Disclaimer- I don't own Digimon or any other licensed products in this story

Disclaimer- I don't own Digimon or any other licensed products in this story. Don't sue, I'm broke.

I did it. Wrote my first kiss scene. You have no idea how hard that was for me. It was the most nerve wracking thing I've ever done.

I hope you see now why I had to post 2 and 3 together. I hate cliffhangers. It always makes me mad when I start getting into a story and I have to wait a month for the next chapter to find out what happens next. I didn't want to do that to y'all. This one doesn't have much action but it needs saying and I promise there will be more action in part 4. Part 4 will be kind of long so it will take me awhile. I humbly ask your patience. Please do write to me. (It gives me the extra incentive to write faster.)

Darkness in Light

~by The Silversage

Part 3: Revelations

Saturday 1:43 A.M.

Matt could only stare in horror as T.K. rushed past him into the bathroom. Kari was lying on the floor, unconscious, in a fetal position, clutching her bleeding arm. The bathroom rug under her was slowly becoming soaked with blood and there were drops of blood on the sink, a small razor lying innocently on the counter. T.K. wasted no time gawking, grabbing a towel from the rack and gently freeing up her injured arm, pressing the towel against it.

"Oh dear," Joe gasped from over Matt's shoulder before pushing past him. He quickly knelt by her side, checking for a pulse. Matt finally broke from his shock when he felt a hand squeezing his upper arm in a vice-like grip. He turned slightly to see Tai, with a horrified expression on his face, watching the tragedy unfold before him.

"Mimi, call an ambulance," Sora cried, pushing her towards the living room.

Joe gently lifted the towel T.K. was holding down to take a look at the extent of the damage, eyeing him out of the corner of his eye. He was both surprised and somewhat confused as to how 'in control' the younger boy seemed to be over the whole situation, and at how he hadn't seemed surprised at all when they had found Kari like this. But those were questions he'd have to save for later. "She only fainted but we've got to stop the bleeding before she loses any more blood." He spoke loud enough for everyone at the door to hear him but his eyes were directed only at T.K.

T.K. didn't back down from Joe's gaze which was neither angry nor accusatory but urging, silently, for him to go ahead and come forward with any information that could help. He knows, T.K. realized carefully keeping his surprise from reaching his face. He knows I knew about this. He hesitated only an instant before giving Joe a quick nod. He let Joe take over holding the towel over Kari's arm and stood up, heading resolutely to the medicine cabinet.

Joe sighed softly as he watched T.K. rifle through the cabinet. He had been hoping he'd been wrong about T.K.'s involvement in Kari's…incident. But he had no time to dwell on that now. "Tai, where do you keep bandages? And any sort of antiseptic cream or spray would help." Tai slowly dragged his gaze away from his sister and Joe almost smiled when he saw the determination and commanding look in Tai's face that had lead them all through so much in the Digital World.

He crossed the room briskly, pulling out a first aid kit from the linen closet and sat down to help Joe wrap his sister's arm. He glanced up for a moment to see T.K. opening Kari's bottle of Midol. "T.K., I don't think that's going to do any good," he told him. Joe and the others, watching silently from the doorway, followed his gaze to where T.K. was shaking one of the pills out onto his palm.

"They're not Midol," he answered not bothering to look at any of them. He stared at the pill in his hand for a second. Can't swallow a pill if you're not awake. His chest constricted slightly at that thought but he pushed it aside and quickly grabbed one of the small plastic cups next to the sink and filled it with water. He carefully pulled apart the two halves of the gelcap and shook out the fine powder into the water. He gave it a quick stir with his finger and handed it to Joe.

"What is this?" Joe asked, accepting the mixture.

"Vitamin K," T.K. answered tonelessly. Joe nodded and lifted Kari into a sitting position carefully getting her to swallow the water.

"What's that supposed to do?" Tai asked worriedly.

"It's a mild coagulant," Joe answered without looking up.

"Huh?"

"It helps you clot. Stops the bleeding," T.K. muttered repeating Kari's words to him from two weeks ago, not taking his eyes off her. He missed the sharp look of suspicion that both Tai and Matt in the doorway gave him and the confused whispers in the hallway wondering how he knew where to find them. He had other worries on his mind.

He blinked sharply, and desperately hoped he had just been seeing things. He watched his best friend closely, willing himself not to blink. There! It happened again! She flickered, for a split second, like interference of a television signal. Just like in algebra. He bit his lip thinking back to what she had told him before.

"The dark mist. It keeps coming back…it won't leave me alone."

He hadn't understood. He truly hadn't completely believed her when she told him the dark dimension was trying to pull her back. He thought it was all in her head, that he was dealing with some kind of depression of hers. I'm sorry, Kari, he apologized, I didn't believe you. His inner musings were halted when Tai lifted up his injured sister and carried her to the living room. He got up and followed mutely; his thoughts paused when he felt his brother's hand drop heavily onto his shoulder when he passed him, falling into step beside him. The pressure was not meant to reassure, and T.K. had no doubt that he had quite a bit of explaining to do. He arrived in the living room, half walking, half pushed by Matt, just as Tai was setting Kari down on the couch. T.K. frowned when he noticed her phasing again. The frown faded when Tai stood up again, and stared right at him looking furious.

"All right, T.K. Now what the Hell is going on!" Tai demanded just short of yelling.

Darkness. Kari slowly opened her eyes…and shut them immediately. Ugh, too bright. She lay there on her stomach, trying to get her bearings. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of the crashing waves could be heard. Her hand contracted slightly around something smooth and slightly sharp. Grass?! Wasn't I just in the bathroom? Deep down, she knew the reason. She was just refusing to acknowledge it.

Not really wanting to, she forced her eyes open, only to come face to face with a pair of vaguely familiar shadowy legs. Oh God! As she tried to force herself up she felt something cold and metallic touch the back of her neck. A searing, red hot pain…and all went black.

T.K. backed up a step as Tai advanced on him. He'd never seen Tai this angry before. He looked to Matt pleadingly for support, and blinked when he found his brother looking just as angry.

"You knew didn't you!" Matt yelled at him, "You knew she's been doing this and didn't tell anyone?! What were you thinking?! How could you be so irresponsible?!" T.K. glared back, his fists clenched at his side, trying not to think about how much his brother's accusation hurt.

"Stop yelling at him, you two," Sora said calmly, crossing the room to T.K., "You're not helping any." She placed her hands on T.K.'s shoulders and gently turned him to face her, forcing him to look at her. "T.K., they're right you know," she continued gently, "If you knew Kari was in some kind of depression, you should have come to one of us, or her parents. What if she had tried to kill herself with no one here to stop her?"

He jerked out of her grasp angrily. "Kari_would_never_do_that!" he hissed at her, "And she is not depressed." Sora took a step back; she had never seen the younger boy angry before.

Matt shook his head, turning away from his brother. His brother had always been so stable and mature for his age. He couldn't believe that T.K. could be in denial like this. Especially now, he mused sadly, glancing at the still unconscious Kari lying on the couch.

Tai had been taken aback slightly when Matt had beaten him to the punch, yelling at T.K. But he got over it quickly enough. "Just how long have you been hiding this?" he asked in a calm, quiet fury.

"Tuesday before last," he answered softly, staring at the carpet.

Tai's eyes widened slightly in shock. That's the day Matt and I caught them on the couch. They weren't trying to have a romantic moment, she was probably pouring her heart out to him, he realized grimly. And all I did was tease them. He felt his anger draining away only to be replaced by the same cold fear he had felt every other time his sister had been seriously ill. "Why didn't she just come to me?" he asked, more to himself than T.K.

"She didn't want you to know," he answered, "She…asked me not to tell you. She…was afraid of…letting you down."

Tai closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to fight back his coming headache.

"Umm…Tai?"

"What is it, Mimi?" he asked tiredly, opening his eyes again. She was standing next to Sora twirling the cordless phone in her hands nervously.

"I tried to call for an ambulance but the phones are still out," she told him sadly, "I'm really sorry."

"Not your fault, Mimi," he answered glumly.

"Tai." Joe called him over to Kari's side. "Look, her pulse is pretty steady and the bleeding's under control. She's fairly weak right now but I should've been able to get her at least partially conscious by now," he said softly, pushing his glasses higher back up his nose.

"What are you trying to say?" Tai asked sternly.

"I can't get her to wake up."

T.K. gave a wry snort from behind Tai. "Of course she's not waking up; she's not even here."

Everyone looked to him in confusion. "T.K. …What are you talking about?" Mimi asked gently voicing everyone's confusion.

He looked down at Kari frowning softly. Another flicker. "They've got her. They've taken her again," he muttered more to himself then to the others, "I'm sorry, Kari. I didn't understand what you were trying to tell me."

"Who's got her? What are you talking about?" Tai asked in mounting confusion.

"She's in the dark dimension. They've taken her back to the Black Ocean," he said hanging his head down. "I'm sorry, Tai. I've let them take her again."

The others exchanged looks of confusion. Tai glanced at Matt for an explanation to which Matt shrugged. T.K. just wasn't making any sense.

"T.K., what are you talking about? Kari's right here," Ken finally voiced, watching his former enemy turned friend with true concern. "Besides, you have to be in the Digital World to reach the Black Ocean."

"We weren't in the Digital World the last time we were there," he answered, "And what do you mean 'what am I talking about?' She's phasing in and out right now," he cried in frustration, staring past them to the unconscious form of his best friend and object of his devotion.

His fellow digidestined turned in unison, staring at their fallen comrade, trying to understand what he was talking about, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Come on, T.K.," Sora said softly, steering him to the easy chair, pushing him down into it with gentle pressure. "I know you're worried about Kari, but we need you to keep it together, okay?" she said in concern, "For Kari's sake."

"But…," T.K. stopped as he glanced around the room at everyone watching him various expressions of concern, sympathy, and pity. What's wrong with them? Can't they see it?! His gaze fell back to Kari's wavering form, not wanting to see their looks of pity. Kari, why can't they see it?

Tai turned away from T.K. running his hand through his unruly hair. First Kari, now T.K.'s losing it. Can anything else go wrong?

"Izzy! Are you there?"

"Aaah!" Izzy jumped a mile before sitting back down in front of his laptop; he had completely forgotten he had left it on. "Gennai?!"

"Izzy? Good. You're there. I need you to gather the digidestined. We've got a problem."

"They're all here except for Davis," Izzy answered tiredly.

"Good. I've already reached Davis. I need T.K., Kari, Cody, Yolei, and Ken here, pronto. We've got problems." The brown-haired man moved away from the digiport screen to reveal several of the digidestined's very worried digimon…and a pitch black sky

Izzy took a double-take, noticing the time on the digiport before glancing at the starless sky. "Gennai…it's-"

"Yes, I know. It's mid afternoon here," Gennai finished somewhat impatiently, "The sun just went dim all of a sudden and I haven't been able to figure out why."

"Well, we've kind of got problems of our own," Izzy answered quietly after receiving an annoyed look from a pacing Tai. "Umm…it's Kari. She, umm…tried to commit suicide." He whispered the last few words but didn't miss how Tai flinched when he said them.

"No she didn't," T.K. muttered from his seat earning him a few concerned and pitying looks from the others and one exasperated look from Tai.

"What?!" Gennai exclaimed. "Hold on!" Izzy backed away from his laptop as Gennai materialized in the stream of light from the digiport. He glanced around the room of silent, somber people, acknowledging the pacing Tai with a nod before kneeling down next to Joe, waiting for him to finish taking Kari's pulse. "Oh my," he murmured softly, gently fingering her bandaged left arm. "What happened?" he asked, directing his question at Tai.

Tai's shoulders tensed. "She locked herself in the bathroom and umm…," he gestured to his arm and Gennai nodded. "We can't get her to wake up," he finished sadly.

"And she's not going to wake up till we find a way to the Black Ocean." T.K. shot, drawing sighs of pity and impatience from those around him

"That's enough T.K.," Matt hissed, effectively silencing his brother with a glare.

Gennai watched the two glaring each other down puzzling over T.K.'s statement before glancing back to Kari's still and flickering body. Could he possibly be seeing this?, he wondered. This shouldn't be happening yet. It's too soon for the prophesy. He looked back up. "We have no time for this," he told the bickering brothers. "The Digital World has fallen into darkness and many of the virus type are taking advantage of the current confusion. I think Kari's condition does much to explain things, but I need you to help keep the digimon in line until the light can be restored," he said facing the younger digidestined .

"What does Kari have to do with the darkness in the Digital World?" Cody asked.

"She has the crest of light, genius!" Yolei snapped, heading for the digiport. "Let's go, already!"

Ken gave Cody an apologetic smile before following Yolei. T.K. stood to follow but was stopped by Gennai's hand gripping his arm. "You stay," he said softly. T.K. nodded and watched his friends disappear…only to be replaced by Patamon and Gatomon. Gatomon wasted no time in joining Kari on the couch, curling up next to her, careful of her arm, watching her with anxious eyes. Patamon landed on the back of the couch alternating his gaze between his two friends and T.K. "Now," Gennai began, drawing his attention away from the digimon, "Explain to me why you believe Kari's in the Dark Dimension when she's lying right there."

With a sigh, he began retelling the events of two weeks ago, beginning with how he had noticed Kari nursing her arm at lunch that day and ending with Kari's tearful confession during their study date. He spared no detail, not sure he even could in Gennai's presence, giving him Kari's words verbatim. He kept his eyes on Gennai so he wouldn't have to watch Tai's face shifting between guilt at not having noticed Kari's secret sooner and hurt that Kari had confided in T.K. and not him.

When he was done, Gennai remained silent for a moment, steepling his fingers, deep in thought. "T.K., what do you see when you look at Kari?" he asked finally.

"Huh?" T.K. felt a warm flush creep up the back of his neck, thoroughly confused.

The corner of Gennai's mouth lifted, noticing T.K.'s reaction. "What are you seeing right_now_?" he clarified.

T.K. shifted his gaze back to Kari, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, fully aware that Gennai was watching him closely. "She keeps phasing in and out. Kind of like when a tv's losing the signal," he paused, waiting to be shot down again. He was faintly surprised to find Gennai listening closely. "It started while we were trying to stop the bleeding. It only lasts a few seconds about every five minutes or so. The same thing happened the last time she was pulled into the Dark Dimension."

"He's right," Gatomon piped up from Kari's side, "She did start flickering like this last time."

T.K. gave a soft sigh of relief. For a while, he was starting to wonder if he truly was losing his mind. "It's different this time, though," he continued. "Last time, it got worse till she almost disappeared. This time…it comes and goes."

"True. They did not take her bodily this time," Gennai explained, "This time they've only taken what they need. The dark dimension is growing stronger."

"What are you two talking about? We don't see anything." Matt protested.

"The effects of the Dark Dimension aren't visible to the human eye," Gennai answered.

"Then why can T.K. see it?" he asked glancing at his brother.

"I'm not quite sure yet. He shouldn't be able to see it." Gennai continued staring at T.K. a moment longer before shaking himself from some inner dialogue. "You say this happened before. How did that happen?"

T.K. groaned to himself as the others leaned forward, waiting for his answer. The two younger digidestined had purposely played down the events from that day, not wanting to worry the older kids…Tai especially. When this is all over, Tai is going to kill me.

Dark Dimension (time unknown)

Kari let out a low moan and curled herself into a tight ball. Her entire body felt sore and her head was pounding like crazy. She forced herself to open her eyes for the second time that day…and blinked.

She was lying on the floor in the center of a bright circle of light just large enough for her to stretch out. She sat up groggily trying to get her bearings. Wherever she was, it was dark. She couldn't see past the spotlight. She raised herself on her hands and knees to get up when her forehead hit something solid. Rubbing her forehead, she let out a soft curse trying to make out what it was exactly she had hit. Tentatively, she reached out with her hand only to be stopped by a smooth, clear surface. The hairs on her arms stood up and she could feel the throb of energy from the wall all the way to her bones. She followed the wall full circle. I'm trapped!

"Enjoying your cage?" a voice asked from the darkness.

Kari pulled back abruptly from the edge. "Who's there?" she cried. She gasped as a familiar looking creature, a living shadow with glowing yellow eyes steps up to the outside of the forcefield. It laughed harshly, watching Kari pull back to the relative safety of the circle's center.

"What do you want from me? I already told you guys I won't help you and I won't be anyone's queen!"

"I am not one of those traitors you met before," he sneered, "They have already been dealt with." Her eyes widened, as understanding dawned on her. "Do not worry, Child of Light. You will not be harmed. At least not yet. Your power is far too valuable to us. And only one of the destined pair need be destroyed in order for the Digital World to fall to us. It won't be long now. The other will be here soon."

Kari frowned in confusion trying to figure out who he was talking about. She almost gasped when she remembered what Azulongmon had said about the crests of Light and Hope. Hope! T.K.! They're going to hurt T.K.!, her mind screamed. "You stay away from T.K.!" she yelled at her jailer angrily.

"You be silent!" he snarled back raising his arm threateningly to her. She was stunned to see the myriad of scars on his inner arm, but somehow it made sense. "I have gone through enough trouble and pain to bring you here child, and if it were up to me, I would have slain you instantly. Be thankful my master is more merciful to you than I. Now," he said with an evil glint in his eyes, "I must go prepare for our guest."

He turned and Kari lost sight of him in the darkness but could hear him walking away. She hugged her knees to her chest and tried desperately to hold back her tears. T.K., please don't come after me! They're setting a trap for you!

Saturday 2:15 A.M.

"Let's go through this again," Gennai frowned, "You were on the cliff and this 'portal' just…opened up?" T.K. nodded. After he had finished the tale, Gennai had begun trying to pinpoint how T.K. had managed to follow her in. Their long time mentor had admitted that he had never heard of anyone actually entering the Dark Dimension of their own free will; it had a tendency to rather draw people in against their will. Gennai was broken from his concentration by the heated whisperings of the two digimon on the couch. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

The two stopped whispering almost guiltily. "Umm…we didn't see any portal," Gatomon finally admitted, casting T.K. an apologetic glance.

"Yeah, there was nothing there," Patamon added.

"So what did you two see?" Gennai asked.

"Well, T.K. was yelling for Kari at the top of that cliff, and then he just…jumped off," Gatomon said, "Patamon flew after him and I thought they were both nuts, but I followed them anyway and when we landed we were in a different dimension."

T.K. skirted around Gennai and the digimon and sat at the edge of the couch at Kari's side, trying to tune out how he was the subject of discussion. He definitely didn't look to the older digidestined who had long since stopped trying to understand and were now glancing at T.K. like he had just grown a third eye. At any rate, he was feeling more and more uncomfortable. He reached out to hold Kari's hand. She's just so still. He bit his lower lip and tensed up when he touched her. She felt…empty. That inner light, that incredible rush of energy that was Kari, that he had always sensed and taken for granted from her…was gone. He debated for a moment whether he should tell Gennai about that but decided he already felt like a big enough freak without adding more fuel to the fire.

He shifted to face her better and took hold of her other hand, lacing his fingers through hers, not really knowing why. Where are you Kari?, he asked her silently. Distantly and very weak, he could just make out the faintest glimmer of energy. A crest. Kari! He closed his eyes trying to focus on it.

"So, how do we find this portal T.K. was talking about?" Tai asked after Gennai had finished interrogating the boy.

"Frankly, I don't believe we can," he answered.

Tai felt the urge to just break out and cry; he felt so helpless. He didn't as Gennai's words caught up with him. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

"I have two theories," he answered glancing over at T.K. who was sitting down on the couch, watching over Kari. "Kari may have inadvertently been the one who opened the portal." The other kids nodded in understanding. Kari's immense and mostly untapped power was an unspoken fact among them. "If that's true," Gennai continued, "then I don't know how we'll reach her unless by some fluke she creates another one."

Tai sighed trying to keep his hopelessness from reaching his face. A smaller hand slipped into his and gave him a reassuring squeeze. He looked down to meet Sora's determined eyes. No, there has to be some way.

"What was the second possibility?" Izzy asked before Tai could open his mouth.

"It's possible that T.K. may have opened the portal." The six digidestined gaped at him then glanced at T.K., then back to Gennai.

"That can't be. T.K. doesn't have any powers," Matt said.

Gennai shook his head gravely. "Hope and Light are linked separately than the other crests. They hold the balance of the Digital World and as such also balance each other. They are equal in both strength and power. If he was the one to open the portal, then we may be able to reach…" He stopped abruptly feeling a powerful wave of energy pass through him. He jerked towards the couch to where T.K. was sitting with his hands still linked with Kari's; the wave was definitely coming from the boy. Before he could do more than blink, the young digidestined suddenly slumped over, unconscious.

"T.K.!" Matt rushed to his fallen brother.