Sora stared at her reflection, the dull grey shades of the world around her making it appear as if she were in an old black and white movie. In fact the land around her, the cliffs, the sand, the sea... it was dark in the sense that all the light had been taken from the world. It had been replaced with a dreary world that very few had ever visited, but all had the potential to visit.

The Dark Ocean.

It had been almost six years since Sora last found herself in these haunted lands. It was a part of the Digital World that fed upon the darkness of a person's mind, their sadness, anger, any negative emotion and feeling that was birthed from a human mind. It had been the bane of the Digital World, and yet despite every attempt to beat back and banish whatever came from this accursed land, the Dark Ocean was ever present, a part of the Digital World the same way good would always go side by side with evil. None of the Digidestined knew how a person came to be in the land that surrounded Sora. Izzy, Yolei and Ken had all speculated that it was a glitch, though Kari believed that a person came to the Dark Ocean because of their thoughts while travelling through the gateway between the human world and the digital world. Negative emotions being the key to unlocking the Dark Ocean.

At that point, Sora was willing to believe in Kari's theories. Not that she cared at that point.

The red haired college student stared at herself in the water, shaking her head again before scowling, clenching and unclenching her fists. She was angry now, as well as frustrated. Ever since Tai broke up with her, using a text message! It was disgusting. They had been in a long range relationship, yes, but that didn't matter. New York was only a stone's throw away when they could simply travel through the Digital World!

"Stupid Tai!" Sora shouted at the top of her lungs before screaming out loudly. Her scream started to die down, Sora began to stutter, and then she started to cry. She had held it in for so long, now it was like a dam bursting its spillways and releasing its water. Sora cried, slumping onto her knees, her head in her hands and she was crying.

"Poor girl. All alone in both worlds." The voice was familiar to Sora. She slowly stopped crying, before looking up, confused as she looked in all directions. She had been alone, no one had stepped through the gate when Sora had hoped to get away and be with her thoughts. She didn't even tell Biyomon where she had gone. No doubt the others would track her Digivice, but Sora didn't care about them.

"That's right, you don't want to be around the others. You're happy on your own." The voice said again. Sora looked around, before it spoke. "Look at your reflection." Sora did so. "Yes." Sora stared at her reflection as it spoke again. Sora was shocked, her eyes wide in fear and yet her reflection in the ocean had a malicious grin upon its face. Her body started to shake, Sora got back on her feet and took a few steps backwards, shaking in fear as she watched the water start to ripple, then it slowly started to rise up. The water formed into a shape and slowly came into being. Within moments the liquid became a mirror image of Sora in shape and form. The black liquid rippled with every movement the doppelgänger made and though there was no face, the shift in the liquid showed that it was smiling at something, almost grinning. With shaking legs, fear replacing the anger that had clouded her thoughts moments before, she took a few steps back. The doppelgänger slowly followed her, shaking its head before speaking.

"You shouldn't be afraid, because you cannot escape me."

"What...what are you talking about?"

"We've met before... you and I, back when you first came to the Digital World, when you faced the Dark Masters. You were wallowing in a pit of self despair and when you spoke to the darkness, I was the one that answered back." The body explained before spreading out its arms and then holding them towards Sora. "Shame really, I almost had you back then, and then the others had to come along and ruin it all for me." Then the shadow's mood changed, its voice took on a more bubbly tone, amused at its own thoughts. "Just think, had you given in to the darkness back then, things might have turned out differently."

Sora was stunned into silence. Those were days she would have rather forgotten. She had grown up since then. There were times in which Sora doubted herself, doubted the crest of love and her own worthiness. Since joining together to defeat the Dark Masters, and then Ken in his guise as the Digimon Emperor, Sora had felt that she belonged as part of the team. Her love for her friends and family had been her guiding star and she hadn't looked back.

Not until recently that was. Tai had dumped her. Sora thought that the two would be together forever. Now that was just a silly dream.

Clenching her eyes shut, Sora instinctively reached up and wiped tears away from her eyes. She had tried to stay strong, but it was becoming difficult. After opening her eyes, Sora's gaze drifted to the form before her. The watery doppelgänger that floated above the ground before her. "I don't care what happened in the past... just leave me alone."

"I can't." It responded, humour changing its voice. "As I said, I'm always going to be here, always at the back of your mind... well now actually I'll be making the decisions."

Sora glared at the form before her. "No you wont." She responded sternly. "I don't care what you say, you'll..."

Sora never finished the words. The form shifted and charged forwards, arms outstretched and reaching for Sora. The red haired girl tried to flee, but it was no use. Like a wave crashing against rocks, the water formed around Sora's body and slowly engulfed her. Soon she was encased in a cocoon and within, Sora was changing. The darkness was taking over her, and slowly but surely, it corrupted the mind.

-X-

Within the swirling mass of dark energy, Sora was submerged in the negative influences of the Dark Ocean. Given form, they started to take over Sora's mind. All the fear, anger and hatred that had been cast aside in Sora's mind were being brought to the forefront of her thoughts and were amplified to the point in which Sora could only focus on the jealousy of whomever Tai was dating, the fact that he cared for others before her, and that they promised one another that no matter what happened the two would stay together forever. Lies, broken promises, the people who claimed to love her having abandoned her. Since Sora and Tai broke up, not one person had been there to try and console Sora. She had been abandoned.

Well no longer.

The cocoon of darkness started to crack, and like an egg it exploded from the inside. Out stepped Sora, though she was no longer the same woman she had been stepping inside. Her clothes had been changed. From a pair of black trousers, white blouse and jacket, to a long trailing black dress that had a split down the skirt, revealing a pair of knee high stiletto boots. Her arms were covered in gloves and Sora's hair settled against her back. Eyes glinted with a hint of malice and pleasure from the knowledge that soon, Sora would have her revenge. It would be soon.

And Sora knew who she would start with.

-X-

The Digital World itself had changed considerably. The world was a much calmer and gentle place for those visiting from the human world. First Myotismon, then the Dark Masters, Ken in the guise of the Digimon Emperor and the return of Myotismon shortly after that. It felt as if there were no end of enemies to defeat.

That had been years ago, and now everything had changed.

So did the Digidestined. Kari and T.K were both in college. The former studying to become a teacher, the latter an author. Both had been studying hard, and had been dating for the past two years. Both had changed since their adventures in the Digital world had ended. Both were taller, though T.K the tallest of the pair by a few inches. He no longer walked around in the cargo shorts and long sleeved t shirts. Since being in college, he wore smarter clothes. Trousers and shirts, blazers and sensible jumpers. He no longer wore his white hat, but kept it at home as a memento of his time in the Digital World all those years ago.

Kari had changed as well. While she still carried a camera around her neck, her clothing was different. Mimi had often described it as a step up from her teenage years and more feminine. She was dressed in a knee length pink dress with spaghetti straps covered by a white long sleeve bolero. She still retained her unique sense of style though, her white hiking boots completed the ensemble and her brunette hair was longer, flowing down hair back.

"Are you sure the message said to meet you here?" T.K asked, looking to Kari as she read the message sent by Sora an hour ago, giving her coordinates to a location in the Digital World. They stood in the middle of a valley, grass surrounding them on all sides and two miles behind them was a forest that the pair had travelled through from the gateway between the two worlds. "I would have thought that she would have asked to meet you at college." T.K added with a soft shrug of his shoulders, and Kari simply smiled and shook her head.

"Maybe my brother has been bugging her, or asking one of the others to follow her around, a way of finding out what she's brought him for his birthday." Kari responded in an amused tone of voice as she looked up at the green fields surrounding them. She had found it odd as well that Sora would want to meet, and in such a quiet place. Kari also found it odd that there were no Digimon, and there hadn't been any Digimon present since she and T.K arrived through the gate. Gatomon and Patamon were both away for the moment, choosing to give the humans some time to themselves and yet... Kari had been expecting to see a herd of Monocromon rushing through the valley or grazing. "Does feel odd though."

"I can wait around if you like, until Sora arrives?"

"Its a kind offer T.K, but not needed. You should head off, don't you have your assignment to finish?"

"Yeah but..."

"Aww how sweet." Any response T.K might have come up with was cut short. There was a gust of wind that blew by them from the forest and turning around, the pair of them were shocked to see the sight of Sora, only she wasn't quite herself. For one, she was floating.

"I had expected to see you here Kari, but you brought your knight in shining armour." Sora's voice was different as well, it sounded as if there were two people within one body. Sora's voice, and there was something else as well. "Shame really, I only wanted you to come Kari."

"Sora..." Kari took a step forward, looking to her oldest friend. "What happened to you?"

"Your brother, that's what happened to me! The idiot dumped me by text message!"

The news shocked Kari, who glanced to T.K who was equally shocked by both the fact that this wasn't the Sora that they had expected to find, but also because Tai would do such a stupid thing. He had always been someone that went above and beyond Sora. He had shown that so many times over the years. There was a moment of silence, and Sora started to chuckle, then she laughed.

"Kari, we need to get out of..."

There was a wave of energy, and it came from Sora's outstretched hand. T.K doubled over in pain, he was clutching his stomach before falling forward to the ground. Kari rushed over to her boyfriend, glaring at Sora.

"What's gotten into you Sora? We're supposed to be friends!"

"Oh we're still friends, Kari. Its just that I have a few things I want to do, and top of my list is to use you, so that I can hurt your brother." Kari never got the chance to respond, there was another wave of energy, only this one didn't hurt Kari like it did T.K. It simply knocked her out cold. She fell to the ground, the last thing she heard was Sora's laughter.

-X-

Kari awoke later on, finding that she was no longer in the green fields. She was surrounded by stone walls. It was a large room, that went undecorated save for a double bed that was against the furthest wall away from Kari. It was when she took a good look around did she notice the cold brushing against her skin, the odd feeling on the top of her head. It was then she realised that she had been changed out of her original clothes. She no longer wore her boots, dress and bolero. Kari now sported a white leotard with an attached tail that flopped between her legs. Knee high lace up latex boots covered her feet and white gloves, reminiscent of the style she wore while at elementary school, during the fight against the Digimon Emperor adorned her arms. On the top of her head was a pair of cat ears that were designed to look like Gatomon's own ears. Looking around and trying to get up, Kari found the white latex boots difficult to balance on, but managed to support herself fully.

The sound of stone grinding on stone caused Kari's attention to focus on the opening that had just been made, and Sora stepped on through, a smug grin on her face and in her hands she carried a collar and lead. "It seems my kitty cat has woken up."

"What have you done to me Sora? Where's T.K?"

"Don't worry, T.K's fine. I've left him with... someone that has wanted to see T.K for quite some time. Since our first trip to the Digital World in fact." Kari became worried. That could have meant anyone that they encountered in that time. The top two in her mind were Puppetmon or Piedmon. Kari shuddered to imagine what either Digimon would do if they got their hands on T.K.

Remembering where she was though, Kari glanced over towards Sora, who approached the girl with the collar and leash in hand. It was made from black metal, and reminded Kari of one of the old dark rings that had been used on Digimon. It was always theorised that the rings were created from data that had come from the Dark Ocean. Kari was starting to think that Sora had been corrupted by the Dark Ocean. It was the only way she would ever act like this. There was a grin across Sora's face as she unclasped one part of the leash.

Seeing it, Kari became nervous. "Sora... please this isn't like you! What are..." while Kari spoke, she tried to push herself away but it wasn't enough. With almost inhuman skill and speed, Sora lunged forward and the collar clasped itself around Kari's neck, fixing itself shut and locking itself so that only Sora could remove it.

"Now my kitty-cat, I want you to purr for me." Sora stated with a smooth voice. She leant down, tickling the fake ear on top of Kari's head. Kari was a little confused, but then she felt... nothing.

Had she any thoughts, Kari would have realised that the reason behind the familiarity of the collar, and how it looked like a dark ring, was because it was a dark ring. Only more potent, and with the ability to be used on humans. It slowly corrupted Kari's mind, removing her old thoughts and replacing them with new ones. Loyalty to her mistress, obedience, and the desire to see her brother humiliated. She would be an instrument of Mistress Sora's revenge against Tai, and Kari couldn't wait to see it happen. "Now Kari, purr for me."

"Of course, my mistress." Kari responded as Sora's hand slowly started to massage Kari's scalp and the girl did start to purr, tilting her head back in the same way as a cat would. All thoughts at that point went towards her mistress.

With a tug on the leash, Sora lead her newest pet towards the bed. Sora laid on top of it, lounging out and relaxing, while signalling for Kari to climb up onto the bed with another tug. There was a grin across Sora's face. She had the first piece of the plan in place. Now all that remained was to wait for the next piece to fall into place.