The Return of Something Evil (parts 5-8)

Part 5

"Why aren't they back yet" Kari asked as she paced between Mimi and Gatomon. "Tai said they'd hurry but...."

"Don't worry Kari, I'm sure they're fine. They'll be back soon" Mimi said trying to comfort the small girl.

"Yeah don't worry so much" Joe added. He could tell the others were giving him a funny look. "What..."

"Hey Joe did YOU just say don't worry so much" Gomamon snickered.

"Yeah what about it, why are you laughing" Joe demanded

"Well, that is a little out of character for you Joe" Mimi replied with a giggle.

"I still don't get what's so funny" Joe said obviously annoyed.

The whole group laughed at Joe's current state of confusion. All except for Kari who continued to pace nervously. Something was wrong and she knew it, and though she wasn't sure why she knew that she should be with the others. Like they needed her or something.

"What's the matter Kari" Gatomon asked the pacing girl. And then upon remembering the girls concern said. "I'm sure the others are fine"

"We should have gone with them" Kari said looking down at her digimon partner, a tiny frown forming on her young face.

"Why do you say that Kari" Palmon asked.

"I dunno...I just have this weird feeling...I think they need our help" Kari replied. "Besides I don't think TK's coming back here anytime soon"

"You want to go after them don't you" Gatomon questioned.

"Yeah" Kari answered. She stopped her pacing and stared at the two older kids with pleading eyes. "What do you guys think"

Joe and Mimi exchanged glances. "I think we should go" Gomamon began "I didn't want to stay in the first place"

"Yeah Mimi.....maybe we should go" Palmon added.

"Yeah" Mimi and Joe nodded in agreement. Part of them to had wanted to go all along.

"Then its settled" Gatomon said. The others all nodded.

"Good, lets go now" Kari said somewhat excitedly.

"Right" The others all said at once.

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Sora stared blankly into the lake. The day just keep getting worse and worse. She'd done her best to bandage Matt's badly wounded arm with some medical supplies she'd borrowed from Joe's first aid kit, and Gabumon and Patamon had woken up about an hour ago and explained there encounter with Dragonmon. They were all going to be fine. But still she had this terribly uneasy feeling, that something just wasn't right.

Then there was the matter of TK. The boy had been missing for nearly two days now. She knew that something horrible must have happened to him and that they had to find him but they didn't even know where to look, it was pointless to just wonder about aimlessly and Matt had suffered the consequences. No, they needed a general direction at least.

Then There was a sudden noise coming from the water that broke Sora out of her thoughts and made her look around. "Is someone there" she muttered somewhat nervously. "Hey... is any......" Was all she got out before Aquamon, a water digimon that resembled a sting ray with arms, grabbed her and pulled her toward water. A stifled scream was the last thing that came out of her mouth before she was yanked into the dark depths of the lake.

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~Meanwhile~

Matt blinked a few times before opening his eyes completely. He tried to sit up but groaned upon remembering his hurt arm. "Matt...your awake" He heard Tai say.

"What are you doing here" Matt asked as Tai helped him lean up against a nearby tree. Tai hadn't been there when Dragonmon attacked them....had he?

"We were looking for TK, and we found you lying behind some bushes." Tai replied.

"TK....Tai we have to find him" Matt exclaimed standing up rather quickly for someone in his condition.

"You need to rest" Tai insisted. Then seeing worry in Matt's eyes added "Besides the others are out getting food, we have to wait for them at least"

Matt sat down sadly and nodded in agreement, he'd lost a lot of blood and was to weak to argue any further, especially with Tai. That's when he remembered his dream. "Hope will be taken by darkness...." He repeated quietly.

"What did you say Matt" Tai asked now sitting across from the blonde.

"And friendship alone cannot bring it back...." He continued as if in a trance.

"Matt are you ok....errrr..your acting really weird...even for you" Tai said in confusion.

"One by one the others will fall, hurt but not beaten....." He said totally ignoring brown haired boy who sat across him.

"Hellllooo earth to Matt....anybody there" Tai said biting down on his lower lip.

"In the end only light can break through the darkness and bring hope back to all." He finished.

"Matt....C'mon buddy...How much blood did you lose anyway" Tai stammered with a nervous laugh.

Matt sat silently for a moment and thought over what he'd just repeated. It was another one of those freaky digiworld prophecies. Hope, that meant TK didn't it. And only light could bring him back. Only Kari could bring him back. That was it. TK was taken by an evil digimon, and he couldn't save him alone. The others had to help him, and ultimately Kari was the one who would bring his brother back. He looked up and his eyes meet Tai's "Where's Kari"

"She stayed behind with Joe, Mimi and the other digimon...in case TK came back to the camp" Tai answered more confused then ever. "Why do you ask"

"I had this weird dream Tai...and I can't really explain it but we need her....Why'd you leave her behind" Matt demanded.

"I didn't want her to get hurt. Anyway what was all that weird stuff you said before about....You were really starting to freak me out. I thought you were delirious or something" Tai said concerned.

"I already told you...I had this dream and..." Matt was interrupted by the distant sound of a scream.

"That was Sora" Tai exclaimed as he shot up and started running in the direction from which they heard it. Matt got up and started to follow a bit more slowly then Tai, but then stopped suddenly and just stood there in the middle of the path like he was stuck to the ground. That's when he remembered the part of his dream that he'd left out of his explanation. One by one the others will fall.......

Part 6

"SORA!" Tai shouted as he reached the bank of a near by lake. "SORA! WHERE ARE YOU.....SORA!" Something moved in the water causing Tai to rush into the shallow end of the lake. "SORA....Is that you."

Sora's head popped up from the depths. "TAI!" She screamed before Aquamon pulled her back under.

"SORA....NO.....I have to help her" Tai shouted as he swam helplessly toward his drowning friend.

"What are you doing Tai" Izzy said from the shore, all the digimon at his side.

"Its Aquamon....hes got Sora" Tai exclaimed from somewhere off shore. "I have to........"

"NO TAI!" Agumon shouted as he watched the beast pull his terrified friend under. The others screamed to but it was to late to warn the boy.

"Agumon digivolve to............GREYMON"

"Biyomon digivolve to...........BIRDRAMON"

"Tentomon digivolve to............KABUTERIMON"

"I sure hope they can help them" Patamon said

"Hey Izzy I need to talk to you" Matt said as he finally made it to the lake, then he noticed the others in the lake. "Oh no Tai....Sora"

Greymon was having trouble reaching the drowning children considering he could neither swim nor fly. However Birdramon and Kabuterimon seemed to be doing pretty well without him. "Meteor Wing" Birdramon shouted sending her attack directly at Aquamon. He was hit and dove for a minute releasing his hold on Sora whose unconscious body floated to the top. Birdramon flew down and retrieving the damp girl. "Can you get Tai"

"Leave it to me......Electro Shocker" He shouted as Birdramon retreated to towards the beach. His first attack missed. He flew around the monster for a better shot when Greymon finally arrived.

"Nova Blast" Greymon attacked hitting the unsuspecting Aquamon square in the back sending an unconscious Tai further in to the lake. Kabuterimon flew over to the floating boy and quickly got him to shore.

All it took after that was another Nova blast from Greymon and Aquamons body dissolved into the air.

"Are they breathing" Matt exclaimed running towards the others. Greymon still making his way to the beach where the nearly drowned children lay.

"Barley" Izzy answered watching Tai and Sora's chests slowly rise and fall. Greymon made it back and all the digimon dedigivoled to there previous forms.

Matt thought for a moment then said "Hey Izzy we need to talk"

"Can't you see I'm a little busy right now, you know taking care of our friends" Izzy replied.

"I Heard another prophecy Izzy" Matt said nervously as he sat down next to the young computer genius.

"You what" Izzy said now looking at the taller boy.

"I heard it in a dream I had....and I think its coming true" Matt answered.

"What did it say Matt" Gabumon questioned

"It said...Hope will be taken by darkness, and friendship alone cannot bring it back. One by one the others will fall, hurt but not beaten. In the end only light can break through the darkness and bring back hope to all" Matt repeated for the second time.

"What does it mean Matt" Patamon asked.

"I think it means we need Kari" Matt explained.

"That makes sense....If Kari's got the crest of light and TK's got the crest of hope and the fact that You couldn't find him alone. And assuming 'the others' doesn't include Kari or TK......" Izzy broke off mid sentence and exchanged glances with Matt.

"What is it guys" Tentomon asked.

"Yeah don't keep us waiting" Agumon pleaded.

Matt looked at all of them and slowly finished Izzy's sentence. "I'm afraid it means....Three down Three to go"

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"My feet hurt" Mimi whined "We've been walking all day and still no sign of them"

"That's probably not a good sign" Joe said in his usually worry filled voice.

"I'm not surprised we did stop a couple dozen times, the others are bound to be a lot farther ahead" Gomamon explained.

"We didn't stop that many times" Mimi said in her defense.

"Yes, we did" Gatomon said truthfully.

Kari just walked in silence ahead of the others. Though she was the smallest and got tired more quickly then the older kids something was driving her forward, something she couldn't explain.

The suddenly something moved through the near by bushes. "Hey guys did you hear that" Mimi asked stopping dead in her tracks.

"What is it Mimi...Why'd you stop" Palmon asked and the others all stopped now to gaze at the frozen girl.

"I could have sworn I.....AHHH" Mimi screamed as what looked like a centaur like digimon jumped out of the bushes.

"Its Centarumon" Palmon exclaimed.

"Oh good I thought you were a bad digimon and you were gonna attack us or something." Mimi said with a sigh of relief. "So what are you doing here....I thought you stayed at that temple place"

"I have come to destroy you" Centarumon replied in a zombie like voice.

"You...Wha..." A confused Mimi stammered.

"Well, I guess your bad digimon theory wasn't that wrong after all" Joe said in a worried voice.

"Izzy and I met him the first time....."

"Mimi look out" Kari yelled.

"AHHH! The first time we got split up" Mimi finished as she dodged Centarumon's attack. (A/N:sorry I cant remember what its called) The group began running away.

"And he didn't attack you then" Joe questioned as he ran.

"No, he attacked us but that's cause he had a black gear in him and that's not possible now right" She answered.

"Is it" Kari asked looking at the others.

"Well....According to digiworld time the black gears were destroyed years ago" Joe explained.

"Along with Devimon" Gomamon added.

"Yeah so why is he chasing us then" Gatomon asked.

"I dunno Izzy the expert on this sort of thing not me" Joe said in his normal worry filed voice.

"Hey look there's a river up there" Kari said.

"If Gomamon digivolves we can get out of here that way" Mimi suggested.

"What if your right about the black gear Mimi....we can't just leave him like that" Palmon said.

"Gomamon Digivolve to.........Ikakkumon."

"Well, if he did have a black gear in him I know how to get it out" Mimi said stopping as Joe and Kari climbed onto Ikakkumon's back.

"What are you doing Mimi C'mon" Joe shouted as the girl stopped and held up her digivise to the monster.

"This worked for Izzy and I before, it should wor......AHHHH!" Mimi screamed as Centarumon's attack hit her head on.

"Mimi" Palmon screamed as her friend was thrown backwards into a tree.

"Palmon digivolve to..........TOGAMON."

"Kari help me get her onto Ikakkumon" Joe shouted as he climbed down to help his friend. Kari jumped down after him and helped with Mimi. "She's heavier then she looks" Kari said pulling the unconscious girl onto the back of the big white digimon.

"Look at how much she eats" Joe replied with a quick smile.

"Needle Spray" Togamon attacked as the cactus looking digimon as she jumped out of the line of fire. Centarumon's attack barley missing her.

"Harpoon Torpedo"

The attacks hit Centarumon at the same and much to there surprise a black gear DID fly out of his back and then disappeared before there shocked wide eyes.

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Devimon stood in the dark cave, the crest of hope in his black hand. The boy was sleeping now, dry streaks on his small face were tears once flowed. "Everything is working out just as I planned. All is lost for you now my young digidestind. You'll never leave this cave, because by the time your little friends get here to save you they'll all be to weak to help there digimon digivolve. And what better time is there to strike then when your opponents are at there weakest. When there helpless. What better time to get my revenge"

Part 7

Tai opened his eyes allowing a sea of light to flood in. He felt heavy in his still damp clothes and was having trouble sitting up. Then he remembered what had happened to him and a lone thought filled his mind. "SORA!"

"I'm right here Tai" He heard Sora say sleepily.

"Are you O..."

"I'm fine" She reassured him. "It was you we were worried about. You've been out for hours"

Where are Matt and Izzy...And the digimon...are they all OK too" He asked with concern.

"Everyone's fine. The digimon are sleeping and Matt and Izzy are doing something with Izzy's lap top" She explained "You should go back to sleep now you need to conserve your energy so you can help us find TK tomorrow"

"But...why tomorrow...Why not now" Tai asked "Well, for one thing its late and the digimon need rest so that they can digivolve and......"

"And what"

"What ever it is Matt and Izzy are working on over there...I don't think were going anywhere till there done....So lets just get some sleep....I think that's probably the best thing for us to do" She said trying to sound convincing.

"OK...If its for the best" Tai said to tired to discuss the subject further. "Good night Sora"

"Good night Tai" Sora replied lying down not far from her friend. "Oh And Tai"

"Yeah" He said with a yawn.

"Thank you for saving my life" Sora said genuinely.

"Oh *yawn* Don't...a worry about it" he replied.

Sora watched him as he fell a sleep. He looked so peaceful and sweet when he slept, like a little kid, the way TK would if he were here. She still wondered what the other two boys were doing over by the fire, but it wasn't that important at the moment anyway, she would find out in the morning. Sora closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep.

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"So what do you think" Matt asked the younger boy who at that moment was typing away furiously at his lap top.

"I think we were correct in our previous deductions of our current predicament" Izzy replied. Matt stared at him at him blankly. "I think you were right"

"Oh...So you think Kari's the one who can save TK" Matt asked his blue eyes pleading for an answer.

"Precisely, but theirs still the matter of figuring out TK's location and making sure the others are safe" Izzy said still typing away.

"Yeah the others.....What if they get attacked and something happens to Kari....or any of them for that matter" Matt inquired.

"Then we'd be in a lot of trouble but lets not think about that right now lets focus on TK" The smaller boy suggested.

Matt nodded in agreement. "But how do we find him if we don't know where to look."

"Maybe we do. You heard the prophecy in your dream, so what else happened" Izzy asked.

Matt thought for a moment. "I can't really remember but TK was there and he was crying for me to help him, but I couldn't....I couldn't even see him just hear him. I asked him where he was but someone....something took him away before he could finish"

Izzy stared across at the blonde as he explained the dream. "Did he say anything that could help"

"He said....he said the cave" Matt replied

"The cave well that narrows it down....a little anyway......did he say anything else" Izzy asked "anything at all"

"He said the cave remember the lie" Matt said.

Izzy looked up from his computer. "The lie.....What do you think he meant by that"

"The cave...." Matt fell silent for a moment going over the statement in his head. "Remember the..." Light he thought. 'The cave remember the light. that's it' His mind traveled back to a day not long ago, the last day he'd seen his little brother.

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"Hey Matt did you see that"

"See what"

"I saw this light over there in that cave..."

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That was it, now Matt knew exactly where his brother was. He looked up and his eyes met with that of the other boy who still hadn't turned back to his computer screen and said. "Izzy I know where he is"

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TK shivered, during the day the cave was cold but at night it was virtually freezing. He wasn't really in the best shape and he knew it, besides being cold he thought he might be getting sick he'd been couching a lot lately and he had the worst headache ever. His stomach hurt too but he figured that was mainly because of hunger, he was so hungry the last time he'd eaten was dinner the night that he'd gone with Aruromon. His wrists were all cut up where the chains held him from a couple of his escape attempts. But at least Devimon wasn't there.

Devimon hadn't been around most of the day, around him anyway. This worried TK a little because if he wasn't there then he could be anywhere and after what he said about Matt, TK wasn't sure if his brother was dead or just hurt. Thinking of Matt like that started the boy crying again, not out loud but silently with tears streaming down his checks just the same. 'Why is this happening....why to me......why to my friends......why to my brother? Why did something have to happen to him, he was looking for me why couldn't they just let him find me and let me be saved by my big brother...Why? Matt I was wrong when I said that I don't need you...I need you more then anyone. You were always there for me, when Mom and dad couldn't be and even when they were. We've been through so much and you were there for me the whole time, to much for it to end like this'.

He felt so helpless. His crest was gone, his digivise was gone, Patamon was gone, his brother was gone. It was like he'd lost everything in only a matter of days and it didn't seem fair. This was bad, if the holder of the crest of hope was losing faith, how could the others hold onto it.

Part 8

Joe adjusted his glasses as he looked down at the girls and there digimon. Mimi was still unconscious and Kari, Palmon, and Gatomon were at her side. 'Why'd you have to do it Mimi, why'd you have to pick now to show us your heroic side' But what was done was done and Joe had something more important to think about now. There really had been a black gear in Centarumon. But how was that possible if they were all destroyed? The only way was if Devimon, no that wasn't possible. He pushed that thought aside and started looking for a new explanation. One he could not find.

"Joe look out" Kari yelled bringing him out of his thoughts. Then he saw what she was talking about but by now it was to late to stop it. The bird type digimon flew at him knocking him off Ikakkumon's head and into the water. He managed to make it to the shore rather quickly but the bird looking thing was now attacking the others.

"Crayomon" Gatomon shouted as Ikakkumon let her and the others onto the shore. "She's an evil bird Digimon, she not that strong but she's got fire power"

"Harpoon Torpedo"

"Poison Ivy"

"Lightening claw" Crayomon dogged the all three attacks. "Fire beak blaster"

"You OK Joe" Kari asked as the digimon fought behind her.

"Yeah I'm fine. How's Mimi" Joe replied.

"Palmon says she'll be OK" Kari said. Joe nodded and then turned his attention to the battle. It was actually looking good for their side. Crayomon had been hit twice by Ikakkumon's harpoon torpedo's and hadn't actually landed any attacks of her own. But Joe knew things never just stayed good. That would be way to easy.

"Look Joe Crayomons leaving" Kari yelled excitedly. And to Joe's surprise she actually was. Maybe he was wrong about things not staying good. No, he was right he realized as the monster made a sharp turn and was headed strait for them. "Fire Beak Blaster"

That's when Joe noticed who the attack was aimed at. "Mimi" He screamed. The heads of the digimon snapped in the direction of the unconscious girl. "Mimi NO!" Joe couldn't stand it any longer, something inside him forced him to run to the girls side. He had to protect her, he just had to.

"Joe" Ikakkumon yelled when he saw what the boy was doing. Joe threw himself over Mimi shielding her from the attack. He got it full force, and as he slipped out of consciousness he said. "Don't worry Mimi.....It'll be....Ok."

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Matt was in the lead more or less cutting a path through the thick brush of the woods. The others followed behind having a conversation about something or other, most likely Izzy was explaining the situation to the others. He didn't know nor did he care. All he cared about right now was finding TK. He knew they were getting close, he could feel it.

"Hey Matt umm....doesn't that hurt" Tai asked cautiously.

Matt keep walking "What"

"Walking through all those bushes like that....your getting all cut up"Tai replied

Matt didn't stop walking but he did look down and noticed immediately what Tai was talking about. To his surprise his right arm was covered with blood and the bandages that covered his left were falling apart much like his clothes. It wasn't until now that he noticed the pain in both arms as well as the calf of his left leg which had a huge gash in it. He couldn't really have gotten this beaten up and not noticed it till Tai pointed it out, could he?

"Matt...." Tai said.

Matt looked up and keep going. "I hadn't really noticed"

"How the heck could you not notice" Tai said surprised.

"He's right Matt you look awful maybe we should stop for a minute and get those cuts cleaned up" Sora suggested. Matt didn't answer, he was having trouble focussing on anything but finding his brother.

"Matt did you here what Sora said" Gabumon asked looking up at his friend.

"Yeah I heard her but I didn't really care were not stopping until TK is safe" Matt insisted.

"She was just trying to help Matt" Tai said in Sora's defense.

"Who asked you" Matt said close to shouting.

"No one asked me but...." Tai stammered not wanting to invoke another fight.

"Then why don't you keep your big mouth shut" Matt exclaimed so intensely that it actually caused the others to listen. They knew it was better just to leave him alone when he got like this. Matt was in that I hate the world and everything on it mode and even Tai knew better them to challenge him at this point. The truth was that when he got like this he was kind of scary, they could only imagine the look that was on his face right now.

This seemed to satisfy Matt anyway. The young digidestind walked on in silence, he was on a mission and didn't have time to argue, he didn't have time to feel the pain he was in, all he had time for was finding TK. That's all that mattered now, not that he was hurt, not that his friends were only trying to help. At this point he knew he was going to save his brother, or he was gonna die trying.

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'How could this happen' Kari thought to herself. She felt a certain responsibility for the whole situation, she was the one who insisted on leaving camp and look where it had gotten them. And now besides the fact that she was Tai's little sister, she being the only conscious digidestind of the group pretty much made her the leader but the whole thing was just a little overwhelming, she was no Tai and that's what they needed right now, they needed her brother.

"It'll be OK Kari" Gatomon said seining that her friend was troubled. "Joe and Mimi will be fine"

"Yeah I know its just.....I wish their was more I could do, and I knew where Tai and the others where. I'm not being a very good leader am I" Kari asked sadly.

"Your doing fine don't worry about it so much" Gatomon replied trying to comfort the girl.

"I think maybe we should stop for a while. We digimon need our rest so we can digivolve" Palmon said matter of factly.

"Yeah I am starting to get tired" Ikakkumon said.

"Well, it is getting kinda dark" Kari said looking around for a good place to stop.

"Hey does this place look familiar to anyone else" Palmon asked glancing at their current location.

"It does look familiar" Gatomon answered realizing that the other digimon was right.

"We were just here a couple of days ago" Kari began. "That's the tree Tai climbed when we were trying to figure out which way to go"

"How do you know its the same tree" Ikakkumon asked as he headed for the nearby shore.

"Cause of the broken branch" She said pointing to the tree. "Tai was to heavy for it and it broke, remember"

"Oh yeah" Gatomon laughed remembering the look on the young boys face when he landed in the jagger bush below.

"Hey wasn't there a cave near here" Kari asked sliding of Ikakkumon's back.

"Yeah that would be a great place spend the night" Palmon said. "I think its just beyond those trees"

"Well, then I guess we head that way" Kari pointed in the direction of the trees. The others all agreed and they headed into the small forest. Little did they know what horrors awaited them inside the cave.

A/N: OK those four are over with. Joe was acting all heroic, gotta love ya Joe. and the digimon actually talked a little, sure it was because Joe and Mimi were unconscious but who cares they got a few lines and that's all that matters! ^_^