Chapter 14:

                Kari takes the lead.

                When Tai awoke this time, he noticed that he was staring straight up at the ceiling. He moved his head slightly to the right only to stare at his room through thick bars. "The baby again? No!" He felt tears start to fall from his eyes. He couldn't help it, he just kept crying and crying.

                A second later a five-year-old Kari ran into the room. "Tai?" she asked,"Is that you?"

                The baby stared at her through tear stained eyes. Kari held up her hands,"Okay, I'm sorry." She started looking around, then noticed a chair off to the side. She pulled the chair over to the crib, then climbed on it. She unlocked the crib, then lifted up her, once again,  little brother. "Jeeze, you're pretty heavy."

                Tai gave a muffed cry.

                "Yeah, I've got a five-year-old body this time," she grinned, carrying him into the living room and placed him in the playpen. He gave her an evil glance.

                "I know I'll get yelled at by Mom if I just let you roam around," she said, walking over to the kitchen, "I hear her moving around."

                Tai crawled over to the edge of his playpen and plopped down on his diaper bottom. He watched Kari walk around in the kitchen, trying to pour milk over her bowl of cereal. She only succeeded in making a mess all over the table. She turned to look at Tai, and he pointed his finger at her and pretended he was laughing.

                She stuck her tongue out at him, then climbed onto a chair to grab the roll of paper towels. She was able to clean up her mess before their mother walked out of her room. "Good morning Kari."

                Kari quickly spun around and hid the paper towels behind her back. " 'mornin' Mommy!" she smiled, trying to remember how she acted when she was five, "I...I brought Tai into his playpen."

                "Thank you, Kari," their mother said with a big smile. She walked into the living room and Kari quickly threw the wet paper towels into the trash can. She followed her mother. She grinned as Tai was lifted up with their mother making baby noises to him. Mrs. Kamiya felt Tai's bottom. "I think you need your diaper changed."

                Kari stared laughing. Her mother turned around. "What's so funny?"

                "I..I was just thinkin' about somethin'."

                "Oh, okay. Eat your breakfast honey. I don't want Sora to have to by you breakfast too."

                "Uh, okay, Mommy," she smiled. Mrs. Kamiya brought Tai into the changing room, and Kari climbed into her chair. "Why would Sora have to buy me breakfast? Is she my older sister or something?"

                After Mrs. Kamiya changed Tai, she told Kari to get dressed. The now five-year-old walked into her room. It was full of pink and white, the walls were covered with dolls and frilly things. She sighed, the room looked just like it did when she was five. She chuckled slightly and started fishing through her draws, hoping that there was something that wasn't so...frilly.

                Mrs. Kamiya dressed her son, then carried him out into the living room. Kari was sitting on the couch wearing a pair of jeans and pink t-shirt. Mrs. Kamiya put Tai into his playpen and turned the t.v. on for Kari. The rest of the morning was pretty much uneventful until there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Kamiya opened it and smiled. "Sora, hello."

                Kari and Tai twisted their heads around and gasped, a 16-year-old Sora was standing in the hall. Mrs. Kamiya walked over and lifted up Tai and brought him over to Sora's arms.

                "Wow," she said, holding Tai in her arms,"You sure are getting big."

                Kari smiled more as Tai began to blush. Sora swung a bag around her shoulder, then grabbed Kari's hand. "Come on guys, we're going to the park."

                "Hurray." Kari cheered, trying to play the part.

                When they were at the park, Sora brought her charges to a bench near the grass. Kari held her brother as Sora layed the blanket onto the grass and Kari placed Tai down. "Okay Kari," Sora said with a big smile on her face,"You can go and play, just make sure that I can see you. And be back at noon for lunch."

                Kari glanced at her now baby brother. Tai was lying on the blanket, staring at her with hopeful eyes. Kari smiled at him, then ran into the park.

                She found herself at the swing set. She jumped into an empty one and started swinging. She soon forgot all about her mission, as she lost herself in the swinging. She forgot she was really a 14-year-old, but just lost herself as a five-year-old.

                She was laughing and having such a great time that when she saw two familiar girls on the ground, she almost did not want to stop. "Hi, Kari."

                Kari looked at the two 6-year-old girls, one with brown hair, and the other with blond hair. "Sam, Sara, hi."

                "You don't look so happy to see us," Sam chuckled.

                Kari just shrugged, then looked at her watch. "Oh, I've got to back for lunch. Do you want to come?"

                The two girls glanced at each other, but then Sara nodded."Sure, let's go."

                Kari lead the two girls back over to Sora's blanket. She was holding Tai in her lap and feeding him with a bottle. Kari frowned at her brother, knowing that he was probably well enjoying it. "Um, Sora, I made some new friends. Can they eat lunch with us?"

                Sora smiled. "Sure, I brought plenty."

                Kari smiled a reply, then mentioned to her friends. "This is Sara, and this is Sam."

                Sora smiled and bowed as best she could. "Please help yourself to anything that I have." The three girls nodded, and started to dig into Sora's bag.           

                As they were eating, Sora suddenly shouted out,"Chi! You're here!" and placed Tai back on the blanket. The three girls and the baby turned their attention and gasped, the Digimon Emperor Tai was walking right towards them. The three girls were dead silent as the Digimon Emperor Tai sat down in the chair next to Sora's and lightly kissed her on the lips. "How are you?"

                Sora giggled. "Fine."

                Emperor Tai smiled and turned his attention to the kids on the blanket. He did a very good job of covering up his surprise. "...and who are these?"

                "Oh, just some kids that I'm watching," Sora laughed. She crossed her legs and smoothed out her skirt.

                Sara and Sam turned to Kari and Tai. "It's him!" Kari hissed.

                "And he knows its us!" Sam answered.

                "What do we do?"

                "Just pretend like we're playing a game or something," Sara whispered,"I doubt he'll do anything with Sora and all these people here. Just whispered.

                Kari nodded.

                "Okay," Sara whispered,"The reason why we're here is to prepare you for the next world that you must visit?"

                Kari turned to Tai, but remembered that he couldn't talk, so she spoke. "What world?"

                Sara took a deep breath,"The worst world that Tai has ever visited." she whispered," The Digimon Emperor Tai world."

                Tai placed his hands over his eyes. Kari glanced at him, then back at the two girls. "You mean..the world in which that evil Tai came from?"

                Sara nodded. "Unfortunately, both of you are...no longer alive..in that world."

                Kari felt a slight chill up her spine. "What does that mean?"

                "We'll have to create new bodies for you," Sam nodded, eating her lunch.

                "New bodies?" Kari gasped.

                "Yes, you see, we are able to create bodies for you. The reason we have not done so before, is simply because your ...'spirit' will move into it's own body. That is why when you change worlds, you become the person you were meant to in that world. You become the Kari in each world, just as your brother becomes the Tai in each world. However, there is no Tai or Kari in the next world."

                Kari nodded. "Okay, I get it. So when we fall asleep tonight, we'll move into whatever bodies you prepare for us?"

                Sam nodded. "That's right."

                Kari turned to her now younger brother. "Do you understand, Tai?"

                The baby nodded as best he could.

                The group stopped talking when they heard Sora rise from her chair. "I need to use the restroom, Chi," she said to Emperor Tai,"Do you mind watching them until I get back?"

                He nodded. "Sure."

                The group watched as she walked into the public restrooms. Emperor Tai twirled towards them. "Well," he said with a smile,"I guess we meet again, huh?" He glanced at baby Tai,"It would be so easy to end your life here, huh?"

                "Leave him alone!" Kari shouted, jumping in front of him,"What are you doing here?"

                "Same as you, no doubt, trying to find the entrance to the next world," he smiled,"I must say, you've followed me on quite a grand chase."

                "We haven't been following you. We've just been entering worlds at random!"

                "You really expect me to believe that?" he chuckled.

                Sara stepped forward. "Really, why are you here?"

                Emperor Tai grinned."Each world that I visit, I've been..enjoying..life. I could not have anything to do with Sora in the first world I came to after leaving your world, as she was only seven years old. In the next two worlds, she was already taken. But in this world..." he started laughing.

                "Sora is my friend!" Kari shouted,"and I'm not going to let you take advantage of her!"

                Emperor Tai laughed,"And what's a five-year-old girl going to do to stop me?"

                "Plenty!"

                "Ha! I'm not going to..'take advantage of her' but I will need her energy. You see, I've discovered that the entrance to the ultimate reality requires such...faith and purity to open, that I will need the energy of each of the 'purer; digidestined!"

                "What are you talking about?"

                Emperor Tai began counting off on his fingers."Sora-Love, Ken-Kindness, Kari-Light, Tk-Hope, Jyou-Truth, and Mimi-Purity. Once I take these energies, the Ultimate Reality will be open to me!"

                Emperor Tai started to think for a minute. "If I take you out of the game now, than you won't be able to stop me later." He was about to get up, when he heard Sora comming back.

                "They weren't any trouble I hope," she grinned, sitting in her chair.

                "None at all," Emperor Tai laughed.

                Kari twirled back around and faced Sara, Sam and Tai. "What should we do? Can we fight him?"

                Sara shook her head. "He's still too powerful. We're going to have to watch him, he's after Sora, no doubt about it."

                Kari sighed, then glanced at her baby brother, who was just lying on his back. "I don't want to leave Tai alone with them, either...and..."

                Sora suddenly stepped between them and strapped Tai into the stroller. She then turned to Kari. "Why don't you girls go and play on the swings. Chi and I want to...discuss..some adult matters."

                Kari just nodded, knowing what was about to happen. She was going to protest, and then fake a temper tantrum if that's what it took, but Sara and Sam pulled her away from the blanket and over towards the swings. At the last second, however, they dove behind a thick over brush.

                "What did you do that for?" Kari asked.

                "We weren't going to win that argument, trust me," Sam said, glancing at Sara,"I should know."

                "What does that mean?" Sara asked.

                "There isn't time for this!" Kari hissed, looking around the bushes at their 'camp site.' "Sora and Evil Tai are really going at it. Jeeze! I didn't think Sora was so...easy...like that."

                "Not the Sora from your world at any rate," Sara sighed,"This revelation now makes things so much more difficult. Not only do we have to close every rip, run from Derwood and the Police of Time and Space, but now we'll have to try and stop Evil Tai from gaining the powers he needs."

                "Maybe Derwood gave up," Kari said, a little hopeful.

                "Doubt it," Sam sighed,"Derwood is Reality's agent, and it will not allow us to continue like we are. "

                Kari suddenly gasped. "What is it?" Sara asked.

                "Evil Tai just killed Sora!" Kari shouted. The two other girls looked and saw Sora lying motionless on the ground, with Evil Tai standing over her, and evil grin on his face. The three girls ran as fast as they could to intercept him, but he was already running towards a grove of trees. Sam knelt down beside Sora and felt her neck.

                "Is she alive?" Kari asked.

                Sam nodded. "Yes, but it looks like she's asleep. He must have taken the energy he needed from her."

                "Which means he already has one," Sara said.

                "Not if we get there first!" Kari shouted, jumping onto her feet. "Sam, can you stay here and watch everything?"

                "Um..yeah, I guess..."

                Kari glanced at her baby brother in the stroller. He was crying. "Don't worry," Kari said,"We'll get him. Come on Sara!"

                The two girls ran after him, but he was already gone. They could not find him. After at least a half-hour of searching, they returned to the campsite, to find that Sora was sitting up in her chair, but her eyes were still closed.

                "I put her there," Sam explained,"Took a lot in this five-year-old's body too, but this way it looks like our babysitter is still with us."

                Kari breathed a sigh of relief. She unfasten Tai's stroller and lifted him over to the blanket. "There," she smiled,"You should be able to crawl around now."

                The group just sat in silence for the next few minutes before Sora woke up. "Ow, what happened?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head.

                "Um..what do you mean?" Kari asked,"We..didn't notice anything."

                Sora started glancing around. "Where's Chi?"

                "He went home," Kari lied.

                Sora frowned and leaned back in her chair. "I can't believe he left like that!"

                Kari smiled. "Great, Sora's fine.  I guess that means we just have to find the rip in this world."

                Sam pointed to Kari's device,"Give if it a try."

                Kari smiled and pulled the device that Sam gave her out of her pocket. She pressed the buttons that she had memorized and the familiar image of the scanner appeared. Kari gasped. "It's right here, in the park!"

                "What luck," Sara smiled.

                Kari turned around and smiled at her baby brother. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this, you just relax."

                Tai gave her an annoyed glance as Kari told Sora they were going to go back to the swings. "Alright," their babysitter said,"Just don't get lost."

                "Sure," Kari said. She and the two other girls jumped to their feet and ran across the grassy field. They followed the signal from Kari's device, and eventually found themselves at a small clearing near the edge of the park. The three girls searched around, but finally found what they were looking for: a small glowing hole near the bottom of a row of bushes. Sara mentioned to it. "Go ahead."

                Kari grinned and pressed the large button on the device. As before, the device emitted a beam of light. It shot into the center of the glowing hole and shrunk it tight. "That's that," Kari smiled.

                Later that night, Tai was lying in his crib, with Kari standing in front of the bars. "...so Sam and Sara told us that when we wake up we'll be in the next world, in the new bodies."

                The baby just continued to stare at her.

                "And even though I know you can hear and understand me, you can't respond to me. So I'll just say good night, and I'll see you tomorrow."

                Tai watched his sister leave, then closed his eyes.

                Next begins the three part "Return to Darkness," in which Tai and Kari return to the Digimon Emperor Tai's world. While on the run from Derwood and Evil Tai, the duo comes across a sinister plan of murder! Can they stop this evil dead, while at the same time, running from the Digimon Emperor Tai and the Reality Police?