Mine nothing~
The sound of waves splashing against the shore could be heard.
She was standing over dark sand and looking at an even darker horizon.
The only source of light being the lighthouse by the shore and even that light was dark. Everything in this place was... Wrong to her.
She looked beyond the horizon and could feel... Something beyond that. Something calling here. Ordering her, commanding her, to get closer to the water.
But she didn't want to.
From beyond the mist, blood red eyes glared at her.
From beyond the mist, tentacles arised.
From beyond the mist, the creature attacked.
And from beyond the mist... He demanded.
"Come, Child Of Light!"
And with a gasp she woke up. Sweating and panting and looking around. She was safe, she was fine, she was in her room with her partner sleeping off to the side and her brother, her parents and her friend all sleeping in rooms next to her.
Kari sighed and felt the sweat drenching her pajamas. Luckily she wasn't a kid anymore and didn't wet her bed... That would have been humiliating.
She sighed and lay down again. Hoping those dreams won't torment her again.
Another day and another struggle for Killua to get up his futon. The sun peeked from the glass door on the room that lead to the balcony and burned his slids to make him wake up.
He groaned and turned opening his eyes to glare at the ceiling. "Tai... Time to get up."
He received a pair of grunts from his bed.
He sighed and took out his pillow and threw it at the boy. "Wake up!"
"Ow!" The brunette growled and lifted his head. "That was uncalled for!" He said, Koromon peeking from beneath his covers.
Two weeks have passed since the MetalGreymon incident. And Ken hasn't made a move since then, at least not a big one, he was still planting his Control Towers around the Digital World. But nothing of the scale of what they faced weeks ago has occurred... Well... Aside from last sunday.
Tentomon, being the only one that stayed in the Digital World, sent a distress signal when he was captured by a Digimon called Deputymon kidnapped him in the name of justice. Davis, Yolei and Cody went his rescue and... Were captured too.
Meanwhile, Kari went to take a walk with Gatomon, and both him and T.K had decided to fell asleep. He could be excused since he didn't had a D-Terminal, but he wanted to strangle the blond when he heard why he didn't attend the signal.
In the end, it was more of the same. Tower down, Digimon freed, and all of them promising to be more attentive on their messages and blah, blah, blah.
He got up and stretched, his muscle popping and cracking as he did so. Aside from those events, he was already in a sour mood. Why?
It's been a month.
A month since his sister, with her big bleeding heart, sent him away to this world. Which means that a day has already passed since he's been away, at the least. A day were the Zoldycks could have perfectly gone and capture her already! His only hope was that Alluka found his phone and called Gon, or Leorio, or... No, Kurapika's wouldn't answer... Or anyone! Really!
He sighed and got to the drawer Tai lend him to keep his clothes. No use worrying about it. Well, there was a use, that being the reminder that he loved his sister and wanted to bash her head in for doing this without his consent. That just because he worried for her and she was oooh going to be so grounded!
He shook his head and finished putting his shirt on. "C'mon Tai, get up!" He berated his roommate. "Don't blame me if I eat all the breakfast."
"Going!" In a moment the brunette got up and started getting dressed, causing Killua to snort in amusement
The two emerged from the room, with the promise of bringing Koromon the leftovers. Miss Kamiya, as always set the breakfast for them with a smile. "Good morning!" She chirped.
"Morning, mom," Tai mumbled.
"Good morning," Killua said, stting down besides Tai.
As they eat, Miss Kamiya looked at a notebook with a smile. "You've improved in your grammar, Killua," She complimented. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to get into any school now?"
Killua resisted the urge to sigh. The woman wanted him to go to school. As in, go to learn stuff, not follow his two children to kill the time... And secretly save a different world. But everytime he would give the same answer to her. "I would really like that," Tai hid a snicker, as they both knew that was a lie. "But I don't have anything to do the necessary paperwork, no birth certificate, no parents. And I might go home at some point," He explained.
In reality, Killua was pretty sure he could get the right papers by looking through some... Unauthorized sources. He'll have to go underground and find those who can created some fake certigicates. But the last part rang with truth. He was still planning on going back to his home, to Alluka and Nanika.
The woman frowned. "Yeah, you're right. It's a shame though, Kari, Tai and you would spend more time together," The boys exchanged looks, she had no idea. "Speaking of which, where is she?"
"Hmmm, you're right, she's normally the first one to get up," Tai mumbled, looking at his sister's door.
Killua got up. "May I go check?" He asked and received a nod from the mother.
He walked and knocked on the girl's door, yet after a while he receives no answer. He opened the door slowly in case, Kari was still asleep, and entered the room. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw.
Kari was awake, and already dressed, Gatomon still sleeping on a cat bead, yet she was just there, sitting with a dull look on her eyes. She didn't even seemed to noticed him, though in her defense Killua was a master in silence. He walked to her and he was unnerved that he wasn't even reacting. "Kari...?" He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Kari immediately yelped and bolt up her bead, Gatomon hearing her screen woke up and got on defense. "Kari?!" She asked, her claws brandished.
Killua hold his hands up. "Hey, chill, it's only me!" He said.
Kari seemed to realize that and relaxed, blushing a bit in embarrassment. "O-oh, good morning, Killua."
Gatomon relaxed and dropped down. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
"It's already morning and your mom already made breakfast," He told Kari. "And since you didn't got out of your room I came to see what's wrong."
"Ooooh, okay," She smiled and walked out, a bit hurriedly Killua might add. "I'll see you there!"
The two watched her go and Killua turned to Gatomon. "What's with her?" He asked.
Gatomon shrugged. "I don't know... I think she might have a nightmare last night..." She said. "I hope it's nothing serious."
Killua hummed and walked out of the room. "I'll save you something along with Koromon's food." He said.
Still that was all too strange. He really hoped she wasn't getting sick again... He remembered how Tai said she used to get sick a lot...
With the Emperor laying low, The Digidestined could all enjoy a sense of normality they haven't sensed since the beginning of the school year.
But... Kari wasn't feeling like that.
Instead, she was feeling an oppressing feeling over her back. Like something was constantly watching and she didn't even wanted to move... Afraid that it would follow her. That's why Killua took her by surprise this morning, she was so focused on making sure that... Whatever she was feeling was going to leave her alone that she didn't felt him entering her room.
She didn't knew what to do anymore... The feeling wasn't going away. Maybe she would have ask Tai for help, he always knew what to do. He was her big brother, he always helped her out.
He will know what to do... He will.
"Hey, Kari!"
A hand fell on her shoulder, and while she didn't yelped like she did back in her room, she did flinched and let out a gasp. "Brother?"
She turned around to see the confused face of T.K. "Ummm... Good morning?"
For the second time that day, her cheeks flushed red for zoning out like that. "O-oh, good morning, T.K!" She said, trying to hide her discomfort. She didn't want to bother anyone else with her problems.
T.K opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, surely, but her salvation came in the way of their goggle wearing friend. "Hey, you two, hurry! We have to get to clases and I'm not getting another detention!" Davis ran past them while yelling.
She smiled a bit at the sense of normalcy he brought. "He's right," T.K said, accommodating his backpack. "Let's go!" He said taking off running.
"Coming!" She said, jogging behind the two and trying to push that oppressive feeling deep down her... Even if it felt that it was coming from everywhere.
Meanwhile, from the top of some branches on a tree, Gatomon, Patamon and Killua watched the kids get into the school. Patamon turned to them. "Is it my idea or is Kari acting strange?"
Gatomon's ears lowered. "She's been like this since this morning, but I didn't have the time to ask her what's wrong," She explained, while following her partner with her eyes. "And even so I doubt she'd tell me."
Killua kept an eye on her as well. Not discarding the possibility that the girl could be falling ill and was hiding it again. If that was the case then they should really be keeping tabs on her to prevent her for going to the Digital World. "Let's get to the computer room for now, we'll have the time to ask her what's wrong later on."
The two nodded and moved from tree to tree to reach the school building.
'Still...' Killua thought. 'Why do I have a feeling something bad is coming?' Experience in dangerous situations tend to develop a sixth sense in people. And Killua has been in various situations like that, so he hoped that it was just paranoia and not another evil they'll have to face.
It wasn't going away...
She was trying to listen to the teacher, to pay attention to what he was saying to the class. But she couldn't make out what it was. Not out of boredom, but because she felt as if his voice was getting more and more distant.
The temperature on the room started to drop, she swore she could see her breath in an icy mist, as if she was on a snowy terrain. a chill rocked her body as she looked around to see if anyone was feeling it too.
Was she getting sick again? She hasn't been sick since that time against the Dark Masters. Which came as a pleasant surprise for her and her family. But could it be that her sickly condition was coming back?
She looked down at her feet to train and regain her breath.
Her eyes shrank with horror.
Dark water covered her feet to her kneecaps. All around the room the water was reaching all of her classmates, and they have been turned to stone. T.K and Davis included.
A mist made everything around her disappear. She was alone. Alone in the middle of an ocean of that dark water. All of it reaching her knees. "W-what's happening?" She whimpered.
Her breath started picking up and she looked down again, and chocked on air as she stared at blood red eyes looking at her. As if she was seeing a Digimon possessed by Ken.
She couldn't take it. She couldn't stare at something like that any longer. This was all too much!
She bolt out of her seat with a gasp and suddenly the world as back to normal. She was in her classroom, with her classmates, with T.K and Davis, and with her big brother on a floor above. She was back...
But she didn't felt safe.
"Kamiya, is something wrong?" The teacher asked.
She looked at him for a moment and when she was about to answer, her feet started to sway and she almost fell. Luckily one of her classmates caught her.
"Kamiya!" The profesor called in alarm.
She forced herself up straight while nodding in gratitude at her classmate. "I-I'm okay..." She managed.
The profesor didn't looked convinced. "Go rest in the nurse's office. If you don't feel any better later then we'll call your parents to pick you up."
Kari nodded glumly and walked out of the room.
T.K and Davis watched what happened to her with concerned looks. "Pssst, T.C, what was that about, do you know?"
T.K shook his head. "I don't know, we'll have to ask her later on."
"No more talking, we're still in class!"
"Sorry, sir!"
With a hand pressed on a wall, Kari walked to through the hallways of the school with her gaze on the ground. Shivers running constantly down her spine as she walked, but oddly enough she didn't felt sick... And she wished she was, it would be easier to explain than whatever it's happening to her at the moment.
Those waters... She's been having nightmares about it recently, but they never left an impact on her. But today it was almost like they came back to hunt her. Almost as if her nightmares came to life to drag her away.
She stopped and trembled in fear at the thought, and a part of her loathed that. She sighed and looked to the side. 'This feeling... I haven't felt it in a long time...' A feeling of oppressing darkness. Not since they faced their greatest foes—Myotismon and the Dark Masters.
She wished Tai was here with her. She would find a way to help her... He always does. But she couldn't count with his help right now. He was having classes that lasted longer than hers. They only saw each other in the mornings and evenings, and that was if he was free to go to the computer room and check on them when they go to the Digital World.
Something started dripping from behind, and with that drip the reality started to shift. It was like the hallway turned to waves, they wavered and moved. She flinched as she heard more and more drips coming from behind.
Slowly, she turned to look for the source of the drip. And she put a hand on her mouth to stop a gasp from coming out.
A creature made of that dark water was staring at her from behind the stairs. Its red eyes looking at her without any emotion. It had no features at all aside from those blood-red eyes.
She took a step back in fear and for a moment, the creature seemed like it was about to move... But something made it flinch.
She continued inching back until she bumped into something... Or rather someone.
"Hey," A voice called from behind and she turned. Calm blue eyes and white hair stared at her with worry. "Are you okay?" Killua asked her.
Kari's lips and mouth felt dry and she turned to where the creature was... But there was nothing there. "I... It was nothing."
Killua arched an eyebrow at her. "What are you doing out of class?"
Kari fidgeted with her feet and looked away. "I... Wasn't feeling good and the profesor let me out... And what are you doing out of the computer room?"
Killua's eyes turned to the side and a small blush adorned his cheeks. "I... Needed to go to the bathroom..." He scratched his head sheepishly.
Despite the feelings on her head and environment, Kari smiled at seeing the usual composed boy looking a bit embarrassed. But another shiver ruined the moment for her.
Killua gave her a look as he noticed the shiver. "Are you okay?"
"I... I don't know..." She confessed and wrapped her arms around her
Killua frowned at seeing her like that. This wasn't some sickness, something was bothering her. "Wanna talk about it?"
He received a nod.
The two sat on a bench on the school's courtyard. Kari was looking down at her feet and her hands were cupped together, Killua sat at her side and waited for her to start saying something. He knows something is bothering the girl and this was related to those times with her spacing out and yelping when someone calls her attention, maybe even to the nightmare Gatomon mentioned. What's happening?" He asked, wanting to break the silence once and for all.
Kari just kept looking at her feet when she made up her mind and answered. The bell was going to rang any moment now and the others would probably go to gather on the computer room. But she couldn't find in herself to worry about that. "I... I think I saw... The ocean..." She mumbled.
"Huh?" Killua blinked. "The ocean?" There was a small bay in the way to the school. It was hard to miss it, but why would she be talking about that? And why could that be affecting her so badly?
Despite the sunny day of autumn above them, the air still felt damp around her. She was starting to get sick of it. She crushed down a sigh and continued. "It felt like something was calling me," She said, fighting down yet another shiver as she recalled her dreams and the creature from the stairs. Those red eyes on both occasions haunting her more than any of the Digimon the Emperor has slaved. "It was as if it was... Summoning me."
"Something?" To Killua, she wasn't making a lot of sense right now. And the word summoning just put a weird, creepy air around it. Could this truly be related to the nightmares Gatomon told him about this morning? Or was it something else? Either way, taking everything the Digidestined had lived through in consideration, it was no sign exaggeration to say this was getting really strange. "Was it a Digimon?"
"I don't know..." She said, not meeting his gaze. "But I feel like next time I... Might go... Even if I don't want to..."
This... This was all so strange and the way Kari put it was really eerie. And if she was telling the truth, then what could it be? Was it truly a Digimon? One able to suddenly pull someone to the Digital World? That was new... And dangerous. He seriously doubted Ken had something to do with this. Even with Nen. There was a limit on what a Nen user could do and Ken's ability wasn't made to do that. Then... If it was a Digimon, why was he trying to lure Kari away?
"Well, you think you can prevent it?" He asked, trying to get something more out of the girl to try and help. "If you don't want to go then do you think you could stop it?"
Kari sighed for the umpteenth time, still without meeting his gaze. "I wish my brother was here..." She said. "He always looks after me..."
That comment irked Killua the wrong way. Here he was trying to help and Kari wasn't even listening to what he was saying. "Tai isn't going to be there all the time, you know?" He said while rolling his eyes and closing them. "Sometimes you'll have to learn to do things on your own." He turned to meet her eyes and flinched.
Her eyes were a mix of surprise, hurt and sadness. Shit, was he too harsh? He didn't meant to insult her or something like that, damnit he was never good for words.
The bell rang. He sighed and got up. "Sorry about that..." He mumbled. "If you're not up for today I'll tell the others... See you at the house." He said as he walked away, berating himself in the process as Kari's eyes followed him for a moment.
'You dumbass!' He said to himself. 'She's feeling down and you're kicking her further?! ... Maybe Tai should talk to her, but... She shouldn't just depend on her, she has Gatomon and the others I guess...' He looked down and clicked her teeth. 'Where do I come by saying something like that to her?'
He wasn't ready to go back and apologize yet. Genuinely apologize, not like what he did before to just get away from that awkward situation. She was probably angry at him for those words, heck he was angry at himself for those words. Mainly because of the hypocrisy.
He was also a big brother. And he knows that if Alluka or Nanika were feeling like that, then they would also go to him. But he guessed that maybe it was different... His sisters didn't have anyone else aside from him, while Kari had others. It didn't take away that what he said was stupid, though. He was just let his emotions get the better of him at the situation.
He reached the door to the computer room and saw T.K inside, looking at the computer. "Oh, Killua? What are you doing outside?"
"Had to go to the bathroom," He mumbled as an excuse.
"Oh, okay," He nodded, satisfied by that answered. "Have you seen Kari, though? She wasn't in the nurse's office."
Killua nodded as he moved to sit on one of the chairs. "Yeah... I saw her," Then he caught on what he said. "Wait, nurse?"
"Yeah, she was feeling ill. She almost fainted back in class," T.K explained. "Think maybe is like back in Spiral Mountain?" He asked, looking worried.
Shit. Perfect. Now not only did he criticize her when she was feeling down, by being a hypocrite in the process, but he also did it with her being possibly sick again. He fought back a sigh and nodded. "Yes I saw her... And spoke to her a bit... But I think it's best if she doesn't go to the Digital World today," He explained. "Better if she goes home and rests for now."
T.K pursed his lips foe a moment and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Is it safe for her to go alone though?" He asked, staring out the window. "I mean... If she's truly getting sick..."
"Gatomon will notify if something happens," Killua assured him. "For now, we have to focus on Ken's next move. We don't know what he might come up with and he's been really quiet since the MetalGreymon incident."
T.K nodded and sat down to wait for the others. And Killua closed his eyes, a feeling of guilt forming on his stomach. 'Shit. I really need to apologize later.' However. Guilt wasn't the only thing nagging his gut, and neither was it miss Kamiya's breakfast. He had a feeling, a feeling that whatever was happening to Kari was worse than sickness.
He hoped he was wrong.
After Killua left, Kari just sat there on the bench, even more upset than before at the Hunter's sudden words. The day seems to get worse and worse each time it seems... She didn't meant anything bad when she said she wanted Tai's help. She just thought he would know what to do... Right?
But then again... Killua was their leader and he was a hero too, if that's what being a Hunter in his world meant. He probably would know what to do as well. Was... That why he was angry?
She sighed and got up, the bell rang a while ago and no doubt the others were in the computer room by now. But she didn't felt like going, not when her mind was such a mess due to the strange visions. She could end up dragging them down. She just walked to her locker at the school's entrance and picked her stuff to leave the school.
She walked out of the school gates and just stood on the sidewalk. A chilly breeze prompted another shiver to run on her spine and a sound called her attention.
The sound of the waves.
In the other side of the road was a small bay. Too small to even be called a beach or something like that. But the waves splashing against the sand remind her of her nightmares and the visions that she's been having lately.
Her fists clenched and she walked across the road to reach the bay. If her dreams were some kind of premonition, then going to the beach might help understand what is happening to her. What were this horrible visions and those creatures she saw.
At that moment, Gatomon leaped down from some trees. She had watched as Kari left the school without even bothering to go to the computer room. Her partner has been acting strange all day, and it was time to finally try to understand what's bothering her.
But as she made to follow her to the other side, she stopped and gasped.
As Kari stood there, overlooking the beach, her whole body started fizzling out. It was like she was the image of a broken TV. "Kari!" Gatomon tried to call her attention and run for her, but just at that moment a truck passed and cut her path. By the time the vehicle passed, Kari was gone. The only thing remaining was her backpack. "She... Disappeared?!" Without wasting time, Gatomon turned and ran inside the school again, not picking the backpack to not call any bystander's attention.
Yolei was fiddling with Davis D-Terminal with an eager grin. "Okay-dokey! Now that we know we all can have two Digi-eggs, I'm going to use the D-Terminal's data to increase our D-3's discovery function to track down any remaining eggs across the Digital World!"
"In Christian, please!" Davis said, exasperated that he had to give his D-Terminal—with two eggs!—To the girl.
Killua half-heartedly listened to the conversation. His heart wasn't in it at the moment and it wasn't of use to him either way, since he didn't have any of those devices.
"I also want to find a way for us to communicate with the Digital World in real time," Yolei said as she opened the Digiport program. "That way we can keep tabs on Ken's movements."
T.K nodded. "Good idea, that way we can prevent him from trying and force any other Digimon to evolve and to get a notification of where he is acting."
"He might be thinking something amongst those lines too..." Cody said. "And even if he doesn't have someone to be in contact with, he could try and find a way to keep an eye on us."
"He always seems to be step ahead when we arrive to thr Digital World," Davis said, punching his palm. "If only we could know where the asshole is hiding!"
Demiveemon jumped to his shoulders and peeked at the screen. "I wanna help! Imma going to give Ken a good lighting from Raidramon!"
That was yet another thing for Killua to feel a headache about. Ichijouji was a slippery bastard, and in this two weeks they hadn't figured out where he could be hiding. He has to have some sort of base, but they didn't saw so much as an outpost or something like that on his territories.
He sighed and massaged his temples. Alluka, Ichijouji, Kari. Three different people to worry about for different reasons. He seriously could use a break...
T.K noticed his discomfort. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, walking to him.
Killua nodded. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind." It was the truth, no one could accuse him of lying... This time.
A series of rapid taps on the window called everyone's attention and they turned to see Gatomon, rapidly pressing her nail against the glass. Davis opened and she hoped in. "Hey, what's the hurry?"
"Kari!" She said, while panting down, trying to recover her breath. "Kari is missing!"
Everyone shot up and stared at the cat. "WHAT?!"
When she opened her eyes... She wanted to close them again.
Instead of the friendly blue waves on the bay in front of school, she was now seeing a large ocean made entirety of that dark water that kept chasing her dreams. The moist sand on her shoes and the chilling wind that touched her skin made everything alll the more real and terrifying to her.
Was she dreaming again? Had she made it home and fell asleep, just to be inside the same nightmare she had this morning?
Only one way to find out.
She took the camera around her neck and snapped a picture of the lighthouse by the shore. She watched the screen of the device and bit her lip as the image appeared on it.
This was real... Her nightmare, her visions, everything was real.
"I don't get any of this!" Davis said as he stared at the screen. "How can she just vanished out of thin air like that?!" He asked, throwing his hands in the air. "And she hasn't come here all day, so she sure as hell didn't used the door."
"That's not always the only method," T.K told him. "The first time we went to the Digital World we didn't have a gate, it just... Happened."
Davis crossed his arms and huffed. "Fat load of help you are," He said.
"Don't start!" Cody said, getting between the two. He looked at Yolei, who was typing like crazy. "Any luck?"
"None!" She snapped and frantically looked to every square of the map. "The system isn't showing her signal, like it did back in Metal City!"
"Then let's open the gate!" Davis said and got his D-3 out. "I'm gonna rescue her, right now!"
"Davis wait!" Cody said. "It won't mark any difference if you go!"
"He is right," T.K said. "The Digital World is a big place. Just look at the map. And the system isn't showing her signal, she might be separated from her Digivice." He said. "I'm not saying we should give up, but that we shouldn't act rashly about this!"
Davis clenched his fist and glared at the two. Hating the fact that the two of them, specially T.C, were right about this. He wanted to find Kari and be left as the hero for once!
"She isn't there..." Killua mumbled, hand pressed on his chin. "She isn't in the Digital World."
"Oh, great, what are you mumbling about, sparky?" Davis asked, glaring at the boy. "C'mon fearless leader, if you know where she is then say it!"
"The ocean," Killua recalled his conversation with her. "She's in the ocean."
"The ocean?" Gatomon tilted her head.
Killua turned to the group. "You guys go to the Digital World just in case and check any place with shores and beaches! That should narrow it down. I will look around the bay around here!" He ordered.
"I'll go with you!" Gatomon offered herself.
Before anyone could protest, Killua ran out of the room and outside the school with Gatomon behind him. The Digidestined all left behind to wonder what he was up to. Leaving a group of confused group of Digidestined behind.
In the meantime, Killua ran outside of the school building, the staff and students having left already and leaving him free to drop caution in this occasion. He reached the small bay and clenched his fists. He shouldn't have left her alone with those feelings around her, he should have been more careful. 'Damnit!'
He looked around and saw her discarded backpack on the sidewalk. He picked it and looked around her stuff, to find her pink D-3 in it along with her D-Terminal. 'This confirms it, she isn't in the Digital World...' In every instance where the Digital World dragged them in, The Digivice was a common factor. He got up and hoisted the backpack on him and started walking across the beach.
"Killua!" Gatomon called after him as the two started to walk across the beach. "Did you find something?"
"Her Digivice and Terminal," He answered as they walked. "She isn't in the Digital World and I just sent the others on a goose chase..." He growled and clenched his fists.
"Just where could she be?" She mumbled, her ears pressed against her head. "Don't you have any idea?"
Killua walked with his head low and his teeth clenched. "I don't know... I just know the ocean is involved," He said. "She told me it felt like something was calling her..." He look at her Digivice, clenching his fists around it. "I don't even know why I'm carrying this thing when with me is useless!" He gritted out.
"Hey!" Gatomon said and walked to his side. "Not getting frustrated yet! We have to keep a level head and think straight!"
At seeing the look on her narrowed eyes, Killua sighed and tried to calm down. "Sorry..." He said. "You're right... I just... She tried to tell me earlier... But then she mentioned Tai and I said something rude," He explained as they walked to continue to look for more clues. "Maybe if I had listened, she would have gone to the computer room and not just... Vanished. Then I would have tried to prevent it, all of us would have."
Gatomon shook her head. "Kari isn't someone weak," She said. "You shouldn't underestimate her."
Killua sighed. "Maybe. But she's still my friend and needs help. I won't let a friend in need alone..." As an after thought he added. 'Not again.'
As he said this... A blue symbol appeared momentarily on the screen of Kari's D-3. But it dimmed out before any of the two could notice.
Gatomon nodded. "I know. None of us would let her alone," She said. "She can always lean on us when she needs to. And that's why we won't stop to look for her."
The comment made Killua felt a bit worse, since her leaning or relaying on someone, that being Tai, was the reason she upset her in the first place. At the moment it seemed like the right thing to say, now he knew it wasn't so simple.
He shook his head and continued to strode forward, determined to find her and then give her a proper apology.
She just walked because it was her only option. But she didn't have any idea of where exactly she was going. All around it looked like there used to be people before, but now everything was destroyed, broken pieces of wood were scattered around the sandy floor. And the walls of the houses were all caved in.
Just what was this place? It definition wasn't the Digital World; the air, the environment. It all felt heavier than in the other world. Not even on Spiral Mountain did she felt something like this. It was almost as if she could feel emotions in the air. Negative ones: Regret, sadness, malice...
Another breeze shook her body and she wrapped her arms around her. She walked down to the beach to try and find... Something, anything, that could give her a lead back to her home. Or at the very least she had to find some place to shelter herself.
She looked up at the town and shook her head. That was a no-go, all the houses were in ruins and none of them offered any safe refuge. Scanning the beach, she found something could see its ending by a cliff, with an opening on the cliff side.
A cave. It was worse than nothing she supposed, she walked faster to reach the cave as another gust of wind almost freeze her completly. At closer inspection she realized it was almost man-made, like the entry of a tunnel on a highway. It all made it look like there used to be people here before... Or at the least Digimon.
She entered and looked around the cave, realizing that there were a small set of orange lightbulbs on the wall, all lined up to make light the cave a bit.
As she walked, all of her frustrations started to pile up. 'This place... Is vile... It feels wrong. Why was I brought here? I shouldn't be here... I don't want to be here!' She clenched her fists and frowned, wanting nothing more than to pinch herself and suddenly wake up on her bed.
Her way was interrupted as the shadows on the tunnel seemed to move in front of her. They shifted and moved and they turned and she took a step back while trembling. "W-whos's there?!" She asked, but received no answer. She tried again. "Is someone there?! What are you?!" She practically yelled.
They shadows moved and she gasped as she saw blood-red eyes looking at her and a hand extending out to reach her.
"What are you?!" She screamed, as she saw that the hand was made of the same black water surrounding this place.
"So, what do we do?" Yolei asked, looking at the screen.
Davis pulled up his sleeves. "Well, the boss said we go to beaches of the Digital World," He said. "So I say we go!"
"And I say, think about it!" T.K said. "Even if we look into the beaches of the Digital World, we won't even know where to look, we'd have to jump back and forth from beach to beach."
"You guys can fly!" Davis said, waving his arms at the tree. "And I have a literal lighting to ride on! We can look on those places!" He turned around and pointed his Digivice, ignoring T.K's protests. "Digiport Open!"
Nothing...
"What?!"
"No way!" Yolei pushed him to the side and pointed her own D-3 at the computer. "Digiport Open!" Nothing at all. "Huh?!"
"Digiport Open!" Both Cody and T.K did the same, but got the same result. They looked down at their devices. "What's happening?" T.K asked, starting to feel frustrated.
Cody growled and clenched his Digivice. "This makes no sense."
Powerless to do anything to possibly save his crush. Davis slammed his hand on the table and began cursing.
Kari stood glued in place as the shadows all started to crawl to her. They all looked like the creature that she saw on the stairs. It was too much to be a coincidence.
"Heeelp... Us..." The agonized voice made her stop and she dared to give a step forward.
"Are you Digimon?" She asked, their forms while made of that vile water did resembled a Digimon, but she couldn't identify whom.
"Digimon...?" One of the shadows rasped out. "We don't know what that is... We don't know how long we've been here... We only know... We used to serve a God... That lived in the depts of our ocean..."
"A... A God?" She tilted her head. It was the first time she heard of a God with something related to the Digital World. She didn't even thought them capable of forming a religion.
"But then..." The voice of the squirming creatures broke her out of her thoughts. "Someone appeared... And put this one us... And tried to force us... To treat him as our God..." The creature lifted its arm and revealed something attached to it: A Dark Spiral.
"The Digimon Emperor!" Kari growled and the pieces fell in place. Was this was Ken was up to this last few weeks he hasn't acted? "But how did he get here?" She mumbled to herself.
"So you know him..." They mumbled between them. "We figured you woud..."
"Eh?"
"We've been watching you..." They revealed. "Anywhere you were... A chosen one... You are the only one... That can save us..." They all lifted their arms, begging her to take out the spirals.
"So you guys brought me here... To help you?" For some reason, that didn't put her at ease. The way they put they have been watching her was... Weird. And extremely creepy. And if what they say it's true... Then they gave her the nightmare and those visions for her to help them? "But... Why me?"
"You are... The only one... Who can do so..." The lead one said, extending his arm and crawling to her. "Please... Free us... So we can worship... Our God... Again... You... Are the Queen." He said, a begging tone on his voice.
Queen? They made less and less sense to her. She wasn't queen of anything, just a girl and a member of the Digidestined. There was... There was what happened with the Numemon years ago, where they all worshipped her... Her and Killua. But she could barely remember how, Killua had to carry her around because she was sick. And if that event was the reason to call her, then why not call him too? He had Nen ans was a hero too, he seemed like the best option, and he also broke the spire along with Raidramon.
She walked forward anyway and knelt in front of the lead creature. She wrapped her hand around the spire. 'I don't think I can help them...' She thought. She immediately shook her head and vanished the thought. 'I can't say that if I haven't even tried! C'mon, Kari, they need your help!' She sighed and grasped the spiral.
A soft pink light started emanating from her hands, much to her surprise. The creatures all started to mumble and cheer, or even moaning in delight at seeing the results. But the cave started shaking and pieces of the wall started breaking down. Kari got up and looked at the exit. "Hurry, let's get out of here!"
The creatures all followed her as the cave collapsed, she stood on the entrance and waited for everyone to come out. Smoke starting to come out of the cave and she started hacking as she inhaled some of it. She looked around and was relieved to see everyone came out, and now in the outside she could see they were Scubamon. "Is everyone okay?"
A horrifying screech came from behind the cliff and a figure flew frim it. Kari looked up to see it was an Airdramon, but it was beast bigger than any she's seen before. It was under Ken's control as it had a Dark Ring attached to its torso.
"It's... A messager... From the... Fake God..." One of the Scubamon rasped out.
"The Digimon Emperor..." Kari sneered and went for her Digivice, only to grasp thin air. She gasped as she remembered she left it in her backpack, which didn't came with her. 'Oh no...'
The Airdramon opened its mouth, but instead of an air attack, it spat black fire that consumed a good bunch of the Scubamon. Kari gasped in horror and looked up at the monster, she has never seen an Airdramon do something like that. She cupped her hands and trembled. "This... This is horrible!"
The Airdramon seemed to ignore her and continued to attack the Scubamon. She closed her eyes as tears of frustration prickled her eyes. Again she was forced to watch from the sidelines without being able to do anything. She wished her brother was here to do something, or her friends, or Gatomon, or Killua!
"Tai isn't going to be there all the time, you know?" He said while rolling his eyes."Sometimes you'll have to learn to do things on your own."
She bit her lip and looked back at the destruction.
What he said might be truth... But right now... She couldn't do anything.
The water was getting tinted on an orange color as the sun was starting to set. And Killua wasn't any close to find Kari, half of his mind was considering using Godspeed and test his luck in running across the city for any clue of her. And at the moment, he thought the Digidestined listened to him and went to the Digital World to look for her.
"Killua... It's starting to get late..." Gatomon said, her ears down and looking at the ground.
Killua looked up. She was right. The sun was setting, Kari's parents were going to get home along with Tai. How was he supposed to go there and tell them Kari suddenly disappeared, right under his nose, and that he could have stopped it if he hadn't opened his mouth?! "Damnit..." He growled and clenched the pink Digivice on his hand. "OI! KARI! ARE YOU AROUND HERE?!"
It was stupid, to just yell around and hope for an answer. But he was running out of options here. He couldn't go back and just tell her family she was just... Gone.
Gatomon sighed and walked to his side. "We can... Continue looking... Tomorrow?" She gasped as she saw Kari's Digivice shine on Killua's hand.
He stopped his screaming as well when he noticed the Digivice shining. He also saw a light forming in front of him, of the same color of the Digivice. His eyes widened. 'I see... The Digivice is trying to get back to her in a time of need.' He steeled himself and crouched. "Gatomon, that thing will lead us to her. Are you ready?"
Gatomon nodded and crouched as well. The two gave a big jump and were absorbed by the light and just like with Kari before, the backpack was the only thing left behind.
They both landed with a thud and groaned. Gatomon got up and looked around. "This... Is not the Digital World."
"No shit..." Killua said, looking around and feeling a cold feeling all around. They were at the top of a cliff, and Killua looked down. "Kari!" He called when she saw her on the beach below.
Kari felt her heart jump when she heard that voice. She looked back and saw her partner and Killua at the top of the cliff. "Killua, Gatomon! You came!" She laughed and ran to them while waving. Her face with a smile for the first time that day.
"Of course we did!" Gatomon said, while looking eager to jump down and ran to her. After so much search they could finally be reunited.
"Umm, Gatomon?" Killua called her attention while he pointed in front of them to see a giant Airdramon coming at them. Killua scowled. "Go and protect Kari," He said handing her the Digivice. "I'll deal with that thing."
"Got it!" Gatomon jumped off the cliff while Killua let his Nen flow around him.
The Hunter bursted forward to the flying Digimon and reared his fist back, giving the beast a powerful right hook. With the momentary stune state of his enemy, Killua landed on his head and ran across his body towards the Dark Ring. He grabbed the thing and pulled, the object breaking to pieces in a moment.
Killua smirked, but he felt a growl behind him and turned to see the Digimon baring its fangs at him, while black fire flickered on its mouth. Killua jumped off just in time to dodge a stream of black fire directed at him.
'What the hell?!' He thought as he fell. 'I already destroyed the ring! Is it plain evil? Or just too wild?!' He questioned himself.
He landed and the beast started launching fireballs all around the place. Killua dodged those around his, while others started to set some poor Scubamon in fire.
Killua gritted his teeth and activated his lighting. "Damn you!" He focused Nen on his feet and propelled upwards. "Narukami!" He launched a blast at the monster's head. To his surprise, the beast didn't die and withstood the the attack. 'It's tougher than it looks!' He narrowed his eyes.
Gatomon walked to Kari with her Digivice. "Here, Kari. Let me evolve to give Killua a paw!" She said.
"But... My D-Terminal," She said. "It's in my backpack!"
Gatomon's eyes widened as she looked back at Killua. It was right, he wasn't wearing her backpack anymore. "Aw shit..." Then an idea popped in her head. "Kari... You think I can evolve... To the next level here?"
Kari caught on the meaning behind her partner's words and put a hand on her chest. "I don't know... We haven't done so without my Crest even since Apocalymon... And this place..."
"Yeah," Gatomon looked around and noticed a lighthouse in the distance. "That place... It feels like a..." Her eyes widened. "I see! Kari, wait here!" Gatomon said and jumped on the cliff again.
Killua dodged another barrage of fire. The dragon was more resistant than it seemed. He jumped up with a Nen propeller and also saw Gatomon running across the cliff. 'What is she doing?' As he wondered that, he gave the monster a drop kick to the face. But it shook it off and exhaled went to exhale fire, but Killua threw him another lighting.
Gatomon reached the light house and her holy ring started shining and she reared her fist back. "Neko Punch!" She struck the structure hard and it started cracking. The front falling and revealing a Control Tower underneath it. It started crumbling and it's debris fell to the ocean. "Done..." She turned to Kari. "TRY NOW!"
Kari watched her partner in action, at Killua fighting, and the remaining Scubamon behind her and she clasped her hands. 'Please... Please, if the light is truly in me then... Help Gatomon evolve!' A symbol appeared on her chest and Gatomon started shining.
"Gatomon Ultra Digivolves to... Angewomon!"
The Ultra Digimon emanated a bright light that gave color to this world. The Scubamon were on a trance by seeing her, while Kari smiled. "Angewomon!"
Killua noticed too and smiled. "Hum. Seems that without a tower you can still reach the Ultra Level."
Airdramon roared and charged at the angel, detecting her as the greatest threat at the moment. Angewomon just extended her hand and the feathers on her glove extended to form a bow. "Celestial Arrow!" She fired straight to the head.
The attack nailed the target and the monster screeched in pain before becoming nothing but dust. Not even data particles.
Angewomon bathed the Dark Spirals with her light and they all started to break. The Scubamon were all freed from their false God's control.
Kari smiled at seeing the Digimon free... But then she watched as their form started changing. They started to buldge and grew, their bodies becoming more like a mass of water. And by the way they were chuckling in an almost giddy way, it was something they wanted, something they embraced. By the time the change was over, their bodies were more humanoids. They lacked a face except for their reptilian eyes, and even a neck.
Kari gulped and took a step back. "Those are... Your true forms."
The lead... Thing chuckled. "We called you here not only to free us of those shells. But because you're power has to be for our one and true God!"
"W-what are you taking about?" She tried to back away, but the thing grabbed her arm. "N-No! Let go!"
"You will come with us, to be with our God! He will harvest your pow-"
He was cut off as something got in between the two. And forcing his arm to let go... Or rather to... Detach it from her... And it.
The thing howled in pain as he clutched his severed limb. Killua stood in between Kari and the other things, his left hand turned into a claw. He glared at them and took a step forward, causing them to flinch, while also oozing killing intent at them. "Get lost."
The things all started to back away and murmur between. "A dark entity." They repeated.
The lead thing, blinded by pain and rage, charged at Killua despite his lack of an arm and the warnings of its allies. He didn't get it far as a beam of light pierced its head and it dissipated in the air in a black mist.
The things looked up to see Angewomon. Even with her helmet it was clear she was glaring at them. They rounded up together and started retreating into the ocean. "It seems you aren't ready to accept your fate. Don't worry... You'll understand soon."
They disappeared into the depths below.
Kari trembled as she saw them disappear. "I... I want to go home."
A hand placed on her shoulder and she looked to see Killua smiling at her. "That's what I came here for..."
Kari smiled. She should have known that if not her brother, then her leader would be the one to save her. He was a hero, he would come to help anyone in a situation like this. Although... Taking an arm off was a little... Brutal.
But then again, he was capable of fighting them without a problem and look so kind the next moment. She would like to be like that... Hmmm...
Angewomon scooped the two and they flew to the light above, the same light that brought them there.
When the light dispersed, the group found themselves surrounded in a bed of flowers. Color filled their line of sight, a great contrast to the dull gray of that ocean.
"It's the Digital World..." Kari said. "We're back."
Angewomon lowered and placed them down. She started shrinking and Gatomon landed on Kari's arms. "Tch, guess a tower is nearby." Kari just smiled and snuggled to her partner while giggling, causing Gatomon to giggle back.
Killua watched them with a smile and sighed. It was time. "Say, Kari?" He called her attention and she turned to look at him. "I am... I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't want to sound so harsh or anything, I thought... Nevermind. I'm just sorry about what I said."
He remembered something Gon told him after Nanika healed him. That when you apologize to a friend, you have to do things: Being truly sorry and make sure it didn't happened again. And he was pretty sure he was going to do both things.
Kari smiled. "Don't worry about it..." She looked down but didn't lose her smile. "I think there's some truth behind what you said... When I was in that world, I couldn't really help the... Those things," She sighed and her smiled dropped. "I know they probably don't deserve it now, but the point is that I couldn't do anything against the Airdramon by myself."
"Don't beat yourself over it, Kari," Gatomon said. "That Digimon wasn't normal."
"I know... But... It's not the first time," She sighed. "At Metal City, when Ken kidnapped us and Blademon hurt you," As she said that Gatomon looked down. "And then when SkullGreymon attacked. In all those occasions we leaved it all to you, Killua and it... It felt frustrating."
Killua raised an eyebrow. But understood what she meant. Realizing you were weak... Was something truly frustrating.
"And so... I want to ask you something!" She said, beaming to Killua.
"What is it?"
"Killua... I want to be a Nen user!"
... "Huh?"
"I want you to train me!" She said, her smile about blind her two companions.
Both Gatomon and Killua blinked and their reaction was the same. "HUH?!"
As the world became desert, with any signs of life. A new, titanic entity started rising from the ocean.
Its red eyes glaring at its domains with rage and hate.
A single world came out of his jaws, a word that rumbled across the ocean and the small land around it.
"Anomaly..."
Remember the fact that I love reviews covering everything of this chapter -u-