"What did I tell you about thinking with my hair?" She whispered gently untangling his hand and kissing it.

"Gomen nasai Hika-chan." He said kissing her hand. "I was just thinking about you, and me, and what might have been."

"Oh?"

"Hika, what if we had never met in the digiworld?"

"Hey Daisuke, look at the fresh meat." Daisuke Motomiya glanced up at the bewildered new girl.

"She's mine." He said with an evil grin. Seconds later he was by her side with all the charm of a greased viper. "Hey sweet cheeks, you look like you could a hand picking up your books."

"But I didn't-" The girl was cut off as Daisuke knocked her and her books painfully to the ground.

"See what I mean?"

"My pen! Where's my pen?" The girl began scrabbling across the floor.

"You mean this pen?" Daisuke said holding up the glittering silver pen.

"Give it back." She pleaded.

"Tell you what. I'll give it back to you if you go out with me Friday night."

"Not on your life sleaze ball! Now give me my pen back."

"You'll have to take it from me," Daisuke taunted holding the pen high in the air. "or go on that date."

"Never!" She snapped lunging for the pen. Daisuke kept it just out of her reach laughing all the while.

Which is why he didn't hear the walking stick whistle through the air until it slammed into wrist forcing the pen to tumble from his hand.

"Ishida." He snarled turning to face his attacker.

It was a young man, about 18, the same age as the girl, dressed in simple black slacks and a plain black t-shirt. He wore mirrored sunglasses which he removed and slid into the inside pocket of his black duster, revealing perfect blue eyes. The most unique item in his possession was a long black cane with a strange silver light house like symbol on top. "The one and only."

"You think you're pretty tough."

"At least I don't have to resort to extortion for a date."

"You wouldn't  be so tough if you didn't have that cane."

The boy called Ishida tossed his cane away where a smaller boy with brown hair and piercing green eyes caught it, all the while keeping his eyes on Daisuke. "Let's go."

Daisuke wasted no time throwing a high punch at the older boy's face. With lightning speed Ishida caught Dai's hand and flipped him to the floor before placing a foot to his throat. To the bewildered girl it was over in a blur of black and a fraction of a second. "Stay away from the lady, Dai. You'll stay healthy."

"This isn't over Ishida." Dai gasped as he stepped away and his younger partner returned his cane to him.

"Don't cross me Motomiya. I'm telling you only once. Leave. Her. Alone." The last three words carried a deadly finality as Dai's cronies pulled the boy to his feet and dragged him away.

"Thank you..."

"Ishida Takeru, but my friends call me TK. This is my silent partner Iori." He indicated the brown haired boy as the trio knelt to recover the girl's books. "We try to keep Dai and his bunch from terrorizing the kids." He stood up and handed the silver pen back to her. "That must be very special to you."

"Hai." She said. "My brother always buys me a special pen at the star of each year, so he can always be close to me. By the way, I'm Kamiya Hikari but my friends call me Kari."

"Nice to meet you." He said flicking a glance at his wristwatch. "Iori get to class." Iori arched an eyebrow. "Move it. I'm going to help Kari find her classroom and there's no reason for both of us to be late." The younger boy nodded but there was a gleam in his eye that said he knew more than he was letting on.

"Is he a mute?" Kari asked as TK set off down the hall at a quick trot.

"No. His silence is voluntary. He's very economical with words and when he does speak make sure you hear it because he won't repeat himself." TK explained leading the way. He lead her to a door and showed her inside. "After this you have lunch and chorus with me, so I'll meet you back here."

"Mr. Ishida," The teacher said crisply. "I don't recall you being on my class roster."

"Gomen nasai, sensei-san." He said as the bell rang. "But this Kamiya Hikari. She's a new student here."

"Take a seat Miss Kamiya."

"See you." He whispered.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine." He said, with a smile.

"TK what kept you?" The purple haired girl asked as Kari slid into a seat next to her while TK took his seat across from Kari.

"Miyako, this Kari. Dai and his boys were giving her some grief this morning. Kari, this is Miyako, our third musketeer as it were. If you have any problems come to either of us or Iori."

"Okay." Kari said as Iori slid silently into the vacant seat. She smiled at TK and he flushed before turning his face toward his tray. Iori looked at Miyako with that " I know something you don't " look and Miyako grinned. Fortunately she took pity on TK and changed the subject.

"So Kari, how do you like it here so far?"

"It's all right I guess. I've got an hours detention after school."

"Oh?" Miya said. "What for?"

"Daydreaming." Now Kari blushed as she shot a surreptitious look at TK.

"I understand." Miya whispered patting the other girls hand.

"What's that symbol on your cane TK?" Kari asked.

"I don't really know. I was just sketching one day and I drew this. It just felt ... right."

"Why don't you show her your sketch book?" Iori said startling them all.

"Sure." He said reaching into his bag. "I've got detention tonight as well, being late to class and all. Since I was helping a new student sensai san was lenient." He pulled out his sketchbook and passed it to her.

"These are amazing. You just drew these out of the blue?"

"Mmm hmm." TK said.

"Hey sweet thing." Dai said leering. "This little boy can't watch over you forever and then I'm gonna show you what a real man can do."

"Back off Motomiya." Miyako said. "Or you're going to see what a real woman can do."

"You don't scare me." Dai sneered as his goon squad flanked him.

Iori suddenly coughed to cover a nearly silent click but Kari, Miya, and Iori heard it.

"Don't even think about it TK." Miya hissed as TK stood up.

"Don't be stupid TK." Iori murmured forcing the older back back into his seat. "If anyone finds out about your little toy, you'll be out of here faster than you can say Archangel."

"What's the matter, PJ? Too afraid to fight me?"

TK cleared his throat, covering another click before responding. "Nah. I just don't beat up girls in diapers. They're not worth my time."

Dai stuttered a moment, before the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. "This isn't over Ishida."

"What was that noise?" Kari asked keeping her voice down to a whisper under the murmurs of the crowd.

"That cane has  a thirty two inch sword hidden in it." Iori explained calmly.

"What!" She hissed barely remembering to keep her voice down.

"That click you heard was the safety going off." TK said.

"Although what could possess TK to risk everything and draw it is beyond me." Miya said.

"I have an idea." Iori said with that same mischievous  gleam in his eyes.

"Meet you back here after class." TK said as Miya and Iori headed in opposite directions leaving the other two youths to their chorus lesson.

"You like her." Iori said as they walked down the hall after class. It was a statement, not a question.

"That's impossible Iori! I just met her."

"Nothing is impossible."

"I don't know anything about her."

"You know her name, you know you feel something for her, and you know you're willing to kill to defend her. Figure it out TK, but don't take too long." His voice dropped so low TK had to bend to down to hear him. "or she'll steal your heart."

"Miya, that has to be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard." Kari said as they changed after gym.

"It's not gonna hurt to admit you're in love with him."

"But how can I be? I mean he's bold, dashing, handsome, sweet, caring in a renegade sort of way. But..."

"Don't fight your heart Kari." Miyako said. "Take the plunge."

TK met her outside the girls locker room and together they walked to the detention.

Okay girl. She thought. Say something. "TK."

"Hmm?" Oh my goodness, my heart just skipped a beat.

"I was wondering if uh..."

Please oh please don't let her ask me how I feel. I'm not ready yet. He pleaded silently. "Wondering what?"

Damn it! I can't go through with it. "If you could do a drawing for me."

They both breathed a silent sight of relief. "Sure. Anything in particular?"

She shook her head not trusting herself to speak. She managed to squeak out the words "Surprise me."

The pair sat down close to each other and TK began to sketch. In ten minutes he looked at the paper to find he had drawn a strange image like a small sun or star. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. He shook his head and flipped to the next blank page and gazed at Kari as his hand drifted across the page.

"Knock knock." Kari said lightly rapping on his forehead.

"Huh?"

"Time to go, TK." She laughed as he gathered up his things. "You were so zoned out, sensei-san was going to send for the nurse."

"Well I make less trouble that way." He said as they headed out the front door.

"Gotcha sweet cheeks!" Dai snarled as he grabbed Kari and two of his goons grabbed TK and relieved him of his cane. "I want you to see what I do to heroes." He snarled tossing her to the ground near the discarded walking stick.

"So you think your a tough guy?" Dai punctuated the word with a sucker punch to TK's midsection winding him. "Think you can make a fool of me?" He smashed his knee into the captive boy's face.

"Actually, you seem to be doing a perfectly capable job of that yourself." TK laughed.

Dai growled savagely and brutally kicked TK in the head.

"Stop it!" Kari shouted rising to her feet. "You're killing him!"

"That's the whole point, BITCH!" He roared striking her with a closefisted backhand that knocked her back to the ground. She heard TK groaning as Dai began hammering his adversary's helpless ribs as she prayed for the stars to clear from her eyes. She fumbled around blindly until her hands came to rest on cold metal.

That cane has  a thirty two inch sword hidden in it.

She blinked hard to clear her vision and twisted the top part of the symbol. Fortunately her guess was correct and the whispered click was drowned out by breaking bone as one of Dai's punches shattered TK's ribs.

Okay girl, you can't attack Dai because he's stronger than you are. She thought as she slowly slid the sword out of the cane. It's got a good balance. I could throw it, but where? Dai's too close to TK. Her roaming eyes settled on a fire alarm box just to the left of Dai's goons. It's a small target, but I gotta try, for TK. She drew a deep breath and threw the sword.

Seconds later the silence was shattered by a shrill wailing alarm. "Fuck! Dai what do we do?" One of the lackeys asked.

"Leave him." Dai shouted already running. "Let them take the rap."

"Come on." Kari said as the faint wailing of fire engines became louder. "We've got to get out of here." She reached up and wrenched the cane sword out of the wall and dragged TK to his feet.

"You're hurt."

"So are you. I've got a friend who's a medical student though. He'll patch us up, no questions asked." She said dragging him along.

"Thank you Kari-chan." TK said.

"You called me..."

"Kari-chan." TK repeated. "I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I love you Kari. I hope you share my feelings, but I understand if you don't."

"TK, I do feel something for you, but I don't know quite what it is." TK slumped setting off a fresh wave of pain. "But I'd like to figure it out together."

TK smiled. "I almost forgot. I have your picture." He opened his sketch pad and carefully pulled the first star he had drawn out and handed it to her.

"What's that?" She asked, gazing at the underlying picture. It was TK's symbol but instead of the sun at the top of the lighthouse, her star sat. In a light flowery script was written "Light and Hope United are Faith."

"I think this may be our symbol." TK said.

"It feels right." Kari said.