The Return of Something Evil (parts 2-4)

A/N: Lines like this ---------- mean there's a flashback.

Part 2

When TK opened his eyes he had to blink rapidly in order for them to adjust to the darkness surrounding him. He tried to get up but soon found that he wasn't going anywhere fast, chains bound his small body to the cold dark wall of the cave. At first his mind was a blur, he couldn't remember any of what had happened or where he was but after a minute it all started coming back to him.

---------------------------------- " Hey Matt did you see that" he remembered asking his older brother as they walked through the woods.

"See what" Matt asked staring at his little brother blankly.

" I saw this light over there in that cave. Maybe theirs someone in there"

"I doubt it, you probably just saw the sun reflecting off something in there" Matt suggested.

"Don't ya think we should check it out"

"Na it we don't have time to stop right now" Matt replied

"Oh ok"

After that they had walked for about an hour before stopping for the night. Everyone went to sleep including TK but then all of a sudden he heard something. Someone was whispering in his ear.

"Wake up TK"

"Huh, Matt is that you" he asked as he opened his eyes and sat up expecting to see his older brother standing over him. No one was there. "Patamon" He looked around very confused, everyone even Izzy who was supposed to be on watch was sleeping soundly. "Hey who said that".

"I did " the strange voice came again.

"Who are you" he said looking around again and then standing up. "where are you, why cant I see you"

"I'm right here " said the stranger as what looked like a bright blue ball of light appeared in front of TK.

"Are you a digimon"

"Yes, my name is Aruromon"

"What do you want" "I need your help"

"Doing what"

"There's this cave about a half mile away from here"

"You mean the cave we passed on the way here.... were you that light i saw"

"Yes, anyway their was a rock slide and a friend of mine was trapped in there"

"So what do you want me to do"

"Help me get him out"

"Why me"

"Your just the right size, now c'mon TK, we need to hurry"

"Cant the others come, they could help to"

Aruromon stared directly into the small boys eyes and said "No TK, I only want you"

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"Tai don't you think its about time we started looking again" Sora asked. She really was getting worried, she'd thought for sure that TK had just wandered off and would come back to their camp site all smiles and ready to tell them about how he'd meet some cool Digimon or something and that he'd lost track of time. But this just wasn't the case, it had been over an hour since the group had stopped to rest and still no sign of the boy. Now Sora was beginning to worry not only about TK but Matt as well.

"Yeah your right, we've rested long enough" Tai replied as he stood up and prepared to rejoin the search.

"Gee...I hope Matt is OK. He has been out there by himself for a while" Agumon said looking at the others.

"Don't worry Agumon, I'm sure Mr. COOL is just fine" Tai said with his arms folded across his chest.

"Well....he has been gone....awhile.....and it is getting dark" Tentamon said

"Don't worry about him...he doesn't need our help remember" Tai spat.

"C'mon Tai, give the guy a break his brothers missing" Said Sora.

"That doesn't mean he should get mad at me, I'm not the one who got lost TK is" Tai exclaimed.

"Personally I'm beginning to believe that TK didn't just wonder off" Izzy said

"What da ya mean, do you think he was captured by an evil digimon or something" Tai asked in a much calmer voice.

"That's very possible" Izzy replied.

"Sora shouldn't we get going" Biyomon asked at Sora's side.

Sora shook her head in agreement with the small pink digimon "Lets go guys" She said in a worry filled voice.

"Yeah" Tai agreed

"Hey Tai, didn't you mention something before about the possibility of TK coming back here when were not" Mimi asked.

"Yeah" Tai answered.

"Well um....I was just thinking that maybe Palmon and I should stay behind.....you know just in case he does come back.......so he wont be alone" Mimi said

"Yeah good idea, maybe Gomamon and I should stay too" Joe added.

"Why should we stay Joe" Gomamon asked a little confused.

"Yeah Joe why should you stay" Tai said with a dumb looking smile on his face.

"Huh....a well" Joe mumbled. He hadn't really expected the others to question his idea.

"Well, what" Izzy questioned.

"In case Mimi gets attacked by some big evil Digimon, um.... Gomamon and I can help" Joe finally answered.

"That's probably a not a bad idea you guys" Palmon said. Joe smiled (something that didn't happen all that often).

"All right...you two stay here" Tai said giving into there pleas." In fact Kari why don't you and Gatomon stay too."

"But I don't wantta stay with you" Kari pleaded.

"Kari, it'll be safer here, besides someone's gotta take care of Joe and Mimi" Tai explained trying to persuade his little sister.

"That would probably a good idea" Gatomon added helping Tai in his persuasion.

"Well" Kari began "OK, but you'd better hurry back"

"We will" Sora Said reassuringly

"See ya" Tai said

"Bye" Kari called to Tai, Sora, Izzy, Agumon, Biyomon, and Tentamon as they walked off in search of Matt and TK. They waved back to her and the others as they disappeared into the dense forest.

Part 3

A chilling wind was in the air that night that made Matt shiver uncontrollably. "TK" he yelled his voice raw from calling out his brothers name. His legs were beginning to feel like ten pound weights. 12:35. It was so late, to late for a seven year old boy to all alone in the Digiworld, to late even for Matt. The boys eyes keep trying to close and the rest of him wanted simply to collapse at the base of a near by tree, but he knew he couldn't stop now not with TK still out there.

"Matt its to cold for you to be wondering around like this" Said his worried digimon partner.

"I don't really have much of a choice in that Gabumon, I'm not gonna stop looking and unless you see a thermostat attached to one of these trees then I'm afraid we can't do anything about the cold either." Matt replied

"What's a thermostat" Patamon asked.

"Something that's not gonna help us now" Matt said not really answering the small digimon's question.

The wind blew harder and soon the small rescue party could feel the tiny droplets of water descending on there low hanging heads. With the wind picking up the way it was it was all Matt could do to keep himself standing. He fought hard against the severe weather still calling out his brothers name even though he himself could barely hear it over the loud pounding of the rain. Then suddenly there was a rustling sound in the trees up ahead. He was so tired and so cold and so wet and so.....terrified, he hardly needed another hurdle standing between he and his brother. But that didn't stop the evil digimon from stepping out from behind a nearby tree.

"Its Dragonmon" Gabumon exclaimed as the huge Dragon looking digimon inched closer to the trio of travelers. "He's an evil digimon and his inferno flash makes him just as dangerous has he looks"

Almost instinctively Matt shouted "GABUMON DIGIVOLVE"

"I can't Matt, I'm to hungry to digivolve" Gabumon said

"And I can't digivolve without TK" Patamon cried

Without any time to revaluate the situation Matt said the only thing he could think of "RUN" And with Dragonmon fast on there heels they hurried to get away. But in the state of weariness that now possessed them made there escape attempt futile. Matt was the first to fall. He tripped over a rock and the ground came up to meet his exhausted body.

"MATT" Gabumon screamed as he turned back to help his young friend. Patamon did the same.

"No, you guys get out of here, someone has to keep looking for TK" Then from behind him he heard the monster behind him use his attack.

"INFERNO FLASH" the monster shouted. Matt closed his eyes anticipating the blow 'I'm so sorry TK' He curled up into a ball waiting for the inevitable. Until suddenly he felt himself being thrown out of the way. The boys eyes snapped open "GABUMON" He cried as his digimon friend got the full force of the attack.

"Hey Dragonmon take this" Patamon shouted at the monster as he flew at the digimon head on, fire in his eyes. "BOOM BUB........" Patamon began his attack but was interrupted by Dragonmon's clawed hand which swatted him away like a fly.

"PATAMON" Matt exclaimed now standing once again. There was no way out of this, no way to beat the evil digimon towering over his shivering body. Once again he tried to run but it was hopeless. Dragonmon stepped right in front of him within seconds of his escape attempt. He stopped as he saw the monstrous tail coming towards him. The tail hit and on impact sliced through Matt's left arm with its razor sharp scales tearing through his flesh and nearly exposing the bone. He was sent flying towards a clump of bushes, the ground once again coming up to meet his fast falling body. He hit the ground and plummeted into darkness.

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TK sat alone in the cold damp cave consumed by darkness. It had taken awhile for everything to sink in but he still didn't fully understand how he'd gotten where he was. What happened he thought. He closed his eyes tightly trying to remember, he had to remember, he thought hard what happened to me he thought with an overwhelming since of fear and confusion. He closed his eyes tight trying to remember. 'I have to remember! If not for me then for my brother and for Patamon and for the others! What happened to me'

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"I'm not going anywhere without my brother" He said, a serious look in his big blue eyes.

"Yes, you are TK...You WILL come with me" Aruromon demanded.

"NO! your a bad digimon aren't you? Well, I'm staying right here with my friends" He exclaimed.

"No, your not...Look at me TK" Aruromon shouted, he was beginning to get angry.

"NO, stay away from me. Matt wake up" he said shaking his brother franticly, if anyone could help him it was his big brother. "Wake up Matt....Patamon....everyone... anyone please wake up! What did you do to them.....Why wont they wake up....are they......."

"There just sleeping.....I used an attack on them to make them stay asleep" Aruromon said with a devious little smile.

"You what? NO! Matt please wake up, Matt please.....I need you" He cried though he knew his attempts were in vain.

"I anticipated this type of resistance from you my young digidestined, Now look at me" Aruromon commanded the frightened boy.

"NO" he said turning away from him desperately trying to avoid his icy gaze.

"Yes," said Aruromon as he circled TK until he was floating in front of him.

After that all TK remembered was a blinding white light and then the bleak darkness that now engulfed him. He shivered from a mixture of fear and cold, he had to get out of here....Some how.

Then he thought about the others, his friends, they were probably looking for him right now. And Matt, his brother, his amazing big brother who he knew was looking harder then any of them. But as much he wanted to be rescued, as much as he wanted Matt to save him, it pained him to think of what his brother was going through looking for him. What if something happened to them. He had to get out of there, if not for himself, then only to warn his friends. Then suddenly the small boy started struggling and pulling violently on his restraints not caring if he hurt himself in the process. 'I have to get out of here' "Matt...Patamon......Please come find me!" He screamed, hot tears escaping his big blue eyes turning them an awful shad of red. He hadn't wanted to cry, he wanted to stay strong like Matt, but he'd held it in as long as he could possibly stand it. He was just so scared and confused, he couldn't stop himself. "Matt I need you"

"Yelling will do you no good boy no one can hear you in here" said the voice of someone TK couldn't yet see. To his horror the voice was strangely familiar, but he couldn't place it, as if it didn't belong anymore.

"Whose there" He forced himself to ask. His voice coming out meek and frightened.

"Don't you remember me my little digidestind" The voice said as its owner took a step closer to the small boy.

TK froze when he saw who it was, and terror struck the young boys heart. Gasping for breath at the sight of the evil digimon standing over him. He swallowed hard and mumbled his name "Devimon"

Part 4

Tai yawned as he and the others continued down the path. They had gotten up couple hours ago but to Tai who'd had the last and longest watch that night wanted nothing more then to lay down right there on the dirt covered road and go to sleep. The idea was beginning to grow on him but every time he tried to give in to it the others reminded him that they had to keep looking.

"Matt must have been walking all night otherwise we'd probably have caught up with him by now" Biyomon said stating the obvious.

"Yeah, but I expected as much" Izzy said

"Do you think he's OK Izzy" Tentamon asked Staring down at his small digidestined partner.

"I sure hope so, but what worries me is that storm last night" The boy replied.

"Yeah if he was out in that who knows what could have happened to him" Sora said worriedly, not knowing that the storm had been the least of Matt's problems.

"Do you think he's OK Tai" Agumon asked bringing Tai back to the land of the living.

"Huh, what were you guys talking about" Tai asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"We were talking about Matt, Agumon asked if you thought he was OK or not" Sora answered looking angrily at the still half asleep boy.

"Oh......Well to honest I'm really not sure.... It has been a while since we saw him last" Tai replied groggily, not wanting to give the others a false note of hope.

"Hey guys I think I see something" announced Biyomon who'd flown up ahead of the others.

"Is it Matt.....Or TK" Izzy asked the bird digimon.

"No...Its...Gabumon...and I think I see Patamon too" She replied landing some where up in the distance. The others hurried to catch up taking this as a good sign but much to there dismay they found an unconscious Gabumon in the middle of the path and Patamon at the base of a tree. Matt was nowhere to be seen.

"MATT" Tai yelled now completely awake, and worried about his friend.

"Where is he" Sora asked, fear in her voice.

"I don't see him anywhere" Izzy said.

"What if he's....."

"Hey guys look over there" Agumon exclaimed pointing something silver next to a near by bush.

"Its Matt's harmonica" Sora said bending down to pick up the small instrument 'he'd never just leave his harmonica' That's when she saw the foot lying limply under the bush. "Matt....Guys I think I found him"

The group ran to Sora's side excited to have found there friend yet terrified that he might be hurt. They rounded the small clump of bushes together, that's when they came across the blonde haired boy. Fear struck there hearts at the image of there friend, he was lying on his back in a pool of blood.

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The small boys eyes were wide with fear 'this cant be happening....it cant.... Matt were are you' He was to shocked to cry anymore, he started to say something but at first his voice caught in his throat and his mouth seemed to dry to open. Then struggling for breath he stammered "But your....you were"

"Dead" Devimon said completing the boys sentence. "No, much like yourself I survived our last encounter, but this time I'm afraid you won't be so lucky"

"But its not possible....I saw....we all saw you die...I saw Angemon kill you" TK said in a fearful voice.

"You saw Angemon make a pathetic attempt to kill me and then foolishly assumed you'd won. But obviously you were wrong." The evil digimon said with a wicked laugh. "Now you will all pay for your stupidity. I'll destroy you all. And as for you....You will never leave the depths of this cave"

"NO...Matt would never let that happen" TK exclaimed, the tears once again welling up in his eyes.

"Oh if you think your brother can save you you are greatly mistaken. Dragonmon took care of that weakling last night."

"What....NO......Matt No....Your lying...nothing happened to him .....your lying" TK cried tears flowing uncontrollably from his eyes as he once again struggled to free himself.

"Its true, I'll attack them all one at a time. It'll make them weak. They don't stand a chance Without you they have no hope of surviving" Devimon said knowing the statement would hurt the small boy.

"What do ya mean without me, why me" TK questioned.

"You mean you don't know, don't tell me haven't you figured out the true power of your crests" Devimon said a little surprised. And then seeing the blank expression on the boys face he continued. "You are the one that brings them all hope and without you there hope can not exist"

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Matt stood alone in total darkness. He couldn't see a thing but he knew he wasn't alone. It wasn't the dark that scared him, it was the confusion that filled it, and that fear overwhelmed him. "Whose there" he shouted. No answer. Maybe he'd been wrong, maybe he was alone but something told him otherwise. He felt the presence of someone else, someone who couldn't speak to him, someone who needed his help. 'TK' "TK" he screamed into the blackness.

"Help me Matt"Came a tiny frightened voice. "Brother, I need you"

"TK" Matt screamed again as he began running through the darkness. "TK I'm coming....where are you"

"Help me Matt" The voice said now growing faint. "Please...I....the cave...remember the li..." Was all he could say.

"NO.... TK come back.....where are you.....bring him back" Matt cried desperately his eyes growing hot with tears he couldn't stop from flowing. "Please somebody, just give me some answers, I cant find you if I don't know where to look.....please!"

Then he heard an unfamiliar voice breaking through the confusion. "Hope will be taken by darkness, and friendship alone cannot bring it back. One by one the others will fall, hurt but not be beaten. In the end only light can break through the darkness and bring back hope to all."

With that said somehow Matt had a new sense of encouragement. Somehow he knew he could win.

Then he woke up