5 months later-

Things went by as usual for the digidestined, a few random attacks by low-level villains, but no signs that Myotismon would ever return a fifth time. Kari had started wearing Tapirmon's holy ring as a bracelet everyday as a way to remember him. In fact, it became a trademark for her just like her camera, or at least to those who didn't know it's true meaning. Wizardmon and Gatomon had become a couple and were so inseparable that their friends started referring to the two of them as Wizgato sometimes. Seeing how happy her partner was encouraged Kari to finally work up enough nerve to ask T.K. out and they've been together for nearly two months. Yolei and Ken, who had been together the whole time, allegedly, started acting more like boyfriend and girlfriend than they had been before.

But not everyone was having good experiences with romance.

Davis and Veemon were clearly depressed by the fact their dream-girls had hooked up with other guys, but after a week of moping, they both found new girls to stalk. And speaking of stalking, Matt still had to deal with Davis's crazy fan-girl sister, Jun, who was still after him. Tai was still trying to figure out whether or not he liked Sora in that respect and she was still waiting for him to make a move.

Everyone else decided their was enough going on, romance-wise, with the digidestined and chose to stay out of that business for a little while longer, until things calmed down.

Kari had decided to take a quiet stroll around park one day. She'd gone by herself because she needed sometime to think and reflect on things. Namely, the digimon whose rind her wore about her wrist. Wizardmon and Gatomon had assured her he'd come back soon, but five months had already passed, not quite her opinion of soon.

She sighed and looked up into the clouds. For a brief second she almost saw the puffs of condensed water form themselves into the shape of a Tapirmon, but the wind scattered the image almost as soon as it had created it. She shook her head, telling herself her mind had been playing tricks on her.

Then Kari heard a sound in the distance, so soft she had to strain her ears to hear it. It sounded like crying. She followed the noise until she came a across a small girl huddled up under a tree, her face buried in her knees and crying her eyes out.

Kari frowned, feeling sorry for the poor child. "Are you okay?" she softly asked.

Her head shot up and she stared at Kari, her hazel eyes blood-shot from crying. She had black hair that reached down to her shoulders that was curled slightly at the bottom.

"K-kari?" she sniffled, voice hoarse. Kari recognized her once she saw the girls face. She was a 10-year-old who lived in the same building as her, but two floors below.

"Noiko, what happened? Are you alright?" Kari asked, now more concerned because this child was a friend of hers.

She sniffed and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "I'm sniff f-fine, it's- it's just..." Noiko trailed off and began to sob into her jeans again. Kari pulled out a handkerchief she had in her backpack and handed it to her. Noiko took it and wiped away her tears again.

She sat down, facing the girl. "Now what's wrong with you? You're normally not one to cry."

She blew her nose into the tissue before answering. "All my fr-friends have digimon partners and for some reason I g-got left out. Now they keep t-teasing me about it, saying I'm not w-w-worthy to have a digimon of my own." She had started sniffling again and kari got her another tissue from her bag. "Thanks."

"Don't feel bad Noiko, I'm sure you're not the only one without a digimon."

"But I don't know any of those people!" she cried, burying her head again. Kari sighed and pat the small child on the back a few times to comfort her. Eventually she lifted her head again and looked at Kari with her teary eyes. Kari took the handkerchief from her and wiped away a few lingering tears.

"Don't worry, you probably just haven't met you're partner yet. I was sick so I had to stay home while all the other digidestined first went to the digital world and met their partners. So while all of them were out having adventures, I was stuck at home with a cold. Then I still had to wait even after they came back." Noiko crossed her arms and pouted, obviously not convinced.

"At least you have your partner. And the others didn't tease you about not having one."

"That's because hey didn't know I was supposed to have one."

"Exactly! But now everyone has a digimon, and I've still been left out." She leaned her chin down on her knees, face still visible. Kari sighed, not sure of what else se could do to help her friend feel better about her predicament. She pushed her weigh forward onto her arms, staring downward at the grass they were seated upon. The gold of the holy ring sparkled in the sunlight, almost as if it was winking at her.

It gave Kari an idea.

She sat back up straight up and reached for her wrist, sliding the ring off of it and into her palm. Noiko lifted her head up to see what she was doing.

"This," Kari said, holding the ring up, "belonged to a very nice digimon I came to call 'friend' in the short time I knew him. He died in battle saving us from a powerful enemy and now this is all that's left of him."

"I thought digimon were reborn when they died."

"There are, usually, but this particular foe has a tendency for keeping that from happening."

"Okay. Why are you telling me this?" Noiko asked, eyebrow raised slightly."

Kari sighed. "This ring gives me hope that things will turn out the way they're supposed to and that he'll return someday, so I'm giving it to you. Maybe it'll give you the same hope that you'll someday find your partner."

She placed in Noiki's hands and the instant the ring left Kari's hands, it began to change shape into a golden digiegg with the runes imprinted on the ring circling the middle.

"Kari," she asked, eyes staring in disbelief of what she held in her hands. "Is this what I think it is?"

"I told you you hadn't met your partner yet," she answered, getting up and walking away with a smile on her face. "I guess you two were right after all," she sad to herself, not caring who heard her. Kari glanced over her shoulder at Noiki, who was spinning around excitedly, clutching her digiegg close to her body.

Her smile grew. It couldn't have happened to a nicer pair.

The End