Hi! I'm back! Um... I hope you like this chapter! It's a longer one. YAY! enjoy.

Disclaimer: not mine world, not my characters.

Chapter Seven: Hyacinth

Ken leaped backwards, tripping over his own feet and landing hard in the soft dirt. Run, I've got to get out of here!

But he did not stand, did not run. He held Wormmon tightly and waited, his head bowed so that his chin touched his chest and his hair covered his eyes. He could not look at her. She would yell at him, scream at him, curse at him, or else she would run. Of course she would. She hated him.

Kari slowly looked around. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice quiet. "And where's Angemon- Gatomon? She was with me and now- she's," her voice cracked. Ken knew that sound, had heard it in his mother's voice often enough, in his own voice.

"I'm sorry," he said and wished he could take back the words. What did he think, that a 'sorry' would make things better?

"Were is she?" Kari asked again, more to herself. Ken glanced up and saw her looking through the clearing. "Gatomon! Gatomon!"

"I didn't see her." Wormmon said. "Only you. You fell from the air, and you were alone."

"What? No, No, I wasn't, she's just wandered off, she was hurt, maybe she went looking for T.K." Kari babbled. "She's not gone, she's not, she's not. I can't have lost her, too. Not all of them. No. Please."

Ken glanced up, then stood, careful to not step towards the shaking girl, not to scare her more than she already was.

"She's not gone." Kari said, finality in her voice, as if by saying it, it would be true. I know that sound, too. Ken thought. But in her case, it was true.

"No, she's not." Ken agreed softly. "If… I mean…Digimon don't die."

"I know that." She said, then repeated it. "I know that. She'll be reborn. The Primary Village!" She scrambled to her feet and gave a small cry, reaching down to grab at her ankle. Ken did not hesitate. He rushed forward, steadied her ,and helped her limp over to a tree where she could lean.

"Thank you," Kari said. She sounded like she meant it.

Ken shook his head. "Don't thank me. I don't deserve it."

Kari looked at him, her eyes questioning, but said nothing.

The moment dragged, and then-

"I have to get to Primary Village." Kari said. "You don't understand, I have to find Gatomon, and T.K. I have to fight Devimon."

"Who?" Wormmon asked.

"He's evil. He's old and evil and he- he hurt my friends. I think he said- he said he-" It was too much for her. She started to sob. "I told Tai I was strong enough, that I would fight but I- I… he's gone, just gone, and I'll never see him again and I can't do this alone, I'm just one person and they're all gone."

Ken froze. It was true, then. The video. They're dead. Oh, God, they're really dead. Tai was gone, Kari's older brother- gone. Yet another feeling that Ken knew too well. His heart ached. They had not been his friends. He had wished them dead at one point, but that was not knowing, not understanding. That he had failed in his last, desperate hope to make up for his evil by protecting the digital world hurt- but not as much as the loss of a brother. Sam!

"I know you hate me, and you have every right to." Ken said very quickly, stumbling over the words. "But let me help you. I swear, I'll never bother you again, I'll never come anywhere near you again, but please. I…I owe it to everything. To the Digital world. To you. Let me help you fight. Please."

Kari blinked, surprised. "You would do that?" she asked softly. "You'd fight for us- you would?"

He nodded. "Wormmon can digivolve. And I can fight too, or at least hold my own."

Kari seemed shocked, "Against Digimon?"

She thinks I was hurting innocents! Way to go, Ken, now she really hates you.

"It wasn't like that, it was- there was this Digimon, it was going to destroy a village of- Botamon, or Snobotamon- and they couldn't defend themselves, and no one else was anywhere near. I didn't want to- I didn't enjoy it, please- but I had to stop it, and then Wormmon digivolved." He said all in a breath, then heaved for air. It was too dark to see Kari's expression- clouds had settled in over the clearing. He heard her sigh.

"Do... do you accept my help? I can go, take you to a computer or television and you can leave, if you want, I-"

"What? No." Pause. The sound of deep breaths, fighting against more tears. Then- "Yes. I accept. But I don't think I can walk." Kari motioned in the dimness to her leg.

"Allow me" Wormmon said, typically formal. He looked at Ken, and wordlessly Ken clenched his fingers around the black digivice. It illuminated the clearing with white light tinged faintly with purple.

Wormmon Digivolve to….Stingmon

The large insect digimon bent down, placing an arm against the back of Kari's knees and the other at her shoulders. "I will carry you, unless…"

Again there was a pause, then Kari let herself sag into the digimon. "Thank you," she said in a very small, faraway voice.

Ken dug a small flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on. The blue-white beam lit the trees, but not in an eerie way. It was a steady light, and though the shadows danced between the trees to the side, Ken felt- comforted. Safe.

They walked in silence, Ken leading the way along twisted paths, checking marking on trees, faded signs, and a hand-drawn map, creased in many places.

Cough. Ken turned around and his eyes met Kari's for the briefest second before he looked away. "Are you- ok? Does your leg hurt too much?" he asked. Kari shook her head. "That's not it. I- you never answered. Why are you here? Tonight, in this place?"

Ken looked down further. "I saw things happening. I've been coming when I can, to try and- rebuild things. I saw what happened at the Ferris wheel. And…the next day," his cheeks burned. "I saw that some of you were staying the night, and thought that there was a lot of danger. So I stayed the night and that's what I've been doing. I've been trying to-." he stopped. What good would it do to tell her? Just because she was being kind didn't mean anything. It's only because she needs help, and she's lost. And because she's tired. She'd never speak to me otherwise, why would she? She hates you, Ken. They all do. Did. Not do. You could have saved them and they're dead. Ken turned around, and started walking again.

"You were here the night that Izzy and Sora were attacked?" Kari asked, softer still.

Stingmon answered, "Yes. We saw Gears, and-"

"You were there? At the ruin?"

Ken nodded, not turning around.

"But, then you must have seen Sora…oh. Oh."

Ken halted. Waited.

"It was you, wasn't it? Sora didn't remember doing anything because it was you."

"I didn't do anything," he lied. I didn't do any of it so I could tell them! I don't want them to know. It wasn't a… a bargaining chip, a payment. She'll think- she thinks I'm doing all this so they'll- she'll- it's not for redemption. His thoughts gave voice to his deepest fear of the moment. He half turned, the beam of the flashlight illuminating half a face. A hand went to her neck, stopped, went back to Stingmon's arm.

"You saved her life." Kari said. It was not touched with awe or wonder, but it was not filled with revulsion or anger either. "She'd have bled out, and we wouldn't have found her when we did, or…Why?"

This Ken could not answer. But he didn't need to. Just ahead was an end to the trees, a wide open space lit by hanging lanterns and glowing stones, dotted with eggs in all colors and patterns. A crudely carved sign read in large letters, in Human and in Digi-code "Primary Village."

"Stingmon, help her." Ken said. "I'll…They don't like me, in there. I'll wait."

Kari opened her mouth, but closed it. Stingmon carried her into the field, and Ken watched from the trees as they walked up and down the aisles of eggs, looking for the One.

Ken let himself sink to the ground. He sat and listened to the wind, watched the sky lighten ever so slightly, dark grey to a paler grey, the barest hints of pink streaking the clouds in the East. I can never undo so much. I can't make up for it and she'll think that's why I've done what I'm doing. Maybe…It doesn't matter. We've got to find T.K. unless. What if he's dead, too? No. He's gotta be fine. We'll find him, we'll fight Devimon, and then I'll go. I guess I can't come back, not with her knowing. They'll tell me to leave.

It hurt, to think that. The Digital world had become like a home to him. He wasn't who he was expected to be at school and soccer under these trees. He could work hard without praise. He could do good. He would miss it.

At last, Stingmon returned, cradling Kari, who in her turn cradled an egg, the same pink as the eastern sky, with darker pink circles. "I found her." Kari said. In the light, Ken could see a cut on one cheek, scrapes and dirt on her face and arms, tear tracks glimmering in the scant light. She had been crying, and crying hard, though Ken had not heard her.

"We should go. I think I dropped my digivice, when I- fell. And I need it, if we're going to face Devimon."

Ken nodded, and pointed up. "It's nearly dawn," he said because he could not think of anything else to say. He wanted to apologize to this dirty and tear stained girl, but- what would be the point? She had accepted his help because there was no other option, and that was that. Kari nodded, shivering. Stingmon pulled her closer, and she put her head on his shoulder. "I'm so tired. It's been such an awful night."

What could be say to that? A "sorry" would seem hollow, false, insincere. Merely agreeing would seem just as bad.

Before he could say anything, she continued. "I forgot to ask, but- you didn't see T.K., did you? He fell, too, and he's all… all that's left." She hugged the egg tightly and Ken could see her shoulders shaking as the sky grew pinker.

"I didn't. But we'll find him. Kari." He forced himself to say her name and she looked up, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you," she said. She had thanked him so many times! Why? I don't deserve thanks.

Then reentered the trees, and walked through the predawn mist and trees in silence until-

"Why?" That question again.

"Why what?" Ken asked, hoping she was asking something else, anything else. How could he tell her what he was trying to do without seeming like- like his old, arrogant self, like he was only doing the least amount of work for the highest glory.

"Ken," she said his name but there was no contempt in her voice. "You saved Sora's life, you… you stayed here trying to help us, you helped me get to Gatomon's egg, and you volunteered to fight Devimon, even though he hasn't done anything to you. Why? We aren't… aren't friends, or allies or anything, so… why help us?"

"Because I have to."

"No, you don't. Who could make you? You're Ken Ichijouji, every digimon here is afraid of you."

Ken bit his lip and looked away.

"Ken. Tell me. You- you said something about owing. So tell me."

"I- no."

"Tell her, Ken." Stingmon urged. "Please. If you explain…"

" Because If I didn't, I'd…" he swallowed. Once he started... "I'd never be able to face myself. Never be able to sleep. Every night, I think of everything I've done. I can't- I just can't live like that. If I rebuild, or help it… it makes things easier. It can't fix, I mean, I'm not trying to say I'll ever make up for what I did to- the digital world and to, to you. I can't. But…I'm trying. To fix what I can, so that someday, I …"

"Can be forgiven?" Kari asked. "Someday?"

"No. No, not that." Ken felt tears of his own on his cheeks and rubbed them away. "I know that will never happen. After what I did, to you and your friends… to the Digimon… and I hate myself for it. That's why. Maybe someday, I thought, if I do enough good, if I save enough Digimon and fight enough evil and rebuild enough villages, then maybe someday I won't hate me anymore."

"Oh," was all Kari said. Ken dared a look at her. Her hair was in her eyes, her lips were tightly pressed together.

"I know you hate me." Ken said. "You don't have to pretend to be grateful. I… understand. I want to help you, because you saved me from myself, before I could do even more damage. And because if I don't, well…"

Kari nodded stiffly, but her said nothing.

It was Stingmon who broke the silence as the Sun began to rise, setting the sky on fire. Ahead lay the mountain, its peak capped with-

"What?" Ken breathed, looking at the veil of darkness that spread like a fog, engulfing the top of the mountain.

"Devimon." Kari said. "It's him. Quick, we have to find-." But she stopped as Ken saw golden light spilling through gaps in the blackness, gleaming brighter than the was…beautiful.

Then horror filled her face. "It's T.K., and he's alone, I have to fight too, there's a prophecy and- He'll die! We have to go." Stingmon and Ken nodded and set off at a run.

It took an eternity to reach the next clearing, and then longer to reach the next, the trees eclipsing the view of the mountain. Each time they reached a gap, three heads would look skyward and see the darkness and light still there, until at last there was only a brilliant golden net, and then nothing.

Kari stared at the sky and peak, hardly daring to breathe. "Please tell me I really saw that." She said at last.

"The dark's gone. I don't know if that Digimon- Devimon, you said?- he might still be there, but it looks like…"

"He did it." Kari whispered." He did it, he stopped Devimon and…He's got to be ok."

Ken said nothing, but let her have the moment. Kari finally said, "We- we have to meet him."

"Lead on," Stingmon said, and Ken again started to walk.

They continued along the side trails and Deermon tracks, checking marks on trees and the hand-drawn map. At last, Ken heard something other than his own footfalls and those of Stingmon.

Voices. But…no. It can't be.

It was a familiar voice that rang out, crying "Almost to the forest!" But It was… no. It couldn't be Davis talking. Could it and- Sora? Ken had seen them fall, one by one. How could they be on the path ahead through the woods? Another Miracle. Ken thought. Another Miracle.

"That's… that's Sora. " Kari said, hearing. "That's Sora. My Friends!"

Ken stopped. "Look, I have to go now. I can't- you don't need my help. So I'll just leave."

"But- you saved my life. And Sora's, too, and you looked out for us- they should know."

"No. Don't, don't tell them, OK? Please. I didn't do for… you know."

Kari nodded. Stingmon set her down and she tested her foot. "Is this it, then?"

Ken nodded. "I'm sorry." He said at last, then turned to leave.

"Wait." Kari said. He turned back and looked at her, clear blue eyes meeting russet ones.

"I want you to know…What you did…what you're doing…" Kari breathed deeply, let it out, as if warring with herself. She bent to set down Gatomon's egg, then looked up, meeting his eyes again. "I forgive you."

Then she turned and stepped through the trees, limping slightly. Ken stood, stunned, and then took off running with Stingmon beside him, the words ringing in his ears.

Soooo... did you like it? I had such trouble with this chapter hence why it is so late. I'm sorry. There is still one more chapter of this, and a bit more in Apartment 217, plus a two parter about Kari (including her side of this chapter) so stick around. Thanks for sticking with me everyone! please review? It would mean a lot, I worked very hard on this chapter.

~Hedgi~