Kari awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. "This is too weird," she thought. "Why am I wanted back? And why hasn't Ken felt anything?" She got up and put her clothes on. It was still dark out, about five thirty in the morning.
"TK," she sighed with tears appearing in her eyes.
She suddenly felt cold water dripping down her back. "EEK! Please tell me that's you, Tai! Tai? TAI!" She was surrounded by water. A pair of glowing red eyes stared at her.
"NO! NOT AGAIN! DON'T TAKE ME!"
Tai woke up with a start. "Kari?" He looked around the room. She wasn't there. Worried, he glanced around the house. "Oh no..."
Later...
TK, Yolei, and Cody found police cars surrounding the Kamiya's apartment. "I wonder what's going on?" asked Cody. TK stared. "Hikari, no..."
"And if you manage to find her, please call us," they heard Mrs. Kamiya cry.
Tai walked out of the apartment, pale and emotionless. "Tai! What happened?" asked Yolei.
Tai walked over to TK. "Tai," began the blond fourteen year old. "She's gone...isn't she?" Tai nodded stiffly, and walked on.
"TK, what's going on?" asked Yolei.
"I don't want to talk about it," he muttered.
TK looked at Kari's apartment again. Tears began to fill his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kari. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
Later...
TK walked through the school to the computer lab. Tai, Sora, Matt, Izzy, Yolei, Ken, Davis, and Cody were already there. "Look who's finally here!" growled Davis. "You don't even CARE about Kari's disappearance, do you?"
"Knock it off, Davis!" yelled Tai. "TK has had a lot to think about!"
"Like you'd never know," thought TK.
"So, where do you think she could've gone?" asked Matt.
"Not anywhere in particular," sighed Tai. "I don't know."
"I may have a clue," said Ken. "She asked me about the Dark Ocean yesterday."
"You mean that weird dimension you guys were sent to?" asked Cody.
"Yeah. I remember," said Yolei. "That place was creepy."
"So you think she could be there?" asked Tai.
"I don't know," Ken replied. "I never got to finish that conversation, because something interrupted." Everyone glared at Davis.
"What?" Everyone facepalmed.
"I remember Kari telling me about that," said Tai. "Said that some undersea master wants her."
"Yeah," sighed TK. "I know." Everyone stared at him. "TK, is there something you know?" asked Izzy.
"No," he replied slowly. He then turned around and punched the wall, blood dripping out of his knuckle.
"TK," Sora walked up to him. "If there's something you know, tell us." She saw him. Tears flowing out of his eyes. He couldn't hide his grief.
"This is my fault," he cried. "Ever since two days ago, I knew there was something going on."
"Then tell us, Takeru Takaishi," said Tai. He rarely used his full name. TK sighed and began to tell them the story.
"About a year and a half ago, Kari disappeared into the World of Darkness. I felt it was my fault that she was gone. I knew that something was wrong. That morning, I saw her sitting on a bench outside the school, her face tired and drained of energy. I talked to her about what she was going through."
"Yeah?" demended Tai. "Go on..."
"She told me about the beach, the dark ocean. I told her that I cared for her, and that I, as well as the rest of you, would always fight for her. She kept saying that she wasn't strong like her brother, and couldn't resist the darkness. Finally, she was completely sucked in. I ran to the beach looking for her, when I saw her image surrounded by light.I don't know why, but I jumped into it, along with Patamon and Gatomon. And I was there. After defeating Airdramon, these creepy scubamon guys grabbed her, saying something about their undersea master, and how Kari would fight him. She refused, and the deep ones retreated, and warned her about how their master wanted revenge. Kari and I escaped, but I sould tell that the fear was stuck with her."
"So, that's what happened to her," sighed Ken.
"Now, a year and a half later, I knew again what was going on. The Dark Ocean. That's what she's been dreaming about. That's why she looks so out of energy."
"And you made the same mistake again!" yelled Davis. "You don't deserve to say you care for her!"
"SHUT UP, DAISUKE!" demanded Tai. "I'VE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU AND THIS DAMN RIVALRY OVER KARI! IT'S NOT TK'S FAULT AND YOU KNOW IT!"
"TK?" Sora asked comfortingly.
"He's right," TK sobbed. "Kari is gone, and it's my fault. I shouldn't have made that promise."
"What promise?" asked everyone.
"I promised her *sniff* that I wouldn't *sniff* be involved in this."
"What? Why TK?" asked Izzy. "Why'd you do that?"
"I couldn't *sniff* help it. She seemed so worried. She said that she cared too much for me to have me involved again."
"Well, at least we know where she is now," sighed Izzy. "I'll find a way to tap into the Dark Ocean. It'll probably be ready by tomorrow. We'll just have to stay calm until then."
"I'll help you set this up," said Ken. "After all, who was the first one to go to the Darkness?"
"Right. We'll all meet at my house tomorrow, nine A.M. sharp. Got that?"
"Right!"
That night, TK lay in bed, unable to sleep. "TK?" asked Patamon. "Are you okay? You were twisting and turning."
"I'm just so worried about her," he sighed.
"Kari? TK, she'll be fine. She's strong enough to face this."
"Yeah," said Gatomon, who decided to stay with TK since Kari was gone. "We'll just have to trust her."
"Thanks," TK smiled. "But I don't know how long she'll be able to hold off. Kari, I beg of you. Please be okay."
To be continued...
