Chapter 7 Worth

K, my goal was to finish this by Wednesday... its been over a week since then.

Yolei awoke to the sound of screams. She bolted upwards and attempted to locate who was making the noise. Only then did she realize her vision was blurry.

"Where are my glasses?" She thought aloud. She shuffled along the floor to look for them. Crack. Turning a little pale she reached out to find her glasses partially shattered under the weight of her leg. She sighed as she tried to put them on. Her vision was slightly better, albeit she could sometimes see double. Finally Yolei stood up and got a good look of her surroundings. She was in a very earthy terrain near a cave, though her last memory was of her looking for Elecmon by the river.

She heard the scream again, and realized that it was coming from within. She took a big gulp and headed inside. As soon as she entered, the cave turned pitch black. She turned around to find the entrance was blocked.

Crap


Joe, Gomamon, Izzy and Tentomon arrived at the park to find that there were no more digimon to fight. Instead a large crowd gathered by an ambulance.

"What's going on?" Gomamon asked.

"Dunno, let's check it out," Joe said. They ran towards the crowd just as the ambulance shut its doors.

"What happened?" Izzy asked a nearby man.

"A man collapsed in the middle of the park. He was with one of them monsters... uh digimon I think that's what they're called. Like the ones you two have but yellow," He explained. "It was pretty weird one minute he was find, next he's as cold as ice."

The two digidestined looked at each other with mutual agreement, though their stomachs turned over. Just before the ambulance started its engine Joe and Izzy pleaded with the paramedics to let them in. Agumon spotted them in the crowd and shouted "Meet us at the hospital." knowing that there was not enough room inside.

Joe and Izzy nodded as they headed in the hospital's direction on their own.

The ambulance drove off. Agumon held on to Tai's hand as the paramedics tried to stabalize the brunette.

Please don't die Agumon begged.


Matt, Mimi, and Sora regrouped at Luca's apartment.

"Why did they all appear?" Palmon asked collapsing on the couch.

"The reason is the 4 gods," Matt said.

"The four gods?" Sora repeated. "You mean from the message."

Matt nodded. His eyes wandered towards the little boy playing with blocks. "This boy... there's something about him..." He walked towards the boy. And crouched to eye level.

"Luca, Nii-san has a question." Matt said calmly.

The boy looked up at the digidestined, "Yes?"

"Have you ever talked to someone that other people couldn't see?" Matt asked

"You mean like an imaginary friend?" Mimi asked.

"Why do you need to know that?" Sora questioned.

"He's not imagiary... he weal!" Luca huffed.

"Huh who is, Luca?" His babysitter asked

"Mr Faith Mr Faith!" Luca jumped. "Momma always says I'm just imagiying but Mr. Faith is real! He tells me all these stories. He's awesome!"

"Really now? Hmmm... what has Mr. Faith told you Luca?" Matt asked, his interest peaking.

"Oh Matt, what are you trying-" Mimi was cut off by Matt.

"Well he tells me all sorts of stuff. Like the stowies about staws and knights and superpowas." Luca said imitating a superhero flying.

"So did he tell you the story you told me the night before?" Sora asked.

The boy nodded in reply.

Matt nodded, "That's what I thought. This boy has Faith.

"You mean he believes in God?" Mimi asked

The Blond digidestined shook his head, "No, like the being Faith. Like Hope, Light and Darkness which reside in TK, Kari, and Mia." He looked at the boy as the child continued playing with the digimon. "One of the four Guardians."

"Sweet so now we have all four Guardians here to fight those four Guards." Mimi said excitedly.

"Hold on!" Sora jumped in, "Luca's just a boy! He's barely..."

"Those Guardians do not choose their vessels based on age but on their heart." Matt pointed straight at the boy, "This kid's strength is his faith in not just himself but on others around him."

"How could you know?" Sora was shocked, "You've just met him."

"I...uhh..." His eyes widen. Matt quickly grasped his right leg, trying to put pressure on to ease the pain.

"Matt!" Sora jumped and rushed over to the blonde. Gabumon headed towards Matt as well, checking to see if his partner was alright.

Matt slapped away their advances. "Don't... I'm fine." He slowly walked away from them, heading for the door. "Sora, Mimi..." He clutched onto the tag around his neck. "There will be a time in the near future where you'll have to face a difficult task to make. I just pray you don't take on that burden." He said ominously. He turned to his digimon partner, "Gabumon, let's go. We need to help Tai and the others out okay?"

"Alrighty Matt." The furry digimon replied. He told Luca goodbye and walked over to Matt's side.

"Luca," Matt called to the boy, "Be a strong boy okay! And protect these two overhere."

Luca nodded, "I WILL!"

With a final farewell, Matt departed.

Sora looked at the closed door with a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong Sora?" Biyomon asked her partner.

She clutched onto her own tag. "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."


Joe, Gomamon, Izzy, and Tentomon arrived at the hospital to find the emergency room filled with patients.

"Excuse Me," Izzy called out to the receptionist.

"Yes, yes?" She replied in a rushed manner. Simultaneously she was filling out a stack of forms on her desk and answered an telephone call.

"Do you know where a Tai Kamiya is?" Izzy asked.

"Kamiya, Kamiya... are you family?"

"Well...no...bu-"

"Then I'm sorry, you have to wait until one of his family members arrive. Please step back or wait over there." The receptionist hurried off to do other errands.

"Sigh..." Tentomon said, "If only Kari was here."

"But for now we don't have a way of contacting the younger digidestined in the other world," Izzy explained.

"Hello! Hello! I got a call that my son's in the ER! Is he alright? Is he alive?" A woman cried out to one of the nurses.

"Mrs. Kamiya?" Izzy turned to find the familiar face.

"Oh Izzy sweetie! Do you know if Tai... if he's alright?" Mrs Kamiya was frantic.

"We aren't sure," Joe piped in, "They wouldn't allow us through."

"Ah, are you in relation to Tai Kamiya?" A chubby old nurse said.

"Yes. I'm his mother is he alright?"

"For now... he's stable," The nurse replied, "However, please come with me."

Mrs. Kamiya nodded. "If only his father was in town." She moped.

"We'll come with you if we can," Izzy tried to comfort the mother.

"Very well," the nurse ushered them out of the waiting room up the elevator into the 5th floor. A doctor awaited their arrival.

"Mrs. Kamiya?" the doctor asked.

"Uhh.. ye-yes."

"Well I'm afraid your son had an extreme case of hypothermia. And for now he's in a coma."

"I-I don't understand," she said.

"This is not logical," Izzy confirmed, "It's spring, and the weather was at 17 degrees Celsius. There is no possible way that a healthy man of his age would gain hypothermia in this weather."

"We were astounded by this as well. However we ran multiple tests confirming it," the doctor cleared his throat. He opened the door and allowed them to enter. Agumon was there sitting by Tai's side.

"I'll leave you alone for now."

Mrs. Kamiya rushed to her son's side. The nurses had tried their best to warm Tai up however, when his mother touched him she immediately stepped back. "Ice..." she muttered. "...cold as ice." She began to sob. Izzy conforted the woman and led her outside.

Joe headed to the bed as well. He checked the comatosed digidestined's temperature and heart beat and scanned around his body. Tai's fingers were tinged blue. "They were right," he muttered as he continued checking his body. He carefully pulled one sleeve up to find the burn marks were the only part that remained pink in colour.

"Ah, those are the burns Tai showed us last time," Gomamon said as he leaped onto the bedside.

Joe nodded, though he was deep in thought. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye and saw that the burns stretched further back. Carefully he removed the hospital gown from Tai's shoulder. And then the rest of his back. Pink burns stretched across his back, making a familiar symbol.

"Courage," Tentomon exclaimed buzzing over Joe's shoulder.

"What on earth is going on," Joe muttered as he gazed at the symbol.


Mia found herself in a familiar place. Darkness. Though it was pitch black she was able to see far better than any normal human. Lunamon was there as well sticking close by her.

Welcome Child She heard a voice coo.

Mia knelt, Luna following suit.

Rise, rise dear one The detached voice said with a laugh

The stood straight, Mia said, My friends, they're all in danger. Please grant me power to help them again.

Aye they are all on their separate journeys to find the path to lead them to victory. However this time I cannot lend you power so easily

Why not?Mia asked

The Darkness sighed, I am growing weak. Evil powers are lurking in the shadows...

Bu-

Hush, child, someone is here. Seek shelter in the light.

The light will drain my powers...

The Darkness needs Light as much as the Light needs Darkness. Darkness paused. Luna-child, bring the young warrior back to Hikari.

Kari but wait- Mia was stopped by Lunamon forcefully dragging her away. In an instant they returned to find grey skies.

"Lunamon where are we? Didn't you forget that there was a digidest-"

The quiet digimon held up a finger, "This is the other side of the Gate..."

"So this is the Dark Ocean?" Mia gasped. She felt an evil aura surrounding the entire area. It penetrated through her skin and sent chills up and down her body.

"Lunamon digivolve to... Leksimon!" Suddenly Luna started to digivolve.

"Luna wha-!" Mia jumped in suprise.

"MOON NIGHT KICK!" No longer was the digimon the quiet little Rookie, but a more mature Champion, Leksimon leaped up high and crash landed on the ocean's surface. Data erupted from below the waves giving Mia a shock.

"How did you know...?"

"The power of the moon controls the pull of waves, I sensed some Divermon who were ready to pounce you below its depths." Leksimon winked at her partner.

Mia smiled. She clutched her digivice. It looked quite similar to the first generation digivice but was pure black in colour. It began reacting to the ocean. The dark powerful energy tugged at the digivice, but Mia held firm and stood her ground.

"Those who live at the tip of Light and Darkness always waver between both worlds." Leksimon commented noticing the tugs. "I wonder, can we remain on this edge without submerging ourselves in the evil that lies in its depths?"

Mia stared at the digivice, thinking about what Leksimon said. Memories of her past flashed in her mind. She remembered when she and her sister were young. They were colouring as their mother entered the room to check upon her daughter's work. Kia had drawn rainbows and unicorns. Their mother praised her work. Then she walked over to Mia. Her scream echoed in the room. The picture was of a girl with long black hair and eyes that sucked you in. Mia remembered how her mother snatched the picture and threw it in the shredder. How from then on the colour black was banned from their box of crayons. But the she remembered when she was in middle school. Her sister was always the pretty one and the idol of the class. Mia though she was considered pretty would always hear the whispers of her classmates. She's scary. She'll curse you. She's like Samara.

She remembered a day when she saw a cat laying on the side of the road. She went over to check it out and saw red in the cat's ginger fur. She was about to reach out to help the cat when suddenly a scream fell the street. Mia's a monster. It yelled. She killed the cat! People always misunderstood. They wanted Mia to be bad. She stood and slapped the accuser in the face. The girl screamed even more, running away with her friends as fast as possible. She remembered looking at her hand. It was tinged pink. Because of that, her family decided it was best to move. Though at every school she went to, everything remained the same. In some form, she always managed to hurt a classmate over a misunderstanding.

Mia sighed, her heart pained at the thoughts. Does a dark affinity really mean a dark heart?

"Mia, come! There is a digimon in dire need." Leksimon shook her from her thoughts. She looked and saw green in the grey sand. "Wormmon!"


Joe returned home to his empty loft. Medical books laid strewn across the floor. Gomamon hopped into the kitchen and grabbed a banana.

"Joe, I'm worried," the digimon said between bites. "What was wrong with Tai?"

"Hypothermia, Concusion, and Coma," Joe said, "At least that is what the doctors stated." Joe sighed as he flipped through one of the open books.

"What are you looking for?" Gomamon asked now eating a sandwich.

"Trying to figure out what really happened to Tai." He flipped through a couple more books before slamming the one in his hand. "Hah, no medical book can explain this."

"What do you mean?"

"What happened to him, no real doctor can explain. This is otherwordly. This is all because of what's happening to all the digidestined."

"Huh?"

Joe stretched himself across his couch. "How can I aim to be a digiworld doctor when there are so many mysteries out there." He paused, and finally turned to the digimon, "Remember how Tai told us of the burns?"

"Yeah."

"Those marks came from what he calls Courage. The Warrior Courage. If anything, Courage also caused his body to freeze. But the question is why and how." He stood and paced around. "I wonder, if we had gotten there five minutes earlier, would that have made a difference? Could Tai have been saved?"

"Joe, you can't beat yourself over this... I can do it for you hah. Just joking. But seriously, whatever is going on with warriors and whatnot, you can't prevent it just from being there."

"How do you know, Gomamon, just how do you know?" Joe sighed, "I'm supposed to be reliable. Yet what if this one time that I wasn't there, I wasn't being reliable, Tai would die because of it... What if...?"