"Let's see…the only things perhaps more important to us than our brothers could be our parents…the rest of the Digidestined…our Digimon, and…" He pause and snapped his fingers in excitement, a triumphant smile on his face. "I think I've got it!"
"Really? That was fast. Well, what is it?" Izzy inquired. T.K. turned to him.
"Our crests!" Everyone gave him odd glances. "Don't you see? Our crests are the closest things to us because they represent the strongest traits we've been blessed to have! So…in order to bring Kari back…she and I have to give up our crests." He smiled sadly at the thought of giving up one of his most prized possessions from his first trip to the Digital World, but he would do anything to get Kari back, no matter what it took.
"Oh, I see it now! That's great, T.K.!"
"Thanks, Cody. Now the question is, how do we do what Gennai instructed?"
"Good question. I'll email him and see if he can tell us anything." Izzy said, and thus began typing away again.
"But, Izzy, he said we have to do this on our own. He made it sound like he either wouldn't, or couldn't, help us."
"Why wouldn't he help?" The computer genius peeked out from behind his laptop.
"I don't have the faintest idea. Maybe he wants to test us?"
"But he knows how strong we are. I don't think he would test us like this. I mean, come on. This is a life and death situation here!" Sora pointed out, and everyone nodded.
"Perhaps…perhaps he can't help us because he doesn't want to risk that secret place; it is the only place Kari can stay safe, after all. Maybe he just wants to be careful. He wants to help Kari just as much as we all do, I know it."
"You're probably right, T.K. Since when are so good with puzzles like this?" Mimi asked, and the boy turned red.
"Uh…well, I…." He tried to make the words form at his lips, but couldn't bring himself to do so, even when he knew the answer. He was just too embarrassed.
"It's a guy thing. You girls wouldn't understand." Matt put forth, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders and smirked at the girls mockingly. They huffed, and then the room filled with laughter. T.K. looked up at the fifteen-year-old and grinned, silently thanking him for the save. He nodded.
"No need for thanks. I know you're only so clever right now because it's Kari that's at stake. Don't worry, buddy; I've got your back."
"Thanks." The twelve-year-old smiled admiringly at his brother, and then sighed as he looked at the girl again. He crept over and took his seat beside her, caressing her hand sweetly to let her know he was right there with her. "I'll find a way, Kari. I promise you I will. I need you here with me, and the others do too. They can't afford for me to let you down right now, and neither can I. I couldn't live with myself if I let you stay this way." He moved a strand of dark brown hair from her face, and gently put it behind her
ear, looking at the place on her chest where her crest would be located as it hung in its tag. "I can do it. I know I can. I'm not going to give up now, not ever. Not when it's you on the line." Abruptly, the room filled with a burst of brilliant light, and the boy screamed in shock as he realized it had come from his crest. He looked down as the necklace began to levitate from his chest, and he watched as his Crest of Hope removed itself from its tag. He hurriedly peered to see Kari's doing the same, and the entire room was stunned into silence at what was heard next.
"You're doing it, T.K.!" A young voice called out excitedly, and tears of amazement, disbelief, and joy plummeted from the faces in the room.
"Look, you guys!" Yolei commanded as she pointed upward; everyone peered in the intended direction and shrieked in more bliss than any known to man. Above them, replacing the ceiling was a golden place of flowing clouds, and hovering in the middle of it all was Kari, her dress stained gold from the sunbeams, her skin appearing tanned. The Kamiyas stared at their daughter and sister with tear-drenched eyes, relieved, beyond happy smiles on their faces.
"Kari…" Tai sighed, and didn't dare wipe his eyes as tears poured from them by the rain cloud, glad that his sister was safe and sound in the place they trusted most, in the care of someone of the same category. She smiled tenderly at him and their parents, and then looked to the rest of them as well, her gaze halting on T.K.
"You're doing it, T.K."
"Doing what? What am I doing?"
"You're…you're releasing me, T.K. You're saving me."
"You mean, I'm…" He asked, and pointed to himself subconsciously, his eyes widening. She nodded.
"You're bringing me back."