Next! Wow, I'm on a roll!! *thinks: Course they don't need to know that I finished the story and that's why I can just upload the chapters whenever I get a couple of minutes* Ahem, anyway here's chapter 10!
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.
"Finally!" Tai said, breaking the tense atmosphere.
The rest of the digidestined laughed. Ken stood up, then helped Yolei. He looked into her eyes, content, for now, to hold her hand. Then he remembered what had brought on the situation. His usually clear eyes clouded over with what looked like despair. Yolei noticed and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, lightly, never really losing the pain that was evident on his face.
"If my theory is correct, then everyone who has disappeared was sent to another dimension. A dimension out-side of both this world and the Digital one."
"So how do we get them back," Ken asked Izzy.
"We have to find out what's causing the dimensional rift and fix it. When that's done everything should go back to normal."
"Should," Ken echoed. "That doesn't sound too reassuring, does it?"
"Maybe not, but it's all we have to go on for now."
"Right Tai. And I don't really think we can do anything from the Digital World itself. I'm not even sure we can do anything from ours."
The whole group stared at Izzy.
"What do you mean, Izzy," Matt questioned.
"Simple, this's Daemon's doing, right? That means we have to find a way into the Dark Ocean."
"What?!" The group chorused.
"That makes sense. We can't do anything to Daemon from here. If we could, we would have been able to get TK back a lot sooner. But I don't think it's a good idea for everybody to go."
"What do you mean?"
Ken looked over at Tai. "Well, I'm not sure we'll be able to get out. I can make a dark porthole to that dimension. But I don't know if it'll work the other way. So I think we should pick a few people to go in there. The rest will stay behind and try to find another exit, just in case."
Yolei looked up. Ken still looked tired, worried. "Ken, are you planning to go in there?"
Surprised, he looked down at the hand he still held. "I have to. I'm the only one who can open the porthole. It may be able to get us out."
"If you're going, I'm going, too!"
"Yolei..." His eyes moved from the hand he held to the face it belonged to. He saw fierce determination... and tears. "Yolei, Gomen ne, but I don't think it's a good idea. Please don't look at me that way. It's just that.." He bent down to whisper in her ear, "It's just that I think Kari will need your help here. If I can't get us out, she's our best bet. She's going to need to borrow your strength." He turned her face with his free hand until they were staring into each other's eyes.
Yolei studied Ken's face. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. "H- hai"
Ken stood up to continue his plan, but only after planting a sweet kiss on her cheek.
"I've been thinking about this for a while now. I had a feeling we might have to defeat Daemon face to face, to save TK. Now, we have to save the world again. If we all go in there, we're probably trapped. If only a few of us go in, we probably lose. The way I see it, the only people who have a chance of getting us out are: Kari, with the crest of light; Yolei, the crest of love; and Izzy, the crest of knowledge. I know it'll be difficult with three of our teem members missing, but I think it's the only chance we have."
No one spoke for a couple of minutes. Going to the Dark Ocean wasn't something any of them wanted to consider. But it did look like there only choice.
"We need the rest of our team here. Let's go over to Davis' house, and let them know what we found."
Tai's suggestion was a good one and after letting his mom know, Izzy, and the rest of the digidestined, left.
TK's grief took an hour to subside. He was beginning to think he wasn't going to able to take it. This place was getting to him. He still hadn't found his digivice, he had no way of knowing what time it was, there was no way out. He fought the urge that grew stronger every minute, the urge to just give up. 'There has to be something I can do. Something that'll matter. I can't allow my self to give up!' he thought. 'But what?' That was when he saw them. 'No, they can't be real, can they?'
"Onegai, don't tell my brother! He would just worry. He's already got enough to worry about."
The boys got the phone about half an hour after what happened to TK. The rest of the group would be their in a couple of minutes.
"Okay, for now."
"Arigatou!"
"Tk?"
"Yeah?"
"N- nani mo."
TK sat silently thinking. He could hear the worry in Davis' voice. He thought to himself, 'I wonder what he wanted to ask me.' He couldn't think of an answer, but for some reason he had a feeling Davis would probably be stubborn if he tried to ask about it.
"Davis, daijobu?" 'Ah well, might as well go for it...'
"Huh?"
"Well, you don't seem.... that is to say, I don't think you seem like yourself. Somehow I get the feeling you're normally the no nonsense, no holding back type. So, what's wrong? What did you want to ask me?"
Davis was surprised at how TK could sense his feelings.
"About before,"
The door bell rang before he could say anything else. In a couple of minutes the group was all gathered together in Davis' bedroom. In a couple more minutes, the plan was laid out.
"What?!" TK asked, surprised.
"TK, can you think of a better plan? I don't think we have much time. The digital world is almost dead. People are disappearing from this one. This is the only thing we could come up with."
The child of hope sat quietly for a couple of seconds.
"Okay, I get it, but--- Never mind, no buts, okay then, lets do it."
"What do we tell our parents? I mean, I think they have a right to know the truth this time." Cody said.
"I know. They aren't going to like it though." Yolei answered.
"Why don't we call them over here tonight. That way we could get prepared and start our plan early tomorrow morning." Davis suggested.
"Um, guys.......... I think we should do it at my house."
Everybody looked up at Ken. He noticed there stares, but chose to continue.
"I think that it might make more of an impact." His voice started to brake. "Then they can see how serious this is."
Yolei, who was standing next to Ken, slipped her hand into his and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, gratefully.
"So what do you think?" He asked after a few seconds of fighting for composure.
"I think you're probably right, Ken. But are you going to be okay, going over there when....." Davis allowed his voice to trail off.
"Honestly, probably not. I need to get used to the idea of them not being there, though. What if we don't.... get any of them back."
"Ken......" Yolei started, but couldn't finish. She looked up at him. He looked tired, stressed, small. She began to wonder if the Dark Spore was growing. Ken wasn't usually one to give up. Ever since there final battle with Malomyotismon Ken had been willing to help anyone in trouble. He never gave up, never. Now he looked burned out. His eyes were sunken in, his body slightly hunched, he looked haunted. 'By the Dark Spore?' She thought.
"Ken," TK began, "Don't give up like that. It doesn't sound right from you. Besides, we are going to get them back. We are going to defeat Daemon. As long as we fight together, we're unstoppable. After all, didn't you say that we faced seemingly impossible odds before, but we always came out on top, right? So don't give up hope."
Ken looked at the boy who could not look back at him. TK had been through so much recently. Yet it hadn't caused him to lose the reason he was the child of hope.
"I'll try, but it's becoming harder to do."
"I Know. If you need help, we'll be here for you. That's what friends are for."
Ken looked at Davis thankfully. "Okay then, let's get this over with."
That night at Ken's house, Ken was even quieter than he had been lately. Everywhere he looked reminded him of his parents. The kitchen, where his mother spent a lot of time baking. His father's den. Their bedroom. The dining room. But especially the living room. He remembered sitting around the fireplace doing his homework and watching his father with his arm around his mother. They looked so happy, just sitting like that. Ken spent most of his time waiting for the others to arrive, in his room. It was the least painful place, though it still wasn't easy.
He spent a good hour telling himself that he couldn't cry that night.
Each and every parent was present that evening. After dinner they went into the living room. Ken was almost silent. Tai and Davis took turns telling the story. When they mentioned the disappearances Ken sat rigid, willing himself not to cry. It almost worked, until Tai got to the place when Ken first found out his parents were gone. Then he lost it. He still sat rigidly in place. The only visible sign was the tears pouring silently out of his eyes, and the slight shuddering of his shoulders. Yolei sat beside him, also crying, holding his hand. At the end of the story all of the parents sat quietly, allowing time for the information to sink in. Davis broke the silence.
"I know you're not too happy about this."
His dad looked at him, "That's putting it mildly."
"I know, dad, but you have to understand that it's the only way."
Mr. Motimiya looked at the other parents. He knew they hated the thought of their kids in the realm of the Dark Ocean as much as he did.
"You said people disappeared? So that's probably the reason Mr. Hansen and Mrs. Shanow didn't show up to work yesterday, or today." Matt's dad reasoned.
The conversation revolved around the disappearances for the next couple of minutes, as each of them remembered people who ought to have been there, but weren't.
"Okay," as these were the first words out of Ken's mouth, all eyes were on him, "you all know everything." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Um.... Well, ..... what do you have to say?"
Davis' mom stood up and went over to Ken. She looked down at the boy who had brought his tears under partial control.
"Ken, you've been over at my house so many times, you feel like a part of my family. I have full confidence that you'll be able to bring back your parents and every other person who's missing."
Tai's mother agreed, "You have all saved this world and the Digital world so many times already, that I know you'll do it again. I believe in you."
Each parent agreed. Well at least almost every parent. TK's mom had a little trouble.
"Does TK have to go? I mean he's already been through so much. None of us really know all of what happened over there. He lost his memory and his sight. I couldn't bare it, knowing he was over there. Please, does he have to go?"
TK, who had been relatively quiet himself, now stood up and found his way over to his mother. "Mom, you know how much I love you. I value your opinion. I can tell because of how much it hurts me to say this to you. I need you to understand that I have to do this. I have to face Daemon again. I need to know that even if I never regain my sight, I can still take care of myself. And......" Here he paused as if to figure out how to say what was on his mind. "I know this isn't going to make much sense, but I feel like part of me is missing. Almost like.... Oh, I don't know! Maybe like........ I'll find the rest of myself over there? I just..... I know that I have to do this. I hope you can understand."
It took a couple of seconds for TK's mom to respond. She was obviously thinking over what he said.
"I don't like it. But if that's how you feel, I won't try to stop you. Just be careful, please?"
"You know I will mom!"
"I'll be there with him too, mom. He won't be alone."
"Oh, Matt..."
"Okay, now that that's settled, why don't you all stay here tonight. It's already after midnight. That way, you can all see your kids off tomorrow." Ken's voice sounded hollow and tired.
Everyone agreed to this and all of the digidestined went off with there own respective parents and digimon to talk over sleeping arrangements. Ken brought out blankets and pillows, telling everyone to choose wherever they wanted to stay. He and Wormmon took his parents bed. As he crawled under the blankets he began again to cry. Wormmon was worried about him.
"Ken, Daijobu?"
"Hmm? Oh, I guess so, it's just that I miss them, you know?"
"I know, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. You're my best friend Ken."
"Arigatou Wormmon. You're mine too. You're the only family I have left."
"Just for now."
"Hai."
Yolei, who was coming to say good night, stopped by the door just long enough to hear what Ken and Wormmon were just talking about. She stood there for a few minutes, but heard nothing more. So she decided to see if they were sleeping. Sure enough, when she got to the bed both seemed fast asleep. Well, it was obvious Wormmon was, he was snoring loud enough to wake the dead! But Ken looked serene, almost like a little boy. Yolei bent down and kissed his cheek.
"Ken, I'm your family too. I'll make sure you're never alone again."
Then she slipped back out of the room and over to her parents. Ken however opened his eyes just a crack.
"Thanks Yolei."
Owari, Plan
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.
"Finally!" Tai said, breaking the tense atmosphere.
The rest of the digidestined laughed. Ken stood up, then helped Yolei. He looked into her eyes, content, for now, to hold her hand. Then he remembered what had brought on the situation. His usually clear eyes clouded over with what looked like despair. Yolei noticed and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, lightly, never really losing the pain that was evident on his face.
"If my theory is correct, then everyone who has disappeared was sent to another dimension. A dimension out-side of both this world and the Digital one."
"So how do we get them back," Ken asked Izzy.
"We have to find out what's causing the dimensional rift and fix it. When that's done everything should go back to normal."
"Should," Ken echoed. "That doesn't sound too reassuring, does it?"
"Maybe not, but it's all we have to go on for now."
"Right Tai. And I don't really think we can do anything from the Digital World itself. I'm not even sure we can do anything from ours."
The whole group stared at Izzy.
"What do you mean, Izzy," Matt questioned.
"Simple, this's Daemon's doing, right? That means we have to find a way into the Dark Ocean."
"What?!" The group chorused.
"That makes sense. We can't do anything to Daemon from here. If we could, we would have been able to get TK back a lot sooner. But I don't think it's a good idea for everybody to go."
"What do you mean?"
Ken looked over at Tai. "Well, I'm not sure we'll be able to get out. I can make a dark porthole to that dimension. But I don't know if it'll work the other way. So I think we should pick a few people to go in there. The rest will stay behind and try to find another exit, just in case."
Yolei looked up. Ken still looked tired, worried. "Ken, are you planning to go in there?"
Surprised, he looked down at the hand he still held. "I have to. I'm the only one who can open the porthole. It may be able to get us out."
"If you're going, I'm going, too!"
"Yolei..." His eyes moved from the hand he held to the face it belonged to. He saw fierce determination... and tears. "Yolei, Gomen ne, but I don't think it's a good idea. Please don't look at me that way. It's just that.." He bent down to whisper in her ear, "It's just that I think Kari will need your help here. If I can't get us out, she's our best bet. She's going to need to borrow your strength." He turned her face with his free hand until they were staring into each other's eyes.
Yolei studied Ken's face. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. "H- hai"
Ken stood up to continue his plan, but only after planting a sweet kiss on her cheek.
"I've been thinking about this for a while now. I had a feeling we might have to defeat Daemon face to face, to save TK. Now, we have to save the world again. If we all go in there, we're probably trapped. If only a few of us go in, we probably lose. The way I see it, the only people who have a chance of getting us out are: Kari, with the crest of light; Yolei, the crest of love; and Izzy, the crest of knowledge. I know it'll be difficult with three of our teem members missing, but I think it's the only chance we have."
No one spoke for a couple of minutes. Going to the Dark Ocean wasn't something any of them wanted to consider. But it did look like there only choice.
"We need the rest of our team here. Let's go over to Davis' house, and let them know what we found."
Tai's suggestion was a good one and after letting his mom know, Izzy, and the rest of the digidestined, left.
TK's grief took an hour to subside. He was beginning to think he wasn't going to able to take it. This place was getting to him. He still hadn't found his digivice, he had no way of knowing what time it was, there was no way out. He fought the urge that grew stronger every minute, the urge to just give up. 'There has to be something I can do. Something that'll matter. I can't allow my self to give up!' he thought. 'But what?' That was when he saw them. 'No, they can't be real, can they?'
"Onegai, don't tell my brother! He would just worry. He's already got enough to worry about."
The boys got the phone about half an hour after what happened to TK. The rest of the group would be their in a couple of minutes.
"Okay, for now."
"Arigatou!"
"Tk?"
"Yeah?"
"N- nani mo."
TK sat silently thinking. He could hear the worry in Davis' voice. He thought to himself, 'I wonder what he wanted to ask me.' He couldn't think of an answer, but for some reason he had a feeling Davis would probably be stubborn if he tried to ask about it.
"Davis, daijobu?" 'Ah well, might as well go for it...'
"Huh?"
"Well, you don't seem.... that is to say, I don't think you seem like yourself. Somehow I get the feeling you're normally the no nonsense, no holding back type. So, what's wrong? What did you want to ask me?"
Davis was surprised at how TK could sense his feelings.
"About before,"
The door bell rang before he could say anything else. In a couple of minutes the group was all gathered together in Davis' bedroom. In a couple more minutes, the plan was laid out.
"What?!" TK asked, surprised.
"TK, can you think of a better plan? I don't think we have much time. The digital world is almost dead. People are disappearing from this one. This is the only thing we could come up with."
The child of hope sat quietly for a couple of seconds.
"Okay, I get it, but--- Never mind, no buts, okay then, lets do it."
"What do we tell our parents? I mean, I think they have a right to know the truth this time." Cody said.
"I know. They aren't going to like it though." Yolei answered.
"Why don't we call them over here tonight. That way we could get prepared and start our plan early tomorrow morning." Davis suggested.
"Um, guys.......... I think we should do it at my house."
Everybody looked up at Ken. He noticed there stares, but chose to continue.
"I think that it might make more of an impact." His voice started to brake. "Then they can see how serious this is."
Yolei, who was standing next to Ken, slipped her hand into his and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, gratefully.
"So what do you think?" He asked after a few seconds of fighting for composure.
"I think you're probably right, Ken. But are you going to be okay, going over there when....." Davis allowed his voice to trail off.
"Honestly, probably not. I need to get used to the idea of them not being there, though. What if we don't.... get any of them back."
"Ken......" Yolei started, but couldn't finish. She looked up at him. He looked tired, stressed, small. She began to wonder if the Dark Spore was growing. Ken wasn't usually one to give up. Ever since there final battle with Malomyotismon Ken had been willing to help anyone in trouble. He never gave up, never. Now he looked burned out. His eyes were sunken in, his body slightly hunched, he looked haunted. 'By the Dark Spore?' She thought.
"Ken," TK began, "Don't give up like that. It doesn't sound right from you. Besides, we are going to get them back. We are going to defeat Daemon. As long as we fight together, we're unstoppable. After all, didn't you say that we faced seemingly impossible odds before, but we always came out on top, right? So don't give up hope."
Ken looked at the boy who could not look back at him. TK had been through so much recently. Yet it hadn't caused him to lose the reason he was the child of hope.
"I'll try, but it's becoming harder to do."
"I Know. If you need help, we'll be here for you. That's what friends are for."
Ken looked at Davis thankfully. "Okay then, let's get this over with."
That night at Ken's house, Ken was even quieter than he had been lately. Everywhere he looked reminded him of his parents. The kitchen, where his mother spent a lot of time baking. His father's den. Their bedroom. The dining room. But especially the living room. He remembered sitting around the fireplace doing his homework and watching his father with his arm around his mother. They looked so happy, just sitting like that. Ken spent most of his time waiting for the others to arrive, in his room. It was the least painful place, though it still wasn't easy.
He spent a good hour telling himself that he couldn't cry that night.
Each and every parent was present that evening. After dinner they went into the living room. Ken was almost silent. Tai and Davis took turns telling the story. When they mentioned the disappearances Ken sat rigid, willing himself not to cry. It almost worked, until Tai got to the place when Ken first found out his parents were gone. Then he lost it. He still sat rigidly in place. The only visible sign was the tears pouring silently out of his eyes, and the slight shuddering of his shoulders. Yolei sat beside him, also crying, holding his hand. At the end of the story all of the parents sat quietly, allowing time for the information to sink in. Davis broke the silence.
"I know you're not too happy about this."
His dad looked at him, "That's putting it mildly."
"I know, dad, but you have to understand that it's the only way."
Mr. Motimiya looked at the other parents. He knew they hated the thought of their kids in the realm of the Dark Ocean as much as he did.
"You said people disappeared? So that's probably the reason Mr. Hansen and Mrs. Shanow didn't show up to work yesterday, or today." Matt's dad reasoned.
The conversation revolved around the disappearances for the next couple of minutes, as each of them remembered people who ought to have been there, but weren't.
"Okay," as these were the first words out of Ken's mouth, all eyes were on him, "you all know everything." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Um.... Well, ..... what do you have to say?"
Davis' mom stood up and went over to Ken. She looked down at the boy who had brought his tears under partial control.
"Ken, you've been over at my house so many times, you feel like a part of my family. I have full confidence that you'll be able to bring back your parents and every other person who's missing."
Tai's mother agreed, "You have all saved this world and the Digital world so many times already, that I know you'll do it again. I believe in you."
Each parent agreed. Well at least almost every parent. TK's mom had a little trouble.
"Does TK have to go? I mean he's already been through so much. None of us really know all of what happened over there. He lost his memory and his sight. I couldn't bare it, knowing he was over there. Please, does he have to go?"
TK, who had been relatively quiet himself, now stood up and found his way over to his mother. "Mom, you know how much I love you. I value your opinion. I can tell because of how much it hurts me to say this to you. I need you to understand that I have to do this. I have to face Daemon again. I need to know that even if I never regain my sight, I can still take care of myself. And......" Here he paused as if to figure out how to say what was on his mind. "I know this isn't going to make much sense, but I feel like part of me is missing. Almost like.... Oh, I don't know! Maybe like........ I'll find the rest of myself over there? I just..... I know that I have to do this. I hope you can understand."
It took a couple of seconds for TK's mom to respond. She was obviously thinking over what he said.
"I don't like it. But if that's how you feel, I won't try to stop you. Just be careful, please?"
"You know I will mom!"
"I'll be there with him too, mom. He won't be alone."
"Oh, Matt..."
"Okay, now that that's settled, why don't you all stay here tonight. It's already after midnight. That way, you can all see your kids off tomorrow." Ken's voice sounded hollow and tired.
Everyone agreed to this and all of the digidestined went off with there own respective parents and digimon to talk over sleeping arrangements. Ken brought out blankets and pillows, telling everyone to choose wherever they wanted to stay. He and Wormmon took his parents bed. As he crawled under the blankets he began again to cry. Wormmon was worried about him.
"Ken, Daijobu?"
"Hmm? Oh, I guess so, it's just that I miss them, you know?"
"I know, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. You're my best friend Ken."
"Arigatou Wormmon. You're mine too. You're the only family I have left."
"Just for now."
"Hai."
Yolei, who was coming to say good night, stopped by the door just long enough to hear what Ken and Wormmon were just talking about. She stood there for a few minutes, but heard nothing more. So she decided to see if they were sleeping. Sure enough, when she got to the bed both seemed fast asleep. Well, it was obvious Wormmon was, he was snoring loud enough to wake the dead! But Ken looked serene, almost like a little boy. Yolei bent down and kissed his cheek.
"Ken, I'm your family too. I'll make sure you're never alone again."
Then she slipped back out of the room and over to her parents. Ken however opened his eyes just a crack.
"Thanks Yolei."
Owari, Plan
