Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

Savior

And in local news, a tragic story of a string of disappearances has ended in an almost happy ending early this morning. Starting late last year with the sudden disappearance of teen genius Kenneth Ichijouji a disturbing series vanishing of twelve teens in total occurred around the area. The case has left investigators and police stumped by the lack of evidence to support kidnapping, no demands, or signs of depression to support runaways.

The group of twelve was found by Dr. Joseph Guvin at his free help clinic in Tomochi all suffering injuries ranging from mild to life threatening. The group was immediately rushed to Tomachi Hospital where they have all been reported in stable condition, but all who are conscious have declined talking to police aside from speaking against accusation brought against Joseph Guvin, the doctor who had found them and had disappeared a month prior. The also cleared Natshumi and Toya Inoue, father and mother of one of the children, whose home eleven of the children had last been seen in. All charges have been dropped.

We will continue to cover this strange case and let you know more once information is available. Thank you for joining Odiaba news.

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They had been swarmed by adults the second they had woken up. Doctors and parents, police and news people. One by one they had awoken to the mess of yelling and question and needles and stethoscopes and bitter and joyful tears. They kept silence, only speaking for the most demanding of questions, mostly things from the doctors and the silence burned into their parents as they fought for answers.

They were all held up in one large room, the only thing they had asked for and been granted by the hospital and police. Guards were posted outside the door and even when alone they were mostly silence.

They had been swaddled in harsh casts and soft bandages. Wheelchairs and respirators lined the room. The room was stuffy and hot, but the windows showed sky scrapers and buildings in the never ending sky and they swelled with nostalgia.

Tai sat by Matt and Sora who slept through the day and night in the bed they shared. They were constantly medicated, but that didn't stop Sora from waking up screaming or Matt's lips from turning blue because he couldn't breathe. Tai would stare out the window facing the hallway of the hospital, watching people walk by, watching people stare, watching for a sign of hope.

TK sat by a window looking out the to city. He stretched out on the windowsill, his casted leg decorated with smiles and happy sayings from Mimi who had gotten him in his sleep. Mimi sat beside him stroking his hair affectionately, making conversation between him and Joe. She was bound and determined not to let him separate himself like he had done…in the DigiWorld.

Davis, Cody and Yolie sat on one bed incomplete silence. Davis let his legs dangle over the edge at the foot as he leaned back on his arms ignoring a faint pain in his ribs. Cody turned on his side, his face press close to Yolie's thigh as he slept peacefully, a soft cloth wrapped around his eyes. Yolie stared down at pair of old crack glasses as her hand snaked through Cody's soft mane.

Izzy was not there. One by one the police were taking them out to speak to them, so doctors could look over them, and for brief time with their families. Tai almost laughed at the thought of the police questioning Izzy, he was most certainly, perpetually mute.

But Tai couldn't laugh. Nor could he cry or feel anything at all. All he could do is stare and wait, just like the others. They had no idea what was happening outside the guarded door. Maybe they were all being signed up to go to a mental hospital, or maybe they would be placed in police care.

Or maybe Kari had died and no one had the heart to speak to them yet.

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'Did I ever tell you it burned?'

'No, you didn't. Tell me.'

'It hurt a lot, everyday.'

'Being with me?'

'You stopped it…please stop it.'

'Again?'

'Again.'

'Why do you talk to me?'

'Because I won't be able to.'

'Everything is gone.'

'I know that.'

'I'm gone.'

'Were you ever there?'

'I suppose not.'

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She was tired…so tired. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak and she couldn't see. It was blurry, everything was blurry and her stomach twisted and mind spun and she tried not to throw up. But even if she had to it would have been quite difficult with the tube down her throat. Was he there?

She could feel him, but he wasn't.

She closed her eyes to steady her mind and the darkness appeased her stomach. She tried to lift her arms, but they were anchored to the bed. The dark spore event became fresh in her mind. The spore in her mind controlled her, forced her down, and made her hurt. It-

"Its not that," said a soft voice.

'Kenny…master?'

"Don't call me that."

'Don't call him what?'

"I can hear what you're thinking."

'How?'

"Can you speak?"

"I…" she croaked out, but her voice gave out. 'No.'

"Someone's coming."

'What?'

"Lay down."

'Ken?'

'DO AS YOUR TOLD!'

The voice rattled her brain and her arms jerked involuntarily, but they were still chained to the bed. Her body withered and seized in pain and surprise and suddenly there were hands on her shoulders and voices loud in her ears.

"She's going into shock," a woman's voice echoed into her ears. "Push twenty cc's of oxidinem." (That's not a real med. Don't try to ask a doctor for it.)

'Kari, Kari, you gotta calm down. They're going to push medicine in your system. You gotta calm down if you don't want that.' He was soft, soft like before…when he kissed her…without him there. 'He's gone. He won't hurt you. I'm sorry I yelled.'

A needle stabbed into her arm and she continued to thrash as she felt a stinging liquid in her vein. "Heartbeat is rising dangerously," another voice, male, sounded far off.

'Kari, no. No! Calm down! Kar-'

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"I never meant it," he admitted. "Especially not to her, but him either. I-I was frustrated Tai," he choked.

Tai stared out the window blankly. He did that a lot now, sat and stared. Was this like what happened to war veterans? They couldn't take the violence so they just receded into their minds and-

"I didn't want to hurt anyone, you know?"

"I know TK," he replied softly. "I know very well."

Silence…

"I took it from your dad."

Silence…

"The gun, I mean. She had told me he kept one. After you got robbed last year."

Silence…

"Do you hate me?"

"Yes."

"…Thank you…"

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'Why didn't you just calm down?'

'I couldn't.'

'Did I scare you?

'No…maybe, I don't remember. Everything is so hazy now. The needle hurt.'

'I suppose it would. It's a needle.'

'Its still so hazy. Why can't I move my arms?'

'They got you restrained to the bed. You got nightmares. You thrashed. You were going to hurt yourself.'

'It hurts so much.'

'I'm sorry I did this to you.'

'I don't remember what you did.'

'But before you told me it burned.'

'Did we talk before?'

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"Let me see them!"

"I'm sorry sir I can't do that. You have neither the authorization from the doctor or family members to enter this room and I am on strict orders to restrict you."

"How's this for authorization, I saved them!" The muscular guard retained his position in the front of the door, refusing Guvin access. Guvin rubbed his head in frustration; this was getting him no where.

The door behind the guard opened unexpectedly. "Let him in." They both looked up to see a tired and worn young man standing the in the frame, holding tightly to the doorknob.

The guard dressed in his rough police uniform, looked distressed as he searched Tai and behind him. "How did you-"

"I picked the lock," Tai cut him off clearly annoyed by the guard's presence. "Let the doctor by." He took a step back, clearing the entryway for Guvin to enter and shot a look to the guard daring him to stop the doctor. The guard stepped back, annoyance written into his face as he waved Guvin past him. Tai closed the door behind the young doctor.

"Thanks for coming Guvin." Tai held out his hand and Guvin took it to shake. His grip was strong, though marred by cuts. His knuckles were bruised and Guvin held gently, which did not go unnoticed by Tai. He looked down at his knuckles self-consciously.

"No problem. It was a bitch to get in." He scanned the room. "How's things?"

Tai sighed. "We've all got cabin fever." He shook his head. "We're all going nuts." The others looked up from their positions around the room. Even Matt, hooked to a respirator by a breathing mask, sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and allowing Sora, still sleeping, to lay down on the bed they shared. Cody snuggled deeper into his blankets beside Yolie, oblivious to the new presence in the room.

"Well, rumor is they will release you." He glanced around. "Some of you. Tai, Yolie, Mimi, Joe, Davis and TK will be released to social services-"

"Why can't we go home?" Mimi snapped up. She sat on the window bench with TK's legs pulled over her lap. Joe sat in front of her, in a chair, as she rubbed his shoulders. But her hands had stopped and rested, firmly clamped on her boyfriend's shoulders to keep them from visibly shaking. "Why can't we go home? We've been stuck here for over a week. We've only been able to see our families once and I for one am sick of needles and doctors and observations!"

"You won't talk," Guvin replied simply. "You were gone for three months, Kari for half a year and Ken for an entire year! You came back beaten, sick and dying! What do you expect? You refuse to say where you've been and what happened to you. They'll probably hold you until you answer their questions or dignify a reason you can't answer." Mimi buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Tai simply nodded. "And the others?"

"Kept until they can be released."

"And if they can't be released?" Tai asked darkly.

"They will be released," Guvin insisted. "For right now they haven't healed yet. With Matt he's getting stronger everyday. The fact that you can stay awake for more then twenty minutes is a great accomplishment." Matt gave a weak thumbs up. "Sora, they're a little more worried about her. She's still so weak from being sick in the Dig- from being sick." He stopped himself quickly. "Though her strength will return, not completely, they're worried about the nightmares and flashes. They may try drug therapy." From the corner of his eyes he saw Matt softly stroke Sora's hair. "With Cody they're waiting for the cough and fever to go away. Then they're hoping his vision will clear a little. And with Izzy, surgery, recovery then release." Izzy nodded and made a gesture with his hands. Guvin looked around confused. "What?"

"He said what do they want surgery to accomplish," Joe replied.

"Hoping to regain the ability to speak."

Again Izzy made a gestured. Guvin looked at Joe who watched Izzy's hands. "Damn doctors. They think cutting into my neck will make me wanna talk all the more about where we were."

"What about Kari?" Davis spoke up the question everyone wanted to know but couldn't voice. "And Ken?" He added.

"Very little response. Ken is awake, but he refuses to talk. The only reason we know he can is because a nurse heard him speak right before…Kari freaked out."

"What?!" Tai demanded.

"He was having a conversation or something. The nurse couldn't hear it too well. But then Kari started having a seizure. There's been no other reaction from her. She hasn't been awake."

Clenching his fists Tai looked away.

"I don't want to leave," Yolie spoke up. "It was hard enough being separated before. Now you'll have us in four different places." Unconsciously she ran her hand through Cody's hair. "Just like before."

"You guys need to trust that everything will be okay," Guvin offered as some hope.

"You stand in our position and hope," Mimi replied.

"Thanks Guvin," Joe nodded. "For everything, even after you almost got charged for kidnapping."

Guvin laughed. "You'd be surprised. Most folks have ignored my sudden disappearance and focused on my rescue of the twelve kids who had tragically disappeared. I've gotten a lot of new clients."

"Glad we could help you with your financial needs," Joe joked.

"That reminds me, I need to talk to you, Joe and Izzy before I leave," They both nodded.

"Guvin?" Tai spoke up. "Can I see my sister?"

Guvin frowned and sadly shook his head. "She's in isolation right now. No one but the doctors can see her."

"Ken?"

"You wanna see Ken?" Tai nodded. "Maybe. I don't know. I'll talk to the doctor and the guard in charge of you. Why?"

Tai picked up on the paranoia in the young doctor's voice. "I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you're thinking. I just need to talk to him about what happened. There's a lot of stuff I need to clear up."

"Me too…" Matt pulled the breathing mask off his face. "I'll back you up, man."

Tai laughed. "Shut up you dumb shit!" Matt grinned behind the mask. Tai turned back to Guvin. "Talk to whoever you need to because either way I'm going up there, whether I get an armed escort or I have to beat that armed escort and run like hell." He turned away from Guvin and back to Matt and Sora.

The doctor approached Izzy and Joe, sitting side by side in cushioned chairs. Joe sat with his back to Mimi who continued to massage his shoulders. Izzy faced Joe's side with his feet propped on the edge of Joe's seat. TK stared out the window with his arms crossed.

"So what did you need, Guvin?" Joe asked.

"I need to know about the black rings," he answered. "How is it they made Izzy talk and walk right and Matt breathe right and he and Sora so blank?"

Joe held up his hands. "Truthfully I have no idea." He received a hard kick to the thigh from Izzy. "Oh he does." Izzy's hands flew in a wave of gestures and Guvin wasn't sure Joe would be able to keep up. "The spirals were made for invincibility and control. Kinda like brain storming in the army, except digimon armies. In a war you want soldiers who will fight and fight and fight, ignoring pain and hunger and thirst. That's what the dark ring does. It replaces deformities with data, repairing what isn't "correct" for the body. It also relieves obstacles, hunger and pain while giving the creator full control of the wearer."

"Lasting effects?"

Joe watched Izzy. "Shouldn't be."

"Good, there's one thing I don't have to worry about." He sighed. "I better go. I was going to talk to the doctor's here. See if I can get Tai out to see Ken, maybe Kari too. But I don't know they've got her pretty much under lock and key. Nurses are in there round the clock. Truthfully I don't think that will be very much help. Ken and Kari were pretty dependent on each other, I doubt that will be changed now, especially Ken."

"I concur," Joe replied. "Izzy said that."

"All right, I'll see you all later!" He called to the room before walking to the door and knocking. The guard let him out, but not before sending a glare at Tai.

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"Tai." All present looked up. Guvin stood in the doorway again; he had only been gone for two hours. "You can see Ken." Tai glanced between the bright-eyed doctor and Sora who he sat up playing cards with. She gave a weak smile and gestured for him to go. Jumping off the bed, he walked briskly to the door, looking less confident then he had that morning. He followed Guvin down the hall, jumping slightly as the door closed behind him.

His gaze followed along the hospital corridor. People stared at him. It was truly unnerving. It didn't help his anxieties.

"Do you fear Ken?" Guvin asked and Tai hesitated. How could he not fear him, but how could he?

"Yes," he whispered. "I fear what he did. And I fear what he made me into. I fear what he makes me want to do."

"What might that be?"

"He made me want to kill."

"Oh," Guvin shook his head. "I know the feeling."

Tai stopped. "What happened back there? Where'd you get the gun?"

Guvin stopped and turned to face the younger boy. "Ken dropped Kari off in the medical room and left. I looked at Kari before following the blood back to his control room where I found the gun. This little worm thing told me what happened. I think he was Ken's digimon."

"Our digimon, what happened to them?" Tai demanded desperately.

"They were gone. The worm, Wormmon I think his name is, said they had gone to primary village." Tai swallowed hard and looked shaken, as if the life had been sucked out of him. He labored to breathe as his eyes welled up. He slammed his fist into the nearest wall, attracting more then a few stares. Guvin looked around and smiled weakly. "It's the new medications, lead to spasms." Onlookers looked doubtful but looked away. "What? What does that mean?"

"It means their dead," Tai hissed through clenched teeth and tightly closed eyes. He started walking again, faster this time, more determined. "Where is Ken?"

Guvin hurried to stay in front of the enraged boy and declined from further conversation. They stopped at the end of the corridor at a door with an electric lock. Guvin pulled a key card from his pocket and swiped it across the slot and punched in a code. The door creaked open, eerily by itself and Tai entered glancing back at Guvin briefly as his stomach crawled into his throat. 'God, don't let me chicken out.'

There was two beds sitting side by side, one empty. Ken sat; pale and empty staring out the window and Tai could see his arms anchored to the bed. They did that to Sora, when she slept sometimes and though it annoyed him to no end, seeing them on him made his feel a tiny bit of confidence spark up inside him.

"Ken." The voice didn't sound like his, but he felt his lips moved so he knew he had uttered the sound. "Hey Ken. Its Tai." No response. He just sat there staring at the wall. There were bruises and scratches all over his face, both eyes being black and his lip split in three places. A bandage was wrapped around his neck. "I heard you haven't talked to anyone. Like my sister." He walked to the bed and pulled a chair up to it, turning it around to sit backwards. "Well, that's going to change right now. I've got questions and I don't care if there's an armed guard, I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you." Ken tensed.

"I didn't want to hurt her and I know I shouldn't have kept her," he whispered, his chin dropping to touch his chest. "I knew he hurt her, but she didn't want to leave because she was scared of disappointing you. And I didn't want her to leave because I was scared to be alone." He flinched. "Please don't hit me anymore."

Tai let his fists unclench. "I won't."

"What do you want to know?" Ken murmured. His voice was so small and shaky, so unlike the strong and confident Kaiser from the Digital World. Tai had not expected it to be this easy.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I expected this to be a tad bit difficult so I worked on the tough guy act before the actual questions."

"I don't want to be troublesome, I just want to be. I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to hurt no body. And I won't anymore."

"I need to know everything, from the beginning. Why the Kaiser? Why my sister?" Tai asked steadily.

"I don't remember. After my brother died the Kaiser appeared. He was in my head and I couldn't get it out and I thought I was going crazy. And he could control what I did sometimes, depending on how mad or sad I was. He scared me so usually I just let him do what he wanted and I sat in the back of my head. It hurt to fight back, it was like a thousand burning knives stabbing into my neck." He touched the back of his neck. "I never wanted to fight back either." He took a deep breath. "Kari was something, I dunno, something that made me feel human again. When your friends left her in the DigiWorld, Kaiser wanted to kill her or torture her, I let her go. She was stubborn and didn't accept help to get home. She got sick in a snowstorm and I brought her back her and tried to get her better. She was so weak and…I fell for her, I'm sorry."

Tai shook his head. "Don't be sorry for that. You hit her?" Ken nodded. "Beat her?" Ken nodded. "Rape her?"

Ken's head shot up and his hair fell around his face. "NO! I wouldn't! I wouldn't let him do it either." He shook his head violently. "NEVER!"

Tai nodded, "I didn't think you'd do something like that."

"Have you seen Kari?" Ken whispered trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

"No," Tai shook his head. There was silence for a minute before Tai stood up abruptly. "Dammit! Dammit! Fuck!" He screamed. "Seeing you like-like this makes me not want to hate you, but I hate you! Dammit I hate you! I wanted you to die. I was wishing for the most horrific death for you possible. And you know what? That terrifies me! And my best friend can't breathe right, and my girl can't sleep without screaming! And my sister, oh god my sister. She's hurt so bad NO ONE can see her. She was shot by her best friend. TK can't stand to hurt anything, much less kill. But you say him, he wanted blood!" Tears fell from Tai's chocolate brown eyes, but they went unnoticed. "But I'm standing here and I can't hate you." His throat grew tight and breathing and speaking became difficult. "I just wanted to hate you." It sounded like a whisper as he buried his face in his hands.

"Hate me!" The words ripped from his throat before he could think. Tai blinked in confusion. "Hate me then!" Tears built in his eyes too. "I want to feel your hate. But hate won't solve a thing! Matt won't breath, Sora won't sleep and Kari won't live. Hate me, kill me! Please! Make it in cold blood. Make my suffering stop. But its not going to change a damn thing!"

"Your just a broken kid," Tai whispered. Ken sobbed into his hands. "I don't hate you," he spat. And with that he turned away from Ken to the door. Guvin stood waiting outside. Tai stopped before opening the door; his hand rested on the cold metal doorknob. "The doctors say now that your awake they're going to put you with the rest of us. I'm not going to be there, just Matt, Sora, Cody and Izzy. They're not well enough to leave. Don't worry. They won't give you trouble." And he left.

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There were four beds all together. Two were taken, one by the couple Matt and Sora. They sat, clutching to each other, most days. She'd sleep and yell and cry. He'd sit and sit and hug her while he strained to breathe because he refused to where the breathing mask anymore. On the other bed, on the other side of the room was the youngest boy, Cody. He too slept mostly; he had not been wake in the day and a half he had been in the room. But Cody was not silent as he slept through the nights and sobbed if he woke. Izzy sat by Matt and Sora, writing on a piece of paper to communicate with them. His surgery had been unsuccessful, he still couldn't talk.

Ken took the third bed and with his knees pulled to his chest, he refused to look up from his knees. Tai had been honest, no one messed with him. They just let him sit, in silence and watch what he had done. Maybe this was worse then getting beat up.

Sobbing and coughing finally brought his eyes from his knees. Cody sat up in bed. "Where's Yolie?" He choked as he felt around with shaky hands. There was still a cloth around his eyes.

Sora got up from Matt's arms and padded over to him. "Its okay Cody. Yolie had to go." He climbed into her arms and she hugged him, rocking him back into a fitful sleep. Ken only watched in fascination at the sight. Sora kissed his head and continued to rock him even after he was asleep.

Izzy walked up to him and Ken stared at him, alarmed. Izzy made a gesture to him and Ken just stared. "He's asking if you understand sign language," Matt spoke up. Ken shook his head. "Why not? I thought you were supposed to know everything."

Sora glared at him. "Leave him alone, Matt. Its not like you know sign language."

"I know some," Matt huffed. He sucked in air forcefully. Izzy flipped him off. "Like that, I know that one." The others laughed and Ken stayed silent. Matt grew serious again. "Aren't you going to say anything? This whole silent act is kinda fucked up."

"Matt, stop it," Sora interrupted. Ken noted she had not looked at him once. "Leave him alone."

"Why should I?" Matt demanded.

Cody jerked. "Keep your voice down, you'll wake Cody."

"Oh," Matt whispered. "Sorry." He turned his attention way from Ken to his girlfriend, snuggling with the younger boy.

Ken watched them. Sora raised her head and momentarily their eyes locked. 'I'll speak with you later,' she mouthed to him and he nodded, swallowing hard. What would she have to say to him…

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He didn't sleep anymore. She noticed that about him. He never slept. He cried at night or stared or whispered to himself. Not to himself…she knew he was talking to Kari. It was an odd realization, but it wasn't an odd notion. This was beyond anything she knew.

He didn't sleep. He rarely ate. He just sat at looked so lost and lonely and scared. Scared of what? Them? That was a frightful thought, no one should fear them, they were only kids for heaven sakes.

Matt was asleep. He had wasted all his energy earlier that day walking around the room. Sleep pulled at her, but she fought it, dreading the images that her mind held. Drugs inhabited her system but she fought them too, using Cody and Ken as a distraction.

"Ken?" She whispered out, trying not to disturbed Matt at her side of Cody in her arms. He looked up from where his head rested on his knees. "You look tired, why don't you sleep?"

"I can't. I…can't."

"I understand." She shook her head and a soft smile played on her face. "What a long crazy trip it's been."

He almost smiled, "That's not how I would describe it."

"Under the circumstances, I'm surprised I got that out," she laughed. Leaning her head back, her eyes traced the white tiles in the ceiling. "They'll forgive you. I'll forgive you. It'll be a while, but it'll happen."

"I don't deserved to be forgiven," he growled sorrowful.

A tear pulsed down her cheek and she stood. Physically he tensed as she shuffled to his side, carrying an unconscious Cody. She sat down beside him and laid the boy out beside her. "You deserve it the most." She unbuttoned her flannel nightshirt and a blush pulsed across his cheeks as she slid the fabric off her shoulders. His face paled, though, when he saw deep gashes across her arms and most of her neck. "I woke a little sore this morning," she joked. "Don't apologize, don't feel bad, don't give me pity. Because to be honest, I pity you. You won't wake up with outer scars and people won't look at you differently, because you'll be the kid that didn't get hurt. And you'll be overlooked and then you'll be hated by everyone who knows." He hung his head. "Ken look at me." He did and her eyes glittered with tears and she looked so fragile. "You deserved to be forgiven," she said as she rebuttoned her shirt.

"Sora, I'm sorry, I never ever wanted to hurt anyone."

"And you didn't."

"Aren't you scared of me? Don't you hate me?"

She shook. "I do, with all my heart. Seeing you makes me shake and half the time I can't tell whether its anger or fear, but its something that makes me nervous."

Tears built in his eyes. "I-I wish…Kari was here. I don't deserve to live."

"Yes you do. You do Ken. And if Kari were here she'd slap you good and hard for even thinking such a thing."

Ken looked up at her as he wiped tears from his pale cheeks. She ran a hand through her stringy red hair and played with Cody's with her other. "I want to be good, Sora. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I just wanna die."

"How would that help anyone?" She asked expectantly. "How would that do anything but bring pain? Don't. If you get the chance, don't." Ken buried his face in his hands. "Thank you," she said suddenly.

"For what?"

"The dark rings. They really did save Matt and me." A hand touched his face and suddenly two arms wrapped around his head and he was being rocked slowly and softly. Just like Cody had been. "Everything's alright," she cooed.

'How can she get so close? Doesn't she realize I might hurt her? I'm not human.'

"You won't hurt me, so stop thinking you would." He pushed his face into her trying to block out anymore thought by having her warmth and taking in her scent. "Ken."

"What?"

"Cry."

At her words tears sprang from his eyes once again and with a choking muffled sound he soaked her nightshirt until he was too tired to cry and fell numbly into sleep.

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'We go home today.'

'I know'.

'Aren't you happy?'

……

'Ken?'

'I don't have anything to go back to.'

'And I do? I'm blind! I can't walk! Jesus, Ken, get over yourself.'

……

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just…agitated.'

'Don't be sorry. Its my fault…I can make you new glasses.'

'Can you?'

'I will.'

'I'll see you again, right? After we go home. I'll see you, right?'

'Yeah.'

'I wished I believed that.'

'We will.'

'I love you.'

'…I love you too…'

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A conclusion to a long and sad mystery has finally come about today as the 12 teens who had gone missing several months ago were returned to their homes. Taichi and Hikari Yagami, Takeru Takaishi, Miyako Inoue, Daisuke Motomiya, Iori Hida, Sora Takenouchi, Kenneth Ichijoji, Jou Kido, Koushiro Izumi, and Mimi Tachiwa, still recovering from various injuries, were released into the custody of their parents after police ended their week long investigation. All though they are still unclear of the whereabouts of where the teens had been or why they left or returned, they felt separation from their families any longer were unnecessary. On a side note, sadly, Yamato Ishida died late last night due to blockage in his lungs. Doctors said this was expected; though they did not believe he would have lived this long after being brought to the hospital. Memorial services will be held on the seventh at Trinity Church on 12th and Camino Seco.

As to the health of the other teens, they're injuries range in severity, though one life threatening. Iori Hida and Hikari Yagami were both stricken blind, Hikari partially paralyzed from her waist down. Koushiro Izumi was muted due to damage in his vocal cords. The others all suffered from bumps and bruises all healed since their return.

None of the children or their parents are willing to comment on the tragedies.

Thank you for tuning into Odiaba News.

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He stood by the headstone, unable to remove his eyes from the loopy letters that stretched across the gray stone. He had truly killed. The others were there, all the DigiDestined were there, dressed in black with sad faces that streamed with tears. And he cried too, more for himself then for the boy in the ground.

Kari hung off his arm, using all the strength she had to stand beside him, so he didn't have to stand alone. A pair of rose tinted glasses sat on the top of her head, a pair that actually fit, and she cried into his shoulder.

Tai held Sora. He never let her go. She didn't cry, she looked too numb. She had spent all her tears night after night since he died. She cried alone, she looked strong for everyone else.

'Yamato Ishida, had real reason to hate me,' he thought bitterly. 'Too bad you said you didn't.'

There was a hand on his shoulder and he glanced back to see Sora there. She was beautiful, her long ginger hair up in a bun on top of her head held by black chopsticks. She wore a short black kimono, embroidered in gold. Matt had given it to her. The short sleeves revealed the long scars across her arms.

"Hey," he mumbled. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"What a long crazy trip it's been," she interrupted him. Tai at her side looked confused at the comment, but didn't say anything. His arm was draped protectively around her waist and he looked dignified in his black suit.

Ken nodded and smiled sadly at the joke they shared. "Yeah, it has been."

She enveloped him in a hug. "Don't pity me. I'm still busy pitying you."

"I wouldn't." She didn't let go of him. "Sora."

"What?"

"Cry."

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Okay, I just spent two months trying to figure out how I was going to end this. Jeebus, I tell you, I like this better then anything I came up with before and I sat here and did it in ten minutes. So tell me what you think and if I get flamed for killing Matt there will be some serious hell to pay cuz I don't wanna hear it. Besides, this fic couldn't end truly happy!

Lemme tell you this fic turned out so different then what I had originally planned. Before it was gonna be really cliché, you know, Ken captures Kari, they fall for each other, he turns good. Man I hate cliches! I fixed that thought, ahahaha. Bet you never expected any of this.

Anyway, please review, man I'm so excited that I finished this. Again, please review.