Khgirl08: Wow, it certainly has been a while, no? I see three, maybe four more chapters in this story. This chapter is revolving around Kari's problems, and then the next one will be about the others, and then… We'll cross that next bridge when we come to it, no?

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this fiction. If only I could twist the actual show to my every whim and fancy… Oh, the ideas…

Hikari sat on her couch, nervously tapping her foot as she stared at the clock. Nobunari would be home any moment, and then she would finally tell him what she really thought.

TK was looking through Kari's old photo albums, and occasionally he would laugh or sigh sadly at one of the pictures. Hikari smiled softly at the thought of TK. She wasn't sure why, but he made her feel safe and loved, even though she had only met him a few hours ago, and he was the only reason she would stand up to her father.

A key began scratching at the door, and Hikari jumped. She heard TK shut the door to Kari's bedroom as quickly and softly as he could just as Nobunari sauntered into the apartment, holding a case of beer in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. He sneered at her as he walked past her to drop off his load in the kitchen, only returning after popping the lid from one of his beers. "So, you decided to show your ugly face here without doing as I so nicely asked?"

Hikari blushed angrily. "'Nicely asked?' The last time I checked telling me that I'm ugly and smacking me isn't nicely asking me to change my looks."

Nobunari took a long swig before sitting on the couch next to her and putting one arm around her shoulders. "Hikari, it's only because I love you. Your new friends aren't really looking out for your better interests like I am."

"I think I can choose my own best interests, Nobunari, and I don't think you or anyone else can change them." Hikari threw his arm off of her and stood up. "I am sixteen years old, almost seventeen, and it's about time for you to tell me why you act the way you do around me. You scream at me, you hit me, you tell me I'm ugly and worthless, and I haven't done anything to deserve that kind of treatment. Why do you act like this?!"

"I think it's time to show you something, Hikari." Nobunari stood and took another swig of his beer before walking down the hall to his bedroom. "Come back here for a moment."

Hikari paused, glancing at Kari's bedroom door. It cracked open just enough for her to see TK's blue eyes, and she nodded slightly. "If you tell me what it is, I'll come."

"It's a picture of your mother, the only one I have left. Please come here." Nobunari stared at her for a moment before disappearing into the room completely. Hikari heard the door behind her creak open, and she turned to see TK staring after him in confusion.

"TK, stay here. I don't want him to catch you, he'd go nuts!"

"Hikari, something isn't right…" TK's whisper was urgent and scared. "I don't think you should go back there."

"I want to see her, TK." Hikari brushed a piece of hair from her eye and sighed. "I want to know if I look like her, what color eyes she had, if she smiled… You don't know what it's like, barely being able to remember anything, and not knowing anything about your past."

TK clenched his jaw and bowed his head, and Hikari looked at him sadly. Why does he look so sad all of a sudden? Is it because of Kari, or is there something else going on?

"Hikari, I'm sorry if I made you mad. I'm going to go home now, alright?" TK sighed and turned around slowly. Hikari turned on her heel to follow Nobunari into his room, but something stopped her.

"TK, wait." They turned around at the same time, and Hikari flung herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her silently. "I'm sorry too, TK. I know you're just worried about me…"

"Hikari! Please come in here immediately!" Hikari held TK tighter for a mere second before releasing him and turning around, not wanting to reveal her tears to the tall blond.

"Coming, Father…" Hikari barely registered TK's sharp intake of air when she called Nobunari her dad. She just went down the hall, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

As soon as she entered the room she sensed something was wrong. Nobunari was sitting on the very edge of his bed, hunched over slightly and murmuring to himself. "Master, the time has come. She is finally ready for you!"

A much deeper voice appeared from nowhere and was soon followed by a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes. "Divermon, return to your true form and bring her to the ocean. I want my wife."

Nobunari leapt from the bed and began writhing in midair before he emitted a bright light. Hikari shielded her eyes momentarily, and when she lowered her arm she screamed out loud. Nobunari had shrunk until he was barely half her height, and he looked kind of like a monster from the old movies.

"My queen, the time has come! You will join our undersea master in the world of darkness, and you will belong to him for all eternity!" The creature grabbed her arm with a webbed hand and began to pull her towards the computer in the corner of the room.

"Lightning Paw!" A white blur came flying into the room, and the creature dropped her wrist and crumpled to the floor. Hikari screamed again as the small white cat turned to her and smiled nervously. "Hi…"

"TK! TK, help me, I think I'm going crazy!" Hikari turned tail and fled into TK's open arms, sobbing into his chest.

"Hikari, it's okay! Everything's alright!"

Hikari shook her head rapidly. "No it isn't! Some voice appeared from nowhere and made Nobunari into some kind of monster and then a talking cat came up from behind me and killed him! Nothing is okay about any of this!!"

TK stroked her hair soothingly. "Hikari, I think it's time I explained some things to you."

"No, it isn't." The white cat jumped onto TK's shoulder, causing Hikari to scream again. "Relax for a minute, will you? We have to get out of here before that Divermon wakes up and tries to take Kari back to the ocean."

Hikari backed out of TK's embrace, trembling in fear and confusion. "I don't understand… What does Kari have to do with any of this?! And what are you?!"

The small white cat squeezed its eyes shut. "My name is Gatomon. I'm a Digimon, just like that Divermon. That thing that you've been living with for the past four years isn't your father; it's not even human. Hikari, you don't need to be afraid of me, because I'm on your side."

"Yes, but you should still be afraid…" The booming voice from earlier echoed loudly through the room, and Hikari felt a chilling hand grasp her shoulder. "Light, you belong to me now!"

The room began to spin around her as she screamed and reached for TK's hand. She didn't even feel herself collapse until she hit the gray sand of a monotone beach before she blacked out.

"Kari!!" TK ran to the spot where his best friend had been standing moments before, pounding the wall she had been sucked through. "Kari, come back!"

"TK, we have to get to the Dark Ocean, that's where she is!" Gatomon jumped to his shoulder again, wiping her eyes on her paws. "We don't have enough time to call Davis and the others. We need Kari's D-3, and then we need to go!"

TK shook his head. Cody already has it… "We have to go to Davis's house, now. The D-3 is there with the others, and we need help." He took off running for the front door of the apartment, slamming it behind him as he hurtled down the stairs.

Five minutes later he was panting on Davis's doorstep. "Davis, open the door! It's TK and Gatomon, now open that door and let me in now!"

"Alright, alright, give me a second!" Davis finally unlatched the door and was nearly run over by TK. "Whoa!"

"TK, what's the matter with you? You look like you lost Kari all over again…" Ken was sitting next to Yolei on the couch, staring at his friend with concern. "Calm down."

"I am not going to calm down when Kari is trapped in the Dark Ocean without any help!" Everyone in the room gasped in shock. "I was over at Hikari's… No, Kari's apartment, and her dad turned into a Divermon, and Gatomon knocked it out, but then Kari disappeared into a portal to the Dark Ocean. We have to get there, now!"

Yolei groaned and smacked her head against her forehead. "Not again! TK, Hikari and Kari are not the same person, for the last time! She's never coming back, so stop making up all of these stories to make it seem like she is!"

Gatomon hissed and jumped onto the floor next to TK. "Are you saying that I'm wrong when I see Kari whenever I look at Hikari's face? She's a lot different, but I know my partner when I see her, and Kari Kamiya is back. Besides, the Light Deity of the Digital World took over her body for a few moments and confirmed that she is Kari, but she has been lied to ever since she was taken from us."

Yolei and Davis rolled their eyes and Ken looked uncomfortable, but Cody stood up, his eyes blazing. "I believe you. I knew something was wrong when I saw Nobunari, or whoever he was. I told Hikari that he was a friend of my dad's, but he was the doctor who kicked me out of her room when I tried to go visit her."

Yolei's eyes widened as she remembered the same thing, and TK growled in frustration. "What are we still doing here?! By this time Kari could have been married to the Undersea Master!"

Everyone but Gatomon gave him a strange look, but Cody finally walked over to Davis's computer, pulling out Kari's D-3. "Alright, let's hope this works… Take use to the Dark Ocean! Digiport, open!"

Everyone else jumped to their feet and held out their D-3s, and the entire group was sucked into the computer.

Hikari woke up with a soft groan. She felt like she had just stepped from a shower, because her hair and clothes were soaked, but she was lying under a gray sky, with a gray sun shining gray light down on her. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

No one answered her call, so she stood up and shook herself off, her long skirts swinging water all around her. "What on Earth…" Hikari had been wearing a simple tee shirt and jeans, but now she was in an ornate white gown that swept around her ankles. The gown was dripping wet, but wasn't even close to transparent. It almost looked like there was a protective barrier over it. Running her fingers through her soaked hair, Hikari discovered a multitude of tiny white flowers that had been placed in her hair. "What is going on? I'm dressed up like a… bride…"

"…bring her to the ocean. I want my wife." Hikari gasped out loud and covered her mouth with trembling hands. Nobunari had been trying to bring her to this dark ocean to give her to someone as a wife.

I'm only sixteen! Why would someone want to marry me?! And what on Earth is going on here? First Nobunari turns into a monster and then a talking cat saves me, and I run to TK only to find out that the talking cat is actually friends with him, and then I get brought to this place… Hikari looked around for the first time. There was a lighthouse shining dark light all around, apparently showing the way for ships trying to break through the thick fog hanging over the sea. There was a cliff with a thick forest of trees on top, like a crown, and the cliff side was dotted with numerous caves and protrusions. Where is here, anyhow?!

"Light, how pleased I am to see you again." The deep voice who had ordered her brought here in the first place spoke so suddenly that Hikari fell to the ground, swinging her head wildly as she searched for the source of the voice. "Although I think we are going to have to do something more about your appearance. These stupid Divermon can never get their orders."

"Who- who are you?!"

The booming voice laughed at the fear in her voice. "I am the Undersea Master, and that is all that you need to know, Light." Hikari felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and she looked at her dress and was astonished to see it rapidly turning darker. Soon it was completely black, and she realized that her nails were also painted black and her hair had turned black again, as well. "Much better."

"What are you trying to do with me?!" Hikari scrambled to her feet, her black stilettos slipping in the sand. "What's going on?! And why do you keep calling me 'Light?!'"

"You are Light. You are the bearer of the light of Digital World, and you will always be that." Another monster appeared in front of her, grabbing her arm with one dripping webbed hand and forcing her to fall into his arms. He had seaweed hanging off of his tuxedo, and his entire person was drenched. His upper face was covered by a mask, revealing only a malicious grin. "I suppose I should grace your earlier question with a proper answer, Light. I am Aguadevimon, the Undersea Master, and soon you will become my queen."

Hikari struggled against his grip, but he held her even tighter. "I have so looked forward to this day, ever since you came to me as a young girl. There is but one thing to be done before we can become one soul, however. I must strip you of your light, and then you will be mine. Forever…"

Hikari shut her eyes and shook her head rapidly. "No!! Someone, help me!! TK!!"

A high pitched squealing noise followed her scream, and Hikari felt herself being lifted from the ground. Opening her eyes as Aguadevimon cursed, she saw that she was glowing bright pink and floating about five feet from the ground. She wanted to be scared, but for some reason she simply felt at peace.

She suddenly began to speak, except the words were not her own. "Aguadevimon, you have tried to twist Light's heart and the ones of her loved ones long enough. You will never capture the light of the Digital World, nor will you use it for your own devices. It is time you released her soul!"

Aguadevimon smirked. "I wondering if you were going to make an appearance. What can you possibly do to make me release her? I have waited almost five years, five long, agonizing years for my prize, and neither you or any of those ridiculous Digidestined will take her from me this time!"

Hikari felt herself smile wickedly. "Or so you say." She suddenly began to scream, and the light around her grew even brighter. "This is the end for you, Aguadevimon!" Hikari heard Aguadevimon scream in agony before she gasped and fell to the ground, blacking out just as her feet made contact with the sand.

TK stood up and looked around; they were definitely in the World of Darkness, but where was Kari? "Kari! Where are you?!"

Gatomon hissed in frustration. "She has to be here somewhere, but where?!"

A high-pitched scream echoed from around the cliff face, causing all of the Digidestined to take offensive stances. "This is the end for you, Aguadevimon!"

Another scream, this one far deeper and wordless, followed it, and a great burst of pink light created a pillar that broke through the clouds above the Digidestined. Yolei screamed and hid behind Ken. "What's going on? I want to go home, we don't even have our Digimon to help us!"

"Waaaaaaah!" Four large shapes appeared in the sky above them, and within seconds Davis, Ken, Yolei and Cody had been flattened by their respective partners. "What's going on?!"

"Veemon!" Davis picked his partner up and began dancing with him. "Veemon, I can't believe that it's really you!"

"Davis! Put me down!" Veemon's eyes were spinning by the time Davis stopped, but his goofy smile was still intact. "It's good to see you, too!"

"Wormmon!" Ken hugged his partner tightly, squeezing the breath right out of the little worm.

"Ken, I can't breathe…"

"Hawkmon! Hawkmon, Hawkmon, Hawkmon!" Yolei picked up her friend and began hopping up and down with him. "I've missed you so much!"

"Yolei, that may be the case, but if you don't stop squeezing me you'll be missing me again!" Hawkmon's face was turning red from the lack of oxygen, but Yolei couldn't stop hugging him. "Gracious…"

Cody and Armadillomon, who had managed to stand up without screaming, were sharing a silent embrace. TK, however, was running with Gatomon towards the light. "Guys, you can catch up later, but that was Kari! Come on, we need to help her!"

The other Digidestined fell into step behind him, and TK didn't stop running until he saw the girl laying on the sand with a gasping and coughing Digimon over her. No, Kari! "Get away from her!"

The Digimon sneered at him. "What- are- you- going- to- do, pretty boy?! She is going to become my wife, and a mere human like you cannot possibly hope to defeat me, the Undersea Master!"

Gatomon jumped in front of TK and was soon joined by the other Digidestined. "It's not him you should be worrying about, it's us! Lightning Paw!"

"Veeheadbutt!"

"Sticky Net!"

"Diamond Shell!"

"Feather Arrow!" All five of the Digimon sent their attacks at the large Digimon, who disappeared in a cloud of dust. TK and Davis dragged Kari out of the way during the confusion.

When the dust disappeared, so had the Digimon. "Ahem, what was it you were saying?! Waters of Despair!" Jets of water swirled with strands of darkness gushed from each of his hands, hitting all of the Digimon and the Digidestined at once.

TK coughed as his vision began to fade, focusing on Kari's face, which was cradled in his arms. No, I have to stay awake, I have to protect Kari! As soon as he thought of the love of his life, the water around him and the others was replaced by a bright light that shined in every color of the rainbow. The Digimon all jumped into the air and glowed white, except for Gatomon.

"Veemon, digivolve to… Exveemon!"

"Wormmon, digivolve to… Stingmon!"

"Hawkmon, digivolve to… Aquilamon!"

"Armadillomon, digivolve to… Ankylomon!"

When the light finally faded, the large Digimon was cowering in fear at the sight of the five champions. "Please, have… mercy on me!"

Kari began to stir in TK's arms. "Un… Please, don't let Aguadevimon take me…" Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared directly into his blue ones. "TK… You really came for me…"

TK nodded. "Of course I did, Kari. I would never leave you here alone."

Kari's smile faded into a confused frown. "TK, I'm Hikari, remember?"

TK smiled gently and brushed a piece of hair from her forehead. "No, Kari. Aguadevimon, the Undersea Master, whoever he calls himself… He made you forget everything and sent one of his minions to keep you away from all of us. You really are Kari Kamiya." As soon as the words left his mouth, a rock came flying from the general direction of the Digimon and struck Kari on the head.

Kari gasped, then squeezed her eyes shut. "Wha- what's happening to me?!"

"Wha- what's happening to me?!" Hikari's head felt like it was exploding from within all of a sudden, and her breathing became ragged and shallow, and it didn't seem like she had really been hit that hard. What if he's right?

A picture, no, a movie suddenly popped into her head, a memory of a girl and a boy sitting on a bed. Kari's bed. The girl was Kari, and the boy was TK, the way that they looked in the dusty picture on the wall in Kari's room. There was a huge pile of photographs between them, as well as a bottle of glue and some stickers and a big photo album. The two were laughing together, like all best friends do. "Can you believe that Tai can actually fit that many marshmallows into his mouth?!"

"TK, you've obviously never seen him eat! He could probably have fit more than that if I didn't take the picture and make him choke on them!" Kari's hand brushed TK's, and she suddenly blushed. "Sorry…"

TK was blushing as well. "It's alright, Kari." He took a deep breath, before slowly forcing out his next sentence. "Kari… I've been wanting to ask you this for so long, but I've always been afraid before, but now… I don't know how to say this, but… will you-"

"Kari, we have to go!" TK's sentence was cut off by Kari's mother rushing into the room, pulling on a brown jacket and waving her arms frantically. "We can't be late to the game on your brother's birthday! Oh, TK, I didn't realize you were here! Sorry, but you're going to have to leave now. You two can continue scrap booking tomorrow, right?"

Kari rolled her eyes as TK nodded. "I'll see both of you tomorrow, alright?" He smiled a goodbye to Kari and walked out of the room. Kari hesitated for a moment before rushing after him.

"TK, wait a second!" Kari wrapped her arms around his neck as he turned around and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds, causing both of them to blush madly. When the kiss broke, TK blinked in shock, but Kari smiled sweetly. "Ask me tomorrow, 'kay?" TK nodded mutely, and then the scene froze.

Why am I seeing this? As soon as Hikari thought the question all sorts of frozen pictures and voices flooded her mind; there was Davis, smiling goofily at her as he asked her out for the umpteenth time; there was Ken, blushing vividly as he held out an invitation to a Christmas party; there was Yolei, her eyes shining as she saw the latest guy she had a crush on; there was little Cody, practicing his kendo as he spoke about their latest plan. And there was that boy, that boy from her dreams. He was smiling at her, running towards her, and she felt herself smile. What's going on? Why does this feel so real? Am I finally remembering my past?

Another flurry of pictures arose in her mind's eye; there was that boy, and some little boy who looked like TK, and a little girl who could have been Kari, but who were the others, and why were all of them hugging those little monsters? As soon as Hikari took the time to study each one, names began popping into her head. A blonde boy with blue eyes, who kind of looked like TK, was playing a harmonica alongside a blue-furred Digimon with a horn sticking out of its head. That's Matt, and Gabumon… A taller boy with blue hair was shoving his large glasses up his nose and sighing as the white Digimon with red hair beside him laughed at something. …and that's Joe, and Gomamon. A girl in a long pink dress and a pink hat with gorgeous brown hair and huge brown eyes was hugging a flowery plant Digimon, and both of them were sobbing. Mimi and Palmon always did cry a lot. A short boy with red hair sat next to a red Digimon with large green eyes and big wings, and both of them were staring at the stars above them. Typical Izzy and Tentomon, lost in their own world. A girl with auburn hair and a blue hat smiled serenely, and the pink bird Digimon bore the same expression. Sora and Biyomon! And finally she looked to the picture of him. Her heart stopped as she stared at the picture of the boy with spiky brown hair and the orange dinosaur, both of whom appeared to be laughing hysterically. That's Agumon, and that must mean that that boy is… Tai…

The second she finally remembered her brother's name, a great blizzard of pictures, or memories, or whatever they were filled her mind, taking over all of the empty spaces that had appeared over the last four years, and for the first time in a long time Hikari felt complete. As she left her alternate ego behind, she realized that there was just one thing missing.

Kari opened her eyes and smiled softly. TK was watching her with a grim expression, and she hated to see him look so serious. "Hey, TK."

TK blinked sadly, and for some reason tears sprang to his eyes. "H-hey, Hikari…"

Kari rolled her eyes and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Think again, blondie."

TK gasped before hugging her with all the strength he had, and she hugged him back just as much, and suddenly the other Digidestined were around her. Yolei yanked her from TK's arms and attempted to squeeze the life out of her while crying hysterically, only to have her snatched by Davis, who spun her around in circles while laughing loudly.

"Alright, alright, put me down!" Kari wiped her eyes and stood before her friends, never wanting any of them out of her sight again. "I can't believe that none of you recognized me except for TK! What happened?"

Cody shuffled his feet nervously. "Well, you kind of looked like you, but at the same time you look completely different. Look at you, you're so skinny and you look a lot older."

Ken nodded. "And the Kari I remember would never have worn black clothes unless she was going to a funeral."

They're right… That is so weird, I wonder why I've been doing that?

Davis shook his head. "Besides, Kari, it isn't like you recognized yourself, either!"

"Davis, don't be so stupid! Of course she didn't remember who she was, she had amnesia!" Yolei pounded her fist on top of her friend's head.

"But she did spend a lot of time looking at pictures of Kari, and you didn't even mention that she looked a lot like you. Davis has a point." Cody sighed impatiently. "That's what I was trying to say earlier, about why we didn't recognize you. You don't look that much like you used to…"

TK nodded. "I have another theory. Kari, do you remember when that thing possessed you during your first trip to the Digital World, when Tai and Matt were fighting?"

"Of course I do…" Maybe that's who was speaking through me earlier!

"Well, she came to Gatomon and I through you earlier today, when you fainted outside of my apartment. She said that she was the Light Deity, and she wanted to tell me not to make you regain your memories too quickly or something bad could happen. She also said that whoever made you forget everything planted fake memories in all of us, which would make us not as keen to make you remember. For example, I thought you hated me, and when you fainted you were talking like you did."

Davis frowned. "Yeah, and I remembered you telling me that I was stupid and ugly and more than likely just wanted to get in your pants rather than just be your boyfriend."

"I had this memory of you telling me that you would never speak to me again because of my being the Digimon Emperor. Of course, now I can tell that it was fake, for some reason…" Ken ran a hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes. "It's very strange…"

Cody nodded. "The fake memory I had was of you telling me that I made up the whole story about my dad being killed as a cop, and that you were going to spread the rumor that he was actually a thief killed by a cop. As soon as I saw Nobunari again, though, I remembered that you would have never said something like that."

Yolei blushed and sneaked a glance at Ken. "You told me that you were going to tell my secret to the whole world because I couldn't fix your computer. It never made too much sense to me, though…"

Kari giggled. "Oh, I think I know the one you mean… So, have you outed yourself yet?"

Yolei laughed nervously and glanced at Ken again. "Uh… No, not really…"

A loud explosion sent dust flying in their direction, and Kari felt someone push her down as a shadowy shape flew towards her. Oh no! I almost forgot about Aguadevimon!

The dust settled to reveal four unconscious rookies and one feebly stirring Gatomon. Aguadevimon roared with laughter as he towered over the Digidestined, staring straight at Kari. "You will never get Light! She doesn't remember a thing about you, Hope, and her love will be mine and mine alone!"

TK pushed himself off of Kari and stood up, shaking with anger. "You may have made her forget about me, but she would never love you!"

Aguadevimon laughed again. "I didn't really want her to forget everything; it actually hindered my plans slightly, because I had to ease her into the darkness instead of throwing it all at her at once, and then you and your friends had to try to interfere! Too bad that you failed… The only regrets I have was that I only managed to kill her parents and not that annoying brother of hers! Of course, Myotismon is taking care of him and the other Digidestined right now, which leaves me with only you all to destroy!" Aguadevimon jumped into the air and landed just in front of Kari, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look in the general direction of his eyes. "Light, submit to the darkness and become mine forever!"

Kari stared at him fiercely. "You will never get me, Aguadevimon!" Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she remembered the few seconds before her parents died. Mom and Dad are gone now, and Tai's been all alone for these long years… "I hate you!"

Aguadevimon sneered. "Whatever, Light, or Hikari or whatever you think your name is these days. You do belong to me now, and nothing you do will ever change that!"

"No, I belong to nobody, and my heart belongs to my friends, not a monster like you! You killed my parents, forced my brother to live alone for four years, and kept me from getting better. Guess what, Aguadevimon? I remember everything now, and nothing will keep me from destroying you!" Kari smacked his hand down and ran from the others, trying to lead him away.

Aguadevimon growled in anger before jumping into the air again. "You will never escape! Waters of Despair!" Aguadevimon sent both jets of water towards Kari, laughing as she screamed and covered her face.

A number of things happened in a very short amount of time: Kari screamed, Gatomon jumped to her feet and shrieked as she tried to reach her partner, Aguadevimon laughed, and TK ran and tackled Kari sideways, pushing her out of the way just before the attack hit him.

"AHHHHHH!!" TK's entire body went numb as the water kept streaming at him, throwing him up and backwards. As he landed on the sand, he faintly heard the screams of his friends and the curse of Aguadevimon, but everything was beginning to fade. Is this… the end?

"TK! TK, no, please don't go!" Kari was suddenly above him, sobbing and grabbing his shirt. "TK, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault, but you can't leave me, you just can't!"

TK lifted one arm and feebly cupped her cheek, smiling slightly. "Kari, consider that the question that I never got to ask you…"

Kari sobbed again, biting her lip as she grabbed his hand and held on as tightly as she could. "TK, I think you know my answer. Please, don't leave me now…"

"I'm sorry…" he whispered before his vision faded completely, and suddenly there was nothing.

Kari sobbed hysterically as the love of her life's hand fell from her own and his eyes closed. "TK?! TK, answer me, please! You can't go, not now! Don't leave me!"

A soaking hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Aguadevimon was snarling with rage. "You thought you could get away, huh?! Well, look where it got your little friend Hope! If you don't come with me right now, you will watch all of your friends perish!"

"Kari, no! Don't listen to him!" Gatomon was by her side suddenly, her white fur bristling and her fangs bared. "I'm not going to let you get away with this, Aguadevimon! Kari, help me out a little, will ya?"

Kari nodded, then gasped. "But, my D-3... I don't have it anymore, it must still be at home…"

Cody shouted at her from Armadillomon's side. "No, it's right here! Catch!"

Kari nodded and caught her Digivice with one hand when he threw it as hard as he could. "Gatomon, digivolve!"

"Gatomon, digivolve to…" Gatomon glowed painfully bright and leaped into the air. Her legs all began to lengthen, and wings sprouted from her back as hair grew from between her rapidly shrinking ears. "…Angewomon!"

Aguadevimon laughed again. "You have already tried this trick on me once, and I managed to defeat all of the other Digimon without any problems at all. What makes you so special, blondie?!"

"Aguadevimon, you have toyed with the memories and emotions of Kari and the other Digidestined long enough. It is time you were defeated, once and for all! Digidestined, lend me your power!" Angewomon's blond hair was fanned out behind her in the sudden wind, and her white skin had disappeared to reveal the pale skin of an angel. Her pink and white outfit was all too familiar to Kari, and she realized how much she had missed her old friend, even if she didn't remember her. And now that I finally remember all of them, TK is gone...

Davis, Ken, Yolei and Cody all stood and held out their Digivices. Streams of energy poured towards Angewomon, who absorbed every last drop before drawing one arm back and using the other as a bow. "Celestial Arrow!"

The attack crackled with immense power as it hurtled towards Aguadevimon, who disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. When the light faded, he barked with laughter. "Angewomon, I think you need to try again! You failed to strike me!"

"Are you so out of tune with yourself that you cannot even tell when you are disintegrating?" Indeed, Aguadevimon was disappearing into tiny particles of data. Angewomon de-digivolve into Salamon just as Aguadevimon began screaming.

"I can't believe this! It can't end like this! Nooooooooo!!" Aguadevimon finally completely disappeared with a horrible scream, and Kari fell to her knees and crawled to TK's lifeless body, letting herself collapse onto his chest.

"TK… You can't be gone, you can't leave me… I love you…" A single teardrop fell from her cheek and landed on his shirt, glowing with a vividly pink light.

LINELINElineLINELINE

TK stirred and opened his eyes slowly, looking around drowsily. He could see nothing but darkness, and to his embarrassment he was completely naked. Where am I? Is this what happens when you die? I'm so sleepy… Maybe I should lie down.

"Hope, you cannot leave the world of the living." Kari's voice appeared from behind him, and he blushed hotly. An instant late he was wearing his clothes again, and he felt significantly more awake. "You have your entire life ahead of you."

Kari appeared beside him, but her eyes were glowing pink again. "There are still people and Digimon who need you, Hope. You have been given a second chance at life, because you were so wrongly destroyed in the first place."

TK scratched his head. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying, Light Deity. Don't humans just die in the Digital World?"

The deity nodded. "Normally, yes, but the circumstances surrounding your death were anything but normal. You sacrificed yourself to save Light, the one you love, and in doing so gave her a chance to destroy Aguadevimon, the Undersea Master, once and for all."

"Oh…"

"Hope, you need to return to your body. The Digital World still needs you, as do Patamon and Kari. Please, go back…"

TK nodded. "Alright, I will. Thanks for everything, Light Deity."

She smiled, and suddenly everything turned bright pink and began to spin. Boy, now I know what a cotton candy mixer feels like…

When everything stopped spinning, TK felt someone lying on his chest. "You can't be gone, you can't leave me… I love you."

TK opened his eyes as Kari began sobbing horribly, her entire body shaking. He reached out to stroke her hair, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. Sheesh, I may be alive, but I'm not anywhere close to okay… "Look me in the eyes and say that again, Kari."

Kari's back stiffened as his hand found her hair, but she looked at him with bleary eyes and cracked a watery smile. "Do I have to?"

TK nodded, and she laughed. "Alright. I love you, TK Takaishi."

He smiled too as he sat up slowly, and she threw her arms around him, sobbing all over again. "Kari! I'm alive, I'm fine, so why are you crying?!"

"I just got you back, and then I thought I had lost you for good, TK. I didn't realize what it was when I didn't have my memory, but I always knew that something was missing, and I just found out that it was you."

TK smiled and hugged her back. Salamon jumped on top of them, toppling them over and laughing. "TK! You're okay!"

"I will be, if everyone stops tackling me…" The three of them laughed even more as the rest of the Digidestined and their awoken partners made their way over.

"TK! You're alright," Cody shouted joyfully at the sight of his DNA partner alive and smiling. "We though you were dead!"

"I almost was, but the Light Deity said that I wasn't done here yet. So, here I am."

Kari stood and began to brush her clothes off, only to gasp in surprise. "Wait, I'm back in my own clothes, not that stupid black wedding gown! And my hair and nails, they're back to normal as well!"

"I didn't even notice, but you're right! You look so much better with brown hair, Kari! Please don't dye it again!" Yolei pulled her friend into a tight hug and sniffled a little. "I was so scared for you, Kari… I just found you again, and then Aguadevimon almost snatched you!"

Hawkmon coughed slightly, and everyone stopped talking or laughing or crying and looked at him. "I hate to interrupt this, but we need to get to the Digital World, the real Digital World. Tai and the others are still in grave danger."

TK gasped and stood up, only to almost collapse again. Davis and Ken caught him under each arm, and he smiled weakly. "Thanks…"

"Oh, TK! You're hurt…" Kari gasped as the front of his shirt began to darken with blood, but he just grimaced and shook his head.

"I'll be fine, it's just a scratch, but we need to get to Tai and the others, right now. Myotismon is trying to press them all for information about your whereabouts and turn them into his slaves… The last I heard, only Joe had succumbed to the pressure." He turned to Hawkmon. "Have there been any changes?"

Hawkmon nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, yes. Before we were summoned here by Kari's light, we were staking out the File Island prison. They had escorted Tai away, saying something about taking him to serve Myotismon because he turned to their side, and a couple hours later they threw a bunch of Digimon in there, including Ogremon, Leomon and Patamon."

Veemon nodded. "Yeah, and then I heard them say that all of the Digidestined but you and Sora had caved to the darkness, but that Sora probably would as soon as she saw Tai. At least I think that's what they meant, they were using Love and Courage and Hope and stuff…"

Eesh, how much can go wrong in such a short period of time? "Alright, then. We've got to get to them and help. Let's go!"

Khgirl08: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! Um, yeah, so Kari finally has her memory back, and TK didn't die… Although I meant him to, I just couldn't bring myself to kill one of my favorite anime characters off, so… yeah. Anyhow, please review! The next chapter will be a while, I think, so please don't forget about this story in the mean time!