Hikari Kamiya, Tale of Tragedy

Part 4

Finally Kari was going to see her friends again, Gatomon, her brother, everyone, so why wasn't she happy. Most people would be overjoyed at the thought of reuniting with those they love most, but that was the problem, Love. Could Kari ever really truly love anyone again, could she let herself do that, could she? Or was the question would she, she didn't know, all she knew was that she was more confused now then she had ever been in her life. They'd explained the whole thing about her being alive to Tentamon while they walked, it had been hard to talk about the subject yet again, but once again she had to. And she knew that once they reached the camp she would have to again. Maybe that's why she wasn't so happy.

"We should be there in about five, maybe ten minutes at the most." Izzy informed her. 'Oh great, I get to talk about my past yet again, that's just what I want to do. Why am I doing this, didn't I get hurt enough last time? And Tai, what am I supposed to say to him? Sorry I didn't mean to ruin your life oh and by the way mom and dad think your dead. How can I tell him that, how can I tell any of them that? They'll hate me, they'll hate me for ruining their parents lives, for making them give up hope. And they'd probably be mad at me for not coming back sooner. Why the hell am I going back' She thought. But rather then telling Izzy how badly she wanted to stop, how badly she wanted to forget the whole thing she simply looked at him and said "Great."

Izzy could tell that something was bothering the girl, she'd said great but he knew that what she wanted to say was that she didn't want to go, the look on her face and the long pause after he'd told her how close they were told him that much. It had only been about an hour ago when they'd started walking and then she seemed happy, excited even. So what had changed since then, what was it that was making her so sad? He gave her a weak smile and said "Ya, let me know if you see smoke or something they're bound to have a fire going by now." Kari nodded, she still had the strange look in her eye though, like she wanted to cry but couldn't. 'Why wont she just talk to me?' Izzy thought.

Tentamon looked at the pair walking along side him. 'Weird, that really is Kari isn't it. She sure doesn't look like the Kari I remember, but I guess people change. Then again the others haven't really changed, not this much, maybe things in there world make you change more, or maybe it's just that I haven't seen her in so long. But then again, it's not only her appearance that's changed is it, she seems like an interlay different person, doesn't Izzy see that. Maybe he does but for some reason he understands, maybe it's that look in her eyes, that scared look, like there was something she wants to talk about but she can't. Maybe it's cause it's the same look Izzy has in his.' "I think I see it right up ahead" Tentamon announced.

"Ya I see it to" Izzy began. "There's Joe and Gomamon." 'OK, here we go' Kari thought worriedly. "Hey Joe were back" Tentamon shouted at the boy causing Joe to jump. "What the...Oh it's just you guys, we heard a noise and of course I was elected to find out what it was." Joe replied. He had gotten taller and he defiantly looked older, but other then that he hadn't really changed. Then Joe noticed the girl standing next to Izzy and asked "Who's that?" "Your not gonna believe this Joe, but it's Kari." Izzy answered. Joe looked half surprised and half confused, but Gomamon was the first to talk. "Kari, but I thought she was..." "We all did, we were wrong." Izzy said cutting the small digimon off. "But how" Joe asked. 'I knew it' Kari thought. 'Time to tell the whole story once again' "It's a long story." Tentamon said. Izzy nodded. "Ya, a story best told to all of you at once. Lets go."

It only took them another minute before they arrived at the camp. The whole rest of the group was there sitting around a fire. Sora, Mimi, Biyomon, Palmon, and Gatomon were sitting on a log talking about something or other. Matt and TK, were on another they seemed to be have a disagreement about something and Gabumon and Patamon looked like they were trying to calm them down. Agumon was sitting on the ground next to a rock that was the perfect size for someone to sit on, but because it was in the shadows it was hard to make out who was seated on it. Still Kari knew right away that it was her brother.

They all looked quit a bit different now, Sora and Mimi both had long hair. Sora's was half way down her back and though Mimi had hers in a pony tail Kari could tell that it was really long too. TK looked a lot like Matt had when she'd last seen him, he was tall and his hair almost had that spiky look to it that his brother's had, that's probably because he wasn't wearing that stupid hat anymore (That's right no more stupid hats for TK ^_^). Matt hadn't really changed that much, he wasn't even that much taller, maybe the same height that Joe had been but no more. And then there was Tai, her brother hadn't gotten a whole lot taller either about the same height as Matt, his hair was as wild as ever and he still wore his trademark goggles in the same place on his head.

"Hey guys it was only Izzy and Tentamon coming back." Joe said, they were to wrapped up in what they were talking about to really care. "And look who we brought with us." Tentamon said referring to Kari. The other's finally looked up still not really all that interested. They all stared at Kari for a minute, she almost felt like she was back in school trying to avoid the glances of her classmates again, she all most wished she was. "Who's that" TK asked finally. For some strange reason it took Izzy a minute to answer, maybe he expected Kari to or something, but then finally said "It's Kari." "Kari" The other exclaimed in unison. Kari looked back at them and once again the were engulfed by an awkward silence.

Mimi was the first to say something. "But that can't be Kari." "Ya Kari died years ago." Sora added. "It's just impossible." Biyomon said. "No, it really is her" Izzy insisted. "But I thought Kari was dead." Patamon said confused. Taichi simply stared at her, could that really be Kari, could his sister really be alive? He was standing now, the girl did look a little familiar, her hair was different, her face was a little different but then again look how much TK had changed over the years. He was still slightly skeptical when he saw her clothes, the last time he had seen her she was wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt, a pair of pink shorts and pink scarf tied around he neck. Now she was wearing a short sleeved black shirt not quit a tee shirt but not tight either, and a pair of black jeans that reminded him of a pair he once owned only in a smaller size. But could that really be her, it had to be, it was. 'That really is Kari.'

"No, guy's I'm telling you it is her." Izzy said again. "I swear I am." Kari said in her own defence. "But how can you be?" Gabumon asked. "She just is." Tai spoke up. The others looked at him, he was there leader after all and Kari's brother besides, he probably would know better then anybody, but still. "How do you know that Tai?" Agumon asked his friend. Tai looked down at the dino like digimon and then at the others before saying. "Look at her you guys, just look at her and tell me that you don't see it. She may have changed a lot but everybody changes some more then others and especially considering that last time we saw her she was only eight. Just look at her and tell me that she isn't my sister."

The group fell silent once again and they remained that way until Gatomon finally spoke. "Kari?" "Yes, Gatomon it's me, you believe me don't you?" Kari asked her digimon partner. "It is you isn't, Tai was right wasn't he?" Gatomon asked. Kari nodded. "I knew it I just knew you couldn't be dead, I told them that I could feel it but they didn't believe me." The cat like digimon exclaimed as she ran toward the girl. She all most gave her a hug but stopped herself, somehow she knew that for some reason or another Kari didn't want her to. "Show them your crest and digivise, they'll have to believe you then" Tentamon said. Kari lifted her shirt to her waist to show them the digivise which she had placed in her pocket and then retrieved her crest from under her shirt. "It is you" Takeru said in amazement. "Kari, but how" Matt asked.

Kari dropped her crest and looked at the ground. 'I knew I'd have to tell them sooner or later, so why not later, why should I have to repeatedly relive that day it's just not fair. What do I tell them, they'll never understand, never. They'll hate me, they'll hate me for what I did and that I went back without them, they'll hate me. But I have to tell them, there's just no getting around it.' Kari took a deep breath and was about to speak up when Izzy intervened. "It's a long story, maybe I should be the one to explain it." He said glancing at Kari as if to ask for her permission. She nodded. 'Maybe he does understand.'

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Tai had the first watch that night, after him were Mimi, then Sora, and the Joe would finish up the night. He looked over at his sleeping sister, she looked so peaceful and innocent, if she'd looked that way when she first arrived he knew there would have been no question of weather or not she was Kari, they would have known instantly. He would have anyway. He still couldn't believe it though, she really was alive, after all these years she really was alive. But what she'd been through, what she'd seen, Tai just couldn't stand to think of it. If they'd only gotten Puppetmon's mansion a minute sooner they might have been able to stop it. But she was back with them now, and now they'd never lose her again, they couldn't possibly lose her again.

His sister really had changed though, but he supposed she'd had good reason. He didn't care, she was still his sister and she was back that's all that mattered now. Still he couldn't help but blame himself for what had happened, who else was their to blame? Puppetmon, the dark masters, the digiworld, fate. He didn't know and even if he did it wouldn't matter because no matter who he blamed their would always be that part of him that knew it was his fault. He was the leader and when someone got hurt the fault could always be traced back to him. But that didn't matter now, it couldn't, all that mattered now was that his sister was back where she belonged with him and the digidestind. Tai nodded to himself 'Ya' He thought. 'That's all that matters.'

A/N: That's it for part 4. They're all back together now!!! I think Kari was pretty nice to everyone in this one, but you can expect that to change. Not that she's gonna be particularly mean or anything, it's just she gets kinda pissed off sometimes is all. Oh well, until next time yada yada yada....