Above & Beyond ~ Part 3
Tk awoke three days later with a start. He had recalled what had happened to him and was worried that Saffron may have gotten hold of the Julip Crystal. He detached himself from the machines and slipped out of bed, into the hallway, and toward the control room. When the door opened the digimon jumped in surprise. "Tk, it is nice to see you awake and well," Andromon declared. "Uh...Thanks" Tk responded. "Where is everybody?" The digimon shot each other worried glances and then took Tk to the docking pad."I can't believe this" Tk cried out in alarm as he entered the doors to see his friends encompassed within giant blocks of ice. "Matt, Sora, Mimi, Tokomon Izzy... Look what that monster has done to you," he sobbed. "Wait a minute! Kari? Where's Kari?" Gentle sobs had now turned in to full-blown hysteria as he grilled the two digimon on how stupid and useless they both were. "You cowards! How could you let this happen? I bet that you just sat and watched in the viewing screen the whole time while we risked our butts to save you!" The digimon hung their heads in shame as Tk continued raving.
"These people are my family! I need then more then you could ever know and now there's no way to even talk to them? There's no way to unfreeze them? And Kari? Where did he take her? Don't you know how important she is to me? Do you even care? What good is one Digidestined?" Tk stopped and though about what he was doing. It wasn't Gazimon or Andromon's fault. It was that evil Prince Saffron who had done all of this to him. "I'm sorry you two. I just....I need to be alone right now. The digimon turned to walk away and left Tk with his thoughts.
He walked over and picked up the frozen chunk of Tokomon and cried. "What am I gonna do without you pal? Heck, what am I going to do without anybody at all. I should have done more to protect you and Kari, but I'm always acting before thinking and that's what gets me into trouble. Gennai will probably kick me off the team and find a much better replacement." He let his warm tears drip down the surface of the cold ice and hugged his friend tight. He closed his eyes just wanting to disappear, but a bright yellow light invaded his darkness and he was forced to open his eyes.
The light was shining from his crest of hope and he stared in shock as the warmth of it encompassed and melted the block of ice, which held Tokomon prisoner. Tk's digivice reacted in unison and he couldn't look away from the blinding light. "Tokomon digivolve to....Patamon!" Refreshed and revitalized, Patamon sprang into Tk's arms, trying to get as close to him as possible. "Patamon! You're okay!" Tk shouted, completely overjoyed. "It was your love and hope that made your crest glow Tk! You freed me!" Patamon snuggled deeper in Tk's arms. "Now. we have a job to do pal! Let's go and get that evil Prince and make him pay for what he's done!" There was a trace of fire in Takeru's eyes. "Right! I'm with you Tk!" Patamon nodded and they raced out the door.
Before setting off on their quest to find Kari and return his friends to normal, Tk made a stop at the engine room where he found Gazimon and Andromon still filled with grief over their earlier encounter with the boy. He quickly apologized for his actions and asked if it was possible to borrow a starship in order to travel to Brachan to face Saffron. Gazimon directed him to the hanger where he was given a crash course on how to fly the machine and then he and Patamon took off into the stars.
"Welcome to your new home my dear" Saffron introduced Hikari and Gatomon to the planet of Brachan. He had reversed the freezing process that he had initiated earlier and brainwashed the two into believing that Kari was in love with the evil prince. She clung to his arm tightly as they toured the Prince's dark castle. The wedding ceremony would begin in a few short hours and after that, Kari would be Saffron's forever.
"It is time to get ready for the ceremony Hikari, my love. I've had my servants pick out the most beautiful gown in all the galaxy for you to wear." Saffron led Kari to her chamber and left her to prepare for the big event, while he prepared for other things. He looked Kari and Gatomon in the room and went to take care of some more business.
"With the power of the crest of light as well as the Julip Crystal in my possession, nothing will be able to stop my reign of terror over the Digital Galaxy!" Prince Saffron chuckled at the thought of the next idea that popped into his head. "But why should I only join the power of light with the crystal when I could have all of the elements of life? With all eight of the Digidestined under my control, I would be the king of all that exists in the galaxy and no one would be able to stop me!" He commended himself for his sinister idea, then set off to make his plans come true. He could bring the Digidestined and the crystal back and still be in time for his most heinous wedding.
Tk and Patamon sped across the Digital Galaxy like wildfire in their small, but quick starship. They could see the Planet of Brachan now, and it wouldn't be long before he would once again face Prince Saffron. This time Tk would not fail. His friends, brother and romantic relationship was counting on it.! "Don't worry Kari. I'm coming!" He said determinedly and shifted his already speeding cruiser into light speed.
They was meters away from the planet when they saw a familiar looking space surfboard approaching in the opposite direction. "Tk look! It's that creep, Prince Saffron!" Patamon pointed him out in the distance. Tk nodded. "I see him Patamon. He must be going back for the Julip Crystal, but we won't be able to beat him to it. The best thing to do is to find Kari, Gatomon and the antidote for the freeze ray. That way, the eight of us will be together again and we'll have a better chance at defeating him.
Tk and Patamon stayed on course to Brachan. With Prince Saffron out surfing the stars, it would be easier to find Kari and Gatomon and get out of there. They landed the ship inside of a large crater to keep it concealed from enemy sight. "Where do we start looking Tk?" Patamon asked, knowing that the planet was enormous. "I'd say that the best place to start looking would be right over there Patamon." Tk pointed to a large castle in the horizon. It was constructed out of black marble and had an evil air to it. Patamon caught sight of the building and agreed at once. "Yep! I'd say that would be the closest thing to an evil Prince's castle." Tk surveyed the surroundings. "It's a long way over there Patamon. You think you can provide some transportation?" He asked, holding out his digivice. "You got it Tk! Patamon digivolve to... Angemon!" Tk hopped into Angemon's arms like he used to when he was younger and they flew swiftly toward the castle.
Kari slipped into the black laced wedding dress and modeled in front of a full-length mirror. The room she was in looked exactly like death. It was a typical evil villain's bedroom with grey brick walls, and cobwebs in every corner. Long torn curtains covered the window and blocked out what little light was given in the first place. Kari liked the place, but she felt as if something was missing and she didn't know what.
She turned back to Gatomon who was sitting on the bed. Her warm, loving eyes were cold and dark again, like they had been before she had found Kari and was serving Myotismon. She held a bunch of what used to be beautiful long-stem, red roses, but they were now dead and black as night. Even Gatomon, though, in her heart of hearts, knew that something had gone astray. The two sat wordlessly beside one another and waited for Prince Saffron to beckon.
Tk got a weird vibe as they landed on the top of the castle. The doors had been heavily guarded by the Brachanimon and besides, heroes never use doors. He knew that Kari and Gatomon were somewhere near, but he sensed something different about them. Something almost...evil. As he and Patamon ran along the twisted hallways and corridors, they came across a set of closed doors, which were accompanied by two Brachanimon guards just like the ones outside of the castle. "That must be where they're holding Kari and Gatomon." Tk whispered to his partner. "How do we get past those Brachanimon?" Patamon asked. "We'll have to create a diversion." Tk smiled wickedly at Patamon and the digimon knew that he was to play a large part in Takeru's scheme.
Patamon flew casually around the corner and into the direct line of sight of the Brachanimon guards. At first they didn't realize that Patamon did not belong within their midst, but when they finally clued in, the chase was on. When Patamon and the guards were out of sight, Tk ran toward the closed doors and struggled to open them, but he had no luck. Finally, after many attempts, Tk managed to break the door open. He ran into the room and was shocked by what he saw.
Prince Saffron had successfully infiltrated DSS and was on a savage hunt for the Julip Crystal and the remaining Digidestined icicles. Andromon and Gazimon had attempted to stop him, but as always, were no match for his power. He used his weapon was again to put the two on ice. He rummaged through the whole station until coming to the docking pad where the Digidestined had been kept. He quickly gathered them up and continued his search for the Crystal. He found it minutes later in the engine room and quickly removed it from its case. "Now the galaxy is mine!" he laughed as he took off on his space board. He looked back only to watch as DSS floated powerlessly through space.
While the Brachanimon guards were chasing him Patamon, using the power of Tk's digivice, which he had around his neck was able to digivolve to Angemon and knock the guards out of orbit with is hand of fate. He now joined Tk at the entrance of Kari's room and was just as astonished as Takeru was. "Kari? What are you wearing?" Kari looked at the boy very strangely and replied, "my wedding dress." Tk almost fainted right there. "Your what! You're crazy! Saffron has been playing with your mind!" He advanced toward her, but didn't get very close before Gatomon lunged at him from the bed with a lighting claw attack.
Luckily, Patamon saw the attack coming and raced toward Gatomon with great speed knocking her to the floor. "Kari, C'mon. Our friends are in danger. Saffron will get his hands on the Julip Crystal and then the whole Digital Galaxy will be doomed!" Tk, took Kari's hand and held it tight. She looked deeply into his eyes and for a moment it seemed as if she had returned to normal, but then she replied. "I have a wedding to prepare for and I'd like it if you would leave."
Tk looked at his girlfriend in the hideous black dress and sighed. "He doesn't care about you Hikari. He wants you for your powers, your crest of light. I love you for real Kari. and my love for you is above and beyond any possible limits, beyond time and space, beyond the land of dreams, beyond death. That's what real is love Kari and you know that. He's turned you into a cold and dark monster. Where is you light Kari? Your bright and youthful light?" He grabbed her and kissed her deeply, not caring what would happen. The light of the crest of hope started to glow once more and it was joined by the crest of light, which was hidden underneath the dark dress. The light encompassed the couple and shielded them from the outside world. They were in their own little universe and all the evil and sadness were washed away.
Kari looked at Tk now with her innocent and loving eyes and held him close to her, afraid to let go. Patamon eased his grip off of Gatomon and let her rise to her feet. They were glad to be their old selves again. "What do we do now Kari?" Gatomon asked. "Well, first I have to change out of this ugly dress and...." "No don't!" Tk interrupted her. "You're going to marry Saffron as planned." Kari looked at him curiously. "What do you mean I'm gonna marry him?" Tk smiled at the look of disgust on his girlfriend's face. "Saffron will be back here with the Julip Crystal and the rest of the Digidestined." he answered. Kari, still looking puzzled asked "how do you know that?" "Saffron is power hungry. Why would he settle for the power of the crest of one Digidestined when he can have eight? It'll be your job to swipe the freeze ray off of that swine during the wedding. We can use it to free our friends and then attack him head on!" Kari laughed in spite of herself. "Tk, you're a genius! But you bet ter stay hidden until the wedding." "You're right Kari. I'll meet up with you later!" He kissed her one last time before racing out the door. "Be careful my love." Kari whispered behind him. Then, she relocked the door and went back to her "normal" evil self.
~MPF