"Oh brother." Raven moaned. "THAT FUCKING HURT!"

"Such language." A voice murmured casually from the darkness.

"Damn you Walker. Is this oblivion?"

"Not even close. This is the void. Kari's avatar and her nega-angel were fully energized when they went off the road. The resulting explosion threw you into the portal, but it also threw it out of synch. And before you ask," Walker held up a hand to silence Raven. "Kari and Gatomon are fine."

"Will you send me back?"

"Why not do it yourself?"

"I asked only as a courtesy to you, Walker." Raven said, raising his hand. "Don't mistake courtesy for weakness."

"Wait. Why do you care for these children so much?"

"If you can figure that out, you might be able to figure me out." Raven said waving his hand. In a flash of light, he vanished...

And Gatomon tumbled across the floor of the cave. "How's Kari?"

Joe looked up and shook his head. Kari's body was as cold as it had last been.

"No!" Gatomon cried leaping to Kari's side. "I WILL NOT FAIL YOU AGAIN!" She shouted, punctuating each word with a two pawed blow to the young girl's chest. With the last strike Kari took a deep rattling breath. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and gazed around, before sinking shut.

"Not the most conventional CPR I've ever seen," Raven said from the mouth of the cave. "but effective none the less."

"Raven! I thought you were dead!" Gatomon cried.

"No. Not yet." He said before blacking out.

Raven stood before a revolving store beneath a neon sign that read The Halo.

"He he. Not even the G man himself can lock me out of here." He chuckled as he spun in a circle to replace his tattered clothes with simple gray slacks and a fresh sleeveless shirt and a cape he draped over his arm. "I wonder who's pulling door duty tonight.

"Hey Raven, dat you?" The dark skinned man at the door said.

"The one and only Gabe." He said clasping hands with the archangel Gabriel. "What's shakin'?"

"We got a new pool goin'"

"F'real?"

"F'real. We bettin' if you can get any crazier."

"So y'all heard about Walker, huh?"

"Unh huh. Now why would anyone in dere right mind wit' one foot in de grave an' de ot'er on a 'nanna peel face Walker over an eight year old mortal girl? You ain't go fallin' 'gin have you?"

"Number one, she's nine not eight. Two I have never fallen in love with a mortal, and three," He adjusted his cape and pulled a stray feather from his wing. "who in Heaven or Hell ever said I was in my right mind?"

Gabe laughed and waved him in. "Have a good time and..."

"I know, I know. Don't raise too much hell." Raven finished ducking inside. As he strode up to the bar, all chatter died away. He smiled inwardly as the bartender brought him a vodka on the rocks.

"Who?" He asked quietly. The barkeep flicked his eyes to a couple in the back. Raven picked up the tumbler, drained it and spun to face the crowd shouting "Boo!" scaring the bejesus out of most of them. "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. More of the same and make it a double."  He said walking back to join the couple.

"Not by much." Steve said as the Angel of Death sat down.

"I trust the child is well." Angelique said impassively.

"Sleeping." Raven said as his drink arrived. "Can I ask you a question and get a simple yes or no answer?"

Angelique thought about it, drawing back on her Long Island Iced Tea then nodded. "Ask."

"Are you in the digiworld?" She nodded silently. Raven sat back and sipped his drink, then remembered his manners. "Thanks for the drink."

"Between Neo and Walker, I figured you could use a good stiff drink."

"And how do you know about Neo?"

"Ange mentioned him and I asked Stealthmon."

"I thought Nijamon was your digimon."

"He is. Stealthmon is Foxe's." He said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"I know that look." Angelique teased. "Someone's in love."

"Am not!" Steve retorted.

"Famous last words." Raven chuckled. "I think I said that right before I met Michelle."

"Ah yes. The mortal you went from childhood to the grave with."

"That would be the one." He said. "But like I told Gabe, I've never fallen in love with a mortal." Angelique snorted. "Well it's true. I've jumped a few times, but never fallen."

"Raven, Raven, Raven. Ever the master of your own destiny?"

"Always." Raven said. "Is this Foxe is it?" Steve nodded. "Is she the reason you've been avoiding me?"

"Not really. I have some things to work out and it's better if I do it alone. Besides Foxe, Faith, and Destiny need a guardian, and I'm self elected."

"Look if this is about those things you said-"

"No!" Steve said sharply. "I mean, yes, but it goes a lot deeper than that. You can't understand."

"This obviously isn't the time or the place." Angelique said. "But you two will resolve this. You were best friends once. You should be again."

Steve nodded. "What about you, Raven?"

"What about me?" He asked knocking back the last of his drink.

"You've got something on your mind. Your doing that thing you used to do when we were kids."

"What thing?" Raven said frowning.

"Never mind."

"Well I do have something on my mind. Neo is a hell of lot stronger than I was expecting."

"So what are your options?"

"The Phoenix, Omega, and one I don't even want to think about."

"You don't mean..." Raven nodded grimly. "You can't be serious!"

"I don't bring it into the equation lightly."

"I want you to swear to me," Angelique whispered. "that you won't unleash the Chaos Powers unless you exhaust all other options."

"I swear by Fire and Ice and Heaven and Hell, The Chaos Powers will be my last resort." Raven said solemnly, swearing the most binding oath an angel can. "What about you, Ange? You've been uncharacteristically quiet tonight."

"I guess I'm just not quite here."

"Well," Raven said tossing a silver coin on the table. "I have to be getting outta here."

"Yeah, me too." Angelique said tossing some coins on the table. "What about you Steve?"

"Nah. I'm gonna brood for a while." He said flagging down a waitress.

Angelique shrugged and walked towards the door, fading as she went.

"Don't be a stranger, Stephan." Raven said swirling his coat about his shoulders and fading away.

"You used to call me Steve." He said to no one in particular.

Kari knelt beside Izzy looking at his acid scarred face, a strange penance for Joe. She gently laid her hands on his scars and murmured a word under her breath. She felt the strange stirring inside her, and when she pulled her hands away, Izzy's face was whole again.

Satisfied that he was still asleep, she crept over to Raven and treated first the deep gash in his leg then the slash in his arm. He sprang into movement however when she reached for his chest, locking one hand gently, but firmly around her wrist while the other shot up to her mouth to gently stifle her startled cry.

"Thanks for the thought love," He whispered taking his hand away. " but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather like to keep that one."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since you healed Izzy. When you use a sahareim, you change the natural flow energy and that resonates, like a pebble in a pool." He said moving to the red haired boys side.  "Nicely done. Who taught you this?"

Kari's face went white with fear. "I-I can't tell you!" She blurted out.

"I'm not angry with you Kari. In fact I'm quite surprised. You shouldn't have been able to do this, and yet you did." He said. "You did forget one little detail."

"What's that?"

"His mind remembers the scars." Raven replied, placing a hand on the sleeping boy's forehead and whispering a sahareim.

"What did you do?" Joe asked.

"I've replaced the memory of your death with one of separation."

"He's not going to like having his memory tampered with." Matt whispered.

"Yeah, but he's going to like letting Joe die even less. I wish we had the time to help him work through this properly, but the only edge we've got is that Neo doesn't know where we are and that's a pretty slim edge."

"And getting slimmer, I'll bet." Joe agreed. "Izzy just wouldn't be Izzy if he wasn't glued to the keyboard."

"Too many of our friends are changing." Matt whispered grimly. "No more."

Raven's keen hearing picked up Matt's quiet vow. He nodded and turned his attention back to Kari. "Now little one, " He said pushing her onto her back. "it's time for you to take some of your own medicine."

"But my body's fine."

"And your mind needs rest."

"I'm not sleepy." She protested.

"Don't argue with me Kari." He said trailing off into an unintelligible murmur.

"Dirty fighter." Kari mumbled as her eyes started to close. "What... about... TK?" She managed as she sank into sleep.

We will help him together. Raven replied silently. Pleasant dreams.

"What about TK?" Matt asked.

"I don't know." Raven said, a dark frown crossing his usually serene features as he knelt beside the boy. "He's been catatonic since his appeal to Walker, and I can't for the life of me figure out why."

"His crest is reacting." Joe said simply. Sure enough the crest of Hope was glowing faintly.

"Do you think the other half is in  this cave somewhere?" Matt asked.

"No. This cave is only but so big." Raven said moving to the mouth of the cave. "But I  thing it's in this swamp somewhere."

"His crest? In this mess?" Patamon asked looking out into the dismal gray.

"Hope springs up in the most unexpected places." Raven said pulling on his cloak and slipping silently into the mist.

"So this is Defender's Arch?" Destiny said. "Doesn't look like much."

"Well, if there are any clues to the location of your crests, they'll probably be here." Nijamon said.

"Hey!" Faith said. "Your little thingy is glowing!"

Sure enough Destiny's tag was reacting.  "I guess your crest is around here somewhere." Nijamon said blandly.

"No duh kabuki boy!" She snapped. "You want to be a little more helpful and tell me where it might be? All I'm seeing is dust, some scrubby looking trees, and a lot of rock."

"There's a cave halfway up the slope there. Is that helpful enough for you?"

"Free climb, nice and hard. Just the way I like it." She said moving to the cliff face, followed by Pebblemon and Faith. "Not this time sis."

"But Destiny-"

"No buts. I don't know what's in there, and I'm not going to put you in danger if I can avoid it." Faith started to protest, but her sister cut her off. "I love you sis. I know you're not a little kid, but believe me when I say you are the most important thing in my life."

"Yeah right." Faith mumbled.

"I'd do anything to keep you safe." Destiny said. "Even kill for you."

As Faith looked into her older sister's eyes the sold rejoinder she had planned died on her lips as she saw the truth in the other's eyes. "You would, wouldn't you?" She said quietly. Destiny merely nodded. "All right." She said stepping back. "I'll wait here, but you take care of my sister." She called to Pebblemon, lighting up a cigarette.

"Pebblemon wouldn't hurt her anymore than Stealthmon would hurt me." Foxe said coolly.

"What do you have against my sister?" Faith asked coldly.

"She has what I never can." She said solemnly. "When she comes back I'll tell you both." With that she turned and sat with her back to a tree, effectively ending the conversation.

Meanwhile Steve and Nijamon had flown up to get a better look at the strange symbols carved into the arch. "What are they?" Steve asked.

"The twelve great crests, carried by the Digidefenders. Eight of them are now in the control of the digidestined children, but with their passing, the defenders will take up the crests and the power -and responsibility- that comes with them." Nijamon peered more closely at the circle of symbols carved into the rock. "That one at the top is the crest of courage, carried now by the 'destine leader, Tai."

"Brunette, goggles, big hair and a bigger ego?"

"Yes." Nijamon said. "Next is the crest of love, now carried by Sora."

"Ah, the girl." He said bitterly.

Nijamon stared at him reproachfully before continuing. "Next is the crest of friendship, carried by Matt."

"The blonde with a heart of ice." Steve recalled. "I can't help but wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

"Everyone has a soulmate, Nijamon, someone who understands them so completely and totally, it's like they're each a part of the other. I wonder who his may be."

"Hmm." Nijamon mused silently for a moment. "Next is the crest of light, carried by Kari, Tai's little sister."

"That would explain the similarity."

"Mmm hmm." Nijamon said. "Next is the crest of hope, carried by TK, Matt's brother. He has seen so much for one so young, and yet he goes on."

"He has a strength beyond his years," Steve agreed "and he has hope."

"Next is the crest of knowledge, carried by Izzy, crimson hair and an extensive vocabulary."

"A good kid. But he carries a heavy burden."

"Perhaps, but we all carry a burden. Those who help us to carry it make it heavy, or light." Nijamon said solemnly. "This concludes zen master 101 with Nijamon!" He cried chuckling.

Steve couldn't help but laugh. His wings still hurt from over exertion in the days prior but he was very interested in these crests. Maybe, just maybe... He daren't hope. "Next crest please."

"The crest of sincerity, carried by Mimi."

"Brunette, partial to pink, as I recall."

Nijamon bobbed in his arms, the disembodied equivalent of a nod. "Next is the crest of reliability, carried by Joe."

"A cross." Steve murmured running his fingers over the engraving. "Fitting considering the unseen cross he bears."

"As the oldest it is his duty to watch over the others. If he fails in this task, he must answer to the cruelest judge of them all, his own conscience." Nijamon declared. "The other four are unknown to me."

Steve peered closely at the four remaining symbols: a sword, a mountain, a thunderbolt, and a curious geometric, four triangles forming a larger triangle, surrounded by a circle.

He was pondering what they could be when a rockslide sealed Destiny and Pebblemon in the cave.

Raven stood outside the cave feeling the steady throb of his own crest.

Angie, you got some 'splaining to do. He thought in the Once Speech.

I had no idea she'd be able to use what I taught her.

So you did teach her the words of power. Just wanted to be sure it was someone I could trust.

Raven I swear I didn't know...

Our little Kari is full of surprises, but at least I have an inkling of the reason behind this one.

Are you going to share?

Not this way. She'll hear us and I don't- no I can't explain what she is yet.

Meet me at The Halo?

If I can. When did you have time to start her new education?

Last night. Remember when I said I wasn't quite there at The Halo?

Split focus. Nice touch. He said approvingly. He was about to say something more when he felt the ripple of resonating energy. Gotta go. My little charge is into something, but I love you.

I love you too. See ya soon. Angelique replied.

"What happened?" He asked as he took in the scene. The older boys and the digimon were gathered around the children, with Kari slumped over TK?s inert form.

"After you went out Kari got up and went over to TK. She took his hand and said, ?If you die, I?m going to kill you.? Then she whispered something I couldn?t make out and passed out on top of him."

"I thought you put her to sleep." Joe said.

"So did I. She must have used a carefully timed delay and then played possum. If I wasn't so upset, I'd be impressed. Let?s see what we?ve got." He said reaching to feel the presence of TK?s mind. Instead he slammed into a mental barrier so strong it rocked him physically. "What the hell?"

"What is it?" Matt asked.

"For some reason, TK?s retreated into his own mind. At least that?s what I?m hoping. He?s erected a shield so strong I can?t even tell if his mind is in there." He frowned.

"Besides the obvious, what's wrong?" Joe asked.

"Creating a shield of that strength and intensity either takes a lot of skill and practice or a lot of luck.  Regardless of which it also takes an enormous amount of power."

"Where would TK get that sort of power from?" Matt asked.

"I don't know and that scares me." Raven said grimly.

"What about Kari?" Izzy asked, his black eyes filled with worry.

Raven reached for the  young girl's mind only to find a void. "This gets better and better." He murmured. "Kari's mind isn't in her body. She's running on autopilot."

"Well if it's not there..." Matt began before he realized. "She couldn't have."

"I'm afraid she did." Raven said. "But how did she get past the barrier?" He mused laying a hand on the young pair. "Oh no!" He groaned.

"What is it?" Izzy asked.

"Stupid is what it is!" Raven ranted. "She's bound herself to him like I bound Tai and Sora, but there's a catch. She's bound them together totally, even their life force."

The others sat in silence as they contemplated the implications. "There's nothing you can do about it?"

Raven shook his head. "I don't dare try. Kari has to pull TK out without being pulled in herself."

"And if she fails?" Patamon asked nervously.

"We lose them both." Raven said grimly.

"Hmm." Kari said, looking around. "So this is TK's mind. Look's like a cross between Primary Village and a kindergarten room. Well, I better start looking for him so I can get out of here. TK." She called raising her voice to a shout.

"Hi Kari." He replied his voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. "Have you come to play with me?"

"No TK." She called. "I came to bring you back."

"I don't want to go back." He pouted. "I want to play."

Kari thought a moment. "Okay TK, tell ya what. I'll play one game of hide and seek." She waved her hand and a large hourglass appeared a few feet away. "If I can't find you before the sands run out of this hourglass, I'll stay and play forever."

"Okay." TK cried enthusiastically.

"But..." She paused. "if  I find you, you have to come back with me and we'll play again another time, okay?"

He thought about it, trying to see if she was trying to trick him somehow but after a moment he said "Okay."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"All right. You've got ten seconds to hide. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...0! Ready or not here I come." She called.

She snapped her fingers and the sands began to fall.

Raven stood outside the cave, craving a cigarette or a stiff drink or both. "Those kids are gonna drive me nuts." He muttered.

"Tell me about it." Matt said emerging from the shadows.

"Are you supposed to be up?"

"I figure it's better than letting my muscles atrophy." He shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you alone anyway."

"Then let's go gather some firewood." Raven said leaning on his cane.

"What's the deal with that cane?"

"Why my cane's just a cane, ask me again and I'll tell you the same."

"Raven, I've found that nothing is as it appears if you're involved."

"A valuable lesson to remember in life." Raven said bending to retrieve some larger branches. "You'd do well to remember that."

"At least I can remember something." He grumbled.

Raven arched an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

Matt then related what happened to him in the woods before Neomyotismon's attack. "That's what I wanted to ask you about. I was wondering if I could find the memories somehow."

"Well, it's like what I did to Izzy in reverse, but I'll have to probe your mind a little to see what I'm dealing with."

"What does this probing involve? There are some things..."

"I understand. I'll be in and out."

Matt nodded and Raven touched two fingers to each of his temples. He took a brief glance at the surrounding memories and thoughts to get his bearings before proceeding to the misted area. "Let's try..." He murmured a sahareim and suddenly found himself slamming into a tree as Matt clutched his head in pain.

"Whatever you did, don't do it again." Matt gasped.

"I have no idea what kind of block that is, but it wouldn't be worth it to punch through it."

"What do you mean? I have to know!" Matt snarled grabbing Raven  by his cloak.

"Matt, if I punch through that barrier to get at the memory inside, a backlash a thousand times more powerful than that one will reduce your mind to grated cheese, and what good will the knowledge do you then?"

Matt sighed resignedly. "I guess your right."

"There is some good news. The block is on your conscious memory only, so your subconscious still has it somewhere. Have you had any dreams?"

Matt shook his head. "I've been passing out from exhaustion."

"Well your dreams may give you some clue. But there are other ways. May I see your staff?" Matt leaned against a tree and tossed Raven his staff, his curiosity piqued. "Okay. This staff was made by someone young, a woman, I think given the patience and complexity of the design. It was carved from an old branch, but it's so straight you'd think it came from the center of the tree."

"What's that mean?"

"It mean's that whoever made this has been living off the land for a long time to know how to shape or reshape nature to fit their needs." He answered, twirling the staff in his hands. "Hmm. My guess would be something in the oak family, light enough to maneuver quickly, but still solid enough to dish out some serious damage without breaking or splintering. Oh ho, what have we here?"

"What is it?" Matt asked.

"I'm almost positive this was made by a woman. Don't ask me for a percentage because I'm really lousy at math, but..." He wiped the mud from the other end of the staff to reveal another character.

The character for beloved.

"TK you're a sweet kid but if you beat me, I'll have to kill you." Kari muttered looking at the small hourglass strapped to her wrist. It should have shaken every time she moved, but she quickly learned that the rules don't apply here and her hourglass perfectly matched it's larger twin.

Which is how she knew when TK started shaking sand out of the large one.

She rushed out of the Lego house she was about to explore to find TK shaking the hourglass. "Takashi Takeru!" She shouted running at him.

"Oops! Gotta go!" He cried vanishing with a pop.

"Trying to speed up the hourglass is cheating TK." She said calmly.

"I was actually trying to tip it over," He said his voice coming from everywhere. "but that thing is heavy. You gotta admit, it was fun."

Kari smiled and sighed. No matter what he did she just couldn't stay mad at him for long. "Yes it was." She made a slight spinning motion with her fingers and the sands he dislodged spun back up.

"That's not fair."

"That's justice, TK." She said taking a nearby piece of chalk and drawing a circle around the hourglass. "Now neither of us can tamper with it."

"But you still have to find me!" He laughed.

"I'll find you TK." She said quietly. "Count on it." She glanced around and headed for the largest building she could see.

"How are we doing?" Raven asked as he and Matt dropped the firewood.

"No change." Joe said.

Izzy cleared his throat. "That statement is not entirely true. I feel compelled to remind you that we have not ingested solid nutrients for approximately 60 hours."

"So you're hungry huh?" Raven sighed. He had been looking forward taking a short nap- or better yet a long one- to replenish his energy. "You and I will go forage for food. Voidmon, time to upgrade."

"Of course. VOIDMON DIGIVOLVE TO... SHADOWMON."

Raven perked up slightly as his energy spiked. "Ready whenever you are." He said.

As they trekked through the swampland, Izzy said. "I thought you only had small energy blasts, but back during the battle with Neo..."

"Yeah, I know. I should have only been able to use two of them. My energy level has been fluctuating like mad. I had some kind of surge during the battle with Neo, then a drain when we got here, and when we left the cave, I had another spike."

"We must find the common factor." Izzy said gazing at Shadowmon.

"Don't stare at me like that Izzy. You look like your plotting to make me your next meal."

"Sorry Shadowmon." He said. "I just had a highly improbable hypothesis."

"Then I think we had the same hypothesis. Shadowmon is a constant factor."

"True and we've already established that the digivices transfer some of the human partner's energy into the digimon so they can digivolve, so maybe it's possible that yours can work in reverse."

"Digivice, query." Raven said lifting his arm. The black digivice chirped in response. "Display the energy level of the digimon associated with this digivice for the last seventy-two hours." The device chirped for a moment then projected a red spiking line into the air between the two boys.

"I don't believe my digivice has this capability." Izzy said.

"My guess is that Gennai's operative wasn't able to get him the full details of the digivice, so he couldn't put some features in because he didn't know they existed." Raven said gazing at the graph. "I think it's safe to assume that the spikes and troughs are digivolutions."

"Sounds logical." Izzy said.

"Overlay human pattern, same period, and calculate match percentage." A moment later a blue graph appeared overlapping the first turning the combination purple.

"95% match." The digivice chirped.

"Thank you. End query." Raven said as the graphs vanished.

"How is that possible?" Tentomon asked. "Izzy and I have been together for as long as I can remember, and my stage of digivolution never had any effect on him."

"Yes, Tento, that is true." Izzy concurred. "But Raven and Shadowmon aren't like us. He's an angel, and she is artificial. Apparently they share some kind of link."

"So you're saying that the stronger I get, the stronger Raven gets?" Shad said with a touch of mischief in her voice.

"As near as I can ascertain."

"Wicked cool." She grinned. "Now let's find something to eat."

Kari stepped inside the big house, which seemed to be some kind of mansion. "Are you in here TK?"

"I'm not telling!" He taunted.

Despite it's size the house only seemed to have six rooms, each of which was a shrine of sorts to a digidestined. The largest room was devoted of course, to Matt. Another room was decorated in wall to wall pink in tribute to Mimi. A third door had a plaque that read, "The only thing Joe isn't allergic to." Curious, Kari opened the door to find a totally empty room. She was still laughing when she reached Sora's room filled with pillows and candy. She pushed a button under a painting of the keeper of love, and heard TK's childish voice say, "When you're around I don't miss my mommy as much."

"I can't believe I ever said that." He laughed in his everywhere voice.

"We'll I think it was cute." Kari retorted hoping for TK to give away his location somehow. When he didn't reply she moved on into a library filled with books. What grabbed her attention was the yellow laptop sitting on the table. She opened it and Izzy's face appeared on the screen. "How odd. It seems I've been pulled into the computer." The computer Izzy looked around a bit before walking off screen and returning with a pile of folders. "Oh well, I might as well tidy up a bit while I'm here." Kari stumbled away clutching her sides as she laughed.

"What in the world gave you that idea?" She managed walking away as computer Izzy sat humming a little tune.

"Matt once told me he thought Izzy would get sucked into the computer and that's what I thought up."

She opened the last door to find a room filled with maps and compasses and a giant painting of Tai. She moved closer to read the plaque as TK recited it with her.

"Kamiya Taichi, our courageous leader. He always gets us there... somehow."

"TK!"

"I'm sorry Kari, but there are times it seems like he's trying to get us lost. He once lead us past the same cactus ten times before he decided to turn a different direction."

Kari shook her head and proceeded though a little door up a staircase to what seemed to be TK's private living space. There were pieces of paper floating around of their own accord. Kari grabbed one and read, "There once was a man from Nantucket. I wonder how the rest of it goes."

"You know those thoughts that float through your head? That was one of mine. Just look out for flypaper. They almost always seem have an annoying little tune on them that's nearly impossible to get rid of."

I can't believe he doesn't think of me at all, but there not even so much as a picture of me. Kari thought dejectedly. She was about to leave when a flash of silver caught her eye. She reached under a pillow and pulled out of a pictur of herself in a heart shaped silver frame.

"Oh my gosh. This must be how he thinks of me."

"The game's over Kari." TK snapped his fingers and the hourglass outside exploded in a hurricane of sand that scoured his mindscape clean leaving just the two of them. "You win."

"But why TK?"

"Because I thought I wanted to be alone but now I find I miss Matt and Gabumon and Patamon. But most of all, I miss you, Kari-chan."

"What are you saying TK?" She didn't need to ask as she was as much a part of his mind now as he was of hers, but she needed to hear it from him.

"Something I've been thinking about for a long time. Something I've wanted to tell you for a long time. Something I want to tell you without distractions or illusions." He said gravely. "I'm in love with you, Kamiya Hikari."

Kari blinked. Even though she had known it was coming, the simple straightforward announcement caught her off guard. "I don't know what to say."

"I know. Let me show you something." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small golden locket. "You probably wondered why you didn't have a room, right?"

He opened the locket to show a picture of Matt on one side and Kari on the other. "You have the most important shrine of all, my goddess. You have my heart."

Kari blushed at being called a goddess and peered more closely at the tiny picture. "It looks like I'm asleep."

Now it was TK's turn to blush. "You were. We stopped to rest and you dozed off, and I just watched you sleep. I think that's when I fell in love."

"I remember that!" Kari laughed. "When I woke up you were just staring at me and the you kissed me on the cheek and said 'You got cooties!'"

"Well it was the first thing that came to mind!" TK protested. "You were too busy complaining about boy germs to worry about why I sitting an inch from your nose."

"You know TK, I thought a lot about that kiss, and about what it meant for us, and somewhere along the way... I fell in love with you too. Even if you are a horrible kisser."

"How can you say that," He said leaning closer. "when we haven't had a proper first kiss?"

"How right you are." She murmured leaning closer to him. Eyes closed, lips parted...

"Oh, how absolutely precious!" A new voice interrupted.

"How cute!" Another chimed in.

"Oh bother." TK muttered darkly as the two youths pulled apart from the failed kiss. "Who, pray tell, are you?" He asked the invading couple.

"I'm Artemis." The small boy with the dark brown hair and keen green eyes said.

"And I'm Krista." The young girl said pushing her glasses higher on her nose with one hand as she pushed a purple bang from her eyes with the other.

"What are you doing in TK's mind?" Kari asked.

"We're your avatars. Raven asked us to check on you."

"Ooookay." TK said slowly. "What's an avatar?"

"You know how they say everyone has a guardian angel? Well that's us." Krista said. "I'm kind of new to the job though." She admitted sheepishly.

"The other Kari on the road." Kari mused. "What happened to her?"

"Well, she faced your nega angel on the road. A nega angel is a fallen angel who seeks only to deliver fear and pain and misery, the exact opposite of an avatar." Krista said quietly. "When positive and negative energy come together like that, they destroy each other and anything else unfortunate enough to be in the way."

While Kari was mulling over this new bit of information, TK came up with a new question. "Why didn't Raven come himself?"

"You're blocking him." Artemis said. "It's not intentional, but still..."

"If he's blocking, then how'd I get in?" Kari asked in surprise.

"You bound yourself to him, so TK's shield thought you were TK." Krista said.

"How can I let Raven in?"

"Just relax." Artemis said. "You put up the defenses to keep yourself safe, but you're among friends now and no one's gonna hurt you."

"Okay." TK said taking slow measured breaths as Kari raised her silent voice in the Once Speech.

"You can speak like we do?" Krista asked in surprise.

"Yes. Didn't Raven tell you?"

"They never asked."

"Raven!" The kids cried tackling him.

"I'm glad to see you too." He laughed as he got to his feet. "Are we ready to go?"

"I am." Kari yawned. "That delay I used is starting to catch up with me."

"Windchimes." TK mused.

Now it was Kari's turn to be surprised. "You heard that?"

"I thought someone was out of sync. I can't really say I'm surprised it's you."

"Kari dear, TK is not all that he appears to be." Artemis said.

"Neither am I." She assured him. "Can we go now?"

"Yes." Raven said waving his hand. "Follow the path." He said indicating the dusty foot track that appeared before them.

"I'll race ya!" TK said taking off down the path.

"Hey!" Kari called breaking into a jog. "Wait up you little cheat!"

Raven laughed as they sprinted up the road fading as they went. "They're good kids."

"Yeah." Krista said gazing at Kari as she faded from sight.

"Who was her last avatar?" Artemis asked.

"Shaina." Raven said. "She was one of the best. I owe you guys."

"Just do right by them, Raven." Artemis said. "You're closer to them than we are."

"I just met Kari." Krista said. "I don't want to lose her."

"I won't fail her." Raven vowed, walking away and fading out. "Not again."

"No... no... TK!" Kari's scream startled everyone in the cave to alertness.

Raven flashed a glance at where TK had been only to see a bleary eyed Patamon.

"Kari! I need you calm down." Raven said clipping his cloak around his neck.

"Danger! Sinking too fast! I'm gonna die and I never-"

"You're not in danger, Kari. I need you to calm down so I can find TK."

"TK..." She panted. "He's panicking. The ground's swallowing him. He's in up to his chest. That way!" She pointed.

"Shad you and Pata take to the air. I need your eyes." He bent down to retrieve his cane. "The rest of you stay here. The fewer people we have wandering around out there the better." He moved towards the mouth of the cave when Kari grabbed his wrist.

"Bring him back to me." She pleaded. "Please."

"I promise. You have to stay calm. If you panic you're only gonna make TK's panic worse. I'll bring him back, I swear it." He said melting into the shadows.

He was running full tilt for about a minute when Shad called him. "He's in quicksand a hundred feet in front of you!"

"Thanks Shad!" He replied vaulting over a fallen log. A few seconds later he skidded to a stop hovering over the deadly ground.

"Help!" TK called.

"Don't move TK. You'll only sink faster. Shad, what about those vines there? Could they support his weight?"

"No. Can you fly in and pull him out?"

"The vegetation's too dense." He replied. "Don't worry little buddy. We're gonna get you out of here, but what are you doing out here alone anyway?"

"My crest reacted and I went out after it. I wanted to find it by myself, to impress Kari."

"Oh TK," Raven said spinning his cane through his hands to become his sword. "Kari already knows how brave you are." He leaned closer to Patamon and dropped his voice to a murmur. "Pata would get over there and make sure this doesn't fall on him?" The small digimon nodded and flew away.

"Do you really think so Raven?"

"I know so. She's back at the cave worried sick about you." He said placing the blade of the sword against a stout old tree. "I'm gonna cut down a tree for you to climb on, TK. It's gonna come down pretty close, but Patamon's here, and he's gonna make sure nothing happens to you, 'kay?"

"'Kay." TK said nervously.

May my aim be true. Raven thought. "Here goes." He said swinging with all his might to slice cleanly through the trunk.

"BOOM BUBBLE!" Patamon shouted deflecting the tree past TK's head. "Pull yourself along the branches."

"Thanks Patamon!" TK called as he dragged himself along the branches towards solid ground. "Raven, what do women like?"

"Depends on the woman." Raven said crouching beside the bog. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Someone like Kari."

"Someone like Kari or Kari herself?"

"What's the difference?"

"There's a great deal of difference, TK." Raven said pulling the boy out of the muck. "Someone can look, think, and act exactly like Kari and still not be Kari." He explained. He was about to say something more when his glowing tag rose out of his shirt.

Beware the double-edged blade. A voice boomed in his mind. The Crest of Vengeance is yours.

Raven was about to say something when the swamp was flooded in a blinding light. When his vision cleared his tag hung limply against his chest, but the formerly clear window now held the simple crest of a gray double-edged sword on a black background.

"Wow! You got your crest!" TK cried.

"It's the crest of vengeance." Raven said absently, thinking back to the past.

"Hello." Raven said to the slender onyx haired angel. "I'm Raven, Angel of Death."
 
 

"I'm Angelique," She said extending her hand. Raven shook her hand only to have it slit open. "Angel of Vengeance."

"Do you make it a habit to draw blood during an introduction?" Raven asked as his palm sealed itself.

"It's my token." She said opening her hand to reveal a double-edged razor blade nestled in her own bleeding palm. "It reminds me that vengeance, like the blade, cuts both ways, injuring the wielder as easily as the one it is wielded against."

"Seems like a painful way to remember a simple fact."

"Raven?" TK said tugging on his cape.

"Sorry TK. My mind was in the past." He explained briefly. "Are you ready to go back?"

"I want to find the other half of my crest." He said staring at Raven with large pleading eyes.

"You're too darned cute for your own good." He muttered. Kari, TK's safe, but he wants to find his other crest.

"Kari and Gatomon are coming."

"I don't want her here." TK muttered angrily.

"After what you just did, I'm surprised she's letting you continue searching at all."

"That's not it." He mumbled. "You wouldn't understand."

"Make me." Raven said sitting on a stump.

"It's like there's someone else in my head with me." He began.

"Go on TK." Shadowmon urged gently. "Tell us about this other person. Are they young or old?"

"Old I guess. He says he's older than the First One, whatever that means."

Raven hid his surprise well. The only thing that was supposed to be older than him was God. "Why don't you want Kari here? I thought you two are friends."

"We are, but this other person says she is The One, and that she has to protect her. He makes me do things to protect her."

"Cute." Kari said as she and Gatomon emerged from the shadows. "But unnecessary."

"Kari!" TK cried springing to his feet.

Kari ran to him and hugged him close. "TK Takashi don?t you ever worry me like that again." She admonished as tears of joy rolled down her face.

"I?m sorry, Kari-chan." He said wiping her tears away. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to start making sense of things. Ever since I was in your mind I?ve been seeing images. Some come from you, like the one of me in a bikini." TK did a very good impression of an apple as she continued. "But the others come from someone else. I catch glimpses of things strange and alien, yet they?re comforting and familiar at the same time, like I?ve known them?"

"But forgot about them." TK mused. "Do you know what that means? ?She is The One.? It doesn?t make any sense to me."

"Me either, but I do know we?re both stronger than than we seem." She said producing two silver rings from her pocket. Engraved on the inside were the words, ?Strength Unseen, Love Eternal.? "You don?t have to protect me." She said sliding one ring on TK?s finger and the other on her own.

"I don?t really have much choice. This guardian of yours is only mildly concerned what happens to my body. Plus?uh?" He coughed nervously.

"I?m a distraction?"

"Yes." TK murmured. "I didn?t want you here because?"

"Because you?d be so worried about me you might get hurt?" TK nodded. "Tell you what, from now on I?ll watch your back while you watch mine. Deal?"

"Deal!" TK said clasping hands in relief.

"Great. Now let?s get that crest." Raven said.

"Destiny are you all right?" Pebblemon asked.

"No." Destiny said breathing rapidly. "I?m claustrophobic."

"What?s-"

"It means I really, really do not like enclosed places." She said as she began to hyperventalte. "I gotta- I gotta get outta here!" She cried scrambling towards the entrance.

"Destiny, no!" Pebblemon said pulling her back. "This cave isn?t stable. If you try to dig your way out you?ll only succeed in dumping more rock on us and then who would look after Faith?"

"Faith. Right." She replied forcing herself to take slow measured breaths. "Gotta remember Faith." She fumbled with her digivice and managed to summon a pale sickly glow from it.

"To tell you the truth, I?m not all that crazy about tight spaces myself." Pebblemon confided. "Helping you takes my mind off my own fears."

"Destiny! It?s Steve! Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" She yelled back cheerfully. "Havin? a blast. This cave isn?t geologically stable, so be careful."

"Sure thing." He replied. Outside the sound of falling rock could be heard as Steve began to carefully clear the obstruction.

"Why didn?t you tell him?"

"Only my sister knows. I don?t trust anyone else."

"You told me." He reminded her.

"So I did." Destiny said. "Funny."

"No, you want to hear funny? My kind spend most or all of our lives in subterranian caves and I?m- what was that word?"

"Claus-tro-pho-bic." Destiny said slowly.

"Claustrophobic." He repeated carefully. "I guess it comes from bing the runt of a large family."

"Lot?s of brothers and sisters, huh?"

"Eighty-four brothers and seventy-five sisters. You tell me."

Destiny quickly did some math. "That means you were the smallest of one hundred sixty children?" She said disbelievingly.

"I told you it was a large family and don?t get me started on the live in relatives. Being the smallest, I got the smallest room. Little more than a crack in the wall really. Makes this place look like a mansion in comparison. No one in my family really expected me to make it past my first year. I made it ten years before I got out." He smiled proudly.

"What kept you going all that time?"

"You." Pebblemon said. "Somehow I knew someday you would come and and be my friend and then everything would be different."

"It certainly is different." Destiny admitted. "I?ve chased by Fujimon, Bombermon, and Kawagumon, repelled down a cliff, fallen over a waterfall, and been rescued by an angel. And the funny thing is, this is the most alive I?ve felt in my entire life. I wouldn?t trade this feeling for anything."

Pebblemon gave her a grin. "Aye, and what a grand adventure we be on. How do you think your fear came about, if you don?t mind me asking?"

"Oh that?s easy, but it?s a hard story to tell."

"If you don?t want to?"

"No. It must have been hard on you to tell me your story, so I?ll tell you mine." Destiny said. "Like all stories, it has a beginning, in this case my mother. She had bad taste in men but she was loyal to a fault. My father? he used to molest me, that is he?d touch me in really bad ways. I was too young to fully understand what he was doing, but I knew I didn?t like it. The went until I was about eight. One night he came to? touch me and I?" She trailed off with a hint of a smile.

"What did you do?"

"I stabbed him in nuts with a paring knife. Oh he beat me pretty badly. I ended up in intensive care and he ended up in jail. I had learned a valuble lesson, though. I learned that weapons have power. Then I became kind of obsessed with them. I?m real partial to knives. These two are my favorite." She said rummaging in her back pocket to produce a butterfly knife and a switchblade.

"Wow. How many do you have on you?"

"Enough." She said cryptically. "Once daddy got out of jail and he found his little toy didn?t want to play anymore, he hit the bottle hard, along with my mom and me. That I could stand, even though I didn?t like it. Then Faith was born and when mom let me hold her at the hospital, I knew that if father laid one hand on her, he?d be dead before dawn and I told both of them as much. Dad just laughed it off but mom? I think my mom knew. Anyway, dad got to drinking real heavy one night. He?d just just been fired from his eighth job in half as many weeks, so he was in a really pissy mood. Faith was teething by this time and she was in unbearable pain. She had to have something to chew on constantly or she?d start to wail. Well, we didn?t have a lot of money for baby things, so she was chewing on a cold compress. Suddenly she threw it away and began screaming to wake the dead. Dad was pretty well hammered by now and I had just picked her up out of her crib."

She paused a long moment before continuing. "It?s funny how well you remember the turning points in your life. I had Faith in my arms, on my shoulder to be exact. She was gumming my earlobe, and had quieted down. I was so busy with her I didn?t even notice my father come into the room. I noticed when he hit me though. A close fisted backhand sent me sprawling across the room, but I didn?t let go of Faith. My father was 6? 5" and 290 pounds easy, so I?m amazed I didn?t have a broken jaw. I manged to get back to my feet and he knocked me down again. After we had gone through the cycle a couple of times, I finally realized he didn?t want me. He wanted Faith. He knocked me down again and this time I curled into a ball with Faith at the middle. Daddy kicked me in ribs so many times I lost count, but I wouldn?t give her up. He didn?t get a hold of her until he kicked me in the spine. My body went numb and I thought for sure I had spinal damaged and I?d never walk again. Father reached down and grabbed Faith by the neck and lifted her up. She was just a wee thing not even two months old, she?d never had stood a chance. I reached for her and he kicked me in the face. ?I missed the final score because of your crying little bitch.? He snarled. And then?" She fought to regain control.

"It?s all right, Destiny. You can stop now."

But she couldn?t. Pandora?s box had been opened and all the misery that was Destiny Castillano?s past was pouring out like the Mississippi River in a flood. "Then he drew back and punched her square in the face. He just kept punching her repeatedly. I couldn?t hear what he was saying because Faith was screaming so loud. Then," She swallowed hard. "he threw her head first into the apartment? steel door. All because he missed a score he could have found on the front page of the paper the next day."

"Where was your mother?" Pebblemon asked in horror.

"Working a night shift job to make sure we stayed fed." Destiny said wiping her eyes. "Miraculously enough, Faith did not hit the door head first. Her body twisted somehow, but she still slammed into the door hard enough to crack some ribs. She looked so pathetic, laying there, desperately trying to get enough into her lungs to cry. Daddy gave me one more good shot to the ribs, shattering anything I still had left intact. Then he went back to watching TV as though nothing had happened. He had left us to die and I think I would have if it wasn?t for my blood. You see I?m part Itialian, part Scotish, and a few other things too. As I lay there in pain my eyes fell on a butchers knife on the counter. I suddenly had a firm resolve. If I was dying- and there was good chance in my mind that I was- I was going to take daddy dearest with me. A little of the feeling had returned to my body and I was able to make it obey simple commands. Looking back, I must have looked like some kind of deranged puppet. I dragged myself to the counter and then to my feet. I held the handle of the knife between my palms like this." She pressed her hands together and looked like she was praying. "Funny. I couldn?t have known it then, but that knife was my salvation. As I totterd towards the living room, Faith had regained her wind but wasn?t crying. Instead she was gazing at me curiously, as though she knew what I was going to do and decided to help with her silence. I approached father who was passed out drunk watching the evening news. I wrapped both hands firmly around the handle of the knife and?"

"Oh Destiny, say it ain?t so."

"I wish I could, Rocky. Oh, how I wish I could. The actual act was done so quickly I can hardly remember it. I slammed the blade deep into throat and twisted so the wound was large and gushing. Dad opened his eyes and began fumbling for the knife. Appearantly in my zeal, I had given him an impromptu tracheatomy. Then I leaned in close and told my father the last thing he ever heard. ?You will never hurt my family again. See you in hell.?"

"Oh Destiny." Pebbmemon moaned. "How did survive all those injuries?"

"The tenants living directly above us were a doctor and his nurse practiconer wife. She came down and helped me and Faith get cleaned and packed, all the while wearing surgical gloves. When we went to clean out my mom?s room, we found she was already packed. Everything she could fit into two duffle bags, was all the life she was taking with her. We found that the rent had been paid three months in advance and that mom $50,000 in cash that she?d been stashing away. It turns out she had been planning to take us and vanish into the night, and once we were properly healed up, vanish we did. And that is how red head Deirdra McAllistar became brunette Destiny Castillano."

"Destiny I?m so sorry."

"Don?t be. It?s good to get it off my chest. But you can?t tell any of this to Faith. Promise me."

"I promise." He said as the last of the rocks suddenly fell away.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeah." Destiny said with a hint of a smile. "Just facing our fears."

"I think this is the place." TK said swallowing nervously.

"Ten?ll get ya twenty it?s in the dark dismal cave." Kari whispered, mirroring TK?s own fear. "You stay here. I?m going in."

"No." Raven said leading the way. "We?re going in together."

"Ah, a mobile buffet." A voice said from the shadows.

Shad, shall we shed a little more light on the subject? Raven projected the thought to his digimon partner.

"BRIMSTONE BLAST!" Shadowmon shouted hurling a fireball into the darkness.

"Oh bother." The multiheaded beast snarled emerging from the cave. "You've ruined my surprise."

"What is that thing Gatomon?" Kari asked backing away.

"A Hydramon." She replied. "Nine heads and not a brain between them."

"Insolent fool! You'll pay for that. VENOM STRIKE!" He roared as six of the heads spewed a green venom.

Raven blocked the attack only to have his feathers melt into a blackened charred mess. "Acid!"

"TK look out!" Kari shouted slamming into the younger boy and twisting her body to narrowly avoid the acid.

"Look out!" Patamon called as the tree the children were under began to fall towards them. "PATAMON DIGIVOLVE TO... ANGEMON!"

"GATOMON DIGIVOLVE TO ... ANGEWOMON!" She shouted. "CELESTIAL ARROW!" Moments later the tree was reduced to wood chips as Angemon shielded his youthful charges with his body.

"Hey ugly!" Raven called. "Lay off the little kids! TRISTRIKE!" He flung his sword at the monster which split into three blades severing several of the heads.

"Fool!" The beast snarled as Raven's sword returned to him. "Sever one and two take it's place. VENOM STRIKE!"

This time the acid caught Raven full in the chest eating away his shirt ans burning a gaping hole in his chest as it knocked him to the ground. Instantly TK and Kari were at his side. "I'm all right." He said muttering a sahareim for the damage. "Shad, let's take this up a level."

"I thought you'd never ask. SHADOWMON DIGIVOLVE TO...TERRORMON!"

"You too Angemon!" TK shouted as his crest started glowing.

"ANGEMON DIGIVOLVE TO... MAGNANGEEMON!"

"Two ultimates and a champion." Hydramon sneered. "Where's the challenge?"

Are you just going to let him get away with that? Angelique asked.

What would you have me do, kill him?

Well I personally would cut out his heart, but hey, that's just me. She said. Your too quick to forgive.

So? He retorted as he regained his footing.

So you'll never be able to use the Crest of Vengeance if you don't want vengeance.

You know me better than that Ange. I don't do revenge.

Neither do I. Revenge is petty and vindictive. Vengeance is  a well deserved retaliation. Think about that. She finished falling silent.

"Revenge is dish best served cold," Raven said, his hand crackling with black fire. "but vengeance should be served scalding hot. Off with his head Terri!"

"RAZOR LASH!" Terrormon roared whipping her deadly sharp tail around tearing throught the muscular flesh like it was paper, which Raven followed with a searing blast of fire.

"Hmm." Kari quipped. "Smells like chicken."

"No." TK said. "Pork. Definitely pork."

"Impudent humans!" One of the remaining heads snarled. "You shall pay for that!" Befor anyone could react, the hydramon lashed out at Kari with its tail.

"Look out!" TK shouted knocking Kari out the way as the beast's tail smashed him into a tree.

"Picking on me is one thing." Raven said with a deadly calm fury in his voice as his crest began to glow. "But don't... ever... HURT MY CHILDREN!" He roared.

Then he started to change. As Kari looked up from TK's inert form and Magnaangemon hacked at the Hydramon with his sword, Raven's teeth grew longer and sharper, becoming fangs. As his muscles expanded to rip his shirt and jeans to shreds his fingernails grew to ten inch talons and his wings changed from soft goose down to rough leathery flesh.

The angel had become a demon.