Hey all, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait, but yeah, I think daily updating is out of the question now. I didn't even get to read this three or four times over like I usually do.

Reminder: I don't own Digimon. Only this plotline.

The Dark Area

For Matt, it could have been just like any other day, waking up early to the sound of his father getting ready for work. The man was always noisy in the mornings, and the son would rather get up and make some kind of breakfast instead of attempting to go back to sleep. The first thing that made this particular day different was that Matt did neither. He stayed in his room for a half hour, his mind already too busy to sleep, but not focused enough to cook omelettes, even if there were any eggs left. It had been TK's first night alone in the Dark World, and Matt was understandably fearful for his younger brother. He hadn't told his father. There was no need to. Hiroaki Ishida never really got any news from his family until everything had nearly blown over. Matt thought that would be for the best in a situation like this. No need to have his parents worry over something they were powerless to help.

Matt's thoughts wandered to Tai, who, on the other hand, actually lived with the sibling that was missing. He would wake up, the first thought in his mind undoubtedly about Kari, lost somewhere in the world of darkness. She wouldn't be there in the morning, waking up bright and early, which Tai always complained to Matt about. She wouldn't be there to wake him up and bother him until he got out of bed. No doubt today would be the first day he would miss her doing that.

It was Wednesday, and the kids spent a pretty uneventful time at school. Of course, even if anything did happen, it went unnoticed being that the children's minds were too preoccupied to care. Only one thing was worth thinking about.

As soon as they were released in the afternoon, the children hurried to group up for the next trip to the DigiWorld. This time around, the older kids didn't even take the time to get out of their high school uniforms. Matt was one of the first of the original group to make it to the computer lab, though Davis, Cody, and Yolei were already there and waiting. A fourth person, however, had also paid a visit that Matt wasn't expecting.

"Joe?"

The blue-haired boy looked up from where he was talking to Cody. "Hey, Matt. Izzy told me what's going on. It's actually pretty good timing, since the quarter just ended and all the tests are in. And besides, Gomamon was probably bored out of his mind last time."

"That's why we didn't invite him," Matt replied, imagining what mischief Gomamon might have gotten into while sitting on the sidelines. Joe chuckled, probably thinking of the same thing.

Izzy's voice came from behind Matt, "Well, he's coming this time, Joe."

"Thanks for the email Izzy. Honestly, I would rather see Gomamon than get ahead on this week's homework." Joe said as Izzy walked over to the computer to prepare the gate for the trip. Sora had arrived just behind him.

"Dude, you need to lighten up on school," Davis said to Joe.

Yolei replied instead. "There's a reason he's going to college and not you."

"What?"

"I'm here!" Tai interrupted. He paused to look over the group, expecting to be the last. He frowned. "Where's Ken?"

His question was followed with uneasy glances from all the other teenagers. Izzy had an email up immediately, sending a message to the boy in question. Only two minutes passed before impatience took over.

"Man!" Davis exclaimed. "People have got to stop disappearing!"

A ring from his phone interrupted what would have been a further string of complaints. He answered it promptly. "Yeah? …oh, hello Mrs Ichijouji…" Davis paused to shoot the others a desperate look. Matt mouthed something to him, understanding the situation. The younger boy nodded, regaining his confidence. "Yeah, he spent the night at my house…he didn't tell you? …well, we had a sleepover with some other friends…yeah, last minute. Everything's cool, we're all spending the day hanging out some more so he probably won't be home until later. Maybe even spend another night…uh, his phone's out of battery…he's in the bathroom now…right. Bye Mrs Ichijouji!"

Davis slapped his phone shut and rubbed his forehead as if he had just done a great deal of quick, but hard thinking. Matt chuckled. "You're a good liar, Davis."

The younger boy dropped his hand from his face and glanced up with a cocky look. Matt frowned and murmured quickly, "That's not a compliment," just before Izzy addressed the whole group.

"Alright, so before we go searching the whole of two worlds over, is there a possibility he was taken to the Dark World like the other two? I wouldn't be surprised."

Yolei answered. "If he's really disappeared, that would be the only place he would disappear to."

"Right, so we have the same job today. Dig."

Upamon's voice came, apparently expressing the feeling of all the digimon. "Well, let's get to it!"

"Digiport open!" Yolei announced. Izzy had already set their location to the gate nearest the crater they had dug. The older kids' digimon were there and waiting and it wasn't long before digivolution was underway. Digmon was the first to resume the process as he began a new tunnel in the ground.

As usual, there were those in the group that got edgy when sitting around doing nothing, namely Davis. Ten minutes managed to drag by before he pulled himself to his feet and began climbing the nearest dune with Veemon in tow.

"Oh, what now?" Yolei grumbled. Sora put a hand on the younger girl's arm.

"Let's find out."

The two walked up to the top of the dune and stood on either side of the goggle-head, their partners with them. With the addition of Zudomon to their forces, Garudamon could afford walking out and dedigivolving. Biyomon and Hawkmon, along with Gatomon, were standing there with them.

Davis was gazing at the holes that WarGreymon had blown in the ground only the day before. The three began walking towards the small craters thoughtfully, all undoubtedly wondering how to possibly get to Kari and the two boys. For Sora and Yolei, their question was answered in a way they least liked. The ground opened up.

Yolei was the first to go under, the cloud of darkness enveloping her and stifling her. She could barely make a muffled groan as she began to fall. Davis dove forward, trying to grab a flailing arm, but hit only dirt. He scooped armfuls of sand aside, with Veemon digivolving. Hawkmon had gone down with Yolei.

And then Sora let out a cry behind them. Davis spun to see more of the inky black bursting out of the ground and wrapping around her, drawing her under. It happened too fast for him to react, but he held a little relief in the fact that both Biyomon and Gatomon had got a hold of her and went down with her.

For several moments he stayed there, kneeling in the sand in disbelief. He punched the ground in frustration. How were they supposed to save TK when everyone else was disappearing? They were being picked off one by one.

Tai's voice came from over the ridge, "Hey! Guys! We're through!"

The older kid's head poked into view over the crest of the dune. His eyes grew wide when he saw Davis kneeling there alone. Tai sprinted over.

"What happened?"

Davis was aware he probably looked just as shaken up as Sora was when Kari was taken. It sort of embarrassed him, but he answered anyway as best he could. "The darkness got them too."

Tai's mouth dropped as he realized how small their group was becoming. He shook his head in frustration. "Man, if we hadn't already gotten to the Dark Area, I'd say we just sit around and wait for it." He helped Davis to his feet. "Well, come on, it's time we all get in."

The group had gathered as soon as Digmon announced that he found the Dark Area. The remaining Digidestined mounted their partners after digivolving to their strongest levels, and set off as a group to the darkness at the bottom of the huge crater. Matt frowned from where he sat atop MetalGarurumon. The environment down there looked familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on it quite yet.

The Dark Area and the DigiWorld's crust were separated by an empty, black void. Nothing was there except swirling darkness. As the group descended into the space, it dawned on Matt. This was where they fought Apocalymon. The other older kids seemed to recognize it too, but Tai apparently disregarded the thought and pointed downward.

"Is that it?"

Everyone gazed at the deep purple sphere that was the Dark Area. It almost seemed alive and moving, the darkness that it was composed of writhing and swirling on the surface. It sure made Matt feel uneasy, but as he looked around at the others as they began their approach, he realized it may not have been for the same reason. The rest of the group just felt evil coming from the place, but he felt more than that. A foreboding. A fear, almost. He found himself falling towards the rear of the group.

Tai announced the charge, "We're going in!"

WarGreymon dove headfirst for the dark sphere, but was stopped abruptly by some sort of barrier.

"What's going on?" Davis asked.

"Not sure," the older boy replied. "WarGreymon, try and break through."

Everyone backed away as the mega prepared his attack. "Terra Force!"

The cloud of smoke cleared with no signs of damage to the barrier. Tai cried out in frustration, and then ordered. "Everyone! Attack now!"

It proved to be in vain. The darkness was successfully holding them off. Matt's heart fell at the realization. MetalGarurumon had brought him up to the Dark Area's swirling surface, and Matt slid off his digimon. Hovering in the void, he reached out and put a fist on the dark barrier. If only he could get past this. It was the last thing between him and saving his brother. He pounded his fists on the hard surface.

Something chilled him again about the place. The ominous feeling was back, stronger than before. Matt frowned as his fists began to grow cold from where he had them on the barrier. Before he could pull them back, however, his hands slipped past the surface. His heart picked up the pace. He was getting through.

He hadn't realized it, but his hands weren't simply falling through, they were being pulled through. The fact didn't hit Matt until a hole of darkness exploded right in his face. He took a sharp breath and let out a cry as he felt a cold cloud of black brush past him and surround him. Chills ran up his arms, which he quickly realized were dark tendrils winding tight around his limbs. He was being dragged in, each passing second bringing another coil to hold him and bind him.

Matt heard his partner's yell behind him, and then felt something grab his collar, holding him back. A tug of war ensued between the mega digimon and the cloudy blackness, fighting over the boy within. It ended with what seemed to be a massive smoky claw appearing out of the depths of the Dark Area. It snatched the human and his digimon in one grasp and drew them behind the barrier.

The others were left staring in disbelief.

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More to come