Insanity Angel Kari: Dum-dee-dum-dum… oh! Yes! Here is the next chapter!
My Friend KC: That would make it chapter two.
Insanity Angel Kari: But according to the number thingies on the button it's section three!
KC: But that doesn't make it chapter three!
Insanity Angel Kari: What if the Introduction counts as a chapter?
KC: No!
Insanity Angel Kari: It depends on your point of view! It could be chapter 3, section three, or chapter 2 with a section in front of it!
KC:…Wha???
Insanity Angel Kari: I love being difficult! Is fwacked mercilessly by KC OW! Anyway…as I have stated, I do not own Digimon. If you sue, I will bury you in Jello. If you try to flame my story, as soon it will become clearer whether this is a Takari, Daikari, or Veegato, I will singe your flames with my FIRE EXTINGUISHER OF JUSTICE! Bwhahaha! And all characters I make up and have in this story belong to me! ( Tao and Cystamon! ) If you use them without consulting me first I will bathe you in bananas then throw you in the midst of a clan of hungry chimpanzees!! Thunder booms in the background
KC: Evilness resides here…
Chapter Two
"KARI!"
Gatomon leaped down from the bed, racing over to where her Digidestined was lying. She had just seen her collapse in the bathroom, seemingly for no reason!
"Kari!!"
Gatomon fumbled around, feeling for Kari's pulse. It was hard, with her gloves and claws, but she finally managed to grab her wrist. Her Digidestined was lying on her back, eyes closed, and her skin gradually draining of color. Beads of sweet ran down her forehead, and as Gatomon touched the skin on her wrist it felt clammy. Cold.
What was going on??
A pulse! Gatomon breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't dead. But she was unconscious or something near to it. And that wasn't good. Fear, like ice cold daggers, struck Gatomon's heart, and anger. Anger at not knowing what had happened, and not being able to prevent it. Gently she tried shaking Kari, popping her face a few times. "Kari?!"
"What's going on?" Tai asked, walking into the room. He held a donut in one hand and a puzzled expression on his face. But the split second he saw Kari on the bathroom floor, he freaked. "What happened??!?" He rushed over to her, kneeled down, and immediately started to check her pulse. His eyes were wide, with fear and disbelief.
"I already did that," Gatomon scoffed. "She's alive. Her pulse is strong."
"Then…then what the heck…did she pass out?" Tai griped, feeling Kari's forehead.
"She fell to the floor. Is that passing out?"
"I guess!"
A second later Agumon rushed into the room, a glass of water in hand. "Tai? Whoa! What happened to Kari??"
"GIVE ME THAT!" Tai snatched the glass of water out of Agumon's hand and poured it all over Kari's face.
************************
-??????????-
-Meanwhile-
It was happening again.
Was she asleep?
She wasn't sure.
Was this a dream?
But it was so real.
Kari tried moving her fingers, but nothing happened. No sensation whatsoever. And as she tried to see what the problem was, she realized she had no fingers.
No hand.
No arm.
And, just to make sure, she found she had no body. She was just…
There.
"Where am I?" She was surprised she could even speak. But as her mind formed the words, they happened, in her same voice, same tone. Everything was dark, black. For a fleeting moment Kari feared she was dead, or dying one. She strained to remember what had happened. Hadn't she been combing her hair? Yeah. She'd been trying to figure out her dream. Then what had happened…Oh yeah. The ripple in the mirror. The white flash, and the sensation of sliding to the floor.
Gatomon's strangled cry.
Where was Gatomon?
"Gato?" Kari whispered. No answer. Wherever she was, Gatomon wasn't there. Kari's heart skipped a beat. Gatomon had always been there. If she were here, she would have answered. "Tai? Agumon? Anyone?!"
Only silence answered.
"Please…someone say something…" Kari pleaded to the nothingness. Faintly, she could hear whispers, in the back of her mind. Was it Tai? It sounded like him. And Gatomon. Even Agumon. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the voices were there, echoing.
"Missing…it's all missing."
Another voice! Familiar, yet alien. Monotone.
"Hello??" Kari asked, straining to hear something else from the shadow that resided in her dreams. She recognized the voice, the sadness, and the vague feeling of being lost.
"I'm Missing…"
"Is that your name?" Kari persisted, intent on not losing this person again.
"You could say that…"
Kari breathed a sigh of relief from lungs that weren't there. She might finally be getting somewhere. "What do you want?"
"…I want to be found…is that so much to ask…?"
"But I've found you. You've been in my dreams," Kari replied, a little frustrated.
"I'm just a piece. A piece of something more that was thrown away then lost…"
"I don't understand."
There was a moment of silence. Kari had begun to get worried she had lost the shadow again. She couldn't see it in all this blackness, so she couldn't be sure.
"I don't understand myself…" the voice answered, finally. "No one does…no one knew about me except for me. And I'm the only one that doesn't understand."
Kari had begun to grow confused. "Are you lost?"
"Aren't we all…?"
Suddenly Kari felt a strange sensation. Vague at first, then suddenly strong.
She was drowning!
She felt the water flowing down her face, choking her, washing over her. Was someone trying to kill her?
Suddenly the darkness brightened, and slowly, as she opened her eyes and her blurry vision gradually cleared, she could make out the lights of the bathroom ceiling. The sounds of excited murmuring, the feeling of someone stroking her face. A soft, strangely feline voice beckoning her to come back. But even that couldn't stop the poem, the poem that so many times filled her head as she began to wake up:
The missing piece of light;
One fallen angel
A soul afraid of dying
That never learned to live
A heart afraid of breaking
That was too afraid to give.
************************
"Her eyes fluttered!"
"Fluttered? Like a butterfly?"
"Oh, stop being such a ditz Agumon!"
"Sorry for being poetic!"
"Her eyes could pop OUT, as long as she's okay! Kari! Kari! Can you hear me??"
"You want her eyes to pop out??"
Two voices: "AGUMON!"
Kari recognized the first voice as belonging to Tai as she came to. The second voice belonged to Agumon, and the third to Gatomon.
"Ugh…"
"Kari!" Tai yelped, gently holding her up. He smoothed back her hair, watching her eyes closely. They opened again, those amber eyes that belonged to his sister. "Kari! Are you okay?!"
"Hmm…yeah…that was strange…" At that moment Kari decided not to tell them about what exactly had happened. Inside, she felt they didn't need to be bothered with her. She knew she already was a load, a little sister to Tai, a Digidestined to Gatomon, a friend to so many others…why burden them with something even she didn't understand?
Better wait.
Gatomon was sitting to her left and Agumon was standing by Tai, to the right. Gatomon's eyes, usually so calm and cool, flickered with emotion. Fear.
Kari felt horrible. Gatomon was never scared.
"What happened?" Gatomon asked, emotion almost choking her voice. She swallowed, and her eyes regained their usual intensity. She, like Kari, didn't like revealing her feelings much.
"Did you bonk your head?" Agumon offered.
"I must have passed out…" Kari winced, trying to think of a good excuse. She never was the kind that would just pass out for no reason. "Umm…it must have been because of the ice you put in my shirt earlier, Tai…and…the chemicals in the lipstick, then suddenly going into a hot, steamy bathroom."
Okay. That MIGHT be believable.
"Chemical imbalance," Kari added.
"Wow…I didn't know lipstick was deadly!" Agumon gasped.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Tai asked again, still concerned. He didn't totally buy the chemical thing, but after his gym socks had grown a mysterious brown mold on them after a month, he was open to suggestions of the strange and mysterious. But of course, when he had shown Kari, she merely said it was a case of bad foot odor.
"Yeah…" Kari said after a pause. To demonstrate this, she slowly got to her feet, then stood up straight. "See? Good as new."
Tai narrowed his eyes, then nodded. He got up as well, then scratched his head. "It's kinda crowded in the bathroom. Let's mosey on over to the bedroom, shall we?" In all reality, he was about to be suffocated by all the heat left over by his shower. Turn on the fan next time, he thought, making a mental note to himself. He and Kari walked out of the bathroom, Agumon and Gatomon following. Kari sat on the bed, rubbing through her hair. She paused when she felt some wet hair, then looked down.
She was soaked!
"Tai!" she yelped. "Did you pour water on me??"
"It was my water!" Agumon whined.
"Yeah, to wake you up." Tai blinked.
"Nothing else was working," put in Gatomon.
"Noooo…I was going to wear this shirt out to eat today…now I'm going to have to find a new one…" Kari grumbled. She got up and searched through her drawers, then rummaged through her closet. After a minute she pulled out an identical shirt to the one she had on, minus the water.
"Going out to eat?" Tai asked. "With who? When?" He crossed his arms, entering protective 19-year-old-brother-looking-after-15-year-old-sister mode. Kari tapped her foot, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I don't know if I should tell you, oh Putter of Ice Down My Back," Kari replied sweetly, batting her eyes at him.
"T.K., Patamon, Davis, Chibimon, Ken, and Leafmon," Gatomon answered easily.
"No wrestlers, bar tenders, or guys who bite off chicken heads?"
"None of the above."
"Alrighty." Tai smiled and gave a swift nod to Gatomon, then looked to Kari. "I suppose I could let you go. Where are you meeting?"
"Yikani's Burgers," Kari answered before Gatomon. She sent her a little grin.
"When?"
"2:00."
"Hmmm…" Tai pondered this, scratching his chin. He stopped and blinked, feeling it. "Dang. I got a beard. Got to shave again…"
"Tai!" Kari said, rolling her eyes. "Can I go or not? I've already called the others."
"I guess," Tai said after a moment.
"I want to eat out!" Agumon whined, looking to Tai.
"What about our Soaps that come on around that time?" Tai asked, with widening eyes.
"Ah! Never mind. I want to find out what happens to Jean!" Agumon then raced back to the TV.
"Okay. So we'll be staying here. You can go, but be back before dark! And call if something goes wrong. Do you need to take some medicine?" Tai asked.
"Tai, we're big girls. Kari's 15. You're 19 and your butt's glued to the couch and your eyes to the TV. And I'm a Digimon so I don't really have an age," Gatomon purred teasingly to Tai. Tai rolled his eyes but nodded. Looking to his Pokemon watch, he watched the little Pickachu tick by the seconds.
"…Ah! 'My Life With Lucky' is on!" With a leap and a bound Tai raced out of the room and into the living room, propelled himself onto the couch, nearly landing on Agumon, who in turn pushed him off. Gatomon rubbed her forehead, then looked to Kari.
"He's not very worried, huh?" she asks.
"He's worried, he just doesn't want to show it. Besides, he's been through stuff like this…" Kari said after a moment. She felt uncomfortable with Gatomon persistently trying to get what really happened out of her. She knew that's what she was trying to do.
"You will tell me, won't you? Even if it's not now…" Gatomon said softly after another pause.
"How can I keep anything from you for long, Gato?" Kari replied, changing shirts. "You're like a piece of me."
The words echoed back.
'A piece of something more that was thrown away then lost…'
And still it made no sense.
************************
-Yikani's Burgers, 1:54 PM-
T.K. looked around, then looked to his watch once more. Calm down, T.K…he thought. She'll be here. And the others, of course…
Patamon yawned, resting on top of T.K.'s head like old times. T.K. was sitting on a bench just outside of Yikani's Burgers, as he didn't want to go in just yet without the others. He grimaced at the other side of the bench where a large wad of gum had been stuck to the seat. Averting his eyes from the sight, he studied the people walking up and down the street, the cars driving by, the signs and occasional mime performing on the sidewalk.
He shuddered.
Mimes were evil.
"Well, what are you hungry for today, T.K.?" Patamon asked, a little bored while they waited for the others.
"Was that meant to rhyme?" T.K. asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure. Do you want it to?"
"Hmmm…"
"T.J.!"
T.K. didn't even have to take his eyes off of an old man picking his nose by the street corner to know who that was. Who else would forget the name of a person and it's only two letters long?
"Hey, Davis," Patamon replied sunnily, pulling on the brim of T.K.'s bowl shaped hat he never goes without. "Whatcha looking at T.K.?"
"Huh?" T.K. blinked, then looked away from the old man and to Davis, who was running up out of breath, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Chibimon poked his head out and waved a little blue paw, smiling.
"Why did you bring a backpack, Davis? It's summer." T.K. scratched his arm, then rolled his eyes up to Patamon and gave him a Don't-Mess-With- The-Hat look. Patamon responded with a grin.
"Huh? Oh, it has medical supplies in it. Ya know, stuff to save lives. In fact on the way over here I helped an old woman cross the street. Nice of me, huh?" Davis replied with his goofy look.
"You have something of Jun's in it, of course," T.K. said, deadpan.
"Uh….yeah. I got her radio. She finally got her hair brush."
"Ish hot in here!" Chibimon complained. He popped out of the backpack opening and crawled over Davis' shoulder and slid into his arms. "Ah…better."
"Do you know who else is coming?" T.K. asked.
"Huh? Whatcha mean?"
"You know. Who else is coming to eat with Kari and Gatomon."
"WHAT?!?! You mean you're not just here to be here??" Davis wailed.
"Of course not. I was invited. What are you talking about?" T.K. asked quizzically. Patamon popped himself on the forehead, already guessing what Davis' problem was.
"Gatomon didn't say anything about inviting anyone else…" Davis whined. "She just said 'Meet us at Yikani's Burgers at 2:00' or whatever!"
"Must have forgotten to tell you," T.K. said, trying not to laugh. "You didn't think this was a date, did you?"
"A guy can be hopeful!" Davis responded grouchily.
"At least we get to eat with friends!" Chibimon added happily. As long as there was food around, not much of anything could get him down.
"Hey Davis, Chibimon, T.K., Patamon…" Ken walked up rather silently, a small smile on his face. Leafmon popped his head out from his arms and smiled with his eyes.
"Yo Ken! Yo Leafmon! So you were invited to?" Davis chirped, in his good mood again. Chibimon waved in greeting.
"Yeah…is Kari and Gatomon here yet?" Ken asked with a nod to the Yikani's Burgers building.
"No," T.K. answered. "But she will be. It's only" -he glanced to his watch- "2:11."
"Do you know who else was invited?" Patamon spoke up.
"Yolie, Cody and their Digimon can't come because they have stuff to do," Leafmon answered.
"More food for us!" Chibimon said gleefully. Ken laughed a little.
"So…all we have to do is wait for Kari. I can do that." Davis plopped down beside T.K. on the bench. T.K.'s eyes widened, a little in surprise and amusement.
"Uh…Davis?" he asked after a beat.
"Yeah T.A.?"
"…Nothing."
"Ah! Sorry we're late!" Kari yelped as she ran down the sidewalk to the waiting Digidestined. Gatomon, being held in her arms, squeaked as Kari nearly tripped over her own feet. Skidding to a stop, Kari caught her breath. "Ah. I'm here."
"Yay! Kari's here!" Davis sighed, his eyes all sparkly. He leaped up, did a twist, then bowed to Kari and Gatomon. "May we eat now, m'ladies?"
"Davis, do you have a big wad of gum on your butt?" Gatomon asked, puzzled. Davis stopped, blinked, then turned his head to check. His eyes widened.
"Hey. I do."
"Very attractive, Davis," Kari mused. T.K. covered his mouth to keep from laughing, Patamon along with him, and Ken and Leafmon looked to each other grinning.
"Eww…hey, wait. Kari, were you looking at my butt?" Davis asked, eyes widening.
"It wasn't really a choice. Can you kindly remove the gum before it gets on my last nerve?" Kari asked sweetly.
It was so normal. The bickering, the jokes, the talking. Even making fun of Davis. Kari knew she never REALLY made fun of him. In a way, she had begun to think Davis liked having the attention. That was okay. She understood him wanting attention just as she understood that lately she DIDN'T want attention. T.K. tended to be a little more in control of himself, and Kari knew he often masked his emotions or problems like her. Ken was about the same, though not as bad as he used to be. He had opened up a lot, allowing more of his feelings to show. Kari felt a twinge of guilt…she felt guilty for not telling someone about her problem. The dream, the poem, the voice and the confusion. But how would they help? They wouldn't understand. It's not like she didn't have faith in them…it was just hard to believe they would know what to do. Just like it was hard to believe she didn't know. And just like her personality, she kept her mouth closed. Guilt or no guilt, if this was serious no one had better get involved until she knew how to handle it. Hey, maybe she could even take care of this problem by herself!
"Let's eat!" Chibimon offered.
Everyone responded: "Yeah!"
Kari smiled.
But it was a troubled smile.
And Gatomon noticed, just like she'd noticed many of the little things that were wrong. Patamon and Chibimon saw her eyes narrow with confusion and aggravation, but both were too into the thought of eating to give it much thought.
As the Digidestined entered Yikani's Burgers, Digimon in hand and hungry stomachs, Kari felt something was missing.
Missing.
What WAS missing? Where could it be found? Why was it lost in the first place?
"You've got to be hungry, Kari," said Davis, who was practically skipping beside her.
"Yeah, I'm hungry," Kari replied.
Hungry for answers.
************************
A girl, around 5'4, stood at the curb of the street, watching the group of kids enter Yikani's Burgers. Her pale green eyes followed them, and lingered over the one girl carrying the white cat. A few strands of her sandy blonde hair fell by her face, and she brushed them away, back under her cap. A small smile found itself on her lips, but it was a forced smile. She was wearing a red shirt with cut-off jeans, and plain sneakers. A Digivice hung from her belt, gray in color. She looked about 14 or 15, but her eyes look much older then any of the rest of her. Tired, experienced, but filled with intensity.
"I'm watching. Watching you, like an eagle. You won't leave my sight," she whispered to the breeze, pulling her cap more over her eyes.
"Tao…I'm in the mood for Italian. Can we go somewhere else to eat?" asked a voice from on top of her head. Sitting atop her head is a small but fox looking Digimon, with maroon fur and green eyes, similar to its Digidestined. A long maroon tail sways behind it with a gold tipped end, long ears mainly tilted back, and short legs. Two small wings sprout from its shoulder blades, but not large enough to lift it.
"Sure, Cystamon…" Tao answered, averting her gaze from the building. "We'll save this 'encounter' for later…" With only one glance back, Tao turned and made her way silently down the sidewalk, seeming to meld into the shadows formed by passing strangers.
What is it that's missing?
And why is Kari the only one affected?
Who is the strange person that keeps appearing? And are they truly looking for help, or looking for a way to destroy the Digidestined?
Who is this mysterious girl named Tao and her Digimon Cystamon watching Kari and the Digidestined? What does she want?
Will Jun ever find her radio??
And will Tai and Agumon ever stop watching soap operas??
And does Davis really look good in gum??
Find out in Chapter Three of 'The Missing Piece of Light; One Fallen Angel' to find out!
Insanity Angel Kari: Ohhhh! I love to hate the cliffhangers!
KC: NYAH! starts strangling Insanity Angel What's going to happen?? And will this be Takari or Daikari?? It's hard to tell!
Insanity Angel Kari: AHH! flails about
KC: I'm thinking some Daikari? I mean, Kari was looking at Davis' butt?!
Insanity Angel Kari: GAHH! continues flailing all the blood draining from her face
KC: TELL MEEEEE!!
Insanity Angel Kari: I CAN'T WITH YOU CHOKING ME! fwacks
KC: Alrighty!
Insanity Angel Kari: I'm suing!! Author abuse!!
KC: I want to say the closing! JA NE UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER!
Insanity Angel Kari: That's my line! attacks
My Friend KC: That would make it chapter two.
Insanity Angel Kari: But according to the number thingies on the button it's section three!
KC: But that doesn't make it chapter three!
Insanity Angel Kari: What if the Introduction counts as a chapter?
KC: No!
Insanity Angel Kari: It depends on your point of view! It could be chapter 3, section three, or chapter 2 with a section in front of it!
KC:…Wha???
Insanity Angel Kari: I love being difficult! Is fwacked mercilessly by KC OW! Anyway…as I have stated, I do not own Digimon. If you sue, I will bury you in Jello. If you try to flame my story, as soon it will become clearer whether this is a Takari, Daikari, or Veegato, I will singe your flames with my FIRE EXTINGUISHER OF JUSTICE! Bwhahaha! And all characters I make up and have in this story belong to me! ( Tao and Cystamon! ) If you use them without consulting me first I will bathe you in bananas then throw you in the midst of a clan of hungry chimpanzees!! Thunder booms in the background
KC: Evilness resides here…
Chapter Two
"KARI!"
Gatomon leaped down from the bed, racing over to where her Digidestined was lying. She had just seen her collapse in the bathroom, seemingly for no reason!
"Kari!!"
Gatomon fumbled around, feeling for Kari's pulse. It was hard, with her gloves and claws, but she finally managed to grab her wrist. Her Digidestined was lying on her back, eyes closed, and her skin gradually draining of color. Beads of sweet ran down her forehead, and as Gatomon touched the skin on her wrist it felt clammy. Cold.
What was going on??
A pulse! Gatomon breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't dead. But she was unconscious or something near to it. And that wasn't good. Fear, like ice cold daggers, struck Gatomon's heart, and anger. Anger at not knowing what had happened, and not being able to prevent it. Gently she tried shaking Kari, popping her face a few times. "Kari?!"
"What's going on?" Tai asked, walking into the room. He held a donut in one hand and a puzzled expression on his face. But the split second he saw Kari on the bathroom floor, he freaked. "What happened??!?" He rushed over to her, kneeled down, and immediately started to check her pulse. His eyes were wide, with fear and disbelief.
"I already did that," Gatomon scoffed. "She's alive. Her pulse is strong."
"Then…then what the heck…did she pass out?" Tai griped, feeling Kari's forehead.
"She fell to the floor. Is that passing out?"
"I guess!"
A second later Agumon rushed into the room, a glass of water in hand. "Tai? Whoa! What happened to Kari??"
"GIVE ME THAT!" Tai snatched the glass of water out of Agumon's hand and poured it all over Kari's face.
************************
-??????????-
-Meanwhile-
It was happening again.
Was she asleep?
She wasn't sure.
Was this a dream?
But it was so real.
Kari tried moving her fingers, but nothing happened. No sensation whatsoever. And as she tried to see what the problem was, she realized she had no fingers.
No hand.
No arm.
And, just to make sure, she found she had no body. She was just…
There.
"Where am I?" She was surprised she could even speak. But as her mind formed the words, they happened, in her same voice, same tone. Everything was dark, black. For a fleeting moment Kari feared she was dead, or dying one. She strained to remember what had happened. Hadn't she been combing her hair? Yeah. She'd been trying to figure out her dream. Then what had happened…Oh yeah. The ripple in the mirror. The white flash, and the sensation of sliding to the floor.
Gatomon's strangled cry.
Where was Gatomon?
"Gato?" Kari whispered. No answer. Wherever she was, Gatomon wasn't there. Kari's heart skipped a beat. Gatomon had always been there. If she were here, she would have answered. "Tai? Agumon? Anyone?!"
Only silence answered.
"Please…someone say something…" Kari pleaded to the nothingness. Faintly, she could hear whispers, in the back of her mind. Was it Tai? It sounded like him. And Gatomon. Even Agumon. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the voices were there, echoing.
"Missing…it's all missing."
Another voice! Familiar, yet alien. Monotone.
"Hello??" Kari asked, straining to hear something else from the shadow that resided in her dreams. She recognized the voice, the sadness, and the vague feeling of being lost.
"I'm Missing…"
"Is that your name?" Kari persisted, intent on not losing this person again.
"You could say that…"
Kari breathed a sigh of relief from lungs that weren't there. She might finally be getting somewhere. "What do you want?"
"…I want to be found…is that so much to ask…?"
"But I've found you. You've been in my dreams," Kari replied, a little frustrated.
"I'm just a piece. A piece of something more that was thrown away then lost…"
"I don't understand."
There was a moment of silence. Kari had begun to get worried she had lost the shadow again. She couldn't see it in all this blackness, so she couldn't be sure.
"I don't understand myself…" the voice answered, finally. "No one does…no one knew about me except for me. And I'm the only one that doesn't understand."
Kari had begun to grow confused. "Are you lost?"
"Aren't we all…?"
Suddenly Kari felt a strange sensation. Vague at first, then suddenly strong.
She was drowning!
She felt the water flowing down her face, choking her, washing over her. Was someone trying to kill her?
Suddenly the darkness brightened, and slowly, as she opened her eyes and her blurry vision gradually cleared, she could make out the lights of the bathroom ceiling. The sounds of excited murmuring, the feeling of someone stroking her face. A soft, strangely feline voice beckoning her to come back. But even that couldn't stop the poem, the poem that so many times filled her head as she began to wake up:
The missing piece of light;
One fallen angel
A soul afraid of dying
That never learned to live
A heart afraid of breaking
That was too afraid to give.
************************
"Her eyes fluttered!"
"Fluttered? Like a butterfly?"
"Oh, stop being such a ditz Agumon!"
"Sorry for being poetic!"
"Her eyes could pop OUT, as long as she's okay! Kari! Kari! Can you hear me??"
"You want her eyes to pop out??"
Two voices: "AGUMON!"
Kari recognized the first voice as belonging to Tai as she came to. The second voice belonged to Agumon, and the third to Gatomon.
"Ugh…"
"Kari!" Tai yelped, gently holding her up. He smoothed back her hair, watching her eyes closely. They opened again, those amber eyes that belonged to his sister. "Kari! Are you okay?!"
"Hmm…yeah…that was strange…" At that moment Kari decided not to tell them about what exactly had happened. Inside, she felt they didn't need to be bothered with her. She knew she already was a load, a little sister to Tai, a Digidestined to Gatomon, a friend to so many others…why burden them with something even she didn't understand?
Better wait.
Gatomon was sitting to her left and Agumon was standing by Tai, to the right. Gatomon's eyes, usually so calm and cool, flickered with emotion. Fear.
Kari felt horrible. Gatomon was never scared.
"What happened?" Gatomon asked, emotion almost choking her voice. She swallowed, and her eyes regained their usual intensity. She, like Kari, didn't like revealing her feelings much.
"Did you bonk your head?" Agumon offered.
"I must have passed out…" Kari winced, trying to think of a good excuse. She never was the kind that would just pass out for no reason. "Umm…it must have been because of the ice you put in my shirt earlier, Tai…and…the chemicals in the lipstick, then suddenly going into a hot, steamy bathroom."
Okay. That MIGHT be believable.
"Chemical imbalance," Kari added.
"Wow…I didn't know lipstick was deadly!" Agumon gasped.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Tai asked again, still concerned. He didn't totally buy the chemical thing, but after his gym socks had grown a mysterious brown mold on them after a month, he was open to suggestions of the strange and mysterious. But of course, when he had shown Kari, she merely said it was a case of bad foot odor.
"Yeah…" Kari said after a pause. To demonstrate this, she slowly got to her feet, then stood up straight. "See? Good as new."
Tai narrowed his eyes, then nodded. He got up as well, then scratched his head. "It's kinda crowded in the bathroom. Let's mosey on over to the bedroom, shall we?" In all reality, he was about to be suffocated by all the heat left over by his shower. Turn on the fan next time, he thought, making a mental note to himself. He and Kari walked out of the bathroom, Agumon and Gatomon following. Kari sat on the bed, rubbing through her hair. She paused when she felt some wet hair, then looked down.
She was soaked!
"Tai!" she yelped. "Did you pour water on me??"
"It was my water!" Agumon whined.
"Yeah, to wake you up." Tai blinked.
"Nothing else was working," put in Gatomon.
"Noooo…I was going to wear this shirt out to eat today…now I'm going to have to find a new one…" Kari grumbled. She got up and searched through her drawers, then rummaged through her closet. After a minute she pulled out an identical shirt to the one she had on, minus the water.
"Going out to eat?" Tai asked. "With who? When?" He crossed his arms, entering protective 19-year-old-brother-looking-after-15-year-old-sister mode. Kari tapped her foot, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I don't know if I should tell you, oh Putter of Ice Down My Back," Kari replied sweetly, batting her eyes at him.
"T.K., Patamon, Davis, Chibimon, Ken, and Leafmon," Gatomon answered easily.
"No wrestlers, bar tenders, or guys who bite off chicken heads?"
"None of the above."
"Alrighty." Tai smiled and gave a swift nod to Gatomon, then looked to Kari. "I suppose I could let you go. Where are you meeting?"
"Yikani's Burgers," Kari answered before Gatomon. She sent her a little grin.
"When?"
"2:00."
"Hmmm…" Tai pondered this, scratching his chin. He stopped and blinked, feeling it. "Dang. I got a beard. Got to shave again…"
"Tai!" Kari said, rolling her eyes. "Can I go or not? I've already called the others."
"I guess," Tai said after a moment.
"I want to eat out!" Agumon whined, looking to Tai.
"What about our Soaps that come on around that time?" Tai asked, with widening eyes.
"Ah! Never mind. I want to find out what happens to Jean!" Agumon then raced back to the TV.
"Okay. So we'll be staying here. You can go, but be back before dark! And call if something goes wrong. Do you need to take some medicine?" Tai asked.
"Tai, we're big girls. Kari's 15. You're 19 and your butt's glued to the couch and your eyes to the TV. And I'm a Digimon so I don't really have an age," Gatomon purred teasingly to Tai. Tai rolled his eyes but nodded. Looking to his Pokemon watch, he watched the little Pickachu tick by the seconds.
"…Ah! 'My Life With Lucky' is on!" With a leap and a bound Tai raced out of the room and into the living room, propelled himself onto the couch, nearly landing on Agumon, who in turn pushed him off. Gatomon rubbed her forehead, then looked to Kari.
"He's not very worried, huh?" she asks.
"He's worried, he just doesn't want to show it. Besides, he's been through stuff like this…" Kari said after a moment. She felt uncomfortable with Gatomon persistently trying to get what really happened out of her. She knew that's what she was trying to do.
"You will tell me, won't you? Even if it's not now…" Gatomon said softly after another pause.
"How can I keep anything from you for long, Gato?" Kari replied, changing shirts. "You're like a piece of me."
The words echoed back.
'A piece of something more that was thrown away then lost…'
And still it made no sense.
************************
-Yikani's Burgers, 1:54 PM-
T.K. looked around, then looked to his watch once more. Calm down, T.K…he thought. She'll be here. And the others, of course…
Patamon yawned, resting on top of T.K.'s head like old times. T.K. was sitting on a bench just outside of Yikani's Burgers, as he didn't want to go in just yet without the others. He grimaced at the other side of the bench where a large wad of gum had been stuck to the seat. Averting his eyes from the sight, he studied the people walking up and down the street, the cars driving by, the signs and occasional mime performing on the sidewalk.
He shuddered.
Mimes were evil.
"Well, what are you hungry for today, T.K.?" Patamon asked, a little bored while they waited for the others.
"Was that meant to rhyme?" T.K. asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure. Do you want it to?"
"Hmmm…"
"T.J.!"
T.K. didn't even have to take his eyes off of an old man picking his nose by the street corner to know who that was. Who else would forget the name of a person and it's only two letters long?
"Hey, Davis," Patamon replied sunnily, pulling on the brim of T.K.'s bowl shaped hat he never goes without. "Whatcha looking at T.K.?"
"Huh?" T.K. blinked, then looked away from the old man and to Davis, who was running up out of breath, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Chibimon poked his head out and waved a little blue paw, smiling.
"Why did you bring a backpack, Davis? It's summer." T.K. scratched his arm, then rolled his eyes up to Patamon and gave him a Don't-Mess-With- The-Hat look. Patamon responded with a grin.
"Huh? Oh, it has medical supplies in it. Ya know, stuff to save lives. In fact on the way over here I helped an old woman cross the street. Nice of me, huh?" Davis replied with his goofy look.
"You have something of Jun's in it, of course," T.K. said, deadpan.
"Uh….yeah. I got her radio. She finally got her hair brush."
"Ish hot in here!" Chibimon complained. He popped out of the backpack opening and crawled over Davis' shoulder and slid into his arms. "Ah…better."
"Do you know who else is coming?" T.K. asked.
"Huh? Whatcha mean?"
"You know. Who else is coming to eat with Kari and Gatomon."
"WHAT?!?! You mean you're not just here to be here??" Davis wailed.
"Of course not. I was invited. What are you talking about?" T.K. asked quizzically. Patamon popped himself on the forehead, already guessing what Davis' problem was.
"Gatomon didn't say anything about inviting anyone else…" Davis whined. "She just said 'Meet us at Yikani's Burgers at 2:00' or whatever!"
"Must have forgotten to tell you," T.K. said, trying not to laugh. "You didn't think this was a date, did you?"
"A guy can be hopeful!" Davis responded grouchily.
"At least we get to eat with friends!" Chibimon added happily. As long as there was food around, not much of anything could get him down.
"Hey Davis, Chibimon, T.K., Patamon…" Ken walked up rather silently, a small smile on his face. Leafmon popped his head out from his arms and smiled with his eyes.
"Yo Ken! Yo Leafmon! So you were invited to?" Davis chirped, in his good mood again. Chibimon waved in greeting.
"Yeah…is Kari and Gatomon here yet?" Ken asked with a nod to the Yikani's Burgers building.
"No," T.K. answered. "But she will be. It's only" -he glanced to his watch- "2:11."
"Do you know who else was invited?" Patamon spoke up.
"Yolie, Cody and their Digimon can't come because they have stuff to do," Leafmon answered.
"More food for us!" Chibimon said gleefully. Ken laughed a little.
"So…all we have to do is wait for Kari. I can do that." Davis plopped down beside T.K. on the bench. T.K.'s eyes widened, a little in surprise and amusement.
"Uh…Davis?" he asked after a beat.
"Yeah T.A.?"
"…Nothing."
"Ah! Sorry we're late!" Kari yelped as she ran down the sidewalk to the waiting Digidestined. Gatomon, being held in her arms, squeaked as Kari nearly tripped over her own feet. Skidding to a stop, Kari caught her breath. "Ah. I'm here."
"Yay! Kari's here!" Davis sighed, his eyes all sparkly. He leaped up, did a twist, then bowed to Kari and Gatomon. "May we eat now, m'ladies?"
"Davis, do you have a big wad of gum on your butt?" Gatomon asked, puzzled. Davis stopped, blinked, then turned his head to check. His eyes widened.
"Hey. I do."
"Very attractive, Davis," Kari mused. T.K. covered his mouth to keep from laughing, Patamon along with him, and Ken and Leafmon looked to each other grinning.
"Eww…hey, wait. Kari, were you looking at my butt?" Davis asked, eyes widening.
"It wasn't really a choice. Can you kindly remove the gum before it gets on my last nerve?" Kari asked sweetly.
It was so normal. The bickering, the jokes, the talking. Even making fun of Davis. Kari knew she never REALLY made fun of him. In a way, she had begun to think Davis liked having the attention. That was okay. She understood him wanting attention just as she understood that lately she DIDN'T want attention. T.K. tended to be a little more in control of himself, and Kari knew he often masked his emotions or problems like her. Ken was about the same, though not as bad as he used to be. He had opened up a lot, allowing more of his feelings to show. Kari felt a twinge of guilt…she felt guilty for not telling someone about her problem. The dream, the poem, the voice and the confusion. But how would they help? They wouldn't understand. It's not like she didn't have faith in them…it was just hard to believe they would know what to do. Just like it was hard to believe she didn't know. And just like her personality, she kept her mouth closed. Guilt or no guilt, if this was serious no one had better get involved until she knew how to handle it. Hey, maybe she could even take care of this problem by herself!
"Let's eat!" Chibimon offered.
Everyone responded: "Yeah!"
Kari smiled.
But it was a troubled smile.
And Gatomon noticed, just like she'd noticed many of the little things that were wrong. Patamon and Chibimon saw her eyes narrow with confusion and aggravation, but both were too into the thought of eating to give it much thought.
As the Digidestined entered Yikani's Burgers, Digimon in hand and hungry stomachs, Kari felt something was missing.
Missing.
What WAS missing? Where could it be found? Why was it lost in the first place?
"You've got to be hungry, Kari," said Davis, who was practically skipping beside her.
"Yeah, I'm hungry," Kari replied.
Hungry for answers.
************************
A girl, around 5'4, stood at the curb of the street, watching the group of kids enter Yikani's Burgers. Her pale green eyes followed them, and lingered over the one girl carrying the white cat. A few strands of her sandy blonde hair fell by her face, and she brushed them away, back under her cap. A small smile found itself on her lips, but it was a forced smile. She was wearing a red shirt with cut-off jeans, and plain sneakers. A Digivice hung from her belt, gray in color. She looked about 14 or 15, but her eyes look much older then any of the rest of her. Tired, experienced, but filled with intensity.
"I'm watching. Watching you, like an eagle. You won't leave my sight," she whispered to the breeze, pulling her cap more over her eyes.
"Tao…I'm in the mood for Italian. Can we go somewhere else to eat?" asked a voice from on top of her head. Sitting atop her head is a small but fox looking Digimon, with maroon fur and green eyes, similar to its Digidestined. A long maroon tail sways behind it with a gold tipped end, long ears mainly tilted back, and short legs. Two small wings sprout from its shoulder blades, but not large enough to lift it.
"Sure, Cystamon…" Tao answered, averting her gaze from the building. "We'll save this 'encounter' for later…" With only one glance back, Tao turned and made her way silently down the sidewalk, seeming to meld into the shadows formed by passing strangers.
What is it that's missing?
And why is Kari the only one affected?
Who is the strange person that keeps appearing? And are they truly looking for help, or looking for a way to destroy the Digidestined?
Who is this mysterious girl named Tao and her Digimon Cystamon watching Kari and the Digidestined? What does she want?
Will Jun ever find her radio??
And will Tai and Agumon ever stop watching soap operas??
And does Davis really look good in gum??
Find out in Chapter Three of 'The Missing Piece of Light; One Fallen Angel' to find out!
Insanity Angel Kari: Ohhhh! I love to hate the cliffhangers!
KC: NYAH! starts strangling Insanity Angel What's going to happen?? And will this be Takari or Daikari?? It's hard to tell!
Insanity Angel Kari: AHH! flails about
KC: I'm thinking some Daikari? I mean, Kari was looking at Davis' butt?!
Insanity Angel Kari: GAHH! continues flailing all the blood draining from her face
KC: TELL MEEEEE!!
Insanity Angel Kari: I CAN'T WITH YOU CHOKING ME! fwacks
KC: Alrighty!
Insanity Angel Kari: I'm suing!! Author abuse!!
KC: I want to say the closing! JA NE UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER!
Insanity Angel Kari: That's my line! attacks