A/N: Although I have loved Digimon forever this is my very first Digimon fic ever! I absolutely adore the relationship between Tai and Kari. Hope you like it!

Seize

"I went to the Dark Ocean today, Tai." You tried to hide it but I saw you flinch. "I tried to resist but it's just too strong. I'm sorry." I bowed my head in shame. You turned away as if to give me privacy. I know I'm weak and understand if you can't stand to look at me.

"Try to be more careful next time," came your blunt reply in a surprisingly steady, emotionless tone. Every time we discussed this topic, you would be agitated and overprotective as if I were still a little girl. Why not today when I finally set foot into that eerie, somber world?

You finally looked at me. "How do you feel?" Fatigue was apparent in your eyes but you held your gaze. Somehow they shone brighter today, wetter. They wavered slightly under the hazy desk lamp glare. Your Adam's apple bobbed once with a particularly hard swallow.

"I'm fine. TK and Gatomon came for me." You flinched again, not even attempting to hide it this time, and turned your head away sharply. Why do you refuse to look at me?

After a moment you replied in a raspy tone, "That's great." A couple deep breaths and you turned to face me once again. "You must be pretty shaken up. Go to bed." It was a gentle command. You placed your hand on my shoulder and softly steered me towards the bunk bed. You waited patiently for me to climb in and pulled the covers up to my chin.

"Sweet dreams, Kari. Try not to think about it too much. It'll be ok. I'll make sure of it." You kissed me tenderly on the forehead and climbed down. The light went out and in the blinding darkness I listened to your rustling sheets as you settled into bed. I felt like I was eight again.

I awoke to a glowing morning and an unusually cheerful brother. You hummed tunelessly as you bustled about the house with your regular inability to stay still. You yelled out good morning casually while running out the door, as if last night resided in my memory only. A brief glimpse of your overstrained smile told me otherwise. I shook my head and went about my day.

You didn't come home that night.

I called and called but your phone kept replying with a message that it was out of range. It was late, mom and dad were away for the week, and I didn't know what else to do except to go to bed and wait for the front door to creak open. I fell asleep before that sound met my ears. That night I dreamed about beautiful swans falling from the sky.

In the morning your bed was neat and cold. I found you asleep on the couch with a frown on your face. I draped a thin blanket over your sleeping form and you murmured a quiet thank you.

"Where have you been all night, Tai?" It was past noon when you finally cracked open your eyes and moaned at the stinging brightness streaming in through the giant windows. You seemed disoriented as you headed off to the shower and oddly quiet as you sat down to eat the lunch I had kept warm for you. You chewed each bite slowly as your mind wandered from the kitchen table.

My question brought you out of your reverie. You blinked bewildered as if waking up from a dream and said "Just out," as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I know that, but where?" I tried again, exasperation lacing my voice.

"Just hanging out with some guys from the soccer team," you lied almost curtly. I let it go. You finished your meal in silence and went to the sink, carefully washing, drying, and putting away each dish in its rightful place. Then you wiped down the counters and neatly hanged the towel to dry. I could only stare at your retreating back as you walked down the hallway towards the bedroom we share, distance growing between us.

You shut the door.

People are often awed by Tai and mine's relationship. They often complained about how annoying their own siblings are and wistfully impart how wonderful life would be as a single child. I, on the other hand, cannot imagine a life without my brother. Surely we bicker now and then, but I always catch the little and big gestures Tai presents that say "You are my dear little sister and I love you."

When I was little my sleep was often plagued with nightmares. My brother would be at my bunk in a heartbeat and lull me back to sleep, promising to fight off any monsters that dare to come near me. He would tell me what a strong, brave girl I were and conjure comical tales of why the monsters should not have messed with us. I still remember the way that blanket of peace and security would curl itself snugly around me, and how I held on with my little hands and refused to let go.

When I got older the nightmares did not come as frequently. You expanded your tales of our adventures against the bedtime monsters so that I have the chance to shine. It was no longer about how you would stand up tall in front and shield me protectively, but rather how I would guide the monsters to become good with my light and compassion. Once in a while you would still need to dive into a situation and haul me to safety. I didn't mind, because even though I am a big girl it is nice to have my brother protect me.

In eleven years' time I have seen you bubble with joy, seethe in anger, frown with disappointment, cry in anguish. I have received your kindness and affection and put up with your unintended insensitivity and rudeness. We had fought and survived ruthless enemies in a strange world and saved the lives of billions. For all the times I felt helplessness creep into my heart you held my hand and crushed the menace with your courage.

I face the world with vivaciousness each day knowing my brother is by my side. In eleven years' time I have never had to face a world where my brother can't stand to be around me.

I tiptoed into the bedroom that night to find you deep in concentration over school work. Trying not to disturb you, I climbed the ladder to the upper bunk and cursed silently as the old, wooden bed frame creaked in irritation. You didn't acknowledge the sound. I laid in bed staring at the ceiling and, after a moment or two, turned my head and whispered, "Goodnight Tai."

I must have been too quiet. Surely you would respond if you had heard. I turned to face the wall and my eyes stung with unshed tears before sleep claimed my tired, distraught spirit.

I woke up to a strange noise, a strangled, throaty, muffled wail of sorts. Groggily I sat up and looked around for the source. I looked to the bunk below me and, by the ghostly moonlight, could make out your figure sobbing into your pillow. They sounded raw and painful and I could stand it no longer.

"Tai?" I called out in apprehension. "Tai, what's wrong?"

Your outline seized up and your breath hitched in mid-sob, staying still and quiet as you clutched onto the pillow as though it could save you from drowning. I debated whether to come down and attempt to comfort you like you have done so many times for me. I was about to get up when I heard you release the breath you were holding as though the predator had passed. Not wanting you to suffocate, I remained where I was and willed myself back to sleep to give you the privacy you deserve. That night I dreamed of beautiful swans crying as they were shot out of the sky.

The apartment was empty the next morning. I went out for a walk to clear my head and found you not too far ahead of me. You strolled along slowly, as if wasting time just for the excuse to be out. And then Matt and Sora turned a corner and headed in our direction. They were holding hands and so fondly engrossed in each other's presence that they did not notice their best friend in front of them.

You quickly ducked into a side corridor and waited. When the loving couple passed by I caught a glimpse of you expression and understood why. And then the air seemingly grew heavier as a familiar yet horrifying chill settled in. Your body sizzled like static. I blinked and you had vanished.

It was no mystery to me where you had disappeared to. I only wish I knew how to get to you and save you like the many times you had done for me. Swallowing my fear, I forced my feet to move towards a place to get closest to you physically – the ocean.

You were there but you were not. The world before my eyes faded from a bright, busy beach to a dark, lonely one with you as its single occupant. Every time I tried calling out to you it reverted, then gradually faded back to reveal you until the next time I tried calling out again.

I couldn't reach you.

By now I am standing so close that I could reach out and touch you – if you were here. The closer I got to you physically the more the Dark Ocean slipped away, until I am standing in the very same spot as you, a world apart.

"Tai," I said out loud. No changes. "Tai," I tried again. "TAI!"

My vision blurred and my cheeks felt wet. Amidst my panic and desperation the Dark Ocean appeared before me. My thoughts and memories felt foreign. When mental images of Matt and Sora kissing began to surface, I knew I was inside your head somehow.

I could fight away that which haunts you.

I channeled happy images of your best friends instead, many of them from the Digital World. But an onslaught of other pictures stacked and built a wall against me. I saw Joe studying for exams, Izzy receiving a plaque at an awards ceremony in a suit, Matt in the spotlight with hundreds of screaming fangirls at his feet, Mimi all glammed up in a fashion magazine, and Sora waving the keys to her mother's flower shop.

Before I could counter with thoughts of your accomplishments, you had conjured new images that brought a new dimension to the issue – failed test scores and our angry parents, lost soccer matches and upset teammates, an angry coach and loss of your captain's badge, burnt dinner and an irritated Agumon.

I had to think fast. The Digital World…you led a bunch of kids to the defeat of many evil monsters set on taking over the world! But now I can see Davis wearing your goggles and doing the same, Agumon being tossed a dark spiral as you looked on just centimentres away, Darkmetalgreymon's inability to recognize you and the close bond you two had developed over years.

Then came the final straw. It was me. "I went to the Dark Ocean today, Tai. TK and Gatomon came for me." TK and Gatomon came for me. TK and Gatomon came for me.

A storm picked up then in your head. All those memories of your friends' accomplishments, your lack of success, and your helplessness in aiding those you love swirled uncontrollably. Some crashed and shattered, angry voices yelled louder. They howled in anguish.

So I did the only thing I could. I imagined my arms wrapped around your sturdy torso from behind, face pressed against your back. Swirling pictures slammed against the sole image I fought to keep alive and disintegrated on contact. Even as the chilling wind picked up and disembodied howl amplified, I fought to make you remember. "Come back Tai," I was whispering. "I can't stand to lose you. Please don't leave me."

It became eerily calm as sudden as the chaos had started. Cheerful screams of kids grazed my ear as my eyes teared from the brightness. And then your shadow fell over me. I looked up and you stared back at me, unsure yet relieved and scared. I stared back for two full seconds before leaping into your arms and sobbed into your shoulder.

You held me silently. When I calmed down I heard you whisper, "Let's go home, Kari."

And so we did.

A/N: Ahh…formatting is no fun here. Anyway, I am very fascinated by Kari's character and love how she is probably the single most important thing in Tai's life. I truly hope you enjoyed it! Whether you did or not, please review and let me know why. Thank you!