k2: Okay, this is…well…aheh. Different. Lots different. But, like I have said, it is a revamp. Right? Right.

MK: I like this better.

2k: I am way to paranoid to be an author! Please let me know how ya'all think of this, kay?

MK: 0.0…er…you almost sound southern.

k2: DO not!

k2: Oh, also…. I changed Bondayamon's name to Artemon. I really, really didn't like the name I had given her previously and the more I thought about it the more she reminded me of Artemis. So, Artemon became he name. I also revamped Enera's attacks, if you haven't' already noticed that one.

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What Now!

Ch.9 pt5- Controls

PG

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"What is going on?" Tai demanded as he saw his sister walking hand in hand with TK, Angemon floating behind them like a silent sentinel. TK still looked horrible, his shoulder still hadn't been properly tended to and he looked even more deathly pale then he did earlier that day. Kari, on the other hand, looked fine except that she looked incredibly depressed. Her stare was vacant and her shoulders drooped. It seemed to Tai as if TK were leading her.

Tai reached out, touching the yellow shield hesitantly. He'd learned long ago that rushing into something lie that could be rather, well…dangerous to say the least. And, as suspected, when he touched it he felt a jolt rush through his fingertips and up his spine. He jerked his hand back fiercely, waving the numbing sensation off, and glared out through the shield.

"KARI!"

"Let go of me Sora!" Matt cried as he struggled to get out of her grasp, his leg still placed firmly on the rise. "TK! TK!"

"Easy Matt." Sora murmured, "There's nothing we can do right now! You saw Tai, this shield has us stuck!"

As Tai watched, painfully, he noted that the two younger siblings were oblivious to both older brothers. At first. It was barely perceptible but Tai noticed that At Matt's frantic cries TK seemed to take a swift glance in their direction.

He's still fighting it. Tai thought silently. If TK's still fighting it then we have chance! But then, the problem remains, how do we get out of here in order to help TK and Kari?

Another laugh from the digimon on the rise brought attention back to her. She leapt off the rise and landed, cat like, on the ground, her brown hair falling in her face. She flipped it back over her shoulder to show a very human like face with glowing golden eyes that seemed entirely to vacant to be normal. She smiled at them, a mixed smile that seemed to vary in ways that Tai was unable to decipher, and relaxed her kneeling posture, settling herself to watching the 'prisoners' before her.

"Now what?" Ken asked.

"We plan." Tai replied, "We don't' know how far down this shield goes, we may be able to dig under it if several of us keep her distracted."

Tai turned back towards Matt and Sora and saw getting Matt's leg down for him. Matt was watching her, anger flashing in his eyes as he managed to sit himself up once she was done.

"I'm sorry Matt." Sora murmured as she sat down next to him, clasping his hand with hers. "I didn't' expect you to flail about so much."

"I know, and it's alright." Matt replied dully as he kept his eyes on his brother. "What on earth are they dong?"

"Tai looked back around to see Angemon flying up to the rise, both TK and Kari in his arms, and land setting them back down once at the top. Kari stood on the rise, her vacant stare seeing nothing, though everything was in sight, and then began to raise her arms up, her face looking into the bright day as the sun slowly began to pass midday. A strange dark shimmer began to pulsate around her then and a dark beam shot forth from hands into the sky. TK walked up behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his face dangerously close to hers as he rested his chin on her shoulder. The same dark aura began to pulsate around him and he stayed that way, the dark beam coming from Kari filling the sky with a dark cloud that slowly began to spread, covering the sky and blocking out any form of light.

"W-what are they…what are they doing?" Mimi whispered fearfully.

"I don't' know." Tai replied "But I don't' think it's a good sign."

"We have to do something." Sora stated, "But what can we do?"

Tai watched as the darkening sky continued to grow, watched as the darkness found its way over them and continued to spread like a plague.

"It's…useless…."

Tai turned around quickly. Matt was staring at Sora in shock. She was staring at TK and Kari, her eyes dull and sad.

"There's nothing…at that we can do."

"Sora's right." Mimi replied, plopping down on the ground.

"Digging wouldn't have helped anyway." Cody growled bitterly. "And even if we did get out what good would that do us?"

"The darkness will still win in the end." Yolie murmured, "It always does."

"What are guys talking about?" Davis cried in exasperation, "You can't tell me your serious!"

"I believe that they are." Izzy replied, "And I am inclined to agree, I am afraid. We've done so much in the past, yet what has it gotten us? Nothing but grief, that's what. And it always comes back, stronger then ever. I'm tired of it. All of it. I just want…I just want it all to stop."

"I don't understand." Tai looked at all of them. They just seemed to have given up. That wasn't' like them, any of them. "Why you guy's are acting like this? Why are you letting yourselves be defeated!"

"Face it." Ken whispered as he wrapped his arms around himself "We'll never defeat the darkness. It's too strong…."

"Not you too Ken!" Davis cried, grabbing his head in frustration.

"Do you feel the same way Joe?" Tai looked to the oldest of the group, but he may as well not have asked. Joe sat with his head in his hands and when he looked up it expression was as defeated as the others.

"May as well. It's the truth."

"Now hold on just one minute!" Matt shouted angrily "I don't know why you guy's suddenly think nothing we do matters, but I'm not giving up on anything! You guys are acting as if you've been infected with something. Like the dark cloud that used to haunt me is now haunting you guys! My brother needs me and I'm going to find a way to help him, whether I have your help or not!"

"Matt, It's useless." Sora murmured, her hand abandoning his.

Feeling her separation Matt looked at her quickly. The look in her eyes, it was darkening more and more. HE grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards him, shaking her.

"Sora, snap out of it! This isn't' like you! Wake up!"

"I already have." She whispered. "It's…hopeless."

"Hopeless…?" Matt's eyes darted to Tai who was still staring in disbelief at everyone else, to Davis who was trying to shake sense into Ken, and then to the sky. The darkening sky that was becoming even darker, all light blocked, blotted out from view. And then he slowly turned to stare, in horror, at TK and Kari, his thoughts forming an idea that shook him to the core.

"Hopeless." Matt repeated. His eyes darted back to Tai who had obviously heard Matt's murmured word and locked eyes with him.

"Hopeless." Matt replied again, his eyes flicking to TK and Kari. "They all think it's hopeless."

Tai, realizing what Tai was talking about, turned to stare at his baby sister, then looked up at the sky. HE slowly blinked, his breath escaping him as he gasped in shock.

"You have got to be kidding me." Tai stated

"Hey, guys." Davis looked at them. HE had stopped shaking Ken and now just held him, body a little limp, but essentially standing on his own. "You think the reason these guys are acting like this is because of TK and Kari?"

Both teens looked at Davis, surprised, and slowly nodded their heads."

"We think so." Tai stated.

"Well…why aren't; we being affected?"

"I don't' know."

"Who cares."? Mimi sighed, a little sniffle in her voice.

Matt nearly lost it again. "You cant' just loose hope like that! Come on, we gotta do something! Anything! Snap out of it and use your heads!"

"Matt's right!" Tai shouted, "Think about it! Your letting them win!"

"Yeah, stop thinking bad thoughts." Davis announced, "Happy thoughts people! Think happy thoughts!"

"Yeah, and maybe with a little fairy dust we could fly, too." Cody replied just as bitterly as before.

"MATT!"

Matt looked up quickly, his eyes going wide. It was faint, but he could have sworn he'd heard Gabumon.

"MATT!"

Matt looked over his shoulder, he knew he head it this time!

"Gabumon?" Matt whispered as he saw Gabumon on the rocky barrier splitting the cliff in half. Next to him was Gatomon along with two girls that Matt had never seen before.

Hearing Matt's bemused voice saying his partners name Tai looked over at him then followed his gaze to see what he saw.

"Gabumon! And Gatomon!" Tai cried excitedly. This seemed to snap the attention of their digimon guard, who had become rather bored, and she turned her attention to those on the rocks.

"Who're those girls?" Davis asked

"Eneramon!" All three boys looked at the brown-garbed digimon, startled, and saw as she stood up quickly, planting herself firmly between the force field and the four newcomers. "Misshra, you are to stay away from here!" She called out, her voice ringing in a deep echoing fashion that made her seem almost unreal. "You cannot stop the progress of the chosen ones!"

"Yo, Artimon!" The red head of the two shouted down, "Put a sock in it! Their weren't chosen to spread darkness and you know that!"

"It matters not! Their fates are now that of the masters!"

The green haired girl, however, was staring at…'Artemon' as if she were a ghost. And, considering her next words may have well been one.

"But…your dead!"

The red head grabbed the green haired girl by the arm, swung her over her shoulder and raced down at what Matt could have sworn was nearly eighty miles an hour, and stopped with a skidding halt, setting the girl down next to her. Then she began to stalk towards the other human like digimon.

"Yeah, you are supposed to be dead." She murmured, her hand raising into a fist, "And ya know what? You woulda been better off that way too."

"Eneramon, knock it off!"

"Well, she's obviously under that jerk's control now!"

"Yes, but that's doesn't give you the right to pass judgment like that. She doesn't' have any control of what she does, no one does. Would you pass judgment on the bringers of Hope and Light too?"

"Hey, now. That ain't funny."

"I thought not. Now apologize to Artimon."

"Say what?"

"I said…apologize and shake hands. Got it?"

"Oh! Fine, but it doesn't' mean were friends again." She replied with a wink, turning back to Artimon. "Sorry for wanting to kill you lady guardian, I'll just pulverize you instead, okay?"

"You are a fool." Artimon replied, "I will not be so stupid as to allow you to drain me guardian. Nor shall I allow you to stop the chosen ones."

"Yeah, yeah, you said that lie already. AS for not allowing me to drain you, well…you don't'; have much choice in the matter there."

"What do you mean?" Artemon asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well, you kinda forgot about Gabumon and Gatomon."

Artemon quickly looked up towards the rock wall but they were no longer there. Before she knew a blue blaster was hitting her from the side and Eneramon had zipped up to her, grabbed her arm and shouted 'DIGI DRAIN'. Artemon cried out painfully and brought her other hand back, slamming it against Eneramon's face and leapt backwards. However, it was enough energy drained that she couldn't' hold the shield any longer and it collapsed around Matt and the others. Glaring at them she turned and ran, diving off the side of the mountain and disappearing from sight.

"You let her get away!" Misshra cried, "What'd you do that for?"

"Well, excuse me, next time I wont' try to hurt to much."

"We can't help her if we don't' have her. What's worst is she'll probably find Sendalamon and release him! Then we'll have lost both guardians! Again!"

"Tai, please tell me you're as confused as me." Matt murmured

"Oh, don't worry about." Tai replied, "Your not the only one."

"Yo. Ladies!" Davis shouted, "Thanks for the rescue and all but, who the heck are ya!"

"You're doing it again." Eneramon grinned at her partner. "First those two, now them. Formal intros just go right over your head, don't they?"

"Well, if I had proper met them maybe formal intro would have happened, but when your in the middle of saving someone's butt it doesn't' quite come up, now does it?"

The red head just grinned, keeping her thoughts to herself.

"Well?" Davis asked, getting frustrated.

"Er…sorry. I'm Misshra and this is my partner, Eneramon. We don't' have time for introductions right now though; we have to stop TK and Kari! Otherwise the whole of two worlds will be plunged into eternal darkness forever and the dark prophecy will come to pass!"

"Dark…prophecy?" Davis asked.

"The riddle!" Tai stated, "The one sent through the d-tecters! We thought he was just toying with us but he had sent us an actual prophecy! And that means that…."

"He actually does mean to kill me." Matt murmured, "But why?"

"Say what?" Davis asked dumbly.

"What a maroon." Eneramon murmured as she rolled her eyes. "Look, we don't' have time to explain. We need to get moving now!"

"I kinda figured that one out by myself." Matt stated, "The problem is, how do we do that?"

"Don't' be such a smart alike Ishida." Eneramon growled, "I'm not in the mood."

"How do you know my name?"

"Never mind, it doesn't' matter. Let's just hurry and get you up there, we don't' have much time!"

"What do you know about what's going on?" Matt pressed

"More then you think Matt." Gabumon stated

"Everything." Misshra piped. "Now let's go. You're the only one who can snap TK out it now that Kari is under is control. And Snapping TK out of it is the only thing that's gonna keep the world from ending!"

"What about Kari?" Tai asked

"Like I said, she's under TK's control. She will only answer to him and no one else. He's the only one that wake her up."

Tai stared at them. HE said nothing, but his eyes wandered over to Kari, fear and panic written all over his face. Matt made to stand but the pain in his leg made him stay put and he looked at Tai helplessly, understanding flowing through him.

"Misshra, look at his leg!"

Tai looked around quickly, startled. The two newcomers were looking at Matt now and the green haired one, Misshra, knelt down next to Matt.

"It looks real nasty, but at least it was properly taken care of. That will help in the mending." Without waiting for a reply she put her hands into Matt's leg, a silver glimmer seemed to radiate from her and she gasped something snapped. Matt flinched and the girl removed her hands form his leg, a shaky chuckle escaping her.

"Done. Your head's bandaged too…."

"Misshra don't'!" Eneramon tried, but the girl had already moved her hands to Matt's head and then removed them five seconds later. "Don't' worry Enera, the wound wasn't bad."

As Tai watched the girl rose and stumbled. The red headed digimon was by her side immediately, holding her."

"I'm fine!" Misshra snapped. "No exertion needed. Just a tad lightheaded, that's all."

"Matt removed the splint from his leg and gently moved it. He smiled softly and quickly stood, being sure not to put to much pressure on his leg, then slowly leaned into it.

"It's fixed!" He cried, "How'd you do that?"

"It's what I do." Misshra replied, "It's…what I do."

"That's awesome!" Davis murmured, "Really awesome!"

"Good, now let's do this!" Eneramon shouted

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I was shocked. I couldn't believe that this girl was human! Well, I could, but what kind of human has the ability to heel broken bones, not to mention a head injury, with a single touch?

I was still too focused on my leg, the shock of it being heeled so quickly still strong in my mind, that I wasn't aware of…what was her name? Eneramon?…putting her foot down. So, needless to say, when she got the ball rolling I was quite surprised. Still looking at my leg he next thing I knew was her picking me up and swinging me over her shoulder. I yelped in surprise and she chuckled in her semi deep voice, the mid alto leaving the impression of impish delight.

"Calm down, Ishida." She murmured as she patted my back, "It's quicker this way. I'm as fast Garurumon."

"Be careful." I looked up to see Tai standing behind the red headed digimon, his eyes radiating mixed feelings about the whole situation. Davis, however, was on the ground laughing his gut off.

"No worries." I replied, grinning at my best friend, "It's no worse then when the two of us got shot by the angels, right?"

"That's what I mean." Tai replied, "Your alone this time."

Before I could respond Eneramon grumbled 'Oh, please, spare me the drama' and Tai was suddenly getting smaller and smaller the longer I looked. Gatomon, surprised by the sudden motion, began running quickly, calling out for her to stop. Hearing the please Eneramon stopped and turned and I heard Gatomon's voice getting closer.

"I'm coming too!" She cried, "Kari's up there, even if I can't snap her out of it, I need to be there for her!"

"You'll be in the way shrimp." Was the abrupt reply.

"What about Angemon, are you going to fight him yourself?"

"Hm, almost forgot about him."

"Well, Tai didn't." A strong voice announced, one that I recognized as Flamedramon.

"Hey, can we not argue and get this over with?" I asked irritably. I was tired of hanging partially upside down over this…red heads shoulder. Besides, the longer we waited the more TK and Kari will win out, their darkness flooding the digital world.

"Whatever!" Eneramon growled as she turned around sharply, jarring my head as she quickly headed up again. I saw Flamdramon pick Gatomon up and follow closely behind Eneramon. OR was it Eneramon?

"Hey, what's your name again?" I asked as she jumped onto a ledge.

"Eneramon." She replied shortly as she set me down.

The moment I touched ground I felt a wave of unease and I looked around to see that I was only feet away form TK and Kari.

"HAND OF FATE!"

"Yamatto!" Eneramon pushed me out of the way and I landed on my side, my leg screaming out painfully as I landed. I managed to look up as she blocked the attack Angemon had sent at us by crossing her arms together and was startled to notice that the energy, instead of fading away as usual, seemed to be absorbed into her and she gasped, swallowing a bit of air, before flinging her arms out and crying "REBOUND!" sending a wave of energy back Angemon just as Flamdramon and Gatomon appeared. Gatomon jumped down and ran to me, determination and concern in her eyes.

"You okay" She asked me.

"Yeah, thought my leg is killing me now."

"Oh, yeah." Eneramon stated before Angemon interrupted her.

"ANGEL ROD!" I saw Angemon's rod appear in his hands and Flamedramon seemed to take this as his cue, running towards the once angel of hope. The two clashed together and then Eneramon was looking at me, a grin on her face.

"Hm. Guess he is being helpful after all." She murmured, "The energy I absorbed earlier is already used getting here."

"Er…yeah, whatever." I replied, having no clue what she was talking about.

She grinned again and pointed. "Your baby bro's over there, but be careful. Misshra didn't totally heel your leg, it's still fragile and can break again pretty easily."

"Right." I murmured as I looked in the direction she was pointing, the wave of unease growing into foreboding. I had the impression that it was pretty useless, that going over there wasn't going to make a difference and I found myself taking a step back as fear and self loathing for my inadequacies started to rise inside me.

"Ishida?" Eneramon asked slowly.

I shook my head, not wanting to go any farther.

And then my chest began to glow. I looked down as my crest, and TK's crest, floated out from beneath my shirt and I found a renewed sense of urgency flow through me. I had almost forgotten all about them. The crests, both of them and not just mine, were reacting to me. TO what was going on. To TK.

I clasped the crests in my hand, a new resolve forming a solid wall in my heart. I stuffed the crests back inside my shirt and took a step forward. I heard Gatomon say my name, but I didn't turn around.

"Man, is this corny or what?" I heard the exasperation of Eneramon, but the redundancy of her comment seemed to fall right off me as I walked forward, determined to approach my brother, no matter how hard the darkness in his heart tried to chase me away.

"Matt, hurry up!" Flamdramon cried, "He's intent on stopping you!"

I glanced over my shoulder to see flamdramon holding Angemon back as he tried, desperately, to reach me. Eneramon ran up, her hands outstretched, to grab Angemon, but the angle managed to flip backward, a movement Flamdramon hadn't expected, and through another hand of fate at them, one after another after another like a machine gun. I turned back to TK and Kari, swallowed, and continued. They were oblivious to my presence, still in the same position as when they first arrived, and I wondered exactly how their powers interacted. How was it that TK did this to Kari in the first place?

I can't let myself be distracted.

I was now only three feet from TK. His eyes were closed and he relaxed against Kari and the aura around him appeared as if Kari was absorbing it. He was….

TK is feeding her. I realized with horror.

"TK…what are you doing?" my voice matched my reaction yet TK noticed neither. HE seemed to be entranced and as I got a little closer I noticed that his eyes weren't actually closed but half lidded. And he was getting paler, his eyes going duller. I had the feeling that TK was wasting away, that if this continued….

"TK, stop it." I ordered, but still no response. I slowly reached out, hoping to jar some sense into him. "Please TK! You have to-." The moment I touched him a wave pain engulfed me. It started as a piercing jolt that started from my hand and shot up through my arm like electricity, yet I couldn't' jerk my hand away and the pain became a wave that overtook all my senses. I felt cold, lost. The pan was so immense….

Alive? But how?

Dark eyes so pitiless they left my soul frozen in horror, a darkness so deep I felt as if I were to be overcome and I felt a scream tear out of my throat as the pain in every fiber of my muscles screamed, as the fear and pain in my soul screamed out for release!

And then I was on the ground, the pain fading away as quickly as it had come, though a pain in my side seemed to flare as painfully as that of my leg and I realized what happened. Eneramon sat beside me, concern flooding her eyes as she looked at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." I replied, though that was blatant lie. Those eyes, the presence. That was the source of TK's troubles and I had to do something about it, but what?

"You sure your okay?" Eneramon asked again, "There was something…I dunno, but it was something. TK is linked, isn't he?"

"Linked?"

"To the jerk causing the problems! The dark master of the void of darkness, or at least the current master anyway."

"Current…master?"

"Explanations later, Ishida." She stated flatly, "Just know that the shock you felt was probably an energy field created by him through his link with TK."

Her words bothered me. Just thinking that someone had created a link with my brother, someone looking to do no good…the possibility wasn't the only thing that bothered me.

What did he do to TK in order to make the link?

"Watch out!" Gatomon cried out.

Eneramon and I just barely dodged Angemon as he landed next to us, his body landing hard into the ground and cracking the surface.

"Drain him!" Flamedramon shouted as Angemon shook his head, momentarily stunned.

The moment Flamedramon shouted, however, Angemons' eyes snapped open and he spun around, flinging his feet around in order to knock our feet out form under us. Eneramon seemed to expect this, however, As she grabbed me by the back of my shirt and jumped into the air only to land a second later in order to set me down before she ran back to Angemon, her fists slamming into his face.

Taking a deep breath I glanced at TK, now four feet away from me and still oblivious to all around him. My fists tightened as irritation built up and I had to fight off the wave of bitter resentment that flew through me. I was beginning to feel helpless again but I knew I had to force those feelings out of my head.

But if I can't' touch TK then how am I supposed to snap him out of his trance? Matt thought desperately, what am I supposed to do?

The sound of Eneramon's Digi Drain reached my ears, but I didn't turn to look. I kept my focus on TK, wondering-.

And then it accured to me. If Eneramon could break the fields hold on me by a brief contact like tackling then maybe….

Maybe I can do the same with TK.

I took a step back, then another. When I was satisfied with the distance I hitched my shoulder up and ran towards TK, avoiding the angle where Kari was, and slammed hard into my brothers side.

Pain engulfed me.

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Tai watched as Matt was abruptly taken away before they could finish. There was so much Tai wanted to say to reassure Matt. It was one thing when the two of them did things together but this….

He's alone up there, with a brother that tried to kill him. And Kari….

Tai clenched his fists together. Kari. There was nothing he could do for her and he knew it. The truth of the matter was painful to him; it would be painful for any older brother.

And Matt knew.

"Davis, send Raidramon." Tai announced suddenly. HE wasn't sure how much use Eneramon would be up there, but Angemon was a formidable opponent. He couldn't believe he almost forgot about the angel.

"Right." Davis answered, pulling out his d-techter.

Tai turned towards the green haired girl that was now left alone with him and Davis. She was young, about the age of Kari and the others, maybe a little younger. She was watching Gatomon talking to Eneramon, her eyes fixed intently on what was going on.

"I think it's time you talked." Tai announced. "Who are you?"

The girl didn't even look at him. She closed her eyes and began chewing the inside of her lip. When she opened her eyes again she frowned, grimaced really, and turned to look at me.

"My name is Misshra." She replied. "Misshra Crow, pleased to meetcha."

"You know what I mean." Tai replied, crossing his arms.

"Have you ever heard the words, confidential?" She asked with a sheepishly small grin

"Don't' toy with me."

"Okay, you want the skinny, here it is." She stated

"Skinny?"

"My name is Misshra Crow, I can't tell you everything. Not yet. It's not time. What I can tell you, however, is the situation you are all in now. You are currently in the battle for the true destiny. TK and Kari's paths have been darkened by shadow and only the power of friendship can save them. I now it sounds ridiculous, but I don't' make the rules. Inside Matt is the power to break darkness, to purify the soul. It's something he has to find for himself, he can't be told about it. TK and Kari, also, have a similar power. TO bring hope and light to the world. In taking TK away, destroying him from the inside they have turned hope into despair. TK is now the embodiment of despair and through him Kari embodies darkness."

Misshra rubbed the back of her head, kicking at the dirt.

"I was supposed to… I'm not even supposed to be here. I was trapped, I found out what was happening and I needed to try…try and stop it. Destiny told me…." Misshra turned on Tai, desperation in her eyes as she grabbed a hold of his shoulders.

"You have to understand Taichi! If Matt fails you'll have to…you'll have to destroy them! It's better for things to spread slowly rather then for it to spread now! At least then you'll have half a chance, you have to believe me! When this is all over you have to keep them close, keep them as close as possible! It wont' be over, not by a long shot! Life is endanger, all life! Your sister…she is the key to the worlds destruction, TK is the key to her!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Tai cried, pushing her away. HE didn't' understand everything she had said, but something she had said made him cringe and Matt's words came back to haunt him once more.

And if it comes down to it then…just let me be the one.

Just let me be the one.

"Did you just tell me…to kill TK and my sister?"

"Dude, you had better not have said that!" Davis cried.

Misshra lowered her head and took a step back.

"You don't' understand." She murmured, "If Matt manages to pass the test then. But…if Matt fails…IF it's too much for him and the darkness over comes him…." She looked up then and Tai stared at her. Her eyes didn't' seem like the eyes of a young teen, they looked more like the eyes of an old woman. Haunted. "TK will be linked to the current master. The nameless shadow that haunts your very soul. HE will attack Matt; he will try desperately to keep TK under his power. HE will destroy Matt's soul if he gets a chance and if that happens TK and Kari will be his forever. IF that happens you will have no choice."

"You can't be serious!"

"Have faith." She replied, a small smile coming to her face. "Matt is strong, I am just trying to make a point. HE won't fall, I hope. Just keep hope alive, okay? And pray."

"Hey!" Davis announced, breaking the tension. Tai turned his head towards Davis; he was looking up at the sky. "Is it me or has the darkness stopped expanding?"

"I think your right." Tai murmured before turning back to Misshra. He was startled to find her gone.

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I felt a wash of pain zip through me as I slammed into him, but the momentum of my attack carried me into and passed, taking TK with me and I found myself skidding a few inches. I gasped as the pain disappeared again and I managed to drag myself up, ignoring the pain in my arm and my side. I looked around to see TK and Kari both on the ground. Gatomon had run over to Kari and was shaking her, trying desperately to get a sign of life out of her.

"IS she okay?" I asked her and Gatomon looked me with wide frightened eyes.

"She's breathing, but she won't get up."

"Then it's up to me." I murmured as I looked around for TK.

A moan reached my ears and I quickly looked over to see TK slowly beginning to move. I watched as he managed to leave the top half of his body before falling back down, his arms collapsing from beneath him. He looked so weak, so….

"TK?" I asked tentatively, "TK are…are you okay?"

"Matt…."

My heart leapt as I heard TK's voice. Yet it was also a sick feeling that entered the pit of my stomach as I realized how weak his voice sounded, how distant….

"TK!" I quickly crawled over to my brother, fear rising like bile in my throat.

"Where…am I?"

I froze. It was strange; I wanted to get to TK as fast as possible yet…I was scared to death to get to close. The memory of that thing, those haunting eyes….

What if he tries to kill me again?

It shook me to the core.

"TK, talk to me! Are you okay?"

"M-matt?"

"Oh thank goodness!" I felt a wash of relief. It had sounded, before, as if he was lost but now….

"Kari."

TK started to rise again, forcing his arms to support himself.

"TK, look at me." I waited for a response, desperate for any sign that TK understood. I got nothing. HE was going for Kari.

"TK stop!"

TK froze at my frantic cry. I didn't know what to think at first and then I saw him turn slightly, glancing at me over his shoulder. I started to reach out, but stopped midway. HE was only feet away and yet I couldn't bring myself to break the distance.

Why can't I break this fear welling inside me?

I felt warmth on my chest. I knew what it was before I even looked down. I was useless like this, TK needed me. He needed me to be strong for him, to bite back any half-baked impression and to be his older brother! If I was unable to help him then…then who would?

Resolve formed again and as I looked back at TK I saw his momentary shock disappear once more and he began to crawl, though shaky, towards the prone form of Kari once more. Gatomon, seeing this, placed herself firmly between them, her arms out protectively.

I knew what I had to do, though I still didn't' know how. The only thing that mattered, however, was that he needed me and that's all I needed to know.

I reached inside my shirt and pulled the crests up. They both continued to glow, reminding me of my duty to my brother. As I dropped my crest back into my shirt I took TK's off from around my neck and stood. I clenched my fist around TK's crest and, with a strong demanding voice I slowly, sternly, asked; "TK. What do you think you are doing?" When I got no response I continued. "I know you can hear me! Answer me!"

"Go away." TK replied distantly, "I must…I need…to finish."

"TK, stop this! It's insane!"

"Insane…only what you want me to believe." TK fell over, his arms giving out on him. I could see that Gatomon was startled, she didn't; know whether to stay by Kari and believe TK and enemy or to go see if TK was okay.

"Don't' move Gatomon." I replied firmly. "TK. You have to stop this. You're hurting everyone. You're hurting yourself! Look at you! You can barley stand anymore!"

"I told you…stay out of my head…."

"What?" The link? Is he being spoken to now?

"TK, you have to listen to me!"

"I know he's lying…I know…. Yes…Matt did hurt me…."

A weight hit me. All the air I had in my lungs leapt from me in a shock.

And then TK was standing. The dark aura I had seen suddenly flared around him and he turned towards me, his eyes distant. He seemed to be staring right through me and yet…and yet at the same time he was looking right into my eyes!

And then I knew. The battle had truly begun. Just as I feared he would do, TK would once again go for my throat.

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k2: Ack! See what I mean? (runs and hides again)