Lest we Forget

by BagiraXIII

The digital world calls for the Digidestined once more, this time with an even more powerful enemy. In the Midst of battle, Light and Hope are touched by darkness, and experience changes no one ever thought they'd see.Rated for language and certain themes

26. Mama

Okay, That's it! I'm done! Finished! I'm not doing this anymore!! With the chapter anyways.

Uh, please don't rant and rave about the length of this chapter, and please do finish reading it. Some of you readers may find it a little challenging to read this, seeing as it's about 33 pages long...heh heh;;...

However, sadly, I had cut out a part with Gayle and Lieko. I was so sad to do so, because I love those two so much, I think they add a little touch of comic relief to the story. I hate to cut out their scenes, but they have noithing to do with the rest of the story! AHHH!

And by the way, between me, the writer, and you, the reader, I actually did some research for some of the parts in here, I just randomly lumped some things together to make them work. ;;;;

Please read all the way through, and sorry if it's a little choppy, I may have missed some parts in editting. Please review when finished.

---

T.K stood, open-mouthed at the site of his mother.

'I'm seeing things….' He thought.

'No such luck, kid.' said Tojima grimly in his head.

T.K's mother stood and walked over to him.

He flinched backward when she reached out for him.

She stopped, then withdrew her hand.

"T.K, I know that I have been a terrible mother to you. I can't find words to express how sorry I am, and I don't expect you to forgive me…." Nancy started.

"Damn right." T.K said, a frown evident on his face. Sonya came around the corner and saw the woman standing before T.K.

She drew her own conclusions.

"This… is mother?" she asked T.K quietly.

T.K showed a look of distaste, then straitened himself.

"Not my mother." He said. Sonya looked at the woman, wondering what she had done to create such hate in her son.

"T.K, please-" Nancy started.

"What are you doing here?" T.K interrupted.

Nancy held a hand to her saddened eyes. She pulled her composure together and smiled at him.

"I was released. They said there was no substantial evidence linking me to any crime." She explained.

"What the fuck ever! You slept your way out of that cell, didn't you?!" T.K shouted.

Sonya put a hand on T.K's arm.

"T.K, calm down. The neighbors can hear."

T.K didn't move, but he silenced himself.

"No, they really said that there was no good evidence. I couldn't bring myself to confess because I couldn't bear to think about what I did. I saw a psychiatrist about it and he enlightened me about how to help mend the emotional wounds I've caused both of us." Nancy tried to explain.

"So what part of coming back here is supposed to help, huh? How is seeing you every day and reminding me of everything suppose to mend my wounds?!" T.K was angry now. Sonya held his shoulders as he clenched his fists.

"I don't expect you to take to me kindly, not after what I did, but I would like to come back." Said Nancy timidly.

"No." was T.K's automatic answer.

"T.K." Sonya muttered in his ear. He stood abruptly and started pacing the room.

Nancy watched him stand, then looked at the floor sadly.

Sonya couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman, despite what she had done to her brother. She stood and followed his pacing.

"T.K, can't you consider it?" she asked.

T.K didn't answer, but kept pacing.

"Don't you think that maybe she has learned something?"

"Not at all. She's always been a deceitful bitch." T.K sneered.

"Oh, T.K, don't be like that. Isn't it hard to throw your own mother out of a home? This could be her last chance to make amends with you! She wants to make things right, I know it." Sonya tried to reason.

"I'm not letting that woman stay here, I don't care if she's my mother." T.K turned and Sonya ran and caught his shoulders.

"Trust me, please. I can feel it, she's sad and she's sorry. So, so sorry. Give her a chance to make things right." Sonya looked her brother in the eyes. He stared back silently. After a moment he turned to Nancy.

"You can stay." He said to her.

She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Oh! Thank you son!"

"You're staying, but you're not to refer to me as your son. I don't want anything to do with you, so thank your daughter for saving your sorry ass." T.K walked out to the terrace, slamming the door shut.

Nancy watched T.K leave in confusion, then she looked at Sonya.

"I don't believe I know you." She said.

"My Name is Sonya Ross; you're my mother, are you not?" Sonya replied. Nancy's eyes went wide with realization. This was the daughter she had chosen to give away. Did Sonya know? She must have, but why was she being so kind? She knew what Nancy had done, so why was she being this way with her? Her eyes welled with tears.

"You're so beautiful, my little girl. You've grown so much!" She held Sonya tightly, sobbing into her shoulders. Sonya didn't move, but she let the sad woman weep into her shoulder.

'This may the last chance she has at a life. I only hope that she can do it right.' She thought.

--

'Sad, isn't it?'

Kari awoke from her dream. The frozen feeling of the ice engulfing her body and face of the one who caused it... He was so similar to T.K, but she felt such a burning hatred for him.

She sat, contemplating the dream.

"Kari? What's the matter?" asked a sleepy Gatomon beside her.

"Nothing, Gatomon. Go back to sleep." She said and stood from the bed. The little digimon yawned and drifted into another deep sleep.

Kari pulled back the rug from the floor and stood in the center of the pentagram. Karakin stood before her.

"You wish to know who the man is. You do not need Magick to find out." She said.

"Who is he? How do you know him?" Kari asked quietly.

"Tojima is a demon of lies and deceit. He devours his host after getting what he wants from them. He tried to destroy me, but to no avail. Instead, I was trapped in the Fire Relic until I found you." Karakin explained.

"Why does he look like T.K?" Kari asked, feeling worried.

"His spirit resembles his host." Karakin answered darkly. Kari's heart beat rapidly. "Your lover is only a shell for a demon, my dear. He has no true feelings for you; it is only his desire to obtain something from you."

"Like, what?" Kari asked.

"Your mind, your body, your pendant. Sad that it's now gone…." Karakin answered. "Listen to me. He does not care for you. He will see you to Hell and leave you with nothing. Leave now."

Kari held a hand to her heart, distress filling her body head to toe.

"But, T.K, how long has he been like this?"

"Long, oh so long, my dear. He is sick in the mind and he will seek much from you. DO not let him." Karakin warned.

Kari felt the tears begin to well in her eyes. She forced them back and found her composure.

"I won't let him." She said. Karakin looked at her with a raised brow. Kari looked her in the eyes. "I won't let him deceive me. If he wishes to play, then I will too. I will get what I want from him and see him to Hell. I will leave him with nothing."

Karakin smiled.

"That's my girl."

--

"Oh Man, Germany You're getting stomped!" said Mr. Gatanaki as he completed Germany's move on the board.

Gayle held her head back and groaned in frustration. "Man, I used to be so good at this game!" she said.

"Gayle, you always sucked…." Lieko commented.

"Shut up." Said Gayle.

"Okay then, now for Russia…." Mr. Gatanaki pulled the orders for Russia. The class sat in G's class playing Diplomacy. Gayle and Lieko had gotten Germany while Kari got Russia and T.K got Italy with an alliance.

"Alright, Russia moves from Norway to the North Sea, Bulgaria to Rumania, then there's a support in Rumania, London to the English Channel, and a convoy to Spain! Way to Go Kari! You're kicking some major butt here man." Said G, impressed with the maneuver.

Kari was zoned out and not paying attention to the game. She thought about the discussion she and Karakin had two nights before. She no longer had faith in T.K, or, for some reason, anyone else.

The next day, T.K and Sonya told the group that his mother had returned, giving everyone a shock.

"How could they do that?" said Yolie.

"Yeah…" T.K muttered.

"Man, what are you going to do?" asked Davis.

"She is staying with us for a while." Said Sonya. Everyone looked at her. "T.K agreed to give her another chance."

T.K didn't say anything, but looked away in distaste.

"T.K, are you sure you want to do this?" Ken asked him.

T.K still didn't speak.

"Yes, we are." Sonya answered for him.

"Okay, I hope you know what you guys know what you're doing…." Said Cody.

The digiport had been closed off once more, disabling the digidestined from entering. They blamed Shadow for disclosing the gate and Izzy was currently working on a way to reopen it.

Kari was pulled out her thoughts when a shout came from the board.

"What? No! I'm not losing to that little bitch!" shouted Ashley as Russia took over Turkey.

"Ashley, hun calm down." Said Mr. Gatanaki.

"No, I won't." Ashley huffed.

Kari rolled her eyes as Mr. Gatanaki let the girl get away with another swear.

The bell rang soon afterwards, sending everyone to their next class.

"Hey Kari, are you alright?" T.K asked.

Kari looked over at him, remember what Karakin had said.

'He doesn't seem bad.' Kari thought.

"It's nothing, really." She said with a smile.

They walked hand in hand to third period, awaiting the winter homework that Mrs. Maxwell was sure to give them.

"AH! No one remembers what a business letter is supposed to look like?" Shouted Mrs. Maxwell humorously after discussing business letter formats with the class.

Kari, Sonya and T.K chuckled at the eccentric teacher.

"NO! We'll have to fix this right away!" Mrs. Maxwell ran to her desk and pulled out a pile of paper and began passing them around. Everyone groaned.

"Now, now, now, I'm doing this for your own good, kids." She smiled.

"Yeah, 'cause you love us so much." One of the jocks joked.

"Well of course." Mrs. Maxwell laughed.

Kari yawned and put her head on the desk.

"Whatever." She muttered.

"Hey, wake up Kari." T.K shook her arm. She waved him off and started dozing.

"She didn't seem so tired earlier." Said Sonya. She seemed a little uneasy around Kari at the moment. T.K blinked, wondering why that would be.

In Sonya's mind, everything was becoming hazy. She saw Kari lying on the desk, a dark, feminine shadow hung above her.

"I want her here. Bring her to me; I want her to serve me." Came Shadow's voice in her head. "And the boy."

Sonya looked at T.K.

He was watching Kari sleep, oblivious to Mrs. Maxwell's lecture.

Sonya smiled lightly, not thinking much about the scene, but more of the order.

'Yes Sir.'

--

The shadows danced and swayed like creatures of the sea. The castle's stones rose high over the trees, crows using its towers as their guide.

Shadow overlooked the black forest from his terrace, thinking of the digidestined.

'It's so incredibly easy to delay their returns. It's so remarkably enjoyable to watch them search and hunt. It's so amazingly simple to take over their minds and taint their souls. It's so undeniably frustrating.' Shadow made fists behind his back.

"They truly are more persistent than I had anticipated. So the rumors were true, I see. Well, no matter. I will enjoy watching them play this game, only the game is mine and I make the rules. I want to see them tremble before me! I will start with Tojima. The wretched boy should be nearly finished contaminating that boy's soul. Then Karakin. No doubt she has finished her job with the girl." Shadow chuckled. "This will certainly be entertaining. Please, children, return and find me. You will soon see what I have in store for you and your wretched world."

"Sir, Jagar is here. He says he has information for you." Said a boy behind him. Shadow turned. The boy looked about 18, shaggy brown hair and dark eyes. He wore loose clothes and a dagger on his hip. Shadow smiled.

"Send him in Timothy. And son, be ready for tonight's ritual. You and your brother will soon be rewarded for your efforts." The Boy grinned and ran back through the door.

"Yes, my sons, you will be rewarded." Shadow muttered.

A crow glided to the man and landed on his shoulder.

"My sons will be promoted to Jyinn, leaders of cult demons. This ritual requires much time and blood. I need to find someone as sacrifice. Someone who will scream enough to make the entertainment last." Shadow looked to the trees maliciously.

"Will you search for me? Sheba?"

Below in the bushes, the wolf was startled and dashed away from the castle.

Shadow only laughed.

"Sir." Came a deep, accented voice from behind him. Shadow turned and acknowledged the lion.

"Jagar, what do you have for me?"

"The Jyotsuna have re-enabled the gates to let the children re-enter the forests. They will direct them to the Jyotsuna fortress and capture them there." Said the lion.

"Very good, and when that fails, what will you do?" asked Shadow, stroking the bird.

"They are currently being sent to the Orenda."

Shadow looked at Jagar.

"Don't be stupid, the Orenda are our enemies." He said.

"Who are going to attempt to exorcise Karakin and Tojima from their bondages. That will fail and you will have them." Said Jagar.

"But what if it works?" Shadow began circling Jagar.

"It won't."

"Why's that?"

"The Orenda are cocky and think that anything will work, but they have never successfully exorcised a human." Jagar explained.

Shadow stopped in front of him.

"You are sure this will work?" he questioned.

"Yes." Jagar nodded.

"Very good then. Let's get started. Await the children in the Grey Forest." Shadow ordered and Jagar left.

"Let's see if they escape or not." Shadow said, stroking the bird and letting it fly away.

--

Mr. Hughes took a sip of his coffee and looked up from his computer over at the class.

The students were finishing their labs, some putting away their chemicals and equipment.

"Alright, so we need to mix this Sodium Hydroxide with Hydrochloric Acid." He heard a voice said from one of the far tables. He glanced over at Kari's Table suspiciously.

T.K. had his goggles on and was reading the instructions carefully. Kari was leaning against the table in boredom, playing with a small beaker. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders and her goggles were around her neck.

Mr. Hughes sighed at his student's lack of effort and influence for the younger students. He stood from his chair and went over.

"You know, Kamiya, You're hair's gonna burn off and you'll go blind from a chemical explosion." He said.

"Then I'll look just like you!" she said with fake enthusiasm. Mr. Hughes laughed. "Hey, can we just put this stuff away? Asked a freshman. "This is our third play experiment."

T.K shrugged and the group cleaned their station.

When the class was all finally seated, Mr. Hughes took another sip of coffee, walked to the front and clapped his hands together.

"Ladies and Yents! This is the last Friday before your winter break, and since we're done with our labs, we're gonna do a little review." Said Mr. Hughes. He pointed to the large periodic table on the wall.

"Chinn, can you tell me were Strontium is on the periodic table?"

"Scrodium? What?" asked T.K.

Hughes blinked and tried to speak, but could only find laughter.

"T- T.K! You're not aloud to speak!" he laughed.

Everyone else broke out into giggles.

"Okay, seriously. Chinn can you tell me?" Hughes redirected his attention to the Chinese exchange student.

"Uh, I dunno." He said, not finding the element on the wall.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Hughes asked. Chinn shook his head.

"I didn't think so." He sighed and looked around the room for another student.

"Clay! Get off your phone and find Strontium on the table!" he said to a sandy haired girl a front desk. She jumped with a start and quickly hid her phone from sight.

"Um, what? What am I looking for?" she asked.

"An excuse in a minute. Find Strontium." Said Hughes.

The girl looked for a second then pointed to the periodic table.

"It's in the Alkali Earth Metals, towards the bottom under Calcium." She answered. Hughes nodded with satisfaction.

"Anyone know what Strontium is used for?" he asked the class. Kari's hand shot up immediately, making T.K put his face in his hand and snicker.

Hughes ignored Kari's waving hand and looked around the room.

"Anyone at all?" he questioned. The kids looked around at each other. Kari was now holding her hand high, enthusiastic.

"Anyone who hasn't had this class yet?" Hughes started to chuckle as he tried to not look at Kari. Kari slowly and comically let her hand down.

T.K was trying to hold his laughter in and was leaning far back in his chair. His barely successful attempts started making other laugh as well.

"T.K, Kari! Shut up!" Hughes grinned.

Ashley walked in the classroom and handed Mr. Hughes a paper. He looked at it then read: "Cheerleading and basketball practice today at 3:15. Lunch menu has been changed due to mouse infestation. Now we're having fried rice and Mexican burritos. That doesn't sound right…. Maybe it's cause the lunch lady's American." He joked.

As he read, Ashley looked over at Kari and sneered at her. Kari raised a brow, feeling the anger begin to boil in her.

'Stop looking at me.' She thought. Ashley must have noticed her action was upsetting her, so she continued giving Kari her harsh look. Kari felt her heart leap to her throat. She nearly jumped from her seat, but T.K noticed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Chill." he whispered to her.

Ashley pouted and looked back at the teacher. He finished the letter and handed it back to the girl. She left without a word.

"Okay then, who can tell me what makes up a chemical compound?"

The bell rang right at the end of Mr. Hughes's sentence, relieving many students from the question.

"Everyone study during break! You have a quiz when you get back." Said the teacher as everyone left. He took a sip of his coffee.

T.K and Sonya passed him, but Kari stopped.

"Mr. Hughes?" she asked, looking up at him innocently.

"Yes?" he looked at her.

"Is Cyanide and Arsenic more dangerous together, or separate?" she asked with her head tilted slightly and batted her eyes childishly.

Hughes stared at her for a moment.

"Who are you trying to poison?"

"How's your coffee?" Kari responded with a grin and ran out of the room.

Mr. Hughes looked at his coffee and shook his head with a grin.

"Kari, you're a tweaker." giggled Gayle as she passed the trio in the hall.

"I know." Kari yawned.

"Well, where do you guys want to go for lunch?" asked T.K.

"Perhaps to Frosty's?" suggested Sonya.

"Not me, they jacked the prices up a dollar half." Kari muttered, setting her backpack up like a pillow by the wall.

"Okay, 4 Corners?" T.K suggested.

"I haven't been there. What do they have?" asked Sonya.

"It's a convenient store. You can find everything from vegan, to vegetarian, to anti salads." T.K said.

"What are they?" Sonya asked curiously. She had her cute and curious look once more, making T.K grin.

"A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat at all. A vegan is someone who doesn't eat meat or any animal made products, and anti salads is my term for carnivores who love the meat section."

"Oh." Sonya raised a brow.

"Hey, why don't you meet the others at Frosty's and I'll get something to eat for during class." Said T.K.

Sonya nodded and smiled.

"Will you come Kari?" she asked.

"Nghhh." Was her resonse.

"Why are you so Tired?" asked T.K.

"Couldn't sleep." Kari muttered.

"I realize that. Why?" he persisted.

"Nothing." Was her answer. The blonds knew she wouldn't get much out of the girl, so they let her lie.

After a few moments, She was fast asleep, breathing lightly in her dream world.

Sonya watched her sleep, wondering if she was having nightmares like she and her brother.

Kari stirred in her sleep, making Sonya blink.

"Do you think she sees what we see?" asked T.K.

"I'm not sure. It seems to me, though… what ever she sees is much different to what we have experienced. I fear that something dark is happening to her." Sonya said grimly.

--

"All prices up a dollar and a half? That's bogus." Said Davis. Davis and the other digidestined sat in the Frosty's with their milkshakes.

"Anyone seen T.K or Kari?" asked Yolie. Everyone shook their heads. Right then, Sonya walked into the Frosty's.

Everyone stopped.

"Hello, T.K said to come here." Said Sonya as she sat beside Davis. "So, why is every one so quiet?"

No one answered.

Sonya rested her chin in her hands and she smiled at the group.

"I know, you're talking about Kari and my brother, aren't you? Something to do with Gennai's proposal I suppose?" she inquired.

"Well, actually…."

"Yeah, Tai said that he wanted to take Kari to the Orenda. T.K, too. I'm not real hot on the idea, but I think it might make a difference." Said Davis.

"But what if the exorcism goes wrong? What will happen to them?" asked Cody.

"I don't know. I have a gut feeling that we shouldn't do this, guys." Started Yolie.

Everyone looked at her.

"Why?" asked Davis.

"I don't know, I had a dream last night, it was horrendous. It was about T.K and Kari. There was blood everywhere and they were in the middle of it all. I woke up and immediately the exorcism came to my head. I think it might be a sign we shouldn't do this."

"You as well?" asked Sonya. There was a short silence.

"But what if you're wrong? If you're wrong, then they might end up in a painful state like you just mentioned. Kari's showing signs of insomnia and paranoia already. She doesn't have anything to protect her. If we get this wrong, she's probably the first to go." Said Cody.

"And we understand that. It is just… I'm not sure of you, Yolie, but when I have these dreams, they usually mean something, and they almost always come true…." Said Sonya

"That, and…." Yolie trailed off.

"What is it?" asked Ken.

"They were in the middle of it all, but they were the ones tearing people apart." Said Yolie quietly. The others looked at her in shock.

"They were… monsters. Their eyes were black and their teeth were sharp Kari was laughing; she was carrying a child's head in a bag. It was so terrible. I don't want to take any chances with this. I am certain that we're just to make things worse for us all if we go through with the exorcism." Yolie finished.

"But Yolie, what if it's the only way?" asked Davis. There was silence.

"I hope we're making the right choice." Yolie said quietly.

They heard a knock on the window beside them and they turned to see who it was. Nancy stood outside the Frosty's waving at them. They looked at her with shock.

She walked around through the door and greeted them.

"Hello Sonya. Where's T.K at?" she asked. She sounded so kind and motherly. It was difficult to picture her as the mother imprisoned for beating her child.

"Uh….." Sonya started.

"We don't know." Ken answered for her.

"Oh, really…. Well alright then. I was just walking through town and I was wondering what he was up to." Nancy smiled. "Well, good bye." She said and left.

"Okay, that was weird." Said Yolie.

"What does she want with T.K?" Cody wondered.

"She seemed really lonely. Maybe she was looking for company?' suggested Sonya.

"I can't see T.K forgiving that woman, much less spending lunch with her." Said Yolie.

"In any case, the bell is about to ring. Let's head back." Said Davis.

The group started to make their way back to the school. They walked through the hallways and saw T.K and Kari sitting by the wall. Kari was sound asleep.

"Hey guys, we were wondering where you were at." Said Davis.

"Eh, I just went to get something for class, I wasn't all that hungry." Said T.K.

"The bell's gonna ring in a minute, we should start getting to classes." Said Ken.

"Can't. Kari won't move.

"Well wake her up then." Said Yolie.

"We can't." T.K said again.

"She is in deep sleep, like T.K was. Nothing will wake her up." Said Sonya.

"Uh oh." The group wondered how they could wake the girl so she wasn't late to class.

"What does she have next?" asked Ken.

"Ms. Crlymoto." T.K answered.

"Ah." Ken looked away in thought, all ideas of her getting an excused absence thrown aside.

"Kari, hey wake up!" Yolie shouted in the girl's ear.

No response.

"Ah! She's like a rock." Yolie shouted.

"No kidding." Davis agreed.

The bell rang shrilly through the hallways, yet there was still no stir from Kari.

"How about I take her home. I'll get a note from Student Services and give her a ride." T.K suggested.

"yeah, that'd be good. I have office assistant next, so I'll right it up for you." Said Ken.

T.K nodded and the group split into their classes.

Sonya stood beside T.K and Kari, looking around blankly.

T.K lifted Kari from the ground and walked to the office to find Ken already sitting and filling out a note for Kari.

"I'm the only one here, so you don't have to endure questioning. Hurry before you're caught." Said Ken, handing T.K the note.

"Thanks, man." T.K said and carried Kari out of the school. He carried her on his back and walked quickly to her apartment.

"T.K!" he heard a voice call to him. He stopped and turned around to see his mother jogging over to him.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

T.K didn't answer, but continued making his way to Kari's apartment.

Nancy put a hand on his shoulder and he spun quickly.

"Don't touch me!" He hissed.

"Is she hurt? Should she be taken to a doctor?" Nancy asked.

"No, she's just tired." He muttered.

"Well, do you need help?"

"No." T.K walked away, leaving Nancy with a sad face.

'Of course he won't listen to you. Of course he won't take your help. You still need to make everything up to him.' She thought and walked back into the crowd.

--

T.K arrived at the apartment and knocked. After a moment, Kari' mother answered and looked with a surprise at T.K and her daughter.

"She's very tired and couldn't concentrate in class. She fell asleep on the way." T.K lied.

"Well, bring her in." said Mrs. Kamiya.

T.K carried her in the living and set her on the couch. Mrs. Kamiya walked over and tried shaking Kari awake.

"It won't work. She didn't wake for the bell." Said T.K.

"What's up?" asked Tai as he walked in the room. T.K looked up at him with a worried look and immediately Tai knew. He rushed over and felt Kari's forehead. She was blazing warm.

"Uh, mom I think we need to call a doctor." Said Tai.

Mrs. Kamiya went to the phone and dialed 911.

"You think the darkness is finally taking effect?" asked Tai.

T.K nodded. "She wouldn't wake up for anything, and she was muttering in her sleep. Something about the pendant that she lost."

Tai sighed.

"What else could go wrong?" he groaned.

"They're sending someone over. I'm going to call the school to confirm Kari's absence." Said Mrs. Kamiya. T.K looked up anxiously.

"Well, now to get my ass kicked…."

"Why?" Tai questioned.

"We just kinda took her from the school. There wasn't a confirmed leave." T.K whispered.

"Uh oh. Maybe you should go, before mom gets mad." Tai whispered back.

T.K nodded and looked at Kari one last time.

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you for informing me." Came Mrs. Kamiya's ruff voice. T.K and Tai knew she was angry about something. She hung up the phone and walked to the front door, opening it.

"Thanks for bringing Kari here. Please leave." She ordered.

T.K looked nervous going through the door, and then he walked quickly away once he was through.

Kari's mother shut the door angrily.

"What is it mom?" Tai asked.

"The school says that Kari has a large number of absences. Most of them have been confirm as ditches. This week she was only there for a few classes." Said his mother.

"What? Kari wouldn't do that mom. There must have been a mix up." Tai defended.

"No. I knew something like this would happen. I should have just pulled her out and taken her into independent study. Now those kids have turned her into one of them. What was she out for this time? Parties? Drugs?" she went off.

"Mom! Be reasonable! You know Kari is a good girl and wouldn't do such a thing!" Tai argued.

"Well what am I supposed to believe, tai? Where has she been going so late at night? What is she doing after school for hours at a time? What kind of cult is she getting herself into?!" Mrs. Kamiya screamed.

"Now look who's out of control! Mom, You're acting like Nancy!" Tai yelled back.

His mother stopped and silenced herself, thinking.

"I'm just worried… Your father was so bent on his religious efforts, I was sure that Kari wanted to break away from that. Sometimes, I even wondered… if she was the one who killed him." Mrs. Kamiya said weakly.

"Mom, don't say that." Tai's voice had softened now.

"I just don't know what to do. She's my only little girl. I don't want to lose her." Mrs. Kamiya bean to cry.

Tai touched her shoulder.

"Mom, you won't. Just be gentler, you can't hold onto her if you act so tough all the time. Let her know you still think about her." He consoled.

Mrs. Kamiya nodded and sat in the chair beside the couch, waiting for Kari to wake up.

Tai leaned against the island counter and waited as well.

'I don't know what a doctor can do for Kari is it's the darkness and not a medical issue. Maybe an exorcism is the best thing to do.' He thought.

There was a knock on the door. Mrs. Kamiya went to answer to a man with a blue suit and medical kit.

"Hello again, Mrs. Kamiya." Said the man.

"Oh, I remember you. You're Teagan, aren't you? Please come in., Thank you for coming. The hospital is really that booked?" greeted Mrs. Kamiya.

"Yes, I got the call and when I heard it was the same patient from the murder scene, I was curious. Where is she?" Teagan asked.

"On the couch. Her friend brought her here. I guess she was too tired to even concentrate in class and fell asleep on the way here." Mrs. Kamiya answered.

"She has this really bad fever. It's been on and off for a while." Said Tai, not moving from the counter.

Teagan examined Kari's lymph nodes and checked her pulse. He then checked her temperature with a small thermometer. When he looked at the reading, he was baffled.

'This doesn't make any sense, her pulse and nodes are just fine. Everything seems to be in working order, how can she be at 120?' Teagan asked himself in shock. He put a hand to her forehead to double check after a second, he pulled away.

He felt a hot sensation run through his body, then he smiled.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Kamiya. She's just exhausted is all. Must've been out late, eh?" He said, hinting with his eyebrows.

Tai and his mother were taken aback by this.

"Well, there's nothing more for me to do. Just let her get some sleep and she'll be just fine. Have a nice day!" Teagan smiled and he left.

There was movement from the couch and Kari's eyes opened. She sat up and looked around.

"What the Hell? This isn't school." She muttered groggily.

"Kari! Are you alright? Ho do you feel?" asked her mother. Kari looked at her.

"Just fine…." She said.

Mrs. Kamiya crossed her arms and looked at her daughter harshly.

"Well then. Explain young lady." She said.

Kari raised her eyebrow.

"Explain what? My falling asleep at school?"

"That and everything else. Where have you been going at night? Why are you always gone?"

"Chill, 'Nancy'." Said Kari, standing up. She tilted a little and held her head dizzily.

"I need to sleep."

"No, you need to talk. Now. Answer the question Kari." Said her mom.

"Oy." Kari slapped her eyes and slid her hand down her face. "I'm exhausted, I'm stressed, I'm out thinking, I have a lot to think about, and you don't have to freak out like I'm out joining some religious cult." She explained, finding herself speaking harshly to her mother.

"Well what am I supposed to think?! With the people you hang around I wouldn't surprised!" Her mom yelled back.

"Excuse me?!" It was Kari's turn to yell.

"T.K has obvious mental issues, the lovers are bad sex examples, Davis is a stalking pervert and who I'm sure is on something, and Cody's family are a bunch of stuck up brats! Of course any of these would rub off on you!"

"Well forgive me for not previously informing you of my fucked up school life! What have you heard on top of that? Hmm? What other pretty little rumors have you heard?" Kari sneered.

"Don't talk to me like that, Young lady." Her mom growled.

"Oh, but I'm not a young lady, remember? I'm a bratty sexually frustrated junkie!" Kari threw back.

"To your room at once!"

"Fine! 'Least I don't have to see your rotten face, fucking Gargoyle."

Her mother screeched as Kari slammed her door shut.

"Don't expect any grand treatment in that cave of yours! You Fucking brat!" Mrs. Kamiya threw a vase at the door. The pieces shattered every which way and created a sharp barrier on the floor around the door.

Tai stood there, utterly shocked and speechless at the spectacle.

Mrs. Kamiya was panting heavily. She stomped out the door and slammed it shut. The pictures on the wall shook as she did.

There was a short silence and Kari's door opened slightly. Her hand came out and she slowly picked up a large piece of the broken glass. She pulled it in and shut the door quietly.

Tai saw this but it didn't register until the door was shutting. He ran over the glass and tried to open the door, which he found to be locked.

"Kari, what are you doing in there?" He asked nervously.

"Kari, mom didn't mean what she said. I know you didn't either, please open the door." Tai knocked. There was no answer.

"Kari, please? I'm not mad with you; I'm not gonna yell or anything. I just want to talk." He said, feeling worry and anxiety rise in his chest.

There was a small sound of glass scratching on wood.

"It's alright, Tai." She said quietly. Then there was silence.

Tai waited for more sound, and when there was none, he tried to open the door.

"Kari, please open the door." He said, banging his shoulder against the wood.

There was a small chuckle from the living room. Tai shot his head toward the sound and saw a girl sitting on the coffee table.

"Mr. Kamiya, have you ever considered Kari's position?" asked the woman.

"Who are you?" Tai questioned.

"You see, Kari is a sad soul now. She doesn't have anything to grasp on to. No family or friends to trust." Said the woman with a smile.

"You're that Karakin, aren't you?" Tai questioned again, coming closer. He didn't break his gaze with her.

"Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn't need you anymore? Maybe she found something else to comfort her?"

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Sir, it's not a question of who I am. You already know who I am. The question is who is behind that door? Is it your sister? Is her heart still in tact? Or is it something else?"

"Shut up. Why are you after Kari?" Tai demanded.

"After her? Mr. Kamiya, I'm only here for her own sake. It's people like that little hussy out there who made Kari the way she is. You don't want that to continue, do you?" Karakin looked him in the eye with her fiery red ones. "Don't give her reason to hate you. Don't do the exorcism."

"If you think that I'm going to listen to some demon like you, then you're wrong. I'm going to do the exorcism and get you away form my sister!" Tai yelled.

Karakin raised an eyebrow and disappeared in a shroud of black.

Tai was shaking now.

'Now I know I have to do it. I just hope it works.' He thought.

--

Kari etched the glass into the floor boards, tracing the pentagram. The glass carried fresh blood from her arm and it covered the lines of the pattern.

"You see, Kari is a sad soul now. She doesn't have anything to grasp on to. No family or friends to trust." Came Karakin's voice through the door.

There was a mumble from outside the door. Kari didn't want to know what Tai was saying about her. She knew he was angry as well. She knew he was angry by the tone in his voice. She heard his voice say "Now I know I have to do it…." And it faded out. She stopped etching the glass into the wood and sat silently. After a moment, there was silence.

Karakin sat before her, looking at her.

"Are you almost finished?" she asked.

"What did he say?" Kari asked her.

"He knows you killed your father." Karakin answered.

"What? You told him?" Kari was shocked.

"No, he figured you out. Now he's going to tell everyone. What are you going to do about it?" Karakin looked at Kari with unblinking eyes, wondering what her answer would be. Kari thought a moment.

"You don't really mean…." She started.

"We have to do something. Do you want to be barred off from the world? You're already fought against by your friends and your family. Do you want to the world to turn you out as well? To have nowhere to run? What will you do?"

Kari looked at the glass in her hand. The blood still dripped from the sharp edge and formed rings on the ground. Each ring became a pentacle in Kari's eyes. Her heart was racing. The adrenaline rushed through her veins and her head became light.

Killing Tai would stall her demise for a short time longer, but how much longer would she be able to run? She felt the urge, the need, the want to kill her brother, but she suppressed it and put the glass down.

"I'm finished." She answered.

Karakin smiled at the scene: Kari sitting in a circle of blood in the center of the burned pentacle. The blood covered her arm by now and she didn't seem to care. Like a tainted warrior fresh from battle.

"Very good, dear. Now, let's begin."

"Why does this require blood?" Kari asked.

"Blood will help you see a more clear and vivid image of a certain event." Karakin answered.

"What will I see?"

"Wait." Karakin grinned. She took the glass and cut her arm as well. The blood poured, not red, but black, onto the ground in the star. It ran across the floor and created the star in the circle.

"I want you to see what I have planned for us." Karakin smiled maliciously. Kari's sight was flooded with black and red, undoubtedly their blood. The colors swirled and mixed together, and when they separated they made a picture.

Shadow sat on his throne in a dark stone room with a wolf and a lion by his sides. Kari stood facing Shadow on the red carpet. There was silence among them. Her image was clear and as apparent as the flesh on Kari's bones. She wore tight black shirt and pants and black gloves on her hands. She bared a long black trench coat on her shoulders and her hair carried golden bangles. Golden armor covered her chest, legs and arms. A small flame was painted beneath her eye. As the scene circled Kari, the image seemed to change and suddenly, SHE was in the throne and Shadow was bowing to her. Shadow's apprentices followed suit and the Blood Harvesters groveled loyally. The blood, bones and bodies of Nightwalkers littered the stone room and made a small stream under the heavy wooden doors. A boy with long white hair was staked behind her, like a trophy. His flesh was torn and blood dripped from his wrists, eyes, and mouth. It looked much like T.K. He had a small circle painted under his eye in a similar fashion to her own. She smiled contentedly as she filled a glass and gold goblet with the boy's blood and drank from it.

Kari opened her eyes. Her head was reeling and her body rocked as though it were greatly impaired.

"You now understand why I need you to obey me. I know how we can achieve this, and I need your full cooperation to full fill your deepest desire." Karakin whispered in Kari's ear.

"What is my deepest desire?" Kari mumbled quietly.

Karakin smiled.

"Revenge."

--

"Alright. You know, everyone, I'm so proud of you guys for putting so much effort into this class. Thank you so much. Bye." Mr. Takamaru dismissed everyone from class.

"Wasn't he yelling at us a minute ago about being counter productive?" asked Trent.

T.K shrugged.

"T.K, we should go see Kari." Said Sonya as she put her flute away.

"Yeah. I'll tell the others and we can go." T.K agreed worriedly.

"Why? What happened?" asked Trent.

"Are you eavesdropping?" T.K looked at him.

"Uh, no…." Trent grinned.

T.K returned his attention to Sonya.

"I'll find the others and let them know. you can wait for me by the front doors."

Sonya nodded and left as the bell rang.

"She's pretty damn fine, I'll say." Said Trent.

"You wanna say that again?" T.K growled.

Trent held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, I'm just being honest man. Just to let you know, I'm not the only one who thinks that, too. You'll wanna be careful letting Sonya be by herself." He said.

T.K didn't answer. He looked at Trent a moment, then left to inform the others of his and Sonya's absence.

He walked along the hallways to the computer room, thinking about what Trent had said.

'You'll wanna be careful letting Sonya be by herself.'

T.K wondered if something was happening now. What about every other time he left her alone? Sonya had been a little skittish with the kids at the school. He always assumed it was because she was so shy. Maybe something was going on? He finally reached the computer lab when his arm started throbbing. He touched it and all the colors in the room started to mix and whirl. He was backed against a wall outside. Ashley and her gang were right up in his face with two jocks. As suddenly as the image appeared, it was gone.

The door slid open and Cody appeared.

"Ah, T.K, we were just coming to look for you. Where's Sonya?" he asked.

T.K didn't answer. He began to sprint down the hall to the front door. He ran into students and teachers, sending books and papers flying in the air. He remembered plowing over Gayle and Lieko, sending their art supplies everywhere. He didn't register any of this in his mind, just the thought that Sonya was in trouble. He trust the front doors open and leapt over the stairway. Looking around, T.K saw Ashley up in Sonya's face in a heated argument. Only Sonya seemed somewhat coolheaded.

"Come on. You can't fool anyone with that pretty little face. I bet your just like your bitchy friend, Kari. Fuck, people like you make me sick." She spat.

"What the fuck is going on here?" T.K growled angrily, stepping between Sonya and Ashley.

"Oh, hi T.K! I was just talking with Sonya about how pretty her hair is." Ashley said, twirling her hair girlishly.

"Don't bullshit me, Ashley. Get your flunkies away from my sister." T.K ordered.

"Oh, aren't we so high and mighty?" one of the jocks laughed.

While all this was going on, The other digidestined came from the door and saw what was happening.

"I mean it Iwado. Back the fuck off." Said T.K aggressively.

The Iwado kid flared up at T.K.

"What are you gonna do about, punk?" he questioned, bulking his chest. The other jock behind him grinned annoyingly and laughed.

"Hey! What's going on?" called Davis.

"Someone come here and get Sonya." T.K called back, not looking at them.

Davis ran down and took Sonya by the arms.

"Come on." He whispered and took her back to the group.

"You think you can take me, punk? You think you're good enough?" the jock sneered.

"Your mom seems to think that." T.K replied.

Iwado looked at him with surprise, as did the others. He growled and raisued a fist to attack. A low growl emitted from T.K's throat, causing the jock to stop.

"Hey man, let's go." Said the other boy. He was looking into T.K eyes and fear was apparent in his face.

"Tch. Fine. You're not worth my time." Iwado said and they walked away.

Ashley and her group were watching from a short distance. T.K looked over at them.

"Show's over. Go find something better to do." He called and walked over to the digidestined.

"Let's go guys." He muttered and they walked inside.

"You alright Sonya? What happened?" asked Yolie.

"Nothing, they just came up to me and said they wanted to talk." Sonya sighed.

Davis held her arm gently. T.K took Sonya from him and checked her arm. There was a small bruise where he had felt the pain himself.

"They did this to you?" he asked.

Sonya didn't answer. She turned her head away with shame.

"Should we take you home?" asked Ken.

"No, that's fine. I want to come with you." Sonya smiled.

"You're sure? I could take you to Kari's and you could stay there." T.K suggested.

"I'm fine, T.K." Sonya insisted.

They arrived at the computer lab and Sonya sat down. The digimon came form concealment to revisit the digidestined.

"What happened T.K? You just turned around and left." Asked Patamon.

"We were going to go and check on Kari, but I don't think we should go outside for a while." T.K answered.

"We could give her a call." Call suggested Cody.

"Why? What happened to her?" asked Armadillomon.

"She passed out in the hallway. She wouldn't wake up." Said Ken.

"Like T.K before." Yolie added.

T.K pulled out his cell phone and started dialing Kari's number. He waited, hearing only the ringing from the other line. Finally, there was an answer.

"Hello, Kamiya residence." Came tai's tired and flustered voice.

"Hey, Tai. How's Kari doing?" T.K asked. The others silenced and awaited the news.

"She woke up soon after you left. She seemed fine, except for the major fever she had and the doctor said there was nothing wrong! Can you Believe it? After that, mom started going off the handle with Kari and they got into a huge fight. I was just cleaning up a broken vase when you called." Tai informed.

T.K raised his brows at the news and held a worried expression.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"I don't know. She won't open the door."

T.K was silent for a moment.

"I'm coming over."

"No, you need to go to the digital world. I got an email from Gennai. He needs you all there." Said Tai.

T.K sighed.

"Fine. Just, make sure she's okay."

"Of course." T.K hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

"Well? What's up?" asked Davis.

"She woke up after I left. She and her mom got into a big fight and now she won't come out of her room." T.K informed,.

"Why? What did they fight over?" Ken asked.

T.K shrugged.

"Tai said he got an email from Gennai saying he needs us in the Digital world right away. We should get going."

The others nodded.

"I hope Kari is alright." Gatomon said, looking down. Sonya pet Gatomon around the ears. "I'm sure she will be fine. She seems to bounce back from a lot."

Gatomon nodded.

"Let's go guys." Yolie said, opening the gate.

"Wait! Came a shout from the door.

Matt rushed through the door.

"Matt, What are you doing here?" asked Patamon.

"I'm coming with you guys." Matt said.

"Alright, let's move." The gate was opened and the digidestined were sucked through to the other side.

They landed in Angel Valley, where Dorian and the Plainsman resided.

"What's this place?" asked matt.

"Angel Valley. Nice place, huh?" answered Veemon.

The group walked down into the valley, looking for Dorian.

"Do you think he knows where Gennai is?" asked Yolie.

"maybe…." Ken mumbled.

They reached the village and, to their surprise, every plainsman were hard at work, melding iron armor or weapons. Dorian stood in the middle of it all, watching and managing the progress. He was clad in silver armor and his hard expression held like stone.

"Dorian, what's going on?" asked Davis.

"Digidestined. We are preparing for battle. Shadow has assembled half of our colony for his twisted experiments. Now we are few and his numbers are great, but we have aligned with the neighboring tribes. The Orenda and the Jyotsuna have agreed to assist us. The wood and water dwellers will fight as well. Shadow has little hope of defeating us now." Said Dorian with confidence.

"Do you know where he is?" asked Cody.

"Yes! The Satie have joined us as well and they have the location of Shadow's whereabouts. We're ready for an attack!" Dorian said and the Plainsmen cheered.

"Dorian, the weapons are ready." Said a woman behind Dorian. She was clad in iron armor and carried a spear. Her long golden hair and blue eyes seemed to match the missing sky.

"Digidestined. This is Page, leader of the Orenda." Dorian introduced.

"Digidestined. I have heard of you. The Children of the Sun, chosen by light to protect the worlds. The forests speak to me. They say you are great." Said Page.

The digimon blushed and laughed.

"Gennai told me of your ordeal. My tribe will do what it can to help you." She continued. "We should begin right away, lest the darkness spreads any further."

Two soldiers, each wearing grand outfits encrusted with gems and golden embroidery, stood behind the digidestined. They took T.K by the arms and began to carry him off.

"What the… What are you doing, let me go!" He shouted.

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice from a boulder above them. Everyone looked up and saw Kari and Tai standing, watching the scene.

"Tai! When did you get here?" asked Matt.

"Just now. We came to meet with you guys and I see T.K getting dragged away by a couple of statues." Said Kari, jumping from the boulder to the grassy ground, soon followed by Tai.

"You are Kari, correct?" asked Page. Kari nodded.

"Gennai has told me of you as well. Your brother has confirmed with Gennai of his wishes." She said and summoned two more soldiers.

Kari looked at her brother with surprise.

"What wishes?" Kari asked suspiciously. He looked down in shame, then back at her.

"We decided we're going to do the exorcism. The original digidestined should be at the Orenda village soon to be with us when you come out." Tai answered.

Gatomon ran to Kari and jumped on her shoulders.

"Page, you're not going to hurt her are you?" she asked.

"I'm unsure of the extent of the pain, but this is the only way we can help." Said Page and the soldiers took Kari's shoulders as well.

"What ?" she said, startled.

Gatomon jumped from Kari shoulders and looked up at her.

"They're going to exorcise the demon from you Kari. They're going to make everything better for us." She said. Kari looked angry.

"What's this? Why didn't you talk to me first?!" she shouted at the group. The soldiers started carrying the two away, kicking and protesting.

Gennai walked up to the digidestined.

"Gennai!" stated Yolie with surprise.

"Hello kids. You made the right choice by choosing this exorcism. It may be their only hope." Said Gennai.

"Where are they taking them?" asked Matt.

"To the Orenda village. They will hold them there and perform the ritual together. Afterward, as a safety measure, they will erase the memory of the ritual from T.K and Kari's minds. They will go on as if nothing had ever happened." Gennai answered with a smile.

"Oh, fuck that plan." Kari started fighting the soldiers' grasp.

"Kari! Calm down, they're only trying to help you!" said Tai.

Kari was too furious to hear their voices. She felt the white hot rage burn in her now aching heart.

Betrayal. That's what this is. They thought she was a demon. They thought she would be a threat to them. They wanted to take her out of the design. That's why Gennai wouldn't let her and T.K in on their discussions! She should have known! The whole time they plotted against her, and she fell right into it.

'Do you see now, child?' asked Karakin in her head.

'Yes. I should have listened to you. I should have done what you said without hesitating. Now look where I am.' Kari said, slipping into a depression.

Her fighting began to cease as she was carried into the sky on large, golden birds.

'I have an idea. We can use this to our advantage.' Said Karakin as they flew into the golden sky.

"I will escort you to the village. My mages will perform the ritual and hopefully, your friends will be back to normal. You will help us fight against Shadow then?" asked Page.

"Of course! We all have the same enemy, after all." Said Davis.

Page smiled.

"Very well then. Let us go." She began walking through the crowd to the mountains where the birds carried T.K and Kari.

Sonya watched the figures disappear into the golden sky with a worried expression.

"I will follow you after I'm finished with preparations here." Gennai said and they nodded.

"Can you fly?" Page asked the digidestined.

"Yeah." Yolie nodded.

"Good. Follow me." Page then lifted into the air and hovered over the trees.

"Okay guys, digivolve!" said Davis, holding out his digivice.

"Veemon Digivolve too…"

"Hawkmon Digivolve too…"

"Wormon digivolve too…"

"Armadillomon, digivolve too…"

"Raidramon!"

"Anquilomon!"

"Stingmon!"

"Digmon!"

"Sonya, hop on." Said Davis, offering his hand to Sonya from Raidramon's back.

She took it gingerly and stepped onto the digimon's back. They rocketed off into the woods, following under Page and the others.

"How are you doing back there?" asked Davis.

"I am fine." Sonya smiled, earning a small blush from Davis.

"Davis, what if this doesn't work? What will happen to them?" Sonya asked over Davis's shoulder.

Davis didn't answer right away. Half of his mind was occupied with Sonya's closeness to him, and the other half worried about the question as well.

"I'm not sure, Sonya. We can't think like that, though. We have to believe that they will be cured and that we can defeat Shadow." He answered.

"Heads!" Raidramon called.

Davis and Sonya looked ahead in time to see a grove of low branches and they ducked.

"How far is the village from here, Raidramon?" asked Davis.

"It's one of the closest neighboring villages to Angel Valley. The Orenda are a tribe of Mages who handle mostly white Magicks. They Are pretty secretive, not many people know much about them. I guess they know about Shadow's Slave operations." Raidramon answered.

"Slave operations?" Sonya questioned.

"His apprentices, where they came from and how he turned them into monsters. Page and Chloe are cousins. They are working together with the information they have to work up an armada against Shadow. Dorian and Jahari, leader of the Jyotsuna, joined their cause as well and formed a real tight army. It looks like they might actually have a chance. The exorcism will also help our odds. By getting rid of the demons, we are getting rid of potential help for Shadow." Raidramon finished and he readied to jump over a small ravine. Sonya yelped and Held Davis tightly around the waist. Davis couldn't help but grin.

"Don't get too comfortable, Davis." Said Yolie suddenly with a smirk beside him.

"Whoa! Where'd you come from?" Davis asked.

"The sky. We're almost there." She said and flew back into the sky with Ken, Cody and Page.

"I don't see how they could stand heights." Sonya stated, looking to the figures in the sky.

"Why? You afraid of heights?" Davis asked over his shoulder.

"Yes, actually, very much so." Sonya responded and held his waist again for support.

"That's okay. So am I. I'd rather take a train than fly. When I was a kid, my mom would send me to my grandmother's in the summer. I refused to go by plane because it was so scary." Davis laughed.

"Yes, I was terrified coming over the ocean by air. We hit turbulence every now and again and I thought I was going to faint." Sonya said with a smile.

They both laughed.

"We're coming up to the village!" Raidramon called and started slowing down. Page and the digidestined stopped and landed at the gates of a large stone fortress.

The large oak doors opened for them and Page led the way inside.

The village seemed industrialized. A large metallic temple stood toward the back center of the fortress and the rest of the space was filled with huts and other large buildings.

Everything was in neat order and the streets were cleaned. People in white and blue robes walked the streets with baskets of vials and herbs.

"This is the Orenda village? It's huge! Davis Stated.

"Yeah, and there's a lot of people here. This place looks like it thrives better than the other villages." Raidramon stated.

"Welcome to our home. We have grown economically in the last few years. Other tribes have come to us for their medical and health needs. We have provided successfully." Page said and led them into the village.

"The building up ahead is our temple. The whole village gathers there for Mass and rituals." She pointed to one of the towers of the building. "That is where we will exorcise your friends."

"Where are they right now?" asked Yolie.

"They are being held in preparation. When they are finished, I could grant you visiting access if you wish." Page answered.

"Yeah. They seemed really angry; we just want to be there for them when they go in." Matt said, crossing his arms. Tai was looking down, not saying a thing. He seemed ashamed of their decision.

"Come, I will take you to the waiting center." Page said and they followed her through the crowds to the Temple.

"So many people. This place is just filled." Sonya muttered to herself.

Her sight seemed somewhat hollowed, almost as if she couldn't really see what was happening around her. She sighed with a heavy feeling in her heart.

'Guilt?' she thought. She couldn't think of why.

The group passed a building with people lying inside, coughing wheezing, and regurgitating harshly.

"What's wrong with them?" asked Digmon.

"An illness. It was started by a demon named Karakin. She felt much joy in watching our suffering. We called it the Black Will. It starts in the persons lungs. They begin to cough as though they have an allergies, but soon they produce blood. After a day of this, they become Euphoric and develop a type of dementia. They go blind and loose their speech, and then they become paralyzed. Soon afterward, their brain begins to fail. Their whole body erupts into imaginary pain that spreads everywhere and the victim can't do anything about it but scream." Page described.

"Oh my God." Ken burst out disgustedly. "Karakin started all of this?"

Page nodded.

"The one who Gennai believes possesses your friend, Kari. I don't doubt that her mind is now twisted as hers, but we may still have hope."

They pressed on through the thinning crowds. It was nearly bare at the steps of the temple.

"The people are disgusted that we even brought the two to this temple, so now they will not come near it until they are cleared." Said page.

"Why?" masked Gatomon.

"Because it's contaminated. This is a Holy place, but it is of no effect if demons dwell inside." Page answered as she opened the doors. "You may want to revert yourselves. This is still a sanctuary." She looked at the digimon and they reverted to their rookie forms.

It was a metallic cathedral, with a large silver pentacle hung in the front like a cross. Plants and ruby rugs lined the room like a palace throne room to the front where a podium rested.

Page led them to a stairwell behind the pentacle.

"That symbol looks much like T.K's pendant." Sonya mentioned after a moment of thought.

"Yes, the moon piece. We believe it to be a symbol of piece and Light. You said your brother has one pf these?" Page asked. Sonya nodded.

"Then, he may not be a lost cause after all." Page pulled back an iron torch and another door opened. They went down another flight of stairs. The metal became stone and everything grew cold.

"This is our holding cell. T.K is just behind this door, Kari is through the other. We had to separate them to minimize potential risks." Page explained.

The digidestined looked at the doors. Matt walked to T.K's and Tai went to Kari's

Sonya ran to T.K's door and pulled it opened.

"Hey, wait up!" said Davis and ran afte her. The others followed.

T.K's holding cell was frozen and icy cold. There was a single stone bench in the center of the room and Four Guards in each corner. T.K sat hunched on the bench.

Matt was crouched in front of him, seemingly unable to speak.

Sonya sat Beside T.K.

"Hi T.K. Are you too cold?" She asked. He didn't answer. She thought a moment then smiled.

"T.K, your hair is a mess. Did you even comb it this morning?" She giggled and started grooming his hair. T.K made a small smile. Patamon flew onto Matt's shoulder and the digidestined stood behind him. They saw that T.K's hands were heavily cuffed to the bench. The chains hung sadly.

"Why is chained?" asked Davis.

"He was fighting the guards, so we had to restrain him." Answered on of the guards.

"He won't let me near him." Matt said sadly, as if to himself.

"What?" Yolie asked.

Matt hung his head with shame.

Patamon looked at T.K went to his shoulder. There was a light growl from his throat.

"T.K, it's us, your friends. Calm down." Said Cody.

"Don't you wanna talk to us" asked Armadillomon.

"T.K…." Patamon trailed. He could feel T.K anger and depression. T.K looked up with angry eyes.

"I said no. I said I could handle it. Do you really not trust me?" he questioned. They were speechless. T.K hung his head once more and Sonya rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"T.K, we do trust you. We just-" Matt reached out for T.K, but stopped when T.K gave a low growl.

He growled like an angry wolf. He never moved.

"T.K, are you okay?" Patamon asked and T.K's growl increased a little.

The guards noticed and stood with their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"No, Wait, he's just a little upset is all." Cody tried to say. He turned back to T.K.

"T.K, we trust you. We just want to help you and get rid of whatever is hurting you." He tried to reason.

T.K growled aggressively then shot his head in Cody's direction.

"What's hurting me right now? Who the hell put me in fucking chains?! Nothing is hurting me, Cody! Just the people who put me here!" T.K shouted with a growl.

No one could speak. They didn't know they had truly angered T.K. His eyes were lightened to an incredible ice blue, highlighted by their dark iris rings. They scared the digidestined.

"Maybe we should go…" Ken suggested.

The others agreed with hesitation.

"We'll see you after the ritual. Okay T.K?" said matt gently.

Sonya didn't move.

"I'll stay here." She said.

"You sure?" asked Armadillomon.,

Sonya nodded and looked back at T.K.

Matt shut the door.

"I never knew he was so angry about our choice. I thought he'd be happy to be rid of the pain." He said sadly.

"It may not be T.K. That may be his demon speaking out of turn." Said Page.

Matt nodded.

"Maybe you're right."

Davis opened Kari's door gingerly, wondering if she was as angry. Tai stood by the door, far from the Stone bench Kari sat upon.

"What's up Tai?" asked Davis.

"There's something wrong here. I just feel an evil presence. I can't tell if that's even Kari or not." Tai shuddered.

"What are you talking about, Tai? She's right there." Said Yolie.

The digimon made to walk into the room, but they all stopped. They backed away.

"I'M not going in there." Said Hawkmon.

"Why not?" asked Davis.

"It's evil. I just can't stand it." Said Veemon.

Armadillomon and Wormon shivered.

"Will someone see her?" asked Page.

Davis looked at Tai, then nodded. They walked in, leaving the digimon in the other room. The door was shut and the frigid air grew somehow colder.

It was as though dry ice occupied the room, the air was dry and frozen.

Kari sat in the bench wither head down like T.K. She too was restrained by her wrists, but her feet and neck were also chained.

"This is a dangerous one." said one of the guards, noticing the kids' faces. "She was in need of extra security once arriving. She's settled down for the most part, though."

Tai stepped in front of Kari and knelt to her eye level.

"Kari, are you alright?" he asked.

She didn't answer; her breathing was quiet, but pretty apparent. Heavy plumes of steam came from her lips and nostrils like smoke from an angry dragon.

Her hair covered her face, so the others couldn't tell her expression.

Gatomon walked daintily into the room and jumped onto the bench with Kari.

"Kari we're here for you. We wanted to let you know that this really is for the best. We'll be ready for you when you come out." She said shakily. The digidestined could tell she was frightened. Kari turned her head slowly and looked at her. Gatomon had to hold back a gasp of fright. Her eyes were no longer their sweet honey brown color, but bright ruby red. They were angry, but calm, her hair still covered part of her face. She held what seemed to Gatomon, the exterior of someone truly insane. Kari turned her head back to the ground, her face being covered once more. Gatomon was relieved to not have to see those eyes.

"Kari, we'll be there with you during the exoticism. You don't have to be afraid." Tai reassured.

"I've seen friends and family die. I have killed people and digimon, I have evaded Hell many times before. I'm not afraid of this." Came Kari's dull voice.

'Killed people?' Tai thought curiously. 'She couldn't mean…'

"It's time you left, children. This one's unstable, She may bite." Said Page.

"She may bite? You're talking like she's some wild animal!" said Tai, getting angry.

"Because she is. Until this ritual is done with, they are mere animals that need to be kept on a chain." Page argued.

There was a soft chuckle from Kari. Her shoulders shook slightly with the laugh.

"How utterly degrading." She muttered darkly.

Page and the others looked at her.

She lifted her head to face Page. Her hair hung darkly over her shoulders and she wore an ominous smile.

"Are you trying to coax me from hiding? Tell me Page, will it make you feel stronger? Will it make you feel good to know you upset a sleeping tiger?"

Pages face grew angrier.

"Does it bring you joy to see your son's murderer chained to the floor?" She finally slapped Kari across the face. A low growl came from Kari's throat and she lunged at Page. The Chains held her back, but only barely.

Page was fuming; panting and searing with hatred for the brunette before her.

"Karakin. You've killed so many dear to me. You took my parents, you took my brother, you took my son, and now you possess an innocent young girl. Who else will you send into grieving?" She seethed through gritted teeth.

"Innocent? Sweetheart, no human is ever born innocent. The blood on this girl's hands is her own." Said Karakin evilly.

"That's enough. When are you going to do this?" Tai asked Page.

"Soon." Page ushered the digidestined out the door.

"What did she do with Kari?" Tai questioned softly. "Where's my sister?" His eyes began to tear.

"It's okay, Tai. They'll fix everything. We just have to have faith. Okay?" Matt comforted.

Tai wiped his eyes and nodded.

"Come. Your friends are waiting for you." Said Page and led the digidestined up again through the stone hallways.

"Friends?" asked Davis. "Are the other original digidestined here?"

"They said they'd come and see us. They wanted to be here when the ritual took place." Said Matt.

The chill began to disappear and the stones became metal walls. They walked out into the sanctuary and through another door. This one led to a large, light filled room. Large windows with drawn, red drapery stood tall as the walls and lined the room. The carpet was red and bookshelves lined the walls beside the windows. A medium colored oak table sat in the center of the room, where the original digidestined sat. Electmon was with them, chatting happily about Primary village.

"Yes, the babies are all a blessing. It really brings light from the clouds." He laughed and turned to face the approaching group.

"Hey guys!" he greeted with a wide smile. "How is everything?"

"Terrible." Yolie sighed and the others agreed.

"Yeah, I heard about what happened and frankly I'm worried. I sure hope T.K comes through okay." Electmon looked away sadly, ears drooping.

Everyone was silent.

"I would like you children to relax. Our Mages are the very best; they certainly know what they are doing." Said Page gently.

"I still can't help but worry. What with everything that's been happening…." Tai trailed off.

'Could Kari really have killed Dad? And if she did, was it really her? Or was it Karakin? Why?' he thought.

"When we have finished, the two will need to rest. We will transport them to the Jyotsuna tribe and have them revitalized. In the meantime, we will meet with Hyperion and Jahari in the Grey forest. They have rallied their troops and we have a large army. I will include my mages and we'll march to Shadow's fortress. There, we'll take him down and destroy is reign." Page informed before turning to leave.

The doors opened and a guard came in, dragging Sonya behind him. She was struggling against his grasp.

"We are readying the boy for the ritual." He informed Page and left. Page nodded and followed. The doors shut and Sonya blinked at the heavy wood, rubbing her arm.

"Sonya, are you okay? What happened?" asked Matt. Davis was at her side, checking her arm.

"It was nothing. I did not want top leave T.K there, they made me leave. However, I got T.K to agree to the exorcism. He promised he will cooperate without argument." Said Sonya.

"That's great!" said Patamon happily.

"Sonya, were you able to talk to Kari?" asked Mimi."

Sonya shook her head, and then looked at the group at the table.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves to you yet." Izzy remembered and stood from his seat.

"My Name is Izzy, and this is my fried, Tentomon." He introduced. Sonya nodded shyly.

"My Name is Mimi, and this is my partner, Palmon." Said Mimi with a warm smile.

"I'm Sora and this is Biyomon." Sora introduced and indicated to the little pick bird.

"I'm sure you remember me from Kari's incident. I'm Jyou and this little guy's Gomamon." The web finned digimon waved and laughed, sending a chill to go through Sonya's spine.

"Did we really not introduce you guys?" asked Cody.

They shook their heads.

"Why, little lady! It's nice to see you again. I guess you finally met the other digidestined." Greeted Electmon.

Sonya nodded shyly.

"You've already met Sonya?" asked Davis.

"Yes, a while back. She was being chased by a Blood Harvester and wound up in Primary Village." Electmon answered.

The doors slammed open and everyone looked over to see who it was. They all gasped in shock.

Two Blood Harvesters and Two Nightwalkers paced into the room.

"Creatures! In the Sanctuary?!" Page shrieked.

"Humans? In WaterPaw Territory?" A Nightwalker chuckled. The nightwalker was very old; His muzzle was narrow and long and his skin was leathery. The fur on his body was tangled, matted, and gave generally human features to the creature. His brown leather belt carried a large oak hammer.

"Knox, you still have no sense of humor." Muttered the other softly. This one was healthier and younger. His body was built with muscles and covered with white fur. His mane flowed gently down his back and shoulders, and eyes shown a bright, bright blue color. He carried a white oak staff on his back.

"Hush, Nicoli." Knox growled.

"How did you get in here?" asked Ken.

"The doors are open to the public. Anyone can enter." Hissed a Blood Harvester on their right. The Blood Harvester was scrawny and tall. His Mane was large and his fur hung loosely over his body. He was covered with black and gold armor and carried a hand scythe on his hip.

"This is a holy place, you do not belong here! Get out!" Page shouted.

"We will, when we get what we came for." Snarled the other blood harvester. His mane was wild and blackened, as were his other features. He shook and twitched as though his muscles were trying to escape his body. He carried a spiked flail on his back.

"Xantar, Tact, calm down." Said Nicoli, seating himself in a chair beside the bookcases.

"What do you want here?" asked Gatomon.

"We're looking for Karakin." Said Xantar, the scrawny lion.

"And Tojima." Added Knox with crossed arms. "Lord Shadow requests their presence."

"Well you can tell Shadow he can take that request and shove it up his ass." Tai growled. "I'm not letting you take my little sister."

"So, You're the favorite of the mistress's host." Xantar purred with a smirk.

"And who is Takeru's?" asked Nicoli.

"How do you know T.K's name?" asked Matt.

"Bah! These human's go nowhere with their questions." Barked Knox. "We know everything about your brother, sonny. We know what life he's led and what his strengths and weaknesses are. There is little we do not know of."

"Bastard!" Matt lunged at the wolf, but was held back by Davis, Ken, and Cody. In the reaction, Knox produced his Hammer and stood ready to smash Matt's head in.

"You'll stay away from T.K." Matt growled. "If you know what's good for you, you won't come near either of them!" Tai added.

Davis and everyone else stood with the same angry and defensive expressions. Only Sonya sat quietly, watching the scene.

"Everyone, please. There is no need to fight. Not now." She said with a low voice.

"What are you saying Sonya?" questioned Yolie.

"These beasts are our enemy, young lady. Do not take them lightly." Said Page.

"These 'beasts' have yet to attack us. Do not justify your actions with pure hatred." Sonya answered and picked a book from the table.

"What is your name Lass?" asked Nicoli from his seat by the bookcase.

"Sonya." She answered.

Nicoli nodded.

"Shadow spoke of you as well. You are the twin sibling to Takeru?" he asked and Sonya nodded. Sonya felt nervous speaking with the wolf, but she also sensed calmness about him, taking some of the edge from her worries.

"Don't talk to her." Said Patamon, landing on Sonya's shoulder.

Tact smirked.

"You're a very rough-neck bunch, aren't you?" he asked, twitching his head roughly.

"Speak for yourself, Twitchy." Mimi retorted.

Tact and Xantar growled angrily while Knox laughed with showing teeth.

"What's the matter Kitties? Did the little girl hurt your feelings?" he snickered.

"These guys don't seem to get along at all…." Said Gabumon.

The others agreed.

Suddenly, several guards appeared at the door with weapons and shields.

"The Evil who dare trespass on this sacred ground will be sentenced immediately to death!" said one, readying to lunge at the creatures.

"Where have you been?" Page gritted her teeth. "Get them!"

The Guards attacked the creatures, breaking their group to fight. The Blood Harvesters produced their weapons and attacked the oncoming guards and the Nightwalkers lowered on all fours.

Nicoli and Knox dodged and leapt from the attacks, playfully knocking the weapons aside.

Tact and Xantar swung and pierced at the weapons being trusted at them. Xantar grabbed hold of one guard and dragged him across the room, slamming his head into the wall. Tact took his hand scythe and jammed the tip into another guard's sternum. He tore the blade up the guard's chest and ripped his rib cage open. Nicoli and Knox grabbed hold of two other guards and slammed their heads together.

Everything was over soon. The digidestined watched with shock as the creatures defeated the guards with skill and ease. Page was silent and horrified as she witnessed the slaughter. She dropped to her knee, but raised herself.

"Monsters, unwelcome by the Gods. You've spilt blood in this sacred-" she was soon cut off.

"Oh, Shut up. You Orenda are always going on about the Gods and how Sacred everything is. If you were really so great, you'd shut your traps and spread word of the Gods to even the lowest of creatures." Nicoli said sternly.

"Quiet yourself." Page hissed.

"No, quiet your own self." Knox snarled.

"We aren't leaving with out the Mistress." Growled Xantar.

"Nor the Master." Emphasized Nicoli.

Xantar and Tact then grinned and laughed. They removed a black vial from their chest plates and walked to the bodies they had slain and began to gather the blood into the vials.

Once filled, the glass of the vials started to glow a vibrant red and black.

"What is that?" asked Sora in a slight awe.

"They are called Blood Harvesters for a reason, dear." Said Nicoli. "They gather blood to revitalize their bodies and feed their young."

The digidestined shuddered. Sonya watched calmly, though her pulse sprinted through her body like a panic.

A short blond man appeared in the doorway and stepped back with a gasp.

"I'll call the Guards!" he began to run, but was stopped by Tact.

"Don't bother. They'll soon be dead, as will you." He growled and opened his jaws to swallow the man whole.

The digimon finally unfroze and ran at Tact.

"Blue Blaster!" "Pepper Breath!"

"Marching Fishes!" "Super Shocker!"

"Spiral Twister!" "Poison Ivy!"

"Boom Bubble!" "Lightning Paw!"

Several attacked at once, causing Tact to fall foreword with a roar.

The little man crawled backward, away from the creature.

"Kingsley, what is going on?" questioned a deep voice from the shadows of the doorway.

A man stepped out, startling most in the room. He was very tall and wore extravagant red clothes. His hair was black and long with a Top Hat over his head. He wore a meal bird mask and armor over his arms, that of which carried long sharp claws on each. A scripture was in his hand and a book in the other.

"Grand Doctor, I'm glad you are here." Said Page. "These creatures have defiled this temple with blood and curses. We must be rid of them!" Page informed.

"In due time." The man answered calmly. "I am here for the exorcism. Are the creatures ready?"

The Blood Harvesters and Nightwalkers stood quietly, as if waiting.

"Yes, the children are ready to be preformed on." Page said with hesitation.

"Very good. Digidestined. Come with me." He gestured and led away from the bloody room.

"Sir, who are you?" asked Ken.

"I am the Grand Doctor. The Temple Magus and Grand Exorcist of the Orenda." He answered.

"Are you absolutely sure that this will work? It won't hurt T.K or Kari any?" asked Tai.

"Young Man, I cannot be sure of anything, not with Demons. I was not informed of whom I am to exorcise. Who are the children I am purifying and which demons are to be removed?" inquired the Grand Doctor.

"My sister." Said Tai.

"And my Brother." Added Matt.

"Gennai said that Kari was possessed by a demon called Karakin. I'm not sure about T.K, but the Nightwalkers mentioned someone called Tojima." Said Davis. The Grand Doctor stopped and turned to face them.

"Digidestined. I want you to understand, that because of the danger these demons possess, there will be a great deal of pain in the performance. I doubt it will be enough to kill someone, but with the strength of these spirits, they may take care of it for us. I want you there to give your siblings support, so they will continue to hold on and not give up their souls." He said deeply.

They nodded. They walked several flights of spiral stair casers to the top of the Temple. The walls were now made of glass, making the city below them visible.

The room was lined with symbols of suns and moons. T.K and Kari were chained to the center of the room, heads bowed and leaned over.

Tai, Izzy, Jyou, Mimi, and Cody went to Kari while Matt, Sonya, Ken, Yolie, Davis, and Sora went to T.K.

"I want you to circle the room evenly and keep your hands spread in prayer. This is important to keep the spirit trapped in the room." The Grand Doctor instructed.

They nodded and stood around the room in a circle.

"Stay in prayer children, and hope for the best."

--

Nancy hesitated at the Kamiyas' door. She finally knocked and awaited an answer. Mrs. Kamiya answered with a smiling face, which disappeared when she saw her.

"Nancy, what are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice.

"I wanted someone to talk to…. Someone I could trust, you know?" Nancy said meekly.

Mrs. Kamiya blinked for a moment, then let the woman in.

"Nancy, tell me what happened." Said Mrs. Kamiya, sitting on the couch beside Nancy.

Nancy sighed.

"I don't know what went wrong, Sandie. After my husband left, I felt so depressed…. I had to get rid of the pain. I was introduced to some horrible things and I was pulled in so easily. For the first time in a long time, I felt good. I didn't want it to stop." She paused, feeling tears begin to well in her eyes.

"I felt as though T.K… was trying to pull me back down. I got angry and fought him. Every time, I thought he was against me. I never knew he was trying to pick up the pieces that I broke, our family. T.K was only trying to help me, why didn't he tell anyone?" she began to cry.

"Nancy, you're his mother. He couldn't have said anything because he still loved you. And I know he'll accept you again." Mrs. Kamiya comforted.

"No, that's it! Sonya is trying to keep me in the apartment because T.K wants to throw me out! He refuses to look at me, Speak to me, anything! I lost him, Sandie! What am I going to do? How can I ever make it up to him?!" Nancy sobbed.

"It's a tough sport that you're in, and one I don't know much about. I'm sorry I can't help you any further than that." Mrs. Kamiya answered quietly. Nancy leaned on the woman's should, begging for comfort. Mrs. Kamiya wrapped her arms around nancy and let her cry into her shoulder.

'T.K, will you learn to forgive your mother?' she thought.

This made her remember the event that took place earlier.

"Well then. Explain young lady." She said.

Kari raised her eyebrow.

"Explain what? My falling asleep at school?"

"That and everything else. Where have you been going at night? Why are you always gone?"

"Oy." Kari slapped her eyes and slid her hand down her face. "I'm exhausted, I'm stressed, I'm out thinking, I have a lot to think about, and you don't have to freak out like I'm out joining some religious cult." She explained, finding herself speaking harshly to her mother.

"Well what am I supposed to think?! With the people you hang around I wouldn't surprised!" Her mom yelled back.

"Well forgive me for not previously informing you of my fucked up school life! What have you heard on top of that? Hmm? What other pretty little rumors have you heard?" Kari sneered.

"Don't talk to me like that, Young lady." Her mom growled.

"Oh, but I'm not a young lady, remember? I'm a bratty sexually frustrated junkie!" Kari threw back.

"To your room at once!"

"Fine! 'Least I don't have to see your rotten face, fucking Gargoyle."

Her mother screeched as Kari slammed her door shut.

"Don't expect any grand treatment in that cave of yours! You Fucking brat!"

She was doing the same thing. She didn't even let Kari explain. Mrs. Kamiya felt dread and guilt wash over her own body and the tears formed in her eyes as well.

'Can Kari even forgive me?'

--

"Sheba! Darling, what are you waiting for?" asked Sorano as she approached the wolf. They stood in the brush outside the fortress of the Orenda city. Sheba crouched silently behind the brush.

"Tojima." She answered.

"Tojima, or the boy?" Sorano raised a brow. Sheba didn't answer.

"Sheba, you've grown attached to him, have you not? You truly care for the boy." Sorano smiled.

"The assignment given to me was simple: Convert the boy and do not let my emotions interfere. But, he is just so much like us. He is so much like Dalan." Sheba whispered.

"I know. He reminds me of my children as well. Perhaps he could help us. Help us repay the deaths of our children. I'm certain his heart will lead him to the right decision."

"What is right anymore? Fight Shadow and lose your land and family. Work for Shadow and lose everything else. Nothing to gain. Everything to lose. Why? Why do we even do this, Sorano?" Sheba looked up at the Nightwalker.

"I am uncertain. But I know that, with the help from the children, we may actually have a chance to revive the damage done to the worlds. That's what the digidestined are meant to be here for, are they not?" they looked back to the fortress, awaiting an event to bring the boy out.

--

The Grand Doctor stood in front of the T.K and Kari, three other robed figured stood around the room in a triangle.

The digidestined circled the room in prayer, hoping for the ritual to work.

"The herbs and symbols have been set into place. The demons before us, bound in the flesh of the innocents, stand tied to the holy pentacle." Said one of the robed men.

"The children of the Sun are gathered in prayer to the Holy Spirit. The Druids are centered on the Dark energy." Said another Man.

"The symbols of the Ancestors have been painted in the cursed blood. The spirits are aligned in the sanction. We shall proceed." Said the final man.

T.K and Kari sat with their heads bowed silently. T.K lolled up at Sonya every now and again, seemingly for comfort. Kari was still and refused to move. Religious symbols were painted in blood on their shoulders and all down their arms. The digidestined had protested having T.K and Kari cut up for this part of the ritual, but The Doctor had won either how. Now, the children all stood in dead worry, some second guessing the decision.

The Grand Doctor lifted his hands over T.K and Kari's heads and started chanting under his breath. The digidestined watched, wondering what would happen.

"Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless... Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless, ti commando! Viene! Ti commando! Viene! Viene! Viene, demonio, vienne!"

Nothing happened for a moment, then the other robed men began chanting with him.

"Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless... Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless, ti commando! Viene! Ti commando! Viene! Viene! Viene, demonio, vienne! Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless... Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless, ti commando! Viene! Ti commando! Viene! Viene! Viene, demonio, vienne!"

Each chant was either louder or quieter than the last.

They pulled out vials of water and Celtic crosses. Holding the crosses in front of them, they sprinkled the water in a pattern over T.K and Kari. Kari tensed at the touch of the water.

"Demon of Lies and Deceit. Demon of Fire and Brimstone. Demon of Guilt and Sorrow. Demon of Pride and Rage. Come forth. Speak to me, Speak and give us the answers we seek." Commanded the Grand Doctor in a deep voice.

There was silence.

He grunted and began chanting once more. "Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless... Per potere de cuesto circolo de Kayless, ti commando! Viene! Ti commando! Viene! Viene! Viene, demonio, vienne!"

T.K shook his head with a smirk.

"Tch, Ti Durak." He said quietly, making Kari snicker lightly.

"A moron, am I? You are Takeru, I presume? Speak. What is your relation with Tojima? Do you fear the Darkness?" asked The Grand Doctor.

T.K cracked his neck and turned away, not answering the question.

"T.K." Sonya whispered, urging him to answer. The Grand Doctor shot his head in her direction.

"Silence! You will speak when asked too!" he shouted, making Sonya jump.

T.K shot a glare at The Grand Doctor.

"Maybe someone should shut you up." He said.

The Grand Doctor ignored T.K and turned to Kari.

"As of you?" he asked darkly.

Kari turned her head slightly, then looked up at him with a light and pleasant grin.

"Why, Grand Doctor! How wonderful it is to see you again! Did you cut your hair?" she asked with fake enthusiasm.

"Still Brackish I see." He said lowly and resumed his chanting.

"Heh, Brackish my ass! I've been locked up in a fucking Sun jewel, I should be Thai Hot by now!" she grinned, looking around.

"What the Fuck kind of ritual is going on here? Some kind of Cult Mass? Look I know I'm the Devil and I know you all worship me, but really." She laughed once more, only more maniacally. The fact that she was tied to the floor in a pentagram didn't seem to bother her at all.

'This has to be the scariest thing I'd seen from Kari ever….' Thought Yolie.

Kari turned her head to the girl.

"You think this is scary? Just wait 'till they get to the killing part." She said with a grin.

The digidestined were startled by her action. Kari acted as though she had read Yolie's mind.

"You see, when they fail, they take their subject to a special butcher and slaughter 'em. Afterward, they feed them to the villagers and tell them stories of how they risked their lives to bring the meat to them from the mountains."

"You will silence yourself, Demon." Said one of the robed men.

"Piss off, monkey suit. I'm workin' here." Kari spat back, then returned her gaze to Yolie.

"Where do you think all the children go when they are bad? Where do you think your grandparents go to die? You think they really get stuffed underground or cremated? Ha! Think twice before opening your next package of meat, sweetheart!"

"I said silence yourself!" the robed man thrust his Celtic cross at her and splashed the water over her face. Her skin burned and steamed and she screamed out in pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Mother fucker! You're just asking to die!" her voice was darker and Godlier now.

"The Gods and Demons of the Heavens and of Hell; come to us and join our hands in this ceremony. Feast upon the souls of the one day deceased and burn out the blood of the cursed. Save these children from their fate and spare their spirits from this Devilish nightmare." The Grand Doctor chanted, spreading his arms as in greeting and looking to the sky.

"Yes, ask God to save you. That's going to get you somewhere." Muttered T.K.

Kari hissed and tried to rub the water off of her face in the floor.

"Man, I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch…." She growled under her breath.

The robed men each held out their crosses and a staff shot from the ends of each. In unison, they dropped the ends of the staffs to the stone floor, making an echoing clang. Everything became dead silent as the ring stopped. From the end of each staff, a twisting spiral of light appeared. They were bright and gently lifting from the stones of the floor to the tip of the staffs at the cross. The light filled the center of the crosses, then shot out at each other, creating a sort of barrier above T.K and Kari. The two looked u pat the light.

"Awe are you fucking serious?" Kari sighed.

The light continued to make a sort of cage around them, causing the two to become slightly jittery.

"I didn't sign for this." T.K said, trying to free himself from the cuffs on his wrists.

The extravagance of the cage began to allure the digidestined, hypnotizing them into awe.

"Children, be ready! We are about to draw the Demons!" the Grand Doctor warned. They snapped out of their daze and tried to focus on their prayers.

The whole suddenly became bright, making the digidestined to cover their eyes from the light.

Soon, the light dimmed and they returned their gaze to the center of the room. T.K and Kari sat on their knees, backs strait, and facing strait up to the sky.

To the digidestined, this was an enchanting and terrifying sight. Their skin glowed in a Godly manner, yet their eyes were milky white like that of a demon. The sight struck fear in their hearts.

They lowered their heads and closed their eyes, then, an invisible wind appeared, sweeping their hair and clothes all around them. The light appeared in the circle around them and shown under them, causing the invisible wind to shoot upward. This made T.K and Kari appear even more Demonic. The Robed men tapped the ends of their staffs on the floor once more and the two seemed to tense in pain. They lifted their heads and screamed out; making a demonic roar that pierced their ears.

T.K began biting and tearing at his bindings while Kari bent over on her elbows, biting her tongue and drawing blood to keep from screaming. She looked up with a cat-like growl, glaring at the digidestined.

T.K and Kari's Bodies then jerked upright and a flash of light burst from their eyes and mouths. The light formed separate spheres and levitated in the air. They shot out at the digidestined but bounced back continuously as if being blocked by a force-field.

The Digidestined watched in shock. Their prayers were working!

The lights re-entered the cage and it enclosed upon them, making a sphere around the balls of light. It split and the spheres turned to glass. The Grand Doctor took them in his hands and examined them.

"Their souls have been released. We may now begin their purification." He said.

The digidestined looked back at T.K and Kari, who were lying on the ground.

"Are they alright?" asked Mimi.

"They will be fine now. We no longer need you, you may leave until the ceremony is complete." Answered the Grand Doctor.

The digidestined filed out of the room hesitantly, wondering what was to become of their friends. Their bodies lay like broken dolls on the cold floor, causing a cold jerk in Sonya's heart.

'This is how it's supposed to go….' She thought as she turned away from the sight and shut the door.

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Okay, I'm not gonna lie to you... I scared myself in writing this chapter. No joke. All the ideas that ran in my mind for this chapter disturbed me into hiding under my sheets like a scared little girl. I was terrified of my window, bed, door, and closet the whole time I was writing this. I won't tell you what the scenes were, lest I scare anyone else, but I know I can Blame darkchick49 for giving me the material to make me shit myself! You jerk! But that's okay, it just made me sicker and now I have at least three alternate endings for the story now. (grins)

But seriously, It took me forever to do this chapter because I kept gettin g stcuk. Please review. (gives puppy dog eyes. YOU CAN'T RESIST THE PUPPIE DAWG EYEYYYYYYEEEEEEEEES!!)