Friday:
" How is she?" Solitaire asked Joe.
" She's fine sort of." Joe sighed on the other end of the phone call. " The baby's fine, but Taylor's upset. She remembers Justice seeing her hurt and she wants him down here."
Solitaire looked questioningly over her shoulder at Izzy, " I don't know. I could bring him down, but Izzy's been so upset he hasn't stopped pacing since they transported in."
" I don't think Taylor's going to rest until she sees Justice. I guess I could run back to there for a bit."
" It's up to you. I don't want you to leave Taylor if you don't want to."
" I never want to leave her, it just becomes necessary at times. Just bring Justice down here, I'll head over there."
" Okay, we'll be there soon." Solitaire hung up the phone.
" How is she?" Lexi questioned.
" Taylor and the baby are fine, but Taylor wants to see Justice. I told Joe I'd bring him down to the hospital. He'll be coming up here."
Izzy arched his eyebrow but didn't respond otherwise.
" We'll hold down the fort here." Lexi smiled.
Solitaire nodded and nudged Justice, who had fallen asleep, " Come on sweetie, we're gonna go see your Mommy."
Justice yawned and allowed Solitaire to pick him up. She stood at the door and looked back at the couple. " I'm with you in spirit."
" Thank you." Izzy responded and with that Solitaire was gone.
***
Joe looked down at Taylor, who was drugged but fighting to stay awake. "Solitaire is going to bring Justice down, but once she gets here I have to leave. Okay?"
Taylor nodded very slowly and rubbed the IV on her hand.
" Leave it be." Joe chided. " Why didn't tell me you did so poorly on the last stress test?"
She shrugged.
Joe kissed her forehead. " Don't scare me like that, Love, it isn't good for my heart."
***
Lexi watched her husband pace listlessly, return to the computer, than repeat the process. " You're going to wear a hole in the carpet."
" You can afford a new one." Izzy snapped.
" That's…" Lexi trailed off as her cell-phone rang. " Hello. What!?! When? Where at exactly? Damage report. Does the family know yet? Great! I'll be in Tokyo in an hour." She snapped the phone shut and ran into her bedroom. She emerged with her emergency suitcase and was almost to the door when Izzy grabbed her.
" You can't leave me." He whispered. " I'm terrified."
Lexi hugged him tightly. " I have to go. Sweetie, one of my models tried to kill herself, I have to go. I need to talk to the family."
He clung to her. " Let someone else do it."
" I can't and you know it." She kissed his forehead. " I have always told you that it wasn't your fault and you can do this without me."
Izzy nodded and kissed her. " I love you."
" I love you too. Give 'em Hell, Baby." Lexi winked and ran out the door.
Izzy sat at the computer and stared in shock, the entire landscape has altered.
***
Tai rubbed his forehead and looked around the room. Although he was alone he felt as if someone was watching him. A flash of light behind him drew his attention, and he turned just in time to see a lone figure step out of a portal. Tears filled his eyes at the recognition of the girl. " Kari!"
Kari had changed a lot in seven years, but nothing could disguise her from her brother. Tai took a tentative step forward and whispered her name again. " Kari."
Kari's crimson eyes clouded in confusion and she took a step back.
Tai reached out for her and was shocked when a light pink shield deflected his hand. " Kari, it's Tai don't you recognize me?"
Kari narrowed her eyes at him and circled him inside her protective bubble. "Tai?" She spoke the name as a question, as if she were wondering what it meant to her.
" Yeah, Tai your big brother. Come one Kari you have to remember me." Tai felt tears slide down his cheeks. " Please Kari."
Kari dissolved the bubble and pressed her hands against his. Her eyebrows furrowed as if the answer she wanted was simply beyond her reach. " I'm supposed to know you." She looked into Tai eyes searching for some type of answer. " I'm sorry but I have no memories of you."
Tai let out a strangled sob, but when he looked up to talked to Kari again she was gone.
***
Yolei let out a frustrated cry as she threw herself against the ceiling of the room. "Damn it!" She cursed as she landed and rubbed her sore shoulder. " Ken, it isn't any weaker up there."
Ken was inspecting the south wall by running his hands up and down over the surface.
" What are you doing?" Yolei questioned.
" Patience my love." Ken muttered and his thrust his hand forward and was rewarded with the click of a door handle. He opened the door and peered around the corner, " The coast is clear, let's go."
Yolei followed Ken out but hissed to him, " How the hell did you do that?"
" It's my design." Ken growled. " I never came back remember, not even to clean up. Looks like Myotismon learned my programs."
Yolei grabbed Ken's hand and stopped him. " Wait a second, you mean this is the old fortress?!?"
" Exactly, we are in deep trouble."
" But you designed this place."
" And did my best over the last few years to forget it all."
" Well you better unforget for our daughter's sake."
***
" This would be dead-end number three, Sweetie." Mimi wiped the sweat from her forehead. She gasped and ducked as an energy blast came flying in their direction.
Matt fired an ice shot at the digimon and walked over to inspect the frozen insect creature. " I don't suppose we could ask him for directions, huh?"
Mimi rolled her eyes, " I doubt he would have told us anything. Wait a second is that a..."
" Dark ring! That Bastard lied to us! Changed my ass!" Matt fumed and punched through one of the walls.
Mimi knelt down near the digimon, " Matt, this is sloppy."
" So what?"
" Ken was never sloppy, not once. He was meticulous in everything he did." Mimi looked at Matt, " This isn't his style."
Matt kicked a bigger hole in the wall. " We'll see, come on!"
***
Solitaire opened her cell phone and grimaced as the cab flew around another corner. " I said I'd be with you in spirit, not in cell phone."
" Solitaire, something is very wrong."
" Izzy, I know you're upset, but..."
" I'm not upset, I'm terrified. Solitaire, the emergency program isn't working. I tried to pull them out and it doesn't work."
" What do you mean isn't working?" Solitaire questioned before screeching at the cab driver, " I said New Hope Hospital! Stop!"
The driver slammed on the brakes and whipped the cab into the parking lot. Justice flew into the seat and cried out at the rude awakening. " Twenty dollars." He barked.
Solitaire collected Justice off the ground and got him out of the cab and exited herself before pulling out her money.
Now to the cab driver it appeared that Solitaire was trying to find the correct amount of money in her purse, but what he wasn't aware of was Solitaire's skills.
Solitaire touched her dragon pentacle necklace and gasped the money in her hand, complete with five-dollar tip. Her whisper was undetected by all but whom she intended it to be heard by. " I move outside the limits of time to work my spell. The dragons help me weave the universal energy. The things that now exist become what I desire. The ties of magick answer to me. May the dragon of Judgment visit you and reveal your karma, with haunting of 4th Pentacle dragon close behind to seal your choices." Solitaire paused maybe she shouldn't do this to him. It was only his karma she wasn't really cursing him with anything if he was good then nothing would come of it.
" Hey Elvira, I ain't got all night." He growled and spit on the ground near her feet.
Solitaire put the money into his hands and whispered. " My thanks to the dragons, great and small, who came in answer to my call. We wove the magick, wild and free, and as I will, so shall it be."
" Creepy hippy." He pulled the money away from her fingers and sped off.
Solitaire grinned before realizing she'd left her cell phone in the cab. " Back times three." She huffed, before smiling down at Justice. " Come on sweetie, let's go see your mom."
She entered the busy hospital and rushed to the front desk. " I need Taylor Kido's room number please."
The woman behind the desk tipped down her glasses and narrowed her eyes at Solitaire. " And who might you be?"
Solitaire huffed and picked up Justice. " I'm caring for her son, who is very upset and wants to she his mother."
Justice, who was finally awake after being shifted, throw forward in cabs and dragged everywhere, finally spoke, but it came out as a desperate cry. " I want my mommy!"
Solitaire glared at the woman, who was shifting through papers on her desk.
" She's in room 607 on the 6th floor."
" Thank you." Solitaire struggled with the now crying and squirming Justice. A woman held the elevator for Solitaire who nodded gratefully before addressing Justice. "Sweetie, listen to me. We are almost there. I need you to be brave just a little longer, okay?"
Justice whimpered, but nodded and hugged Solitaire tightly.
" Which floor dear?" The woman questioned.
" The 6th floor please." Justice piped up, as he looked at the other woman while wiping his tears away.
" My, what a polite son you have." She smiled, pushing the buttons.
" No, he's not my son. I'm taking him to go see his mother." Solitaire explained as she met the woman's emerald green eyes for the first time. " Do I know you?"
The woman looked more closely at Solitaire's features. " I don't think so. At least I'm fairly sure I'm not familiar with you. I don't think at I could forget your unique features, even at my age."
" But you aren't that old." Solitaire objected.
The elevator chimed at the 6th floor and Solitaire walked out with Justice in tow. She nodded a goodbye to the woman as she whispered. " I hope your father-in-law is alright."
" Huh?" Justice looked up at Solitaire confused at her sudden interest in someone's father. " Soli, my mom."
" Right sorry, Sweets, we're going." Solitaire hurried down to the Taylor's room.
Joe immediately stood up and took Justice from Solitaire. " Hey Justice, look mom's okay just sleeping. She was so tired she fell asleep waiting for you, but you can sleep beside her if you want." Justice nodded and Joe set him beside Taylor, who stirred slightly.
" Hi baby." She smiled sleepily.
" I love you mommy. I'm sorry for the throwing the game."
" S'okay, Baby. I love you too." Taylor closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.
Joe covered Justice with a blanket and kissed his cheek. " Night buddy. I love you."
" I love you, Dad." Justice curled up to his mother and was asleep in seconds.
Solitaire had crashed in one of the hospital chairs. " I thought you were going to leave while I was on route here."
" I was." Joe motioned to Taylor. " She kept sitting up and panicking."
" Wonderful." Solitaire closed her eyes in frustration.
" I don't think she'll do it anymore. She just really wanted her son."
" Shit. I forgot about Izzy. I was talking to him on my cell phone just before we got here and I left it in the cab."
" What was wrong?"
" I didn't get all the details, but something's wrong. I can feel it, it's almost tangible."
Joe pulled on his coat. " I know what you mean it's like we're maneuverable pawns in some sort of game."
" Where are you going?"
" To check things out at Izzy's." Joe paused and looked at his family. " I know what you're thinking, but I have to go. I can't explain it, but I'm needed there more than here. Stay with them, Solitaire."
Solitaire nodded and hugged Joe. " What should I say if a nurse comes in?"
Joe shrugged, " You could say you're Taylor's sister."
Her pierced eyebrow arched questioning him wordlessly.
" Kidding. Just say your Justice's God-mother." Joe was almost out the door when Solitaire called to him.
" Avoid cab 546."
" He in for bad luck?"
" That's up to him."
Joe shook his head and dashed out the door.
***
Izzy hung up the phone and rubbed his pounding temples. He was alone trying to handle a situation that was getting worse and worse. He couldn't get into the digital world; he tried in his desperation but to no avail. He could see where all the destined were but couldn't make contact or get them out. He started tearing through old papers. There had to be something here that could help them. " This is not going to happen all over again." He growled trying to concentrate on his current task. " I can see them, but I can't do a damn thing about anything that might happen."
***
Yolei stood on guard as she looked for anything out of the ordinary. " How's it coming?"
"Slow." Ken shook his hand, after being shocked by the apparatus he was working on. " I love that you can reconfigure things in this dimension, but the knowledge is useless if you cannot remember how to do it."
" It's odd you know. I haven't seen any guards." Yolei's hushed voice was barely audible.
" I doubt we will." Ken pulled out another wire and looked at it like it shouldn't have been in there. " I think he wants us to find him."
" He wants a fight, but that's crazy. With all of the destined here, we'd pulverize him."
" Myotismon doesn't want to fight all the destined, just me and he wants you to watch." Ken closed the case on the device. " Got it."
" Got what? And what do you mean he wants to fight you!?!"
" Just a surprise, you'll see. Don't worry, I'll handle it." Ken smirked and looked around for a moment. " Come on this way."
" I feel like we're being dragged into this."
" We have been since the beginning."
***
Mimi cleared the next wall and looked back at Matt who was staring into seemingly thin-air. " Sweetie, what are you looking at?"
" Nothing." Matt shook his head, trying to clear his head. " I just thought I saw Kari."
" It's possible. Ouch." Mimi pulled her hand away from the open space.
" What happened?" Matt questioned walking closer to her.
" It felt like an electric fence shock." Mimi rubbed her hand.
Matt reached out and reacted the same way.
" Genius, my love, pure genius." Mimi put her hands on her hips. " Now what?"
" Not sure. I guess we see if it goes all the way around."
Mimi winced at the thought, " This is going to be painful."
The wall beside them exploded and the couple crouched down ready to attack.
" Great job, Cody. Are you trying to kill everything in your path?" Davis' angry voice came from behind the smoke.
" Guys, get over here." Matt called out to them.
The two men came through the hole in the wall, with Sora trailing behind them.
" Where's Tai?" Mimi asked.
" And TK has anyone seen him?" Matt added.
" Neither one." Cody looked at the destroyed wall. " The field stretch across here as well?"
" Yeah." Matt glared at the wall.
Sora took off her canteen and swung it through the force field. " It only affects digital things."
" So Ken's the only one that could get through." Matt coughed, " That's awful convenient."
" Especially if Myotismon wants to face him alone." Cody pointed out.
" I don't think that's what this is all about." Davis looked up. " I mean why go through all this? Keep Kari for almost eight years, allow Ken to rule as long as he wanted to, kidnap Cammy, and go through all the trouble of bringing just us here. It doesn't make sense. He's planning something bigger than any of us knows."
Sora nodded, " That's likely the case. I think we should try to level the field."
"Meaning?" Mimi wrapped her arms around her stomach.
" We level everything we can. If we can see what's coming, we'll be ready." Sora furrowed her eyebrows, " But we need to be careful. Tai and TK are still out there."
" What about Kari and Cammy?" Matt questioned.
" We assume that Myotismon has them." Davis took a deep breath. " And hope to God that Ken and Yolei are doing better than we are."
***
Cammy squirmed unhappily and started crying. Now Cammy was a spoiled, not in the sense that she wanted everything she saw, but in the sense that she was always in the presence of people she knew. She didn't like the big-teddy bear that was holding her and she certainly didn't like the big scary man that kept poking her. " I want Mommy!" She cried out as pair of arms picked her up.
Cammy looked up at the lady who was holding her. She didn't know this lady, but she smiled pretty.
" Hello Angel, this is almost over I promise." The woman whispered. " Just be brave a little longer."
Cammy frowned as the woman gave her back to the big teddy bear.
" Is this what you want?" The lady handed Cammy boo-bunny.
Cammy hugged her friend tightly and yawned, as she was suddenly very sleepy.
" You put her to sleep. Why?" Myotismon demanded of the small-framed woman.
Kari looked bored by his order. " There is no reason for her to be awake. Her presence is enough."
" I think you have forgotten your part." The digimon attempted to grab her throat, but was deflected by the light pink shield.
" I do not forget. I have always known what I must do."
" You must stop the energy from coming, it is the only way to change things."
Kari turned around quickly, " Do you fear my power?"
" If I did I would have killed you long ago."
" Instead of saving me and leaving a mimic to take my place in the earth."
" Yes, you see. I love you and will continue to care for you." The digimon smiled gently showing off his fangs.
" We shall see."
***
Solitaire glared at the cards laid out in front of her. This was the third time she'd read the cards and the third time they'd come out with the same six cards: Ace of Wands, Judgment, Knight of Wands, 6 of Cups, 2 of Pentacles, 3 of Swords. The pattern she had used was the Influence of the Elements, which was a five-card spread, but she always laid a sixth card for clarity. The cards were to represent the earth (the physical self), the air (the mental self), the fire (the energies of life), the water (the emotional self) and the fifth card was to represent the spiritual self.
" This is not happening." She whispered and shuffled the cards for the fourth time. After shuffling three times she split the cards and laid the center card to represent the spirit.
She laid her hand on the deck and continued. " I plead to the dragons of the earth and north, which are the dragons of Pentacles please protect the physical beings of my friends." She laid the card on the north side.
" I plead to dragons of the water and west, which are the dragons of the Cups please protect the emotional beings of my friends." She laid a card on the west side.
" I plead to the dragons of the air and east please protect the mental beings of my friends." She laid the card on the east side and took a deep breath.
" I plead to the dragons of the fire and south please protect the energies in my friends lives and keep the darkness far from them." She laid the fifth card and shuffled the deck before laying the sixth card. " Please dragons that move in and out of physical time, tell me if my friends will be safe."
She flipped over the center card and found that it was again the Ace of Wands, which stood for new cycles and changes. She flipped the north card it was the Knight of Wands, which stood for sudden change. She flipped the west card and it was the Three of Swords, which stood for emotional upheaval. She narrowed her eyebrows and flipped the east card; it was the Two of Pentacles, which stood for harmony through change. She flipped the south card and gasped it was the same card as before the Six of Cups. She stretched out her hand and flipped the sixth card it was once again the Judgment card, which either meant karma issues or renewal.
Exhausted she sank back into the chair and tried to concentrate on what this all might mean. Suddenly her eyes snapped open. " The refreshing, it's coming. That's…"
She jumped out of her seat and ran out of the room to use the phone. She dialed in her phone card number and tried to dial Izzy's number but all she got was a busy signal. "No! You have to know this Izzy!" She dialed his cell phone number and even tried Lexi's before she realized that she wasn't going to get through. " All needs be in place." She whispered and went back to Taylor's room.
***
" Tai!" Sora called out as she rushed to her husband. " Honey, what happened?"
Tai hugged her tightly. " She didn't know me. She didn't know who I was."
Matt winced and turned away before asking. " Have you seen TK, Yolei or Ken?"
" No, I just Kari." Tai stood up on shaking legs.
Sora was helping him stand and she whispered something that only he could hear. Tai managed a soft smile before an explosion opened the entire they were occupying.
Myotismon stood in the center of a large circle, laughing as the destined looked around trying to adjust to the new surroundings.
Matt looked around the maze had been demolished and everyone could be seen through the invisible barrier. TK was directly across the way, completely out of reach.
Tai saw Kari standing next to Myotismon although she seemed be listening to something completely different.
Davis noticed Ken and Yolei were getting ready for something. Ken was attaching something to Yolei's arm and she tested the field; her hand went through. Davis nudged Cody and pointed out what was going on across the way.
Cody nodded and screamed to Myotismon, " You coward, come face me yourself!"
" But I'm not interested in you. I want the Kaiser."
" Then face me, leave my daughter out of this!" Ken walked through the portal.
" Did you leave our children alone?"
" You should fear me, not mock me!" Ken growled and took another step forward.
Kari started walking away from Myotismon.
" Were are you going?"
" Fight your battle. I am not your concern." Kari walked over to TK.
Myotismon reached for the control panel, but Yolei swooped down and landed on his shoulders.
She beat her wings against his head and hung on for dear life. " Ken now!" She screamed as Myotismon grabbed her body threw her to the ground.
Ken dove towards the Fuzzymon and grabbed his daughter. He reached for his transport devise, but looked up at Yolei whom Myotismon had by the throat.
" Go." She mouthed. Before screaming as Myotismon bit down into her throat.
Ken closed his eyes and pushed the button to transport.
***
Kari had reached TK by this point, but neither was aware of what was going on behind them. " I know you." She whispered in awe and took his hand in hers. " Wake up my love."
TK blinked and looked at Kari. " Where have you been?"
***
Izzy gapped at the computer screen; the energy was gathering again, in moment everything would change. Someone banged on the front door and Izzy raced to answer it. Joe rushed into the apartment as Ken transported out from the computer with Cammy safely in his arms.
***
Kari looked up at the sky and smiled.
" My Kali, do what you were made to do!" Myotismon screeched at her.
Kari simply said, " All is in place. May it begin again."
***
The world turned upside-down and screamed echoed through digital world, before a deafening silence pervaded.
" Yolei, Yolei my dear, are you alright?" A male voice questioned her.
Yolei struggle to think of where that voice was familiar from, but then she realized that it was Hawkmon. In fact, as she listened she could hear the voices of the other digimon. 'Oh my god it was all a dream: my daughter, the merge, Ken. It was all a dream.' She thought panicked before patting down her chest and smiling. She leapt off the ground and hugged Hawkmon. " You're here and I'm not thirteen!" She looked around at the other destined.
" Yolei, I can't breath!" Hawkmon complained.
Yolei set her friend down and looked around at the celebration. Davis and Cody were laughing and pointed out what they couldn't do anymore. Sora and was simply laying on her back enjoy it for the first time in years. Tai and Matt were hugging their sibling, who looked slightly nervous about the extra attention. Mimi crying and hugging Palmon.
" My god, it's over." She whispered, and for the first time noticed that the land was clean.
" Yolei, this isn't funny, answer me!" Izzy yelled through the com-link.
Yolei smirked and radioed back. " You three get here and bring my daughter. You have to see this to believe it."