Uhm, I'm German. That might explain the grammatical errors in this chapter. And it might explain the strange name of the...well, you will see^^ ~Kaeera

Even the purest light creates a shadow

Chapter Three
by Kaeera

Kari stared out of the window. She had been lying awake for quite a while now, but couldn't find any sleep. There were so many things in her head, so many strange feelings, and she didn't know what to think of them. The girl sighed and gazed at the blue night sky. There were no clouds and she could see the stars, although not very clear - after all she lived in a huge city. It looked so calm, so beautiful...

She remembered the nights she had used to spent with her brother, looking at the stars and telling stories. Everything had been so clear then...so easy....and now?

"I hurt him...", she whispered and wondered why it hurt her. Her words had been hard and unfair, but it hadn't been the first time that she had overreacted in Daisuke's near. But this time...she flinched when she recalled the look in his eyes, this look of anger, of sadness and another feeling she couldn't describe. Like...giving up. Seeing the end. Like dead. Hopeless and shattered....

"Nonono...", Kari groaned. Shattered like the picture. Shattered like the glass of the frame. And it was her fault...

She didn't regret her decision. She liked being together with TK, he was nice, he loved her, it was just...perfect. The perfect couple. Everybody had said it, and they had been right. The girl just wished that her decision wouldn't cause that much pain. He was her friend after all, a good friend, a close friend. And she had acted like a real jerk, not seeing what he was feeling, being egoistic.

Truth was that she didn't know why she had reacted that harsh. Normally she wasn't the hot-tempered person, that belonged to people like Yolei and, well, Davis. She had just flipped...

And it had hurt him...

Brown eyes which seemed to laugh all the time had suddenly burned with rage and a destructive sadness. And she had taken it lightly, thinking that he would calm down...until his mother had called them. Then Kari had realised that even Davis could be hurt deeply. And it had been her. Her fault.

Tomorrow they would search him. And maybe they would find him. But Kari wasn't so sure anymore if they would find Daisuke Motomiya. Or another person.


* * *

"Ready for what?", Davis wanted to know, frowning at his cell phone. "I would appreciate it if you could explain me a few details. I can't stand mysteries."

"Sure.", Gray replied, and the boy could hear the smile in his voice. "But it's better when we meet personally. I can't stand it to discuss important stuff over the phone. I guess that you are in the Digital World?"

Davis nodded and then realised that the other boy couldn't see it. "Yes.", he added quickly.

"Good. Let's meet in half an hour. You should be able to find me with your D3 - I will try to appear in your near, though it's never that exact. We ought to walk a bit, but I think you can manage that."

"Sure.", was Davis' only answer. He really didn't know what to think of this whole thing. But he didn't want to turn back now either, so he just listened.

Gray chuckled. "Not very talkative, huh? Well, I'll meet you in half an hour. Bye!"

"Bye."

His phone went out and the boy shook his head. He should be able to locate the other boy? Slowly he pulled out his D3 and stared at the screen. He knew that he was able to locate other digidestined, but did it work with normal people? Somehow Davis doubted this.

Then...this guy was a digidestined, too? But where was his digimon? Davis shook his head. The more he asked, the more questions seemed to appear, and only Gray knew the answers. Maybe it was the best to wait until his D3 reacted.

The boy sat down on the ground and stared at the sky. It was blue, like always, such an overwhelming, intense blue you never saw at home. He loved it, loved the digiworld with all its colours, its many species and landscapes. And he had sworn to protect it the first time he had stepped on the green grass; protect it with all his power, strength and will. Now...now it seemed as if his will had been drained out of him. Just because of one girl?

He didn't want it. But....but Kari was....she was special, and hell, he had liked her for so long. It hurt! And he couldn't do anything against it. It was putting him down, and Daisuke Motomiya felt for the first time in his life what it meant to be depressed.

Gloomily he hugged his knees and closed his eyes. A soft breeze stroke his face and washed a single tear away. Why could the world be so happy one day, and the next....every dream had died? Why had she said these words? She didn't care at all, didn't care that it hurt him, didn't care what he felt, just saw TK, just saw...well, what? Kari wasn't egoistic. She was one of the nicest persons on earth, otherwise he wouldn't have fallen for her. She just acted like this when she met him....maybe it wasn't her fault, but his? Maybe he, Daisuke, was a loser, such a jerk that he wasn't worth any attention?

"All I saw when I looked at you was a spoilt little boy who thought he had to have his own way, because he was the best. What, you thought that because you were our 'LeaderI would go out with you? You weren't even worth the time of day!"

The boy cringed as he remembered the painful words. It's not true, he thought, I never thought that I was the best. I wanted to be the best, but that's a difference, isn't it? Okay, I was...overreacting...sometimes...maybe...but...but...I wasn't that bad, was I? I was a good friend, not? I mean...I have my good sides, too...

Then he remembered the numerous times he had fought with TK, or had praised himself after a soccer game. Good sides? Which good sides? He was neither intelligent nor a good listener. He could just laugh and well, act stupid. Like a clown. A stupid clown. Not a leader.

He was sinking deeper and deeper into his depression when suddenly his D3 beeped. Davis' eyes shot open and he stared down on the tiny screen. A green, blinking dot had appeared on it, moving quickly in his direction. That was probably Gray. Davis sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants. There wasn't the time to look back. He wanted to forget it, didn't want to think about the beautiful girl anymore. Like a statue he stood and waited until the other boy appeared behind some bushes and walked towards him with a triumphantly smile on his lips.

"Nice to see you, Motomiya.", Gray seemed genuinely happy.

Davis didn't smile back. "I want to have some answers. Now."

Gray motioned him to sit down in the green grass. "How I told you before...", the boy began, "It's my intention to protect this world. I know human beings; soon many scientists will come in order to study digimon. They will catch them and make experiments with these peaceful creatures. They will enter this world and destroy everything, destroy the peace, just because they want to know how it works.", his voice sounded bitter. "That's why I want to close the gates. Just chosen children, just digidestined shall be able to enter this world, because it is their world! The adults don't earn this. They haven't helped to protect it, but they will help to destroy it! That's why I need your help."

Davis lowered his gaze. "Does that mean that you are a chosen one, too?"

"Actually, no. It has always been my greatest wish to be one, to be able to help this world, to protect it, but somehow I never received a digivice or a digimon. Although it was my greatest wish, although I would have done everything for it!", a dejected glint appeared in the eyes of the teen. "But then I met...this person, and he gave me a D3, my own D3! Now I am able to wander through this world and to do the thing I wanted to do through my whole life: to protect it!", he held out a small, grey digivice which was slightly smaller than Daisuke's.

Davis' gaze scanned through the area. "And where's your partner? Every chosen one has a digimon, so where's yours?"

Grays enthusiastic smile fell together. "I haven't found him yet.", he suddenly looked sad and disappointed. "I have searched in every place, but there's no digimon which is my partner...", he sighed and then growled determinant: "But it's only a matter of time! I have found a D3, I will find my partner, too!"
Davis preferred not to answer the other boy. He had the worse feeling that something was wrong with this D3 of Gray; it didn't look like his one, it looked, well, different. Normally digivices appeared along with digimon, so where was Gray's partner? Something wasn't right....

"But I see that your partner hasn't accompanied you as well!", Gray said, coming back to his sure, smiling self.

Davis looked away. "That's none of your business. I needed to be alone, that's all.", then he stared with his brown eyes at Gray. "Why me?", he wanted to know. "Why me of all the chosen kids?"

"Because you are strong. Because you feel the same for this place. And because you...called back."

"What does that mean?", a look of confusion crossed the face of the brown-haired boy.

"You will find it out. Eventually.", Gray smiled knowingly. "So, Davis, are you in? Will you help me to protect this world? Will you make a place out of it where only chosen and their digimon can play? Peaceful and undisturbed, without any danger?"

Davis thought for a moment. He had never considered the possibility of adults entering the Digital World as a problem, but now he began to see that there might be some difficulties. And this guy sounded honest, he really wanted to protect this world. He still could turn back when he didn't like the development of it all...
However, a nagging voice in his mind told him to talk with his friends about this, because they had a right to know about it - after all they were digidestined like him, and...
But you don't have friends anymore, remember? They think you aren't worth it. Especially Kari. They don't like you. They will laugh at you when you return. And TK and Kari will be the perfect couple, right in front of your eyes, and they will never care that your heart is bleeding...

"What do I have to do?", Davis asked firmly.

* * *

It was early morning when Ken left the house. The blue haired boy paced along the streets to their meeting place. He looked tired and worn out; he hadn't got much sleep this night, worry and concern keeping him awake. Davis had run away without telling him anything, without asking for help, and this bothered Ken. They had been friends, best friends, but he hadn't been able to help him. Davis hadn't even considered the possibility! Why?

He just wished that it hadn't come this far. It would be difficult to find him. And there was this tingling feeling in the back of his head that something was wrong, something bigger than the whole Kari-TK-Davis affair! Like a darkness in his mind, which was clouding his senses....

Ken shook his head. This was probably all the result of some bad night sleep. Nothing to worry about. He had to concentrate on his task: to find Daisuke and to talk with him from friend to friend.

Yolei's house was coming into sight. Kari was already standing there and waiting, with her hands in her pockets and a thoughtful look on her face. She seemed to be tired.

"Morning.", Ken greeted half-heartedly. She smiled weakly. "Morning."

"We are a bit early.", he looked on his watch. "Still ten minutes until it's 8 o'clock."

"I know. But I couldn't stand it to stay at home any longer. I have a bad feeling...", Kari stopped and blushed, realising what she had said. Well, it really sounded stupid...

But Ken didn't laugh at her remark. "Strange. I feel the same. There is something going on, something dark...."

Kari shivered and looked away. "I don't even want to think of it..."
They waited in silence until Yolei left the house, dressed in her usual pink and violet outfit. "Good morning!", she said cheerfully and grabbed the backpack on her shoulders. "You are early."

She looked around. "Ah, TK's coming, too.", the girl pointed towards the blonde boy who was walking nearer. "And there's Cody! Good, we're all!"

Kari was greeted with a light kiss from TK and an encouraging smile. She tried to smile back, but her heart was heavy.
The kids went to discuss the search of their missing friend and leader, not knowing that this search would take longer than anyone expected...

* * *

The house was standing in a small valley, a peaceful, calm place. Although there wasn't much nature - just a little bit grass and a few flowers - it looked nice and...well, warm, like home. That was what he felt - at first. Then another feeling mixed into the warmth, something he couldn't explain, it just seemed to tickle him...try to catch his attention. Davis shook his head.

"That's my Home.", Gray said, his green eyes gleaming slightly.

Davis frowned. "You live in the Digital World? All the time?"

"Well, there was nothing at home which held me back.", the older boy replied, a sudden look of sadness on his face. It quickly disappeared, and he smiled again. "But that's over, now I'm glad that I'm able to live here. It's a good place."

The house was made of wood and wasn't very big, just one room with a small bed, a table and a cupboard. Davis leaned against the wall, feeling a little bit shy. "But...aren't...weren't you alone? Didn't you feel lonely?"

Gray's eyes widened, just for a moment, as brief as a flash, nearly unnoticeable. Then the teen answered in a calm, controlled voice: "No, never. Hey, this is the greatest place on the world and I can do everything I want! I can travel around and talk with all the digimon, and everyone likes me! And it's not that I am always here, I return to the real world from time to time. I just changed my...sleeping place. Believe me, it's great!"

But Davis knew that he was lying, and he decided to change the topic. "Am I supposed to live with you?"

"Whatever you want. You just need to stay here, because there's much work to do. And you'd better collect your digimon, you might need it."

"Oh.", was Davis' only reply. He had totally forgotten about Veemon, but Gray was right, he couldn't leave his blue partner at home. And it was nice to know that at least someone liked his company and stayed his friend, whatever happened.

Gray went inside the house and crawled under his bed. When he appeared again, his head was full of dirt and dust. He smiled excusing and brushed it off. "I don't clean the room very often.", he admitted and showed the other boy a grey bracelet. It was thick and made of a strange metal with a little screen and some buttons on it. Curiously Davis peered at it, unsure of what to say.

"You need to wear this.", Gray explained. "It's like a computer, it allows you to collect data and to look at it. It's necessary if we want to block the borders to the real world. You see, right now you're able to reach the Digital World from every computer. We have to prevent that, so we'll create something like a firewall...a invisible border around the whole world, which only allows certain people to come through - people who have a digivice. No one else."

"Well...", Davis put a hand behind his head. "I think you have the wrong person, I don't understand anything of computers, and I don't know how one could create such a firewall-thing you are talking of..."

"Oh, you don't need to.", was the slightly amused reply. "That's why you are wearing the bracelet - me too, by the way. There are some places in the digiworld, important places. It's difficult to explain; you can say that they are like....like our heart, or our brain. Much energy is floating there, and they have influence on the whole Digital World. They use to be called "Sternenheimat" but hardly anybody knows about them..."

"So why you?", Davis interrupted. Gray looked uncomfortably away. "I...have my sources, but that's not important. Daisuke, when we are able to reach these places and to put this...", he held up his hand and showed the other boy a small, violet crystal, "into it, it will change this world!"

Gray glowed excitedly. Davis just stared at the crystal. "And what's that?", he wanted to know, feeling more and more confused.

The older boy put the crystal into his hands. "It's a program. A virus, you could say. Not a dangerous one, of course, but it will help us. We just need to find the "Sternenheimat", everyone of them, put such a crystal in it, and well...that's all."

Davis pulled a face. "What's that for a strange name...Sternenheimat? I don't know this word!"

Gray chuckled. "I was quite puzzled when I heard it the first time, too, but then I searched through some dictionaries and realized that it's a German word - which means something like "Home of the stars", or "Place where the stars are born". Maybe one way to express the power of these places..."

"German? Why German?", Davis wondered.

"Hey, after all digimon were developed by international scientists. I bet one of them was a German with sense for romantic!"

"Home of the stars...", was all Davis said. He looked down on the bracelet and traced with his fingers across the cool metal. "It sounds...interesting.", he then continued hesitantly. "I think...I think I will help you. Where are these places?"

"That's the problem. I don't know it.", Gray admitted sheepishly, which caused the other boy to groan. "And that's why I need your help."

Davis blinked. "What? Me?"

"Yes. You and Veemon." He tilted his head and stared confused at Gray, but all he received was a knowing smile.

* * *

"The problem is that the Digital World is so big.", Ken said, gnawing on his lower lip. "He could be everywhere, and he certainly has Veemon with him, so he'll be able to run away from us, when Veemon digivolves."

They were still standing in front of Yolei's house, discussing the problem. TK shook his head. "And he's that angry that he WILL run away from us as soon as his D3 shows our presence."

"But we can't just stand here and do nothing!", Kari balled her fists. "Who knows what's happening there, and Davis will run from one trouble to the next! I know him! That'd be typical!"

"Doesn't Davis have any favourite places? I mean, everyone of us has...", Yolei suddenly piped in and looked anxiously at the other. "He probably went there."

TK frowned. "He never told me about a favourite place."

Cody shook his head. "Me neither. No idea."

"Wait a moment...", Ken seemed to be thinking. "He once told me about a place...it's long ago, but it had something to do with the sea...and cliffs..."

"Well, that's something.", Kari smiled weakly. "We just have to try. I mean, it can't be that hard, can it? Davis won't run away from us forever..."

"Especially not from you.", Yolei laughed. Kari looked away. She wasn't that sure. The look Daisuke had given her still frightened the brown-haired girl, and the memory of the shattered picture frame made things worse. She had to tell him how sorry she was...and she had to...she had to....what? She didn't know it...but there was something else....

* * *

Gray smiled at the shadows. "He's entirely on our side now.", the boy stated happily.

"Did you give him the bracelet?"

"Yes. And I told him about the crystals."

"Good. Then the search can begin. I hope you give your best. After all it was ME who introduced you to this world!"

"I certainly will give my best!", Gray replied convinced. "I want to protect this world, because I love it. And I will be thankful forever, because you gave me this...", he held up his little Digivice-thing. "It's just a matter of time until I find my digimon partner...", he said dreamily.

"Yes."

If Gray had listened closer, he would have noticed the amused tone in the voice. But he didn't. Because he chose to believe. Because he wanted to see his dream to come true....

To be continued...