Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Digimon.

magical miracle: yes this will eventually be KouKari (KoujixKari).

AlbinoChocobo: Thanks, I try to keep my stories as different from others as possible. Glad you like that it's different.

dracula-key: BurningGreymon will be making an appearance soon, he's one of my favorite digimon after all ^_^

Taeniaea: Kouichi will be in the story later, that's all I'm going to say

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!


The Powers of Light

By: Rika24

Chapter 9: Strange Behavior

"Well, Tai's not going to be happy," Matt said as he gently picked up Kari's unconscious body. "Tai is really overprotective of her," Matt added since Kouji and Takuya wouldn't know otherwise.

Neither Kouji nor Takuya responded. Kouji was still thinking about the things that just happened. Like Kari's light scaring away Duskmon and Takuya's ability to digivolve to Agunimon without spirit evolving, and doing it through the use of Kouji's own digivice.

He moved to stand up, putting his weight on his injured arm and side without thinking. Kouji let out a small cry of pain, gaining the attention of everyone there.

Takuya immediately ran to his friend's side. "Kouji, you okay?" Kouji gritted his teeth at the pain shooting up his arm and shoulder, as well as the slash on his side, but nodded.

"You better come back with us," Matt suggested.

"No way," Kouji protested.

"But Kouji, if those wounds aren't treated they'll—" Matt argued, but Kouji cut him off.

"I'm fine."

"Kouji, he's right," Takuya spoke up, "It's best we return to the Real World. After all, it'll make things easier for us." Catching Takuya's hidden meaning, Kouji nodded.

"Good, then it's settled. We return home," with that said, Matt, still carrying the unconscious Kari, lead the group to one of the TV's. They each held out their digivices, allowing themselves to be absorbed by the light that would take them back home.

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Luckily there was no one in the computer lab when they came through the computer screen.

Yolei turned to Kouji who was wrapping some bandages around his side that the group had taken from the school nurse's office, "So, where do you live?"

"Not around here," Kouji answered after a moment. Takuya looked up at his friend, then at Yolei. She had better stop asking questions… Takuya thought.

"We should get you to the hospital," Matt suggested. Kouji immediately protested.

"I'm fine, the bleeds stopped."

Matt sighed in defeat, if he's as much like me as I think, I'll never win this argument. "Let's just get to Kari and Tai's place then."

"What about Kari?" Kouji's question stopped everyone in their tracks, but no one was shocked as Takuya. So much for not caring, huh Kouji? Takuya thought with a smirk.

"This isn't the first time this has happened to her, it isn't something that can be fixed by a hospital visit. But she'll be fine, don't worry," Gatomon reassured him, "Believe me, she's stronger than she looks."

"I noticed," Takuya commented, getting a few laughs from the group.

The group walked out of the school and towards the apartment complex where they all knew , with the exception of the two newcomers, that Tai was going to blow up at them as soon as they walked into the door with Kari.

As they walked, ignoring the curious looks from those on the street (the digimon had gotten into their partner's backpacks, with the exception of those that were too big. They took a separate route where no one could see them.) Kari moaned as she began to wake up. Noticing this, Matt stopped as Kari cuddled up closer to him before slowly opening her eyes.

Kari didn't seem to know where she was at the moment, until she realized she was being carried. She looked up to see who it was to find Matt smiling down at her. Kari's eyes widened as her face turned red from embarrassment. She quickly moved to get down and Matt gently set her on her feet where she stumbled a little so he let her lean on him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You scared Duskmon away," said Matt. Kari gave him a confused look, "Duskmon?"

"Kouji and Flamon seem to know him," Cody replied.

Matt looked at Kouji, "That reminds me, after we take care of your wound, we have to talk."

T.K. looked at Kari closely, "You ok Kari?"

"Yeah, I'd think it better to ask Kouji that than me though."

"I'm fine." Kouji said with annoyance in his voice, though it wasn't completely because of them constantly asking him. He looked at Kari and Matt and sighed. Why me? He thought.

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"What happened?!" Tai shouted when he saw Kari walk in, still leaning on Matt for support.

"It happened again," Kari answered softly.

"But, you haven't had that happen since we were—" Tai trailed off when he saw Kouji and Takuya. "Who are they?"

"Kouji and his partner Flamon," Davis answered.

"Hey Tai," Kari spoke as she tried to stand without Matt's help, "do you think some of your old clothes will fit him?" Kari asked, "Just until we can get the blood out and his jacket and shirt fixed?"

Tai looked Kouji up and down; he looked like he had been slashed with a large knife. "What happened to you?"

"He got hurt protecting me from Duskmon." Kari answered.

Tai blinked in confusion, "Duskmon?"

"The evil digimon from my dreams, he's real."

"Kouji and Flamon know all about him," Gatomon spoke up.

Tai turned back to Kouji, "shouldn't you go to a hospital?"

"No," Kouji said sternly.

"All right, Matt, call Joe and tell him to come over. And the rest of you go to Kari's room and wait, mom'll be home soon and I don't want her to see the digimon." The group nodded and headed for Kari's room. Tai turned to Kouji, "come on."

Tai led Kouji to his room where he started to look through drawers of his old clothes, "thanks," he said, breaking the silence.

"For what?" Kouji asked.

"Protecting Kari."

Kouji just brushed it off with a bat of his hand, "forget it."

Tai stood up straight and looked Kouji in the eyes, "No, you only just met her right?"

Kouji broke the eye contact and looked at the ground, "well…"

"Yet you risked getting killed by protecting her right?"

"That's right!" Agumon spoke cheerily from Tai's computer. Tai smiled as he pulled out a blue t-shirt.

"Here, normally I'd never give this to someone else, but I'd say you earned the right to wear it." Kouji took the shirt and stared at it; it was royal blue with an orange star on both sleeves. Kouji was about to speak when there was a knock at the door.

"That's Joe, he's training to be a doctor. He can fix up your shoulder."

"But didn't Matt just call him?" Kouji asked.

"He lives in the same building just a few floors above this one." Tai answered as they left his room.

"Hey Joe," Tai greeted the taller teen that was standing in the doorway of the entrance to the apartment.

Joe's eyes widened at the blood on Kouji's jacket and shirt. "What happened?"

"He was injured by an evil digimon, can you take care of it?" Tai asked.

"Yeah, let's go to the bathroom where the best lighting is," Joe said as he walked in and motioned for Kouji to follow as he headed towards the bathroom.

"So what was the name of the digimon?" Joe asked as he got out the Kamiya's first aid kit.

"Duskmon," Kouji answered as he watched Joe's every move.

Joe nodded and pulled out a needle and a package of thread. "It's to stitch up the wounds if they're as bad as I think," Joe replied to the look on Kouji's face. "Take off your jacket and shirt carefully."

Kouji hesitated, but did what he was told. It's him or the hospital he thought. He removed his clothes, plus the bandages he had wrapped around them.

Joe examined the wounds, "yup, you'll definitely need stitches," Joe confirmed. Kouji cringed. "Are you afraid of needles or something?"

"No, just being touched by those I don't know."

"Well sorry, but those needs to be stitched up. If you don't trust me you'll have to go to the hospital."

"Are you a Digidestined too?" Kouji asked.

"Yup," Joe answered as he flashed his silver digivice. Kouji stared at it for a second, noticing how different it was from his but didn't say anything.

"So do you want me to treat it or not?"

Kouji thought for a second before answering, "Go ahead."

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Soon Kouji and Joe returned to the group, Kouji's shoulder and side both stitched up. Kouji was now wearing Tai's old blue shirt that the original Digidestined recognized from their first adventures in the digital world.

"I still think he should go to a hospital to have those wounds looked at but he still refuses," Joe explained in defeat.

Kouji looked around before speaking, "where's Flamon?"

"Sleeping," Kari answered as she moved over to show the Digimon sleeping peacefully on her bed, "see?"

"I'll wake him up," Gatomon said as she moved to shake the larger digimon, but Kouji stopped her.

"No, just let him sleep."

"All right. Now that you're injuries have been taken care of," Tai started as he stood up from the chair, "Kouji, how do you know Duskmon? Who is he?"

"Flamon and I have been dealing with him for a while now. We've tried everything but still can't take him down."

"Who is he though?" Kari asked.

"He's an evil digimon, though I'm sure you've figured that out. He's known as the Warrior of Darkness.

"The Warrior of Darkness?" Kari whispered slowly, a chill ran up her spine just saying the title out loud.

Gatomon crawled into her lap, "Well there's your answer as to why he always says the light must be destroyed. Light and Dark are always enemies."

"Kari has been having nightmares about him." Tai explained, thinking Kouji didn't know.

Kari decided it best to tell him about her newest dream, "but the last dream I had I was saved by a white wolf digimon"

White wolf digimon?" Kouji asked.

"Yeah, he looks almost like a man wearing a wolf costume. He brought the light so I could see." Kari explained.

Matt watched Kouji's reaction to the description of the wolf digimon, "Do you know him?" he asked.

Kouji looked startled by the question, "What?"

"Do you know him?" Matt repeated, "Another digidestined, Izzy, had Kari do a search with her digivice on his laptop to find out who he was. But Duskmon wasn't showing up, and neither was the wolf digimon."

"And since you knew who Duskmon was, maybe you know the wolf," gatomon finished for him.

Kouji looked over at Takuya before answering without looking away from his friend, "No I don't know him.

Yeah right, Matt thought, not believing him.

"How do you have access to a digimon list on a computer?" Kouji asked.

"Gennai," spoke a new voice, everyone turned to see a teen with messy red hair holding a yellow and white laptop. "Sorry to barge in but Matt called saying you might need the Digital Monster Database." Izzy looked over at the goat-like digimon still sleeping on Kari's bed. "Now looks like a good time to bring it out."

"Gennai is a man that lives in the Digital World, er, at least we think he's human." Izzy continued as he typed away at his computer. "He's the one that put the database on my laptop." Izzy stopped and stared at the screen with a look of confusion on his face. "That's strange, he isn't in the database."

"He's Kouji's partner. His name is Flamon and his champion form is called Agunimon" Kari replied. "That's really all we know though."

Izzy looked at Kouji, "Hey, how about we try searching with your digivice? Oh, and by the way I'm Izzy."

"No," was Kouji's simple answer. "Where can I talk to Gennai?"

Izzy sighed, "We can't really just call him, he just sort of, appears."

Silence fell over the group until Tai decided that was all the information they'd get at the moment. "Well I guess that's it for now."

Kari stood up and stretched, "Good, because I want to change out of these bloody clothes."

Everyone headed for the door and left except for Kouji who walked over to wake up Takuya. Kari put her hand on his uninjured shoulder to stop him. "You can let him stay, he needs rest after that fight."

Kouji started to protest, "But…"

"Plus, he's a digimon, it's not like I'll have a guy in the room, right?" Kari insisted.

If you only knew, Kouji thought. He cast Takuya one last glance before leaving the room.

A pink and white sleeveless shirt brushed up against Takuya as it landed next to him. I'm up I'm up, he thought. He stretched and yawned before glancing around the room, noticing that everyone was gone. "Where is everyone?"

"They left so I could change," Kari answered. Takuya looked at her and his eyes widened. He quickly turned away, blushing. Zoe, Zoe, remember Zoe, Takuya chanted in his head.

While Takuya freaked out, Gatomon watched his strange behavior. That's strange; he's acting like a human male would…

After Kari was dressed the three left the room, with Takuya bolting out of the room first. As soon as Takuya spotted Kouji he glared at him, "Don't ever leave me in there like that EVER AGAIN!" Takuya growled out through clenched teeth. Takuya's words went unheard by the others.

"So where are you two staying?" Tai asked.

Kouji had absolutely no idea, "um…"

"How about here?" Takuya suggested, earning a glare from Kouji. "I mean, Kouji doesn't live anywhere near here and we have no other place to go."

Tai shook his head, "Sorry, but we don't have room anymore since Kari moved into what used to be the guest room. Besides, my mom knows all my friends and Kari's. She's been paranoid ever since the whole digimon thing four years ago."

"You can stay with me," Matt offered, "That way Flamon won't have to hide because my dad is ok with the digimon."

Kouji turned to Tai, "are you sure we can't stay here?" There is no way I'm staying with that guy. No one compares me to someone else.

Unfortunately for Kouji, the rest of the group didn't know that. After exchanging a few glances with each other, Izzy spoke for the group, "Curious, why would you want to stay here where you'd have to be cautious of Tai and Kari's parents finding out you're a Digidestined and about Flamon when at Matt's there are only two people plus Gabumon sometimes. You wouldn't have to hide anything and Flamon can be out in the open."

"Yeah, are you interested in Kari or something?" Takuya asked with a smirk. Kouji glared at him and Takuya just mouthed 'payback.'

"All right, we'll stay at Matt's I guess." With that said, Kouji, Takuya, and Matt left.


I'm SO SORRY for the long wait, I had lost the outline for this chapter halfway through writing it. Also, I was working on some cover art for this fic. http : / / rika24 dot deviantart dot com slash art slash The-Powers-of-Light-Cover-103438163 You can find it on my DeviantArt account if the link doesn't work. Also, I'm taking a break from this story –please don't kill me- so I can focus on Following the Life of the Copy Ninja. I hope to get half of that story done before Kakashi's past is fully revealed.

I have three different ways this story can go from here, which is another reason I'm taking a break from it so I can sort out all my plans so that this story will be the best it can be. I don't want to make the mistake of rushing this one like I rushed my Digimon Tamers fanfic, United We Stand.

Please review