Losing Light

katetherescue

Okay. I've decided to do a total rewrite of this. So here goes nothing.

Takeru x Hikari

Taichi x Yamato

Daisuke x Miyako

Mimi x Joe

Kari: 15

TK: 15

Davis: 15

Yolie: 16

Ken: 17

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Prologue: Nightmares

"Kari," The voice was quiet, soothing. Cold. "Kari, come find me. I need your help." The voice was pleading now. Kari Kamiya squinted into the darkness of her dream. She was in a forest, or so it appeared, though it was not like any forest she'd seen in Odaiba, or Japan for that matter. Or in the Real World. An overwhelming wave of recognition washed over Kari as she realized that she was no longer in the Real World, but in the Digital World. She looked around again, seeing only the vague shapes of Digital trees. "Kari!" She jumped at the terrified cry. It was a girl, a voice that was chillingly familiar. "Help me!" Kari could make out the figure of a thin girl dashing through the trees, a similar figure chasing her. "Help!"

---

Kari Kamiya shot up in her bed, chesnut hair stuck to her sweaty face, eyes wild and frantic. She glanced around her room, eyes scanning over everything, trying to regain her bearings. She jumped at the sound of her door clicking open.

"You alright Kar?" Tai Kamiya stood in the doorway, running a hand through his ferociously messy hair, looking genuinely worried. "Kari?" He prodded gently. Kari looked at him, fright leaving her.

"Yeah," She said lamely. "Yeah I'm okay." Tai stepped into the room and sat down on the corner of the bed. He reached out a hand to smooth back his sister's hair. Kari winced at the touch, but did not pull back.

"What happened?" Kari was silent, not meeting her brother's eyes. "Another nightmare, then."

"Bit of a bold accusation, wouldn't you say?" Kari snapped, instantly regretting it.

"Maybe, but apparently it was an accusation that was dead on," He replied easily. Kari glared at him. "You always get unnecessarily defensive after you've had a particularly bad one," Tai concluded in a tone that left no room for argument. Kari sighed, admitting defeat reluctantly. "What was it about?"

"I don't even know. It wasn't as though anything really terrible happened, it was more the feel of the dream than anything. It was cold, foreboding almost, as though something sinister was at work." Kari closed her eyes, groaning in frustration. "I hate this so much. Why is it just me that's still having these fucking dreams?" Tai sent her a pointed look at her language. She rolled her eyes.

"According to Matt, it's not just you," Tai told her. Kari cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "TK's been losing sleep for the past few weeks. He's been blaming it on end of year exams, but now that it's summer he has no excuse. Matt thinks he's been having nightmares too." Kari frowned at this information.

"Do you think there could be a connection between our nightmares?" Kari asked, brow furrowing in deep thought.

"It's a possibility. I think we need to have a meeting, see if anyone else is having these dreams. Is that alright?" Kari nodded. "I'll call everyone now."

---

"Konbanwa," Izzy Izumi's voice sounded over the reciever.

"Izzy, I need you to call a meeting."

"Tai is that you?" Izzy asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Yes. Look, just call a meeting, okay Iz?"

"What's going on?"

"Kari had another nightmare." Izzy was quiet for a moment.

"It was bad I take it?"

"She was screaming. She wouldn't tell me what happened in the dream, she just said it was 'the feel of it' more than anything."

"I'll call everyone, but if this turns out to be nothing, you're going to take the heat."

"Has it ever turned out to be 'nothing' when it comes to Kari's nightmares?"

"No."

"Call everyone."

---

"What is it Izzy?" Matt Ishida's voice was tired, weary.

"Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Kari had another nightmare. Tai's worried."

"TK had one too. He's a wreck."

"School, fifteen minutes."

"We'll be there."

---

Ten teenagers sat in the darkened computer lab, some looking tired, others murderously annoyed. TK Takaishi was snoring quietly, sound asleep with his head resting on his brother's shoulder. Davis Motomiya looked at the fair boy, concern plainly evident.

"Is he alright?" He asked quietly, eyes never leaving the sleeping boy. Matt looked up. The elder teen was silent for a moment.

"No," He said solemly, eyes scanning over his brother's thinned figured. "He's a wreck. This is the first sleep he's gotten in weeks." Davis frowned. "From what Tai says, Kari isn't much better." Davis nodded, looking away as a quiet rap on the door sounded.

"Digi, Digi," Izzy murmured.

"Mon, Mon," Came Tai's muffled reply. Izzy stood to open the door, revealing an exhausted looking Tai with a sleeping Kari in his arms. "She passed out at the entrance. She's wiped." Izzy frowned.

"TK isn't much better," He said, casting a worried glance to the boy. Tai followed his gaze to where TK lay in Matt's lap, arm around the older boy's neck, head now dropping onto his chest. He gave Matt a weak smile, that the blond returned. Sora stood from where she sat, bringing her chair closer to where Tai stood. Tai silently thanked her, gently laying Kari down on the chair. He took off his coat and placed it on the girl's small form.

"Now we have to figure out what is going on with them." Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"This hasn't been the first time Kari's had nightmares like this," Izzy said quietly, looking thoughtful. "It's always had something to do with her crest. Now, as we all know, Kari and TK are very close, have always been close, but they share a bond different than friendship." Tai grunted protectively at this. "That's not the kind of bond I'm talking about Tai. Their crests. The crests of Light and Hope work together, compliment each other, feed off of one another. If one crest's power diminishes even the slightest, the other follows. It's perfectly logical that both Kari and TK are having these nightmares, possibly the same nightmares, but which was affected first."

"Kari," Matt said quietly. "I heard her talking to TK once. She's been having them since December at least." He cast an uneasy glance at Tai.

"Did she say what they were about?" Tai murmured, stony-faced. Matt shook his head. "Were they having the same dreams?"

"I think so," Matt said. "It would make sense."

"So what do we do?" Asked Davis, looking between Kari and TK. "Can we help them at all?"

"Something's wrong," Sora said, looking at Kari. The girl was muttering in her sleep, grimacing and wincing as though in great pain. A cry from the other side of the room told them that TK was sharing Kari's dilema.

"No!" Their shouts intermingled as each teen bolted from their sleep, panting. Matt's arms encircled TK's waist instinctively, trying to calm the frightened boy. He pressed a palm to TK's forehead, pushing back the messy blond hair.

"What happened TK?" Matt asked gently. But TK's attention was not on him, it was focused on Kari, who looked just as terrified as he.

Review and such.

By the way, if anyone would be willing to beta for me, it would be much appreciated.