couldn’t get divided or else things would get even harder then they were.

“I think we need to find somewhere safe for these guys and go find the bad guys. It’s the only thing we can do to keep everyone safe ,but we don’t know where we’re going either so we have to think this through.”
Davis looked at everyone with determination. He understood everyone’s point of view. So he would do what he could to be able to please everyone.

Kari looked over at T.K., noticing the look of anger,shock, and sadness lingering for a moment before he began to smile. “T.K. it’ll be-” She tried speaking and he interrupted her. He knew what she was going to say and he didn’t think he had the strength to face those words. The words he had sincerely believed up until now.

“Sorry, you’re right Davis.” T.K. mocked up a smile and then drifted away. His pain lingering in his eyes ,but covered up with a smile he thought would be enough. Enough to cover his own pain to make sure everyone kept having hope, that was his role after all.

Veemon tugged his partner’s shirt and then said “Hey I saw a pretty big cave over there. It looked pretty safe and I didn’t sense any danger.”

“I don’t want to hear anything about giving up, okay guys?” Davis bends down and picks up more babies before beginning to move. As long as he was here, there would be no giving up. Even if they had to cry and suffer along the way, they had to keep going.

“Even if things seem hard we can do anything together, okay?” Everyone nods as they begin to walk in front of him. Davis turns his head and looks at the village. It had been destroyed in just the blink of an eye. He looks at it and then turns around and walks away. There was no time to think about what they couldn't do. They had to think about the future.

Veemon looked up and glanced at Davis. Something felt a bit off, but he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it. It was Davis after all. He was always fine and even if he wasn’t he would just have to fix that. It was his destiny to make sure he never lost his way after all.

~

Yolei walks towards Cody and bends towards him and speaks to him almost in a whisper. “Hey, Cody?” she tells him and he looks at her and she stands back up.

“Do you think there’s something up with him?” Yolei motions with her head towards T.K. and Cody nods.

“I know so,” Cody says. The way T.K. was now, it was the other side of him that he had feared so much when he was younger. He thought he had gotten away from that thought, but there was still something about it that made him nervous, but at least now he was able to be more compassionate about it.

“Thought so. It isn’t like him to act like this” Yolei says with a frown.
She honestly couldn’t say there was a lot of him she understood, but if there was something she knew, it was that he wouldn’t leave everyone like this.

“There’s always been two different parts of him.” Cody says and she looks at him confused. “The part of him that we know and the side we see now. They’re both him…” Cody answers.

“I wonder which is the real one…” Yolei looks at T.K. who was silently walking. Seeing him down like that, it kind of felt like there were clouds covering the sky.
“They both are…” a voice says and they both turn around to look. “Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt or eavesdrop” Kari looks apologetic at them ,but then continues to speak. “There’s a lot of different sides to everyone. We can’t all always be happy. We can’t all always be sad, but I know this is a part of him that’s in pain.” Kari says, looking sadly at him. She sighs and then looks at Cody and Yolei. She didn’t want to just stand here and watch him push everyone away ,but she didn’t know what she was supposed to do.Cody and Yolei look at each other and then at her and they both silently nod.. “Yeah…you’re right.” Yolei says. It was true. There were different sides to everyone. The side of her from earlier, it had been so horrible and so cruel, but it was still a part of her and she couldn’t escape that. “It’s not just him though,” Kari says. She wasn’t sure if she should say this, but maybe they would be able to help him. “Hm? What do you mean?” Cody looks at her curiously.
“Don’t you guys feel something is off with Davis too? It was for a moment, but earlier I saw it. He was sad.” Kari says. There was a flicker of sadness in Davis’ eyes earlier, she could feel it, maybe she wasn’t the only one to have noticed. Someone else must have noticed too and that someone else was Veemon. Veemon was looking at him as if he was looking for a way to bring him up. “Well…I hadn’t noticed to be honest, but you’re probably right.” Cody says as he looks at Davis. There seemed to be a lot on his mind too despite his efforts in cheering everyone up. “It isn’t easy looking after all of us, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. Nothing ever gets Davis to give up” Yolei looks at them both and smiles reassuringly at them. None of them had ever seen him give up and she didn’t think that was going to change now.
“You’re right…” Kari nods.

“Of course she is. It’s Davis after all.” Cody says reassuringly.

“Yeah…” Kari says, a part of her hating how they had to reassure her. She should have just known what they said already, but everyone always had to make her feel better because she was too weak to do anything on her own.

~~
“T.K.?” Kari tapped him with Agumon’s hand because she didn’t want to disturb the dinosaur who was trying to sleep peacefully by moving him from his comfort zone. “What is it?” He turns around and looks at her. “Nevermind…” Kari mutters. Maybe a part of her wanted to hear him say everything would be okay, but that wasn’t what needed to be done. She needed to know what he was feeling because it was obvious to her that he wasn’t okay. “No no go ahead.” T.K. says. He wasn’t sure what she wanted. Was he supposed to reassure her? He didn’t think he could do it this time, but if he didn’t and she got sad it would all be his fault... “Well I was just wondering if you’re okay…” Kari looks at him with concern and he looks away. He needed to choose his words carefully, he couldn’t afford to say something wrong. So he would choose to lie once more. Another lie wouldn’t mean anything.“Of course I am.” He looks at her with a smile and
she looks at him unconvinced. He then moves his eyes towards Agumon. He pats him on the head and Agumon opens his eyes and smiles before closing his eyes again. “How is he?” “I don’t know…” Kari says, looking down at Agumon sadly. He was hurt and had scratches and bruises all over him. He needed all the rest he could get, but everytime he tried to sleep, he would quickly wake up, tears in his eyes. “I think he’ll be okay as long as you’re there for him.” T.K. looks at Agumon and looks at him sadly.
Feeling the pain and anger rise. How could someone just do that to Agumon? Using him for their own destruction. It was cowardly, if they wanted to destroy the village they should have done it themselves. At least then he wouldn’t hesitate to end them.
He shakes his thoughts and looks at Agumon, who was shaking in his sleep. He bends down and speaks to him. “We’ll find Tai, I know it.”
Agumon soon stops shaking and a small smile is on his face. Kari looks up to speak, but before she could, T.K. was already gone. Did he really mean it when he told Agumon that? She wasn’t so sure anymore…
~

Davis looks at his group of friends walking in front of him. They all seemed so quiet, so worried. There wasn’t any banter, no laughter, just quiet steps into the field as they walked to the cave. Davis looked at the group, noticing T.K. was completely isolated from everyone. He wasn’t even paying attention to Patamon.

“Hey, T.K.” Davis calls him over and T.K. turns around and looks at him and walks back towards him. Davis smiles faintly; he was glad he had heard him.

“What’s up Davis?” T.K. smiles at Davis, it was a fake smile, something about it was unsettling to Davis.
It made him kind of uncomfortable…

“Look man there’s a lot that I don’t get about you” Davis tells him, completely unsure of where he was going with this. He scratches his cheek and looks at T.K. still trying to find his words.

“Ouch” T.K. says, his smile vanishing. This wasn’t exactly what he had expected when he saw Davis trying to call him over.

“That sounds wrong, sorry, but what I’m trying to say is well uh, look, I was always jealous of you before when we had first met. You were always calm and cool and it looked like people actually liked having you around and I started thinking you were taking everything from me. It stopped me from understanding you, but then I realized that you were my friend. You weren’t taking anything from me, You were giving stuff to me.
I know you’re going through something and you could always count on me, no matter what” Davis smiled at him awkwardly, he was trying his best ,but he didn’t know what to say.
T.K. put his hand to his throat and held it, he remained silent. Davis should never have been jealous of him, it should have been the other way around. “Davis, I wish I could be more like you.
I’m not as cool as you think I am.
I’m glad you don’t feel like that anymore because trust me when I say you don’t wanna be like me.” T.K. looked at him, his eyes looked like they were full of so much pain.
“More like me?” Davis laughs lightly. “That’s not the best example you could give. I mean I’m just me” Davis looked at him a bit confused.

“Davis, because you’ve never lost anything you always push forward with your strength and without fear. I hope you never have to experience that bitter pain of loss.”
T.K. smiled at him, this was the first sincere smile Davis had seen from him since they started talking. Davis looked at him, he couldn’t feel anything ,but sadness. This guy always looked like he was having fun, teasing everyone, especially him…which honestly annoyed him sometimes ,but it was always good fun. He always had a smile ready and reassuring words that could put anyone at ease, sometimes it was easy to forget how broken he really was.

Davis was still looking at him in silence when he started walking away.
He didn't know what to do. T.K. was right, he had never lost anything, so he couldn’t exactly understand how he felt as much as he might want to, but if there's one thing he knew for sure though is that T.K. was a passionate guy.
They at least had that in common, they both had a passion for those they cared about and sometimes that was the only thing to set them right.

“T.K! I know you saw how sad Kari looked when she saw you! I know you don’t want her to feel that way! She really cares about you and I know you feel the same which is why I know that’s hurting you too!” Davis called after him. Remembering the scene at the festival, the way they had looked at each other's eyes and the way the world seemed silent at that moment. That was something he must have known too.

T.K. stopped walking and then turned his head back. He wasn’t looking at Davis, he was looking at the sun setting. It’s light leaving them, the darkness taking its place.

“I know…which is why I wish she would have fallen for you instead.”
“Huh” Davis looked at him confused. So he was right, there was something going on, but why would he say something like that. It didn’t make any sense. Why was he so afraid- Davis looked down realizing what he must have meant by that. He was afraid of losing her too huh…he couldn’t imagine having to live your life in so much fear. “You’re an honest guy. You aren’t two faced or a coward and everyone looks up to you whether you realize it or not. That’s the kind of person that’s worth putting up a fight for, not someone like me.” His
eyes still locked on the scenery, reflecting a response that was full of pain, words that were so genuine it cut like a knife. He turned back around and walked away. Joining the rest of the group as if his heart wasn’t being torn in half by his anguish.
“T.K…” Davis looked at him sadly, why, why couldn’t he do anything for his friends! He felt so worthless. He moved his hand as if he was about to slam his fist ,but then stopped. His hands felt so weak and helpless, like the time his family was taken by Bakemon and he couldn’t do anything. That was the closest he had to understanding what losing something meant, but even still things turned out okay and he was happy to move forward without fear , but now…

“Davis?” Veemon finally speaks, he had remained silent the whole time. He could sense Davis growing more frustrated the more he talked to T.K.
and the more he looked at everyone. It was his duty as his partner to encourage him and he wasn’t about to stop.

“There’s always a way to get through to someone” Veemon looked at him, thinking about the day Ken and Stingmon recklessly risked their lives. Even though things seemed hopeless and they were stubborn, they had still reached them. Sometimes you need to be even
more stubborn than the ones refusing help.

“I know, I won’t ever give up on my friends” Davis looked at Veemon, his eyes were slightly swollen. He would never give up on any of them. The fact they were all sad wasn’t an excuse to leave them alone, it was a sign to keep pushing, to try to break through to them. He hated seeing anyone suffer and he wasn’t about to let his friends go through more misery. A part of him felt he needed to shield them even if it meant taking all that pain for himself.

~~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey, I’m going to go check on Davis, he’s taking a while” Ken looks at Yolei who notices T.K. 's continued silence and Davis’ distance from them. Maybe Kari was right that there was something off about Davis too. “Yeah, you go do that” Yolei smiles at him and Ken looks at her eyes and nods. “I’ll be right back” Ken says and Yolei looks at him go off. Ken had just gone through something difficult, but he was already back on his feet, she couldn’t help but feel so much admiration for him just seeing how much he changed each day,
“Hey Davis” Ken ran over to him, it looked like Davis was staring into the distance in silence. He hadn’t noticed him arriving and he was still looking at something.

“Uh Davis” Ken says and Davis suddenly jolts back to reality.

“Jeez man you scared me” Davis sighs and he looks at Ken. He had been staring at the sun setting a bit longer than he intended. It was a normal sight, nothing weird about it, but for some reason in his mind he couldn’t help, but wonder, why? Why was it setting? Why was it hiding away?

“Hey Davis! That’s not how the wielder of the Crest of Courage should act” Veemon had genuinely looked offended and Davis looked at him upset.
“Hey! We all get startled sometimes”
Davis tells Veemon. “Hmph this is why everyone thinks you're lame” Veemon crosses his arm and looks away.
“No one thinks that!” Davis shakes Veemon aggressively who just begins to laugh. Davis looks at him and begins to laugh too, he was starting to feel tense, it looked like Veemon had noticed and was trying to get his mind off things.

“That's why we’re Lamvis and Lamemon, right?” Davis smirked as he ruffled Veemon’s head. If he wanted to be lame then they could at least be lame together.

“Hey! I never agreed to that” Veemon stomped his foot on the ground and Ken smiled lightly. They were definitely far from lame ,but they couldn’t know that or their egos would get too big.

“So uh what’s up Ken” Davis pushes Veemon aside who was still yapping.

“Davis, I wanted to thank you” Ken looks at him sheepishly. Even though he had always been grateful he had never been good at saying it, it was difficult to express that gratitude adequately enough.

“Huh, what for?” Davis looks at him confused.

“It’s just that, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you” Ken tells him sincerely.

“Man, come on, we're friends. You don’t need to thank me and hey, you might not know it ,but you helped me as much as I helped you” Davis smiles whole heartedly. Ken didn’t know it ,but in all honesty before they had become friends, before they had started their adventures in the Digital World, Davis never felt he was good enough.
He wanted someone, anyone to tell him he was good enough, but he never did enough to let that happen.
He really didn’t have many friends, but now he had a whole gang and they made him really happy. Which was why…he couldn’t help but feel bad at that moment.

All his friends seemed like they were going through something difficult right now, and honestly at the start of this trip he thought it was going to be a grand adventure. In part he wanted it and now he felt guilty that he had even thought for a split second that this would be like it was before. At the start of his adventures it was to defeat the Digimon Emperor and have an occasional picnic ,but when Ken joined he realized things weren’t so simple and now that he was older he understood the fact even better.

“Hey Davis?” Ken looked at him, it was unusual to see him so lost in thought.

“Huh what’s up?” Davis looked at him.

“Everything okay?” Ken placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Of course it is K-Dawg! I’m just really happy to have you all as friends” Davis smiled genuinely, it wasn’t a lie. He really was grateful to have them all. Which is exactly why he couldn’t fail them. He had to be a strong leader for everyone even if it meant making difficult decisions.

“K-Dog?” Ken looked at him confused because last time he checked he was not a dog.

“No, It’s K-DAWG, get it right” Davis smiled brightly.

“Uh yes…” Ken smiled back a bit confused , but he couldn’t help it. Davis had a contagious smile. It looked like it didn’t have a care in the world. He was really glad that Davis was his friend, and not just Davis. Ken was grateful for everyone, he didn’t think he deserved them ,but he was glad to have them all.
“Hey guys what’s taking so long” Yolei looked at Davis with suspicion. Sure Davis was Davis and he didn’t seem different ,but something felt a bit off. It must not be anything, after all if Davis faltered who else would carry them through. It’s probably nothing. Davis wore his heart on his sleeve; it would be impossible not to see through him….or maybe Kari was right. “We’ll be right there! Come on Ken we can’t be the rotten-” Davis stopped himself, maybe mentioning Digieggs wasn’t the best decision at the moment.
“Yes, let’s” Ken nodded and he walked off.
“Davis?” Veemon spoke. “What’s up buddy” Davis pats Veemon on the head.
“Why don’t you call me V-Dawg” Veemon looked away, upset and hmphed.

“What-?” Davis looked at him confused.

“You heard me! I’m your best friend! Why don’t I have a nickname!” Veemon said somewhat upset.

“Uh well…It’s cause every time you digivolve you change names, you’d have a variety of nicknames dude.
D-Dawg, V-Dawg, Ex-Dawg, F-Dawg, R-Dawg, M-Dawg, P-Dawg, I-Dawg, I-Dawg Fighter Mode, I-Dawg Paladin mode. It’s too much man”
Davis looked at him, for a split second he actually felt bad for not calling him anything ,but then he realized he changed too much all the time.

“You owe me chips Davis” Veemon yanked the bag of chips from Davis’ backpack and swallowed it whole.

“Dude…” Davis looked at him surprised then looked upset “THAT WAS THE ONLY BAG OF CHIPS I BROUGHT” Davis shaked Veemon who only laughed.
“Hey Davis…” Veemon began, suddenly turning serious. “What,Veemon?” Davis sighed, there was no way Yolei would share her snacks with him.
“Davis, I’m your partner, your best friend, no matter what happens. I’m always going to be here for you, okay?” Veemon looks at Davis who looks at him a little stunned at the suddenness.

“I never doubted you for a second now come on let’s go see if we can steal someone’s snacks” Davis runs off with a smile.

“Hey Davis, wait for me” Veemon runs after him with a smile.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The cave hadn’t been very far when they saw it in the distance, but the quiet atmosphere had made the trip feel eternal. Everyone had arrived and they were in the midst of starting a fire.

“Hey guys, I’m going to go grab some supplies, okay? I promise I’ll be back soon” Davis looks at everyone and they all nod silently. Davis looks at them and frowns. How was he supposed to bring the mood up now? Oh right he had marshmallows maybe it wasn’t the best idea, but maybe it would cheer up everyone…even just a little bit. That’s all he wanted to do. Even a small smile from all their faces or a glitter in their eyes, that was all he needed to continue pushing through.

“Guys! Here! You can all have some and make sure to share with the babies. I’m going to go fill up our water” Davis grins as he shoves the marshmallows at Cody. “I’ll be back soon” Davis said as he quickly grabbed everyone’s water containers and ran off with Veemon following closely behind him.

“I’ll have that” Veemon runs back and grabs one from the bag and runs off after Davis. Cody looked at him still confused. Davis had just vanished so quickly. He didn’t understand why Davis had just given this to him and left.
“Do you guys want some?” Cody turns to the others.
“I guess I’ll take one,” Yolei says, unable to resist. This had admittedly made her feel slightly better.

“I’m not hungry” T.K. looks at Cody and then looks away from him. His eyes fixated on the fire in front of him, Cody looks at him uncertain of what to do and just turns to the others.

“All right then…” Cody says as he offers one to Kari who reluctantly takes one
and Ken who grabs one, but gives it to Wormmon. Cody turns to the babies who all take some and eat it with a smile. Cody looks at them and smiles back faintly. He was glad they could still smile after everything that had happened.

~~

Ken glanced around the area, everyone was quiet. They had made it to the cave and set up a campfire ,but there was an unmistakable tension in the air. It was unsettling. In the atmosphere he could sense frustration, sadness, and anger. The anger coming from one person in particular. Ken looked over at T.K. who on a surface appeared calm, but they could all sense how upset he was. Ken walked over to him and decided to break the silence.

“T.K., I know it was a rough sight to see, so how are you holding up?” Ken asks him.

“I’m doing fine” T.K. looked at Ken and smiled, Ken took a step back unknowingly. The smile he had given him, it was unnerving. It was the same smile he had given him back then before punching him. He wasn’t afraid ,but it made him feel…anxious.

Ken remained quiet for a while and T.K. observed him. He looked tense, did he intimidate him? That wasn’t what he wanted to do. Nor did he understand why he had done that. Maybe his frustration was becoming clear…

“Sorry” T.K. said as he looked away. He didn’t want to make Ken uncomfortable.

“No, you didn’t do anything” Ken told him reassuringly.

“Can I be honest?” T.K. looked at Ken who nodded.

“Ken, this whole thing sucks. I know you understand how precious that place is. Seeing it destroyed like that, it’s like seeing hope vanish before your very eyes. A place where Digimon who die are reborn and come back, gone, just like that. If any of our Digimon were to die, right here and now, none of them would come back. That’s how grave this situation is. So what can we do? Do we just sit here and do nothing or do we find out what’s going on and fix it” T.K. says in his tone mixed with anger, sorrow, and fear. Ken observed him quietly. He was right. If it wasn’t for that village, Wormmon would never have been able to come back. Ken tightly held Minomon in his arms and looked at him sadly.

“I want to do something too, but we can’t focus on the darkness right now or things really will be over” Ken tells him. He didn’t think he had much room to talk though, as much as he always wanted to move forward, the darkness always came back to strangle him and drag him down. Almost as if T.K. had read his mind, he spoke.

“Ken…you know it as well as I do. Neither of us can escape the darkness. It's always going to come back to us like a bad dream” T.K. snapped the stick in his hands and threw it in the fire, then stood up and turned around looking at the burning ashes of the village, the smoke that still penetrated his nostrils with the memories of a broken day.

“I know…” Ken said softly, looking at the fire in front of him. He couldn’t help but shake, remembering the day he had created Chimeramon who destroyed countless Digimon with flames. He had decided to forgive himself, sure, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel anything any more and that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be a long road to that forgiveness. Forgiveness took time, especially if it was directed to yourself.
“Ken. We’ve both lost things, things we can never get back. I want you to keep moving forward, live free from your past because no one holds anything against you anymore” T.K. looks at Ken and smiles weakly ,but genuinely at him. There wasn't any room to doubt what he was saying, his eyes were honest.
“What about you?” Ken asks him, with growing concern. The way he had talked it was like he didn't think he should move on from his past.
“You’ve fixed things already, but there’s still things I need to do. Things I need to do to make sure of so nothing ever happens again” T.K. said before walking off.

Ken watched him go off and looked down at the floor and sighed. He was the one that was supposed to offer support ,but it felt like it had happened the other way around.

“Well I bet that didn't go the way you thought it would” Yolei spoke and Ken turned around to look at her.

“Not at all…” Ken muttered.

“Well don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be fine.” Yolei looked at him with a small smile. Though she wasn't sure what she was saying was true. Everything they had seen, it was so horrible and looking at Agumon like that, it made her feel sick. She was going to leave them here to die, and that thought made her feel so repulsive.

“I think you're right,” Ken said with a small smile and a nod.
He then turned to her “How are you feeling?”

“Just fine,” Yolei said with a smile. She didn't want to think about that anymore, she was here now and that's what mattered.

“I'm glad” Ken said as he patted his partner
and looked at him with a smile. His partner rested on him in the warm light, something
he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

~~

Yolei sighs as she looks around her. Everyone was so sad…and well she couldn’t blame them, but the atmosphere was so stiff. Someone had to do something. Davis had gone off on his own to get some supplies. Ken was sitting there quietly next to her. Cody was looking at the babies apologetically, T.K. was standing outside the cave
away from everyone, and Kari was just looking at him with Agumon in her arms. Yolei stands up and walks over to Kari and bends down.
“Are you not going to talk to him?” Yolei asks Kari who remains silent, looking as if she wanted to say something before quietly shaking her head.
“Why not?” Yolei looks at her. The fire was illuminating her face so much that you could tell clearly that it was full of sadness. Kari looked at Yolei and then at Agumon. Now that Agumon was here without Tai, she wasn’t sure if everything really would be okay.
“He’s always reassured me everything is going to be okay, but I don’t know if I could do the same for him…” Kari continues to look at T.K. and then looks down at the fire in front of her. She hated that she couldn’t help him, but if she tried to talk to him right now, he’d realize she was worried and would try to change the conversation and that would do no good.
“I see then…” Yolei says with a weak smile before walking away. Quietly hoping the ever growing sadness in her heart would soon wash away.
Kari looked down at Agumon who opened his eyes and looked around him.
He had finally woken up. The Digimon from the village were looking at him so scared… She gently moved his head away from them so he wouldn’t have to see them shaking and so that the babies wouldn’t have to shake either. Agumon looked up at her and smiled, but his smile turned to a frown. She was looking at T.K. sadly in silence.

“Why are you looking at him so sadly? You’re always so happy when you see him.” Agumon taps Kari lightly and she looks down at him.

“It’s just that he’s sad and I don’t know what to do” Kari looks at him with a weak smile.

“Well go cheer him up then” Agumon looks at her with an enormous smile.

“That's easier said than done…” Kari pats Agumon on the head and looks at the distance.

“Really? I always feel better when I see you, or all our other friends, or food, and most of all when I see Tai!” Agumon said, his voice happy and full of innocence.

“I miss Tai. I hope I see him soon” Agumon said with a yawn before falling asleep once again. His peaceful snores filling the room despite his body silently shaking.

“I miss him too…” Kari says softly as she looks at his sleeping face. She thought Tai would be fine as long as Agumon was with him, but now…knowing that Agumon is right here, would he really be okay?

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Davis looked behind him, he was already away from view. He turned and began to head a different direction from the lake. He had somewhere he needed to see. Even though he was never one to dwell on the past, maybe there was a clue he was missing.

“Davis? I hate to be that guy ,but the lake isn’t this way.” Veemon tugs at Davis’ pants.

“I know, but I want to go somewhere first,” Davis said as he began to make his way towards the village. He reached it and stopped, looking at it, his eyes reflecting its brokenness. The once lush green village was burnt to a crisp, the cradles were crushed and there was the smell of ash. Davis looked at it and frowned, the sight before him, it felt like his heart at the moment. Broken and uncertain of where to even begin to fix it. Davis clenched his fist and walked away from the village with Veemon quietly following behind.

Soon they both arrive at the lake. Davis grabs each bottle and begins to fill them and then close him. He turns, noticing he left his own bottle.

“Hey Veemon, I left my water, can you go get it?” Davis asks Veemon who nods.

“Sure, I’ll be back faster than you can say Veemon where’s my water?” Veemon says with a smile and then he runs off. He then comes back a few seconds later. “Where was it again?”

“Ken should know,” Davis says with a small laugh.

“You got it!” Veemon salutes and then runs off.

Davis looked around him and then at the lake. He grabs some water in his hands and puts it on his face. The water was cool and fresh from the stream. It felt nice. He looks up at it and then looks down at the lake, seeing his goggles reflected on the stream.
He digs his hands into the grass and looks away from the stream. He couldn’t get everything out of his mind.
The real reason he left wasn't to get supplies. It’s that he couldn’t bear to look at any of them. He had failed them…every time he looked at them he could feel his heart beginning to strangle itself. He continued to look at the ground and before he could realize what was going on, there were tears streaming down his face.

“I…I’m just letting everyone down and I don’t know what to do anymore” Davis says, his voice cracking. He removes his goggles and looks at them. The more he looked at them, the more he was starting to feel he was unworthy of them. Maybe he never should have been the “leader”. If the leader was Tai…he never would have let Ken hurt himself like this…he never would have let Yolei say things that hurt herself and others…he never would have let Cody feel like he didn’t belong…he never would have let T.K. abandon himself like that…he never would have let Kari down.
He never should have never been the leader. Tai is the only one fit for that role.
“Davis I found it. We left it open on Yolei’s stuff and oh was she mad- ” Veemon says and then stops. He tilts his head, noticing Davis on the floor. He walks over to him. “Davis, are you okay?” “Of course I am, I just fell in the water on accident” Davis says quickly wiping his face. Veemon looks at him and frowns and pats him on the knee.“I don’t know if even you are capable of that Davis” Veemon told him and Davis chuckled. He didn’t really have any reason to lie to Veemon. It wasn’t really that he wanted to, but he didn’t want to think like that anymore. If he let too many thoughts cross then he would get down, and that wasn’t what they needed right now. “Even I surprise myself sometimes Veemon” Davis picks him and looks at him with a smile. The way Veemon always motivated him, that was what he had to do for everyone else.
Even if things got hard he had to keep believing. Davis puts him down on the floor and then puts his goggles back on. At least for now, he would have to fulfill that role of “leader” even if he was unworthy of it.
“Well let’s get going buddy” Davis tells Veemon who nods as they both walk back towards the other.

“Hey Veemon,” Davis said as they continued to walk.

“What is it?” Veemon looked up at him and Davis smiled lightly.
“I’m grateful we met. I hope you’ll always stick by me” Davis told him. In his mind he was thinking about everything that had happened, but if there was one thing that was clear. It was that the bonds everyone had with one another always pulled through. Veemon was his first friend and he never wanted to forget that bond.

“Of course I will. We’ll always be friends, no matter what” Veemon said with a grin.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T.K. lays his head on the wall behind him. He had left the cave and was sitting outside of it, away from view. He pulls a match out and ignites it. Staring at the fire he could feel a lot from it. Anger,frustration, sadness, and most of all hatred.
The darkness didn’t have any right to keep destroying everything. He grabs the fire and puts it out. He closes his eyes, he could feel his consciousness begin to fade. Was he awake? Was he asleep? He wasn’t sure, but as it faded he could hear a voice. A very distant voice that grew closer and closer.

He quickly jolts up and looks around him. It wasn’t real. Of course it wasn’t. His brother wasn’t here. It was just his mind….wishing he had heard him. He stands up and walks back in the cave. He would need to do something about all this, alone if he had to.

The campfire sizzled in front of everyone. Its fire was quiet ,but appeared to be hungry from more as it burned the sticks in it to ashes. The babies were inside the cave being watched by Elecmon.

“Elecmon, do you mind if I go somewhere real quick?” T.K. turned to the red digimon and smiled weakly. He needed to be alone right now. He didn’t know what he would do. He just had to do something before he did something impulsive…after all he had that horrible habit.

Elecmon looked at him with concern, and then nodded. A smile plastering his face. “Of course. Take your time. The babies are sleeping peacefully.”

“Thank you.” T.K. put his hat on as he began to walk off. He needed to fix himself before it was too late. No one should have to see him as he was now, weak and pathetic. That was the part of himself he hated.

“Hey T.K. wait for me.” Patamon flew towards him and stayed close. T.K. continued to walk, almost as if he hadn’t even acknowledged Patamon being there.

Cody looks at him,and then begins to follow him.

“T.K. wait!” Cody speaks quickly and loudly. He didn’t want to miss his chance to talk to him. If T.K. was upset because of him, he wanted to make sure he made things right with T.K.

“Cody?” T.K. looks at him and stops walking. Cody had a worried expression on his face, he felt a quick pain in his heart. He didn’t want to cause that to anyone.

“I’m sorry.” Cody looked at the floor sadly. His apology was short ,but genuine. He didn’t say much, because he knew T.K. would immediately know what he was talking about.

T.K. shakes his head at him. “Cody, you never have to apologize for doing what you think is right. After all, the fact that you always follow your heart is what we all like about you.” T.K. smiles gently at the boy and then continues to walk off. Each step he took felt like it was dragging him down.
Cody attempts to reach out ,but he stops himself. Cody nods in silent understanding and turns around, walking back towards the others. He didn’t know what to say so there wasn’t any point in talking to him.

~~

Davis continued to make his way back with Veemon. His mind was empty, not really thinking of much as he made his way through the field. He didn't want to think right now, he just wanted to arrive back. Well that's what he thought…maybe he wasn't ready to face them all yet. Davis continues to walk when he sights a familiar face. T.K. was walking away from the cave. Had something happened while he was gone?

“Hey where are you going?”
Davis ran up to him with bottles still in hand.

“Nowhere…” T.K. answers him with a dry smile.

“It looks to me like you're going somewhere.” Davis looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Hey you better not be thinking about doing anything stupid” Davis adds in.

“Of course not. I'm just going to go think” T.K. says, beginning to walk away until Davis grabs his shoulder stopping him. Davis remained quiet for a bit before letting go and speaking.

“You can think back at the cave with all of us there,” Davis said a bit more sternly than he had intended. T.K. turns around and looks at him. He had felt Davis' hand shake, but he wasn't sure if it was real. As long as he had known him, Davis had never been afraid.

“...I need to be alone right now” T.K. spoke quietly. He didn't want to admit it, but with everyone there he couldn't think. With everyone there he wouldn't want the pathetic side of himself there.

“T.K. you can't do things alone.” Davis looks at him seriously. That was one thing he couldn't forget. “In all these
dangerous adventures we've
had and even the ones you had before you knew us. We've only all managed to come back alive because we worked together”

“Not everyone survived Davis!”
T.K. says bluntly. He hadn't meant to say it aloud, but he did and there was no going back now.

Davis looked at him and remained quiet. Waiting to see what he would say next. He was getting close to seeing what was wrong with T.K. and he wasn't going to stop him from talking. This was progress even if what he was about to say may not be what he was ready to hear.

“Just today alone you saw how many babies died. Have you ever thought about what would happen if it was one of us? Unlike the Digimon, we don't come back.”

Davis looked at him wide eyed and then stayed silent. He couldn't say without certainty that he'd never thought about it before. He had, but it never seemed real enough to be possible. This was a dangerous world after all. Anything could happen. He was right. There were a lot of Digimon who died and even a person. But he couldn't afford to be afraid of that.

“I don't know ,but I don't want to be afraid,” Davis looked away from him. He couldn't look him in the eyes, he didn't feel he had the right to tell him to keep moving forward. After all…he was starting to have doubts himself.

T.K. looks at him, noticing a hint of doubt in his eyes.
He didn't mean to get Davis down, or really anyone for the matter. “And that's okay Davis. No one expects you to change. What you've done has always been enough for all of us.” T.K. speaks to him genuinely.

Davis looks at his side and tightens his fist. He was wrong. What he did wasn't enough.
If it had been enough everyone would be okay right now. No one would be sad, no one would be hurt.

“I'm sorry Davis, I don't want to bring you down. I know you'll protect everyone. You've always been good at it. You've never failed to do that.” T.K. looked at him and then walked away. If only he had been able to protect the ones he loved too, but he wasn't going to fail any more, he couldn't.

“...There he goes,”
Davis mutters. He had failed to convince him, but maybe he really did just need some time to himself. Some time to regain his hope…yeah that was who he was. Everyone on the team had a role he just needed to find his heart again.

“I'm sure he'll be back Davis” Veemon looks up at Davis who nods.

“I know. It isn't like him to get like this ,but it isn't like me to give up either. I'm gonna see what I can still do” Davis says as he continues to walk back to the campsite. No matter what he couldn't give up…but for some reason he couldn't help ,but think that something was wrong.

“That's it Davis” Veemon looks at him with an encouraging smile. Davis would be okay. That was what he had always believed and just like how Davis would never give up, he would never stop believing in him.

~~ Chapter 28: Endless Miracle

Yolei watches as Cody walks back looking somewhat disappointed. He takes
a seat and stares at the fire in front of him. The atmosphere had been stiff the entire time and it felt like the more time passed the worse it got. If it was destiny like the prophecy said for all of them to struggle, it was a cruel one.

“Cody where did T.K. go?” Yolei asks him.

“I don’t know…maybe he just needs some time.” Cody looks at the distance, feeling somewhat guilty. He didn’t mean to bring T.K. down, but he was always so stubborn in his beliefs…

“Maybe. I was too harsh…” Cody mutters. Yolei looks at him and frowns. Uncertain of what to say. She wasn’t used to seeing Cody like this. He had changed these last few days, maybe for the better, but in part she was starting to wish none of this had ever happened.

“It’s not your fault Cody.” Davis says as he arrives with the waters in his hand and hands them over to everyone. He didn’t want anyone blaming themselves for anything. It would only make things worse and bring the mood down.

“I doubt he’s mad at you. It’s not like him. I think he’s just trying to figure things out.”

Cody looks at Davis in surprise, the maturity catching him off guard. He hadn’t expected Davis to say such a thing, but then again he was right. He honestly couldn’t remember a time T.K. was ever mad at him. Whenever he was mad, it was something else, the darkness.

“What? Why do you look so surprised?”
Davis says as he sits down.

“Nothing” Cody silently perks up and continues to watch the babies. It was a strange thing to think ,but Davis was right, T.K. always had many sides to him, those sides were what stopped Cody from being able to understand him before ,but now he had no reason to doubt him. Even if there were times…were something about him felt off.

“Cody, never give up on yourself. You gotta always follow your heart man. Even if things seem hard you gotta do what you think is right” Davis looks at him seriously and Cody nods. He didn’t think Cody would ever stop doing what he thought was right, but he would remind him as many times as he needed.

“...Davis, thank you…” Cody smiles softly, it was rare to see him smile, so maybe he had at least done something right, but still there so much going on that maybe that wasn’t enough.

Davis feels a wave of sadness strike him, he needs to do something for them. Right now their morale was low and he couldn’t have that.
It looked like Cody was feeling better ,but what about T.K. yeah he probably needed some time ,but maybe he needed a push. Davis turned and looked at Kari who was staring at the fire in painful silence. Looking at the fires sizzled as she held Agumon tightly.

“You’re worried about T.K. aren’t ya?” Davis approaches his friend and hands a soda to her. He places her water in front of her. She could have that water later. Right now she was looking kind of pale so maybe that soda would help her.
“Ah well…”she pauses thinking about her next words. Of course she was worried about him, but she didn’t mean to make it a problem…to make everyone aware of it.

“That’s a yes,” Davis smiles as he takes a seat next to her. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to help either of them, so he’d put his trust in Kari to go help T.K. after all, they had always been there for each other before. That wouldn’t change now.

“Hey, maybe you should go talk to him”
he bends his head down and meets her eyes.
He saw nothing ,but a sad and pained expression. This pained his heart, little by little he was seeing his friends suffer and there was nothing he could do about it. They were all in pain and he was just there, watching.

“I know…I just don’t know what to say”
Kari smiles weakly at her friend. She had been thinking this whole time, what in the world could she possibly say to him, but when she looked at Agumon in her arms, it was like her words left her.

“Sometimes all you gotta do is encourage people,” Davis states with pure enthusiasm. He really did believe that. Even if things didn’t seem like they’d turn up, a little encouragement would be the start of everything turning up.

“Like you're doing right now” Kari looked back at him. His enthusiastic smile turned into shock.

“Uh yeah…” Davis freezes, well he tried ,but this effort wouldn’t go in vain.
She began to laugh and Davis began to laugh as well, she had smiled genuinely and it made his heart melt.

“So did it work?” Davis asked with a smile. He was kind of glad his friends knew him so well that he didn’t have to act like he knew what he was doing.

She smiled back at her friend and stood up.
“It worked perfectly, thank you.”

“You got it!” Davis gave her a thumbs up and continued to smile his expression then turned serious. “I know I might be a bit dense ,but I really care about all of you and want you guys to be happy, no matter what.” If there was one thing he wanted all his friends to know,it was that. He cared about them and wanted them all to be happy and chase their dreams.

Kari looked at her friend, sometimes they didn’t really appreciate the extent of what he did for them ,but they all knew. And everyone valued and trusted his choices. They just didn’t want to inflate his ego because they would never hear the end of it.

“We know it’s very admirable thank you”

“O-of Course” Davis stuttered, he
could feel himself turn red and he smiled.

“And one last thing!”

Kari looked over at him, his face had gone from a sense of awkwardness to determination.

“I promise. We’ll find Tai.” He really meant it when he said it. They had come here for the purpose of finding them and he wasn’t about to give up just because the road was getting a little tough. They would find them all, no matter what happened.

Kari smiles and chokes back a tear. “I know, thank you.” The sight of Agumon had plunged her into worry and doubt, it was getting a bit difficult to believe, but Davis had said it so reassuringly that she couldn’t help ,but believe in him. After all, he had never failed them before.

“Gatomon. Look after Agumon, okay?” Kari asks Gatomon who nods and she walks off, wanting to focus on what she could do at the moment.

“You did good Davis” Veemon jumps from the back and stands in front of his partner. He had a smile on his face. A smile that wasn’t ashamed of showing that he admired Davis.

”I hope so Veemon” Davis looks at his partner solemnly. His eyes flickering with doubt.

“Hm?” Veemon notices the peculiar behavior and eyes him with confusion. Maybe earlier Davis was really sad. That wasn’t like him.

”It’s just that sometimes I feel like I’m doing everything wrong.” Davis looks at the fire crackling in the night. He looks at the faces of his friend’s chatting in the distance and the digimon sleeping peacefully.

“You don’t do everything wrong” Veemon quips ,but notices that Davis had no reaction. Things must be serious. He thought he had imagined it before when he saw Davis look sad, but he hadn't. His partner was always looking towards the future,but even he got sad from time to time.

“I know but..it’s hard making choices sometimes.” Davis looks at the floor and thinks of his friends. He remembers the blood in Ken’s hands, the tears in Yolei’s face, the burdened expression on Cody’s face, the anger and fear in T.K. 's face and the sad look in Kari’s eyes.

Veemon notices his partner’s expression and a soft feeling fills his heart. “Wow, you do think about a lot of things don’t you Davis”

“Of course I do,” Davis’s voice was sharp yet distant. It sounded like it was trying to hide the doubt that was plaguing his heart.

“What if I put everyone in danger? What if everyone's sad and I can’t help them? What if everyone just gives up and we fall apart? What if I put everyone in danger?
I can’t afford to be weak because if I’m weak everything falls apart?” His voice is firm ,but Veemon could hear the brokenness of every other word. A lot of people didn’t see it ,but Davis really worried about things. Not things that he couldn’t change however, his efforts were on what he could do for the ones he cared about. Veemon pauses and then interjets,

“When you're weak, I’ll be strong for you. When you give up, I’ll encourage you!” Veemon smiles as he continues to speak

“When you don’t have any courage, I’ll be brave. When you don’t have the resolve to make a choice, I’ll make it for you” Veemon lifts his fist up and smiles.

“If you put everyone in danger, I’ll fight. After all, I'm your partner. I'm here to protect you! But it’s not just that I’m here to be your friend too, so even if you're alone I’ll be there no matter what” he pauses for a second and then continues.

“And when you need a miracle. I’ll
be there.” A determined expression paints the digimon’s face. The fire illuminating his eyes that shone with a brilliant resolve. Davis had never before seen his partner so determined.

“Veemon…thank you. For being my best friend ”
Davis smiles at his partner, yeah he couldn’t
just worry about stuff like that. He had to keep going no matter what for everyone’s sake. The reason he could be so strong was because of his partner. Davis lifts up his fist towards his partner and smiles. The digimon lifts his fist as well and bumps it with his partner, a grin plasters their faces.

“And thank you for being mine”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T.K. continued to walk through the field, quietly walking towards someplace he could be away from everyone even himself, but that wasn’t possible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape himself.

“T.K. What's wrong.” Patamon
flies in front of him and closes the gap between them. He already knew something was off just by the way T.K. had walked. T.K. always waited for him and let him rest on his head or shoulder, but he had kept walking, lost in thoughts and fixated on some sort of goal.

“Nothing, I’m okay.” T.K. smiles at Patamon. The same kind of smile that everyone had constantly thought was off. The same kind of smile that was only there to hide how pathetic he felt, the smile he used to deceive everyone. No matter who it was.

“T.K. I know you better than anyone. I know that smile isn’t real. I know you're hiding something.” Patamon speaks determinedly and looks at him, his eyes fixated on his.

“...Patamon.” T.K. stays in silence he pushes the brim of his hat down and covers his eyes. He didn’t want to look at Patamon like this. He didn’t want Patamon to have to see this version of himself, even if Patamon was the one who knew this part of him the most.

“You caught me. I guess there’s no point in hiding anything from you.” T.K. says with a small chuckle, one that made no effort to show amusement, it reflected a sort of emptiness.

“Of course there isn’t we’re partners.” Patamon looks at him with sorrow. He didn’t want to see him so sad, but he didn’t know how to make him happy…

“It’s just that I…” he begins to tremble, his breathing becoming slow with every word.

“I’m so scared, Patamon.” T.K. admits, the only words able to escape his lips.

“You don’t have to be, you have me to protect you.” Patamon smiles brightly at him.

“Patamon, I don’t want you to protect me. I want you to be with me!” T.K. tells him boldly. He didn’t care what happened to himself, he just wanted Patamon to be safe, for nothing to happen to him…for him to live.

“I have to protect you. Even if sometimes it makes you sad. I told you this” Patamon puts his head on T.K’s arm, looking at the same arm he had bitten when he was infected. It had turned into a scar,
a reminder of that pain that he hurt him, but it was also a reminder that they would always be together, no matter what.

“Patamon don’t you get it?! What if you're not there! What if what happened to Agumon happens to you!” T.K. says his voice chokes up the fear apparent through each word.

“I can’t bear losing you again! Especially not to the darkness!” T.K. says, clenching up his fist. He was so sick and tired of the darkness. So sick of it hurting everyone he loved and so sick of having to stand by and do nothing while everything fell apart.

“T.K. What did I tell you? The darkness will never win as long as you have hope,” Patamon flaps his wings and backs off, looking him straight in the eyes.
“I don’t know if I can do it Patamon, Matt’s gone and-” “T.K.” T.K. looks up, noticing a familiar voice.
“Kari? What are you doing here” he looks at her in surprise.

“Well you ran off and I was worried…well I still am” she looks at him sadly. He had been acting distant ever since they had fought Skullgreymon, ever since the village had been destroyed. T.K. looks away from her, he didn’t mean to worry her, a part of him was starting to feel both pain and fear. For some reason he couldn’t find it in him to look at her.
“Well I’m fine so you should probably go back-” “You’re not fine!” Patamon interrupts him, Patamon’s blue eyes twinkling in the darkness.
“Don’t lie to her T.K.”
Patamon says sadly. He was tired of T.K. lying to people, he just wanted him to be honest and happy…

T.K. stays in silence he backs off and collapses near a tree. What was he supposed to do? It shouldn’t be affecting him so badly, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t just move on.
Years and years of not being able to move on, years of lying to everyone. Just left him not knowing what to do.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore.” T.K. pushes his hat further down. Covering his eyes.
The eyes that couldn’t hide the pain reflected from his heart.

Kari looks at him and approaches him, she sits down next to him and flicks his hat off. He was trying to hide. Even now when she was right in front of him, he was hiding. He looks at her in surprise and tries to pick it up ,but she places her hand on his.

“You can stop hiding now” Kari tells him with a small,compassionate, and gentle smile. The smile that always left him speechless. He opens his mouth trying to speak, but no words left his mouth. His throat felt like it was blocked. It was like his own thoughts were choking him.

“I promise everything is going to be okay.” She speaks gently as her fingers slowly wrap around his own. With her other hand she brings the hat next to her. He had always reassured her of that, and she wanted to do the same for him.

“How do you know that?!” His voice sounded weak and
wounded.

“Because I have hope.”
Kari smiles weakly at him. Even though he looked so sad at that moment, she knew the part of him that had hope was still in him. The darkness was just trying to get rid of that, but she wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Hope doesn’t always work out…” He stutters not wanting to believe the words coming out of his mouth. She was the last person he wanted to tell that to…but those were the words that came out of his mouth, that was what he was feeling.

“If we didn’t have hope we wouldn’t be here.” Kari looks at him, the memories of Piedmon fill her mind. Back then, it was just the three of them, they were running from their lives, struggling to survive, everything looked bleak, but he still had hope, he put up a brave face for her and she couldn’t ever forget that. It wasn’t just then either, when she had vanished into the Dark Ocean, he kept looking for her and never gave up hope. “Your hope has always saved me”

T.K. looks at her in surprise ,but then remains silent. That wasn’t true, if it wasn’t for him, she probably wouldn’t have ended up in some of these situations that could have hurt her. It was his fault…right now, if he kept thinking this way, he wouldn't be able to protect her, but she didn’t need that. She would be okay without him. That’s what he was trying to tell himself because he couldn’t stop the painful thoughts in his mind.

“Hope lets me digivolve.” Patamon smiles as he lays down on his partner’s lap. Looking at him with hopeful eyes. T.K. smiles faintly ,but his smile soon disappears when he remembers the fight with Devimon. That was the day it felt like he lost everything. He lost his partner, but he also lost his innocence that day. The world had become so much darker on that day.

Kari looks at him and notices the flicker of the smile before it is extinguished. She gently places her head on his shoulder,“Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong-” He continues to speak with a smile ,but then is quickly halted. His lie was rejected without any belief in it.

“I saw you earlier… You were angry and now you’re sad and you think I wouldn’t notice? Don’t try to lie to me T.K.”
her tone
comes off as less gentle, catching him off guard.
T.K. turns to look at her and frowns. He couldn’t help, but feel a bit frustrated that she knew him well. His heart kind of ached when he thought of it because it just reminded him that everyone he loved always left, always suffered and he couldn’t do anything about it. “Why can’t you just take a smile and be done with it…” He wanted her to just take that smile even if it was fake and just move on because he didn’t want her to get down like he was. Because he didn’t know how much longer he could keep it up before breaking. “Because I know you, the smile you have right now isn’t real. It isn’t the smile I love…” She moves from his shoulder and looks down at the floor. Her cheeks flush a shade of pink that to many would be invisible in the night. T.K. looks at her in surprise and then laughs gently, noticing the smallest change. Even though it had made him kind of happy, that happiness also felt like a knife, digging into his heart.

“T.K. can you really say no to that?” Patamon looks up at him and he laughs slightly.

“I guess not.” T.K. turns his head forward and begins to speak.
“It’s strange, sometimes I’m so angry at the darkness from taking you two from me and other times I’m… so scared of it.” He begins to tremble, remembering the scars of that day. “There’s days I’m so angry at it, I wanna fight it and there’s other days that I’m so scared of the darkness. I don’t know what to do. I forget how to breathe, how to think, and I forget how to hope…” His voice cracks softly into the night. There was so much turmoil in his heart, his feelings jumbled together and created the frustration in his heart. “T.K. you don’t need to be afraid we’re right here with you.” She smiles softly at him. Her eyes shone brightly reflecting the light from the stars above despite the night sky being dark and grimm.

“T.K. remember the light will always light up the darkness as long as there’s hope.” Patamon smiles and looks at the two with affection. No matter what, he believed in them, he really did think, everything would be okay as long as they never gave up. Kari smiles at Patamon and nods.

“When things are hard and I need to keep going, I look for hope…” She pauses and then continues. “I look for you”

She continues to speak without hesitation. “So whenever you’re afraid to keep going I’ll be right here, always.” Her hand moves on its own to the side of his face. She tenderly smiles at him.
“Kari…” T.K. looks at her awestruck. For some reason, he had never realized just how much she really cared about him until now. Even though she had proven it before it had never been so clear to him then it was right now. There was a quiet voice in him earlier that wanted her to forget about him, to move on to someone that would be better, but he didn’t want to listen to that voice. He wanted her to stay with him. “Patamon’s your partner. No matter what you have to believe you can do anything together. He won’t leave you again and he’ll help you find Matt and I won’t leave you either, okay? I promise”
He looks at her with admiration and warmth. Her eyes are full of kindness and glowing with determination. This was the person he loved since he was little and everyday he was reminded just how much it was worth it to do so. She was still the person she was back then except now she could stand on her own. This was the person he wanted to protect,no matter what even if she was strong enough to be on her own.
A genuine smile full of affection paints his face as he gazes at her.

She gazes at his eyes as well, dazzled at him as she continues to stare. His eyes had regained their hope and they were full of passion. These were the beautiful eyes that had watched over, that were in the reflection of her memories. Except now she couldn't tell herself it was just childish thoughts, no, now she couldn’t doubt that her feelings for him were real.

No words need to be spoken. They both remain in silence as they gaze at each other's eyes full of warmth for one another. Almost as if the world around them had stopped and time followed their beating hearts.

He wanted to stare at her forever ,but there was something else he wanted to do too. His fear melted like the snow with her warmth.
He didn’t want to be afraid anymore of how he felt. He wanted to prove just how strongly he felt.
“Kari?” “Y-yeah” Normally she would have averted her eyes ,but at that moment she refused to look away. She didn’t want to run from these feelings anymore even if there was still a part of her that didn’t think she was enough for him. “You're very precious to me. I hope you never forget that” he brushes her hair out of her face. His eyes still on hers as he moves closer to her.
Without hesitation, she begins to follow his lead. “You’re really precious to me too.”

It was as if a barrier had been broken and the gap between them was finally closing at that moment.

Until a sudden roar pierced the sky.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Patamon whimpers softly as the moment he'd been waiting for was ruined.

They both turn away in shock, more so at what they almost did then the roar in the night sky. They both quickly stand up and look at the distance. Something was rapidly approaching them. A shadowy figure stands in front of them, its yellow eyes glowing in the night. Emitting a terrifying presence, but also a lonely look staring right at them.

Patamon looks at him, feeling his fur on edge. He looks at the beast in front of him. It returns the look and it opens its mouth, its sharp fangs glowing in the night. It looks up at the moon as if looking for something, or rather someone, and howls. A howl that sounded like a lonely song, calling out for its partner desperately.
Looking for him even though it was gone. Even though he was lonely, that unmistakable look of loyalty still shone in his eyes. He could never mistake him. Even if he looked different.
Patamon’s eyes go wide and he speaks only one word.

“Gabumon?!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The shadowy figure got closer and closer with each step. Its nostrils emitted a puff with each breath.
It had black armor covering its whole body. Its silver fur was like steel and its yellow eyes glimmered. On its shoulders two heads lay on each side. Sharps fangs and two sets of claws in each paw. It began to growl slowly and then it pounced.

“Gabumon?! Are you sure” T.K. looked at Patamon in shock. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Gabumon, his brother’s loyal partner, the Digimon that would never leave Matt alone, was here. Right in front of them, looking as if he wanted to kill them.
“I’m sure of it.” Patamon flapped behind him sadly. He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t mistake it. That was Gabumon, struggling for control of himself. “But Matt would never let anything happen to Gabumon” T.K. looks at the beast in surprise. The bond between them went both ways. As much as Gabumon wouldn’t let anything happen to Matt. Matt wouldn’t let anyone take him either.
“T.K. they got Agumon” Kari looks at him sadly, wishing she had brought Gatomon with her. Even though she didn’t want to fight, she knew that was what they had to do because right now the beast before them had bloodthirsty eyes. Fangs that were ready to sink into them and claws ready to kill them.

“Then there’s only one thing we can do.” T.K. picked up his D-3 and looked at Patamon who only nodded. He didn’t want to fight, but they had no choice. Right now they needed to protect themselves, so he would hope. Hope that Gabumon will snap out of it.

“Patamon digivolve to… Angemon” the holy angel appeared and with his spear he halted the feral digimon’s bite. The creature locked his eyes on Angemon and his fangs dug deeper and deeper into the spear until it broke. A low growl emitting from his lips.

“Kari, can you contact Davis!” T.K. looks at her. This was bad, he was powerful and they wouldn’t be able to do this alone.
She nods and pulls out the D-Terminal and struggles to type. “Izzy really needs to fix the spell check.” She mutters while trying to type a coherent message.

The watchdog of hell
eyes them, anger coursing through him and he emits a flame from his mouth seething through Angemon. Who only stays still, feeling the flames incinerate him. He falls on his knee and takes a deep breath. He needed to fight until the others made it, he needed to protect them. He couldn’t and wouldn’t let them down.

“ANGEMON!” T.K. calls to him desperately, seeing his partner in pain. Angemon had always been a powerful Digimon, one capable of anything in his eyes, but to see him struggle like this, it was scaring him.
“I’m okay! Get to safety though.” Angemon unleashes a Hand of Fate at the beast who only continues to growl.
Each growl full of aggression and dissatisfaction. Each growl is more menacing than the last. “I’m not leaving you Angemon!” T.K.
tells him. Angemon could hear the fear beginning to trace his partner’s voice. No, he couldn’t let him be afraid, but he couldn’t hide the truth. The truth is that he wouldn’t be able to defeat this digimon.“But you have to go! He’s powerful” “We’re not giving up that easily! That’s Gabumon and we can reach him.” T.K. looks at him, his eyes believing every word out of his mouth even though there was still fear lingering. Angemon looks at his partner and nods. He would believe too as long as T.K. did.
“We have to reach him.” Angemon agrees as
he prepares an attack.

“Angemon…we have to go further!” T.K. tells him. Angemon alone wouldn’t be enough. If he could go into MagnaAngemon or even Seraphimon, they would be able to do this.

Angemon nods , but then is stricken again by a hellish fire. A look of pain and frustration embellishes his face as it scorches through him. The fire began to burn brightly at his wings. He hides a groan of pain as he fades back into Patamon. Kari makes a run towards Patamon and picks him up.

“Are you okay?” Kari asks him and Patamon nods his head weakly.

“Where’s T.K.?” Patamon asks as he looks around desperately. His vision was fading, but he had to find him, he had to keep fighting. If not they’d get hurt and he didn’t want that happening. The beast suddenly turns around a low growl escaping through his fangs. He turns his head swiftly and looks at T.K. and his legs begin to run towards him.
In an instant he reaches T.K. and knocks him over. Staring him in the eyes, claws waiting to shred him. His claws dug deeper and deeper into the dirt as he stared him down. Smoke came from his nostrils as he opened his mouth.
“T.K.!”
Patamon screams out in pain. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so afraid. So hopeless and he couldn’t do anything about it. His body was so weak he couldn’t move, and he was about to see T.K. get hurt right before his very eyes. Tears began to well up in his eyes, for the first time he understood what T.K. meant when he said that he hated not being able to do anything for those he loved.

Drops of blood begin to paint the floor with its crimson hues. The green grass being completely overtaken by its opposite color almost as if the grass had never been green. The lake beside them went from a clear blue to being soaked in a blood red. In horror everyone watches and the beast turns around. Blood drips from his eyes as he howls only one word.

“MATTTT!” the blood continues to fall from his eyes and he begins to limp weakly.
His body is growing weaker and weaker with each step.

“MATTTTTTTTTT!” He continued to scream out “ I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY MATT! He looks at his fangs and bites his leg. A sharp pain searing through it. He moves his claws and sinks them into his face. He collapses and continues to claw at his face with more blood dyeing his armor as he pierces himself. He howls as he feels a pain in his neck and he begins to scratch at it. Uncaring of what he was doing to himself, he just wanted this to end. His eyes flash from a merciless yellow to the tender red eyes of a loyal friend.

“GABUMON!” Kari tries to call out for him ,but the broken husk continues to only maul at himself. His eyes flicker a yellow and
a dark gate appears on the ground, consuming them.

Cerberumon gazes down at the gate as he runs to a different direction. Screaming and howling in pain, the memories of his partner piercing him while the darkness made him run away.

“I’m so sorry Matt, I hurt T.K.” He said before weakly collapsing and looking at the moon above him. He closed his eyes and began to shake. He just wanted to hear that lovely sound once more, if he could hear that, he could go in peace.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey they sure are taking a while.” Davis looked at the fire impatiently. Sure he had been the one to tell Kari to go after T.K. , but it couldn’t take that long right? What if something bad happened…

“Come on, leave them be for now Davis.” Yolei smiles lightly as she pats the babies. They looked so peaceful , it was almost difficult to believe that their home had been destroyed. She looked up and stared at the distance. They would be okay, this wasn’t anything unusual…or at least that’s what she wanted to believe.

“Did you guys hear that?” Ken looks at the distance. He had heard some sort of howl in the distance, normally he wouldn’t bat an eye to the sound of nature, but this was different. This was a world they had to be careful in.

“Guys there’s a message!” Cody pulled out his D-Terminal and read, they all turned to read the message. It had just arrived a few seconds ago

Gatomon looks at them and then begins to run. She didn’t care if it was a false alarm
and she wasn’t going to waste time reading the message either. If Kari was there she needed to get there as soon as possible.

“Wait Cody, I can’t see” Yolei tried getting closer to the screen, she really needed a new pair of glasses.

“

Were on trouble! Help!”

Davis looked at the screen wide eyed and quickly stood up. “You know it’s bad when she doesn't fix the autocorrect! Let’s go guys!”

“If she took the time to add two exclamation points it really must be serious” Ken added in. Noting it was difficult to find it on the D-Terminal keyboard. It really needs a better spell check or at least an auto suggestion.

“Right, that always takes me ages to find” Yolei agrees. She especially hated when she accidentally skipped one and had to loop the whole menu just to reach it again. It really needed a back button.

Cody turned and looked at the babies, he looked at them in concern
then looked back at the message. He couldn’t just leave them alone. He closed his eyes and thought about what his father would do , but nothing came to his mind. The choice was a difficult one.

“Cody!” Davis called to him, noticing his hesitation.

“Stay here and protect the babies.” Davis looks at him with trusting eyes.

Cody nods firmly, in that moment that’s what he believed he had to do. The other three ran off towards the distance where they heard nothing ,but howls piercing the wind with its ghastly sorrow.

“Hold on guys. Wait for me.” Agumon says as he stands up and tries to run ,but he trips and falls. He closed his eyes in pain, he had no strength and he was hurt, but Kari was in danger and Tai would be so sad if something happened to her. Agumon looked at his hands and began to whimper. He didn’t want to be so weak, but without Tai, he couldn’t do anything.

~~~

Cody looks at the fire crackle as all the digimon are fast asleep. Armadillomon next to him and Agumon with his eyes closed still full of pain. Agumon was trembling in his sleep, it especially shook Cody at his core because he had always seen nothing ,but bravery from the little Digimon even if at times evil had tainted him. The baby digimon all rested peacefully despite what had transpired earlier that day.

“Cody, what’s wrong?” Armadillomon rests his head on Cody’s lap who only stares at the dim fire. The fire had almost extinguished, it was barely ignited and they had no more sticks to throw in there as fuel.

Catching Armadillomon off guard, Cody opens his mouth and begins to speak. “I’m tired of being this way...”

Armadiilomon hadn’t expected Cody to cave in so easily, maybe he hadn’t noticed, but it was a sign he was growing. “What do you mean?” “I’m so stubborn…people say I’m wise ,but really I’m just a fool. I get so wrapped up in what I believe that I don’t stop to think about others.” Cody says sadly. He wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing or not, he didn’t want to leave the babies alone, but leaving his friends didn’t feel right either. “That’s not true Cody. You just have a strong heart. One that believes in what’s right or wrong no matter what. You need to do what ya think is right.” Armadillomon speaks genuinely at him, but of course he had never not been genuine for as long as Cody knew him, but how long would that last. If he had broken his friends trust by staying behind then whos to say Armadillomon would not eventually follow.“I don’t know what’s right anymore…” Cody says softly, his worries placing themselves back on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but be stressed, he wasn’t Davis who didn’t have a care in the world. He was just himself… “If something is bothering you then I think you know what the right thing to do is.” Armadillomon places his head on Cody’s leg and smiles at him. His eyes were full of a reliability that just told him that everything was going to be okay, no matter what happened.
“Armadillomon…”

“Let’s go Cody, together we can do anything” Armadillomon looks at Cody with determined eyes, eyes full of a firm conviction. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in them, those were the kind of eyes, Cody wanted to see reflected in himself. A conviction blended with the wisdom to make the right choices.

“Right!”

“Armadillomon digivolve to…”A purifying light shines down on Armadillomon as he turns to Ankylomon.

Elecmon looks at them both. “Don’t worry about us. No one will get these babies on my watch.” “Thank you” Cody gets on Ankylomon as they both ride off, hoping that they wouldn’t be too late.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No..No…No this couldn’t be happening. Davis thought to himself as he got on Raidramon and they ran through the night. His friends were in trouble and he was there doing nothing like if he lived in the valley of sitting ducks.
As Davis ran the only thing flashing in his eyes was the memories of
a year ago. When all of his friends were defeated by Alphamon and he couldn’t do anything for them. He had to watch Veemon get taken and…
“Davis!” Raidramon
called out to him and looked at him with sincere eyes. “We need to have courage”

“I know but what if it isn’t enough” Davis spoke genuinely. He really was starting to doubt and he couldn’t hide it. He was too transparent to keep it hidden away.

“It won’t be enough if you keep thinking that way. Be strong, believe in your friends, I can feel that friendship in your heart driving you forward. Don’t let go off that resolve” Raidramon continued to run through the night.

“You’re right. If I give up now, everything is over” Davis pats Raidramon’s head and he keeps moving forward. To Raidramon, Davis was the coolest partner ever. He had courage, friends that believed in him, an ability to believe in miracles, and the resolve to carry them through. Everyday he wanted to be more and more like his partner, he had a duty to be there for him always and he couldn’t let him waiver now because that wasn’t the partner he had waited for.

Davis stares into the distance, he sees a large shadow glowing in the night.
It felt very menacing, but he couldn’t afford to be afraid of it. “Over there!” He marches on, thinking his friends will be there ,but the darkness soon disappears and nothing but a growl is heard. Raidramon turns back into Veemon and looks around.
He could sense something lonely in the night.
A black beast stares down at him with its claws soaking with blood. It growled slowly as blood seeped through its eye.
One eye looked like it was full of pain, the other looked like it hungered for its prey.

“Davis! Watch out!”Veemon jumps in and pushes his partner out of the way, a glowing light engulfing him.

“Veemon digivolve to…ExVeemon.”

Exveemon blocks the beast’s bite with his arm. ExVeemon closes his eyes in pain and continues to fight regardless. The pain was sharp and it was burning him, but he needed to fight. No matter what happened, he had two things he always had to do. Fight to save the world and most importantly to protect Davis.
“Minomon!”
Ken looks at his partner and notices the sheer exhaustion on his face. “I’m sorry Ken, I don’t have the strength.” Minomon looks at his partner sadly and whimpers.
Davis looks at the blood seeping from the beast’s claws, from its
eyes, from its mouth. His friends, nowhere to be seen, his eyes flicker and he sees Ken’s arms full of scratches and blood.
He sees the tears in Yolei’s face and the sorrow in Cody’s eyes and he sees the pain in ExVeemon’s face that he tried so desperately to hide away.

“This can’t be…T.K.! KARI! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS!”
Davis calls out desperately ,but he sees no one in sight. No, they couldn’t just disappear on him like that. What would Tai think if he found out he had let them vanish like that.
For all he knew that
blood could be theirs…The goggles on his head were given to him by Tai. Tai had thought he was worthy of being given those goggles that held courage and conviction. If Tai knew this had happened he never would have thought he was worthy to carry on that legacy, maybe he really was worthless.

Davis breathes heavily as he sees the surrounding area, he holds in his pain and looks forward. What in the world was going on. Their friends were gone with nothing in sight of them unless that blood he saw really was…

“Guys come on…we need to fight…” Davis' voice trembles uncertain of what to do next. Ken looks over at his friend who’s shaking in fear as he looks at the yellow eyes of the beast, who appear lost and alone.

“Minomon…You really have no energy left.” Ken looks at his partner , already knowing the answer.

“Don’t worry Ken! We got this” Yolei pulls out her D-3 and smiles.

“Hawkmon Digivolve to…Aquillamon!” The bird flies in the air and strikes the beast with its beams.

A glowing flame appears from its mouth and strikes Aquilamon on the floor.

The beast's eyes flicker with blood lust as it runs towards Aquilamon and sinks its teeth into its wings. Aquillamon screeches with pain before turning back into Hawkmon.

“Hawkmon! No!” Yolei runs over to her injured partner as the beast makes a U turn towards its next opponent. Exveemon.

Davis turns and looks around,everything falling apart before his very eyes. For the first time in a long time, he was afraid.
Afraid he’d never see his friends again, afraid this beast would destroy everything, afraid that there wouldn’t be a miracle to save them this time. Afraid of himself, of his resolve that had carried him so far yet finally dropped him. He was so worthless. He couldn’t do anything for anyone. Had he really just brought everyone here to put them in danger he was supposed to keep them together ,but he couldn’t even keep himself from breaking. It was all falling apart and he was just watching…watching as if it was impossible. He never knew the meaning of the word, but now it felt so clear.

Cerberusmon plunged itself towards ExVeemon. He sunk his sharp teeth into his skin, he was starting to feel weaker, almost as if he was about to return to his rookie form, but he couldn’t let that happen. He would fight through the pain no matter what.

“Davis!” ExVeemon shouted to his partner who quickly looked at him.

“This guy…he’s nothing!” ExVeemon smiles happily through the bitter pain
searing through him. It was painful, sure, but it wouldn’t be as painful as giving up. Giving up and getting deleted right then and there, that didn’t faze him either. Failing at protecting his partner, that was the only fear he had, but he knew it wouldn’t happen because no matter what he knew Davis had the aptitude to overcome any hurdle that went their way.

“Don’t give up Davis. Remember when we fought MaloMyotismon
it was just you and me and we did it.” Exveemon looked at his partner, he had a sheer willpower that believed no matter the situation. No matter what he would fight. He would never give up. If he had to , he would fight until his flesh fell from his bones.

“But that was some kind of miracle that you managed to do…” Davis could feel nothing ,but uneasiness covering him. The person he thought he was and the person ExVeemon thought he was, were they any different? Was ExVeemon right or was he wrong? The impossible had become possible that day, ever since then he didn’t go a day without thinking about the dreams they would fulfill ,but now,
he didn’t think
a miracle was possible.

“Davis! Don’t you see. The reason we had that miracle was because you had the resolve to keep fighting no matter what. To protect your friends. I can do anything if you believe. Now let’s show them what we got!”
ExVeemon’s eyes glittered red as he pierced Davis’s eyes.

Davis stared at him, both remembering the moments they fought against all odds, even if they were alone in this fight. They were never truly by themselves. Everyone was still there in his heart, those memories, those dreams, that was what pushed him through. They hadn't failed yet and they wouldn't fail now.

“You're right! Now let’s do it!”
Davis smiles as he pulls out his D-3 looking at his partner for affirmation. They had always done everything together. Ever since they had met, it was like Davis had found his other half. The reflection of himself he needed to ascertain
the resolve he needed to ignite his dreams with a burning passion.

“Come on, ExVeemon, we can’t be the only ones that don’t digivolve to the ultimate.”

ExVeemon closes his eyes as he feels a burning passion well up in his heart. The burning passion they both had for their friends, the burning courage that signified the resolve they had to follow their hearts against all odds.

“Exveemon digivolve to.” His eyes begin to glow red and the horn on his snout grows
sharper. His ears are replaced by two silver horns and his wings turn rugged. The white wings are now a brilliant blue and crimson red. He becomes even more muscular then before and a V traces his chest. Thick claws on his fingers and metal plates line his shoulder.

“AeroVeedramon” a powerful roar fills the skies and then he turns at the beast and looks him in the eyes. His roar was full of the resolve born from the courage of friendship. A resolve that had the necessary faith to believe in a miracle no matter how grim things appeared.

“You’re the coolest!” Davis grins as he sees his partner flying through the skies.

AeroVeedramon nods at him as he soars through the sky at an unbelievable speed.

“Davis, he's so cool!” Yolei looks at him and smiles, still holding Hawkmon in her arms. Maybe it was destiny that Hawkmon lost, that Minomon was too lethargic to do anything.
Davis hasn't said a word about how he was feeling, they had all assumed he was okay. Brave and unafraid ,but the truth was he was in pain too. He was being strong for them, It wasn’t a fake strength though, everyone gave him the strength he needed.

“Davis. You guys can do anything.” Ken smiled at Davis who nodded in determination. It wasn’t a lie. Davis and ExVeemon had always pulled through in the end and no matter what that belief they had, was something they all could rely on.

“Of course, after all I have friends that believe in me!” To him, that was all he needed to make sure to never lose his way.
As long as his friends were still there, smiling, fighting for their future, he could chase his dream.

The beast roared as it began to aim its attacks at AeroVeedramon. Each one missing as AeroVeedramon flew through the night, his wings shimmering in the moonlight.

Cerberusmon roars as it begins to throw its final hope. A glowing
black hole begins to appear on the ground.

AeroVeedramon eyes the beast and then flies down towards it “Dragon Impulse '' a powerful aura surrounds him as he rushes straight for the beast. The attack struck its chest and dragged it down to the hole in the ground with it. The darkness continues to engulf the area as it glimmers in the night, the Digidestined all beginning to fall down it.

“I’ve got you guys!” AeroVeedramon turns around and begins to fly towards the Digidestined and grabs them. “One, two , three, that’s all of you, I hope” Aeroveedramon says as he flies through the moonlit sky.

Meanwhile the beast begins to glow and shrink, a familiar figure falling down from it.

Davis looks at the digimon and sees the familiar pelt, yet full of scratches and blood falling through the skies, Gabumon.
He had no idea how he was there, or why Gabumon had turned into such a bloodthirsty creature, but he knew that was his friend and his friend’s partner. They had to rescue him no matter what. Even if it meant falling down into this sinking hole of darkness.

“AEROVEEDRAMON! SAVE HIM!”
Davis screams out with all of his heart and AeroVeedramon nods as he quickly flies toward the injured digimon, holding him in his arms as they fall down the pit. A pit that none of them knew where it would lead them, but one that you could feel the darkness emitting from it.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

There was darkness as far as the eye could see. The floor felt cold as he lay on the ground. He tried moving his hand, but couldn’t. In reality, it felt like none of his body could move. He could sense that he was somewhere familiar yet distant at the same time. He wasn’t sure where he was ,but there was something about it that was uncomfortably familiar. In truth he had no idea if he was awake or not. He couldn't see anything ,but the darkness filled every spot in his vision.

He felt a sharp pain entering his throat, it was asphyxiating.
He couldn’t breathe and panic began to set in as he felt his throat tightening by the second. The darkness entered him and obstructed him from breathing in any air. The light didn't just feel like it was fading away, it felt like it simply didn't exist.

He wanted to cry out for help ,but he couldn't sense anyone there to help him. He lays on the ground, his legs jump out yet feel like they're being pushed down. He finally managed to put his hand on his face. It didn’t feel real. He was wide awake ,but nothing felt real. He could feel something dripping from his face, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Was it blood? Was he really injured earlier? That couldn’t be possible because Gabumon had chosen to hurt himself instead…He tried to breathe, but his breathing was getting worse by the second. Was this the end of the road for him? Would things really end like this? He couldn’t help, but feel it was a pretty pathetic ending.

He closes his eyes, accepting of the cruel fate that had fallen on him. He hoped that his friends had made it out safe. That they’d all be okay and hadn’t been hurt. If only he had gotten to see his brother one last time…there was so much he wanted to say to him that he never got the chance to.

All of a sudden he feels a jolt, the feeling begins to loosen up and when he opens his eyes. He was surrounded by a dim light glowing in the cave. He puts his hand on his forehead and takes a deep breath. He was back in reality. It wasn’t that other world he often went to.

That horrendous feeling of being strangled by the darkness, strangled by the cruel passage of time wasn't unfamiliar to him. He stood up, he had no time to worry about whether it was real or not. That didn’t matter right now, he needed to make sure everyone was okay. He looked around and spotted Patamon laying on the floor. He walks towards him and feels himself stumble. He looks down at his legs. They had buckled right underneath him. He hadn’t expected his legs to be so weak… He shook it off and kept walking despite the pain. He bends down and gently touches Patamon who looks up at him.

“T.K.” Patamon flew over to his shoulder and sat on it and smiled. He was so happy T.K. was okay, he had been so scared earlier when Gabumon had appeared.
T.K. gently patted him and walked towards Kari who remained on the floor. He looked at her and frowned. Hopefully she hadn’t been hurt. He bent down and gently moved her and she opened her eyes.

“I’m glad you’re awake” T.K. says with relief and he stands up. He looked up, the rubble from the skies covered the dim ground and the light was diminished from above.

“Are you all right?” T.K.
looked back at her and extended his hand to Kari who nodded and accepted the help, pulling her up.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”
She looked at him. His eyes were full of comfort yet worry and then her attention shifted to his arm. It was painted with a dark red dripping from it. He had been bleeding, but he either hadn’t noticed or chose to ignore it.

“But wait your-” Kari looks at his arm worried and he takes a step back.

“It’s nothing” T.K. laughs lightly and smiles. He begins to look for a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes it down. Patamon looks at him sadly, remembering how T.K. did the same thing when he was infected.
Patamon thought over and over again that he needed to protect them as he looked at the growing darkness in the cave full of shadows and broken dreams. At least, that’s what he felt looking at the caving walls and fading light.

“Are you sure..?” Kari gets closer and grabs his arm and looks at it. The cut had been sharp, it was probably from…

“Yeah of course no worries” T.K. reassures her.

“Hold on, I have something” Kari opens her bag and pulls out a small cloth. T.K. looks at her noticing she’s about to open her water.

“Hold on! Don’t waste that on me”
T.K. shakes his head and she ignores him.

“It’s not a waste” Kari mutters as she opens her water and pours some on the cloth along with some soap. She was glad Davis had refilled these for everyone. It came in handy. “What if it gets infected and we can’t do anything?”

“Then I guess I’ll die” T.K. chuckles and she rolls her eyes. She approaches him and wipes the cut down. Looking at it, she couldn’t help, but think about Gabumon. How horrible it must have been for such a sweet Digimon to do something so awful to someone…

“Do you think Gabumon will be okay…?” Kari spoke softly, feeling the pain of Gabumon as he screamed in misery. In her heart she could feel his anguish and cry for help. She wanted to help him ,but didn’t know how. T.K. looks at her and smiles faintly.
That was just like her, they were in a cave with no real way out and she was thinking of someone else.

He couldn’t deny that he wasn’t sure if Gabumon would be or okay and he was still worried sick about Matt ,but they needed to get out of that cave. The cave was very unsettling and he could feel an air of familiarity around it. Still, they had to get out of there.

“Of course, I’m sure Davis and the others will save him ,but right now we need to focus on getting out of here”
He fakes a smile and awaits a response. The cut Gabumon left had been a lot deeper than he thought, it stinged. Still, it didn’t sting as much as seeing Gabumon hurt himself…it was horrible and he couldn't get it off his mind.
“T.K.?” Kari says as she puts away the supplies she had used to clean up the wound. “Yeah?” He looks at her, his smile vanishing. Something sounded off about her.“You can be honest with me…” Kari looks at him, her eyes unwavering as she lets go of his arm. “Look, I mean it. I know they’ll be fine.” T.K. tells her. It wasn’t entirely a lie. He was sure the others would be able to help him, like how they had all helped Agumon. “What about us?” Kari looks at him and he looks at her caught off guard. “Huh-” “Do you think we’ll be fine?” Kari continues to look at him, refusing to look away even if he was beginning to avert his eyes.
“Yeah of course we will” T.K. says with a small smile.

“Are you sure?” Kari looks at him seriously and then asks another question.“If I wasn’t here would you still believe that?”

“Why are you asking this?” T.K. takes a step back, getting a little defensive.

“I’m sorry…I just wanted to make sure, you really do believe things will be fine…” Kari looks away from him and he sighs.
“Do you want the truth?” T.K. asks her and Kari nods. “If you weren’t here, I’d be going insane. I would have probably curled up in a corner and had enough of this. But because you’re here I’m trying to hold on, but I don’t know how much longer I can do it… My brother’s Digimon attacked us, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me and I’m supposed to just move on like if everything is okay?” T.K. says his voice comes across as less gentle, realizing that he apologizes. “Sorry…I…I shouldn’t have”“No…it’s fine, I shouldn’t have pushed you” Kari responds apologetically. He looks at her and sighs. He didn’t mean to make her feel bad…that wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he had done it because he had acted on impulse. “Look, I want to get out of here and I’m sure you do too. So let’s keep moving, okay?”
Kari observes him for a while and then nods. It was strange, earlier she felt he had regained his hope ,but it looked like something about this cave was making him lose it.

“Yeah, you’re right” she nods at him and they begin to make their way through the cave.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Walking through the cave had a certain unnerving feeling none of them could escape. It was dim, morbid, and even suffocating. T.K. continued to walk, his mind leading him astray. He could feel his heart tightening with each step. There was a certain despair welling up in his heart that he couldn’t escape. It was building up inside of him like a faulty bridge, waiting to collapse.

Patamon was flying in front of him, happily leading the way. T.K. looked at him, Patamon looked nothing short of blurry. He could feel his head tightening around him. A crystal shone dimly in the cave and reflected, invading his eyes with a painful sight.

“Don’t forget me T.K.” He took a step back and looked at it, he stared at it and he could feel a mix of anger and sorrow fill him up.
It felt like the entire world was closing in on him, he could no longer see anyone. He couldn’t see Patamon flying anymore. The next second he could hear a voice crying for help. It was Kari’s voice alone and trapped the day she had first wandered into the Dark Ocean.

“Guys are you there?!” He couldn’t stop himself from shaking, with each shake came another memory each bringing him more and more pain. Where was his brother, Matt. Where had Matt gone? The lonely years without his brother filling his mind and the tears he shed each night since the day Patamon had died.

“NO! COME BACK!” The words left his mouth, they were full of agony. The years of being tortured over and over again of the same memories unable to escape.

“T.K.?” Kari and Patamon both turned around and looked at him. It was like he couldn’t see them. Patamon flew over to him and snuggled up in his arms.

“You know, we’re right here, right?”
Patamon looked at him, his eyes full of worry, the sight Patamon hated the most in this world, was seeing T.K. look so sad and scared.

“T.K. we can- Let’s take a break” Kari looked at him concerned and he shook his head.

“There's no need” he waves his hand from side to side signaling a no. She gets closer to him and looks him dead in the eye. Something about his eyes seemed very lifeless. He looked really unwell in general.

“Hey…are you okay?” Kari looks at him with no attempt to hide her concern. He was trying so desperately to hide, proving her point, he quickly looked away from her. “I’m fine…I’m just fine!”
T.K. says quietly. He looks back at her and smiles. A smile that had been tainted with the tears that were rolling down his face. Tears that seemed to have gone unnoticed in his eyes with how customary it seemed.“Really I’m fine”

“Are you sure…you’re crying” She moves closer to him and wipes a tear from his face. In the tears she could feel his frustration and sorrow in it. It was cold and felt alone, it was a tear that had never gotten used to the pain of loss even if it was all he had ever known.

T.K.
quickly takes a step back and stays silent. He hadn’t realized that he had been crying, but it didn’t surprise him that he was. He wasn’t a stranger to crying when it came to those painful memories. For some reason he had been surprised at what she had done. “I’m okay. Let’s keep moving”

“T.K. we’re worried about you.” Patamon looks at him with worry. He had known the sides of his partner that were happy ,but also sad over all the years. There was no hiding who it was that was facing him at that moment. This was the same T.K. that didn’t want to let him go a year ago when he was infected.

“There’s nothing to worry about” T.K.
says as he pats Patamon on the head. Patamon looks at him and frowns. His hands were trembling. They were shaking with fear and somehow T.K. thought he wouldn’t notice.
“Nothing to worry about? How can I not worry when I see you like this” Kari looks at him with concern and he stays quiet before answering. “I’m just the same as always…” T.K. says as he eyes the water container Kari was carrying. He looks at her and then speaks. “Do you mind if I have some”
“Of course not.” She hands him the container of water she had with her and looks at him. He looked really pale and his breathing was slow. He looks at the water and carefully grabs it. His eyes were red and heavy as he looked at it. He could feel his vision fading. He wasn’t sure of where he was or if this was even all real. He pours a bit of water in his hand and hits his face and then looks back up at her and hands it back. “Thank you”

“Why did you hurt yourself like that…” Kari looks at him and grabs the water, regretting having let him do that. He looked just as drained as he had before.

“It's nothing...I just had to make sure that I'm here...That I'm right here nowhere else ,but here” he takes very slow breaths, breaths that you could almost count with how far apart they were between each other. The pain he felt was sharp ,but it wasn't enough to put him at ease. Just like how before he wasn't …he wasn’t enough.
For as long as he could remember, he had felt vulnerable, but no one could see that. A smile would work wonders even if it was phony. That was all he could hold onto to make sure no one forced him to face that pain.

“I’m all good no worries” He smiled at them and stood in front of them and continued walking. He would be the one leading the way, he refused to take any chances with losing either of them.
He continues to walk until he feels a tug at his arm. He looks at the hand and remains silent.

“No, let's take a break” Kari looks at him, her eyes full of concern.

“I agree” Patamon looks at T.K. his eyes remained fixated on him.

“I'm…not feeling well. Let's rest” Kari says, looking away from him, knowing she hadn't been very convincing when she said that.

T.K. looked at
her, knowing she was lying, after all she wouldn't say a word if that was true , but he wasn't going to take that chance. He sits down on the floor and looks at the wall ahead of him. He looked at the small puddle on the ground in front of him, it was shallow and empty, reflecting his own heart.

Kari looks at him and sits next to him while Patamon flies over and curls onto his lap. They remain in silence for a while, the unsettling atmosphere in the air. She didn't need to look at him to know that something was off. She sighs, unsure of what to do and digs her fingers in the sand, feeling the grains slip away from her fingers.

“Some things slip away, no matter how hard we try to hold on”

“You don't need to tell me twice…” T.K. mutters as he looks at Patamon. He placed his hand on his fur,trying to feel his warmth, but he couldn't feel anything, just a cold, numb feeling.

“But even still I want to believe in these invisible things.” Kari interrupts him before his mind could continue to wander.
“The invisible things…?” He looks away from Patamon and looks at her, puzzled. “The memories we created that let us know, all of this is real. ” She says before picking the sand up one more time and letting it fall down. He looks at her hands, noticing that she wasn’t trying to pick up the grains that had fallen from her hands. He clenched his hand, he knew exactly what she meant by the things that slipped away. Noticing this, she brushes her hand against his and he looks at her. She grabs his hand gently and digs it into the sand and lifts it up and lets the sand slip out.
She opens his palm and places her finger on his palm.
“Look even if they all slip out, there’s still some that won’t leave unless you purposefully brush them off. I think some things are destiny no matter what.” She looks at him with a smile and he looks at her in surprise.

“Don’t forget that, okay? I meant what I said before. ”

“I won't…” T.K. answers without looking at her. He wanted to believe her, he really did, there wasn't any reason to doubt her, but he couldn't help it…

“I know you aren't okay. I want you to be honest…please. It hurts seeing you like this” She continues to look at him, her grip on his hand tightening a little as her eyes remain on his.

“...I'm not lying to you” he said, with a look in his eyes that finally began to appear genuine
“I'm lying to myself.” He looked at her, a genuine smile on his face before turning into one full of pain. “I figured if I deceive everyone then maybe I'll fool myself too into thinking that it'll all be okay”

“...Do you really not think things will be okay?” She looked at him sadly, a part of herself couldn't help ,but wonder if he wasn't the person she thought he was, but she quickly shook it off. She was going to keep believing in him, no matter what. The hopeful look he had always given her it was never a lie when he meant it.

“...I'm not sure anymore-”
T.K. looks at the floor and
pushes his hat down on his eyes as he answers honestly.

“That's not true. Maybe things seem hopeless right now ,but I know that's not how you always feel. The look you have in your eyes when you talk about the future, when you have hope, when you look at me…I know that's the real you too.” Kari lifts up his hat and looks at him with a small smile.

“How do you know that?” T.K. looked at her, his eyes looked lonely. That was all she could see in him and she was starting to feel helpless. That was the feeling she hated to feel the most.

“Because I- I just know, okay? Isn't that enough?”

“...Yeah it is… So my lie should be enough too” He says, uncertain of what he is even saying. He didn’t even know what lie he was trying to keep up anymore.

“I'm not ly-” She tried to say before being interrupted.

“…You did lie. You said you were tired to get me to stop. It wasn't a good lie because you're not honest either. You can be at the verge of collapsing and will say you're fine, right? Because you don't want to bother me even though I've told you it's fine?” T.K. looks at her seriously, waiting for her answer.

“This….isn't about me.This is about you and-”

“How I'm running away.” T.K. says his tone full of some sort of acceptance. She looks away from him and lets go of his hand. He moves his hand away, feeling full of regret, noticing a flicker of pain in her eyes after he spoke.

“I haven't been a good liar not to myself and not to you and for that I'm sorry, I really am, but I can't escape these feelings. I can't escape feeling
fine one second and the next just wanting to
run, but I'm not going to run anymore. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to either of you ever again even if it costs me my own life” He looks at them both, a determined yet lonely expression in his eyes.

He picks up Patamon and places him on the floor. Patamon looked at him sadly, he had been pretending to be asleep, but he couldn't hide it anymore, hide the fact T.K. 's words were hurting him more than anything.

“T.K. we aren't going anywhere…even all the times where we've
been separated, we always reunited” Patamon says as he places his paw on his partner's knee and looks at him, tears rolling down his eyes.

T.K. moves his hand and wipes Patamon’s face with his sleeve and smiles weakly. He looks away from him, remaining silent. He wanted to cry and he knew it, he wanted to break down and burst into tears , but he couldn't do it. His heart felt so numb that he couldn't even bring it in him to feel the sweet release of pain that crying would bring him and he especially couldn't face that hope it would give him.

“Freedom is something so special isn't it? It's one of those invisible things you mentioned. It's something we don't realize we have until it's taken from us. When you guys came back to me, I was given freedom, freedom from my pain, but it came at a price. A price I can't afford, but a debt I will pay, no matter what” He stands up and looks at his own hands, the hands that had been so weak and so powerless before to do anything for anyone. He would do anything he could for them…

“T.K. you can't pay for something that's free. You're trying to make up for your guilt by locking yourself in a prison. A prison you don't need to be in, one that doesn't belong to you”
Kari stands up and
moves his face up, to stop looking at his own hands.

“It does belong to me… It's my own heart…I can’t escape it.” T.K. puts his hand on his chest and takes a deep breath. He could feel his heart beating. It felt so…empty. He takes a step back, not wanting anyone to hear his heart.
“Your heart is so much more than just a prison.” Kari tells him as she gets closer and grabs his hand. Trying to look him in the eye.“Your heart is what lets you be happy. What lets you love and what lets you have hope.” “It’s also what makes me sad…what makes me angry, what makes me frustrated” He looked away from her as he spoke. He couldn't look at her, he didn't want to see that look of pain she probably had with what he was saying. “But your heart is also what makes you so special to me” She says as her eyes finally meet him and T.K. remains quiet for a bit before finally speaking. “...I’m sorry.” T.K. takes a step back and looks down on the floor.“For what?” Kari asks him. “For making you upset…” T.K. looks apologetically at her.“You’re right, I am upset at you.”
Kari answers and he looks at her with a pained expression ,but before he could say anything she continues to speak.“The way you treat yourself makes me upset. You get sad and you think you’re pathetic. You get hurt and you ignore it. You don’t show that same care you show to us to yourself. You act like you’re not worth putting up a fight for when it’s not true….” “That’s because I’m not worth fighting for!” T.K. says a bit more intently then he wanted to say it…actually he didn't want to say it at all.“Stop saying that” Kari looks at him upset, but then changes her expression. She
probably didn't have the right to say all this to him. After all she wasn't the best at taking care of herself either…But that didn't matter. Right now she wasn't going to let herself get down. There would be a time for that later, right now he needed help. “If you weren’t worth it, I wouldn’t come back to you every time” Patamon interrupts and looks at him. His eyes reflected a determination that screamed from the depths of his soul, that he would always come back.
“...I want to believe you guys. I really do, but right now, I can’t even believe I’m okay” T.K. looks at them, unable to hide his sadness any longer.

“And that’s okay…I’ll wait for you however long it takes” Kari looks at him with a smile and then looks at him determined “You’ve always given me hope and I’m going to be there to show you the light no matter what”

“You shouldn't have to do that..” T.K. says, grateful for the words, but with pain still in his heart.
“But I'm going to do it because if there's one thing I won't ever give up my hope in, it's you.” She says, her voice serious and he remains silent. Trying to find even a fragment of hope from his heart to respond. “T.K. if you can’t have hope right now. I’ll have it for you. I’m your partner and I’ll come back to you as many times as it takes as long as you keep believing in that hope.” Patamon looks at him with a smile and T.K. looks at him as if he was going to return it, but then stops.
“I know you will…but that doesn’t mean I can bear the pain of seeing you go again”
T.K. says with a broken expression on his face as he turns around and walks away. If he just kept moving forward…he would be able to make sure nothing happened to them….he just had to keep going. If he did, they would get out of this place, find the others, and then go home. Where they would all be safe.

“Kari, can you promise me something?” Patamon flew over to her and looked her in the eyes. There was something he needed to make sure of. Despite the sorrow in his eyes there was a look of duty in his eyes, a look that believed he needed to protect his partner more than he ever did before.

“What is it ?” She looked at Patamon gently, unable to hide her growing worry.

“If anything were to ever happen to me, you’ll make sure to help him, when he’s sad right” Patamon looked at her, his eyes were traced with worry yet with a pure affection for his partner.

She looked at Patamon’s eyes and in that same moment she could only see T.K. after Patamon left to fight despite the infection. He had been so sad in that moment, he had kept that truth hidden and never confessed it. She didn’t know what to do for him at the time so she held him and prevented him from stopping Patamon ,but it wasn’t enough to keep him from being in pain.

She remembered how he had thanked her for that… but then he proceeded to walk away and she saw him less and less throughout those days after the reboot. They wouldn’t even walk home together from school during those days, some days he never even went to school, and other days she would find him on the rooftop, holding back his tears and remaining in silence. He’d give her a fake smile when they’d see each other and then he’d leave as soon as he could. Was it guilt over not saying anything mixed with the bitter sadness of a farewell haunting him?
If that time were to ever come again , would he avoid her the same way and bury himself in that pain. No, she couldn’t let that happen again. Seeing him suffer, would continue to fuel her pain.

“Patamon, you’re going to be okay. I know it, but if it ever comes down to that, I already intended on being there for him” She pats Patamon on the head and he smiles.

“I know, I just needed the reassurance so I could keep having hope” Patamon looked at her and smiled. Despite the situation, he wasn't really all that worried. Of course he was sad about how T.K. was behaving ,but as long as they were all together…he believed they'd be okay.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The atmosphere was chilling
as they made their way through the grueling cave.
Patamon looked at T.K. and could see that he was scared, seeing him like that was a reminder that he had to do everything he could to protect them.
A heavy
breeze filled the air and T.K. had to hold his hat as the wind brushed the tip of his nose. He felt Patamon clinging tightly to his hat.
“Are you guys okay?”

No one responded though, he looked around and saw that their attention was on the scenery. A familiar sight from so many years ago that they could never forget.

“T.K…Look”
Kari’s voice was nothing short of shock. Her eyes were locked onto the scenery.

“Huh?” T.K. looked at the area and began to see recognizable scenery. They were on a balcony that appeared to be on an infinite mountain. With a single rope reaching the heavens. This couldn’t be real…this had to be fake. This had to just be his mind tricking him again. Making him revist the past to cause him some more grief.

“Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for!” A cackle screeches the wind.

“Who’s there?” T.K. stood in front of his friends and called out. The rope in front of them swiftly cutting in half, now gone.

“Do you not recognize me anymore?! How unfortunate.” The voice begins to grow closer and closer and more chilling by the word. Menacing footsteps after each word until finally coming to a halt.

“After all, I could never forget the bearers of hope and light…the ones who banished me”

A mask that is half white and half black appears in view. It has hearts on the mask and a malicious smirk. A red jester smiles and then grows serious.

“I'm beyond thrilled to be face to face with the three of you again”

“Piedmon…”
Kari says as she sees the jester in the flesh. He grins at them and looks at them, a cold,defying look in his eyes.

“I’ve waited so long for this moment.” A booming laughter fills the cold air with its unsettling tune.

“Yes it’s me and I hope you are ready to breathe your last. I will extinguish this world of its light forever.”

“What are you doing here!” T.K. stands in front of Kari and Patamon. He could feel his legs trembling. Last time they barely defeated him…what would happen this time.

“You should know better than to ask that, after all you are the ones who sealed me away” Piedmon took a step closer to them and pulled out his swords. He quickly threw his swords ready to attack.

“T.K. watch out!” Patamon quickly digivolved into Angemon and blocked Piedmon’s
attack ,but it wasn’t enough and he was hit and he collapsed. He could feel his skin feeling like it was tearing apart.He turned back into Patamon and rolled onto the floor weakly. Piedmon walks towards him slowly while laughing. Each laugh echoed in the room.

“DON’T YOU DARE HURT HIM!” T.K.’s anger fueled him as he brashly yelled at Piedmon who only continued to laugh. “I SWEAR IF YOU HURT HIM-” T.K. looked at him angrily and Piedmon walked slowly to him and with his sword pins his leg down.

“You'll do what? You can't do anything without him” Piedmon dug his sword into his leg, deeper and deeper until it cut his flesh.

Kari looks at his leg in horror, blood gushed out of it ,but T.K. didn't flinch. His anger kept him fixated on Piedmon who only took a few steps back and smiled unnervingly.

“T.K. you need to snap out of this or he's gonna kill us” Kari turned to him and shook him. He turned to look at her and noticed she looked scared. Scared like the first time they had encountered him. What was he doing? He didn't understand
what he was feeling or what was going on ,but he knew he couldn't let anything happen to her or Patamon.

Patamon was there lying on the ground, but doing his best to stand up. He knew Patamon
would fight no matter what ,but till what cost.
He looked at the D-3. It somehow felt distant and unreal like it wasn't there in the first place. His surroundings
felt like they were fading in and strangling him. He could feel his head throbbing and his heart at the verge of screaming. His breathing was slow yet it felt like his lungs were doing their best to support him. The pain on his leg was numb and he couldn't even smell the blood dripping from it. His vision was blurred and
he could only see one thing: Angemon's feathered wings fading into the light.

“...Patamon” he gripped his head and trembled. His hands felt cold and small. Small and helpless. Just like they did back then. He hadn’t changed since back then he was just as scared now as he was back then, but at least then he was able to put up a brave face. Now, he was so weak he couldn’t do anything…

“T.K.” Kari looked at him heartbroken. His eyes were hazy and devoid of any hope. His eyes had looked like the Dark Ocean ocean as grim and hopeless and that thought terrified her. He had gone from an inextinguishable rage to being broken and defeated. Lost in cold waves with no escape. If only Gatomon was there. She could do something ,but once again she was just there, useless and powerless to do anything but be a burden.

Piedmon looks at them and begins to laugh. How pathetic it was to see them like that. They surely wouldn't defeat him at that rate ,but it did bring him sweet pleasure to see their despair. He soon stopped laughing and spoke.

“Oh don’t worry, I have no intention of killing you just yet…I’ll make sure you suffer a bit more first. The show's just getting started” A wretched smile paints Piedmon’s face and he pulls out two keychains. One of Tai and the other of Matt.

“Brother-” Kari looked at the keychain of Tai wide eyed. The brother she was looking for was right there, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She felt so useless. There was never anything she could do to help anyone. In fact she felt she always made things worse.

She buried her feelings away in her heart and shook them off. It wasn't the time for that.
She had to do anything she could to help T.K. because if not they'd all be goners and not only that she cared about him and didn't want to see him suffer.

“Brother what does that term even mean? It seems like it's just an excuse to depend on someone” Piedmon flickered the keychain and smiled almost as if he could read her mind.

“I don't know ,but it's something you better give back right now” Patamon bumped into Piedmon and grabbed the keychains.

“Worthless vermin” Piedmon smacked Patamon who went flying and stumbled on the ground. The keychains tumbling down the cliff and hanging.

“Tai! Matt!” Kari ran over to the keychains ,but then stopped. She looked at T.K. who was barely holding himself together. Patamon looked at him too. His heart felt like it was being stabbed. Seeing T.K. like that hurt him more than any attack Piedmon could have hit him with.

“T.K. we're right here” Patamon continued to shoot his boom bubbles weakly. “If there's one thing I know, is that we've always made it through these tough times no matter how scared we were” a tear fell down Patamon's cheek, it glimmered
through the darkness of the cave.

“Patamon…” T.K. looked up at him ,but a sudden fear overtook him and he clenched his head. Despair. The only thing he could feel was despair. It felt like it was eating him alive. The nightmares he had since losing Patamon, they had never felt as vivid as they did that moment. It felt like he was there again. He tried to walk, but collapsed. The blood continued to drip out of his leg and it stained the ground…looking at it he couldn't help, but think about Gabumon…

“No…No…not like this. It can't end like this” T.K. tried to stand up ,but failed. It wasn't that his body felt too weak to walk, it felt like there was some sort of darkness pulling him back down. A dark shadow that was tainted with his blood and tears.

“Kari please, help T.K.” Patamon weakly stood up and shot a multitude of boom bubbles at Piedmon. He felt himself out of breath, but he had to do it. He had to make sure T.K. would be safe no matter what happened to him. It was his duty to protect him.

Kari looked at him and nodded, it didn't look like Tai and Matt were gonna fall off so she ran over to him. Besides if Piedmon wanted them to suffer, she knew he wouldn't just let that trick evade his grasp. He was craftier than that. She kneeled down in front of T.K. and gently lifted his face up.

“T.K. I really don't know what to say that I haven't already told you ,but I’m never going to give up on you. If my words aren't enough I want to show you that I mean it.” She grabs his hand and gently pulls it close to her. "I don't know what it feels like in your heart right now ,but I know it's in pain.” She puts her hand on his cheek and
looks him in the eyes. His eyes were always beautifully lit up with hope and she didn't want to lose that.

“Maybe I can't feel it perfectly ,but I can feel that you're in so much pain that it's killing you. Pain that isn't just from today, but from all these years. I know it's hard ,but you need to have hope for all of us… if not we'll be gone.” She moved in close
and placed her arms around him. He felt her arms around his broken heart. In that moment he didn't just feel her light bringing him out of the darkness. He was remembering many things his heart had locked away. Memories he was always afraid of looking back at because he was afraid they would be taken from him, just like they had been once before.

He could feel Patamon when he embraced him tightly, he could feel when Matt hugged him, and he could feel the final hug he gave his father before his family was torn apart.
He never wanted to lose anyone again ,but if he kept letting his past distract him from the moment he'd be forced to repeat it over and over again. Maybe the pain would always be there ,but he didn't need to go through it alone. His heart felt lighter than it had before, it didn’t feel like a prison anymore. It was like he had been granted a sort of freedom.

“Thank you…” he whispered softly at her. His voice was gentle yet full of resolve. His eyes no longer looked like they were drowning in a sea of darkness ,but rather they looked as boundless as the sky.

“Patamon. Let's do this.” T.K. smiled at his partner, in reality he just wanted to cry and scream ,but right now he needed to have hope because it would be what would guide them to the light.

“You got it” Patamon smiles brightly and a light embraces him as he is filled with his partner's utmost hope filling his wings with newfound strength. “Patamon warp digivolve to, Seraphimon” an ironclad knight filled with holiness and his armor the color of the sky. The sky they would fly through to find the star of hope shining their path with its guiding light.

“At least now this will be more interesting” Piedmon scoffs, it didn't matter what form he took. He'd crush them. He had waited too long for this moment.

“Trump Sword” Piedmon ‘s swords go flying as they aim directly towards Seraphimon’s chest ,but he dodges quickly.

“That's impossible” Piedmon angrily throws more swords at Seraphimon ,but he manages to dodge them with poise.

“Seven Heavens” lights from the heavens appeared in his grasp and the lights were flung towards Piedmon. The light blinded him and soon erased him.

“I made a mistake…” Piedmon grunts ,but then begins to laugh. Even though he was fading, he would make sure they never escaped him. His maniac laugh was the last thing they heard from him as he disappeared.

“Final Heal” Seraphimon says as a holy light shines on them.
The gash on T.K. 's leg disappearing as if it was never there in the first place.

“Oh right, my leg was bleeding” T.K. quipped and Kari sighed, shaking her head at him. At least he felt good enough to joke around. She wanted to scold him for it ,but at the same time she was relieved that he was feeling better. She missed that part of him.

“T.K.” Patamon had dedigivolved and happily flew to his partner embracing him. “T.K. see as long as you believe we can do anything” Patamon smiles brightly at him.

“I know. I'm sorry for doubting you” T.K. hugs Patamon tightly. His nose was buried in his fur. He smelled like a warm sunny day and he felt like the sun was shining on him after a long, cold day of nothing ,but the gruesome rain and the relentless wind.

Kari looked at them with a smile. She could always tell how much he loved Patamon. Everything he said and did, proved it. Seeing them filled her with warmth. The bond between a Digimon and its partner was something she found so beautiful. Especially-

“Hey. Thanks for everything really” T.K. smiled sheepishly and put his hand behind his neck. “You’re always there for me when I need you and well I hope I can do the same for you. My hope wouldn’t be so bright if it wasn’t for you.” Even though he looked embarrassed his eyes shone with a sort of passion and honesty and his words were nothing short of the truth. That wasn’t something he wanted to believe, it was something he knew was true. There had been many days he was frustrated and found no hope, but that light he felt from her heart, it brightened his heart with a hope that shone so brightly that he couldn’t help ,but look forward to tomorrow.

“Oh-” he had caught her off guard and she wasn't sure what to say. She looked at his eyes, they were full of light once more. That was enough of a reward for her.

He looked at her and could see she was a bit stunned, thinking over carefully her next words , but then a playful smirk painted her face.

“You can thank me with the latest seasonal ice cream” she playfully stuck out her tongue at him and he chuckled.

“Sure, but I think you deserve way more than just that” T.K. moves in closer and places his forehead on hers. He smiles brightly and looks at her with nothing ,but love and devotion. He opens his mouth and gently whispers at her. “So where were we earlier?”

Her playful smirk quickly leaves and bashfulness takes its place. She remained silent for a while, her heart feeling like it was about to jump out of her chest. She breathes slowly and then holds his face and brings it even closer to hers.“I- I guess we were about to-”

“Hey guys we could use some help here” a voice can be heard and they turn to look. Tai and Matt were both holding onto the ledge.

“Tai you're such an idiot” Matt whacked him in the head and sighed.

“What'd I do?” Tai looked at him confused since he was too busy hanging on for dear life to notice what was going on.

“Are you guys okay?” Kari asked as the three of them ran over to the ledge and saw their brothers struggling.

“No we're fine we're just having fun on this ledge” Tai sassily remarked.

“Hurry up and pull us up. Tai's heavy and he's getting annoying” Matt looked at Tai as if he considered dropping him for a second ,but they all knew he would never do that.

“Matt if you're scared you can just ask for help” T.K. grinned as he teased his brother.

“I’m not scared” Matt angrily mumbled and weakened his grip.

“Woah Matt if you let go we're both goners” Tai said as he hung on for dear life.

The two of them were pulled up and they both sat down exhausted.

“Tai I'm so happy you're okay” Kari
looked at him relieved and smiled.

“Of course why wouldn't we be okay. Other than the fact we were turned into keychains. It isn't our first rodeo.” Tai smiled as he patted her on the shoulder.

“I told you they'd be okay” T.K. looked at Kari and then smiled.

“Y-yeah..” She smiled back at him and felt her face flush a bit.

“Hey what's with you? Why are you acting so weird” Tai playfully teased her.

“Tai!” She looked at him a bit upset but then smiled. She was really happy that he was okay.

“There's something different about you” Matt looked at his brother in surprise. He wasn't sure what exactly it was ,but there was something subtle yet very different from his brother.

“Nah you must be crazy” T.K. smiled ,but Matt looked at him unconvinced. There was definitely something very different about him ,but he decided to let it go.

“Whatever you say” Matt ruffled his brother's hair and smiled ,but his smile soon faded.

“So where's Gabumon?” Matt looked around the area for his friend in worry.

“Yeah and Agumon, where is the little guy?” Tai looked around for his partner as well.

T.K. and Kari locked eyes and remained silent. They then looked back at their brothers and remained silent for a few more seconds before finally speaking.

“What exactly happened to you guys?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Well it happened after you left the house last time I saw you. I got a weird message on the Digivice so I called up Izzy and he had gotten it too and so had Matt here. Joe, Sora, and Mimi had gotten it so we all agreed to meet up,” Tai pulled out his Digivice that still had the cryptic message and showed it to them.

“ The time has come.

The final hours are near

The darkness will swallow all worlds whole.

Go to where it all began or judgment will reign”

“When we got there, the really creepy Gennai appeared” Tai put his hands in his pocket and looked around them.

“What? But didn’t Gennai come back with Davis and the others from the Digital World?” T.K. looked at him shocked.

“That was the real Gennai. The other one was an imposter who turns out to be someone the two of you know quite well.” Matt looked at the floor behind them, the cave floor was stained with the blood of his brother’s leg. Even though he hadn't actually
seen him bleed, he could see the rip on his pants and the stain of blood that was faintly on them. The thought of that, it made him feel sick.

“Do you mean..the Evil Gennai was Piedmon this whole time?” Kari looks at Tai who looks at her and nods.

“I had a feeling…they were both really similar. Manipulative, cunning, and enjoying every second of our misery” Kari wasn’t really all that surprised. They both gave off the same kind of energy and it was strange how the other Gennai had vanished.

“What?” T.K. looks at them shocked ,but then thinks, they both were kind of similar. They both had a way of going after them.

“Right so when we got there he turned us into keychains and here we are” Matt pauses and then continues, “And as for the others…I have no idea where they’re at. I think his main goal was getting the two of us to get to you two” Matt looks at them apologetically.

“So, about the message. You guys didn’t get it, right?” Tai looked at them both and they shook their heads.

“Thought so” Matt looked at his Digivice and gripped it in his hand tightly, there seemed to be some sort of sorrow in his eyes.

“Why didn’t you guys tell us anything! It doesn’t make sense for us not to go together!” T.K. looked at them both upset. “Do you guys not trust us or something, after everything we’ve been through..?”

Kari remained silent, she was thinking the same. Maybe they were unreliable, after all Davis,Ken,Yolei, and Cody had left without telling them anything too last time.

“That isn’t it at all. It’s honestly that the message is way too ambiguous. It could have been a trap” Matt looked at them reassuringly ,but it didn’t seem like they were buying it.

“And it’s a good thing we didn’t say anything because we’d all be hanging from a backpack for the rest of our lives if we didn't,” Tai laughed and everyone else forced their best smiles.

“Hold on. Something doesn't make sense here. Matt when we went to your place the stove was on and there was glass all over the floor”
T.K. looks at him confused.

“I see…” Matt looks away embarrassed. How was he supposed to tell them that he actually tripped while carrying a glass bowl he was supposed to serve with food?
As for the stove, it might have been his Dad giving up on dinner and forgetting to turn it off while he went to buy something.

“That's right and when I first found out Tai was missing his goggles were on the floor” Kari says just as confused.

“Oh uh I uh….” Tai looked at them embarrassed before he started laughing.

“You see the truth is, I tripped on the floorboard and I dropped my goggles and I didn't even notice “ Tai continued to laugh as he put his arms around them ,but his laughter soon turned nervous.

“Tai! You made me worried sick” Kari
lightly shoved him and he lost his balance slightly since he hadn’t expected that from her.

“Hey I didn't mean to plus if that didn't happen maybe you guys wouldn’t have noticed we were gone” Tai says with a
teasing smile ,but it soon vanishes when he notices a sad look on his sister's face.

“...Yeah maybe so” Kari looks away from him. At this point she had already not noticed when her other friends had vanished, maybe it would be the same thing again…it was just another mistake she made, another mistake that would hurt those she cared about.

“Hey, look on the bright side. If he hadn't Matt's whole place would have burnt down.” T.K. hides a laugh as he gets a look of his brother's embarrassed face.“Speaking of what happened Matt?”

“Not sure…Dad must have left it on,” Matt says with a straight face. That was believable enough. It had happened to the guy countless times before. As for the glass he could take the blame for that too. The message had come so abruptly that he didn't have a chance to pick it up. So he just carried Gabumon as they made their way out.

“Well that explains it he was always forgetful” T.K. shrugs.

“Hey wait a minute, we got a
weird message too” Kari pulled out her Digivice and Tai and Matt both got closer to look at it.

"

When the shackles are released you will unlock your true crests

But in the process you will doubt your resolve

Whether you listen to the darkness or light will determine the fate of both worlds

You will begin to grow apart as the tides close in

Miracles will fade

Virtue will sink

Compassion will disappear

Kindness will be lost again.

The final strike will be when despair comes in and light is diminished

What will your fate be?"

“The final strike..?” Tai looked over at his sister , noticing the mention of the word light in the final sentence.

“...I guess so” Her gaze remained fixated on the device and her mind wandered elsewhere. If she were to give in like the message said the world would be thrown into darkness again…and it would all be her fault.

“That’s nothing to worry about!” T.K. placed his hand on hers and lowered the Digivice. “Look, it’s just something that’s supposed to scare us. The whole thing is a sham, maybe we’ve all had our ups and downs these past few days ,but we always got through them. Besides, there's nothing we can’t do together.” T.K. smiled at her and she nodded,looking away from him,
still full of doubt.

“Hey and even if something happens, I’ll bring you back just like you did for me,okay?”

“Mhm…”

“I mean it, even though you’re plenty strong and don’t need me”

“Thanks” She smiled half-heartedly at him and then remained silent.

Tai looked over at the two of them. He silently observed them. Matt was right there was something different about his brother , but
at that moment he couldn’t say the same about his sister. She was acting just as she had been before this whole thing had started. It was almost as if she was drowning and was refusing help. If she continued at that rate, prophecy being true or not, she really would stop shining and none of them wanted that. The cave remained silent and the air heavy until someone finally spoke.

“Hey…I know I asked already ,but where’s Gabumon…” Matt looked at them with eyes that seemed to already know the truth.

“And Agumon,” Tai added in. They were both worried about their partners.

The cave remained silent for a few more seconds, the atmosphere stiff.

“We had to fight them. They had dark digivolved
and they were in pain” Patamon finally broke the silence and looked over at them.

“Thanks…you did the right thing” Matt patted him on the head and smiled.

“They’re both probably with Davis and the others. They weren’t in this cave ,but knowing them they probably came to look for us” T.K. responded, assuring them they were now safe.

“Jeez what are you two doing here alone then. Trying to get some alone time while the world is in danger is just messed up and where’s Gatomon-” Tai stopped himself a bit too late, he was trying to tease them to lighten up the mood, but then what if something had happened to Gatomon like Agumon and that’s why…

“This happened all of a sudden, I left without Gatomon to go after T.K.” Kari answered Tai quickly. He was right, she should have brought Gatomon with her…

“What was wrong with him?”Matt turned to his brother and looked at him suspiciously. Was that what he meant earlier by bringing her back? His brother had always had a smile ready to hide everything, was he feeling something that made him reach this cave. He had been hesitant in thinking ,but he suspected this was the same cave he had sunk into darkness when they first traveled through the Digital World.
He hated to think that his brother had gone through something similar ,but at least it seemed he didn’t go through it alone.
“S-sorry…I didn’t mean to-” Kari looked at T.K. apologetically who only shook his head and laughed. “It’s nothing now. I just needed to be reassured of some stuff you know..” “Yeah, I
get it” Matt looked at his brother with eyes full of understanding. Sometimes there are things you think you’re going through alone ,but someone will always be there for you, at least that is what his adventures in the Digital World with Gabumon taught him.
“T.K. , you remember when I told you not to be afraid all those years ago when we went after Sora in that cave. I think we’re in the same place and if this cave hasn’t disappeared then I
think that means another one of our friends is going through something right now. If they really went after you guys then they’re going to have to fight their own battle…make sure they feel that you believe in them even if you aren’t there” Matt then remained silent and Tai looked over at him and smiled cockily. Tai had always believed in the person he was even through all the rough patches they had in their friendship.

“Aw. Look at you Mr. Emotional- OW” Matt had whacked Tai and sighed. He couldn’t let the guy’s ego get too big.

They all laughed and their optimism lightened the lights in the cold grim cave. The cave where
some of the Digidestined would have to face off against their destiny.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

White. White walls. It was a stark contrast from the red. The last she had seen and the last thing she remembers unaware that she had been missing for a long time. The sheets were soft and she could feel a needle piercing her arm. Blood trickling down it, but a liquid being poured in, and the smell. She could smell the soap
and cleaning utensils used to cover the smell of bitterness.

She couldn’t see anything, her glasses were broken. How long had she been out? She could only hear the voices of her friends calling to her. She placed her hand on her chest, her heart was still beating. There was a soft stuffed animal that lay next to her, on one side. She didn’t know where it had come from, but somehow she could feel it was a gift from her closest friend. On the other side she could feel ruffled feathers next to her, it was her partner Digimon.

Red. All of a sudden it all went red and she lay in that red waiting for salvation that never came. She knew she was in a dream. It was the memories of back then. She knew exactly what it meant , but it all felt so vivid , almost like she was in that memory once more.

She remembered that the day she woke up, Kari and T.K. had gone as soon as they heard word. She remembered being happy to see them, but a part of her felt resentment. Not entirely because they had left them behind, but because…they weren’t who she was waiting for. She wanted to see her parents when she woke up , but honestly what did she expect…they had always been good at forgetting her…

~~

The light overhead was dim if not nonexistent as they descended from above.
The light fading the closer they got to the ground. Aeroveedramon gently places everyone on the ground. The ground that engulfed them with the darkness as soon as they took a step in it.

“Sorry Davis, I can’t any longer”
Aeroveedramon says before turning back to Demiveemon. He was about to collapse, but Davis quickly caught him and then placed him carefully on the floor.

“Hey don’t worry about it bud, you did awesome” Davis smiles at his partner as he falls asleep.
He sees Gabumon on the floor, injured and broken and he frowns. “Gabumon...” Davis grabs Demiveemon and gently places him next to Gabumon. He removes his coat and puts it on top of them.
Granted Gabumon had a pelt, but he wanted him to be as comfortable as he could be at that moment. Davis turns to see his other friends are unconscious too and decides to let them rest for a while.
The while felt much too long for him however so he went to wake them up.

“Hey Ken, wake up” Davis moves him slightly ,but he sees he is unresponsive. Wormmon, who was previously Minomon, was asleep as well. Minomon had evolved in his sleep. “They had a pretty tiring day. I’ll let them be for now” Davis leaves them and goes to his next target. For some reason she was shaking in her sleep. He definitely wasn’t going to feel bad for waking her up then if something was wrong.

“Hey Yolei, wake up.”
Yolei opened her eyes to see
Davis standing above her offering a helping hand. She looks up at him noticing a bit of worry in his eye as she takes his hand and stands up.

“Where’s Ken?” Yolei asks, concerned. She moved her head around trying to find him. Davis was here and so were the Digimon, but where was Ken? She didn’t want to think of him being hurt especially after the long day he had today or was it yesterday.
She wasn’t even sure anymore. Everything was happening so fast.

“He’s still out cold” Davis points at Ken, who’s curled up with Wormmon in his hands. Yolei looked at him sadly,
he looked exhausted. He likely hadn’t recovered just yet. Maybe they should leave him for a little longer.

“I figured you could probably wake him up, He’s pretty knocked out” Davis chuckles, noticing how frantic Yolei was. He was intense sure, but Yolei was even more intense so she probably would be able to wake him.

“No, I shouldn’t, I’d probably just say the wrong thing to him.”
Yolei says sadly. She had woken up feeling kind of…off. There was so much doubt creeping in her mind and her thoughts weren’t exactly clear.
“Well you’re wrong a lot” Davis teases lightly. “And why do you figure that!” Yolei asks, a bit annoyed.“Someone’s back to normal” Davis smiles and Yolei notices that he was just trying to help her. A part of her hated how it was so easy for people to read her, but on the other hand it wasn’t the worst, keeping things inside somehow felt much harder than letting it all out. “Sorry” She responds quietly, looking away from Davis.
“Nah don’t be. I don’t think you are always wrong, you know. I value what you say a lot and that’s why I think you’re the right person for Ken.
A bit harsh but sometimes he needs to know what’s up.” Davis smiles without thought of what he had just said. He really did mean it though. Yolei was pretty bold and Ken needed that kind of motivation.

“What are you saying!” Yolei looks at him embarrassed with her loud voice.
Davis looked at her surprised, he had just noticed that it was in fact possible for Yolei to be embarrassed.

“What’s going on?” Ken opens his eyes and wakes up sluggishly as he looks up at his friends. He had heard a loud voice and it had woken up. They were both quite loud so he couldn’t exactly say who it was.

“Nothing! Took you long enough to wake up sleeping beauty” Yolei says pretending to be annoyed.

“Sorry.” Ken
looks up at her sadly and she shakes her head.

“No wait, I was kidding” Yolei says back at him. She sighs, she had that way of messing everything up and making others feel bad. She didn’t mean to do that to Ken.

“Well guys, let's get moving on. We need to find T.K. and Kari” Davis says as he looks over at the paths before him. Earlier, the sight he saw made him so sick and he felt he needed to find them. He needed to make sure they were okay. Davis looked at the paths again. There were two of them, both seemed as equally unsettling as the other.

“But which way do we go there’s two paths”
Yolei looks at them and feels her anxiety rise, this cave could be dangerous.
It felt really unsettling, that probably meant there was danger lurking somewhere.

“I’ll go this way, you guys can go that way” Ken says looking at the path. It would likely be the best choice to separate and he’d rather not let either of them go off on their own.

“Are you crazy Ken, you could get lost!” Yolei tells him in complete shock. She couldn’t believe that he just wanted to leave like that…alone. Something could happen to him. She felt herself grow a little angry, did he learn nothing from before?

“I don’t know, I feel like I need to go that way…besides I have Wormmon, we can do anything together” Ken tells them as he looks down at Wormmon gently. He wasn’t really sure why, but he felt his destiny was to go that way and he wanted to embrace his destiny now.

“Then we can all go that way,” Yolei says, not making an effort to hide the growing anger in her voice. She didn’t want them to get separated…the thought terrified her.

“But what if T.K. and Kari are the other way?” Ken replies back with Davis agreeing. None of them knew what way they were and they’d be able to cover more ground if they split up.

“They’ll be fine on their own! They’ve never needed us before-”
Yolei stops herself realizing what she had said. Why did she always have to do that? It was like she was a professional at assuming the worst. Whenever she stopped to actually think about it she realized how foolish it really sounds , but whenever her heart spills out like that she can’t help ,but feel it’s true at the moment.

She closes her eyes, a different memory filling her mind.
The wind was blowing harshly on that day and the rain droplets were falling from the sky. She pulls out her phone and looks at the contact info.

“We shouldn’t go without T.K. and Kari,what if something bad were to happen?” Cody says a pained expression on his face. He looked extremely anxious over what they were about to do.

“If we always think something bad’s gonna happen nothing will ever get done” Davis tells him with a determined look on his face hiding an unsettling feeling he felt.

“I agree with Cody, this could be a trap” Ken looks at Davis who begins to think it through. Yolei looks over at her phone feeling impatient. She puts away her phone and looks at her D-3.

“We don’t have time for this. Let’s go. If anything happens they’ll be there“
Yolei says as she pushes everyone into the gate without a second thought of what would come next.

At first there was silence before a gust of wind struck them and a Royal Knight with a blue cape struck them with a powerful attack. She held the D-Terminal in her hands, unable to press the button to send the message for help, but somehow she still had faith they’d arrive , but that help never came. Her body began to tremble, the dread rising in her. She thought she had gotten over these feelings of anger and it was partly true because what remained was sorrow. It was true they didn’t need her.
They had saved the world again without them, while without them, she lay on the floor, weak and powerless.

“Yolei?” Ken taps her on the shoulder and she looks up at him. Her eyes were full of an unmistakable pain. He didn’t like seeing her look so sad. He didn’t really understand what she was going through, but he wanted to make sure she was okay.

“Yolei, we've all needed each other on this adventure. Besides, Gatomon isn’t with Kari” Davis says as they turn and see Gatomon, anxiously looking at the distance.

“I’m going to find her no matter what even if I have to do it alone.” Gatomon says as she looks in a direction. Gatomon wanted to go off alone a long
time ago, but Hawkmon had stopped her.
Gatomon could sense the danger in that cave, and she knew she couldn’t do it alone ,but if it came to it she was willing to do anything for her partner.
“Alright Ken. You got this” Davis smiled as he offered a fist bump at Ken. He had full faith Ken would come back okay. Why wouldn’t he? He was a strong guy. “Thank you” Ken says, looking at Davis’ hand before returning
it. He was glad that Davis trusted him so much.

Yolei looks at them both in surprise and is overcome by her feelings. “Really just like that?!” She says bewildered. Did they forget what happened the last time they decided to venture off on their own.

“Well yeah, if he feels he has to, he has to. We’ll meet up again as soon as we find them” Davis smiles with a confident grin
and Ken nods in agreement.

“Fine, do whatever you want” Yolei turns around angrily, hiding the tears in her eyes. “There I go again. Why do I have to be this way?” she wondered to herself as she looked away.
She didn’t understand why she couldn’t just control herself, it made her feel even angrier that she couldn’t.

“Yolei, I think we should let Ken go, besides what if Cody ended up here too?” Davis says calmly. He wanted to make sure everyone was together and safe. That was his role as the leader, even if it meant letting Ken go off on his own. He trusted him, he’d be okay. He trusted all of them, even if they’d all be alone, he knew they’d all connect again after all, their hearts were connected.

“But Cody wasn’t anywhere near us.” Yolei says, hoping to avoid any separation, right now she had a bitter fear, a fear of being alone. A fear she wasn’t really used to, but it was there all the same. Before she had always wanted some sort of solitude to relax and have her parents pay attention to her, but now…she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted everyone to be there together. She wanted to go home and maybe go to another festival with all of them. She didn’t want to do this anymore…

“Right , but we know him. He’ll look for us”
Davis says while Ken nods in agreement.
They all knew the kind of person Cody was, he would never do something he thought was wrong and he would never leave them behind.

“Fine! You better come back Ken!'' Yolei turns around with tears falling down her face. She couldn’t deny how afraid she was feeling at that moment. So much had been going wrong this whole time she couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else.
She feels a hand on her shoulder and Ken looks at her intently in the eyes. They were full of kindness.

“I promise I’ll be back” Ken tells her. It looked as if he meant every word and understood where she was coming from. Yolei remained looking at him in silence, those kind eyes, she felt so comfortable looking at them.

“You better” Yolei smiles
as she wipes her eyes and Ken nods as he and Wormmon go off into the distance as they vanish into the darkness ahead of them with their hearts lighting the path.

Yolei turns around and sees Davis smirking at her. “Hey what’s your problem?” Yolei tells him, upset. Was he making fun of her? She shakes her head and sighs. She wasn’t even sure what she was thinking anymore. “Nothing.” Davis says as he picks up Demiveemon and Gabumon and begins to walk in the direction that Ken had gone through.
“Davis it’s the other way” Yolei rolls her eyes and Davis laughs.

“I know I was just testing you” Davis scratches his head and goes the other way, embarrassed. Yolei shakes her head and follows after him. Note to self, apologize to a certain someone later. She tells herself as they begin to make way in the distance.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Yolei remained in silence as she walked through the cave with Davis. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she saw in her dreams before Davis had woken her up. She didn’t think memories could ever be so vivid. Almost everything that had happened
in her life felt like it was photos in an album when she remembered them, but that dream felt like a movie right before her eyes.

Red, all she could see was red surrounding her. It penetrated her eyes and made her head hurt. It was a strange dream. Somehow it felt like a cruel lingering memory she had forgotten. Red and the sound of glass breaking and silent screams , begging for help, but help never arrived.

She knew what the dream or rather the nightmare was…she just didn’t want to think about it because it would bring back the cruel feelings she harbored in her heart. Maybe the real monster was her this whole time…there were vicious feelings lurking in her heart at times, some she knew weren’t right, but she couldn’t help it, she couldn’t help the emotions she felt in her heart. They were a mess ,but they were very powerful too.

“Yolei are you there? You’re way too quiet right now it’s scary” Davis tapped her on the shoulder and she instantly turned around surprised. She sighs, he had scared her, but she was kind of glad he had tapped her out of it. Her heart was getting very…uncomfortable.

“Of course I’m fine” Yolei looked at him and Davis looked at her unconvinced. She was never quiet, she was always loud, bold, and arguing with him. It wasn’t like her to look so sad.

“Yolei. Take a break” Gatomon looks at her and Yolei looks at her puzzled. She hadn’t realized Gatomon was still here.

“Gatomon? I thought you went to look for Kari?”
Yolei asks her with confusion and shock tracing her words..

“I..I, I decided to stay here. I think she will be okay” Gatomon muttered. She honestly didn’t want to leave her partner behind ,but somehow she had the feeling that Kari would have wanted her to stay with Yolei, she looked very troubled. If Kari was there, Gatomon knew that she would be doing her best to help her friend, so she had decided to do the same.

“If you say so..” Yolei raised an eyebrow at the Digimon. She was so frantic before looking for her partner. Why has that changed now? Everything was on the line for Gatomon. What was she doing there with them?

“Yolei, I agree let’s take a break” Hawkmon flew up and looked her in the eyes and she shook her head. Hawkmon looked at her and sighed. His partner was so stubborn and he wasn’t always able to get her to listen, but that didn’t mean he was going to give up.

“No rest for the wicked and no rest for me either” Yolei began to make a run for it ,but Davis grabbed her by her jacket and pulled her back.

“What are you talking about? You were on a school program this whole time? The one that went around the world.” Yolei heard her parents voice say. They sounded so confused, as if none of them had ever noticed she went missing. They talked as if they regularly checked up on
her and went Oh Yolei is alive she’s fine. What in the world was going on.

“Yolei?” Davis looked at her in concern. She was really lost in her thoughts and right now there wasn’t anything he knew he could do for her…

“Hey you’re gonna rip it” Yolei
continued to look away from him, her voice sounded upset, and hurt.

“Sorry ,but we need to think up a plan first you know..?” Davis
lets go of her jacket and looks at her apologetically.

“A plan? Who are you and what happened to Davis?” Yolei looks at him a bit weirded out that he was being so rational. But maybe he was only being rational because she was being irrational…maybe.

“She’s got a point Davis” Veemon taps Davis on the leg and Davis’ eye twitches. He had regained his strength and digivolved a few minutes ago and was back to being his goofy self.

“LOOK we can’t just rush ahead. It’s dangerous and I feel like there’s something really wrong here. What are the odds of us finding both Agumon and Gabumon? It’s almost like this is a scummy situation someone is doing on purpose” Davis kicks a rock and looks at it frustrated.

“Yeah…you’re right Davis” Yolei smiles faintly at him.

“Woah can you say that again?”Davis looks at her surprised.

“No” she responds coldly and Davis groans.

That was strange, it wasn't a usual no, there was something up. Well when you have no idea what to do the only thing you could do is encourage someone. It’s worked at least once before it was sure to work now too.

“Hey Yolei,
don’t forget…we’ll always be friends no matter what. We believe in each other and that’s how we get through things “ Davis smiled at her optimistically.

“Davis, how can you just believe just like that? Is there nothing that fazes you? We’re here alone in this dark cave and you just think everything is going to be okay? Just like that!”

“We aren’t alone. Even if we’re apart our hearts are still connected. It’s like that time we all went missing. Call me crazy, but I could still feel everyone. No matter what happens we’re friends!” Davis looks at her, resolve in his eyes. She looks
at him, oddly comforted. He was right.

“...Yeah, you’re right” Yolei smiled ,but she couldn’t help but feel some bitterness. Why was he so trusting, just like that, it’s like, he didn’t have a single care in the world , but that wasn’t true. He showed constantly that he cared about everyone but was his heart really that pure?

“Come on then, let’s go find our friends” Davis puts his fist up and grins. He was still holding Gabumon on his back who was asleep and appeared to be struggling to breath in his sleep. He then continued to walk through the cave.

Gabumon, the Digimon of Friendship. It was a feeling of bonds, that was what gave the Digimon strength. It was also what gave Davis his strength. Agumon was the Digimon of Courage, he was brave because of those bonds. Davis was the same way. Why had she been stuck with Love and Sincerity…it felt like it only brought her worst qualities to surface. Davis wore his heart on his sleeve and she wasn’t that much different…but she felt her heart wasn’t pure…

“Hey, Yolei?” Hawkmon pats her and she looks at him. His voice was a mixture of concern, but also sounding like he was about to scold her.

“What?” She responds a bit dry. She didn’t want to be mean to him, but she knew he had already seen right through her. He always did.

“Yolei, believe in yourself. Believe in your heart and what makes you who you are. No one could ever replace you, you know.” Hawkmon smiled at her and she remained silent , staring at him. He really did always have such a way of seeing right through her.
No matter how hard she tried to hide her feelings.
“I hope you’re right Hawkmon”
Yolei looks at him sadly. She couldn’t hide how unsure she was of everything, especially her own heart. “I know I’m right, Yolei. I’ve known you for my entire life and I know how wonderful you are. There’s no one I’d rather choose to be my partner.” Hawkmon looked at her sincerely, his eyes full of love. Admittedly when they had first met he was a bit uncertain about her, but he soon realized she was perfectly imperfect and the exact kind of person he had waited for.
“Hawkmon…” Yolei picked him up and hugged him tightly. He was so warm, so comforting, even though she felt she was ready to collapse any second. Holding him in her arms, it made her feel safe.

“Yolei, you’re choking me” Hawkmon coughed and she let go of him. He didn’t mind her hugs, but sometimes they were a bit too intense for him to breathe.

“Whoops!” Yolei scratched her head and stuck out her tongue. Hawkmon looked at her with a smile. He was glad she was looking like she was doing better. That was the Yolei he knew well and he never wanted her to forget that.

“He is right, believe in your heart no matter what, no matter how hopeless things may seem. The bonds you make are a part of your heart. You need to believe in them too” Gatomon speaks to Yolei. It was strange ,but sometimes Gatomon was able to understand what Hawkmon was feeling, it was probably because of their once born DNA Digivolution ,but they hadn’t done it in years, why could she still feel it. Hawkmon was doing his very best to encourage his partner, and why wouldn’t he, it was the destiny of all the Digimon.

“I…I’ll try” Yolei says as she continues to make her way through the cave, her heart didn’t really feel all that sure, but she wanted to trust the Digimon, especially Hawkmon. If there was anyone who had never let her down it was him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They continued to walk through the cave, every path looked weirdly familiar and it didn’t feel like they were going anywhere. Maybe they really were trapped with nowhere left to go. Yolei looks over at Davis who was walking, Gabumon still on his back, with a face full of pain.“Hey Davis…?” Yolei asks and Davis turns to look at her. She had been really quiet this whole time so he was glad she had decided to talk to him.
“Yeah?”
“What do you think of Kari and T.K.?” Yolei looks at the distance in front of her. It was dark and she couldn’t see anything in front of them. Just the dark path that awaited them.
“Huh?” Davis looked at her confused, it was kind of a strange time to ask that, but if it kept her mind off things he’d answer her. “Well uh…. they’re my friends and I want them to be happy-”“Wait really?”
Yolei interrupts him, taken aback by his answer. That wasn’t what she meant by the question, but she hadn’t expected that kind of answer from him. It was strangely mature of him. Actually now that she thought of it, he had been mature this whole time despite his exterior…maybe the only one who was still immature around here was her…“Yeah?” Davis looked at her a bit puzzled. Sure he wasn’t really surprised at her shock, he had surprised himself too, but he didn’t think she would be so surprised.
“Hold on. That’s not what I meant.” Yolei says, correcting him before she loses her train of thought. She felt oddly proud of him though for his outlook on it. “I’m happy you seemed to have taken it well ,but what I meant was, what do you think about what’s been going on…?” Yolei asked, returning to the serious attitude she had before.
“Oh, I’m pretty worried about them” Davis frowns and then continues to speak, but with a confident look on his face. “But I know we’ll find them! After all-” He sincerely believed that they’d find them. Veemon had reminded him that he needed to believe, so no matter what, he didn’t want to doubt.
“No…It’s not that either” Yolei interrupts him again and he sighs.
“Can you be more specific? There’s so many ways that could be interpreted” Davis looks at her disappointed. He was doing his best to answer her questions, but she was being too ambiguous about it.“I mean like…how they didn’t go after us back then.” Yolei kneeled down on the floor and sighed. It was true, she had forgiven them, but there was something just so off about the whole situation that she couldn’t help but think of it. “Did it really never bother you?”“No. I can’t say it ever did because for the same reason I said before. They’re our friends. They had their reasons. I trust them.” Davis sits down next to her and gently puts Gabumon on the floor. If there was a time for a break, it would be now.“I know…but nevermind you wouldn’t get it” Yolei puts her hand on her cheek and looks at the path in front of her. It looked cold and dark. It was the same kind of darkness she saw in her own heart whenever she stopped and thought about what had happened.
“You won’t know if that’s true unless you try” Davis looked at her and she sighs. She was probably right, there were a lot of things he didn’t get, but if it had anything to do with his friends, he wanted to at least try.“It’s just that…you always believe in everyone so blissfully.” Yolei says as she sits up straight. She wasn’t sure how he did it. Whenever she had a bad feeling about someone, she trusted it and didn’t really feel bad at the thought of being wrong about them. Her heart had been wrong sometimes, sure, but there were also times when she had been right and there were times she trusted people that were supposed to care for her, but they left her alone.
“What do you mean?” Davis tilts his head and looks at her a bit confused. She had said something similar before too. He didn’t think there was anything blissful about trusting everyone, after all he didn’t think his trust would be misplaced or taken advantage of.
“Like right now…You just let Ken go like nothing all because you believe Cody will show up. What if you were wrong?” Yolei stiffened up, she was having a hard time understanding her feelings. On one hand, she felt worried about all her friends, on the other hand she was kind of upset that they had all left them, but there was also a part of her that felt like she didn’t deserve to have their friendship in the first place.
“Well…I don’t think I am.” Davis says with a small chuckle and then continues to speak, a more serious look on his face. “I can feel my heart telling me it’ll all work out. Even if things seem tough. So no matter what I’m going to listen to it and well I know you always follow your heart too. So that’s what you need to keep doing ” Davis smiled at her and Yolei looked down on the floor. He was being so reassuring, but she couldn’t help, but feel her heart wasn’t the same way as his. It had some feelings that were awful, some that were painful, to herself and others.
“What if your heart were to tell you something…awful?” Yolei asks quietly. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes, but she wanted to ignore them. She didn’t understand her tears. She didn’t know if they were pure or not, so she didn’t want to let them go, but her heart had been so wicked these past few days that she didn’t want to even find out.
“Then I’ll trust you guys to set it back to the right path because I know I won’t lose my way as long as you guys are here” Davis spoke, his words still full of an unshakeable resolve and faith in the bonds he had forged.“...I’m not sure how you can keep moving forward like that” Yolei admits. She was kind of envious about how he moved forward like that. Maybe she just wanted him to understand the pain…but that wasn’t true. She didn’t want him to suffer even if for some reason his resolve was making her a little upset right now even though normally, it was encouraging.

“Well earlier I had my doubts too” Davis says a bit of sadness tracing his eyes. “But I had to push through. It’s not like I still don’t doubt myself from time to time ,but before we met the Digimon, I never had any faith. Right now do you know what I see when I close my eyes?” Davis asks, his eyes looking downcast, but almost like he was doing his best to not close them despite him being tired.“No…”Yolei looked away from him, feeling a bit guilty. Of course, he suffered too and just so recently, how could she forget. That was part of her horrible heart…it just had to be selfish all the time. “What do you see?” she asks him, wanting to be a bit more understanding.
“I see the sight we saw before getting here. Blood staining the floor and the burdened looks on Kari and T.K.’s faces.” Davis closes his eyes, pain tracing his face before he opens them again. “Which is why I won’t close my eyes. If I stop and close my eyes, I’ll get scared so I’m going to keep them open while I run. Run towards my destiny” Davis looks at her, any sense of pain gone from his face and replaced with an unshakeable resolve.“Davis…you never doubt where you’re going?” Yolei asks him. He always seemed so certain of what he was doing. Sometimes she was the same way…but now it felt like every time she found her path when one thing went wrong, she’d give up. She wasn’t entirely sure of what she was doing anymore.
“No. I’ve made it this far and I’m not gonna stop now.” Davis shakes his head and then continues to talk. “ The future is thrilling and exciting so I won’t lose heart in it. It’ll all be okay as long as I believe in everyone, even myself” Davis smiled widely. His smile was one that reflected his own dreams and had no room for doubt. It was the look he had that made them all trust him.“Myself huh…” Yolei spoke with a bit of uncertainty. She wasn’t sure if she could believe in herself. After all, her heart had deceived her so many times, she wasn’t sure anymore of which was the real her, Kari had said earlier that even though there were different sides to a person, they were the same. If that was the case, she had a reason to hate herself, that ugly part of herself that almost left her friends to die…
Davis looked at her, noticing a hint of anger in her eyes. He didn’t think he said anything wrong, but there was an unmistakable look of anger in her eyes though, it didn’t feel like she was mad at him and he definitely knew when she was. Besides that look was a sad one too, but he wasn’t going to stop here. He was going to keep encouraging everyone no matter what. That was the role that had been entrusted to him as the leader.
“Yeah of course. If you don’t believe in yourself you won’t be able to believe in your dreams and those dreams are what makes life worth living and the future worth chasing.” Davis stands up and looks at the distance in front of him. If there was one thing he knew always kept him moving, it was that and he wanted her to believe in it too.“Dreams, huh. Yeah those are always nice” Yolei smiles at him weakly and stands up. She wasn’t even sure what her dream was anymore. For some reason everything felt so untenable right now, that she didn’t know whether or not she could trust them.
“Of course they are. Now let’s get going” Davis grins and Yolei nods.“Are you okay to keep going?” Davis bends down to Gabumon who nods quietly as he stands up.
“I can walk..” Gabumon says quietly, his eyes being cast down on the floor. Davis looks at him worried and then nods as they continue to walk.~~Gatomon looked over at Gabumon who was limping as he walked. Quietly making his way through the cave. His eyes looked like they were painted with a loyalty that was making him suffer. She didn’t want to bring back painful memories, but her partner’s life, it could be at stake.“Gabumon. I’m sorry that I have to ask you this, but I need to know what happened” Gatomon looked at him, a determined face that hid the kindness in her eyes.
“I know…” Gabumon said quietly as he cast his head down. His vision was still blurry and everything had a hint of red in it. His eye was in pain, but he deserved it. He had hurt them after all…
“I’m sorry if this is painful, but I know you would want to know if something happened to Matt” Gatomon looked at Gabumon apologetically who only silently nodded. He remained quiet for a few seconds before finally speaking.“I remember attacking Angemon…and then going after T.K. and-” Gabumon begins to tremble. His body shaking with each word and his legs looking like they were about to collapse from right under him.“You don’t have to say anymore. I’m sure they’re okay, Patamon is with them.” Gatomon stopped Gabumon from talking any more and he nodded quietly. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with
not being with her partner, but she wanted to trust they’d be okay.“Yeah…but it doesn’t change what I did” Gabumon looked down at the floor and closed his eyes, red tears rolling down his eyes. Gatomon looked at him sadly, understanding what it was he must have done. The scar in his eye, he must have done it to himself to stop himself from hurting them. Gatomon looked at Davis who was carrying T.K. 's bag and asked for it. Davis gave it to her a bit confused and then she made her way back to Gabumon. If there was something she knew about both Gabumon and T.K. it was that they both loved Matt. There had to be something, anything inside the bag to help him get back on his feet. T.K. probably wouldn’t mind this invasion of privacy.
Gatomon opens the bag and just as she thought she found something. She pulled out a small music player. It didn’t play much of the track, the nature of this world didn’t let it,
but it played just enough for Gabumon to feel it. The bit of the song that was playing had stayed stuck on a small harmonica solo. Gabumon looked at it and smiled, the first smile he had given this entire time. A smile that soon turned into tears rolling down his face.“Thank you” Gabumon said and Gatomon nodded and she continued to walk. Gabumon looked at her with a small smile, he could see her partner reflected in her. That Digimon had changed completely since they first met even if it might not have seemed that way on the surface. It made him all the more grateful that they had all met their partners.
“Hey there little guy. Need some help?” Davis bent down in front of Gabumon and looked at him with a smile. Gabumon remained silent for a while thinking. If there was something he had taught Matt over the years, it was that he couldn’t do things alone and that it was okay to ask for help.
“I would appreciate that” Gabumon looked at him and nodded. Davis picked him up and put him on his back. He clenched the small music player to his heart and smiled.
It wasn’t just a reminder of Matt, it was a reminder of T.K. too. He would do anything for them and holding the music that brought them hope in his heart, was the friendship he needed to fuel his future.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They were walking through the cave with seemingly no way out when Davis looked at the ground, noticing a small object on the ground. He bends down and looks at it.

“Hey guys look” Davis points towards an object on the floor and picks it up.

“Hey that looks like Mimi’s phone charm…WAIT THAT IS HER PHONE CHARM” Yolei looks at in shock. She would never mistake the Monzaemon phone strap Mimi constantly carried.

“What? Then is-?” Davis looks at it surprised ,but before he could finish he’s interrupted by a screech. Bats with blood thirsty eyes fill the room and a vicious chain is heard. The chain screeches as it makes its way towards them with its ghastly macabre.

“It’s good to finally see you again” A malicious looking Digimon with white hair that resembled a devilish woman appeared. Her eyes glowed red with a thirst for blood as she stared at them, the claws on her hands soaked with the same color.

Yolei looked at her wide eyed and began to tremble. She could never forget who that was. It was the same Digimon she had to stop back then, the same Digimon that tried to kill her and innocent civilians.

“LadyDevimon…?”
Yolei takes a step back and closes her eyes. Not wanting to believe the sight right in front of her. Had she come back for revenge? She was so scared…was this the punishment she deserved for having…ended her.

“Who?” Davis looks at her confused. He didn’t know who this Digimon was, but just the sight of her was giving him chills, but it didn’t matter, they were going to have to fight her regardless.

“

The Digimon she killed

” LadyDevimon looks at them, bloodthirsty eyes.

“The Digimon she killed?” Davis looks at Yolei, surprised who is only shaking. He knew Yolei was always hesitant over ending a Digimon’s life ,but he didn’t know it had happened before. She had never told him, there were things people didn’t share because of how much pain it caused them, he had come to understand that over these past few days.

“Yes, the Digimon she killed because she is the very monster she hates” LadyDevimon smiles evilly. It was strange ,but Davis could feel there were two voices coming through that Digimon.

Gatomon looked at her, normally her hair would be standing on its ends with rage seeing her ,but this didn't feel right. Something felt very different. She wasn't even being taunted.

“I..I’m not” Yolei takes a step back and looks at her wide eyed. The memories of the harsh words she spoke to her friends flicked in her eyes.

“Yolei don’t listen to her” Hawkmon says ,but he is hit by LadyDevimon, sending him tumbling away. He tries to stand up. But he feels too weak to do so.

“You are a monster, and if I got rid of you now. No one would miss you. So let me do you a favor” LadyDevimon approaches her each step more menacing then the last.

Davis looks at Veemon who nods and Digivolves to ExVeemon and hits her with his Veelaser. She doesn't flinch.

“Yolei don’t listen to her you know that’s not true. We’d miss you” Davis looks at Yolei who only continues to take step backs.

She could only hear the voices of those she loved, with no worry over her disappearance, and the smell of the hospital burning her nostrils. It had a putrid smell. It felt like death waiting for her, but it was a different kind of death. It felt like it was one that would kill her spirit, every lesson she had worked so hard for and taken to heart.

“You're right…no one cares about me” Yolei speaks softly. It was something she didn’t want to believe, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to be at home either because that would be another painful reminder. She didn’t want to fight. She didn’t know what she wanted, the only thing she knew was that she didn’t want this.

“Yolei, you know that's not true” Gatomon looks at her and Yolei shakes her head

“What do you know!” Yolei snaps at Gatomon who continues to look at her sternly.

“I know that Kari was happy when you woke up from the hospital, I know she was happy to spend time with you at the festival, and I know that right now she believes in you” Gatomon speaks ,but as soon as she does she is hit by LadyDevimon and she tumbles away.

Yolei looked at Gatomon who was struggling to stand up as well.

“I'm replaceable it doesn't matter” that was the truth she believed in her heart. Her parents hadn't flinched while she was gone, they had other kids, they wouldn't miss her and as for her friends…they had each other there was no need for her.

“Yolei what do you think you're saying” Hawkmon stands up and looks at Yolei who looks away from him. He couldn’t believe the kind of things she was saying. It honestly made him furious to know that she would think she was that expendable.

“I'm telling the truth Hawkmon” Yolei looks at her partner upset and he angrily flies over to her, slowly, and weakly, but he flies over to her. His wings were in pain, but they weren’t in as much pain as his heart. He would make sure she saw how wonderful she was no matter what it took.

“What is wrong with you? Do you think I've spent my whole life with you without feeling anything for you? I was
born into this world to protect you, to save the world with you, and I'm not going to let you sit there as if anyone in the world could ever be you” Hawkmon looks at her sternly and is hit again by LadyDevimon’s attack causing him to fall ,but he stands back up and continues to speak. “I can't speak for everyone else ,but I know they feel the same way. Don't you see? How lonely would it be for me to be alone? How lonely things would be without you.”

“He's right,” Gabumon opens his eyes and begins to speak. “Before we met our partners we spent our whole lives waiting for them. When we finally met them, our lives feel so fulfilled”

“It's true! When I was lost and alone, and with Myotismon everyday was a pain ,but now even though things are hard everyday is special if we spend it with our partners” Gatomon stands up and looks at Yolei.

“There's nothing like being with our friends” Ex-Veemon
uses another Vee Laser at LadyDevimon who hits him with a darkness wave, causing him to return to Veemon. “Even the simple things, they're so fulfilling as long as we're with our partners” Davis runs over to him and picks him up. He looks at him with a smile.

“You did good” he tells Veemon and then looks at Yolei.

“It’s not just the Digimon that feel that way. To all of us you're special you know that right? Cody sees you like the older sister he never had. Kari’s different when you're around she's happier, T.K. had a blast making fun of me with you, Ken’s told me he admires you, and me of course, you're my friend too. No one can ever replace you” Davis looks at her eyes. They were full of indecision ,but his eyes were sincere, believing every word he said. “Now believe in everyone!”

Yolei looks at Hawkmon, remembering the rough times they've had together, but also the good times where they laughed together.
Loneliness. She remembers the time before him, the time when she fell for the illusion. The solitude painted with sweets to blind her from a reality with no siblings. She doesn’t want to be alone ,but she wants to feel loved. She also wanted to give back that very love in any way she possibly could.

“Hawkmon…I..” Yolei picks him up and he looks at her with a smile. He had an unyielding will and
a sincere look in his eyes, one with an unshakeable faith in his belief. The belief he placed on her, and the bond they had forged with fire that ignited their hearts with passion.

“The love people have for you, is more sincere than you could ever know” Hawkmon smiles at her and Yolei feels the tears forming in her eyes. She brings him close, placing her head on his.
Maybe sometimes it was easy to forget how much people really cared about you, how much people looked forward to seeing you, how much people valued each other.

The connection she felt at that moment was so warm, so sincere, so full of love. She couldn't just feel his heart, she could feel the hearts of everyone, of all the bonds she had made. Her glasses fell from her head and she could see the reflection, the reflection of not just herself, but all those she loved. Her friends, her partner, her family. They all loved her and she loved them and she wanted to do anything she could to help them. She was a mosaic of all those that cared for her. If she only continued to assume how they felt she would forever be trapped in that doubt that was piercing her heart.

“I won't doubt them…I can't doubt them. It would be wrong to doubt them, I'd be doubting myself too. That's why I'm going to fight. I'm going to fight for them” Yolei looks at LadyDevimon, her eyes full of determination.

“Yolei, I can feel it, your compassion flowing right through me” Hawkmon closes his eyes. He was being filled with warmth, a light full of love and sincerity. It was passionate yet powerful.

“Hawkmon warp digivolve to” A draconic man Digimon arose from the once bird. His hair glimmered silver as it flowed from his helmet. He had glowing green gems of sincerity painting his body. His love was glowing red all throughout his armor and his compassion
poured through his golden eyes. His blades were sharp with his nobility and chivalry.

“Gaioumon”

“Woah….he’s so cool” Yolei looked at him stunned, a sudden rush of emotion filled her. She wouldn’t trade the bond they shared, for anything in the world. If there was anyone in the world she knew she could always count on, it would be him, her knight, her partner. There were things that neither of them wanted to do. There were things they wanted to do, and could as long as they believed. The connection they shared was something that made it possible.
Sharing these emotions and passions, it was part of what made their bond so special.

LadyDevimon stared at him, eyes soulless. It wasn’t anything like she had acted the entire time before, it was almost, as if she wasn’t there…as if she had accepted her defeat.

“Rinkageki”
the swords he held fused together
and their brilliant line
converged, firing at LadyDevimon who only closed her eyes in defeat. Gaioumon returns to
Hawkmon and flies over to Yolei who grabs him and hugs him. “You’re the coolest”

“Thank you” Hawkmon replies sheepishly.

Smoke fills the area, and a quiet voice speaks, weakly “Mimi, where are you” the voice cries out, searching for the comfort of her partner.

“Palmon?” Gabumon runs towards the smoke. He could sense his friend there.

“Palmon?!” Yolei looks at Davis in shock and they both run after Gabumon.

Sure enough, Palmon was laying weakly on the floor. Bruised and in pain, much like how Gabumon was.

“Palmon…OH PALMON” a voice grows closer to them.

“Mimi, wait!” Another voices calls after her

“Oh Palmon” Mimi picks her up and holds her tightly. Even though she was largely unconscious in her dreams she could feel that Palmon was suffering. She was glad that they had saved her beloved partner.

Yolei stares at Palmon, she could feel herself beginning to tremble…she attacked someone else’s partner…what if something had happened to Palmon, and she had to look Mimi in the eye and tell her…she killed her Digimon.

“If Palmon is here then does that mean Biyomon is here” Sora looks around worried, unable to find her and then spots Yolei.

“Oh Yolei! You’re here! And Davis” Sora walks over to them and notices Gabumon.

“If Gabumon is here, where’s Matt?” Sora looks at them confused and Gabumon looks at her sadly. Concern tracing his eyes. Sora bends down and pats him gently.

“We don’t know…” Davis looks down at the floor.

“And Kari?” Sora asks, noticing Gatomon.

“We don’t know either, but probably somewhere in this
cave” Davis frowned, they still had no idea where they were. Sora frowns too and then turns to Yolei, who looked like she was in a daze.

“Hey Yolei?” Sora looks at her and she then looks back at her.

“Are you there?” “Yeah, I am,” Yolei responds quietly, still looking at Palmon. Mimi picks up Palmon and walks over to Yolei. Palmon stares at her and then smiles.
“Yolei, thank you for saving me” Palmon smiles as she falls asleep in Mimi’s arms.

“Oh Palmon…” Yolei looks at her and feels the tears rolling down her cheeks. There wasn’t any time to think of how it could have gone, what mattered now is that Palmon was safe.

“You did the right thing Yolei, I would want someone to save me too if I was being controlled” Hawkmon looked at her and she nodded

“So does that mean Palmon wasn’t the real LadyDevimon?” Davis looks at them puzzled.

“I…I have a feeling I know where we’re at. This is the cave of darkness that uses your negative emotions against you. Maybe the form she took was based on your regrets” Sora looked at Yolei who nodded.

“I remember, I was hesitant to defeat LadyDevimon all those years ago…but it had to be done to save others, but still I
couldn’t help but feel like a killer…” Yolei spoke softly. No Digimon had ever made her as angry as LadyDevimon did, but it didn’t make her want to kill her. That was the day she felt she had lost a part of her compassion…she didn’t want to think about having ended a life,even if it was the only way.

“That’s because you’re very compassionate” Mimi placed one hand on hers and smiled.
“Thank you for bringing Palmon back to me” Yolei smiles, her heart had finally felt free, before she always doubted what people said, but now she couldn’t help but feel like she could trust
the bonds she had made with those around her.

“Oh right, Mimi you dropped this” Yolei hands over the Monzaemon charm and Mimi smiles at her. “Keep it”

“Really?” Yolei looks at her surprised and Mimi nods. It was a charm that always reminded her to never lose her heart because there were Digimon like Mozaemon who believed in her, she wanted it to do the same for Yolei.

“So what were you guys doing here?” Davis interrupts them. Everything was getting too confusing and they all needed answers.
“Honestly, we don’t know. We remember receiving a message and going to a place in the real world and after that we lost consciousness and woke up in this dark cave” Sora put her finger to chin. “What about you guys?” “We came looking for you guys and when we made it to the Digital World, we had to fight Agumon and then Gabumon and now Palmon” Davis tilted his head.
“Fight them…did you find Tai and Matt with them?” Mimi asks them.
Both shake their heads. “Nope” Sora looked at them in silence, was it possible…that they were going to fight Biyomon…or had they already…

“Did you guys fight any Digimon in the real world?” She blurted out.

“Yeah two of em” Davis scratched his elbow.

“ I see…” Sora drifted off. No, Biyomon had to be okay. She couldn’t afford to have any negative feelings or they would be trapped in that cave forever.

“So where is Agumon?” Mimi looked around them. If they had fought Agumon too, he had to be here somewhere. Had he been hurt as badly as Gabumon appeared right now? Palmon looked exhausted and hurt, but Gabumon was on a different level. He looked like he had been massacred, but she couldn’t imagine any of them fighting a Digimon like that. So what happened?

“Agumon was with Cody, who may or may not be here” Yolei sighed, she hoped that Ken and Cody would be okay.

“He’s here, I’m sure of it. He wouldn’t leave us behind. Plus Ken is gonna find him” Davis nods. He was still just as motivated as before.

“You’re right!” Yolei nods she had finally gained her motivation back, even if things were hard they couldn’t afford to give up.

“And Kari and T.K.?” Sora asks, if those two weren’t safe, that was a sure way to bring back Tai and Matt.

“Uh no clue. T.K. was acting weird so Kari went after him and when we went to where they were we just found Gabumon” Davis looks at Gabumon who begins to cry. They all looked at him sadly, he hadn’t explained what had happened and none of them knew if it was appropriate to ask.

“Gabumon are you okay?” Sora looks at him and he shakes his head. Tears continued to fall down his eyes. He put his hand to his face and then they fell to his side, weakly limping.

“I did something very bad…will Matt ever forgive me?” Gabumon spoke weakly. The guilt of his actions overwhelmed him. He knew how much his partner valued his brother, more than anyone in the whole world, and so Gabumon had always tried to protect him, but he had hurt him…

“Of course he will. You guys are partners. Nothing will change that” Davis pats him on the head and Gabumon sniffles. He couldn’t imagine anything that Gabumon could do that would ever make Matt hate him. There were things Veemon did that made him upset but he could never hate him.

“I hope you’re right…”

“They’re okay, I know it.” Gatomon looks at Gabumon, her eyes full of determination.
It was strange ,but all the Digimon had some sort of connection with each other that they could all put each other at ease. Maybe it was the same kind of faith the Digimon had that put their partners at ease, it was as if it was the very nature of them.

“Yeah..!” Gabumon perks up and tightens the music player in his hands. He had to believe they’d be okay. He knew full well what this cave was capable of, and he couldn’t fall for its scheme. If Matt was here, he must be okay. He only wished they could be together at that moment.

“So if T.K. was acting weird then that means he’s probably dealing with something in this cave too and if any of our other friends were acting weird they probably have something waiting for them here” Sora tells them. She knew how hard this cave was, but they had to be okay. They had to be.

“There doesn’t seem to be an exit, so we can only assume that we need to wait till everyone is done” Mimi looks at the cave, noticing no exit.

“But, I really wanna leave. This place gives me the creeps” Mimi shivers.

“Agh man..we gotta wait” Davis slumps down on the floor. “Do any of you wanna play tic tac toe or something while we wait?” Davis stares at the floor and draws on the ground.
“We’ll be in here forever with your loosing” Veemon looks at Davis and slaps his hand. Davis looked at him offended. “Hey! I won’t” Davis protested. He had become slightly less of a sore loser why were they doubting him. It wasn’t fair.
“You definitely will” Yolei agrees with Veemon.

Davis sighs, everyone around him beginning to laugh. He was relieved, relieved that their spirits were up, but he knew there was a certain sadness in the air. Was fighting the partners of their friends really the right choice…

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Cody arrives at the scene and Ankylomon returns to Armadillomon. They could
see an enormous pit in the ground with a dark energy filling their hearts. The darkness wouldn't stop emitting from it. It was unsettling. Cody moves his head trying to search for any trace of them. There was some blood on the floor…that was no, it couldn’t be possible. They wouldn’t just die like that…as much as he wanted to believe that he couldn’t. He had seen Oikawa die in the Digital World, they weren’t invincible…someone must have gotten them.

“Ankylomon, they’re gone…”
Cody says with his voice shaking. To Armadillomon, Cody had never sounded so afraid, so childlike. He sounded afraid with a mixture of a painful innocence.
“This is my fault” Cody looks at the pit, a growing feeling of regret and anger in him. If he hadn’t been so stubborn T.K. wouldn’t have vanished. Kari wouldn’t have gone after him. Then Davis, Ken, and Yolei would never have gone after them and they’d all be together. They’d all be safe. He had never felt so alone and so shaken in his life, it was terrifying, he couldn’t stop shaking as much as he tried telling himself to calm down. “That’s not true,” Armadillomon replies. It was his duty to help Cody and he couldn’t just let him blame himself like that. One of the things he had always loved about his partner was how much he believed in honor. He had made the choice that followed that and he shouldn’t regret it. Even if things looked bleak at that moment.
“They probably regret relying on someone like me,” Cody says softly. If they were still alive, they were probably disappointed. He had abandoned them, he didn’t deserve the right to have the Crest of Reliability. Nor did he deserve Knowledge because he didn’t know what to do for any of them at the time.
“That’s not true, everyone is relying on you Cody. They know you and believe in you and ya know what I believe in you too. Isn’t that enough?”Before Cody could respond, Armadillomon kept going, fighting back his tears. He hated to see Cody doubt himself like this, Cody was his partner, they had spent too much time with their hearts united to let him see himself like that. He was going to remind his partner of who he was. “I see you everyday Cody, I’m with you all the time and I know exactly who you are even if you think you don’t know” Armadillomon speaks firmly, to hide his shaking voice. It hurt him
that Cody couldn’t see how great he was right now. It hurt seeing him doubt himself so much when Armadillomon knew exactly who he was. All these years together, they weren’t for nothing. Every day he learned something knew about Cody, but that only enforced the person he was to him. Cody was brave,
he was reliable, he was curious, he always followed his heart.

Cody looks at his partner and gently pats him on the head. Noticing his partner beginning to get upset. It wasn’t just that Armadillomon knew him well, they both knew each other.
“I don’t know if I could believe in myself ,but right now we need to do what's right. The right thing isn’t leaving them behind.” He was scared, there was no doubt about it, but worse than his fear, was his overwhelming feeling of guilt washing over him. These were his friends and right now they needed help.

Armadillomon nods a faint smile as he sees Cody pull out a silver device that looks like a handheld device.
It was old but still worked. He looks at it and sees the old messages with his friends and two Digieggs covering the screen, “Knowledge” and “Reliability.” A smooth breeze brushes past him and he turns quickly,
but nothing was there. Cody could have sworn he saw a butterfly pass him by. He could feel its gentle, reassuring warmth on him. It was something he wanted to believe in, no matter what.
“Cody?” Armadillomon tugs his leg, noticing Cody’s behavior shift. “It’s nothing. Let’s go” Cody smiles at Armadillomon and then closes his eyes. The breeze felt painful, but there was something he needed to do. “Digi Armor Energize”
Armadillomon soon transforms into a bug with drills on his arms. Ready to find the hidden knowledge in the pit. No matter how painful, that truth might be.

“Wait” a voice called to them, it was running as fast as it could, even though it was hurt.

“Take me with you. I need to find Tai” Agumon panted and he looked at Cody, his eyes were full of courage even though his body looked weak. Cody looked at him, he was tired, but if Agumon’s heart told him that this was the right thing to do, he wasn’t going to stop him.

“Okay” Cody nods and Digmon picks both Cody and Agumon up. He holds him tightly in his arms as he begins the descent into the dark and despicable
pit before them.

Right, the older digidestined were gone too. How was he supposed to find everyone, and would the babies really be okay? In this world he couldn’t save everyone. Those were the words he told T.K. when the village was in ashes, falling apart and those were his final thoughts as he descended the heinous pit lurking beneath him with his heart falling apart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The rocks overhead were slowly ,but surely crushing into them. Even though Digmon was shielding Cody it didn’t change the fact one of them was stabbing at his ribs. It was difficult to breathe ,but neither of them were able to move. He felt an overwhelming guilt over Digmon having to shield him while still being hurt ,but he knew he didn’t mind. After all, he always claimed his purpose was to protect him. Agumon was right next to Cody, his body looking like it was weakly holding on as his mind faded away.Cody’s vision was beginning to fade, he could hear a voice very faintly , but it wasn’t enough to keep his eyes open. He closed his eyes, his ribs still feeling the pressure and his breathing fading. Was this really the end? Had he really failed both his friends and the Digimon. He could feel the frustration overwhelming his
mind, if he were to die right then and there…would his father be disappointed? His life had never felt so meaningless. He always wanted to save someone, just like his father had, but he couldn’t see that dream before him anymore.“But you saved me”
Cody moves his head and then sighs closing his eyes. He must have imagined it after all, he hadn’t ever done anything for anyone. His purpose was never fulfilled and now it felt like his life was ending. He felt so much disappointment embracing him in these moments. He was disappointed that his own indecision had kept him from acting, kept him from protecting those he cared about, kept him from protecting the weak… He wanted to make his father proud ,but how could such a weak coward as himself do such a thing…His father was an honorable and virtuous man. A man who always followed his heart and protected those who couldn’t protect themselves. Gave a voice to those unheard and sacrificed his life for those who felt their lives were going to end. In a way he could finally understand him a little better. This horrible feeling, he didn’t want anyone to go through it, but this was his fate. He wasn’t his father and he would never be able to carry on his legacy…He was his son. His weak and cowardly son who had abandoned his friends. Left them to die. Leaving their blood soaked on the Digital World’s beautiful fields. Once again the beauty of this world had been tainted, but this time it was his fault. His friend’s smiles had always added to the decor, but now their blood would fill the fields with their regret.
~~~“Cody! Cody! Can you hear me Cody?” Ken called out for the boy as loud as he could ,but his voice was growing weaker. He felt like he had been searching for him for ages. He had decided to look for Cody because he was the only one that was alone. T.K. and Kari would be fine together, but Cody being in this dark cavern alone, it must be terrifying. Well that’s what he thought, but he couldn’t lie. The more steps he took in the cave, the more he was starting to get afraid.“Ken take a break, you’re going to strain yourself” Wormmon looked at him sadly. Ken had been calling out tirelessly for what felt like centuries, but no one had responded. Ken tried calling for Cody, Armadillomon, T.K., Kari, Patamon and even Davis and Yolei, but he found no one. Were the paths they had all chosen really that different? He shook it off, it didn’t matter, their paths would reunite, he was sure of it.“I can’t, I have to look for Cody. He’s somewhere here I know it” Ken looked at Wormmon who nodded. Wormmon knew his partner was too kind to give in. He had an unshakeable faith in Cody despite the situation around them.The
growling darkness was brought to a halt when all of a sudden they hear a small voice and they both ran towards it. The voice was familiar, but it sounded weak and hurt.“Cody is that you?” Ken moves the rocks aside and Cody lay underneath shielded by Digmon. He coughed weakly and then opened his eyes. His vision was still a bit blurry, but he could recognize an outline of someone, it looked like Ken and well it sounded like him too.“Ken? Is that you” Digmon stood up and pushed the rubble aside. He rose from underneath and Cody thanked him as he turned back into Armadillomon. Agumon opened his eyes and walked a little more before laying weakly on the ground. The three of them looked horrendously exhausted.“Where’s everyone else?” Cody looked around noticing that Ken and Wormmon were the only ones there. Were Davis and Yolei okay? Had they gotten separated too? Everyone separated, That was happening a bit too much… why? WHY? Why did everyone have to go off on their own? Why couldn’t they all just stay in a group together and- Cody’s mind came to a halt, his breathing had gotten really fast and he couldn’t catch his breath.Ken looks over at him concerned. Was he okay? The fall might have hurt him and made it difficult for him to breathe right now. That wasn’t good at all, they couldn’t afford for any of them to get hurt right now. There wasn’t much they could do…or maybe that wasn’t it.“Davis and Yolei went a different direction looking for an exit, Kari and T.K. are still missing, and I came here to find you” Ken smiled kindly at Cody and helped him stand up. For a moment Cody looked hesitant to accept his help and he found that odd. Did Cody still hate him deep down…No that couldn’t be true they were friends.“Let’s go reunite with the others then” Cody looked at Ken who nodded and they both began to walk. Cody stopped a pain searing through him, he put his hand on his ankle, it was bleeding. He must have hurt it in the fall.“Cody,I think you hurt yourself. Let me see” Ken bends down and takes a look, it was only a small scratch, but he had probably twisted it in the fall. Ken pulled out a bandage and cleaned the wound and wrapped it. He had brought a lot of bandages and materials with him they might need if someone got hurt. He had a feeling that Davis didn’t bring anything like that so he made sure to bring more than enough. Cody might have had some too, but he didn’t mind sharing. He just wanted everyone to be safe.“Thanks...” Cody said quietly, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with accepting help, but it made him feel so weak, so powerless to do anything. Ken shouldn’t have had to do that for him, he should have done it himself.“Of course,” Ken says as he stands up.Cody looks at his ankle and frowns, feeling guilty that Ken had to use his materials up on him.“Ken…I’m sorry you had to waste your materials on me”“It’s not a waste, that’s what I brought them for” Ken looked at Cody reassuringly. Nothing for his friends was a waste, after all,they had all done so much for him.“Thank you, but I owe you” Cody looks at him, seriously, but a hint of a smile on his lips.“We’re friends, you don’t owe me anything at all.” Ken said with a small smile. He couldn’t blame him for thinking that though, he had often thought about repaying everyone too.“I still repay my debts..” Cody said as he stood up and brushed some dirt off of him.“If you say so” Ken said, knowing it was pointless to argue any further with him. When Cody set his mind on something, it was impossible to change his mind. Ken picked up Wormmon and began to walk. Cody could probably walk and he knew Cody wouldn’t want to stop so Ken kept walking.They continued to walk as familiar scratches on the wall and debris lined their vision. No matter how much they walked,nothing changed, nothing appeared different. The cave seemed just as dark, the light seemed just as gone from the cave. They weren’t making any progress even though they had been walking for a long time.“It’s weird, I feel like we’ve been walking in circles. I could have sworn this was the way I came from” Ken looked at the path confused. He had seen the scenary so much that he even
recognized the rocks near them. Even the dirt was starting to look familair, despite not leaving any prints on the floor.“I wonder if there really is a way out of here?” Cody put his hand on his chin and began to think. They had gotten in there, falling down, it seemed as if going up was their only choice. If they had been going in circles this whole time then the only way would be to go up, but that would be difficult to accomplish, but maybe that’s the way the others left. Exveemon and Aquilamon could fly and so could Angemon.“Hey, Wormmon. Can you digivolve and see if we can go up?” Ken asks Wormmon who agrees to the request and flies up. It looks like they both had the same idea. Stingmon inspects the area, as he flew up, his wings felt like they were being pushed back, the darkness engulfing his wings and making him fall back. There was no way to fly out.“There’s nothing up here” Stingmon flies back down and turns back to Wormmon. Concern tracing his face. Things really were starting to feel hopeless, but he couldn’t admit that. They had to keep believing.“Let’s take a break guys and get our spirits back up” Armadillomon smiles at them and lays down. Cody looks at him and hesitates ,but Armadillomon did look a bit hurt from earlier and Agumon was still struggling as well. He nodded at him and they all sat down gathering their thoughts. Cody was very silent and Ken looked at him trying to think of anything to break the silence.“Hey Cody what made you come here? I know you wanted to stay with the babies and if you thought it was the right thing to do why did you…?” Ken stopped realizing that maybe he had overspoken. He was curious yes, but he didn’t want to remind Cody of any unneccesary feelings.“I..I don’t know. I just didn’t think it was right to leave you guys here either." Cody took a sip from his bottle and looked over at the distance. He wasn’t sure what was right anymore… he had always thought his morals would guide him ,but what if they were clashing together. He didn’t want to abandon his friends but he also didn’t want to leave behind those in need.“Well, Cody, thanks for coming to find us. We know we can always count on you” Ken smiles and Cody forces a smile back. It was nice that Ken was always so kind…even if right now he didn’t think he deserved that. After all..he had abandoned them.Cody remains silent for a while, the smile he had forced vanishing. He needed to make things right. That was the only thing he ever wanted to do, the right thing, but he wasn’t even sure anymore what that was.“Ken…I never should have left you guys” Cody says apologetically. His regret and guilt are still apparent in his eyes. Ken looked at him a little puzzled. He didn’t think Cody should feel bad for something like that. He did what he thought was right.
“You didn’t leave us. You stayed behind for the babies” Ken spoke to him gently and Cody shook his head at him before looking at him, agitation on his face, agitation at himself.“No, I left you guys alone! My friends were in danger and I left them behind!” Cody speaks upset. Unable to hide his frustration. Ken looks at him, uncertain of what to say. He remains quiet before answering.“But we’re okay now” Ken spoke with a weak smile and Cody took a deep breath. He couldn’t find it in him to stay calm for some reason, but he was trying to. He felt so stressed and so sad that he didn’t know how else he was supposed to act.“Are we really? We’re in this cave alone and we don’t know where everyone is. The older Digidestined are still gone. We haven’t seen T.K. and Kari for hours and we don’t even know where we’re going”
Cody said as he stared at the dirt in front of them. It felt so lifeless and so empty. It was cold and the cave felt like it had trapped them. It didn’t feel like they were ever going to find a way out.“I know…but we can’t give up.” Ken says not denying the information he was saying. Cody was right, everything looked hopeless. They didn’t know where they were going. They didn’t know if their friends were even alive. All while being trapped in a dark cave with no exit in front of them.“I wasn’t going to…but it doesn’t change the fact it was all my fault…”Cody said, finally calming down a bit, but he wasn’t sure if he really was calm. It was more like he was so overwhelmed by sadness that he couldn’t feel anything else, not even the stress of the impending situation.“Your fault?” Ken looked at him sadly. He didn’t want Cody to blame himself. He knew full well what self blame could do to a person. He had experienced it with himself first hand and he had seen what it had done to T.K. so he knew exactly what it felt like. Cody didn’t deserve to go through that pain, well none of them did. Not even himself…that was what he had accepted earlier. A fact that he had struggled with for many, many years.“I was the one who made T.K. upset and then he left and Kari went after him and then you, Davis, and Yolei followed while I stayed behind doing nothing” Cody places his hand on his chest and takes a deep breath. His heart, it was still there, but was it really doing the right thing? He wasn’t even sure what he was thinking, saying, or even doing anymore. He didn’t want to think anymore. He just wanted to accept the guilt and close his eyes. Blind himself to the world around him. Yes, he wanted to run away even though he knew…it was the wrong thing to do.“Cody…it isn’t your fault. This is something that happened and I’m sure T.K.
isn’t mad at you.” Ken tapped Cody on the knee and Cody flinched. He remained silent, wanting to believe Ken, after all Davis had told him the same thing, but he couldn’t find that light anymore.Agumon looked at Cody and frowned. He stood up and limps towards them, he sat in front of them and looked at Cody, his eyes stern. “He’s right. I’m the one who destroyed the Village. I’m the one who did all of that. It wasn’t you”“No…Agumon it isn’t your fault.” Ken quickly told Agumon. He didn’t want him to blame himself either. Wormmon was a Digimon that blamed himself, he didn’t want Agumon to do the same. His grip tightened on Wormmon who looked at him sadly.“You’re right it isn’t and I know no one is mad at me so I’m not going to live thinking in regret. I’m going to find Tai and fix things” Agumon looked at them, his eyes full of courage. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel sad over what he did, the fact had been clear on the way he shook in his sleep, but he didn’t want to live with that fear.“Regret…that’s all I feel.” Cody speaks softly, his voice cracking. Ken closes his eyes, understanding what Cody meant fully. He opened his eyes and then spoke, trying to hide the shaking in his voice as he spoke.“Cody, I have a lot of regrets…Regrets I can’t change. Things that have already been done. Regrets that keep me imprisoned in my pain, but it shouldn’t have to be that way. Whatever it is you’re regretting right now, Cody. I’m sure you can move past them.” Ken looks at him sincerely and then smiles. Cody didn’t need to live with that regret. They were all okay, he could feel it in his heart. When he had lost his brother, lost Wormmon, he had felt a piece of his heart vanish and even though he was afraid and even though they were all separated. He could still feel his heart the same way it was before. They were all alive and he knew it, because as broken as his heart always felt, his friends had bandaged it, gently put the pieces of it together
and if any of those wounds would reopen, he would know it.
“You can still fix the future.”“And what if I can’t fix it. What if our friends are dead?!”
Cody says, his voice in hysterics with all the fear he was feeling, overwhelming him.“Then you forgive yourself. You haven’t done anything wrong. You followed your heart and did what you thought was right and that’s what we all like about you” Ken looks at him, his eyes reflecting a kindness that made Cody break. It was the kind of kindness everyone always showed him despite how stubborn he was…the kind of kindness they had when they stood up for him in the festival, the kindness Davis had when he trusted him with the babies, the kindness T.K. showed him despite how much pain he was in….it wasn’t fair.“That’s…that’s the same thing T.K. told me” Cody looked down at the floor, the tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he hit the floor with his fist. He hit it once and his fist remained on the ground, shaking. His frustration hit the ground, but his bitter pain, regret, and guilt were what made his hand shake. Ken looked at him silently. He hoped he hadn’t said the wrong thing. No, that wasn’t it. Cody was just letting it all out, the feeling he had been keeping inside.
He had done the same thing after all. Now he would do the same others had done for him. Be there as support, no matter how sad the other person was.“Hey Cody, your virtues always pull you through so don’t worry.” Ken spoke kindly, noticing the worry still on his face. Cody looked up at him, his face still uncertain. When suddenly a cold gust of wind entered the room. Marching steps filled the room and sent chills down their spine.“But what happens when those virtues aren't enough” a Digimon that Cody had come to know very well marched into the room. His silver helmet glowing dimly in the dark cave. His black armor shining and his golden hair glittering dimly with his yellow eyes painting a determined look on his face. He looked so lifelike so real, but it was impossible…he had died years ago. This shouldn’t be possible, but it was. He was standing right there before him.“B-Blackwargreymon?” Cody looked at him in shock and the Digimon continued to stare. His eyes unflinching and a murderous conviction in his eyes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“B-But the real BlackWargreymon died and sealed the gate” Ken looked at BlackWargreymon stunned as well. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had died, there wasn’t any reason for him to be here.“The dead don’t just come back like that” Ken looked at him and for a second he saw his brother flash before his eyes...yeah the dead don’t come. As much as he might want them to, it wouldn’t happen. Wormmon coming back was a miracle, but no one else would ever come back…his brother, he was gone.

“In this world of darkness, there is nothing holding us back,” Blackwargreymon said, his voice sounding
as empty and hollow as his heart had been, before he had found his purpose.

“Blackwargreymon…I thought you had changed!”
Cody looked at him angrily, expressing the discontent he felt in his heart. He didn’t understand what he was seeing but it didn’t change the fact that Digimon he had looked up to so much,was standing right before him, with a different expression in his eyes.

“He did change” Agumon walked towards him and looked Blackwargreymon in the eye.
This wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. There was something familiar about this Digimon, but it wasn’t BlackWargreymon. He closed his eyes, remembering how they shook hands and became friends as the sun set around them. He was his friend. He had never been wrong about a friend and he didn’t think this was any different. “This isn't him and I know it…we fought together, we shook hands, we became friends and he sacrificed himself for his purpose. There's no way this is him” Agumon opens his eyes and shoots a pepper breath at Blackwargreymon who remains unflinching. The fire quickly vanished before their eyes.

“Don't you remember me?” Agumon looks at Blackwargreymon who walks away from him and stares at Cody. This wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him. Maybe no one else had seen it ,but Agumon had held him as Wargreymon before he died. He could see the look in his eyes entrusting the world to him, there was no way that was him.

“You…You…Lied!” Cody looks at him, anger burning in his eyes. He couldn’t belive that BlackWargreymon had done something so despicable as lie to him. He was supposed to have changed, he was supposed to protect the Digital World, but he was here LYING. One of the most despicable things anyone could do.

“Wait Cody! Agumon might be right!” Ken pats Cody's shoulder ,but Cody pushes him away. Right now Cody felt like he couldn’t breath, think, he wasn’t sure if any of this was real, but there was two things building in him. Fear and mistrust.

“Stay out of this! If he went back to evil who's to say you won't” Cody was shaking while saying that. He wasn't sure if he believed the words that left his mouth ,but at that moment he was so conflicted over everything going on. That he just didn’t know what to believe. He felt so betrayed, so hurt, he had believed in BlackWargreymon, admired him ,but here he was…trying to destroy them.

Ken looked at him sadly. “You're right…” Ken mutters, his worst fear finally being verbalized. His biggest fear in the world was returning to his once heinous self ,but it won’t happen. It shouldn’t. It just won’t…he didn’t want that. That’s why reading that prophecy had shaken him so much, he didn’t want to be lost again…he didn’t want to ever live his life like that again.

“Cody!“ Armadillomon looks at him sternly and Cody shakes his head. He grasps it and the memories start flowing through his head. The memories of a dream that would forever be unfulfilled… the memories of a dream that was fated to die. The dream of a time his memories had yet to exist yet he still longed for that dream. He knew it was nothing ,but a delusion. He knew it would never come true ,but deep down he couldn’t help it.

The scenery of the Digital World was beautiful. It was painted with an immaculate hue that blended together on a canvas of dreams. He wanted to show it to his father, holding his hand and walking with him through the beautiful field full of precious flowers. The grass was luscious and the sun was shining as brightly as the smile of his father he could faintly see in his dreams. The Digital World that remained that way because Oikawa had used his energy to protect that world, the beautiful world he dreamed of. The same Digital World Blackwargreymon had given his own life to protect…

He froze.

The same world Blackwargreymon tried to protect, he tried protecting everyone and everything in it and now here he was fighting him. Cody had never felt so betrayed. He believed in him, despite everything he had done, he thought he had redeemed himself but what truly was redemption. Can one truly ever be redeemed from their errors or had he been wrong. He used to believe there was no redemption for anyone ,but his adventures in the Digital World had taught him otherwise, but now here he was, face to face again. With that same question burdening his mind, Had his belief truly been misplaced.

“Are you going to kill me? Are you going to do the wrong thing? I haven't done anything to deserve this” Blackwargreymon looks at Cody who continues to shake. Uncertain of himself and the future around him.

Armadillomon looked at Cody, there was so much sadness in his eyes. Armadillomon couldn't fight though with Cody being as uncertain as he was, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going to try. He runs up to Blackwargreymon, he sinks his teeth into his armor and Blackwargreymon kicks him off. He rolls back and crashes into the wall. He weakly tries to stand up, but collapses.

“Armadillomon!” Wormmon quickly Digivolves into Stingmon
and hits Blackwargreymon with a spiking finish ,but he continues to walk ignoring him. He was unfazed. His mind only had one direction, one target.

“Armadillomon...no…” Cody looked at him, his partner was getting hurt ,but he was so scared he didn't know what to do. He didn’t want to see anyone get hurt or suffer ,but he wasn’t just scared. He was horrified and most of all, insecure. He felt like he didn’t know what was the right choice. The indecision was eating away at him and driving him mad, but Armadillomon was still fighting,..for him.

“Cody! Don't forget you're the only one that can decide to do what you think is right” Ken looks at him with determination. He couldn't let himself fall now if he did it would all be over. He would have time to be in pain later ,but right now he had to help his friend. Just how his friend helped him before. It wasn’t just Cody who had a debt to repay, he had one to repay too. No, it wasn’t a debt. It was a gift to his friends, the same gift they had given him. The gift that filled him with life. The gift that made him wake up every day even if all his past pain was strangling him.

“But but…I” Cody’s eyes were full of hesitation. He didn’t have the right to decide what the right thing was. He couldn’t believe he had been so arrogant in thinking that he could decide what was right…no he couldn’t do that. He didn’t have the right to claim to be honorable when right now all he could feel was fear.

“Cody! Listen!” Armadillomon runs up to Cody and bites his leg, tears in his eyes. The suddenness made him jolt and the bandage Ken had placed so kindly on his leg fell off. He looked at it before turning to his partner.

“Armadillomon…!” Cody looks at him in shock. He hadn’t expected Armadillomon to bite him like that, but he never would have done it for a wrong reason. After all…Armadillomon always did the right thing.

“Cody, I've known ya my whole life and if there's one thing I know about you is that you have the power to do anything you put your mind to because of how strong your beliefs are. Whether you put your belief in someone right doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you were wrong, what matters is now. What matters is that you always keep your morals even if people let you down because that's what it means to have virtue” Armadillomon
looks at him, his eyes full of an unwavering will to do what's right, the same look he always saw reflected in Cody's eyes. An honorable look in his eyes, one that was genuine about doing the right thing, about saving others.

“Armadillomon…” Cody looked at him, the wisdom his partner brought through his innocence never failed to surprise him. It was something he couldn’t find anywhere else. Armadillomon had sometimes felt like he was a very gift from his father, a reminder to never give up on doing the right thing.

“He's right Cody. You can't give up on the truth just because things look hopeless. The truth always prevails, believe in it no matter what” Ken tells him. He knew very well what it was like to run from a painful truth, but if there’s anything he had learned from his time after being the Digimon Emperor, it was that the truth always prevailed. The truth of why he had become the Emperor had set him free and the truth
of his parents' feelings, were part of the reason he was able to find his heart again.

“Making mistakes, it's a part of life. We aren't perfect” Stingmon looks at Ken and then at Cody. “But we need to believe in ourselves to push forward to the truth”
Stingmon knew a lot about making mistakes, there were so many he and Ken still held close to themselves ,but those mistakes were the ones that led them to their new tomorrow.
The ones that inspired them to build a better future, one where others didn’t have to suffer the same way they did.

“Be brave Cody. Armadillomon can be brave because of you!” Agumon looks at Cody and smiles. That's how it was for him with Tai and he knew it was the same for Armadillomon. Their bond had always carried them through any hurdle and it was still the same. Having the courage to believe in your friends, that’s one thing he would never forget. He still believes in Blackwargreymon and their friendship, even if it was a friendship that was a fleeting fragment of the past. A past that would never return to them no matter how hard someone might try to bring it back.

“Cody. I'm right here.” Armadillomon places his head on Cody's leg. He had done this countless times before to let him know he was there, to let him know he was there to comfort him and guide him. It had always been something so soothing. He had bitten him earlier and it had caught him off guard but something about the gentleness after,
was an ineffable feeling.

Cody closes his eyes, feeling Armadillomon on his leg.
Feeling his friends supporting him. The determination he had felt building up all the years of his life pulsing through his heart.
The determination he had because he believed in his friends, in his father, in Oikawa, in Blackwargreymon, his partner,
and himself. He could feel it filling him and guiding his way so that he would never lose it again. Even if the truth seemed to be lost in the darkness, even if his faith was misguided, he couldn’t give in, not now, not ever.

“Cody I've never felt this kind of strength before. It's the strength of your beliefs “ Armadillomon closes his eyes, feeling the power rise through him, the power of knowledge of good and bad
flowing through him and the reliability in following those virtues. He could feel the trust they had built coursing through him.

“Armadillomon warp Digivolve to…”

An orange dinosaur with metal blades sharp with knowledge coming from his back. The reliability of the knives glimmered and his eyes glowed virtuously. With the belief of conviction flowing through him as his sharp spikes glew with that power.

“Spinomon” he roared, his voice piercing the dim atmosphere. The walls of the caves didn’t seem to be caving in
as much as they were before, something about the dazzling prehistoric beast born from the virtue of its partner, that made the cave around them feel a lot more uplifting than before.

“Terra Destroyer” BlackWargreymon began gathering all the dark energy from the cave and launched it towards Spinomon.

“Blue Prominence” the metal in his body built up to plasma
and he fired it out of his mouth, destroying the enemy's attack and striking him.

“Sonic Slash Rain” the blades on his back all at once rose and struck Blackwargreymon who groaned as he began to fade away. He turned and looked at Cody and smiled.

“This may not have been the real me , but I know that I was more than happy to seal the gate for your future. It was the right thing to do” Blackwargreymon closed his eyes and vanished and a small Digimon fell in its place. Spinomon returned to Armadillomon and jumped at Cody and smiled.

“You did it,” Cody patted him gently, a smile on his face. Armadillomon looks up at him and smiles back at him.

“We did it Cody” Armadillomon cuddles up to him.

Cody continues to smile, he couldn't help ,but feel happy. Sometimes destiny was cruel, but he was happy that destiny had brought them together. It was one thing he would never change about his life. He was so thankful that he had met Armadillomon, who had led him to find so many wonderful friends and that had led him to understand the world a little better with a profound wisdom rather than a false maturity.

“Ouch” the small Digimon spoke as he scratched his head and looked up. He turned his head from side to side, trying to process what had happened. He couldn’t remember anything really…he just knew he was tired. He puts his paw to his face and scratches his orange mohawk.

“Gomamon?!” Cody and Ken spoke in unison and ran over to him.

“Where am I? What happened?” Gomamon looked around, puzzled.
“Where's Joe?”Gomamon looked
at them concerned. He was starting to remember, even if just a little bit. He had gone off with Joe, but they got separated.

“Joe!” Gomamon stood up and ran towards a small part in the cave that had appeared. Cody and Ken followed him. Gomamon slipped through the path and continued to run before stopping. He looks in front of him, in the path lay Joe and Izzy both unconscious.

“Izzy?” Agumon shakes him and Izzy opens his eyes.

“Ken? Cody?” Izzy looks at them and tilts his head.

“Agumon, if you're here where's Tai?” Izzy pats him and Agumon stays quiet. He didn’t mind finding Izzy and Joe…not at all, they were his friends too, but he missed Tai. He wanted to see Tai so badly.

“I don't know …” he speaks softly ,but then perks up. “But I have a feeling he's okay” Agumon smiled brightly, the thought of his partner relieving him of his sin. Right, he couldn’t get down. It would
be even better when all of them got to reunite!

“Joe?” Gomamon shook him, concerned until he finally opened his eyes.

“Gomamon?” Joe picks him up and Gomamon smiles. “What happened to you?” Joe asks, concerned, noticing there were some bruises on his arms and some of his fur looked burnt.

“I'm so happy you're okay…” Gomamon says before collapsing into Joe’s arms. Joe looks at Cody and Ken waiting for an answer.

Izzy looks over at Gomamon as well and then turns to Cody and Ken. “What happened?”

“It looked like we were fighting Blackwargreymon ,but it wasn't really him,” Ken put his hand on his chin, wondering why Gomamon had appeared to take that form. His evolution line was nowhere near being Blackwargreymon.

“What he said at the end ...I wonder if it really was him” Cody looked at Armadillomon, remembering his last words. Was he really happy to die like that? He remembered wondering the same over his father, his father was honorable and was happy to risk himself, did Blackwargreymon feel the same way?

“This place feels familiar…” Joe puts his hand to his chin and looks around his eyes then goes wide. Realizing where it was that they were. “Oh!”

“This is like the dark cave from back then where Matt and Sora got stuck. It takes your negative feelings and traps you into them” Joe says. He had almost forgotten about this place. Even though that was the first time he ever dove first into something in the Digital World, without any fear.

“Then maybe what you saw was really just an illusion of any regret or uncertainty you might have had” Izzy looks at Cody who remained silent. That would make sense. A part of himself had regretted seeing him go that way, the same part that saw Oikawa go. They both left for honorable reasons, but there was a part of him that felt abandoned by them…kind of the way he felt like he had left his friends behind.

“Yes…it was Gomamon. I know it wasn't him, he died after all and the dead don't come back” Cody says, hiding his pain, he couldn't help but think about his father, Blackwargreymon, and Oikawa. Death was something that was still painful, even though he understood that it was a destiny they had chosen for themselves.

“Yeah...” Ken agreed quietly. His brother was gone. Nothing would ever bring him back, just like nothing would ever bring back Blackwargreymon and nothing would ever bring back the past. There was no way of changing it.

“But! I know it was him who said those last words.” Cody says, his fist tightening. “I don't know how ,but I just know it” Cody looked at them, his eyes full of some sort of innocence they had never seen in him. He really did believe that Blackwargreymon had left one last message for them. A message to remind them that even though the right path was painful, it was worth doing for the things you wanted to protect.

“I'm sure you're right,” Ken smiles briefly at him. He wanted to believe that too. After all, he sincerely believed that the way Wormmon came back to him,was because his brother had left him a final message to keep going forward.
“So how did you guys end up here?” Ken turns to Izzy and Joe. This was the first time they had found any of the other Digidestined. They needed to know what had happened to them. “We got a strange message and ended up here. We don't remember anything before that, by the way…have any of you seen Tentomon?” Izzy
looks at them and they both shake their heads.
Izzy looked at his computer, the screen was dark, it was charged, it just wouldn’t load, he had no way of knowing where they were or if Tentomon was okay. He was starting to feel a bit anxious, Agumon and Gomamon were right there in front of them. Both looked hurt, what about Tentomon…

“Maybe the others found him” Cody reassures him and Izzy nods. That was true. It seemed they had all separated. Davis, Yolei, T.K., and Kari weren’t there. So maybe they found Tentomon…he hated the thought of his partner being in pain just like the other Digimon.

Soon the darkness around them began to clear up, a light shining behind them.

“The cave it's disappearing” Armadillomon looks at Cody who nods. Relieved that the darkness had disappeared. It was so nice to see a light shining before them.

“Let's go to the light then” Cody tells Armadillomon who happily nods. Izzy and Joe nod as they begin to follow Cody. Ken stops looking at them from behind. Did he really have the right to go into the light? Maybe he should just stay here…in the darkness. Where he belonged.

“What's wrong Ken?” Wormmon says, noticing the sadness and hesitation on Ken.

“Nothing…”Ken pats him and smiles. Feeling his heart calm down a little as he felt Wormmon.
He was glad Wormmon was there. He was glad Wormmon…was alive.

“Ken” Cody runs back and pants. He then looks up at Ken

“Please forgive me,” Cody says with a bow. He remained in that
position waiting for Ken to respond.

“For what?” Ken speaks to him kindly and then motions for
him to look up.

“You're my friend and you mean a lot to me. I know that you'll always be good because I know who you are now. You're kind and nothing will change that” Cody looks at him apologetically, he felt horrible for saying what he did back then even if it was in a moment of fear.

“It's okay Cody. You were just afraid. I understand”
Ken
puts his hand on Cody's shoulder and smiles. Feeling a little bit of relief, he was grateful for that reassurance Cody was giving him.

“Thank you Ken for being my friend, the truth is you inspire me and I wanna be a lawyer because of you” Cody bows again, looking away from Ken who looked at him confused. He had spoken without thinking ,but it was something he wanted to say to Ken since he decided his path.

“I want to believe in those who no one believes in because just like you…they need to be saved” Cody smiled faintly, tears forming in his eyes. Ken looks at him awestruck , he had never seen him look so determined yet so virtuous.

“Thank you for accepting me for who I am and for believing in me, ” Ken smiles. He was so grateful for his friends.

“Of course. I’ll always believe in you” Cody looks at him and smiles. His eyes are sincere and soon they both laugh, smiles painting their faces. The past,no longer holding them back as they both walk off into the light together.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Looks like we didn't need to wait as long as you thought” Yolei says as she looks around her. The light was finally starting to come in and the darkness was vanishing.

“Hey the caves disappearing” Davis
stood up surprised
at his surroundings and noted that the light was conquering the cave and making it disappear. They were soon left in a space, where everyone had finally reunited.

“Hey are you guys okay?” Davis waves over at Ken who nodded. Davis smiled in relief. He was glad they were safe. He knew they would be. He turned his head the other direction, seeing his other two friends who he hadn’t seen in what felt like ages.

“HEY!” Davis yelled back at them. “What about you two? How are- Tai?! Matt?!” Davis looked at them surprised initially ,but then realized it wasn't anything strange considering how many people they had found down there. He sighed in relief. It looked like everyone was finally together. He was glad…everyone was safe.

“TAI”
Agumon ran over to Tai and jumped on him, and embraced him tightly.

“I’m so happy to see you Tai” Agumon held him tightly, closing his eyes as he laughed blissfully. Nothing seemed so painful anymore. Tai held him tightly and smiled. He was glad he was okay. He couldn’t believe how painful it must have been for him to lose himself like that. Agumon was a kind Digimon after all.

Agumon turned his head and looked at Kari. “I’m so happy you’re safe too. I knew you’d be fine” Agumon said with a laugh and Kari looked at him and smiled back. He looked happy, the feeling he deserved to have. Not any of that pain he had been forced to go through.

“KARI” Gatomon ran over to her partner and Kari picked her up and held her tightly. She closed her eyes, feeling her partner. The partner that she couldn’t help but feel…that she was nothing without.

“She was a handful” Yolei walked over to Kari and pretended to be exhausted.

“I was the handful?” Gatomon looked at her in disbelief and Yolei looked back at her offended and Kari began to laugh. She was glad that they were together at least. She didn’t want to think about what she couldn’t do because she didn’t have Gatomon. Rather she wanted to think about what her partner was able to do because she was somewhere else.

“Hey!” Yolei looked at her upset ,but then stopped and began to laugh too. She had no reason to doubt their friendship. She was glad they were safe. Everything finally seemed like it was turning around for them.

“MATT”
Gabumon ran over to Matt and he bent down and patted him softly and smiled.

“I’m glad you’re okay Matt,” Gabumon said with a smile. Matt inspected Gabumon, noticing bruises and scratches…and his eye. It was…it was so mauled that it made him afraid…afraid Gabumon would lose his eye. If he did…he wouldn’t be able to look at his loyal eyes anymore. The eyes that told him everything would be okay.Gabumon looks at T.K. and smiles weakly, relieved at seeing him okay. He then notices his leg. Feeling his heart drop and the guilt overwhelm him again. Had he caused that? “I’m so sorry…”
Gabumon said apologetically, his body feeling like it was about to collapse. “Hey no it’s okay.” T.K. kneeled down and picked up Gabumon’s hands. He observed them noticing he had something in his hands. He was glad Gabumon had found that Gabumon needed the comfort more than he did. “Don’t worry. Really I should be thanking you because I know you’re always taking care of me even if I’m not your partner” T.K. let go of Gabumon’s arms and then got closer to him. He looked at his eyes sadly, he wished Gabumon didn’t have to hurt himself like that, but the fact he did it,was continued proof of just how loyal he was even if he had been taken over.“Thank you Gabumon for everything” T.K. said with a smile as he placed his arms around Gabumon and closed his eyes. Suddenly his mind was full of the memories of the first time he went to the Digital World, but it wasn’t the sad and painful memories. It was the memories of when he was laying with Patamon and Gabumon as
Matt’s melody gently filled their ears with peace. Those memories were the ones he wanted to always be reminded of. Not the cold and painful memories of loss, but of the moments he had with those he loved. Gabumon quietly took the hug, a few sniffles still in the air, but his mind finally a lot clearer. He could feel warm and quiet tears on him. Tears that weren’t traced with sadness, but a
certain thankfulness that didn’t need to be put into words. He could feel the guilt washing away. The way T.K. had hugged him reminded him of the way he had hugged him the first time he digivolved into Garurumon and saved Matt. It was the same sincere and thankful hug. Gabumon closed his eyes, before he knew it there were tears rolling down his eyes too. His tears didn’t feel like they were stained with the blood of his sins anymore.
“Hey, take care of that music player and my brother too of course.” T.K. let go of Gabumon and whispered to him. Gabumon looked at him and nodded with a smile, the hopeful look had returned in both their eyes.

Matt looked over at them and smiled weakly. He was glad that they were okay…but the thought of either of them having gotten hurt, it really did make him feel sick. “Look guys you really need to take care of yourselves”

“All’s well now so no worries Matt” T.K. grinned and Gabumon nodded. Matt sighed at the two of them, but looking at them, he couldn’t help, but feel happy.

“It seems the cave is disappearing and there appears to be two gates. One that leads to the world of crashing waves and one that leads back home” Izzy says, looking at his computer. The data was there, but it looked corrupted.

“Great, we can go back home. I need to study” Joe teases. He actually didn't have anything to study for once, but he definitely wanted to go home.

“Don't you think of anything but studying “ Mimi scolds Joe who just looks down at the floor sadly. “It was a joke…” he mutters. Why could everyone make jokes , but him?

“Where's Biyomon…” Sora looked around , noticing that Joe and Mimi both had their partner Digimons with them and Tai and Matt had just reunited with theirs.

“And Tentomon…” Izzy remained silent and then gulped nervously.

“Did you guys happen to fight any Digimon in the real world?” Izzy asks, admittedly afraid of the answer they would give him.

“Yes we did” Cody looked at him and responded softly.

“Then if you guys have fought Agumon here as well as Gabumon, Palmon, and Gomamon then that means…”

Yolei looked at him wide eyed “But it can't be…those digimon, they disappeared” Yolei began to shake. The guilt of her actions were beginning to wash over her. Of course something had to be wrong. Sora walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Then that means they have to be somewhere in the Real World”

“But Sora…we” Cody too began to feel immeasurable guilt. The thought of having ended Sora and Izzy’s partners…it made him feel horrible. No one should have to go through that pain, but they could have caused it to them…

“I'm assuming you fought these Digimon at a distance, if this is true then it is possible they collapsed much like the other digimon did…which means”Izzy pulled up his computer, it was still sensing Tentomons signal. “They have to be somewhere there. I'm getting a signal “

“Which means we have to go back for them” Sora looked at Izzy who nodded in agreement. They had to go back as soon as they could to make sure their partners were okay.

“I'm sorry we left your Digimon alone and hurt…” Ken looked away from them sadly too. After all…he was the one who “ended” one of them. He was the killer among them all, no one else , but him had committed such deplorable acts.

“Don't apologize, they're alive and that's all that matters” Izzy remained serious as he spoke. He was certain they were. Their signals were still there. They had to go get them.

“Alright then it looks like you're all going home” T.K. pushes Matt and Tai towards the glowing gate. He looks at them with a small laugh and they both look at him upset.

“Hey we didn't agree to this” they both say in unison.

“Your Digimon are in bad shape, they need to rest up” Kari says, patting Agumon on the head who smiles at her. “I feel a lot better now though,” Agumon says happily.

“I know, but you need to rest a bit more” Kari tells Agumon who accepts it begrudgingly.

“No! We’re not going back. That world it’s dangerous. It controlled our Digimon, you guys don’t know what’s beyond that” Tai looks at her upset.

“And that's exactly why you need to go back. What if something happens in the Real World that needs your help.” Kari looks at him, her eyes determined. She wasn’t going to let them go through that gate. That world…it was horrible. She couldn’t deny the part of her that wanted to go alone. The truth was, none of them deserved to suffer through that world. She had seen it enough times and she didn’t want anyone to go in it.

“Well they can reach mega so they'll be fine, right guys?” Tai turns to look at the older Digidestined. Sora and Izzy looked impatient to go, Joe seemed lost in thought, and Mimi looked upset.

“Hey I'm coming too..I need to get payback for Palmon” Mimi said as she held the weak digimon in her arms. Palmon had her eyes closed, but had a smile as she rested on Mimi’s arms.

“No, I think they're right. We should all go back.” Joe says as he looks at Gomamon who was sleeping in his arms. He didn’t want his partner to get any more hurt then he already was. They couldn’t afford to be reckless.

“But we're all stronger together!” Matt looks at them, his anger coming from a place of concern. Together they could all do anything and the more strength they had the better…the better to make sure everyone was protected. He looked at Gabumon and bit down. It was a way to make sure that no one had to get hurt…

“Guys, go back” Davis looks at them sternly, “Your Digimon are in no place to fight. Find Biyomon and Tentomon and make sure they get rest. If we need you we'll call” everyone remained silent and Davis looked around waiting for a response and beginning to feel anxious.

“But what if we can't find a way back here?” Mimi sincerely spoke with worry. She didn’t know how this world worked or how they had all found them, but if they got trapped in there, she would never forgive herself.

“As long as someone wants you back you'll always be able to return from the Dark Ocean” Kari looks over to T.K. who smiles.

“Always” T.K. says, his newfound hope evident in his eyes.

“Fine…” Mimi begrudgingly agrees. She looks at them and raises an eyebrow. They were a little bit too confident about this place and not just that…something else was different.

“How do the two of you know so much about this place anyways?” Joe asks them.

They both look at each other confused and then speak in unison “We didn't tell you Joe?”

“OH NONE OF YOU EVER TELL ME ANYTHING I'M ALWAYS THE LAST ONE TO KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN OLD RELIABLE JOE”

“AHH THAT'S ENOUGH. Come on guys let's go” Davis quickly ran to the port and the rest of the gang going to the Dark World followed him. He marched forward unafraid. Even though they didn’t know what was waiting for them. He knew they’d be fine as long as they were always together. The world where his friends weren’t with him anymore, that wasn’t a world he could see. Now that they were all together again when he could see them all chasing their dreams together and that’s what would make him fight no matter what.

Ken looked at the gate in front of him. He felt his neck begin to throb, aggressively as the spores in the back of his neck responded. He placed his hand on his neck and watched as Davis went through with no fear. He wished he could be that way…but he was so scared right now. He was so scared of going back to that world. He didn’t want to go back, but he didn’t have a choice.

“Ken, are you okay?” Yolei turns to look at him, noticing his hesitation. He looked uncomfortable at the thought of going in there and she couldn’t blame him, but it was something they had to do. Even though things seemed lonely, she wanted Ken to understand that the would never abandon him.

“Of course, I’m good to go” Ken smiles weakly and Yolei looks at him unconvinced.

“Don’t forget. We’re in this together now” Yolei grabs Ken’s arm and looks him in the eyes. Her eyes looked very understanding. Understanding of his situation and what he was feeling despite his silence. They were oddly comfortable to look at. Ken nodded at her.

“She’s right Ken. You aren’t alone” Cody looks at Ken with a gentle smile. Ken had been the one to remind him, to believe in everyone. So he would place that same belief in him, no matter how hard things might seem on that other side. They would be fine in the world as long as they always followed their hearts and did the right thing.

“Thank you guys” Ken looked at them, a thankful expression on his face. He was still a bit scared, but his heart felt a lot more at ease now that they were going together.

“That’s what friends are for” Yolei smiled as she began to move him towards the gate and Cody followed. The light they were in escaping as they left. They had all walked in the light together and now they would have to walk into the darkness.

Joe continued to complain over his lack of information until Mimi got tired and pushed him into the gate leading to the real world with the rest following.

Mimi looked over at T.K. and Kari who had yet to go in and smiled. “Good luck guys” Mimi said with a wink as she left.

“You’ve got this” Izzy said to them as he followed Mimi and Joe through the gate. He needed to go find Tentomon. That was all that was on his mind right now, but the moment that he did. He would do what he could tell them from the other side.

“Hey, before we go. Are you sure you want to go there?” T.K. watches as the others go through the gate. He looks at Kari and waits for her response.

“It’s not about what I want…it’s about what I need to do” Kari responds to him, looking at the gate ahead of her. She could already feel the darkness emitting from it. The darkness that was even more powerful than the one that had been in the cave.

“I know and I don’t want you to go either” T.K. says seriously as he looks at what’s in front of him. Kari looks at him a bit surprised at his admittance. This world had taken her once from him and he didn’t want it to happen again, but it wouldn’t happen again, he wouldn’t let it.

“But I need you there so I can have a reason to fight. This hope I have, it’s because of you and as long as I can breathe, I’m going to make sure you come back safe, okay?” T.K. looks at her, she looks sad and he could see it clearly. She was full of fear and hesitation, the way he had been in the cave. He was going to be there for her, no matter what lay ahead of them. “And I don’t just mean right now. What lays past this gate and what lays after it. Whatever happens in the future. I’m going to be there in the same way you’ve been there for me.”
“T.K.-” Kari looks at him surprised, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. He had never not been there for her and that fact made her feel a bit guilty. She wanted to say something but she wasn’t sure what… “Kari,” T.K. gets closer to her and his eyes remain fixated on hers. He places his hand on her cheek and then speaks. “Don’t forget. You’ll always be worth fighting for. No matter what happens” he says it undeniably genuine and with an undeniable devotion that made her feel like her heart was on fire even though she had felt so cold and numb.
“Now come on let’s go” T.K. switches his serious look with a smile and she stays looking at him for a while. His eyes, they felt even more hopeful then they had ever been and they were just as passionate as always. With eyes like that…she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to not believe them, how she wasn’t supposed to break after seeing them. She nods at him and looks away, breaking free from the trance.

“See you all later” T.K. lets out a small laugh as he catches the mutually shocked looks on Tai and Sora’s faces. He walks through the gate and waves goodbye. Ready to face whatever it might be that’s in front of them, with a hope in his heart, that would never fail him as long as he could see the light.

“Kari-” Tai turned to look at her and she laughed nervously. Afraid of what he was going to say next she interrupts him. “Take care of everything back home”
Kari says with a seemingly innocent smile as she waves goodbye and goes through the gate. This was a world she had been through many times in her dreams. It was a terrifying world that didn’t have any light, but she wanted to have hope even if there was a feeling inside her, she couldn’t ignore.

“Yeah sure…on our way home already” Matt says begrudgingly as he watches them leave. Matt looks at the gate they went through. There wasn’t any light coming through it. It was just darkness and that was all he needed to reassure himself of this conviction he had.

“So we aren't listening to them right” Matt turned to look at Tai who only started laughing. They had shared the same thought. They had never agreed to not going through the gate. The only one who agreed was Mimi.

“Of course not,” Tai responds with a cocky smile. He was surprised they trusted them so easily. He looked over at Agumon who smiled widely. The same kind of enthusiasm he had, Agumon had. It was like his wounds had completely been healed by his indomitable spirit.

“So you two are going?” Sora looked at them before crossing. She already knew what their intentions were.

“Uh yeah…We'll be okay though” Matt reassures her. He was certain of it. He didn’t even know what the world in front of him was, but he wasn’t going to let them go off on their own.

“I know you guys will. I knew you two knuckleheads weren't going to listen anyways” Sora laughed and gave them a push and the three of them laughed. She was honestly surprised they had all actually thought that Tai and Matt would say no to an adventure.

“I know you guys can handle things back at home and I know they can handle things over there but still…” Tai continued before getting interrupted.

“You guys can't help but worry about your siblings?” Sora looked at them and smiled. If there was one thing she was sure would never change about either of them, it was how much they cared about their siblings and she was certain that T.K. and Kari would never stop looking up to them.

“Heh…yeah” Tai smiles. If this was what had been causing those bad dreams for Kari he wanted to make sure they got rid of them for good. He didn’t know what was in front of them, after all she had never told him, but he had always felt it was his duty as her older brother to make sure she was okay.

“Well good luck ,but to be honest I don't know if they need your help. They seemed kind of closer don't you think? And I feel like that's what will help them get through this.” Sora smiles at them, fully believing in the others.

“Of course ,but we still owe it to them to be there for them. “ Matt said. He had still felt some guilt over the time Davis and the rest of them had gone missing , he wanted to show them they could still depend on them. They were all a team and more than that, all of them were his precious friends.

“Wait Sora…By closer you meant the whole group, right?” Tai looks at her concerned.

“See ya” Sora snickered as she began to walk away. Tai had always denied it, but she knew that when the time came, he would panic, at least a little bit.

“Hey Sora! Wait-” Tai called after her and Matt hid a laugh.

“Lets go Tai” Matt grabbed Tai and began to drag him towards the gate to the world of darkness.

“Wait but-”

And so with words still in his mouth Tai too was pushed into the darkness. They all wandered to the land of darkness that awaited. Full of crashing waves and the ties of destiny that would lead them to their fate.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Looks like we made it in one piece”
Izzy stands up and looks around the area. They were in the place they had first left to the Digital World. It looked the same as always. The sun was there shining and people were walking and chatting away
as if nothing had happened. As if the only world that existed was the one they knew, the one they lived through.

“Right, now let’s go find Biyomon and Tentomon” Sora looks at Izzy who nods.

“So where did the others fight them exactly?” Joe asks.

“Oh…we didn’t ask that,” Mimi sighs.

“Well, they’re your partners, where do you think they’d be?” Joe looks at them.

“I think Biyomon would be back home…she knows how to get there..or maybe..OH there! I gotta go guys see ya” Sora runs off heading towards a different direction then her home.

“Huh well bye…” Mimi looks at her confused.

“I’m going to go check if
Tentomon is at home, he might be there,” Izzy says, putting his computer away. “I’ll see you guys soon”

“Bye Izzy let us know if you find him” Mimi says as she waves goodbye. “So what now?” Mimi turns to Joe who’s phone starts ringing.
“Your girlfriend?” Mimi asks him curiously.

“No she lost her phone” Joe says and Mimi raises an eyebrow.

“Uh huh…” it was getting harder to believe him with each second.

“Yes, Hello? What?! I’ll be right there” Joe hangs up the phone.

“I need to go Mimi, there’s an emergency” Joe holding Gomamon in his hands ran off.

“What was that about?” Mimi says.

“I don’t know Mimi but we should go home” Palmon yawns and Mimi pats her and smiles.

“Okay let’s” Mimi begins to walk back home

~

Sora was walking near a small man-made water, this had been one of Biyomon’s favorite spots. Biyomon had always said she loved having a picnic there with Sora and sitting in the lone tree had a delightful breeze. She would always say she loved staring at the sky because it reminded her of her partner. Limitless and she wanted to be with it.

“Biyomon! Biyomon!” Sora called desperately
for her partner hoping she wasn’t too late. It hadn’t been that long since they had been separated but she didn’t want to be apart from her any longer especially if she had been hurt.

“Sora?!” Biyomon weakly flew over to her.

“Oh Biyomon, I’m so happy to see you” Sora tightly hugged her partner who smiled brightly.

“I’m so happy to see you Sora. I don’t know what happened, after we left I had this weird headache and I digivolved into something awful and I couldn't even fight against it and-” Biyomon was desperately trying to explain herself.
“Shh don’t talk Biyomon, it’s okay let’s go home” Sora smiles at her partner but then her smile quickly vanishes when she sees her partner’s wing. It had less fluffy feathers than before and was bruised. “Oh Biyomon…” Sora looked at it but Biyomon smiled at her.
“It’s okay Sora, I feel better now that you’re here” Sora feigned a smile and held her partner in her arms as they began to walk. There were things she didn’t want to do anymore because it always hurt those she cared about. She finally understood why Mimi was so afraid back then. She still did these things because she had to but
now she was standing there with her partner thinking that maybe this wasn’t the right choice .

~~

Izzy opened the door to his office, he turned the lights on his office and looked at it sadly. Tentomon wasn’t there. Tentomon had always loved when Izzy was doing research but he wasn’t there. Izzy sighed as he turned off the lights and closed the door. He waited for the elevator and right when he was about to step in he heard a voice.

“Oh Izzy, where in the world are you” Tentomon cried out.

“Don’t worry, Tento, I’m sure he’ll show up eventually” the voice of a woman said.

“Mom? Tentomon?” Izzy said

“Oh I can almost hear his voice,” Tentomon said as the elevator opened.

“WAIT IZZY” Tentomon happily flew over to his partner. “Oh Izzy it really is you” Tentomon said, his green eyes glittering.

“Where were you? Kari said you were with Tai but she seemed worried. What happened?” Izzy’s mom asks as she goes over and hugs him.

“Honestly I don’t know,” Izzy said, spotting Tentomon’s wings. They were bandaged up. His mother must have found him and patched him up. They probably came here everyday looking for him…

“I don’t know?! That’s not like you” Tentomon said.

“At least not yet. Come on Tentomon we got some work to do” Izzy turned around and began to walk towards his office.

“You got it Izzy” Tentomon happily followed him.

“Don’t forget to come home for dinner” Izzy’s mom waved goodbye and smiled faintly. She hoped he wasn’t pushing himself too much but with Tento, there was nothing to worry about.

Izzy sat down on his deck and began to type furiously. He needed to make sure everyone was okay and that the darkness would never reach anyone else again. If not all the knowledge he had gained would be useless.

~~

Joe walked into the hospital frantically. He was there looking for someone, a classmate of his, one of his friends had apparently been hurt while he was away.
Joe walked over to the counter and asked the secretary who only shook her head. He had been too late. His classmate was gone.

“Joe…”Gomamon looked at him with worry.

“I’m fine Gomamon” Joe adjusted the strap on his backpack and began to walk home in silence. How could someone with such a promising future…just vanish like that. He would have made such a good doctor. He would never stop talking about how he wanted to save people and now he was gone. Gone with his dreams left unfulfilled…

What even was the point of being in the medical field if so many people died…if they couldn’t save anyone, not even each other.

“WHY” Joe cried out a tear falling from his cheek.

“Joe,
don't forget nothing is meaningless” Gomamon puts his head on Joe’s chest almost as if he had read his mind.

“Now, let’s go home” Gomamon tapped his hand and smiled. He didn’t want his partner to give up.

“Yeah let’s” Joe smiled wryly at him as they began to walk home. He would need to pay his respects, but he didn’t know if he was brave enough for that just yet.

~~

“I’m home” Mimi smiles as she opens the door but she doesn’t see anyone there. Oh right…she had forgotten. Well not forgotten, she was blissfully enjoying the ignorance she still had left. Today was the day her Father moved to a new job. Her mother had stayed behind so she could at least finish the school year.

Home had never felt so lonely. She had never felt as lonely as she did in that moment when everyone went their separate ways.
She would have to say goodbye to all her wonderful friends again and now she wasn’t even sure if she’d be able to make new friends. It was far too late into the school year for that.

“Mimi, what's wrong?” Palmon looked at her sadly. She hated seeing Mimi look so sad. She loved it when Mimi smiled and laughed.

“I just feel a little lonely that’s all Palmon” Mimi smiled weakly at her as she put away the letter left by her mother. “Mimi I’ve gone to the store, I hope you make it home tonight for dinner”

“You don’t have to feel lonely, Mimi, I’m here” Palmon tightly hugs her.

“I know thank you” Mimi smiles at her partner and goes to her room. Hopefully everyone made it back home soon so she could make some last memories with them.

Mimi’s phone buzzes and she opens a notification,it was in their group chat. Both Izzy and Sora had found their partners…she was glad. That at least brought her a little comfort in the loneliness she felt in her heart.

~

“I’m going out Mom” a girl with black hair and red glasses said with a smile as she shut the door.

“Okay, be sure to come back by dinner, Meiko,” the voice said with a smile.

Meiko walked to the forest that was near her house, it had been her favourite place when she was little and it still was, if only because that was the place she had met her partner. Her partner who had unfortunately passed away.

She held no resentment towards those who committed the act , after all it was a merciful end. She knew it was the only way, but even still. It didn’t change the fact that the decision was the most painful thing she had ever experienced but when saw her partner alone in
a
white
field as
she thanked her and said goodbye, her heart had also felt such relief. Relief that her partner no longer had to suffer, Her partner was a gentle soul and didn’t deserve that fate. On that day she
suffered and she could tell all of them had suffered alongside her, they all carried the burden of that sin together.

Meiko placed a blanket on the floor and laid down. She held her old Digivice in her hand and looked at it with a small smile. She missed her, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Her only wish was that maybe one day they would get to meet again on happier terms, but if she was fated to go astray, then maybe it was for the best things were how they were.

Meiko pulled out her phone and looked at it, she wondered how everyone else was doing. They must all be happily having fun with their Digimon. She smiled weakly, it didn’t make her sad, she was glad they had their partners. Even if she would never have that again. She missed her friends but she chose to move back here to be closer to the point she had met her once best friend.

She closed her eyes, taking in the wind, Meicoomon had always loved the wind and so she would delight herself in that wind too, she would love what her partner did, because she loved her.

“Dandan” she said with a smile as she closed her eyes, feeling the sunset on her, A warmth that reminded her of Meicoomon.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What the hell is this place?”Matt looked around him. There was a grueling ocean next to them and a suffocating fog filling the room. It reminded him of the cave they had just been in but instead looked a lot more grueling.
“I don't like this place, “ Gabumon said as he got closer to Matt. He needs to protect Matt no matter what happens. He feels a pat on his back and he looks up, it was Matt. Matt looked away from Gabumon, it was breaking his heart to think that Gabumon had hurt himself. He didn't deserve to suffer like that.“That's all the more reason we need to find them” Tai looks at them with his eyes full of courage. The place was really unsettling and he didn't want to leave the others alone any other second…well maybe that wasn't entirely true. He believed in them , but…he could tell that there was something in his sister's eyes.
That was the person he didn't want to leave alone. Sure she wasn't really alone but ..“Of course we help them and we get the hell outta here” Matt grinned but he hid
a hint of worry.
Hopefully everyone will be okay. If this place was anything like the cave, it was dangerous.“And as soon as we go out we can all eat”Agumon cheered.
“I like that idea,” Gabumon cheered as well.“Alright then let's get going they couldn't have gotten too far” Tai looks at them and they begin to walk.The four of them walk through the sand, unsure of what awaited them.
The ocean near them was loud yet somehow very quiet, almost gentle. The tides were marked on the floor. Tai looks over at the ocean and notices something buried in the sand very close to the shore.“Hey what's this”
“Hey be careful Tai it could be a trap” Matt tells him.“Hey relax it shouldn't be-”
Tai pulls the object and looks at it, his eyes full of shock.“Is that a…gun” Gabumon looks at his eyes traced with concern.“Put that down!” Matt yells at Tai. He was starting to get nervous. T.K. had been fine the last time he saw him, but this place gave him a sinking feeling that he couldn't help but worry about him. And what about Ken? This has been his worst enemy and now he is back there. Kari didn't seem to be doing too well and if anything were to happen to her he knew his brother would go crazy. The emotions quickly overwhelmed him as he looked at the gun, he couldn't help but remember them.
“You don't need to tell me twice” Tai drops the gun and backs off from it. What in the world was a gun doing there of all places…did that mean some weird guy was there.
Someone dangerous?! How would the others deal with a human as an enemy they could barely deal with evil Digimon. No…no one was there he was just freaking out over nothing. The gun already looked like it was starting to rust. It had been there a while.“Hey…this gun smells familiar “ Agumon approaches it and begins to sniff out.Hey Agumon, stay away from that thing!” Tai grabs him and pulls him back. Knowing Agumon he might accidentally fire it.“But Tai it smells like that one scary lady” Agumon puts his claw to his chin.“Scary lady…?” Matt looked at Agumon. There was only one person they knew that matched that description , but could it be. Matt walked over to the gun and picked it up.“Matt, what are you doing?” Gabumon walked towards him and looked at the object. His partner was observing it with such care.“Hey wait…this is a gun issued by the National Data Processing Bureau”“What? Let me see” Tai went over to it and grabbed it. “But that's where-”
he unloads and sees that there isn't a single bullet and the gun was painted with a very fading dark red. Tai and Matt both looked at it in silence. They couldn't mistake the sight, they knew it was blood. Whether someone died by their own hand or by the sea it would be a mystery to them forever ,but it didn't change the fact that person was gone and they knew who it was.“No way…” Tai says. More and more he was thankful they had come
instead of leaving everyone behind. He looked at the gun and his eyes filled themselves with sorrow. He didn't want his sister to see such a thing…but he couldn't protect her from everything and he knew that, he had realized that when she had told them, she’d never forgive him.“Come on Tai let's go” Matt puts his hand on Tai’s shoulder who nods.
“Yeah” Tai stands up .“Arghhh” Gabumon touched his head and it was
hurting him very badly.“Gabumon what's wrong?” Matt quickly turns to him.“Nothing, my head just hurts,” Gabumon whimpered. Matt had never heard his partner sounded like he was in so much pain. He looked at Gabumon’s eyes. The area around his eyes was scarred by deep cuts. T.K. had told him what happened. Gabumon shouldn’t have blamed himself like that if only he could
have kept him from knowing what he had done. Then he wouldn’t have hurt himself like that.“You know I'm in pain too “Agumon puts his hand to his heart and starts breathing heavily, he had tears welling up in his eyes. Tai looks at Agumon sadly, he didn’t deserve to feel such pain. Kari told him what had happened and with Gabumon too. They both deserved to have fun and play and eat all they wanted after all they’re like kids…and kids don’t deserve to suffer.“There's a cave over there let's take a break” Tai looked at them and they all nodded.“Dream big huh” Matt looked at the gun one last time before walking away. Is that what happens to someone who can longer dream?
To someone who had their dreams violently crushed away, were they fated to meet such a brutal end? It didn’t really seem fair…because after all some dreams just couldn’t be fulfilled….They entered a very dim cavern with glowing crystals. It was unsettling ,but the Digimon needed to rest. Tai looked over at the crystal and it reflected the outside world. “That's weird” he said as he took a closer look. His eyes went wide and he took a step back. The crystal reflected an image of his sister drowning.“KARI” Tai yelled as he began to dart out of the cavern. No no...he couldn't let her die.
It would all be his fault again. Tai could feel his cheek throbbing as he ran off.“Tai, where are you going?” Matt ran after him and pulled him back. He didn't know what Tai had seen ,but he knew better than anyone what Tai was feeling.“Tai listen what you saw there might not even be real”
“Even if it isn't, I can't take that chance!” Tai tells him“I know Tai but remember she's not alone! She's got Gatomon and all her friends. Besides you know my brother he won't let anything happen to her” Matt looks at him with a stern yet comforting look.“Yeah you're tight” Tai stops and breathes.
He was right, he had to believe in everyone…including his sister. It was just so hard when his mistake had caused something so horrible.“Besides…we can't protect them forever” Matt looks at Tai both a sadness and an acceptance in his eyes
“Yeah…I was thinking the same” Tai returned the look.“But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.” Agumon looks at him with a smile. He wasn't always there when Tai needed him but he sure did his best I'm always.“We're always doing our best for you guys even if we aren't there” Gabumon smiles at his partner too, feeling the sadness from his earlier actions rise in him.“You don’t need to always protect someone, sometimes just being there for them is enough” Agumon smiles. Behind his goofy exterior, there was always some sort of wisdom.“Mhm if there’s anything we learned being with you guys it’s that you can do anything as long as we encourage you” Gabumon smiles brightly as well his royalness overpowering the
painful marks around his eyes.“You guys…” before they could finish talking
a purple shadow began to rise from the ground and a red infectious hellfire began to engulf the two Digimon. The two Digimon screamed in horrendous pain.
It was a pain that was consuming their throats and making their heads spin and their vision fade.

“MATTTT”
Gabumon screamed. No not again, Gabumon thought to himself,clenching the music player in his hands, as the world continued to turn dark he scratched his face over and over again. He had to stop this. Before he had hurt T.K. and now it was possible that Matt could be next. He never wanted to hurt his partner. He would cry tears of blood if he had to ,but he couldn’t let anything ever
happen to Matt.

“TAIIIII”
Agumon
screamed as his head bashed against the floor, digging his claws into the dirt. Please no more, he thought. Everytime something like this happened he had felt so much pain. He destroyed so much against his own will and he wanted nothing more for that suffering to end. Even if it meant his end.
The painful screams of their partners were the last things they heard before the world around them
faded into
black and a glowing red consumed them. The curtain closed on that act, hiding the horrors that would soon be unleashed by the broken destiny that awaited them. A destiny full of a vengeful spirit harboring an evil heart and a malicious smile.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The world they had reached was one that mirrored that of the Digital World. While the Digital World was dangerous in its own right, the realm they had entered held no beauty as opposed to the Digital World. The World of Darkness had no sun, no moon, no stars.

It was covered in a thick fog that if you thought about it too much would suffocate you. The Digital World had clear blue waves that felt inviting and fun. The Ocean in the World of Darkness was devoid of any light. It was murky and thick gunk was carried in its ways.

The sand in the Digital World felt soothing, in this world it was itchy and it felt like needles digging into your skin.
The grass had weeds rather than flowers and there was no one delighting in its breeze. The wind was vicious and ready to blow the unsuspecting away and most of all the ocean was inviting. Not in a way that guaranteed a good time, but in a manipulative way, luring you into aggressive waves that would contaminate you with its darkness.

Ken looked at the sight, he could feel the spores in the back of his neck stabbing him. The place hadn’t changed one bit. It was devoid of any hope and any light. Only a miracle could let you out of that place. “...!” He felt a sharp pain in his neck. He took a deep breath. He had no reason to be afraid but…this was the place of his nightmares. The place he never wanted to return to again for as long as he lived.

“Ken!” Wormmon cuddled up to Ken and looked at him, his eyes glowing with kindness.

“Are you okay, Ken?” Wormmon looked at him with worry. This place had been just as terrifying as it had been back then. He was scared too, but he needed to be there for Ken.

Ken nodded, “I’m okay Wormmon, don’t worry” Ken stroked the head of his partner lightly, patting Wormmon always made him feel at ease. Whenever he felt lifeless, Wormmon’s warmth was always what brought him back in those cold, dark, nights.

Wormmon eyed him with concern.
Ken had always been so kind and gentle ever since the day he was little and they first traveled to the Digital World.
Unfortunately the world, no matter which one of the many worlds, the World of Darkness, the Digital World, the World of Dreams, and even the “Real” World. None of them were kind to gentle spirits. They were always the ones that were broken and broken over and over again until they could no longer keep going.

Wormmon didn’t want to see Ken have to suffer like that, he would always be there no matter what to gently remind Ken that in a world that is devoid of that kindness, to never lose heart and treat it kindly. Many were in pain, many were hurt, but a little bit of kindness would go a long way, Wormmon was very grateful Ken had such good friends and that he hadn’t lost heart. Even if there were rough patches along the way, Wormmon would always be proud of him.

“Ken…I’m right here okay?” Wormmon said as he got even closer to Ken, not leaving any space between them. Wormmon closed his eyes, feeling his partner’s gentle warmth on him. The warmth that would bring him back no matter how cold the night may be.

“I know Wormmon, thank you” Ken smiled at him and held Wormmon tightly. He was very glad Wormmon was there…he didn’t know what he’d do without him and it wasn’t just this world, in any of the worlds that existed if he didn’t have his partner by his side…what would he do? No he knew, he would lose his heart again. He couldn’t imagine this world without his beloved partner that believed in him when no one else did.

“So this is the Dark Ocean huh” Davis scratched the back of his head, it was his first time there. He hadn’t expected it to be well…so dark and oceany? Well maybe he should have known by the name, but yikes someone really needed to turn on a light.

“I didn’t think it really would be this…disturbing” Cody observed the area around him. It was also his first time there. The sight had somehow left him surprised even though it was exactly what the name said, but the others had never described it. It was like none of them wanted to talk or even think about the place right in front of them.

“Yes…” Ken replied. He noticed Yolei looked around it too, she had been there before but she felt she hadn’t experienced it fully. She almost hadn’t wandered there the first time. Maybe she along with Davis and Cody were too innocent for this kind world. No, that couldn’t be it, Kari had been there too. T.K. had been there too if only to get Kari out of there. Maybe the three of them were unable to escape the darkness…Maybe this world purposefully preyed on those kinds of souls that suffered because of its savagery. The souls that were victims to the darkness merciless grip. Ken was beginning to lose himself in his thoughts once more and he shook his head.

For some reason he couldn’t stop the memories and the questions wandering in his head. If the only way to leave was for someone to want you out, then how did he get out the first time he was there? After all, at the time he didn’t really have anyone who held strong feelings towards him. Of course his parents did, but they were too busy mourning his brother, mourning Sam to notice him.
Was it Wormmon? Or was it…Oikawa? The questions in his head were beginning to give him a headache.

“Ken?” Kari spoke to him noticing his trance, in truth she was feeling just as unsettled as he was and wanted to reassure him he wasn’t alone. Loneliness, that was what made this place feel so horrid. It was a desolate land with no hope that harbored nothing but darkness and mysteries that maybe were best left unsolved.

“Yes, I’m here. We should get moving, we don’t want to be here too long.” Ken says and Davis looks at him. He wishes he didn’t have to bring Ken back to such a painful place , but they had no choice. They all had to be together to save all the worlds.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ken was walking behind the others, quietly he was staring into the ocean. He couldn’t help himself from looking at it even if it only served to amplify the grueling pain in his neck. Every time he looked at it the same memory replayed over and over in his head. The memory of him dipping his D-3 into those bitter waves and tainting it with the darkness.

Yolei turned to look back, she had a bad feeling about this place and the look Ken had earlier, it was worrisome and right now he still had the same look. He looked like he was completely lost in thoughts, alone with his painful memories. Even holding Wormmon didn’t change that loneliness plastered over his face. Yolei turned to her friend next to her and spoke.

“Davis, do you think Ken is going to be okay…?” Yolei looks at him worried. Davis had always reassured them of everything and right now she wanted him to do it again. Davis looked at her, noticing the expression on her face. He couldn’t deny the fact that his friend was acting strangely or rather that he was in pain. How could he not, this was the world that had hurt him, the world that took advantage of his grief and broke him.

“Yolei, I know so, maybe he’ll feel a bit down, but he knows he has us. Even if things seem dark, I don’t think he could ever forget that fact.” Davis looks at Ken who was walking in silence. Maybe he wasn’t the best at reading people,but
he knew Ken was in pain, but he probably didn’t know how much it really hit him, but if he knew one thing, it’s that he knew Ken’s heart had changed because of everyone because he made friends. That was how it was for him and he knew it was the same for Ken.

“You’re right Davis…for once” Yolei adds in the last part to keep him in check. She couldn’t have Davis getting too big of an ego. She couldn’t imagine him with an even bigger ego that would make him some kind of tyrant or…or maybe not. Maybe he needed to be reassured that he was doing a good job too from time to time. He did suffer too. They all did and that fact made her heart feel lighter because she wasn’t alone.

“Hey!” Davis looks at her a bit upset, but then shrugs. Eh it was the same as usual. If she hadn’t been backhanded about it then something would definitely be up. It was kind of a relief really that she was acting this way. Back in the cave, she looked so lonely. Though he always knew she’d come around. How could she not, when she had friends who would never leave her.

“Davis, thank you, really. You do a lot for us and I really needed that reassurance, because right now, looking at Ken like that, was tearing my heart apart.” Yolei smiled and Davis looked at her surprise. He was relieved, relieved that he hadn’t let them down just yet and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Yolei, you’ve grown so much in such a short time.” Hawkmon looked at her with a proud smile. She bends down and picks him up, looking at his brilliant eyes that in her world lit up the darkness around them. He hadn’t changed a single bit, but maybe that was a good thing.

“It’s all because of you” Yolei looks at him with a smile. There used to be things that she didn’t want to do and there still were, but with Hawkmon by her side, every single one of those things now seemed more worth it than ever before.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ken was walking and his head was hurting, but most of all the back of his neck was aching. They had all been walking a while, uncertain where to go drifting aimlessly like leaves blowing in the wind.“Where do you think we need to go?” Davis turned to Ken, Ken put his hand on his chin and began to think. He could sense darkness everywhere, but he wasn’t sure. Davis looked at him worried, Ken was acting really weird since they got there and he was starting to get uncomfortable with the surroundings around them.“Hey…I think we should go that direction” Kari pointed to an area with a dark thick fog, “It…it feels like the place with the most darkness, so maybe that’s where…” Kari could feel herself beginning to shake. She didn’t want to go in there and she could tell that Ken probably felt the same way, but they didn’t have a choice. If they wanted to get out of there they would need to face the darkness…no matter how terrifying it might be.“Alrighty then if that's okay with everyone else let’s go.” Davis looked at everyone and they all silently nodded. He began to walk over there. The sound of their steps in the sand felt like chalk on a board piercing their ears with its abrasive tune.
Ken continued to walk silently wondering what even was the purpose of them being in such a place. He couldn't escape the thoughts and questions in his mind; there were far too many questions for the little information they knew. He needed answers, but he probably wouldn’t get any so he went with the next best thing he could think of, information.“Kari, T.K., Can I ask you two something?” Ken looked at them and they both nodded. “Of course” they spoke in unison.“T.K. how did you make it into this world if it didn’t call you?” Ken asks him. They hadn’t really talked much about their own previous visit to this world, but it didn’t change the fact they knew about this place too. They suffered in this place too. They were connected to this place too, they lived with the darkness too in ways the rest of the group could not understand nor comprehend and that’s why the three of them were here.“Well uh, honestly…I’m not sure. I just thought of how badly I needed to find Kari. I felt awful about what happened and I didn’t want her to vanish.” T.K. puts his hand on his neck and responds to him, somewhat apologetically. He didn’t really have a better answer to give to Ken, he just…he just felt it in his heart that he couldn’t ever give up on finding her, that he had to make things right. That he couldn’t afford to lose someone so important to him again so he kept going not wanting to let go of hope for a second. T.K. glances over at Kari and notices her downcast expression, right. Hope. He wasn’t going to let it go for a second in this place.“Kari, did you want to be found?” Ken turns to her. He knew strong feelings were what connected the worlds, but was that really enough? What was even the measure of the strength of a person’s feelings? Emotions and feelings could change from time to time and if someone were to get trapped in this place and give up…what would happen? They’d probably be stuck and alone in this cold and dark place.“I didn’t know where I was at first, but when I realized the Digimon were just using me, I cried out for help.” Kari tells him. Even though this place had unsettled her the first time she came here, she had heard those voices, calling for help, but they lied. She fell for their trap, but unfortunately she knew herself well, she knew that she’d fall for it again if she ever heard a voice calling for help like that again…“Mhm, I was calling out for her till my throat hurt when all of a sudden I heard her voice calling for me.” T.K. notes as he moves his hand to his throat. Even now, that moment still felt so vivid. Her voice sounded so clear and he couldn’t forget it especially because he couldn’t remember a time she ever asked for help like that again. Even when trapped in her sadness with no way out back at home, she would never ask for a helping hand…“Thanks for the information guys.” Ken remains silent after thanking them. He couldn’t remember if he had called for anyone and he didn’t remember if anyone had rescued him. Thinking back at it, no one did. Maybe that was the reason the darkness had swallowed him whole. Because no one cares enough to bring him back…“The two of you are lucky to have each other and not just each other, but brothers who care about you so deeply.” Ken smiled softly at them, he was happy for them really. He knew they would go to the ends of the world for each other and he knew their brothers would do the same…but he didn’t think his brother would have done the same for him after all, he didn’t deserve that kind of love from Sam. Sam had taught him many things, shown him the world, but he had never been able to do the same for him and he never would. The only thing he did for him was wish his own death upon him, Ken closed his eyes in pain, feeling his own body shake.
T.K. and Kari both looked at him with guilt washing over them. They didn’t mean to make him feel down. It must have been difficult to lose his brother like that. Just the very thought made their hearts feel like they were falling apart, but Ken lived with that pain every day. It didn’t matter if it had been normalized in his eyes, it didn’t change the fact he was a strong person who lived with that loss. With that part of his heart gone and exchanged for pain.“Hey Ken! We don’t just have each other's backs you know. We’ve got yours too. The darkness is something that we’ll never be able to get rid off, but when we’re together there’s nothing we can’t conquer. I’m sure of it. Where there’s darkness, there's light, they can’t exist without each other. Where there’s light, there’s hope, and there lies a miracle.”
T.K. pats him on the back. Ken opens his eyes and looks at T.K., the look in his eyes, it seemed so bright. T.K. looks back at him and continues to speak.
“Ken, I think all of us meeting was a miracle. A beautiful miracle in this world full of darkness. That miracle leads us to our destiny. No matter what happens, no matter the troubles we go through, the fact that a miracle happened was beautiful and it means something. It’s not something we can take for granted even if things seem tough.” T.K. smiled at him, his words feeling comforting in the darkness. His smile was genuine and not anything like the smile he had shown him the last time they talked. Ken looked at him surprised, for some reason he hadn’t expected that kind of unwavering hope. Maybe that was what it meant to have hope.
Kari looked at him and smiled, feeling some of her own worries wash away.
He had always been able to encourage her and she was glad he could do the same for Ken. She turns to look at Ken and then speaks. “He’s right Ken. Not everyone in this world gets a Digimon and not everyone in this world has friends…the fact all six of us were able to come together has to mean something. I think all of us are here for each other even in that darkness, we can always continue to move forward. Like how we do every single day of our lives. Through every pain, we continue living even if it’s difficult.”
Kari spoke genuinely as well. Ken looked at her surprised too. She looked like she was struggling through this place too, but she was able to say something that lit up the atmosphere just like that. Maybe that’s what having light meant. For two people who were constantly attacked by the darkness, it didn’t seem like they were afraid, he didn’t need to wonder why. He knew why. It was the same reason he could be brave too, because of the bond everyone shared with each other. How they had all saved each other and forged bonds even through the darkest times.“Thank you guys.” Ken smiled back at them and they could feel all their worries gently carried away, despite the area around them being so gruesome. Ken was grateful to have them as friends, after this talk he understood something a little better. They came to this world too and they suffered, but their strong feelings, those feelings would never die as long as they kept believing and he knew they would do just that. He wanted to try and do the same even if just a little he wanted to have the kind of hope they did to look for the light even in this darkness. Ken thanks them once more before moving forward ahead of them.
“Ken’s been having a rough time huh” T.K. says as he watches Ken go ahead in front of them. It must have been difficult for Ken to return to a place like this, the place that had led him down the road of destruction that brought him guilt, but that wasn’t the only thing it brought him, it brought him something far more valuable than that. It brought him the bonds he needed to push through. “But I think he’s going to be just fine. He’s got all of us here and I know all these years with us, they mean everything to him so he’s going to be just fine.” T.K. says with a smile.“I couldn’t have said it better myself. There’s something priceless about the way all of us met and the way Ken was able to find his way forward despite all the pain he went through. I think it’s admirable.”
Kari says as she looks at the pieces of broken bark on the shore. It must have been through a difficult journey in the sea, but it lost the battle. She bends down and picks some of the pieces, moving them together. Even though it had lost…she didn’t think it was weak for doing so.T.K. looks at her curiously and then bends down to look at her. “And he’s not the only one. You’re going to be just fine too. I know it.” He says with a smile that soon vanishes, noticing her hesitation. “All these years, they mean something to you, right?” T.K. looks at her seriously and she stays quiet. She stands up and dusts her hands off.“Of course they do,” Kari answers him, doing her best to avoid looking at him.“Now let’s catch up, the others are going to leave us behind.” She tells him and she begins to walk towards the others. They meant more than just something to her, but she didn’t know how to put it into words. He looks at her unconvinced and follows.
~~

He had gotten some information, but it wasn’t enough…he needed to know more. Anything he could to find out the reason for all of this. He needed to know, why? He didn’t think anything happened for no reason, there had to be something. He felt like he needed answers more than he needed to breathe.

“Davis! Cody! Yolei! Can we talk?” Ken walked over to them next. “How do you guys feel about this place?“ Ken asked them. They were the people that weren’t connected as deeply to this place as the rest of them. Would they have a different mentality? Or would they have the same one? Would they also believe that everything would be okay as long as they carried hope in their hearts?

“To be honest, it’s a really weird place, but I have a feeling we’re gonna be okay.” Davis smiled and Ken could feel his heart a little more at ease. Davis’ resolve was admirable and obvious. He was glad Davis wasn’t being brought down, he had been worried about him earlier, but now, Davis seemed like he was ready to take on the world. To take those dreams that he always carried with him…dreams, that was what Davis always had. Maybe one day, he’d be able to have a dream too…

“I think so too, this place is full of evil, and I hate it, but despite that, I can see that we’re the ones that are here to bring something better than ourselves to this place.” Cody looks at Ken, his eyes full of virtue. Ken looks at him and smiles faintly. Even though Cody had begun to doubt himself back at the cave, it looked like he had gotten on his feet again and not just that. He found a new path with him, a noble path that was fueled by the conviction and lessons he had learned.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m scared. I have friends like you, so there’s no reason to worry. If I were to give up now, it would be over. We’ve come too far to stop now, but I know it isn’t the same for you Ken. How are you feeling?” Yolei looked at him with compassion and understanding. Ken looks at her and smiles faintly, that was the Yolei he knew. Even though she had her rough spot these past few days, he never doubted that her compassionate and pure heart was still there and that it was the one who would guide her.

“I won’t lie, I don’t feel the best being here, but I think hearing all of you out, puts my heart a little bit more at ease.” Ken said quietly. He couldn’t hide the fact his hands were shaking as he spoke. Davis spotted the movement and put his hand on his shoulder. He wanted Ken to know that he was safe and that as long as all of them were there or even just one of them, he would be okay,

“We’re right here Ken. Nothing will ever change the fact that we’re friends. We face this world together. You're not alone like the first time you came here. You’re with us and we’re not going anywhere.” Davis looked at him with a determined look in his eyes, one that said he would never let go of any of his friends as long as he could breathe and that was the truth. Even amidst the darkness, he would never ever give up on his friends.

Yolei, noticing too, gently grabs his hands. “Ken, you’ll never go back to this darkness, you’re here with us now. We won’t let you go. We’ll hold your hand as tight as we can, even if you might think we let go, we’ll grab you again and keep you with us. You’re irreplaceable to us.”
Yolei holds his hand tightly and then lets go. She wasn’t going to let Ken ever disappear like that. He was too irreplaceable to all of them for that and the truth was she didn’t think he ever would go back to that darkness. His heart, it was too pure for such a thing even if his neck had been mutilated with a curse.

“Remember Ken that as long as you foster your dreams and have friends, those dark spores will never grow again, this place won’t take you. You’ll never change who you are again because that seed that contaminated you won’t sprout again.” Cody looked at Ken, with a firm conviction. After everything they had been through together, he knew exactly the kind of person Ken was and he wasn’t going to let Ken forget that.

Ken looked at them all surprised. He still couldn’t believe how much his friends had supported him despite it all. Despite everything he had done in his days as the Digimon Emperor and despite the way he pushed them away before becoming their friend. He was grateful that pushing them away didn’t work, being with them all, it really did mean everything to him even if he didn’t always show it.

“Thank you, everyone.” Ken smiled softly, but at the back of his mind, deep in his heart,he couldn't help but wonder if his brother cared about him like this too. He had always felt such admiration for his brother, wanting to be him, even “becoming him”, but he couldn’t help but wonder if his brother resented him in the same way he did for a while.

He had made things right with the Digidestined, made things right with the Digimon, made things right with his parents, and with Wormmon. If only he could do the same with his brother…that was all he really wanted. To say “I’m sorry” and to make sure that his brother didn’t hate him. If maybe his brother had been the one to go to the Digital World instead, if he would be the one dead. If he would even be missed by anyone… his parents loved him that was the truth…but at the time Sam was their world and he hadn’t met his friends yet so they wouldn’t…they wouldn’t even know who he was.

The dread in his heart grew once more despite the compassionate words of his friends. He touched his neck. It was burning to touch. He hated that his mind was drifting off like this when he knew it probably wasn’t true…but it didn’t change the sharp pain in his heart when he thought about it. The pain that said his family that he loved so much would have been so much happier with their other son. The son that was a genius…the son that was a hard worker…the son that had meant the world to them. It made his heart feel like it was being ripped into pieces with no remorse. The pain that made him want to collapse and rip his heart right out of his chest because the more and more he breathed the more it felt like he was being torn into two. It was the unbearable pain he had lived with for years and didn’t know how to let go.

Yolei looked over at Ken, noticing him looking down at the floor and quietly gripping his chest. She looked around trying to think of something to do. She didn’t know what, but she knew that Ken needed to take a second to stop and breathe.

“I'm tired, let's take a break.” Yolei sits down on the sand and doesn't move. The sand was digging into her with its abrasive touch, but she didn’t care. She wanted Ken to take a break and maybe remind him of something important.

“We just got here though.” Davis looks at her and then stops almost as if he knew what she was doing. He glances over at Ken noticing the way he was griping himself,he was holding on so tightly to himself that you would think he was trying his hardest to not fall down.

“Yeah a break sounds nice.” Davis sits down on the sand too and Veemon follows.

Ken lets go of himself and takes a deep breath. A breath that he took and it felt like the fog of the Dark Ocean entered his lungs and began to strangle him. He coughs and then looks at them. “We should keep going.” Ken tells them. He didn’t know what danger possibly awaited them and they couldn’t afford to sit down and do nothing.

“No.” Yolei and Davis both say in unison. He couldn’t believe that Davis and Yolei had just agreed on something like that. If they did that meant he had no hope of convincing either of them to carry on. Ken sighs and takes a seat on the sand too. He was sitting a bit farther away from them.

Yolei looked at him sadly. She wanted to say something to him, anything to make him feel better, but she was afraid she'd mess up like she always did…What if she made things worse and hurt his feelings? That was the last thing she wanted to do. She had done enough of that these past few days and she didn’t want to do that anymore.

Kari looks at her, noticing her hesitation. She walks over to her and taps her on the shoulder. “He needs someone to talk to. You should go for it.”
Kari tells her. If there was anyone who could get through to Ken, she thought Yolei could do it. Yolei had a way of forcing people to open up while also remaining compassionate, she knew Yolei could do it.

Yolei looks at her and smiles. She was grateful that she had seen right through her. She had told her just what she needed to hear to take the first step forward. “You got it!” Yolei gives her a thumbs up and stands up and goes to him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ken, what's up?” Yolei takes a seat next to him and looks at him seriously. She was going to help him no matter what. She wasn’t going to leave until she got him to say something.

“The sky?” Ken looks at her confused, what a strange question. He didn’t want to be rude, but surely Yolei knew that the sky was up in the air. She was a very smart girl so she must have known that or maybe she wanted to know about something else in the sky. Something that might not be as visible.

“No I mean ugh I mean are you okay?” Yolei asks, remembering that Davis had been trying to teach Ken slang for ages and it hadn’t been working. It was certainly a field that Davis had Ken bested in she had to admit.

“Oh. There's nothing, I'm fine” Ken says gently. He didn’t want to trouble Yolei with his thoughts and…he didn’t really know how it was he was supposed to say them. They weren’t pleasant thoughts and no one liked unpleasant things…so he didn’t see the point in speaking.

Yolei loudly groans, catching him off guard. He looks at her startled. “You're just like Kari. You can never be honest and just come right out and say I'm not fine.” Yolei sighs not realizing she has said all that out loud, but she was just frustrated at them both. They were so difficult to talk to sometimes and it made her feel like she was overtalking sometimes. She deeply cared about them both and that’s why she wanted them to be open and honest even if what they were going to say wasn’t pleasant because her job was to reassure them that those unpleasant things weren’t true.

“Sorry…” Ken says softly. He didn’t mean to make Yolei upset. It wasn’t really that he was trying to be dishonest, it’s just that, this was the way he was used to living. His pain, he didn’t think anyone else deserved to feel it. When others told him their problems, it hurt him and of course he didn’t mind to hear them out, but he wasn’t entirely sure if other people would mind…or if his pain would be so great it would hurt them and he didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“Oh- no don't feel bad you just can't help it.” Yolei scratches her head and looks at him. She didn’t mean to be rude like that, she was just frustrated…She never knew what she could do for Ken or Kari. They were both closed books with locks and keys and it drove her mad. It drove her mad that she had to see her friends suffer and not know what to do for them.

“Hey, let's try something. I want you to say I'm not okay and that's okay” Yolei looks at him and he looks at her puzzled. She wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but she had an idea and the way it had always been for her, is that doing something was better than doing nothing.

“I'm not okay and that's okay?” Ken says confused. He wasn’t sure why Yolei wanted him to say this. He was okay…kind of. Not really, but this was a familiar pain and it would eventually go away…even if just for a little bit.

“No. Not like that. Say it like you mean it!” Yolei tells him full of energy. For some reason now she really did feel like this was going to work and she was going to get pumped up to help him.

“I'm not okay and that's okay!” Ken says with more energy yet still not very loud.

“Scream it!” Yolei says loudly. Sure Ken had a soft voice, but he must have the capability to scream, everyone did. She had heard him scream in pain a few times so he just needed to control that pain, to control that fear and repurpose it.

“I'M NOT OKAY AND THAT'S OKAY!” Ken says as loud as he could not that it was very loud, but everyone else heard him. He looks down at the floor embarrassed when he notices Davis looking at them.

“What was the point of that…” Ken says with low energy. He felt like he used up all his energy on that, not that he had much of it…the more he spent in this world, the more exhausted he felt. He really just wanted to finish whatever business they had here and go home. Business…what business do they really have here? Ken tightly grips onto his neck and then lets go.

“Well I figured that maybe you really do think you're okay when you're not and now that I got you to admit it. You can open up.” Yolei says hopefully. She was not entirely sure of her own plan, but if there's anything she had learned from Kari, it's that sometimes she really did think she was okay when she wasn't. The word had lost meaning to her and maybe it was the same for Ken. Maybe Ken told himself this was normal because he was used to it when deep down he knew the truth.

“Oh. I see.” Ken says he could kinda see what she was going for , but he wasn't sure if it would help. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to open up about this, but maybe for Yolei’s sake he should give it a try.

“Great! Now tell me what's on your mind.” Yolei puts her head on her hands and looks at him. Waiting as patiently as she could for an answer, but she wasn’t the most patient person and she was already starting to lose it.

Ken looks at her and stays quiet for a bit. What was he supposed to say, how was he supposed to say it. He didn’t know how, but…maybe he should just say what he had been thinking about for years, after all, that was the source of most if not all of his pain.

“I'm waiting.” Yolei looks at him impatiently and he sighs. He might as well give it a try anyway that it came out…maybe then he’d finally be able to make some progress.

“I was just thinking of my brother…” Ken says, there were many times he had avoided thinking of his brother because of how much pain it brought him, but now he was face to face with that reality again. He was face to face with that pain that had brought him so much sorrow, so much pain and the reality that made him make so many mistakes…

“Oh…I see.” Yolei says quietly. She was uncertain of what she was supposed to say next. Ken didn’t talk about him much, she knew that he must have thought about him a lot. Even though her siblings drove her insane, she couldn’t imagine losing them. Back in Myotismon’s illusion, she had wanted a world with no siblings and when she looked at Ken as he was right now, she just felt horrible for ever even thinking of a world like that.

“Yeah…” Ken says quietly. He himself is uncertain of what to say next. He didn’t think he would make it this far and the pain was still so deep yet so numb at the same time that he felt like he couldn’t speak any more. That he lost all the thoughts in his own heart.

“What was he like?” Yolei looks at him, realizing she had never asked him that. She had always been a bit too scared to ask, but if he was anything like Ken, he must have been a really good guy.

“He was everything I wanted to be…” Ken says sadly, he missed his brother Sam and that powerful feeling had led him to the dark road of the Digimon Emperor. Loss blended in with the mixture of resentment he felt not only for his brother…but for himself. It was strange there were so many thoughts at the time when his brother had passed on. Anger at him for leaving him behind. Anger at himself for having wished that upon him. Shame for being the worthless son that was left behind, but now he’s only left with the feeling of not knowing how to move forward when his brother doesn’t have a path to walk anymore.

“Well I'm glad you're you and not him. I like you just the way you are” Yolei looks at him, her eyes full of sincerity and compassion. It was nothing but the truth. Ken was a kind person and she really looked up to him and was a strong person. She understood where he was coming from with the whole being everything he wanted to be. She looked up to Ken and wanted to be more like him, but she didn’t want to be him. She wanted to still be herself even if she wasn’t always perfect.

Ken looks away nervously from her. For some reason the way she had said it was so sincere that it made his heart beat faster. He regained himself and spoke. “Thanks…” Maybe it didn't sound like he meant it, but he really did. Sometimes it was difficult for him to like himself after everything he had done…so it was nice to hear, but it didn’t change the fact he knew

everything

that he did and it wasn’t just everything he did, but everything he felt. He knew the horrible things he was capable of and that’s what made it difficult to like himself at times.

“Why were you thinking about him?" Yolei asks him for some reason she had a bad feeling of what he was going to say. Especially considering the place they were in and the look on his face that said he was in a horrendous amount of pain.

“Well…I was just thinking how things would be if he was the one that was destined to go to the Digital World. Would he be alive? Would I be gone…” Ken said quietly, finally admitting the feelings he had kept in his heart for years. A feeling that became as familiar as the sun setting each night and the darkness taking its place.

“Don't think that way you idiot! It wasn't his destiny to be here, it was yours!” She tells him rather bluntly, but she didn’t care. He needed to know that what he was thinking was wrong. He was here and nothing would change that. Thinking about a reality that didn’t exist, it wouldn’t do anything but bring him pain. He was fighting an invisible enemy he had made up himself.

“But- why me? How did I make it out of here the first time if I didn't matter enough to be found?” Ken says he had never sounded so full of despair in all the years she had known him. Those must have been the feelings that were punishing him in this moment and not just this one, but any moment that he was reminded of what he had done. It must have been horrible to think that way. Did he feel that way when he was having fun too? That…that must be horrible. Having fun, but not even thinking you deserve to have it. She wasn’t going to let him feel that way anymore.

“Hey…Shut up.” Yolei grabs his face and looks him directly in the eye. She looked very upset and it caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected her to look so mad and he was a bit afraid of what she was going to do…even though he had no reason to be. He didn’t think any of his friends would ever willingly hurt him, but…the truth was there were other people who loved him and they had hurt him. He didn’t feel any grudge against them, but he did still feel the sting of their words and their actions. But he didn’t have the right to talk, he loved Wormmon and hurt him too.

“You’re here now and even if you think you didn't have anyone back then it doesn't matter. You have us now. You're you and no one could ever replace you. Being here is our destiny and we can't run away.”
Yolei smiles at him and lets go.“So please don't think you're not enough when you are.” She says quietly. How could someone so incredible doubt himself so much and it wasn’t just him…all her friends, they were all amazing and they doubted themselves too. Sure, it was part of them being human…but they all deserved to feel loved and she wanted to make sure she could remind them of that even if at times she needed to be a bit blunt.

“Yolei…thank you” Ken looks back at her and smiles softly. It was nice to know he had such good friends, but he couldn't help but wish…his brother had this too. His brother deserved to walk a happy road too, not one that ended with such a tragic fate…

“Right! Now let's go!” Yolei stands up quickly. Her mission seemed to have been accomplished, at least for now Ken had smiled genuinely and she was glad to see it.

“Hey Yolei…you weren't tired weren't you?” Ken asked her and Yolei looked at him surprised. Her scheme has been foiled.

“Heh…caught me now let's go” Yolei grabs his arm and pulls him up.

“Everyone's waiting” Yolei says as she lets go of him and motions towards the other.

“Yes,” Ken says. His doubt was still lingering in the air. Even though her words were reassuring there was a sinking feeling he couldn't deny forming in his heart. A sinking feeling he had run away from because of how much pain he knew it was going to bring him…or maybe it wasn’t pain. Maybe it was relief, that sweet relief that would finally help him let go of that pain he had harbored for years.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Davis looked over at them and smiled. He was glad that Yolei was doing something about Ken. He really did believe Ken would be okay, but a little encouragement wouldn't hurt. Since everyone had stopped maybe it was best to check up on everyone else

“Hey Kari.” Davis walked over to her and she remained silent.

“Kari hello?” Davis waves his hand in front of her face and she jolts up.

“Sorry I didn't mean to scare you.” Davis looks at her apologetically and she shakes her head. He was worried about her too since she had been the one to start seeing this place. Something about dreams? Yikes he couldn’t imagine having to see this awful place every night. Dreams were meant to be fun, they were meant to be something valuable, something that was as much as a part of your heart as the blood that it pumped out.

“Don't worry about it Davis,” Kari smiles halfheartedly at him. It had been her own fault that she had gotten scared. She had lost herself in her own thoughts and the more time passed on the more difficult it was becoming to escape them.

“Hey what's wrong?” Davis looks at her and she shakes her head.

“I just don't like this place that's all…” Kari responds quietly. That wasn’t entirely a lie, it was true. Out of all the worlds, this was the one she didn’t like. There wasn’t anything in this world she could see as nice except maybe her friends, but they weren’t a part of this world. They didn’t belong here…the only person that belonged here was-

“Yeah I can see that. It's definitely creepy.” Davis interrupts her thoughts and looks over at the ocean. The tides were almost reaching them. The marks left by the tides on the sand were a little more than two steps away. He didn’t want to rush his other friends, but they needed to get a move on before those tides reached them.

“I have a feeling that something is going to go wrong.” Kari looks over at the waves sadly. She couldn't help it, the sinking feeling she had was far too strong. It was overpowering all the other feelings she had built up in her heart and now she was only left with that dread.

“Hey just cause you feel something is off doesn't mean it's gonna happen. For example, just cause my sister thinks Matt will fall for her doesn't mean it'll happen.” Davis snickers, he couldn't come up with a better example ,but at least this one was a funny one. His sister had been more delusional than he was and that said a lot.

“Davis, you're so mean to your sister.” Kari tells him seriously.

“Wait no I meant like you know-”
Davis says trying to fix things, but Kari soon begins to laugh and Davis sighs. Man she could be evil from time to time. She almost made him actually feel bad for her sister, almost.

“Thanks you're right.” Kari tells him with a weak smile. She couldn't help, but still felt she was right that something would go wrong, after all she was unfortunately right at the worst times, but she could feel herself a little more at ease if only just a little.

“Of course!” Davis smiled widely. Oftentimes he couldn't help but think that this was his meaning, his purpose. It was to always encourage his friends even if he wasn't entirely sure of what he was doing all the time. Even if there were times he was starting to doubt himself too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“T.K.” Cody calls him and he turns around to look at him.

“What’s up?” T.K. looks at Cody who looked like he wanted to say a lot of things. Cody wasn’t a person of a lot of words, but he always said something that was important.

“I just wanted to apologize to you.I wasn't thinking about how rough it must have been for you to see the village destroyed before…” Cody’s eyes were full of guilt, but they didn't appear to be full of regret and that was a relief. He didn’t need to carry that kind of weight on his shoulders.

“Hey it's like I said before. Don't apologize for doing what you think is right, besides I should be apologizing…I was being impulsive” T.K. scratched the back of his head. He hated having made Cody feel bad. He was just so overwhelmed by everything that was going on that he ended up snapping, but he was glad…glad that it was all over, at least for now. Maybe he would act out in the future again too, but his heart felt a lot more at ease.

“Don’t apologize either. We just had different views of the situation. It doesn't mean either of us was necessarily wrong.” Cody looks at him sincerely and T.K. smiles. Cody had changed a lot since back then. Before Cody wasn’t really willing to see that there could be more than two answers, but now he was embracing it and that was proof enough of how far he had come.

“You know Cody, there's a lot of things I'm unsure about from time to time, but indecision won't get me anywhere so I'd rather move forward, but sometimes that means I'll take a few wrong steps, but the map of my life hasn't been drawn out yet completely. There's always a possibility to change it.”
T.K. looks at Cody and smiles. He always knew he could count on Cody even when he was rambling, but that really was how he felt. Taking wrong turns, it was inevitable, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stop moving forward even if there would be times that he would feel weak and powerless after all there was one thing that they could never truly take away from him, his hope. His hope could be broken, sure, but as long as he got back up, it would come right back to him.

“I know what you mean. Change is something that's permanent no matter what happens, something will always be different and that isn't entirely a bad thing.” Cody looks back at him and nods. A lot of things had changed these past few days, the relationships everyone had with each other and their partners, and the feelings in their hearts. They were all changing, but it wasn’t for the worst. He felt they were all moving forward with new convictions in hand.

“You're right. I'm glad I can always count on you. Sometimes our vision gets cloudy from time to time and a new perspective doesn’t hurt.” T.K. tells him sincerely. Sometimes they could both be stubborn so hearing out more than one side was always nice.

“I feel the same way.” Cody looks up at him and smiles.
Despite the differences between the two and the similarities, each had a way of making sure the other was in line.
That was part of the strength of their bond.

“Now we should get going.” T.K. looks over at Davis and Kari. He was worried about her, she hid it pretty well, but the area around them was affecting her no doubt. He knew he could count on Davis though. He felt that way about all his friends. Like he could count on them even if he did things alone from time to time.

“I think so too.” Cody nods and looks over at Ken and Yolei. Ken was very obviously not doing too well. Hopefully Yolei’s bright spirit was able to reach him.
If only he could reassure him he wasn't alone. Cody looks at T.K. who was looking over at Kari and Davis.

“Hey T.K. they're all going to be okay. I know it.” Cody tells him and he nods. T.K. smiles lightly, he wasn’t used to being told those words. He was always the one saying it so seeing Cody believe like that, it motivated him even more to keep going.

“Of course. Even this is just part of that map. There isn't necessarily a wrong direction even if we take a harder one.” T.K. says his eyes still focused on his other friends. He then looks at Cody waiting for his response.

“You're right. The right choice is a hard one to make, but it'll be worth it.” Cody tells him and he remains quiet for a few seconds before adding something in. “It’ll always be worth it.” Cody says, his eyes looking more determined then they ever did before.

“You got that right. Now let's get going.” T.K. says returning the look and Cody nods. No matter what happened, they were both going to believe. Believe in that tomorrow they could draw with their own two hands. The hands that
held their convictions tightly and the heart who held the map that would guide their way.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They had all set off again. The break hadn’t lasted very long. Usually Ken’s instincts would tell him to rest a little more, but right now he wanted nothing more than to keep going. The sooner they figured out what was wrong, the sooner they could all leave. He could hear a voice, a voice calling him to the sea. He turned his head and looked at it, afraid of what it might be that he would hear.

The voice was full of bitter nostalgia. It was unsettling ,but it was also somewhat…inviting. Ken rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes. He needed to breathe, he wasn’t alone he had all his friends with him, Wormmon, his partner. He shouldn’t be scared… a pop, the popping he heard made him jump, it almost felt like it was the sound of a gun being fired. A faint smell began to overpower his nostrils, he could no longer smell the sea, he could smell something else. It smelled like soap. A very nostalgic smell of soap…

He opened his eyes in shock, he could sense a presence he hadn’t felt in years, and he could see bubbles leading the way, but could it really be. It was walking away from him, with his back turned. The presence was running away. Why? Why would it run away from him unless it was…upset at him. There was only one person that he could possibly think would feel that way and the scenery made it all the more apparent.

“Sam? SAM. Is that you?!” Ken looked at the figure walking in front of him with his back turned. He smiled weakly and he began to drag himself towards him. He was his older brother, but he looked so small, so innocent, at that moment, so accepting. He longed to have another memory with his brother that wasn’t one where he was angry at him, or dead because somehow he couldn’t remember those days they were happy without feeling even more pain then in the sad memories.

His hand was shaking, was he to let his brother walk away, if he did he would stay here in the blissful present, smiling and laughing with his friends, but if he went after him he would be leaving them behind. He knew that it was stupid ,but he couldn’t help it. He had to go see him. He needed his brother to still know that he loved him, he needed to make sure that his brother didn’t die because of him.

“SAM, I’M HERE NOW.” Ken felt energy fill his body as he ran towards his brother. Energy that he hadn’t felt in years. It was an energy that he forgot was even possible as his legs made his way towards his brother.

“Sam…Isn’t that Ken’s brother?” T.K. turned to Davis who looked at him wide eyed and then began to run towards Ken. No, no, he needed to stop Ken. It was a trap, Ken’s brother was gone. As much as Ken might not want to accept it, that was the truth and he needed to stop him before he did something stupid.

“KEN! STOOPPPPP” Davis ran and ran, but somehow he wasn't able to reach him. The ocean grew foggy and he could no longer see him. Ken’s mind had lost all directions but one.

Cold, the air around Ken felt eerie and cold. Ken could feel himself running in the cool breeze. The breeze brought him back to those once painless days where he would blow bubbles with his brother. With Sam.

“Sam, Sam…why can't I reach you” Ken continued to run. With each breath he took he could only mutter the name Sam, over and over. Where was his brother going? They were finally together again…they could finally talk…he could finally see his face and tell him he was sorry for everything that he had done.

“Sam…please.” His adrenaline was rushing through his veins carrying him through each stroke of the wind when finally it gave in on him and he collapsed. He tightened his grip on the sand trying to stand up, but it slipped from his fingers. For some reason he had lost all his energy and now he couldn’t stand up.

The sand on the shore was cold, each grain of sand was frigid and devoid of any life. He could feel the waves crashing into him, they were gentle, but hostile at the same time. The waves invited him to its sweet embrace by violently striking him. Something felt different about his heart right then and there. For a long time whenever he thought about these bitter painful memories he felt his heart grow tight. Tightly waiting for it to snap. Now it was different, it felt like his pain was streaming right out of it. Like if the knife wedged deeply in his chest was finally taken out. Like if the blood circulating through his body was finally given the chance to be set free and bleed. Bleed out until he'd be gone.

“Sam…you're so close…you're so close…I can finally join you” Ken closed his eyes and the waves were finally strangling him, yet somehow he felt very much at peace. This was his destiny. T.K. and Kari had found their brothers and now he had found his. It was just a bit different and now the ocean's sweet embrace would make their reunion take place. The reunion that would have otherwise taken a lifetime to reach.

It has been seven years since his brother passed away. He had known him for less time then he had lived, but the mark he had left had been irreversible. A mark that nothing could cure a mark that nothing could replace. His ears, full of water, could hear many things. His brother's voice, the sounds of the bubbles popping, the cries of his parents, and the cries of…Wormmon?

Yes…Wormmon. He could hear Wormmon’s final words as he left him. That must be what he heard. He hoped Wormmon could forgive him, yes Wormmon would always forgive him…Wormmon was kind like that, this too would be an act of kindness. His friends wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. They'd be happier. So much peace. Inside the ocean's waves there was so much peace almost as if he was laying down on a field of flowers with the breeze blowing and his friends smiling. He would miss them, but this would be his final act of kindness.

“KEN! PLEASE KEN DON'T GO!” Wormmon cried out. He wasn't very fast, not in the slightest, but he was trying to make it to Ken as best he could. He had to save him. He couldn't let his kind partner leave him like that ,but how could he break through?

“KEN! STOP BEING SELFISH!” Ken opened his eyes and all of a sudden he realized that even with them open he couldn't see. He was underwater and his vision was blurred. He opened his mouth wanting to scream, but all he could taste was the salty darkness of the sea.

Was it too late…? Had he lost his chance to escape and leave. Yes…it was gone..in this world there was no hope. No light to shine and no miracle that could save him. No amount of compassion or virtue would be able to free him from this. This was his fate.

“I'm sorry everyone…I haven't been very kind…” the water filled his lungs with grief that only grew and grew. Would these last moments be in pain? His brother was gone. He knew that. He had accepted it long ago,but the very thought of being able to see him one last time, being able to apologize for who he had become was too much.

“Ken! You don't need to apologize to anyone. Everyone's forgiven you already. Everyone except you man! You gotta move forward. You don’t need to do it alone. Share your burdens with us, we're here to help” He recognized that voice. It was Davis’ voice. How could he forget the voice of his friend who never gave up on him and always showed him such kindness. Davis had forgiven his sins so easily almost as if he never had committed it. Right now he was alone and he deserved it. After all, because of him Wormmon had…

“KEN! Your Digimon Partner is there to protect you. No matter what they're always gonna believe in you no matter what even if you don't believe in yourself and not just your Digimon partner but us too.” that was another voice he recognized. T.K. had lost his Digimon partner once too, but he didn't deserve that and here he was mourning as if it wasn't his fault Wormmon had died and it was his fault Sam…

“Ken! You didn't ask for your brother to die! It wasn't your fault and you didn't ask for a dark spore to be put in you. We all make mistakes Ken. We're all just living trying to find a purpose and meaning.”A purpose. The only purpose
he had served was to cause suffering. Not just back then but now he was making his friends suffer now too… their voices trying to reach him ,Cody's voice was ringing through the waves.
Why did Cody forgive him, why did any of them forgive him. Cody was right before he had done horrible things and…

“Ken! Your past doesn't define your future. Everyone's made mistakes. We just need to move past them and be kind. It doesn't matter if the world sees kindness as foolishness. It's something to be treasured.”Everyone knew that Kari was selfless to the point it was almost naive. He didn’t think he was kind like that.
Kindness, out of all the words to define his heart. That was the one that had been chosen. Kari had told him to be kind to himself ,but he didn't deserve that…

“Ken! Never forget your kindness. Never forget the times we've shared together both the good and the bad and never even consider forgetting the fact we love you and always will. I know you Ken and I know that you're exactly the person I always thought you were even if it might have taken a bit for you to get there. That's why I won't stop loving you.” Yolei’s voice sounded really sad. Love? He had become numb to the feeling before because he willingly chose to ignore it. He rejected the love of his parents and his partner because he thought he was too good for it….no deep down he thought he wasn't good enough for it …was it still true that-

“KEN! Forget everything that's happened and focus on now the friends you've made and the laughter we've shared. Ken we weren't chosen to work together by accident, we were destined to be together. We're partners and nothing will ever change that!”
The vision his eyes demonstrated had finally cleared up.
Wormmon was there reaching him. Wormmon. His kind friend. How could he have let himself stray from his path once more. The darkness was no excuse, the past was no excuse…the present where he laughed and smiled with his friends was what he had to think of. That was the present he lived for despite the past that suffocated him.

A smile painted his face once more, a gentle smile that glowed with kindness. That flower of kindness he could feel growing despite the spores he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

“WORMMON THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!” His heart screamed and his throat filled itself with salty waves ,but he couldn't feel the darkness take over him. A blinding light was shining down on them and that was letting him see clearly.

“Wormmon warp Digivolve to…”

A Digimon that looked like Stingmon was swimming down to him. Not even the waves could stop his wings of kindness reaching him. The wings that flew despite being made to drown in sea. This kindness was made possible because of many things. His body was red, not a blood red ,but a red that looked like the colors of a heart given by having compassion. His purple hair floating looked like it was full of virtues that would guide his path and his yellow arms were full of the light from hope. His eyes let out a radiance as if born from a miracle.

“Banchostingmon”

The digimon held Ken close to him and made his way out of the waves. Holding him tightly with a grip that said that he would never let go off his partner as long even if the wings on his back would no longer fly and his arms would give out. Ken gasped for air that finally filled his lungs. At the shore he coughed up the darkness that had almost swallowed him. He takes a deep breath and smiles faintly. He had never been so grateful for the air in the world. Something that could be taken for granted so easily, he missed it dearly.

Ken and Banchostingmon locked eyes and smiled. This miracle was born out of the friendship he had shared with everyone. Banchostingmon returned to Wormmon, and Ken picked him up. Their hearts are full with a common understanding between the two. No words needed to be said, but neither of them would be there without the other. Even if mistakes were made along the way and regret consumed them , there was one thing that would always be meant to be, their bond.

“Ken! Are you okay? We were so worried.” Cody ran up to Ken and looked at him sadly. He was afraid they wouldn’t be able to reach him on time, but Wormmon did and he was glad that Ken’s partner was so reliable. Ken looks at Cody and nods. In his eyes Ken could no longer see the boy who resented him so very much all those years ago.

“Ken! Are you okay?” Davis ran over to Ken as well, but Yolei shoved him out of the way. “Damn it Yolei,” Davis muttered as he stood back up. Yeah sure she was freaking out when he disappeared, but jeez did she really need to shove him so hard he fell down.

“We were so worried about you,” Yolei said desperately. It looked as if she was holding back tears. He didn’t mean to make her so sad or any of them really, he would need to apologize to all of them for that…though he knew they understood. His friends were always caring like that.

“I'm okay now don't worr-” before he could finish speaking or before he could even feel anything else from this world he felt a sharp pain in his cheek.

“Don't do that ever again.” Yolei looked at him sadly, the tears finally leaving her eyes. She was so scared and terrified that something horrible had happened to Ken…that they had lost him. She didn’t know what any of them would have done if they lost him. What would his parents do too? She didn’t want them to go through that pain again. How horrible must it be to lose someone so valuable to you.

“I promise.” Ken placed a hand on her arm and pulled it down from his face and smiled gently. She took the opportunity to wrap her hands around him and she closed her eyes.

Ken looked at her taken back,the last person to have acted like that when he was gone was his mother… he hated to make anyone suffer like that.

“I'm sorry for causing you so much pain.” He patted her gently and somewhat awkwardly. He still wasn't exactly sure what he had to do but it felt nice. It made him feel like he really was in the place he belonged, the place with all the people he loved. Yes. Loved. The people he loved and the people who loved him back. That made it all the worth living this life. Destiny no longer seemed as cruel as it did a few days ago after all destiny had blessed him with these friends.

“Alright guys, hate to be the one to interrupt cause I know how much that sucks, but we gotta get outta here” T.K. winked at them and pointed towards a direction away from the fog filling the air. The fog around them was getting thicker by the second and wouldn't let up. The tides were also getting closer and closer…uncomfortably so. It was like the more time they spent here, the more the water wanted to reach them and strangle them with its heinous clutch and after what happened to Ken…he didn’t want to risk it.

“You couldn't wait a little longer,” Kari teased playfully. She was finally going to get her revenge for everything Yolei had done…and Yolei had done a lot of things…too many things.

“Sorry, were you waiting for that?” T.K. looks at her with a grin and Kari returns it.

“Well-” Kari begins to say in a voice that sounded a bit too cheeky for Yolei’s liking.

“All right, that's enough. Let's get going” Yolei says, admittedly afraid at the taste of revenge she was almost given. She had almost felt bad for doing that to them…almost. She quickly disappears leading the way for the rest of the Digidestined. None of them had ever seen her so flustered nor move so fast.

“Jeez it was almost as if she teleported” Davis sighed as he wiped the sand off his vest and he turned to Ken. Well at least now that she teleported he could have a chat with Ken and check up on him.

“You alright man? Don't forget we're friends and you can count on us” Davis put his arm around Ken's shoulder and smiled. He was glad Ken was okay, they had all been so worried when he vanished and even though none of them knew where they were going they still went after him because to all of them, Ken was an irreplaceable part of their lives.

“Don't worry, I'll never forget again.” Ken smiled sincerely. Yes, he could count on them. No matter what he could count on his friends. They had seen him at his worst and they still chose to believe in him and he was going to do the same for them.

“Last one there is a rotten Digi-Egg”
Davis ran off smiling. That playful spirit and resolve was admirable. Davis didn't know it, but Ken did look up to him. Ken looked back down at Wormmon who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He had risked his life for him so many times. He was grateful they were friends. Grateful destiny had bound them together.

Ken looked at his partner and smiled. He was always able to see his brother reflected in Wormmon’s eyes. Before he would see a painful reminder of loss, but now as he looked at Wormmon's eyes he could see the kindness overflowing. The same kindness his brother had shown him before. Those fragments of memories that once brought him pain were the same memories that would guide his dreams henceforth.

He didn't want to waver, he wanted to believe in himself because that was the person Wormmon believed in. He never wanted to forget anything. Both the grueling pain of what he had done and the happy memories he shared with everyone. After all, they made him the person he was today. The person his partner was proud of and the person that his brother was proud of too.

Ken smiled as he looked at his friends ahead of him. They were laughing and smiling together even though just a few minutes ago they were all so scared. Everyone kept each other's spirits so high despite the grim darkness surrounding them. How could he have ever doubted his friends? The kindness he has in his heart was because of them. He never wanted to take it for granted again.

There wasn’t any more time to look back and hesitate. After all he had his friends by his side. The friends whose kindness embraced the lonely shadows in his heart and guided him towards the path of a new tomorrow.
He wanted to be a person they could continue to be proud of, a person that could be there for them too even if it seemed like a knife was being pointed at them. He never wanted to forget the feelings overflowing in his heart, the gentle feelings of kindness that guided him on the loneliest of days.

With one final look he gazed at Wormmon and smiled. All these feelings in his heart were possible because of him and he was glad they had met. Even if destiny had been cruel, that gentle embrace pushed him to walk on towards that future. The destiny he wanted to reach, not to meet his end, but to see the brilliant sights along the way that were painted with the colorful hues of lifes and the dreams he wanted to see fulfilled.

The ocean wasn’t as bad when he had these feelings overflowing in his heart.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kari looked over at Ken. She was right, unfortunately. This place was very vengeful and dangerous. She knew something would go wrong and that probably wouldn't be the last thing to go wrong. After all, everyone has suffered these last few days…everyone but her.

“Hey, what's on your mind?” T.K. walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder. She jolts up and looks at him. She was too busy with her thoughts to have noticed him there. Too busy to have noticed that the entire time they had been in this place he had never taken his eyes off of her, but she already knew that’s what he was doing. It was what he always did and right now, that thought, it wasn’t as comforting as it should have been…

“Someone's a bit shaky right now.” He looks at her eyes and she looks away from him. He frowns and moves a bit closer to her. She had been acting strange ever since they set foot in this world. She had been more quiet and the sparkle in her eyes seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer the more time they spent in this world.

“Sorry…I just had a lot on my mind” She responds quietly, still avoiding looking at him. He tilts his head and looks at her and pats her lightly again. He wanted, no, he needed to make sure that she knew she wasn’t alone. That was the least he could do for her.

“I'm right here, okay? No matter what, I'm here for you and it's not just me, all of us are all here for you.” He motions towards the others and smiles at her. The others, they all seemed like they were doing just fine like they didn’t have a fear in the world...but she didn’t think she could do the same as them. She nods and averts her eyes again.

“I know thanks…” Kari mutters. She knew that was true, but the sinking feeling she felt wouldn’t take that as an answer. No matter how comforting those words might have been, it didn't change the fact that “prophecy” had been right about many things…and it was only a matter of time before it was too late before the darkness consumed her.

“So will you tell me what's on your mind? You did say there was a lot going on up there.” He taps her on the head and looks over at her with pleading eyes. She sighs, having wished that she hadn’t said that. Yes, she was thinking about a lot of things…but he didn’t deserve to be burdened with those thoughts.

“I just…I can't help it. I can't help ,but think about a lot of things right now.” She looks at him, her eyes full of pain. He looks at her, doing his best not to frown. He hated seeing her have such a painful look in her eyes. It made his heart hurt just looking at her. The eyes that said she was in so much pain, but that it was a pain that should only belong to herself.

“Like what?” He asks. He needed to know what was going on to help her, but there was so much she thought about that he knew it would only make a part of what's on her mind, but even just one thing. Even knowing one thing that brought her pain, that was enough of something to let him hope that he could help her.

“I just can't help, but think about last year and what we did. I can't help, but regret it. Even if it was the right thing to do, it didn't necessarily mean it was fair.” She looks at him, her eyes full of remorse. Not a day went by that she didn’t think about what they had done about that horrible sin that they had to commit to save the world…No she didn’t think they should have just let her destroy the world of course not, but it still didn’t feel fair…

He looked at her sadly, he had a feeling that she was constantly thinking about that. How could she not when she had genuinely believed there was another way. Another way where no one would have to suffer, but there wasn’t another way…“We did what we had to do. It's not your fault. It isn't anyone's fault. It's just something that happened. Think about all the people who are still here because of it.”

“I know. I'm glad that they're all fine, but I can't help but think about the two hearts that suffered the most because of it…Meiko and Meicoomon they didn't deserve that. I don't know why in this world someone has to suffer for others to live in peace. It's not fair…I just wish everyone could be happy, but that's just a foolish dream…” Kari looked at him, her eyes were full of such sorrow it broke his heart. She shouldn’t be thinking that way, those dreams she had, they had always made her so admirable in his eyes. She had promised him that she would keep dreaming and he wasn’t going to let her forget that.

“Your dream isn't foolish! It's a part of who you are. I've always thought it was admirable so don't call it foolish.” He moves a strand of hair from her face and looks her in the eye. “Don't forget that these hard times are what help us enjoy the good times.” T.K. smiles at her and she takes a step back. That gentle reassuring smile…she didn’t think she could face it right now.

She looks at him and then looks away. Remembering that cold and dark day they committed that act of mercy. It was a horrible weight to carry.
She remains silent, the memories flooding her mind, reminding her of what her brother had told her that day. He had told her he hoped she would never change, but that frustration she was feeling over the way her heart felt was eating her alive. Maybe if she was different she wouldn’t have to feel this as strongly as she did. If she could just accept the truth and let go of that dream…then maybe she wouldn’t have to feel the horrible weight in her heart.

“Everything will be okay and I mean it. Maybe things have been rough so far, but if we stop believing then we'll never see the good.” T.K. moves to look at her and she nods. He takes another step towards her and places a hand on her cheek. “I mean it,” he says, looking at her with an unyielding amount of hope.
“I hope you're right…”
She says quietly as she looks down at the floor again. That look he was giving her…it had never been scary to her before, but now she was starting to feel afraid for some reason. Afraid that maybe he wasn’t right and that things wouldn’t turn out okay. After all…things didn’t turn out okay for Meicoomon. “Hey come on, I know I am. Remember when you said you had hope Meicoomon would return one day. I really do believe that too.” T.K. looks at her with hopeful eyes. He needed her to know that he felt the same way and that as long as they had faith that miracle would come true.

“I hope you never change,” Kari quietly says with pain lingering in her eyes. That hope had never failed them, but she couldn’t help, but feel her light had failed them all before. Even though there were times he lost hope, he had always come right back with a hope that was even stronger then ever, but when she lost that light…it felt like everything went wrong. How did he manage to do it, to keep hoping like that even with all the pain from the past that was built up in his heart.

T.K. looks at her puzzled, what exactly did she mean by that. She couldn’t hide that look of pain in her eyes when she said that. It was almost as if she had said that with a wish to be different, but she didn’t need to be different. She was always the reason he could find his hope again even though there were times he was too scared to move forward. He needed her to know that, but was he supposed to prove it to her?

“Hey, I could say the same for you. No matter what happens don’t forget you’re incredible. Don’t doubt yourself.”

She nods at him, if only that was true.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They had continued to walk through the Dark Ocean, it seemed like a world devoid of anything. Kari hadn’t even seen the Digimon that had tried to make her their queen. It was like there was nothing in that world, but that didn’t make it any less creepy. The whole area made her shake, there was a sudden anxiety that filled her mind. An anxiety that she kept trying to suppress, but had finally been set free.

This was the place of her dreams. Even in those dreams the place felt just as vividly morbid as it did in that moment. It was a place full of regret, suffering, and bitterness. Except there was something different about it now then in those dreams. There was something in the atmosphere that felt wrong, something that made her want to run away, but also something that she had to see with her own eyes to finally find peace.

“Something feels really wrong…” Kari says looking over at the distance.

“We'll we’re in the Dark Ocean that's probably it. It's just a creepy place in general” Davis looks at her puzzled and she remains silent looking at the crashing waves and then speaks. “But this is different”

“What do you mean by that?” Ken looks at her. He was no longer being affected by the atmosphere as much and he couldn't feel the darkness as profoundly.

“Are you feeling okay?” Yolei looks at her with concern. To be honest she had been acting strange ,but there was something different about the way she spoke.

“No, there's something around here…I can feel it” Kari shakes her head, something felt very wrong. She could sense nothing but tragedy in the air.

“Should we check it out?” Davis looks at everyone. He didn't want to put her under any unneeded stress, but that might be their ticket outta this dark place.

“I'm not sure we should guys” T.K. looked at Kari, she wasn't moving and he could see her breathing slowly. The last thing he wanted to do was see her get hurt. She's strong, yes, there wasn't a doubt in his mind about that, but she also felt things strongly. Maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to look for whatever she was talking about. Especially if it was something that would break her.

“I don't think we can avoid whatever it is…I'm certain it isn't an enemy though.” She couldn't avoid that incredible feeling of grief she was feeling at that moment. She couldn't describe it , but she felt it was near and that it was something very heartbreaking. The kind of feeling she felt when she saw an ambulance drive by.

“We should get ready to fight just in case though” Cody looks at Davis who nods in agreement. They couldn't take any risk especially after what happened to Ken earlier.

A bitter wave full of sorrow crashes into the sand. It was a wave that after countless struggles had finally made it to the shore. The wave held a cloth that was painted with blood. It was dry, but despite that, a pungent scent filled the air. It smelled of death, of a life extinguished in the grueling waves of the sea.

“That's-” T.K. looks at it wide eyed and bends down. It looked like it was a person, had someone wandered out here on their own? Kari had wandered there in her dreams before… The very thought made his throat tighten and made him nauseous.
He looks over at it and sees a glitter in the bleak sand glows vividly in the monotone world around them. He brushes the sand aside and sees an ID card buried in the
sand. The name “Maki Himekawa” is engraved in it and the image of her was slowly washing away. It had faded, she must have been there a long time…they hadn’t seen her since they went to the Digital World after the reboot.

“No…” Kari looks at it and begins to feel her throat choke up. She had always wondered where she had gone, but to think she turned up in this horrible place, that pain was almost unbearable. She was right, this place was a soulless place. It was empty ,but vicious, ready to consume anyone and anything.

“That's horrible…” T.K. glances at the ID, if she was there then that probably meant her Digimon wasn’t with her. Maybe the reboot had been too painful for her to bear. He then began to wonder if Mr. Nishijima knew what had happened to her before he passed…how horrible must it be to lose someone so precious to you and to die all alone with no one there.

“Hey, Kari let's go...” T.K. stands up and brushes the sand of the ID card. He places it in his pocket. It would be cruel to abandon her once more in that sea of darkness. Himekawa had caused the reboot and it was true she had caused a lot of pain but he couldn't help ,but see that there was some sort of innocence in her actions.

“She didn't deserve this…she just wanted her partner back.” Kari speaks softly with shakes between her words. “She died alone in this horrible place…” she couldn't stop herself from trembling, she couldn't hide the fact that this hurt. It was a fate she didn't think anyone deserved. How horrible that she was all alone. She had no one there for her and it led to her demise. Her very sad demise.

“Kari. I'm sorry, but we can't do anything…” T.K. looks at her sadly. The others looked at the cloth with sorrow too. They didn't know who she was, but it didn't change the fact she was a person who had been left to suffer that grueling fate of the sea. Ken looked at the cloth and it made him feel sick, it could have been him too, if he hadn't been saved by everyone.

“I…know…I know T.K. ,but it won't change the fact that it's horrible.” Kari looked at the tides going up and down as if nothing had happened, as if a life hadn't been extinguished by its savagery. What would have happened the day she wandered into the sea the first time if T.K. hadn’t found her, if Angewomon didn't defeat the Divermon,
what would have happened if Yolei hadn't slapped her out of it, what would have happened to her if her dreams had taken her.
If it was her fault that everyone was in this ocean again then…

“Kari!” T.K. puts his hands on her shoulders and tries to look at her. He had to snap her out of it, he couldn’t have her lose herself in the darkness like that. No matter how painful the sight was, he couldn't let her go like that. Yes, there was a time to be sad and it was okay to be sad, but the look she had in her eyes, it was so lost in that darkness that he needed to stop her before she brought herself any more pain.

“...” She remains silent. Taking a step back. The feeling of anxiety began to rise through every part of her body. Her head feeling light, her legs feeling restless. The only thing she could hear was her heart beating rapidly, not even the grueling waves could save her from that dread ignited in her heart.

“Kari!” She finally heard the voice of her friend.
She took a step back and averted his eyes. The feeling of dread continued to rise in her. The light would be diminished. If that happened
then the whole world would be at stake. How was she supposed to stop that from happening? She was taking each breath rapidly, unable to breath. She could feel her head beginning to warm up. Her head hurt, but it didn't compare to the pain she felt in her heart.

“Hey?” T.K. taps her on the shoulder and she moves away suddenly. That look in his eyes was always the look he had given her when she felt down. His eyes hurt to look at when they reflected her own image of sorrow that pierced his heart.

“Let’s get out of here, okay?”
T.K. looks at her with worry and she nods. He couldn’t let her look at that sight anymore. Maybe he couldn’t shield her from what she had already seen, but he wanted to at least shield her from her own mind. The mind that could betray her and bring her so much pain because out of all the minds in this world, that was the one that was her worst enemy.

“Ye-” before she could finish she had collapsed. T.K. quickly caught her and held her close to him. He takes a deep breath and brings her even closer. This would pass just like last time. He couldn't deny the fact he was worried, but he couldn't give up hope because he had to be there for her. No matter what.

She was in the same place she had been in just a few seconds ago. Except there wasn't anyone with her. Everyone was gone. Not even Gatomon was there. She walked with her feet sinking into the sand.

There she saw her. Maki Himekawa, her screams filling the air begging for help.
It sounded like the voice she heard over the phone last time…was it her then? If she hadn't been so
reluctant to come here…would she have been saved?

“Taprimon WHYYYYYYYYY” she screamed a blood curdling scream. It was full of regret and loneliness.
It gave her chills colder than ice, but sharper than broken glass.

“I should have listened to you Daigo…but it's too late now.”

It was the last thing she heard before she heard a loud noise and before that grueling memory ended.

“You're awake I'm glad.” T.K. looks at her with a relieved smile. He was holding her gently as everyone waited for her to come around. She looks up at him and loosens her grip on him, she hadn’t realized that she had been holding tightly onto him this whole time…

“You had us all worried.” Yolei looks at her and smiles. It hadn't been that long since she disappeared, but it sure felt like it. She was surprised at how relaxed T.K. had been through it all because she herself was about five seconds away from having a crisis.

“Are you okay?” T.K. gently placed his hand on Kari’s head.
She didn't have a fever. On the contrary she was ice cold. On one hand he was relieved that she didn’t have a fever, that could have been dangerous, but on the other hand…he was worried about what else it could have been. She was straining herself too much and now her own body was failing her and he refused to do the same. He wasn’t going to fail her.

“I'm fine.” She says as she tries to stand up, but loses her balance. He quickly grabs her and looks at her. She collapses onto him and hangs her head on his shoulder and winces in pain. She couldn't help but feel weak as he held her in his arms. Why did she have to be this way? Why couldn’t her body just stand up and move forward? She lifts up her head from his shoulder and looks at him, ashamed.

“Hey take it easy. Don't rush, okay? We can wait.” T.K. places his hand on her cheek and smiles. Usually his smile would be so comforting, but for some reason she could only remember those words she heard in that dream. Was Daigo Nishijima to Himekawa what T.K. was to her … It was a thought that had appeared randomly in her mind, but maybe it wasn’t completely wrong.

“...I'm fine.” She stands up, forcing her body to move. She moves away from him and walks away without a word without even a glance. Her body still felt weak, but she wasn’t going to let herself be a burden to the others like that. She wasn’t going to let herself be a burden to him…

The overwhelming guilt she was feeling began to wash her heart with the darkness at bay.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

T.K. looks at her worried and shakes his head. He didn’t have time to think about how she had left without a word, he needed to make sure she knew everything would be fine. “Hey Kari, you know everything is going to be okay, right?” T.K. runs over to her and takes a deep breath before looking at her and smiling wholeheartedly.

“How do you know that?” She asks him, sorrow filling her voice. She might as well be honest, she knew he wouldn't stop worrying unless she came around. He was always like that…he cared about her way more than she deserved.

“The same way you knew everything would be okay before.”
T.K. gently wraps his hand around her hands like she did to him before. He brings her hands close to his heart and looks at her with an unwavering smile. She looks at him for a while before a pained expression invades her face.

“....Yeah.” She lets go of his hand and looks away.
She didn't think she deserved having him by her side yet here he was and it wasn’t that she didn’t want him there…she did. It’s just that the thought of bringing him any pain…it was too much to bear.

“Hey come on. I hate seeing you be so sad. I want to see that cute smile of yours.”
He turns his head to look at her and smiles at her. She remains silent and looks away again.

“I'm sorry…” She says quietly. She didn’t think she could smile the way he did. Smile with full belief in the future…maybe there was a time she could, but things weren’t like that right now and she wasn’t sure if they would ever be like that again. How, how did he even manage to fall for someone like her? It didn’t make any sense. Not that feelings were supposed to make sense, but…

“Kari?” T.K. tries to look at her again, before his eyes could meet hers, she walks off without a word. Letting the pain in heart consume her more with each and every step that she took.

“What's going on with you…”he says quietly as he sees her walk off in the distance. There were times she had gotten sad, it's true, but the way she was now, it was difficult to describe. He didn’t understand it. All he knew was that it was making him sad too.

“Is she okay?” Ken, noticing how she had vanished, walks over to T.K., maybe he hadn’t noticed it earlier because he was fighting his own battle, but she seemed to be doing anything but well in this place. It wasn’t even something she could hide, everyone could sense it because the atmosphere in the room had felt like it had dropped.

“I doubt it…and here I am unable to do anything.” T.K. clenches his fist and looks at her with frustration. She had done so much to help him and now he couldn’t do the same for her…it was upsetting, but he couldn’t afford to doubt himself and start thinking he was pathetic for it, then he never really would be able to help her.

“She’ll be okay. Remember you said we all have each other's backs.” Ken placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. When T.K. had told him that, he had honestly thought that he was just trying to comfort him, he was grateful for the words, but it wasn’t until he was drowning and everyone’s voices had reached him that he finally understood what it was he meant.

“This whole time she's been helping me. Through it all she's always reassured me and been there for me. I'm going to be there too, no matter what happens.”
T.K. looks at Ken determined as he remembers everything that they had gone through. These last few days had made her feelings obvious to him. He needed to reassure her that in all these years those feelings he had, they hadn’t changed. He felt as strongly as he did back then that he needed to be by her side. No matter what.

“I'm sure you will and remember the darkness can never beat the light.” Ken looks at him sincerely. There was a time that he didn't believe the light would ever be enough, but with the help of everyone he was able to see it so clearly now.

“You got that right” T.K. chuckles it was nice that Ken had managed to move forward despite everything. The dark days of the Digimon Emperor felt like nothing but a fading memory and it wasn’t just those days. These last few days when the darkness had attacked Ken and broken him, he had managed to stand right back up and move forward.

“Uh by the way Ken…I've always wanted to say; I'm sorry for hitting you back then.” T.K. says awkwardly. He had been way too embarrassed for years to bring it up, but looking at Ken now, it only made the guilt he felt over having done that even worse after all…Ken was a victim too.

“It's okay, I deserved it.” Ken says nonchalantly. He didn’t know that T.K. still felt bad about it, he had honestly thought he probably forgot about that, but he could never forget that. He could never forget that pain that made him realize what it was he was doing to the others.

“What no. I mean yeah you were a huge jerk back then, but you were a victim. You didn't know what you were doing.” T.K. looks at him sadly “I just took my anger out on you for something you had nothing to do with” T.K. casts his head to the side and slightly closes his eyes. He didn’t want to let his anger control him like that ever again, but sometimes the pain in his heart turned into an extinguishable rage. That was what had happened back at the cave too, if he hadn’t snapped out of it then…no he couldn’t think like that. He needed to keep moving forward.

“I took my anger out on others too, besides I needed it” Ken looks at him holding no grudge. He was actually thankful for the taste of pain T.K. had given him back then because it helped him realize he was alive in that world and so was everything in it.

“Huh?” T.K. looks at him a bit puzzled, but a part of him had a feeling he understood where Ken was going with that. He looks down at his leg and then back at Ken. Pain. Pain was something people needed to experience sometimes to wake up.

“Sometimes we need to feel something to wake up from the darkness.” Ken smiles genuinely, his eyes glittered with acceptance. An acceptance that knew the darkness would always be a part of his life yet he still chose to move forward with kindness in his heart.

“Yeah…I know what you mean.” T.K. says with a serious look on his face. It was exactly what he had thought too. They really were a lot more similar than he thought. The past chained them both down with its pain, but they were both doing their best to move forward no matter what.

“Hey let's both do our best to work through our past” T.K. told him cheerfully. Sure it would be difficult ,but it wasn't so bad when someone else knew how it felt. It was a reminder that in this world he wasn’t alone in his pain. Ken had lost a lot too, but he was still moving forward and he was going to do the same too.

“Of course” Ken smiled, a peace washing over him despite the grueling waves and uncertainty around them. Now that he had found a purpose in this world, destiny didn’t seem as terrifying anymore, especially when he had everyone by his side.

“Now let's get going. I have something I need to remind someone” T.K. looks over at Kari who was walking silently. Yes, he was going to remind her of that too. Remind her that she wasn’t alone and that she was strong enough to move forward no matter what might lie ahead of them in this dark road.

“Atta boy,”
Ken says with a smile. He was glad that he could encourage T.K., after the village had been destroyed, he had no idea what he was supposed to do and he had completely failed at talking to him, but it was because he wasn’t ready yet and now that he was, he was going to make sure he could be there for everyone.

“Uh what-” T.K. looked at him a bit confused. That was the last thing he expected Ken to say other than homeslice. Davis was getting to him. Looks like those after school lessons on slang were starting to have some kind of effect…whether a good one or not they’d find out in a few business days.

“Oh sorry was that wrong…Davis told me that's a helpful phrase to encourage people.” Ken looked away embarrassed. Had Davis lied to him? He couldn’t believe Davis would do such a thing to him or maybe he got it mixed up with the other term or maybe he really shouldn’t listen to Davis.

T.K. puts his hand on Ken’s shoulder and looks at him seriously. This was an important lesson Ken needed to be taught before he got into big trouble. Atta boy was fine, but he didn’t want to imagine a world where Ken was cursing.
“Ken, you don't need to listen to Davis all the time.” T.K. says, his serious expression still on his face. Ken had never seen him so serious.

“You're right…” Ken nods despite feeling puzzled because Davis had told him not to listen to T.K. so who was he supposed to listen to?

“Now hey let's get going” T.K. smiles at him and gestures towards the others.

“Sure homeslice” Ken says and T.K. looks at him concerned. It was already too late. Davis had gotten to him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I’m not giving up that easily you know.” T.K. catches up to Kari and smiles. He didn’t want to harass her, but it was a skill he had gained to pester her enough till she opened up so he might as well use it.

“I know you aren’t.” Kari looks over at him and sighs. Yeah he was always really good at bothering her till she admitted what was wrong. That was the whole reason he knew about her dreams in the first place, even Tai knew he would pester her and it would work.

“Great since you agree with me you can tell me what’s wrong.” T.K. tells her and she remains quiet. She had no idea how she was supposed to tell him what she was feeling because every time she looked at him since that vision she saw just made her heart sink.

“There’s nothing wrong.” She walks away from him, completely dodging him.

“Hey Kari wait!” T.K. tries to catch up, but then stops, maybe he should let her be for a bit. Right now progress didn’t really seem possible if he didn’t know what to do for her so he’d have to figure something out soon.

“What in the?” Yolei says as she notices her friend walking away. They had been inseparable this whole time and now she was blatantly avoiding him. She wasn’t speaking to him or even looking at him. Kari wasn’t even doing the thing that she didn’t notice she would do where she’d stare at him and then accidentally say her thoughts out loud and honestly she never knew how she was supposed to break the fact she did that to her.

Yolei looked over at her friend, she was hiding something fierce, but was there anything she could do about it? She wanted to help her friend too. She had promised her she would help her if she ever went to this place, but she didn’t know how. Well really…she never knew how she was supposed to help her.

Yolei looked over at T.K. who seemed to be staring at her at a loss for words, she had completely dodged him earlier and it was obvious to all of them that something was wrong because she would never push him away like that.
“Hey T.K?.” Yolei patted him on the shoulder and he looked back at her. “Is this the only way we start conversations here?” T.K. laughed lightly and Yolei rolled her eyes.
“How else do you wanna start them?” She asks him sarcastically.

“Nah this is fine, just trying to shift the mood…” T.K. puts his hand to his neck and looks away. It was just as she had thought, he had definitely noticed too that Kari had been avoiding him since they found Himekawa.

“T.K., who was Himekawa?” Yolei asks him. That was the person they had found and it seemed as if they knew her. Whether or not they knew her personally, she didn’t know,but it didn’t change the fact her friend’s behavior had shifted for the worse after that.

“Do you remember Mr. Nishijima?” T.K. says his smile turning bitter. He still couldn’t believe what had happened to him. He had been a person they knew, a person who tried to help them and protect them and yet he died…

Yolei nods, “Yeah my brother had him. He was the one who found us, right?” Yolei says. She had been grateful that they had found them all..but something about it still felt wrong. She couldn’t remember what had happened before that or even after the fight. Everything seemed like a blur, but could something that brought her so much pain…really be just a blur like that? No matter how hard she tried to think about it was like those memories didn’t exist. Only the memories of disappearing and waking up.

T.K. nods. “She was his Ex Girlfriend. Before that they were Digidestined just like us though.
Her partner was sacrificed and she lost herself trying to get him back…I guess it looks like this is where she ended up and none of us ever saw her again. I think Nishijima knew that he couldn’t save her…Why’d you ask?”

“Because you guys didn’t catch us up,” Yolei teased. That was partly true ,but most of all she had noticed Kari’s behavior had completely shifted after that. Of course that kind of sight would shake anyone, but there was something deeper about it. Something deeper she was holding inside, a pain that was consuming her about what had happened to her.

“Ouch.” T.K.
laughed it off, but then stared at the distance. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the ID, he looked at it and was filled with grief.

“It’s horrible to lose someone like that…” he says quietly, looking at the ID in pain. He was more and more grateful that he hadn’t given up on Kari back then. It could have been her…it could have been her. That thought was ripping his heart apart and making him feel sick, but he couldn’t afford to think like that. He needed to make sure he would be by her side no matter what so that nothing could hurt her. He didn’t even want to see a single scratch on her…yet he already knew that this place was hurting her in a different way. A way that he couldn’t see with his eyes, but he could feel it with his heart. “Hm?” Yolei looks at him and he shakes his head and his thoughts off. Yolei looked at him and put her hand to her chin. She had a feeling that she was starting to understand what was going on…
“Hey Yolei…Do you think Kari’s upset because of that? I’m not sure why or how to put it, but something’s off.” T.K. looks at Yolei who remains silent. Maybe Yolei knew something he didn't, maybe she had noticed something he was missing or maybe they had both come to the same conclusion.

“It looks like we had the same thought. You know you should try to talk to her.” Yolei tells him softly. If it was what she was thinking…If it was about T.K. then the only person who can reassure her for sure that it wasn’t true was T.K. himself, besides…if she told T.K. what it was she thought might be a possibility it felt like she would be exposing a secret she didn’t really have the right to say and that it would only push Kari further away. She knew her friend thought her feelings were a problem and she didn’t want to put her in that position where her own feelings would fight her, then again, she was already fighting them.

“Maybe, I’m not the one she needs to talk to… she won’t even look at me right now. Can you please talk to her?” T.K. looks at Yolei, pleadingly. Maybe Kari had something on her mind that she couldn’t tell him and he was okay with that…as long as she told someone anyone at all what it was that she was feeling his heart would be a little more at ease.

Yolei looks at him and sighs but with a small smile. It was difficult to say no to him like that and she didn’t want to see Kari go through what Ken did either. When she promised her all those years ago that she would bring her back from the darkness she meant it. “You’re not the only one who’s looking out for her, you know”

“I know. I’m glad she has other people who have her back, but we both know she’s strong enough for anything right?” T.K. looks at Yolei with a firm conviction in his eyes. Yolei looked at him surprised, she knew what he was saying was true, but it was kind of impressive…that look he had, it was a look that said he believed in her more than she could ever know. She wanted to do the same for her friend…

“Of course.” Yolei says, feeling a short wave of guilt wash over her. She couldn’t believe she called her friend weak that day, it was the exact opposite. She was glad that she didn’t have to feel that way anymore. That resentment and passive aggressiveness did no good. Assuming what others would say would only bring more pain in the end to each side. She was glad they didn’t hate her for it, it helped her not hate herself either for those harsh words.

“T.K., I’m going to talk to her and make sure she feels better, but in return you need to make sure you never give up on her. Though, I don’t think you had any intention of that, right?” Yolei tells him with a smile, the way he looked earlier and the way he had always been, of course he wasn’t going to give up. Right now he had a boundless hope that he didn’t seem like he was going to let go anytime soon.

“Of course not, you should have asked for something else.” T.K. laughs lightly and then smiles. Even if the stars and the moon fell down, he would never give up on her. When it came to her, he would have hope until his dying breath.

“Fine then, make sure you ask her out after all this” Yolei smiles evilly. He might be hopeful right now, but it didn’t change the fact he was hopelessly in love and wasn’t doing anything about it.

T.K. quickly looks away embarrassed and chuckles nervously. “No promises,” he whistles and walks away. That right there seemed harder than anything in this world. Yolei rolls her eyes at him, maybe one day. He played it off ,but his eyes seemed serious. Eh no matter at least this meant she could keep her friend to herself a little longer.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey Ken, are you feeling better?” Davis asks him, he wanted to talk to him before, but Yolei shoved him out of the way and he didn’t really get the chance. Ken seemed better sure, but he still wanted to check up on him in any case.

“Yes I'm feeling a lot better, what about you Davis?” Ken looked at him, he wanted to make sure his friend was okay too. Everyone had their fair share of battles these past few days and Davis was no exception, but if there was one thing he knew was true was that all his friends were strong.

“I'm fine too, but I can't help but wonder if everyone is okay.” Davis smiles at Ken halfheartedly. After seeing Ken drown and Kari collapse just a little while back he was starting to get very nervous. He didn’t want anything to happen to anyone, everyone deserves to be safe and sound. It was his job as a leader for that and he wasn’t going to fail.

“I get it, but I'm sure we'll be fine. Yolei and Cody seem to be doing just fine and T.K.’s doing his best to help Kari. We're all going to be okay. We've made it this far and I'm sure there's nothing that could stop us.” Ken says sincerely and Davis looks at him surprised and then smiles. Ken had changed a lot since back then, he really was that hero he looked up to before.

“You're right, we'll all be fine. Nothing can get us down as long as we have each other.” Davis offers Ken a fist bump and he takes it. The ability they had to reassure one another and be honest was part of the strength of their bond.

“Now let's catch up with them” Davis points towards Cody and Kari and Ken nods.
Davis walks over to them, but stops and turns around. He felt something really strange touch him just now, it felt like it was mocking him too.

“Davis, are you good?” Ken turned to him concerned. Davis had seemed just fine a few moments ago and now he looked worried. Davis looked at his hand and then turned to Ken and nodded.

“Yeah man. I’m fine.” Davis looked around him, there was nothing there, but it felt like something had touched him. It was way too creepy for it to not have been real. Yet at the same time he didn’t want to think about something else attacking them. This place was dangerous enough as is without an evil Digimon wanting a snack.

“Davis, are you sure you’re fine?” Veemon looked at him and Davis nodded. Veemon looked at him unconvinced, but then smiled. Even if Davis felt down, he knew Davis would get right back up because that was who his partner was.

“I am. Now let’s get moving” Davis said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kari was walking, each step she took she felt herself sinking in the sand. Davis and Ken were talking behind her and it looked as if T.K. and Yolei were talking. Cody was quietly walking in front of her, he was always so wise, she never viewed him as any different for being younger, maybe she could ask him…

“Hey Cody can I ask you something?” She had blurted it out before she had even thought it through. Maybe this was a mistake. What if she asked something that hurt him? That was the last thing she wanted to do to anyone…

“Of course.” Cody said as he walked a little slower to let her catch up. Kari had been silent this entire time and he wasn’t going to stop her if she finally found a way to find her words. Words were difficult to find sometimes especially when they were so deeply wedged into your heart and they all needed her to say them before it would be too late.

“Nevermind sorry it was a rude question…” Kari said quietly. She didn't want to cause him any unnecessary feelings of regret. Some questions were maybe better left unasked and maybe the truth was…some answers were too painful to listen to.

“Go ahead and ask it.” Cody stopped walking and then looked at her. The others had yet to catch up to them. If there was something on her mind she needed to say it. She needed to say it now before it was too late…before what happened to Ken happened to her. He was certain that she’d be able to get out too, but if there was any way to avoid that horrible fate, they should take it.

“Okay…You're always trying to do what you think is right but…how do you deal with doing the wrong thing?” Kari looked over at the distance sadly. There were many things she had done that she thought were wrong and things she thought were right, but ended up being wrong. Choices made that had to be done even if it felt wrong.

“What you think is right or wrong depends on you. We aren't the same person. What do you think is wrong?” Cody spoke firmly, he had always been a believer in doing the right thing, but even so there were things he still felt weren't right even if may have seemed right at the time.

Without hesitation, she spoke. “I think hurting others is wrong.” Kari looked at him with a hint of determination highlighting her eyes that were traced in pain. That was what she thought was wrong and that’s why didn’t understand how she was supposed to move forward without causing any pain. Hurting others was wrong, but herself…she could deal with a little more pain.

“Then I agree with you.” Cody smiled briefly. Maybe there were reasons people hurt others, but by talking things out a lot of it could have been avoided and it is up to the victim to choose to react. In part he felt jealous over Davis’ willingness to forgive so easily it was something he felt he would always be incapable of doing.

“Do you think there's ever a good reason for it?” Kari asks him. Cody looks at her a bit surprised before turning serious and thinking. It was almost as if Kari had known where he was going to go with his thoughts. Maybe they thought more similarly than he had initially believed. She had always seemed to be a person who tried to do the right thing, but the way it seemed, it was like she thought doing the wrong thing was forgivable for everyone but herself. However they were all human and she needed to understand that she was going to make mistakes along the way. He used to think doing anything wrong was unforgivable too and not just for himself but for others too. With time he came to understand it was a bit different than that, it didn’t mean that it was okay to do the wrong thing, but mistakes were a part of being alive and even though she seemed to know that, it appeared that she was telling herself otherwise.

“No, assuming you're hurting someone without asking will always lead to pain.”
Cody answered her. He looked at her, noticing a flicker of pain as he spoke. Did she think that pushing people away was going to make everyone happy? That wasn’t how it worked and deep down she must know this too. That’s why she had asked in the first place how he dealt with doing the wrong thing. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but why was she doing it? If she was doing it not to hurt anyone then she was already failing at that task because she looked to be in pain.

Kari looked down and then remained silent before finally answering. “Yeah…you're right. I know but-” She couldn't help but imagine Himekawa laying lifeless on the shore. It's not something anyone should have to see. No one should have to die like that. No one should have to lose their loved one like that but…

Cody observed her, she was looking at their friends. In particular one of them, with a sad expression. Cody knew him well and she knew him well too, then why was she full of so much doubt when she knew exactly the kind of person he was. “I can guarantee you that you won't be hurting anyone unless you push them away and keep them out.”

Kari looked at him, and then remembered the way Gatomon had told her that when you loved someone they weren’t a burden. She wanted to believe it, she really did, afterall he wasn’t a burden to her, a part of her believed it, but her heart was sinking deeper and deeper into despair that it wasn’t letting her think properly and her emotions were running rampant.

“Why were you guys walking so fast?” Davis sighed, finally having caught up with Ken following behind. That was a lie they had walked slowly on purpose. He could have ran if he really wanted to reach them ,but somehow he felt he needed to let them talk. He couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something would go wrong…but maybe he was just being a coward. No that wasn't it, he was worried about his friends. His resolve hadn't failed him yet and it wouldn't fail him now. He looked at Veemon, yes,he always had resolve.

“Maybe you guys were walking slow.” Cody shrugged and Armadillomon looked at him with a smile. Cody may not have realized it, but he has changed a lot these past few days. He seemed a lot less troubled than he did before.

“I'm proud of ya Cody” Armadillomon says with a bright smile. He was so happy that his partner had found his path once more. Maybe there were a few rough patches here and there, but his virtues seemed to be glowing brighter than ever before.

“Huh where did that come from?” Cody looked at him a bit surprised ,but then smiled back at him. It felt nice to hear that because sometimes there were people you wanted to make proud, but couldn't because they weren't there anymore… So all you could do was live for them with the hope that you'd make them proud.

“How are you feeling?” Ken looks over at Kari. He had been feeling horrible just a while back too. The atmosphere was draining and it was probably taking a toll on her as well. No, not probably, it definitely was. This entire time it looked like she was trying to stay strong and even now it still seemed that way, but it didn’t look like she was making an effort at hiding how weak she thought she was.

“I'm fine…” Kari responds quietly while averting her eyes. Right…she was fine. She was okay. There was nothing wrong, this was just a bit painful, that's all. There wasn’t any reason to talk about what she was feeling, it would all go away eventually. Yes, it would go away eventually as long as she…ran away? She knew that was wrong too. Eventually her pain would catch up to her, but all those thoughts were so painful that they were making her heart feel like it was being crushed so running away was what felt like her only option…running away so she wouldn’t cause this sort of feeling to anyone else.

“I don't think you are, but I get it, it's hard to open up. I'm the same way. You don't need to tell me, but remember we're all here for you and you don't have to pretend to be fine when you're not.”
Ken looked at her kindly. That was what everyone had always reminded him and he wanted to make sure she knew that too. He didn’t want her to have to go through what he did in the depths of the sea, but if something did happen, he wanted her to remember that there was a reason to leave the ocean even if it seemed easier to drown than to rise up.

Kari nods quietly at him. She didn't know what to say, he was right, but sometimes even if someone is right it's difficult to listen when there’s noises that overpowered it. Right now there was so much noise in her heart and in her mind that she couldn’t listen to what anyone said, the noise was so powerful that it even covered her vision and blinded her to what or rather who was in front of her.

“Do you remember when you told me, If we’re constantly beating ourselves for our mistakes, nothing will change. That really helped me and I hope you never forget to apply that to yourself.” Ken smiles, they were all there to help each other. They were all friends. No one had to go through anything alone. Back when he had run away in pain she had gone after him and brought his partner to him who helped him find the light and he would always be grateful for that.

“I won't…”
Kari mutters. It wasn’t that she was forgetting to apply that to herself, it was that she couldn’t. She couldn’t do it when the ways she made everyone suffer felt so abrasive and they hurt her more than any damage she felt she could deal to herself.

Davis looks at them wondering what he could possibly do at this moment. He didn't want to ever see everyone again how he did before. He didn't want to see his friends hurt, he had to do something, anything for them…if not he was just worthless at his role.

“Hey look everything's gonna be fine. Maybe this place is dark and depressing, but we're all here together and that's what matters. We've all made it through everything so far and we've turned out just fine. This isn't anything different”
Davis smiles widely. He meant everything had said. All of them, they would always be together…always. Always? Was that really possible…he shook the thought quickly uncertain as to where it had come from

“Yeah... I'm sure you're right ” Kari answers him without looking at him.
Everyone was getting worried now why did she have to make everyone worry like that…she always had to cause trouble.

“Let's take a break everyone. We could probably use it” Yolei had finally caught up with them as well. She frowned, her friend looked just as broken as she did before and she still wasn’t sure what it was she could say to her that could help.

“I don't think it would hurt either” T.K. agreed with her. Yes the place was dangerous, but it would be even more dangerous for them to continue as they are, at least that's what he thought. Plus earlier she had collapsed and didn't even take a chance to rest.

“I agree,” Davis smiled. He had noticed the same thing. Ken and Kari were both acting strange the entire time they had been there. They've always been more connected to this world than the rest of them so maybe they couldn't understand what they were dealing with but still. Thankfully Ken had calmed down but...he could have died earlier. The very thought made Davis feel sick. How would he live with himself if any of his friends got hurt or much worse died…death was always a possibility no matter the world.

“...I think it's dangerous to stop” Kari muttered, she didn't like opposing the group , but the waves were rasping against her ears and she felt as if the darkness around them was burning her and filling her with sorrow. She could feel the air around them was suffocating and wanted to leave as soon as they could.

“Hey, it's just five minutes. If our Digimon are weak they can't fight. Let them have a snack break, I mean we don't even know where exactly we're going.” Davis tries desperately to convince her. If they all took a break then maybe someone could talk to her and encourage her. Someone could stop her from falling prey to the darkness like Ken almost had. Ken had thrown himself into the darkness's fangs and he just barely made it out. He couldn’t afford that happening to anyone else.

“Kari?” Gatomon looked at her with concern, watching her partner silently suffer was bringing her a tremendous amount of pain. She couldn’t bear seeing her like this…she looked so lifeless and so broken. That light she always had, it felt like it was at the verge of being extinguished.

“You’re right…” Kari mutters and Gatomon looks at her with worry still embracing her eyes. A break was the last thing she wanted. It was a chance to be alone with her thoughts without at least moving forward. If they kept moving forward they could find a way out, but right now, stopping meant facing the truth.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sand was abrasive and the ocean felt repugnant to look at, but looking at it. It felt like her own reflection in the waves was what made it so repulsive. The person she was looking at was a person that in her eyes deserved to be the one smoldered by those cruel waves. No one else, but her.Gatomon looks over at her partner, feeling her grip tighten around her. Her eyes weren’t moving from the ocean waves and being so close to the ocean especially after what happened to Ken, was an unsettling feeling. But her partner was sitting there, running away from something, no rather someone. Gatomon tapped her on the arm and Kari finally looked at her.“What is it?” Kari asks. Gatomon looks at her and frowns. Her eyes looked exceedingly broken. She hated having to see her partner look like she was in pain, but then again, this silence wasn't something she wasn’t accustomed to.“Look at the waves again.” Gatomon nudged her and her partner followed the instructions. “What do you see?” Gatomon asks her, wanting to see what it was that she was thinking. What it was that she was feeling even though she already had a feeling what was going through her partner’s mind. All these years hadn’t been for nothing and even if Kari didn’t express herself most of the time it didn’t change the fact she could see through her partner. She had seen the times her partner had laughed, smiled, and even the times she had cried when no one else was there and most of all she could feel her partner’s heart, they were connected after all.“I see you there,” Kari says with a small smile that soon vanishes after she says the rest. “But I also see myself there….” Kari says quietly. She loved Gatomon, she loved seeing her partner. The partner she had an irreplaceable bond with that she loved, but she couldn’t say the same about herself.“Do you know what I see?” Gatomon asks. She couldn’t see the person that Kari seemed to see when she saw her reflection so she wanted to tell her what it was she saw when she looked at their reflection together. What she saw was something far different then Kari did and she was going to prove that to her.“The same thing I see…?” Kari responds, uncertain of where this conversation was going. Even though they were looking at the same sight, Gatomon had seen something different, but that wasn’t surprising, even if the world was the same, everyone had different eyes. Eyes that saw the world in a different way…but what was the right way? Was there really a right way to see the world or did it really depend on each living being?“I see the person that gives me the strength to go on no matter what. You're far stronger than the person you see when you look in your reflection.” Gatomon says with an honest voice. Kari gently touches her head. It was a touch that was traced with pity. A touch that made Gatomon sad to feel. It felt as if Kari was pitying her for the way she believed in her and was trying to find a way to tell her otherwise.“And before you say anything because I know you don't believe me. When my world was dark you were the reason I kept going. Even though we hadn't met yet, you were what gave me hope. You were what lit up my world. You were the reason I was able to dream of a future by your side and you are the reason I have that future now.” Gatomon places her paw on Kari’s hand and smiles softly. The paw underneath her yellow gloves was full of scars that life was never able to erase. Scars that were there permanently there, but that wasn’t the only thing that was permanent. The light that she had shared with her, it was something that she could never forget. It was the light that kept her going, the light that comforted her, and the light that gave her strength. The feelings it gave her, it wasn’t something she would ever let go off.Kari closes her eyes, feeling Gatomon’s paw on her hand. Her hand was shaking and she couldn’t deny it. There was so much guilt washing over her. Her partner that she had made suffer, her partner that she made dark digivolve, still believed in her, even though she had hurt her in a way Myotismon never could. “Gatomon…I'm so sorry…” She spoke, her voice cracking. She wanted to break, but she wasn’t even sure how to do it. She had kept these feelings inside her for so long that she no longer knew if she was capable of letting them go.“Why are you apologizing?” Gatomon turns around completely and looks at her. Holding her hands in her paws as she looked her in the eyes. Her heartbroken eyes, they still looked like they were fighting and she wasn’t going to let her give up. The Kari she knew wasn’t a person who ever gave up even if the world around her was painful.“Because I can't be that light for you anymore…” Kari answers the pain in her voice inflicting the damage she didn’t want to do. Gatomon looked at her and shook her head. Her eyes remained fixated on hers. She wasn’t going to let her partner say such a thing when that was far from the truth.“That's not true. Even now. Even when the darkness is doing nothing, but trying to extinguish you. I still see the light in your eyes. I still see those dreams you love and that hope you carry.” Gatomon looks at her completely certain of her words. When she looked at her partner’s eyes, she could see many things. Even though they were in pain, it didn’t change the fact that they glittered with a desire to move forward even if she was suppressing those feelings right now.Kari looked at her and smiled weakly. She wasn’t so sure if she was the person Gatomon said she was. Yes, Gatomon knew her well, all these years hadn’t been for nothing and she believed in that bond they made more then anything…but it didn’t change the fact she hurt her. It wasn’t just her. She hurt everyone. Yolei had been hurt because of her and Tai…Tai had been hurt for years because she had done something stupid…and he was still in pain because of it. She could see it when he looked at her and now she would-“Hey, a break should be to rest up, you know.” T.K. sat down next to her as he spoke and looked at her. He noticed that she was shaking and came over and well…seeing her so close to the ocean didn’t exactly make him comfortable especially after what had happened to Ken.“I know…” Kari responded without looking at him. He was the next person on her list. That’s why she was trying to stay away, but she wasn’t even sure if this was the right thing to do. She didn’t want to abandon him…of course not, but if she didn’t…she could do something awful to him…something worse.“So if you know then what’s on your mind?” T.K. asks her and she remains in silence. She wasn’t even sure if there was a way to put all this into words, but now there was another thought that wouldn’t leave her mind. Tai was probably the person she had hurt the most through all this. Tai was the person who still had that look of pain and regret even though it had been years since the accident. The accident that almost killed her…but the accident that killed Tai’s heart every time he thought of it.T.K. looks over at her, noticing the painful silence in her eyes. He looked over at Gatomon who looked at him with a sad expression, but that wasn’t the only thing he saw. He could tell that Gatomon was looking at him with a certain trust and faith. He gave the digimon a quick nod and then spoke. “…Hey no matter what…I'm going to be here for you. No matter how many times you run away from me, I'm going to run back at you.”“I know…” Kari responds, noting that he had realized that she was avoiding him. She didn’t want to, but it was like an instinct. An instinct to retreat before she was able to hurt him and instead punish herself…“I’m sorry for being this way…” She looks at him apologetically and then looks away. Because she was always silent, she ended up causing more pain, more pain then she ever intended. If she had just told Tai the truth back then he wouldn’t be living with that pain…but she couldn’t find it in her to disappoint him like that.“For being what way?” T.K. asks her for clarification. He gets closer to her and does his best to hear her despite how loud the waves sounded. He needed to know what “being this way” meant because in his eyes there wasn’t anything wrong with the way she was.“For locking myself away…” Kari responds quietly, stopping herself from speaking as if she wanted to say more and the truth was she did want to say more. She wanted to say “I’m sorry for never telling you how I feel. I’m sorry for getting down like this. I’m sorry that I’m so weak. I’m sorry that I’m such a burden and I’m sorry that I don’t want to go on…”, but she also didn’t want to say all that because she knew it would hurt him. She knew it would frustrate him that the person who she was in her eyes was different then the person he saw.T.K. looks at her observing the way her mind seemed to have drifted off. Sure, it did bother him that she let her own grief consume her in silence, but he wasn’t going to get mad at her for it. That wouldn’t do any good and really he couldn’t be mad. That was just the way she had always been and if he could make progress with her even just a little bit then he wasn’t going to give up.“That’s okay. I know it’s hard for you, which is why I’m somewhat of a lockpicker.” T.K. says with a wink and she looks at him and smiles weakly. He looks at her and laughs and she returns a very small laugh. That was reassuring. This was enough proof that she was still in there and he could reach her. He wasn’t going to let her down, he was always going to keep fighting for her and he needed to prove to her that she was worth that effort.“If you’re such a lock picker you should have done that instead of tackling Matt’s front door down.” Kari looks at him teasingly and then looks away from him, losing her spirit as soon as she did. She didn’t have the strength to look at him, especially with how he made her heart feel.“Eh well sometimes you need to be a bit forceful about it.” T.K. turns to her and smiles. She was still there. The same person he looked up to so very much was still there. He just had to keep trying. “So will you tell me what’s on your mind?”“...I don’t have anything on my mind” Kari says her pain, nothing, but apparent. She wasn’t entirely lying though, the pain she felt clouded her mind so much that she no longer felt like she was thinking instead she felt like her heart already knew the pain so there was no need to let her mind think about it.“Then you have something going on in your heart.” T.K. grabs her hand and places it on her heart. He leaves his hand on top of hers and looks at her kindly. She looks down at her heart and sighs, unable to feel the beating of her own heart. She places her other hand on top of his and lowers it, lingering before letting go.“I think that's enough of a break” Kari stands up and begins to walk away. The break had lasted long enough and if she was given more of a chance to think about this…more of a chance to be with him instead of being punished, she’d just go back to bringing pain to everyone.“Hold on-”T.K. quickly stands up and grabs her arm. He didn’t want her to walk away like that. They both remain in silence for a few seconds before it is broken.“…I'm not letting go of you until you tell me what's wrong.” T.K. says, his words lingering in the air.“That's not much of a punishment…” Kari responds quietly, it wasn’t a punishment at all. Whenever he held her she couldn’t help, but feel safe. Whenever she was with him she couldn’t help, but see what makes the world so beautiful…so worth living. That’s why she was in so much pain. The real punishment was the thought of hurting him, the thought she couldn’t escape ever since seeing that sight.“…I'm not trying to punish you,” T.K. loosens his grip. He didn’t want to force her, that wasn’t the way…but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He wasn’t trying to punish her, he just wanted to help her…“I know…” Kari nods silently, still feeling his hand as it slowly lets go of hers. She didn’t want him to think that’s what she thought being with him was to her. It was never a punishment. It was the opposite. It felt nothing but right and thinking of destroying that with her own two hands felt horrible.“Then you know that I'm doing this because I'm worried about you, right?” T.K. responds to her, his voice cracking. He was no longer able to pretend that this wasn’t hurting him. He just wanted her to be okay…if he could take her pain and carry it on his shoulders he would, but he knew it wasn’t possible so he at least wanted to carry it with her and show her she wasn’t alone. That she didn’t need to face all this pain by herself when he was right there.“You shouldn't have to be…” She responds to him, still unable to meet his gaze. The way his voice cracked…it was making her heart ache with pain. It seemed that no matter what she did she was destined to hurt him and she didn’t want to do that to him.“If you don't want me to worry then tell me what's on your mind...well if you’re ready.” T.K. adds on. He didn’t want to force her, but he couldn’t just leave her like that. It didn’t feel right…but if he forced her to open up then maybe she’d resent him for it…no that wasn’t true, she wouldn’t resent him…she’d resent herself for being so vulnerable.“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but it just hurts so much…it's so painful that I can’t even begin to describe it…” Kari responds, still looking down on the shore. The muted sand and the agonizing sea that was in front of them and that’s the reflection she could see in herself right now. Unable to speak and feel anything but agony as she pushed him away and let her thoughts flood her mind.“Then I can be a pain reliever.” T.K. tilts his head down and meets her eyes. She looks back at him and then quickly looks away. The pain in her heart grew sharper the moment she looked away from him.“….You already are.” Kari says, her voice feeling strained and broken, but still honest and it was. Sometimes just looking at him was enough to put her heart at ease, but right now it was different. His eyes that once reflected an eternity she wanted now felt like they had a painful end that she brought about. T.K. looks at her with a sad expression and then picks up her hand. He holds it gently and looks at her with an unwavering resolve.“Some things won’t leave unless you brush them away on purpose. Some things are destiny no matter what…That’s what you told me.” T.K. continues to look at her determined until he breaks out into a small smile. Back then he was having a hard time believing that. Even though he knew she meant it, it was hard to believe when everything seemed like it was going wrong, but she had reminded him that he wasn’t alone and he would do the same for her. So that she wouldn’t ever forget that he was right there with her.“You don’t need to care so much about me…” Kari responds to him quietly. She hadn’t expected him to use her own words against her, but what really was destiny? Was it destiny that she was meant to hurt everyone or was it destiny that he was meant to-As if having read her mind he speaks. “Of course I do. I have to show you that you’re worth every bit of effort even if you don’t think you’re worth caring about. I’ll always show you that I care about you and that’s never going to change.” He looks at her his eyes with the same amount of devotion he had always shown her.“That’s what hurts the most…” Kari says quietly as she lets go of his hand. That was the painful part. He would always care even if she hurt him and she knew she couldn’t stop him from caring and yet she couldn’t stop herself either. She had been afraid of hurting him for so long, but she couldn’t stop herself from falling in love with him. Deep down she knew it would lead to this, but…but she couldn’t help it. How could she stop herself when he was always so loving? So caring? So kind? So understanding? So…hopeful.“Don’t take it as something painful. Being by your side, it’s one of the greatest honors of my life. One of the things that lights up my world.” T.K. puts his hand on her cheek and she nods quietly. She takes a step back and averts her eyes. That was the same thing Gatomon had told her, but she couldn’t understand. She couldn’t understand how someone like her could be so important to them.“I’m sorry about that…” She says quietly as she takes another step back.“There’s nothing to-” T.K. tries to say, but she interrupts him. Before she could properly understand what was going on she blurted something out. A sin that had been straining her mind for years.“When we were kids, Tai took me out to play with him. I was really sick though and I almost died…It was because I didn't say anything like always and he still regrets it. I can still see it every time I look at him. I can see that he’s in pain, that he regrets what happened and it was all because I have to be this way.” Kari finally looks at him. Her eyes searched to see if he finally understood why it was that there was a problem with the way she was.T.K. looked at her with a mixture of surprise and sorrow. In all these years…she had never told him that...even though they had known each other for half their lives…but maybe that wasn’t enough…enough to really know her. Now that he thought about it…there was always a sort of regret lingering between those two that must have been it. The reason neither of them was able to let the other go. They were tied together by an invisible thread, lined with regret that they both ignored so it wouldn’t come tumbling down. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know.”“How could you if I never told you? Even though I trust you so much I can’t ever say a word. It’s the same reason he still regrets what happened. It’s because I can never say anything so I mess everything up as a result.” Kari says her voice cracking the more she spoke. She couldn’t help, but feel so much pain over being the way she was, especially because it always hurt everyone and she didn’t know how she was supposed to change.“But you did it because you wanted to make him happy…” T.K. tells her gently. He could tell she had tears forming in her eyes, but she didn’t let them go. She ignored them and brushed them aside and focused on what happened to Tai instead. For as long as he knew her, she had always been that way. Always broken herself to fix others. That was the reason she didn’t think she could fix herself because she had run out of parts. Ran out of sympathy for everyone, but herself. Earlier he had noticed that she seemed like she wanted to be different and it looks like he was right.“And look where it led him…” She said her voice with a sort of hatred emitting from it. A hatred for herself that was able to break the numbness around her heart with its sharp pain. The truth she had yet to realize was that she was hurting herself far more than she had ever hurt another person.“But it’s not your fault!” T.K. says with a hint of desperation in his voice. He didn’t want her to think it was her fault, but the truth was she had probably been thinking that for years and it wasn’t a mentality you could break out of so easily. He knew that well. The thought of her feeling that sort of pain he knew well, it tore him apart.“And back then it wasn’t your fault that I ended up here” Kari says with a sad smile, walking away once more and rejoining the rest of the group. T.K. looked over at her and then at the ocean in front of him. Maybe he didn’t have the right to tell her not to blame herself, no, that wasn’t true. Because of her he had been gradually getting off the mindset that so many things had been his fault back then. He would need to do the same for her. She didn’t deserve to blame herself for something out of her control. It was true that he blamed himself for her having ended up here the first time, but he did something about it back then and he was going to do something about it now.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Droplets of water had begun falling from the sky overhead. The gentle embrace of rain was nowhere to be seen. Instead the rain was aggressively bitter to the touch. Kari could feel the rain falling. It was impossible not to when it felt so acidic and it burned to the touch. She didn’t want to be in the rain, but she didn’t want to stop walking, or they’d have to be there longer.

“Guys let’s stop.” T.K. stops walking, noticing the rain. Something felt off about it…something felt wrong and rain wasn’t the best thing that could happen right now. Rain…it made the ocean deeper.

“But we just took a break.” Davis scratches his head and then looks at him, noticing his eyes were serious. There must be something wrong. Davis looks around them, spotting a small cave near them with some shelter. “Alright guys let’s go there till this rain blows over.” Davis looks at T.K. with understanding eyes. He looks back at him with a thankful look that didn’t need to be said.

“We don’t need to stop walking. Everyone is fine with walking in the rain.” Kari says quietly. She knew why he had asked for a break it was because of her…but she wasn’t going to let herself be the reason they stopped. She wasn’t going to let them waste time because she was frail. They needed to keep going before something happened to the others.

“Well I’m not, what if someone gets sick?” T.K. responds to her, he looks at her, his eyes stern. She looks down at the floor and puts Gatomon down. She remains silent for a few seconds before speaking.

“You can just say you mean me…no one else has ever been a problem when it comes to that.” Kari says as she begins to walk towards the cave. She hated feeling like everyone had to stop because of her. She didn’t think the others had an issue with it, but she didn’t want to feel like a problem and yet she always was.

“Wait hold on! I didn’t mean it like that” T.K.’s stern look immediately drifts off and is exchanged with guilt. He quickly goes after her. He couldn’t just let her get away with saying that sort of thing to herself…it wasn’t true, she wasn’t a problem…but how was he supposed to get her to realize that when nothing else had worked before. He quickly shakes the thought, he couldn’t give up on her like that.

“The hell…” Davis mutters. What in the world was going on. Why couldn’t he do anything for anyone? He was supposed to be keeping everyone together ,but right now everything seemed off. Davis brushes his hand, it was strange ,but he had felt the rain sting.

“Davis, they'll be okay. I know it.” Ken, noticing Davis’s movements, looked at him reassuringly. They couldn’t have Davis getting down too. He needed to reassure his friend that everything really would be okay.

“Yeah you’re right…they’ve always been fine before.” Davis smiles weakly at him, but for a moment he could see the past flash before his eyes. The sight of blood he saw before they fell down the dark pit…yeah they were fine, but still. It wasn’t a sight he ever wanted to see again for the rest of his life.

T.K. makes his way to the cave and notices Kari, sitting down in the cave quietly looking at the rain in pain. “Kari you know you aren’t a problem right?” T.K. looks at her sadly the rain pouring on him. He kneels down and meets her eyes. He didn’t care about the rain pouring down on him; he didn't want to be too pushy either so he stayed out of the cave.

Kari looks at him feeling bad even though she was running away from him she wasn’t going to let him stand there like a puppy left out in the rain. She scoots back and looks at him to come in. It was a very small cave with limited movement, but that didn’t mean they both couldn’t fit in. He smiles softly and sits down in front of her his knees reaching hers.

“No one here sees you as a problem. I meant it when I said it before and I mean it now…I don’t see you as a problem, neither does anyone else…or Tai.” T.K. taps her knee and looks at her
seriously. “You could never be a problem.”
She remained silent for a while, he was always trying to make her feel better despite all the times she had pushed him away.
She had been blatantly avoiding him this whole time ,but here he was still trying… “I know…but how much can everyone take until I am one?” Kari looks away from him, a pained expression lingering on her face. She could feel her heart strangling her. Her emotions were jumbled up and each thought felt more painful then the last.
T.K. laughs softly and places his hand on hers. “Never.” He says with complete sincerity. Even right now when she was avoiding him, she was never a problem, she was just a person who needed help. A person that was very important to him.

“Are you sure what if I did something wrong…something awful?” Kari says quietly. T.K. looks at her with his concern. It looked like this wasn’t just a feeling that she had since they arrived there, but a feeling she had kept hidden away for a while, but he couldn’t fathom anything that she could do that was awful. The fact she was thinking about it so much showed that she wasn’t capable of it.
“What if I hurt your partner or-”
Kari begins to say, but she is quickly interrupted. “You would never do such a thing.” T.K. answers without letting her finish. He wasn’t about to let her think something like that. Out of everyone he knew, she always seemed to be the person who trusted the partnership between human and Digimon the most. It was something priceless and she knew that which is why she must have said that because in her eyes that was unforgivable…just like what they did to Meicoomon.

“But I hurt my own partner…” She responds sadly. She didn’t want to hurt her Digimon, but she did. She hurt the partner that always believed in her no matter what and the partner who already suffered so much. She caused her to dark digivolve and not just that, she had laid a hand in ending Meicoomon. Anything was possible. She was unpredictable and that’s why she needed to stay away.

“You didn’t mean to!” T.K. tells her and she stands up walking out the cave. She looks at him, the rain pouring down on her. The rain from the sky and the rain from her heart.

“That’s exactly it! That’s the worst part! I do these stupid things that hurt others because I can’t control myself because I have to rely on everyone!” She tells him, her voice shaky and full of anguish. He looks at her and stands up and walks towards her and wraps his arms around her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to do. I just want you to know I’m here for you. Just like how you’ve always been here for me. Just like how you were there for me in that cave. It’s not because you’re weak or need me, it’s because I care about you. You don’t need to face all this alone.” He says as he closes his eyes and holds her gently in his arms. This was tearing his heart apart, but he couldn’t let that pain consume him. If he did he wouldn’t be able to help her and then he’d lose her… “Sorry I-” She stops talking. Fearing her next words and fearing the own feelings she kept in her heart. The feelings that were consuming her. She winces in pain feeling her body shake as he holds her close. There she was again…being so weak while he held her close.
“I know you don’t tell me things because you don’t want to be a problem, but nothing you could ever do would make me see you as one. I know you don’t see helping others as a problem so why would I see it that way too, especially when you’re so special to me” T.K. places his hand over her head, trying to cover her from the rain. She remained quiet while the rain made its way to the ground. Finally looking up at him after a few moments of silence.

“Let’s go back-” out of nowhere her head suddenly felt like it was splitting up. Her vision fades once more and she sees herself back on the lifeless shore.
She walks towards an object glittering in the sand. She picks it up and a vision invades her mind.

She sees a man bleeding…a man she recognized. Daigo Nishijima. He had a small smile on his face as he passed on, even though her brother had been yelling at him. He had rambled on about hopes and dreams before his departure. She opens her eyes, shaking. Noticing the rain had soon stopped falling and as quickly as it began, it erased itself without a trace. The rain had quickly dried up and vanished into the air. The plants it had touched had withered and the sand had already absorbed it.

She looked at the dying plants, every living thing was fated to die, but why did some have to go through such painful deaths. Why did she have to see that vision? The thought of death already was painful enough without seeing it and now she had seen his life vanquished as if she was there. Was this a punishment? A punishment stopping her from feeling any relief. Was she destined to be in that ocean with nothing but sorrow?

“Hey are you okay?” T.K. asks her. He could feel her shaking relentlessly. She must have seen something horrible again. He hated that she always had to go through that kinda thing, but he couldn’t exactly stop it from happening. As much as he didn't want her to suffer, there were some things he couldn't prevent.

“I’m fine…” Kari takes a step back. Releasing herself from his arms. There had to be a reason she saw that. It was a warning….it had to be. She would just hurt him just like how she had hurt her partner and her brother. Cody was probably right, staying away from him would only hurt him, but she didn’t want to see him end up dead because he was always being reckless looking after her.

“That’s not true! Please…trust me on this, I’m worried about you…” T.K. tells her his voice sounding strained. He felt like he was practically begging her at this point, but his worry was growing more and more the more he saw her like this and he didn’t know how much more he could take it.

“I can’t…” She says before walking away, leaving him alone, but it would be better that way. Afterall, she wouldn’t be able to hurt him that way or that’s what she told herself, but she couldn’t help but feel she was running away from the truth, but that was what a weak person such as herself did. She dragged everyone down with her because she couldn’t be strong.

She looked at the sky above her, there weren’t any stars in the sky. This wasn’t a world that gave people the opportunity to follow their hearts and chase their dreams. It was a sad world, but since she kept getting called to it, maybe this really was the place where she belonged. A place devoid of any light and one that was full of suffering.

“Why…Why?!” T.K. clenches his hand and hits it on the cave wall. He managed to make his knuckles bleed, but he didn’t care. He was angry, angry at the darkness for hurting Kari like that and angry at himself for not being able to do anything but watch. Watch as she sunk into despair.
He hit the wall again, feeling the pain in his heart tightening up.

All he could think about was Himekawa and how she had died there. If that happened to her he would never be able to live with himself. He couldn’t lose her like that…he didn’t want to lose anyone ever again, but it was happening again right before his eyes. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. He couldn’t just lose hope like that…if not things really would be over. He stops and remembers Ken, Ken had made it out fine. She would be okay too, she had to be. He put his hands in his pocket and began to walk back towards the others. He stops, feeling something soft brush against him. He pulls it out and looks at the small white flower, he smiles weakly at it and brushes a hint of the blood from his knuckles off of it. He wasn’t going to let something so beautiful be tainted.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Where’s T.K.?” Cody asks as Kari arrives back to the others. She looks at them and then looks away, unable to hide how guilty she appeared.

“He’s on his way,” Kari mutters, looking away from the others. “Sorry for the delay.”

“No worries, the rain didn’t really last that long” Ken looks up at the sky. It was weird it had fallen and left as if nothing had happened. The only difference now was that the ocean was now deeper…and that thought made him uncomfortable.

Yolei looks over at her friend. It looked like T.K.’s attempt had been futile yet again. This was her chance to talk to her and figure out what was wrong. Well hopefully she didn’t mess up ,but she wasn’t going to let her move on without a shot. They had to reach her before it was too late.

“Heyyyyy!” Yolei grabs Kari and they both almost trip due to the suddenness of her actions. Yolei grabs on tightly to her and then helps her regain her balance. Yolei lets go and then takes a step back and almost trips. She holds her hands up and gives a thumbs up.

“Hi.” Kari laughs lightly. Yolei hadn’t seen anything resembling joy since the moment they had arrived. Maybe she really would be able to get through to her.

“I know you think you’re good at hiding your feelings! And you know what…You’re absolutely right!” Yolei speaks loudly and then continues with a sigh she exclaims “Please tell me what’s wrong.” Yolei says not making an effort to hide the fact she had no clue how in the world she was supposed to get her to tell the truth.

Kari looks at Yolei, her heart tightening around itself. “Yolei, I don’t know how I feel anymore. I don’t have any words to explain myself, I just want to go home…”

Yolei looks at her surprised at her quick admittance, surprised at her honesty. Somehow though, she had a feeling Kari was still hiding something. That she had just said that in order to give her a peace of mind…that’s the kind of thing she always did. It was like she couldn’t be honest with anyone as long as she ran the risk of disappointing someone.

“What’s the deal with Himekawa?”Yolei asks her bluntly, it probably wasn’t the most considerate move, but it was all she had. That was when she had noticed her behavior shift completely and so that was the only lead she could cling onto.

“Oh…” Kari looked away from her friend. She had hoped that she had said enough to give Yolei a peace of mind, but she should have known her friend better than that. Yolei wasn’t the type of person to give up so easily. She remained silent and then spoke.

“Yolei, how would you feel if you lost someone important to you, not knowing if you’ll see them again and you become blind to the one person who was always there for you, always risking their life for you, and then that person died because of you.” Kari spoke, her words somehow felt both lifeless yet full of heart. Yolei remained silent for a while, she hadn’t expected such a grimm question and she didn’t know how she was supposed to answer it. Why…why was she even thinking of something so horrible like that?

“Kari…what exactly happened last year. You guys didn’t talk about it much, it’s almost as if you regretted it so much you didn’t want to remember it ever again.” Yolei looked at her friend with sadness. She hadn’t told her much about what happened when they were gone, just that there was a Digimon called Meicoomon who almost destroyed the world, but when she had said that, she had sounded resentful. A kind of tone she hadn’t heard from her friend until that day.

“That’s because I wish I could forget. Maybe it didn’t happen the exact way I said, but it’s always possible, and when that future is looking at you again, dead in the eye, how are you supposed to deal with it?”
Kari was shaking again, the feelings in her heart were overwhelming and bitter. Everything that happened last year…was there even anything good about it? She had always tried to find the light in these kinds of situations…but what was good about it. It proved they all had a strong bond with their Digimon…but why couldn’t something else do that. Something that wouldn’t have ended the bond someone had with their Digimon.

“Kari, you just can’t run away like that. You’re stronger than that.” Yolei smiles at her and tries to place a hand on her shoulder,but she steps back. Yolei looks at her a bit surprised and opens her mouth to say something, but Kari speaks first.

“This world isn’t that bad now that I think of it. It’s independent and has no need for the light.” Kari says as she looks at the world in front of them. The dark waves crashing against the shore, the dying plants, the abrasive sand, the blistering fog, and the lighthouse that held no light, but only demonstrated the darkness of the realm.
The light in Kari’s eyes had lost its glow and a blank expression filled her eyes.

“Kari, what in the world are you saying?” Yolei looks at her wide eyed. She had always talked about this place as if it were a living hell and now she was just acting like it was a paradise even though right now this place was tormenting her with the darkness.

“It’s nothing. Just a new perspective…”
Kari walks away and Yolei looks at her with sadness. If this kept up, they would lose her, but what in the world could she do for her? No one had been able to reach her yet…so what could she do about it?
“Kari…no…”
Yolei looked at her sadly. She had failed. She couldn’t help her. Why did Kari always have to try and face things alone? It only made things harder. She wasn’t alone, they were all right here with her, she just needed to trust them and maybe she wasn’t the best at trusting either, but she was trying to fix that. Fix it so that she could look at life with a smile no matter how hard things got…the way she had always seen her do too. “T.K. I couldn’t do it…” Yolei walks over to him, tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to help her too, but she couldn’t and now she didn’t know what they were going to do next. She didn’t want what happened to Ken to happen to her…but it just might. She shakes off her thoughts, that was just this world trying to get to her. Even if that happened to her too, she was certain that she would be able to get out of those ocean waves.
“Maybe you think you didn’t do anything, but I think your voice will be able to reach her even if it takes a bit.” T.K. smiles at her reassuringly and then looks over at Kari. There was no way he was going to give up. Even if she was running from this he would catch up as many times as it took. He didn’t care if he ran out of breath, it wasn't wasted, he knew he could reach her, she just had to give him that chance.

“Alright ready to go?” Davis turns to everyone. They had all gathered up again.

“No we aren’t.” T.K. says as he turns to look at Kari. This was a world of darkness avoiding the feelings in her heart would only let more of it in. Before he could even realize what he was saying
he had already spoken.

“Kari- can we talk?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Of course we can…” Kari answers without looking at him. She didn’t really want to talk, but she couldn’t exactly say no without making things any worse.

“Okay well uh-” T.K. looks at her nervously. He hadn’t entirely thought this through at all and everyone being there only made him more nervous.

“Come on guys let's let them talk” Yolei looks at T.K. and gives him a nod and then takes the others with her. They had to believe that their quiet voices would be heard.

“Hey…what's wrong?” T.K. looks at her seriously. He was asking her the same thing as before ,but it was all he had. The fact she kept avoiding him was driving him mad. More than once she had walked away and completely avoided him. She had never avoided him like this before.
There was a part of him that was starting to think he did something wrong ,but the look in her eyes told him otherwise.

She looks at him for a while. The words in her head jumbling with the feelings in her heart. Her throat began to feel like it was strangling her, there was a part of her that wanted to tell him and a part of her that didn't. “Nothing” were the only words able to leave her lips.

“Nothing?! You can't be serious right now?! You think I don't know you better than that! After everything we’ve been through together I think I can say I know you almost as well as you know yourself! I know you! You’re avoiding me like the plague because you don’t want to talk about how you feel! You don’t want to talk about how you feel like you’re a problem because you know I’ll tell you otherwise ,but I’ll say it as many times as it takes because it’s the truth!” He speaks somewhat loudly but then begins to trail off “Sorry…I didn't mean to.”

“Don’t apologize…You’re right” She shakes her head at him. His voice has always become more powerful when it came to her, she knew that it was because he cared and that's exactly why she couldn't help but feel guilty. She didn't want to push him away, she was serious when she promised not to leave him, but…no matter how hard she tried the words wouldn't leave her mouth. She couldn’t tell him what was wrong after all, there were so many things wrong she didn’t know where to begin.

“I didn’t mean to sound upset. I'm not mad at you and I never have been…I just want you to know you aren’t alone. The truth is I probably don’t know as much about you as I think I do. I mean you hide so much of your pain, but I can take a few guesses here and there…I know you’re still sad about what we did a year ago. I know you regret what happened to Gatomon and I know you don’t want to hurt a soul, I know you’re hurting because it hurts me to see you like this.” T.K. didn't know where his words were taking him and he started to fear saying the wrong thing. He didn’t want to say anything that would make her feel worse.

Kari remained quiet, uncertain of what to say. He was right, and that was the painful part about it. Hearing his voice waiver was making her heart hurt even more and her mind felt like it was starting to sink deeper and deeper into her despair…she hated despairing, but right now was starting to forget what having hope even felt like.

“I'm sorry, I don't wanna force you into saying anything okay? I hope you're not mad” T.K. looks away from her. He hated what he was dealing with in his heart, the tears he could feel forming in his eyes. He felt pathetic, but he couldn't help it, it hurt seeing her be in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it.

“Hey, I’m not mad at you either, okay?” She finally looks at him, noticing his wavering voice. She didn’t want him to think she was mad at him, that was far from the truth.

“Then what’s wrong? I hate seeing you like this. I want to help you but I don’t know how. I’ve never really been sure what I’m supposed to do…” T.K. says honestly. There was no point in pretending he knew what he was doing at the end of the day he just wanted to be there for her.

“You know, just being you, has always been enough to help me. Having you by my side is more than what I deserve.” Kari smiles weakly at him. A smile that was lacking any light, but one that was honest.

“That’s not true! You deserve so much more. I’m nothing special you’ve seen me at my worst and even still you chose to be with me. Which is why I know you don’t want to run like this! It’s also why I’m more certain than ever that I wanna be with you!” T.K. looks at her he hadn’t noticed how close he had gotten to her. There they were again intently staring at each other’s eyes ,but he could tell there was something different. There was a barrier between them again, a barrier that wouldn’t let her be near him. Just as the thought crossed his mind, she took a step back. That was all the proof he needed. He could sense that she was afraid, not of him, but rather herself.

“I…I want to be with you too. Why wouldn’t I, when I’m always thinking about you? When I look at you how I look at the sun, but the truth is I don't want to hurt you.” Kari says with nothing, but pain and honesty tracing her words. She knew she sounded afraid when she muttered those words, but she couldn’t help it, she was shaking and her fear was overwhelming her. Just the thought of it made her want to cry, but she no longer knew how to do it, how to let go of all this pain.

“Hurt me?” He looks at her confused ,but his confusion soon turns to sorrow. Is that why she had been avoiding him this whole time? Did she really think she was going to hurt him…was that the reason she even refused to look at him?

“Everyone's waiting, let's go.” She turns around and with that she walks away.

“...Kari” he spoke quietly, her name flying away with the winds of the sea. He couldn’t take it anymore, he couldn’t take the pain that was hurting him anymore.

“T.K. why are you crying?” Patamon flew off his hat and cuddled up to him.

“It just…it just hurts that she can't see what I see” T.K. says as he slowly walks back towards the others.
The wind blowing towards him and all of a sudden he could feel the burning of the darkness on his skin. He removes his jacket to let himself feel the world around him. He closes his eyes. He would never give up on her, even if she gave up on herself. That was part of what it meant to have hope. To believe in a better future even if the present was bleak and to believe in people. That's what being in the Digital World had taught him.

“Patamon, let's go” T.K. smiled genuinely at him and Patamon smiled right back. To Patamon, T.K. always seemed like he was changing ,but he also knew he had always been the same. That same hope was always there. He was just learning how to have hope in different ways.

“Right” Patamon smiled and they began to move forward with the hope in their hearts unable to be extinguished despite the darkness that was closing in on them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Kari” Gatomon spoke firmly to grab her attention. Gatomon had seen every interaction she had with her friends. They all made her uncomfortable. She only remained in her arms wondering how she could help. Her partner had always been connected to the world around her, getting down when she saw others in pain, trying her best to believe with a pure innocence, but this world, the morbid world of darkness was draining her.

“Yes, Gatomon?”
Kari responds to her and Gatomon urges Kari to look at her.

“Never forget. We are in this together.” Gatomon looks at her, eyes full of hope, glowing in the bleak scenery, like a drop of neon paint in a black and white canvas. The hope had been gained through a bond forged despite a once broken past.

“Gatomon…I.” Kari looks at her partner, somewhat astonished but also with full understanding, but the darkness wouldn't let her escape without reminding her of the compulsory sin. She could hear it, the sound of the voice ripped apart from an innocent soul, cast into their hearts as a silent sacrilege.

“Gatomon, did you hear that?” Kari looks over to the ocean. Its waves looked calm from a distance ,but up close they were aggressive. She was unable to see it though, she could only hear the voice.

“Kari, I don't know what you're talking about” Gatomon stands by her and looks at her worried. She had been so close to reaching her ,but interruptions always happened at the worst times.

“Hear what?” Davis turns around and looks at her confused and as does everyone else no one else had heard a sound. The only thing anyone could hear were the waves and their own voices.

“IT’S OVER THERE” Before she could understand what was going on Kari had made a run for it and she had quickly reached the shore they were all avoiding. There was a voice in there calling for help and she couldn’t mistake that voice.

An eerie noise scratched her ears. It grew louder and louder each second. “The light belongs with the darkness” the voice rang hollow, the voice from her dreams and with that a wave hit her and dragged her out to the sea.

Even though she was trapped in the grueling waves around her, she didn’t feel afraid for some reason. That voice she heard…it probably wasn’t real. It couldn’t be, that voice was gone after all, but there she was in the waves again. Powerless to do anything and her own naivety leading her to drown in the sea.

“KARI!” T.K. runs towards the ocean
and without a second thought he dives into the dark sea. He swims as fast as he can to try and reach her.

“Wait for me!” Gatomon couldn't swim, she was hoping to catch up to him and jump ,but she was too late. They were too far for her to jump , but she couldn't just let her partner drown like that. Kari had saved her too many times, she had to do the same.

“Kari. Come on, we gotta get you outta here!” T.K. grabbed her arm ,but she moved away. He looks at her in painful surprise before taking a step closer to her.

“This is where I belong,” she says quietly. The waves drowned out her voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be rescued, but she sincerely believed that she didn’t deserve to.
She was sick of herself for causing so much trouble to those around her. He should just let her die in this horrible place…

“What?! Are you crazy?! You're gonna die!” he looked at her shocked ,but she only remained silent. What in the world was she thinking? She had to know how dangerous it was to be there. After what happened to Ken just a while ago there was no way she didn’t know that it was foolish to be there.
Did she…did she want to die?

“You don't really think that right? You belong with us!” He grabs her arm once more and looks her in the eyes and she turns away from them. She couldn’t bear looking at him, especially with the thoughts invading her mind. T.K. looks at her, the very action chilled him to the bone and it made his heart sink deeper than the ocean’s depths.

“You belong with us…with me. Light and Hope, right? We're inseparable…right?” His voice grew shakier with every word, each space in between full of sadness, but he couldn’t help it. He was scared and he was hurt that she thought her life was something so…so worthless. For a moment she looked at him with hesitation, but then she pulled away.

“Please...let go of me.”
She says quietly, the force of her pull caught him off guard and sent him back and he splashed away. The water was suffocating him, it was burning, but he couldn't leave her like that. He coughs up the water and then looks at her.

“You know I care too much about you to let you go!” T.K. yells back at her despite the water piercing his voice with its smoldering waves. The water kept entering him, but he didn’t care, he needed her to know he wasn’t going to leave her behind.

“T.K. Are you okay?” Cody ran up to him and T.K. smiled at him putting his hand up,but his breathing was very slow.
The water in his lungs was burning him, but he couldn’t stop, no he couldn’t stop not now or not ever. He would never give up on her. She was still there, fighting, she just needed help, someone to reach out for her even in this darkness. Just like how she helped him before he had to help her now…or else she’d die and that was something he didn’t want to think about.

“T.K. you're planning on going back there right?” Yolei looked at him. He was soaked and could barely breathe. The fog of the ocean and the water must have made it really difficult to breathe in there and yet he was still fighting for her.

“Of course I’m going back in there!” T.K. stood up and through muffled breaths he spoke. There was no way he was going to leave her there…no way he would lose her and do nothing but watch.

Not again.

“Don't come back in here. You shouldn't have to risk your life for someone like me. I don't wanna be a burden to you!” The entire time she was avoiding looking at him, but now that she looked at him for that split second begging him not to come back,
he could tell her eyes were full of pain. They were full of sorrow. Sorrow not just of what she said, but a pain much deeper that she was hiding away. She didn’t want that, of course not, but she was punishing herself because of the past.

“I hate to have to do this to you…” he paused for a second and then ran back into the water. Yelling with all his heart “BUT YOU'RE CRAZY IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO LET YOU DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT. I'M NEVER LETTING THEM TAKE YOU AND I’M NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE IN THERE!”

“T.K. Let's go, we can't give up on her!” Gatomon ran up to him and jumped; she landed on his head and looked at him. They nodded at each other and kept going. They both had reassured her countless times that she was no trouble at all, but the world around them was using any small hint of doubt to get to her. It was part of what made this world so disgusting. One negative thought could make someone spiral and lose themselves.

“Kari, come on we need to get out of here. We care too much about you to just let you drown like this” Gatomon looks at her intensely, observing her and wishing Kari would let them in her heart right now. She had always been closed off ,but that didn’t mean they couldn’t reach her.

Kari looked at her partner, she wanted so badly to go to them ,but all she could remember at that moment was when she had caused her to Dark Digivolve and fly away in pain, joining together with Raguelmon and spreading pain throughout the world. She had made her suffer. Gatomon was quick to forgive her ,but in her heart she could feel so much pain over what she had done.

“Gatomon,…I made a huge mistake and I hurt you, I don’t deserve you” the waves crash at her and she gets pushed back farther from them. Her Digimon was so precious to her, knowing what she had done to her, that destroyed her. The fact she has made her suffer after everything she had already gone through was tearing her heart apart.

“And do you know how many times you have saved me?!” Gatomon’s words were full of pain yet honesty. It hurt her to think that Kari was so blinded by one mistake in their friendship that she couldn’t see all the times she had brought her joy and comfort.
She didn't regret anything that they had ever gone through together both the good and the bad.

“You said it yourself! We all make mistakes!”
Ken’s voice was heard faintly in the distance. Trying his best to reach her. Trying his best to remind her of the words she had told him. Yes, it was true she knew it was true they all made mistakes, but hers were different.

“YEAH YOU GOTTA LISTEN. We’ve all made mistakes, it happens it’s part of being human!” Davis yells towards her too. They needed to reach her, but he didn’t know how all he knew was that he believed in her and that he believed in T.K., they would both come back alive…they had to.

“He’s right for once. Kari, you need to come back, the Dark Ocean is dangerous!” Cody calls over as well. He believed in her and he knew she knew this wasn’t right.

Kari looked at them and then looked away. It seemed as if all her friends were using up their energy trying to get her to return. She wanted to leave if it meant putting them at ease ,but she was too scared to move.

She meant it when she told Ken that everyone makes mistakes ,but… her mistakes always had the ability to hurt those close to her. The fog began to grow thicker in the sea and the waves continued to crash over them. A wave hits her and it carries a memory with her. The only thing she could remember is Tai’s sad face the day she almost died because they went out to play together.

“I…I caused that. I hurt Tai and he continues to live with that guilt, the guilt of him almost killing me when it was my…fault…” She was trembling, the water in the sea was getting colder the more time passed on the more remorse they carried with them. She wrapped her arms around herself.
She was soaked and her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Her brother didn't deserve that pain, that pain she knew he still carried. She could see it every time he looked at her and that tore her apart.

“My heart, it’s in so much pain, I don’t know what to do with it… I just wanna drown so I don’t have to feel it anymore. So I don’t have to feel the pain of how much I hurt the people I care about.” She felt many things in her heart, it wasn’t just the pain of the people close to her ,but even the ones she didn’t know. The ones they might have hurt when fighting, the ones they hurt each passing day without saying a word. She couldn’t help but wonder how many people she had hurt without knowing because they never said a word.

“I wake up and I see so many things, things that maybe aren’t there to other people. It’s a distant voice, but I can hear that somewhere out there someone is suffering. Someone is suffering and I can’t do anything for them. Everyone suffers, those Digimon in the village that Skullgreymon destroyed, but it wasn’t his fault either. Everyone had both good and evil right…everyone but me. These horrible feelings make me suffer when I’m not even the one suffering is just a selfish excuse to not have to face myself!”
Through every word she was still shaking, every word felt heavy with a weight of pain that seemed like it had been building up for a lifetime.

The feelings she had built up in her heart were finally ready to be spilled out, to be spilled out and contaminate her soul.

“I don’t think I’m that different from Himekawa…She caused the reboot because she couldn’t handle the pain of losing her partner and I almost caused the end of the world because I couldn’t handle losing my brother. The reboot didn’t cause any suffering though, it wiped away the pain everyone felt. Gatomon it took away that pain of those years you had with Myotismon away, the years that I know you still have nightmares about.” Kari looks at her Digimon and smiles weakly. If only she had been there for her Digimon since the beginning…instead she had to watch her partner shake at night from nightmares. She had to look at the scars Gatomon still had that penetrated her fur. Why…why did her Digimon have to suffer like that.

“But Kari that’s-” Gatomon looked at her unable to hide the pain her words brought her.

“I know it’s just running away. You’re strong and that’s why you’re still fighting ,but I’m weak and I’m running away”
Kari says, her voice sounding certain of the words escaping her lips.

“Don’t forget that everything that has ever happened has shaped who we are, both good and bad. I’m grateful for those years because it helps me appreciate what we have now.” Gatomon speaks to her almost as if she had read her mind, all the years they had been together, they meant everything to her, she needed to prove it to her partner.

“Kari! How many times do I have to tell you? You're one of the strongest people I know. Even now you’re still fighting!” Yolei’s voice rang out. That one time they were stuck in the Dark Ocean together Yolei had reassured her that she would always be there for her and that she was strong ,but there she was again trapped in the sea. Not because of Yolei, but because of herself.

“You're wrong…I'm here giving up because I'm too weak to keep going” the feelings she has been trying to ignore had finally crept up on her. Yolei looked at her upset. How could she really believe that after everything that had happened.

“Kari, you need to understand the reason I can be strong is because of you” Gatomon looks at her partner reassuringly. It wasn’t a lie. Everyday she felt the strength to keep going when she saw her partner.

“She’s right. You carry on everyday with this pain like it’s nothing, but in your heart you feel everything. Look, I know you can do things on your own , but you don’t have to as long as you’re with us. You’re not a bad person, not even in the slightest. The fact you feel all this should be proof enough to yourself that you aren’t evil. You gotta be the exact opposite of evil. You aren’t perfect, none of us are….but honestly to me you are. “ T.K. had remained quiet until then, thinking what it was he could say to her to bring her back. He moves closer through the crashing waves and finally reaches her.

“To me your only flaw has always been just how little you believe in yourself.
You’re incredible, and I need you to see that. You’re everything I wish I could be…You’re so bold and unafraid. I admire you so much and it just tears me apart to see you suffering like this. I can’t just leave you here. I love you too much to do that”

“T.K. please go back…This is what I deserve. I wouldn’t be having these dreams if this wasn’t where I was supposed to be” She avoided looking at him. She loved him too which is exactly why she was unable to move away. She was too scared to move because she couldn’t help ,but think about
Mr. Nishijima and Himekawa. He had died without knowing what happened to her. The memories she saw were memories of such a blissful youth
that had ended so sadly. She didn’t want T.K. to go through that pain, she had already seen just how broken he would get when someone he cared about disappeared…that thought of causing any more pain to someone that had already suffered through so much just tore her apart, but there was also a voice that told her that being here would be worse. Everything they had gone through together was proof enough,
but that voice was being strangled. It was being suffocated, it was drowning. Of course she didn’t want this, but she felt too weak to chase that voice that was within her heart the voice who carried the truth as a sword.

“Hey…listen to me. You don’t belong here. You don't deserve to be treated like this. I know you don’t think anyone deserves this kind of fate so why should you?
You, being as gentle and sweet as you are, would never deserve this.” He pulls her in close and places his head on hers. Their eyes finally interlocked. “You don't need to think about life that way. It's okay to think about the pain of others and how you could help them. I know that's never gonna change because that's who you are. You're always so considerate of everyone and I know that's part of what makes you so special.” She had avoided looking at him the entire time because she knew that her worries would melt away and she didn’t want to forget her pain, she didn’t want to make the same mistakes. She thought that was why she was in this sea, because if she were to forget she would hurt again , but somehow the cold grueling waves of the sea felt warm and tender when he was holding her.

“But it's also okay to remember the other side of life too. Close your eyes and think. Think about how beautiful life really is because the greatest evil in this world is the one that deceives you into thinking you aren’t valuable as you really are. You’re a precious miracle that adds to the beauty of this world.” The waves continued to crash into them ,but they remained still with their eyes closed ,but their hearts woven together. “When you wake up the sun shines its light on the flowers that bloom. The birds fly through the skies with no limits. They sing to their heart's content with no shame, but with voices full of love for this world. Think about the people, laughing and smiling. People sharing good times with their friends and families and people finding their way out of the darkness. Think about how warm it feels when you hold Gatomon tightly. Think about the times you shared with your brother. Think about the times you've spent-...with your family having fun. The times all of us have laughed together and smiled together talking about our dreams and teasing each other as the sun shines on us. ” He opens his eyes and looks at her, there was a certain tranquility despite the world around them. “Even if life seems a little hard it’s still worth living. Whenever
I need that reminder, I just look at you.”

She opens her eyes and looks at him.
His eyes were heartfelt and genuine, his blue eyes glittered with hope, they were a beautiful, irresistible sea. That was the only ocean she wanted to be trapped in. They were warm and comforting instead of cruel and cold. “You’re forgetting something, the times where I'm reminded that the light belongs with hope.”

She looks at him remembering everything they had gone through. Both in the past and the present and surely there would be more in the future to anticipate. It wasn’t that she wanted to suffer,but she couldn’t help ,but look forward to the future when he was there with her.

“Exactly like that. The sun is always there to shine its light and I know you're always there to shine too. To guide us, and remind us, about how beautiful life really is, to remind us, that it is worth loving this life. No matter how much sorrow there might be.”

Her eyes glittered as they remained locked on his. They had finally regained that brilliance she was known for.
The deeper understanding she had gained throughout this time was the one that was finally able to tell her why the light would shine as long as there was hope. She could feel his heart was telling her that hope wasn’t about being blind to reality, but believing in making a difference in your future. To believe in that light and care for it.
“I think I can always love this world as long as you’re in it.”

He looks at her stunned and then laughs softly, there were things in this life that could never be replaced. Throughout this adventure, he had come to understand her a bit better. The light isn’t about removing the darkness, but reminding us that it will always be there even if it might be gone, it never stops shining with hope even on those who don’t seek it. Even when the night falls the sun still rises the next day.

A smile had finally been released from all the suffering, it ignored all the pain in that moment and the grueling depths of the ocean beneath them. Maybe the ocean was dark, and unknown. No one truly knew everything in it after all, but being afraid to swim would only keep a person in the same place.
He looked back at her and smiled too, he could feel his heart ignited with the hope of a new tomorrow, the hope she always gave him and he had a feeling, she felt the same way.

“Let’s go back together.” Kari says with a smile and he nods. They both begin to swim back when
a blue digimon that resembles some sort of kraken with red wings emerges.

“Where do you think you’re going? Now that you’re here I’m not going to let you go.” The digimon grabs her and she begins to struggle. He had waited so long for the light to arrive. Letting go wasn’t an option. There was a loud voice in her heart he could feel that wouldn’t let her drown again so he needed to get her now.

“KARI!” Gatomon jumps towards them and a radiant light begins to shine down on her. It was a light that was full of life. The Crest of Light had always been special, a crest that captured all life in itself and demonstrated its brilliance despite the darkness surrounding it. A pink dragon that shines with light and has hope in its eyes to chase its dreams, despite the hardships in life emerges.

“T.K. swim back to shore, I got this.” Magndramon soars above him and makes her way towards Dagomon, he hesitates ,but nods and begins to swim back. That Digimon would never abandon her partner.

“I believe in you! No matter what” Kari looks at her partner who looks back at her reassuringly. Magndramon didn't need to say anything for Kari to know she felt the same way. Even in the darkness of the sea when she refused help, Magnadramon had believed in her partner.

“Forbidden trident” Dagomon launches a trident with tremendous physical strength and it just barely misses its foe. Magnadramon swiftly flies toward Dagomon and opens her mouth preparing a powerful attack.

“Fire Tornado” Magndramon strikes the light full of justice. It extinguishes
the darkness and Dagomon vanishes. Kari looks over at her Digimon and smiles if there was one thing she was sure of it was that they'd always be together. Magndramon flies over to her partner and catches her flying them back to the shore.

Magnadramon returns to Gatomon, who was trembling. She was always cold after leaving a body of water. Kari looks over at Gatomon and picks her up and brings her close.

“Thank you” She buried herself in Gatomon’s fur, her partner was warm and felt like the sun was shining on her.
It was a feeling so genuine it was difficult to describe, the value of that bond wasn’t something she ever wanted to take for granted. It was another part of her life she loved, this partner she had met through some form of destiny was the dream she held close to her heart, the dream that everyone would be able to experience that feeling, of having a partner. Her hopes and dreams for the future, that’s what made the blue sky of tomorrow for her.

“Of course, always” Gatomon closes her eyes and enjoys the feeling of her partner’s warm heart holding her close. She could feel the endless dreams and hopes her partner had. The vow she had made to herself
was to make sure they were fulfilled. Gatomon could hear each beating of her gentle heart, being together like that made all the years suffering under Myotismon worth it. She wouldn't trade that feeling of being with her partner for anything.

“Here since you have a way of getting sick all the time.” T.K. walks over to her and hands over his jacket to her and speaks in a teasing tone. He had conveniently taken it off before diving into the ocean and it looks like it would come in handy.

“But what about you?” Kari looked at him concerned, he was soaking wet still.

“Eh? Don’t worry about that I haven’t been sick sin- ACHOO” He looks down embarrassed and she looks at him and begins to laugh.

“You’re so mean...” he looked away from her, his face red.

“Sorry, it’s just not often I get to see such a ‘cool’ guy like you get embarrassed. It's cute.” Kari says with a small laugh as her eyes shone brightly with a certain sort of devotion.

“H-hey what’s that supposed to m-” But before he could finish talking she brings him in close and embraces him. She remained silent, there wasn’t anything to say that he didn’t already know. She held him close and smiled at him. She realized then that they would never be anyone else but themselves. She wasn’t Himekawa. She was herself.

She had realized there was a key difference between the two and it was that Himekawa was so clouded by her sadness that she couldn’t see who she still had there for her. When Tai had “died” T.K.
had stayed with her the whole time even through times the darkness had tainted her, even though he was resentful towards the darkness he was always there and she never wanted to lose sight of that.
He was her hope. The hope she believed in so much, the hope that ignited her passion to follow her dreams.

“I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am.” Kari says her voice holding more than just gratitude as she spoke. T.K. looks at her too stunned to speak and remains silent. He smiles at her knowing that was enough to express everything to each other. He places his hand on her back and closes his eyes. He didn't feel any fear at that moment. It was all gone and there was nothing but hope in his heart.

She holds on tightly to him, not wanting to let go. The world of darkness had always been so cold and scary, but even when she was avoiding him earlier, those small moments he held her, they made her feel safe. She was glad that he didn’t give up on her…even if she had been impossible to deal with.
Remembering the rest of their friends were there she lets go of him and looks over at them unable to hide her embarrassment. “Let’s go…” She says trying to pretend nothing had happened.

“But we were just getting to the best part.” Yolei smiles evilly, plotting her revenge against her friend. How could she make it worse? Oh right that was perfect she could always say that-

“Best part?!” T.K. looked away, his face flushed. What did she mean by that? Did Yolei think they were going to-?! He takes a deep breath, but then he starts coughing, unable to catch his breath. Kari looks at him concerned and he gives her a very embarrassed smile trying to tell her he was okay.

“You get used to it…” Patamon sighed as he flew on T.K. who was still looking embarrassed. He takes a deep breath and then shakes his head. He turns to Kari and looks at her.

“Everything, all good now?”
T.K. ask after finally regaining his composure from earlier.

“Of course. It was just a minor setback. I’ll always be okay with you around.”
Kari looks at him and smiles. It was his favorite kind of smile. The one that was so genuine it made his heart melt.

“H-huh,” he looked at her surprised. She has said it so confidently that it caught him off guard. Now he was starting to feel like he wasn’t ever going to regain himself if this kept up.

“What happened? I thought you were supposed to be the smooth one.” Yolei teases him and he continues to get even more embarrassed, unable to speak. He tries to push his hat down but he realizes it’s gone.

“You dropped this” Cody brushes off sand from his hat and hands it over with a smile.

“I sure do that a lot, but you’re a professional hat returner, thanks Cody. It’s a good thing you’re around if not I’d only have six hats just like it instead of seven.” T.K. smiles at Cody who smiles back, already knowing about his concerning hat collection.

“Uh why do you have seven copies of the exact same hat?” Ken raises an eyebrow in concern. He couldn’t possibly imagine why T.K. would have so many of the exact same hat…he didn’t remember seeing them all when he went to his place…maybe he was joking.

“As my brother Matt always said, seven’s a luckier number than eight.” T.K. laughs it off and then wonders where Matt was at that moment. He must be back at home chilling with Gabumon. He missed his brother, he hoped they'd be able to see each other soon.

“Uh okay…” Ken looks away, concerned, unsure of whether or not the hat collection was true.

“I’ll show you one day if you want.” T.K. puts his hat back on, looking a little too enthusiastic over the thought of sharing his hat collection.

“I think he’s good,” Kari says as she whacks the hat off his head and looks at him with a playful grin.

“Hey-” he looks at her and immediately softens his once bewildered expression. He picks the hat back up and puts it on her and smiles. He was glad she was back to being herself. A sad look didn’t suit her and besides she looked adorable when she did that kind of thing. “You’re so cute.” He says with a smile as he moves a strand of hair from her face and looks at her softly.
She blushes and then looks away from him. That look he gave her was always the look that made her feel weak. “You have cooties.” She muttered trying to find a joke that could save her from showing how embarrassed she was especially after how she had teased him earlier. “You are so unserious.” He laughs at her and then pulls her close to him. He gazed at her without fear, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, she was back and he couldn’t be happier.
“I’m going to tell Tai on you,” she buries herself in his arms, there was something so comforting about them. They were the arms that had brought her back and she was glad that she knew he wouldn’t let go. T.K. looks at her with genuine concern and she begins to laugh. Her brother approved…probably. Regardless it was funny to pretend he didn’t because poor T.K. actually looked so intimidated.

Davis looks over and smiles. He felt so much relief that she was feeling better. It wasn’t just her, it was all of them. Ken wasn’t looking sad anymore, Yolei didn’t seem like she was struggling, Cody looked more determined than ever,
T.K. looked like he could breathe easy now, and of course Kari was there laughing without a care in the world. It’s like they had all changed a bit except for…he shook his head. He couldn’t let his mind trick him like that. There was something nagging him about what Kari had said earlier and he needed to know.

“Hey Kari, earlier you said you heard a voice? What was it” Davis looks at her, unable to hide the worry in his expression. He needed to know what it was she heard. They had to be there for a reason and it probably wasn’t a pretty one.

“I did…”
Kari immediately loses her carefree demeanor and turns serious.
She remains silent for a bit before speaking. The voice she had heard had managed to get her to the ocean. Whether it was real or not it didn’t change the fact it was calling for help. It didn’t change the fact it was the voice from the act that had brought pain. The act that had turned into a sin that saved the world.

“It was Meicoomon’s voice.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Meicoomon? That was the Digimon partner of the girl you guys were with while we were gone right? The one you guys had to…” Ken looked at T.K. who seemed like he wanted to stop him from continuing that sentence.

“We had to kill her...” Kari spoke quietly, she had been against it the whole time even if it had been the only way. Which was exactly why the voice was able to deceive her so easily. It was exactly why that voice, whether it really was her or not, lured her into the sea.

Davis looked at them and remained silent. She was the digimon they had to destroy even though she had a partner.
The Digimon that was eating them alive with guilt. He had noticed when he had awoken in the hospital that they all acted strangely. Almost as if there was a shared burden between the eight of them at having ended her life. Davis looked over to Veemon who stood there looking determined. He could never imagine having to take his partner’s life.

Was that Digimon truly out there in this ocean? Was it back for evil purposes or was it there to find its partner? Would he have to make the same call Tai did back then…He didn’t think he was strong enough to make such a decision if it was true.

“Hey Davis?” Ken waved his hand at him and his trance ended. “You okay there buddy?” Ken placed his hand on Davis’ shoulder and he nodded. He looked at Davis unconvinced and then removed his hand from Davis’ shoulder.
“Yeah, I was just thinking…”Davis muttered. He must have gotten lost in his own thoughts, how long had Ken been trying to get his attention. That wasn’t good…now everyone would know something was off. “You think?” Yolei remarked sassily.
“OF COURSE I DO!” Davis snapped at her and then quickly realized his mistake.

“Sorry-” Davis looked at the ground apologetically. He didn’t mean to snap at her like that and now that he did he could tell that
everyone was looking at him with worried expressions.

“No..I’m sorry,” Yolei looked away from him and remained silent. She didn’t mean to touch a nerve, she just wanted to lighten things up. Mess around with him the way they always had, but maybe right now wasn’t the time.

“You sure you’re okay there?” T.K. walked over to Davis who only took a step back. T.K. raised an eyebrow and tried to get closer to Davis who only took another step back. Something was definitely off with him, but he couldn’t exactly blame him after everything that had happened, but Davis was a tough guy, he’d always be brave.

“Of course I am. When am I not?!” Davis was acting somewhat hostile, but he didn’t know how else he was supposed to deflect their questions. The truth was he thought he was doing okay, but that thought, that possibility of making that choice, it didn’t feel right.

“Davis, don't push yourself. You can talk to us if you need it.” Kari tells him reassuringly. He didn’t have to keep everything inside, that would only bring him more pain that was what she had been reminded of and Davis must know that too.

Cody nods and speaks too. “Davis, is there something on your mind?” Cody looks at him seriously, if there was something wrong Davis needed to say it because without him none of them would move forward.

Davis’ expression softens and he relaxes his shoulders. He was getting everyone worried about him, that was the last thing he wanted to do.
He lets out a smile and begins to chuckle. He had great friends…

“Of course I’m fine guys. Just trying to think of what we can do next and there’s only one way for us to go. Forward!” Davis stands up and smiles genuinely. That day would never come, he had to believe they’d be okay like he always did. Maybe things turned out wrong sometimes, but they were all okay in the end. Like right now…they had all gotten separated before, but now all of them were together and they were all safe. That’s what matteried.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded. Davis didn’t seem insincere with what he said, he was always there to keep them moving forward and that would never change. Even though he seemed to have been lost in thoughts he still had that resolve that always pushed them all to keep going.

“So our destination is still over there right there?” Davis looked at Ken who nodded.

“Yes, that's where the darkness feels strongest…that must be where we have to go” Ken tells him his voice no longer sounding afraid.
Earlier Ken had looked scared when they had decided to go there, but now he was standing there strong.
He had to be strong too.

Davis continued to walk, the world of darkness hadn’t let up and he could feel the sand piercing his skin as he walked. It was strange but he couldn’t stop thinking about Meicoomon. Sure they had to defeat her so she’d stop suffering and so the world wouldn’t end, but the thought of ending a Digimon partnership made him sick. Why hadn’t she come back, she just disappeared. Maybe he was wrong that everything was possible…maybe friendship really wasn’t enough in the end. He didn’t know how to feel anymore. How was he supposed to fight anymore when he knew that? He finally stopped to think about what killing Meicoomon really meant for them at the time and now he couldn’t help but feel his heart wavering.

“Davis.” Veemon taps his leg, but Davis doesn’t respond.
Veemon looked at his partner worried, he was so lost in thought he wasn’t responding to anything he said or did. He didn’t even respond when he said “Hey Davis I’m going to eat all the snacks” and then he did just that and Davis still didn’t reply. That definitely wasn’t like him. Davis would never have willingly let him eat the last ramen flavored chocolate bar. “DAVIS!” Veemon begins to shake Davis’ leg aggressively who almost trips and looks at him a bit upset.

“What?!” Davis says annoyed, but then he realizes Veemon had been trying to get his attention for a while now. He looks away from him and mutters “Sorry.” He hadn’t noticed that Veemon had been trying to get his attention…it’s just that his thoughts were starting to overwhelm him and he felt on edge.

“Davis, look at me.” Veemon urged Davis to look him in the eyes and Davis did just that.

“The partnership all us Digimon have with our partners is stronger than anything. It can even overcome both life and death.” Veemon looked at him, Davis looked at him surprised. Did Veemon become a mind reader? If he did…he was kinda glad that Veemon was able to know and say something so reassuring.

“Yeah… you’re right” Davis pats Veemon on the head. “Thanks buddy,”
Davis says with a smile. He wanted to believe in that, no matter what, but was it really possible. Maybe not every miracle was destined to become reality…but that wasn’t something he wanted to think about and yet he was. Meicoomon never came back, her partnership didn’t surpass life nor death and her partner had been left grieving and his friends broken. “Of course you can thank me with some chips when we go home.” Veemon says and Davis rolls his eyes. Maybe that wisdom was too much to expect from Veemon, but his carefreeness was always one of the things he liked the most about Veemon. It was always encouraging no matter what and it reminded him about the simple things. The simple things that made his heart feel so full.
“Davis, what's the hold up?” Yolei called to him and Davis looked up. He had fallen behind everyone and he hadn’t even noticed. “Nothing, I'm on my way.” Davis ran over to them. He was still uncertain about things, but he had to focus on the present.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey uh T.K.?” Kari stops walking and looks at him. There was something she wanted to ask him and normally it could wait, but the feeling that she had to ask him as soon as she could was nagging at her. It was like…like if there was one last thing she needed to know before her heart could finally feel truly at peace.

“Hm, what's up?” T.K. stops walking as well. She sounded like she wanted to say something important and he wasn’t going to let her let go of whatever it was that she was thinking.

“Sorry guys, but we don't have time to stop.” Davis looks at them a bit upset. They were taking things a little too easy now and it bothered him a little. Yeah he was glad they were fine, but things were still serious in this world. It wasn’t a place for a lovely picnic in a field of roses…or maybe it was because roses have spikes. No! That didn’t matter, it still wasn’t picnic worthy even if there hypothetically were daisies and dandelions in this place instead of weeds and even if he was kind of hungry…

“We'll catch up, I promise.” Kari looks at Davis reassuringly who just sighs and keeps walking. He trusted them, but man he just wanted to get out of there. That place was starting to make his head hurt. It wasn’t until he saw his friends' lives at risk that he realized how ugly this place really was. It was a place that took his friends from him and he was starting to despise it.

“Davis is acting kind of strange…” Kari looks at the distance concerned. Davis was walking with his hands in his pocket and was unusually quiet. He had always been motivating everyone this whole time no matter how hard things got and now he was there looking down as if the sky had fallen.

“Hey don't worry about him, I'll talk to him. Okay?” T.K.
smiles at her and she nods. In truth he had noticed Davis’ behavior too, but wasn’t sure how to approach him. Kari bringing it up must have been some kind of sign that he should just go for it.

”So what did you want to ask earlier?” T.K. looks at her and she looks up at him. Earlier it seemed as if she wanted to ask something important and now that she was finally being honest he didn’t want her to drop the question. If there was anything on her mind no matter how small he wanted her to say it instead of keep it to herself.

“Do you still have that flower…from earlier?” She looks at him with hopeful eyes and he nods. He didn’t think anyone had seen him when he picked it up. He had kept it in his pocket since he found it. Thankfully he had taken his jacket off earlier or it would have drowned in the sea.

“I do actually,” T.K. gets closer to her and opens the zipper of his pocket and gently pulls it out. It was completely unharmed. There was something strangely fascinating about the white flower, but he wasn’t sure why.

“S-sorry, I forgot to return this.” Kari looks away embarrassed and she tries to take it off, but he shakes his head.

“No worries, it looks better on you anyways.” T.K. gently places the flower in her hand and she looks at it and then speaks again

“...The ID for Himekawa…can I have that too?” She had avoided looking at it since they had found it ,but she felt she was ready to face the truth now. The painful bitter truth that was the tragic ending to her life. Before she had wished to trade places with Himekawa so she wouldn’t have to suffer the way she did, but she didn’t want to leave her life behind anymore. When she looked at T.K. in the depths of the ocean, she had realized that there was no point in thinking that way after all she would only make more people suffer if that happened. Besides, there was nothing she could do about it anymore. Maybe some wishes were left unfulfilled for a reason.

“Yeah of course.” he opens the other pocket and pulls it out. Looking at it before handing it over, he feels a chill. He had honestly impressed himself with how he managed to keep his head on earlier. To be honest, it probably was because of Himekawa. She had lost her Digimon and had no one by her side. So he had to make sure Kari knew that he was right there for her no matter how deep in sadness she might be.

“Her eyes…they look so…hopeless.” Kari looks at the image sadly and he nods. The image reflected a certain sorrow and desperation through it. The eyes of a person who had lost everything, it was the same look T.K. had in the cave, the same look he had when Patamon was infected.

“Losing a Digimon partner will break you…” he says quietly. Maybe he hadn’t lost his partner forever, but it didn’t change the fact it was the worst thing he ever went through in his life. Time and time it happened, again and again he lived through that pain. Every nightmare he had was as if it had just happened. Every memory from the time was vivid and painful yet so distant and it was horrible. He couldn’t escape it even if Patamon was still there by his side and he couldn’t simply get over it. The regret from that day was too deeply woven into his heart to leave it behind so easily. It wasn’t as simple as leaving it behind which is why despite it all he could sympathize with her.

“Yeah…” she stops talking, looking at both objects in her hand for a bit before she continues to speak, no longer holding her words back, but instead filling them with conviction. “But I don't think any of our bonds are lost forever. They'll always be there. It's strange but I can hear it, the voice of her Digimon when I look at the flower,” she smiles sadly at it. The flower was lonely when they had found it and it is still lonely now. She could hear a very gentle and warm voice suffering, it reminded her of the voice she had heard in the sea. It wasn’t just a person who suffered when something happened to the partnership, but the Digimon too. Both parties suffered and both sides had regret. It wasn’t just regret though both lives were full of love for the other and cherished memories that lit up the world.

“Is that so?” T.K. looks at the flower. Maybe people would think she was crazy, but he couldn't help but believe her. After all there had to be a reason he had picked it up back then, a reason he had shown kindness to a lonely and broken flower. Besides, she was so genuine about it that he couldn’t help, but trust her every word. That was one of the best things about her.
Being able to see and hear things other people didn’t made her very attentive. He always did his best to understand her, he found that oftentimes her perspective was a way to stop and remember the little things. The little things that were just as important as the things that went noticed.

“Mhm” she gently grabs the flower and holds it close to the ID. A heartbroken expression paints her face as she looks at it. “I can hear the voice apologizing and saying he misses her.”

T.K. looks at her and then back at the flower, he couldn't hear it, but he couldn't help but feel that's exactly what it was saying. He knew very well what it was like to lose something important, which was exactly why he knew that it meant those things would always be worth fighting for and if your dreams had been destroyed by someone, you just had to build them again and never give up on them. He grabs the two things from her hands and ties the flower to the ID
“Here, this way, they'll always be together”

She looks at him a bit surprised and then smiles. Since he had lost Patamon and Gatomon had been lost before she had met her, they both knew how important it was to cherish the bond between partners as much as they could. “...Yeah, always.”

“This is the least we could do for them.” T.K. says and she nods. Maybe people would think that wanting to be with those you loved forever was unrealistic, but they would always be there. After all, they all had an effect and they were such a big part of his life that he didn’t think he’d be the person who he was without them.
They were a part of his heart and that’s what made goodbyes so terrifying.

“I wish they got a happier ending…” Kari says sadly, not everyone got a happy ending and that fact filled her with sorrow. Everyone was born into this world innocent, but as life went on they suffered and lost it, and with it their hope. Some people regained it, others died without ever seeing that light again, it broke her heart.

“I think being together like this is enough to bring them that peace” he places it back in her hands and she looks at him and smiles softly. Maybe not every story had a happy ending but there was always an epilogue that could be written after its end.

“Let's go” she bends down, placing them together on the floor. She smiles softly looking at it, she could no longer hear its voice, rather it felt like a peaceful silence.

“You're leaving them there?” T.K. looks at her confused and she nods.

“A little bit of light in this world of darkness.” She stands up and smiles at him. Every world deserved a bit of light to balance out the darkness.
It would be a bit of hope to remind others that it would always be worth it to move forward, at least that was how she felt when she looked at him.

T.K. looks at her momentarily, awestruck and then smiles.
His gaze, unwavering. In the world they were in, there was no light, but in the Digital World the sun always rose, in the real world the stars always shined and in his world, he always had her “We could all use some of that beauty in our mundane lives to inspire us.”

She looks at him and laughs softly. He had such a amusing habit of randomly getting poetic,but really she was glad that he played along with her because maybe to someone else it would have been silly, but to her it meant the world that somehow, they were able to make sure that bond
Himekawa and Taprimon had forged would always be there. No matter what happened, even if time had passed and lives gently vanished away, the bonds they made in the limited time they had would never disappear.

“What? Did I say something wrong or-” T.K. looks at her stunned. He was being serious and he was hoping she knew that and didn’t think he was making light of the situation.

“It's nothing, let's go” she grabs him by the arm and locks it with her own. She was grateful to have him by her side. He was always so understanding. She looks him in the eyes and smiles. Her eyes had a sort of life that had been missing for a while, they looked a lot less burdened and a lot more free. Eyes that were full of innocence and love for the future. He couldn’t help ,but smile back at her even if he was still confused, after all it meant everything to him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ken” Yolei pulled him to the side. There was something she wanted to tell him and now that Kari and T.K. had vanished she might as well take the liberty to do so. It’s not like Davis could get upset at her for something the two of them were already doing.
Davis raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself. Fine, why doesn't everyone just take a break now. It’s not like they were doing anything important.

“What is it, Yolei?” Ken looks at her a bit confused. He wondered if he had done something wrong to get her to pull him aside like that or maybe something was wrong with her? Was she okay? This ocean was a cruel place and he hated to think it was getting to her.

“Ken?” Yolei looks at him puzzled; he responded just a second ago and now was lost in his own thoughts. A Ken lost in thoughts wasn’t a good thing, especially in the world they were in. Last time he had lost himself in his thoughts and he almost got hurt…but that was then and this is now. She could tell just by looking at him that he was different now.

“Oh nothing sorry, I just got worried for a second there.” Ken says quietly. He didn’t mean to worry her. He had just let his mind drift off for a moment there. He hated to think of anything happening to her.

“Oh about what? You know you can always count on me if you're worried.” Yolei smiled at him and he smiled back. He was being a lot more honest and open now even though it didn’t seem like much of a change it was completely different from the way he had been last time they talked.

“Thanks, I just got kind of worried about you for a second there but I should know better, it's hard to get you fazed.” Ken tells her genuinely. It was hard to ever see Yolei get down and even if she did he knew she’d get right back up. That’s part of the reason that made her so admirable.

“O-oh” Yolei looked at him a little surprised. It was strange, but now she was getting nervous with him even though she had always been so bold around him. But in truth that had honestly made her happy, because he had said it like it was a good thing. That it was a good thing that she wasn’t easily fazed and maybe he was right.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Ken asked her. He had realized it would probably be quicker to ask then to try and guess what she was feeling. A lack of communication would just lead to misunderstandings. Back when he was the Emperor he had assumed that it was all a game and it led to many being hurt and he never wanted that to happen again. He didn’t want to hurt anyone ever again, not even himself.

“Well…I just wanted to say that the first time we came here. I didn't understand why you were so scared…I get now that this is a really unsettling place. It's dangerous. So I guess I wanted to apologize.” Yolei looked down at the floor. Little by little she was starting to understand him a little better.
Back then she hadn’t communicated with Ken nor with Kari. She had just assumed and it wasn’t something she was innocent of not doing anymore. She still had the same issue where she’d jump to conclusions, but little by little she wanted to get better at that even if there were times she didn’t notice she had done that.

“Don't worry about it. I'm not scared anymore. I can't be scared anymore when I have people like you in my life.” Ken smiled genuinely at her. He didn’t want to ever forget the effect everyone had on his life, it had become so obvious to him once again when he was drowning and all their voices had reached him.

“I'm not scared either!” Yolei smiled back at him, he had such a nice gentle smile, but it was so sincere too. She couldn't help herself but be a little bit competitive. For some reason she had always felt that way when she looked at Ken, even before they knew each other. Before maybe she was jealous, she wasn’t sure, but now she knew it was because he inspired her and she wanted him to notice.

“I know you aren't and if I'm ever scared I'll make sure to look for you.” Ken
sincerely thought her rather bold nature was part of what made her so great, there was something very trustworthy about it that it was alluring, but he couldn't pinpoint why. He wished he was more bold but at the end of the day he was only himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try and maybe he could ask her for help. Asking for help wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Great, now let's go back before Davis throws a fit!” Yolei puts her hands behind her back and delivers a smile to Ken. As much as she wanted to stay talking to him they had something to do. Well not like they could right now, Kari and T.K. were still gone. What in the world are they doing?

“Sure.” Ken taps her on the shoulder and they both begin to walk off.

“Oh by the way, thank you for earlier. Even though it did kind of hurt. I know I can always count on you to snap me out of it.” Ken pats his cheek. It honestly still hurts to touch, but he was glad that she had given him a wake up call. Sometimes he was stubborn and needed that kind of thing.

“Oh sorry. Sometimes I act before I think…” Yolei says feeling guilty. It wasn’t the first time she had hit him and knowing her it probably wouldn't be the last. Not that she wanted to hurt him. Not at all. It’s just that her mind got so overwhelmed that it was her first instinct to do that, but she wanted to try and fix that. In any case he was okay now and she was glad.

“It's okay I think too much before I act, it isn't always a good thing” Ken reassures her. Sometimes he wished he was able to be a bit more like Davis and Yolei. They always followed their hearts no matter what and maybe they weren’t always right, but sometimes he couldn’t find it in him to do that when there were so many thoughts that invaded his mind.

“Oh yeah? Then maybe we can balance each other out” Yolei says with a grin. If Ken told her not to do something maybe she’d consider listening to him. In all honesty she needed a reminder to stop and think sometimes because her lack of thinking made her hurt other people sometimes and she didn’t want to be that way anymore.

“Oh sure.” Ken says genuinely. He already handled Davis’ lack of thinking so adding her into the mix wouldn't hurt. A part of him wanted to do it. It was strange, but it seemed like it was entertaining enough to have her by his side too.

“Great!” Yolei beams as they both rejoin the others. It felt like she was starting to make progress with him even if it was just one very small step at a time.

“Why are you so happy?” Ken looks at her. She was smiling so widely. The last time he saw her like that was when she got a raise at the store.
Whatever had happened must have been very good. He might as well be happy for her too.

“Nothing” she giggles at him, he was so oblivious it was endearing.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Man what’s up with those two, we don’t have time for leisurely picnics.” Davis sighs as he takes a bite out of the cookies he had in his bag. Since Veemon had eaten everything this was all he had left.

“Blergh this is expired” Davis looks at the package the cookies had expired four years ago, since when had he had those in his bag.

“Hey Davis, you can’t just waste food like that!” Veemon says as he grabs the cookies and quickly eats them leaving no trace of their existence behind.

“Here Davis you can have some of mine.” Cody reaches into his bag and pulls out some cookies and hands them over to Davis. He looks at Davis with a small smile and Davis’ eyes go wide.

“You’re a lifesaver!” Davis looks at him thankfully as he scarfs down the cookies. He felt like he hadn’t eaten something good in so long. Honestly when he got out of here he just wanted to go to a ramen shop and order the biggest bowl on the menu and devour it all. Man…that should be exactly what they did next, he couldn’t wait to devour that juicy bowl of noodles with that delicious broth.

Davis looks over at the distance and remains silent. The waves crashing really were a lot more unsettling than he had first thought. He hadn’t noticed how awful they really were until Ken started drowning and it became even worse when he saw Kari too. It’s like that ocean really was trying to kill them…maybe he had taken everything too lightly.

“Hey Cody,why do you think we’re here?” Davis looked at him, in his heart he felt he needed an answer. He was never really one for answers, he’d dive straight ahead at anything but now for some reason, not knowing why they were even there in the first place was making him uncomfortable. They had initially set off to find Tai and the others now there was no need to be here. Why did he just dive in here and put everyone in danger without thinking it through.

“I don’t know, all I know is
that it’s important for us to be here.”Cody puts his hand to his chin and looks at Davis. Maybe there wasn’t a clear answer, but if this world was so violent towards them, maybe there was a reason they had been trapped in such a place.

“Yeh, I guess so but if it’s important we don’t have time to sit here waiting around.” Davis says impatiently, what in the world were those two doing. A part of him felt uncomfortable letting them go off on their own like that, especially after last time. Sure they ended up fine, but…it was terrifying.

“There’s a lot of things in life that’s important, Davis. If we rush ahead without thinking we might forget that there’s many things that matter.”
Cody looks at him gently, trying to remind Davis of what it was he needed to think about. Maybe Davis wasn’t always someone who thought, but he was always a person who already knew in his heart what mattered and what he needed to do to protect those things.

Davis looks at Cody and sighs. “Yeah you’re right. Thanks I can always count on you/” Davis had always been so impulsive himself that sometimes he wasn’t able to see the little things. Man, Cody was a whole lot smarter than he was. He was always a nice reminder of the little things...no offense to his height that’s not what he meant. Man he was so glad he didn’t say all this out loud, poor Cody.

“And Davis remember; You're not our leader because you're perfect and can do anything, you're our leader
because you're the one that keeps us all going”
Cody looks at Davis, his eyes looked like if they had placed his entire faith in him…and that made him happy because back in the Digital World he thought he had failed them. So seeing Cody like that…it made him happier than Cody could ever know.

Davis looks at Cody wide eyed and then smiles faintly “Heh…thanks.”

It was nice to have good friends, all of them, he really did want the best for them all, that's what his dream was for.
He wanted to run with them and chase their dreams together. That was the future he wanted to protect no matter what happened.

Davis looks around and sees Ken and Yolei talking. Kari and T.K. were still gone too, they needed to get a move on fast. What were they doing anyways? What if something had happened to them…he shakes the thought off and sighs. Maybe they really were having a leisurely picnic. Jeez, an invite would have been nice at least.

“Well Cody, I guess us single lads gotta stick together.” Davis smiles as he puts his arm around Cody and Cody looks at him confused.

“Davis what are you talking about,don't you remember, I have a girlfriend.“ Cody looks at Davis seriously who’s eyes go wide.

“WHAT!” Davis begins to choke on his cookie and looks at him completely surprised. CODY HAD A WHAT??!!! B-but he was Cody?! No offense, but he couldn’t possibly imagine Cody being all lovey dovey with someone.

“You don't remember?” Cody looks at him puzzled because he had told everyone a few years ago and it had even made Davis spiral into depression when he found out.

“B-but that was like two years ago!” Davis looks at him surprised. He thought that was like when little kids played pretend or something but well…Cody was never one to play like that but still! He was way too young for that kinda thing. He was supposed to be breaking windows to impress his crush at that age. That's what he did…and it never worked but still.

“Yeah and?” Cody looks at him a bit upset. He couldn’t believe that Davis was doubting the strong relationship he had with her and it wasn’t only two years, it had been four years.

“Uh nevermind…” Davis sighs. He had forgotten that Cody had beaten everyone. Man what a guy. Maybe he needed to be more wise himself. Man…he thought he had someone that could accompany him on this lonely journey but damn… Eh actually now that he thought about it Ken would probably take another five years to figure it all out so everything would be fine.

“Uh Davis you good?” Cody looks at him concerned. Was Davis okay? Maybe the expired cookies he had earlier were starting to affect his brain.

“Yeah man…” Davis lets go of him, still a bit in shock as he munches on the final cookie. Cody and girlfriend? That honestly sounded just as weird as Joe and girlfriend? Actually no…Joe’s was weirder.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What took you guys so long?!” Davis kicked the sand around him and looked at them now he really was getting upset. They had taken way too long on whatever it was they had to do. He could understand a small break, but it felt like it had been several minutes.

“Sorry, we had to do something…” Kari apologizes to him. She didn’t mean to hold them up, but what they did…it felt like it was something important. Something that needed to be done even if it meant setting them back just a little.

“You two always have to do something, why can’t you just- nevermind.” Davis stops himself and shakes his head. Thinking about what Cody had said earlier, something about the important things. “I get it, it was important huh. Well it doesn’t matter anymore let’s just go.”

“Davis, Can I talk to you real quick?” T.K. puts his hand on Davis’ shoulder and he takes a step back.

“I guess so,” Davis mutters and slumps into a corner.
“Ouch this desert plant stabbed me” Davis moves it frustrated and then sits down a centimeter away from his original seat.

“Earlier you told me, we were friends, and that I could count on you, it’s the same thing for you, you know that right?” T.K. looks at him with a hopeful look and Davis laughs softly. He was glad that guy seemed to be doing way better now. He really seemed to believe what he was saying; it was like he didn’t think he was alone anymore and his hope, it seemed like it was nothing but genuine.

“Yeah, of course,” Davis nods. He knew it was true, he hated the way he was acting but he couldn’t help but feel stressed…things weren’t as fun in this world, he had always lived running straight ahead, but now he couldn't help but worry he would miss something along the way. Something that might have been important…but maybe there had always been important things he had missed…important things he would have to take away.

“T.K. to be honest…I.” Davis starts talking ,but he doesn’t know where he needs his sentence to continue. It had never felt so difficult for him to express the way he felt until this moment. Kari walks over to them and she begins to speak.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but Davis earlier you told me, that sometimes we just need to encourage someone, and I really believe it, we’ll encourage you as long as you need it.”
Kari smiles at him and he looks at her in shock. She really remembered that kinda thing? He had said it without thinking, but she really took it to heart and now she didn’t seem so sad anymore actually she didn’t seem sad at all.

The rest of the Digidestined walk over and begin speaking as well. They all wanted to be there to encourage Davis, the way he had always done it for them. Now that their own grief was behind them they could see that Davis was struggling too a bit more clearly. Davis had always encouraged all of them and they wanted to do the same for him. Even if there were times where Davis couldn’t walk anymore they would all be there to help him walk. Maybe Davis hadn’t realized it, but they all cared about him just as much as he cared about them.

“Davis, you told me to follow my heart even if things seem hard. It’s what you’ve always done even if you weren’t always right. I think that gives me the resolve I need and I know it’ll help you too.” Cody looks at Davis who only looks at him surprised too. Cody, thinking it was okay to do the wrong thing from time to time…wow he didn’t expect that, but maybe everyone had really changed so much throughout this journey.
“Davis, remember what you told me?” Yolei begins to speak but he interrupts her. “No,” Davis says, earning him a nasty look.
“You said that we’ll always be friends no matter what. We believe in each other and that’s how we get through things “ Yolei smiles at him. Yeah, he remembered saying that, it’s always been what he believed in and he was glad Yolei could see that too. She was different now too; it was like she really did trust everyone now.

“Davis.” Ken looks him in the eye and then speaks. “Don’t forget about your dream Davis, it’s what we do next that matters” Ken offers him his hand and pulls Davis up. Davis looks at Ken surprised and smiles softly. He had remembered that too. The words he tried telling Ken to make him look towards the future instead of the end.

Man they were way too nice to him. He didn’t want to be rude to them ,but sometimes the insecurity couldn’t help but take him over… “You guys…with friends like you, what's a guy gotta be afraid of…other than a ramen shortage.” Davis shudders. It really was the worst other than the possibility of him completely messing up right now and getting them killed, but he didn’t want to think that way…
“Come on guys let’s go!” Davis looks at them with a false conviction. He wanted them to believe he was sure, but he couldn’t help but feel uncertain. He didn’t know if he could have the heart to do what comes next, but if there’s one thing he knew, is that they were there for him and that’s what mattered…

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey guys.” Veemon walks over to the other Digimon while everyone else is talking to Davis. There was something he wanted everyone to know or rather remind everyone. He knew they all already knew what was coming next.

“Yes, Veemon?” Hawkmon looks at him and the rest of the digimon look attentively.

“I have a feeling whatever comes next is our destiny. So we need to be ready.” Veemon says with determination despite the feeling he was starting to get worried about Davis. He wanted to keep believing and he knew he could trust the other Digimon to do the same.

“Ready to support our partners no matter what.” Wormmon says, his eyes looking over gently at Ken. Yes, no matter what he would always be by Ken’s sides. The ocean's depths weren’t anything to fear as long as Ken was there. With Ken in this world, nothing seemed so intimidating and the world seemed far kinder then it really was.

“Of course my bond with Cody will get us through this!” Armadillomon smiles widely without a care in the world in his eyes. These last few days had many challenges, but it only served to make their bond strong and he wasn’t going to let go of that sacred bond. The sacred bond that always made him want to move forward.

“Remember this won’t be easy.” Gatomon looks at them sternly.

“But we’ll be okay.” Patamon flaps his wings and smiles. Things have been so scary, but everything always turned out okay and as long as T.K. could smile he would always make sure to have a smile too and even the times where he couldn’t smile he’d do it for him too.

“I never said we wouldn’t be.” Gatomon smiles softly. Just earlier things had seemed so difficult, but as long as her partner still had a light in her eyes, no matter how small, she would always fight for her.

“Yes, well no matter what we protect our partners right?” Hawkmon looks at everyone and they all nod. He had always protected Yolei and that wasn’t going to change no matter what happened. All of them had one thing they would never forget, one thing they would always have in common. Their destiny was to be there for their partners no matter what happened. No matter what they had to encourage them and fight for them so that they may never lose their way.

“No matter what, we’re with them till the end!” Veemon puts his fist to the center of their circle. No matter what happened, no matter what their partners might go through, he had a feeling everything would be okay. After all, everything had always ended up being okay.

“Yeah we got this!” Armadillomon puts his paw in the center too and Hawkmon and Gatomon follow. Patamon sits up and puts his paw. He could barely reach and it was starting to feel like his paw was going to fall off.

“Of course.” Wormmon says as he tries to put his hand in the group, but he stumbles. “Oh guys I can’t reach,” Wormmon mutters and the other Digimon move closer Wormmon still struggles so they all move even closer and bend down.

“We got this!” Veemon said, his eyes glittering with the resolve that he needed to keep believing for Davis. He would never abandon that resolve as long as his partner existed even if they were in separate worlds he would fight for him,

always

.

“Yeah!” All the digimon cheered, they could feel the friendship pouring through each other and the unyielding belief they had in each other and the bonds with their partners. The bonds that would always fuel them to move forward no matter what happened.

“Hey what’s going on here?” Davis looks over at Digimon and smiles fondly. They were all huddled up and they all looked quite happy. That was part of what made them so special, they always seemed so determined even if the world around them was so disgusting.

“Heh nothing!” Veemon scratches his nose and then runs up to him and smiles. With resolve painting his eyes as he looked at his partner. He would always have courage if Davis was here, if his friends were here and he would always believe in a miracle as long as Davis was there.

“Are you all ready?”Ken smiles softly and bends down and picks up Wormmon who looks delighted. Ken brings him close and continues to smile. He was glad Wormmon was here, he couldn’t imagine this world without his kindness pushing him through.

“Always.”Wormmon cuddles up to him and closes his eyes. Feeling Ken’s kindness pouring through him and giving him strength. That was all he needed to find the strength to move on even if on a surface he seemed weak, he would always be strong if it meant protecting Ken.

“We’ll protect you no matter what!” Patamon flies over to T.K. and cuddles him. With eyes like that he couldn’t doubt him. T.K. smiles at Patamon who smiles back widely. Lately it didn’t feel like they would get torn apart from each other and that made him feel like his hope wouldn’t run out.

“After this let’s have a big meal!” Armadillomon cuddles up to Cody’s legs and looks at him with a smile. As long as he had his partner, Armadillomon would always fight to the end and he trusted that he would never leave behind those virtues that pushed him forward. Those virtues that made him so special.

“Of course.” Cody bends down and pats him. Armadillomon was looking at him with such conviction that in his heart he wasn’t sure if he could doubt himself because after all, Armadillomon believed in him so much.

“That’s a good idea.” Kari walks over to Gatomon and picks her up. Gatomon looks at her, feeling happy that the ocean wasn’t making her waiver. Her partner had that light in her eyes again and that light meant everything in this world to her.

“We should go to another festival,” Gatomon says gently. Kari looks down at her with a smile. It always made her happy to see Gatomon relax like this, to have fun like the other Digimon, that was what she deserved.

“That’s a great idea, after this let’s go to a festival!” Yolei closes her eyes and claps happily. A festival would be so much fun! A festival that wouldn’t be interrupted by something bad and a festival where she wouldn’t let her mistrust consume her because as long as Hawkmon was there she couldn’t forget that she was loved.

“Yes, but we have unfinished business first.” Hawkmon says, looking at his partner sternly, but hiding a compassionate smile. Business first and then they could all have fun, the fun that Yolei deserved to have after everything she had gone through these past few days.

Hawkmon flies towards Yolei and looks at her with expectation. Expectation of an answer that only she could give him, the will to push on.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Alright Digidestined let’s go!” Yolei perks up and everyone nods. She throws her hand in the air and smiles and then lowers it, ready to begin making a run towards their future. The future that no longer seemed so intimidating.

“Yolei wait!” Kari gets closer to her and grabs her hand stopping her from moving forward.

“Huh” Yolei looks at her puzzled. Was she going to fall in a pit without realizing? She looked forward no, there was nothing there. Still it wouldn’t be the first nor second nor last time Kari stopped her from falling into an inconveniently placed pit.

“Your bracelet is loose.” Kari adjusts it for her and smiles. “There we go,”
Kari says as she takes a step back. She didn’t want Yolei to lose it, it was a sign that they would always be friends and that fact made her happy. She was glad her friends dealt with her even if she wasn’t always the easiest person to deal with.

“Oh thanks I didn’t notice.” Yolei laughs sheepishly and hides her guilt. She would have felt horrible if she lost that. She felt bad enough for throwing it the other day…and if she lost it she didn’t know how she was supposed to face her friend.

“Hey Yolei, thank you.” Kari says quietly and she looks away from her and Yolei looks at her puzzled. What was she thanking her for? She didn’t remember doing anything for her these past few days except maybe embarrassing her and hurting her feelings… but that was in the past now. They made things right so why was she thanking her?

“You know, for being there for me. Even if I’m not always the easiest person to be around.” Kari looks at her with a small smile. She was grateful that she had so many people by her side even when it felt like everything was dark. They were all still there for her and it made her happy.

“Come on, you don’t need to say thanks for that. What are friends for!” Yolei smiles at her. That’s what she had learned too these past few days. Trusting her friends had become a lot easier and now she could say with faith that she really did believe in them. “Besides, I think I’m a lot harder to deal with,” Yolei says seriously and Kari begins to laugh.

“What’s so funny?!” Yolei says bewildered. She had just been so sincere about how she felt for once and Kari was laughing at her. That wasn’t fair.

“Nothing, you just always have to make everything a competition” Kari suppresses a laugh and Yolei looks at her somewhat upset before laughing too. Kari had always been closed off, but to see her friend laughing like that made her realize just how much she had changed since they first met.

“You know you’ve changed a lot” Yolei tells her bluntly. “You’re just a whole lot more open now.”
Over the years she had seen her friend change, it wasn’t just over the years, even in days, small changes were happening and she seemed like a completely different person from the person who had lunged herself at the sea without a second thought just a few moments ago. It didn’t seem as if she thought she was worthless anymore. Yolei smiled lightly, she was glad everything turned out alright.

“Well I can give that thanks to you.” Kari looked at her sincerely, meaning her words. Yolei has a boundless amount of energy that she didn’t exactly have and to have Yolei constantly trying to have her open up even if it was difficult was kind of nice. From now on she wanted to be more open with her and let her in even if it took a few small steps at a time.

“Yeah you sure can!” Yolei responds confidently, but she had a feeling that wasn’t entirely true. After all, her friend had changed too while she was gone. “But I can also say the same thing for me because of you I think I’m a lot more mindful,”
Yolei responds with a small smile. She was happy that Kari was there to remind her that she needed to be more thoughtful sometimes, she hated having hurt her before, but she wasn’t going to let that get her down. What mattered was the future and she really did take it to heart so she wasn’t going to let herself make the same mistake.

“I don’t think that’s entirely true, I think it’s always been in you. You just needed to take a second to see it.” Kari tells her. “I think the reason we meet so many people in this life is because they all have a story to tell. A story that will touch us and reach us in the most inexplicable ways. It can change our perspective and push us to unlock the hidden potential.”

“Yeah yeah take the credit.” Yolei shushes her friend and smiles. She wasn’t wrong. They had all changed each other in little ways, but she wanted her friend to see just the impact she was able to have in her life. Part of the strength of their bond was the ability to remind the other of the little things they may have missed from time to time.

“Well I guess a little credit can’t hurt.” Kari responds with a small smile even though her friend had shushed her she had a feeling her words weren’t in vain. They had definitely reached her just like how everyone’s voices had reached her in those grueling waves. For the first time in a long time her heart really felt a lot less heavy than it did before.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey guys, what's the hold up?” Davis looked at them impatiently. If they let them stop and talk, Yolei would never shut up and Kari would never stop her. It was a dangerous combination.

“Come on Davis let them talk.” T.K. lightly whacked him on the head and Davis sighed. T.K. glanced over at Kari and Yolei and smiled lightly. He was glad their friendship hadn’t been tainted by their mistakes, it was proof of how strong that bond really was. He turned back to Davis who still seemed to be sighing.

“Man we don’t have all day you know.” Davis groaned and then looked at T.K. waiting to see if he would agree, but then he sighed. He didn’t think T.K. would ever agree with him.

“Well we kinda do. There isn’t such a thing as day here” T.K. pointed at the sky, it was a weird grey, there was no moon, no sun, yet there was still some unholiness that let them see.

“There isn’t such a thing as day here.” Davis repeats in a mocking tone.

“You really need to learn some patience.” T.K. rolls his eyes at him unamused.

“If all the years of dealing with you haven’t taught me patience what will?” Davis tells him. T.K. looks at him and raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t think anyone has taught you anything. You give teachers a run for their money.” T.K. tells him. He could tell Davis had some sort of proud smirk on his face over that. He was surprised Kari still wanted to be a teacher with Davis existing.

“Well maybe they like money,” Davis says proudly as he crosses his arm as if he had just said something so undeniably wise that T.K. would agree with him. But it had the opposite effect.

“What?” T.K.
bluntly asks him. Maybe Davis didn’t get the metaphor.

“Ah forget it, we all can’t be majors in literature.” Davis groans. T.K. looks at him slightly offended wondering why he ever told Davis that. Oh right he didn’t. Davis guessed it by making fun of him. “Man, why do you always gotta talk like you’re writing a book. It’s just as long and boring.” Davis had told him which forced him to confess the truth. T.K. shakes it off and looks at Davis who suddenly looked troubled. Davis had remained in silence. A sound they never heard from him.
“Davis, everything’s going to be okay. I know it.” T.K. looks at him reassuringly. Even though they had their differences it didn’t change the fact they were friends. He would always be there to encourage him too. Davis looks at him and smiles faintly. Yeah he was right…for once. “Yeah you’re right!” Davis perks up a little. T.K. had regained that look from before. Back then before they went missing he looked so broken. Davis was glad he was back to himself. A sad face didn’t fit the guy. Even if he was back to annoying him he preferred that over his depression.

“Now come on, let's go!” Davis whacks him on the back rather aggressively and T.K. does his best not to cough. He felt like water he didn’t know he still had in his lungs was going to come right out.

“Ouch man you’re gonna break my spine.” T.K. tapped his back and Davis hid a laugh. He couldn’t have T.K. thinking he was funny even though he was fairly certain T.K. already thought that he was a graduate in funnyology or whatever.

“That’s for stealing my girl T.S.” Davis feigned anger at him and T.K. suppressed a laugh. He couldn’t have Davis thinking he was a funny guy. That would make Davis’ ego far too big and it was already pretty big.

“Maybe if you could spell she would have been interested.” T.K. lightly pushes him, but Davis loses his balance and falls down. Davis brushes sand off his hair and then looks at T.K. with a disappointed look.

“Sorry Davis, I didn’t mean to-” T.K. offers a hand to help him up, but instead Davis grins and pulls him down on the sand too. Did he really think he was disappointed at him for knocking him down? Nah this was just a challenge.

“Davis, you're definitely going to get it after that.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What in the world are those two doing?” Ken looked at T.K. and Davis. They were messing around in the sand like nothing. Ken stopped and smiled, that probably meant everything was normal. Ken chuckled as he heard the banter of the two. It was nice that they were having fun like that.

“DUDE NOT THE EYES!”

“You know you have goggles for a reason.”

Cody looked at them, seeing that Davis was now trying to get his goggles back from T.K. and that T.K. was already missing his shoe. Maybe that really did mean everyone was okay.“Just being themselves,” Cody shrugged, that was normal behavior for them even though T.K. looked like he was mature on a surface if you put him with Davis that kind of thing was normal.

“Yeah that’s a good thing…I was worried about Davis.” Ken confessed. Davis had been acting strange ever since the digimon, Meicoomon, came up, but he wasn’t exactly sure why…what could Davis possibly be thinking about that bothered him so much. He wanted to know, but maybe Davis didn’t exactly know either.

“Yeah me too” Cody agrees with him, Davis was acting a bit strange ,but not the regular
strange behavior they were used to.“He looks like he’s having fun right now though.” Cody says gently, trying to reassure Ken that Davis would be okay. Everyone needed to keep their spirits up no matter how hard things got, that’s what Davis had always told them and he would follow that even if Davis didn’t exactly believe it right now to make sure he was reminded of that.

“Maybe but when it’s over what do you think will happen?” Ken looks at Cody seriously.

“What do you mean?” Cody looks at Ken in concern. When what was over? Was Ken talking about the sand battlefield…or was he talking about something else…about an end that they would soon be meeting in this relenting world of darkness.

“Well, this place takes any negative energy, no matter how distant or lingering it might be, to consume your mind and drive you to despair. It’s what happened to me the first time I was here, what happened earlier and it was the same with Kari too” Ken looks at Davis with concern. What would happen when Davis would stop messing around with T.K.? When he stopped and reminded himself of what it was that was bringing him so much trouble? Would he…be able to do anything for him?

“Ken, I think, no matter what. We’ll be okay. Even if Davis were to lose himself we’d all be there for him, just like how we were there for you.” Cody smiles at him reassuringly. Everyone had a place in this group where they belonged and he was certain that if any of them were to get down they would all lift each other up, that was what these last few days had reassured him of.

“Yeah, you’re right as always Cody” Ken smiles back. Right, Cody was right. Just the fact they were all together…the fact they were all friends, that had to be enough to reach Davis. If there was one thing he knew about Davis, it was that his friends were what gave him the courage to move forward.

“What in the world is going on over there?” Yolei said as she and Kari walked over
to Ken and Cody. They looked at Davis and T.K. who were still messing around in the sand as if they weren’t in a place that could kill them.

“Want to go check it out?” Ken asks them, all of them look at him and then back
at T.K. and Davis and back at Ken. Admittedly they were all kind of curious…and they kinda wanted to get involved in the battle too.

“Yeah sure.” Yolei shrugs and they all follow Ken and make their ways towards the ongoing war.

T.K. and Davis were both laying down on the sand. Their energy is probably not as exhausted as it appeared. They were both looking up at the faded sky above them. The faded sky that didn’t have a single light in the sky.

“Hey T.K.?” Davis turned to him, he didn’t want to look at the sky above him anymore. It was making his heart sink, knowing that there wasn’t a single star in the sky, it didn’t inspire much hope in him.

“What’s up Davis?”
T.K. asks him, still looking at the sky above him. Even though there wasn’t a single light in the sky, he wanted to imagine the stars shining above them. That was the world that was waiting for them outside of this place and he couldn’t wait to see it with everyone.

“If I were to mess up, you’d tell me right?” Davis says with a strange amount of trouble laced in his words. T.K. turns to look at him, Davis’ eyes looking hesitant. That wasn’t the look he was used to seeing Davis had. It reminded him of the look he had right before they had all gotten separated. Davis was always pushing forward, but it didn’t mean he didn’t struggle too.

“Of course Davis.” T.K. tells him sincerely. “After all I know you’d do the same for me.” T.K. says as he goes back to looking at the sky above him. If that time came, he would remind Davis to look for the light even if they couldn’t see it, it was still there. That light, they would always find it even if they were trapped in the dark fog without a clear view. That’s what he had been reminded of and he didn’t want anyone to forget that.

“That’s good…that’s good” Davis says softly before laying back down and closing his eyes. The sand didn’t feel as abrasive when he was messing around with it with his friend, but would moments like this really last forever…Would he lose all his friends one day…Would Veemon leave him too. The very thought made his heart tighten up. He didn’t want to think about that kind of world. Such a world it didn’t seem like it was worth living. A world where he was lonely again like he had been before they had all met.

“You two kids are done playing in the sandbox?” Yolei looked down at them and T.K. looked at Davis and smiled. A somewhat evil grin that said he wasn’t done messing with him and yet it was also a reassuring grin. One that was trying to tell him everything would be okay. Davis looked at him and smiled back faintly, momentarily relieving him of his pain. He wanted to smile too, he could always do it when his friends were by his side…but.

“Maybe you aren’t as grown up as I thought.” Kari looks at T.K. and teases him. T.K. looks back at her and laughs lightly.

“I know you’re just jealous that you didn’t let your inner kid free so you’re welcome to join us.” T.K. sits up and looks at her with a goofy grin.
She takes off his hat and puts it back on him. A little bit of sand falls on his head that she had sneakily put in it.

“I’d love to, but we have some work left to do.” Kari gives him a small wink.

“Guess so…” T.K.
said as he disappointedly brushed some sand off. When in the world did she do that? He hadn’t even noticed…she was starting to be a little too smooth.

“Guys, do you think we’ll always be close like this?” Davis sits up and says a sort of loneliness invading his voice. He had been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed everyone was there. They were right before, thinking like this wasn’t like him, but he couldn’t help it. It was like trying to run with a rock in your shoe. It was uncomfortable and made him upset.

“I know it.” T.K. puts his hand on Davis’ shoulder reassuringly. T.K. looks at him with a smile, if there was anything he had learned from seeing Tai and Matt, it was that friends would not only reassure you ,but tell you when you’re wrong.
He wanted to be the kind of friend his brother was, because that was the kind of person he looked up to and even though he’d never admit it to him, Davis was that kind of person too.

“Yeah… of course,” Davis smiles. He wanted to be with his friends for as long as he possibly could ,but was it really possible? The partner of the Digimon, Meicoomon must have wanted to be with her forever…but life didn’t turn out that way. Life could be so cruel sometimes, it had been cruel to all of them. He had seen all his friends suffer when they just wanted to follow their dreams.

“Davis, you don’t need to doubt it. Everything we’ve gone through is proof enough. Through every journey we’ve had there’s always been one thing that never changed, You. You have been there to keep us together and if you doubt yourself now it’ll be over. ” Ken bends down and looks at Davis with a smile. Davis had been the one to show him that friends were important so he had to return the favor. True friends would be there no matter what.

“Ken…Yeah you’re right,” Davis says with a small smile as he grabs Ken and pulls him
down to the sand too. Davis snickers that was also a part of being friends and he wasn’t gonna let Ken forget that.

“Davis! That’s not cool homeslice…” Ken says in a very out of character tone that makes Yolei turn her head and look at Ken and back at Davis multiple times before snapping.

“DAVIS WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING KEN!” Yolei pushes Davis back down on the sand and then stumbles down herself. It looks like it was her turn to join this battle and she was going to make sure she came out a winner.

“Here we are, the world is ending and they’re messing in the sand like nothing.” Cody sighs and Kari laughs.

“Maybe so, but this isn’t a bad thing from time to time” Kari responds to him with a small smile.

“Well some things just stay the same.” T.K. says trying to stand up, but Kari pushes him back down. “Hey! Don’t think you can get away with that!” He tells her trying to act upset, but unable to hide the smile on his face…even though she was currently putting sand down his shirt.

“You say that like you don’t let her get away with anything.” Patamon looks at Kari who had already stolen his hat again and then at his partner who sighs. Why did he have to be right?

“Everyone is such a piece of work.” Cody sighs as he joins them, pretending to not be enjoying it himself. A little break wouldn’t hurt them and a little sand probably wouldn’t either. Besides he wanted to help Yolei and Ken who were currently burying Davis into the sand.
“Davis, stop moving, you're not making it any easier to bury you.” Yolei rolls her eyes as she and Ken hold Davis down and begin to cover his arms with sand. “Davis, that's very disrespectful, we're working very hard so stop moving.” Ken shakes his head disappointingly at Davis as he takes the sand from the Davis shaped hole and begins to put it on his legs. “WHAT IS DISRESPECTFUL IS YOU GUYS- BLERGH THERE’S SAND IN MY MOUTH!” Davis tries, but he starts coughing the sand out. Yolei moves a bit to not be caught in his cough and then goes back to throwing sand on him.
“That’s why you need to keep your mouth shut Davis.” Cody scolds Davis as he begins to hold Davis’ legs down and stop him from moving. Davis looked at Cody bewildered. When did he join this thing?!

“T.K.! KARI! HELP ME!” Davis calls to them, noticing that they were the only one of his friends who weren't currently trying to bury him alive in the sand. They would help him…right? They were nice…right?
T.K. looks at Davis and then back at Kari who seemed to think she was being sneaky. “Kari, how about instead of filling my pockets with sand we help them bury Davis.” T.K. tells her with a smile and she drops the sand. “...Yeah sure.” Kari shrugs as she lets go of T.K. and walks over to Davis. “Sorry Davis but this is war,” she says before she soon starts helping Cody with Davis’ legs. Davis looked at them all horrified and just when he thought things couldn’t get worse T.K. walks over and starts spilling sand onto his chest. It felt like all five of them had every corner covered.
“NO GUYS STOP YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME!” Davis cries out, unable to escape now. What was next? Were the Digimon gonna joyfully enter the ring and torture him too?! “WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU GUYS.”

Yolei stopped burying him and looked at him seriously. “Steal my snacks,” Yolei looks at him sternly and Davis laughs nervously because if there was one thing he definitely shouldn’t have messed with it was Yolei and her snacks.

“Made me late to class,” Ken says quietly. At the time he said he didn’t mind…but then it started becoming a recurring habit of Davis to ask him to check his hair before and after every single class.

“Doubted the existence of my girlfriend.” Cody looked at Davis disappointedly and everyone remained silent for a while because they had all forgotten that he had one.
“Let me get the list.” T.K. says as he pulls out a small notepad from his pocket and brushes the sand off of it. “Let’s see we can start with the way you can’t say my name right or the time you bit my hat…” T.K. mutters because Davis’ teeth marks were still on that hat. Davis raised an eyebrow at him wondering if he really did have this all written down. “Um…you didn’t really do much to me-” Kari began to say, but everyone looked at her and she changed her sentence. “I mean you never returned my pencil…” Kari says having remembered that last minute offense.

“OKAY SO WHAT!” Davis says as he finally unburies himself from the sand. There were only two of those things on those lists that actually made him feel bad and it wasn’t the hat biting or the detention Ken got for being late.

“He got out! Get him!” Cody says as the shore suddenly turns into a gruesome battlefield once more.

“I hope they never change,” Veemon smiles as he looks at all the digidestined, having fun and playing around in the sand as if they didn’t have the weight of the whole world on their shoulders.

“They won’t. They can act as mature as they want, but at the end of the day they still behave like children.” Gatomon says observing them with a small smile, these last few days had been so rough on all of them, but they were all there laughing without a care in the world.

“That’s not a bad thing, it means everything is always fun,” Armadillomon says with a smile while looking at Cody. He was happy his partner was relaxing; he deserved it after everything he had been through.

“Fun? Talk about stressful” Hawkmon says with a sigh as he brushes some sand that had landed on him off of his feathers.

“Hawkmon don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.” Patamon smiles and Hawkmon looks away. None of them would ever let them hear the end of it if he admitted it. Patamon looks over at his partner and smiles. The T.K. from back then, he always remembered him as someone who had fun even though there were times he was sad. He was glad that T.K. was still alive too. He never wanted to forget any of the ways his partner was. Whether sad or happy they all made up the partner he loved so much.

“I think they deserve it. Back then Ken never had fun and I know your partners have gone through rough times too, but now they’re all smiling together.” Wormmon says with a content expression. He was glad that Ken had friends like this, this is the way Ken deserved to be. Smiling and laughing instead of crying over past mistakes he could not change.

“You’re right about that and if they can smile we can be strong.” Veemon says with a large smile. That look of happiness on Davis’ face. He never wanted to forget it. He always wanted to carry it close to his heart so he could never forget how important it was to him that Davis looked at the future with a smile as he chased his dreams.

“Alright that’s enough guys! Stop putting sand in my goggles!” Davis stands up and grabs the goggles and puts them back on. Sand falling on his hair. He sighs and brushes it off and then wipes his eyes. He couldn’t believe they were all so evil to do this to him.

“Let’s go, we can't waste our energy here.” Davis groans, maybe he really should start abusing his power as their leader and tell them they couldn’t do that. Davis looks away from them, hiding the smile on his face.

“Look at you acting like you’re a wise guy.” Yolei stands up brushing sand off and cleaning her glasses. She looks at the smudge and then begins to wipe intently. The sand wasn’t coming off and her glasses might have gained a few new scratches.

“You’re lucky you don’t wear a basketball on your head anymore or it’d be so full with sand your hair would be sand colored instead of purple” Davis says looking at her somewhat threateningly until he tilts his head. “By the way I’ve always wondered if that is your real hair color?” Davis asks, he had always been curious, but he didn’t know how it was he could ask that and stay safe.

“Of course it is!” Yolei says offended. She couldn’t believe that Davis had doubted her natural hair color?! What was so weird about it! Nothing! She looks at Davis, still offended.

“I’ll believe it when you have kids with your hair color.” Davis scoffs and Yolei gasps.

“Hey are you saying my hair is fake!” Yolei asks, surely getting more and more offended the more Davis opens his mouth.
“Well...” Davis whistles as he looks away. He didn’t say it was fake…but if it was real why was she being so hostile. Maybe it really wasn’t her real hair color. “Don’t worry Yolei, you have nice hair.” Ken says reassuringly, noticing that Yolei was starting to look a bit agitated and Davis seemed a little too lenient.

“At least someone can appreciate it,”
Yolei says proudly. That’s right who cares if Davis doubted her, Ken liked it and that’s all that mattered.

“Of course. Davis is just jealous since he needs so much hair gel to keep his hair spikey.” Ken says with a smile and Yolei grins as if she had just won a war.

“THAT WAS A SECRET KEN!” Davis yells upset. He couldn’t believe Ken had just exposed him like that. He had never told him to keep it a secret but still.

“A really bad kept one…” Ken mutters. Davis always complained about everyone else being late, but it didn’t change the fact every time he was late he had told Ken it was because of his hair.

“Ah shut up you wanna talk about spiky hair?
Your hairdo as the Digimon Emperor could pop a balloon with how spikey it was!” Davis remarks. He couldn’t believe Ken was attacking his hairdo when the Digimon Emperor hairstyle could give Tai a run for his money….wait is that what that expression meant! Davis starts to snicker thinking of a way to use it against T.K. in the near future.

“Maybe so, but that’s because Wormmon always made sure to do it for me.” Ken says casually, but proudly. He looks at Wormmon who gives him a small wave and then begins to make his way towards Ken, now that the battlefield had ended it was safe to approach.

“Of course Wormmon did your hair…”Davis mutters unsurprised and Wormmon looks at him offended. Styling Ken’s hair back then took a lot of work, but he was proud of it. If Davis gave him the chance he could make his hair look fabulous too.

“Well maybe we really should get going before another fight breaks out.” Cody stands up,noticing the hair conversation was getting a little too aggressive.

“Yeah that sounds good.” T.K. says as he stands up and takes off his hat and sand spills from it. The sandy shore had inexplicably, but not surprisingly turned into a battlefield. He brushes sand off his hair and then looks at Kari who was still on the floor.

“Can we have a few seconds to recover?” Kari says, looking exhausted. She took a deep breath and laid down, she couldn’t believe how tired she was. It was as if her body had finally realized that she hadn’t rested in days.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to get sick again.” T.K. bends down and teases her. He looks at her with a small smile and then catches her mildly offended look.

“Of course not!” Kari says as she quickly stands up and then takes another deep breath. Just a little more and they’d make it out of this place. Where in the world was she even getting the energy for all of this? This place was exhausting.

T.K. laughs as he gets closer to her and brushes some sand off her hair. He looks at her with a gentle smile and she returns it. That must be where the energy came from. His smile soon shifted to a mischievous one and then he spoke. “Are you sure about that? You’ve got the stamina of an old lady.”

“I’m not that much older than you!” Kari says quite offended. She shouldn’t have let her guard down like that, he had used it against her.

“Well guys we should get moving before we all really do become as old as our grandparents,” Davis says. As much as he wanted to have fun with everyone it didn’t change the fact they still had a job they needed to finish.

“But being as old as my grandfather would mean I have gained so much wisdom.” Cody says with a proud look on his face, his grandfather was an honorable man and he wanted to be more and more like him.

“Your grandfather is really wise Cody, that really would be such an honor.” Ken closes his eyes and smiles. He would like to have wisdom like that too one day, it was no wonder Cody looked up to his grandfather so very much.

“Uh sure yeah…” Davis says as he walks away. Man, his friends were so weird, but that’s what he loved about them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Davis was walking behind his friends, his hands in his pocket. Everyone looked fine, which was a good thing. He didn’t really wanna stop but earlier everyone had so much fun he didn’t really regret it, but he couldn’t help but wonder…would these times really last forever?

He began to lose himself in his thoughts until he felt something rasp him. Its touch sunk deep into his skin and he jolted. It was the same thing he had felt earlier. What in the world was going on. Whoever was doing this was honestly mocking him and it was driving him crazy.

“Davis, are you okay?” Veemon taps him and Davis nods.

“Yeah, I might just be going crazy.” Davis looks around him, unable to see anything.

“Well you’re always crazy Davis” Veemon quips and Davis looks at him a bit upset before he continues to speak. “But that’s what I like about you Davis. You’re so crazy it means you never give up and always have the resolve to carry through even when things seem dark. Even if you can’t see you run forward even if you bump into a few trees here and there.” Veemon looks at him, his eyes so genuine. He wanted to follow his partner wherever it may lead them even beyond the future.

“Veemon…” Davis looks at him in awe. It never failed to amaze him how much Veemon believed in him even the times where he screwed up badly and got them both into huge trouble.

“Takes crazy to know crazy,” Davis smiles at him and Veemon nods.

“Crazy’s my middle name! Not that I have a last name” Veemon says, he always thought it was weird that people had more than one name, but maybe it wasn’t any different then digivolving.

“Alright Mr. Veemon Crazy let’s get moving!” Davis ruffles his head and smiles, but in his heart he feels a bitter pain. A bitter pain that was making him tear up, he never wanted Veemon to leave, but it didn’t seem their friendship was as much under control as he had thought. What if he had to take him out one day...he couldn’t bear the thought.

~~
The digidestined continued to walk and the thick miasma of darkness had finally reached its peak. It was dark, and it felt disgusting to breathe. Davis could feel himself suffocating but everyone else seemed like they were just fine. Right, if they were fine, he had to be fine too. He had the crest of courage and friendship after all. His friendship with them always gave him the courage to push forward. They all walked in and through that fog they reached a place that was as dark as the night, yet it had glowing crystals that shone dimly that looked so alluring yet so dangerous.
It was an atmosphere that felt small, but infinitely full of darkness. Yet it also felt as if it was full of nothingness. It was unsettling, somehow this world only got worse the more they went through it. The darkness ruled over the world viciously with none to oppose its dictatorship.
“It’s time.” a voice whispers in the cave and a dark figure begins to move towards them.

“Who said that?” Davis turns around. He knew he wasn’t going crazy there was someone there manipulating them and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

The figure moved towards them. It was unmistakably real because it was illuminating the cave around them. The figure had finally reached them, it was a familiar figure, but it was tainted by darkness. It was a celestial knight born from the fusion of friendship and courage, except it was pitch dark black. It was wrapped in bandages keeping its body together. Its eyes glowed red in the dark and streaks of crimson red fell down its eyes almost like tears. Tears stained with remorse and adorned with sorrow.
It looked like it was Digimon born out of pain rather than the powerful will of those who wished for good.

“Omnimon?”
Kari places her hand to her mouth and looks at it wide eyed. She would never mistake that Digimon, but why did he look so different and like he was in so much pain. She could feel his heart screaming from the inside begging to be saved…to be defeated.

“That’s impossible! They went home earlier” T.K. looked at the Digimon as it walked slowly and painfully towards them, its presence carrying itself with a bitter sorrow traced with resentment and remorse.

“It’s Omnimon, there’s no doubt,” a voice crawled in weakness and coughed. It was Tai dragging himself.

“He got injected with some sort of virus and now we can’t get through to him.” Matt tried to stand up, but he struggled to do so. Both Tai and Matt were full of scratches and bruises.

“We told you guys to go home!” T.K. looks over at his brother, upset, who only looked at him apologetically.

“Since when do siblings listen to each other?” Tai chuckles and then gasps for air “But thinking back we should have listened. We just didn’t want to run the risk of anything happening to you guys.”

“The hell? What’s going on here?!” Davis looked over at Omnimon who was screaming in pain. His eyes looked lost yet full of pain. Like he knew he was going crazy, but he couldn’t stop himself. It was the same look Cerebusmon and Skullgreymon had in their eyes back then. The look of a child who had finally realized the meaning of sin.

“That’s Omnimon Zwart D, Omnimon has been infected with a virus.You have to defeat him.” Izzy’s voice rang in the room.

“Is Izzy here?” Cody asked Matt who shook his head.

“No we made them all stay home, he’s just speaking through that” Matt attempted to make a reach for the headpiece laying on the floor where Izzy’s voice was ringing out ,but Omnimon Zwart D’s Supreme Cannon struck it down to a crisp. Matt and Tai both looked at each other with understanding in each other's eyes and then spoke. “Guys...defeat him. Please”

“Defeat him…” Davis looked at him wide eyed. He had no trouble defeating Skullgreymon and Cerebusmon, this shouldn’t be any different but somehow it was…Somehow he was afraid, afraid that this would be the end. He was afraid of what he would have to do with his very hands. He couldn’t take it anymore. He thought he was okay this whole time but seeing everything fall apart again, it was making him doubt everything he had learned up until that point.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“But what if he dies..” Davis speaks quietly. He fought them last time without even thinking what would happen ,but now it was different. It was possible that they would both die just like Meicoomon did and that made his heart sink. Tai and Matt both look at Davis who was shaking. They had never seen him so hesitant.
Normally he was headstrong ,but now he looked terrified.

“They won't. We believe in our partners” Tai and Matt both said in unison. They had an unyielding belief in their bond, one that could transcend life itself. They needed to remind Davis of that faith. The faith of the friendships they had forged.

“But what if it isn’t enough! The bond between you guys might not be enough!” Davis couldn’t help himself from thinking about the Digimon they had all slaughtered while he was gone. Maybe he would have helped them fight if he was there back then, but now things were different. The reality they had forged was one he could no longer look away from and pretend he was okay with it.

“It’s always going to be enough! Davis, we need to do this even if it hurts. Agumon and Gabumon are suffering under that! If we don’t do this we’ll be messing up big time” T.K. looked at Davis who couldn’t stop himself from bursting out angrily.

“What if I mess up doing this! Just because you’re okay with killing someone’s partner doesn’t mean I am!” Davis looks at him upset and T.K. returns the look. He meant it when he told Davis he would tell him if he messed up and he wasn’t going to let Davis walk away while Agumon and Gabumon were suffering.

“Of course I’m not okay with it! You know how many times I’ve lost my partner! That pain doesn’t compare to anything ,but I know they’re suffering under that and I’m not going to sit by and watch their partners suffer. I’m going to fight!”
T.K. looks at Patamon who nods and warp digivolves. They had to fight. It was the only way to put them under control.

“Davis, did you really think we wanted to do that? Of course not! I can’t forgive myself for what we did, but we had to do it.” Kari tells him, with her regret still lingering. It was a horrible choice they had to make ,but it was one they all made together, understanding what it meant and it was the one choice she was certain she wouldn’t forgive herself for until the day Meicoomon returned and so she would keep believing that day would come.

“Davis, you got to understand…it was an act of mercy” T.K. looked at him sadly. Maybe he had been too harsh before ,but it was the inescapable truth and if he didn’t snap Davis out of it he’d be a failure of a friend.
Davis shakes his head at him. For some reason he couldn’t stop the anger boiling inside him. A Digimon partnership was something sacred…they had no right to do that. How could someone else just decide to end somebody else’s friendship like it was nothing. “That’s just an excuse! An excuse to feel better about what you all did!” “In no universe is it ever okay for us to kill our friends!” Matt stands up angrily and grabs Davis by the shirt “But we had to make a decision or the whole world would have been gone. You think I wanted to do that?! Of course not! Gabumon is the reason I’m standing here today and I’m gonna make sure he gets to stand here tomorrow even if it means fighting him!” Matt lets go of Davis and looks away towards Omnimon. His partner was right there he didn’t care what they had to do, he didn’t want to ever see that look of pain in Gabumon’s eyes ever again. Gabumon was always the one to save him and now it was his duty to do the same. “So we did it. We did the unforgivable sin. In silence we ended her life and we shared that burden together and I still think about it everyday. We all do, even the Digimon. But Agumon doesn’t deserve this, he deserves to be happy.” Tai stood up too and looked at Omnimon Zwart D. It broke his heart knowing the same partner who laughed and loved to eat and cause trouble was in there. Hurting himself and the world around him. He never wanted to see his partner be broken like this ever again.
“Right now this is all we got to save him from that virus.” Tai looks at Davis firmly, Davis takes a step back. He really wasn’t a leader strong enough to make the right decisions. He removes his goggles and stares at them, the only thing he could see in them was his reflection, his reflection full of insecurity. He had never felt so uncertain of what he had to do. Maybe he had made the right choices before, but now did that choice even exist? Agumon and Gabumon didn't want to hurt anyone, but if they fought them and they died they would take a punishment for something they didn’t deserve. Why did things have to be so unfair?

“Davis, don’t do anything you don’t want to.” Tai puts his hand on his shoulder and then looks away from Davis and looks at the rest of the destined. He believed in Davis, he knew he’d make the right call, even if he was struggling right then. Part of being a leader was making the decisions no one wanted to do even if they were painful.

“If you guys don’t mind...” Tai looks at them with his eyes full of courage. They had to do this, even if it hurt, besides they had fought them once before and they were fine. It would be the same this time, he was sure of it.

“Tai, just like last time. We do this together” Kari looks at her brother. Even though he could tell she was the same as always there was something different about her since the last time he saw her.

“I know they’re going to be okay. Agumon and Gabumon are still there, no matter how hopeless it seems our partners can get through anything!. Tai looked at the Digimon in its berserker state. They didn’t deserve to suffer that way. If only they had gone back home.

“If we need to fight to get them to snap out of it we will, but we can’t let them suffer like this.” T.K. looks at Omnimon Zwart D. His eyes looked like they were crying out for help but his arms were running rampant.

“Guys, do it for them. I can feel that they don’t want this. They’d rather be defeated than hurt any one else.” Matt looked over at the other Digidestined who nodded in agreement. They all had an unshakeable faith, that everything was going to be alright.

“Hawkmon, let's do this.” Yolei looked at her Digimon who nodded. She had promised she would put her faith in her friends, and that’s exactly what she was going to do even if everything seemed bleak.

“This is the right thing to do.” Cody looked at Armadillomon who nodded. Sometimes the right thing wasn’t the easy way but sometimes it was the only way. Difficult decisions would have to be made for the sake of the future.

“Davis, don't push yourself. You don’t have to do this if it hurts.” Ken looked at Davis reassuringly then at Wormmon who nodded. With that the Digimon warped into their mega forms and began fighting the berserk digimon, but he was far too fast, far too fast for any of them to manage a hit.

Right…they didn’t need him. They could just do this without him, it didn’t matter what he thought.
“Come on Davis, we need to fight!” Veemon looks at him with determination.
“I can’t Veemon…I just can’t.” Davis falls to his knees and begins to shake. “Why am I so scared?” Davis looked over at Veemon ,but all he could see was Veemon slowly fading away. The entire world around him disappears.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No, no this couldn’t be happening.
It was happening again. Everything was falling apart right before his very eyes.
He opened his eyes, a thick fog was covering the area. Was this really it? Did they really lose for once? Everyone was doing their best to fight but he couldn’t do it anymore.
He couldn’t even get his Digimon to mega without Ken’s help. What was the point of this journey? On this Adventure everyone had a purpose, they had all changed so much, their bonds with their Digimon and each other had grown so strong, but there he was standing there like nothing was wrong. Not even Veemon was there…maybe they had all realized how worthless he really was. Maybe he was right when he doubted that the fun times would last forever…

He wasn’t fit to be their leader, Tai had made a mistake when he gave him the goggles. He could feel the air around him beginning to get thicker, the darkness engulfing his veins. Out of all the damn crests he could have inherited he got Courage and Friendship. Why? He was nothing but a weak coward who wasn’t worthy of his friends. That had to be the reason none of them were there by his side.

“Davis! Davis! Davis!” That voice sounded an awful lot like Veemon, but he didn’t feel like chasing it through the fog, Veemon deserved better after all.

“Davis! Get up! Don’t give up now!” Veemon continued to speak to him. If there’s one purpose he knew he had in this life, it was to always encourage Davis to move forward even in the times his partner wanted to give up but he knew Davis didn’t need him to keep him going. He had made it without him before ,but that wouldn’t stop him from encouraging him to move forward. Their destiny was linked together, they were far better together then they ever were apart.

“But Veemon, what if we fail this time…” Davis trailed off, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt as hopeless as he did at that moment.

“Davis! There’s no way! Think about it! How have we made it through this whole time? Because of our friends. They’re the ones who always push us to be better!” Veemon says with determination. In all the years they had known each other their bond with all their friends had changed little by little, but it didn’t change the fact it was still powerful and what gave them the strength to overcome any adversary.

Davis remained silent, he wanted to believe in his words ,but everything seemed so hopeless. Even his dream in that moment seemed like it was nothing short of a distant memory, a memory he had made up and would never see fulfilled.

“Fine! I’ll just have to prove it to you!” Veemon’s voice grows closer ,but Davis could
still tell it was distant ,but the fact it existed in the first place was reassuring enough for him to want to follow it. He’d rather do that than sit around and do nothing. He was never one for waiting around even if he was sad he always needed to do something.

“Davis, is the bravest guy I know. He won’t ever give up as long as he has a future worth fighting for!” T.K.’s voice fills the empty space around him. Really? Tai was right there and T.K. thought he was the bravest guy, it’s a bit crazy but he couldn’t help but laugh about it, and after he said something so horrible to him too? He believed in him just like that?

“That’s right! He might be a bit dense sometimes, but that ability to believe in the future is the reason we all believe in him in the first place!” Yolei’s voice fills the area as well. Wow she really couldn’t help but insult him…but there was such belief in her words too. Did they all really believe in him so much?

“Guys don’t forget, the reason Davis believes in the future is because he has his friends. That will always be his guide to tomorrow because that’s what the Crest of Friendship is about.” Matt, the original guy with the Crest of Friendship, they were a lot more similar then he had initially thought.
He remembered how he managed to piss him off the first time they met but they were friends too…somehow out of all the people in the world all these guys chose to be his friend but maybe they were all too nice to ditch him.

“Davis, come on! We need you to get up. If you’re not brave then how will we move forward?” Did Cody really mean that? Well the guy would never lie , but still it was hard to believe sometimes that he was the reason they could all keep going.

“Davis! We believe in you! Please don’t give up. The bond we all share, the bond you have with Veemon, it has to be enough to get through to you.” Kari believing in him? He didn’t know why he was so surprised. Before Ken had joined, he had depended on her approval to feel worthy of anything. It wasn’t just her approval, he wanted Tai’s too…they were the only people who seemed like they enjoyed his company, but then T.K. moved in and Yolei and Cody joined them on the Digital World, and all of a sudden everything became so fulfilling. Then Ken joined them too, and it was like he didn’t need anyone’s approval to feel happy…

“Davis! Come on man! The leader of the Digidestined can’t give up like that!” was that Tai’s voice? Tai had no reason to place his faith in him and there he was saying it over and over again.
Despite everything, it looked like he still believed in him. He still hadn’t regretted his choice that day. The goggles he wore were a sign of courage, a sign of trust Tai had placed in him for the future. That trust had always made him happy so thinking he might have broken it hurt.

“DAVIS WHAT ABOUT YOUR DREAM!” Another voice, calling to him. Ken’s voice. It was full of anguish, but genuinity. He had always been clear about his dream. He had told Ken that part of his dream was him being happy. It wasn’t just Ken though, he wanted all of his friends to be happy. That was why he was working so hard for the future in the first place. All of a sudden he could hear their voices clearly, as if they were right there with him. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t see them, he knew they were there. His friends always encouraged him to chase his dreams.

Yes, even if there were times that he felt like giving up there was always something keeping him going. His dream. The dream of making a world where everyone had the freedom to pursue their dreams and smile. He could feel it, his veins rushing with that determination once more. That dream had been keeping him moving forward all those years and that resolve, that dream, he would not let it die right then and there. It was an endless dream in a world that may be full of misery, but to him that dream was his future, his tomorrow, the tomorrow for everyone he cared about. That dream wasn't just for him, it was for everyone. His family, his friends, his partner, for the people that couldn’t get out of bed because they didn’t have the resolve to move forward. He was doing this all for them. There was only one person who could take away that dream. Himself. This dream will never die as long as there’s a tomorrow. As long as he was alive, he would make sure that dream would live till the end of time.

“Davis, Did you hear them? Those are the voices of your friends, the friends that believe in you even in this darkness.” Davis could finally see Veemon, he looked so clearly in the fog. The fog around him didn’t even seem like it was there anymore. He could see himself laughing with his friends, fighting with them, smiling with them, and even being sad with them , but most of all he could see something so clear. It was strange but it was as if he got a perfect glimpse of the future, the future where all of their dreams would come true.

“VEEMONNN” Davis felt himself scream at the top of his lungs, his voice remaining firm. He opened his eyes and there he was standing with a smile, Veemon, his partner, who believed in the same dream looking him in the eye.

“Davis, Let’s do this” Veemon looks at him , eyes full of courage. Yes, those were the eyes that always believed in the future. No matter how bleak the present seemed, those were the eyes he trusted the most to guide his heart so it may never waiver.

“There’s nothing we can’t do together!” Veemon and Davis both say in unison and a holy light engulfs the area clearing the fog away.
The light pierces the darkness around them and glows vividly despite the monochrome world they were in. “Veemon warp digivolve to” A royal blue knight emerges from the once small dragon. A gold V traced with victory on his chest with large wings full of resolve. Wings that would not have been possible if not for the friendship of all those who placed their faith in their unyielding will to follow their dreams. “UlforceVeedramon” the digimon opens its eyes and out of its bracelets of victory, it releases a beam sword that glows turquoise and holds the ability to split the sky and earth.

“Transcendent Sword” His opponent moves quickly, his berserk state untamed.
His eyes glowed red with insanity as
he rushed towards UlforceVeedramon.

UlforceVeedramon moves swiftly and rushes towards his opponent. There is no Digimon faster than UlforceVeedramon. He blocks Omnimon Zwart D’s strike and hits him with his Victory Sword. The berserker looks at him, his eyes full of misery, his body moving freely.

“Supreme cannon” Aimlessly, Omnimon Zwart D continues to strike, UlforceVeedramon only dodging each strike.
“Everyone, Let’s help!” BanchoStingmon turns to the other Digimon who all nod.
He turns back into Wormmon and a light shines from him and into UlforceVeedramon. “Give him all of our strength!” Gaioumon concentrates all his energy and gives it to Ulforceveedramon, turning him back into Hawkmon.
“Take it!” Spinomon too glows and transfers his energy before turning back into Armadillomon.

“Save them!” Magndramon and Seraphimon both say, before reverting back to Gatomon and Patamon.

“How does that feel, U-Dawg” Davis grins at the Digimon who closes his eyes.

“I feel it, I feel the power of everyone pulsing through me. I feel it. I feel their friendship, it gives me courage, it gives me this resolve” UlforceVeedramon says as he begins to gather their energy.
He could feel them placing their hope in him, he couldn’t let them down. He needed to defeat them. His wings begin to glow purple, and he could feel the power of the future they all believed in, coursing through him.

“Shining V Force” the massive force of energy released from his chest, victory coursing through him and spilling out towards a future full of endless possibilities.

Omnimon Zwart D, closes
his eyes, he restricts his two arms, forbidding them from running free any further, accepting his fate. His eyes had finally changed color from the rampaging blood red to the typical holy blue eyes he always had.

The blasts hit Omnimon Zwart D, and his arms collapse. Two small Digimon emerged from it. Koromon and Tsunomon look up weakly and Tai and Matt both run to them.

“Are you okay?” Tai pats Koromon on the head, who smiles.

“Of course,” he says weakly before falling asleep. Tai pulls him close, his eyes full of regret. If only they had listened then maybe their Digimon wouldn’t be in pain like they are now.

“Tsunomon, I’m so sorry…” Matt holds him close and Tsunomon shakes his head.

“Don’t apologize Matt, we made it, and that’s all that matters.” Tsunomon closes his eyes too. Feeling the comfort of his partner’s arms holding him close.

UlforceVeedramon reverts back to Veemon and rushes towards Davis,“Davis! Did ya see that! Did you see how cool we were” Veemon puts his fist up and smiles.

“Of course! But you’re always that cool man” Davis fist bumps him and smiles. They really were able to do anything they could set their minds to. He didn’t want to doubt it ever again. That resolve was always what carried his dreams forward and he would never forget it as long as his partner was by his side.

“Now that you are all weak, it is the perfect time for me to finally get my revenge.”
a purple pool of darkness opens up from the ground with evil lurking through it. The voice was mocking yet full of delight almost as if it had waited a long time for that moment.

“Who’s there!” Ken looks around and a bitter laugh fills the room. He had asked who was there ,but he couldn’t deny the fact he recognized that voice even though it had been years since the last time he had heard it. After all that voice was after him for so long he couldn’t forget it.

“Did all of you really think you could keep me trapped in this Dark Ocean forever.” A Digimon they had gotten to know very well appeared. A very evil Digimon appears, and he smiles, a disgusting smile that chills them to their bones. It was a Digimon that none of them thought they would ever see again, but one that they weren’t surprised to see after all they had ended their feud unfinished.

“Daemon…”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I told you, you would never see the end of me. Every night as you slept, whose voice do you think you heard?” Daemon surrounded them with a blazing hellfire surrounding them. The cave around them was no longer covered entirely in darkness; instead it was illuminated by the false and evil light created by Daemon.

“So you were the one…calling to me?” Kari looked at Daemon who only laughed. It had taken a lot longer than he thought to get them all there which is why he was forced to send out a false prophecy and like moths to a flame they fell under it. Little by little making it come true until they had finally reached him.

“I chose the most innocent once, the one most connected to the world through light the one that I could lure in with the promise of salvation for the Libra ,but the Libra is dead because you killed her.”
Daemon spoke, even though he was covered in a robe they could tell he had an arrogant and proud smirk, a smirk that wanted to consume them all.

“Lay off!” T.K. stood in front of her and looked at Daemon angrily. He couldn’t control the anger rushing through him.
It made him furious that he had used her like that, used her goodness to lead them there only to then throw the blame on her.

“You're only mad because it's the truth.” Daemon says, his arrogance through each word. He knew that if he could pin down the light, hope would foolishly follow. So he used their intertwined destiny to manipulate them.

“I'm only mad cause you're pissing me off!”
T.K. made a fist and continued to look at him upset. His blood was boiling and he knew he needed to calm down but Daemon was insufferable.

“T.K. It’s fine,” She pulls him back and he looks at her partly with sorrow and partly with frustration.

“But Kari-” He couldn’t help but feel upset. His heart was too passionate and he couldn’t help but listen to it. Even if at times it hurt him.

“We did what we had to do ,but that doesn’t change the fact they’re partners. I still have hope. Even right now as he accuses us once more, I have hope.” Kari looks at him and smiles faintly. She had hope back then and she still had it now. She wasn’t about to change that.

“Yeah… you’re right.” T.K. looked at Patamon, if they had reunited more than once before then surely they would too. He looked back at her and smiled. Right, he couldn’t let his anger consume him. He believed too after all, in that unyielding trust between a digimon and its partner.

Davis looked at them. They had made a tough choice back then, he understood it a bit better now, it wasn’t an easy choice.
He had doubted them earlier, but now he was more certain than ever that everyone needed to be there for this. That was how they had won before and that is how they’d win now. How did Daemon know what they had done though? What exactly was he referring to? The Digimon, Meicoomon was the one named the Libra, what did he have to do with her?

“I don't want to hear it from the ones who ruined my original plan, but I suppose this is much more fulfilling than the last one.” Daemon responds. It wasn’t really them that had ruined it ,but instead Piedmon who had a personal
vendetta against those two and had interfered with the message being sent to them and now it looked like he was finally dead. His vengeance left unfulfilled, he wouldn’t make the same mistake as that clown.

“What are you talking about?” Cody asks , his voice angry, but his mind yearning for answers. He needed to know why they were there, why they had vanished last year, why no one had realized. It was all too sick to be a coincidence. What original plan was he talking about? Had Daemon manipulated them before all of this and they hadn’t noticed? Wait, could it be that…

“As long as I got one of you, I'd get all of you.” Daemon smiles evilly as he looks at Cody. He would make sure this one knew there was no such thing as “virtues” that no amount of belief would save him for the darkness could consume any of them. Daemon continued to speak “Or that's what I thought the first time ,but I didn't get all six of you. Only four of you came and the other two stayed; they then fought the Libra. That's why I let them take the four of you and put you in those pods. I want all of you together before I finish your off. That way there is no guarantee you would ever come back.”

“So the one who put us in those pods…” Davis looked at him surprised, quickly understanding what he meant.
The memories flooding back to him, the memories that had mysteriously vanished from his mind. Back then they had received a mysterious message from the Digital World stating that the end of the Digital World was near. They had believed it because the gate for the Digital World had been mysteriously closed off, but on that cold rainy day, the gate had opened once more and so without hesitation they went through, to see their partners once more. They had foolishly believed their friends had received the same message so they waited ahead, assuming it would be safe for now, not knowing of the near death that awaited them. To now know that they were just pawns…it made him feel sick.

“Of course. I bet you realized that I’m the reason none of you were able to remember what had happened.”
Daemon locks eyes with Davis. He wanted to get rid of this one, but first of all he needed to get rid of the others. He was going to prove to this one that no amount of “friendship” could grant them a miracle, because miracles didn’t exist.

Davis feels a chill go down his spine. That guy was creepy, he was evil, and heartless, and worst of all, he was right. He had managed to trick all of them into following his plan and it looked like he had done it again. He had them where he wanted ,but it wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. None of them had any intention of backing down.

Ken
remained silent as he looked at the foul beast unsurprised, how could he after all he was the same one who wanted the spores in his neck to spread them into the world and contaminate it with darkness. Daemon looked at Ken and smiled. He hated this one the most. It made him furious how he thought “Kindness” was something that could ever repel the darkness. Something so pathetic had no right to exist with something as glorious as the darkness. After he killed him he would extract every spore from his body, he would kill him last so he had to watch all his friends go down and he would see why he never should have defied the darkness in the first place.

“But that's impossible…how did you do that?” T.K. spoke up and looked at Daemon who was taking great pleasure in everything. “Memories aren’t just something you can take away so easily!” T.K. tells him. Even back then when they had “forgotten” there was still a sinking feeling in them that something was wrong, maybe their minds had forgotten, but the heart never forgets. That’s something he knew very well, no matter how blurry those painful memories were, his heart still remembered the pain clearly as if it just happened.

“Why of course they are. Eventually you will all forget little by little what you’ve gone through and you’ll break once more forgetting the lessons you’ve learned and the pain you’ve gone through. You’ll relive all that suffering because of the fear in your heart of remembering the past and all that regret.” Daemon locks eyes with him. That one wouldn’t be difficult to break, he thought to himself, his eyes may shine with hope, but it didn’t change the fact they were still broken. The hope he had it must not be real. Someone like that could never have “hope.” He needed to get rid of the light too. They were dangerous. Piedmon wasn’t weak and his strength was amplified by his lust for revenge. When the Digidestined had trapped him here,it was because those two had seen this world and used it against him. It filled him with rage they didn’t deserve to know about this world if it wasn’t strangling them. It didn’t matter now though, someone so connected to this world couldn’t possibly shine.

“Don’t you think it was strange how you forgot your beloved friends?” Daemon snickers, his eyes illuminated by the hellfire surrounding him. They set his cold, soulless eyes ablaze with an evil and defiant look.
That Piedmon really had put a damper on his plan, they would have easily stayed in blissful ignorance if he hadn’t shown up dressed as the Digimon Emperor to retrieve the Libra. No matter, he had them all together now and that’s what mattered.

“So it was you?!”
Yolei looked at him with a mix of anger and shock. She didn’t know how he managed to make them all forget ,but it made her furious that he had managed to do it. He had so cleverly deceived them all, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated at how foolish they were, but there wasn’t the time to think that way. They were all there united, they had to defeat him, right then and there.

“No no they were just terrible friends.” Daemon smiles wickedly, eyes full of deceit as he looks at Yolei. “Compassion” what a pathetic joke, that’s why this world was perfect. It held none of that, it was cruel and he would make sure the other worlds would realize how much more thrilling it would be to get rid of it.

He had been planning this for years. That was just the first step in his plan. He would make sure to break each Digidestined, piece by piece as they watch each other suffer. His plan had gone smoothly for the most part. They may have overcome those trials, but it wouldn’t change the seed of doubt he had planted in each of them. Tearing them apart as a group, that is how he would make sure to bring their end. He didn’t care about the older Digidestined, he had merely used them as tools to fix them. To fix that they were so bright and hopeful. To fix them from being righteous. It was a favor, having their final moments be full of despair so they could see everything they had done was worthless. Those were the memories he would make sure that they would remember. The memories he would make sure they would regret.

“Maybe that's true…but if my friends forgave me I shouldn't doubt them. To doubt them is to prove I don't have faith in our bond, but that isn't true.” Kari looks at Daemon with eyes full of resolution. Even if it was true that he had made them forget, it wasn't an excuse.
She was done making excuses, no matter what happened the future belonged to them. No matter how hard she might regret the past she couldn’t fix it, but she could always build the present even if someone tried to destroy the plans for the future.

“And now that we know it was you there's nothing holding back our friendship anymore. If we have problems all we have to do is communicate them. If not, we're fighting an invisible enemy. The only enemy I see here is you!” Yolei looks at Kari. Her friend has changed, but she wasn’t the only one. They all had. She could feel the determination in their hearts become one.
A powerful feeling she hadn’t felt in years. The mutual determination to fight for the future they both believed in the future that was adorned with their dreams, the future that made their lives worth living even in the bleakest moments.

A light engulfs Hawkmon as he Digivolves into Aquilamon. He begins to shine a brilliant red and Gatomon was illuminated with
a pink. Both lights emerged into one bringing forth The knight of love born from the light that appeared in the darkness..

“Silphymon?” They both looked at the fusion in shock, they hadn't seen it for a long time. A part of them had thought that maybe their bond wasn't strong enough to ever see the fusion again ,but this was proof there was no reason to doubt the friendship between them nor the resolve they shared.

“Static Force” Silphymon shoots a beam at Daemon who grunts. He hadn’t expected to see Silphymon
ever again. It didn’t matter though, no matter how powerful they thought their bond might be it wouldn’t compare to the power of darkness he had. They were in his world now he releases a hellfire attack knocking them back. The attack had been so powerful it sent Silphymon flying back.
He needed to stop the others before they followed.

“It's meaningless to fight back against the darkness. You should know that it's a pointless battle that will only leave everyone around you hurt. By putting up a fight you’re guaranteed to lose everything you love!” Daemon looks over at T.K. and then at Cody and smiles. With the darkness facing right in front of them, they would surely break. As long as he could knock one of them down, all of them would follow. Those two hated the darkness for different reasons and he would use those reasons against them.

“Maybe this war is pointless. The light and darkness will always fight, but if there's a way to do the right thing I'll do it!” the memories of his father flickered through Cody's eyes, he would live a life like he did. No matter how hard things may seem he would never give up on doing the right thing. Even if the world around him turned a blind eye to the evil he would keep fighting it for when they opened those eyes they would see the beautiful world his father entrusted to him.

“He's right, I’m going to carry these scars for the rest of my life ,but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop having hope. If I were to quit now I'd be a disgrace to all the pain
I've been fighting this whole time that's made me who I am. That’s why I’m never going to give up this fight!” T.K.’s eyes glittered with a newfound hope. He would wrestle with the darkness no matter what, he wasn’t going to let it strangle him or anyone he loved. Maybe it would always be there ,but he wasn’t going to not do anything about it. T.K. looked at Cody who looked back at him. A mutual passion for justice shone between them, a justice they would see delivered even if the world around them doubted it. They could feel their hearts become one as Shakkoumon, a fusion born from the goodness
of their hearts emerged.

“Justice Beam” his eyes blasted a beam towards Daemon. Daemon summons a massive tornado of fire pushing him back. Another one? What was going on? This wasn’t supposed to happen. He thought the power of DNA Digivolution had been lost ,but here they were doing it as if they
weren’t in a world he was supposed to rule over.
No he couldn’t panic, he had to strike them all down before it was too late.

“And as for you, don't think you can escape your mistakes. The blood you shed will always be on
your hands. You can't remove the paint on a canvas. You can paint over it as much as you want, but it'll always be there!“ Daemon looked at Ken and then smiled.

“Those dark spores inside you, you'll never escape them, not even if I were to take them from you!” Daemon looks at Ken’s neck, the whole reason he went to them in the first place was those spores, but he didn’t care anymore, he just wanted them dead.

Ken grunts and looks away from Daemon. Maybe he was right, he couldn't change the past ,but he had to make sure the world and all those who suffered in it would have somewhere to go back to. A place that was safe to dream, a place that was safe to be kind in, a home to belong in.

“Ken don't listen to him-” Davis said
he was starting to get upset. He hated how Daemon was trying to use their weakness against them. Ken stops him and smiles. Davis looks at him with his eyes wide, right after everything they had been through together, how could he doubt everyone’s resolve. No matter what they would win.

“I know Davis, I may not be able to change my past and the mistakes I made but that doesn't mean I need to stop being kind. Maybe the dark spores will be in me forever, but they won't ever grow again!” Ken says with determination. Despite how many times the world had hurt him, broken him, and blamed him, he couldn’t stop feeling in his heart. The feeling in his heart that believed in it no matter what.

“Hell yeah Ken!” Davis looks at him proud and then Daemon turns to look at him

“No matter how happy you might think you are, never forget that you'll never be able to help anyone you care about feel that way. Everything will end one day including this so-called friendship” Daemon looks at Davis who just begins to snicker and then he bursts out laughing.

“What? What are you doing? Are you insane?” Daemon looks at him angry at the mockery. How could he just laugh like that, he was supposed to get angry, he was supposed to sink into despair. He wasn’t supposed to mock him like he was pathetic! He was the one that was supposed to mock them.

“Hahaha no ,but I know one thing. Everyone gets sad, even I have my moments, but
that doesn't mean we should give up. If you're never sad you'll never value the happy times and my bond with my friends, it is forever, everything you made us go through, is more than enough proof! So thanks for that you bastard!” Davis smiles and his grin quickly turns into a look of determination.
The determination fueled by his unshakeable belief in everyone. The unshakeable belief in the future and the dreams that built it.

“Let's do this Ken!”
Davis looks at him and smiles, their hearts becoming one a heart full of dreams for a new tomorrow. It gave forth to the fusion of the dragon man born from the unison
of courage, friendship, and kindness. The three qualities they would never lose, no matter how hard things may get in life, because those were the things that helped them reach others and guide them into the light.

“Desperado Blaster” Paildramon hit Daemon with his energy. It wasn't enough and they knew it, Imperialdramon had struggled before ,but that didn’t mean they would give up. They would win this battle no matter what, for that tomorrow all of them believed in.

“Don't forget that this is the world of darkness and the light will never win. The control of the tides is mine!” Daemon hits all three of the Digimon with an attack that incinerates them, breaking apart the fusions they had just acquired.

“Now without your precious bonds what will you do?” Daemon looked at the Digidestined but not a trace of despair could be seen in any of their eyes. He didn’t understand why?
It was a force so powerful it broke apart the physical fusion of the Digimon, but it looked as if all of their hearts were combined. Still believing, how foolish! He would crush that belief.

“Guys, no matter what, don't give up!” Tai looked at them sternly , but he could tell they didn’t need to hear those words. Their eyes were painted with determination, even as the Digimon lay weakly on the floor, their eyes were painted with an unshakeable resolve.

“He's right, as long as you have each other you could do this!” Matt says. They both believed in them. Maybe they couldn't fight right now , but with everything they had they'd be supporting them because they knew they would be able to prevail.

“Don't worry guys. Against all odds we won't give up!” Davis looks at everyone and they all nod. None of them had any intention of backing down.
After all they had dreams to chase, a tomorrow to look forward to, and each other. Nothing would get in their way anymore.

A
radiant light soon began to shine from the depths of everyone's hearts, the brilliant shades of light combining and shining forth. Their radiance was giving
birth to a miracle. A miracle was something that against all odds was possible no matter how dark things may appear. The egg was there shining before them, its light glittered with the hope of a new tomorrow.

“Is that…?”
T.K. looks at the egg in shock. He wasn’t entirely surprised it appeared, he was more surprised at how beautiful it shone. They were in the world of darkness but it pierced all the darkness around them, leaving none of
it in sight. It was so beautiful it was
almost blinding

“Yes, it's the Digiegg of Miracles.“ Gatomon looks at it intently and then looks over at Veemon. They would place all their belief in him, they always had and that wasn’t going to change.

“I haven't seen that since the days of the Digimon Emperor, “ Yolei says, looking at it surprised. They had only seen it twice before its golden light was shining so intently all the Digimon could feel their strength filling them up. Koromon and Tsunomon returning to Agumon and Gabumon.

“Heh well Veemon are you ready!”
Davis looked at Veemon with a wide smile.

Veemon nods and a giant smile plasters his face. “I'm always ready Davis!” The gold light turns white as it engulfs Veemon. It’s light shining almost as if it was writing the unwritten future before them, finishing an uncompleted storyboard
that reflected the canvas of their dreams.

“Veemon Golden Armor Digivolve to”

The golden light shines with a radiant glow as the gold turns into powerful armor. It was the armor of a miracle. Armor that allows one to overcome every predicament
no matter how difficult it may seem. with its birth of a miracle the future would be rewritten. A future painted in darkness would now be engulfed in light.

“Magnamon” the light radiates intensely. It's so bright, it's almost blinding but its holiness is too alluring to look away. That was the Digimon born from the miracle all of them believed in their hearts.

“Your miracle won't mean ANYTHING “ Daemon removes his cloth revealing
an ugly beast. The evil beast he kept concealed had two dark wings with red spikes and purple hue. Two devilish horns and an ugly, wicked, face. They had never seen that form from him, but it wasn’t surprising, after all they knew he wasn’t fighting them at all his strength yet.

“Double dust” the earth begins to shake vigorously as they all struggle to stay up.

“No matter what, we'll get right back up, because that's what it means to believe in a miracle!” Davis stands up and smiles, Magnamon looks at him and nods. His armor glowed with the same conviction his partner had.

“That’s right! We've made it this far, there's no backing down now.” Yolei nods as she stands up. Magnamon looks at her, his armor reflecting the same care for the future she had.

“This is our miracle and it's all the proof we have to defeat you!”
Cody looks at Daemon sternly. Magnamon turns to him, his armor as sharp as Cody’s beliefs to pave his own path.

“As long as there's hope there will always be the light even in the midst of this darkness,”
T.K. says, Magnamon looks at him , his armor shone as brightly as his hope.

“And as long as there's light there will always be a miracle!” Kari nods and looks at the blinding Digimon. Magnamon looks at her, his armor as radiant as her light.

“With that miracle born from the bonds we make with each other we won't lose here!” Ken says.
Magnamon looked at him, his armor was as powerful as the kindness in Ken’s heart.

The lessons they had all learned over the years were filling them with the determination they needed to believe in that miracle that would shine on their path to a new tomorrow. This was all the strength he needed. It was a strength from all his friends. The strength they had all gained together, that was how they were able to gain this miracle.

“MAGNAMON GOOOOOOOO!” Davis yells, he could feel it, the resolve pouring out of everyone giving Magnamon his strength. He could feel the heartbeat of everyone, moving in sync as they placed their belief in their dreams. The pure dreams they had all shared with each other. The dreams they all wanted to see each other fulfill, the dreams they all knew they would see as long as they walked. Walked towards the unwritten future.

“Shining Gold Solar Storm” the space around them began to compress itself , radiant golden beams firing itself towards the curse that stood between the Digidestined and their future.

“No, I can't be defeated this time!” Daemon screeched as the blinding light purified the surrounding darkness as he was vanquished.
He was the final bit of darkness that remained, his pungent purple vanished into the air.

“We did it,” Davis says as he looks at everyone. They all looked exhausted but at the same time thrilled over their victory. Magnamon turned back to Veemon and ran towards Davis.

“Did you see that Davis?” Veemon smiled and
Davis patted him on the head.

“Yeah I did” Davis
looked at him with a gentle smile, a smile that understood what they had all gone through to reach that point.

The darkness around them began to fade and the world was beginning to warp around them. Clearing them away from the world of darkness they now stood in a world that was saturated with colors and life. A world that was more beautiful the more time they spent away from it and perhaps a bit easier to take for granted when they saw it everyday.
Everyday they would see the sun, the stars, the moon reflected in their eyes, when seeing them became a routine it was easy to forget how beautiful the miracle of life really was.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Where are we?” Davis stood up looking around them. He looked around a bit worried before he noticed all his friends were on the ground, holding their Digimon tightly in their arms with carefree smiles and gratitude.

“Hey Davis look” Veemon tapped his leg and pointed towards them. They were in a field in the real world.
They weren’t in the place they left for the Digital World. Next to the field there was a forest, a forest that he had never been to. He wasn't sure where exactly they were but they were in the real world.
That was the only thing he knew for certain.

“We did it,” Davis smiled as he collapsed on the ground. He lay there looking at the stars. He had never noticed how brightly they shone.
He missed seeing them. Even though there weren’t many days he gazed at the stars, he missed it a lot. They felt so close almost as if he could touch them…huh one of them really did look super close.

“Wait over there!” Kari pointed towards a shooting star. She felt a rush of emotion hit her when she saw it, its light captivating her eyes. She had never seen a star shine so beautiful nor so brightly.
It shone as brightly as Magnamon had. There was a certain feeling rising in her that she couldn’t escape.

“Why don't you make a wish?” T.K. looks at her and she shakes her head. Now that she mentioned it, that star did seem kind of different. He wasn’t sure how to put it ,but there was something begging him to reach out to it.

“Well if you won’t make it I will. I wish for ram-” Veemon’s stomach growls as he tries to make a wish but is then interrupted.

“No, I can feel her, she's there” Kari stood up and began to run towards the star. It was very close she could feel it. The night had never looked so bright. The stars illuminated almost as if pointing in a direction. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the star was falling from that constellation in particular. Out of all the constellations, it fell from the Libra constellation.

“Kari wait!” T.K. stood up and went after her. He ran following her. It had to mean something if she went after it like that. If it shone as vividly as it did then it meant something. Maybe he really was a bit crazy but he didn’t care, if she believed in whatever it was she saw he would too. The same look she had with the flower was the same look she had now.

“Hey Davis, you can’t just let them disrespect me like that!” Veemon looks at Davis who began to follow them too. He couldn’t hear whatever it was she was talking about, but he felt the urge, the urge to go to it. He had to, he didn’t know why he just had to. The rest of the Digidestined look at each other and nod following behind.

“Hey guys wait up” Yolei said as she scrambled to put on her glasses and chased after them. She hadn’t expected them to rush out but if they did it must be important.

“Wait guys we’re not as young as you!” Tai breathed heavily, maybe he shouldn’t have quit playing soccer. He was out of shape.

“Come on Tai” Matt looked at him. Tai had never seen Matt’s eyes look so hopeful. Even though neither of them knew what the star was, it was almost as if they both wanted to believe in a miracle.

The celestial stars in the night sky lit up the path shining their hues onto the floor, illuminating each corner of the forest with their twinkling glow.
The leaves tilted up as the light reflected on them, some on the floor crunching with each step. Their purpose, already fulfilled.

Kari kept running ignoring the countless branches on her path and the leaves crunching. The night was unusually vivid and for the first time in a while she could see a clear path despite the obstacles in the way. There was only one thing on her mind. If what she thought was true, then this really was a miracle, the miracle that she had hoped for so long. She pushed a branch out of the way and ran through a small path. She stopped running and stared at the sight before her in awe.

There, engulfed in the bright light, a single egg lay there, it was glowing dimly ,but its light was piercing the night sky with its resplendent hue. It was captivating and radiant like a beacon in the night sky. The dark indigo of the night sky reflected a vastness full of possibilities. She slid down over the small hill and went towards it. The closer she got, the warmer the presence felt. The more inviting it appeared to be and the more her heart rose with hope.

“Kari! Wait!” T.K. slid down the hill behind her, man why was she such a fast runner. He was too busy chasing after her to notice what was before them. “You can’t just run off like-” He stopped and looked at the light before them, it was enchanting.
He shook it off and slid down the hill following behind her. Still, he couldn’t stop the feeling in his heart that seemed to be radiating from the area, an
unwavering hope.
“Come on guys” Cody moved the branch out of the way and stopped, staring at the sight before him.
The light was blinding but he couldn’t stop looking at it. He could barely recognize what he was seeing, but even still it was something ineffable. “What’s the hold up, Cody?” Ken asks him before stopping and staring at it too. He couldn’t help it, the light was so captivating. The night had never looked so beautiful in his eyes.
“Huh a Digiegg?” Davis raised an eyebrow and looked at it confused. What in the world was a Digiegg doing right there. This wasn’t a nest or the Village of Beginnings. They were in the real world. What was that egg doing there?

Kari stared at the egg and touched it. She couldn't stop the warmth filling her and the tears that started rolling down her face. It felt so relieving to touch, that egg made her heart feel a lot less heavy then it did before. It had to be, there was no mistaking it. The redemption for their sins.

“Kari what's wrong?” T.K. placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her worried. She smiled faintly, but the tears continued to fall down her eyes. Even though she was crying there was something about it that radiated a happiness so intense it brought her to tears. A part of him wanted to cry too , but instead he wiped a tear from her eye and brought her close to him.

“I don’t know why you’re crying ,but I can tell it’s something good and if you’re happy, then I’m happy too” T.K. looks at her with a smile as the tears continue to fall down her eyes. They were warm tears full of a sort of joy. They weren’t anything like the rain that had poured down in the Dark Ocean.

“I can feel it…that egg…it's Meicoomon” She tries to wipe her tears but they wouldn't stop rolling down her face. She couldn't believe it herself ,but there was that gentleness of Meicoomon in that egg traced with memories of joy rather than the suffering and anxiety brought by the darkness. It made her so happy she couldn’t help but cry.

“What?! Are you sure?!” Tai
finally reaches them and looks at her surprise and she nods. He had accepted that the Digimon was gone. Some days he could still see the sadness in everyone's eyes and himself wondering whether or not he did the right thing , but if that was really her then…then could they finally move on from that sin that was cutting away at their hearts.

“If that's true then…”Matt looks around, they had to go find her partner if that was true. She needed to know that her best friend was alive and different now…redeemed.
Having to destroy the Digimon was one of the worst memories in his life and even though they had all shouldered the burden together there was something lonely about it.

“Meicoomon…” a voice says as it cracks with the wind. The wind gently carried her voice towards them. She was standing opposite from them. Staring at them. Her mind was too surprised at what she was hearing to even be surprised they were somehow in her hometown.

They all look up and see the voice coming from a girl with black hair and red glasses, Meiko, the partner of Meicoomon. Every night, she would go visit that forest where they had first met, as a way of feeling connected to her partner, even if, she was gone. She would look up at the stars and wonder how things would be if they were still together. Those stars shining on the forest leaves that cracked with each step, was the closest she had ever gotten to feeling the warmth of her partners’ embrace, melting her troubles away. That was the reason she had chosen to move back home, to feel united to her partner in any way she could.

“Is it really her?”
Meiko drops to her knees and looks at the egg, tears rolling down her eyes. She had missed her partner so much. She had believed that she didn’t deserve to see her again but it didn’t stop her from wishing for that encounter once again. She had never felt so happy in her life, for some reason she couldn’t doubt the truth of that egg. It looked nostalgic yet sweet, without a sense of fear, just the gentle smile of her beloved friend who had passed away and transformed into the sin of mercy.

“There’s no doubt,” Kari says softly and Meiko grabs the egg, holding it tightly. The warmth filling her body. There wasn't a hint of darkness lurking in it. There had always been something strange about Meicoomon that felt like something unsettling lurked beneath
, but now everything really felt just right.

Tai,Matt,T.K., and Kari all look at each other, a smile painting their faces. Forgiveness in each other's eyes. The silent sin was no longer eating away at them. They felt happy their pain had been washed away, because the possibility of
Meiko and Meicoomon getting the future they deserved together was alleviating. Their hearts radiated with that new happiness.

“I knew it…there's nothing a Digimon partnership can't overcome” Kari smiles
her heart felt so free. The pain she had held in her heart for so long was gone, the grudge she had against not just her brother, but herself, it was finally washed away.

“No matter how far apart we might be, the bonds we made are permanent. This story we live through, it’s unwritten and up to us“ T.K.
looks at her and smiles. He was really glad that Digimon had finally returned home. It meant that all of them could rest a little easier now.

“I told you
everything would be okay” Agumon smiled widely at Meiko who nodded.

“You were right…I knew you were” Meiko continued to hold the egg close to her, by some miracle, her partner had finally returned home to her. She closes her eyes and a soft smile paints her face. She remembered all the nights, she would look at the stars, and wish for her partner. The nights she would believe that maybe one day, they’d reunite. “Dandan” she whispers softly at the egg, her voice having surely reached her partner.

“Does that mean we're done?” Cody looks over at Davis. It looked like that was the answer he was looking for, the answer as to why they had been called to such a place. Daemon had one plan, but destiny had another, a destiny that held a miracle.

Davis looks over at them and smiles brightly. “Aw yeah true friendship always wins” Davis grabs Veemon and holds him close to him. They did it!! He knew there was nothing that they all couldn’t do! With moments like this there’s no way he could ever doubt again.

“Davis you're ruining the moment” Yolei pushes him as she looks away. Looking at the touching scene had made her cry, she couldn’t imagine how awful it must have been to end the life of someone’s Digimon. When she thought back to fighting Palmon and Biymon, it filled her with pain ,but this sight filled her with an unshakeable belief in those bonds. The bond between partner and Digimon was priceless. She held Hawkmon a bit tighter at that moment.

“Hey what was tha- wait are you crying ?” Davis looks at Yolei who was wiping tears from her eyes.
Was she really crying? There wasn’t anything sad about this, this was incredible, it meant that partners had been reunited even through the test of time. Maybe it was a bit more emotional than he thought…

“It's okay to cry Yolei” Ken pats her on the shoulder and she looks away from him. Ken couldn’t help ,but remember when he had met up with Leafmon in Primary Village. He was so happy to see his partner, that he cried and he promised he would never let that happen again. To lose his partner was to lose his soul and the Dark Ocean had proven to him that as long as he had his partner and his friends, he would never lose it again.

“I’m not crying!” Yolei loudly said as she couldn’t hide all the tears flowing from her eyes. How could she? After all, she was so happy that her friends would finally be set free from the burden of sin. A sin none of them wanted to commit, but had to for the sake of the future they believed in.

“Let's go home I'm hungry” Armadillomon yawns
and Cody pats him on the head. Little moments like that were part of having a partner, it at least meant nothing was ever boring with them.

“I'm hungry too because Davis ate all the chips” Veemon stands up and crosses his arm. Closing his eyes and delivering a hmph. Davis looked at him bewildered; there was no way that the eating machine had just acted innocent.

“I DID NOT” Davis says rather loudly and everyone turns to look at him. The emotional moment really had been killed by the duo, but in part that was a good thing. It meant things really were as they should be.

“YOU DID” Veemon opens his eyes and protests and they continue to argue back and forth.
“I DID NOT YOU LEFT ME WITH EXPIRED COOKIES” “The past is in the past Davis, besides they were pretty good. Like your wallet that one time” Veemon says with a proud look as Davis begins to shake him.
“Well they never change” Tai looked over at Davis who was now chasing Veemon.

“I don’t know Tai, they seem kind of different now” Matt looks at them and smiles softly.

“Are these your friends who went missing?” Meiko looks at them.

“Yup. I had forgotten you didn’t get the chance to meet them before you moved” Tai answered. By the time they had finally left the hospital, Meiko had already moved.

“They’re a colorful bunch that’s for sure” Matt said looking at them, it seemed that
now Yolei was chasing both Davis and Veemon.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, how have all of you been?” Meiko looks at them as she holds the egg tightly. She had her own ups and downs
this whole time ,but now everything was perfect.

“Well uh-” Tai turns to Kari looking for help, but she doesn’t notice him. He scratches his head uncertain of what to say, he didn’t think he had the right to say things were tough, especially how he had seen how everyone else had suffered. He looks at Agumon, feeling his heart sink, time and time again he had to be powerless to help those he cared about.
Agumon turned to Skullgreymon because of him and his sister almost died because of him. Tai clenched his fist.

“I’m not sure to be honest, but I think everything is a bit better now.” Tai smiles weakly. Yeah the past didn’t matter right now, his feelings weren’t justified. They had nothing to do with the current situation, at least that’s what he told himself because he didn’t want to admit he was running away because that’s what cowards did and he needed to be courageous. That was the heart Agumon had given him.

Matt looks over at Tai and frowns, he could feel some sort of remorse coming from him. Tai always acted strong, but there was something eating away at him. They were at least the same in that regard,but Tai was at least strong, unlike him. His weakness had led him to so many painful goodbyes, he might not be strong, but Gabumon was the one who gave him the feelings he needed to move forward. He shook it off, there would be time to linger in his thoughts later, he always had that habit of staying lost in his own mind.

“I’m sure you know just how much of a relief this is, right?” Matt turns to Meiko who nods. The three of them all looked at the egg in her arms, they still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It didn’t make any sense, they had ended her life, but maybe miracles didn’t need an explanation, just a belief.

“Everything was so hopeless back then,” Meiko says, clenching the egg. Back then she had to watch everything fall apart and watch. Watch as her beloved partner suffers, and feel the feelings of resentment building up in her heart that was built with pain and a desire for mercy. A merciful judgment
that a noble celestial knight glowing with a benevolent blue had delivered onto her partner, her other half.

“That’s not true. I don’t think anything ever really is hopeless. Even in the worst of situations there’s always a light to chase. Even now when it’s night the stars are shining there’s light and even in an eclipse light still breaks through and reaches us.” T.K. answers honestly still looking at the one he held in his arms. The light had never been so clear in his life.

“He’s right. Maybe we don’t see that hope sometimes ,but as long as we don’t give up and keep following that light it’ll lead us to a miracle. Maybe people tell us not to waste our time chasing stars ,but if we don’t our dreams will be left unfulfilled…and there’s nothing wrong with dreaming” Kari looks up at T.K. and smiles. She never wanted to doubt those hopes and dreams ever again, looking at him made it all the more clear.

“When did the two of you get so poetic?” Tai laughed and let out a small smile. Right, they would be okay, no matter what. He didn’t need to feel bad about what he was going to do in the very near future, it’s not like his sister was alone.

“I think they’ve always been like this Tai” Matt hides a laugh and feels his heart sink a little. His brother was a bit different now ,but would T.K. be okay with what he was going to do? Goodbyes were never so simple and neither was fueling your dreams.

“CODY I’M SORRY I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS YOUR HOMEWORK I THOUGHT IT WAS T.K.’s ” Davis yelled as he ran from both Yolei and Cody now.

“WE’RE IN DIFFERENT GRADES DAVIS AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES AND HANDWRITING” Cody continued to chase after him.

“HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW I DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT” Davis yelled. He was running out of breath ,but he didn’t want to face the wrath of Yolei,Cody, and Veemon.

“KEN COME ON BE A HOMIE AND HELP ME” Davis ran past Ken who pretended not to notice him. He really didn’t want to get involved in this battlefield. He would make it up to Davis another day, but for now Davis had to pay for his own crimes.

Ken walked over to the group not exchanged in warfare and looked at the egg. He couldn’t help but smile looking at it.

“It’s amazing right, Ken?” Wormmon looked at him with wonder and content in his eyes.

“It really is,” Ken smiled at his partner. He couldn’t imagine where he would be in his life if not for the loyal partner in his hands, who believed in him, even in his worst times.

“T.K. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT” Davis yelled before tripping and falling downhill. He rolled down the hill and sat up feeling dizzy.

“Hey what did I do?” T.K. looked at Davis slightly offended that he had involved him. Davis was always getting into trouble and dragging others with him, especially Veemon.

“Aw man now they’re going to get me” Davis groans. He was too tired to stand up, he was still exhausted from everything that had happened ,but the fear rushing through him was fueling his adrenaline.

“Serves you right” Yolei begins to laugh and Cody follows. They felt kinda bad he had fallen, but it was also kind of funny. Davis looks at them and begins to laugh too, the fall didn’t hurt at all especially when he was laughing like this with his friends. It had been clearer to him now more than ever, that these moments would last forever as long as you knew where to find them ,but that didn’t mean they should be taken for granted.

The laughter of everyone began to fill the space as they looked at the stars above them. The millions of stars that painted the picture of the night sky had never looked so bright nor so clear. They shone with a luminous hue painted with the hope of a new future. Their radiant hue promised a future given to them by the very miracle of their existence and their lives interwinding in this endless world. In a world that wasn’t just full of suffering, sorrow, and painful goodbyes. Instead it was also full of joy, wonder, and pleasant meetings. It was a world full of endless possibilities.
It was a future that was drawn by the gentle yet passionate sketches of dreams for the future. Dreams that ignited the human spirit to move onwards with the belief of a new dawn.

It was a future that might not always be kind nor compassionate. At times it could be cruel and unforgiving much like the depths of the sea, but it was a future they could shape for themselves with their virtues as long as they had the resolve to move forward and follow the light. The light that would always be in their hearts as long as they always had hope. The hope of a new tomorrow that was full of promises and dreams that destiny has granted them. One they could make with their own hands.

They had finally made it home but the truth is, that their home was deeply sewn together within their own hearts. It didn’t matter which of the many worlds they were in. Whether it was the world of darkness, the world of illusions, the world they had met their partners, or the world they were most familiar with. It would never change the link they all shared with one another. It would never change the fact their meeting was a beautiful miracle by destiny. A destiny that kept their hearts together with its powerful bond despite everything that had tried to tear
those bonds apart.

The night sky really was beautiful.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Thank you,” a voice said, filling the canvas of a dream once left to an artist with no love for art.
The spaces of the dream now filled with pastels that were blended together with gratitude and passion. Kari opened her eyes and woke from her dream. It had been three months since the dream had called her to the dark ocean.

Since they defeated Daemon she didn't have a single dream about that place. There was nothing wrong with it, nothing unsettling. It was just a dream of the Digital World’s flowers growing lusciously in a field. There were many white flowers laying in a beautiful array as the light gently shone on them. She looked next to her and there Gatomon lay, still asleep. She patted her Digimon gently and smiled. Grateful for the brand new day ahead.

She stood up and got ready and left her room. So many things had changed since back then, but everything felt a lot more vivid than it ever did before. The colors looked more vivid and the sun felt like it shone brighter on her path and her heart felt much less heavy. Now her heart felt like it was free to dream and that her hope could not be extinguished.

“Good Morning.” Her mother said with a smile. As she placed another plate of food on the table. She looked at her mother and smiled then back at the table. Agumon was at the table filling himself with breakfast, but her brother was nowhere in sight.
“Is Tai still asleep?” Kari asked her mom who shook her head. It wasn’t anything unusual that Tai would still be asleep, but somehow that didn’t feel right today. “No he’s packing,” Her mother responded as she placed some more breakfast on a plate and placed it on the table. Agumon happily observed it and began to munch on it with delight.
“Packing?!” Kari looked at her bewildered, unable to hide the shock. Tai being awake was enough of a surprise without telling her that he was packing. Packing…for what? She had a feeling, but…would Tai really keep something like that a secret? Ever since they returned from the World of Darkness she felt her brother had grown more distant…but she wanted to believe it was all in her head…but maybe it wasn’t.

“He didn’t tell you?” Her mom tilted her head and a puzzled expression painted her face. Her two children had always been very close and it would be surprising if Tai hadn’t told her that today was the day he was moving away for college.
“Yeah I just forg- No, he didn’t.” Kari shook her head and then ran over to her brother’s room and opened the door. Sure enough, Tai was there. Putting away precious belongings in boxes. She looked at him and hid a frown…he had a very lonely expression on his face and she hated to see it. “Tai, where are you going?” Kari spoke to him quietly, she knew there would be a day he would leave, but she didn’t think it would be so soon… he hadn’t said a word about it. He had been acting like nothing was going on these past few days. It was almost as if he was specifically keeping the truth away from her.

“I didn’t want to tell you yet because I knew it’d be hard for you, but I found a place. I’m going to start College soon and I need to get a start on it soon” Tai picked up his bag and put it on his shoulder. It wasn’t as heavy as he thought it’d be, he’d chosen to leave many things behind. It wasn’t that there were things he didn’t want anymore, they were things that he felt he shouldn’t take with him. Things that were too precious to take.

“But Tai, you don’t even know what you’re going to study.” Kari looks at him sadly, unable to hide the pain it was bringing her. The way it felt…it felt as if Tai was just leaving for the sake of it. Leaving to avoid something…the way she left and trapped herself in that cold, dark sea to avoid feeling that pain. Maybe it was the same for Tai…even though he had always been so brave.

“I’ll figure it out, an early start won’t hurt“ Tai pats her on the head and smiles, a sincere but painful smile. This was something he had to do and he already made the choice. He wasn’t going to turn around now, he had always been stubborn after all.

“Okay…” Kari says holding back her tears, she couldn’t believe that day had come, and with no warning too. “You promise to visit right?” Kari says softly, waiting for his answer, but knowing deep down that it wouldn’t be the answer she wanted to hear.

Tai remains silent. He looks over to a corner and sees a soccer ball laying there. It was amazing how long that soccer ball had lasted, it was old and battered, but he could never get rid of it, because it was a reminder…a reminder of how he almost killed his sister. When he looked into her eyes, he could feel he wasn’t worthy, worthy of protecting her, worthy of how much she loved him. It always broke him when he looked at her, and now it made it painfully clear that pain would never leave him. If he were to tell her all this, he knew she would only blame herself to take the pain off his shoulders, that was the kind of person she was. Which is why he would leave in silence without a word.

Tai walks over to the ball and picks it up he walks over to her and places it in her hands. “Make sure to play with Agumon” He grabs the box and walks out the door. Agumon had been hurt so many times because of him, he had made him dark digivolve and he didn’t deserve that. He was an innocent guy just like Kari. They were both blameless if he stayed in their lives he would only make them miserable.

“Wait Tai you aren’t taking him?” Kari leaves his room and goes after him, but the front door was already shut, he was gone without a word. “Tai…” she says quietly as she looks at Agumon. It was okay if he had left her behind…but he couldn’t leave behind Agumon. That wasn’t right. Agumon was his partner.
Tai shuts the door behind him and looks at the apartment
door. The apartment that held his whole childhood. There he would leave Agumon. It was a place where Agumon would have plenty of food to eat, plenty of people to play with, attention he needed, and a painless future.
He walks away, carrying the box in his hands. This was the right thing to do. “Hey Tai!” Kari runs after him and he looks away from her. He didn’t want to face her. He couldn’t anymore. Maybe he was just being a coward, but if he were to face this, if he were to face her, there would only be more pain for them both.“No matter what happens, you and Agumon will always be partners.”
Kari looks at him, her eyes meeting his eyes, the gaze he had avoided for so long. It was the same look she always had, that never changed, but this time, he couldn’t listen to her. “And you’ll always be my innocent little sister.” Tai looks away from her. His eyes hiding a million words locked behind his heart, he walks away, box in hand, without looking back. It was already too late to turn back, he wasn’t going to have them both suffer because of his mistakes.

Kari looks at her brother as he walks off.
She didn’t know what he was going through, but she could tell, he was in pain and it hurt. Maybe she wasn’t sure of what the future held ,but no matter what she wanted to have hope for that future. Even if things seemed dark she wanted to believe in those dreams and no matter what, she would always look up to him, always seek him, because he was her brother, the one person who had been her protector, since the beginning.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Musical instruments filled the scenery. Instruments blended perfectly together with vocals matching them tirelessly to create a perfect unison of delight to the ears. A blending of string instruments, wind, and percussion filled the air. The bass at the center, the instrument typically left
as support leading the way. It was an instrument very much like the one who struck each chord. The harmonica as the solo, mellow but full of aspirations.

T.K. smiled as his brother finished up rehearsal and got off the stage putting down his bass and walking towards him.
The music sounded fantastic; he couldn't believe how much his brother was improving. He couldn’t wait to hear all the new music his brother would write in the future.

“The new song sounds great! What’s its name?” T.K. looked at his brother, excited. He had always loved Matt’s music and even if he couldn’t always go, he always did his best to go to every rehearsal. Those times where Matt played music to his heart’s content, that made him feel connected to his brother no matter how far away on stage he might have been.

“It’s called Which.” Matt grinned, he had put his all into this song, of course he did with all his music, but there was something different about this one. He wanted to make sure the message stuck to people’s heads, after all, it was the last one.

“The harmonica solos were great!” T.K. said enthusiastically. The song was full of a lot of passion and he was really on fire up on the stage. It was as if the whole world had stopped just to hear the voice coming from his brother’s heart. At least that’s how he felt…because when he heard his brother’s music, he could feel some of his worries wash away.

“Thanks, I added them because of Gabumon…” Matt looked over at his partner who was happily chatting with Patamon.
The harmonica was the first instrument he had learned to play, whenever he played it he was always brought back to the first night in the Digital World, where his brother and Gabumon both lay asleep hearing the tune yet it also brought him back to the times where he has had to say goodbye to his partner.

“I’m glad it works really well. I can’t wait for the show tonight!” T.K. smiles at his brother. It was the last rehearsal before the concert at the festival today and he was looking forward to it and he wanted everyone to go see it too. He wanted to see Matt perform and tell everyone “That’s my brother!” even though they all already knew that.

“I hope you enjoy it, because it’ll be the last one.” Matt says as he takes off the bass and puts it on the chair next to him. He avoids looking at T.K. directly as he says it. He shouldn’t have waited this long to tell him, but he knew he couldn’t bear that disappointed look on T.K.’s face. At least if he did it today T.K. would have friends there for him.
“HUH” T.K. looks at him shocked. “Are you starting a new band for the third time or-” T.K. says hopefully, he didn’t want to believe what it was that Matt was saying, but… “No, this is the last time I play music like this,” Matt says, trying to speak quietly so that Gabumon doesn’t hear him. Matt looks at Gabumon, noticing him busy talking to Patamon and then turns to look at T.K. again. Gabumon wasn’t ready to hear that news…and he wasn’t sure how it was he was supposed to tell him. Disappointing T.K. was bad enough, but both Gabumon and T.K. at the same time…he felt like a monster because of it.
“But why?” T.K. asks him. He was still in complete shock, but things were starting to make sense. Matt had always played each song with passion but there was something especially powerful about today’s rehearsal, you could tell that it was like he was up there alone with his music and didn’t want to ever stop.
“I won’t have time for this when I start college.”
Matt scratches his neck and delivers a false smile. There were things he had to leave behind for the future even if it hurt. Goodbyes had always been the most painful yet prominent part of his life. He would never escape that endless duel with time and he knew it was the same for his brother. “You’re telling me you aren’t going to be a rockstar? But people love your music” T.K. looked at him sadly, it wasn’t just people, he loved hearing his brother’s music, it made him feel connected to him. Even when he was little and they didn’t see each other anymore, he had forgotten his brother’s voice, but never the sound of the instrument that came from his soul.

Matt looked at him, he knew the decision would upset his brother, but he couldn’t keep up that childish dream forever, even if it made him happy. “Today is the last show, any special requests?” Matt says with a weak smile.

“Yeah…. “For me” you know, the one where you sing "Don't Say Goodbye”…that one was always my favorite…” T.K. looks at his brother and smiles faintly. Out of all the songs that Matt had ever made…that was the one that felt the most like his brother was letting out his true feelings and that was the song he understood the pain he sang with the most. Goodbyes had always been something so painful…and now he was saying it again, but this time to a part of his brother that had always been so valuable.

“Of course.” Matt ruffles his hair and begins to walk
out of the studio.
He avoids looking his brother in the eyes as he walks out, he knew that if he were to look at him, he would break. His brother had always seen him as his hero even now as old as they were, T.K. still believed that and if he were to see his disappointed look he wouldn’t be able to take that. It was exactly why he had been so upset T.K. had looked up to Tai back then, he felt it was the only thing he had in this world. To lose his brother was to lose everything. He was still his hero that hadn’t changed at all since back then, the way T.K.
looked at him proved it,
but that wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t changed.

In this world his brother had always been the most important person to him, the person he loved the most
and his partner Digimon had been his other half. All the music he wrote was always tied to them in some way. With each note he pressed and each note he sang, he could see them. If he kept making music, he would be reminded of how painful it would be to say goodbye, and he wasn’t ready for that yet. He never was. Goodbyes were something so horrible that he was okay with admitting to himself he didn’t want to ever say it.

~

T.K. looked over at Gabumon, he was talking with Patamon completely unaware of what was happening.
Gabumon had a sort of joy ignited in his eyes, he had it everytime Matt played an instrument. That decision Matt had made, it would probably hurt Gabumon the most…

His ringtone filled the air, the same song he asked his brother to play just a few seconds ago. He loved that song, it was his ringtone and he never got tired of hearing it, even if Davis spammed him with calls.

Matt walks back into the room with a water bottle and drinks from it. He hands over a bottle to Gabumon who excitedly begins to praise the music. Gabumon spoke with an enormous smile and Matt looked at him with a small smile hiding the pain behind his eyes. He finally understood why his brother would do that sort of thing.
T.K. looks at the caller and smiles despite the pain he could still feel yet his smile was genuine. He answers and puts the phone up to his ear. “Hey what’s up?” T.K. talks into the phone and listens to the other voice carefully. “Hey sorry, can we talk before the festival?” The voice on the other end asks. “Of course, you don’t need to apologize, I'm on my way. Alright Bye.” T.K. hangs up the phone and puts it in his pocket. He looks over at Patamon and motions at him to come. Patamon flies over to his partner and sits on his head.
“Who was that?” Matt smirks as he puts down his bottle and looks at his brother, but he already had a feeling who it was he had just talked too. After all she was the only person he ever saw him have that goofy grin with.

“It’s just Kari, she needed to talk about something.” T.K. picks up his hat and brushes it before moving it towards his head. Patamon looks at him and flies up and then T.K. puts his hat on. Patamon gets back on his head and smiles. That was the most comfortable place in the world to him.

“Just?” Matt raises an eyebrow. Oh please there was no way he really thought that was believable. He had seen the way they acted three months ago and even before and after that. Now he was starting to feel impatient with his brother.

“Uh yeah...”
T.K.’s face shifts to an embarrassed red and he looks away from his brother and Patamon giggles. T.K. puts his hand to the back of his neck and laughs nervously, he could already imagine Patamon’s knowing look and it made things worse. “Jeez dude just ask her out already.” Matt rolls his eyes. How he hadn’t yet was beyond any logical explanation he could come up with. There was no defending him this time.

“I’ll see you tonight at the concert.” T.K.
dodges him and begins to walk out the door.

“Uh huh” Matt sighs.
For having the Crest of Hope, his brother sure was hopeless.

“Hey Matt?” T.K. stops at the door and turns to look at his brother

“What?” Matt responds with a sigh.

“I’m always here for you. You know that right?” T.K. looks at Matt, his eyes innocent and sincere. That was the look Matt had missed seeing in his eyes. The look that said he really believed that everything would be okay and the look that said he wasn’t powerless to make a difference.

“Yeah.” Matt laughs softly. His brother was a bit different now then before. He had grown up a lot in such a short time, but that hopeful look in his eyes, it never changed and he didn’t think it ever would. As long as T.K. knew he wasn’t alone, he wouldn’t lose hope. That’s how he felt looking at his brother and he wanted to be that way too…but right now despite having so many people around him, he felt lonely. Lonely in this choice he had made and the path he was about to take.

T.K. smiled as he left, maybe
Matt was right, maybe he wouldn’t have as much time, but that didn’t mean it was an excuse to give up on his dreams.
Having hopes and dreams for the future was part of what made life so thrilling. He couldn't change his mind ,but he could at least let his brother
know he could count on him. After all, no matter how many years passed, his brother would always be his hero. He could never do anything that would break that image he had built since their youth, even if he were to change his dreams, he would be right there supporting him because one of his favorite sights in this world was his brother’s smile. It wasn’t often that Matt smiled, but when he did it was full of a passion that inspired him to be better.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Before the familiarity of the shop had been something so mundane to her life. Now there was something Yolei found so comforting to work at the shop. Even if she wanted to leave it unattended sometimes, it was a part of her life and something as simple as scanning groceries and putting it in bags, it became something so valuable to her heart.

“Right that’ll be- Sora?!” Yolei looked up at the client who was buying a few supplies. She looked at her surprised. She felt like she hadn’t seen Sora in what felt like ages even when all the Digidestined made plans to go somewhere, Sora was never there and Sora never called anymore, not even to check up on people.

“I don’t think that’s the right currency.” Sora teased and Yolei looked at her and smiled. For a while she had been worried about how Sora was doing so she was glad that she had showed up. Sora barely answered her messages and she would quickly say goodbye in school, apologizing that she was busy, but now Sora was there teasing her and it made her feel a little better.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, where’s Biyomon?” Yolei said as she continued to place her items in bags. If she barely saw Sora then she saw even less of Biyomon throughout the days. The last time she had seen Biyomon was actually when they had returned from the World of Darkness three months ago.

“Biyomon is at home.” Sora smiled faintly. Yes, Biyomon was at home where she was safe and sound. Where nobody could hurt her partner nor force her to fight.
Biyomon could be at home and sleep comfortably in her bed. She could make Biyomon all the meals she wanted…there was no need for Biyomon to leave and fly through the skies where someone could shoot an arrow at her and make her come tumbling down.

Yolei smiled back, when they came back all those months ago, Biyomon had been okay, thankfully. She had been so worried about Biyomon, but at the same time she had gained an unshakeable faith. An unshakable faith that things would always turn out alright between partners. “I thought you disappeared again,” Yolei teased Sora back. Lately it felt like all the older digidestined were professionals at disappearing, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t stay in touch. Even if at times they didn’t talk, that didn’t mean she didn’t care about them. She sincerely loved all her friends and she knew they felt the same way.

“Sorry, I’ve been busy thinking about my future” Sora responded to her. It had been a short time since graduation and she wanted to be certain of what she would be doing with her future. She had spent countless days and nights thinking this over, wondering what it was she wanted, but it wasn’t about what she wanted. There was something she needed to do.

“Oh that makes sense. So what are you going to study?” Yolei asked curiously. Sora had never really been one to share much about her future, she always seemed embarrassed when she talked about it, but the way Biyomon always looked at her, it looked like she knew all those dreams and was proud of Sora for it.

“Nothing.” Sora responds casually. There was no need for her to hide what it was anymore that she had decided to do with her path. It was unavoidable for everyone to see and she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her from the choice she made…not even Biyomon.

“Huh?! WHY?!” Yolei exclaimed rather loudly. She didn’t think Sora was that unambitious like that and she didn’t think that Biyomon would support a decision like that…the Digimon always encouraged their partners to follow their dreams, that was the way Hawkmon was and she knew Biyomon was the same way.

“I’m going to carry on flower arranging.” Sora looked at Yolei seriously. That was the choice she had made. It was the choice that had been made for her the moment she was born into this world and now it would be her choice to follow it.

“But why?” Yolei looked at her confused, noticing a hint of resentment in Sora’s eyes. Even though Sora said it with such certainty, she couldn’t help but feel that Sora wasn’t happy with that choice. It seemed as if Sora had made a choice that wasn’t her following her heart…at least that’s how she felt looking at her.

“Sometimes there’s things in life you have to do. We all have our obligations. Isn’t that how you feel about this store?” Sora asked her as she paid for the supplies and grabbed the bags. Her destiny was one she had been running away from since she was a child, she had finally chosen to give in. Maybe she wasn’t entirely sure of what she wanted, but she knew one thing. She never wanted to fight anymore, never wanted the partner she loved to suffer again. So she would walk this path, even if it was a bit lonely.

Yolei paused for a while, maybe it was true before but things were different now. Throughout her time in the Digital World she had been forced to do things she didn't want to, like fighting Digimon, but it was something that she didn’t do anymore because she had to, she did it because it was the right thing to do, even if at times it hurt. Fighting those Digimon had brought them back to their partners.

“No, I do it because I want to.”
Yolei responds to her sincerely, her eyes full of compassion for all the Digimon they had met throughout their journey and the people she had met. There were things she had done in the past she didn’t want to do, hurt those she loved even though she didn’t want to, but for their sake, she would keep pushing through, with compassion in her heart. A compassion she never wanted to let go off

“Then this is something I have to do.” Sora said, her voice serious as she turned around and walked out the door.
There were some things you had to do because you were becoming an adult. Hiding from the future will only make you miserable.

“Hey Yolei, what are you still doing here? Weren’t you going to a festival with your friends?” Yolei’s dad walked in and looked at the counter.

“My shift hasn’t ended.”
Yolei looked at him and he shook his head at her.

“Go have fun with your friends. I have this covered.” Her dad handed an envelope with her paycheck. “I added a little extra for your hard work as thanks for everything you always do. Maybe I don’t always show it but I’m grateful. You’re a big help.” Her dad said with a big smile.

“You didn’t have to.” Yolei looks at him feeling a bit guilty. There was a time and there still were times she felt forgotten, but little moments like that reminded her, just how much her family really treasured her.

“You deserve it now, go have fun.” Her dad sent her away and Yolei left with a smile.
Maybe there were things you didn’t exactly want to do, but that didn’t mean they weren’t worth doing, there was a reason for everything, no matter how painful, but as long as you had compassion in your heart, everything would turn out alright. That’s what she thought to herself as she left to get ready.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The air around the cemetery felt different then it normally did. It didn’t matter much though, because he had come to do something important. Something he never wanted to forget how important it was. Cody closed his eyes and reflected on his father and prayed. The father he had always looked up to and always would. He stood up and began to exit the cemetery when he saw a familiar face at the entrance

“Joe?” Cody said as he saw his senior. He hadn’t seen him in a while, he assumed Joe was busy studying as usual so didn’t try and reach him after all college must be a lot of work, but now that he looked at Joe after all this time, he seemed kind of down. No, more than just that, he seemed like he was hurting deeply.

“Hi, Cody.” Joe waved to him with a small smile and Cody walked over to him.

“Weren’t you going to the festival?” Joe asked him and Cody nodded. He quickly looked at the time on his D-3 to make sure he wasn’t late and then put it away. He didn’t want to hear Davis complaining that he had been late. Davis had given T.K. a very stern talking to yesterday about being on time and answering the phone so he didn’t want to be a part of that too.

“Yes, but I wanted to stop here first. Weren’t you going too Joe?” Cody looked at Joe who had a bunch of books in his hand, all medical books except for one. Most of Joe’s books were about studying and medicine, but the one that had caught his eye. It was one that seemed to be a children’s book.

Joe frowned and then shook his head.“I have too much studying to get done, plus my girlfriend can’t go anymore” Joe sighed and scratched his head. He knew he sounded really suspicious right now, but she really did cancel!

“Uh huh…”Cody said suspiciously, any supposed credibility his girlfriend might have definitely vanished out the window. He didn’t want to doubt him but…

Before Cody could ask his next question, Joe drops the very book he had noticed was an outlier among them. Cody bends down and picks it up, looking at it for a few seconds before handing it back to Joe who looks at it sadly. That book, he had read it once before, or rather he remembered his grandfather having read it to him. It was a book he could never forget for some reason.

“That book was a book my classmate had lent me, he said it was important to him. It was a book his father had given him before passing away. It inspired him to become a doctor.” Joe smiled weakly at it yet a hint of regret painted his face. A deep regret that he had been holding back for a while.

“Where is that classmate now?” Cody looks at Joe who stays silent before speaking. The air around them felt cold despite the warm spring breeze that had filled the air and the sun that was gently shining on them.

“That classmate, he died and I never got to return it.” Joe says sadly. He looks at it and clenches it tightly. It had been three months since his death and he still hadn’t mustered the courage to see him and make things right.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Cody looks at him sadly and Joe pats his head. The look Joe had, he recognized it well, it was a look that was full of grief. A grief that he didn’t know how he was supposed to let go of it…a look that was wondering why his classmate had died.

“I came to pay my respects, the road isn’t easy to become a doctor. My classmate died saving someone from a fire, but why…why did he have to die and leave his dreams behind” Joe looks over at the cemetery, clenching his fist. He had been hesitating to enter this entire time. He looks at the book in his hands, wondering if he could find inspiration in something like this, but it didn’t seem like it…he couldn’t look at it without being in pain.

Cody looked over at Joe, he had never seen him look so down. Joe was a guy who tended to look down, but he always got back up and tried again when he failed. Now his eyes looked broken.
Cody looked at him, hoping the right words would be the one exiting his mouth.

“Joe, it’s because that’s what he believed in. If he wanted to be a Doctor it was probably to save people, he died still chasing that dream of helping others. He lived a fulfilling life.” Cody looked at Joe’s eyes, somehow he felt he was finally able to see his face clearly. His father had died leaving behind his dream too, but that didn’t mean it was unfulfilled. At least that’s how he felt when he looked at him and faintly remembered his smile.
Joe looked at him surprised and then his expression returned to a sorrow blended with frustration and grief. “Maybe so but he didn’t deserve to go out that way.” Joe clenches his fist and closes his eyes in pain. It wasn’t fair. That shouldn’t have happened to him…why did things have to be like this and why couldn’t he make a difference. Cody patted Joe on the hand and Joe opened his eyes. “No one does, but sometimes we need to make difficult decisions
in order to do what we think is right.” Cody looked at Joe, the memories of BlackWargreymon filling his mind. He made a difficult decision at the end of his life, but he did it because it was right. It was the same with Oikawa, he didn’t go to the Digital World but instead chose to protect it. The same way his father had died protecting someone else. Those were people he was certain had lived, lived chasing their hearts and fulfilling their dreams even in those final moments. Joe looked at him and finally smiled, even if it was a small one.
“You’re right, thank you. I’ll see you some other time” Joe waved at him and entered the cemetery.
Life. It was something so fragile. What exactly did it mean to save people? Who needed to be saved? There were many questions on his mind, but somehow he felt a little more at peace. The words Cody had said, he could sense were from his heart, from experiences and pain he had gone through.

Cody watched as Joe disappeared from view. Maybe it was hard carrying on your path when so many hurtful things happened, but it was only natural to suffer along the way as you do what’s right. Joe’s friend had led an honorable life, just like his father, just like Oikawa, just like BlackWargreymon, and just like the life he wanted to live.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The way back home was nothing unfamiliar, their flowers were blooming, the sun was shining, and the leaves were being gently carried by the cool breeze, but it felt so different from three months ago. It wasn’t just the changing seasons, but his shoulders felt a lot less heavy then back then and now he felt he could walk with his head held up high. Cody walked through the field and went up the elevator. He then knocked on the door to the apartment, waiting for his friend.

“I’m right here!” Yolei opened the door with a wide smile. Proud of herself for being on time because she didn’t want to be scolded the way T.K. had been yesterday. Speaking of, he wasn’t here, but she had seen him leave saying that he was going to go to Matt’s recital so she wasn’t worried. Okay, maybe she was a little worried about him being on time because he didn’t seem to be too shaken by Davis’ threats. Eh he’d be fine.Yolei closed the door behind her and gave Cody a thumbs up.

“Early this time?” Cody asks her, recalling how last time he waited ages for her because she didn’t want to wake up since she had stayed up organizing the storage for the store.

“You know it!” Yolei laughed and gave him another thumbs up and they both began to walk towards the festival. Enjoying the breeze around them, the breeze was easier to appreciate remembering how abrasive the one from the World of Darkness was. This world was the one they belonged in.

“Hey Cody?”
Yolei turned to him and he looked up at her. There was something she wanted to say to him, the familiar sight had reminded her and she wanted to make sure he knew what it was she was going to say to him.

“Yeah?” Cody responded he looked at her curiously. The same curiosity he had always had since the day they had met. That never changed and she was glad for it even though it seemed like he was changing little by little each day.

“You still owe me brownies” Yolei smiled at him and Cody looked at her somewhat guilty. The last time his computer broke his mother had been out so she couldn’t make brownies…their computer sure broke a lot, maybe it really was time for a new one.

“Sorry, I’ll call my mom to ask if she could make some.”
Cody begins to pull out his phone to call his mom, maybe she could make some brownies today and everyone could come over and have some. Yolei puts her hand on his and stops him. He looks up at her waiting to see why she had stopped him.

“Cody, what I really wanted to say was thank you” Yolei lifts up her hand and smiles at him. She didn’t want to just say that she was grateful, she wanted to prove to him that she really meant the words she was saying. All these years she spent with everyone, she was grateful for all of them even if there had been some rough patches along the way.

“Thank you, how come?” Cody looked at her confused. There wasn't anything he could recall that he had done that would require a thanking and yet Yolei sounded so sincere when she had said it that there was no doubt in him that she truly was thankful.

“You’ve dealt with me in my ups and downs and I’m grateful to have you.” Yolei smiled at him. Even though she had said something so horrible to him at the time he didn’t give up on her and she was grateful for it.
Cody looks at her a bit surprised. She didn’t need to thank him, in fact he felt he was the one who needed to thank her, but maybe there wasn’t a need for that. Some things were known and didn’t need to be said because no words could ever convey them properly.

“Do you remember that talk we had three months ago before we went to the Digital World. I think a lot has changed since then” Cody says and she nods. Remembering that conversation was exactly the reason she had brought it up.

“Cody, you said you would always be okay with doing the right thing, and I can see now that it doesn’t mean there will always be a right thing to do. There’s always going to be things we have to do that we don’t want to do, " Yolei says, her heart unwavering. That was an important lesson she had learned and she didn’t want to let go of it because it was part of the reason she was finding the strength to move forward on her path no matter what happened.

“But if we can rely on each other things won’t be too bad.” Cody adds in, his shoulders looked a lot less heavy then back then. It was like he wasn’t letting the weight of the world crush him and it was like he had accepted that he wouldn't be troubling his friends because he belonged with them and that would never change.

“Bingo!” Yolei grins. Cody smiles back at her. He could tell that they both had changed since back then. Yolei was more willing to trust others and believe in them and it was a good thing. Ever since then she seemed a lot happier and it made everyone happier too.

“Now come on let’s go, we don’t want Davis to get there before us or he’ll never let us hear the end of it.” Yolei tells him with a grin and she looks at the time. There was still time, but she would rather just go to the festival already. After all, it felt like she had been anticipating this day for months.

“I was thinking the same.” Cody grabbed Armadillomon and looked at his partner with a smile. He was glad that Armadillomon was with him. They belonged together. Cody looked up and then at Yolei and for a second he could feel an impulse go over him.

“Race you there” Cody runs out and Yolei looks at him surprised then she makes a run for it too. He didn’t change, he was always the same, but now he was letting himself a bit more loose, exactly what she wished for back then. He changed in little ways, and so did she. She wasn’t about to fall behind either. They were always changing, little by little, day by day, there would be something different even if just a little bit.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ken looked at the screen from behind Izzy who was clacking away at his keyboard. Izzy had asked him to stop by in order to do something ,but he looked so busy he didn’t want to interrupt, but he would have to do it eventually because not only did he have a festival to go to and didn’t want Davis to be upset that he was late, but if Izzy had called him, it was for a reason.

“Izzy?” Ken spoke softly and Izzy turned around. His eyes looked exhausted. It looked like he had been working tirelessly and while that wasn’t unusual for Izzy, he looked especially tired today. Almost as if he hadn’t slept in days because this project was the only thing on his mind.

“You’re here? I’m glad you could make it. Can I see your D-3?” Izzy asks as Ken nods. Ken looks at it for a few seconds before smiling faintly. The device, it didn’t feel like it was something that had tainted him instead like something that united him with his precious partner. Ken hands over the D-3 and Izzy puts it on the Digivice slot on his computer and begins to download some information, Ken looks at him confused.

“What are you doing Izzy?” Ken pulls up a chair and sits down next to him. Whatever Izzy was doing must have been something very important if he was working so hard on it. Izzy had always been a hard worker, but right now it seemed like he was on a crunch time. Typing away as if the fate of the world depended on what it was he was doing…as if the people he cared about were in trouble and he needed to save them.

“I’m downloading data from the Dark Ocean. I want to make sure no one ever has to go to that world again” Izzy continues to type away, it was like he was always busy with something and it looked like he had been right. Izzy had a meaning to the work he was doing and that was enough to give him the strength to push through even though he looked so very tired.

“Oh I see.” Ken says. That was an honorable thing to want, but was it really possible? If they sealed the gate and someone got trapped there it could be dangerous. He didn’t want to think of a world where anyone else would get stuck there or even die by the hands of that grueling sea. No one deserved to be there. He didn’t deserve to be there either and he was glad that the Dark Ocean no longer felt like the destiny that awaited him. Now destiny felt different, his destiny felt like one that was painted with dreams.

“I’m working on the database with all the Digidestined to make sure they’re all online. So if something ever happens like with you guys last year, or with us three months ago, we’ll find them” Izzy says as he stops typing, he looks at Tentomon, somewhat apologetically and then continues. He couldn’t let anyone disappear again. He couldn’t let anyone’s partners be taken and forced to do something so awful.

“Izzy, I don’t think you need to worry about people making it there.” Ken bends down and looks at Izzy’s computer, there were countless codes written up. Some crossed out and changed to a comment, others that still had flaws he was working on. “I think everyone is going to be okay.” Ken says sincerely, that was the truth and that was what he didn’t want to stop believing.

Izzy stops typing and remains silent. Maybe Ken was right…, but he wanted to be realistic. He couldn’t place his hope blindly in everyone having faith like Ken did. As much as he wanted to do that, things didn’t always turn out that way.
“Not everyone has friends to rescue them from the darkness” Izzy continues to type away at his computer. He couldn’t give up, if he did, he would be worthless. That’s why he would keep typing. For the people that believed in him, he didn’t want to ever let them down and have them end up in such a horrible place.

“Maybe not, but I think there will always be someone that cares about you to rescue you from yourself.” Ken looks at Izzy, his eyes sincere. If someone like him had been saved, more than once from the darkness. Then they could all be saved, that was the dream he was going to believe in no matter what.

Izzy looks at him a little surprised and then smiles. Ken was right, but he needed that peace of mind, the peace of mind that would only come from clearing away his regrets. He didn’t want anyone to ever have to end up in that place and if he could do something about it he would. He wasn’t going to sit by and watch as others got hurt. No, he would do something for them, that was what his knowledge was for and he wasn’t going to let go of it.

Wormmon looks over at Ken’s phone that suddenly brightens up from a call and hands it over to Ken. Ken pats Wormmon who happily closes his eyes. He was glad that they were together and that his partner’s heart felt stronger than ever.
“Hello?” Ken thanks Wormmon and responds to the voice.
“Hey where are you, I’m in front of your place and you’re not here” “Oh sorry” Ken hangs up his phone and puts it in his pocket. He didn’t mean to take up so much time, but this was important. Davis would understand.

“Bye Izzy.” Ken begins to walk out the door, he was going to get an earful wasn’t he, but he didn’t mind. There were as many people in this world as there were stars in the sky, maybe he couldn’t reach all of them, but he wanted to help the people around him how they had helped him. He knew Izzy wanted to do the same, but if he forgot how it was he got there he wouldn’t be able to help anyone.

“Hey Ken.” Izzy finally stops typing, but his eyes remain locked on the computer. Usually he wouldn’t notice when people would say goodbye and leave him to his own world, but this time he did.

“Yes?” Ken stops at the door and looks at Izzy. Waiting to see what it was that Izzy would say. It had to be something important if he had stopped working.

“You’re right, but I’m still going to keep doing this, because no matter what I refuse to give up.” Izzy looks at him with determination. His pursuit of knowledge would never end, because that knowledge he had wasn’t for himself. It was for everyone and he didn’t want anyone to go through something so horrible as drowning alone in a cold, dark place. It was something important that he needed to do for the sake of everyone’s worlds.

“I know you can do this,” Ken says as he shuts the door. No matter the amount of doubt someone could have in themselves, there would always be someone there with compassion as long as you didn’t walk away from them. After all peoples’ virtues are what keep them going, towards the future. If he could still stand after everything that had happened, he knew others could as well. They just needed to chase that light of hope and believe in their resolve. He knew Izzy knew this too, after all a little bit of kindness can really take someone a long way from that brokenness they live with. No matter how much regret he might have over his past, he wanted to move forward so others could see that there’s always the chance for a new start.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Aw man this guy just hung up and didn’t even tell me if he was ready. Guess I’ll just crash in. Nothing unusual” Davis kicked a rock and then sighed. He walks up the stairs and knocks on the door and Ken’s mom answers.

“Oh Ken? He said he went to see one of your friends” Ken’s mother responded with a smile. She was always happy to see her son’s friends. She was so proud of how far he had become. Her son was finally enjoying himself the way he deserved, the way Sam deserved too. “What?! Which one?!” Davis looks at her surprised. Ken hadn’t said a word?! And after he came all the way over here too. Why didn’t Ken mention this sooner?! Now he was the one who was probably going to be late and he didn’t want T.K. to laugh at him for it.“Uh what was his name Mozy?” Ken’s mom says as she puts her hand to her chin. “Mozy? I don’t know any Mozy” Davis tilted his head. Mozy? Who the hell was Mozy? Did Ken make a new friend and didn’t tell him? Well as long as that new friend didn’t think he was Ken’s best friend or made him late it made him happy to know he made a friend. Davis thought, but then realization soon hit his face “Oh You mean Izzy?”

“Oh yes, him! He has so many friends it's hard to keep up.”
Ken’s mom smiles genuinely and Davis smiles back. It must make her really happy that her son had friends after everything that had happened. She probably would never have imagined that a few years ago and honestly he could say the same for himself. He never thought he would have made so many wonderful friends that made his life so thrilling and fulfilling.

“Thanks, I'll see you later!” Davis runs out and begins to make his way towards Izzy’s place. They were all supposed to go to the festival and he didn’t want any of them late. The speech he gave yesterday must have worked to some degree even if there was a lot of eye rolling.

“Davis?” Mimi looks at him, she hadn’t expected to find him on the road. She had heard about them going to a festival, they had invited her and the older Digidestined as well, but none of them were able to make it. For reasons all kept ambiguous.

“Mimi, what are you doing here?” Davis looked at Mimi who had a bunch of bags with her. She looked like she was struggling to carry them. They must have been really heavy. He was glad they had met because at least now he could offer to help her. He didn’t mind being late if it meant helping a friend in need.

“I was taking these bags to a donation center.” Mimi showed him the bags, they were full of many clothes. So much so, the bags already had small tears at the bottom. She didn’t need them anymore and she thought that maybe they’d be able to help someone in need. Someone that deserved better than the cruel fate that had been given to them.

“Really?” Davis looked at her a bit surprised and she nodded. Davis took some of the bags from her hands and smiled. “Well let me help you then.”
Davis looks at her and Mimi returns a thankful look at him.

“Thank you. I’m moving again and I don’t need all this stuff.” Mimi said as they both began to walk off. She couldn’t take so many things with her and even if she could, these weren’t the things she wanted to take with her. What she wanted to take with her wasn’t possible. As much as she had asked Izzy to make something that could shrink everyone to be pocket sized, she knew it wasn’t possible, but at least she could take their memories with her…memories that were starting to feel painful.

“HUH?!” Davis looked at her surprised. She hadn’t said anything at all about having to move away. She had been laughing and talking like always and had never indicated she was leaving. Mimi smiled painfully at him. He was the first person to find out even though she had less than two weeks left.

“But you start your last year of high school this year and now-” Davis bluntly said, he couldn’t help it though. He couldn’t think of a worst way to leave, it’s like leaving behind all the promises and aspirations you had made with the people who went through the same struggles that you did. “And now I won’t have any friends, right?” Mimi looked at him sadly and continued to walk to the donation building, they were a few steps away from it. She remained silent as she walked, listening to the sea and the birds as she walked. Sounds that wouldn’t be the same no matter where she went. This was her home and now she had to say goodbye, again.
Davis returns the sad look, she had always brightened up the world with her presence and now she was going ? That didn’t feel fair…Everyone deserved to have friends by their sides and follow their heart, but she didn’t get that choice. It really made him quite sad.

“That’s not true Mimi! Remember you can always start over from wherever. Any place is
a good place to make new friends, new memories, and follow your dreams” Davis turns to look at her with a smile. His sincerity was comforting , but
sometimes it was a little difficult to believe Mimi thought to herself.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Mimi said as she handed over some bags to the donation center and
Davis did the same. Davis looked at Mimi, he had never seen her look so sad. It honestly hurt that he wanted to help her ,but he didn’t know how. Maybe the good ol encourage someone ploy would work, it had worked twice before. Third time’s the charm.
They were exiting when a figure approached them.

“Davis, I’m sorry, Izzy needed me for something” Ken ran over to them. He looked pretty guilty and that was starting to make Davis feel bad even though he was a bit upset before that he had left him stranded and didn’t even tell him where he was. Then again…he was kind of grateful for it because it gave him the chance to talk to Mimi.

“Oh yes he told me he wanted your help.” Mimi looked over at Ken, he looked very different from a few months ago. There was something very…motivated about the way he looked and it wasn’t just Ken. Davis looked different too. Davis looked like he was more confident than ever. Really…it was all of the younger Digidestined, they all looked…so happy. She thought she would always be happy too, but right now she was in a lot of pain.

“Well I’ll see you again some day” Mimi waved goodbye and walked away. Her new reality was terrifying, somehow it had never been that scary before to leave the past behind. She was terrified, but it’s not like she could do anything about it. That was always how her life was, she had to do things that were scary and the world didn’t give her a break.

“Hey Mimi! No matter how far apart you might be from your friends they’ll always be in your heart” Davis called out. He sincerely believed that, three months ago he was scared when his friends vanished, but after everything that happened he knew they’d always be connected, no matter what happened because bonds were something that went beyond just words. They were something you felt in your heart and he knew Mimi had a big heart so she must have felt it too.

“Well…then don’t forget to visit me!” Mimi called back at him with a smile and continued to walk away. She was still sad, still afraid, there was no denying it, but there was so much belief in those words she couldn’t help but feel she wanted to believe them. After all, even when she had been separated from Palmon, they still met again.

“Are you ready to go?” Davis turned to Ken who nodded. Maybe he didn’t always have all the answers, maybe he always ran and did things as they came, but that just meant that there was something only he could do. He would stop at nothing to make his dream come true, a dream full of wonder for everyone in this world.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ken and Davis were walking around familiar streets littered with buildings. Streets that looked a lot less monotone than last time and now shone with the brilliant colors of the world piercing each direction. Colors that embraced the dreams of those who took a chance to look at them and appreciate them.

“Do you remember this place, Davis?” Ken stops walking and looks at Davis who smiles widely. That question made Davis beam like he was waiting to be asked it forever. For a while Ken had been thinking how he wanted to tell Davis this, but it never felt like the perfect time, never until now. A familiar place he had looked at with sorrow,a place where his friend had reminded him of something important.

“Of course I do, it’s where we got fighter mode!” Davis says with the
pure enthusiasm he always had that was able to light up any room. He liked where this was going. It was a conversation so familiar but being on the other end, it felt thrilling.

Ken smiles briefly before turning serious.“And it’s where you told me about your dream.” Ken looks at Davis seriously. He hadn’t forgotten the words Davis had told him back then, after all they were the words that reached him in the darkness and had given him a new outlook,a new dream.

“Hehe…Yeah it sure is” Davis scratched his nose and smiled. He loved sharing his dream to people, it always felt good because it was just a reminder of what was to come. It made him so excited that he couldn’t stop at the thought of making it come true he just HAD to do it ya know.
“On that day, you saved me again Davis. Thank you for that.” Ken smiles at Davis. The importance of their friendship was something that couldn’t be understated. It had saved him countless times, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Davis had saved his life. “We’re best friends, Ken, it doesn’t matter how many times you might get sad, I’ll still be there.” Davis looked at him seriously, he meant every word. Maybe he didn’t get as sad as often as Ken did, but he knew that Ken would do the same for him. They were friends after all and not just friends, they were best friends and best friends would always be there for each other.

“Davis, Can I tell you my dream?” Ken looked at Davis in the eyes, Davis had never seen Ken look so determined, so confident. Davis nods at him, Ken had never mentioned this before. He had always seemed so uncertain about his dream, but now that destiny had changed from being something horrible to something to look forward to, Ken could dream too. That made him happy.

“My dream is to make a world where everyone can live at peace, with their past, with their mistakes, and to be kind, even just a little bit. To make that dream come true, I need your dream too. A world where everyone can pursue their dreams to be happy” Ken placed his hand out for Davis and smiled.
It was a dream that they would be able to build together. It was a dream he knew that would only be amplified by Davis’ dream and it was a dream that took inspiration from him. Through that dream, he could think of all of his friends and the feelings he thought they deserved and the people who suffered, they deserved it too. That was how his dream had come to life and he would never let it die.

Davis looked at him, overjoyed, he remembered when Ken had shaken his hand back at that soccer game all those years ago. He thought he had earned the respect of his hero, but it was all a lie and it broke his heart to know that someone he looked up to had been so cruel, but now he really felt he was face to face with that hero, the hero that inspired him to do better and follow his dream no matter what. The fact that the hero was real and the fact that the hero had become one of his precious friends, it made him happier than Ken could ever know.

“Let’s build this world together” Davis shook Ken’s hands and smiled widely. With friends like him at his side, there was nothing
he couldn’t do. His dream would always be for them. For the people who helped him become who he was, for the people who believed in him against all odds, and for the people he knew would always be by his side. Even in his worst moments, he never wanted to lose sight of his precious dreams again.

“Now let’s get going to the festival!” Davis said with a wide grin as he and Ken began to walk towards the destiny that awaited them.“Hey Ken, Ya know you don’t call me homeslice anymore” Davis looked at him sadly, he thought Ken’s vocabulary had been improving lately, but all of a sudden it felt like it had come to a halt.

“Oh…it’s just that, T.K. told me not to listen to you.” Ken said guiltily, but also still confused because Yolei had told him “Look Ken in a life or death situation, listen to T.K. and not Davis
he’s probably more likely to keep you alive.” Yolei had said it in a very serious tone, but Veemon told him not to listen to Yolei because she always thought Davis was wrong. He then said to listen to Davis because Davis was right sometimes. Then again Cody had told him with a very serious expression that Davis was wrong…a lot. Even Kari had looked at him and went “Oh…well. You know Davis…always does his best, but maybe you shouldn’t always listen to him and if T.K. says something and Davis gets mad…T.K. is probably right.” Kari had said it like she was breaking such tragic news too, but when Veemon heard that he said not to listen to Kari because she was biased.

“RARGHH THAT GUY is always ruining my progress!!” Davis groaned. He thought he had told Ken not to listen to T.K. and now he was doing the opposite. He specifically went “Ken you know how T.K. is always starting fights with me. When we fight I’m ALWAYS right so don’t listen to him.” He had told him that and Ken had tried to say that he didn’t think T.K. was always starting fights with him, but he quickly shushed him and told him that was what T.K. wanted him to think and he thought it had worked…but it didn’t.

“What’s a guy gotta do to get listened to- Don’t answer that” Davis says, noticing Ken about to comment on his question. Some questions didn’t need answers especially if it would hurt his ego.

“Look Ken, You gotta listen to me. I’m your best friend after all, I want the best for you.” Davis put his arm around Ken and smiled widely at him. He would need to make sure that Ken went back to learning his slang. He had been working too hard for his progress to get ruined like that.

“Uh yes…” Ken said awkwardly and then he looked at Wormmon for an answer, because Wormmon had told him not to listen to Davis but didn’t tell him why.

“Great K-Dawg! Now let’s get going! I don’t wanna be late” Davis said with an enormous smile, he had been looking forward to that day since the moment they planned it three months ago. He could already tell that today was going to be one of the most special days of his life and really everyday was as long as he could spend it with the friends he treasured so much. The friends that would never ever leave him no matter how much time passed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey I'm here, sorry if I took a while.”
T.K. jogs over to the same place they had spoken
right before the mess had started three months ago. It was a fairly nice tree then and a nice tree now, the leaves were gone back then, but now they adorned the tree with their pink hues. It really did feel like a new start. He couldn’t help ,but feel a bit amused by it, after all a few months ago they had casually walked out the front door and gone down the elevator, reached the tree and began to talk without the Digimon and almost left them when they realized Davis had called them like thirty times.

“What are you laughing at?” Kari smiles softly wondering what possibly could have amused him about the tree they had always talked under. There was something kind of comforting about that tree. It was like their own tree, it was nice, it had grown a lot over the years, just like him and just like him it made her happy to see.

“Nothing.” He smiled but then stopped.
Her eyes reflected
some sort of pain. That must be what she wanted to talk about, it kind of relieved him that she decided to be open about it, three months ago she probably wouldn’t have said a word.

“Hey what's wrong?” T.K. looks her in the eye and she looks back at him. There was something in his eyes that said they were in pain too. She couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong, but he probably wouldn’t tell her until she spoke first.

“I just found out Tai is moving away and he's not even taking Agumon with him,” Kari says, still looking at him as she speaks. Not looking away from him and just being honest…it made the pain feel a lot less bitter. She was glad she didn’t need to run away like that anymore.

“What? No way” T.K. looked at her in shock, that didn't sound like Tai at all. He wouldn’t just leave his partner like that and something about the look in her eyes told him, it wasn’t just about Agumon. It was something much deeper than just that.

“Sorry, I…I needed to tell someone ,but to be honest, you don't look that good either? Is something up?” Kari looked at him worried, she wasn’t going to let him escape her either. They had both always been kinda bad at expressing themselves so they were working on it. Little by little. He looks at her and chuckles his smile then vanishes.

“Yeah…I just found out tonight's Matt's last concert. I don't think Gabumon knows about that either” T.K. says sadly, he still couldn’t believe it himself that his brother had just disbanded it so easily, said goodbye to that part of himself almost as if it was nothing.

“Really?” Kari looks at him surprised, but her look soon turns
into sadness. Matt had always enjoyed music for as long as she had known him, right now it seemed as if both Tai and Matt were letting go of important parts of themselves. “Do you think they'll be okay?”

“Hey, I'm sure they will be. Right now they're getting ready for a different kind of life , but that doesn't mean there's no room for their partners anymore” T.K. smiles gently. He knew she was more worried about their partner's feelings than her own so he wanted to reassure her that the bond would never disappear and he sincerely believed it. Their bond was a miracle and it would never fade away as long as their hearts were connected.

“Yeah you're right.” She looks up at him and smiles back. She couldn’t help ,but remember the last time they stood there talking like that, somehow he seemed way more different from back then, like he really did believe every word that came out of his own mouth. He was being honest not just with her, but with himself too and that made her happy.

“I can't believe it's been three months since then,” Kari says while looking at him. There was a petal on his nose and she couldn’t help but snicker at it. She debated telling him ,but it was kind of cute and definitely amusing so she didn’t say a word.

“Mhm, a lot happened back then, things seemed pretty hopeless, but everything turned out okay. I'm sure this time everything will be fine too.” He moves a petal from her face and smiles. It looked cute on her ,but it would probably be mean not to say anything. He then shifts his hand to her cheek and speaks. “Don't be sad, everything will be okay. I just know it” He says with a gentle, reassuring smile. One without any doubt or deceptiveness instead the corners of his mouth were traced with hope and certainty.

“I don't think I can ever be sad when I'm with you,” she speaks softly and looks him in the eye. He looks at her for a while and then let's go. In all the years he had known her, she had never changed, she was always the same kind and gentle person, but he saw her grow stronger each and every day. He wanted every moment they were together to last forever, he used to be so scared that it would all get torn away from him one day, but maybe some things really were fate.

“S-Sorry, I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to do.” T.K.
smiles nervously at her. He could feel himself turning red, but he couldn’t help it. Even after everything he still didn’t know what he was supposed to do. It didn’t feel real and yet it was.

“It’s okay. We can figure things out together.” She playfully smiled at him and knocked his hat down. It was something she had always done to him because of how much of a reaction it got out of him, but right now she wanted a different reaction.

“H-Huh together-? Like-” He bent down to grab his hat and before he could finish speaking her lips were already placed on his, gently, but passionately they were there and nothing had ever felt so right. She had completely caught him off guard with her sudden display of affection. He closed his eyes and returned it with as much love as she demonstrated. She could feel her heart burning in her chest but it didn’t stop her. After a while she let go , remorsefully at its end ,but she had to stop because her heart couldn’t take it anymore and her knees were starting to feel weak.
She stayed staring at his eyes in silence after the moment ended and he did the same.

In all the years she had known him. He had gone through countless struggles ,but his eyes never stopped glowing bright with hope and they never stopped gently watching over her. Even if times they had flickered they never lost that radiant hue that made him so alluring. They remained as beautiful as always. His smile continued to be her favourite smile in the world, it was so genuine and so fun, that she could feel herself falling in love with him all over again each and every time she saw it. She could never get tired of it. If she could, she’d stay staring at it forever.

“Now come on, we have a festival to go to. Davis is going to be upset if we're late again.”
She smiles at him and T.K. continues to look at her utterly dumbfounded.
His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and she was there smiling like it was nothing. Was it possible to die of happiness? He was starting to get worried that could happen. His heart had never raced that fast.

“Hehe she got you” Patamon giggled as he looked at his partner. T.K. had completely forgotten he was there. Now that he thought about it, when had Patamon moved from on his head to the tree?

“Yeah I guess so” T.K. chuckles he looks at her with a smile, but he couldn’t help but still feel flustered. She had caught him so off guard
and she was so smooth about it too… That wasn’t something he ever thought she’d do. Sure she had always been bold in some ways, but the fact she shared her feelings like that…it really did surprise him and yet it made him so happy too.

“So uh is it stupid to ask what that meant-” He puts his hand behind his neck and Kari laughs. He had been so confident three months ago what in the world happened. Well maybe it wasn’t a bad thing, this was a new side to him, a side she wanted to explore.

“Do you really need to ask?” She smiles mischievously at him as his face flushes even more.
She couldn’t help but think he looked pretty cute embarrassed, it was taking everything in her to not just kiss him again, but it’s not like she could. She couldn’t reach him. It actually upset her somewhat that he had kept growing since she had been taller than him when they first met. It’s like he abandoned her and the worst part was that he hadn’t even noticed till she brought it up.

She continues to look at him, noticing the many emotions he had on his face. From disbelief to joy and a tear forming in his eyes. He looks down at the floor and she approaches him, gently wiping the tears from his face and smiling. The look in her eyes saying everything that didn’t need to be said.

“S-Sorry…I just can’t help it. I’m just…so happy.” He says finally looking at her, before he had cried in front of her because he didn’t want to lose her and now he couldn’t help himself but cry. Cry that she was right there and that she wasn’t going anywhere. Having someone by his side…that was all he wanted.

“It’s okay, I get it. I love you too” She looks at him and says it with absolute certainty and without a trace of doubt in her words. Just looking at him, it was starting to make her tear up too and she was okay with him knowing that.

His face flushes as he tries to find his next words. She really was going overkill on his heart and he wasn’t sure what it was he was supposed to do. “Well I- I lo- uh do you wanna you know- Can I uh be-” He tries to say, completely messing up his words.
She looks at him, trying to take him seriously but then begins to laugh. It was like he couldn’t pick a sentence and it was cute to watch.

“W-what?” T.K. says suddenly beginning to panic even more than he had already been.

“Sorry, it's just that you basically confessed back in the Dark Ocean and now you're struggling.” She looks at him with admiration yet still holding in a laugh. It was so endearing to see him panic like that, especially when everyone always saw him as a cool guy when he really was just a dork and yet he also managed to be that cool guy in her eyes too. No matter what side of him it was she saw.

“It’s not the same…I- yeah you're right. I just can't help it. I can't keep my cool when it comes to you.” He puts his hand to the back of his neck and admits defeat with a smile. Before moving even closer to her. The way he felt, he wanted to tell her even just a little bit of how he felt because that love he felt, it was more than words could ever convey.

“My feelings haven't changed at all since back then they've only gotten stronger. I love you even more than I did back then and I know I’ll only love you more with each and every day.” He gently grabs her hand and looks her in the eyes. She looks back at him and smiles. It felt nice…it felt nice that she didn’t have to run from these feelings anymore. It was so liberating to finally be able to love without fear.

He brushes a strand of hair from her face and leans in, but immediately his phone starts ringing. He sighs, thinking this only happened when he was the one who was about to make a move. He regretfully lets go and pulls out his phone. He was initially going to ignore it, but there was something in the back of his mind telling him to answer. He looks at the caller ID and his eyes go wide. Davis was going to kill them this time for sure. They would never hear the end of him this time even if they put tape over his mouth.

“How do we always do this?” Kari sighs as she sees the caller ID as well. Now Davis would complain for an hour and Yolei would tease them for another…and they wouldn’t be able to continue this moment.

“The two of you are very bad at keeping track of time.” Gatomon looks up at them, reminding them that both their Digimon were there and had seen the entire thing.

“Mhm but it's okay we don't mind.” Patamon flaps his wings and smiles.

“Yeah, but Davis sure does.” T.K. laughs nervously. Just this morning Davis had called him and warned him against being late. He wasn’t really afraid of the threat, rather he was bothered that Davis was right. Maybe Davis being right was part of the stars aligning a few moments ago.

“It was worth it this time though” Gatomon looks at her partner who sheepishly nods. The realization of what she had done had just hit her. She couldn’t help, but wonder what in the world had come over her, but also why it took so long to get to that point.

“Hey come on don’t be embarrassed now it’s too late for that” Patamon flies over to her and she smiles embarrassed. Would Patamon always embarrass them like this or was it just because things were just getting started.

“I won the bet Patamon” Gatomon looks at him and Patamon giggles. Kari looks at the two Digimon and sighs. Yeah, this would be a forever thing, Patamon had a very evil giggle.

“B-bet? What Bet?” T.K. looks at them surprised and the two pretend not to hear him.

“R-right well let’s go.” Kari looks over at T.K. who then looks at his phone as it aggressively starts ringing again.

“They really want you huh Mr. Popular?” Kari teases him with a smug smile.

“Not as badly as you do.” T.K. responds with a confident smile. He was so used to her dodging him and saying you wish to statements like that, but now she had no choice,but to admit the truth.

“That better be true.” She picks his hat up from the floor and brushes the petals off of it. She smiles at them, they were something so familiar yet so beautiful. She looks at the hat and puts it on. He could go without it for a bit. He already had a cowlick because of how much he wore them.

“Hold on” He lifts the hat up and gently kisses her on the head and he then puts the hat back on her and smiles. “I like the new look” He says, it wasn’t a lie , but the truth was he’d like anything that made her happy.

“I got some inspiration from a certain someone.” She looks up at him and smiles, his eyes reflecting the same look he always had. She continues to look at him as the hat pushes itself back and begins to slip.

“Oh yeah? Who could that be?” T.K. says, unable to hide his smile as he adjusts the hat for her once more. She had the same look in her eyes she did a few months ago at the festival
when she had fixed his hat. It was the first time he had caught her with that look and now he was certain of what it all meant.
“Yolei and her basketball of course.” Kari sticks out her tongue at him. “I’m going to tell her you said that.” T.K. teases and Kari fearfully shakes her head at him. She should have brought up Mimi’s cowgirl hat instead or Sora’s really confusing beanie. He laughs as he brushes his hand against hers
“Come on let’s go.”

“Yeah let’s.” She sneakily locks his fingers with her own and he pretends to not notice. She had become so confident right before his very eyes. It made him happy that she was able to believe in herself a little more than before. Believe in those wonderful dreams she had always had. Believe in that hope she carried and believe in that beautiful light he was certain would never extinguish. All while also still being the person he loved with all of his heart.

“We have the Digimon this time.” They both say in unison as they leave for the festival.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Are you two seriously this bad at being on time?!” Davis yelled at them and then sighed. The other people at the festival gave him looks ,but no one from their group batted an eye. It was just Davis being Davis after all. “Did you forget the Digimon again?” Davis rolled his eyes; he still couldn’t believe they had forgotten them last time.

“EVEN THOUGH
THEY DON’T SHUT UP.” Davis eyed Veemon and hid a smile. Veemon looked at him in protest but then caught his eyes. Veemon snickered to himself, Davis would always be awful at hiding his feelings from him.

Kari and T.K. both looked at each other then at Davis “Uhhhhhhhhhh…traffic?” they both said, completely uncertain of their own response. They weren’t about to admit the real reason they were late.

“What traffic?! You walked over here, there’s no traffic, everyone who was going to come to this festival already did hours ago?! And can’t you guys just use your D-3s? They’re convenient for a reason?!” Davis exclaimed ,but then he realized he didn’t use the D-3 either and it was a good thing he didn’t because the wait would have been even longer and if he had to wait just one more second for them he would have Dark Digivolved himself.

“Pissing you off is way more fun” T.K.
teases Davis who only sighs. Yeah maybe that wasn’t T.K.’s original
intention, but he sure as hell enjoyed doing that.

“I don’t know Davis, I don’t think they could have made it here together if they did that.” Yolei observed the two, and smirked. Patamon giggled, confirming her suspicions.

“Huh?!” Davis looked at them bewildered. If they had ditched them for a date he was going to-

“WELL GUYS FESTIVAL GATE OPEN” Yolei says very loudly as they all cheer. Davis was still feeling immensely confused , but he shrugged it off,
it probably didn’t matter much anyways. This time he spent arguing could be used on something way more fun like getting revenge on T.K. for ignoring him when it was his turn to pay last time.

“So what are we doing first?” Ken looked at the festival map and then dropped it to which Armadillomon decided to have it as a snack.

“Paper isn’t as good as Veemon said it was” Armadillomon swallowed it with a frown.

“Hey! You just don’t appreciate its fine texture. It’s like when you said cement wasn’t that good! Cement is the best” Veemon cheered and Davis looked at him and then anger invaded his face.

“Did you eat my homework that one time?!” Davis shook Veemon aggressively who only whistled.

“It’s okay you weren’t going to do it anyways” Veemon said casually, glad Davis hadn’t commented on the cement because then he’d take it away from him and he couldn’t live without the sweet taste of cement on his lips.

“Armadillomon don’t listen to Veemon” Cody patted him on the back and Armadillomon nodded. Veemon had been right that batteries tasted good ,but completely wrong about paper . It was frustrating.

“Well how about we go get some ice cream?” Ken smiled and Wormmon looked at him excitedly. They had both recently gained a sweet tooth ever since Yolei forced them to try a new place that opened up. Maybe it was because life had also started tasting a bit sweeter that he could enjoy those things.

“That’s a great idea Ken,” Yolei agreed with him. She was slowly converting him into sweets and while she loved sweets, she hoped one day he would realize that wasn’t the only reason she kept inviting him to try every new place that opened up. Also the fact that most of the places she took him to had already been open for years.

“Last one to the Ice Cream Stand
is a rotten Digi-egg” Davis smiled as he darted off. It was a shame Yolei was a fast runner because it meant she never got the title ,but at least T.K. was always too distracted to notice the game had started so he was always guaranteed a win against him.

“Davis! Wait up” Ken ran after him. He had always gone easy on him, but he needed to prove that he wasn’t named the Rocket before for nothing. Yolei and Cody looked at each other and nodded following closely behind. One day they needed to make the call while Davis was distracted so he could be the rotten Digi-egg.

“We didn't say which one this time either huh” T.K. looked at Kari who only laughed.

“Some things never change” She smiled as she ran after them

“And that’s for the best” T.K.
stays looking at her and smiles, but soon realizes everyone was completely gone from view and he had no idea where they all went. Even Patamon had ditched him….this wasn’t fair.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Armadillomon, what do you want?” Cody looked at his partner who smiled widely.

“Anything tastes good if I share it with ya” Armadillomon smiled. This time he wouldn’t eat the whole thing, he wanted to share that joy with his partner.

“Thanks, but I’m not eating cement. Can I have a churro?” Cody turned to the clerk who smiled and handed it over. Cody grabs it and sits down and sees a familiar face finally arrive.

“HAHA YOU’RE THE LAST ONE AGAIN T.K.” Davis smacked him on the shoulder.

“Well no, I made it to the other Ice Cream stand first before realizing it was the wrong one.” T.K. whistled and Davis smiled. No excuse would save him this time…even if he did already have a completely different ice cream from a different shop in hand...okay maybe he wasn’t lying, but still he was last and he was going to pay this time.

“Well it’s your fault for going to an Ice Cream stand and not the sweets stand” Davis smirked. There was no escaping it, he had won and he felt so victorious about it.

“Eh… we agreed on the Ice Cream stand” Yolei did the more or less hand movement and Davis shot her a look.

“Now let’s see what we have here” Davis grabbed T.K. 's wallet who only seemed to have zero intention of actually stopping Davis.

“Uh T.K., are you just gonna let him?” Ken asked him concerned that he hadn’t even fought it when Davis reached into his pocket and grabbed it.

“Yeah” T.K. shrugged nonchalantly as he took a scoop of ice cream.

Davis smiled, this had been way too easy he should have done it sooner. He opened the wallet and his smile immediately dropped. There was absolutely nothing in there.

“WHAT?! Why are you so broke?!
You don’t pay taxes?!”Davis quickly begins to inspect each corner of the wallet to no avail. There wasn’t a single dollar in there. All he had in there…was a picture of Patamon….why isn’t he surprised in the slightest. It was a weirdly majestic picture too, with the sun hitting him just at the right angle, Kari must have taken it.

“Feel free to choose what you want Davis” T.K. pats him on the shoulder with a smile.

“So you're gonna pay this time, right?” Davis perks up, maybe he had a second wallet and this was just his Patamon one or maybe he kept his money in his hat like how he kept his in his goggles. Wait, where's his hat?! He thought that thing was glued to his head.

“Haha of course not.” T.K. pats Davis on the shoulder and walks away with his treat in hand. Davis twitches his eyes and sighs. He pulls out his wallet from his goggles and stares at it. How did he always get away with that?

“Davis, I think he got you again,” Ken told Davis who dropped T.K. 's wallet and sighed.

“Thank you Captain Obvious” Davis grumbled picking it up from the floor before Veemon ate it as he pulled out the money to pay, that was strange, there was money in there that wasn’t there before. He shrugged as he paid the clerk and sat down with everyone. He was still pissed T.A. had not only been late ,but was also apparently broker than a kindergartener who only ever knew pebbles as money.
“So Cody, how have things been going for you?” T.K. smiled at Cody. It was just like last time, all of them gathered eating sweets while Davis had a meltdown. Cody looked at him and then turned to look at everyone as they all ate their delightful treats, they were all laughing and smiling. It didn’t look like they had any worries. They were all just enjoying that moment and he was too. They all were together as friends because they all cared about each other. It wasn’t out of any sense of obligation.
“Everything is perfect.” Cody smiled as he gave a piece of his Churro to Armadillomon and took a bite out of it.
Some things didn’t need to be said. He now truly knew this was where he belonged, and nothing would ever change that fact, these were his friends. His friends who accepted him exactly for who he was.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So what are we doing now?” Davis turned to look at everyone. There was still a lot they could do and he wasn’t sure what it was they were supposed to do. The rides suddenly looked a lot more appealing now that Cody had grown a bit and they could all get on them together.

“I don’t know about you, but I know what we’re going to do.” Yolei grabs Kari by the arm. She actually had no idea what it was she wanted to do with Kari, but she knew she wanted to do something with her or rather to say something.

“This again?” Davis looks at Ken who smiles. Some things never changed and there was something so relieving about that fact. Maybe they’d all separate for a bit, but eventually they would all meet up again. Their paths were always crossed no matter what.

“We need a way to reunite though.” Cody looked at everyone who all nodded. It would probably be easy to get lost in such a big festival and considering some of them were bad at answering the phone, then it was necessary to have a plan.

“Hey, how about we all meet up at the concert. Should be easy enough to get back together.” T.K. tells the group with a smile. He was excited for the concert and he couldn’t wait to have everyone see Matt perform. He knew Matt would give it his all and he didn’t want to miss a second of it.

“I like that idea, how about we all meet back together 30 minutes from now”
Kari says looking at the time. The concert was meant to start 40 minutes from them. That would be enough time to do something small and then they could all meet up again. She really didn’t want to miss the concert especially because it was the last one and T.K. seemed very excited for it despite it being the finale.

“Sounds good, Davis, you better not ignore my calls this time.” Yolei looks at him sternly and he groans.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” Davis sighs, would she ever let him live that down. He didn’t not answer on purpose…okay maybe a few times he hadn’t answered on purpose, but he had perfectly good reasons for that such as that one time Yolei had called him to complain about the fact he ate the last brownie that Cody’s mom made.

“Alright then see you all later-” Davis began to say, but before he could finish talking everyone had vanished. He looks around astonished and then sighs. Man they were all a piece of work. Wait where did Ken go?! And Veemon too?! They were the ones that were supposed to hang out with him.

~~

“Smile.” Kari looks over at Yolei and Hawkmon and snaps a picture. She looks at the picture and smiles. It was a nice shot of the two of them. You could really tell how close Yolei and Hawkmon were just by looking at it. That was one of her favorite things in the world, the bond between a human and their digimon. It was something that she never wanted to stop believing in.

“You really need to stop taking these pictures unprompted.” Yolei says with a sigh and Kari giggles. Yolei lets out a small smile and then grabs the camera from her hand and then pulls her close.

“Smile!” Yolei says as she takes a picture with the four of them in the frame.

“There we go,” Yolei smiles as she hands back the camera to Kari who looks at the photo and smiles. The bond between people…that was something valuable too and she didn’t want to forget it. She was glad that she had friends that she knew she could rely on.

“I wasn’t ready,” Gatomon says as she begins to adjust her fur.

“Neither was I” Hawkmon sighs as he adjusts his feathers too.

“Too late- Aw wait there’s a smudge on my glasses we got to retake it!” Yolei looks at the picture closely. It was a small smudge and maybe no one else could see it, but she could and it bothered her. Besides she didn’t want to risk having Davis point it out and make fun of her for it.

“Oh, but when it’s your glasses we can retake it ,but when my feathers are ruffled-” Hawkmon sneers. It wasn’t fair that Yolei’s glasses could be smudge free in the picture while his feathers had to be unkempt as if he wasn’t always making sure they were at their best.

“I think this is one of my favorite pictures yet” Kari smiles as she looks at the image. It was spontaneous, but at the same time, managed to capture some sort of naturalness after all not everything in life was planned, but that didn’t mean they were bad things “I don’t want to retake it” There were times in life where things were scary where you would doubt yourself and the impact on others, but little moments like that, they really made her remember how much of a beautiful miracle
life really was.

“Well I guess you can barely notice the smudge” Yolei says as she takes off her glasses and wipes them. It still bothered her, but if her friend liked it that was enough, besides her glasses were always smudged!

“Plus if we retook it we’d miss the concert with how picky you all are.”
Kari puts the camera back on her neck and smiles at them. She had said that half joking, but also half serious. Gatomon alone took what felt like ages to get her fur to be up to her standards. Throw in Yolei and Hawkmon into the mix and they would never leave this place.

“Yeah you’re right, Hawkmon takes hours just to get ready.” Yolei picks him up and looks at him with a smile. Maybe her partner did take ages to get ready, but she wouldn’t trade him for anyone in the world. Hawkmon had always been there for her and that would never change.

“Don’t you mean YOU take hours?” Hawkmon looked at her with suspicion and Yolei grinned before she threw him into the air.

“Hey my feathers!” Hawkmon exclaims before she catches him and smiles at him. Maybe one day Hawkmon would admit he liked getting thrown even if his feathers did get a bit ruffled from time to time when it happened, but he couldn’t deny that look in his eyes that said he was having fun.

Yolei catches Hawkmon and looks at him with a smile. Hawkmon returns the look and then goes back to adjusting his feathers. Kari looks at them and lets out a small laugh before looking at Gatomon and smiling. The bond they all had with their Digimon, they were all different
and yet special in their own unique ways. The four of them all remained in silence for a while staring at the sky in front of them. The sky that always managed to appear untainted. “I can’t believe how much things have changed since those three months.” Kari said as she looked at the sky and finally broke the silence between them.

“It’s not entirely a bad thing though.” Yolei continues to look at the sky too and responds. The sky from that day where they had all gone missing. It was so clouded and so lonely, but now it looked so inviting and it felt freeing. Maybe the sky was always this way and she had just looked at it the wrong way.

“Mhm, but there’s some things that always stay the same.” Kari pulls out her camera and takes a photo of the sky. The colors in the sky all seemed so vivid and she didn’t want to forget this sky. The sky that looked so full of potential.

“Like our friendship?”
Yolei looks at her proudly, but Kari shakes her head. To which Yolei looks at her mildly offended. “No, I think that’s changed too , but in a good way you know?” Kari tells her sincerely. A few months ago their friendship had been damaged greatly, but neither of them had said a word and it suffered as a result and yet now there was a certain freedom to their friendship.
“Yeah…I see what you mean, but if there’s one thing I can count on it’s that we’ll always be friends, right?” Yolei looks at her seriously. Maybe their friendship had changed and maybe it would continue to change, but if she could help it, she wanted one thing to stay the same. Tht indestructible bond they had forged.

Kari looks at her and then at her hand and laughs softly. That bracelet softly shining in the light.
“Of course until you get tired of me” Kari puts her hand up showing the bracelet they had gotten back then. Before she used to truly believe everyone would get tired of her , but now she could see that the people around her really did enjoy her company. No matter what her heart may have told her.

“I could never” Yolei told her friend, sincerely as she looked at her bracelet and smiled. She couldn’t believe she had thrown it back then, maybe it was just an object, but it meant a whole lot to her. It said words that she couldn’t exactly say herself. Words that came from the depths of her heart.

Gatomon and Hawkmon both look at each other, content in their eyes. With full faith and knowledge that their partners would be okay, no matter what happened. That friendship would always be a light on their path. Paths that had ups and downs, but those moments where they would trip, unable to see the horizon, were the moments
that would help them
appreciate being on a hill, a peaceful hill where the sun shines gently on them.

“By the way, what’s the deal with that?” Yolei taps the hat Kari was still wearing and Kari’s eyes go wide before looking down at the floor embarrassed.

“I- I forgot to return it.” Kari continues to look away flustered and suddenly recalling what it was she had done. Not that she had forgotten, it was too special to forget, but she wasn’t sure how it was she was supposed to share that information. There was no way Yolei was going to believe her.

Yolei looks at her and grins. “Uh huh.” Yolei looks over at the time, they still had time before they had to meet up with the others. “Don’t think you can get away from this, I want to know ALL the details and I mean all of them.” Yolei says with an even wider grin. Something had definitely happened and you could tell just by the look in her eyes. The look in her eyes shone with a certain radiant joy and confidence that Kari could not hide. It was a very different look from back then if you had shown her the before and after to three months ago, she probably never would have believed it. It was almost like looking at a different person.

“Wha-” Kari’s face turns a bright red and Yolei begins to laugh. That was way too easy. She had gotten flustered so easily so it was definitely something big. Kari looked at her embarrassed, but then started laughing too, enjoying the company of her bold friend.

They both laugh, their laughter filling the sunset with its gentleness and common understanding of one another.
The red of the bracelet glimmering with its mutual understanding
and the white with its purity. Yolei looks at her friend and smiles.
Maybe each friendship had its rough patches, but if you only stopped to remember the bad you would never be able to see the good times. A little communication went a long way in keeping a friendship strong. Some things were irreplaceable in this life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So do you know what you wanna do this time?”
T.K. looked at Cody who shook his head at him. “Then it looks like we’re just as lost as last time.” T.K. laughed wholeheartedly and Cody laughed back too. There was a sort of comfort though in their cluelessness. It somehow felt like everything really was as it should be.

“Time really went by so fast from last time we went to a festival huh” Cody looked at the sky, the sun was shining brightly as it was leaving the spot it could always be counted on to be there.

T.K. nodded at his statement. A lot had changed, but some things still stayed the same and if there was one thing he knew about Cody, it was that his search for answers would never end.“So Cody did you ever find your answer from back then?” T.K. looks at him seriously. It had been on his mind a lot since he had first asked back then. It was a question that had caught him off guard and he wasn’t really sure how to respond, but Cody was always curious, looking for answers that led him to some wisdom and he was curious to hear it.

Cody turns to him and nods. “I did, there will always be things that hurt people, but there will always be things, or rather people, to save people from the cruelty of this world. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you might be , there will always be the truth you believe in guiding you forward.” A smile painted Cody’s face while his eyes were full of determination. No matter how old or young someone might be there was something that was the same for all of them. They all made choices that led to what could be considered right or wrong. He found his choice and maybe he’ll doubt himself again one day, but right now he wanted to believe in his heart, no matter how small his hands might be.

“What about you? Did you come to terms with the past?” Cody looked at him curiously. T.K. had been chained down to the past for so long, but there was something different about him now too. It felt like he could trust the person standing in front of him no matter what might haunt him.

T.K. chuckled, Cody was straight to the point as always, but that was one of the best parts about him. You could always trust he would be honest. “In a way yeah in others no. I think I’ll always be haunted by it. I don’t think I can escape the suffering it causes me , but I think now I can at least look at it and think it wasn’t my fault. It’s not about being able to stop the things that happened , but what I’m going to do about it now. ” T.K. looks at him, a look of acceptance on his face, the steps he was already taking to his tomorrow were clear on his face despite the scars in his heart.

“I think we both changed then even if just a little bit” Cody looked at the sky once more, the orange lights and purple hues in the sky covered
the sky with its beauty,
painting each realm with its magnificence.

“It’s beautiful huh” T.K. continues to look at the sky too. “Things like that remind me that we need to appreciate the darkness in order to see how beautiful the light truly is. Without the darkness we’ll take times like these for granted.” Even though the darkness had never been kind to him and he even hated it at times, he couldn’t help ,but be grateful for it. When he closed his eyes the darkness was there, but he was given two choices. To think about it and be afraid or to imagine a brighter future full of possibilities, he much preferred the second choice. After all, it filled him with hope, a trait he would never lose because it was part of who he was. Just like how Cody would never lose his virtues.

Cody continues to look at the sky and nods. “Life really is beautiful even if sometimes it can be hard. I’m grateful to be here.” There were many times he looked at the sky and thought he wished his father could see that beautiful sight, but his father had already seen it numerous times. It was his turn to gaze above it and in those stars that came once the sunset, he could see his father’s smile reflected in the night sky and that pushed him to move forward. To believe in those values so that the day they would be reunited, they could smile together in silence, enjoying each other’s company.

“Me too, I don't think I could ask for anything else” T.K. nods. Maybe things seemed hopeless sometimes , maybe things can be ripped away from you, but there was always a way forward, and a way to keep those things in your heart.

Armadillomon and Patamon look at each other and smile. Maybe their partners couldn’t see it, but they had seen them both change over the years, all for the better, even if things got rough, they always looked at that future head on and they would always be proud of them for it. They saw them struggle as each day came, but they also saw the incredible ability they had to move forward despite it all.

“Now how about we go get some cotton candy” T.K. looks at Patamon and Armadillomon who both cheer happily.
Cody nods, their partners deserve anything they could give them, even if it was overpriced sugar. After all , they were always there, supporting them, and believing in them.

“Oh! If the sun is setting that means it’s almost time for the concert” Cody looks at T.K. who nods. He didn’t want to be late, especially if this really was the last time. Even if it was the last concert it wouldn’t be the last time he supported his brother.

“Right, let’s get these guys their treat and get a move on” T.K. responds. Of course he didn’t want to see a disappointed look on their partners faces. Besides, Davis would probably be late anyways.

The warmth of the sun continued to pierce the area even while it made its disappearance into the night sky. Yet as time passed they were able to understand, the sun was never truly gone, it just left to remind someone else that it’ll always be there to share its warmth, even if at times it looked like it had disappeared it was still there waiting in the sky for the next day, to fulfill its purpose of bringing about a new beginning.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So uh what are we doing?” Davis looked at Ken who just shrugged. He sighed, man they could never decide what to do.
He was going to have to start asking what the others did in those moments so they could see what’s up.

“How about we eat some more?” Veemon cheered from Davis’ shoulder. More food was always good and always welcome. He wanted to have chocolate and ramen and everything! Especially ramen because that was his partner's favorite food in the world.

“What? Do you really want to puke that badly?” Davis looked at Veemon unsurprised, but he hid a smile. After everything Veemon had done for him, he didn’t mind getting him all the food he wanted. He couldn’t imagine this world without his partner.

“I told you, I won’t puke” Veemon rolled his eyes. All those days of eating cement had trained him not to puke, he was an expert at eating.

“Alright Wormmon what do YOU want to do” Davis looked at Wormmon. Wormmon was way smarter than Veemon so maybe he had some good and fun ideas they could do. You know what they say, the quiet ones
have a lot to say…but Ken didn’t say anything earlier…Oh.

“Anything, as long as I’m with Ken” Wormmon looked at Ken and smiled gently. Ken patted him on the head. Veemon looked at them and smiled, he felt the same way too. Anything was fun as long as he was with Davis.

“Ya know, I can’t help but feel everything is changing so fast lately.” Davis looks at Ken for a response. Ken must have realized it too, just how much everything changed. Everyone was so different from a few months ago and yet at the same time he felt even closer to everyone then he did before that adventure into the Digital and Dark World and yes he could call it an adventure. Back then he hadn’t been sure because nothing seemed to be going right, but now he could see that they all changed for the better and that already made it a worthwhile adventure.

“It is, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. There’s some change that’s necessary to move forward.” Ken says as he looks up at the sky. The sun was setting and the moon was beginning to appear in the sky. He smiles at it softly, on that cold, rainy day when his brother had left this world, he had never imagined he would be able to look up at the sky and say he wasn’t alone.

“Of course. That just means we got something to look forward to tomorrow. If everything stayed the same we’d be bored sick out of our minds” Davis looked up
at the sky too, before the sun would set and he would think nothing of it, but now he felt like he could appreciate it for how long it was up.

“Yeah, I’m excited for tomorrow, but I’m also excited for the rest of today” Ken looks at the sky, a star appears in the midst of the orange and purple hues, glimmering beautifully as it pierces the sky with its radiance. The stars…they were something so beautiful. He really could appreciate them to their fullest now because now he looked at them and he could feel his heart fill itself with hope. The hope he needed to believe in that miracle and chase destiny with a smile.

“There’s no such thing as a tomorrow that can’t be reached after all!” Davis smiles widely, he knew that one day those dreams would be fulfilled, there wasn’t a doubt in him. All of them would see their dreams come true together and the very thought made him happier than anything else. Fulfilling his dreams with his friends by his side, what could be better than that.

“Hey Ken, why do you think the sun only shines half the day, not scientifically but metaphorically you know?” Davis bounced around his words, unsure of what exactly he was saying. He wasn’t even entirely sure what a metaphor was, it sounded like some kind of video game.

“I don’t think there’s a reason Davis. I think it’s enough to know that it’s there for us. It’s enough that we can live in its warmth, even if just a little bit” Ken continued to look at the sky.

There didn’t need to be a reason for everything, sometimes just knowing it happened, was enough. He still didn’t know why out of all the people on this planet he was chosen to be a Digidestined, but he didn’t want to question it any longer, he wanted to prove how grateful he was for the opportunity to flourish. After all, he didn’t think he would be alive if it wasn’t for the miracle that was destiny.

“I think you’re right Ken” Davis scratched the back of his head and smiled. He had always lived without looking for a reason and he didn’t want that to change now. Just living, little by little, chasing his dreams and finding miracles, that was enough to fill him. To fill his life with joy, wonder, and aspirations. To fulfill it with purpose. He wanted to live everyday as it came with his friends by his side, he never wanted to go back to the life he had before he met Veemon, because back then he really did feel unfulfilled. Veemon and Wormmon looked at each other, joy radiating from their eyes. Maybe their partners weren’t always sure of what they had to do, maybe sometimes they didn’t believe in themselves, but nothing was ever truly directionless. As long as they never lost their hearts they would always be a path to follow even if there was some wrong turns around the way,
The stars always shone in the sky, they never failed to appear even if sometimes it looked like there were less of them. If there was always a star in the sky, maybe that meant that there was always a miracle up in the sky, waiting for everyone.

A peaceful tune filled the air, sure it was the ringtone of a phone, but it didn’t stop it from being oddly peaceful. Somehow it meant that everything really was going to be okay as long as some things were normal. “Hello?” Davis answered the phone.

“DAVIS WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME KNIFE OF DAY IS HAVING THEIR LAST CONCERT I WO-” Davis hangs up the phone. He wasn’t about to get his eardrums blown up by her yelling, but Last Concert? Was that really true? He couldn’t imagine having to disband something you were so passionate about, but Matt must have had his reasons.

“Was that your sister?” Ken looks at Davis with concern who nods.

“Yep and she’s pretty upset, come on let’s go, it’s almost time for the concert. Maybe I can get T.K. to
give me Matt’s autograph.” Davis says, fearing for his life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“We’re here sorry for the hold up” Ken said as he and Davis reached the others. They had to get past a very big crowd to make it, word had gotten out that it was the last concert and a large audience had been attracted.

“It’s fine you made it on time at least.” Yolei smiles at him and Davis looks at her offended because if it was him he would have been toast. But he decided not to complain about it and might as well take the win for the day.

“Thank you, Yolei,” Ken smiles kindly at her. He was glad that she was always so understanding of his circumstances.

“T.K. can I please have your brother’s autograph before my head is on a platter?” Davis puts his hand togethers and looks at him with completely desperate eyes. If he wanted to live to see tomorrow he would need to make it up to his sister.

“I definitely would if I could Davis, but I think we’re all too scared of what she’d do with that.”T.K. looks over at Matt who was on stage preparing to start. He smiles at his brother, he would cheer harder than he ever had before today. That way Matt knew that no matter what he chose to do with his life, he would always be by his side.

“Yeah you’re right, she’ll probably forge a marriage certificate “ Davis mutters knowing full well what she was capable of. His sister even had him beat at being ungovernable.

“I hope you guys enjoy the concert, it’s the last one.” T.K. smiles, painfully as he looks up at his brother who catches him in the crowd and waves, smiling faintly at him.

“Last one?” Cody looks at him confused and he nods. He didn’t know it was the last one. It was a bit disappointing…but that just meant he would have to enjoy it to the best he could with his friends. It already did feel enjoyable, his memories were decorated with wonder and a sense of belonging rather than bitter pain.

“I don’t think you should be too sure of that. I don’t think we can escape the dreams our heart keeps inside,” Kari smiles at him. Deep down she knew everything would be okay, this was a rough time and just like the previous rough times it would pass and a new beginning would embrace them. Everything would be okay. She was certain of it. Dreams…they were a beautiful thing even if you tried to suppress them everyone had them because they were as essential to people as breathing.

“Yeah you’re right, especially if those dreams were the ones we forged because of change.” T.K. smiles back at her. Dreams weren’t something that could be left behind so easily. There were things along the road that might make those dreams seem unattainable, but as long as they held hope they wouldn’t disappear and he was certain his brother had hope. After all, Gabumon was always by his side.

“Change?” Yolei put her hand on her chin and looked over. Change had been a word that had come up a lot today. It was a necessary part of life and it wouldn’t be surprising if it was linked to something so sincere as the dreams people kept in their hearts.

“The change we have gone through in the Digital World has always been a blessing to all of us , but it’s not just the Digital World, even now, little by little, each day we’re changing, Every time we suffer, every time we cry, every time we smile, we change a little bit.” T.K. smiled thinking about the countless adventures they had all gone through up to this pint.

“You’re right. That growth has made us who we are. Even when things seemed tough
it ended up being something that helped us, something that made us stronger people and gave us the ability to move forward“ Cody says, he couldn’t help but smile a bit himself.

“That kind of thing is the reason I can’t help but dream of a world where everyone has a Digimon, to make sure they never lose their way, so that they can use that hope to see the light in every situation. Maybe it’s foolish, but the kind of world where we can believe no matter what, is one that will help so many who have suffered and lost a lot.” Kari says, her eyes full of faith and gratitude for everything that had happened.

“The beauty of us being human, is the fact we can still grow and move past our mistakes , but also that we don’t have to be alone when doing it.
Maybe we’ll stumble sometimes, but there will always be a hand to pick us up even if we don’t always see it, I honestly don’t think anyone is ever truly alone. ” Ken
says with a smile his past is no longer recognizable as a heavy weight on his face.

“It’s something beautiful isn’t it. How we all managed to meet. How we all managed to go through such difficult times but still be standing here together, despite everything.” Yolei says as she looks up at the countless stars in the sky. They really were beautiful and she was happy to be there watching them, with the people she loved, her precious friends.

“Hey guys, I’m really happy to be here with all of you. This right here, is the reason I fight. This is my dream, this dream right here, is why I think there’s no such thing as a tomorrow that can’t be reached. Even if we struggle a bit we can always gather up together and smile and let our hearts run free. That road our hearts will follow is our tomorrow, the tomorrow we’ll dream about together.” Davis smiled widely and everyone returned the gesture. Everyone looked full of conviction and faith. There wasn’t a look of doubt plaguing them like before. All of them had faith in the future, after all, they had made it this far, there was no reason to doubt themselves now.

The memory of that day would forever be traced in the back of their minds and their hearts. The heart always remembers the moments, the good and the bad, the times you cry, the time you smile. The times you were afraid and the times you were brave. The stars gently shone above them and the world filled itself with a sort of peace and vigor as they all watched. The sound of the instruments blended together in a symphony of the sentiment of those who opened their hearts to listen to its embrace. Those who awaited that tomorrow let the moment fulfill their hearts with a peace composed from a cure for their brokenness. There was a quiet resolve in their hearts, there was an alleviating peace that reminded them, just how beautiful simple moments like that, could cure a broken heart overwhelmed with sorrow.

A broken heart that needed to be mended with the courage to move forward no matter the grueling situation. The friendships to encourage it and make sure it remains on the right path. The sincerity to appreciate those around you even if they aren’t always perfect. The love and compassion to be kind to it despite how cruel past mistakes could be.
The resolve to believe in its reliable self to push forward into the future. The virtues needed to find a new direction for it even if it had been hurt countless times. The hope needed to keep the light ignited and the miracle that was time. Both the fleeting past and the ever changing future. The memories of the past are what breaks a heart , but the dreams of the future can mend it even if it is woven together, little by little.
A broken heart didn’t need to be perfectly mended,
it didn’t need to be rushed in its recovery, it just needed the opportunity to flourish despite the impending darkness.

“Day by day the tides rise and they fall. Sometimes it feels like we’re drowning in those tides, sometimes our fear burns us and our regret suffocates us ,but every day the sun sets and the stars rise. No matter how dark the night seems there is always light in the sky.
The sun and the stars both share their turn to shine a guiding light of hope on those who seek it. When in need of a miracle sometimes all you have to do is look up at the stars and place your hope in their warm light even if it may seem directionless. Even if they may disappear from time to time into the night sky where the darkness reigns. Day by day we live our lives perhaps blind to the necessity of such things as kindness and compassion, but these things are what drive our virtues forth and give us the necessary resolve to wish upon that star for our miracle.”

Fin ~