Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, and I do not own Heroes of Olympus. I do not own them, Sam I am.

Author's Note: Written for the Novel with Prompts Challenge found on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges forum. The prompt for this chapter is "brother".

A good friend of mine over on the Digital Connections forum named AspiringWriterGirl has a story in progress called "The Tangled Web". If you are not currently reading it, you should check it out. Even better, if like creating OCs, she is currently accepting OC characters on the Digital Connections forum (found on this site) under a topic called, "Calling all budding fanfictioners". So, that's an extra incentive for you! And just a reminder, since we're on the subject, all review replies and whatnot can be found on my personal topic - also on the Digital Connections forum - under the title: "Blurring Boundaries: And so it begins..."

Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Kari didn't relax until the glow of Baihumon's city faded behind them.

With Halsemon flying so close, Kari was able to hear Ken as he spoke to Yolei: "You were amazing."

"I only got Makuramon to let us land," she said, practically beaming despite her sudden humbleness. "It wasn't so amazing."

"We would have never gotten in without you, Yolei." His cheeks tinted red in a blush. "You were incredible."

Seeing the exchange would have usually made Kari's day. She knew how much her best friend's crush on Ken had grown over the past few years and how much his compliments probably meant to her, but all she could think about was the trouble ahead. Many evil things are stirring, Makuramon had warned them. She knew that firsthand. The closer they got to the solstice, the less time Kari had to make her decision.

Davis passed out some onigiri from his pack. He'd been quiet ever since they'd told him what happened in Baihumon's chambers. "From the sounds of it, you and Gatomon were pretty awesome too, Kari," he said.

"I just wanted to wipe that smirk off of Caturamon's face," Nefertimon said. "He knew how to get under my skin."

Kari managed a smile, but it wasn't nearly as strong as she would have liked. She was stuck on the way Baihumon had suddenly grown fearful, and why he'd let them go. It had something to do with Takato's past, and that digivice now called the D-Power. He had called Takato a tamer, just like the prophecy, like the distinction was important. She kept waiting for Takato to offer an explanation, but he clearly didn't want to talk about it – or maybe he didn't know how to talk about it.

Until now, Kari had been able to push aside her feelings that Takato didn't belong with them. Obviously he was a digidestined. Of course he belonged. But now… what if he was something else? What if he really was an enemy? She couldn't stand to think on that idea any more than she could stand to dwell on TK's absence.

She looked over her shoulder at Davis so that he could see her second attempt at a smile. He hadn't said much about his time at Baihumon's steel fortress or about the new knowledge of the Digiegg of Friendship being the one that was used to birth Thunderbirmon. Kari got the feeling that despite his confession earlier, he was still hiding something. Whatever it was, his mood seemed to be mirrored by Veemon, who was grumbling about getting revenge ever since they had broken the news. The usually happy duo were not so happy.

They ate their onigiri as they flew. Nobody talked. Whatever they might find in Circuit, they all knew Baihumon had only let them go for one of two reasons: either the world depended on them or it didn't matter, because they were on a suicide mission.

The moon rose and stars appeared overhead. Kari's eyes started to feel heavy. The encounter with Baihumon and his Devas had scared her more than she wanted to admit. Now that she had a full stomach, her adrenaline was fading.

And yet, her mind still raced. Kari had been thinking about Elecmon ever since Baihumon had mentioned he was still alive. He was at the mercy of some captive because of whatever was going on, and she had a strong compulsion to save him. It was what TK would want.

Don't get ahead of yourself there, Kari, she chided. You've got bigger problems.

She was walking a fine line between friend and traitor, and it was only a matter of time before the others found out.

She looked up at the stars and thought about a night long ago when she and TK had camped out in the Digital World. It was during her first trip shortly after defeating Puppetmon, and though it hadn't been the best so far, she had quickly grown fond of this world and everything it had to offer.

Tai, Sora, and Izzy slept just a few feet away with their digimon, but she and TK were having a hard time going to sleep even though it was way past both of their bedtimes. Well, she probably could have slept just fine, but she wanted to stay up with TK to give him a little support. Earlier that afternoon, Matt had shown back up to save them from Puppetmon right in the nick of time before walking out again. TK was trying to be strong for the group, but she knew that it was really upsetting him.

So, they laid there by the fire made by Agumon and listened to the insects in the trees. TK would point out stars that he was pretty sure looked different than the last time he was here, and Kari refrained from pointing out that the stars probably didn't change even if the land did.

Patamon was curled up by TK's head pretending to be asleep, but every so often, Kari would catch him with one eye open as he checked on TK. Gatomon was curled up to her side, and she was grateful for having such vigilant digimon watching over them. And she was grateful that Tai was still around, too. She wasn't sure what she would do if her brother just picked up and left. She'd be so scared that she would probably cry, but TK was taking all of this so calmly. Maybe that was the scariest part of all.

TK dropped his hand. "They don't really look like the stars from back home, do they?"

"What do you mean?" Kari asked.

"Well, the way they're laid out. Back home, right about there," he pointed at a specific point in the sky, "is where Orion's belt should be, but it's not there."

Patamon perked up. "You have a belt in the sky?"

Kari giggled. "It's just a collection of stars that look like a belt. Mom calls it the belt of a drum."

"That's what Matt called it, too…"

They sat for a while, until Kari got the nerve to ask a question that had been bugging her. "Why do you think Matt left again?"

When Matt had left the first time, Kari had sort of understood in a vague way. He had needed a little bit of time to sort things out after his fight with Tai. She hadn't been mad at Matt or anything, but she figured he might have been a little embarrassed or maybe even still a little angry even if he didn't want to fight anymore. But when he returned, saving them all, she had hoped for a second that everything would turn out okay. He would join back up with them, and they would be able to bring the group back together. But that wasn't what happened.

TK frowned. "I think… Matt just has some stuff to figure out."

"Like what?"

"I think he really wants to be friends with Tai," he said, "but he's also really jealous of him. He doesn't have any reason to be, and I think he needs to realize that so that he can stop being such a brat."

"TK!" Patamon admonished.

"What?" TK huffed. "It's what he's being! A big ol' brat…"

Kari looked up at the stars, knowing that TK didn't really mean it. He was just upset and hurt, but he did have a point. Tai and Matt seemed to trust each other a lot, but they also seemed to fight a lot too. She wondered if the jealousy went both ways, but she couldn't imagine Tai being jealous of anyone. His head was a bit too big for that.

"At least you know it has nothing to do with you," she said. "Right?"

TK rubbed at his face, making his voice a bit muffled when he spoke, "Yeah, I know. But he still shouldn't have left me behind."

"But he wanted to be alone to figure stuff out. That's what you said."

"He could've figured stuff out with me," TK pouted.

Kari blinked, shaking herself out of the memory. She realized she'd been falling asleep on Nefertimon's back. Wherever TK was, she knew that he hadn't left willingly. There was no way, not with how upset he was after Matt disappeared on them. The idea that he was all alone out there somewhere with only Patamon for company (and that was if he was lucky) was tearing her apart. But living this lie wasn't helping.

She just wanted to pretend for a little while longer. She could dream of finding her boyfriend without betraying the rest of her friends – even if right now a happy ending seemed about as likely as Gatomon becoming best friends with Caturamon.

She leaned back against Davis's warm chest. He didn't complain. As soon as she closed her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.

x X x

In her dream, she was back on the mountaintop. The ghostly purple bonfire cast shadows across the trees. Kari's eyes stung from smoke, and the ground was so hot, the soles of her tennis shoes felt sticky.

A voice from the dark rumbled, "You are wavering, Child of Light."

Kari couldn't see him, but it was definitely her least favorite demon – the one who called himself Barbamon. She looked around for any sign of TK, but the pole where he'd been chained was no longer there.

"Where is he?" she demanded. "What have you done with him?"

The demon's laugh was like lava hissing up from eternal hell. "So interested in your little Child of Hope when you should probably be more concerned about your own kin…"

Kari felt her heart grow cold. "What… what are you talking about?"

"I brought you a gift," he chuckled.

A body was thrown out of the shadows and tumbled across the ground, coming to a stop at her feet. She screamed. It was Tai. For a terrifying second, she thought he was dead, and then she saw the brief rise and fall of his chest that signaled breathing. She sobbed and tried to reach for him, but the ground opened up beneath him, and he fell into the darkness.

"Let him go!" she screamed. "Let them both go! Take me instead! Please!"

"What would be the fun in that?" the demon said. "If your loyalties to me hadn't been wavering, I wouldn't have had to resort to this. Now, two lives hang in the balance. If you value your brother's life at all, you must come to me. Who's more important – your brother, or a digital entity who has been known to keep things from all of you until it is convenient to finally clue you in? What is Gennai to you?"

Kari began to tremble. So much anger and fear boiled inside her, she could hardly talk. "You're asking me to betray my friends."

"Your friends are destined to die. This journey is impossible. Even if you succeed in rescuing Gennai, the danger will be long from over. In the end, destruction is imminent. The only question now – will you die with your friends, or live with your brother?"

The bonfire roared. Kari tried to step back, but her feet were heavy. She realized the ground was pulling her down, clinging to her tennis shoes like wet sand. When she looked up, a shower of purple sparks had spread across the sky that slowly formed into an image against the night: a map of the Digital World. Along the southeastern edge of Folder, an 'X' started to form and glow brightly in a look at me! fashion. She realized what she was seeing.

"Why are you showing me this?" Kari asked. "You're telling me right where you are."

"Lead your friends here instead of their true destination, and I will deal with them," the demon said. "Or even better, arrange their deaths before you arrive. I don't care which. Just be at my summit by noon on the solstice, and you may collect the Child of Courage and go in peace."

"And TK?" Kari whispered.

"Yes, yes," the demon said impatiently. "Him as well."

"I can't," Kari sobbed. "You can't ask me—"

"To choose your brother over a few friends you have only known a few years? To give up a new friend who you don't even fully trust? Is that more important than your brother or the boy you love?"

"I'll find a way to defeat you," Kari promised. "I'll save them all. Somehow. I will!"

The demon growled in the shadows. "I was once proud, too. I thought I could never be beaten, that greed would always conquer all. Then the light defeated me, hurled me into the Dark World where I was left to rot for eons, resisting the urge to be reconfigured so that I would never be reborn into your wretched light. Now, I've clawed my way back with the help of the waking earth. I am only the first. My brethren will follow. The world shall succumb to darkness. And you, Kari Kamiya, need a lesson in humility. I'll show you how easily your Light can be extinguished!"

The dream dissolved. And Kari woke up screaming, free-falling through the air.