The Outcast

by Silver1

When Kari's special powers flare up in the middle of school, she quickly finds herself alienated from the rest of society. The Dark Ocrean returns for her, but this time she might not resist it's call.

2. All Eyes on Me

The Outcast

Chapter 2: All eyes on me

by Silver

*Evil Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon's creatures, characters, or basic plot. Several characters in this story are my own creations, so please don't use them without my permission.*

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"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

-Bertrand Russell

Kari didn't need the alarm clock's buzz to wake her; she hadn't slept the entire night. It had been two days since the "incident" in chemistry class. Kari's fever had vanished and she had quickly regained her strength. Her mother had given her permission to go to school, but that had had instantly sent Kari's mind into the process of envisioning worst-case scenarios. Kari still wasn't sure how the school would react to her return. Surely by now news of her glowing had spread throughout the student body.

Kari took a deep breath. Tai would tell her that worrying wouldn't solve anything. The only thing she could do was to go to school and see how people reacted to her. That didn't give her much comfort. Kari quickly prepared herself for school and ate breakfast. At the door, she said, "I'm going now, Mom."

Kari's mother peeked out from the kitchen. "Aren't you taking Gatomon with you?"

Kari shook her head, "Gatomon's… not feeling well." That was half-true. Gatomon would soon be suffering from a lack of energy while her Digidestined partner was elsewhere. Kari felt ashamed to leaving Gatomon behind willingly, but they had talked about school the night before and had come to the realization that taking Gatomon along would only complicate matters. At least a few people would be nervous around Kari after what had happened two days ago, and a Digimon would only add to that uneasiness.

Kari's mother nodded, "Alright. I'll bring her some tea later on, that should help. Don't push yourself too hard at school, dear. Come home right away if you don't feel well."

Kari nodded, "I will." She stepped out the door and headed to school with her heart pounding.

* * * * * * * *

Kari was less than a block away from school and her heart was still threatening to break free from her chest and hop all the way back home. Even though she was surrounded by adults and strangers who didn't have a clue about the other day's events, Kari felt as though all eyes were on her. She kept repeating in her mind, I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…

"Hey, Kari!" Kari's heart nearly exploded at the shout of her name. Davis and Veemon came running up through the crowd. "Hi!"

Kari took a few deep breaths. "You startled me."

Davis rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry. I've been trying to catch up to you."

Kari frowned, "Catch up to me?"

Davis nodded, "I wanted to walk with you from your apartment to school, but…"

Veemon finished the sentence for Davis, "But Davis overslept."

Davis promptly brought his fist down on Veemon's skull. "Squealer."

Kari giggled and felt a little more at-easy. At least one person wasn't afraid of her. "Thanks anyway, guys."

Davis switched to a more professional manner. "Are you feeling better?"

Kari said uncertainly, "I feel better… but I don't know if I'll…"

Davis nodded, indicating that Kari didn't need to finish her sentence. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Kari felt like changing the subject. "So, anything big going on today?"

Davis' face brightened, "Yeah, we've got that huge game against Ken's team today!"

That's right, I forgot all about that. Kari realized just how much time she'd missed. Today was the day that Davis' soccer team played against Ken's high school team. Even though Ken no longer had superior speed and athletic skills brought on by the dark spore, he was still a fierce soccer player who had led his team to championships three times over in junior high and high school. Davis' team had also won two championships as well. Whenever the Ken and Davis' teams played against each other, it was always a fierce game. The whole school would probably be there. The whole school…Kari felt uneasy again.

Davis continued, "I'm betting we can beat Ken's team this year, just like last year."

Veemon pointed out, "But Ken's team beat you the year before that."

Davis gave a dismissive wave, "My biorhythm was off that day, I'll be in top shape this time."

Kari said, "We better get going or we'll be late."

Just as before, Kari could feel everyone's heads turn towards Davis and Kari the instant they set foot on campus. However, this time the feel was much different. There wasn't a feeling of respect or interest, instead there was an awkward silence, and Kari felt that all eyes were focused on her instead of Davis. Kari could see people whispering to one another, and some actually backed up and ducked behind the building. Kari could feel despair and loneliness welling up inside of her. She whispered to Davis, "Let's get inside, quick."

There were fewer people inside, so Kari felt more at ease. That was probably only a short reprieve until classes started.

Davis said, "I gotta see the soccer coach real quick. Catch you in class!" He ran off while waving goodbye. Kari gave a less enthusiastic wave. Davis might be her only ally in the school. Except maybe…

Kari quickly spun around and walked down the hall. She needed to know if her closest girl friend, Kay Joshu, was still on her side. It was okay if strangers were intimidated by her, but Kari needed to know if she still had her closest friends. She had known Kay for over 12 years. The two of them had been best friends even before Kari went to the Digital World. Kari still remembered how much fun she had had with Kay going to birthday parties. Kay had been a member of the party group that had prevented Kari from joining the fight with Diaboromon. Tai still held a slight grudge over that.

Kay was standing in front of her locker. She was about as tall as Kari with dark brown hair that waved down past her shoulders. She was very kind and gentle, but also frail and nervous.

Kari walked up quietly, "Um… K-Kay?" She could feel her knees shaking.

Kay jumped back with a gasp and looked at Kari. "K-Kari!" Her eyes were wide with a look of fear in them. Kay had been right next to Kari when she had started to glow.

Kari took a slow step forward. "Kay, please, let me explain what happened the other day."

Kay shook her head and took two more steps back. She dropped a book as she spun around and all but sprinted down the hall. Kari didn't chase after her, she knew it would be pointless. Kay… How could one of Kari's best friends be terrified of her? It's because she wasn't a Digidestined. Part of the reason Davis wasn't scared of Kari was because he'd faced far more terrifying things in the Digital World. Compared to Kimeramon, a glowing 19-year-old was nothing. But Kay and the others hadn't experienced such things. They had a reason to be afraid.

Kari picked up Kay's book and placed it back in the locker. Before closing the locker, Kari took out a pen from her backpack and scribbled a note in one of Kay's notebooks.

Kay, please don't be afraid of me.

-Kari

Kari sighed and closed the door. She doubted one little note would change Kay's mind. She'd just lost one of her best friends, and she'd probably lose many more friends before the day was done.

* * * * * * * *

Normally, lunchtime was considered to be a relaxing break from classes and hard work, but Kari had dreaded the lunch hour even more than her classes. Lunchtime meant that she might have to deal with everyone in the school, not just her classmates. Kari had decided to eat lunch outside rather than stay contained within the classroom. Part of the reason was that Kari felt the walls closing in on her all day, but another reason was that she didn't want to be trapped in a room if people came to confront her. Kari had seen some very threatening gazes from people in both the hallways and in her classroom. Literally everyone knew that she was the now infamous "Glow Girl."

Even the teachers were afraid of her. Several had ordered her to sit in the back of the classroom while other simply denied her existence. They skipped her name at role-call and they ignored her raised hand whenever the opportunity for questions arose. Kari had always been favored by the teachers for her attentiveness and manners in class. Why were they shunning her now?

Kari continued to wander around the school grounds, looking for a secluded area to sit down and enjoy her lunch. Students were still trying to make the most of the fall weather by eating outside before winter came. That made it incredibly difficult to find a place to sit down. Every time Kari wandered even remotely close to a group of students, she received a barrage of dangerous glares that warned her away.

Kari look to her left and saw Kay standing with her boyfriend, Muri Ikari, and a group of his friends. Muri Ikari was a member of the school soccer team and was one of the most popular students, even though Davis maintained that he was still the superior soccer player. Tall and muscular with dark black hair and eyes, Muri was the supreme heartthrob for the girls in Kari's class. Even Kari had felt a little giddy when she had heart that Muri thought she was cute. Kay had become the envy of every girl when she and Muri had started dating. It was surprising that a timid girl like Kay would be dating such a popular boy like Muri.

Kay and Kari locked eyes for a moment, but then Kay shrank down behind Muri's shoulders. Muri held up a hand in defense of Kay and shot an ice-cold glare at Kari. Kari shivered and moved on.

Despite his attractiveness and athletic skills, there was something about Muri that scared Kari sometimes. Muri had taken an interest in Kari when she had first come to high school, but after he had seen her with Gatomon, he'd distanced himself from her. Kari's suspected that Muri resented Digimon, even though he had never openly expressed such an opinion. Kari's suspicions were heightened by the fact that Muri's father, Hitoshi Ikari, was one of the most charismatic anti-Digimon speakers in society. He was always featured in debates about the future of Digimon in society.

Kari walked towards a tree near the schoolyard fence. This would be the perfect place to sit down and enjoy a little privacy. Kari sat down and began to nibble on her food while trying to figure out how she could improve her standing at the school. Nothing came to mind. She could explain to the school why she had glowed, but that wouldn't necessarily undo most her peers' fears.

It didn't take Kari long to realize that her spot was not as private as she had hoped. Passer-bys on the street could see her hiding behind the tree. She received many sympathetic looks. No doubt many people assumed that Kari was an unpopular girl hiding from nasty classmates, which wasn't far from the truth.

A female voice came from behind the tree. "Hey, did you hear about Kari Kamiya?"

A second voice said, "You mean Glow Girl?"

"Yeah, I hear she came back today."

A third voice said, "Do you think she'll glow again?"

Someone laughed, "Naw, this time she'll blow up the whole school!"

"That's not funny!"
"I hear she owns a Digimon."

"Maybe the Digimon's what makes her glow."

"That's so creepy. If that'w what Digimon do to you, then I don't want one."

"Never mind that. Let's eat."

"Yeah, we can eat in privacy over here." One of the girls poked her head around the tree and let out a slight shriek when she saw Kari. Kari just stared at her, wonder what the other girl would do. The girl vanished behind the tree again. "Let's eat somewhere else!"

"Why?"

"Don't ask, let's just go!" The sound of fading footsteps could be heard, then nothing.

Kari stood up with tears burning her eyes. This spot was no longer private. She'd have to eat somewhere else. She began to walk back to the school.

"There you are!" Kari jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around to see Davis. Davis smiled, "Easy, I don't bite."

Kari let out a deep breath. "Davis, that's twice today you've startled me. You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

Davis said, "Sorry, but you've been really hard to find lately. You bolted outta class before I could talk to you. Have you had lunch yet?" Kari shook her head, causing Davis to smile even more. "Good. I got a spot all picked out for us."

Davis' "spot" turned out to be on the roof where Veemon was patiently waiting. Davis explained, "People have been acting a little edgy around Veemon lately, so we decided to eat lunch away from the crowd."

They sat down and began to eat. Veemon noticed Kari's expression. "What's wrong, Kari?"

Feeling the need to vent, Kari told Davis and Veemon about the gossiping girls. By the time she was finished, Davis was furious. "Those girls are just morons! They don't have a clue what they're talking about."

Kari said, "But they're not alone. It seems like the whole school is afraid of me."

Veemon said," It's not the whole school. Some people are just intimidated by the crowd. They're just afraid of what other people will do, but they don't hate you."

Kari sighed, "I wish I could believe that."

Davis changed the subject, "Are you still coming to the soccer game today?"

Kari shook her head, "I don't think I'd be too welcome."

Davis said, "But Ken's going to be there, and I'm sure he'd be happy to see you. Besides, the game won't be as much fun if you're not there."

Kari said, "I… I don't know."

Veemon said, "Please, Kari. You can help me cheer for Davis."

Kari replied, "It wouldn't be good for me to be seen with you, Veemon. People think that Gatomon is the reason I started to glow."

Davis waved a hand, "Those people don't have a clue. Kari, please come. You're my best friend and it wouldn't be the same to play in a game without you rooting for me."

Kari sighed and nodded, "Okay, Davis. I'll come but I'm still not so sure."

Davis smiled, "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine. Thanks, Kari."

Kari gave a slight smile. "I should be thanking you, Davis. You're the only person who isn't afraid of me. I don't know how I can thank you."

Davis replied, "Just cheer for me really loud at the game."

Kari asked, "And what if I cheer for Ken instead?"

Davis' smile faded, "Don't even joke about that. I'm gonna win this one for sure!"

* * * * * * * *

"GO DAVIS!" Kari cheered from the sidelines as Davis ran with the ball towards the opposing team's goal.

Kari hadn't felt comfortable sitting on the bleachers, so she and Veemon had stood on the sidelines. Kari had to admit the excitement of the game was enough to distract her from some of her doubts.

Davis was about to slip past the half-backs when Ken came out of nowhere and stole the ball from Davis. Ken charged down the field with Davis on his heels.

Muri Ikari, playing center forward, ran in and kicked the ball out from Ken's path and sent it towards the left wing player. Kari expected that the ball would be passed over to Davis, who was playing right wing, but instead the left wing ran with the ball and tried to maneuver past the offensive players. A member of Ken's team stole the ball and kicked it to Ken. Davis ran forward and headed the ball to Muri, who then tried to break through the other team's offensive line.

The game continued with neither side yielding. Kari noticed that throughout the game, none of Davis' teammates passed the ball to him. They always passed to another player, especially Muri, even though Davis was often the better choice to pass to. What's wrong with them? Davis had always been one of the team's best players, especially in games against Ken.

After a long series of passes, shots, goals, and blocks, the game entered the final few moments with the score 6 to 5 in favor of Ken's team. Muri had the ball and was running alongside Davis. Ken was on defense and running to meet them.

Kari instantly recognized the best strategy. Muri should pass the ball up to Davis, who could then score. But, to everyone's surprise, Muri began to run ahead of Davis. He was actually going to charge the goal on his own!

Kari watched as Ken slid forward and kicked the ball away from Muri. Muri tripped on Ken's leg and fell to the ground. One of Ken's teammates went after the ball, but Davis charged in and kicked the ball with all his strength. Caught off-guard, the goalie didn't react fast enough and the ball sailed into the net just as the buzzer sounded. The game went into overtime.

* * * * * * * *

"Alright, boys, listen up!" Davis' coach bellowed. "We barely made it this far, but now we have to pull it together. Muri, don't be a glory-hog. We nearly lost the game because you didn't pass when you should have."

"Right, right." Muri sounded disinterested.

The coach continued, "I want everyone to stay on their assigned guards and I want to see plenty of passing. Now, let's go win this!"

"BREAK!" The team clapped in unison. Davis turned towards the field. I'll win this time, Ken!

"Davis, hang on." His coach beckoned him closer. "Davis, I want you to sit this one out."

"WHAT? But it's overtime!"
The coach nodded, "I know, and we wouldn't have made it if you hadn't scored. But the truth is that you're doing more harm than help."

"What do you mean?"

"You must have noticed it. No one is passing to you. You've had to steal all your shots. You're breaking up the team's unity, so I have to pull you off. In fact, the team took a vote before the game to have you kicked off. At first, I didn't consider it, but after seeing how it effects our gameplay, I think it'd be in the team's best interest."

Davis could feel the blood leave his face. "But I'm the team's best player!"
"That doesn't make you irreplaceable. I'm sorry, Davis, but you're off the team."

Davis face went from white to red. "Fine! I wouldn't want to be a part of this loser team anyway!" He stormed off without another word.

Davis marched to the locker room, showered, then changed into his school uniform. He left his soccer clothes in a wad on the floor.

He couldn't figure out why the team wanted him gone. He hadn't done anything to anger the team, except… Was it because Davis had been seen with Kari? If that was the case, Davis definitely didn't want to be a part of the team. This team can rot for all I care. He slammed the locker door and headed back to the field. He wanted to at least see Ken and Kari before he headed home.

* * * * * * * *

Kari sat beside Veemon as the students filed out of the bleachers. Muri had scored the winning goal in the game, making him the hero of the hour. All of the students seemed happy with the game, except for Kari.

Kari had seen Davis walk off the field and she had started to worry when he failed to return. It didn't make sense for Davis to be pulled at the most important part of the game.

Kari overheard a few students talking. "Yah-hoo! We won!"

"Barely. If Davis Motomiya hadn't scored we would have lost."

"But it was Muri who won the game!"

"Hey, did you hear that Davis got kicked off the team?" Kari and Veemon gasped.
"Why? He's one of the team's best players, next to Muri."

"I bet it was because he was hanging around with Glow Girl."

"Yeah. What was he thinking, hanging around with a freak like that?"

Kari shut out the rest of the conversation. Davis was kicked off the team because of me? It's all my fault.

"Kari," Veemon cut into Kari's thoughts. "I'm gonna go find Davis. Will you be okay?"

Kari nodded, "Yes. Go find Davis, Veemon." Veemon waved goodbye as he ran off.

Kari waited near the bleacher's support beams where no one else would notice her. Everything was going wrong. Half the school was afraid of her, the other half was angry, and everyone seemed to think she was a freak. Kay wouldn't speak to her and Davis, the only person who was kind to Kari, was now suffering because of her. Can things get any worse?

The answer came quickly as a hand clamped down on Kari's. Kari let out a muffled scream as a strong arm wrapped around her and yanked her into the shadows beneath the bleachers.

* * * * * * * *

"Davis!" Veemon ran up to his partner. "Is it true?"

Davis knew what Veemon meant. Bad news really does travel fast.

"Yeah, it's true. I'm off the team."

"Davis!" Ken and Wormmon approached from the field. Ken was still in his soccer uniform, and Davis could tell from his expression that his team had lost.

"Hi, Ken." Davis tried to sound cheery. "Great game. Sorry I wasn't there to score the winning goal."

Ken said, "You tied the game. If not for that, your team wouldn't have had the chance to win at all."

Wormmon asked, "But you'll get them next time, right Ken?"

Veemon said, "Nuh-uh! Davis always dominates!"
Wormmon glared, "Ken will win next time!"

Veemon pressed his face against Wormmon's. "Davis will!"

"Ken!"

"Davis!"

"Ken!"

"Davis!"

"Ken!"

"Davis!"

Davis raised his voice over the squabbling Digimon, "And I though we took these games seriously."

Ken laughed and nodded. Then his expression turned serious. "I just heard you're off the team. Is that true?"

Davis nodded, "Yep."

Wormmon broke off his argument with Veemon, "But why? You're their best player."

Davis grumbled, "It probably has something to do with Kari."

Ken frowned, "Why would Kari have an effect on your team?"

Davis suddenly remembered that was was the only Digidestined who knew about Kari's situation. He was silent as he considered his options. He had promised Kari that he wouldn't tell a soul about her glowing, but that meant that Kari was facing things on her own. If there was one thing that Davis had learned about Kari over the years, it was that she always hid her problems from others, no matter how much it hurt her. I might have to go over Kari's head on this one.

But there were other things to consider as well. Ken had his own history with the Dark Ocean, and Davis didn't want to force his friend to relive bad memories. Then again, Kari needed all the friends she could get and Ken would be a great source of support. Davis made up his mind and nodded to himself. "Ken, I have something very important to tell you."

* * * * * * * *

Kari struggled to break free from her captor's grip, but his hands felt like iron as they squeezed around her waist and mouth. Her arms were pinned at her side, making it difficult to move. She couldn't see his face, but she knew that he had to be from her high school. Who else would be attacking her?

"Hi, Glow Girl." Kari stopped struggling as Muri Ikari stepped into a small patch of light. He was still wearing his soccer uniform, and there was a strange intensity in his eyes. Two of Muri's friends were visible behind him. One was slightly overweight with light brown hair and blue eyes, the other had a medium build and bright red hair with hazel eyes. Both boys had the same gleefully cynical look in their eyes that Muri had. Kay was not with them. Kari doubted her friend knew about this, or perhaps Kay had just been too scared to join in.

Muri said, "I've been waiting for this all day, freak." He spat on the ground. One of his friends handed him a small knife. He swaggered up to Kari with the blade swaying casually in his hand. "The instant Kay told me that you could glow, I knew that you couldn't be human. I'm not surprised, really. I should have seen this coming given how you're always hanging around with that Digimon." He said the name as if it were an insult. "You're just as stupid as Davis, always palling around with a Digimon. What the hell gives you the right to bring those things into our world? They're not natural; they're made up of data, they're artificial. You tampered with life and you've been punished for it. You've been turned into a freak yourself because you tampered with nature and introduced a foreign creature. I don't want monsters like you in my school, so I'm going to end you here and now. Then I'll undo your mistake and remove that Digimon creature." He grabbed a fistful of Kari's hair and yanked her head back. Kari's scream was almost inaudible due to the ever-present hand upon her mouth. Muri said, "You might feel a little sting." There was a glint of pleasure in his eyes.

Kari's mind began to race. Oh my God… Oh God! Somebody, please help me! Please help me! HELP! Suddenly, a burst of heat blossomed in her chest. She could feel her skin growing hot again. In a bright flash, the boy holding Kari was repelled back into the bleachers. A loud banging of metal was heard as the boys' head connected with the benches. He groaned and slumped to the floor. The pulse of energy also sent Muri and his companions falling to the ground. The glint their his eyes had been replaced by sheer terror. Kari staggered backwards as her body began to glow even bright. Her head began to pound while her vision began to darken. I'm going to pass out again. She was probably delirious as well because she could hear the sound of gushing water for some reason.

The strange thing was that Muri heard it as well. "What the he-" Muri's sentence came to an abrupt stop as a tidal wave of black water crashed down from around the bleacher's corner. The stream of water curved towards the group and Kari could swear she saw a pair of yellow eyes shinning inside the water as it poured down upon the screaming group. The cries of Muri and his friends were drowned out by the sound of crashing waves. Kari suddenly felt like she was submerged in a deep ocean rather than a small jet of water. She could have sworn that she saw something moving in the water, but it was too dark to tell. Her last sensation was that of being swept away into inky darkness.

* * * * * * * *

Ken shook his head, "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it…"

Davis said, "Well, believe it. It's happening."

Wormmon sulked, "I'd hoped we were done with that Dark Ocean. It's always trying to hurt Ken."

Veemon said, "But this time it's after Kari, not Ken."

Davis agreed, "Just like when she was first pulled into that alternate dimension."

Ken added, "And when she, Yolei, and I were lost in that black forest."

Just then a bright flash erupted from the soccer field near the bleachers. Davis knew what that meant. "Kari!" He took off at a run with Veemon and the others close behind.

In his mind Davis had a worst-case scenario of students swarming around a glowing Kari as they tormented her. He could envision people throwing rocks and pocking her with sticks and knifes. Terror filled him at the thought of what could be happening to Kari. He willed his legs to run faster. Veemon and the others could hardly keep up with him.

Finally, Davis reached the bleachers. He was relieved to see the no one else had been attracted by the burst of light. Not yet, anyway. He was less relieved, however, to see Kari lying crumpled on the grass directly beneath the bleachers. Her clothes and hair were soaking wet, as was the grass. Davis didn't see anyone else with her.

He ran up to Kari and knelt down. "Kari? Kari!"

"Uhhh…" Kari stirred. Then her eyes snapped open and she let out a scream as she sprang up and stumbled away from Davis.

"Kari!" Davis lunged forward and grabbed Kari by the wrist.

Kari cried, "NO! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Kari, it's me, Davis!"

Kari stopped struggling and looked at him. "D-Davis?" She suddenly flung herself forward and buried her face in Davis' shoulder. "Davis… I was so scared!"

Bewildered by Kari's outburst, Davis awkwardly wrapped his arms around Kari and patted the back of her head. "Easy, easy. It's okay."

Ken asked, "Kari, what happened?"

Kari looked up, "Muri. Where's Muri?"

Davis frowned, "Muri? Muri's not here."

Kari stepped away from Davis. "Muri grabbed me… H-he was going to… and then the Dark Ocean…" Tears welled up in Kari's eyes and she covered her face with her hands as she started to cry.

Feeling inadequate to handle the situation, Davis looked to Ken. "Any ideas?"

Ken said, "Let's get her home before anything else happens. We'll figure out the rest later." He walked over and put his hand on Kari's shoulder. "Kari, let's go home, okay?"

Kari sniffed and nodded, "Yes, let's go home. I want to leave this place."

* * * * * * * *

Davis and Ken escourted Kari home without incident. They arrived at the Kamiya's front door and rang the bell. No one answered.

Kari spoke wearily, "Dad's working late and Mom must be shopping. I have a key." She reached into her backpack, then her eyes widened. "It's gone!"

Ken assured her, "It probably fell out somewhere. No one's going to know where to use it. Don't worry."

Davis looked around. No one was watching. He called into the door, "Gatomon, open up. It's Davis, Ken, and Kari."

There was a brief pause, then the lock clicked and the door opened. "Kari!" Gatomon leaped forward into Kari's arms. "I missed you so much." She then noticed Kari's expression. "What's wrong?"

Kari said, "I'll tell you later." She stepped inside. "Thank you for walking me home, Davis, Ken." She began to close the door.

Davis said, "Maybe we should-" The door closed in his face. "… stay a while." His eyes drifted to the floor. "She's still trying to handle everything on her own."

Ken said, "That's not healthy. I should know."

Davis straitened up. "Kari needs help, whether she likes it or not. Ken, do you think you can contact TK and the others?"

Ken nodded, "I can, but it won't be easy to get them all together. Tai and the older Digidestined are either scattered throughout Japan or in America."

Davis said, "We need to at least give them a heads-up. We can work out a group session later."

Ken said, "But in the meantime, you'll have to help Kari."

"Me?"
"Yes, you. You've spent the most time with Kari recently, so you're the best person to try and support her."

Davis shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not the tender type. I'm not sure I'm up to it."

"You'll have to be. I'll contact the others, but you have to help keep Kari going in the meantime."

Davis was silent for a long time. He had always prided himself on his courage and determination when battling an enemy, but he usually let TK or someone else handle emotional problems. With Davis, it was always attack the problem and don't stop until it's resolved. But in this case, being aggressive wouldn't help at all. Kari needed someone who would be sensitive to her emotions and supportive whenever she felt weak. Davis wasn't sure he was that kind of person.

Ken had a point, however. With TK and the others going to other schools or out of town, Davis had spent the most time with Kari recently. She had grown more comfortable around him, especially after he'd dropped his crush on her. The truth was that Davis had to at least try to help. It was better than doing nothing. Davis said "You're right. I'll just have to deal with it." Ken nodded and the two of them walked towards the street, intent of forming a plan to help their friend.

* * * * * * * *

"Kari, please tell me what's wrong." Gatomon looked at her partner as she leaned against the hallway wall. Several tears streaked down Kari's face and dropped onto Gatomon's forehead. "Kari?"
Kari remained silent as she slumped down to the floor. She hugged Gatomon close to her and began to cry. She would remain that way until her parents arrived home, one hour later.

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If Kari thinks the Dark Ocean is a problem, wait until politics enters the equation. Deals are made and friends are separated in the next chapter of The Outcast.