Okay Kevin, I said that I would get season 2

Disclaimer:  I don't own Digimon, or any of its associated products.  Heck, I don't even own the computer I'm writing this on.  If I did own this show, you bet I would have a more comfortable chair.

Cast of Characters:

Author's Note:  I suppose that I should explain what this is.  It is a very long episode based epic I wrote for the benefit of my brother.  Both of us are interested in the show.  However, it is, most of all, long.  I tried to capture the feel of the show, but that means writing things long, and you know how that goes (long).  I'm sorry for that, but if you don't have much patience, I wouldn't suggest you read it.  It is my first fanfic, so you can be as harsh as you like, but please review.  I hope I can write something better some day.

It has been about 1 and ½ years since the defeat of MaloMyotismon, which means the kids are older, calmer, and rested up, ready for their next adventure.  Mimi has moved back to Japan, and Ken has transferred to Odaiba to be near his friends (after going through a number of depressions, which they helped fight together).  The unification of the Digital World with the Real World has created some difficulties, but for the most part, it has been a slow transformation.  So far not much has been effected.

            COMPUTER TERMINAL: STATUS ACTIVE.

            Please enter user identity and password for access:

            Identity:  Gennai

            Password:  *********

            Greetings Gennai.  Computer access to Citadel main net granted.  Data acquisition online.

            What do you need?

            Recall Files DD1.1, DD1.2

            Security Warning:  Access level 2 required to view these files.  Please enter access codes.

            Code input confirmed.

            Beginning retinal scan and crest verification.

            Security check complete, identity and access confirmed.  File as followed.

           

            Personnel File DD1.1

            Digidestined Team Alpha

            Tai       -Taichi Kamiya             -Age 16           -Courage          -Odaiba Central High School, Japan, Earth

            Matt     -Yamato Ishida             -Age 16           -Friendship       -Odaiba Central High School, Japan, Earth

Sora     -Sora Takenouchi         -Age 16           -Love               -Odaiba Central High School, Japan, Earth

Izzy      -Koushiro Izumi            -Age 15           -Knowledge     -Odaiba Central High School, Japan, Earth

Mimi    -Mimi Tachikawa         -Age 15           -Sincerity          -Odaiba Central High School, Japan, Earth

Joe       -Jyou Kido                   -Age 17           -Reliability        -Odaiba Private College Prep, Japan, Earth

CLEARANCE:  Level 10, Unaware of the existence of Citadel

STATUS:  INACTIVE RESERVE

Personnel File DD1.2

Digidestined Team Beta

Davis    -Daisuke Motomiya      -Age 13           -None              -Odaiba Northern Middle School, Japan, Earth

Ken      -Ken Ichijouji               -Age 14           -Kindness         -Odaiba Northern Middle School, Japan, Earth

Cody    -Iori Hida                     -Age 11           -None              -North Central Odaiba Elementary, Japan, Earth

Yolei    -Miyako Inoue             -Age 14           -None              -Odaiba Northern Middle School, Japan, Earth

TK(*)  -Takeru Takaichi          -Age 13           -Hope              -Odaiba Northern Middle School, Japan, Earth

Kari(*) -Hikari Kamiya             -Age 13           -Light               -Odaiba Northern Middle School, Japan, Earth

(*) Designates file flagged with Level 1 Security access

CLEARANCE:  Level 10, Unaware of the existence of Citadel

STATUS:  INACTIVE RESERVE      

File Display complete…Update (Y/N)?  Y

Status change: Active

Authority confirmed:  Status changed to ACTIVE

Access Citadel Command Network.

Checking security classifications:  Citadel Command Network Active and Online

Issue Orders:  Fleet Dreadnought Wellington, dispatch from local patrol grounds to head for nearest Earth access under full cloak…

            Every day they get followed.  To school, away from school, around their homes, through the city, everywhere.  Those twelve kids, with their cushy lives, their jokes and games, their after-school entertainments, nights at the movies, trips to rock concerts, were followed every step of the way.  They never know it, never watch what's behind them, never see those who pass in their wake.  Those who follow them prefer it that way.

            Jessica Wright looked at the night sky.  It was crisp and clear, cool with overtones of cold for later on, but for now, it was warm for that time of year.  Their were only a handful of patches of fog hovering over the coastline, and the stars shone brightly.  The winds held themselves to a minimum, blowing quietly every once in a while, and that meant that there was little disturbance.  And the city updrafts were wonderful.

            A perfect night for flying.

            She hovered, about sixty or seventy meters over the street, watching through the plate glass windows as the last few riffs faded away inside.  There was a moment of silence, and then some applause, gradually building in to a roar, as those around the center stage began to stand up.  The band on the stage took a few bows, and then dropped back off the stage as the next group loaded up their stuff on top.

            "Great job Matt!" Tai clapped the lead singer on the shoulder, nearly knocking the black clad star sprawling.

            "Careful Tai!" Matt looked back up.  "I don't want to lose any of this stuff." He looked pointedly at the huge load of instrument, microphone and audio gear he was carrying.

            "I'll help you with that."  Tai moved closer, grabbing some of the parts that were on the verge of succumbing to gravity, trying not to wrinkle his dress shirt.  At his shoulder Kari, wearing her new white dress moved in to help.

            "How about a little help from you bro?"  Matt called over his shoulder.

            TK stumbled up, weaving gradually from side to side in the cleared exit aisle.  "I would, but you're not the one carrying the speakers."  Kari stopped, came over to him and took one of the speakers from him wordlessly.

            "Let's get all this stuff to my Dad's van." Matt suggested while they distributed the load.  "We can get it loaded up, and then come back before the next bands are finished.  Then we can enjoy the rest of the charity dinner."

            Tai nodded.  Matt's Dad was here covering the dinner with his news crew, but Matt had agreed to join in the concert just to generate a little goodwill and entertainment.

            A voice interrupted Jessica's thoughts:  We're done patrolling the Highton View area, and are headed back out of sight.  Nothing to report, we'll take over from number two flight in about twenty minutes.

            I hear you.  Two flight, you can head back and get some rest once they get here.

            I copy.  This time the voice was lighter, less aggressive, and decidedly relieved.  Keeping a bunch of flying Digimon out of sight was one of the least desirable jobs in the world.  Fortunately, a handful of Gennai's modified firewalls seemed to be doing the trick nicely, if not perfectly.

            Jessica turned her attention back to the four youngsters, who were even then entering the parking structure attached to the building, and that was when everything went plain crazy.

            Cortell called the impulses that come from extended exposure to the crests insights, and tried to explain this through a number of different scientific models.  Jan just looked wise and called it intuition.  But perhaps, most fitting, Andrel and Gennai both looked at her and said "It just is!".  Nevertheless, sometimes a striking certainty would come over one of the crest bearers, a prediction of things to come, or a dire warning.

            "Status report on everyone, now!" she was talking out loud now, as it required less concentration.

            "This is Jan, I'm watching over Ken now, he's studying a book at his house."

            "Two flight here, I have visual on Cody and Yolei, they're both working at Cody's on his computer.  And eating brownies."

            "Six here.  Sora's studying for her history exam."

            "Five here.  Izzy's online, researching something for his history exam.  Visual confirmation check."

            "Four flight, reporting visual confirmation on Joe, he's at home, studying as usual."

            "Overwatch one here, I can see Davis practicing his soccer.  Inside." the last was with a verbal wince.

            "Seven here.  I have Mimi on visual, doing her hair and reading a book."

            As the voices echoed out of the air next to her head, the feeling of unease grew.  If everyone else was home, than the four with her were in the only truly exposed place.  If she was wrong, she might pull protection off of people who needed it.  But if she wasn't…

            Her feeling intensified as the foursome walked out into the cold night air on the exposed structure.  There was no mistaking this feeling.

            "I need backup at my position now.  I think we have a situation."

            She could feel the communication lines explode into static as backup units who had been resting in different parts of the city raced toward her, but they probably would not get here in time, unless her premonitions were wrong again.

            Right on cue, a group of dark shadows became evident, a group of people lurking around that particular floor of the parking structure, where the four were now walking.  They continued on, oblivious to the sudden danger.

            "So where's the van?" TK asked, most of his vision still blocked by the load of speakers he was carrying.

            "Somewhere on this floor.  I was a little busy when we got here." Matt tried to pull out the keys when suddenly the first of the people began to emerge out of the parked cars in front of them.  His eyes got real wide, and he stopped going forward, which halted the rest of the procession rather unceremoniously.

            Jessica dropped out of the sky into the garage in a rush of wind, mentally broadcasting images of what was going on.  In the back of her mind she could hear the sound as Jan tucked himself into a dart and accelerated to unbelievable speeds.  For some reason Jan's connection and infatuation with speed meant that he was the fastest of them all in his unaltered state, even giving Imperial Dramon a run for his money.  Now, he was hurtling above the skyscrapers, barely managing to hide the sound of his sonic booms as they threatened to echo across the city.

            "Why did you do that Matt?" Tai asked as he ran into Matt from behind.

            "What do you want?" Matt asked, ignoring Tai and concentrating on the semi-circle of dark figures that was now blocking their path.

            "Depends," a raspy voice responded.  "What do you have?"

            There was a glint as light flashed off of knives in the dark.  Tai dropped what he was carrying, Matt and TK set there loads down a little more lightly.  All four begin to back up, before another group of figures appeared.  Kari gasped and everyone turned to watch them.  Now, the four were still backing up, but they were being trapped against the edge of a fifth story building.

            Jessica walked out of the dark, feverishly remembering Gennai's instructions.  Try not to digivolve, try not to leave visible evidence that you're not a normal human, try not to rip a hole in space.  Do things the normal way.  Inside her she cringed.  Knives, I hate knives.  And I hate being outnumbered.  Why is it me who gets to do this?  Jan would love it. 

            She could still hear him in her mind, pitching on a wildly elusive course through a maze of skyscrapers, but he probably would not get there in time.  It was up to her now.

            "I think these people told you to leave them alone."  Jessica counted silently.  There were only seven of them, not actually long odds, but they were after the kids, not her, and she had to keep any of the spread out assailants from getting through.  All of them looked like out of work street toughs out for a night of fun, not truly dangerous, but she remained cautious.  Assumption like that get you killed.  The lighting was faint, so all she could really make out was that they wore black and each one carried a knife, or other metallic instrument, as a weapon.

            "Out of the way girly, we'll see to you later." the one in the middle appeared to be the leader, he was at least the talker.

            And that was bad.  Normal street toughs would take the first target they were offered, not waste time on ones farther away.  These people were after the children.

            She let them take three more menacing steps, and then she attacked.  Spinning kick, drop the first one around you.  Drop the leg, rotate the hips, move on through, grab a wrist and a descending knife, twist, shatter the wrist, throw the man on it.  Grab the guy who is trying to slip past you, realize he is too heavy to move.

            There's no such thing as too heavy, too strong, or too tough.  Jan's voice echoed in her head from long ago.  There are just things you try, and things you do not.

            Rotate the lower body and throw him too, giving him a kick in the stomach for good measure.  Jessica blinked, three down, but the rest were already past and rushing for the others, shadows in the dim lamplight.  She cheated just a bit, putting on a bit of speed and encasing her foot in a wall of force, so that her flying kick sent one of the thugs spinning out across the floor.  She tripped another on his own shoelaces, before pounding his head into the concrete floor.  One of the guys had gone straight for TK, who had jumped back, and Matt had swept in, landing a punch right in the guys jaw, knocking him sprawling, but the last one…

            The last man twisted around Tai and sent his knife plunging downward, missing Tai completely, but raking quickly across Kari's shoulder.  The brown haired girl gave a startled squeal, her eyes grew wide, and then she collapsed in a heap.

            That's not supposed to happen! Jessica's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates.  No minor scrape could do that much damage!  What was going on here?

            Her thoughts were interrupted by another source of worry.  A low growl was growing in TK's throat.  A very loud growl, and his eyes were starting to look a little unfocused, a little wild.  His killer glare came up, and then his fist shot out right for the chest of Kari's assailant.  The man who blocked him was easily twice as big and twice as strong, but for some reason, that did not matter any more.  TK's punch could have broken through concrete, and the sound as ribs shattered, and an arm broke was nearly deafening. 

            Jessica's heart dropped through her ribs.  Suddenly all of Gennai's dire warnings went out the window as she geared up for a real battle, not the sparring match she had just been in.

            "Citadel, we have a situation.  TK's crest just went rogue." her voice was speaking quickly and by instinct.  Already she was moving, trying to get between TK and his target, trying to prevent what was turning out to be a murder.  She may have been stronger, but the crest of Hope was one of the most powerful.  Any combat between the two would result in the destruction of half of Odaiba, not to mention a casualty list in the thousands.

            In her head, she could feel Citadel's communications network explode into action.  Gennai, Jan, anyone, could you just get down here! she asked quietly.

            Then, behind the now murderous TK there was a sudden rush of air, and a figure, wearing elaborate silver and black armor stood, on the empty air outside the structure, transparent and forbidding, raising one imperious hand in a clear gesture of command.

            And TK's anger and power drained from him like water from a sieve, letting him come to rest beside the now unconscious man.  Quickly, he turned around and ran to where Tai was already trying to rouse Kari, shaking her with increasingly frantic motions.  The figure behind him was already gone.

            Jan ran up beside her, not even breathing hard.  He took a single look at the situation and then headed over to where Kari was lying, talking to Jessica mentally.  And what just happened?

            He was here.  Jessica sent back, still recovering.  Of all of them, His power was the most undefined and hardest to understand.  See to Kari.  I'll check if there was poison on the knife.

            Jan nodded, walking carefully over to where Kari was lying in a heap, and motioning reassuringly to Matt and TK.  "Don't worry, I already called the police when I heard everything happening.  They're on the way.  I'm sort of an expert on injuries.  Can I see?"

            Tai just sat there, oblivious to what was going on around him, so Jan moved him carefully out of the way and took a look at the cut on Kari's shoulder.  He let out a short, relieved laugh.  "Don't worry about it.  I've gotten cut worse while getting a haircut.  She probably just fainted from the shock, or hit her head or something.  She'll be fine.  Still, you might want to let the hospital take a look at her."

            Tai looked so relieved that, for a moment, Jan thought he might burst out in tears over this.  TK still just looked tired.  Crest drain, Jan thought analytically, the first time I used my crest to do that, I was on my back for three days.  Matt nodded at him, and then went over to where Jessica was examining a knife blade.

            "I just wanted to thank you…"he began.

            Jessica cut him off with a smile.  "No problem.  I would do that for anyone if they needed it, and I would like to think that you would help me in the same way.  I'm glad nobody got too hurt, just watch yourself in the future."  A little reinforced caution lesson now might advert major catastrophe later on.  She looked up at Jan and nodded once, Poison, one of the ones she did not recognize.  Jan responded very cautiously.  Beneath, the sound of sirens roared to life, and ended as an ambulance pulled up beside them, flashing red lights all over the garage.  Two uniformed paramedics stepped down from the cabin and took a look at the scene.  Behind them, more vehicles pulled up, paramedics and police both bolting out in a hurry.

            Two people shoved the friends aside and kneeled down next to Kari, quickly checking her pulse and her breathing.  "Excuse me," one of them turned, almost startling Jessica into outright laughter, "we'll take it from here.  Are you friends of the victim?"

            There were nods all around.  Even the normally taciturn Jan was having problems controlling his grin.  Amanda and Cortell in paramedic's uniforms! Jessica thought, this is just too much!  I bet they're not liking this part.

            Nevertheless, Amanda and Cortell quickly maneuvered Kari onto a stretcher and, still unconscious, into the ambulance, and had a quick word with the police.  After a moment they gestured and all six of the witnesses got into the back of the ambulance, which slowly started to roll off to the hospital.  Behind them, two police cars also started moving, the police apparently needing to talk with everyone, but having consented to wait until people were at the hospital.

            Cortell was still standing in the back, and, ignoring a frantic Tai and a nervous TK, turned to the two elders of the group.  Gennai flashed us a warning, his voice echoed in their minds, he said we're probably going to need the two of us.  When we get to the hospital, you will need to stall the police and the relatives and anybody else who comes by, because it looks like we're going to have a lot of work to do.

            How so?  Isn't this a simple poison cure? Jan replied.  I've seen you do that a thousand times.

            Not that easy.  Whatever happened destabilized her crest.  Severely.  We're going to have to realign it, and that will be the hard part.  Can you describe the attack?

            Jessica did, and Cortell looked Kari over again and nodded, his eyes now clouded in thought.  Jessica and Jan exchanged glances, and they both shrugged, knowing that the bearer of the Crest of Knowledge had now temporarily left the known universe, and was perusing universes of his own.  He could do this for hours, so Jessica and Jan just settled down for the ride.

            Matt was talking quietly to TK, reassuring him until TK was more settled down, then, working together, they managed to bludgeon Tai off of Kari, calming him down when the ambulance reached the hospital with a screech.  Other attendants came, unloaded the stretcher, and moved Kari through the stares in the emergency room and into one of the private medical rooms at the end of a long, white, sterilized corridor.  Matt, Jessica, Jan, Tai and TK were stopped outside by one of the doctors and a uniformed police officer.

            "I need someone who can tell me what happened." the officer demanded.  "We're going to need witness testimony recorded."

            "And I need someone to tell me the girl's medical history." the doctor told them.  "Don't worry, with an injury that minor she should be fine, we just need to know in case there is anything that we have to do special."

            "We can witness." Jessica volunteered, pulling Jan with her and mentally rehearsing her story.

            "I can too." Matt volunteered.

            "And I know her medical history.  She's had some problems before.  She's going to be all right, isn't she?  She's just got to be all right!" Tai was getting frantic again.

            "Yes, she will." the doctor smiled reassuringly.  "She'll be just fine.  Son," he looked over at TK, "we don't need you at the moment, so you can go in and see her.  I'll call you out if you're needed, since we aren't doing anything at the moment in there."

            TK nodded, and was off like a shot.  Jessica smiled to herself and began the difficult task of holding off the authorities.

            Kari jerked awake with a gasp, hands going to her shoulder in response to the pain the blossomed there briefly.  A moment later, she calmed down, her breathing returning to normal.  She looked around, she seemed to be floating in a bed, lost amid a vast emptiness that looked hauntingly familiar, but completely different from anything she had seen before.  There was no beginning and no end, no horizons and no landmarks, just a rolling sea of darkness.  The only thing that she could see was a faint outline at her right side, TK, head down and hat off, watching her.

            "TK?" she asked, trying to shake him.  Her eyes widened in alarm as her hand passed right through his body.  "TK!" she yelled.

            "Takeru!" she shrieked, almost surrendering to panic.

            TK's eyes seemed to focus a little better, and then the outline filled in with a rush and he was there, solid and everything.

            "Kari!" he yelled ecstatically.

            "TK!" she responded, grabbing his hand to reassure her that she would not pass through him.

            "You're all right, wait until I tell the others…Where are we!?"

            "I don't know." Kari sunk into a slouch.  "I was hoping you would know what to do."

            TK breathed in carefully.  "OK, you remember the attack?"

            "Yes."

            "We took you to the hospital.  They put you in a room and let me in.  I was watching you breathe, when I heard you calling my name.  I don't know how but I followed your voice, and here I am."

            "So we're in a hospital?"

            "I guess our bodies are or something.  I have no idea where we are now."

            Suddenly, Kari held her hand up.  "…Listen."

            Shadowy outlines began to form around the bed; adults from their size, and noises began to intrude on their perceptions.

            "So what if it overloads and backfires?  Then what?"

            "I was hoping he would have an answer for that one…"

            "Well, we could possibly open a secondary bypass or something on the main."

            Kari turned to TK again.  "Are those the doctors out there?"

            "I hope not." TK replied uneasily.  "They sound like they're doing major surgery, and you don't need it."

            The voices continued:

            "At least tell me we have a plan B."

            "We have a plan B."

            "OK, what is plan B."

            "How should I know?"

            "Then why did you tell me…"

            "We always have a plan B.  Right guys?"

            "You mean, shoot at the bad guys and run like hell?"

            "Something like that."

            "You people are no help at all."

            Suddenly a woman appeared before the two teenagers.  One moment, there was nothing, the next a blossom of light that seemed to unfold into a tall woman with long flowing black hair trailing down to her waist.  Her skin glinted pale white in the dark and cloudy void that they were floating in, her clothing was pale white as well, a long dress with red trimming.  Her smile however, was warm and generous.

            "I assume that you are sort of confused about what you are doing here." the way she stated it, it was not much of a question.  Her smile only increased at their sudden consternation.

            "Well, yes." TK snapped after a moment.  "If you suddenly found yourself floating with your best friend in the middle of a sea of darkness, wouldn't you be sort of curious?"

            "No, not really." she replied.  "That seems to happen a lot to me.  Maybe it's just the people I hang out with." 

            "So what's happening?" Kari asked.  "Why am I sitting here?"

            The woman sighed quietly before continuing.  "I guess that there's no real easy way to say this.  You were stabbed with a knife.  A knife with an extremely nasty poison on the tip.  It attacks the mind and the spirit, and usually, there is no cure."

            TK felt his heart jump to his mouth.  Kari felt hers drop through her ribs and to the bottom of her chest deeper with a deep throbbing pain.

            "There's no hope?" TK asked, trying to find something, anything, that would override this horrible fate.

            "You of all people should know that there is always hope." the woman smiled.  "Andrel, Cortell and Amanda are trying to theorize their way through it before they start working on her.  Nevertheless, they are confident that they can save her life.  It's her mind that they're worried about.  And yours."

            "What!?" TK exclaimed.

            "Who are you?" asked Kari at the same time.

            The woman laughed.  "You can call me Vona, and think of me as a friend."

            "I'm Kari Kamiya.  Pleased to meet you."

            "I'm Takeru, but everyone calls me TK.  I'm honored to meet you Vona."

            Vona inclined her head in respect.

            "You remind me of my friend Sora for some reason." Kari rested her chin on her fist.  "I wonder why?"

            There was a sudden flare of red light on Vona's chest, and the sudden illumination forced them to close their eyes.  When the glare faded, there was, etched in fire, the Crest of Love glowing steadfastly on her chest, the red heart burning with an inner fire.

            "That's the Crest of Love." TK gasped, his sudden surprise making him repeat the obvious dangling in front of his face.

            "The original."  Vona added.  At seeing their confusion, she added "Not like those copies that you have, the powered down versions that they," she inclined her head at the muted voices in the background to give an indication of who she was talking about "constructed for you."

            "Copies?" Kari asked.

            "Original?" TK added.

            "It'll be explained later.  Once they're done arguing I expect."  In the background the voices continued.

            "Well, we could do it without fully powering up the…"

            "Yeah, in your dreams."

            "My dreams maybe, but not yours."

            "Whatever."

            "Maybe if we double strung the lattice edge…"

            "Gennai, if you don't get serious right now, you're going to need a lot more than this hospital to put you back together again."

            Kari and TK both started.  "Gennai's here?" TK gasped.

            "Yep, all the big players are here actually.  There's enough concentrated power in the neighborhood to reduce this world into ashes probably.  Right now they have to go over the procedure they're going to do before they get started.  They would really hate to do this wrong and screw everything up."

            "I heard that!" Gennai materialized next to the bed, looking young and wearing his gray robes with their silver lining.  "I thought you should all know, Andrel is almost satisfied, which means that we're almost ready to start."

            "Start what?" Kari asked.

            "Saving your life.  It's a complicated process.  You can bug Andrel if you want the details.  TK, since you are the only one that can be here, you're going to need to support Kari.  Michael and Vona will support you."

            A small brown haired kid appeared next to TK.  "Hi, I'm Mike.  I'll help you out on this.  Don't worry, leave everything to us.  We'll take care of it."

            "The rest of us…" Gennai continued, nodding briefly to the child, "will be supporting Kari.  We brought four of us." He turned to Vona.  "Cortell and Andrel will actually be the ones doing the work.  We'll just back them up."

            Vona nodded as if to say that she had expected as much.

            "What are they doing now?" Michael asked curiously, raising a hand to brush a shred of brown hair out of his face.

            "Arguing."  Gennai rolled his eyes up in his head.  "What else did you expect them to do?"

            "Nothing I guess.  If they're going to get to work, they have to argue first.  Otherwise they argue while they're working, and that's worse."

            "Smart kid."

            "What is who arguing about?" Kari asked, having gotten lost in the conversation.  TK was watching Michael as if he was familiar, but he could not seem to place it.

            "Cortell, Amanda and Andrel are arguing about how they're going to save you.  It sounds odd, but it serves its purpose, which is releasing tension.  They'd rather die than have it be common knowledge, but all three of them get profoundly nervous and insecure when lives are on the line.  They let it out beforehand so that everything will turn out all right."

            "Yeah!" Michael chimed in.  "They've done that for years!"

            "And sometimes we get tired of it.  But we always let them do it." Vona was smiling broadly.  "Because, the truth is that they're the best we've got.  There isn't a single thing they can't fix."

            Kari sighed.  "I wish I knew what they were going to do to me."

            "You don't want to." Gennai stated this flatly.  "Trust me, you really don't want to even hear what they're saying."

            There was another flash, and suddenly a man was standing there.  He was tall, with long brown hair falling down to shoulders, wearing a plain black set of clothes, loosely cut, but still well fit, and lined with silver.  His face was angular, but plain, and his eyes danced with power, radiating a soft gentle emotional glow over the world he surveyed.  In one hand he held a familiar device.

            "Cortell thinks that the rig we used will supercharge the Egg of Miracles." He raised his hand and the angular, golden egg floated gently through the air to a space in front of Kari's face, lighting her with soft, glowing, comforting light.  "He is not so sure about the link that we established, so we may end up having to drain a Digi-Core or two on the way, but we're both confident that we'll succeed.  Gennai, Vona, Mike, if you would assume your positions please."         

            All three of the others nodded, Gennai taking five steps back and assuming a strange posture, one arm drawn up, the other thrust straight out.  Michael and Vona looked at each other, and then lay a hand each on TK's shoulder, bracing him, as they began to glow from within, Vona a deep red, Michael a bright gold.

            "Hikari Kamiya, bearer of the latest of the Crests of Light, before we began this procedure, there are certain things we should agree upon." the new man was speaking in a deep, rolling voice, more formal, yet somehow more playful than any of Kari's teachers had ever managed.

            "Y..yes." Kari stammered, unnerved at being the focus of the eyes, which had sharpened to hawk-like intensities.

            "There are a few conditions to this procedure.  The first two, the only ones that you need to know now, are that you will take a series of lessons from some of us in the future.  The second is that you will remember nothing of this for some time.  Takeru must also submit to the same conditions."

            "But why…" Kari began, and then looked into his face.  "Is this the only way to save my life?"

            He nodded.

            She looked over at TK, and saw him nod, once solemnly, and she looked back and nodded once as well.

            The man's face split into a kindly grin, and he gripped her roughly, yet friendly-like on the shoulder.  "I'm glad that you've decided to live.  I promise you, on my honor, something which I do not do lightly, that you will not object to any further conditions, and that you will one day approve of what we do here."

            Kari just stared into his eyes.  In the periphery of her vision another woman appeared with a short man, and they both walked around her bed to other positions.  But for now, she ignored them, staring into eyes that promised something, that someday, something would…

            And then the man broke contact, taking her hands in his and pressing them closely and carefully to the sides of the golden egg in front of her.  Vona smiled encouragingly at Kari and took TK's hand and placed it on her shoulder.  For a moment there was nothing but silence, and Kari could feel the warmth flow through her from TK's hand, and from the golden fire she held in her hands.  And then the man in front of her straightened in a pre-arranged signal.

            For a moment there was nothing, and then the four who were not holding TK began to move their hands, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, weaving intricate patterns that Kari could barely follow, weaves of gold and silver thread, gleaming like moonlight and sunlight, dancing in the air.  The patterns solidified, into worlds and lands, people and places, the sound of autumn leaves and the feel of the spring sun, and yet they continued weaving, sending power into the air, not in some torrential hurricane, but in a slow flow.  Despite the care they put in their actions it became obvious that the power they were wielding was as unstoppable as a glacier, binding the universe together for some unknown purpose.  And then she felt it settle in her, burning her soul. 

            At that moment the artifice in her hands erupted in golden fire, racing up her hands, purging her soul in a wash of fire, driving everything except the joy of being alive and the light of eternity from her body.  Is this what it feels like when they digivolve? she thought for a moment, as the glowing light reached her head, and then there was only the fire.

            For a moment, the fire died and she was alone, suspended in deepest darkness, and then she felt more power, pouring down TK's arm, into her body, not just a support, but a beacon guiding her home.  And she grabbed onto that light with all her might and she pulled

            TK blinked twice.  He was holding onto Kari's shoulder because… because… well, there must have been some reason, something was definitely bugging him about the whole situation, but he could not truly remember anything.  It had been dark, and someone had said…something.  Or had anyone been there at all?  And if so who, and where were they now?  All he could remember clearly was that attack in the parking structure.  So what was going on?

            Beneath his hand Kari suddenly coughed once and sat up, startling TK.  She blinked twice and then looked around, wincing as her shoulder pained her for a moment, and then frowning in concentration.  "What just happened TK?"

            "I don't know." TK admitted, "I thought that something happened, but now I'm just confused about the whole thing."

            Kari smiled at him.  "Well, whatever happened, we'll remember sooner or later.  At least I'm better."

            "Yes.  I'm glad." TK stroked her shoulder (not the injured one) very carefully.  Kari smiled at him.  Then a sudden thought struck her.

            "Tai must be frantic!"

           

            "And she was treated by what doctor?" the nurse was quietly talking to Tai, asking him questions, while the police officer was still taking their testimony.  Jan nodded at a question, his credentials as a martial arts master, and his story that he had been training Jessica (not a lie at all) seemed to hold some weight here.  He had already felt the subtle shifting of power that accompanied a working by the four greater seals, and he was waiting for word on how progress went, and a chance to get out of here.

            The door to the room creaked open quietly and TK walked out, supporting a smiling Kari on one hand.  Tai stopped whatever he was saying and rushed to her, lifting her up in a great hug, spinning her almost completely around before setting her down again.  TK smiled at Matt, who clapped Tai on the back.

            "I'm fine Tai." Kari told her brother affectionately, "My shoulder hurts a little, but other than that I'm fine."

            The police and the doctors decided that now was a good time to arrive in force, and the next hour was spent answering questions.  The police decided they had enough information to prosecute the criminals after about an hour of collecting statements.  After a careful examination, the medical staff decided that Kari would be fine, they would keep her overnight just in case, and then she could return home tomorrow.  Tai breathed a bit easier about that, just as his parents screeched into the ward, clearly expecting the worse, only to be reassured by a laughing Kari and a set of calm doctors.  After a short break, Matt's Dad arrived, followed by Joe, who was wearing his hospital volunteer clothes and identification, prompting another round of explanation.  At least they came out happy in the end.

            By this time, Jan and Jessica had been interrogated and thanked a dozen times over, and they were trying to bow out graciously without offending anybody.  Jan really wanted a long conversation with Gennai after this was over.

            "You might want to get the kids in some kind of self-defense class after this." Jessica suggested frowning, "This sort of thing is becoming way more common than we would like."  Kari was looking on with wide eyes, the Kamiyas looked disconcerted, Matt and TK looked at each other with odd glances, while the bystanders merely ignored them.

            "Well, maybe, but Kari?  She's just a little girl…" Tai began, inspiring a death glare from his sister.

            Jessica gave no hint of movement to betray herself.  From standing she wrenched herself around, bringing her right leg up in a letter-perfect spinning wheel kick.  Jan was an expert at these, but he had to admit that Jess had a neat trick that would have let her throw a normally wide kick in a narrow alley.  Her foot came around like a whirling hammer, whipping down, and then stopped, resting lightly on Tai's shoulder less than ten centimeters from his jaw.

            "Yes?" Jessica asked quietly.  "You were going to say something?  Something nice I hope."

            "Uuuhhhh…." for some reason, Tai's attention was solely fixed on the foot next to his face.

            "Good old Tai!" Matt was laughing.  "Always sticking his foot in his mouth.  You should really stop that, you'll wear out your shoes."

            Kari and TK giggled.  Jessica smiled in reassurance, repeated her suggestion, and then bowed and left with Jan.