Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution

2. Hope and Desolation

2. Hope and Desolation

Odaiba, Japan; August 22, 2010 – 7:46pm

Kari Kamiya was enjoying a leisurely walk with Gatomon in the warm summer breeze and admiring the sunset over Tokyo Bay. She was wearing a light pink sleeveless shirt and flowing white skirt decorated with cherry blossoms. She couldn't stop watching the sky, how the magnificent cloud formations shifted with the air currents in the upper atmosphere and scattered the beautiful golds and reds of the fading sunlight. It was mesmerizing, and all felt right in the world.

As the sun slipped slowly over the horizon, the reds shifted to purple and the warmth began to fade from the air to be replaced by an uncomfortable chill. She shivered. "Gatomon, I think we should head home now—"

"Wait." Gatomon interrupted, ears twitching. "Something's wrong."

"What is it? Do you feel something?"

Gatomon sniffed the air. "I'm not sure. But something's terribly wrong. I'd bet my nine lives on it."

The wind changed, and brought something with it over the air—a faint sound coming from far away. Kari couldn't quite make it out, but a sudden uneasiness sent gooseflesh running over her arms. "I think you're right, Gatomon."

The sound had a stronger and immediate effect on Gatomon, whose ears were keener than Kari's. "Come on—this way!" she cried, and sprang forward down the boardwalk.

Kari hurried after the feline digimon, the uneasiness growing with every stride. When they'd come a few dozen yards the noise became clearer, and Kari realized it was someone shouting. It sounded like they were in great distress. The cry was masculine, and...familiar. Kari's brow creased as she concentrated on listening, then she redoubled her pace. She recognized that voice.

"Onii-chan!" she called. She could see a small crowd forming up ahead, and she and Gatomon sprinted toward them. As she reached the back of the crowd, Kari pushed against the wall of bodies in her way in an attempt to get past. "Excuse me—please let me through! That's my brother!" At her insistence, the crowd gradually peeled away and Kari was allowed passage.

Suddenly she was inside a circle of people roughly twenty feet in diameter, several of whom were recording video on their smartphones, and in the center of it lay Tai, rocking back and forth wide-eyed and tear-stained, hoarsely crying over a small rock-like object in his hand. It was then that Kari experienced a new kind of fear. Gatomon had been right; something was unequivocally wrong here.

She hurried to his side and knelt down. "Tai! Tai, it's me! What's wrong?!" She pleaded, shaking him by his shoulder. It was not immediately effective. But at her persistent prodding and cajoling, his wild, uncontrollable screaming abated and he turned his eyes to her as if noticing her for the first time.

"Kari..." She'd never heard such grief in his voice.

"I'm here, brother. It's all right."

"Kari, he..." Tai sobbed helplessly, holding out his hand to show her his ruined digivice. "He's gone. Agumon's gone! Gone forever!"

Kari's eyes widened as she realized what he was holding, and Gatomon gasped beside her.

"Oh, no! No!" She shook her head in disbelief, on the verge of tears herself. I need to get him out of here, Kari realized. She hooked her elbows under his armpits and stood, hoisting her elder brother to his feet, and wrapped his arm over her shoulders so she could support him. "Back! Get away, all of you! Leave him alone!" She waved her arm so the crowd would give them some room.