Kari sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk behind her. Her body felt numb. She knew that her aches and bruises should be paining her, yet she felt nothing. What she did feel was the darkness pulling her away, the evil radiating from Devimon and LadyDevimon slowly draining her life force.

To pass the time she thought of her friends and how each one would react in this situation. Thinking about Mimi made her smile despite her tragedy. She could easily picture Mimi shrieking at Devimon to let her go, but only after insulting his fashion sense. Mimi was the perfect picture of a damsel in distress. However, knowing that Gatomon and T.K. were probably trying to rescue her made her feel somewhat like a damsel in distress, and Kari despised the notion. Deep inside, though, Kari knew that she couldn't escape alone, the bindings around her serving as a constant reminder.

The more time that passed, the more difficult it became for her to focus her thoughts. Once again she attempted to concentrate on her friend's faces. The darkness made her think of Ken and his period as the Digimon Emperor, though Kari had long since forgiven Ken of his crimes. Then Kari remembered how much fun she had had with Yolei while Yolei had dragged him into a world that involved more than just soccer and schoolwork.

Suddenly her contentment slipped away. Thinking of Yolei and Ken together made her regret the mean things she had said to T.K. the other day. What was wrong with her? Hadn't she wanted to go to the dance with him? Kari let all of the thoughts she had been pushing away flood back to her; now was as good a time as any to think things through. T.K. was her best friend, but secretly she had wanted to be more than friends for a long time. Every time Yolei gushed about how much fun kissing boys could be, Kari always wondered what it would feel like if T.K. kissed her. And every time he would brush against her accidentally Kari couldn't help but question how it would feel if he touched her deliberately.

Kari hated herself for indulging in these small fantasies; her relationship with T.K. had been ideal before the whole dance situation had appeared. What was she supposed to do now? Apologize and lie to him that she didn't really want to go to the dance with him? Or go with him as friends and forever keeping the tension between them? The situation could only become more awkward. Suddenly she wondered what she would do if he ever wanted to confide in her that he liked another girl?

A cold breeze then jerked Kari from her thoughts and back to reality. Everything was silent, which unnerved her more than anything. The tree that she was leaning against was situated at the edge of a small clearing littered with debris and rubble from the ruins of an old building. At her angle she had a clear view of Devimon and LadyDevimon standing in the shadows of a crumbled wall. Only when she looked towards the wall, they were gone, and Kari immediately sensed that things were not right. Devimon and LadyDevimon seemed to have disappeared, yet the enormous presence of evil lingering her engulfed her.

A rustle in the foliage behind her tree interrupted her apprehensions.

"Come on you two, hurry up before they come back!" a familiar voice whispered.

"Gatomon?" Kari asked, hardly daring to believe that her friend was there. "You've got to get out of here," she continued as she recalled Devimon's plans, "it's a trap!"

"Right, but we can't leave without you," said another familiar voice, this one causing her heart to flutter in her chest. Gatomon began using her claws to hack away at Kari's bindings, and T.K. knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked, scanning her body for any outward signs of injury.

"I'll be fine," Kari answered, "but you have to leave now. They knew you were coming." With a snap Gatomon finished cutting though the last cord. T.K. rose to his feet, grabbed Kari's wrist and hoisted her up beside him.

Kari's stiff muscles protested with the sudden movement but then began to tremble involuntarily.

"They're coming…I can feel it…"Kari stammered as the evil inundated her once again. T.K. gripped her arm to steady her as he pulled free his D3 and called out, "Digi-port open!"

But nothing happened.

From behind them a sinister voice let out a truly evil laugh. "I am pleased to see that you are the same foolish boy that you once were." T.K. paled as Devimon and LadyDevimon reappeared behind the wall and began to move towards them.

"And what a silly little boy he is," LadyDevimon added. "He walked right into our trap, even after he was warned."

LadyDevimon turned to face Kari and the darkness suddenly overpowered the girl. Kari fell to her knees, holding her head between her hands as Gatomon leapt towards her.

"What is this?" Kari winced, "some sort of new attack?"

"No," Gatomon replied, "It's this place. We're standing in the ruins of Myotismon's castle."

LadyDevimon turned back around to face Devimon, "You know what I always say: if you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen."

Devimon nodded to her, "and since she can't leave, we'll have to destroy her first!"

"No!" T.K. shouted, but it was no use. Devimon lunged forward and scooped Kari into his claw like hand. Kari cried out as he touched her and T.K. nodded at Patamon, who was already prepared to digivolve.

"Patamon digivolve to…" there was a flash of light and in the flying rookie-level digimon's place stood the majestic, "Angemon!"

Angemon raised his golden staff to begin his attack, but Gatomon shouted above his deep voice. "Kari! Myotismon is gone for good, the evil here has no power over you!"

"Be strong Kari!" T.K. shouted and Kari lifted her innocent brown eyes to meet Devimon's glowering red ones.

Devimon's fist tightened around her in a potentially fatal squeeze. He broke his gaze with Kari to see as to why Angemon had not yet attacked, when he realized that he could not see. His vision could only decipher Kari, still clutched in his hand, and now embedded within a pink cloud of light so bright that it was blinding him. Too late he discovered that her light was not only blinding but also damaging, working its way through his being and tearing him apart.

With a howling scream he flung Kari away from him. Luckily, however, Angemon was able to catch her in his arms as Devimon's entire body became encased in the pink light. He screamed once more and then disappeared with a slight pop.