Minna-san, you really like it? Thanks for reviewing *smiles*!! Uh, anyway on with the 'show'!

Oh, yeah................. one more thing *said like Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures* This chapter contains lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of mush!! I like mush, and it's VERY mushy mush.....




'What is going on?' TK decided to get up and check things out. All he really knew, he realized, was that he'd been very hungry. He caught a couple of fish and ate them. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But then, why had he fallen asleep?

Meanwhile Daemon was busy gazing into the puddle he had shown TK before.
"Everything's going according to plan. Those stupid little Digidestined Don't have a clue." He spoke mockingly to a shadowy figure.
"Yes, it's hard to believe they foiled our plans last time."
"They wont be able to do a thing this time. Our plan is fool proof."

The next morning all of the digidestined went to Davis' house to drop off their two invalids. Davis was given strict instructions to stay in his room. TK stayed with him most of the day. Except he was told that if Davis needed anything, he had to try to get it, by himself. At Davis' house Ken called his house to let his parents know what was going on, but again he got no answer. After that the rest of the group went to the Digital World.

What they saw in the Digital World surprised them.

"Wasn't this supposed to be the forest?" Cody asked.
"Mmh, I thought so too. Then what is this?" Ken was wondering why he couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation.
Kari gulped. She looked around. 'So they see it too,' she thought. At first she hoped she was simply imagining things. How could an entire forest disappear over night?
"All I see now is desert," said Yolei stating the obvious.
"Uh Ken," Kari started as she turned to face Ken, "I think you were right. My Crest must be causing this."
"Kari, it's not your fault. You saved our lives. Both of us could have been dead if you hadn't used it. You know that don't you?"
"Aa." She did know. She was still glad he had reminded her.
"Uh, guys.... I don't mean to interrupt, but..." Yolei began, "Three years ago you said that all dimensions are connected, right?"
Ken looked at the girl he loved, a light dawning in his mind. "Yes..... So you mean that our world could be in danger too."
"Not could, is."
Tai was wondering something but he couldn't come up with the answer, so he said it out loud. "But why didn't we notice anything?"
"I think maybe I did."
"What do you mean Gatomon," Kari asked her partner.
Hawkmon looked up at Yolei. "You mean you didn't notice it either?"
"No, what?"
Ken was beginning to understand very well and he didn't like the answer. 'I might be wrong,' he thought. He wasn't though and Veemon's next statement drove it home.
"People." He stated simply.
Ken spoke now, quietly, "They're missing, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"Just like the digimon in our world," Gatomon added.
Yolei looked over at Ken. She could tell he was blaming himself again. Why couldn't he see it wasn't his fault?
"Things'll probably go back to normal after we defeat Daemon." Matt could see it too. He couldn't let Ken blame himself. After all it's not like he asked to be implanted with the Dark Spore.
"I think we should talk to Izzy about it."
"That's a good idea Kari. I don't think we'll be able to do anything here until we know what's going on. Augumon, I need you and Gabumon to keep an eye on things here. Call us if anything new happens."
"Right Tai, you can count on us!"

Tk was not having an easy time. He felt wrong. 'That's the only way to describe it,' he thought to himself. 'Something is just wrong.' He still couldn't find his digivice. He only had a couple of energy bars left. He wasn't sure he wanted to try fish again. Besides it almost felt if he still hadn't really eaten. Strange since he had felt so full when he went to sleep. Nothing in this place was feeling right. 'I wonder if this's how Kari felt.' Suddenly it hit him. Not only did his family think he was dead, Kari did too. A new wave of emotions rocked his already broken heart. Kari. Another mistake. Another reason to regret. He sank to his knees in anguished pain. 'Why didn't I tell her? How could I leave something so important unsaid?' He clutched his hands around his body as though to hug something that wasn't there. 'Kari. I never told you that I love you. How could I have been so stupid?' This time his tears came unhindered as he ached to hold her in his arms one more time. This time, as more than friends.

Davis, at his best, couldn't stand to be still. This was driving him crazy. Matt had told his mother that he wasn't to be allowed to get up, and she could be very strict. 'Today is no exception,' he thought. She hadn't allowed him out of bed even for breakfast. Now it was almost lunch time. Davis looked around at his room. It was littered with all the things his mom had brought him to try to keep him occupied. A Gameboy, lots of manga, even a deck of cards. He picked up a WeiB Kreuz manga he hadn't read yet, but it couldn't hold his attention. His eyes wandered to the person sitting at his desk. TK. He hadn't wanted to disturb Davis so he was listening to a CD with earphones. Davis watched as his friend bounced to a beat he didn't hear, eyes closed. 'Strange,' he thought, 'I wonder why he closed his eyes.' TK was his usual self, well except for the obvious. He had been happy all day. But his friend could tell something was wrong. Something about his eyes... He studied the figure of his friend, but he wasn't watching for long when TK took off the headphones. A look of despair crossed his face. A tear cascaded down his pale cheek.
"TK, what's wrong?"
"Huh? Uh, I don't really know. I just felt sad all of a sudden. It's strange, but I feel like my heart was broken."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I just ......... don't know."

When the rest of the digidestined arrived at Izzy's house Ken excused himself to try his house again. Something was going through his mind that he wasn't too happy about. With each ring he became more worried. 'Come on, answer,' He silently willed. Then he heard his mom's voice. 'Thank God!'
"Ichijouji residence, I'm sorry but we're-..."
"No!"
The rest of the digidestined heard Ken's voice. They rushed to the phone and saw Ken on his knees, holding the phone with a tightly clenched fist. Yolei started to walk toward him to find out what was wrong, but she stopped short.
"They're gone. I haven't been able to get a hold of them since the day before yesterday, ever since we got TK back. They're gone." He was crying now, silently. He couldn't get up. He knew the others, especially Yolei must think he was overreacting, but still he couldn't get up. It was as if his whole world had just crashed.
"I thought something might be wrong when I couldn't get a hold of them last night. I should have called them that morning. I-..."
He stopped, he wasn't making sense and he knew it. The phone finally fell out of his hand as he bent over. Now on all fours he just let his tears roll.
Yolei looked at him. She wasn't sure what to say. He had really gotten close to his family in the last three years. Almost like they were all making up for lost time. If his family was really gone what would he do? She could only think of one thing she could do for him. So she went over and held him as he cried. Maybe having someone touch him, would help a little. Again she noticed how frail he had become. 'Oh, Ken.' She started to cry.
Matt and Tai looked at each other. Both of them knew what having his parents love and trust had done for him. It had been a big part of making the Dark Spore stop growing. He would never willing go back to evil. They knew that. However, what would happen if he refused to go back to evil, yet the spore still grew?
Cody thought of his own family. He had never known what it was like not to have their support, but he had lost his father. He knew a little of what Ken was going through. He was very young when it happened, but he remembered when his mother told him that his father would not be coming home.
Izzy remembered when he finally told his parents he knew he was adopted. They had gotten much closer after that. To have them disappear now would be unbearable.
Kari was overwhelmed. It wasn't her fault, she knew. Still, it was her light that had allowed Daemon to cause this. Whatever happened, she knew she couldn't use it anymore.
Each and every digimon in the room was unsure of what to do. After all, they had never had parents. Still, if any of the Digidestined disappeared...... They didn't really want to think about it.
Wormmon knew there wasn't much he could do but be with his friend. He walked over to Ken, and laid his head on the boys lap.
Ken looked down at his best friend, and his eyes cleared a bit. He knew Wormmon would never leave him.
Ken could also feel Yolei. She was right, her touch was somehow healing. Just knowing she was there for him, helped. He was able to stop crying. He looked up at her, at the beautiful eyes he had grown to love and saw their tears. He reached out his hand to wipe them away.
"Yolei, thank you. It helps to know you're still next to me. Yolei, you've been a true friend. Encouraging me when I was down. Correcting me when I was wrong. I'm sorry it's taken me all this time to tell you how I feel, but........ Yolei, I'm in love with you."
Yolei didn't know what to say. A soft simple pink appeared in her cheeks. She smiled. And looked into the eyes of the man who was bearing his heart and soul to her. She had waited a very long time for him to say those words.
"Oh, Ken. I love you too. I have for a long time. I want you to know that I'll always be by your side."
The two of them moved in until their faces were only a few inches away from each other. Neither of them realized they weren't alone in the room. All they could see were each other. Then there lips met in silent beautiful passion. Passion devoid of lust, devoid of all things debased. Simple, pure, passion. The kiss that sealed there new bond was over in just a few seconds, but to them it signified eternity. Almost as if on cue, both of them blushed, looking around at the others.

Owari, Ai

AN: hey minna, I found a no hentai fan-fic site! It's got no yaoi, yuri shounen ai or shoujo ai in it at all! There's not much there right now, but I figure if we add stuff it will! Uh the only problem is that she prefers stuff in html format and it takes her a while to post stuff, but it does get posted, so if you wanna know where it's at E-mail me @ Kami no Ai 7@aol.com!
Arigatou minna-san!