Binding Hope

Chapter 1

by dragonflysky

This idea has been bothering me for a while, so I decided to post it. I don't own Digimon. Well, you know the drill, R&R and no flames. If you want me to continue, tell me. If you don't, tell me too, I'll take it off the site. Well, hope you enjoy!

It was that day again. Six years ago today, TK Takashi had vanished from the world without a trace. Six years ago the light, that once burned bright, was extinguished. Kari's eyes had tears pouring out of them. She spoke only when she had too, which was a rare occasion. One of the only times you could hear her speak was in her sleep, and only Gatomon knew that. Gatomon had lost her tail ring that day, for it was taken by Patamon. Patamon was also gone.

Davis had stopped hitting on her after he was gone, and even changed to getting his name right. He clearly saw that her heart had left with TK, and there was no chance of getting it back. The weeks he had spent weeks trying to get her to cheer up were countless, and it all ended in faliure. He eventually gave up all hope of cheering her up. Everyone seemed to lose hope easier, and they let her wallow in her sorrows. She eventually lightened up a little, after returning to school. The teachers respected that she wouldn't talk and never called on her. They remembered the things that the two had gone through together, since the beginning. If they didn't, they soon found out, and left her alone. It made everyone happy when she started to speak, even if it was short sentences. Still, no one forced her to when she didn't want to.

Matt probably took it the hardest. He stayed locked in his room for the longest time, only coming out for school. Gabumon was his link to the outside world. After the first year, he started to see the other destined again. His outlook on life became clouded, as did his clear blue eyes. Even after everyone had accepted it, you could see it haunting his life.

Davis, Tai, and all the others had seemed to forget. They never disrespected that Kari still had it fresh in mind. She was the only one there. Kari could remember the day so clearly, she hated herself for it. Once again, the haunting memories were returning.

"TK," said Kari happily running up to him. The last threat to the world had been defeated, and peace once again reigned over both worlds. TK looked up at her, his blue eyes radiating joy.

"Kari!" he exclaimed happily. Patamon flew from his shoulder to greet Gatomon. It was such a perfect day, for most of the digidestined were out with family or had other plans. This meant that TK and Kari could get some alone time with themselves and digimon.

"Ready for lunch?" he asked gently. His voice had begun getting deeper, and Kari could tell. Muscles had begun to form on his arms from his surveillance of the Digiworld. Things had been attacking him lately, making his trips more frequent and his friends more troubled. No one else was having any troubles.

'I never learned what was attacking him' Kari thought.

"Where are we going?" asked Kari. She didn't remember making any plans to eat. He was always sweet like that, thinking of others before himself. TK could obviously make out her face for he grinned broadly.

"Why to the park of course," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kari giggled happily as she followed him. They walked for a good ten minutes across town. His hand gently held hers as he guided her. Gatomon and Patamon flew/walked along side them. Apparently, they both knew what had been planned, as Kari would later discover.

The heat of the sun was starting to plague Kari as she walked beside her lifelong friend.

"When are we going to get there TK?" she asked sweetly as she could. TK looked down at her. The heat didn't seem to be effecting him one bit. She marveled at how he kept strong.

"Any minute know ma'am," he replied teasingly. Kari blushed deeply, but turned her face the other way so TK wouldn't notice. Gatomon and Patamon chuckled beside her, for they had obviously seen her. That only deepened her blush. She started glancing around at the surroundings, trying to find the place TK was talking about. Only problem was, she didn't know what to look for, because TK hadn't said much about it. TK led her down a small pathway, leading to a glittering pond. He scanned the area, looking for the spot that Sora and Matt had been watching for them.

"He put so much thought into it," tears started to fall out of her eyes again.

"What are you doing?" asked Kari suspiciously. TK carefully led her so she wouldn't see the holders of friendship and love. He did a good job, because she never did. Sora and Matt left to go to a dinner at a restaurant.

'Maybe if they would have stayed, we could have watched him,' anger mingled in with sadness.

"Oh TK," said Kari with pure joy. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and ran up to the picnic sight. TK was deeply blushing as he sat down next to her, but she barely noticed.

"I figured, since I missed your birthday, this might make it up?" he asked nervously. Kari happily nodded.

"This is wonderful," she squealed, while grabbing a sandwich. TK smiled. Oh, how she would miss that innocent smirk. He grabbed a sandwich himself and, after Patamon got started, they started talking. Kari would never forget that next hour. The sun had moved behind the tree, and shade had graciously replaced it. A gentle breeze blew through the area, and nothing in the world could ever go wrong, or so they thought. A strange sound seemed to emit from nowhere. TK didn't seem to notice.

"Kari," came a whisper on the wind. It wasn't a happy note though, and a certain evil ran through it. Kari's happiness immediately turned into panic.

"TK," she said frightened. Her tone of voice stopped TK mid-sentence. A worried look passed over her face. He had seen that look, and heard that tone before. He didn't need to say what was happening, because he already knew. Problem was, that Kari didn't know, not at first anyway. The sound of waves crashing in the distance could be heard.

"Kari," came a moaning voice. A colorless creature was fading in and out of sight in front of her. TK swung a fist at it, making it fade slightly. It crawled slowly toward her, reaching out its arm to grab her.

"With the light I can get out," said a voice from no where. TK got a fierce look of determination in his eyes.

"Never," he said, pulling out his D3. Patamon had gone to the fading digimon to attack.

"Ahh, help me," said Gatomon from behind them. She was being pulled away from the group by a couple more Scubamon. Patamon flew over to his stranded friend, desperately trying to get ahold of her. The scubamon held her arms and legs strong though, so Patamon grabbed at the only thing left, her tail. He grabbed around the glittering tail ring. It slid off in his paw.

The scubamon attacking Kari was only a couple of inches away now. TK was too far away to do anything about it. It grabbed her arm. The screaming pain shot through her, as pure darkness touched pure light. She screamed, for the pain was unbearable. Her head swam as she began to pass out. The last thing she that she was able to register was a bright light that had surrounded the area, while TK shouted something she couldn't make out. After that, dark.

She never found out what happened after she passed out. Gatomon had lost consciousness around the same time, so neither did she. What hurt her the most though, was what happened next.

Pain was the only thing she felt, and the only thing she thought. It raced through her body from where the scubamon had touched her, yet she was awake. That had never happened before, and she didn't know what to make of it. There was a dim realization in her mind that the Scubamon had gone, taking the ocean with them.

"Good job TK," she said weakly. No answer came. She opened her eyes slowly, to see her partner in an unconscious ball. Kari moved over to her and shook her lightly.

"Gatomon, are you ok?" she asked picking Gatomon up and holding her like a baby. Gatomon moaned as her paw rubbed her head.

"My tail-ring," she muttered. Kari looked at her tail and realized, for the first time, that it was missing the traditional ring. Kari wanted to help her look for it, but she waited for her to fully regain consciousness.

"What happened?" asked Gatomon, her eyes squinting in the sunlight. Kari smiled down at her.

Gatomon sat up, supported by Kari.

"Kari," she said alarmed, gazing at the scene. Kari's eyes moved over the area. An alarming amount of blood, from no apparent source, coated the ground where the scubamon once stood. As far as Kari knew, Scubamon couldn't bleed, but...

"TK," she whispered, frantically searching for him.

'I wonder how I missed that before?' she wondered to herself.

Her side was coated in blood as well, meaning that some of it was hers. Her heartbeat quickened, and she could feel it pounding in her head. She continued looking, but no body, human or digimon, was found. A sudden light-headedness had overcome her. She leaned against a nearby tree before the world went black.

OK, first basic chapter done. I hope somebody likes it. If no one reviews, I won't continue, and I stick by that statement. So please, R&R. I hope you liked. I'll try to get the next chapter up if the circumstances agree. Bye