Hello again! I have been trying to write up a few chapters at a time, instead of one at a time, so that I can adjust chapters to my ideas, rather than having to adjust my ideas to chapters I already posted. I want to keep consistent. This way just feels less restricting. I hope everyone is keeping themselves home and safe during this time. 3
There is a lot of time skipping in this chapter. We start with being 2 weeks past T.K. initially ran away to the digital world. And then we skip another week. And another. So, by the time this chapter ends, we are roughly a month past the beginning of T.K.'s disappearance into the digital world.
Trigger Warning - Self Harm - Not Graphic.
Please enjoy and review please! 3
Matt grumbled as he tore through his kitchen angrily, ignoring Tai and Sora who sat in his living room explaining the situation to a very late Joe. He had been so preoccupied and too busy to respond to any of their calls or messages until two days ago and had only been able to come and get the full story just today. T.K. had been gone for two weeks now.
It was driving him insane. He acknowledged that what Tai had hypothesized was probably all true. That T.K. was doing this all for a reason that likely was not only to protect them, but even himself. But it still didn't sit well with him. It was miserable sitting around not looking for his brother. But the thought of coming face to face with him after what he'd said to him over the phone, it paralyzed him. It was the main thing keeping him from tearing the digital world to pieces. Not that he wanted to put T.K. in any unnecessary danger, but he if he could just find him, he'd keep him safe no matter what—but the thought that T.K. actually felt those things he said, if he believed that Matt actually resented him.
Matt hadn't realized someone had said his name until they yelled, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back from the stovetop, barely avoiding the boiling over water from burning his hand.
"Damn it, pay attention to what you're doing!" Tai shoved him back away from the stove and turned the heat down, stirring the contents of the various pots and pans as they gurgled with the threat of burning.
"Tai…" Matt grimaced as his friend calmed the kitchen from his obvious spacing.
Tai ignored him and looked at the food in front of him. "Are you cooking a 10 course meal or something? We have enough left over from the last few days of your stress cooking, to feed us all for a month."
Matt leaned against the opposite counter, near the sink, gripping the edges with his shaking hands. "Shut up."
Tai ignored Matt again. "This wouldn't be a problem if you'd stop filling his apartment with fresh ingredients, Sora."
Sora was walking over to Matt, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tai's right. If you keep cooking, it's all going to go to waste or Tai is going to get fat trying not to let all this delicious food go bad.
"I ordered so much damn take out…" Matt spoke quietly, between clenched teeth. "Or tossed money at him to get himself something to eat because I was going to be out with you or the band…"
Joe's voice cut through as both Tai and Sora seemed at a loss for words. "I highly doubt T.K. said or did any of those things with this detail in mind. While I think your cooking is quite good, I wouldn't be throwing away every meaningful relationship I'd acquired because I was mad my brother didn't make more home-cooked meals for me."
"That's not what I meant. It's everything. I've known something was off with him and just ignored it. I thought he'd come to me when he was ready, but…!"
Joe sighed and adjusted his glasses, leaning next to Matt. "T.K. has always been very open and honest. But, it's not a secret that he doesn't like for people to worry over him. If he can avoid making a burden for someone, especially someone close to him, he'd rather bear it alone."
"That doesn't make it okay!" Matt yelled, slamming his fist on the counter as he turned to face Joe.
Joe didn't flinch, just looked over at Matt sadly. "I know, it doesn't. But if we're going to help him, first we need to understand that T.K. didn't just up and decide to do this on a whim and it also wasn't because his friends weren't there for him or that his older brother spent too much time at band practice or with his girlfriend and didn't cook enough home made meals."
Matt felt tears pricking at his eyes, and he turned his gaze at the floor. Sora nudged him. "He's right, you know."
Tai's annoyed voice cut through the tension. "Yeah, now come finish cooking before I botch it. I don't know if I inherited my mom's cooking skills or not. Been too afraid to test it." Sora rolled her eyes.
"You already ruined half of it by turning the heat down on two of them…" Matt almost laughed, walking over and shoving Tai out of his way.
"Well," Joe started, pushing away from the counter. "As much as I'd love to stay for lunch, I have to get going. Keep me up to date with any news. Alright?"
Sora nodded. "We will."
"I'll walk you out." Tai turned and walked with Joe to the door.
Tai looked deflated and tired, despite trying to be in good spirits in front of Matt. Joe finished putting his shoes on and asked quietly. "How are you doing?"
Tai seemed taken aback by the question. It wasn't his little brother that was off in the digital world, facing whatever new dangers all alone. "I'm fine."
Joe gave Tai a sad smile. "I know that you care about T.K. a lot. And I did hear you and Kari are at odds with the decision to not pursue him, for now. That can't be helping things."
Tai shifted his gaze away from Joe and rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, T.K.'s kind of like a little brother to me too, but that kind of goes for everyone in the group. We all care about him and want to be there for him. And I'm not upset at Kari for wanting to go after him, namely because despite how level headed I'm being, I still want to go after the idiot too."
Joe laughed at Tai. "Yeah, we all have that feeling. Izzy, Mimi, Sora, and myself. We looked after him. But Tai, he looked up to you when Matt wasn't around. We all saw that T.K. bonded with you more than any of us. So, it's a reasonable question. Are you okay?"
Tai seemed at a loss to Joe's question. "I don't know."
Joe put his hand on Tai's shoulder. "It's obviously not Kari who is in trouble here, but that doesn't mean you don't get to be scared or even unreasonably angry."
Tai gave Joe a look. "If I don't keep myself together, who is going to keep Matt from losing it?"
Joe pursed his lips. "You have a tendency to explode when you hold in your feelings. And a tendency to explode at Matt. So, at this rate, how are you going to help Matt if you two blow up at one another? It's bound to happen."
Tai sighed with defeat. "I know. But he's losing it. And if Kari were the one doing this, I know Matt would be doing everything he could to help me keep my shit together."
Joe nodded, smiling sympathetically. "As I have no doubt he would do, but Matt never developed a deep relationship with Kari, he cares about her, he would be concerned, but he would have a level head about the situation."
"Which is what I'm trying to do!" Tai snapped, exasperated.
Joe gave him another smile before patting him on the back. "Just don't explode, okay?"
Tai wrinkled his nose at Joe and nodded. "Doctor's orders?"
Joe smiled more genuinely. "Yep, Doctor's orders."
Tai bid Joe farewell and closed the door, walking back over to the living room he slouched down into the couch. Sora's cheerful voice was a soothing melody, which Tai took advantage of, even if the words weren't for him; he allowed it to calm him all the same.
Suddenly he was jolted from his attempt at calming his internal raging storm, as Sora had set down next to him. Setting two plates on the coffee, she smiled at him, though she wasn't forcing it as much with him as she had been with Matt.
It made him feel good, knowing that she felt more comfortable showing her worry and tiredness to him than Matt. But he also knew if their rolls were reversed, if Kari was the one instead of T.K., Sora would be doing the same to Tai that she was to Matt—being the encouraging voice in his dark time. But at that moment, he let go of his rational thoughts and smiled at her, nudging her gently.
She gave him a curious look. "What?"
He shrugged. "You're perfect."
She looked surprised and then rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm not remotely perfect."
"You're simultaneously keeping Matt from burning the building down and not going insane from not chasing after his idiot little brother, and you still muster an encouraging smile for me."
She sighed. "No, you're the one keeping Matt from burning the apartment down and keeping him from making me go insane."
Tai laughed. "Team effort?"
She smiled a little brighter. "Definitely. Let's eat."
As she handed Tai a set of chop sticks Matt sauntered in with his own plate, taking the chair nearest Tai. "Hope it's not too bad—it's Tai's fault if it is though."
Tai rolled his eyes. "Sorry the food wasn't my priority when you were about to burn your hand off."
Matt sighed. "Yeah, yeah." He took a bite, a slight grimaced flashed across his face. "Could be worse…"
Tai, a mouth full of food, shrugged. "Tastes better than anything mom ever cooked."
Sora laughed lightly. "You're so rude. Your mother cooked us so many meals when we were younger. They weren't all that bad!"
Tai turned to Sora, still chewing food. "Whatever." He swallowed. "It's become inedible. My dad has taken over the cooking at home, so, you know, Kari can make it to college alive."
Matt listened halfheartedly as his best friend and girlfriend bickered about childhood dinners and Kari's survival and the only thing that pulsed through his mind was that he didn't know if he'd ever get to cook a dinner for his brother again, or see him get into college.
He felt sick to his stomach. He set the plate down on the table rather loudly and stood without a word, barely making it to the bathroom before he heaved.
Tai and Sora ran to the open doorway, seeing Matt hanging off the edge of the toilet, breathing labored.
"Was it really that bad?" Tai asked, clearly concerned.
"No…" Matt groaned.
Sora was at his side, gently rubbing his back. "You okay?"
"Not really…" he murmured.
Tai took a step back and leaned on the doorway, sliding down the doorframe, facing the living room. "Did mentioning Kari, make you start over thinking again?"
Matt coughed lightly. "Kinda…" he admitted.
"He'll come home, you know that, right?"
Matt leaned back, pressing his side against the tub, supporting himself with a tight grip. "Even if he comes back, what if he doesn't want anything to do with me?"
Tai stiffened at that. "We all know T.K. didn't mean anything he said. Stop dwelling. He said those things to protect you."
"I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting him!" Matt snapped.
Tai sighed. "He's not a little kid anymore. He's almost 18."
"That doesn't matter!" Matt growled.
"You're right. It doesn't. You're going to worry about him like he's still that little 7-year-old in the digital world. But, you have to remember something. Even that 7-year-old survived what Devimon did to him. He waited for months for you to come back and get him from that damn amusement park. He made his way to Odaiba in the middle of the Myotismon evasion. He walked away with one of the damn Dark Masters and came back without a scratch. He saved every single one of us from Piedmon during that last battle. And he continued to go back and face everything else the digital world threw his way, with a bunch of oblivious, inexperienced digidestined."
Matt shook his head. "I know T.K. is strong. But this isn't T.K.! Hurting his friends? Pushing them away?"
"No? T.K. is pretty much one of those ridiculously selfless people, that you only ever read about in books or see on TV. What wouldn't that boy do, to keep the people he loves, safe?"
Matt frowned, but didn't have a response. Sora sat next to him, holding his arm gently, staring out the door in Tai's general direction, a look on her face that showed she agreed.
"He would literally do anything to keep you safe. Even hurt you." Tai felt himself breaking. If he kept going to wouldn't be able to keep his composure.
"Why do you always make sense when I don't want you too?" Matt let out a deep breath. "Damn it, Tai."
He heard Sora chuckle, and it gave him the pass he needed. He stood up and walked back to the couch. Appetite gone, he leaned back and closed his eyes. "T.K., you better make it back with a good excuse and a massive apology…"
#
T.K. was lying on his back, an illicit chuckle escaped his lips as he stared up at the sky, the moist grass beneath him soaking into the back of the dark blue pullover sweatshirt he wore. "It doesn't get easier, no matter how many times."
Patamon huffed, hovering in the air near his shaking partner. "That's number…five?"
T.K. shrugged. "Six counting the Crest of Courage."
"I don't feel like we're making very good progress." Patamon remained hovering above T.K., looking down worriedly. "It's been over three weeks since we left Gennai's place."
T.K. did a halfhearted shrug, inhaling slowly. "It's fine. Gennai sent us more locations last week and it's not like we're on a time limit."
"You don't think we're on a time limit?" Patamon's voice rose. "We could be out of time any minute."
T.K. shook his head. "We can't do anything until Gennai finds a way to take this thing—"
"Your crest." Patamon corrected, defensively.
"My crest," T.K. amended exhaustedly. "…out of me, or Wisemon show's up and we win or lose. Until then, there's no hurry, right?"
Patamon shook his head. "If the others have their crests—"
"It still won't matter if I have mine." T.K. stated firmly. "As long as there's a chance that they'll… that I'll have to…" T.K. ran his hands over his face.
Patamon landed on the ground beside him, looking worried. "I always worry what will happen if we're attacked near a crest. It takes so much out of you—we had no idea since you were sedated when the Crest of Courage went into you."
T.K. tensed at Patamon's concerned voice. He'd been growing steadily more paranoid as well. The last time they'd been attacked by Wisemon or his henchmen was the night he had come to the digital world. The night he'd received the wound on his shoulder.
He shifted and moved his right arm up, lifting his hand into view, focusing on the starry sky between his fingers. The wound had healed significantly. He'd taken the bandages off a few days ago, it was going to leave a nasty scar, but he wasn't feeling as much pain from normal movement anymore—strenuous movements or certain angles of pressure would send him reeling in pain, and the thought of that pain maybe never go away completely, was terrifying. But, of the current prospects that terrified him, his shoulder was the least of his worries.
"It'll be fine. You just focus on the fight. It won't do either of us any good if you're distracted and lose." Though his tone was light, there was a seriousness to his words that scared Patamon.
"It's been too long." Patamon voiced his anxiety. "We should be expecting a fight soon."
T.K. nodded, finally gathering the strength to sit up. "If not Wisemon, then…them."
Patamon averted his gaze, a scowl darkening his expression. "Is that what you want?"
"Of course not." T.K. focused on the ground between his legs, resting his arms on his knees, his fingers lightly fiddling with the tall untamed blades of grass that grew around them. "We've been avoiding the areas they frequent, but now the rest of the marks on the map are… really close. Plus, if you have to evolve, they'll know our location, so it's likely they will catch us at some point."
"So we have to fight?"
T.K. shrugged. "We almost had to last time. If there are more of them, they'll be more confident they can stop us without hurting us."
Patamon looked at T.K. exasperated. "And the more of them there are, the more likely I'll have to actually try and hurt them, for us to get away."
T.K. looked at Patamon, taken aback. "No. I don't want you to hurt them…"
"Then how? How do I protect you? How do we get away?"
T.K. shook his head. "Just help me get away."
Patamon frowned. "I can't let you go off by yourself! Wisemon will—"
"Once I've escaped, you can submit and once they calm down, you just explain that without you, I'm in danger and it'll be their fault if something happens to me, because they wouldn't let you go."
"That's pretty low, T.K." Patamon sighed. "How will I find you once that happens?"
"The city." T.K. said simply.
Patamon huffed. "I still don't feel comfortable letting you go alone."
"Being around them is too risky. It's what he's waiting for. We haven't seen a trace of Wisemon since that night everyone came after me. It's the only way to keep them safe and…" T.K.'s eyes glazed over as he paused. "So that Wisemon doesn't get a hold of me." He clearly had changed his words, whether for Patamon's or his own sake, he wasn't sure. He shook his head, his eyes focused again. "It's the safest course."
Patamon agreed reluctantly. "Fine. But you better be at the city when I get there."
T.K. nodded. "Try not to let the others follow you."
A beep from T.K.'s pocket startled them both, T.K. reached and pulled it out. "I wish I could turn this thing off…"
"But, you can't. Gennai needs to be able to contact us." T.K. didn't respond, his expression darkening. Patamon glanced over his shoulder. "Who was it this time?"
T.K. swallowed hard and opened his phone to read the entire message.
Joe Kido
Hey T.K.,
I know this is probably one of a hundred messages clogging up your phone. I doubt you're even going to read it. But I spoke with your brother, Tai and Sora today. I was shocked, to say the least, but I know that what you're doing must be very important for you to say and do the things, that you have. I'm definitely not lecturing you. I have no idea what the circumstances are, and by no means have any right to judge. I'm just messaging you because I'm concerned and I want you to know everyone is worried and we all want to help in any way we can. I heard about your injury. If you need medical aid, I want you to come to me. I won't tell anyone. My door is always open to you, for any reason. You're an important friend and, as always, you know you can rely on me.
Joe
T.K. stared dumbly at the message. It was good ol' reliable Joe. Nothing more or less. T.K. started to close his phone, but then he hesitated. Tapping the screen, he went back to the list of his messages, every name had a somewhat similar message. Tai, Mimi, Sora, Yolie, even Izzy had all messaged him with concern and offers of help in any way they could. Those filtered in after the frantic ones from Ken, Kari, and Matt. Davis and Cody were the only ones who hadn't bothered. But Davis had probably said everything he needed to say in person. And he and Cody hadn't hardly spoken since the Phelesmon incident.
"Let's get going. We can find a place to rest for the night and plan our next move."
#
Wisemon scratched at the wall with charcoal, studying, engraving the images in his mind. Each rune delicate and unique.
A female voice echoed behind him. "He's been traveling the digital world for weeks. What is our plan? Why haven't we made our move?" Wisemon didn't respond to her inquiry, simply going on as if he were all alone. "If we don't make our move soon—"
"Three days." Wisemon pointed at the ceiling. "On the eve of the black moon."
"His random trajectory indicates he's searching for something, we shouldn't take unnecessary chances." She hissed. "We take him now."
"Three days."
Visibly irritation, she nodded. "Then I make my move?"
Wisemon lowered his hand, turning to face the digimon. "Yes, Sanzomon."
She nodded again, rigidly. "I will not fail."
Wisemon gave a curt nod. "There is no room for failure."
Sanzomon turned and left without another word. Wisemon continued with his work, ignoring the previously unnoticed presence in the shadow of the room.
"If we do fail, we won't be able to make a move for another month. A lot can happen in that time." The deep, somber voice spoke cautiously, respectfully. "May I make a suggestion?"
Wisemon shifted his gaze to the shadows. "Do you not trust me?"
The digimon did not respond rashly, instead took a moment to think of his response. "I do not trust the boy."
Wisemon gave a single nod and went back to his writings. "Fair enough." His cool, wispy voice agreed.
"May I make an entrance?" the digimon asked slowly, warily.
Wisemon's beady yellow eyes narrowed and then a nod came. "But I have a different task for you. Kill the Patamon."
The broad chested digimon nodded and bowed. "Master…"
Wisemon didn't look to the digimon, but raised a hand to indicate for him to wait. "Do not take the boy unless he is willing to follow."
Another bow. "And if he offers himself in exchange for the Patamon's life?"
Wisemon shook his head. "Kill the Patamon."
#
A week of traveling brought them back near where the other children normally traveled and it only took a few whispers of passing digimon to know that they still came to the digital world as frequently as they'd always done.
It worried T.K., that whispers from those same digimon would reach his friends and cause them to further pursue his whereabouts. They needed to obtain what crests they could and leave the area again.
"T.K.!" Patamon's voice was filled with awe. "Look at that!"
T.K. stared at the dilapidated cathedral in wonder. Despite the building being partially collapsed, it still held an aura of resonance. Pink and white stained glass still clung to the edges of the windows, and a moderate amount of earth had taken over the inside and outside of the structure. The front left side of the building was gone, like a massive claw had torn through it.
"I wonder how we never saw these huge ruins before… we're not that far away from the areas we normally travel." Patamon inquired casually.
"I don't know." T.K. was still taking in the lingering presence of the power that once resided inside. "I have this feeling…that these places, maybe they reappeared with the crests?"
Patamon stopped. "That's foreboding."
T.K. chuckled. "Maybe."
"Maybe…" Patamon grumbled as he continued after his partner irritably.
Walking into the cathedral through the gaping gash through the front wall, T.K. remained intrigued by the immense presence that radiated from it. It was certainly her crest. He had no doubt since the moment they'd arrived in the vicinity.
"Light." Patamon echoed his thoughts. "Do you feel it too?"
He nodded. It didn't warrant a verbal response, he was feeling so drawn to the back of the wide open ruins that he couldn't be bothered. He needed to get to the pulpit ahead of them, the glittering shades of white and pink from stained glass beckoning him forward— the largest window of stained glass, a depiction of what could only be interpreted as the symbol of Light in abstract shards of colors, was mostly still intact.
"All these ruins have felt like the one where I found my crest." T.K. acknowledged lightly, stepped over the mixture of dirt and broken marble flooring. Even in this condition is gave T.K. that awe inspired feeling, baffled at how he'd feel walking into it as it was intended to be.
The Light was there, at the back of the cathedral, under the massive window, a white marble plaque with the Crest of Light embossed on it stood, summoning him.
"T.K.," Patamon stopped his partner as he almost made to beeline for the crest. "Something feels…dark."
T.K. frowned and looked at his partner. "What?"
"Don't you feel it?"
T.K. started to shake his head, but he stopped, his eyes widening. He turned around and stared at the opening to the cathedral. "We need to leave."
Patamon shifted in front of T.K., "If you get too close, the crest will resonate with you and you'll be vulnerable."
"But if Wisemon is onto us, if we leave it, they might try to take it." T.K. glanced back, it was just beyond the dilapidated pulpit. "Digivolve."
Patamon turned to face T.K., confused. "But, if I do, the other's will head this way and could be at risk if they show up at the same time as Wisemon or his men."
T.K. cursed. He was right. "Let's go—" T.K. stopped short, a large digimon was now blocking the way out. A giant, black ram stood before them, standing up straight on its two back legs, tall and menacing.
"Mephistomon." Patamon spoke darkly, he knew this digimon, or at least, of him.
"Do you think…?" T.K. didn't have to finish.
Patamon nodded. "They all have one thing in common so far, Phelesmon, Sanzomon, and now him."
"What's that?" T.K. frowned at his partner's back briefly, not wanting to take his eyes from the statuesque digimon.
"They're all Fallen Angel class digimon—Wisemon is collecting specific ultimate level digimon to do his bidding."
"And?" T.K. tried to keep his composure, worried the digimon in front of them would tire of their staring contest. "What does that tell us?"
"It—" Patamon couldn't finish, he was forced to evolve into Angemon to stop Mephistomon from reaching T.K.
Its movements were hard to see with the naked eye, and Angemon was quickly shoved away, the force of the attack knocked T.K. back several feet the opposite direction Angemon was thrown. "T.K.!" Angemon shouted just before pummeling into the ground in a burst of dust, crumbling one of the still standing pillars of the cathedral.
T.K.'s back hit a wall, knocking the wind out of him. He slumped to the ground, unsure if the gleaming rays of light were more prominent because of the dust floating through the air or because he'd hit his head too hard.
Mephistomon was unconcerned with Angemon who was struggling to stand from the mountain of rubble that had fallen on him, and turned to face T.K.
T.K. leaned back onto his knees, trying to stand, he was dizzy and was finding his mouth too dry to swallow. He cursed, the only way he could run and hope to escape took him too close to the crest and if the crest tried to enter his body, he'd be incapacitated for too long and there was no telling what would happen then.
T.K. stood as Mephistomon took a broad step forward. "You're all alone."
A smirk lifted T.K.'s lips. "Not quite." A flash and the room exploded into a battle as MagnaAngemon and Mephistomon trampled across the barren ruined innards of the sanctuary.
T.K. had to duck and cover his face as debris was lifted from the ground and fell from the crumbling ceiling, or what was left of it.
MagnaAngemon flew in and out of the swift strikes that Mephistomon was able to deliver, despite his massive size. His blade sliced up the right side of Mephistomon's chest, but the digimon barely reacted, taking the opportunity to send MagnaAngemon flying back across the church, this time toward the entrance.
T.K. wanted to run after his digimon, make sure he was alright, but the pressure of the crest immobilized him—he hadn't anticipated the pressure being this much more intense during battle. He coughed, blood sprinkling on the ground in front of him. "Damn it…" he cursed, his eyes barely staying open as he tried to see outside the cathedral, the dust finally clearing.
Mephistomon was suddenly in front of T.K., towering over him, his hand outstretched toward him, but not in a threatening way—an inviting way. Again, without words this time, Wisemon's henchmen were asking him to come, not forcing him.
"No." T.K. choked out.
Mephistomon remained ever silent and then he turned toward the entrance, just as MagnaAngemon reappeared, his speed and sheer strength sending Mephistomon backwards away from T.K.
"T.K., get out of here!" MagnaAngemon growled as he pressed his sword against Mephistomon's armored forearm. "I don't want this place to collapse on you!"
T.K. wiped the blood away from his lips and forced himself to his feet. Unfortunately as he did, a sharp pain pulsed through his chest and he fell back to his hands and knees.
An attack from somewhere—T.K. wasn't sure, collided into more pillars, causing what little of the ceiling that had been left above the front of the cathedral, to collapse.
T.K. had no choice but to force himself to his feet and run back toward the dangers of battle. Even then, it was not quick enough, he braced himself, but not for what actually happened.
It was a flash, and he wasn't certain he saw it right, but thought it was MagnaAngemon, and then he was sent flying. The pressure inside his chest accompanied by the disorienting turbulence of being tossed like a toy across the room made T.K. lose all his senses. It wasn't until he'd tumbled to a stop and rolled onto his side that he was able to gather his bearings and slowly open his eyes.
"Magna…Angemon?" T.K. gasped, seeing his partner struggling to free himself from under a slab of the cathedral roof.
"T.K.!" MagnaAngemon yelled through clenched teeth, his lower body trapped, barely shifting as he struggled desperately.
T.K. couldn't move and for a moment, he wasn't sure if it was because of the crest, because of the heavy darkness that was radiating nearby or… he turned his head and saw it, he was just a few feet away from the Crest of Light, which was now pulsing brightly in his presence. He was absorbing the crest and it was taking too much of his energy alongside bearing the power of his own crest.
"Shit…." He couldn't do anything. By now the others were certain to have seen his digivice signal and they weren't going to be able to defeat Mephistomon, let alone get away from here, in time. This could be it. He'd have no choice but to walk into Wisemon's hands…or…?
There were shards of glass everywhere, T.K.'s vision was going in and out now, but the thought, it crossed his mind, almost too easily.
He tried to swallow, but he couldn't. He reached out for the largest piece of glass, it cut into his palm as he gripped it, too out of it to control his grip any better. He winced, it was a sharp pain in comparison to the dull ache that was crushing his whole body.
A voice? Was that MagnaAngemon? He couldn't be sure. It didn't matter. He couldn't save him, so that means he wouldn't be able to do this part either, right?
He reached the glass to his left wrist and slid the shard across his pale skin. Even sharper. It made him take in a deep breath, making him realize he hadn't been breathing, his lungs burning for the oxygen they'd been deprived. It was only a few deep breaths later that T.K. felt himself lose consciousness. "Sorry…Patamon…"