Chapter Twenty: Connections
(Kari's P.O.V, The Following Day)
I winced slightly when I stretched. I pulled up my pajama shirt and looked at the bruise that was on my side. I glanced at my wrist; it wasn't hurt that badly thankfully. I took off my pajamas and put on the clothes that I had sat out last night. I didn't like waking up early to pick out clothes and stuff so I set them out the night before. I yawned slightly at I left my room.
"I see that you're still tired." I looked at Takuya who looked half asleep sitting at the kitchen table.
"You're one to talk." Neither of us were much of morning people at least since the Demon Lords have chosen to start the fight.
"You never did tell me about how you got that." He placed a finger on the cut that's above his eye; he hadn't covered it with his hair yet.
"Zoe, J.P., and Tommy are being controlled by the Demon Lords; they attacked us on the train which caught us off guard." I sighed as I sat down at the table beside him.
If those three were being controlled then this was going to be a bit harder. It was one thing to fight against Takeru and Daisuke but fighting their friends would be different. When you have to fight your friends then you become hesitant to fight to the full extent afraid that your friends might get hurt. Takuya was one of those people who would protect his friends no matter what so for him it was going to be tough fighting them if we have to fight them.
"How did Koichi and Koji come out?" Takuya yawned before standing up.
"They're ok, Koichi's arm was thankfully fully healed so his arm didn't get broken worse but he did however manage to cut his left hand but he managed to come mostly unwounded." I nodded my head and after glancing at the clock I realized that I slept in and now we had to leave if we wanted to be on time without having to run.
"How about Koji?" I asked that as we left the kitchen and went to the door.
"Well, he messed up his shoulder." I winced slightly; both from hearing that and because I moved my wrist the wrong way while putting my shoe on.
"Are you sure you should be going to school with your wrist like that?" I sighed but Takuya wouldn't stop staring at my wrist.
"It's fine Takuya, if I should be worried about anything it should be you three." He rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag and opened the door.
"Whatever, I'm not even going to try and fight with you because I already know it'll go nowhere." I shook my head and grabbed my bag.
We left the house and he locked the door behind us. Shinya was still asleep while his parents decided to go out-of-town for a little while. I don't know why they made the sudden choice but we silently agreed that it had to deal with the Demon Lords. We both wished that if they really left for that reason that they would've taken Shinya with them.
"Also the people at school know that you hit Daisuke." While he laughed I cringed.
I had hoped that no one would find out about that. Not only did Daisuke get hit by me but he was also more than likely humiliated by the fact that everyone knew. I already knew that I would have to watch my back now since they would both want some kind of revenge since they're working with the Demon Lords.
"How'd they find out?" I carefully placed my left hand on my wrist, I had already thought of how to explain the bandages that I wore on my wrist.
"Daisuke has a bruise on his face and well he can't lie to save his life." I sighed but then something dawned on me.
"Why did anyone of them even think I hit him in the first place?" He laughed slightly but his laugh gave him away.
"I don't know." I rolled my eyes.
"You know." And so that's how it began.
For the rest of the walk to school I first tried to get the truth out of him and in the end managed to get it out of him. We then ended up talking about things that happened yesterday at school that I missed. Yesterday I slept till noon by some miracle since I usually wake up at eight if the alarm doesn't wake me up at seven. He complained about all the 'stupid' homework he was given.
"So anyways you should've seen Koji yesterday." That caught my attention, I will admit that I slightly zoned out on him.
"Why?" He laughed and I knew I missed something funny, well funny to Takuya at least.
"He took pain medicine so his shoulder wouldn't hurt and he wasn't as silent not to mention a bit slow on the uptake yesterday. He couldn't stay so uptight yesterday." I thought about that for a few moments.
"He'll probably be the same today since he probably took the medicine again." Well how interesting will this day be then?
"Kari!" I jumped slightly by the sudden call of my name.
"How's your wrist? I'm surprised that you're here today, I thought for sure you would at least wait until tomorrow to come back." I looked to Chrono who was now breathing a bit hard.
"Did you run to catch up with us?" She nodded and took a deep breath.
"Yeah." I smiled slightly; she was the first friend that I made at school besides Koji and Takuya in truth she's my only friend besides Koji and Takuya.
"Morning Chrono." She also got along with Takuya which was a good thing.
"Morning Takuya." Something seemed off; I looked around to see if something was off.
"You sense that too then." I jumped, as did Takuya and Chrono.
I just stared at Koji who decided to pop up out nowhere. As glad as I was that I wasn't going crazy I wished I had some warning on that one. I might be used to him just appearing but I hadn't expected it this time. He takes a different way to school so either we're closer than I thought we were, which I glanced around and we weren't close enough to the point where our paths converge.
"Where did you just come from?" Koji glanced Chrono before looking to me then to Takuya.
"Do you sense it Takuya?" As Koji asked he pointed up, Chrono was the only one who looked up.
"Not really." I blinked as I stared at the tree branch.
"Were you really sitting in the tree waiting for us Koji?" I looked back at him and he nodded.
"Whoa, what's t-this dark feeling?" My eyes went wide and I looked to Chrono, she looked scared suddenly.
"It has to be because she came into contact with the tainted. This isn't good." I nodded.
What do we do? The Demon Lords are here, the odd feeling I got must've been a gate opening while the dark feeling was a Demon Lord. If there here, advertising that they're here too, they must've come ready to fight. Only three Demon Lords went around advertising that they're present and those three were Lucemon, Daemon, and Belphemon. Belphemon did it because he was a bit on the stupid side, he didn't know how to hide himself and he didn't know how to track people.
"We can't go to school because if they're after us that would put to many people in harm's way." Chrono looked confused and scared but something about her told me she wasn't.
"If we don't go to school we'll get trouble Takuya." He sighed and put his hands into his pockets.
"What's going on you guys?" I bit my lip and I tried to figure out how to tell her.
"I don't trust you, it's nothing personal though. You got too close to us too fast; you entered through Kari which only a certain group of things know if you befriend her it's easy to befriend us." Chrono's eyes went wide and I looked to Koji surprised.
"I don't know why but something tells me you know more than you're letting on, maybe you heard something during the fight between Daisuke and Kari but you know something." I glanced at Chrono.
I thought about what Koji said. Chrono did come around when the Demon Lords did and she did befriend me rather suddenly. Koji is right though; the only things that know about befriending me will also get there trust are the Demon Lords. As much as I want to think Chrono wouldn't be a tainted one that possibility was there I guess. As I thought about it I remembered how the Bow-Wielding Chrono hated the Demon Lords on top of being confident and since many personalities flipped maybe this Chrono, if she does know something, doesn't hate the Demon Lords.
"I heard Kari mention something called 'Demon Lords' and that Takeru and Daisuke were working with. I heard that those two were responsible to putting one of her friend, Davis I think, into the hospital." She did hear that didn't she?
"Koji, she's not an enemy." Koji glared at Takuya and I noticed that he flinched ever so slightly.
"How do you know she ain't an enemy Takuya? Do you want to think that and turn out wrong? We already nearly lost Kari once when we just assumed something, I don't know about you but I don't want to lose Kari any time soon." I was surprised by Koji's words and if it was for Takuya trying to punch Koji I bet I would've blushed slightly.
"Don't you dare say that Koji!" Koji had managed to dodge the punch but he grabbed his shoulder.
"Sometimes someone has to say the ugly truth Takuya. Sometimes you seem to forget some things." Takuya glared at Koji which Koji just returned.
"We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves you two." It seemed like they didn't hear me; Takuya dropped his book bag and Koji sighed.
"Kari, do they do this often?" I glanced at Chrono, who was seeing them go from friends to enemies pretty much in a matter of seconds.
"Fight or be friends one minute and pretty much enemies the next?" She glanced at me.
"Both." I shrugged and I watched them, I really wish they wouldn't fight.
"They used to but they haven't done it for a while." As Takuya took a step forward I placed my hand on my wrist.
I could stop them but I don't think I could with my wrist like this. I glanced at my wrist; I had managed to sprain my wrist. The doctor told me to use it only when I had to. I could still write since I once broke a finger when I was eight and I learned how to write with my left hand since my right hand was in a cast.
"Takuya, Kari is right we don't need to be fighting." Takuya laughed slightly but I realized that Koji was probably a bit in pain too considering even if he had medicine his shoulder could still hurt some.
"What are you a chicken today Koji?" Koji growled at that.
"Stop this you two! You're acting like children!" Why can't my words reach Takuya?
"Stay out of this Kari, this time Koji went too far." How did he go too far?
Why did Takuya have to be so thick-headed at times not to mention dense. Yeah him calling Chrono a threat that if assumed wrong kill me, which I disagree with somewhat, is sadly true. In this fight we just assume something it could turn deadly so him pointing out wasn't too far was it? He could've been nicer about it but this is Koji we're talking about.
"You hit me I'm hitting back Takuya, we really should try to figure out who's here with us instead of fighting though." I wished Takuya had listen instead of going at Koji.
Chrono was surprised when they began fighting but my attention was pulled away. I could sense the Demon Lord moving. It was coming towards us but yet it wasn't. I gulped and I tried to figure out quickly if I remembered this feeling. Each Demon Lord had a unique sense to them, they all had a dark feel to them but they had something else adding then.
"It's coming." I didn't even care to try to tell Chrono otherwise so I just nodded and turned my attention back to Takuya and Koji.
"Stop it!" I yelled it and when they didn't listen I watched for a second before I found it.
I wasn't stupid to walk right in since at times they don't really watch for others. I grabbed Takuya by the back of his shirt but he glared at me before trying to go at Koji again. I hadn't really realized what happened because it happened so fast. Koji wasn't paying attention and somehow I got dragged it. I held out my hands and next thing I know Takuya was sitting on the ground with wide eyes and I was trying not to cry.
"Kari!" Chrono stood surprised while it seemed like it had drawn Koji's attention and he was beside me.
I held my wrist to my chest as I tried not to cry from the pain. I don't know why but I know whoever had attacked Koji couldn't have been Takuya or maybe that was Takuya but whoever just tried to hit me wasn't Takuya. No Takuya wouldn't try to hit me no matter what would he?
"Why the hell did you just do Takuya!" Takuya just stared with wide eyes.
"You just tried to hit her!" I looked to my hands.
While Takuya had nearly hit me I had held my hands up to block and something happened. I had managed to somehow use darkness to repel him. While I didn't like the thought that I could've hurt him I could really register what had happened.
"I, I'm sorry." Chrono stayed back, seemingly afraid to get involved with this.
"Something made me do that, I swear I tried to stop myself!" I closed my eyes and tried to push away the pain that was caused by me twisting my wrist way too fast and way too much for a sprained wrist.
"What would make you try to hit her huh?" I was surprised slightly when I felt someone touch my wrist.
The one thing that surprised me was that it didn't make my wrist hurt for some reason. I looked to Koji, him being the person who had touched my wrist. He still seemed upset but he was checking my wrist, I hadn't even realized that the bandages had been taken off. After a few seconds he glared at Takuya who looked absolutely mortified.
"Maybe he was controlled?" Chrono's voice was soft, you could hear something that sounded like fear in her voice.
"Who would control him huh? They aren't close enough to control him unless you controlled him for them." Chrono didn't look hurt by Koji's remark but maybe she realized that he was trying not to hit Takuya.
"Oh I don't know whoever was admitting the dark aura, they are here by the way." She sounded a bit annoyed and at that my sense seemed to come back.
Koji froze as did I. The Demon Lord was here, I don't know where but they were here within range of controlling people. I looked to Takuya and while a part of me was scared that he could be controlled another part was relieved to find out that he hadn't tried to hurt me of his own free will but because he had been controlled.
"Who cut you Takuya." Koji stood up and his eyes darted around.
"Barbamon." I thought about that.
Barbamon had also hurt Koichi and could've 'tainted him'. Why is it that out of all the Demon Lords he's the only who managed to hurt my friends and perhaps 'taint' them. I thought about what I knew of Barbamon, he didn't actually try to kill us when we fought him. I shook my head to get the thoughts out of my head. He's a Demon Lord, he's probably lulling us into a false sense of security so when we fight him he can catch us off guard.
"I don't like this. We've let them get to close, we don't even know if it is Barbamon. We never got to see what he was fully capable of." That's true.
"He might be like Daemon and Lucemon, they managed to control Takeru and Daisuke from the Digital World with no problem." I forced myself to stand up and I noticed that Takuya rose to his feet slowly.
"We should try to find a better place to fight if we have to fight." Chrono wasn't watching us but somewhere else so I looked to where she was looking.
I was just about to look away when something caught my eye. I saw a red cloak with gold. It was subtle and could've been missed but I saw it. I knew who it was but I looked to Chrono, if she knew exactly where it was she must know more than she told us that she knew. Either she has a knack for the sixth sense or she was practiced at sensing Digimon.
"It's the one from my world." It served to make a slight confused look play across Chrono's face but I saw that Koji and Takuya's eyes narrowed slightly.
They both knew who I meant. Daemon was the Demon Lord that had appeared in my world so that was the way to identify him without saying his name. We had come up with either code names or subtle tells for each Demon Lord so we could tell about them without saying their name so if they're around they don't know that we know.
"This ain't good, why did he have to be the one who appeared?" I had to agree, why did it have to be Daemon?
"He's leaving, he came on recon not to fight." I looked to Chrono and I looked to where she was looking, I managed to catch sight of him flying away.
"How did you know where he was Chrono?" She glanced at me before turning to look at Daemon who was now but a small dot.
"It isn't like Daemon to do recon and then flee. He doesn't show his back to his enemies. We're in for a battle." The way Chrono was talking wasn't like she had, it reminded me of the other day when my dark side had slipped out in front of her and she just made a comment about my will.
"What do you mean 'we're' you can't even do anything." Chrono narrowed her eyes at the point that Daemon vanished.
"I'm not a copy." She looked at us but I was confused.
"I'm sorry about not helping in the fight with Daisuke the other day. I change when I'm in the Human World." With those words it clicked.
"You're the same Chrono from that night in the Digital World." She nodded and placed her hands behind her back.
"You see I was born early so my body is actually rather weak, you saw that my weapon was a bow. I'm a long-range fighter, a backup and support." I remember seeing her coughing up the blood so I believed about her weak body.
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" She sighed and looked away.
"She was scared that we would get mad at her. She was here since a few weeks after Kari came, she was afraid that we would be upset that she didn't help until after Kari got attacked." I looked to Takuya and I remembered how he had defended her.
"Did you know about this Takuya?" He nodded at Koji's question.
"He figured it out when he saw my sketch book the first day. He saw a picture I drew of you two when you two were kids at the fair when him and Koichi hid." My eyes went wide because something else clicked with her words.
"You were the fifth team member from five years ago." She nodded her head.