Kari was alone in a landscape covered in snow. She wasn't sure how but Pythmon had managed to whisk her away to a winter wonderland. She shivered as she trudged through the snow. Her school uniform did little to keep in warmth and her body shook violently. Kari felt deflated, Gatomon had attacked them. She couldn't understand how that had happened, how she could have let her partner down so severely. Kari pushed her legs to move forward although the thought of collapsing amongst the snow was becoming a tempting idea. Her toes were frozen and she felt pain in her body as the numbness increased. She stopped and looked around her. There was snow for miles. She vaguely recalled a similar landscape that Frigimon occupied. There was no sign of any digimon. Kari was alone. She took a step forward and wished Agumon was near, so that he could light a fire. The thought of Agumon made Kari think of her brother and she winced. She hoped he wasn't hurt. She thought of the others, Sora, Matt, Joe, Mimi, Izzy. She frowned and then felt her heart rate increase, she thought about TK and closed her eyes praying he was okay. She pushed her legs forward towards a grove of trees. Just make it to the trees Kari, she thought to herself. Her teeth chattered and she felt like giving up. TK flashed into her mind and that's when Kari noticed something or someone. She inhaled, she could see someone lying face down in the snow. This person was a few feet ahead of her. She gasped seeing blond hair and suddenly Kari found the strength to run.
"TK!" Kari yelled as she ran through the snow. Her legs felt weird but she kept running. She then slid in the snow next to the body and quickly realised it wasn't TK.
"MATT!" Kari cried and she used what little strength she had to flip the older boy over. He was unconscious and his face was bruised. Kari quickly pushed on his front.
"wake up! Please Matt wake up!" Matt didn't move. She put her ear to his chest and could hear his heart beating. She sat up and rocked him again.
"MATT!" She yelled at him. She started to cry as she felt defeated being unable to wake him up. She put a hand on his mouth and could feel air pushing out of his nose onto her hand.
"Please Matt... PLEASE!" She cried again and Matt moved slightly. Kari inhaled and then spoke in a shakey voice.
"Matt we need to move. I can't, I can't carry you." She admitted but Matt just moved his head slightly and drifted off again. Kari felt panicked. Her fingers were numb just like the rest of her body. She needed to move him. She couldn't let him die. She stood and then grabbed his arms and pulled them up. She tried to pull to move Matts body but she didn't have the strength. Matt remained unmoving and Kari continued to cry.
"Please!" She begged to no one. She then went to his legs and tried to pull his legs. He slid a little and Kari's eyes went wide. It was a small victory but she nodded to herself ready to try again. She pulled and again Matts body followed. She continued to stop and pull and stop and pull Matts body towards the grove of trees. When she finally made it to the trees, she fell to her knees releasing Matts legs. They landed on the snow and Kari tried to steady her breathing as she sat in the snow looking at Matt.
"Wake up, come on wake up." She whispered and she crawled towards his head. He needed to get warm. She put her hands under his head and was about to put his head onto her lap when he flinched. Kari removed her hands from behind Matts head and suddenly Matt's eyes opened.
"What the hell?" He groaned and Kari jumped back slightly shocked Matt was awake.
"Matt?" Kari asked carefully. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things or if he was actually waking up. Matt slowly sat up and turned his head to look at Kari. Kari was pale and shocked and Matt took a minute to register what he was seeing
"Sora?" He asked weakly and Kari shook her head.
"It's me, Kari." She said quietly and her body shivered.
"That's weird." Matt said and he rubbed his head.
"I could have sworn Sora woke me up." Kari shook her head. Matt sighed and put his hand down.
"You saved my life didn't you kid?" Kari shook her head.
"I'm not sure I did." She admitted and Matt slowly moved to stand.
"No it was you. I think your crest warmed me up. I dunno. I felt this pink glow and then I felt warm." Kari's lips parted she was unsure how she could have done that.
"I don't have my digivice or my crest." She explained and Matt smiled,
"I kept seeing red too. That's why I thought you were Sora." Kari was confused. She said nothing instead her body just shook while she watched Matt worried he may fall unconscious again.
"Here come on we need to find somewhere to keep warm." He extended his hand to her as he stood and Kari slowly grabbed his hand.
"Matt I'm too cold." She said lamely and she felt weak. Matt wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm.
"Come on Kid. We gotta find our brothers." He gently started walking with her and Kari breathed in hoping they'd find warmth soon. Matts touch was similar to Tai's it was warm and comforting. She wrinkled her nose selfishly wishing her brother was there. She appreciated not being alone but she was missing the safe feeling her brother exuded when he was near. She then thought about Gatomon and the other digimon.
"Wha-what are w-we g-going to do Matt?" Kari shivered her voice stuttering. Matt squeezed her and pushed them forward,
"we're gonna get warm and then we're gonna get a plan in order. We've been separated from the others before. We'll find them." Kari nodded,
"a-and the d-digimon?" She asked. Matt was silent,
"I don't know kid. Gabumon." He stopped and Kari looked up at him. He looked angry. Matt then spoke darkly,
"we need to move." His eyes were dark and Kari knew he didn't want to talk anymore. The two trudged through the snow desperate to find some shelter. Kari's body shook but she wasn't shaking from the cold. She could feel something dark coming. The same darkness that had infected Gatomon. It was coming and she knew it was coming for her.
Tai and Sora did not walk far before they stumbled upon Izzy. He was a little banged up and that concerned Tai,
"you Alright Iz?" He asked while Sora brushed dirt off of Izzy's arms,
"it was weird, I fell. When Pythmon separated us I was with you guys and then I was falling. I landed in some bushes. I'm fine it just was strange." Tai nodded at Izzy happy his friend was okay. Sora removed her hands from tending to Izzy and the three friends looked at each other.
"Where do you think Pythmon is hiding? He wants us right?" Tai questioned and Izzy put a finger to his chin,
"yes the thing is you would think his hideout would have to be big enough to hold all the digimon. I have a feeling our digimon aren't the only ones that have been captured." Sora then spoke,
"right but what could he want with all of them? The digital world is huge. How would he manage to control all of the digimon that are here?" Tai pondered Sora's question. He then had a thought,
"well maybe it's something like Ken and Devimon. I mean Ken had the control spires and Devimon had the black gears."
"Maybe that's what that dark stuff was." Sora thought out loud. Tai looked at her confused,
"when Gatomon and Gabumon attacked, there was dark smoke around them." She explained. Tai thought back to earlier, he could see Gatomon and Gabumon so clearly in his head. He concentrated on the memory and couldn't remember seeing anything dark or smokey surrounding either digimon. He sighed and spoke up,
"we need to find the others." Izzy then piped up,
"and our digimon. Who knows how long we have before our digimon are turned just like Gabumon and Gatomon." Tai growled thinking about Agumon.
"Tai, we'll find them." Sora tried to sooth. Tai turned to his friend and gave her a nod.
"Iz? Any idea where the distortions took everyone?" Izzy nodded,
"our best bet at finding the digimon is finding TK." Tai furrowed his brow
"TK?" Izzy nodded,
"he was taken by Pythmon. I think, if he has his digivice, I can track the distortion to his digivice and locate where he is." Sora frowned,
"but you said you couldn't get a signal on his digivice." She remembered and Tai watched Izzy shake his head.
"I couldn't, but just before we were transported, I saw his light up in his pocket." Tai was perplexed,
"how is that possible?" Izzy furrowed his brow,
"no idea. But we're in the digital world, this whole place is made up of digital data, data I can probably access with the right computer." Izzy then pivoted on the spot,
"I think if I remember, we can find our way to the machine city we found Andromon. There was hieroglyphic data on the walls that I could plug my computer into. I may not have my computer now but I'm sure I can access the stream of data that links the destortion to TK's digivice." Tai couldn't believe Izzy's determination. He gave his friend a nod and Izzy turned and pointed,
"this way." He announced. Tai followed behind Izzy and looked to Sora who was walking next to him. Tai saw her smirk and he raised an eyebrow,
"what?" He asked and Sora's smile grew
"I think you might have some competition Tai." Tai frowned,
"What do you mean?" He asked and Sora put a hand to her mouth a small laugh escaping her lips,
"I think Izzy should be wearing the goggles." Tai looked ahead. Izzy was still leading them. Tai put a hand to the goggles around his neck. He scowled
"Ha-ha Sora." He said sarcastically. Sora laughed and Tai huffed,
"Whats up with you two? Come on." Izzy instructed. Tai blanched and Sora laughed harder. Tai continued following Izzy.