Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Nights We Felt Alive ❯ There Is Nothing Else ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I own Digimon; I just can't legally prove it. So let's
pretend Toei owns it.

Author's Note: This will be a short, circa four chapters, Takari
romance. I'm skeptical as to whether I should have made this a short
story, and if I should have even posted it at all. There is a lot of
poetry in this story, which is good if you like poetry, but bad
because my poetry is about as good as a jab in the kidney. ^^ I hope
you can look past the corny, sappy and not to mention lame stanzas I
have produced. I would like to thank Silver for all his help with the
plot of this story, and for helping to keep my sappy nature under
control. I hope that you enjoy reading my short novel and I would
appreciate any input. Enjoy! ^_^*

Dedication: This is dedicated to all my fellow hopeless romantics,
hang in there, we're still extant!

The Nights We Felt Alive

Chapter Itchi: There is Nothing Else

By DaisukeFire

Email: [1]daisukefire@yahoo.com, I'm dying to know what you think of
my work!

Flowers of my heart,

Grow beautiful and strong,

You are part of me,

Blooming with beauty,

I pray you never wilt...

A benign, soothing breeze gently swayed the soft chocolate curls of
the girl's hair, causing them to constantly get in her eyes. Growing
slightly annoyed, the girl brushed the long bangs from her face with a
graceful gesture. A thin smile crossed her face as her radiant eyes
peered across the green landscape and far into the distance. Isolated,
slumbering trees speckled the landscape in all directions. The girl
almost imagined that she could see her old home... and her friends.
Another breeze troubled her once more, and she tried to hold back her
hair, to no avail. Annoyed, but not angry, she submitted to the
invincible winds of change.

Her vision now partly obscured by her hair, she turned her gaze toward
the heavenly sky. The bright afternoon sun forced her to squint. Thin,
deteriorating clouds floated through the sea of air, forced in
undesirable directions by the wind current. Looking down and into the
horizon she could see golden leaves from the scattered trees
fluttering to the browning ground and laying down for their final
rest. There were few birds singing now, for fall was upon the land.
But an occasional robin or lark was spotted cruising the sky.

Cerulean blue, that was the color of the sky... just like at home.

One of the hardest things for her to cope with when she was forced to
move from Odiaba was leaving all of her friends. To the girl, they
were more than just buddies; they had gone through so much together.
There was Davis, the headstrong hotshot leader who never ceased to put
a pleasant smile on the girl's face. And Yolei, the loud-mouthed girl
with whom the girl's heart beats in sync. Cody, the boy whose wisdom
outranks his age. Ken, the one who shared the girl's same sense of
dark foreboding in the past. And then there was TK. The girl had known
TK since the attack of Odiba by the evil Digimon known as Myotismon.
Everyone, including both of their brothers, had said that they would
make the cutest couple, that they were destined to be together... but
why ruin such a good friendship with romance? The girl didn't believe
in destiny, not when it came to love at least. She and TK were
friends, and would never be anything more. But Cupid is a free spirit
who strikes when the victim least expects or desires the prick of his
tiny arrow.

Despite the serenity of her new found home, the girl hated her new
life. Most of the girls at her new High School were spiteful and
envious of the beauty they wished for and which she had. Beauty was
the girl's least valued asset. It did nothing more for her other than
to prompt people to judge her by it. Because of this so-called beauty,
none of the people she'd met in this new life liked her for who she
really was. The girl had even made attempts to become friends with the
less popular girls. Yet they too felt uncomfortable around her and
cared not to get acquainted.

The yearning for her friends became unbearable at times. She missed
all of them of course. And then there was her brother, whom she missed
as much as her best friends. He had left his former life as well, and
was now a college student. Yet he seemed to be faring better than she,
for making new friends had never been a problem for him. He was even
voted by his peers into the hall senate for his class.

Everything about this new life seemed so dreary, and only forced the
girl to become ever more depressed. Yet there was one silver lining to
it. Her new, hopeful to be boyfriend. He made it almost completely
worthwhile. The way he treated her with such respect and complemented
her often made the world a little less dark. He had confessed his true
feelings to her earlier that day, and ever since, the girl's thoughts
had been cemented to the boy.

The girl's heart had almost jumped out of her chest when the young man
who would hopefully become her boyfriend told her that he wanted to
get to know her better over a date. He had seemed so much different
from everyone else. He had seemed nice, intelligent and caring. The
part that had made her most surprised about him was that he was the
most popular guy in school, and he had chosen her. Of course this had
only made the rest of the girls even more envious.

"Kari," called a man's deep, concerned voice called from somewhere
down below.

As if waking from a dream both pleasant and haunting, the girl shook
her head and looked down to the ground below her. The tall, dark
haired man was searching the yard for her and called her name again.
Kari giggled and called back to him, "Up here Dad!"

The man looked up towards the direction of the voice, and there saw
his blooming flower of a daughter. She was sitting on the roof of the
house with her arms wrapped around her knees. "What are you doing up
there honey? Isn't it almost time for your date?"

Kari stood up and walked over the roof to a tree adjacent to it.
Grabbing nimbly to the branches she managed to crawl down and meet her
father. The man could barely keep tears from pooling at his eyes as he
looked upon her. To him she really was a flower pushing through the
snow of a long winter.

A thin layer of blue eye shadow painted prudently above them magnified
her bright, brown eyes. The rosy blush on her face helped to lessen
her prominent cheekbones and to add extra flavor to her smile. Glossy
pink lipstick with silver sparkles covered her thin lips. Her hair was
grown longer than she had let it in previous years, reaching down to
her shoulders now. A black, sleeveless, midriff shirt with a pink
heart on the chest covered most of her torso except for her naval and
tanned stomach. A pair of tight blue jeans complemented the shirt and
a pair of white and black sneakers covered her feet. The camera that
had formerly hung from her neck was now replaced with a silver
necklace that Tai had bought her for her birthday a few years back.
She smiled.

"Well, aren't you going to get ready for your date?" the man asked
with a uneasy, yet proud voice.

"I already am!" she giggled.

"Please tell me your not going on a date dressed in that? Couldn't you
wear something that was a little less... revealing?"

"This isn't revealing! All you can see is my stomach!"

"Well please be careful tonight, you don't know this boy very well.
What was his name again?"

"His name is Kazu, and that's the point Dad, I'm going to get to know
him on the date." The man looked frustrated, it was hard for him to
trust anyone when it came to dating his daughter. But he was glad for
her, she had seemed so sad ever since the family had moved away from
Odaiba. The move was the last thing he had wanted for his daughter, it
was bad enough that she was losing her brother in the first place. Yet
the cost of living in Odaiba was very high, and when he had lost his
job there was little choice he had other than to take a job in a
suburb of Nagoya. But she seemed to have gotten better now that this
boy liked her, and her happiness was all that mattered.

"Don't forget, TK and his father are coming to spend the weekend with
us. He should be here by about eight tonight, so try and get back from
you date early."

"I will."

"Do you think he'll be jealous when he finds out your dating the most
popular guy at your school?" the man chuckled.

Kari laughed and punched her father in the arm, "Of course not! We're
just friends, why would he be jealous?"

"Ok, ok, you're feisty tonight. I'll drop you off at the sushi place
when you're ready."

"I want to go a little early, just to make sure I don't miss him going
into the restaurant."

"No problem Kari."

...Could you be the one,

I've been searching for,

To shine in my life and,

Teach me to love... the true way...

Kari shut the car door with an echoing bang and waved to her father
who was reluctant to drive away. She only smiled, showing him that she
was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. A light blue jacket
now covered her torso. Her father had convinced her to wear it. He had
said he was afraid that she would catch a cold or something, but Kari
was sure that he wanted her to cover up her outfit. But she had
complied, her father was only watching out for her. She immediately
removed the coat from around her shoulders.

The brown haired girl smiled as she thought of the night that was to
come. A date with an incredible guy, and then a whole weekend to be
with one of her best friends. It had been months since she had seen
TK, and seeing him was what she was most excited about. Yet she
couldn't stop daydreaming of Kazu. Did he really like her as much as
he said he did? Would they end up in a long relationship? Would he be
the one to give her the first kiss she would ever have? She could only
think of the many possibilities that lay ahead. She was infatuated
with love for the boy.

That was when she heard the two male voices in the ally adjacent to
the restaurant. They were laughing and joking about something. Kari
could have cared less, except that one of the voices sounded familiar.

Carefully, she poked her head around the corner of the alley and
peered down to see what the two voices thought was so funny. At the
end of the alley there were two young men standing next to a dumpster.
One was drinking something from an aluminum can; the other was smoking
something.

"I can't wait for this date!" the one drinking the pop said.

"Why? What's so special about that little freshman girl?" replied the
other in a nonchalant voice as he took a long breath of the combusting
substance.

"She seems really nice, and she's cute too," the one pointed out. Kari
smiled when she heard this; the voice obviously belonged to Kazu.

"She is cute, I admit that. But she's probably a ditz, most girls her
age are."

"I don't think so, she didn't seem that way when I talked to her. She
actually seems a little more mature for her age." Again, Kari's heart
leapt. Kazu thought she seemed mature!

"But what about Sakura? She did just break-up with you yesterday,
don't you think it's a little early to start a new relationship?" This
new bit of information caused Kari's ears to prick and her hair to
stand on end. She was so intent on eavesdropping, that she didn't
notice people across the street staring at her.

"She didn't break-up with me, we just decided to start dating other
people is all."

"Kazu... she said she couldn't stand you anymore, I don't think that's
quite the same thing as a mutual break-up."

"She just doesn't realize how much she needs me," Kazu's voice now had
a sad tone, threaded with fibers of anger, "and after a few days
she'll come crawling back to me."

"So, in other words, you're just using this freshman to try and make
Sakura jealous? I suppose that might get her back." Kazu's friend
stubbed out what was left of the burning substance on the aged brick
wall; then flicked the remnants into a trashcan. Kari could feel her
eyes beginning to sting. Was Kazu just using her as a way to get back
at an old girlfriend?

Kazu seemed infuriated now, "Of course I'm not using her! I really do
want to get to know this girl." Kari felt a serendipitous feeling of
hope, or dread, in her gut that gave the equivalent sensation of a
large rock sitting at the bottom of her stomach; maybe Kazu really did
want to get to know her.

"Ok," argued the friend, "Say you get to know this girl, and you like
her. But then Sakura wants you to take her back, then what are you
going to do?"

Kazu paused for a moment to ponder; then he replied, "I would hate to
do it, but I would go with Sakura."

The other laughed, "So, you would build up this girls feelings and
emotions, then leave her hanging?"

"Not intentionally," Kazu argued back, visibly frustrated, "but I
would rather be with Sakura." Kazu took the can, which was now empty,
and crushed it against the wall. He then hurled it into the dumpster.

"So why don't you just wait and see if you can work it out with
Sakura? Go have dinner with this girl, but tell her you'd just like to
be friends. I'm sure she'll understand."

"But," pleaded Kazu now with a sobbing tone to his voice, "what if
Sakura doesn't come back to me?"

"Come on," replied the exasperated friend as he waved his hands in the
air. "Don't try to start a new relationship until you're over Sakura.
Its better for everyone that way. Try to think about someone else
besides yourself."

"It'll be a long time before I'm over Sakura."

"So it's best for you not to date anyone until you are over her.
Besides, if you don't have a girlfriend you and me can hang out more,
we can enjoy the single life!"

"I would like that, but I can't wait that long... I have an image to
maintain."

"Fine, do whatever you want," the friend let his arms fall in defeat.
"You're going to end up hurting this girl and getting yourself in
trouble, but don't say I didn't warn you."

That was the last of the conversation that Kari heard. Tears were now
forming pools in the corners of her eyes, mixing with the eye shadow
and then falling down her cheek; smearing the blush as well. The
burning that troubled her eyes was just a sample of the burning she
felt in her chest. She turned from the corner and began to fast-walk
down the street in the opposite direction. Her eyes were glued to the
ground as she refused to look at any of the few passing pedestrians.
She passed an old flower shop, and happened to glance through the
window. Bouquets of bright, pink roses filled the clear square of
glass. Kari couldn't help but think how beautiful they were. Yet they
had been severed from their life support by the entity that watched
over them, and would soon die. Betrayal was hard to cope with. Ironic
how she had felt so alive thinking about the same person just a few
minutes before and now hated that same other as a mortal enemy. How
could anyone be so cruel? Kazu had seemed so nice earlier that day, he
had seemed so caring and sincere with everything he said to her. All
her dreams of romance with Kazu were now shattered. Despite all of his
arguments, Kari new he was just using her to make his ex-girlfriend
jealous.

She looked toward the sky, which was now dark and obscured by round
clouds of rainy resent. The sulking sky would be sure to shower that
night. Kari tried to cheer herself up with thoughts of seeing TK, but
she couldn't diverge the dark feelings from her mind. Sure, it would
be a great weekend with TK, but what about after he left and Monday
came? How could she face even one more day of school when everyone
there hated her? She knew that she had to push on, but it would be
hard with nothing bright in the future to look forward to. Water began
to sprinkle from the sky and mingle with the young, brown haired
girl's tears. A taxi approached her and she waved it down. Climbing
into the car, she quickly gave the cab driver directions to her home.
She hoped that her makeup would appear streaked because of the rain,
and not because of her tears.

...Bitter flakes of winter fall,

Icy and cold melting on my skin,

Yet this winter is warm,

Compared to the storm in my soul...

Kari paid the driver whose cursory thank you only made her feel all
the worse. The rain was now hailing down and soaking her to the bone.
When she reached the door she noticed a note taped to it. It was
spattered with drizzle and crumbling from the unforeseen moisture. It
read:

Kari,

TK and his father got here a little early, so we decided to go to
dinner with them. We should be back soon.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Kari's cold and clammy fingers turned the doorknob. It was locked. She
checked her pockets to see if she had brought her key with her. She
hadn't. Kari's frustration was now forcing the blood out of her brain
and giving her a massive headache. Angrily she ran through the sky's
tears and suckling mud to the side of her house that contained the
window to her bedroom. As she looked through the window she could see
light filtering through the curtains in an erratic sequence, most
likely from her TV. After lightly rapping on the glass, a tiny claw
poked between the curtain and window. Two, lemon shaped pupils
surrounded by blue cats' eyes shinned through the darkened window into
Kari's eyes.

The little cat like creature purred for joy and tried to open the
window to let its partner in. After a minute of fumbling with the
latches, and leaving claw marks on the window and frame by accident,
the window was unlocked and Kari slid it open, then she clumsily
crawled in, landing on the floor with an aching thud.

"Thank you, Gatomon," replied Kari soft and sadly as she stood up and
began to take off her slimy, water soaked cloths.

"What's the matter Kari?" the white and purple striped feline asked
compassionately. Kari had now pulled on a pair of shorts and ratty
pink t-shirt. Her transformation from that afternoon was pitiful. With
her streaked and smeared make-up, red, pain swollen eyes from her
prolonged crying, and goose-bump covered skin from the cold rain, she
looked as bad as her heart felt. She tossed her body onto the bed and
lay there; stomach down with her head buried in her arms, and she said
nothing. "Kari?" the cat persisted with curiosity twitching its
whiskers. It jumped onto the bed and sniffed at Kari's hidden face.

Kari replied with tears in her voice, "Kazu just wanted to use me."

"That guy who said he liked you?" Gatomon replied with a puzzled
equanimity.

"The one and only. I overheard him talking to a friend and basically
he just wants to use me to make his old girlfriend jealous."

"That's terrible!" Gatomon hissed, and began throwing jabs and
uppercuts at an invisible foe. "Just let me at him, I tear him up
faster than I did that last scratching post!"

Kari lifted her head and smiled weakly at her only friend in this new
life, "I bet you would. But it's not so much that that bothers me,
it's just that everyone hates me here, and they don't even know me!"

"You just have to be patient, Kari. You're a wonderful person and I'm
sure that a lot of people will like you once they get to know you."
Gatomon placed her gloved hand onto Kari's shoulder in an attempt to
comfort. The pseudo-claws at the end of the glove made small
impressions on Kari's damp shirt, and the cat was afraid they might
poke her.

"Yeah right. People these days like you only for who you pretend to
be, not who you really are." She was now sitting up straight and
looking deep into her feline friend's elliptical eyes with deep
self-pity.

Gatomon yelled back with a growling voice, "You're wrong Kari! What
about Davis and TK? Both of them like you for who you are, and I'm
sure that you miss them as much as they miss you. And what about
Yolei? She even admitted to your face that she wished she could be
more like you! You're awesome Kari! You're the most caring, sincere,
and loving person in the entire world!" The little champion Digimon
was now far out of breathe and panting from her vain attempts to cheer
up her partner. Gatomon had meant every word of the argument; she
loved Kari, and hated to see her in such a deteriorating state.

"But that life is gone now. All my true friends are so far away that I
only get to see them once every few months. I just can't stop thinking
about how much I miss them, and how much I miss Tai. It's like I've
just disappeared off the face of the Earth. What's the point, Gatomon?
I'm no good at making friends, and I'm just going to be miserable here
until I leave." Kari's depression was now changing to despair and her
voice became much more dissonant, "I don't think I can handle being
here anymore. I just wish I could completely disappear from the face
of the Earth!"

Gatomon recoiled in terror as Kari said that last sentence for two
reasons. The first reason was because her voice was now completely
emotionless and cold like she really meant it, and Kari would never
say something like that... ever. She was always hopeful about the
future, about bringing light and peace to the world. To see her stuck
so deep in despair tore at Gatomon's heart. The other reason Gatomon's
eyes were wide with horror, was because Kari was now flickering. Her
body was flickering in and out of existence, the way a television
program does when the reception is close to terminating.

Kari was now crying loudly, the echo of her voice sounding as if
caught between two dimensions. A pink aura formed around her body and
it began to fade into a silhouette. Gatomon's jaw was locked open as
she desperately tried to warn her partner of the flickering.

After a second, Gatomon forced her jaw shut and shook her head
violently in an attempt to gain composure. She jumped forward in an
attempt to grab Kari, but in the matter of a few seconds, Kari's
silhouette had completely disappeared and nothing was left of her
existence but the pink aura. Gatomon hissed scolded herself for being
so slow. Now, with lightning quick reactions, she leaped to Kari's
dresser, grabbed the pink gadget called a `digivice' in her sharp
teeth, and dove back towards the mysterious portal. Quickly checking
her momentum, she began to jump back to grab the D-Terminal, but
through the corner of her eye she saw that the dimension warp was
beginning to shrink. Exasperated, she rerouted her direction and dove
through the portal just before it closed.

Gatomon knew exactly where her friend had been transported; this had
happened before. The resolute feline wasn't about to let Kari be stuck
in a depressed world without her. The realm of the Dark Ocean was
vastly unexplored, and contained unknown enemies who would try their
best to make Kari remain in their forsaken world... or destroy her.
And there was Daemon, whom the Digidestined had banished there as
well. Gatomon was sure he would be just ecstatic to see Kari. Yet one
problem loomed most in her mind, with out the D-Terminal, how would
they contact the others if they needed help? Gatomon didn't know, but
she did know that she would fight back the sun and moon with all her
feral instincts if she had to.

...Darkness has filled my heart,

And I am without hope,

For the light has left my life,

And there is nothing else...

The young, blonde haired boy with indigo eyes entered the new home of
his friend, following his father and her parents, respectively. He'd
grown about a foot taller over the years, and was now just inches away
from staring his father directly in the face. He had followed in his
brother's footsteps and was now quite fashionably dressed. Khaki cargo
pants hung from his waist and were complemented by a pair of flashy,
black shoes with silver buckles near the ankles. Surrounding his
athletic build was a plain, blue T-shirt, which was in turn covered by
a black and blue long sleeved, button up shirt. A light pair of azure
rimmed glasses hung freely from his nose. His hair was now slightly
spiked and free from the hat that had confined it as a child. The
curves of his face were filled with both the vigor of youth and the
countless years of maturity he possessed over other boys his age.
Yolie had teased and accused him of being arrogant with his new dress
style, but TK had grown to enjoy dressing nicely. It separated him
from the other guys who just threw on week-old cloths and couldn't
care less. This complemented his unique character.

"Kari must not be home yet," replied Kari's mother. "Her date with
that boy should be just about over though."

"Doesn't that make you jealous, TK?" the boy's father laughed in his
deep, husky voice as he teasingly elbowed his son's shoulder.

TK blushed and glared at his father with squinted eyes, he hated it
when his Dad teased him about liking any girl. "Kari and I are just
friends, Dad. So she can date whoever she wants, as long as he treats
her with respect."

"Getting a little protective of Kari, aren't we TK?" laughed Kari's
mom.

"Err, why do you always have to harass us about dating!" TK's laugh
was pleasant with traces of annoyance as well.

"We're just teasing you," interjected Kari's father, "Kari should be
back shortly. You can wait for her in her room if you want, or you can
stay out and talk with us some more."

"Sorry," chuckled TK, "but I had to listen to you guys argue about the
current economic crisis the whole time we were having dinner. I think
I would rather wait for her in her room rather than hear more `adult'
talk."

"Ok, dear, just let me know if you need anything," added Kari's mom
merrily as she gave him directions to Kari's room, down the hall three
doors and to the left. TK entered the quiet sanctuary of her room and
could hear another heated altercation between his father and Kari's
begin as he quietly shut the door.

TK turned around and whispered, "Gatomon, Gatomon, are you here?"
There was no reply. That Digimon was always up to something. Whatever
she was doing now, she had been in such a rush to do it that she had
forgotten to turn off the TV, which was muted. "It smells like wet cat
in here," he snickered, glad the feline was nowhere near to hear the
comment and swipe her razor-sharp claws at him in defense of her
honor.

He pulled off his backpack and vigilantly set it on the bed, and then
unzipped it. Out from it flew a small, orange, pig-like creature with
bright blue eyes and bat-like wings sticking oddly out of its head.
The flying creature sighed and then glared at TK, "Thanks for making
me wait in your backpack for three hours, TK!" Its voice was high
pitched like that of a child, and had a relieved but livid timbre.

"Sorry," blushed TK as he rubbed the back of his head with his right
hand, "but I couldn't let them know I brought you with me. My Dad
thinks you're still in the Digital World."

"That's still no excuse to keep me crammed inside that backpack for so
long!"

"I said I'm sorry, buddy." TK widened his eyes and pouted, doing his
best to give Patamon the `puppy-dog face.'

"Ok, I forgive you," Patamon eased and chuckled at TK's lame attempt.
"But you'd better not do it again! Hey, where's Gatomon?"

"I have no idea, I figured she'd be here waiting for us. Why, are you
so excited to see her?" TK made a kissing face at his partner.

Patamon blushed and snarled back, "Well of course I am. She's my
friend, and I miss her as much as you miss Kari."

TK started singing, "Oh, Patamon and Gatomon sittin' in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The infuriated, orange bat-pig hurtled itself into TK's chest, the
other catching him in his arms and hugging him tightly. Both
individuals were laughing. TK let go of Patamon, who flew to one end
of Kari's bed and proceeded to take a nap on one of her pillows. As
for TK, he let himself fall freely, landing with his back on the bed.
He put his arms around his head, creating a psuedo pillow, and then
stared at the choppy white ceiling. He couldn't wait until Kari got
back from her date.

Now that you're gone,

I realize how important you are to me,

Our friendship is true,

And things seem so dull,

Until I'm with you...

The melodic song of the waves soothed her broken heart as Kari gazed
down from the steep face of a cliff. She was huddled around her knees
and was vainly trying to keep warm from the icy fountain draining from
the sky. Her brain kept telling her to find shelter and get out of the
hypothermic air, but there was a distinct pleasantness coming from the
stormy waters around her. The unyielding wind ruffled her ratty shirt,
which was now dismally shaded because of the lack of light.

It didn't really matter anyways. She almost wished she could stay in
this sad moment for all eternity. Here, there was no pain. All of her
sorrows and troubles were off in a different world now. Tears could
flow freely in this land of forever night. There was no one here to
mock or hate her for who she was. But there was also a lonely feeling
in the dampness. The people who she did love and care about were also
absent, searching for her, maybe, but doubtful. Kari wasn't sure that
anyone would miss her at all.

Rocks at the bottom of the cliff shuddered as the dark waves of the
ocean caressed them. There were no birds fluttering through the air to
fill the quiet realm with a song of love and spring. Off in the
distance was an abnormal lighthouse. Rather than shining rays of light
and guidance for sea weary travelers, this lighthouse only took joy in
making things darker. Like thick, bland syrup the rays oozed across
the sea, and at times land. Kari flinched as the darkness of the
foreboding shade burned her eyes.

Gently, she picked a rock from the barren ground and held it in her
smooth and tender palm. It was a discolored mix of green and gray, and
its texture was rough and its shape amorphous, it was ugly. Just like
her. How could she let something so trivial as some jerk wanting to
use her break her up like this? The thought of how weak she was made
her eyes clench in anger. Of all the Digidestined, she knew she had to
be the weakest. The only time she had ever played a key role in
helping was when they defeated Myotismon. Sure, she had done some
other little things too, but none had really been that vital. Why
couldn't she be strong, like the others?

All she had ever wanted in life was to be normal. Was that too much to
ask? Ever since her childhood she had been almost always alone. Here
chronic sickness played a key role in making her unattractive to other
children. That was why she tried so hard to please her brother; he was
the only friend she had ever had. Then came the adventure, and an
excess of friends with it. Though she had had trouble forming unique
relationships with the other Digidestined, she had managed to form two
unique ones. One was with Gatomon, her `predestined' partner. As much
as she loved Gatomon, she needed more than just a non-human partner.
There were things that Gatomon couldn't understand, as human-like as
she was. The other bond was with Yolei. Because of their kindred
souls, their hearts had managed to beat as one and trigger the Jogress
evolution of Gatomon and Aquillamon.

Both of the previous bonds had yielded physical results. Yet she also
felt a bond with TK, one that had never come quite into bloom. It had
come close at times, TK had been heroic and saved her on a few
accounts, but it had never grown to a more powerful level since he
saved her from the Dark Ocean, the first time.

All of these thoughts made her yearn all the more for her friends.
Angrily she threw the ugly stone high into the air. There it stalled,
bidding the time before its fated drowning. Following its flight it
crashed into the irrigate with a plop, creating a large splash. Where
was Gatomon now? Was she still at home, had she even noticed Kari
disappear? Kari burst into tears once more. The lonely atmosphere of
the Dark Ocean complemented her own emotions, but now she felt an
inexorable despair looming on the horizon.

"Gatomon!" she cried with all the power her lungs could produce; she
stood erect, seeming to challenge the sinister sky. Her eyes were
clenched shut and tears trickled down her scrunched cheeks. There was
no answer to her cry.

"Mom... Dad... Tai..." there was still no response. "TK!" this last
name she called seemed to echo deep into the distance, even to the
depths of the harsh waters. Kari wasn't sure why she called for TK;
maybe it was because he was closer in distance than the others. But it
didn't matter; she doubted he would ever hear her anyways.

...As I sit high up here,

In the down pouring rain,

Arms sadly wrapped `round my knees,

The dark sky plaguing my heart,

I need you...

TK snickered as he watched the snot bubble inflate and deflate from
his partner Digimon's nose. Not many individuals can be funny while
they sleep, but that was a gifted talent Patamon owned. TK's thoughts
shifted from the little orange creature to Kari. Missing her like
crazy was one of the problems he had faced when she moved, and that
was the way he would have felt if any of his friends moved away. They
were a team, and without one member life felt so... incomplete. Yet he
was more worried about her than himself, he'd get over it. Kari seemed
really depressed and even though she wouldn't tell anyone what she
felt, he could tell she hated it here. Even Davis had told him that
when he had called Kari he couldn't get her to laugh, and he'd never
had a problem with that before. She was definitely not acting like
herself.

TK was sure that life was nowhere near as rough for him when Kari had
moved. Sure, he would hardly ever get to see one of his best friends
now, but at least he still had his other friends. He and Davis had
gotten over their quarrelling a long time ago, and had bonded very
well with their mutual loss of Kari. TK had even asked Davis to come
with him this weekend and they could both get to spend time with Kari,
but Davis had politely declined due to a soccer tournament that
weekend. Davis had also pointed out that maybe TK and Kari might like
to spend some time alone together. That would have sounded bizarre if
it had come from the Davis four years earlier. But Davis had long
since gotten over his infatuation with Kari.

It was then that TK noticed how sweaty his hands were, and he was
fidgeting with them. Was it possible he was nervous to see Kari? Of
course not, he had no reason to be nervous about that. But then why
were his hands so sweaty? His hands were never sweaty. Maybe he was
nervous because he hadn't seen her in so long that he was afraid to
see how she had changed. Hopefully she hadn't gotten too depressed
over the months, if she had, TK wasn't sure what he could do to help
her.

As he was deep in thought about Kari, he could have sworn he heard her
voice calling to him as if from a dream. Was she here already? He
shifted his head toward the door, his eyes half expecting to see her
lively face smiling at him. But she was not there.

The voice continued to call to him: TK, TK, TK... It was almost as if
he could hear her voice echoing from some other world. Then the voice
grew louder as he listened, it seemed almost like she was crying. Then
he heard the names of Gatomon and Tai being called as well, and he
realized that Kari was calling for someone. The tone didn't sound
distressed or urgent, just longing. He got up from the bed and looked
meticulously around the room. Nothing seemed out of place. Then
something at the window caught his eye. There was a faint, pink glow
seeping in around the edges of the curtains. Quickly, he rushed to the
window and threw the curtains to the side.

About fifty yards away, near a tall tree, was an elliptical pink mist.
Kari's voice seemed to be emanating from it. He threw open the window
and called back to Patamon, who sat up groggily. TK jumped out the
window and was running through the hammering rain towards the pink
mist. The voice of Kari seemed to be crying in his ears now; it was
almost unbearably loud.

As he rushed the pink mist, he remembered what it was. He had seen it
once before in his life... the portal to the Dark Ocean. How had Kari
gotten there? TK didn't know, but he refused to hesitate helping her.
He leapt through the air and into the portal with the graceful motion
of a bird. The lethargic Patamon reluctantly followed his partner
wherever he was heading.

... I will not abandon you,

No matter the cost and

Loss that I face,

You're far too important to me,

And I care too much for you,

To lose you to anything...

Author's Note: Well, if you're reading this, then you've made it
through the first chapter. I hope that you liked it, I put my best
effort into it. Sorry about all the poetry, I know they probably don't
make sense, but I'm better at angst poems than romantic ones. As
always, please review and let me know what you think so far. Thanx for
reading! Next chapter up soon, I hope! ^_^*

References

1. mailto:daisukefire@yahoo.com