Chapter 9

TK shifted comfortably in his sleep, the warm, comforting feeling of Kari held in his arms. His dreams this night however would be vastly different from any he had experienced before. He opened his azure eyes to find himself looking into the peaceful sleeping face of Kari. The room however was not what he was used too.

His azure eyes swept over the room unconsciously searching for anything that might want to do them harm. Seeing only the expanse of the white room, the bed they were laying in and a small table next to the bed that held only their digivices, and no one besides himself and Kari he decided to wake her.

"Mmm…what is it TK?" Kari said sleepily as TK gently shook her awake. She woke up rather quickly as she too looked around the room and its unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we TK?" He had no answer for her as they held tightly to one another's hands.

Kari's crimson eyes brightened as a memory from earlier that day drifted through her mind as her eyes caught sight of their digivices. "TK do you remember what Angewomon said earlier, about our digivices being a way to communicate with them? Maybe if we use them to call them they will come and perhaps they'll be able to explain things to us."

"Alright but how do we use our digivices to call them?" TK wondered as the two of them picked up their digivices and held them in their right hands. "Maybe we just try and call them?" Kari suggested. TK nodded his assent to the idea. "Right, we don't have much else to go on right now anyway."

As the two called out the names of their Digimon partners the Crests on their hands and their digivices began to glow with a pale pink and gold light. The light swirled and mixed together growing brighter and stronger. When the light cleared MagnaAngemon and Angewomon were standing before them.

"Hello again children." Angewomon said in way of greeting. "We are glad to see you again. We know you have many questions that we did not have time to answer before and there is much we must teach you."

TK and Kari looked at one another for a moment before asking the first of their many questions. "Where are we?" TK asked. "You are in the heart of your soul children. At this moment your bodies and minds are resting from the events of the day. Your souls unlike your bodies and minds are eternal. They do not need rest or food or any of the things that are required for your bodies to survive."

"Why are we together than? Shouldn't we be by ourselves?" Angewomon smiled at the question Kari posed. "Normally this would be true. The other children are experiencing a similar meeting with their own Digimon partners. They are doing this alone with their partners. The two of you are special however. Your bond allows you to share this experience."

"Is our bond because of our Crests? Or is it something separate?" TK asked. "MagnaAngemon answered, his voice echoing through the room. "Your Crests and your bond are separate. While the bond serves to strengthen the Crests you bear, the end result would have been the same. It would have simply taken longer to develop. As I said before four of the others are capable of forming a similar bond but it will be a few years before it develops, even then the bond will develop slowly."

"Which ones are capable of developing a bond like ours? Does our bond have a name? Why is it different from the others?" Kari asked. The two angels smiled at one another before Angewomon answered. "Your souls are bound one to another, as such you may call it a soul bond even though there is no true name for it. As for the others they will be bound by their hearts…Love without the Courage to speak it will never develop, Courage without love lacks a reason to fight, Knowledge without the Sincerity to use it for the good of others becomes twisted, Sincerity without the Knowledge to use it properly serves only to isolate those who bear it. Your bond is still developing and it will be some time before its true power manifests. It will grow stronger as the years pass. We will teach you as much as we are able to about it, but some things you are meant to discover on your own. When you discover something that we have not explained, you may come to us and we will explain it. For now we will explain what we can. Tell us what you have already discovered and we will teach you what we can."

"We can find each other no matter where we are, if I'm looking for Kari I see a pink light and she sees a gold one when she looks for me." TK began. "And we can always tell what each other is feeling. Like when one of us is sick or hurt, or when were happy or sad." Kari ended. The two looked at each other is surprise. "Did you just…." They both began before looking at the two Digimon who were smiling in amusement.

"Before we explain what just happened let's make ourselves more comfortable. This explanation is going to take some time." MagnaAngemon said as two children sat on the bed. They watched in curiosity as the two angel Digimon removed their helmets revealing matching azure eyes and bright blonde hair. MagnaAngemon glowed brightly as his form shifted to that of Angemon. With his hands now free from the confines of his armor Angewomon immediately took his left hand in her own and wrapped his arms around her waist, mirroring the position the children were in. The two smiled softly at each other before beginning their explanation.

"What you just experienced is a result of what happened today. Any time the two of you experience any sort of dangerous situation your bond strengthens faster. What you felt was the next step in your bond, while you can already tell what each other is feeling you are starting to be able to tell what the other is thinking. The way your souls are bonded also bonds your hearts and mind's, this is why you're able to tell what the other is thinking. You may separate your minds if you choose allowing you a measure of privacy but the connection will still be there. For now the connection will be relatively weak and only viable over short distances but as the bond grows stronger the distance will increase."

"How do the two of you know so much about our bond?" TK asked as he idly rubbed Kari's hands with his thumbs as Kari played with his hands. "Because we are bonded in the same way." Angewomon said "Remember when we said that your Digimon partners are reflective of your greatest qualities? For the two of you it is slightly different. While we do reflect your greatest qualities we also reflect the true form of your souls. The other Digimon are not reflective of their partner's souls, although they do reflect the power they bear."

"So we'll look like you one day?" Kari asked as she looked at Angewomon's shapely form with a slight blush on her cheeks, her eyes traveled from her then to TK where her blush deepened. TK blushed bright red as he caught the end of her trailing thoughts.

'I wonder if TK would like it if I looked like Angewomon…'

Angewomon smiled in amusement as she answered. "You will not look exactly like us, little one. As you grow older your bodies will come to reflect more closely the true form of your souls, however your hair and eyes will not change color. Your souls are much older than your bodies and it will take time for them to grow into your souls. If you take a look in the mirror behind you, you will understand what I mean."

TK and Kari turned and looked at the mirror that had appeared behind them and were shocked at what they saw. They were both much taller, matching the height of their Digimon partners. TK's dark blonde hair had lightened somewhat and was messily arranged. His body was slender but lean muscle made itself evident as he moved in front of the mirror. His bright azure eyes had grown even brighter and shone with the hope he carried.

Kari gasped in awe as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Tall and slender she came up just to TK's shoulder. Like TK long, lean muscle was evident as she moved in front of the mirror, even with the simple white robe she wore her shapely curves were clearly evident. Her chestnut hair flowed down to her shapely hips and her bright ruby eyes shone with the light she carried.

As the pair turned to look at one another they caught their first glimpse of each other's true appearance. The two slowly moved closer to each other and it was Kari's turn to blush as she caught TK's thoughts this time.

'She's beautiful…much more beautiful than Angewomon.'

Azure met ruby as the two locked eyes and drew closer to one another. TK unconsciously wrapped his arms around Kari's waist as she gently traced her fingertips across his face.

'You're not too bad looking yourself.' Kari teased as she looked at TK and smiled. He chuckled as he rested his forehead against hers. At the sound of movement the two turned to see their Digimon partners standing next to them smiling brightly. "Do you like how you look?" Angewomon asked in a teasing tone as the two blushed and separated leaving only their hands intertwined.

"What you see in the mirror is the appearance of your souls. Regardless of how your minds or bodies are your souls will always look the same." Angemon said. "Why couldn't we see that we looked this way before?" TK asked. "Each of your souls had to discover it first for themselves before your partner was able to see it. While the two of you are bonded and will learn most things together some things-like this-until each of you discovers it for yourselves it will not be evident to your partner."

"What you learn here in your souls will remain once you return to your bodies. While they will look the same your minds will have grown to reflect what your soul has learned. Once we begin to teach you how to protect each other and yourselves you will remember this knowledge as well." Angewomon said.

"What do you plan to teach us?" Kari asked "And speaking of appearances why does Angemon look different than before?" "Here in your souls we are free to appear however we wish. The form I take now is my champion level, a stage of evolution in between rookie and ultimate. While not as strong as my ultimate form it is the one I am most comfortable in-and the one Angewomon prefers as well." He said with a wry smile towards his partner who just smiled and winked in reply. "As for what we will teach you….apart from how to protect yourselves and each other we will also teach you as much about the Digital World as we can. It is a wondrous place and its fate is tied closely to that of your own world."

TK and Kari looked at each other as they thought for a moment before coming to the same conclusion. "Let's get started then." TK said as he squeezed Kari's hand and received an answering squeeze in reply.

'Whatever happens we'll face it together. Always.'

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

The last three years had passed quickly and TK and Kari were now eight years old. At least that's how they appeared on the outside. Their minds however were much older, due in large part to the training and knowledge they had gained from their nightly teachings with their Digimon partners. Every night for the last three years the pair had been drawn into their souls and taught. While at first the lessons had been strictly knowledge of the Digital World and its connection to their own, gradually they had begun to learn how to protect themselves and each other. Along with TK and Kari the other children had been taught as well. As soon as they were able to after that first night of teaching the children had all gathered at Tai's house. As they came together that first day the changes in each of them were evident to each of them. Each of the children had grown in their own way.

Tai for example was still loud and headstrong but was decidedly more prone to thinking before he acted, Matt was no longer so closed off from the others, Sora had a better idea of her self worth, Mimi was quieter and thought before she spoke, Izzy was not so lost in his computer and it only took a quiet word from Mimi to bring him back to reality, Joe had lost some of his indecisiveness. TK and Kari had grown even closer than before, while they like the others shared the knowledge they had learned from their partners, the experience with the mirror was kept as a special secret between the two of them.

On their parents end of things they were simply happy that their children were alright and attributed their new attitudes and behaviors to their experience in rescuing Kari. The group of children had become inseparable as the three years had passed. They had started to do more and more together as a group further cementing their friendships.

Much to Tai and Sora's ecstatic joy the group had elected to join them in a soccer team. Surprisingly it had been Izzy who had proposed the idea, in his words it was "a good way to take care of ourselves physically and test our teamwork and strategy skills". Not surprisingly the children had done extremely well despite the difference in ages. Tai and Sora were nearly unstoppable as the forwards for the team, Izzy, Mimi and Kari and TK had proven to be excellent defenders and Joe to everyone's shock had developed into an absolutely fearless goalie. Sora and Tai spent a lot of time together as the unofficial co captains for the team causing the two to receive many knowing smiles from their parents.

In return Sora had suggested that the group take more interest in Izzy's favorite hobby. So in addition to school and soccer practice the group had taken up computer classes as well with Izzy as the teacher. Surprisingly Mimi had been the most adept at handling technology and as a birthday present that first year after Kari's kidnapping they had all pitched in and bought her a bright pink pineapple laptop and the exact same model in yellow for Izzy. Much like the two with their laptops they became nearly inseparable much to TK and Kari's amusement. Izzy didn't even complain when Mimi dragged him shopping, provided they spent at least some time looking at new software and upgrades for their computers.

It was at this birthday party that the group had discovered Mimi's fondness for cooking. Reasoning that knowing how to cook at such a young age couldn't be a bad thing their parents had happily signed them up for cooking classes, taught by none other than Mimi's mother who was a renowned chef in Japan. Surprisingly Matt and TK had exceeded everyone's expectations and were the best cooks in the group by a good margin. The brothers had proven to be an excellent team, exceeded only by TK and Kari as the two most organized and fluid chef's in the kitchen.

During the cooking lessons the group discovered an interesting fact about Matt. In addition to his growing musical skills he had an inherent fondness for camping and all things outdoors. Following in his footsteps the group eagerly convinced their parents to send them to both winter and summer camps to test their ability to survive in the wild. As a group they had been able to learn much about how to provide for themselves in the outdoors. While Matt was still the best Joe and Tai had proven themselves more than adequate, Tai's inherent fondness for fire was both a curse and a blessing in disguise. At one of their lessons with Matt's father Tai had managed to burn himself quite badly. Luckily Joe had been there and quickly tended to Tai's burn.

Realizing the need for not just Joe but the rest of them as well to know at least some first aid the group had easily convinced Joe's parents to teach them. Sora and Kari had proven to be excellent at medical care and both had proven themselves more than capable of tending any injuries that might arise in the group. This had proven to be fortunate in TK's case that Kari had some experience in first aid when he had come home from school one day with a black eye and cut lip.

After explaining to their parents that a boy in their class named Davis had pushed Kari out of the way one day when she and TK were playing and TK had simply reacted by punching the boy in the face. This had started a nice brawl between the two until the teacher had intervened leaving TK with his injuries and the boy with numerous bruises. Clearly TK had won that fight and while his parents had been disappointed with his behavior by continuing the fight they were proud of him for standing up for Kari. As his father had told him after the incident and Matt and Tai had agreed "Don't go around starting fights but do be prepared to finish it…besides I would have done the same thing if it was your mother." As a result the group had been signed up for martial arts classes, in this one area they had moved and grown as a group with no one being better than any of the others. In pairs however this was different, TK and Kari where by far the most skilled in working as a pair while Tai and Sora were close behind. Izzy and Mimi had proven to be a good pairing as well with Joe and Matt rounding out the groups. While they could work well with other partners from their group these pairings worked best.

As the last three years had passed the group had grown even closer. With soccer and martial arts three days a week, cooking and first aid lessons every other Saturday, computer lessons and practice while they did homework as a group each night, camping trips with one set of parents every other weekend and Sundays as a day to rest and prepare for the week the group was nearly always together. It was common for them all to be seen together with one set of parents which at times drew odd looks from other people outside of their close knit group.

In addition the parents had benefited as well with all of them inevitably closer as their children were nearly always together. It was common for the children to spend the night at one of their houses, not just on the weekends but through the week as well. Getting out and being with other people had greatly improved TK's parent's marriage and both of them were now quite happy. They had also spent more time together as a couple and both Matt and TK got to see a side of their father that he had only ever showed to Nancy.

As TK and Kari were now eight and the others ten and twelve in Joe's case the parents had finally decided to allow them to go to a summer camp supervised by someone other than a set of parents. Not surprisingly the children had picked a survival type summer camp. To the parents this would simply be another chance for the children to prove their skills to themselves, to the children however they knew this year was the year. The year they would be drawn into the digital world. As the third year had drawn closer the Digimon had been able to better predict when the children would be drawn into their world.

Knowing that there were no other humans in the Digital World and that food would be hard to come by the children had deliberately picked a survival camp, knowing that the amount of gear they would be bringing would be needed. Each had been sure to outfit themselves with everything they would need from cooking implements (Mimi would be in charge of the groups food supply) to individual first aid kits (Joe would be in charge of the group kit) fire kits (Tai would be in charge of the group kit) everything they could possibly need would have to be carried by the children and they wanted to be sure they were prepared.

As the group boarded the bus each was lost in thought wondering what adventures they might have, what they might learn, and if they would ever see their parents again. Only time would tell.

A/N: Yo. Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I struggled with this one and as a result it's quite long. Hopefully that makes up for the wait. Also I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. Chapter 11 is already mostly written I just need to tweak a few things and it'll be up soon. Read and review.