Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Outcast ❯ Deals ( Chapter 3 )

The Outcast

Chapter 3: Deals

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any right to Digimon's creatures, characters, or original storyline. Poor pitiful me.*

Author's Note: Finally got the next chapter out. I'd like to start off by thanking everyone who has reviewed my stories so far. It's nice to know people are enjoying my stories.

I'd also like to thank ChrsDud and Daisukefire, my two beta readers who help improve my writing. I'd also like to thank Lord Archive. His "Izumi Asks" series gave me a great deal of info on Japanese culture.

Not much else to say, so, on with the show!

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"The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men."
-- Reinhold Niebuhr

As with any household, the Kamiya family had gone through its fair share of dark times. There had been the fear following the battle between Greymon and Parrotmon, in which Tai and Kari had nearly been killed. There had been the terror and anxiety over Kari's near-death infection of pneumonia, and Tai's subsequent guilt of being the person who escalated Kari's condition. Most recently, the family had felt sadness over the loss of Miko, Kari's pet cat who had passed away years ago. But never had the Kamiya family known such gloom as they did presently.

Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya sat in the living room with Kari weeping on her mother's shoulder while hugging Gatomon to her chest. Kari's mother had found her sitting in the hallway while returning from running errands. Kari's father had followed a half-hour later. Unable to keep her fears and worries bottled up any longer, Kari had burst into a fit of tears and spilled out the contents of the last several days. She told them about her glowing, the student body's reaction of fear, and Muri's attempt on her life. The confession had been somewhat awkward due to the fact that Kari's parents knew nothing of their daughter's illuminative powers, or of the Dark Ocean. Gatomon had provided explanations for Kari whenever she had been too distraught to explain the facts herself.

Mrs. Kamiya stroked the back of her daughter's head, "Kari, why didn't you tell us about this?"

Kari sniffed, "I-I didn't want you to worry. This has never been a problem before, so I didn't see any reason to tell you."

Mr. Kamiya said, "Kari, I don't think you should go to school tomorrow. I want you to stay home until we see how things work out."

Kari's head snapped up, "But I can't just leave! How would that look to everyone else? It'd be like confessing that I was a danger to everyone."

"It's not you who is the danger here, Kari. I'm more worried about what your schoolmates will do after today."

Mrs. Kamiya said to her husband, "We should also warn Davis' parents too. He could be in danger as well, because of his being seen with Kari." Guilt sliced through Kari's heart again as she realized how many people were suffering because of her. Davis might be in just as much danger as she was, and Kari had no idea where Muri and his friends could be. They had simply vanished after being swept away by the dark tidal wave. Kari shivered at the memory of those glazed yellow eyes glaring out from the black water as it reached out for Kari and the others. Why is all this happening now? Are my powers calling the Dark Ocean to me? Or is it the Dark Ocean that's causing my powers to react?

Mrs. Kamiya gently nudged her daughter up. "Let's get to bed, Kari. You'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah…" Kari didn't sound like she believed her mother. She wasn't sure she'd ever feel better again.

The irate ringing of the phone halted Kari and her parents as they advanced towards Kari's room. Kari's father sighed, "Go to bed, sweetie. I'll be in soon." He walked over to the phone and answered. "Hello, Kamiya residence." There was a brief pause. "Oh, hello… Yes, yes. She just told me everything… No, she's not. I don't want her going back until that Ikari boy is taken care of. That lunatic could have killed my little girl!" Kari shuddered at the memory of Muri's eyes. They had been filled with such hatred, and a fanatical glint of superiority. Kari trembled at the idea of facing Muri again.

Kari's father continued his conversation. "What are you going to do about this? The whole school seems petrified of my daughter, even though she hasn't done anything wrong… WHAT?" Mr. Kamiya's face contorted in a scowl and his skin deepened three shades of red. His voice became angry and grew to rage as the conversation continued. "How dare you do that? After all the time and money we put into… I don't give a damn about your school's reputation! You'll be hearing from my lawyer! Don't you hang up on me! You-" Mr. Kamiya stopped as the empty drone of the dial-tone could be heard clear across the room.

For a moment, Mr. Kamiya just stood there, flexing his grip on the receiver. Kari wondered if he would crush it in his hand, or throw it on the floor. She'd never seen her father this angry. Every muscle in his body seemed to twitch with rage, and his face became an even darker shade of crimson. Finally, he slammed the receiver down and looked at his family. "Kari, go to bed. I'll be in shortly." He looked at his wife. "Honey, you and I need to talk."

Kari wandered into her room and dressed for bed, all the while listening for the sounds of her parents. It was terrifyingly quiet. She couldn't hear anything from the living room. Kari crawled into be with Gatomon.

"Kari?" Gatomon nestled close to her partner. "You're trembling."

Kari's voice was hushed and nervous. "Something's happened. Something bad has happened because of me."

Gatomon shook her head, "That's not it. I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds.

"WHAAAT?!!" Kari's mother's voice cut through the door and raked across Kari and Gatomon's ears, causing them both to jump. "How can they do that? Those-"

"Honey!" Mr. Kamiya hissed to his wife. "Be quiet! Kari'll hear you." The voices died down. Now Kari knew that something was wrong, and it related to her. She could feel her body begin to shudder even more at the thought of even more unknown threats and dangers. She began checking her clock, waiting for one of her parents to enter and explain what was going on.

After an eternity of five minutes, Kari's father crept in and sat down next to Kari's bed. "Kari, sweetie, I have some bad news."

Kari asked, "What is it? Who was on the phone?" She already had a vague guess.

"It was your principle. Someone reported seeing a bright light flash near the bleachers today, and the news is already spreading around. What's more, Hitoshi Ikari called the Principle and asked if he'd seen Muri recently. Muri hasn't been home all day."

Kari could feel the color leave her face. "The Dark Ocean… the Dark Ocean took Muri!"

Mr. Kamiya put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "We don't know that for sure. Muri could just be hiding out somewhere. The police can't declare him missing until tomorrow, but that's not the point right now… Kari, your principle thinks that it'd be dangerous for you to return to school. Too many people are confused and afraid. So… he… he…" Mr. Kamiya shook his head. "I don't know how else to say this. He calls it "protective discharge" but he's really-"

Kari finished the thought with tears burning behind her eyes. "I'm expelled? I can't go back to school?" Mr. Kamiya nodded slowly.

"That's not fair!" Gatomon stood up and brandished her claws. "Kari didn't do anything wrong! Those boys attacked her. Where does that principle get off expelling Kari?"

"He says that he's doing it for Kari's protection, and to preserve the school's reputation. I think he's more interested in the second part."

Kari sat on her bed, gripping the sheets and staring into the dark corner of the room while trying to absorb what had just happened. An expulsion… It was the worst thing to happen in Kari's academic life.

Given Japan's strict focus on education, people with expulsions on their records had a much more difficult time gaining entrance into high schools and colleges. Kari's expulsion would make it hard to transfer into a new high school, especially with the semester in full swing. And she could forget about college for a while. My dream… my dream to be a teacher. She couldn't become a teacher without some kind of educational record. She needed to go to college. She had to go to college. "Daddy… what am I going to do now?" Kari wanted to cry, but, somehow, her face felt utterly blank. As if she had already used up all her emotions. But she could feel warm tears pooling behind her eyes.

Mr. Kamiya gently settled Kari onto her pillow. "I know things look bad right now, Kari, but we're going to fight this. I'll call my lawyer first thing in the morning and we'll protest this expulsion. Get some sleep for now. We'll worry about what to do in the morning."

"right…" Kari spoke as if she hadn't heard.

Mr. Kamiya leaned down and kissed Kari's forehead. "Don't worry, Kari. We'll get through this together." Mr. Kamiya stood up and walked to the door, closing it behind him. Kari wouldn't remember if she fell asleep that night. Her mind went numb. It felt as if she was dreaming the horrible reality unfolding before her.

* * * * * * * *

For all their years of biological and social evolution, humans were still prone to follow their most primitive desires and instincts. The desire for procreation, food, safety, and strength were some of the strongest factors in the human psyche that drove humanity onward. Fears kept humanity from taking needless risks and driving itself towards extinction. One of the greatest fears in the human mind was the terror of darkness. Total darkness was a catalyst for terror that inspired flight in almost every creature, for darkness was the realm of death.

And it was this fear of darkness and death that drove him to stumble along blindly as he fled the terror he'd just experienced. His dark eyes were wide with fear, his normally handsome features were frozen in a look of shock, and his black hair was matted down to his skull by sweat. He had no idea where he was, nor where he was going. All he knew was that he had to get away. The shadows perused him and reached out to drag him back.

He wasn't thinking about where to go, or who to turn to. He just ran, which was considerably hard, given that his eyes were closed. Every time he opened his eyes to gaze out and get his bearings, the sunlight stabbed his gaze, bringing pain and a return to blindness. Rejected by the light and haunted by the dark, he ran on.

Pain ripped through his face as he slammed into something hard and cold. He stumbled backwards and fell on his bottom. With a loud cry, he rolled to the side and sprinted in a new direction. He headed to the left, or was it the right? Maybe he was finally going strait after heading sideways so long. He couldn't tell. Terror griped his heart at the thought that he was actually running back towards the darkness, but the primal instincts within his brain urged his body onward while his mind cried for him to stop and think.

There were sounds now, loud sounds. He could hear the shuffling of footsteps and the loud screeching of creatures nearby. There was also a small shimmer of heat up ahead that almost felt like sunlight. He ran forward, hoping that the blinding radiance would drive back the shadows. But he could feel them reaching out for him and calling him back. Not even the light would drive them away.

He slammed up against something warm and living. The warm, fleshy feeling wrapped around his shoulders, and it was then that he knew he had been caught! That thought gave rise to an even greater horror he'd seen. With a shriek of pure terror, he shoved the body away and ran away from whatever creature stood before him. But then he felt the same feeling of warmth from another form behind him, and then another, and another. He was sure he had stumbled into a realm of the demons.

"Hey, look at him."

"Poor kid."

"Are you alright?" He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He quickly shoved it away and stumbled back. "Oh my!" He began forcing his way past warm bodies. He knew he had to get away.

Voices began to shout at him. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Of all the nerve!"

"Get lost, ya jerk!" Tears flowed down his cheeks as the sunlight stung from behind his eyelids. After being in darkness for so long, he couldn't stand even filtered sunlight.

He felt a pair of hands rest upon his shoulders. "Hey, settle down." He cried out in rage as much as terror as the urge for self-preservation took over. He spun around and swung at the nearest living thing. There was a loud cracking sound, followed by a thud. A scream followed soon after that. He smiled. Now his attackers knew to fear him. He dove forward and struck at the next nearest object. There was another thumping sound, but it was quickly returned with a blow to his chin. Taken unawares, he stumbled back into another body. All around me, they're all around me! He continued to punch and kick as arms wrapped all around him. Something kicked the back of his right knee, and he stumbled down onto one knees.

The thousands of hands pressed down upon him, pinning him to the ground. "NO!" He cried, "Let me go! Let me go!"

There was a loud shrieking nose that alternated in pitch. It sounded like the wail of a monster, like one of those damn Digimon. That had to be it. The Digimon were attacking him! It was all their fault, just like his father had said. The unseen creature screeched and gave two loud slamming sounds before he could hear the sound of running footsteps. Had a Digimon sent servants to capture him? He struggled even more.

"What's going on here?" An authoritative voice demanded.

"This guy started hitting people for no reason! And with his eyes closed at that!"

"Holy! Do you know who this is?"

"No, who?"

"That's Muri Ikari. Hitoshi Ikari's son!"

* * * * * * * *

School was unpleasant enough when he was popular with the students, but now that Davis was on the bottom rung of the social ladder, school had fallen to an all-time low. No one would talk to him, no one would even look at him. It was as if people were hoping that just by ignoring him, he'd go away.

Davis' first impulse was to walk around and give a hard time to anyone who averted their gaze. That was what the old Davis would have done, but Davis had learned that blowing your top every five minutes wasn't the smartest way to go. It was as Tai had once said, "You have to think with your head instead of your heart." It had taken Davis a long time to get control of his impulsive nature, and he slipped sometimes, but he was slowly calming down from the over-eager, hot-head that had first visited the Digital World.

There was one interesting side effect to his new role as a social outcast. Davis had never understood how tough the less-popular students had had it until he had been forced into their role. The period between classes was an empty void, as was eating alone during lunch. In some ways, Davis looked forward to the start of class rather than the end. At least class gave him something to focus on besides how lonely it was in a school full of indifferent students. It was when class ended that he had to return to the void. Sure wish I'd brought Veemon with me. Davis' parents had stressed the fact that Veemon shouldn't go to school after hearing what had happened to Kari. They were afraid people would gang up on Davis, as Muri and his crew had done with Kari.

In fact, Muri and his gang were absent from school that day. Davis hadn't seen them at all. The entire student body wanted to give Muri a pat of the back for winning the big game. Davis, on the other hand, hadn't gotten so much as a thumbs-up for tying the game, even from people he thought were his friends. Loyal friends are hard to find…That only strengthened Davis' resolution to stand beside Kari no matter what happened. He couldn't ditch her like everyone else had.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class period. Davis stood up and placed his books back in his desk. He then pulled out a notebook and began to doodle. Jun often teased him about his bad art, but at least it killed time. A loud click sounded from the loudspeaker. "Davis Motomiya, please report to the principle's office." Davis suppressed a groan. Now what?

Davis stood up and avoided the jeering gazes of the other students as he walked down the hallway. The principle's office was on the other side of the building, which left Davis taking the fabled "long walk." It wasn't anything new, really. Davis usually made this trek about once a month after performing some-sort of mischief.

Davis knocked on the door as soon as he reached the principle's office. "Come in." Davis entered and stood before the principle. He was a tall man who wore a light gray suit and had a no-nonsense manner about him. His brown hair was combed close to his head and his green eyes were as cold as stone. They'd glared at Davis many times in the past. Davis gulped. He usually considered the Principle to be a tightwad who couldn't loosen up if his life depended on it. Most often, the Principle came across as completely void of emotion. The only emotion Davis had ever seen in the older man was rage from when Davis had tried to drill peepholes in the back of his gym locker so that boys could peek into the girl's shower room. He didn't want to see that side of the principle ever again.

"Mr. Motomiya, please sit down." Davis did so. The principle stared at him across the desk. "Have you heard about Ms. Kamiya?"

Davis nodded, "I heard that Muri Ikari and a bunch of his goons jumped her. Have they been expelled?"

The Principle shook his head. "Mr. Ikari has not come in today, and we have not made any plans to expel him or his friends. Rather, the school board has decided that it is in the genuine interest of the school as well as the Kamiya family that Ms. Kamiya no longer attend this school."

Davis paled, "You expelled her??? But she didn't do anything!"

The Principle nodded, "She's been seen glowing twice. This makes students uneasy, which leads to the incident involving Mr. Ikari yesterday. It'd be safer for Ms. Kamiya if she did not come here and expose herself to greater risk."

Davis' voice became firm. He could hardly control the urge to shout protests in the principle's face and demand Kari be let back in. "And what about me? I was seen hanging around with Kari."

The Principle replied, "I'm going to set up a special education system for you. Starting today, you'll be given a packet of reading and homework. You will have the whole week to read the material and do the assignments. Every Saturday afternoon, you will turn in the packet and receive a new one. Tests will be taken in school when you turn in the packet, under teacher supervision, of course. You'll still receive credit for the work you do, and you'll have the comfort of doing school work in your own home."

"Why didn't you give this stuff to Kari too?" Davis could feel the blood swelling in his face.

The Principle said, "The school board decided that it was in the best 'interest' of the school not to associate ourselves with Ms. Kamiya, lest rumors spread about our school."

Davis gripped the arm of his chair. "You mean you cut her loose to save the schools reputation?"

The Principle sighed and leaned forward, placing his clasped hands on the desk. Some of the formality left his voice, "Listen, Davis, I don't like this anymore than you do, but the fact of the matter is that this school has a reputation to uphold. Many people would reconsider sending their children here if word of Kari's 'unique' abilities got out. We have to protect the school's standing and the safety of its students."

Although taken aback by the informality of the Principle, Davis gritted his teeth in sheer anger. "You sold Kari out."

The authority of the Principle returned. "Call it what you will Mr. Motomiya, but you do not have any say in the matter. It has already been decided. Now, you can either take up my offer, or suffer an expulsion yourself. It's your decision."

Davis grimaced and nodded. He couldn't afford to be expelled. He parents didn't have the financing to purchase a new tuition for him. The principle nodded and opened a drawer. "Here is your first set of assignments. I'll expect them returned this Saturday afternoon. Please clean out your desk and locker before you go." He handed Davis a binder half the size of a dictionary. It was dull red with dividers inserted between the class assignments.

Davis stood up, took the binder, and walked out without another word. He walked in silent fury until he was out of hearing and visual range of the principle's office, then he took out his frustration on the nearest locker. Davis kicked it again and again while muttering curses until a large dent was carved into the door. He hated this. He hated how shallow and selfish the students were. He hated the school for being so spineless. And, most of all, he hated himself for being absolutely powerless to do anything about what was happening!

He'd need to clear out his desk and locker fast, then get home and tell his family what had happened. Jun had graduated from college and was now living on her own, but she'd be just as outraged as her parents. Davis would then go see Kari. He needed to know if she was okay.

No, scratch that. There was no way that Kari would be "okay" with what was happening. Davis just needed to be there for her, period.

* * * * * * * *

Koishii Ikari, wife to Hitoshi Ikari and mother of Muri Ikari, wrung her hands nervously as she sat by the phone. For what must have been the tenth time, she reached for the phone, lifted the receiver, and then set it back down.

It had nearly been 24 hours since Muri should have left school, so the police could soon begin searching for him. This had been the longest day of her life, ever. Koishii had always feared for Muri's safety after the Digimon debates had begun. Hitoshi was one of the anti-Digimon community's best speakers, which placed Muri at risk. Digimon extremist groups could always kidnap Muri in order to silence Hitoshi. The Ikaris were often the victims of threats from Digimon supporters. The calls ranged from ridiculous insults to strong warnings to bomb threats.

As much as Koishii respected the strength of Hitoshi's convictions and the power of his creations, sometimes she wished they could lead a normal life and Hitoshi could resume his legal career. Hitoshi had always been a skilled lawyer, but once an anti-Digimon political party had been created, Hitoshi had been hired to be a regular public speaker. They didn't need to make Hitoshi a big offer, he had practically volunteered for the job. He felt that combating the presence of Digimon in society was his purpose in life, his destiny. His only demand was a stable pay, because he had to support his family if he was going to abandon his law practice. The pay was impressive, especially given the fact that the party ran on donations, but the risk involved was giving Koishii gray hairs.

Hitoshi stepped into view near the doorway. He was clad in a dark blue business suit and black shoes. His dark hair was combed strait back, and his eyes were filled with focus and confidence. He carried his briefcase at his side as if it held within itself the key to building a new world.

Despite his towering stance and firm posture, Koishii could still see signs of weariness in her husband. Lines traced around his eyes, and his cheeks were a little hollow. Hitoshi spent many nights plucking out gray hairs that appeared now and then so as not to lose his powerful look. He didn't eat or sleep much while preparing for debates. Beneath that imposing aura was a man who just wanted to sleep away the next free months and feast until he was ripe and plump, but is devotion denied those desires.

"Hitoshi." Koishii stood up. "Do you have to go now? It's almost time to call the police."

Her husband said, "I can't wait that long, Koishii. I have a debate with Dr. Takenouchi on national television. It'll be a very important opportunity to generate support and revenue for our cause."

"But Muri is missing! Aren't you concerned?"

"Of course I am! But I have a responsibility to our society to debate the presence of Digimon within society. We cannot allow these abominations to poison our world. They are not natural creatures and they have no place in God's domain."

Koishii nodded and recited her husband's line of logic. "God created the heavens, the Earth, the light, the sea, and humans, but no where in the bible does he say that God created Digimon. And God made Eve from Adam's rib so that woman could be man's partner, not a Digimon."

Hitoshi nodded, "We must not lose focus at such an important time." Hitoshi's reasons were mostly religiously founded, but his arguments had to take a different form. The Ikari family was part of the Christian minority in Japan, so religious arguments were less persuasive, especially to a Buddhist and Shinto-based nation like Japan where the bible had less influence.

Therefore, Hitoshi argued more on Digimon's negative influence upon society, and saved his religious convictions for smaller target groups.

Hitoshi opened the door, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Just then, the phone rang. Koishii snapped the phone up before it could reach its second chime. "Hello? Yes, this Mrs. Ikari. WHAT?" Her skin paled to pure white. She listened in silence, nodding slightly now and then. She eventually hung up the phone without another word. She looked to her husband. "Muri was found downtown, attacking people. He keeps screaming about monsters and darkness and things being too bright… Oh, Hitoshi, they put him in a mental hospital!"

* * * * * * * *

It was three hours before Hitoshi Ikari was finished with the debate against Dr. Takenouchi, who had accompanied Hitoshi at the man's request. Hitoshi wanted the opinion of a scientist who researched Digimon, and Dr. Takenouchi was the world's current expert on Digimon. If monsters had harmed Muri, Hitoshi wanted concrete proof. The father in him wanted vengeance for whatever harm had befallen his child, but the politician in him overrode that feeling. This was an opportunity to gather ammunition against Digimon. This was his holy quest, the purpose for which God had chosen him.

Hitoshi held the door open for Dr. Takenouchi, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." To say that Hitoshi and Dr. Takenouchi had a strained relationship was to make a gross understatement. Hitoshi had never been a huge fan of science, which took focus away from religion. God created life, not evolution. God was responsible for the wonders of the universe, not tiny atoms or chemical reactions. Science, to Hitoshi, was a religion unto itself, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

The nurse at the reception desk told the men where to find Muri. He was on the top floor. Hitoshi and Dr. Takenouchi entered the elevator. The whole way up, Hitoshi studied Takenouchi's face. The two of them had been opponents from the very start of the Digimon debates. Takenouchi, now 54 years old, looked a bit weathered from all the stress of constant debates and research. Hitoshi often felt the same drainage upon his strength as well. Takenouchi's dark gray hair now had a few streaks of silver in it, but he maintained a strong presence, even in private. Despite his disproval of Takenouchi's beliefs, Hitoshi had to admit that he had an impressive opponent.

After a prolonged silence, the door open. Hitoshi walked to the right, where he saw his wife waiting for him at the end of the hallway. Koishii ran up to him and began to cry. She had always been a heavily emotional person. Hitoshi knew he could not afford such comforts. He had to be resolute and completely in control of his emotions, lest he lose influence within society. "How is Muri?"

Koishii whispered, "He's inside. He won't talk to me. You can go in, but don't turn on the light." Hitoshi nodded and opened the door. Dr. Takenouchi remained outside with Koishii.

The room was pitch black. The window blinds were rolled down. Someone had even taped the shutters together to keep light from seeping through. Muri was huddled in a corner, his arms hugging his knees close to his face.

Hitoshi had never been very comfortable around his son. There'd always been some distance between them. Hitoshi had always hoped that Muri would understand that what he was doing in the fight against Digimon was for the sake of his child. He wanted Muri to grow up free from being forced to live next to those beasts, which meant sacrificing the short-term benefit of "quality time." Hitoshi watched his son from the doorway. The light from the hall poured past him and flooded a section of the room.

"The light." Muri whispered, "turn off the light. It's too bright."

"Muri," Hitoshi's voice was firm and commanding, "stand up." Muri did not move. "Stand up." The only movement was a slight trembling. "Muri, stand up now."

Muri lifted his head and screamed, "TURN OFF THE LIGHT!!!" It was then that Hitoshi got a look at Muri's face. Several scars marked his left cheek, and his eyes were red and wet. There was a look of desperation and terror in his eyes. Hitoshi was so taken aback that he actually complied with Muri's plea.

As the light drained away from the room, Hitoshi stepped closer to Muri, squinting to see his son. He banged his kneed against the bed and let out a slight grunt. Muri giggled.

"That's not funny, Muri."

Muri didn't respond. He kept mumbling to himself. "Never get me. They'll never take me. I'm not like them. Gotta get to light, but can't stand light. Light. Shinny, bright light. So pretty, so bad, so sad."

"Muri, what happened?" Hitoshi heard the sound of Muri shuffle. He could not see his son, but he knew their gazes had somehow locked.

Muri's spoke in a singsong voice. "Kari… Kari Ka-mi-ya. Pretty little glow girl. Shinning so bright, deep in the night. Freaky little Kari, gonna cut your head off…"

Hitoshi looked away in disgust. How could his son rant such things? He felt his way to the door, blocking out the rest of Muri's song. He opened the door.

"NO! No light!" Muri covered his head with his hands and tried to squeeze into a smaller ball. Hitoshi stepped into the hallway and quickly slammed the door.

Koishii looked at him, "He's been going on and on about Kari Kamiya." Kamiya? Kamiya… Yes. Hitoshi remembered Muri mentioning a girl in his class named Kari. She was one of the poor innocents that had been fooled into accepting a Digimon as a partner. Muri hadn't liked her very much, despite an early attraction. What did she have to do with all this? Hitoshi then remembered that Takenouchi's daughter, Sora, was a friend of Kari's. He might know something about this.

"Dr. Takenouchi-"

Takenouchi held up a hand. "I know what you're going to ask, and I don't know anything about it. I will, however, go over and ask the Kamiya family about this."

"I will accompany you."

"No. I'll go alone. There's no need to turn this into a debate just yet."

Hitoshi could feel his impatience growing. Takenouchi always brought out this side in him. "My son is ranting in there about Kari Kamiya. I have a right to know what he is going on about."

Takenouchi nodded, "Yes, you do. But the Kamiya family doesn't have to answer to you. If you go, they might remain silent. I'll go myself and explain things to you as soon as I can."

"I know many of Muri's friends. I can simply ask them what is going on."

Koishii put a hand on Hitoshi's shoulder, "But Muri needs you here, now."

Takenouchi nodded, "You should stay with your son until he calms down. I'll call you as soon as I'm done talking to the Kamiyas."

"Doctor-"

Takenouchi sighed. His forced courtesy melted away. "Listen to me, Hitoshi. I'm going to be honest. I don't like you. I don't like your philosophy, or how you use it as a weapon against Digimon and Digimon sympathizers. But, no matter how much I dislike you, I'm not going to try and make life harder for you. I will get the information from the Kamiya's, but I don't want you turning their lives into a public spectacle. You will stay away from the Kamiya's or you'll never hear the full story."

Hitoshi stood in silent fury as Dr. Takenouchi spun on his heel and marched down the hallway. How dare he? This insult would not go forgotten. Hitoshi looked at his wife. "I am going to investigate this on my own. Stay with Muri and call me if anything changes."

Koishii knew better than to try to stop him. Hitoshi waited for Takenouchi's elevator to leave, and then he set out on his own. Each step he took carried with it the unquestioning faith of the righteous.

* * * * * * * *

Davis was gasping for breath by the time he reached Kari's house. The day hadn't gone as planned, and he was running late. After his meeting with the Principle, Davis had hurried home and explained the situation to his parents. Both had been outraged at the decision, and had called the Principle to argue their case. Davis would have been fine with that, except that his parents had forced him to stay behind and await the final decision, which remained unchanged.

It was late in the evening and Davis needed to see how Kari was doing. Veemon had once again been left behind because Davis didn't know the situation with the Kamiyas. It seemed that everyone was suddenly uncomfortable around Digimon these days.

Davis dragged himself up the stairs, ready to collapse. His lungs were burning and he felt light-headed. Next time, I'm taking the bus. This wouldn't have been a problem if his parents would just buy him a car!

Davis hit the buzzer on the Kamiya's door. After a few moments, Mr. Kamiya opened the door. "Davis, what a nice surprise." It was then he saw how red Davis' face was. "Are you alright?"

"I… ran… here." Davis panted. "Can… can I have some water, please?" Mr. Kamiya opened the door and invited Davis in. "Where's Kari?"

"She's in the family room, watching TV." Mr. Kamiya sighed, "I'm glad you're here, Davis. Kari's been in shock all day." Mrs. Kamiya came out of the kitchen with a frosty glass of water. Davis gulped it down greedily and thanked them.

"I'd a been here sooner, but I had some trouble at school today."

"Trouble?" Mrs. Kamiya looked concerned.

"I'll explain everything. But I really wanna see how Kari is doing." Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya escorted Davis to the family room. Kari was sitting on the couch, curled up with her head resting on her hand. Gatomon was napping on Kari's lap. Kari's gaze was distant, as if she wasn't even looking at the television. Davis checked the program on. It was a recording of a debate over Digimon between Hitoshi Ikari and Sora's father. "Hey, Kari." Davis kept his voice down so as not to wake Gatomon.

Kari's head snapped up, startled. "Davis!" Davis held a hand up, signaling Kari not to rise. No sense in raising a perfectly good catnap.

Davis sat down in the chair nearest the sofa. "I heard about what those backstabbers at school did. You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You're lying." Davis had known Kari long enough to figure out that she never told someone she was unhappy.

Kari huffed, "What does it matter how I feel? What's done is done. There's no way the school is going to let me back in."

Mr. Kamiya retorted, "Honey, weare going to fight this. I've already called our lawyer. He's making some final preparations and we'll file a suit tomorrow."

Kari looked at her father with tears brimming in her eyes. "Even if I go back, what good will that do? People will hate and fear me. There's no point in going back."

Mrs. Kamiya pointed out, "But we can withdraw from the school rather than be expelled. That will look better on a transcript to a new high school."

Mr. Kamiya sighed, "Let's talk about this in a moment. Why don't we watch this debate. It's a big event for the whole nation."

"Great," Davis leaned back in his chair. "Let's see how long we can listen to that blowhard before we change the channel."

"Davis!" Mrs. Kamiya sounded angry.

"Sorry, but I don't like Mr. Ikari. Bad enough he's Muri's father, but the guy's a loony. He's got almost all of Japan eating out of one hand while he clubs Digimon with this other."

Mr. Kamiya nodded, "That about sums him up."

Mrs. Kamiya was less tolerant. "But you shouldn't be so disrespectful. There's always a chance that Mr. Ikari will see the truth."

"Maybe." Davis shrugged, "But I feel sorry for the Digimon that gets paired with that guy." Everyone, even Mrs. Kamiya, nodded slightly.

On the television, Mr. Ikari said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I come here today to warn the populace of a latent threat that hides behind a cute face. These Digimon that seek to become a part of our world will only cause destruction in the end. Time and again, we have seen what happens when foreign life forms intrude into another ecosystem. In 1982, a jellyfish like organism called the comb jelly was accidentally introduced into the Black Sea by an American ship. The comb jelly had been in the ballast water, water taken in by the ship to maintain balance, which was discarded into the Sea. The comb jelly began to feast upon the resources of the Black Sea, with no predators to keep their population in check. Very quickly, commercial fishing in the Black Sea dwindled and eventually died off, which was a staggering blow to the Russian economy."

"You may ask why I use such a bizarre example in this debate, but this is actually a very clear indication of what would happen if Digimon entered our world. If left unchecked, they would double the population, consume our resources, and drive us all to starvation and poverty. I'm sure we all remember the "Odaiba Fog Incident," in which monsters, later known as Digimon, kidnapped the populace and put them all to sleep. Or perhaps we can recall the more recent world crisis, where Digimon began to appear around the world in a massive attack."

Dr. Takenouchi spoke up, "I must to object to that! That incident was not a coordinated attack. Digimon were transported to our world and became confused and scared. We would have acted the same way if we had been taken from our homes."

Mr. Ikari asked, "And what of the Fog Incident? Was that a mistake as well?"

Dr. Takenouchi replied, "No. That was planned. However, the Digimon responsible for that strike was defeated. The threat he posed is gone."

"And what of other threats? How do we know there won't be more attacks in the future? Can we guarantee the safety of our nation? Of our children? Of our world?"

Mr. Kamiya sighed, "Ouch." Davis nodded. He did not like Hitoshi Ikari, but he had to admit that the man was a powerful speaker. His dark blue suite and clean-cut figure made him appear very powerful and competent. He spoke clearly with great conviction, and he paused at just the right moments to add drama to his words. By contrast, Dr. Takenouchi was dressed in a light gray suit that made him fade away into the background. Although firm and knowledgeable, he still could not emulate Ikari's aura of confidence or leadership. Dr. Takenouchi knew more, but Ikari was the better speaker.

Ikari continued, "We must not be taken in by the cute appearance of Digimon. They are a genuine threat and are best left in their own world. There is no need for them to invade ours."

Davis looked away from the screen. Talks like that made him sick. It sounded nice and convincing and politically correct, but it was really a load of Numamon poop. Davis knew that at there were people who opposed the presence of Digimon in society, but there were two different categories for those people.

One group feared that Digimon would put too much strain on the environment. With every human having a Digimon partner, the world population could literally double within a year, making it even harder to supply food. Countries were already having economic troubles and starvation without having Digimon present. Other people feared that the homeless population would double due to the presence of Digimon partners. Davis disagreed with their views, but he could understand where they were coming from. These people had genuine concerns.

Dr. Takenouchi cut off Davis' line of thought with his rebuttal. "My opponent makes some very good points, but he has not considered the solutions to those problems. First of all, he is right that the Odaiba Fog Incident was the result of a planned strike. But, as I said, the Digimon responsible for that is gone, forever. And there were no Digimon present in our society at that time, so what difference would it make if Digimon were here on Earth or not if a future attack came? If anything, Digimon would be a boon to our defense, because Digimon fight to protect their partners, who they support with unconditional love."

"His second point was that the world cannot support such a massive increase in the populace, yet he forgets that the Digital World still exists. We are currently working on plans to grow food within the Digital World to help support our population, both Digimon and human. This is not a case of one world dumping its populace into another. It is an event where two worlds begin to form a symbiotic relationship."

Davis gave an emphatic punch into the air. "Score!"

Mr. Ikari resumed control of the speech. "I admit that my opponent has some very good points, but there are other problems that arise from the presence of Digimon. For example," he raised a hand to indicate a large screen behind the stage where two pictures appeared. "These two Digimon have created a huge uproar simply by being seen."

The room in the Kamiya house fell into stunned silence. On the screen were images of what looked like two angels. Both were clad in white body suits and had wings protruding from their backs. They also both wore helmets with iron crosses running along the face with no visible eyeholes. Most of Japan had no idea who these Digimon were, but Davis and Kari knew them as Angewomon and Angemon, Gatomon and Patamon's respective evolved forms.

Davis glanced a Kari quickly. She was looking very pale, and her eyes were wide. Anger at Ikari flashed through Davis like an eruption. How dare he use Kari's partner as a weapon against Digimon? Where did he get off turning his friends into political tools? Davis forced himself to take a deep breath. He'd vent some other way. It wasn't healthy to bottle up emotions, but it wasn't a good idea to let them run loose either. Hitoshi Ikari probably didn't even know that Davis was a friend to these Digimon. Heck, he probably didn't even know Davis, Kari, or TK existed at all.

Gatomon stirred as Kari's muscles tightened. "Hey… what's going on?" Gatomon blinked, "Wow. I'm on TV."

"These two 'Digimon' were seen in Japan, France, and China. The male angel flew through Odaiba shortly before the fog incident, and was later seen fighting other Digimon over France. The female angel was seen in China, leading a band of Digimon who vanished suddenly. The sightings of these two angels caused a riot among many Christian and Jewish believers, as well as other religious organizations. Many people believed that the sighting of these 'angels' signaled the coming of God and the final judgment. Many people even converted, decreasing the number of other faith groups. Imagine how angry people became when they realized that they had not see angelic messengers, but Digimon imposters instead."

"Imposters?" Gatomon's fur shot strait up. "Where does that stuffed suit get off callin' me an imposter?"

"Easy, Gatomon. He didn't mean it that way." Kari didn't sound too convinced herself.

"I'd like to use him as a scratching post."

Davis smiled, "No arguments here."

"Davis!" Mrs. Kamiya looked at both Davis and Gatomon crossly, forcing both to settle down. Mothers always seemed to have gazes like that.

Dr. Takenouchi replied, "While I'm sure many people were confused and angry at what was happening, these Digimon cannot be blamed for what happened. Both were fighting to save the world from aggressors. An education program to help people distinguish Digimon would work to avoiding misconceptions such as these. Additionally, theologists are already trying to understand the meaning of these two Digimon. Or, are you against the idea of Digimon really being evangelical? Perhaps God has some plan for them as he does for us."

Ikari's composure wavered for a moment. "Digimon were created through data, doctor. There is no 'plan.' These Digimon just look like angels, they were not sent by God. You have no right to make such pronouncements."

That reminded Davis of the second group of anti-Digimon supporters: the fanatics. Some were people who saw Digimon as a conspiracy to start a new war using Digimon weapons. Others thought they were aliens who had come to enslave Earth. These crackpots usually made Davis laugh, but then there were the religious fanatics. These people proclaimed Digimon as unholy monsters who had nothing to do with God. They were created by data, not the divine hand. It was really the same old story. Religious protesters always used the bible do denounce whatever they disliked. Quotes from the bible were twisted around to fit whatever the speaker wanted them to mean. Davis couldn't stand fanatics. They were so thickheaded, and never even thought about different viewpoints or their own reasons. Arguing with them would be like talking to brick wall.

Ikari continued, "And just how would we instigate this education plan of yours?"

"In early school grades. Perhaps kindergarten through second grade. It would be a government-funded program, so financing would not be a problem."

"Don't our children have enough educational demands as it is?"

Takenouchi smiled, "I doubt any youngster would complain about having to learn Digimon."

Ikari replied, "I would not allow my children to learn such things, doctor. If anything, I would see it as a form of brainwashing. You propose to teach children one perspective, to support Digimon, while they are away from their parents. It sounds to me like you're meddling with people's viewpoints."

The doorbell rang at that moment. Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya got up and answered the door. Davis heard a few hushed words, then Mr. Kamiya returned with Sora's father. "Hello, Kari, Davis, Gatomon."

"Mr. Takenouchi!" Kari smiled and rose from the couch with Gatomon in her arms. "It's great to see you."

Davis got up as well. "We were just watching you on TV."

Dr. Takenouchi looked at the screen. "Oh, this thing." He shook Davis' hand and gave Kari a small hug. "I don't suppose there's a comedy on right now."

"That Ikari guy seems to be a real joke." Davis scowled.

Dr. Takenouchi smiled, but it faded quickly. "He's a very dangerous man. I'm sure of that."

"But you were making some very good points, I think you won that debate." Kari smiled.

"No, I didn't." Dr. Takenouchi sat on the couch. "What part are we at?"

Mrs. Kamiya came in with a glass of water. "He just accused you of trying to brainwash children."

Dr. Takenouchi took the drink and thanked his hosts. "Ah, yes. That little outburst. I think I hit a nerve there."

Davis scoffed, "The guy's full of it. He's just trying to make you look bad."

"And he's succeeding. No matter how many good points I made, Ikari still wins the debate."

"Why?" Kari looked confused

"Because he's more of a political speaker than I am." Takenouchi explained, "Hitoshi Ikari knows how to win a crowd through charisma and emotional appeals. Logic doesn't win public debates. The person who charms the crowd the most is also the person who wins the most support. Ikari made me look like a villain who wanted to force his view on others, so people stopped listening to me. You should have seen the fit my public relations manager had when I walked off stage. I wore the wrong clothes, didn't carry myself well, and that quote about God and angel Digimon really set people off."

Davis protested, "But you're right."

Dr. Takenouchi sighed, "It's not always about being right, unfortunately. May I turn this off?" Mr. Kamiya nodded, and the screen went dark, decreasing the light in the room noticeably. "I'm afraid I'm not here to talk about the debate. I have a very important matter to discuss with Kari."

Kari suddenly looked nervous. "What's wrong?"

Dr. Takenouchi was silent for a moment, then said, "Muri Ikari was found in the street today. He was hysterical and violent. He kept ranting about darkness and monsters chasing him. He said that the light hurt him, and he mentioned your name several times. That's what I've heard, anyway."

"I see…" Kari shifted uncomfortably.

"Kari, did something happen between you and Muri? His father's sworn to get information, and I doubt he's sitting idly at home right now. It was all I could do to get him to stay away from your home, but he can still talk to other students. I need to know what is going on so I can head him off before he makes an aggressive move."

Kari nodded and explained what had happened recently, just as she had done for her parents. When she finished, Dr. Takenouchi sat with his eyes closed in deep concentration. "That's… that's quite a story. Are you sure that this 'Dark Ocean' took Muri?"

Kari replied, "Yes. A wave of black water swept him and his friends up. I never saw them afterwards."

"But you were not taken yourself."

"No. I don't know why. The Dark Ocean wants me, not them."

"And some people think you are glowing because of Gatomon?" Kari could only nod an affirmative to that question.

Dr. Takenouchi leaned back. "This is going to become very ugly. I have no doubt that Ikari will hear about this and cause a huge political scene. This is just the sort of opportunity he's looking for."

Kari nearly shouted, "But it's not Gatomon's fault! I don't know why I glow, I just do. But it's not because of Digimon."

Dr. Takenouchi placed a hand on Kari's shoulder. "Easy, now. I know that's the truth. It's the populace who doesn't understand. People are afraid right now. They don't know what to think about Digimon, because only a few people in the world have partners. Many of those people keep their Digimon secret, for fear of violence by anti-Digimon protestors. People are still getting used to the idea of Digital Monsters, which makes these times very uncertain." He sat silently for a moment before speaking again.

"We're going to have to act quickly in order to head off Ikari's propaganda. He's going to have plenty of eyewitnesses, mostly the students in Kari's class. He's going to blame all of this on Gatomon. Kari will become the victim of a Digimon's influence."

Gatomon cried, "I'd never to anything to hurt Kari!"

"But that's what people will think." Takenouchi looked at the people assembled before him. "This problem is two-fold. On the one hand, we have to find out just why Kari is glowing. On the other, we need to counteract the anti-Digimon sentiment that Ikari will try to create using this situation."

"What do you propose?" Mrs. Kamiya stood closer to her daughter, creating a small bubble of protection with her very presence.

"I'll contact some people in office. I can work out a deal to keep things under control. We won't be able to keep this a secret, but we can minimize the backlash."

Davis frowned, "You have friends in the government? How many?"

Dr. Takenouchi smiled, "As many as I want. Do you two remember the arms race that ran from about 1949 till the collapse of the Soviet Union?"

Davis and Kari nodded, "Countries began to stockpile nuclear weapons as a form of war deterrent. But the plan backfired and suddenly all the superpowers had nuclear weapons. Smaller countries weren't far behind. Everyone was suddenly afraid of all-out nuclear war."

Dr. Takenouchi nodded, "Very good. And so the world was stuck with a nuclear arsenal that everyone was too afraid to use. In many ways, the world is now in a 'digital arms race.' Whichever country knows the most about Digimon holds an advantage over the others, so scientists are constantly researching the nature of Digimon."

"For what?"

Dr. Takenouchi shrugged, "You name it. Digimon can help heal the sick, improve agriculture or manufacturing, handle dangerous materials, and maybe even help cure diseases. Unfortunately, many countries see Digimon only as potential weapons. I fear that people can't see the good in Digimon. They only see the destructive side."

Davis nodded, "Just like Mr. Ikari."

"Yes. He's a very obvious case. But this information race works to our advantage, for now. I'm one of Japan's top researchers in the field of Digimon. Jim Kido and Izzy Izumi have been of great help. I'm not obliged to share my information with the government. In truth, I could sell my information to he highest bidder, so the government courts me in order to 'maintain my loyalty.'"

Kari asked, "You wouldn't really sell your research, would you?"

Dr. Takenouchi said, "Of course not. I'm not that kind of person. But it does give me some influence with the heavy hitters. I'll call them right away and start the damage control on this situation before Ikari can stir things up. In exchange for my information, the government can give all of you protection."

Kari smiled, "That's wonderful!"

Dr. Takenouchi held up a hand. "It isn't all good news… Kari, I hate to say it, but our first priority is to prove that Gatomon isn't responsible for your glowing."

Gatomon ask, "How do I prove that? Written exam?"

Dr. Takenouchi sighed. "In an experiment, there are two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The two groups are almost completely alike with one exception, the variable. A variable is a factor that is left in the control group, but removed from the experimental group."

Mr. Kamiya frowned, "What's the variable in this case?"

"The variable is Gatomon. Kari has spent many years with Gatomon, so, in a way, they serve as the control group. We need to find out what would happen if Kari and Gatomon were separated for a period of time."

Kari and Gatomon stared at Dr. Takenouchi in shock. "You want to separate us?"

"Want to? No. Have to? Yes. Kari, Gatomon, we have to prove that Gatomon isn't the cause of all this. Tomorrow morning, I want you to come down to my lab and we'll run some tests on Kari to see if there is anything wrong with her. I have some colleagues who'd be happy to help, including Izzy, who is interning with me. Then, we'll have to send Gatomon back to the Digital World for a time, until we've proven that Kari's luminescence isn't a result of being around Digimon."

"And just how do we prove that?" Davis stood up in sheer fury.

"We need to record Kari glowing while Gatomon is gone. It make take time. I can't say how long. Maybe a few weeks, possibly a few years. But this has to be proven or human-Digimon relations will take a sever blow. Kari, I-"

"NO!" Kari stood up while clutching Gatomon. "You can't take Gatomon away from me! That's not fair! I won't give her up."

Dr. Takenouchi stood to look into Kari's eyes. "Kari, I hate doing this, but it's the only way. If we don't send Gatomon back to the Digital World, officials might lock her up for study. This is the best way."

"But it's not fair!"

Davis said, "I'm with Kari. This isn't right!"

Dr. Takenouchi remained firm. "It's not fair, but it is right."

Mrs. Kamiya said, "Kari, listen to Mr. Takenouchi. What he's saying is true. It's painful, but it seems like the only option."

Mr. Kamiya added, "It'll only be for a little while, just long enough to prove that this isn't Gatomon's fault. Then, we can start looking for the real cause of your glowing."

"No!" Kari took a step back from the group. "Gatomon is a member of our family. You don't just send away family members! I can't believe you're doing this to us." Kari's skin seemed to brighten in the dimness of the room. "I'm not going to give Gatomon up. She's my best friend in the whole world!" Kari's skin began to shimmer, and her whole body began to give off a bright aura. Everyone else in the room could only stare at Kari in amazement. This was the first time any of them, Davis included, had ever seen her glow.

Time stood still as Davis gazed at the mini star that was Kari Kamiya. She shown so brightly in contrast to the small lamps and ceiling lights. Davis had to squint to see her. She was so beautiful with all that light shinning around her. Davis couldn't understand how anyone could be afraid of her when she looked like this.

He suddenly realized that his staring could only be making Kari nervous. He gave his head a small shake and stepped forward. "Kari, take it easy. No one's going to take Gatomon away. Let's talk this over. I'm sure there's another way. Just calm down." He took a step forward.

"NO! No, no, noooo!" The light surrounding Kari reached for Davis with claws of radiance. He was lifted off his feet by an intense burst of heat and flicked across the room. Davis' back slammed down on the wooden table and he bounced to the floor.

"Davis!" Dr. Takenouchi and Mr. Kamiya ran over to help Davis up. He felt as if he'd just gone ten rounds with a Tyrannomon on his own.

"I'm okay." He lied. "I'm okay." Davis stood up with the help of the older men. He looked over at Kari, forcing a smile onto his face to show her that he was all right. Kari stood there, holding Gatomon close and tears pouring down her eyes. She looked ready to fall apart on the spot.

"Davis… I'm sorry. I-I…" Kari averted her gaze and ran for her room.

"Kari! Wait!" Kari slammed the door shut before Mrs. Kamiya could get in. The audible click of a lock being set could be heard, followed by the sounds of crying.

* * * * * * * *

Kari sat huddled in a corner, holding Gatomon close as she cried. What had she just done? The image of Davis crashing down after being blasted by her own power kept replaying through Kari's mind. She could have killed one of her best friends? And what about her family? She could have hurt them as well. I am a monster…She was a threat to everyone around her. She seemed to cause suffering to anyone she met. This wasn't restricted to her family or Davis. Her friends, the Numemon, had died because they were trying to protect her. All of Odaiba had suffered because of Myotismon's search for Kari, the eight Digidestined child. Yolei and TK had both been dragged into the Dark Ocean because of her. All these events were caused by Kari.

Maybe I should just leave. Kari's could see herself slipping away in the night and running off to some remote place where she could harm no one. That would probably be the safest course. But one thing held back this urge. She loved the place where she lived. All the friends, family, and memories where here in Odaiba. Kari hated the idea of having to say goodbye to all of that. I'm… I'm not strong enough to do that.

But what could she do? If she wasn't able to leave, then the only alternative was to loose Gatomon. She hated that idea. Gatomon had grown up all alone in the Digital World. All the Digidestined's Digimon were in the real world with their respective partners now. To make matters worse, Gennai and Azulongmon had decided to close the digiports after realizing that Digimon could slip through the Digital World's weakened defenses. A trip to the Digital World, for now, was strictly one-way. Kari would never even dream of forcing her partner into a life of loneliness again.

"Kari?" Gatomon looked up at her best friend, "You don't have to be scared. I'm okay with going to the Digital World for a while."

Kari snapped out of her depressed state into a new realm of shock. "What? But why?"

Gatomon said, "I don't want to make life harder for you and your family. If I have to spend a little time in the Digital World for a while, then I will. It'll be okay."

"You're lying." Kari smiled, "Your ears always twitch when you lie."

"Really?" Gatomon rubbed her purple-tipped ears. "But I'm not lying when I say that I don't want to cause trouble for you and your family. I'll go to the Digital World willingly. You don't even have to ask."

"But that's not fair to you. And I don't want to lose you!"

Gatomon replied, "You'll never loose me, Kari. No-matter-what, we'll be together again. This is just a little down time, I guess. And it's like Sora's dad said, 'It's not fair, but it is the right thing to do.'"

Kari tilted her head back and closed her eyes. In less than a week, the whole world had betrayed her. Only a handful of people seemed to stand by her side, and now she had to give up her best friend. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve all this?

Kari looked back down at Gatomon. "Are… are you sure about this?" Gatomon nodded. "Okay... I hate this, but I guess there's no other choice." If only I was strong enough to just leave. Kari felt shame searing inside her heart.

She slowly worked onto her feet, then shuffled to the doorway.

* * * * * * * *

"Here, this should help the burning." Mrs. Kamiya pressed an bag of ice over Davis' face. A stream of sweet coolness flowed out over his burning face. Davis had seen his reflection in the TV screen after being hit by Kari's power. Is face was pure red. Even though her powers had hurt him, Davis still couldn't get over how beautiful Kari had looked with that light pouring off her. She was unlike anything he'd ever seen in his life. He failed to understand how anyone could be scared of such a beautiful sight. Sure, it was surprising to see Kari glow, but it wasn't like she'd grown horns out the top of her head. The school's reaction to Kari's powers seemed even more pointless now that Davis had witnessed Kari's gift himself. And he had been hit by that power, no one at school had been. If I'm not scared of her after that, then I don't think anyone should be.

A click from Kari's door caught everyone's attention. The door slowly slid open, and Kari stepped into view. "Kari." Davis stood up.

"Davis…" Kari fidgeted. "I'm-I'm so sorry."

Davis replied, "It's fine. No worries. I'm okay." Kari thanked him with a slight smile. Davis gave his classic goofy grin and scratched the back of his head. He always got a little embarrassed whenever Kari acted overly nice to him. He wasn't sure why.

"Everyone, I've decided to follow Mr. Takenouchi's plan."

Dr. Takenouchi nodded, "You've made the right choice, Kari. I know it's hard, but it's the best thing to do right now."

Kari's parents came up and hugged her. "It'll all be okay, sweetie." Mr. Kamiya didn't sound as confident as his words. "It'll only be for a little while."

"Wait a minute." Davis spoke from the back of the group. "I'm still not sure about this. Isn't there any other way?"

"Davis," Mrs. Kamiya spoke in the tone that a mother used to silence a disrespectful child, "don't make this any harder than it already is. It isn't your decision."

Davis held his hands up, "Okay, okay."

Kari asked, "How much time do I have before Gatomon has to leave?"

Dr. Takenouchi replied, "Tomorrow afternoon. I'll escort you to my lab tomorrow. We'll run some tests."

"Tests?" Mrs. Kamiya sounded worried.

"Nothing dangerous. We just want to gather some of Kari's physical data. We want to compare it to later readings after Kari has been separated from Gatomon. We should be done by late afternoon. That's when we'll have to send Gatomon back. I'll have to bring in a reporter so that Ikari can't accuse us of lying or falsifying a video. Besides, by tomorrow, I'm sure Ikari will be making his announcement."

Kari nodded, "I-I understand."

Dr. Takenouchi placed a hand on Kari's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kari. I'm so, so sorry. You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

"The worst day." Kari turned around and headed back to her room. "I'll… I'll see you all tomorrow." She closed the door.

Davis took another deep breath. He hated it when people didn't listen to his opinion, but Mrs. Kamiya was probably right. This wasn't his decision. "Can I come to see Gatomon off?"

Dr. Takenouchi shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Davis. Digimon research is still kept secret for the most part. The fewer people involved, the better. But I think you should visit Kari tomorrow night, Davis. She's going to need her friends now more than ever."

Davis nodded, "Okay. I guess that's that." He said goodbye to everyone, then walked out the door. He couldn't think of anything else to say. This felt completely out of his league."

* * * * * * * *

Up and down. Up and down. The soccer ball's unchanging path through the air continued in a casual pattern as it rose into the air, then returned to Davis' hands. Life, Davis reflected, was a lot like tossing a soccer ball up and down. The more energy you put into it, the higher the ball went. But that meant the ball had farther to fall. The safe thing to do was to only put a little energy into it and shorten the fall, but that was boring and pointless. It wouldn't really be a life worth living. It was a tradeoff, safety for vivaciousness.

Both Kari and Davis had given life everything they had, as Digidestined and as students. They had been popular, respected, and well liked. Davis wasn't too great in the grades department, but Kari had done just fine.

But now that was all over. They were both social outcasts. None of Davis' friends, save the scattered Digidestined, would want to be around him now. The real victim, however, was Kari. She was being stripped of her freedom and friends. Davis' situation was a walk in the park compared to hers. "What are we gonna do?" Davis looked down under his bed.

As he had grown up, Davis and Veemon had decided that they couldn't share a bed any longer, so they had found a used bunk bed set and put it in their room. They alternated between the top and bottom bunk every week, because they had never been able to settle who got the top bunk.

Veemon was lying on his back, looking up at the bed above him. "I don't know. Gatomon's gonna be really lonely."
Davis nodded, "And Kari's gonna feel miserable. There has to be a way to fight this."

"Why not ask Jun? She might have an idea."

"Jun?" Davis' elder sister had moved into a home of her own after receiving a degree is psychology. Jun had always been good at reading people, especially when they were lying. She always said that it had something to do with people blinking rapidly when they lied. Davis had teased her at first that there was no way she could get a psychology degree, but Jun, stubborn as ever, had proved him wrong.

Despite their early sibling feuds, Davis did respect Jun a lot, and had learned to show more appreciation for her as he'd calmed down over the years. He certainly wasn't coming up with a plan of action, so maybe Jun would have some advice. "Good idea, Veemon. I'll give her a call." Veemon handed the phone up to Davis.

Davis punched in Jun's number. She should still be up. The phone rang several times. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jun."

"Dufus! Hi, how's it going?" Davis smiled. Jun never stopped teasing him with those bad nicknames.

Davis said, "Things aren't going well. There's a big problem."

"What's wrong?" Jun's voice changed from joking to concerned.

Davis outlined the events of the last few days, taking time to explain certain elements to Jun, like the Dark Ocean or Kari's crest power. By the end, Davis was sure Jun's eyes were bulging.

Jun's only reply was, "I see…" That was more coherent than Davis would have expected. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I was hoping you'd have an idea."

Jun asked, "First off, what's your goal?" Davis could tell he was being psychoanalyzed.

"I'm… not sure."

"Okay, then what's your main concern?"

"Kari, of course. She's got all this bad stuff happening to her, and I want to make it go away."

"Davis," Jun sounded as cautious as a person who was about to pose a challenge, but did not want to offend. "Do you really think you can undo all that's happening?"

Davis wanted to protest, to say that he could do something. But he knew she was right. "No… I can't take this on alone."

"It's good that you admit that. Now we can focus on what you can do."

"Which is what, exactly? I can't get people to leave Kari alone, so what good am I?"
"Davis, this is just like a soccer game. You have to keep your eye on the real goal." Jun had become a master of soccer analogies while trying to get her brother to see things from her perspective. "Let's say you're trying to get past the defense. Is that your ultimate goal?"

Davis shook his head, "No. Scoring is."

"Right, so the defense players are just a distraction. You need to focus on the goal."

"Which is?"

"Kari's feelings. You can't make all this go away, but you can help support Kari. The best thing you can do is to simply be there for her, as much as you can."

That actually made a lot of sense. Davis had to admit that Jun had a point. "You know, you're right."

"I always am."

"Yeah, right." Davis rolled his eyes. "I'm going to do what you said. I'm going to stick by Kari, 26-30!"

"That's 24-7, Davis. And you'll get in a lot of trouble if you try that. Just be there for her when you can."

"Thanks for your help, Jun."
"That's what big sisters are for. By the way, Davis, guess what? I got my own Digimon today. He just popped right out of my computer!"

Davis blinked, "Really? When?"

"About an hour ago. I've been so busy talking to him that I haven't had a chance to call you about it yet. Guess which Digimon I got."

"Sukamon?" Davis had told Jun about enough Digimon for her to know what he was implying.
"HEY!"

"No? How about Raremon?"
"Davis!"

"Bakemon? You know, a Bakemon for a baka-woman." Baka was Japanese for "idiot."

"I swear I'm gonna come over there and bash your thick head in!"

"Not Bakemon, huh? How about a Numemon?"
"NOOO! His name is Kapurimon! He's an in-training, and he's cute, and he could kick Veemon's butt!"

"Kapurimon? Never heard of him."

"He looks like a fox cub's head with a metal helmet and blue fur. He's also got a blue and white striped tail. So there!"

Davis laughed, "Okay, okay. Sorry. I'd love to meet the little guy. But Veemon could whip him easily."

"We'll see about that!"

Davis suddenly thought of something, "Hey, Jun?"

"WHAT?" She sounded ready to rip his head off.

"When are you going to see Jim again?" Davis heard a slight gasp. He could tell Jun was blushing. Jun and Jim Kido, Joe's elder brother, had been dating for several years now. Jun had somehow gained his attention shortly after the end of the Digidestined's adventures. There had been talk that Matt had pushed for Joe to hook Jun and Jim up so that Jun would stop bothering Matt and Sora. Jun still held a grudge that Matt had chosen Sora over her.

"We're going out tomorrow night. I want to show him Kapurimon. Why do you ask?"

"I need to talk to Joe, but he's really hard to get a hold of. With all those late night classes, he's never home. I'm hoping Jim can have better luck gettin' in touch with him."

"Okay, I'll ask. Anything else?"

"Nope, that does it. Thanks again for the advice."

There was an edge to Jun's voice. "Don't think I'm gonna forget your jokes about my Digimon. I'll pay you back, Davis."

Davis laughed, "Looking forward to it. Bye, Jun."

"Bye." Jun hung up. Davis turned off the phone and handed it back to Veemon.

Veemon… that brought up another thought. Davis probably couldn't bring Veemon over to Kari's home anymore, which meant that he'd be left behind. Davis had already left his partner at home several times now. He didn't like that. And Veemon was worried about Gatomon, which only added to his depressed mood. Davis could help Kari with her loneliness, but Veemon would have to sit on the sidelines.

"Veemon, are you cool with all this? I'm going to have to leave you behind for a while."

Veemon shook his head, "No. I'm not cool with it."

Davis blinked. He hadn't expected that answer. "Well, what else can we do? I can't take you over to Kari's place?"

"I know." Veemon jumped out of bed and looked up and Davis. "Davis, I want to go to the Digital World with Gatomon!"

"What?" Davis sat bolt upright in bed. "Why?"

"If you're spending all your time with Kari, then I'm gonna be stuck here all alone with nothing to do. If I go to the Digital World, I can help Gatomon while you help Kari."

"But, if you go to the Digital World, you won't be able to come back until Gatomon does. We wouldn't get to see each other." Davis' heart wrenched at the thought of saying goodbye to Veemon.

Some of the fire left Veemon's voice. "I know…" Then the fire returned, "But this is the right thing to do. I know it is! Please, Davis, try to understand."

As much as he didn't want to, Davis did understand. Veemon felt the urge to help his friends as strongly as Davis did. It would be selfish of Davis to deny his partner his choice. "Okay, Veemon. I'll call Izzy and he can get in touch with Gennai."

"Thanks, Davis."

Davis sighed, his eyes suddenly felt wet. "You know, this means tomorrow's our last day together for a while."

Veemon nodded sadly, "Yeah…"

Davis' face brightened. "So let's pig out! Ice cream, cookies, the works!"

Veemon jumped up and down, "Yeah! That's a great send off!" He stopped hopping and looked at Davis. "Um, Davis?"

Davis could see where this was going. "You want the top bunk tonight, don't you? Okay." He started to climb down.

"No," Veemon hopped up onto the bed. "Actually, can we share the top bunk tonight?"

Davis blinked, "You and I agreed that we were getting too old for that."

Veemon nodded, "I know, but, I like being with you Davis. Please?"

Davis smiled and nodded, "Okay, buddy." He gave Veemon a pat on the back.

"Thanks, pal."

Davis sighed, "Everything's changing so fast."

Veemon agreed, "I know. But this isn't goodbye forever. We're just going to help our friends, then, we can all be together again."

Davis looked at Veemon. "Yeah, you're right." I hope I'm strong enough to last that long without you, Veemon.

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A long road begins and Davis and Kari try to cope with their new situation. Chapter 4 of "The Outcast" is coming soon.

Author's Note: I hope no one was too offended by the story's religious radical, Hitoshi Ikari. He's not meant as an insult to the Christian religion (of which I am a small member). But I needed someone who would have a strong but misinterpreted religious reaction to Digimon, and Hitoshi's character fit the bill. He's not meant as a critique or parody of any specific person or persons.

Anyway, I'll try to have the next chapter out soon. I've got projects galore up here, but I can do some writing in between. In the meantime, I'd appreciate any and all reviews.