Chapter 7 - Memories

A/N: Here is Chapter 7. Should be another Takari-filled chapter, as it is Part 2 of Chapter 6, and based on a good Takari episode which is Episode 7. This chapter does however is a little darker than previous ones, with a little bit of violence. Just warning you now. It's only minor, but if it offends you, just skip it. Anyway, as usual, no flames please. Now, on with the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon.

Yolei was sitting in the darkened computer lab, alone with Poromon and Upamon. They weren't much company though, as they were otherwise engaged in stuffing their faces with food from her parent's convenience store. She sighed, wondering when the cavalry would show up so they could all go and assist Davis. Suddenly, the door banged open, and there stood Cody.

"I've brought some reinforcements!" He said excitedly. He stood aside, revealing Matt and Tai.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tai asked, striding towards the computer with Matt right behind him, "Let's get going!"

Kari and T.K were still on the run from the Gardromon. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon were exhausted from all the flying and dodging Grenade Destroyer attacks.

"We can't keep going forever! We're gonna have to land!" T.K yelled over the Gardromon's cries of "INTRUDER!"

"If we do, we'll get blasted to smithereens!" Replied Kari.

"We're just gonna have to keep flying until the cavalry arrives." Said Pegasusmon.

Suddenly, Kari and T.K's DigiVices began to beep.

"Speak of the devil. I've picked up somebody's signal!" Exclaimed Kari.

"It's Davis! Look!" T.K pointed at Flamedramon bounding between buildings with Davis in his arms. Just as he did so, however, a particularly accurate Grenade Destroyer attack collided with Pegasusmon's side. He was knocked off balance, and, with T.K only holding on by one hand while he was pointing, he fell off Pegasusmon's back.

"T.K!" Kari screamed, tears immediately springing to her eyes, as T.K plummeted towards the ground and certain death. "Nefertimon, quick!" Her Digimon wheeled around, and plummeted into a nose dive. T.K yells of despair were all Kari could hear. Nefertimon was able to just barely catch T.K on his back. He almost lost his balance again with the force of the landing, but Kari caught his hands just as he was about to fall again. T.K and Kari immediately clung to each other in a desperate hug, both crying again. "Kari, you saved me."

"'Course I did, you've done it for me plenty of times. Besides, it's like you said; you're precious to me."

"If you two are done being all lovey-dovey, you might want to hold on tight!" Nefertimon interrupted. Kari and T.K blushed heavily. Kari held on while T.K sat behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He lent forward and kissed her quickly on the cheek. Kari could have burned alive she was blushing so hard.

"Thanks for saving me." He whispered, placing his head on her shoulder. Kari took both of his hands and gave them a squeeze.

"Up there!" Said Nefertimon, "Davis has taken shelter up on that balcony. I'll let you two off up there." After dropping the two best friends off, she, Pegasusmon and Flamedramon bounded into action against the Gardromon.

Kari and T.K approached Davis. "Hey Davis! Thanks for coming back for us! You're our hero!" T.K said, about to pat Davis on the back. Davis' only reply was to step forward, wind back a fist, and punch T.K right in the face, knocking him to the floor.

"That's for not protecting Kari!" Davis yelled furiously down at T.K, who was rubbing a now bleeding nose, "You should have let her go first!"

"T.K!" Kari screamed, kneeling down and placing her best friends' head in her lap to examine him. "DAVIS! How could you?!"

Before Davis could respond, T.K stood up, and lunged at Davis, knocking him flat. He sat on top of him, and punched him hard in the face, "Don't you dare accuse me of not protecting Kari." T.K said in a voice of deadly calm, "She is is my best friend in life, and I would do anything to keep her safe. You'd do well to remember that. You're nothing but a reckless, selfish jerk, Davis." T.K punched Davis again, before realising what he was doing. He hurriedly got off Davis and stared at his fists in horror. Kari could only watch, torn between the terrified T.K and the injured Davis. She never knew either of them to be capable of violence.

"I'm sorry, Davis," T.K said quietly, now crouching down, staring at his fists, "I dunno what came over me. Please forgive me, even though I don't deserve it."

Davis wiped the blood off his face before offering T.K his hand.

"We're good, T.K. I'm sorry I punched you, too." T.K looked up in surprise. For the first time ever, Davis had called him by his actual name. He grinned broadly, and took Davis' outstretched hand and stood up. The two shared an unlikely brotherly hug. Kari squeezed her eyes tight, shaking her head. She marched over to Davis, and slapped him hard in the face.

"How dare you speak to T.K like that! He saved my life at the risk of his own! He risked everything to save me, just like he has so many times! He's the best friend I've ever had, and ten times the man you'll ever be! Grow up, Davis. T.K's right, you are a reckless, selfish jerk!" Kari breathed heavily, immediately regretting her outburst. She swiftly apologised to Davis, who was rubbing his cheek and hanging his head, before walking off to the other side of the balcony. T.K followed her and put a protective arm around her shoulders. She lay her head on his shoulder in response.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," T.K murmured, "as you know, I've never done something like that before. I swear I'll never do that again."

"It's ok, T.K," Kari replied softly, "You don't have to apologise to me for that. I get it. He insulted you, punched you, and accused you of selfishness. It's Davis' fault, of anything."

Davis, watching the two share their heartfelt conversation, felt a great pang of jealousy. Swallowing his pride, and remembering what Cody, T.K and Kari had all told him about being a jerk, he made his way over to them.

"We're all good now, right guys?" He asked hopefully.

"'Course we are, Davis." Kari smiled, as they all shared a three-way hug, before turning to watch their respective Digimon do battle with the Gardromon.

"FIRE ROCKET!" Yelled Flamedramon, launching fireballs from his fist.

"EQUUS BEAM!" Shouted Pegasusmon, firing a green beam of energy from a gem on his forehead.

"ROSETTA STONE!" Yelled Nefertimon, as the stone-like missiles rained down on the Gardromon.

"Look! The hoard is finally thinning!" Said Kari excitedly. She was right; the wave of Gardromon that had seemed so never-ending before now seemed a lot smaller.

"Let's finish this then, together!" Exclaimed Pegasusmon. He and Nefertimon swooped down to pick up T.K and Kari respectively.

"GOLDEN NOOSE!" Nefertimon and Pegasusmon yelled together, as the familiar rope of golden light formed between them. They corralled the remaining Gardromon together inside the noose, and pulled. The golden light encased the Gardromon, and their red eyes instantly returned back to normal. Victory was theirs.

"Alright, we won!" Said T.K and Kari together, high-fiving as their steeds flew by each other. Suddenly, a lightning bolt-shaped beam of electricity struck both Digimon and sent them plummeting to the ground and back to their Rookie forms. T.K and Kari were left to struggle to pick themselves up off the ground. Luckily they hadn't been too high up at the time.

"Kari! T.K!" Davis shouted, as Flamedramon carried him down to join them, while Flamedramon stood up to the newcomer. It was a massively tall, cyborg-like Digimon with a familiar face.

"Why can't these guys ever be small?" Asked Davis, as Kari and T.K stood up.

"Andromon!" they said happily together. T.K's broad grin suddenly faltered. Kari was about to walk towards the cyborg and greet it, but stopped when T.K gripped her hand.

"Kari, wait! Look at his eyes." He pointed. Amdromon's eyes did not have the usual friendly glimmer in them. Instead, they were bright red, and menacing. Around his neck, a dark ring glimmered.

"He's got a dark ring..." Kari said sadly.

"I am programmed to destroy the enemy. You are the enemy. I will destroy you." Said Andromon. His voice sounded brainwashed.

"Andromon, don't you remember us?" Kari asked sadly, stepping forward.

"We're your friends." T.K said, standing beside her.

"Kari, you're hanging around the wrong people!" Davis exclaimed, "Flamedramon, you'll have to use all your power!"

"Right! FLAMING FIST!" Flamedramon yelled, coating himself in flame and leaping at Andromon.

"LIGHTNING BLADE!" Andromon yelled, letting loose his bolt of electricity. The bolt struck Flamedramon dead on, easily dissipating his attack and sending him back to his Veemon stage. Kari, T.K and Davis all gasped.

"That didn't work!" Said Davis, as he cradled the injured Veemon.

"Andromon, don't you remember how we fought together? Side by side?" Asked Kari.

"Kari, it's not working! Let's go!" T.K said, grabbing Kari's arm.

"But it's-"

"He's not remembering, Kari, we have to move!"

"We can't just leave him here, T.K! We have to find some way to make him remember!" Kari said earnestly. T.K looked conflicted. She was right, they did have to help him, but they had no Digimon to help with; he was too powerful.

"As much as I like hearing you two arguing, he's heading right for us!" Davis said, pointing. Andromon was walking slowly towards the kids.

T.K shook his head and threw caution to the winds "We fought against the Dark Masters together! Don't you remember, Andromon?!" He yelled.

Andromon ignored him completely. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped. He seemed to be eyeing the goggles atop Davis' head.

Patamon, Gatomon and Veemon pounced on him while he was distracted, and Andromon was knocked flat on his back.

"Glad we're not too late!" Yelled Yolei, as she flew onto the scene atop Halsemon.

"Hi, guys!" Said Digmon, drilling up from underground, "I thought while I was here I'd build this city a subway system!"

Just then, Andromon threw off the Rookie Digimon and stood back up.

"Hold still, you pile of scrap metal!" Yelled Digmon, "GOLD RUSH!" He fired his drills like missiles at Andromon. They simply bounced off his impenetrable metal body. Digmon looked panicked, "Uh, hey! That comment about scrap metal was just a joke!" He said hopefully.

"KARI!" "T.K!" Yelled Tai and Matt as they approached from behind, with Cody along with them.

"Are you guys alright?" Asked Tai, bending down and placing a hand on Kari's shoulder, as Matt did the same for T.K.

"Yeah we're fine, but Tai, it's Andromon!" Kari said.

Tai stood up and approached the cyborg, "Andromon, don't you remember?! It's me! Tai!"

"Tai who?" Asked Andromon numbly. They waited. Andromon just stood there. He appeared to be thinking, "Oh! Tai!" He said, apparently coming to some sort of realisation. The dark ring crackled with electricity. The sparks from the ring sent Andromon into a minor rampage, as he swung his arms back and forth, before stopping short in front of Kari. He bent down and picked her up as if she was a rag doll.

"You put her down right now!" T.K, Tai and Gatomon all yelled together, stepping forward.

"Andromon! Remember our fight with the Dark Masters?! We beat them together!" Tai said desperately, stepping forward again until he was right in front of Andromon.

"It's me! It's T.K! We're all best friends, Andromon!" Said T.K, standing next to Tai.

"Friends?" Asked Andromon numbly, "Trying to remember..."

"Do you remember me?" Asked Kari, eyeing Andromon imploringly.

"I'm trying..." Andromon's brain was clearly working on overdrive trying to break the power of the dark ring, "Yes."

"We all took a picture together..." Kari trailed off. A single tear fell from her eye onto Andromon's shoulder.

"A picture..." Said Andromon, his mind clearly still trying to piece things together. Kari's DigiVice fell from her pocket on landed on Andromon, emitting a pink light as it did so; the power of the Crest of Light. One could practically see the pieces coming together in Andromon's head, as he stared at Kari, T.K, Tai and Matt in turn. "Faces...long ago...DigiDestined...I love jigsaw puzzles!...Yes!...Now I see the complete picture!" Andromon's eyes finally returned to the friendly gleam they all knew and loved. "Kari! T.K! Tai! Matt!" He said, tearing the dark ring off his neck, "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused!"

"Andromon!" They all shouted excitedly (except Davis, Cody and Yolei who looked left out). Andromon grinned, before turning around to face the Control Spire that still dominated the skyline, "That Control Spire is responsible for all this! Well no more! GATTLING ATTACK!" He said, as his chest-plate opened to reveal two missiles, which launched and destroyed the Control Spire immediately upon contact.

"Andromon, are all these Gardromon going to stay broken forever?" Kari asked. As the group headed off.

"No. Their programmes were all rewritten by the Digimon Emperor," replied Andromon, "They just need to be reprogrammed. Watch!" He approached a lone Gardromon and punched it gently in the chest. Wires sprouted from his wrist and began to rewire the Gardromon, "Actually, after I reprogram the Gardromon, I'll stay here and protect them, in case the Digimon Emperor comes back!"

Just then, the rewiring became complete. The Gardromon flexed its arms happily, "I feel fresh as a daisy!" It grunted in its grungy voice.

"Izzy were you waiting here this whole time?" Whispered Tai. They had returned to the human world in the dead of night, only to find a grumpy looking Izzy waiting for them in a chair in front of the computer.

"Shhh. Let's go." He whispered back, as they all left the school.

After they had left, Izzy began his rant.

"I heard what happened from Matt, who called right before you all left. I couldn't get there in time to go with you, obviously. Yolei called Matt and Cody called Tai, but nobody ever called me until it was too late. I'm the afterthought."

"Come on, Izzy! Don't be like that! You're an important part of the team!" Matt said, trying to calm him down.

"Exactly! All I ask for is the same respect that I give to all of you! I might not be as strong as you or Tai, but I've proven I can still hold my own, not to mention my technological expertise!"

"I'm sorry we didn't call you." Tai said.

"Now that's what I call respect! We're all good now!" Izzy said happily, to everyone else's surprise. It certainly didn't sound like he was going to forgive THAT easy.

As everybody else headed home, T.K and Kari stayed behind briefly. T.K approached Kari.

"Hey. I'm glad you're alright." He said, as he folded her into a loving hug. She was short enough that her head rested perfectly on his chest. He placed a gentle kiss on top of her temple, before placing his head on top of hers. Kari's smile was one of absolute tranquility as she closed her eyes and savoured the moment.

"I'm glad you're ok, too." She said softly.

"So we're good? With the mini-argument we had? About Andromon? I think that's the first time we ever disagreed on something." T.K asked.

Kari pecked T.K on the cheek, and he turned into a tomato. "'Course we're good. Every relationship has its disagreements right? But let's not talk about those. Let's just talk about the happy stuff."

"Can I walk you home? Tai's probably there by now." T.K asked, letting go of her but keeping his hands on her shoulders.

Kari grinned widely, "Definitely." The two best friends intertwined hands, and Kari leaned her head on T.K's shoulder, as they headed home at last.

A/N: Well that's it for Chapter 7. I think it turned out quite good. Hopefully you guys agree. Just also a reminder that I very very rarely implement human violence, because I hate writing it, and this is quite possibly the only occurrence of it in this story, but no promises. Anyway, please review, and hopefully next chapter will be up soon.