Memory Lapse
part 5~

Having made a few stops to eat and rest, the little group bounded through the sandy landscape of the Digital World on Raidramon's back, heading for a place that Daisuke deemed 'safe' from the Digimon Kaiser.

In reality, of course, they would be perfectly safe from the Kaiser no matter where they went--or was it the other way around? Daisuke smiled to himself. All that remained really would be to assure everyone that Ken was perfectly harmless.

Wasn't he?

Although he enjoyed the indigo-haired boy's company immensely, Daisuke was still unsure. What happened if Ken changed back all of a sudden? When he and V-mon coudn't defend themselves, like when they were sleeping?

Wormmon was another mystery. Looking at the virus-type and his partner was enough to give Daisuke cavities, they were so sappy. Wormmon spent most of the journey in Ken's protective arms, nuzzling his human happily. Ken, for his part, hadn't stopped smiling. They seemed to be getting along marvelously. However, Daisuke was still wary about the sudden appearance of the insectoid Digimon. Taichi had once told him that only Chosen Children had Digimon partners, and Daisuke knew quite well that only Chosen could enter the Digital World. He had assumed that Ken, being a genius, had merely worked on a Digivice and snuck into the Digital World. After all, Ken's D-3 was heavily modified.

But where would the Kaiser get a Digivice anyway? Daisuke stiffened. Digivice...partner...wait one minute here. Is Ken Chosen?

(A/N: About bloody time, Daisuke!)

But it didn't add up! Ken was...well, evil! He couldn't have been part of the second generation of Chosen, we got our D-3s after he started terrorizing the Digital World. And then again, even Koushirou says that there are only eight crests. Light, Hope, Courage, Friendship, Knowledge, Faith, Purity, and Love. Ken didn't seem to fit any of those possibilities. Knowledge, maybe, but that Crest was already taken--twice!

Just imagine if he was Chosen, though...I'm sure once we knew he had redeemed himself we'd accept him into the group. Not only would we not have to fight the Kaiser anymore, but we'd have another good fighter on the team. I wonder what Wormmon evolves into?

Daisuke grinned. No time like the present! "Hey, Wormmon--you can evolve, right?"

"Yes..." Wormmon replied, lifting his head to look at Daisuke.

"Into what?"

"Stingmon."

"Cool. Well, uh, what armour is that?"

"Armour?"

It's not an armour evolution? Takeru told me about evolving without the Dark Towers around, but V-mon's never done it...but if Ken's Chosen, he should have a crest! Maybe...maybe I was wrong...? "Yeah. It's evolving using the power of a Chosen Crest."

"Oh." Wormmon still looked puzzled. "No, I get power from Ken-chan's D-3. I've been able to do it for as long as I can remember."

"Okay." Daisuke frowned. "Wormmon, is Ken a Chosen Child? How did you two end up...where you were?"

Wormmon looked a little nervous, glancing at Ken as though asking for permission. "Ken-chan was Chosen, but that was a long time ago. He doesn't like to talk about it."

Ken himself spared a glance at his companion. "What? Why?"

"What do you mean, 'a long time ago'?" Daisuke questioned.

"Well, a few years ago Ken-chan first came and met me. A Digivice came out of his computer and everything, and we were real good friends. We knew another boy named Ryo who had a V-mon, like yours, Daisuke." Wormmon smiled sadly. "Ken-chan had an accident, though...a bad Digimon we were fighting kind of poisoned him, by putting a seed in the back of his neck. He was real sick. After he went home, the next time he came back everything was different. He talked about a 'black ocean' and his Digivice had turned all dark. Then all the Kaiser things happened. Ken-chan got real mean, and I couldn't do anything to help. He was sad a lot."

Ken looked at his Digimon in disbelief. "I...don't remember any of that."

"But that explains it!" crowed Daisuke. "Well, I bet Koushirou could figure it out. Wormmon, do you think it was the seed that caused him to change into the Digimon Kaiser?"

"Wait a minute, I'm the Digimon Kaiser?" Ken twisted his body to stare at Daisuke. "But I thought you said that the Kaiser was the enemy!"

"Oops." Daisuke grimaced. "Not really an enemy, Ken...just...a person in need of help. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to make you feel bad. I wanted to be friends."

The gears in Ken's head were certainly turning now. "You used me! You only needed me to help you get your Digimon out!"

"That's not true, Ken!" Daisuke pleaded. "I really wanted to help you!"

"I can't believe you took advantage of me like that. I thought we were friends."

"Don't be like that, Ken! We are friends!"

"Daisuke..." Ken looked like he were about to cry. "Do you hate me?"

Dai hugged Ken tightly. "Of course not! I'm sorry I didn't tell you...I was worried of what you might think."

Ken looked stricken. "But all the things you told me about the Kaiser...the base, torturing Digimon? It was all true?"

"I'm sorry." Daisuke sighed. "It's true."

Wormmon anxiously cuddled against his human, his eyes huge and pleading. "Please don't go back to that way, Ken-chan..."

"I don't want to, my friend," Ken replied softly, holding Wormmon close. "But it's so hard, not remembering anything..."

"I understand," Daisuke comforted.

Ken bit his lip and turned again, looking at Daisuke with emotional violet eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Daisuke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ken, hugging the other boy tightly. "It's okay, Ken-kun. You can get through this, I know."

But who will you be when it's all over--Ken, or Kaiser?

Unnoticed to either of the distraught boys, the Black D-3 began to flash urgently:

Someone had entered the Digital World.

~to be continued...

at this point i'd like to thank some people. the elemental, isis blue, amaisha and sup, ken's luver, athena (as usual), emu, daughter_of_gohan, valecia, zapha, adam, ami-chan, dria, davisfan, cat, and ann007 for reviewing. (in particular those of you who have reviewed more than once--you're the ones who are keeping me going!) i must go off and fail my japanese exam now (actually, rethinking, i don't see how i could manage to fail it), and i'll be back tomorrow with chapter 6. thanks everyone!