Defenders Keep XII

"How could a half starved over worked Gabumon SIMPLY VANISH?"

The overseers roar echoed through the cell blocks but in one cell his tirade fell on six deaf ears.

Forbidden to work during Gabumon's absence, Tai, Sora, and Mimi continued their whispered prayers.

"Tai." A familiar voice said.

Three figures turned to face a figure who should not be there.

"Kari?" Tai said, an icy dagger twisting in his chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to say goodbye."

"I don't understand." He said.

"I'm dead, Tai."

~*~

Raven!

Let him go, Angelique.  Steve said. he's hurting bad and he has to work that out alone.

But Stephan-

No Angel. I'm right and you know it.

I know. She said. But I don't have to like it.

I know Ange. He said somberly.  I know.

~*~

"Raven, wait!" Gatomon called chasing after him. She finally caught up with him slumped at the base of a tree sobbing.

"You know I could escape you easily." He choked out.

"Then why don't you?" Gatomon sniffled. "I can't digivolve without Kari."

"Because," Voidmon said floating out of the mist. "he needs you as much as you need him."

"She's right." Raven sighed. "I can't believe she's gone. She was so young. It isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair." Gatomon said bitterly. "I was supposed to protect her. I feel like..."

"You failed her?" He asked.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I literally lived for Kari. I got so used to my first waking thought being of her. After being alone for so long..."

"Sucks doesn't it?" Raven said wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I still feel like there was something I should have done."

"I know. Kari was the only person who ever made me feel loved, and I..."

"I failed her." They said in unison.

~*~

"How did this happen?" Sora asked.

Kari gave her a sad little smile. "I made a choice."

"Raven was supposed to protect you." Tai snapped angrily.

"You see Tai? That's exactly why I came to tell you myself. I made the choice. Raven did his best to bring me back, but he couldn't."

"He failed." Tai sneered.

"You didn't see his eyes, Tai. His failure is tearing him apart."

"Kari." The shadowy figure whispered. "We have to go soon."

"I know." She said simply. "Oh don't cry." Kari said, her ghostly hand moving to brush away Mimi's tears. "You either Sora. I want you to remember all the good times we've had.

"Okay." Mimi said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Sora merely nodded.

"Oh Tai. I would give anything to be held by you one more time." She whispered wrapping her phantom arms around Tai's neck...

Where they became flesh and blood again.

"Kari! Does this mean..."

"No Tai. I don't belong to this world anymore." She gave him a hug and a kiss with her parting words. "Take care of Gatomon for me and don't be too hard on Raven. You have more in common than you realize. And no matter what," She said as she faded away. "Never forget..."

From the emptiness her voice whispered with all its childlike innocence.

"I love you, always."

And then she was gone.

"Just let it out." Mimi choked as tears began to roll down her face.

And in this darkness, the child of light was mourned.

~*~

"I can't believe this is happening!" Gennai ranted. "The crests of light and reliability are both dead, the crest of hope is barely a flicker, and now the crest of knowledge is starting to fade. Are you listening to a word I've said?"

Jenna's image rippled slightly as it always did when she transmitted from the pool in one of the sublevels of her cottage. "I'm sorry." She said. "I can't stop thinking about Matt. I think I'm in love with him."

"That's not your destiny." Gennai said flatly.

"I've seen his Destiny, and she's a dead ringer for me. Not surprising, considering..."

"Let him go, sis. You'll only end up breaking your heart. He doesn't even remember you."

"Yes." She said morosely. "My kiss saw to that."

The two siblings were quiet for a moment, then Gennai asked. "Do you think I did the right thing bringing Raven over?"

"Why did you bring him over in the first place?"

"To keep Shadowmon and the black digivice out of Neomyotismon's control."

"Which he's done, despite a direct confrontation with Neo." Jenna said. "And do you think that little bat brain Demidevimon could have thought up that poison scheme himself? Neo thought Raven was human." Jenna tapped her chin thoughtfully as she continued. "He's taken it upon himself to protect the 'destined, and he's done fairly well considering the circumstances. He'd just gotten over the venom only to go toe to toe with an extreme level digimon. That in and of itself is no small feat, but then he throws everything he's got into Kari and Joe, leaving himself next to useless in a fight against Death. He knew he couldn't win but he had to try."

"But why?"

"Only he knows that."

~*~

On a dusty road, a girl in white walked with a man in black. "What are you thinking about Walker?" She asked.

"I'm trying to figure out what Raven was thinking when he went up against me. He knew he was no condition to face me and win."

"He cares for us." Kari said.

"But why?" Walker asked. "You may know what he is but you don't know who he is."

"Who is he?"

"Alpha, proteus, Adam, or any of a thousand other names."

"I don't understand."

"The being who calls himself Raven is the first and most powerful angel of Death, an Archangel of death as it were, and since his exile he has only grown stronger. Raven has existed since before the dawn of creation, perhaps before the dawn of time."

"That's a long time." Kari said.

"Yes it is. You have been in his life for less than a heartbeat to him. Yet you and the others have struck a chord with him. Why would he fight a fight for people he barely knows?" Kari started answer but Walker continued talking more to himself than to his companion. "I've watched him since his exile you know. He was the best I ever had and I always had hoped that he might come back to me one day." For a moment the crisp brutally efficient facade dropped only to spring back into place. "For him centuries pass as mere moments. He is timeless, eternal, immortal, and yet he insists on thwarting me. Have you any idea how many interventions he's performed? How many lives he's snatched from my grasp?" Kari shook her head mutely, afraid to break the rapture that come over Walker with words. "Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Never enough mind you. But when he finally let one go..." Walker stopped in stride and rant, stared directly ahead for a moment then snapped his fingers.

And before them lay two roads.  "Wha-" Kari began.

"Choose." He said imperiously. This time there was no sinister shadow, no comforting friend just two roads each as identical as the other.

"You made a deal." Kari said accusingly.

"And I'm changing the terms." He said turning and walking back the way he came. "The choice is yours."

"Wait!" Kari said moving to follow him only to be stopped by an unseen barrier. "Back in the prison cell, did you..."

"No Hikari, your love for your brother made that possible." He said fading away. "Trust yourself for all is not as it appears."

And then she was alone.

~*~

"Raven!" Patamon cried. "Gatomon! Come quick!"

Gatomon looked up from where she lay huddled in Raven's arms. "What are you babbling about you flying bacon rack?" She sniffed.

"It's Joe! It's a miracle! It's-"

"SPIT IT OUT!" The two distraught friends shouted.

"Joe's alive."

Gatomon stared at Raven for a moment. "That's not funny, Patamon." Gatomon said.

"I swear by Takeru, Joe's alive and he has a message for Raven from Walker."

"A phoenix." Raven mused. "Go on Patamon. We'll catch up."

"Why aren't we going with him?" Gatomon asked as Patamon flew away.

"Because I suspect I already know the message. I have a promise to keep and you have a friend to see again."

"You mean-"

Raven nodded and wrapped his wings around Gatomon as they vanished in a flash of light.

~*~

Kari gazed at each of the roads and knelt not in defiance, but in despair.

"I can't choose anymore now than I could before!" She cried.

"Need a hand?" A familiar voice asked as a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

Could it be? She daren't hope... She looked up to see...

"Raven! You came for me, just like you said!"

"Yep. I'm a man of my word. Let's go." He said taking her hand and leading her down the left hand path.

"Not that way, Hikari." A voice called. She looked over at the right hand path to see her twin and Gatomon waving her over.

"They're trying to trick you Hikari." Raven said coldly as he dragged her along. "Let's go." He said as he yanked her arm pulling her painfully forward.

"Raven, you're hurting me!" She cried. Suddenly Walker's words echoed in her memory.

Trust yourself for all is not as it appears.

"You're not Raven." She said her voice trembling with tightly contained fear.

"What has the little lady won? A one way ticket to the afterlife!" The thing that looked like Raven sneered.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" Kari shrieked.

"Shut up,  you whiney little bitch!" The Raven thing said striking her with a close fisted backhand filling her mouth with the salty metallic taste of her own blood.

"Hey bozo." A familiar voice said. "Are you deaf or just suicidal? Let her go."

"Gatomon?" Kari whispered as blood trickled down her chin.

"You are dense if you think I'm surrender this kid to you, you walking flea buffet."

"I suggest you let the young lady go and walk away, you cheap knock off." Raven said.

"Step off, First One. This isn't your fight."

"I'm not leaving without the girl." 

"You won't get her because you can't beat me."

"Be careful what you boast, dark one. In this place, even angels can be destroyed."

"Move." The imposter ordered harshly, yanking Kari to him and placing razor sharp talons against her throat. "Or I spill this child's blood into the dust."

"Let her go," Gatomon snarled as her own claws suddenly became longer and sharper. "or the last thing you will see is your heart beating in my paws. That is not a threat. That is a promise."

"Go play with some yarn you little hair ball factory."

Before he could do more than take a breath Gatomon flew into the air, raking her claws across his face. 

"Argh!" He roared releasing Kari's wrist to clutch his bleeding face as Gatomon landed behind him. "You'll pay for that!"

As soon as Kari was out of danger, Raven launched a high double roundhouse kick sending doppelganger spinning into the dirt. "Move it you two!" He snapped. "I'll be along."

"Let's go Kari." Gatomon said as her claws reverted to their normal size.

"What did you call me?" She asked.

"Kari. Why? Is something wrong?"

Kari smiled. It felt like an eternity since she had heard that name. "No. Something's finally right." She said softly. "Now let's get out of here." She said as they ran back to the fork in the road.

"That was unwise." The creature in the dirt snarled as he began to change.

"Oh hell no you don't!" Raven said blasting the thing with white fire.

"What's wrong First One? Too afraid of your own true nature?" The demon roared, bursting out of the flames and slamming into him, forcing him onto his back where the road met the fog. "You know the rules of this place. Leave the road and be destroyed!"

Meanwhile Kati and Gatomon had reached their counterparts.

"Welcome back, my child." The other Kari said

"What are you?" Kari asked.

"The First One will explain." Her twin said, laying a hand on the original Kari and Gatomon. "Care for her always, little one." She said as a shock passed into the girl and her digimon and Kari felt something stir within her.

"I won't fail her again." Gatomon said.

The other Kari nodded. "Get them to the road. I must aid the First One."

"Farewell my friend for I think this is the last we meet." The other Gatomon said with tears in her eyes.

"I too shall miss you're companionship." The new Kari said with a smile. "Now go." She said sprinting up the road to the battle.

"Come on." The new Gatomon said as she began running down the road. Kari looked back to see her twin glowing as the strange feeling stirred within her again.

"No time for nostalgia, Kari." One of the Gatomons said.

"She seems so familiar." Kari mused aloud as she began sprinting op the road.

At the battle,  Raven hastily reviewed his options. He couldn't force the demon back and a backflip throw was out of the question, although the thought of escorting this bastard to oblivion was tempting. So that left... up.

Thrusting with all of his strength, Raven pulled his opponent into the air, taking away the footing that gave him his edge. Twisting around he flipped the beast before bodily slamming him into the ground.

"Stop." A quiet voice demanded.

Raven looked at the girl who could have easily been mistaken for Kari...

Had she not been glowing white. "Leave now First One. This is my fight."

"Back off you little goodie two shoes." The demon snarled glowing red.

"Oh damn. Nega-angels and avatar's don't mix." He said throwing off his cloak. "I'm outta here." He said blasting away.

"I don't understand!" Gatomon's twin said. "We should have reached the portal by now."

What had her twin called it? The light...

"I've had the key the whole time." She said skidding to a stop and drawing her crest from her shirt. With a quick yank she snapped the cord and slammed it into the ground where it exploded into a blinding light.

"Go!" Gatomon's twin called.

"What about you?" Gatomon asked.

"Let's just say I haven't used up all of my nine lives yet." She purred. "I'll be around."

"All right," Gatomon said skeptically as she grabbed Kari's hand. "but be careful."

"Thanks for everything." Kari called as they leaped into the light.

Raven kicked off the barrier and came rocketing towards the portal.

Almost there. He thought  as the world exploded around him.