Chapter 19

Matt, Cody, and Nancy met up in the kitchen area two hours later. Cody had just returned from the Ishidas' apartment with the news that Hiroaki was fine. Nancy had just woken up, and Matt was helping himself to an apple in the Takaishis' refrigerator.

"Have you found Gabumon and Biyomon?" Matt asked, taking a bite out of his fruit. Please be alive, you two.

"No, I haven't run into them," replied Cody.

"I hope they're okay and we can find them soon," said Nancy. "I also hope we can talk sense into T.K."

"That's what we need to talk about, Mom." Matt placed a hand on his mother's and met her deep blue eyes. What I'm going to say is going to hurt them both, but I'll hurt them more by lying. "Cody, I know you're going to hate hearing this, too."

Cody listened intently. "What?"

"I'm going to give T.K. one last chance," the Child of Friendship finally said. "I'm going to try one more time to get him to listen." When he saw Cody's hardened look, the older blond quickly continued. "I know. I know he's killed our friends, but think about it. He wouldn't be doing this if Kyubey wasn't messing with his mind. So in a way, Kyubey's the real killer, not T.K."

Both Nancy and Cody processed Matt's explanation for a long moment. Nancy nodded.

"It makes sense," she said. "I know T.K. wouldn't be one to kill on his own."

"You could be right," agreed the youngest DigiDestined. "If we take Kyubey out of the equation, T.K. would be thinking more clearly."

"T.K. deserves our help. He needs us," Matt asserted. "He needs to know that Kyubey's poisoning his mind."

"Alright, Matt," Cody relented. "We'll get him to listen. We'll save him and help him think clearly...but this is his last chance. If he doesn't listen this time, we have to stop him."

Matt nodded."I understand." I hope it doesn't come down to that. I hope we can save you, T.K., but I know we have to protect the Digital and human worlds, even if it may mean losing someone we care about. He glanced over to see his mother silently at the point of tears again. His mom knew it, too, and he knew it was going to be hard to accept if T.K. had to die.

"Let's fill Sora in." Cody fished out his D-Terminal to message her.

We're at T.K.'s and Mrs. Takaishi's apartment, Matt read over Cody's shoulder. We've come up with a plan on how to deal with T.K.

It didn't take long to receive a response from the redhead.

I'm tied up in a labyrinth in Ariake Forest, read the response.

Flashbacks of the dream raced through Matt's mind, namely Sora's death at T.K.'s hands. That heightened the worry in the Child of Friendship's chest.

"We need to go over there, Cody!" he urged. "She needs our help!" No way am I letting that dream come true. I won't! If anything happens to Sora...

Sora emitted a body-shaped blaze of flame at the witch, which resembled a human-sized butterfly. Its body was human, with blue and purple wings decorated with emerald eyes. The Child of Love had been fighting those eyes, for they had been giving her the most grief with their clouds of poisonous dust. The dust had weakened the redhead, but she refused to back down and had been giving it her all in the forested labyrinth. It looked like a distorted Ariake Forest, with gnarled, overgrown trees and grass. A high pollen count topped everything off. Even the sun couldn't penetrate the natural ceiling.

The most recent attack slammed the witch head-on, but the creature still refused to give in, even though Sora knew it, too, was weakened by the many Wing Blades she had been hurling its way. The Child of Love had already exhausted two of her Grief Seeds; she couldn't afford to use them all up here.

I've got to finish this quickly! Sora threw out her hands and built up all of the magic she could muster. Her body became engulfed with flame, including her eyes, which emitted a flaming fury and intent to take down her adversary.

The witch hurled a stream of mud at Sora, giving her no more time to charge up. The redhead released her intense inferno, clashing with the mud.

Push, Sora, push! Sora willed herself. She imagined herself on the tennis court, parrying her opponent before finishing them off with a flat smash shot. With that image in mind, the redhead pushed her proud flames and the mud at the witch. The creature shrieked in pain as it fell from the sky and into the grass, engulfing it in flames. Sora flew over to the creature lying in the burning grass...to see that its butterfly form melted away to reveal a fairy with white, pointed wings, a gray dress, pallid skin, and blue pupiless eyes. It sat bolt upright to grin mischievously at Sora.

"No way!" Sora exclaimed, as the fairy zoomed upward, buzzing around the redhead at an incredible speed. She glanced in all directions to keep up with the witch's speed, but lost track and began to grow disoriented. The witch whizzed past her so blindingly fast against Sora, it drew blood in a few places and clipped some feathers. Sora prepared another attack, but the buzzing interfered with any attempts. Sora fell into the blazing grass, where the smoke blanketed her full force. The Child of Love checked her crown, where her Soul Gem was nearly full of darkness again.

I have no choice! Sora used her last Grief Seed to clean her Gem, then faced the speedy witch, which stopped point blank in front of her and grinned maniacally. I'm not giving up; Biyomon's life depends on it.

A sudden blast of golden light made its way between the two combatants, causing both to stumble backward.

"T.K.!" The redhead turned to see the blond rushing through the flaming grass toward her. Before she could express her thanks, she noticed a somewhat crazed expression on his face. He didn't even address her or look her way as he rushed the witch. The witch promptly turned on its jets and whistled out of harm's way.

"Thanks a lot, T.K.." Sora mumbled as she joined him, fully purified. "But what are we going to do about this witch? It's too quick!"

"Does it matter?" T.K. glanced in her direction.

"It does, actually. It's so fast, it's hard to keep up. I can't even get an attack in; I'm too slow."

The Child of Hope sneered. "Well, I guess we'll have to slow the witch down first. Keep it still while the other moves in."

"What's wrong with you? I don't like your attitude!" Sora chastised.

"My attitude isn't important right now, is it?"

Sora sighed. "Let's just table this and focus on the witch."

"Now you're talking," said the Child of Hope. "And I just came up with an idea during our little 'argument.'"

"I'd love to hear it, T.K." Sora felt a smack across her forehead from the witch.

"Can you create an inferno? If so, can you make it big enough to keep that witch still?"

"I haven't done it before, but I'll try."

"While you do that, I'll take care of the witch!"

"Okay!"

When T.K. left to distract the witch, Sora built up magic. Flames surrounded her, some of them entering her body. She gradually became engulfed in fire, but she wasn't burned. She watched T.K. chase around the witch, but focused on gathering up her magic. She thought of finding Biyomon and saving both the Digital and real worlds. The flames formed into a sphere surrounding her.

"T.K., watch out!" Sora urged as she spread her arms and wings and expanded the flaming field, causing it to explode. The resulting fiery rainstorm lit the forest, most of the flames striking and subduing the witch. The witch collapsed into the grass, the flames licking at it.

T.K. spun his staff, which glowed. He swung at the witch, the gilded light frying it. The fairy disintegrated and melted, followed by the labyrinth. Ariake Forest reappeared, the Grief Seed clattering to the now short grass. Sora approached it to pick it up...only for T.K. to snatch it away.

"I hope you plan to share it." Sora placed her hands on her hips.

"Who says I'm sharing?" T.K. grinned. "We're doomed to die, but I'm not going out first. Not when I have to destroy the darkness. That includes you, Sora. I'm sorry it has to come down to this, but I hope you understand." The Child of Hope's grin stretched to insane levels as he approached the redhead.

I'm not backing down that easily. She stood her ground and stared her friend down. I need to talk sense into T.K., but if he doesn't listen, I will have to kill him. For both worlds, Biyomon, and everyone else I care about.

...

"Sora!" Matt called out for the redhead. He and Cody were trudging through Ariake Forest in search of Sora, who was supposedly fighting a witch. We've been searching this forest for an hour and still no sign of a labyrinth, familiars, or Sora.

"Where are you?" Cody shouted. "She can't be too deep in the forest."

A bloodcurdling shriek startled the two boys.

"Sora!" Matt rushed in the direction of the scream, Cody on his heels. This is just like the dream! The Child of Friendship realized, which was when the worry bubbled in his chest like magma. Sora had been dead then. Please don't be dead for real, Sora.

When the boys reached the source of the scream, they froze to see T.K. in the middle of the clearing with a Grief Seed in one hand...and a bleeding Sora in his other arm. The redhead's throat was slashed open, blood staining the ground just like the dream. The Child of Love's eyes stared lifelessly at nothing in particular.

"No..." Matt sank to his knees.

"We're too late," Cody said.

"I had no choice," said T.K., regret crossing his face. "I hope you understand that it's to save two worlds."

"Oh, we understand, T.K..." Matt responded, his next words shocking even himself, "...that we have to stop you!"