Hello, my name is Takeru, but of course you know that. For this story to begin, we must go back a bit…
It was right after we had defeated MaloMyotismon when Hikari started to drift apart from the rest of us. She seemed distant, almost like she wasn't with us. When I asked her what was wrong, she didn't respond at first, she wasn't listening. I started to wonder if she was drifting into the Dark Ocean, and I was worried about her. Everyone was, especially Taichi. Tai often tried to talk to her, but she it was like it wasn't Hikari anymore. It hurt, because I was so close to her before. One day Gatomon came to me during the night. She woke me and Patamon up, talking to us quietly. The cat digimon was afraid that she was losing Kari. We talked all night, until the sun was about to rise, and Gatomon had to leave.
We were still worried about Hikari. How could we not be? One day, at the end of the year, Kari walked over to me in the deserted courtyard. Her brown eyes looked up at me, so beautiful, but so sad. My heart ached, for I could see the pain in her expression, and the darkness in her soul overwhelming her pure heart. Kari hung her head, tendrils of golden-brown hair obscuring her face.
"TK… I am sorry." Hikari told me sadly. Kari looked up at him again, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry for what, Kari?" I asked. I knew what she meant, but I didn't want to admit to myself that she was damaged inside.
"I- I can't go on like this. I just… can't fight anymore." She but her lip and her voice got louder. The girl closed her eyes and touched my arm.
"B-b-but… It's over. Myotismon is gone." I replyed softly. I slipped my had into hers and held it tightly. It was so small and fragile. So warm…
"Takeru, how long do you think this will last? Until another big, bad… evil thing comes into our lives and tears it apart. I just can't take it. This cannot be my destiny." She said, her voice cracking. Her hand started to go limp, and if I wasn't holding it so tightly, it would have fallen to her side. I started to pull her closer to me, so she could hear loud and clear what I was about to say to her.
"Kari, please… Understand. Our world needs you, we need you, and I need you." I told her, and brushed her hair with my other hand, but she just looked away from me.
"TK… I won't be going to school with you anymore." She replied, and I loosened my grip on her hand in shock.
"Wh-what? You're moving?" I managed to stutter out without fainting.
"No, no…. I am going to boarding school in America. You will still see Tai… I feel I have lost myself, my light has gone out. Oh how much I want to still be that girl who saved the Numamon with the light in my heart and soul, but I am afraid I am not." Kari told me, so quietly I could hardly hear.
"I don't understand…" I replied, so confused.
But then it hit me. I looked in her eyes, the ones that always glowed so bright. There was only sorrow in her eyes, rippling throughout her body. I was tempted to feel her heart, but I thought that might have been a little… inappropriate.
"I think you do understand…" The girl I thought I knew said as she put her small, delicate hand on my chest.
"I do… I do… I do…" I repeated over and over again as she started to walk away. "I do."