The Ivani Chronicles : Book 3 – Rancor : Chapter 6 – Serenity
"Kari," TK shouted again. Amazement shone in his eyes as a wave of relief rushed over him. The figure before him was no threat. With an effort, he forced himself to his feet. He could see the smile on Kari's face then. He realized that she must have been equally nervous.
"Hey there," the blond-haired boy whispered. He wrapped his arms around Kari, grinning into her hair. Kari cringed away, and TK released the girl at once. "What's wrong?" He asked, moving his hands to her shoulders. He lifted his left hand almost immediately, blood now smeared across his fingers. TK couldn't see the extent of the injury, but his eyes were wide all the same. "What happened?"
Kari tried to adjust her clothing to better cover the injury, both in worry and embarrassment. "Ivan and I were fighting a drone while we were waiting for Sera to open the door," she explained meekly.
"Are you okay?" TK went on, trying to keep his voice even. Kari nodded her head slightly.
"It hurts," she admitted, "but I'll live. I just wish I hadn't left all of the medical equipment in Sera's hands."
"Is it still bleeding?" Again, Kari nodded in response. TK frowned, looking down at the pair of satchels that he had with him. He knew without looking that he, too, had no bandages or medicine - Maddie had enough supplies to cover everyone. "Don't we have anything we could use?" he asked, as much of himself as of Kari.
"I was going to try to use some of this tunic to cover it," she told him, "but I don't trust myself to use my sword without catching my other arm. I really didn't want to be bleeding any more, so I've just been holding this sleeve as best I can." She paused for a moment before venturing to ask, "Do you want to try it?" TK perked up at once.
"Of course," he said. His eyes connected with hers in the dim, red light and she smiled. With ginger care, she drew her sword with her uninjured arm and handed the hilt to TK. As he took the weapon, he looked around for somewhere to seat the girl. "We're short on chairs," he concluded after a minute. Kari shrugged.
"I can kneel, if that will help," she offered. Without another option, TK nodded. The pair knelt down on the metal floor, facing one another. Kari then held her left arm out to the boy, explaining, "If you can cut a strip around my wrist, I think it'll be long enough to tie on my arm. Maybe two strips for good measure?" TK set to work at once, following Kari's instructions as he cut the tunic. He was quickly realizing how unwieldy and foreign a sword felt in his hands, especially when trying to make such distinct cuts. His focus was on Kari, though, and he ignored the discomfort in his knees and the cramps forming in his arm for her sake. Soon, he had two long lengths of pink fabric in his hand, at the expense of Kari's sleeve. Her tunic seemed oddly unbalanced now, with the bloodied sleeve hanging below her wrist while the clean sleeve was barely reaching her elbow. TK couldn't help but smile at the sight; even in dirty, bruised, and scarred clothing, Kari never ceased to take his breath away.
TK moved to Kari's right side, placing one knee behind her and the other beneath her wounded arm. He tried to get a better idea of the injury's location, but the low lighting and the matted tunic thoroughly repulsed his sight. "We need to do something about the tunic for a minute," TK said. Kari looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes large in the ruby light.
"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice soft. TK nodded, though he didn't understand. He also wasn't sure why his heart rate was accelerating. He thought at first that it was his darling's smile that had set him off. But as Kari turned her back on the boy, he found that he was wrong.
As carefully as she could, Kari removed her gloves. She then slipped her tunic from her body, starting with her left arm. She was exceptionally careful as she took the fabric from her wounded shoulder. The white T-shirt that she wore underneath the tunic was likewise stained with her blood about her shoulder. She let the heavy tunic pool about her waist, now supported only by her belt.
Kari paused, her hands at her waist. She gazed at TK, warmth in her eyes that the boy didn't recognize. She whispered, "I love you," and then dropped her head. She then tugged the hem of her shirt up. She eased her right arm through the cloth first, keeping a careful eye on her cut. Swallowing her nervousness, she pulled the shirt the rest of the way from her body. She laid the T-shirt before her knees, and then leaned back, in her kneeling position, trying to not look at her boyfriend.
TK did his utmost to keep his jaw in place. He had seen Kari in a bathing suit before, he reminded himself. Seeing her in just her bra wasn't any different. His body insisted otherwise. He felt like his heart would break at the rate it was moving; his palms were sweating; his knees were trembling, even though he was kneeling on the ground. He took a deep breath, tentatively stretching out a hand to her unhurt shoulder. "Kari," he exhaled. His thumb ran along the white strap over her shoulder, confirming that there was nothing else between his hand and her skin.
Instinctually, TK dropped his right arm around Kari's waist, pulling her to rest against his chest. Kari's eyes slid closed, her left hand clasping over his arm. "Hey, TK," she whispered. She nuzzled her head against his. He kissed her cheek, her ear, and trailed his lips down her neck. Both of his arms were around her waist now, his eyes shut against her collarbone. His hands were warm against her stomach, hugging her tightly. She giggled then, in spite of herself. Her hand moved from his wrist to his hand, tugging on the pink cloth wrapped between his fingers.
"Can we put those on me before we go any further?" she asked him. TK nodded, forcing himself to chuckle as well. With a shake of his head, the blond-haired boy released Kari and moved back to her side. Kari brushed her hair to the side, using her left hand to hold it out of TK's way. With soft, measured movements, TK brushed away all of the stray fibers in her injury and cleaned the blood from beyond the incision. He then wrapped one of the makeshift bandages around her cut, covering the length of the wound effectively. He tied a firm knot to keep the fabric in place, though he did his best to keep from hurting Kari too much in the process. Her eyes were clenched in pain, he knew, but he forced his hands to confirm the bandage's tightness. So long as the cloth was secure, he figured that her wound would heal more quickly. The other strip, now damp with the blood that he cleaned from her arm, he discarded to the side of the room.
"One bandage will have to do," TK conceded. Kari shook her head in agreement, venturing to open her eyes. She looked at the bandage, tight about her shoulder, then to TK.
"Thanks, TK," she said quietly. "It should help a lot." Now daring to use her injured arm, she held out her hands to the boy. TK smiled at her, gratefully returning the embrace. He buried his head against her collarbone again, his hands running along her bare back. Kari's hands were on his shoulders, and she rested her chin against the top of his head. "Thanks," she repeated.
Gradually, TK raised his head from Kari's shoulder. His eyes looked at the thin chain around her neck, her crest hanging just above the cut of her bra. He brought a hand from her back to her neck, his fingers running along the cool metal. He looked up to Kari's eyes, silently seeking her permission. Kari's only response was a small smile, her head tilting to the side slightly. Then, slipping her hands behind TK's head, she leaned forward to kiss him. The familiar bursting sensation shot through the boy's heart once again, his hand rising to cup Kari's cheek.
Kari took a hand from TK's neck and placed it over the boy's hand. She lifted his hand from her face and rested it against her neck again. As she continued to kiss him, she began to lead his hand along the necklace. His fingers were soon tracing the outline of her crest, then her skin underneath. Her hand led him lower, however, and he was suddenly feeling thoroughly inexperienced. His experience was inconsequential, he soon found, as his emotions and instincts were as good a guide as he could ask for.
His fingers gently brushed over the skin exposed from her bra, then along the fabric itself. His fingers spread over her breast, lightly squeezing and massaging her through the cloth. Kari sighed against TK's lips, returning her hand to his neck as she renewed her kisses. Her nerves were ablaze with new sensations, driving her emotions to heights she didn't know existed. She caressed his cheek, his chin, his neck, and his ears with her small hands as she kissed him fervently, almost clumsily.
TK continued to massage Kari's chest. His fingers were tingling with anticipation. He ran his hand up over her bare skin again. She was softer than he had ever imagined. He meanwhile tried to focus on kissing the girl, relishing in the feel of her hands on his skin. His free hand curled around the back of her neck, playing with her hair as it swished across his fingers. He couldn't help focusing on the exploration that Kari was giving him, though. His hand began to move down over her breast again, this time ignoring the barrier of her underwear.
Kari gasped as she felt TK's hand move inside her bra. But she didn't hesitate in complying, rolling her shoulder to slip off the strap. The tension on the fabric faded, letting the air brush against her skin unabated. TK's hand was against her skin now, too, as he cupped her breast in his hand. She sighed again, pushing her chest towards him. She managed to whisper, "TK," in the boy's ear as she kissed his cheek. "Oh, TK."
"I love you," TK whispered in answer. With regret, he then forced his hormones into check. He knew that there were greater responsibilities and dangers that needed their attention. After stroking his fingers over Kari's breast a last time, he dropped his hand to the brown-haired girl's arm. He lifted the strap of her bra back into place, doing his best to make sure that it was as he left it. He then kissed Kari's ear and slipped his hand down her back. He hugged her tightly, kissing at her neck.
Kari smirked, wrapping her arms around TK's shoulders. "Not exactly the best place for our first time, eh?" she asked. TK shook his head against her shoulder. Kari sighed in mock-frustration.
"There are too many other things to worry about right now," TK said, trying to convince himself as much as Kari. "But maybe," he added, raising his head from her shoulder to look in her eyes, "maybe we can continue this once we get through here. Once we're back home, we can spend some time being closer together." Kari grinned at the boy. Simply seeing his eyes, shining blue in open defiance of the red lighting, was enough to win her over.
"Absolutely," she agreed, "though I don't know that I could keep your hands off of me if I tried." TK's expression was suddenly shocked and, soon thereafter, indignant. Kari giggled. She grabbed the boy's chin and kissed him a last time before picking up her shirt and throwing it over her body.
TK opened his mouth a few times, searching for words of retort. But before anything came to mind, Kari had finished tucking her tunic back into place and was on her feet, brushing off dust from her clothes. Satisfied, she turned to TK with a wide smile. "Thanks for helping me bandage my shoulder," she said over TK's stuttering attempt at a response. "It was a very... therapeutic experience." She then turned from TK, walking back to the thin metal door with a swish of brown hair. The boy could only stare, his cheeks suddenly hot.
After a moment, TK had recuperated enough to speak: "Any ideas about what we should do in the meantime?" Kari turned back to him, her expression quizzical. TK elaborated, "Can we get back to Ivan and Maddie? Or is there something we can do to help them here?" Kari shrugged her shoulders.
"The doors to go back outside are locked," she informed him. "I don't know that we can get out, even if the electricity is cut; the doors will probably stay where they are, and we don't have anything to move them with. I don't know what we can do to help from here, either. My best guess for what we should do is through this door-" she jerked her thumb over her shoulder in indication "-which is where I was going to go before I heard you skulking around."
"I wasn't skulking," TK said defensively. Kari simply grinned at him. "To tell the truth, I was trying to get better hidden from you." Kari's mouth fell open in shock. "I didn't know it was you at first," the boy added quickly. Kari forced her expression to be firm, disapproving. "I thought you were going to be a drone or something that wanted me dead," he mumbled in conclusion.
"You'd better be careful," Kari said threateningly, crossing her arms across her chest, "or I may be that something that wants you dead." TK forced a sheepish smile. He was on his feet then, his shoulders slouched in submission to the girl. Kari rolled her eyes and turned back to the doorway. "Let's just get going shall we?" TK nodded.
TK moved to add a verbal apology, but Kari had already opened the door. As she swung the portal open, there was a loud yelp, followed instantly by a heavy thudding noise. Kari jumped back from the door, nearly falling into TK. Only his reflexes saved the two of them from falling. In the pool of light filtering through the open doorway, there was now a large, hairy mass. Part of the fur ball rose up, and the two humans quickly discerned that they were staring at the head of the creature. The creature then noticed them. At the sight, it seemed to cower.
"Oh great," the creature grumbled. The voice was startlingly familiar.
"Houndramon?" TK ventured.
"Busted," Houndramon muttered. He stood from the ground, shaking his paws to regain feeling. TK and Kari then noticed, for the first time, that Houndramon was limping as he paced before them.
"Are you okay?" TK said, stepping around Kari to kneel before the digimon. Houndramon forced a grin.
"I'm tougher than I look, TK," he said defiantly. "I'll be just fine. After all, I was well enough to come up here and make sure that you two weren't more drones."
"What are you doing here?" Kari asked, hundreds of other questions rising up in her mind. Houndramon bowed his head, looking sullen even in the bright light.
"Lyrmon and I were doing a fine job of leading that turret for a while," Houndramon said, "but as luck would have it, there were three drones waiting for us around the corner. We managed to dispatch two of them, but the third was just too much for her."
Kari's eyes narrowed. "Don't change the subject. You've been spying on us, haven't you?" she asked slowly. Houndramon stopped short. He swallowed audibly, doing his best to not look directly at Kari.
"I wasn't spying," he protested. "I-I was simply ensuring that there was n-no danger that would come from a-anything up here. There was s-some noise, and I-I didn't want anything to be threatening Lyrmon."
"I told him to leave it alone," a weak voice called from the stairwell beyond. Kari forced her rage and embarrassment down at the voice of the other digimon. She threw a scornful glance at the dog digimon before rushing past him to Lyrmon at the bottom of the stairwell.
"We'll deal with you later," TK said bitterly, standing to follow his girlfriend. The sudden pain in his chest was making him thoroughly uncomfortable. The thought of anyone eavesdropping on his private life irked him more than he could stand. "I hope you don't mind donating your fur to be a new rug," He added, stepping over the dog to reach the door. Houndramon whimpered, trailing guiltily at the boy's heels.
"Don't be too harsh on him," Lyrmon's voice came again. TK moved quickly down the stairs, hearing Kari gasp as he went. He was trying to imagine circumstances under which he would be more lenient against a trespasser. As he came to a stop at Kari's side, his eyes went wide. "He just wanted to make sure that I was safe," Lyrmon said. Her smile was genuine, compassionate, and pained at the same time. TK swallowed hard. The circumstances were suddenly becoming clear.
Lyrmon was huddled against the steel wall of the chamber. Her body seemed battered, nearly broken in two. The steel plating of both the wall and the floor were stained crimson under the fluorescent yellow lights. There was a large wound across her chest, as well as a significant gash across her right side - her presently exposed flank. Her fur had matted around the wounds, but her bleeding had yet to cease. Houndramon looked a little worse for wear, it was true, but he seemed pristine in comparison to Lyrmon. She looked down demurely. "It's not as bad as it looks," she insisted softly.
"Oh, God," Kari whispered. Her knees felt weak suddenly. She took a few steps forward before collapsing to her hands and knees next to the panther digimon. "Is there anything we can do?" she asked, desperation in her voice. Lyrmon shrugged her shoulders slightly. Houndramon padded down the rest of the stairs, past TK and Kari, to lie down next to Lyrmon.
"We don't have access to any medicine or bandages here," Houndramon said for Lyrmon. He exposed his shoulder as best he could for Lyrmon to use as a pillow. Albeit slowly, she did accept his offer. She gratefully leaned her weight against the other digimon, letting her eyes slide closed. "I think that the best thing for her right now is to rest," Houndramon went on. "Digimon heal pretty quickly, after all. Just give her some time, and I'm sure she'll be okay to go again." He rested his head on top of hers, a sad smile on his face. "You'll be okay soon, Lyrmon. We just have to let you rest is all." Lyrmon purred against him. "You'll be fighting fit soon enough."
Kari looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were urgent, questioning. TK could only stare back; he was at a loss for any way to help. He briefly thought of cutting more of their clothing for bandages, but the option seemed pointless – Lyrmon's torso was far thicker than Kari's arm. They didn't have fabric long enough at their disposal. He did his best to keep his demeanor positive. When Kari looked away from him, however, he knew that he had failed. He sighed, slowly pacing to Kari's side. With a tug on her arm, he brought Kari to her feet. The air felt colder against TK's face, but he shrugged off the chill with the fire of hope against his chest.
"There must be something we can do," TK stated. He looked to Houndramon, who stared back from one eye. "You've never been one to give up before-"
"Give up?" Houndramon interjected. His eyes were suddenly narrow. "I'm not giving up on anything. I'm providing everything that I can. You of all people should understand the merit of comfort as a medicine." TK faltered under the digimon's glare. But then Kari was at his side, her voice calm.
"Your gesture is certainly sincere," she assured the digimon, "and you must appreciate it, Lyrmon." The panther gave a small nod. Kari smiled softly. "And so I believe you," she continued, looking again to Houndramon. "You are doing the best that you can for Lyrmon. The problem is that TK and I are not. Comfort is a great provision, but there must be something else that TK and I can do to help Lyrmon get back on her feet faster. Do you understand?" Houndramon shook his head in the affirmative, though he moved reluctantly. He then turned his furry muzzle to look at the door behind him.
The black-furred beast said, "Lyrmon and I only came this far into the building after our initial retreat. It was well lit, so I decided that I would be able to fight better here. Lyrmon also has two exit options if something happens to me," he added under his breath. Kari and TK both nodded, looking from the digimon to the closed door. The dog's eyes followed theirs. "We never went through that door, though. If there's anything around here that can help us, it'd have to be through there. But the lighting's just as bad in there as it is upstairs, maybe even worse." Kari looked at TK, who already had a hoping smile on his face. Kari chuckled.
"We'll take a look," TK said. Houndramon nodded, a small yet grateful smile on his muzzle. The boy knelt down next to Lyrmon once more, whispering, "Hang in there," softly in her ear. She made no motion to acknowledge him. TK looked over his shoulder at Kari, his eyebrows raised in worry. Kari could only return the glance, biting down on her lower lip in restraint. TK's eyes then wandered to the door, focusing on the handle. Without a second thought, TK jumped to his feet and wrenched open the door. Determination swept through his senses, drowning out any doubt or hesitation that threatened him with inactivity.
Kari followed the blond-haired boy across the threshold, placing a hand on the hilt of her weapon. "We'll be back in no time," she called quietly over her shoulder. She couldn't see the digimon's reaction; she hoped sincerely that they would be all right until they returned. But the door had slammed closed before Kari could add anything more. She and TK were plunged into a stark darkness, enveloping them with supernatural rapidity. Even the peeking light from the window of the door seemed weaker, almost muted by the black air.
The couple paused on the far side of the door. They waited in silence, hoping that their eyes would adjust to the darkness. However, their senses only seemed to further decay over time. TK continued to blink his eyes, trying to clear away the film of black that had seemingly descended over his vision. He couldn't shake it. Kari had no better luck, groping blindly into the air before her. She caught TK's armored forearm at length, and she sighed. "Good to know that I can still feel things," she commented, her thin attempt at calmness causing TK to chuckle.
"I know what you mean," he replied. He raised his arm to take Kari's hand in his own. "Come on," he said with a tug. "I think I've got my other hand on the wall now. With any luck, we can get a feel for what's in the room by walking around the perimeter."
"Okay," Kari whispered. She let TK lead their expedition, straining to make out any distinguishing features in the room. She had little luck, though; even the doorway was fading quickly behind the shroud covering her eyes. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine. "Why is it so dark?" she asked TK. the boy in front of her exhaled slowly.
"I'm not sure," he answered in equal quiet. "But whatever it is, I still can't see anything. I'm not sure I can even make out the door we came through anymore." Kari squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him as much as herself.
"It's only the dark," Kari said in a voice that hoped to be confident. TK smirked.
"You're right," he agreed. "It's just dark in here; nothing to worry about."
"Who said anything about being worried?" Kari rejoined, smirking in the darkness.
"I have no idea," TK said, shaking the hand that held Kari's.
A sudden crash of metal on metal shrieked out from the far side of the room. Kari yelped, jumping instantly to TK's side. Her eyes were wide, and TK could suddenly see her face again. She was bathed in a fluorescent green light, lighting up her horrified features as if with an eerie phosphorescence. TK immediately tore his eyes from Kari to look at the source of the light.
On the far side of the room, there was a large, hollow chamber with several neon green rods lining the back wall. The chamber appeared thoroughly cylindrical: a perfectly curved wall with a flat base and ceiling. The green light from the chamber was already fading, however, as a large barrier of blackness began to eclipse the chamber. The rays of green retreated rapidly from Kari's face, across the immaculate floor, and back to the interior of the chamber. There was a second, ear-piercing squeal from metal clashing on metal as the door closed completely.
TK turned to face Kari again. He could hardly see her in the darkness, but he knew that she was still terrified: her body was still quaking against his. "What's wrong?" TK asked in a hushed voice. Kari jumped. She looked around vaguely for TK's face, but found that her sight was once again completely veiled.
"I- I don't know," Kari mumbled. She shook her head, hoping that she could calm herself down. "I'm sure it was nothing," she went on, "just a loud noise and bright lights; nothing to be frightened of."
"Then why are you so frightened?" TK pressed. He looked back towards the source of the light. He squinted, trying to make out what may have opened the door.
"Forget about it-"
"Did you see something come out of that room?" TK asked. His voice was hushed, but an undercurrent of urgency was clear.
Kari sighed. Slowly, she nodded her head. "There was… something," she admitted, analyzing the image in her mind. "I don't know what it was, and I could only see the silhouette for a second. All I can remember is that in that second," Kari's voice trailed off. She shuffled her fee forward, until her chest pressed against TK's arm. He then felt the girl's head against his shoulder pad. "In that moment, I knew that whatever came out of there wanted to kill me. To kill you – kill everyone that matters to me." TK could feel Kari shiver. His heart was abruptly experiencing the sensation of a vice grip.
"Don't worry," TK whispered, his chin on the girl's head. "If anything came out of there, it would have to make some noise when it moves. I can't hear anything right now. Did you see where the thing went?"
Kari shook her head, her chin brushing back and forth across the boy's leather plating. "I blinked, and whatever was there was already gone. Just those creepy green lights were left."
TK mulled the thought over in his head. "Then I'll bet we're fine. I'll bet that what you saw was just your mind playing tricks on you." Despite his words, TK couldn't help looking around the room anxiously. He wished that he could make out more of the room. As it was, he could barely see Kari's hair without shoving his cave into her brown locks. "We'll be fine," TK repeated, half to himself.
Kari nodded and took a step back. "Yeah," she agreed. "I don't see any sign of that thing anymore, so I bet I was just imagining things. This whole place has me a bit spooked, after all."
I don't blame ya," TK said with a shake of his head. He went on: "Come on, let's see what we can to get out of here and onto something that might actually help Lyrmon ad Houndramon." With that, TK turned to move in the direction they had started in.
TK had taken only a few steps before he stopped again. He turned around, squinting desperately into the darkness. "Did you hear that?" he asked, his voice low. Kari blinked, looking around vaguely in the gloom.
"Hear what?" she returned. TK shushed her, leaning forward. He strained his ears, searching for what he had heard.
"It sounded like footsteps," TK explained after a moment. He stood up straight again, gradually, reluctantly. "More than just ours, that is. I got the impression that we were being shadowed or something." He shook his head. "I must be hearing things."
"I think so," Kari said slowly. "I mean, we can't have much of a shadow in here anyways, right?" She forced a small laugh, as no other way to cope came to mind.
"I guess you're right," TK said. With another breath, TK nodded and turned back to the wall. "If we can keep going, I bet we'll find that we're all set. There may even be some legitimate equipment stashed around here somewhere. They have to have some things for maintenance and whatnot, right?"
"I sure hope so," Kari whispered. "I'd hate to go through this darkness for nothing."
TK continued to walk, his left hand running along the wall to keep him grounded. His right hand, meanwhile, held Kari's firmly. With each footstep, he could hear the same noise again. The noise resembled horse-shoed hooves on a steel gangway. The noise was soft, nearly muted to his ears, but the sounds were there all the same – he was sure of it.
"I can still hear it," TK whispered over his shoulder. Kari looked u, searching for TK's face in the blackness. Her eyes were focused, but she could barely make out the boy's outline. Then without any further warning, TK started walking faster. He doubled his pace, tugging Kari's arm to keep her near.
The metal steps continued to match his pace. TK groaned, piecing together what must have happened. Some being had escaped before Kari's eyes and now it was stalking them across the room. Meanwhile, TK forced his eyes to continue staring into the darkness around the human couple. He hoped that he could spot any oncoming danger before it chose to strike at them directly.
Kari's breathing was hastening, though not from the ever-increasing pace. She may have missed the noises before, but she was now starting to catch the sound of footsteps behind them as well. Whenever she glanced over her shoulder, the impenetrable darkness was all that came to meet her. Even the door from which they had come was completely hidden from view now.
TK suddenly broke from his fast walking into an outright run. He dragged Kari after him, clenching his grip on her hand to remind himself that she was still with him. In his ears, the pounding of his blood matched the pounding of the steel footsteps behind them. His heart was racing. The thought of being attacked while unarmed was not high on his list of activities, and he was further unnerved by the oppressive darkness. "I might as well fight blindfolded," he grunted under his heaving breath.
The wall turned left, then back to the right. There was another right turn some time later, and TK nearly crashed into the wall in his haste. He cursed as he changed his direction, daring to glance back into the opaque blackness for a possible sign of their pursuer. There was no visible sign, of course; TK ran on, with Kari at his heels.
Without warning, TK's left hand collided with the handle of a door. He gasped, lurching to a stop at the sign of an escape route. Kari skidded into TK, oblivious of his halt. She cried out as she knocked into the blond-haired boy with a jolt. TK barely managed to keep his footing – he pulled himself upright with the door handle.
"Quick," he whispered urgently, "we need to get through this door. If we can close it behind us, then we'll know that there's at least something between us and the-"
"Wait," Kari said abruptly. TK's voice cut off as requested. The boy subsequently turned around, looking and listening in the darkness. But there was only black air and silence to greet him. TK's heart beat heavily in his chest, but there were no more metallic footsteps to match. TK sighed.
"Do you think it's gone?" Kai managed to ask after a moment of absolute silence. TK could only nod, squeezing Kari's hand for reassurance.
"Yeah," TK agreed verbally, "if only for a moment." With another glance around the room, he turned to face the girl beside him. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine," Kari told him. "I just need my heart to stop beating a mile a minute." She cast a wary glance away from TK, trying in vain to discern another outline in the black air. "I doubt that we're out of the woods yet, though. I hope that there's some light on the far side of this door. I can't stand not being able to see anything; I can't even see you."
"I know," TK said. He tried to even his rapid breathing as he continued: "light would be really helpful now. It's too bad Maddie isn't here to cast one of her spells; that would give us some sight beyond our noses, wouldn't it?"
"It's a shame," Kari agreed. She looked down, though she couldn't actively look at her shoes in the room. "I'm sorry I can't provide any aid, either," she mumbled.
TK paused. He dropped his hand from the door, looking over at Kari. "What are you talking about?" he asked her gently. He placed left hand on her shoulder. Kari shrugged.
"Light is supposed to be my expertise, isn't it?" Kari said, her tone saturated with dejection. "I should be able to do something about all this gloom, but I can't. I can't do what Maddie does, or what any of them do." TK smiled at the girl, though only he knew. He slid his hand from her shoulder to her cheek.
"You don't need to do what they do," TK assured her. "You do so much just as you are. Not only have you proven that you can fight now, but you've also shown just how dedicated you are to helping the other people and digimon that we're working with. "There are more kinds of light than the visible kind, Kari. Maybe finding something to help Lyrmon heal will help show you just how strongly your light shines." TK rubbed Kari's cheek for a moment longer, and then let his hand fall away from her.
"Thanks, TK," Kari managed to reply. She squeezed the hand that she held tightly.
"Always," TK stated warmly. His attention returned again to the door, hi hand gliding over the smooth metal wall in search of the handle. After a few moments, his hand hit the metal bar. "All right," TK said with more enthusiasm than necessary. He flashed a grin in Kari's direction then began to tug on the door handle.
As soon as TK had opened the door by the slightest margin, he heard a scraping noise directly behind him. His muscles froze. The sound was familiar – it was the same sound he recognized from his training practices with Ivan. Each time that Ivan had drawn or sheathed his weapon, the blade had invariably scraped against his scabbard. TK swallowed audibly. Apparently, their pursuer hadn't given up the chase so easily.
Kari never heard the sound of the drawn sword, but she could feel TK's body become tense. "What is it?" she asked, trying to look around the boy to see through the opening of the door. She then heard a decisive clang of metal upon metal. The sound mirrored the footsteps from before, but this time it was louder – it was closer.
In the next instant, TK had dropped to the ground. Kari screamed as she saw a long sword jutting from the door, glinting with a light that seemed to emanate from the blade itself. Kari reached for her weapon at once, but the sword withdrew before she could react further. With her sword in hand, Kari scanned the imposing blackness for any sign of the glowing weapon or its owner. She saw no sign of either. The light of the blade had disappeared into the gloom without a trace. Kari shivered again.
"What was that?" Kari asked as TK regained his feet. The boy could only shrug.
"You didn't see anything?" He asked in reply. Kari shook her head.
"One minute, there was your outline. The next minute, there was a bright sword in the place of your head. And then it was gone, just like that-" she snapped her fingers in demonstration. "I don't know where it went, or where it came from. I just – God." Kari placed her free hand over her eyes.
TK swallowed hard – again – and stepped next to Kari. He kept an eye focused on the darkness while his arms hugged the shaking girl. "It's okay, Kari," he said soothingly. "I'm okay. Whatever it is that's attacking us, I think it's just trying to scare us. It wouldn't have missed me if it meant to kill me."
"So, what," Kari muttered, "is it trying to scare us out of here? Is it just playing with us until it's ready to kill us?" TK shushed the girl softly, trying to calm her.
"I don't know, Kari," TK said, speaking in a whisper. "I don't know what's happening. But scare tactics won't keep us from helping Lyrmon, right? She needs our help, Kari. She needs help, and our only chance of finding any help has to be in here somewhere." Kari sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"I just can't stand seeing you get hurt," she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes dry. "Even though he missed, I could've sworn for a second that you hadn't moved."
"Ah," was the only word TK could find in response. He smiled half-heartedly as he stared at Kari's face. He couldn't make out her expression, but he could discern her eyes, large and shimmering, despite the oppressive darkness. He kissed her forehead, letting his eyes close for a moment. After staring at the black room for so long, it was almost relaxing to have his eyes rest behind his eyelids.
There was a sudden clanging noise from the far side of the room. Both children jumped, eyes snapping open again. The darkness gave no hint to the source of the noise, however. TK looked to Kari. "How about we get through that door, huh?"
"Couldn't agree more,"
Without a second thought, TK swung the door open fully. He placed a hand on Kari's back and forced her through. TK was right on the girl's heels. He did his best to pretend that the same sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath wasn't ringing in his ears as he rushed over the threshold.
The steel door swung into place behind the pair, banging noisily on its hinges and against its likewise metal frame.