Memory's Calling
Memories Three: Memory's Calling

After a while the dreams stablized. As far as Kari could tell, (which after all was mostly guesswork), this final dream began at the beginning of the... other group's... fight with Lucefremon. Whoever he was. Kari had the impression that the other group had been in the Digiworld for a while before fighting Lucefremon, but that was a bit hazy. Vivid, realistic dreams they might be, but they were dreams still. Dreams have never been the most accurate wayof gathering information.

So Kari knew very little about the dream-world. And TK knew still less. He only knew those bits of information that Kari chose to tell him, and it was obvious that she wasn't telling him everything. There were some areas she was rather pointedly vauge on. The most noticeable of these silences wason the issue of TK's counterpart in the other group.

"So what happened to the other Takeru? After a certain point in your narratives, he just... disappears."

Kari paused for a moment, attempting to think of a suitable, evasive reply. "That's basically what happened," she responded, eyes averted.

"I'd like a bit more detail here..."

"I can't give any."

"Kari, I've faced the same monsters you have and... well, a lot of the time I was terrified, but I took it. Why do you think I can't handle... whatever this is?"

"I can hardly give you information I don't have!" Kari snapped back, a bit too quickly. The tone of her response only reinforced TK's perception that she was hiding something, but he dropped the subject. It was obviously one Kari was touchy about, and at any rate the bell was ringing to call themto PE class.
Two lines of sixth-graders, freshly changed into their PE uniforms, swarmed through the gym's double doors. Upon entry, everyone either cheered or groaned. The rope climb tends to inspire strong feelings: feelings of joy and fun for those who could and feelings of annoyance and frustration for those who hadn't quite mastered that particular skill. Two of those entering the gym, however, were groaning not becausethey couldn'tdo the rope climb—they could, and very well, too—butbecause itbrought up bad memories.

TK and Kari attempted to unobtrusively slip to the back of the line, so as to stave off or potentially avoid the climb. But oddly enough the line moved quickly that day; those who could climb the rope did so, and those who could not gave up early. Soon there were only TK and Kari left standing at theline's end. TK resolutely stepped forward and did his best to conquer theold memory rising within him. He did a reasonable job of that, and whilehe climbed in fits and starts he managed to ascend the rope's whole length.Then it wasKari'sturn.

Even before she began to climb it was clear that it would not go well. As she stepped up to the rope she was visibly trembling and sweating profusely. She gripped the rope hard enough that her hands turned as white as her petrified face. She climbed slowly and with much effort. It was not a feeble forcelike gravity that she strained against on this climb; it was the vastly greater pull of one memory. A memory old enough that it should have been long forgotten, but one terrifying enough that her impression of it was as vivid as the feel of the rope biting into her fingers.

"TK, take Kari and go." And go they did, fleeing from Piedmon so thatSora's sacrifice would not be in vain, so that at least two Digidestined mightsurvive this battle. They ran out onto that balcony, and a rope rosefrom abasket.They began to climb that rope upward. Their fears of heightsand ofwhat mightawait them at the top of the rope paled in comparison tothe dangerthey wererunning from. They would rather face an unknown dangerthan the known,horrifyingone they were leaving.

But then Piedmon joined them on the rope, and cut it free of whatever magical support caused it to remain aloft. And they fell. Fell through the permanent twilight of Spiral Mountain's peak. And for the first time in that entire ordeal, Kari was truly afraid. Previously TK had been there. He'd been scared too, and tried to not show it for her sake. And that consideration had lessened Kari's fear. But now TK wasn't there.

TK wasn't there... Her terror-stricken mind flashed to another timewhen he wasn't there to offer what comfort he could. The battle—morelike an execution, for all the fight she'd put up—with Lucefremon.He didn't arrive in time. And that was why she'd lost.

From that point her mind spiraled into remembering all the other dreams.All the horrors that the other Hikari had faced. And those were great enough, in both quantity and quality, that no person could possibly face them all at once. Kari fainted, and slid limply down the short length of rope that she had managed to ascend. And in this drop, she did not fall only from air to ground. She also fell from terrible memories to even more horrifying dreams.

TK ran forward as soon as she began to fall, but was not quick enough. She hit the floor and lay there, in an uncomfortable enough position to assure that she was most decidedly unconscious. The gym teacher, noticing his concern, assigned him to take her to the health room. He tapped her several timesto wake her up, but these attempts had no effect. So he, with a slightlyrueful expression on his face, picked up Kari and carried her through theirschool's hallways.
At the end of the school day, TK ran to the health room to find out what happened to Kari. To his great surprise, she was still in there.

"Apparently that... ordeal... exhausted me enough that I shouldn't move," she explained as TK moved to sit in the chair closest to her bed. "I'll have to stay in the health room for the next few days. All my teachers are overjoyed; they like being able to squeeze homework out of me even though I'm sick."

"Pleasant dreams?" quipped TK. He instantly regretted it; for Kari's face froze into a terror-mask. "Kari?" he questioned, trying to regain her attention.

"TK... I saw the whole dream."

He frowned. It hadn't ever made her like this...

"I don't think you understand. I saw the entire history of the first Digidestined. Not just their battles with Lucefremon."

"So you're certain these are the first Digidestined?"

"They're another group, at any rate, and considering that Gennai's one of them the timeline doesn't really fit unless they're the first."

"Point. Well, that means we don't have to worry. That turned out all right; they defeated all their enemies and the Digiworld was safe until Apocalymon emerged from the Wall of Fire."

"Then why am I having these dreams?" she said almost savagely. "If that turned out all right then there's no reason for me to have them."

"I don't know."

"Do you want to know my theory?" Kari whispered urgently. "I think that they lost. We know that Morphomon, Equumon, and Fawnmon all died, right? And so did Gatomon. Patamon was the only one left. Lucefremon's energy-bolt went through Angewomon like she wasn't even there. If he's that powerful, then Patamon, whichever form, wouldn't stand a chance. And that's why I'm having these dreams. They lost, and there's something I need to do to change that."

"But how? What's happened has happened; what's done is done. The future can't change the past."

"But it can try. When I fall asleep tonight, I won't wake up until I've done whatever it is I need to do. I'll remain lost in that dream until it isn't a nightmare anymore."

"Kari, don't. What you're talking about might not even be possible. Whatif you never wake?"

"That's a risk I'll have to run, and I'll gladly take it. Right now all the worlds' present is based on a past that never happened. That's an unstable situation. And what happens when time collapses?"

"No. Kari, listen. You're one of only two Digidestined left. The worlds can't afford to have you go."

"They can't afford to have me stay, either."

"Kari. What will happen if you die? The worlds need you."

"They need me to do this." she snapped back.

"Kari, once you said that the task of remembering weighed down on you soheavily you'd crack under the strain if it weren't for me. What makes youthink I'm any stronger than you are? Kari, it's not just the worlds thatneed you." He paused for a second, his eyes tearing up. "I need you," hesaid, softer than before.

That remark nearly convinced Kari to turn back. But then she hardened. "Then I'll try my butt off to come back. No guarantees, though." She slumped slightly. It was apparent that the fight was tiring her.

TK thought for a few moments, searching for a way that he could stop her. But his search proved fruitless. He sighed. There was one thing he coulddo. He twisted his face into a resolute mask, and said, "I can't stop you,Kari, much as I'd like to. I think that you'll never come back; this is toobig a task to face alone.

"So don't face it alone. Kari, if you feel you have to do this, at leastlet me help."

"How?"

TK grasped Kari's hand and concentrated. He tried to remember the specifics and details of that frantic rope climb four years ago. He slipped almostinto a trance, reliving that one memory.

Falling for a time that seemed endless, to the ground of Spiral Mountain's peak. Then pulling out Matt's doll, turning as always to his older brother for help. And receiving help of a sort. He seemed to hear his brother's voice calling from beyond whatever gulf existed between the living and the dolls. He took hope in his brother's words. And his crest glowed...

And his crest glowed out from his chest like it had in the final battle with Apocalymon. Its yellow radiance spread to envelope his entire body. Kari's crest, too, shone pink in a sympathetic vibration of sorts. The glowing nimbuses surrounding them combined. Then with a silent thunderclap their auras disappeared and they both fell into identical comas.

Prob'ly the worst cliffhanger in this fic
TO BE CONTINUED...