Disclaimer: I own Digimon; I just can't legally prove it. So let's pretend Toei owns it.
Author's Note: This will be a short, circa four chapters, Takari romance. I'm skeptical as to whether I should have made this a short story, and if I should have even posted it at all. There is a lot of poetry in this story, which is good if you like poetry, but bad because my poetry is about as good as a jab in the kidney. ^^ I hope you can look past the corny, sappy and not to mention lame stanzas I have produced. I would like to thank Silver for all his help with the plot of this story, and for helping to keep my sappy nature under control. I hope that you enjoy reading my short novel and I would appreciate any input. Enjoy! ^_^*
Dedication: This is dedicated to all my fellow hopeless romantics, hang in there, we're still extant!
The Nights We Felt Alive
Chapter Itchi: There is Nothing Else
By DaisukeFire
Email: [email protected], I'm dying to know what you think of my work!
Flowers of my heart,
Grow beautiful and strong,
You are part of me,
Blooming with beauty,
I pray you never wilt…
A benign, soothing breeze gently swayed the soft chocolate curls of the girl's hair, causing them to constantly get in her eyes. Growing slightly annoyed, the girl brushed the long bangs from her face with a graceful gesture. A thin smile crossed her face as her radiant eyes peered across the green landscape and far into the distance. Isolated, slumbering trees speckled the landscape in all directions. The girl almost imagined that she could see her old home… and her friends. Another breeze troubled her once more, and she tried to hold back her hair, to no avail. Annoyed, but not angry, she submitted to the invincible winds of change.
Her vision now partly obscured by her hair, she turned her gaze toward the heavenly sky. The bright afternoon sun forced her to squint. Thin, deteriorating clouds floated through the sea of air, forced in undesirable directions by the wind current. Looking down and into the horizon she could see golden leaves from the scattered trees fluttering to the browning ground and laying down for their final rest. There were few birds singing now, for fall was upon the land. But an occasional robin or lark was spotted cruising the sky.
Cerulean blue, that was the color of the sky… just like at home.
One of the hardest things for her to cope with when she was forced to move from Odiaba was leaving all of her friends. To the girl, they were more than just buddies; they had gone through so much together. There was Davis, the headstrong hotshot leader who never ceased to put a pleasant smile on the girl's face. And Yolei, the loud-mouthed girl with whom the girl's heart beats in sync. Cody, the boy whose wisdom outranks his age. Ken, the one who shared the girl's same sense of dark foreboding in the past. And then there was TK. The girl had known TK since the attack of Odiba by the evil Digimon known as Myotismon. Everyone, including both of their brothers, had said that they would make the cutest couple, that they were destined to be together… but why ruin such a good friendship with romance? The girl didn't believe in destiny, not when it came to love at least. She and TK were friends, and would never be anything more. But Cupid is a free spirit who strikes when the victim least expects or desires the prick of his tiny arrow.
Despite the serenity of her new found home, the girl hated her new life. Most of the girls at her new High School were spiteful and envious of the beauty they wished for and which she had. Beauty was the girl's least valued asset. It did nothing more for her other than to prompt people to judge her by it. Because of this so-called beauty, none of the people she'd met in this new life liked her for who she really was. The girl had even made attempts to become friends with the less popular girls. Yet they too felt uncomfortable around her and cared not to get acquainted.
The yearning for her friends became unbearable at times. She missed all of them of course. And then there was her brother, whom she missed as much as her best friends. He had left his former life as well, and was now a college student. Yet he seemed to be faring better than she, for making new friends had never been a problem for him. He was even voted by his peers into the hall senate for his class.
Everything about this new life seemed so dreary, and only forced the girl to become ever more depressed. Yet there was one silver lining to it. Her new, hopeful to be boyfriend. He made it almost completely worthwhile. The way he treated her with such respect and complemented her often made the world a little less dark. He had confessed his true feelings to her earlier that day, and ever since, the girl's thoughts had been cemented to the boy.
The girl's heart had almost jumped out of her chest when the young man who would hopefully become her boyfriend told her that he wanted to get to know her better over a date. He had seemed so much different from everyone else. He had seemed nice, intelligent and caring. The part that had made her most surprised about him was that he was the most popular guy in school, and he had chosen her. Of course this had only made the rest of the girls even more envious.
"Kari," called a man's deep, concerned voice called from somewhere down below.
As if waking from a dream both pleasant and haunting, the girl shook her head and looked down to the ground below her. The tall, dark haired man was searching the yard for her and called her name again. Kari giggled and called back to him, "Up here Dad!"
The man looked up towards the direction of the voice, and there saw his blooming flower of a daughter. She was sitting on the roof of the house with her arms wrapped around her knees. "What are you doing up there honey? Isn't it almost time for your date?"
Kari stood up and walked over the roof to a tree adjacent to it. Grabbing nimbly to the branches she managed to crawl down and meet her father. The man could barely keep tears from pooling at his eyes as he looked upon her. To him she really was a flower pushing through the snow of a long winter.
A thin layer of blue eye shadow painted prudently above them magnified her bright, brown eyes. The rosy blush on her face helped to lessen her prominent cheekbones and to add extra flavor to her smile. Glossy pink lipstick with silver sparkles covered her thin lips. Her hair was grown longer than she had let it in previous years, reaching down to her shoulders now. A black, sleeveless, midriff shirt with a pink heart on the chest covered most of her torso except for her naval and tanned stomach. A pair of tight blue jeans complemented the shirt and a pair of white and black sneakers covered her feet. The camera that had formerly hung from her neck was now replaced with a silver necklace that Tai had bought her for her birthday a few years back. She smiled.
"Well, aren't you going to get ready for your date?" the man asked with a uneasy, yet proud voice.
"I already am!" she giggled.
"Please tell me your not going on a date dressed in that? Couldn't you wear something that was a little less… revealing?"
"This isn't revealing! All you can see is my stomach!"
"Well please be careful tonight, you don't know this boy very well. What was his name again?"
"His name is Kazu, and that's the point Dad, I'm going to get to know him on the date." The man looked frustrated, it was hard for him to trust anyone when it came to dating his daughter. But he was glad for her, she had seemed so sad ever since the family had moved away from Odaiba. The move was the last thing he had wanted for his daughter, it was bad enough that she was losing her brother in the first place. Yet the cost of living in Odaiba was very high, and when he had lost his job there was little choice he had other than to take a job in a suburb of Nagoya. But she seemed to have gotten better now that this boy liked her, and her happiness was all that mattered.
"Don't forget, TK and his father are coming to spend the weekend with us. He should be here by about eight tonight, so try and get back from you date early."
"I will."
"Do you think he'll be jealous when he finds out your dating the most popular guy at your school?" the man chuckled.
Kari laughed and punched her father in the arm, "Of course not! We're just friends, why would he be jealous?"
"Ok, ok, you're feisty tonight. I'll drop you off at the sushi place when you're ready."
"I want to go a little early, just to make sure I don't miss him going into the restaurant."
"No problem Kari."
…Could you be the one,
I've been searching for,
To shine in my life and,
Teach me to love… the true way…
Kari shut the car door with an echoing bang and waved to her father who was reluctant to drive away. She only smiled, showing him that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. A light blue jacket now covered her torso. Her father had convinced her to wear it. He had said he was afraid that she would catch a cold or something, but Kari was sure that he wanted her to cover up her outfit. But she had complied, her father was only watching out for her. She immediately removed the coat from around her shoulders.
The brown haired girl smiled as she thought of the night that was to come. A date with an incredible guy, and then a whole weekend to be with one of her best friends. It had been months since she had seen TK, and seeing him was what she was most excited about. Yet she couldn't stop daydreaming of Kazu. Did he really like her as much as he said he did? Would they end up in a long relationship? Would he be the one to give her the first kiss she would ever have? She could only think of the many possibilities that lay ahead. She was infatuated with love for the boy.
That was when she heard the two male voices in the ally adjacent to the restaurant. They were laughing and joking about something. Kari could have cared less, except that one of the voices sounded familiar.
Carefully, she poked her head around the corner of the alley and peered down to see what the two voices thought was so funny. At the end of the alley there were two young men standing next to a dumpster. One was drinking something from an aluminum can; the other was smoking something.
"I can't wait for this date!" the one drinking the pop said.
"Why? What's so special about that little freshman girl?" replied the other in a nonchalant voice as he took a long breath of the combusting substance.
"She seems really nice, and she's cute too," the one pointed out. Kari smiled when she heard this; the voice obviously belonged to Kazu.
"She is cute, I admit that. But she's probably a ditz, most girls her age are."
"I don't think so, she didn't seem that way when I talked to her. She actually seems a little more mature for her age." Again, Kari's heart leapt. Kazu thought she seemed mature!
"But what about Sakura? She did just break-up with you yesterday, don't you think it's a little early to start a new relationship?" This new bit of information caused Kari's ears to prick and her hair to stand on end. She was so intent on eavesdropping, that she didn't notice people across the street staring at her.
"She didn't break-up with me, we just decided to start dating other people is all."
"Kazu… she said she couldn't stand you anymore, I don't think that's quite the same thing as a mutual break-up."
"She just doesn't realize how much she needs me," Kazu's voice now had a sad tone, threaded with fibers of anger, "and after a few days she'll come crawling back to me."
"So, in other words, you're just using this freshman to try and make Sakura jealous? I suppose that might get her back." Kazu's friend stubbed out what was left of the burning substance on the aged brick wall; then flicked the remnants into a trashcan. Kari could feel her eyes beginning to sting. Was Kazu just using her as a way to get back at an old girlfriend?
Kazu seemed infuriated now, "Of course I'm not using her! I really do want to get to know this girl." Kari felt a serendipitous feeling of hope, or dread, in her gut that gave the equivalent sensation of a large rock sitting at the bottom of her stomach; maybe Kazu really did want to get to know her.
"Ok," argued the friend, "Say you get to know this girl, and you like her. But then Sakura wants you to take her back, then what are you going to do?"
Kazu paused for a moment to ponder; then he replied, "I would hate to do it, but I would go with Sakura."
The other laughed, "So, you would build up this girls feelings and emotions, then leave her hanging?"
"Not intentionally," Kazu argued back, visibly frustrated, "but I would rather be with Sakura." Kazu took the can, which was now empty, and crushed it against the wall. He then hurled it into the dumpster.
"So why don't you just wait and see if you can work it out with Sakura? Go have dinner with this girl, but tell her you'd just like to be friends. I'm sure she'll understand."
"But," pleaded Kazu now with a sobbing tone to his voice, "what if Sakura doesn't come back to me?"
"Come on," replied the exasperated friend as he waved his hands in the air. "Don't try to start a new relationship until you're over Sakura. Its better for everyone that way. Try to think about someone else besides yourself."
"It'll be a long time before I'm over Sakura."
"So it's best for you not to date anyone until you are over her. Besides, if you don't have a girlfriend you and me can hang out more, we can enjoy the single life!"
"I would like that, but I can't wait that long… I have an image to maintain."
"Fine, do whatever you want," the friend let his arms fall in defeat. "You're going to end up hurting this girl and getting yourself in trouble, but don't say I didn't warn you."
That was the last of the conversation that Kari heard. Tears were now forming pools in the corners of her eyes, mixing with the eye shadow and then falling down her cheek; smearing the blush as well. The burning that troubled her eyes was just a sample of the burning she felt in her chest. She turned from the corner and began to fast-walk down the street in the opposite direction. Her eyes were glued to the ground as she refused to look at any of the few passing pedestrians. She passed an old flower shop, and happened to glance through the window. Bouquets of bright, pink roses filled the clear square of glass. Kari couldn't help but think how beautiful they were. Yet they had been severed from their life support by the entity that watched over them, and would soon die. Betrayal was hard to cope with. Ironic how she had felt so alive thinking about the same person just a few minutes before and now hated that same other as a mortal enemy. How could anyone be so cruel? Kazu had seemed so nice earlier that day, he had seemed so caring and sincere with everything he said to her. All her dreams of romance with Kazu were now shattered. Despite all of his arguments, Kari new he was just using her to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.
She looked toward the sky, which was now dark and obscured by round clouds of rainy resent. The sulking sky would be sure to shower that night. Kari tried to cheer herself up with thoughts of seeing TK, but she couldn't diverge the dark feelings from her mind. Sure, it would be a great weekend with TK, but what about after he left and Monday came? How could she face even one more day of school when everyone there hated her? She knew that she had to push on, but it would be hard with nothing bright in the future to look forward to. Water began to sprinkle from the sky and mingle with the young, brown haired girl's tears. A taxi approached her and she waved it down. Climbing into the car, she quickly gave the cab driver directions to her home. She hoped that her makeup would appear streaked because of the rain, and not because of her tears.
…Bitter flakes of winter fall,
Icy and cold melting on my skin,
Yet this winter is warm,
Compared to the storm in my soul…
Kari paid the driver whose cursory thank you only made her feel all the worse. The rain was now hailing down and soaking her to the bone. When she reached the door she noticed a note taped to it. It was spattered with drizzle and crumbling from the unforeseen moisture. It read:
Kari,
TK and his father got here a little early, so we decided to go to dinner with them. We should be back soon.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Kari's cold and clammy fingers turned the doorknob. It was locked. She checked her pockets to see if she had brought her key with her. She hadn't. Kari's frustration was now forcing the blood out of her brain and giving her a massive headache. Angrily she ran through the sky's tears and suckling mud to the side of her house that contained the window to her bedroom. As she looked through the window she could see light filtering through the curtains in an erratic sequence, most likely from her TV. After lightly rapping on the glass, a tiny claw poked between the curtain and window. Two, lemon shaped pupils surrounded by blue cats' eyes shinned through the darkened window into Kari's eyes.
The little cat like creature purred for joy and tried to open the window to let its partner in. After a minute of fumbling with the latches, and leaving claw marks on the window and frame by accident, the window was unlocked and Kari slid it open, then she clumsily crawled in, landing on the floor with an aching thud.
"Thank you, Gatomon," replied Kari soft and sadly as she stood up and began to take off her slimy, water soaked cloths.
"What's the matter Kari?" the white and purple striped feline asked compassionately. Kari had now pulled on a pair of shorts and ratty pink t-shirt. Her transformation from that afternoon was pitiful. With her streaked and smeared make-up, red, pain swollen eyes from her prolonged crying, and goose-bump covered skin from the cold rain, she looked as bad as her heart felt. She tossed her body onto the bed and lay there; stomach down with her head buried in her arms, and she said nothing. "Kari?" the cat persisted with curiosity twitching its whiskers. It jumped onto the bed and sniffed at Kari's hidden face.
Kari replied with tears in her voice, "Kazu just wanted to use me."
"That guy who said he liked you?" Gatomon replied with a puzzled equanimity.
"The one and only. I overheard him talking to a friend and basically he just wants to use me to make his old girlfriend jealous."
"That's terrible!" Gatomon hissed, and began throwing jabs and uppercuts at an invisible foe. "Just let me at him, I tear him up faster than I did that last scratching post!"
Kari lifted her head and smiled weakly at her only friend in this new life, "I bet you would. But it's not so much that that bothers me, it's just that everyone hates me here, and they don't even know me!"
"You just have to be patient, Kari. You're a wonderful person and I'm sure that a lot of people will like you once they get to know you." Gatomon placed her gloved hand onto Kari's shoulder in an attempt to comfort. The pseudo-claws at the end of the glove made small impressions on Kari's damp shirt, and the cat was afraid they might poke her.
"Yeah right. People these days like you only for who you pretend to be, not who you really are." She was now sitting up straight and looking deep into her feline friend's elliptical eyes with deep self-pity.
Gatomon yelled back with a growling voice, "You're wrong Kari! What about Davis and TK? Both of them like you for who you are, and I'm sure that you miss them as much as they miss you. And what about Yolei? She even admitted to your face that she wished she could be more like you! You're awesome Kari! You're the most caring, sincere, and loving person in the entire world!" The little champion Digimon was now far out of breathe and panting from her vain attempts to cheer up her partner. Gatomon had meant every word of the argument; she loved Kari, and hated to see her in such a deteriorating state.
"But that life is gone now. All my true friends are so far away that I only get to see them once every few months. I just can't stop thinking about how much I miss them, and how much I miss Tai. It's like I've just disappeared off the face of the Earth. What's the point, Gatomon? I'm no good at making friends, and I'm just going to be miserable here until I leave." Kari's depression was now changing to despair and her voice became much more dissonant, "I don't think I can handle being here anymore. I just wish I could completely disappear from the face of the Earth!"
Gatomon recoiled in terror as Kari said that last sentence for two reasons. The first reason was because her voice was now completely emotionless and cold like she really meant it, and Kari would never say something like that… ever. She was always hopeful about the future, about bringing light and peace to the world. To see her stuck so deep in despair tore at Gatomon's heart. The other reason Gatomon's eyes were wide with horror, was because Kari was now flickering. Her body was flickering in and out of existence, the way a television program does when the reception is close to terminating.
Kari was now crying loudly, the echo of her voice sounding as if caught between two dimensions. A pink aura formed around her body and it began to fade into a silhouette. Gatomon's jaw was locked open as she desperately tried to warn her partner of the flickering.
After a second, Gatomon forced her jaw shut and shook her head violently in an attempt to gain composure. She jumped forward in an attempt to grab Kari, but in the matter of a few seconds, Kari's silhouette had completely disappeared and nothing was left of her existence but the pink aura. Gatomon hissed scolded herself for being so slow. Now, with lightning quick reactions, she leaped to Kari's dresser, grabbed the pink gadget called a 'digivice' in her sharp teeth, and dove back towards the mysterious portal. Quickly checking her momentum, she began to jump back to grab the D-Terminal, but through the corner of her eye she saw that the dimension warp was beginning to shrink. Exasperated, she rerouted her direction and dove through the portal just before it closed.
Gatomon knew exactly where her friend had been transported; this had happened before. The resolute feline wasn't about to let Kari be stuck in a depressed world without her. The realm of the Dark Ocean was vastly unexplored, and contained unknown enemies who would try their best to make Kari remain in their forsaken world… or destroy her. And there was Daemon, whom the Digidestined had banished there as well. Gatomon was sure he would be just ecstatic to see Kari. Yet one problem loomed most in her mind, with out the D-Terminal, how would they contact the others if they needed help? Gatomon didn't know, but she did know that she would fight back the sun and moon with all her feral instincts if she had to.
…Darkness has filled my heart,
And I am without hope,
For the light has left my life,
And there is nothing else…
The young, blonde haired boy with indigo eyes entered the new home of his friend, following his father and her parents, respectively. He'd grown about a foot taller over the years, and was now just inches away from staring his father directly in the face. He had followed in his brother's footsteps and was now quite fashionably dressed. Khaki cargo pants hung from his waist and were complemented by a pair of flashy, black shoes with silver buckles near the ankles. Surrounding his athletic build was a plain, blue T-shirt, which was in turn covered by a black and blue long sleeved, button up shirt. A light pair of azure rimmed glasses hung freely from his nose. His hair was now slightly spiked and free from the hat that had confined it as a child. The curves of his face were filled with both the vigor of youth and the countless years of maturity he possessed over other boys his age. Yolie had teased and accused him of being arrogant with his new dress style, but TK had grown to enjoy dressing nicely. It separated him from the other guys who just threw on week-old cloths and couldn't care less. This complemented his unique character.
"Kari must not be home yet," replied Kari's mother. "Her date with that boy should be just about over though."
"Doesn't that make you jealous, TK?" the boy's father laughed in his deep, husky voice as he teasingly elbowed his son's shoulder.
TK blushed and glared at his father with squinted eyes, he hated it when his Dad teased him about liking any girl. "Kari and I are just friends, Dad. So she can date whoever she wants, as long as he treats her with respect."
"Getting a little protective of Kari, aren't we TK?" laughed Kari's mom.
"Err, why do you always have to harass us about dating!" TK's laugh was pleasant with traces of annoyance as well.
"We're just teasing you," interjected Kari's father, "Kari should be back shortly. You can wait for her in her room if you want, or you can stay out and talk with us some more."
"Sorry," chuckled TK, "but I had to listen to you guys argue about the current economic crisis the whole time we were having dinner. I think I would rather wait for her in her room rather than hear more 'adult' talk."
"Ok, dear, just let me know if you need anything," added Kari's mom merrily as she gave him directions to Kari's room, down the hall three doors and to the left. TK entered the quiet sanctuary of her room and could hear another heated altercation between his father and Kari's begin as he quietly shut the door.
TK turned around and whispered, "Gatomon, Gatomon, are you here?" There was no reply. That Digimon was always up to something. Whatever she was doing now, she had been in such a rush to do it that she had forgotten to turn off the TV, which was muted. "It smells like wet cat in here," he snickered, glad the feline was nowhere near to hear the comment and swipe her razor-sharp claws at him in defense of her honor.
He pulled off his backpack and vigilantly set it on the bed, and then unzipped it. Out from it flew a small, orange, pig-like creature with bright blue eyes and bat-like wings sticking oddly out of its head. The flying creature sighed and then glared at TK, "Thanks for making me wait in your backpack for three hours, TK!" Its voice was high pitched like that of a child, and had a relieved but livid timbre.
"Sorry," blushed TK as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand, "but I couldn't let them know I brought you with me. My Dad thinks you're still in the Digital World."
"That's still no excuse to keep me crammed inside that backpack for so long!"
"I said I'm sorry, buddy." TK widened his eyes and pouted, doing his best to give Patamon the 'puppy-dog face.'
"Ok, I forgive you," Patamon eased and chuckled at TK's lame attempt. "But you'd better not do it again! Hey, where's Gatomon?"
"I have no idea, I figured she'd be here waiting for us. Why, are you so excited to see her?" TK made a kissing face at his partner.
Patamon blushed and snarled back, "Well of course I am. She's my friend, and I miss her as much as you miss Kari."
TK started singing, "Oh, Patamon and Gatomon sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
The infuriated, orange bat-pig hurtled itself into TK's chest, the other catching him in his arms and hugging him tightly. Both individuals were laughing. TK let go of Patamon, who flew to one end of Kari's bed and proceeded to take a nap on one of her pillows. As for TK, he let himself fall freely, landing with his back on the bed. He put his arms around his head, creating a psuedo pillow, and then stared at the choppy white ceiling. He couldn't wait until Kari got back from her date.
Now that you're gone,
I realize how important you are to me,
Our friendship is true,
And things seem so dull,
Until I'm with you…
The melodic song of the waves soothed her broken heart as Kari gazed down from the steep face of a cliff. She was huddled around her knees and was vainly trying to keep warm from the icy fountain draining from the sky. Her brain kept telling her to find shelter and get out of the hypothermic air, but there was a distinct pleasantness coming from the stormy waters around her. The unyielding wind ruffled her ratty shirt, which was now dismally shaded because of the lack of light.
It didn't really matter anyways. She almost wished she could stay in this sad moment for all eternity. Here, there was no pain. All of her sorrows and troubles were off in a different world now. Tears could flow freely in this land of forever night. There was no one here to mock or hate her for who she was. But there was also a lonely feeling in the dampness. The people who she did love and care about were also absent, searching for her, maybe, but doubtful. Kari wasn't sure that anyone would miss her at all.
Rocks at the bottom of the cliff shuddered as the dark waves of the ocean caressed them. There were no birds fluttering through the air to fill the quiet realm with a song of love and spring. Off in the distance was an abnormal lighthouse. Rather than shining rays of light and guidance for sea weary travelers, this lighthouse only took joy in making things darker. Like thick, bland syrup the rays oozed across the sea, and at times land. Kari flinched as the darkness of the foreboding shade burned her eyes.
Gently, she picked a rock from the barren ground and held it in her smooth and tender palm. It was a discolored mix of green and gray, and its texture was rough and its shape amorphous, it was ugly. Just like her. How could she let something so trivial as some jerk wanting to use her break her up like this? The thought of how weak she was made her eyes clench in anger. Of all the Digidestined, she knew she had to be the weakest. The only time she had ever played a key role in helping was when they defeated Myotismon. Sure, she had done some other little things too, but none had really been that vital. Why couldn't she be strong, like the others?
All she had ever wanted in life was to be normal. Was that too much to ask? Ever since her childhood she had been almost always alone. Here chronic sickness played a key role in making her unattractive to other children. That was why she tried so hard to please her brother; he was the only friend she had ever had. Then came the adventure, and an excess of friends with it. Though she had had trouble forming unique relationships with the other Digidestined, she had managed to form two unique ones. One was with Gatomon, her 'predestined' partner. As much as she loved Gatomon, she needed more than just a non-human partner. There were things that Gatomon couldn't understand, as human-like as she was. The other bond was with Yolei. Because of their kindred souls, their hearts had managed to beat as one and trigger the Jogress evolution of Gatomon and Aquillamon.
Both of the previous bonds had yielded physical results. Yet she also felt a bond with TK, one that had never come quite into bloom. It had come close at times, TK had been heroic and saved her on a few accounts, but it had never grown to a more powerful level since he saved her from the Dark Ocean, the first time.
All of these thoughts made her yearn all the more for her friends. Angrily she threw the ugly stone high into the air. There it stalled, bidding the time before its fated drowning. Following its flight it crashed into the irrigate with a plop, creating a large splash. Where was Gatomon now? Was she still at home, had she even noticed Kari disappear? Kari burst into tears once more. The lonely atmosphere of the Dark Ocean complemented her own emotions, but now she felt an inexorable despair looming on the horizon.
"Gatomon!" she cried with all the power her lungs could produce; she stood erect, seeming to challenge the sinister sky. Her eyes were clenched shut and tears trickled down her scrunched cheeks. There was no answer to her cry.
"Mom… Dad… Tai…" there was still no response. "TK!" this last name she called seemed to echo deep into the distance, even to the depths of the harsh waters. Kari wasn't sure why she called for TK; maybe it was because he was closer in distance than the others. But it didn't matter; she doubted he would ever hear her anyways.
…As I sit high up here,
In the down pouring rain,
Arms sadly wrapped 'round my knees,
The dark sky plaguing my heart,
I need you…
TK snickered as he watched the snot bubble inflate and deflate from his partner Digimon's nose. Not many individuals can be funny while they sleep, but that was a gifted talent Patamon owned. TK's thoughts shifted from the little orange creature to Kari. Missing her like crazy was one of the problems he had faced when she moved, and that was the way he would have felt if any of his friends moved away. They were a team, and without one member life felt so… incomplete. Yet he was more worried about her than himself, he'd get over it. Kari seemed really depressed and even though she wouldn't tell anyone what she felt, he could tell she hated it here. Even Davis had told him that when he had called Kari he couldn't get her to laugh, and he'd never had a problem with that before. She was definitely not acting like herself.
TK was sure that life was nowhere near as rough for him when Kari had moved. Sure, he would hardly ever get to see one of his best friends now, but at least he still had his other friends. He and Davis had gotten over their quarrelling a long time ago, and had bonded very well with their mutual loss of Kari. TK had even asked Davis to come with him this weekend and they could both get to spend time with Kari, but Davis had politely declined due to a soccer tournament that weekend. Davis had also pointed out that maybe TK and Kari might like to spend some time alone together. That would have sounded bizarre if it had come from the Davis four years earlier. But Davis had long since gotten over his infatuation with Kari.
It was then that TK noticed how sweaty his hands were, and he was fidgeting with them. Was it possible he was nervous to see Kari? Of course not, he had no reason to be nervous about that. But then why were his hands so sweaty? His hands were never sweaty. Maybe he was nervous because he hadn't seen her in so long that he was afraid to see how she had changed. Hopefully she hadn't gotten too depressed over the months, if she had, TK wasn't sure what he could do to help her.
As he was deep in thought about Kari, he could have sworn he heard her voice calling to him as if from a dream. Was she here already? He shifted his head toward the door, his eyes half expecting to see her lively face smiling at him. But she was not there.
The voice continued to call to him: TK, TK, TK… It was almost as if he could hear her voice echoing from some other world. Then the voice grew louder as he listened, it seemed almost like she was crying. Then he heard the names of Gatomon and Tai being called as well, and he realized that Kari was calling for someone. The tone didn't sound distressed or urgent, just longing. He got up from the bed and looked meticulously around the room. Nothing seemed out of place. Then something at the window caught his eye. There was a faint, pink glow seeping in around the edges of the curtains. Quickly, he rushed to the window and threw the curtains to the side.
About fifty yards away, near a tall tree, was an elliptical pink mist. Kari's voice seemed to be emanating from it. He threw open the window and called back to Patamon, who sat up groggily. TK jumped out the window and was running through the hammering rain towards the pink mist. The voice of Kari seemed to be crying in his ears now; it was almost unbearably loud.
As he rushed the pink mist, he remembered what it was. He had seen it once before in his life… the portal to the Dark Ocean. How had Kari gotten there? TK didn't know, but he refused to hesitate helping her. He leapt through the air and into the portal with the graceful motion of a bird. The lethargic Patamon reluctantly followed his partner wherever he was heading.
… I will not abandon you,
No matter the cost and
Loss that I face,
You're far too important to me,
And I care too much for you,
To lose you to anything…
Author's Note: Well, if you're reading this, then you've made it through the first chapter. I hope that you liked it, I put my best effort into it. Sorry about all the poetry, I know they probably don't make sense, but I'm better at angst poems than romantic ones. As always, please review and let me know what you think so far. Thanx for reading! Next chapter up soon, I hope! ^_^*