Chapter 7- Comfort and Confessions

Kari started up in her sleeping bag. After quickly checking around to make sure no one woke up, she wriggled out of her sleeping bag and slipped out the tent-flap. She sat by the fire for a while, occasionally stoking it and shifting the coals, totally unaware of the pair of bright blue eyes that watched her from the boys' tent. Finally, she looked up and sighed.

TK crept to the tent-flap. Carefully, he unzipped part of it and looked out. He was positive that he'd heard someone outside. Usually he wouldn't have heard, but he hadn't fallen asleep all night. From what he could see, there was no one there. Suddenly, he heard a quiet scratching and turned his eyes towards the fire. Kari was sitting there, poking absently at the fire with a stick. She sighed, and then stood up and started towards the limited space of the path they had used to come down. He frowned and quickly slipped out of the tent to follow her.

Kari stepped sure-footedly up the precarious pathway, never once stumbling, always upright. Once she reached the top, she peered into the darkness, looking for something. Unnecessarily, she shivered. Usually, she loved the night with all its stars, and the quiet moon. But tonight, there was no moon, and no stars, but instead an odd feeling of dread creeping through the still air. 'Something's not right.' She told herself. After determining where the spot had been, she headed towards the forest.

TK stumbled up the pathway and reached the top just in time to see Kari melt away into the forest. Hastily, he followed her into the heart of the woods they had come through. Finally, she stopped at a certain spot and vanished into the underbrush. He scrambled in after her and found himself in a tranquil spot by the selfsame stream Matt had fallen into while getting water for the fire. He looked around for the chestnut-haired girl and found her with her head buried in her arms by a rock.

Kari threw herself down by the stream in despair. "What do you want me to do?" She asked, filled with a fervent anger, directed at no one that anyone but her could see. "Just break his heart? I'm not cruel! I've never wanted to be cruel, and I won't be! You tell me, you're supposed to be the wise one!" After this she paused as if to listen, and then buried her head in her arms. "All right." She whispered, her brief anger subsiding. "All right." Suddenly she felt something warm course it's way down her cheek, and to her surprise, it was a tear. A single, choked sob rose from her shivering body, then another, followed by more fitful tears.

And then he was there. There, with his arms around her, warming her. There, with such a look of caring on his innocent face she nearly kissed him again. She rested her face against him and let herself cry until she had no tears left, no strength left even to cry. After a while she carefully removed herself from his arms to look at him. 'What is TK doing here, anyway? How did he find me?' 

"Kari?" He whispered. "You okay now?"

She nodded silently.

"What was that all about, anyway?"

Kari looked at him. "It's … Well, you wouldn't understand. It's got to do with my so-called dreams, though." She sighed. "I don't think I can take much of this anymore. I mean, it's really getting to be too much. And if I read the signs properly, something big is going happen. Soon."

Although TK didn't understand a lot of what she was saying, he did understand that his friend needed to be comforted, and he did the first thing that came to mind. Later on, he would be glad, but at the time he was mortified. He hugged her again, and then realized what he was doing, and blushed and let go.

Kari looked out over the stream, but suddenly she felt arms around her. She turned to look. It was TK, and he turned pink again and let go. "I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I didn't mean to." She smiled at him.

"It's okay."

They were so close, so close that their noses were almost touching. He couldn't help himself, and neither could she. Before they knew it, their lips met and they were, once again, kissing.

With some effort TK dragged his lips from hers, and looked into her eyes. "We need to talk." He whispered to her, and she nodded wordlessly. The two moved over where they couldn't be seen, although no one was around for miles, and began the talk they so desperately needed.

"Seeing as I was the one who mentioned it, I'll start." TK said, with some (lot of) reluctance. "Kari, I think-no, I know- I'm in love." He blushed, but nonetheless kept his steady gaze on her. "With you." He watched her carefully for her reaction.

She looked in his eyes, and knew it was true. It was no fake feeling, no quick flash of anything. He meant it, and now she would have to tell him the truth. "I was afraid of that." She said quietly, and saw the shock that registered in his face.

"Kari, do you mean- Are you- Do you-" he stammered, before remembering his promise to himself to accept whatever she chose. "I understand. I'm sorry for troubling you about this. I'll just leave now." He said stiffly. With that, he turned to go.

"You- you-" Kari almost laughed outright at his naïve response. "Do you really think I could care for anyone else, TK? Do you think this has all been some amusing game for me? -some idle diversion? Are you really that blind, that you can't see the truth, after all these years?" She said gently. He turned back to her, his eyes filled with hope.

"Kari, you…"

"Yes TK. I love you too."

He looked at her, the possessor of his heart, this delicate seeming girl with the strong heart. 'Did she really say that? I'm not dreaming?'

"You're not dreaming, TK." She said, as if guessing his thoughts. "But am I?"

He shook his head, unable to speak. He could only think of one thing to do, and he did it. Slowly, he moved to where she sat, her white lids over the beautiful eyes, and he cupped her face in his hands. She understood, and slowly, she lifted her face to his, and they kissed, only this time, there was meaning to it, they meant it. It wasn't a mistake or a game. It was just a symbol of the innocent love they shared.

Kari opened her eyes. "But, TK. There's something else, too. You mustn't tell anyone else, or they'll try and stop me. But you have to know, or I'll break your heart when it happens."

TK looked at her. 'What does she mean?'

"TK." She said urgently. "You have to forget about this. I know that you care, and that's all I need. But you have to go on with your life. Soon, the most devastating thing since MaloMyotismon will come to the Digital World. We can't defeat it, not without the power of the Digital Queen. But she- she's going to make it a deal. If he spares the world, then he can take her life. One divine life for a million ordinary ones. And- and, if something were to… happen to me, and I can't come back, then you have to promise me that you'll forget me, and keep on going in your life. Please. I need this." She looked at TK pleadingly.

He couldn't resist that look. But… "Kari, I would give you the world if you asked for it. But no matter what anyone does, I can't just forget about you. You're more important to me then my own life, and I can't change that. But… I promise that I'll go on with my life. But I can't forget you. Not that."

Kari looked at him, and suddenly smiled. But it was a sad smile. "That's fine with me, TK." And she leaned forward and kissed him. 'If only he could understand… If only I could tell him the truth… Maybe he wouldn't hurt that much…'

TK put his arms around her again. After a while, she fell asleep, breathing softly and evenly. He often wondered how she knew these things, and how she managed to be so strong in the face of destruction. But he always dismissed these thoughts with the same answer- this was Hikari Kamiya they were talking about, not just anyone. Suddenly something Kari had said chimed in his head again. She's going to make it a deal… spares Digital World… take her life… something were to happen to me… Suddenly an idea flickered in his mind, but he waved it away as nonsense. But it was persistent, and kept coming back until he was forced to acknowledge it. Just before he fell asleep, the thought flickered across his mind.

'Suppose… Suppose Kari is the Digital Queen?'

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A/N Is Kari the Digital Queen? What'll happen to the Digital World? Who is this mysterious evil Digimon? And how will Davis take this- when he finds out?