"No. I can't take this. I just can't take this..."

Tai's shoulders shook. He was leaning forward, his face in his hands, as Joe wrapped a supporting arm around him. The presence of the older boy was calming, but not enough to pull Tai out of such an intense state.

"Kari...and Sora...and...God, I can't take this..."

"They'll be fine, Tai, didn't you see? Palmon and Biomon went with them. They can take care of themselves -" tried Izzy.

"Oh, how the hell do YOU know?" screamed Matt fiercely. His fists were clenched but he didn't attack Izzy. "They could all be hurt, or dying, or dead -"

"Yeah, Matt, SUCH THE OPTIMISTIC. I'M TRYING TO KEEP HOPE -"

"WHAT HOPE? IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, MY BROTHER, THE BEARER OF HOPE, IS TRAPPED SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A VIRUS -"

"DON'T GET ON IZZY'S CASE, MATT, HE'S JUST TRYING TO HELP -" yelled Joe.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, JUST CAUSE YOU'RE OLDER THAN US -"

"OH GIVE ME A BREAK, MATT- "

"DON'T DEFEND ME, JOE, I DON'T NEED IT -"

"I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY -"

"SHUT UP"

The three heads turned to Tai. His cheeks, covered in drying tears, were determined and set on the dark woods beyond. In that moment, the three others noticed both their leader and all their Digimon were staring at the trees.

"Can you hear it?" Gomamon whispered. Gabumon nodded.

"It's terrible," Augumon spoke faintly.

The other paused, listening.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"...memory of the time, separate, one by one...island of stars...between the Ocean King... the Bearer...lost hope...the return..."

Kari spun at the faint chanting. She pressed her back against the wall. She could see a faint light, letting off a wisp of smoke, swaying slowly back and forth.

"Let me go," she mouthed. Her voice was gone.

"...Ordramon....she fails...designed....the tide, falling..."

"I said, let me go," she spoke, her voice a little stronger. The light flickered.

"...a prize...a test...it shall be."

There was a rush of wind and Kari's world spun. She felt a hand clasp the back of her tank top and lift her up. But she was too weak to struggle, to cry out. Her hope was fading. She closed her eyes and whispered TK's name.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"Yolie..."

"Come ON, Ken!" said Davis, grabbing the boy by his shirt and pulling him into the shadows of the overhang. TK crouched low, his face shaped into a half-desperate, half-enraged tangle. Cody hung over his Digivice.

Email Recieved by: Mind-over-Matter

From: Fightingsoul7

Izzy, Yolie got caught behind with a Digimon, we thought we saw Sora and Mimi too. Me, Ken, TK, and Davis are still here. Hanging low. Email back.

- Cody

"Cody, what are you -" started TK.

Then the laughter, the cold, hateful laughter...

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Takeru...there's someone here who's just dying to see you..."

TK leapt out from behind the overhang. Cody called after him and Ken tried to grab him, but it was useless. He sprang out onto the nearest rock cliff with Patamon at his shoulder. Gatomon was by his side a second later.

The cold eyes glared. The daggered teeth smirked. A shadowed hand gripped tight to Kari's collar and hung her, ominously, above the bottomless abyss that the side of the mountain range fell into. TK froze, trembling, his eyes set on Kari.

"Stop it, let her go!" cried Gatomon. The shadow snickered.

"Not yet, betrayer. The fall is very far. And she is just a ransom."

"NO!" screamed TK. There was a flashing of light and Angemon rocketed towards the cold eyed shadow. Gatomon gasped. Davis and Ken held out their Digivices and Stingmon and Flamedramon followed.

Kari awoke with a shock and stared into TK's watering eyes. She was afraid, so afraid...

There was a swirl of fog in the boy's head. From behind his crimson-eyed Angel, something leapt out from the black abyss.

The others fell back at the fury of it. The Digimon roared, the tusks from it's huge mouth blaring white, the curved arch of its long, thin, gray body bristling. It leapt into the air and dove, head first, digging with its tusks into the earth below it. It came up straight under Flamedramon and hurled him away with a fearsome, unmatched strength. The coil of python around its neck hissed. Cody yelled.

The creature barred its fangs and Izzy stepped up beside the smaller boy.

"Got your email," he said. Joe, holding Gomamon, watched the scene from behind flickering glasses.

"Sorry for the fight, pal" he said. Izzy nodded.

"Me too. Ready Cody?"

"Let's just say," started Cody, "...that Irguimon will regret this."

The Digimon roared.

Zudomon, Digmon, and MegaKabuterimon called in answer.

"This isn't right..." whispered Ken. "He's separating us..."

"MOVE, KEN!" shouted Davis. TK was hanging on to Angemon's shoulder as they sped over the crevasse, towards the distant light on the other side. Davis grabbed Ken and pulled him onto Stingmon's back, holding Veemon with the other arm. Visions were filling TK's head as Gatomon cried angry tears for Kari. They were being separated, Kari was awake, alive, but captive, the cold eyes were laughing, the tide was getting higher, the island was nearer... he would do anything to save her...anything...

The light was close enough to touch, big enough to swallow them whole. They disappeared into it and collapsed into something cold and wet. TK coughed. The water was salty.

He looked around, desperately, seeking Kari in the black waves. But there was no glimpse of her face, no flash of beautiful crimson eyes. Just a staring blank emptiness...and somewhere, off in the water, two figures chained side-by-side. Veemon got ready to Digivolve, but Davis stopped him. The forms were coming into focus, slowly.

The one on the left shuddered and thrashed back and forth horribly. It was larger, held captive with thicker, heavier chains. Tattered dragonfly wings flapped faintly on its back. It convulsed again and the spikes on its shoulders shot up and down. The claws that grew from armored hands clenched around the chains that held it. The green and black of its body shook, and collided with the smaller form beside it.

This one was human, but chained just as the Digimon was. Spiked, matted blue hair fell over his face, his long cape fluttering, his gloved hands bound above his head. His sunglasses fell as he twitched dramatically. They could see the outline of amethyst eyes.

Ken shook and staggered back. TK looked from one pair to the other.

It was a reflection. Ken against the Digimon Emperor.

The chains shattered suddenly on both forms and the Reflected Stingmon launched forwards just as the real Stingmon did. Veemon started to Digivolve.

"NO!" shouted Ken. His arm was outstretched to Davis, as was the Digimon Emperor's. The boy turned to face his own shadow.

"Go. Its across the water. Go."

The two Stingmon's clashed head-on as the two Ken's stared at each other. The Digimon Emperor smiled slowly and began to laugh.

TK and Davis hung onto Angemon and crossed the water towards the light. They caught a last glimpse of Ken, glaring at the Emperor, his fists tight. Behind him, a wave roared up as the Reflected Stingmon plowed the real one into the water. The laughter was maddening.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"We're next," said Matt.

"I know," responded Tai.

Tears were running down Augumon's face.

"Palmon's hurt. And Gomamon. I can feel it."

"So can I," whispered Gabumon. He flinched suddenly. "Hawkmon..."

"I can hear Sora," said Tai. His eyes were too dry to cry anymore. "I can hear her...she's talking to Biomon..."

"Snap out of it, guys!" said Matt fiercely, struggling to keep his composure. He grabbed Tai's collar. "Can't you see what's going on? He's separating us, splitting us up, but connecting us at the same time, making us take in each other's pain, making us feel the same thing they're feeling..."

"But why?" said Tai angrily. "Why, Matt?"

Matt let go of the leader and stared at the ground. Something screeched and Matt felt his arm burst with pain, though there was no wound. But he knew. Mimi had just been hurt.

And then he realized why.

"TK. He wants TK."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

No...the fire...it was too cold...it was burning, burning...

Davis pulled TK away from the heat and propped him up against the chapel wall. The isalnd was burning with white flame, with cold fire, with ice. The waves splashed onto shore and ignited the ground into a fearsome inferno. In the midst of the land stood the chapel, its sides white and frozen over, the bell at its peak immobile. Scubamon were prowling the doorways and windows, searching. TK sat next to an awakening TK as Gatomon destroyed the nearest watch-Scubamon.

"Davis? Hwere's Kari -" he started. Davis slapped him and TK came into full consciousness.

"What was that for?" he said, rubbing his cheek. But Davis was standing, watching the water.

"Yolie's hurt," he said. TK, confused, stepped towards him, but felt an immense pain in his ankle. His mind flashed over a limping Joe.

"How can we feel this?" he whispered. Davis shook his head.

"There's no time. You have to save Kari. I'm the last to go."

"What?"

Then the water exploded beneath Davis' gaze. The Digimon cam roaring out, its head flaming and furious, the head of a bull. The horns glittered in its white fire. It crawled steadily onto shore, its giant claws scraping the rocky sand. Davis and TK watched, and the understanding came over the Bearer of Hope. He put a hand on Davis' shoulder.

"You can do it." Davis nodded.

"Tell Kari," he whispered, "...thanks. She's a great friend."

TK smiled and Matt embraced him.

"Good luck, bro. Be safe. I'm sorry...about everything."

"Don't be. It's not our fault. I'm sorry...but thanks...for being there.." Tai hugged the boy as Matt stepped beside Davis, holding back his tears.

"Tell Kari...I love her," whispered Tai. TK nodded.

Patamon climbed onto his shoulder and Tai turned away, standing beside Davis. The younger boy turned and gave a faint smile to TK. TK grinned back at his best friend and felt the inner brotherly love between all of them flourish. The flaming Digimon was galloping towards them, its fanged mouth wide and roaring. MetalGarurumon howled and slashed it down its side. Flamedramon barreled into it. WarGreymon tackled it back into the dark water.

TK turned and ran int the chapel with Gatomon on his heels.