Title: A Cry Amongst Silence

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Pairings: T.K/Kari, Tai and Kari sibling bonding, Matt and T.K sibling bonding.

Summary: Set after the final battle of Season 2. After everything seems to be back to normal for the digidestined, Kari feels a pull from the dark ocean again. But this time, Tai is there to help her overcome it.

Notes: This story will feature sibling bonding, family dynamics, and adventure. The adventure will be a slow build. This story also explores the capabilities of sensing emotions and feelings.

*This chapter has been revised to correct timeline and grammatical errors.*


"…and those were the events that led to the First World War."

Kari sighed as she continued copying the notes on the board. It was another boring Monday and she was stuck in first period history with the rest of her peers, writing the same notes that they took down every day. The class let out a collective groan as the teacher asked them to turn to the next chapter, but Kari's mind was far from the lesson.

She was tired; for the past several days, she had been exhausted. Her sleep was plagued with nightmares of her time at the dark ocean, as well as a new darkness that she had sensed. Not only that, but she desperately needed to tell someone about her visions before she went insane. Not just any person, though. Not even all the digi-destined. No, she had to tell the one person she knew would be able to do something about it. Who would be able to make her feel safe. Who she hadn't been able to tell last time she felt like this.

Tai.

But he wasn't there. He was invited to a weeklong soccer camp in Kyoto and wouldn't be back for another couple days. She wanted to call him, but he left his cell at home and she didn't know the number to the camp, so there was no way she could get in touch with her big brother. She would have to deal with everything on her own until then.

That thought alone caused her head to ache and her stomach to churn. She could no longer decipher her teacher's words and her world began to spin as she felt herself falling deeper into the darkness.

Tai… she thought. I need you. I need you to help me fight the darkness. I can't do it by myself!


Tai gasped and nearly missed the ball as he kicked it in the direction of the goal.

Kari? He thought.

He heard her. There was no doubt in his mind that what he heard was her calling out to him. He didn't like the feeling of desperation he felt when he heard her voice. There was something seriously wrong.

Ever since he could remember, he and his little sister had always had a connection. They could sense things about one another and on some occasions, in the most dire of situations, they could hear one another, no matter the distance. It was something they couldn't explain. Maybe it had to do with their destinies as digidestined. Maybe their crests held heightened abilities that even they were unaware of. Or, maybe it was just the way they were; something innate between the two of them that couldn't be explained.

Regardless of why, it was something they shared. That's how he was always there to protect her and know exactly what she was feeling all the time. He learned from experience never to ignore or brush off any bad feeling he felt, no matter how farfetched or out of the ordinary they might be.

Tai, I need you…I don't want to feel like this anymore. Please help me…Tai closed his eyes as he heard her again.

"Hey, Tai! Did you even hear what play we're doing right now?" A voice called out from in front if him.

He shook his head and looked up to see his camp coach and his teammates in a triangular formation, ball in the middle waiting to be passed.

"I'm sorry, coach. I've got to go." Tai said suddenly, backing away slowly.

"What?! What do you mean? You have a big game back in Odaiba on Saturday and I promised your coach his star player would be in top shape!" He yelled as Tai retreated back to the locker room to pack his bag.

"I'm coming, Kari. Just hang on."


"I will not tolerate sleeping in my classroom, Ms. Yagami. Please sit up and pay attention."

Kari was a wreck. She was nauseated and had the worst headache of her life. Her body felt numb and her breath came out in short gasps. A panic attack was coming.

"I'm sorry, sir." She replied as she attempted to keep her head up and pay attention to the lesson. Her attempts failed, and she almost fell from her seat because of the discomfort it caused her. She couldn't take any more. If she stayed any longer, it was only a matter of time until she passed out.

Mustering strength, she raised a shaky hand. "Sir, I need to see the nurse, please."

"Take the pass. Do you need an escort?" He asked while retrieving the pass from his desk. She felt a sense of déjà vu as she stood and walked dizzily over to get it. Was this not exactly what happened last time she had visions of being called to the dark ocean?

Her teacher looked on in concern.

"No, sir." She took the pass gratefully and wobbled out of the room.

The hall looked like a grainy image to her blurry eyes as she made her way through to the nurse's office. She'd never had that happen before, which worried her, considering she thought the scubamon made her feel bad.

This darkness is strong, and it's trying to attack me right now. If it can break through my light barrier, then…Oh, Tai…please, come back soon.

She glanced at the clock to see that it was 9:45. There was no way Tai could possibly even call her right now because of the long hours he had to put in at camp. Their soccer team was going to the city finals, and Tai was going to be the one to lead them to victory. She felt badly for calling out to him. She knew he heard her, but she didn't know if he responded or not, meaning she had no hope of telling him what she was feeling at the moment.

She felt useless. Ever since she was old enough to talk, she would always call for her big brother. Even if he was mean to her, or if she was mad at him, he would always be the first name out of her mouth when she needed something. And now, at the age of fourteen, that pattern still hadn't changed. She still called out to him, expecting him to drop whatever he was doing to tend to her needs.

Those thoughts made her feel even worse. She knew he would come to her regardless of whether she called or not because of the special bond they shared, but the last thing she wanted to do was to hold him back, which was what she felt like she was doing.

She eventually made it to the nurse's office and laid on one of the cots in the corner. She could barely breathe at all, though to anyone else her breathing appeared normal, albeit a bit raspy. She also felt that her head would explode and that she would be sick at any moment. It took all of the energy she possessed to ask the nurse to call her parents so she could go home for the rest of the day. She couldn't go on like she was.


Tai exited the train station and proceeded down the street towards his home. Even though he knew Kari wasn't home, he had no choice but to go there. How could he explain to his coach and teachers that he left camp early because he heard his little sister's voice in his head asking for help? He didn't think that would go well with anyone, especially not Kari's teacher.

He looked at his watch to see that it was around 12:45 p.m, which meant he had a couple of hours to rest. He figured he'd make himself a sandwich when he got home and just watch t.v until Kari came home from school.

Assuming she gets home, that is.

Tai shook his head at his negative thought. He was beyond worried; he was terrified. The problem was that he had no idea why he was so afraid. Kari had called out to him before, but he knew this time was different. This time he could feel the pain he knew she was in, and he couldn't stand it.

He walked towards his building and paused at the entrance, noticing the green car parked on the street.

Why's mom home? He groaned. Great, I can't go upstairs now. If she sees me, she'll lose it. I can't afford to get in trouble right now.

He moved over so he was behind a bush and watched as, thankfully, she walked down to the car and drove off after a few minutes. Tai sighed in relief, grateful he didn't have to stay outside with his soccer bag or sneak upstairs and stand in the hallway until she left.

He wasted no time entering the complex and taking the elevator up. His gear was heavy and it was almost one in the afternoon. He hadn't eaten anything all day, not that he really could with all the worrying he'd done. He really hoped his sister was alright. He wouldn't be able to relax unless he checked on her and saw for himself.

He made it to the door and put the key in, though it made no difference because the door was unlocked. Tai raised an eyebrow at that. The only time the door was left unlocked was if someone forgot to lock it or if someone was already home. He knew from experience that the former almost never happened because, out of everyone, he was always the one to forget to lock the door. And, since it was his mother that just left, she was the type of person to always be safe than sorry. So that left the last exception.

I didn't see dad's car outside, and mom just left. So that means...but why?

He opened the door and stepped inside, leaving his shoes and gear next to the door. The living room and kitchen area were completely empty, the only sign of activity being the pot of soup on the stove that still had steam rising from it.

He continued walking around and eventually deemed it safe after a thorough inspection. The footsteps approaching the living room reminded him of why he was home in the first place.

"Did you forget something, mom?" She asked softly. She'd changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top with only her socks on her feet. Her clips were out of her hair, making the little strands of hair sit on her forehead. Her skin was pale and looked clammy and her eyes had lost the stunning reddish glow they normally had. Basically, she looked sick.

Tai noticed her appearance as well and immediately knew that he was right in coming home. It was just the two of them now.

"Tai." She called, seeing him in the hallway behind the couch.