AN: Sorry for the long wait guys, but you know ff.net had it's upload features off and stuff. This chapter is kinda fast-paced, I hope I don't lose anybody here. It's just that a billion things are all happening at once to our loveable cast to make their lives miserable. DUN DUN DUN!!! Enjoy ^_^
Jyou walked into his apartment, slipping off his shoes and tossing his briefcase down. Rubbing his head, he sighed, "What a day..." Work had not been going well, especially since he hated his desk job. True, he wasn't exactly a "field" worker, but even he couldn't stand being boxed in a cubicle for seven hours straight. He strolled into the kitchen, and clicked on the light, then jumped as he saw Ken sitting at the table. "Ken! Geez, you scared me..."
"I'm so sorry, sempai, I didn't mean to."
"How did you get in here?"
"The door was unlocked. I needed to talk to you, so I let myself in, I figured you wouldn't mind..."
"No, not at...wait a sec! You're missing! Everyone's in a panic looking for you!"
"I know, sempai. And I'm very sorry about it, but I can't come back. I'm...trapped...so to speak."
"What are you talking about?"
"You haven't felt it yet?"
"Felt what?"
"Have you been more irritable lately, perhaps more irrational?"
"Well...at work...I was...yes, I was, how did you know?" Ken smiled softly.
"Because it's taking effect. All you need is one last step." He rose from his chair at the table and approached Jyou calmly.
"One last step for what?"
"For this." Ken touched Jyou's shoulder, who immediately screamed in pain. Falling to the ground, Jyou twitched fiercely.
"You..." Laughing, Ken stepped over Jyou and closed the apartment door behind him.
******
"She didn't just...run away too, did she?!"
"Taichi-san, I think Hikari-chan's in the digital world."
"No way, she wouldn't defy me, she'd never..."
"But Koushiro-san said Ken is in the other world. And I'm assuming wherever Ken is, Hikari is..." A stern look coming over his face, he growled,
"She went against what I said?" Grabbing the bag and ripping it open, he threw Daisuke's D-3 at him. "Open the gate."
"What?! Didn't you say-"
"That was before my own sister turned traitor! Now open the gate!" Gulping, Daisuke took his
D-3 and held it up to the monitor. Would he be transported or would he be electrocuted too? The thought made his stomach churn. His hand shook as he commanded with a quiver, "Digital gate, open!"
******
When Hikari had fully come through the gate, she almost screamed when she saw how high up in the air she was. Realizing that she was floating, she tried to find something to grab onto, in case this wore off. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything remotely tall in sight. After a moment, she began to sink down towards the ground. It was a very slow and gradual decent, and she lightly touched her feet to the floor once she was close enough. Searching the surrounding area, a perplexed look came across her face. Where the hell was she? The sky was a purplish color, with a sun and moon practically merging together. The ground wasn't grass, rather a black and white checked tile. The tiled way seemed to stretch forever, but only was four squares wide. Deciding looking down to see what was below would be a very bad thing, Hikari began to follow along the road. As she cautiously stepped along it, a glint of recognition struck her mind... *"I've seen this place before...in my dream!"*
******
Yamato tossed in his bed, shivering. Unbeknownst to him, Sora was doing the exact same thing. There was a bond that they could both feel. Someone was in danger. The chill rose and simultaneously, they bolted up in bed. Panting, the chill grew even worse...it grew almost...unnaturaly. Both reaching for the phone, they dialed two separate numbers...
******
"Mimi-chan..."
"Sora-chan? Are you ok?"
"Mimi-chan, there's something really wrong...I can feel it..."
"So-"
"Someone's in danger, I know it!"
"Who?"
"I don't..." the phone slipped from Sora's grasp, as she fell to the floor, Mimi's concerned voice coming from the reciever,
"Sora-chan?! Sora-chan?! Are you there?! Sora-chan!!!"
******
"C'mon, Taichi, pick up..." The phone continued to ring, but there was no answer. Where could he be at this hour in the morning? Shaking his mass of blonde hair, he sighed and hung up the phone. It was probably nothing anyway, right? That coldness swept over him once more and he decided he wasn't crazy. Grabbing the phone again, he dialed Taichi's number...only to find that his brain had stopped functioning...he tumbled to the floor, hitting his head hard against the wood...
******
Still practically screaming into the phone, Mimi was pale as a ghost. "Sora-chan?! What the hell am I supposed to do over here in America?!" Mimi panicked, pacing her room. "I know! I'll call her house line, and tell her mom to check on her. Kami-sama, I hope nothing is really wrong and I'm just overreacting..." Taking a deep breath, and hoping hanging up on Sora wasn't the wrong thing to do, she clicked the reciever and dialed Sora's house line. A groggy voice answered the phone.
"Mushi-mushi..."
"Ms. Takenouchi? This is Mimi...I know this sounds crazy, but could you please check on Sora?"
"Check on Sora?"
"I heard a thud and she didn't answer me on the phone..." A heavy sigh echoed through the phone, and the rustling of getting out of bed could be heard.
"I hope you're exaggerating Mimi-chan..." Setting the phone aside, she waited a moment, then heard what she dreaded to hear. "Kami-sama, Sora-chan!!!" As Mimi's stomach churned worse, she suddenly had a very bad feeling. Someone else was hurt. Glancing over at her crest that had appeared on her nightstand the prior night, the feeling didn't recede. Hanging up the phone on Sora's mom, she quickly dialed Yamato's line...
******
*"There's someone here...I can feel it..."* Hikari's eyes darted nervously, scanning the area. She did not notice the figure hovering above her, reaching out a hand to her shoulder. The icy skin made contact, and she jumped, spinning around to find herself looking into violet eyes. Very familiar violet eyes... "Ichijouji-kun?!"
"Sorry if I startled you, I didn't mean to..."
"No, it's ok, but I'm so glad you're alright! We've all been so worried!"
"I know, I'm sorry, but I was taken here against my will. I just managed to get this far, when I saw you here."
"Well, I was brought here I'm guessing to find you, so let's get out of here." She turned to look for a gate of some sort when she felt an arm slide around her waist from behind, pulling her back into his chest. Eyes wide in shock, the other hand reached over to tilt her chin up gently.
"Gomen nasai, demo..." He looked over her shoulder hungrily and grinned, "I can't let you go anywhere...I need your energy..." Kissing her collarbone gently, Hikari almost screamed.
"Ken, what are you doing?!" Something sharp began to pierce into her skin, and her eyes began to slide closed. Falling to her knees, she caught a glimpse of a child running towards her in a renassaince dress...
******
Pacing back and forth in the lobby of the hospital, Taichi's mind was screaming, *"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!"* Pulling at his brown hair, he let out a cry of frustration. *"A coma! He's in a coma and it's all your fault! He may never wake up! You have to face Jun, Mr. and Mrs. Motimiya when they get here. It's all your fault!!!"* Hitting his head against the wall, he sighed, fighting back any sign of tears that were starting to well in his eyes. But his attention was distracted when he noticed a familiar carrot-topped female being wheeled by on a stretcher. "Sora...?" Taking a final glance at Daisuke through the window, he then turned and dashed after the nurse wheeling Sora away...
******
Koushiro felt a wave of nasea pass over him as he laid on his back in his bed. Sitting up, he began to hack furiously. Wiping his mouth with his arm, he stopped to examine it. Shocked, he realized that he had been coughing up blood. Falling over to the side a bit, he slid out of bed to find that his left arm was heavily weighted for some odd reason. Lifting it to his face, he didn't know how to react. With his good hand, he pinched his cheek to see if he was dreaming. When he discovered to his dismay that he wasn't, his stomach churned. His left hand was now completely made of stone...
******
"You look suprised...almost...shocked..." Ken folded his arms. The black haired girl was cradling Hikari in her arms. "You know your power is weak compared to your counterpart...give it up already..." Silently, the child clad in red held a hand over Hikari, and a silverish light began to shine. "I'll leave you to try and fix that...if you can..." Snickering, Ken vanished and his voice lingered a moment longer, "I have business to take care of..."
******
Great. One more person in the hospital. Now he had Daisuke, Sora, AND Yamato incapacitated. On the edge of a nervous breakdown, a voice called to him. "Taichi-san?" Turning, he gasped as Ken approached him.
"Ken! You're ok?!"
"I've never been better, Taichi-san. But you know, you look really stressed...I believe I can help you with that..." Reaching out to touch his shoulder, Ken grasped on tightly. Pain escalated through Taichi's body, and as Ken released him, he couldn't help but to scream as he fell over onto one of the waiting chairs. Ken placed his hands in his pockets and simply strolled away nonchalantly as chaos errupted behind him. "Only one more to go...and then, the light will fall as darkness ensues..."