Notes: Okay, I changed "Destroyed Angel" to include Stingmon because I accidentally forgot about him. It's hard to keep track of all 12 characters and their digimon, mainly because I don't own them in any way. You don't have to reread it because I only changed how TK was attacked. Angemon still gets destroyed at the end of that chapter. It took me a while to write up this chapter because I accidentally had too much soda and that messes with my thinking. But I have it now. Next chapter I write will be in TK's view and will probably have a short recap of this chapter through his eyes.

~HIKARI~

I sat in my new seat and reflected over the weekend. Where was TK? He's been gone since Saturday afternoon. We spent all day yesterday looking around for him. Even when we decided to cover both the Digital World and the real world, we couldn't find a trace of my best friend.

The news got worse too. We checked back on the Primary Village and almost everything was in ruins. Elecmon was weak when we found him, and he was crying about how a ruthless being appeared and destroyed everything. The baby digimon were safe, thanks to Leomon, but the buildings were burnt to the ground. Elecmon couldn't exactly describe who did it, only that he was dressed in darkness.

I stared at the door to the classroom, hoping TK would suddenly show up. I imagined his bright, goofy smile. It always made people feel better. I blinked as I turned to stare at the backs of Daisuke and Ken.

They sat in front of me talking. Daisuke was pointing out things Ken should know since he just transferred here. Daisuke turned to check if I was all right. "TK will be here, Hikari. He never misses school. Even if he's upset."

Ken turned around. "Besides, once he gets here, you'll be able to give him the egg. Did it hatch yet?"

I looked at the small digi-egg in my bag. I shook my head. I glumly looked at the Crest of Hope I was wearing around my neck. It was right next to my Crest of Light. Both Crests glowed dimly, but TK's crest was fading out. Mine was struggling in keeping its shine.

I heard the bell ring and our new homeroom teacher entered the class. He was about to close the door, when a late student arrived.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I stared at the boy. TK?

He looked different. His normally messy hair was even messier. It was even in a darker shade. His eyes seemed dead. Instead of the clear, light ocean blue, they were a dark, muddy blue. I only knew it was TK because of his signature fisherman hat.

"Well, being late means you can't choose the seat to have. There's only one spot available."

He scanned the room and saw the seat next to me. He scowled. "I understand."

"I hope you aren't going to be late every day, Mister…"

TK slightly winced at the word hope. "Takaishi. Takeru Takaishi."

"Well, Takeru, get seated. I have to take role." Apparently, our new teacher didn't like TK much.

"Where have you been, TK?" Ken whispered as TK walked past.

"None of your business," TK said coolly. He took his seat next to me and scooted his chair all the way to the other side of the table. He removed his hat and placed it in his bag. He moved it as far away from me as possible. He bent down and whispered into it. "It's okay. I'll protect you."

I stared at him confused. "TK?"

He scowled. "Takeru."

I looked at him again. "Since when do you go by your full name?"

He ignored me and carefully took out some papers. I did the same thing and tried to turn my attention to the teacher. I couldn't help but glance at TK though. He intently glared at Ken and Daisuke while writing what was on the board.

Daisuke sensed something wrong with the atmosphere and turned to look at me. I pointed at TK who had avoided getting caught by turning his face slightly towards the board.

Ken turned around too. "What's wrong, TK?"

"Mr. Ichijouji, please tell your friend to turn around. Either pay attention or I'll assign detentions."

Both boys immediately turned around and Takeru went back at glaring at them. Class ended and TK immediately left for his first class. It wasn't like we didn't have different classes, but I was hoping I would have some of the same teachers he did. That way I can talk to him.

I stepped into math with Ken and Daisuke behind me. Daisuke crossed his arms. "We haven't said a thing to him and he treats us like nothing."

"He thinks we destroyed Angemon, remember? He's talking to himself though. Or at least to his backpack." I entered the math class and saw TK seated in the back. "Who wants to talk to him?"

Ken shrugged and walked up to where TK chose to sit. Daisuke and I took our seats in front of TK and Ken. "What's up with you today?"

TK stared at him blankly. "Nothing." He moved his bag away from Ken and checked it again. "It's okay," he cooed in a barely audible whisper.

Daisuke looked at me. "I think he's lost it."

I kicked him lightly. I turned to face TK. "Hey, TK. I have something important to give you."

His glare softened as he thought about what I said. "Important to give me?" He stared at his bag. "Okay. I'll see you after school. In front of the school gates. You will come alone."

Ken nervously looked at Daisuke. Daisuke just stared at TK. "She'll be there."

TK ignored him. "Well?"

I thought about it. It would give me a chance to explain to him what had happened without the rest of the team to confuse him with details. "Okay, then, TK. I'll be there."

"Takeru." He scowled.

I turned around as the class bell rang. I looked at the digi-egg in my bag and saw it shake slightly. I poked Daisuke and showed him the egg. He smiled. "That's great!" He turned to TK.

The blonde was busy staring out the window. He saw our digimon out there and sighed as he turned back to his work. We mouthed what was wrong to Ken. He just shrugged.

Nothing happened in the next two classes. Lunch was really interesting though. Iori had the same lunch as us and already saved us spots.

"How were classes, Iori?" Ken asked.

"Okay. I'm the smallest in PE though. We're doing a wrestling unit and they all think I'm an easy opponent."

Daisuke chuckled. "You take kendo!"

Iori shrugged. "They don't know that." He looked around the cafeteria. "Did TK come to school?"

I nodded. "He won't be seeing the digi-egg until later though. He's acting pretty weird today."

At that moment, TK can into the cafeteria with his sack lunch. He sat by himself. The other students noticed something wrong, but didn't approach his table. A few girls that happened to like his basketball skills tried to get close, but they backed away when I saw him whisper to his backpack.

Iori rubbed his eyes. "Is he actually talking to his bag?"

Ken shrugged. "Maybe he has something important in there."

Iori grabbed his tray. "I should try talking to him."

I held him back. "I don't think that's a good idea right now."

Iori looked at me with a puzzled face. Then he saw why. A few bullies in our class were making their way towards TK. "Shouldn't we help him then?"

Daisuke and Ken stood from their seats. Daisuke fixed the goggles on his head. "We're going as a team."

We made our way across the cafeteria. We didn't make it fast enough though. TK was already being pestered by the two bigger boys. "Look at TK! Mr. Basketball has a problem today. Maybe we can help."

"Don't touch my bag," TK warned. His eyes had become cold.

One of the boys picked it up from the table. "Look! I have Takaishi's backpack! What are you going to do about it?" His eyes went wide as TK mercilessly kicked him in the stomach.

TK had already taken back his backpack and walked away. The other wasn't going to let TK get off that easy. "You can't do that!" He placed a hand on TK's shoulder strap. TK's eyes flashed with anger as he grabbed the bully's hand and twisted it.

"I told you. Don't. Touch. My. Bag!" He let go of the boy's hand and punched him in the face. TK straightened out his bag and made sure it was okay. The blonde didn't look back as he left the lunch room.

The four of us Digidestined were frozen in our spots. TK did not just do that.

I closed my eyes and opened them again. No, he did just attack the two strongest bullies in our grade. It was more like self-defense, but I think he went a little overboard.

The boy he kicked was on the ground, clutching his chest. The other one was testing his wrist. TK must have broken something.

"TK did that, right?" Daisuke asked.

Ken nodded. "Yeah. But TK wouldn't do that."

Iori and I went after TK. I turned back. "Let's go find him!"

The two soccer stars ran out after grabbing our things. Ken handed me my bag as Iori took his from Daisuke. Iori looked around the outdoors. He shook his head. "TK's gone."

We were going to look for him, but the lunch bell rang. We had to get back to class. I sat down in my assigned seat and put down my bag when I heard the school intercom turn on.

"Takeru Takaishi, please come to the principal's office. Takeru Takaishi, to the principal's office."

I heard a sigh from another aisle as the boy took his bag with him to the office. I stared at his bag and thought I saw a black and blue object in there. It was covered by his white hat, but I was able to see a part of it. What was so important about it?

The class was assigned to read a book in English when TK came back. He set his bag down gently. He whispered to it again and smiled. He put a slip of paper into his pocket and took out his book and began to catch up on what he missed.

When English ended, so did school. I walked with TK to the front of the gate. He made sure his bag was facing away from me as he walked.

"TK?" I asked cautiously.

"Takeru," he said.

I ignored him. "What's in there that's so important? You got detention because of it."

His eyes flashed in annoyance. "You don't have to know. Now what is it you want to give me?"

I took out the small digi-egg. "It's for you, TK. I have your crest, too."

His eyes widened. "A digi-egg? You destroy Angemon and think that another digimon can help me?"

I looked at him in disbelief. "This is your digimon!"

He shook his head, trying to control his growing rage. "No! I have a digimon already! And a new Crest! I don't need a new digimon to ruin me!" He slapped the egg out of my hand.

I dove for it and caught it. "What is wrong with you, TK?" Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Gatomon on the school roof. She instantly tried to climb down to help me.

I stood back up and saw my brother. Taichi was walking towards the school and saw TK. "TK! What are you doing?" My big brother approached him and reached his shoulder.

"Taichi! Don't!"

Too late. Taichi's hand was already on TK's shoulder strap. TK swiftly kicked Taichi's leg and he went down.

"TK!" I grabbed his bag, hoping it would stop him.

Yamato was right behind me and caught TK's fist as it was about to hit me. "Hey! What are you doing? Hikari is your best friend!"

Taichi managed to get up and I opened the bag to see what was in it. TK's eyes widened as he struggled to get his hand free. "No! Patamon!"

He kicked his brother in the stomach using his knee. Yamato buckled over and let go. His younger brother tore the bag out of my hands after turning around to punch Taichi squarely in the jaw. I was stunned when I thought I saw another digi-egg in his bag.

"Patamon! Don't worry! I'll protect you. She won't hurt you this time." He ran off and I bolted after him.

He turned a corner and I immediately followed. But when I turned, he was already gone. "TK!"

I went back to help Taichi and Yamato off the ground. Gatomon waited patiently with them. She shook her head in disbelief when I handed her Poyomon's egg. Taichi rubbed his jaw. "Where did your brother learn how to fight like that? That hurt, man."

Yamato leaned on me as he rubbed his stomach. "You don't think we taught him, do you?"

Taichi chuckled lightly. "We punched each other. We never kicked the other with such force. Are you okay, Hikari?" I nodded. "Thanks for protecting her, Matt."

Yamato nodded. "No problem, but did you see where TK go?"

I shook my head. "He just disappeared."

Daisuke, Ken, and Iori were waiting under a tree. When they saw the three of us, they knew things didn't go well.

Iori frowned. "That's the second time he got into a fight today. That's not like him at all."

Taichi sat down under the tree. Yamato lay down under the shade. The blonde thought about it in disbelief. "A fight? With who?"

Daisuke smiled wryly. "With the two school bullies in our grade. He won after cracking a rib and breaking a wrist."

Taichi stood up in shock. "What? TK breaking someone's wrist? That is really unlike him."

I shrugged. "It's pretty understandable since he was protecting another digi-egg."

Ken looked at me in confusion. "Another egg? For what digimon? We have Poyomon's egg right here."

Gatomon lifted the orange and white egg up. "What did the other egg look like, Kari?"

"I don't really know for sure, but it was blue and black."

Gatomon kind of scowled. "Those colors remind me of DemiDevimon."

Veemon scratched his head. "Who is that?"

Wormmon looked up at Ken. "Didn't you read a file about a digimon named that, Ken?"

Taichi explained. "DemiDevimon was a little bat digimon that tried manipulating us into never activating our Crests. He almost helped Myotismon defeat us. It was a good thing we had Wizardmon's help or we would have lost for sure."

Yamato nodded. "We thought DemiDevimon was destroyed when VenomMyotismon ate him to gain extra power."

Iori stood up. Armadillomon got up with him. "We're going to have to talk about this later. Grandfather needs me to help clean the kendo studio."

Yamato glanced at his watch. "Yeah, I have to leave, too. My dad got back in town and I have to move out of TK's apartment."

"Do you need company, Matt?" I asked. I knew that Taichi, Daisuke, and Ken would have to get to soccer practice. I was going to head home, but maybe TK would be in his apartment.

"Sure, if you want. I doubt that TK will be there though."

"Just in case he is, watch my sister, Matt," Taichi said. He grabbed his sports duffel and walked off with Ken, Wormmon, Daisuke, and Veemon.

Gatomon called out after him, "Don't forget that I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt her!"

She handed me back the digi-egg and I smiled. The three of us walked to the Takaishi apartment. The streets were quiet and I couldn't help but look back at where TK vanished. He had a habit of doing that now.

I walked into TK's apartment as Yamato let me in. We were greeted by Gabumon as we took off our shoes.

"Hey! I thought you were back already, Yamato. I heard the door open while I was asleep and thought it was you."

Yamato looked around curiously. "It could have been TK."

Gabumon shook his head. "Whoever it was went into your room looking for something. I thought it was you because no one goes into your room unless they want to live."

Yamato didn't quite catch the last part. He had already run into the guest room. "Hikari! TK was here."

I heard a crash in the room and rushed to see what happened. The teenager was tangled in rope. TK had somehow managed to set up a trap for Yamato. There was a note on the ground and I picked it up.

"It's written in TK's handwriting," I said as Gatomon and Gabumon cut the rope loose. "It says, 'don't bother looking for me or staying here, Yamato. I'll be fine as long as you Digidestined keep your distance. I won't be staying at home anyways. Whatever you plan to do with that egg Hikari tried giving me, I don't care. But I will destroy it and the partner it receives. Takeru.' That's not like him." I looked up. "Why would he want to destroy Poyomon?"

Yamato stood up and read the note for himself. "He thinks that he has the Poyomon egg. He was calling it Patamon when he ran off." I stared at the note with worry.

I took the digi-egg out of my bag. "Maybe we should give it back to Elecmon so he can take care of it." I walked out and decided to check out TK's room.

I opened the door to his room and Gatomon checked to make sure it was safe. "It's all clear, Hikari."

I looked at my partner. "I don't think TK would have rigged his room. He would think we wouldn't mess with his things. After all, coming in here would have us checking the room twice a day." I set the digi-egg on the desk and giggled at how organized TK kept his room.

His clothes were neatly hung in his closet. A hook was on his wall for his two very special hats. One was missing since he had it. The other he can never wear again because he had grown out of it. His desk was clear of loose papers. Pencils were neatly placed in a cup with a sharpener right next to it. Picture frames sat on against the edge of the desk. More were lined up on the night stand next to his alarm clock. I noticed one of them and smiled at the memory.

It was a picture of just the eight of the older Digidestined. It was right before we had to take the bus back home. TK and I were in the center because we were the smallest and youngest. The two of us sat on the ground, cross-legged. Yamato kneeled behind TK with his hands in his pockets. Taichi kneeled behind me with his thumbs up. Sora was between them with her arms around the two older boys. Jou, Mimi, and Koushiro stood in the back with Koushiro on the right holding his laptop under his arm. Mimi was in the center shielding her eyes from the sun. Jou had his arms crossed and held a determined grin on his face. All of our digimon had gone Ultimate with the exception of two Mega forms.

I moved on to the picture next to it. I smiled as I picked up the familiar photo. It was a copy of a picture I had. TK and I stood side by side. It was a funny picture as I was wearing his green hat while he wore my whistle. MagnaAngemon stood behind TK while Angewomon stayed near me. They were smiling down at us as TK held up the whistle quizzically. I was laughing in the picture. I remember the reason being that I thought I looked funny wearing his hat.

"Hikari!" I looked up at Gatomon. She pointed at the rocking digi-egg.

I hurried over to the table and checked to see if it was alright. "It's hatching!"

Yamato rushed in with Gabumon when Gatomon called for them. Yamato smiled at the tiny white mush-like digimon. "Poyomon!" His eyes then filled with sadness. "TK…"

I looked down at the baby digimon. It looked around for TK. "I'm sorry," I said to him. "TK isn't here."

The digimon turned to look at me. It smiled and nodded in understanding. Gatomon climbed up the table and looked at Poyomon for herself. "We're going to have to bring him home."

Yamato was sheepish. "I would take him with me, but my dad wouldn't want me to have to watch two digimon. Your parents will be okay, right?"

I nodded. "They can't say no to a little baby digimon." I picked up the little Poyomon and giggled as he was feeling sleepy. "Gatomon, you can sleep in my bed tonight. I'll have to use your small bed for Poyomon."

Gatomon shrugged. "Okay. But don't expect me to be babysitting him."

Yamato smiled and he waited as we left the apartment. Gabumon followed him, carrying a few things. Yamato picked up his backpack and locked the door. As we stepped into the elevator, he pressed two extra buttons before pressing the button to the lobby. "We can't leave TK or Poyomon out of our sight. If TK sees Poyomon without us near, we can't for certain know if it'll be a good thing or bad."

I nodded as I carried the sleeping Poyomon in my arms. "I'll tell Taichi and the rest of the team then."

Yamato nodded. "I'll tell the other older Digidestined. Be sure to keep an eye out for my little brother."

I nodded and waved goodbye as I stepped onto Miyako's floor. He smiled and closed the elevator door. I looked down at Gatomon. She smirked. "We can handle any problem. Let's go or we'll miss dinner."

I laughed as we walked down the hall. I stared at Poyomon. He looked so vulnerable. He was right next to TK's crest and it was glowing slightly brighter than before. Was it because of me, or was it reacting to how TK was feeling about something else?