The Ivani Chronicles : Book 3 – Rancor : Chapter 2 – Fields of Innocence
"Boxes?" TK echoed, blatantly confused. "What are we going to do with boxes?"
"We aren't going to do anything with them," Sera said impatiently. Her pace redoubled, snapping stray branches from the trees around her as she went. TK found himself, as well as the rest of the company, jobbing to keep up with their guide. Lyrmon glanced at Sera, checking to see if the human girl wished to elaborate. Sera was quite clearly uninterested. The feline digimon shrugged her shoulders, her padding feet ever synchronized with Sera's gait.
TK, after providing a polite time for Sera to expand on her explanation, decided it was best to not pry further. This enigmatic girl was thoroughly set on her task at hand, it appeared. She could not, or would not, spare any attention for the blond-haired boy. TK's shoulders drooped as he fell back from the lead. Houndramon rather comfortably took up the spot, opening a new discussion with the black cat-like digimon. TK found himself beside Ivan a moment later.
"What's up with her?" TK asked, his tone exasperated. He jerked a thumb in the direction of their leader. He didn't mean to come off so angry, but Sera's out-right disregard for him left the latter displeased.
Ivan smiled, concealing a laugh as to not further offend the boy. He was more presently aware of TK's affected judgment from lack of sleep than even TK himself was. He placed a gentle hand on the Digidestined's shoulder. "Sera gets like this from time to time," Ivan explained. "Her experiences from before she was inducted as a Dragoon have left her with a very strong sense of conviction to tasks at hand, along with an almost surreal distaste for guys. It's nothing you should take personally; Hakin and I were both treated like vermin for the whole entire first year." Ivan chuckled at the memory.
"What on earth did she go through?" TK inquired further. Ivan's humor drained rather rapidly from his expression.
"You'll find out sooner or later," Ivan assured him, "But I don't think I'm really the one to tell you. Our pasts are stories that we divulge only when we trust someone enough with it. Hakin, too, has a rather graphic past that he's none too pleased with. It's one of the many things we Dragoons have in common, tragic previous lives. Sera, much as Maddie had trouble overcoming the dementation that Jason evoked in her life, is still struggling to deal with what she's gone through." Ivan paused, his eyes wandering. Then, with a snap, his focus returned. He smiled at TK. "Just give her time," Ivan said, "She'll come around soon enough. Just keep on being the ridiculous guy that you are."
"Hey," TK began to retort. Ivan, however, checked the blond-haired boy lightly with his shoulder. TK stumbled to the side, out of the main procession, and bounced back into line off of a tree. Dazedly, the blond-haired boy looked back at where Ivan had been. Now, however, Kari was walking alongside him. A look of mixed amusement and concern danced through her amber eyes. TK raised an eyebrow at her expression. Kari couldn't help but giggle at the hunched-over figure that was her boyfriend – her amusement had outdone her concern. TK groaned, his eyes rolling lazily upwards and his feet shuffling onwards.
To TK's relief, the walk was concluded quite shortly thereafter. With a roar from Lyrmon, the creature announced their arrival. It looked almost identical to where Maddie and the other digimon had been waiting when Ivan and Hakin first brought TK and Kari into the woods – a widened opening between the trees, roughly circular, with relatively even ground. The only significant difference that TK could attain was the presence of several shadowy boxes lying on the ground. The boy examined the crates curiously. At last, he could see that Lyrmon had been literal in her referral to boxes. Their role in the upcoming activity, however, TK did not grasp.
"How heavy is the gear we've got?" Ivan asked as he knelt down before one of the boxes. Then, as an afterthought, "Maddie, do you think you could give us some light here? Whether or not it makes us a target, we won't be able to clear any space otherwise." Maddie, agreeing with the statement, raised her left arm and brought about another glowing orb of light, which she suspended psychically about ten feet above the ground in the center of the secluded, circular alcove. The shadowy boxes now lost their shadows, appearing as simple brown cardboard boxes with block lettering upon each of them. They seemed oddly familiar to the Digidestined.
Sera, meanwhile, was talking as the other Dragoons began searching through separate boxes. "It's nothing too heavy," Sera explained, "But it's certainly more than what we normally use. I figure that with the extensive amount of time we'll be in continuous danger, our stamina would be well—worn before the big finale in the upper levels if we relied only on our natural defenses." Her gaze then fell upon TK and Kari, who were staring at the three sixteen-year-olds rifling through the crates. "I didn't leave you guys out, either," Sera told the pair over her shoulder. "After all, you would've been in far worse trouble against the drone leader if I hadn't brought you that staff early."
"Huh?" TK blinked, looking down at the branch that, for a reason he couldn't exactly remember, he was still holding. Now that light was finally cast upon it, he realized that he held no ordinary branch. The stick was, in fact, longer than he had initially guessed and comprised of a fine wood, fashioned and polished into a long staff. It was very durable, too, TK realized; the many strikes from the drone's sword had little more than scratched the finished surface. "I didn't notice that before," TK said after studying the object for a moment, feeling inferior and ignorant.
"It was dark," Sera told the boy with a shrug. She pointed to a pair of boxes that were not being meddled with. "If you two want to check for anything else you might want to bring, feel free to look through." Her attention then turned back to her box. TK moved slowly towards his box. Then, as he passed Sera, he realized something peculiar about the way light was reflecting off of her back. Though it was as black as the rest of her clothing, light bent across whatever was on her back brightly with each movement her arms made through the box.
"What is that?" TK asked as he sat down beside his box. Sera looked up a second time, then followed TK's pointing finger to her back. She blinked. TK saw, for the first time, that the girl's eyes were a bright and vibrant green.
"This?" The girl said curiously. As she spoke, the reflective plate was drawn from her back by one of her small hands. Its form no longer concealed within the black back of Sera's clothing, TK found himself staring at a bladed, four-pointed star. From one point across to the opposite point of the crux was probably three-and-a-half feet. "This is one of my weapons," She told him. "It's pretty much a really big shuriken. It does double nicely as a shield, though." TK stared, perplexed. Though reflective, there was clearly a large gap between each of the points. Seeing his vexation, Sera stood up, still grasping the epicenter of the weapon.
Sera flicked her wrist. At the snap, the weapon clicked. With the noise, a series of plates ejected from each of the four main struts. In a mere instant, the weapon's shape changed from the appearance of a cross to that of a diamond, though still laced with a razor-sharp edge. With a second snap, the plates receded back into their seemingly magical storage within the weapon. Sera then returned her huge shuriken to her back, smiling furtively at TK's open-mouthed amazement. A tap from Kari brought the boy back to his senses. Without further questioning, he set his eyes on the box in front of him.
Just as his memory had realized, the boxes were much the same as those Ivan and Maddie had bade him use last April when he and Kari had been rescued from a particularly harsh robotic enemy. Then, TK had been provided with normal clothing to replace his old, ripped garments after the battle. This time, however, TK's current clothes weren't in any terrible disarray. He wondered why he would need the clothing box a second time.
When TK opened the box, his eyes were not met with the same fabrics he remembered. His eyes grew wide. He checked the side label quickly, finding that it was, indeed, his crate, and then looked over at the three conscious Dragoons. "What is all this?" Ivan looked up, slightly surprised. With no other helpful response, TK looked back inside the box. He reached in and pulled out the top-most garment. It was a full shirt of chain mail. TK swallowed, his bulging eyes staring at the intricately corrugated metal hoops. "Is this stuff real?" TK asked.
"No, it's made of sugar," Ivan said evenly. He was presently examining a set of large, metal shoulder plates, designed for a left-handed warrior. "Probably too heavy," the boy muttered as he tossed the plates aside and withdrew a second, smaller set of similarly designed plates. "Probably more fitting," he went on quietly.
TK looked back at his box, thoroughly amazed. He hadn't at all been expecting to be granted armor of this caliber at any point in his life. The equipment he pulled out – a shield, several chain garments, pieces of leather plating, steel helmets, and a small collection of throwing knives – were intimidating enough to hold, let alone wear and expect to be attacked in. His heart was racing again. He looked hurriedly at Kari. She, at least, would be just as shocked by this equipment as he was. At least, he hoped she was.
Kari, meanwhile, scoured through her crate with a smile on her face. TK's jaw dropped. How was it that this girl could look at what seemed to be authentic war equipment from a millennium ago with no trace of surprise, he wondered. After TK's enlarged eyes had stared at her for a while, Kari looked up from her box and met the boy's gaze. "What is it?" She asked calmly.
"What is it?" TK repeated, his astonishment growing. "This is what." He waved the heavy chain link shirt between them. Kari blinked, looking at the armor with an expression that TK had been expecting.
"Where did you get that?" She questioned him, her gaze fixated on the ringed metal clothing.
"It was in the box," TK told her, "Didn't you get any?" Kari shook her head. TK blinked, his head bending to the side. "Then what is in there?" He furthered. Kari shrugged, dredging out a few, by her standards, peculiarly heavy tunics and skirts, and then happened upon a series of small metal plates and a wooden flute with a long, thin, satin cord attached to it.
"A flute?" TK asked, looking somewhat dumbfounded at the instrument. Kari nodded, looking at the brown-colored tube uncertainly.
"I've never played one before," Kari stated, though TK was already aware. It was for this reason that both of the children continued to stare, bewildered, at the flute until Sera looked at the younger girl.
"Ivan's shown you how to use that, right?" Sera asked, seemingly seeking reassurance. Kari blinked, and then shook her head to Sera's question.
"Ivan never brought me an instrument," Kari said slowly. It was clearly not the answer Sera had wanted.
"Ivan!" The girl howled, whirling around to face the brown-haired boy. Ivan was presently trying on shin guard plates for size. He looked up, acknowledging the green-eyed girl. "Why does Kari not know how to play the flute?" She hissed.
"Never thought to mention it," Ivan said with a nonchalant shrug.
"Even with her coming here to help us?" Sera nearly spat, anger and surprise mixing into a horrible concoction in her veins.
"Didn't think they'd be coming back," The boy stated as calmly as a cliché English butler. His half-open eyes were again looking at his leg plating. Sera threw her hands up in utter frustration, grumbling loudly to herself.
"If it's any consolation," Maddie offered, "I never brought it up, either. We really hadn't been thinking that Kari would be coming until TK insisted that they both accompany us." Sera waved her hand dismissively at the other Dragoons.
"Um, why am I supposed to know how to play a flute here?" Kari inquired. Music, she figured, was not a particularly effective weapon against the violent robots that menaced the planet. Sera walked over to the younger girl and knelt beside her.
"This is a very special instrument," the black-garbed girl explained softly in Kari's ear. "It's made from the trees of the forests here, and is therefore imbued with a strong affinity to the nature of the Digital World. As such, you can evoke the very essence of this world and use it for your benefit in whatever manner you deem most effective, if-" Sera then paused to toss a glare in Ivan's direction, "You know how to play it."
Kari was clearly intrigued. She twirled the small rod between her fingers, looking at it with wonder. "What can it do?" she questioned eagerly. Sera shrugged, trying to develop an adequate explanation.
"It's a multi-variant object, as is any musical utensil," she let Kari know. "Just as an instrument in the Real World can make someone feel happy, sad, or energized, so too can this instrument change things. However, more than just an emotional booster, it can invoke the effects of any natural element, such as bringing rain from the sky or growing a plant from the cracks in the sidewalk. For the more vicious user, you can call upon the more deadly forces of nature, such as launching a lightning bolt from your palm, or reverse the effects of life to effectively bring about death." At Kari's suddenly horrified expression, the elder girl quickly added, "Not that you could do any of this without a great deal of time and experience with the thing."
"Can any of you do that?" Kari asked, looking at the assembled group. A solemn shake of heads gave her a somewhat calming answer then, to Sera, "How do you know it can do all of this, then?"
"That's what Izulanmon said it could do," Ivan replied from across the camp. Kari blinked. "He's responsible for all of the equipment in both of your boxes," the guardian continued, "He knows where your natural strengths lie. He only granted us with limited explanations of anything we asked about. We were always fascinated by that flute, but we've never actually seen it used before."
"Which is why I was hoping he would've had you practice some with a normal flute," Sera finished in an irritated tone. She sighed, her head hanging forwards on her shoulders in defeat for a moment. Then, after reconsidering, she resigned, saying to Kari, "But if Izulanmon has granted you with this gift, then I assume you'll be the best candidate to unlock the powers of it."
Though still no more comforted than she had been when she first heard that she was holding a potentially deadly little wooden flute, she nodded in response and placed the instrument delicately around her neck on its lanyard. Hesitantly, she brought the object to her lips and tested the feel of the item in her hands. Strangely enough, it did feel somewhat natural to raise her arms in this fashion. Raising and lowering a few fingers, Kari blew into the mouthpiece. A series of shrill, unconnected and thoroughly unmelodic notes resonated from the device. Kari stopped abruptly, her own ears being rather harshly discomforted by the noise. The looks on her companions' faces told her that they had not liked the impromptu concert any more than she had.
However, Hakin's eyes opened groggily at the blasting of the notes. Stirring on Osakamon's back, the boy groaned lowly as he stretched his shoulders. His senses then recognized the pain on the back of his head and he winced, rolling to the side to get a better angle at soothing the injured skin. He consequently found himself breathless as he fell the few feet from Osakamon to the grass-covered ground with a thud and a second moan of discomfort. "This sucks," He managed to get out.
"We've all been there," Ivan said comfortingly. He was unable to resist smiling, however. Maddie, meanwhile, disbanded her attention to her crate and, after moving Ryan from her lap to Ivan's, went to Hakin's side. No longer hurried, she gave her full attention to treating the boy's wound. From the small red bag attached to her belt, she withdrew a pair of vials and a few strips of gauze. After a while, she called Ivan over to help her move Hakin and to then sit and accept his own treatment for the cuts he had gotten from the drone's punch and the resulting abrasions of the ground on his back and arms.
"It's nothing serious," Ivan protested with downcast eyes. Maddie huffed, shoving the boy's injured arm gently. "Ow," he complained from the pressure on his bruised shoulder, "That hurt."
"It's nothing serious," Maddie mimed sarcastically. Ivan sighed, realizing that resistance would gain him nothing. He looked over at the others in the group, the three humans having since collected the gear they figured they needed and created a loose pile with it. Everyone, that is, exempting TK. TK was still somewhat frightened by the armor of medieval soldiers that laid over the edges of his crate of supplies.
"Not suiting your fancy, TK?" Ivan said with a furrowed brow. TK shrugged sheepishly, glancing at the ringed metal and plated leather. He still could hardly grasp the fact that it was real.
"It just seems like a little much," TK answered quietly. Ivan chuckled, understanding. He had, after all, been a normal person some four years ago.
"It may seem that way," Ivan told him, "And it's easy to be overwhelmed. Just relax; we're wearing armor like that as a safety precaution in case something unpleasant decides we look like viable targets." TK swallowed and nodded.
"You can worry about that in the morning," Sera interjected after throwing a glance at Ivan. "We still have to organize everything before we head out tomorrow." Ivan and Maddie nodded, looking up attentively. Maddie had since placed her medicinal equipment back in her pouch; Ivan and Hakin were both duly bandaged and treated.
"What do we need to organize?" Kari asked, her fingers brushing lightly against the wooden flute about her neck. TK's eyes mirrored the question. Sera took a few steps back, as to address the whole group without having to turn around so often.
"Well, as you are all aware, we are planning to infiltrate and deactivate the active factory that rests roughly half a mile from here," Sera began in explanation. She soon found herself pacing back and forth slowly before her audience. "The security of the installation is far greater than any offensive group that the managers have ever issued. That squad of drones that attacked you not too long ago, for instance, is merely a taste of the main building defenses: stronger drones with reinforced plating, aerial capabilities, and ranged weaponry; Robots with improved maneuverability and weapons systems; Concealed, stationary turrets that are in some cases proximity-activated explosives, and in other situations ranged gun emplacements.
"Also, to our further disadvantage, the enemy has at this point realized our plans," The green-eyed girl continued. "Their interruption of our hacking was a warning. We've worked as quickly as possible to prepare, hence our rush, but there's no telling how effective we will be at beating out reinforcements to the factory. For all we know, our data may be thoroughly outdated already.
"There is good news, however," Sera added with a hint of optimism. "The layouts that we've downloaded and examined give us a detailed floor plan which is, more or less, a map to our targets. For this reason, each of us will be in a separate group."
"Separate group?" Kari interceded cautiously. Sera blinked, realizing that she had forgotten another explanation.
"We're splitting into two groups," Sera informed Kari, as well as the rest of her companions. "Our group is far too big to work effectively in the confines of the foundry, so we'll be dividing into two teams of five. There are two objectives that first must be reached. After that, we'll be heading to a third and final objective point from different directions. At that point, we will effectively rendezvous and complete our task.
"Now, as I was saying, Hakin and I will be separated. I will be taking the group headed for the drone portion, while Hakin will lead the others that are embarking for the robot half. Our respective companions-" she waved a hand in the direction of the digimon, presently sitting behind Maddie and Ivan with eyes on Sera, "Will be with us, as well as three others." Sera paused for a moment, looking over the gathering in front of her. She looked over each of the four humans, her emerald eyes narrow and searching.
TK was staring nervously at Kari, now. He hadn't been aware that they would be divided when they got here. He hoped that they wouldn't be separated; he wanted to be there with her for the duration of the trip. He couldn't feel otherwise; he had been the one to convince her to come here and he wouldn't ever abandon her. Her hand brushed gently against the back of his, and she stole a fleeting glance over her shoulder at the boy. He could tell that Kari, too, had no desire to be sent away from him.
"Ivan," Sera interrupted TK's thoughts abruptly, "You're with me. Maddie, you're with Hakin." The two dragoons nodded. Ivan glanced at the baby lying in his lap, and then looked back at Sera uncertainly. "Maddie can watch Ryan for the trip, since Filmaramon is a bit better at accommodating him than Houndramon." There was a low growl from the digimon, followed by a sharp chirping noise. Maddie giggled, watching Houndramon glare at the bird resting on Osakamon's large head. Sera blinked, bringing her focus back after gazing at the two creatures for a moment.
"Obviously, Houndramon and Filmaramon will go with their companions," TK thought miserably. His chance of being at Kari's side was slowly dissipating in his head. His eyes dropped down to the ground. His shoulders drooped. "It's just my luck, I guess," He muttered to himself.
"Houndramon, you're going with Ivan," Sera continued. "Filmaramon, you're going with Maddie and Ryan. TK-" Sera's voice cut off when she saw the distant and sad expression on the blond-haired boy's face. "Will go with Maddie," Sera finished her sentence slowly. Her eyes moved to Kari, who shared TK's upset expression. Her shoulders stayed straight, but her eyes refused to shimmer as they had before. Sera closed her eyes; the pitiful expressions almost made her change her mind about the assignments. "Kari will be coming with myself and Ivan," she finished, opening her eyes again. "In this manner, there will be as equal a distribution of talents as possible. There will e two dragoons, two digimon, and one Digidestined in each group. Clear?"
Ivan and Maddie nodded, giving little thought to the fact that they were going to be separated from one another. The digimon chorused their agreement in various noises, their motivation being granted by the ability to be together with their human counterparts. TK and Kari, on the other hand, were not pleased. TK nearly ventured to object, but restrained himself. As much as he didn't like the circumstances, his subconscious knew that there were more important things than being able to hug Kari.
Unbeknownst to him, Sera's choice had been largely based on the fact that they were romantically involved and, as such, would be far more apt to work as a partnership, rather than as a whole group. Though allowing the children to be together may have proved to work, Sera didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. She knew better than anyone, save perhaps Hakin, that this was probably the dragoons' only true opportunity to break in and dismantle a machine factory. It was not an opportunity she would allow to pass her by.
"If we've got the groups settled," Ivan ventured after a moment's silence, "What else do we have to cover?"
"Little," Sera let him know. "The specifics of our attack plans aren't worth sharing, especially considering the possibility of a spy. When the time is right, Hakin or I will tell you more. The last important task is the assignment of night watch."
"They tend to help, yeah," Houndramon commented. His body moved in a slow circle, padding the earth beneath his feet. He slumped to the ground a moment later, his jaw widening in a yawn.
"That's why we have them, Houndramon," Sera said as patiently as she could. Then, to the rest of the gathering, "We'll separate the remaining night into two watches. Any volunteers?" A long, drawn-out pause followed Sera's words. The insect life of the forest created a humming undertone in the air.
"Well, I did get to sleep in last night," Kari said hesitantly. Sera nodded, her eyes scanning the rest of the group. After Kari's seeming acceptance, TK took a step forward.
"I could stay-"
"Don't even think about it," Ivan said evenly, cutting the blond-haired boy off. TK faltered, and then looked at Ivan with bewildered eyes. "You couldn't have gotten any more sleep than I did," Ivan went on, "You need to get what little rest you can tonight. The same is true for me, too. Maddie got to bed at a decent hour, though. Have Houndramon serve a term with her and Kari can stay up with you, Sera." Sera took only an instant to contemplate Ivan's proposal before she accepted it.
"That sounds like it will work fine," Sera told Ivan. "Is that alright with you three?" The two other human girls nodded. Houndramon grumbled lowly.
"Why do I always have to be the one to get picked on?" the dog digimon said lowly. "Stupid Ivan not getting sleep and me having to pick up his slack. I should've gotten friendly with Sera and had Lyrmon go with Ivan." By the time Houndramon's inadvertent humor was stayed, the entire assembly was laughing. Lyrmon, moving from Osakamon's side, lay down beside the canine digimon.
Compared side by side, the two creatures seemed to be almost identical. Both were covered in long black hairs, albeit Houndramon's azure highlights, and were of quite similar size. The greatest difference rested in the heads – where Houndramon had a long, drawn out muzzle, Lyrmon's head was more rounded and feline.
"It's not all one-sided, ya know," Lyrmon mentioned quietly as she folded her paws beneath her head. "Sera has her moments, too. Just be glad that Ivan trusts you with tasks this complicated." The cat-like digimon tapped Houndramon's back playfully with her tail. Houndramon cast a sideways glance at the grinning Lyrmon beside him. She dropped her head onto his shoulder abruptly. "I'd be happy to keep you company," she added. "Maybe then you'd feel better?"
"I guess so," Houndramon muttered. However, as stubborn as he felt, he knew that with Lyrmon keeping him company he would have a far more enjoyable time on watch. The creature beside him began to purr contentedly when she felt Houndramon relax. He rolled his eyes. "Girls," he said under his breath. His head then fell to rest atop Lyrmon's. Consequently, he couldn't see the wide smile across the female digimon's face.
Meanwhile, Sera had issued the order that Maddie and herself were to begin watch in ten minutes. In that time, the remainder of the party was to settle down for the passing of the night. Ivan, after a final brief look through his box, set out his full set of equipment for the coming siege. Maddie, too, finished her selection process and moved to adjust the semi-conscious Hakin into a proper position to sleep through the night. "I'll be sure to get you up a little early," she whispered in the warrior's ear. Hakin nodded gratefully before slumping back and falling into unconsciousness once again. Maddie moved to ready herself for bed after checking the boy one last time. Her attention never diverted to Ivan directly.
For his ten minutes, TK had pulled Kari from the rest of the group in order to talk without being overheard easily. It took the pair only a moment to stumble off into the woods a short distance for some relative solitude. Kari looked at the blue eyes of her boyfriend, asking silently what he needed. TK exhaled, the muscles in his shoulders relaxing and drooping down.
"Why did they separate us?" TK asked. Kari felt a sudden stinging sensation in her chest. She could see the displeasure in the boy's eyes, mixed with his helplessness and fear. She reached out and took his hands in her own.
"I'm not sure, TK," Kari admitted reluctantly. "I mean, Sera's explanation seems fair enough, to make both groups equal, but it doesn't make for a very pleasant time once we're inside. I've never done well fighting without you there next to me." TK couldn't help but smile at Kari's last, true point. It was mutual, too, and they were both aware.
"Well, you'll be up with Sera," TK said. "You could ask her if switching us up would work, maybe?" TK's thought lost much of its conviction rather quickly with the pleading look in Kari's eyes. He nodded, resigning his idea.
"I'm sorry, TK," the brown-haired girl said earnestly. Tugging gently on his hands, she made him take a step closer to her. "I don't want to go away from you any more than you do, but I won't argue with Sera. She and Hakin have the plan already in mind. If separating us is the best move they can make, then I'll stand by it."
"Is that why Maddie and Ivan don't seem to care?" TK said. Kari blinked, feeling a pang of jealousy course through the boy before her.
"What do you mean?" Kari asked gently, not wishing to further rile TK. His eyes had narrowed, looking beyond Kari in the direction of the camp.
"Ivan and Maddie are separated, too, right?" TK asked rhetorically. Kari nodded. "They've got a relationship that's possibly even more serious than ours, and they didn't even seem to notice," TK went on. "How can they have such a nonchalant reaction? What do they have that we don't?" Kari smiled faintly, raising a hand from TK's and placing it softly on his chest.
"Nothing," she told TK. The blond-haired boy blinked. "They have nothing more than we do," Kari continued with a confirming shake of her head. TK could feel the warmth of Kari's hand press against his shirt and permeate through the cloth. The heat was very comforting, very relaxing to TK's struggling emotions. He took a calming breath, and then nodded in acceptance of Kari's statement. His free hand wrapped around Kari's, holding it gently against his body while a mirroring smile came to his lips.
"Alright," TK conceded verbally. Then, more curious than accusing, he added, "Why are they so calm about being sent apart, then?" Kari's brow furrowed in thought.
"My guess is that they're more accustomed to it," Kari decided after a moment. "Maybe fulfilling their duties as Dragoons overrides even their innermost desires, because of the bonds they have with the sovereign Digimon. They did take a year off from their jobs already. They probably feel that they owe it to their masters to work without argument for a very long time." After a short pause, Kari got a second idea. "They do have a great deal of trust in Sera, too," she explained. "They probably trust her judgment about group assignments enough to not argue. She's obviously very skilled. She wouldn't assign Ivan or Maddie to separate groups without a reason. Perhaps there's some sort of synergy between the pairs Sera chose."
"She still managed to break our synergy," TK grumbled. Kari giggled, shoving lightly against the boy's chest with her hand. TK grunted and took a step back to keep his balance.
"It'll only be for the day," Kari told the boy, closing the distance between herself and TK. Their bodies met; Kari opted to move her hand from TK's chest to his back, which he mirrored. He pressed his forehead against Kari's, smiling down at her.
"Promise?" TK asked, his voice just above a whisper. Again the brown-haired girl laughed, this time nodding her head in response. Her bangs flew into TK's eyes as a result. His head recoiled back. Kari jumped, surprise and amusement mixing in her face.
"I'm sorry," She whispered, brushing her hair back quickly. TK then found himself laughing at the situation.
"We really are quite the pair?" TK stated, shaking his head and looking upwards. "No wonder they wanted us separated – we'd never get anything done if we were together." Kari sighed, regaining her composure and bringing her head forwards to rest against TK.
"True enough," Kari said quietly. Her head moved slightly back and forth, her hair rubbing against the fabric of her boyfriend's shirt. TK's arm tightened around her waist. His head meanwhile rested against hers, his mouth kissing softly at her hair. Though barely audible, Kari's voice let out a small noise comfort.
Kari tilted her head backwards, looking up into the cerulean eyes she had watched all evening, as she did nearly every time she was in his presence. The blue pools still had yet to lose the luster they possessed that captured her attention flawlessly; simply seeing his eyes pleased her. Slowly, her eyes slid closed. TK caught Kari's intent, following her lead.
"Kari?"
Kari's eyes snapped open at hearing her name. She looked over at where the camp was, where the voice had also come from. "We oughtta get back," the girl said reluctantly, "The others are looking for us." TK nodded, his hands slowly, reluctantly disengaging themselves from Kari's frame.
Kari took a step forwards, and then noticed that TK hadn't moved. Glancing back over her shoulder, the boy's eyes caught her attention once again. The sadness resonating from them made her sigh. "You're hopeless," Kari said with a shake of her head. Then, with a dash, she tossed her arms around TK's neck and brought her lips to meet TK's open, surprised mouth. Before the boy could react, Kari pulled away from her boyfriend and ran in the direction of the camp. "I'm coming!" she shouted upon hearing her name called again.
TK blinked, his mind still processing what had just transpired. After a moment, a mighty smile whisked across the boy's face. He strode back towards the camp, his shoulders held square and high. He didn't usually strut, but the adoration Kari gave him left him with little other option to express his delight.
With a slow scraping noise of metal on earth, the drone commander arduously regained its feet. Its optical sensors were only slightly damaged from the blows it suffered at the end of its opponent's bludgeoning object. It, therefore, had little trouble examining the surrounding area and coming to the conclusion that they had, indeed, been thwarted in their initial attempt on the enemy. The machination thrust its foot into the ground in frustration. Afterwards, it began to scan the area for any other possible information.
A few moments later, the drone leader had assembled its remaining functional members, consisting of three slightly damaged drones and one critically damaged drone, at the point where they had initiated the ambush. According to the priorities installed in the five operational machines, the enemy's progress needed to be reported to headquarters and all possible effort should be exacted to hinder, if not halt the Dragoons' movement. The five robots were next to each other for only an instant more; they split without any audible communication necessary into two groups. One of the drone commander's underlings with only minimal damage and the heavily injured drone set out in one direction as quickly as possible, while the other three began to move in a slow circle expanding from their initial point or reference.
A message through the synapse communication of the mechanisms informed the drone leader that one of its two allies in the area had found what they had been looking for. Moving instantly to the designated locale, its optical receptors found that, as desired, the tracks of the bear-like creature had left significant tracks leading away from the ambush site. Three long, metallic swords glinted as they were raised up in the hands of their respective controllers.
The tracks led on for roughly six thousand feet, according to the main drone's read-out, before life forms were detected in the immediate area. There was no flash of light this time, they noticed, nor any other sign of the enemy noticing their imminent danger. None of the ten signatures were in a combat-ready stance. Only two, in fact, seemed to be conscious. The numerical odds were, once again, in the drone leader's favor.
The drones halted, only a short distance from the camp of the Dragoons, and paused for a brief moment to re-analyze the situation. If the two apparent night watch figures could be eliminated with minimal sound, then the others would not be alerted to the attack and could be subsequently killed with no resistance. The only necessity was to take the current enemy guards without their being able to raise an alarm. The leader of the drones, for all his talents, had never been installed with any advanced tactical maneuvers of this manner, however. After a complete search of its database, the decision was to simply rely on speed.
"Are you sure that's all there is to it?" Kari looked up from her flute as she whispered to her conscious companion.
"As far as I can tell," Sera responded, sounding somewhat uncertain. "I suppose only time will tell if any of it will really work, though. We'll have to wait and find out, I guess." Kari nodded slowly in affirmation. Neither of the girls, however, was truly pleased with that fate. To depend on something so haphazard as a magical instrument at a critical time could have dire repercussions. "We'll just have to trust in the gods on this one," Sera said conclusively.
The two girls halted their whispered exchange to again survey the shrouded woods around the makeshift campsite. Maddie's illuminating orb long since extinguished, Sera and Kari had come to rely solely on the strength of their own eyes to pierce the gloom. Natural prowess at night left Sera with a better range of vision, but neither child could discern too much despite the dilation of their pupils. Beyond the closest ring of trees, everything seemed to be some shade of dark gray or black.
The silence of the forest bore down with increasing strength as the minutes dragged past. Sera soon found herself unable to stand the void; it was too discomforting. Rising to her feet, Sera began to slowly pace towards the edge of the timber closest to them, and then in a slow circle around the camp. Her footfalls were barely audible, but Sera was pleased with the presence of at least some white noise. She purposefully ignored her training in stealth, landing her feet far more harshly than normal. Her small body beneath the baggy fabric she wore had little impact, however. By the time she had reached the far point of the camp, Kari could no longer make out the individual steps.
After a few moments more, Sera completed her circle about the camp and fell with a huff to sit beside Kari again. Her gaze was downcast, her body hunched beneath her clothes. Kari, looking cautiously to the girl beside her, tried to develop some method of raising Sera's spirits. When nothing jumped to her mind, she asked, "What's wrong?" Sera huffed again, her body seeming to shrink a bit more.
"It's too quiet," Sera stated. Her voice was low and sharp, almost fearful. Kari adjusted her position uneasily, averting her gaze from Sera.
"Maybe I could tell you a story?" Kari offered, hesitantly. Sera shrugged her shoulders; her eyes were set, looking at something beyond the trees before them. Kari figured she had found an opportunity, and began to think quickly of a feasible story to tell. "Well," She began after a minute, "There was the time that TK and I were at-" Kari found herself then cut off.
"I don't want to hear about him," Sera said flatly. Kari was startled. Her head cocked to the side.
"What?" Kari questioned, her eyes focused again on the black-clothed girl. Sera refused to meet her gaze.
"I don't want to hear about TK," Sera repeated. Her tone sounded far more unpleasant. Kari's lips curved downwards. After a sideways glance at her boyfriend, asleep among the others in the center of the camp, Kari stared at the dirt beneath her feet. She took a breath, trying to calm her nerves. Sera's comment was something Kari couldn't help but take as an insult.
"Alright," Kari said after regaining her composure. She began to think again; the silence was beginning to grate on her nerves, as well. Then, with a smirk, she got another idea. Beginning again, she said, "Well, there was this one time, at band camp." Kari's voice trailed off in a grin. Sera, on the other hand, was not amused at the clichéd story beginning. She rolled her eyes. Kari's smile faded.
More tense moments passed, silent aside from the girls' breathing and that of the eight slumbering figures. Kari sighed, falling back from her sitting position to lie on the grass. She stared upwards, picking out a few stray stars that peeked through the dense foliage. The scant twinkling lights reminded Kari of an obscured string of lights. Thanks to her affinity for illumination, Kari soon felt herself feeling far better. Sera's coldness, the dangers ahead, and her separation from TK all seemed to be further away, less tangible. No troubles loomed over her head; only pure light, cast from stars million of miles away. A few of those miles seemed to chip away as the brown-haired girl stared contentedly upwards.
"You'd better not fall asleep on me," an impatient voice said shortly. Kari jumped, broken from her reverie. She apologized quickly, coming back to her alert consciousness. She had chosen to be on guard duty, after all. She scanned the obscured outlines of trees in all directions, again checking for any possible attackers. There were no such offenders, as far as she could tell. Kari's attention again went to Sera.
"Well," Kari whispered after a long pause of silence, "Maybe you have a story you could tell?" Sera grunted. She shifted her weight slightly, but her facial expression refused to change. Her enigmatic shell persevered.
"Like what?" Sera asked. Her tone sounded tired. She evidently was not pleased to continue this discussion. Kari, however, didn't relent.
"Like, tell me something about yourself," Kari suggested. "Maybe you could tell me how you met Lyrmon." Sera made no response. She simply stared, eyes locked on the darkened natural composition in front of her. "How about the story of why you were chosen as one of the Dragoons?" Kari soon regretted that suggestion – Sera flinched at the idea, her eyes narrowing and her hand clenching into a fist. Kari suddenly felt unsafe.
"Have you ever been touched?" Sera asked. Kari's brow furrowed, looking quizzically at the black-robed girl.
"Touched?" Kari repeated, thoroughly confused. Nonetheless, she did her best to answer, "Of course I have, I mean, who hasn't?" Sera's eyes looked from the woods to Kari, her eyes piercing.
"Not like that," Sera said impatiently. Kari looked back into the green eyes of her companion. Then, with a sudden rush, she understood Sera's meaning. Kari blushed, diverting her line of sight.
"I- I, but th- that, I- I," Kari stammered incoherently, shocked at such a sudden and forward question. Shyly, she turned her body from Sera. A proper answer suddenly felt very hard to find. Her mind raced through all of the times TK had been with her: hugging her, kissing her, showing her all of his heart's love and affection. All the time they spent together had always felt right, regardless of what physically took place. Hearing Sera's voice, however, made her somewhat regret the more personal time she had spent with her boyfriend. The green-eyed girl made it sound improper; she made it sound dirty. "N-no," Kari managed to get out, "not really." To her, it wasn't a lie. No matter how close she and TK had been together, they always held respect for each other before anything else. Referring to it as Sera did was something Kari knew to be different.
Sera took Kari's statement, not willing or not caring to argue. "Be glad," she stated before looking back to the woods. She continued to talk, however, as her eyes investigated the overgrowth. "Don't I wish I could be innocent like that again? But I guess this is just my luck. There's nothing romantic to it," she informed Kari, "Love and all that. It's all a lie for men to get what they want. They'll tell you one thing, act with all of their talent to persuade you to see things exactly as their perverted minds do, and then they know that they can take full advantage of you." Tears began welling in the girl's eyes as she continued: "They leave you defenseless and helpless, without any proper means of defending yourself against them. Men are monsters – lusting, desperate monsters that will do anything to satiate their craving for the female body. Only then do they learn that their hunger can never be filled, just temporarily pleased. Then, the cycle begins again." Despite her best efforts, Sera could no longer withhold her sadness, her frustration. Water trickled along her cheeks free, unchecked. And all the time, she continued in her spiteful words. "The beast hunts for more supplies to feed its ever-present demands. He never considers the result his infatuation has on his victims. Oh, no, he doesn't give a second thought to how he treats you." Sera tried to say more, but she could not find the voice. Sobs replaced words as she pounded the ground with her fist.
Kari stared. Utterly shocked, she couldn't bring herself to do anything else. Sera was doubled over, now, her resolve broken, looking dismal as she cried. Her former façade of strength and stoicism was as shattered as a pane of glass after meeting a boulder. Her vehement speech, too, left Kari in nothing short of awe. The hideous mental image Sera had provoked left Kari's core thoroughly shaken. Even the slightest intimation of TK being so desirous disturbed her greatly.
Kari's reeling mind began to make some connections as she sat, helpless, watching the female Dragoon cry. Sera had a clear dislike for men, especially when any sense of romance was involved. Indeed, she seemed to find romance a revolting concept in and of itself. The girl had such a different view of males that made Kari curious about what the cause of such a skew could be. She then remembered her question that had struck a chord in Sera – her reason for being a Dragoon. Kari decided that, logically, whatever trauma she had experienced had been somehow related to improper treatment at the hands of some horrible example of a man. Kari's mind made the rest of the connections very quickly. Her stomach turned sharply, becoming intensely uncomfortable.
Slowly, tentatively, Kari edged herself closer to the sobbing green-eyed girl. Her crying had weakened, tapering off in a few last bursts. Then, to Sera's surprise, a gentle arm laid itself gently across her shoulders. She didn't pull away; the arm held no force, only comfort. Her breathing ragged, Sera brushed her eyes as she attempted to regain herself. Kari's sad eyes sought Sera's, but to no avail. The former opted to let Sera have her way, instead simply hugging her with as little offensive or sudden movement as possible. Still Sera did not fight the brown-haired girl.
Shortly thereafter, Kari got the nerve to speak. "I'm sorry," she said first, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Sera shuddered at the memory. Her body moved involuntarily towards the warmth of Kari's arms. "He did more than touch you, didn't he?" Kari said, doing her utmost to be gentle and careful in her words. Sera didn't respond for a long time, but her head did eventually bob in the affirmative. Fresh tears fell from her emerald eyes. Kari dropped her gaze; she hated being right sometimes.
"He was a fucking bastard," Sera whispered between choking sobs. "He didn't fucking care about anything. All he wanted was me. No," she corrected herself, "All he wanted was my body. Nothing more. He wanted my body and he took what he fucking wanted, the fucking bastard." She shook her head violently, spraying water to either side from her cheeks. "He broke my wrist when he first grabbed me," Sera went on, her arms now holding Kari's against her. "He twisted my arm behind my back and broke my wrist in the process. He broke the straps of my clothing next. Leaving me with any dignity was not on his fucking list. I was crying then, too, but he only slapped me with his free hand. That was his idea of fucking comfort – punishment. My body became his toy, his plaything. He used me. He tore my body and my soul then, and never gave it a second thought. I was just his toy; toys have no feelings." Sera's sobbing renewed; she leaned her head against Kari's arms.
"I'm sorry," was all Kari could manage to say. She repeated herself again and again in Sera's ear until, after a few long minutes, the girl's verdant eyes relaxed, lifting from Kari's sleeve. With harried breath, Sera slowly relaxed her body from the ordeal of reliving the experience of her past. Kari's mind still hadn't fully processed the full idea – tending to Sera's unhappiness was far more important in her mind. But, as the black-clothed girl calmed herself, Kari found her mind swimming with questions. As terrible as it felt, she couldn't help but be curious. "Was," Kari whispered uncertainly, "Was it someone you knew?" Sera made no move to respond. "You don't have to tell-" Kari's voice was cut off as Sera's hand shot up to cover the former girl's mouth. Kari's eyes shot open in surprise. Sera paid Kari no mind, however, her body jumping to its feet and her left hand snapping to her back. With her upper body parallel to the ground and her legs bent, Sera's eyes looked expectantly into the woods before her.
A branch snapped in the shadowed foliage beyond the camp. Sera's arm tensed, gripping tighter. It was then that Kari remembered what Sera kept against her back – her massive shuriken. Kari's eyes darted fearfully to the woods. Dread fell over her expression; something, or perhaps multiple somethings, had decided to attack them.
"Bastards," Sera whispered. The overgrowth then broke completely, spewing forth to reveal three shadowed drones charging forwards, swords pointed to thrust. Sera smirked sarcastically. With a single surge of her body, the girl shot her left arm in a move that was long-since commonplace and changed her stance to keep her upper body perpendicular to the forest floor. With pinpoint precision, Sera's gigantic shuriken whirled forwards and collided roughly with the front-most drone. The opposing forces of its charge and the weapon's throw met and drained each other. With a sudden lurch backwards, the drone collapsed to the side. Sera's four-pronged weapon had successfully pierced the drone's core in two locations. The two other drones, unfortunately for Sera, gave their downed ally no attention. They closed the distance in a matter of seconds.
"Oh, fuck off," Sera grumbled. She leapt forwards, meeting her opponents just a few feet in front of Kari. She then purposefully fell backwards, dropping almost completely to the ground; her forearms held her from the grass and dirt. The wild thrusts of the robotic creations subsequently missed her. With a sharp kick from each foot, Sera then sent the drones sprawling to the earth. The green-eyed girl jumped back up from the ground, her feet catching her deftly. The drones, too, worked to regain their positions. The drone that had fallen to Sera's right, closer to Kari, was her first priority. A second kick sent the drone again to the ground, stunned. Sera then punched the back of the drone's head. She held her clenched right fist against the machine's imitation skull. Her arm surged with energy, her forearm jerked back slightly, and the robot's head was thrust forcefully into the dirt. It did not move again.
Sera rose from her second defeated enemy, only to find a sword narrowly miss skewering her. She leapt backwards, and then jumped to the left to avoid a second stab at her midsection. With a second movement backwards, this time in the form of a back flip, Sera caught her right forearm with her left and clenched her fist, just as before. She pointed her straight arm at the robotic aggressor. Her eyes were deathly narrow. "Do not fuck with me," She said, even and cold. Her arm surged back. A flash of silver zipped from the wide black sleeve on Sera's arm, connecting with the drone's head and making a tearing sound of metal piercing metal. The drone's head recoiled from the impact. A second surge sent a second silver bolt into the same spot. The drone's head jerked back roughly, taking steps back to keep balance. With a third and final burst from Sera's arm, the drone was knocked backwards onto the ground. A thrice-pierced hole, bored larger by each successive projectile, laid bare the inner circuitry of the machine. Its operational status was effectively terminated.
Sera's body relaxed, her arms dropping back to her sides. She checked on each of the defeated drones in turn, making sure that none would rise to continue fighting. Upon checking the first she had taken out, she retrieved her great throwing star and reattached it to her back. She then ambled back to where she had been sitting by Kari, her eyes still narrow and her shoulders hanging heavily on her frame.
"How," Kari couldn't finish her question, her eyes wide as she stared at Sera's right hand. Sera followed Kari's gaze, then noticed that her right arm was all but completely concealed by the robes she wore. She chuckled, a pleasant noise that Kari wished she had heard more of before.
"Here," Sera said. She pulled back the sleeve on her right arm. A long apparatus engulfed her forearm, stopping just inches from her elbow. Attached by the leather brace was a long, slender barrel. It had a few knobs and gauges welded to different positions, along with a long square, curving around her arm, that Kari figured to be the weapon's munitions storage. How the gun operated, Sera explained by opening her hand, was through a small synapse cable that acted like a trigger when she pulled her ring finger tightly into her hand. "It fires bolts that are similar to those shot from a crossbow," she informed Kari. "It's not very accurate over more than twenty feet, but it packs a heavy punch with the surge hammer and can release a full clip of twelve bolts in about three seconds, should I want it to. It's just another one of the many intricate devices that my sovereign digimon created for me to use." Kari's eyes still shone with wonder at the construct, so small and yet so effective at dispatching adversaries.
"In answer to your other question," Sera continued on with a heavy sigh, "it was my father." Kari brought her line of vision from Sera's arm to her face.
"My second question?" Kari said slowly, her brow tightened as she tried to remember. Her attention had been so swept away with the combative display that she had almost forgotten their previous exchange. But, after only a moment's passing, the memory swept back over her with stunning force. Kari gasped. "Your father?" she repeated with shocked eyes.
Sera nodded slowly. "It must've been over four years ago, now," she added off-handedly. "But with every new guy I meet, I can't help seeing that same expression of desire running rampant in his eyes. That's why I wear this-" she gestured to the folds of clothing encompassing her body. "It doesn't give away my figure at all, so men won't stare." Kari looked at the group behind her, then back at Sera.
"Would Ivan and Hakin really stare?" Kari asked, slightly surprised. She'd never taken the taller boy to be a gawking boy, at least. Hakin, on the other hand, seemed to be too simple-minded towards combat to consider females with interest. Sera shrugged her response.
"They did once," Sera stated. "But, in all fairness, they've long since stopped. Ivan, in particular, let his eyes wander to that other Dragoon." Sera smirked as both girls glanced at Maddie, sleeping serenely with Ivan beside her and Ryan lying between them. "She's lucky," Sera furthered with a sad smile, "Jason never went through with his intent to rape her. And then there's Ivan who, I must admit, has been quite thoroughly un-masculine in his treatment of her. She's very lucky." Kari bobbed her head in agreement. She stole a glance at her own counterpart, his blond hair falling over his eyes as he slept.
"TK isn't bad, either," Kari said, her eyes looking back at Sera. "He's always been so respectful of me and my space. He's put up with so much of my bad temper and attitude that I can't help but thank him for it. He's very gentle, too, if he ever does want to be close to me. It's never been something I haven't wanted, either. I'm very lucky, too." Kari felt a wave of guilt sweep over her, throwing her gaze to the ground. Her phrasing hadn't been nearly as eloquent as she would have liked.
"I'm happy for you," came the response. Kari looked back up, surprised to see a smile on her companion's face. She looked so pretty smiling; Kari was able to reason why guys might find her so alluring. As she continued, however, the smile faltered. "Having a father like mine isn't something I would ever wish on anyone," Sera told Kari. "It leaves some irreparable scars, regardless of what you do to cleanse yourself afterwards." She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts plaguing her. "I'd like to think I've coped with it, but I guess I'm not quite there yet." Sera smiled again, grinning as she leaned back on her elbows. "Someday, I might be lucky, too," She whispered.
"You will be," Kari assured her. "You'll be fending them off with a ten-foot pole until one decent enough comes into the picture. Then he'll have to figure out how to not get himself shot." Both girls giggled at the mental image. Sera nodded her head.
"But even then, I don't think I'll have someone to serve guard duty for me, eh?" Sera tossed her head in TK's direction. Kari laughed again, looking over at the dozing boy.
"We take turns," Kari replied in a weak defense of her boyfriend. Sera nodded, understanding. Her demeanor, however, would not let the joke drop.
"Don't feel badly," Sera went on. "Maddie's in the same boat as you." With more laughter, Kari realized that Sera had a point. Houndramon was the only male creature serving watch duty tonight. She sighed, calming herself, and fell onto her back.
"I guess I can see where you're coming from after all," Kari said with another smirk. "Guys can be a bit of a drag, huh?" Sera took her turn chuckling. She gave a weak reply in the affirmative to Kari. "But, speaking of Maddie," Kari added, glancing at the moon, "do you think we could have them get up and do their time on guard duty now?" Kari's words were met with a sudden snort. Kari raised an eyebrow, looking over in Sera's direction. The noise, however, persevered into a long, drawn-out snore. Sera looked at Kari briefly and groaned.
"Oh, no," she said in an aggravated moan. She pointed at Hakin, who had rolled over and was now snoring with great volume in the air. "Someone get me a bucket," Sera grumbled as she got slowly to her feet. Kari stared at her.
"A bucket?" Kari asked curiously. Sera smirked at the phrase. Offering a hand to Kari, she helped the brown-haired girl to her feet.
"I've been working with that hulk for a year, now," Sera explained with a smile. "I've learned how to manage when he gets like this. Of course, I usually had a bucket more handy than I do now." Her grin widened, a flash of playful devilry dancing on her teeth. Kari could only stare, a weak smile on her own face. "Go get the digimon up," Sera instructed, stepping into the pile of human bodies, "I'll take care of Hakin, then get Maddie up." Kari nodded. Then, pacing towards the four unconscious digimon, she shook her head in amusement.
"She's quite the girl," Kari whispered to herself as she knelt over Houndramon. Both he and Lyrmon were on their feet, or paws to be more accurate, a few minutes later. Maddie, too, was awake and alert. Hakin had, miraculously, gone into a far more silent slumber. Kari met Sera's eye, and both girls smiled.
"Didn't need a bucket after all," Sera called quietly to Kari, who giggled in reply. Maddie stared at the two girls, and then shook her head.
"Got acquainted, did we?" Maddie asked of the closer girl, Kari. Sera and Kari exchanged another glance and another, quieter laugh as they moved to proper places to lie down for the remainder of the night.
"Yeah," Kari answered. "She's quite the character. I guess it's something one has to acquire in order to deal with Hakin, huh?" Maddie smiled.
"There's no one who can handle men better than Sera," Maddie let Kari know, affirming the latter's thought. "It's a wonder Ivan isn't so scared of women in general. I guess I have Allison to thank for that." At Kari's confused stare, Maddie elaborated, "Allison was one of Ivan's best friends when he was little. She was one of the main people that helped him after his parents passed away. I owe so much to her." Then, Maddie flushed and gave Kari gentle shove. "You need to get to bed," Maddie explained hastily, "We've gotta be moving in only a few hours. Please get some sleep while you can."
"I'm going, I'm going," Kari replied with a laugh. She bid Maddie, Sera, and the two digimon goodnights before at last lying down. She brought herself to lie next to TK, still peacefully asleep despite the disturbances the girls and the invaders had caused. She smiled at the gentle expression on her boyfriend's face, eternally adorable in her eyes. However, TK's eyelids, along with his unkempt bangs that fell across his forehead, covered his eyes. Very delicately, Kari brushed the boy's hair back from his forehead to behind his ear, where it was normally tucked.
"Love," Kari whispered in the boy's ear. Then, with one of her hands still framing his face, she pressed her lips softly to his forehead. Lingering for a moment, she did her best to resist waking the boy to enjoy is returning affection. She resisted the temptation, though, and instead dropped back down and nestled herself against his body. She wove her arms around his body, hugging herself to him. Then, getting as comfortable as she could in the position, Kari sighed and let her heavy eyelids drop at last.
A few minutes later, with Kari then only half conscious to notice, TK's arms returned the embrace to Kari's prone form.