Ken's Surprise

by Asabeth-Blue

It seem's everyone has a surprise for Ken on his birthday!

A/N: I hope you enjoy this. It took me 5 minutes to write the plot down. It's probably the quickest idea I've ever actually got an end to! It's also the funniest, cutest thing I've ever written! Enjoy! J

Ken's Surprise.

"Ken! Its time to wake up, honey!" Came a feminine voice from behind the shut door.

Ken looked up from his computer. He'd been writing a story, for English class. Minomon had woken him up over two hours ago, though.

"Coming mom." He called, saved his work and stood up. Minomon was still busy jumping up and down happily on Ken's bed. "Knock it off! Mom'll think I'm having a fit." Ken scolded his Digimon partner, which was hard since he was holding back an actual fit, of laughter. Minomon grinned up and him and quieted down. "I'll bring you some fruit." Ken promised before leaving the room to have breakfast.

While sitting at the table eating the porridge his mother had made Ken noticed the looks his parents were giving him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, finally. His mother gave a warm smiled and his father looked ready to start laughing.

"Honey, I'm surprised you forgot."

"Forgot what?" Ken gave an utterly confused look. His father gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Why, your birthday of course!" He said, heartily. Ken froze, and even swore he paled.

"M… my birthday?!"

"Yes sweetie!" His mother laughed. "You can't possibly tell us you forgot your own birthday!"

"Uh, well…" Ken felt a blush creeping over his face and up his neck. He had forgotten. No one except his parents seemed to remember his birthday. And even then they sometimes forgot too, and made up for it by remembering as long as a month afterwards. "It kind of slipped my mind. I've been pretty busy…" He trailed off. His mother grinned widely.

"Don't you worry. I've made reservations at that new restaurant down town."

"You mean the hanging gardens?" Ken remembered watching them build that place, the hardest part was the plants.

"Yes that's the one! Won't it be fun?" Ken felt the blush deepen. 'Only if you're not me.'

He hated it when his parents took him out to places on his birthday. They once took him to a singing restaurant and it was all Ken could do to stop himself strangling the singers when they started singing 'happy birthday' for the fourth time.

"May I be excused, please, Kaasan?" His mother smiled and nodded.

"Of course Ken-Chan." Noticing his still half full bowl she added. "Take some fruit in case you get hungry later." Ken smiled and nodded, grabbing two apples and heading to his room.

He found Minomon bouncing on the bed again. With a smile Ken put both apples in front of him and pulled out his D3. He E-mailed a message to Davis;

Davis,

Do you want to hang out today?

-Ken

He remembered always wanting to write a note or something saying the exact same thing. With a smile Ken savoured the moment after writing the message before sending it.

*

Davis was busy giving DemiVeemon a bath when he heard his D3 give a clicking sound, meaning he had E-mail.

Leaving Chibimon to enjoy the water he read the message. With a grin he wrote back;

Sure, meet you in the park at 12:50. Kay?

                                                            -Davis

He then went back to making DemiVeemon stop jumping in the water.

"Who wash that Davish?" DemiVeemon asked as Davis quickly caught him in mid 'cannon-ball'.

"Ken. He wants to hang out."

"Ishn't it hish birthday?" His Digimon partner asked. Mrs. Ichijouji had told Davis a few days ago, when he'd come over, that it was Ken's birthday. Davis had told the others about it afterwards.

"Yeah, that's why we're going to take him to the Digiworld later."

"The Digiworld? How come?"

"It's a surprise!"

*

Around noon Ken stood waiting under a large elder tree, with Minomon in his arms.

He watched around him, at the parents and their children, the kids and their dogs, and all the others who were in the park that day. His eyes fell upon a family of four. Two brothers and their parents.

Ken looked away, not wanting to watch any longer as images of his own brother filled his mind. Minomon was humming a tuneless song just as Davis showed up, hurrying over with DemiVeemon in one arm, and waving the other.

"Hey! Ken!" He called, grinning widely. Ken smiled back, Minomon wriggling in his arms to play with DemiVeemon. The two Digidestined sat under the large tree while their Digimon partner's played happily. "So, what do you want to do?" Davis asked, after leaning back against the tree, his arms behind his head. Ken seemed to snap out of his thoughts at this.

"I'm not sure. I just wanted to hang out today, is all." He muttered. Davis winked at Minomon and DemiVeemon as Ken looked away.

"Hey, I know! Let's go to the Digiworld!" Ken whirled his head back to stare at Davis.

"How come?"

"I don't know. It'll be fun!"

"For you maybe." Ken muttered under his breath. Having not heard, Davis stood up and grabbed Ken's arm.

"Come on!"

"Wait! I don't think…"

"Aww, who's going to know?"

"That's not what I meant!" But it was too late, Davis was dragging him off to Izzy's place, which was the closest home of all the other Digidestined.

As they rang the door bell, Ken looked at his shoes, wandering whether it was such a good idea to hang out in the first place. 'Especially with Davis.' Ken thought. 'I knew I was going to let him make the choice of where to go. I know he gets strange idea's and won't listen to reason!' As Ken was thinking this Mrs. Izumi answered the door and smiled at them.

"Well, Konnichi-wa! This is a pleasant surprise Davis. And your friend too. Your Ken Ichijouji, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I am. Pleased to meet you." Ken said, looking up from his shoes. Mrs. Izumi smiled again and nodded.

"Come in, both of you. You're quite welcome. I'll go tell Izzy." She led them into the lounge as she talked, before heading down the hall. Davis and Ken looked around the spacious room. Ken a bit more uncomfortably than Davis.

Izzy came through a few minutes later, his mother following and then to the door.

"I'll just be out for a bit, you boys have fun now. Sayonara."

"Ja Mata, Kaasan." Izzy called after her. Just after the door shut he turned and smiled at the two new Digidestined. "You guys came here to go to the Digiworld, right?" Ken's jaw dropped.

"Who did you…?"

"Yeah, we did! Could we use your computer, Izzy?" Izzy shrugged and smiled.

"Sure. This way." He led them to his room.

A few minutes later Davis and Ken were in the digital world. Veemon and Wormmon were talking amongst themselves as they followed them.

Ken was looking around at the forest they had found themselves in. He turned to look at Davis. He was looking around with a smile on his face, like he was relieved about something.

"Why are you so happy? You weren't even listening when Izzy pointed out this was good spot." Davis turned and gave Ken a blank look, as if making up for the earlier one.

"Nothing. Sheesh, what side of the bed did you wake up on this morning?"

"Depends, before or after breakfast." Davis turned slowly and stared at him.

"What are talking about?" Ken shook his head and moved forward.

"Nothing. Lets get going." Davis raised an eyebrow, shrugged and hurried after his friend.

Later, Davis was looking over the edge of a ravine. Wormmon and Veemon had disappeared a while back and Ken had started to worry about them.

"Wormmon! Veemon! Where are you?" Davis turned to him, a grin on his face.

"Calm down Ken! They're right behind us, they'll catch up soon." Ken looked at his friends confident expression and nodded.

He walked up beside Davis and looked over the edge of the ravine.

"Wow, that's deep!" He muttered, before everything suddenly went black. "Hey! Davis!"

"Like I said, calm down!" Came his friends voice.

"What are you doing?" Ken asked, as he felt what ever was around his head, tighten. It took him a few seconds more to realise it was a blindfold. "Davis?"

"It's a game. I blindfold you and lead you around for a while, then you can blindfold me and lead me around."

"And the point of this would be?"

"It's a game, of trust."

"Oh." Then realising what was just said to him he cried: "Why? Don't you trust me?"

"Its just a game Ken! Chill out, will ya?" Ken forced himself to calm down. 'Davis is my best friend. It's wrong for me to think otherwise of him.' He told himself.

He felt Davis put his hands on his shoulders and tug him further from the ravine, before starting to spin him.

"Hey!"

"Around, and around the Digidestined goes. Where he stops, only I know!" Davis laughed.

"That's not funny Davis!" Ken cried when he eventually stopped spinning. Davis gently prodded him forward.

"Sorry. But that's how the games played."

"You could have warned me." Ken muttered.

The two Digidestined, one of Kindness, the other of Friendship and Courage, made their way along the ravine. Taking a detour through the trees and along the edge now and again.

Davis watched where he led Ken, careful not to trip him up. As far as he knew, in the game, when the one person tripped up, it was their turn to lead. And Davis needed to lead Ken to the end of the ravine.

*

Wormmon and Veemon hurried along the top of a high rise which followed the Ravine. They couldn't see Ken or Davis as they hurried along towards the end of the ravine, where a long bridge lead across to a small forest on the other side. The trees and plants on this side of the ravine were scattered, like a large plantation.

Wormmon tripped on a loose stone and crashed to the ground face first.

"Are you alright?" Asked a startled Veemon who had hurried back.

"I'm fine. Lets hurry! We should be able to beat them by going down that way." He pointed to a finer slope from the rest of the rise which lead immediately down to the ravine. They could follow the scar of the land to the bridge from there.

"Okay." The two Digimon friends were about to hurry on their way when they noticed a Bakemon, a ghostlike Digimon, floating down the same slope Wormmon had pointed out. It moved with surprising speed and eventually disappeared into the tree's. Wormmon and Veemon looked at each other, shrugged and ran down the slope.

*

Davis was laughing as he led Ken near enough to a puddle that his foot almost went in.

"Davis!" Ken cried, hearing the splash of water as he was tugged back from putting his foot down.

"Sorry, couldn't help it!"

"Just when is it your turn?"

"Why? Do you want to lead me over the edge of the ravine?"

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Ken!" The two laughed at this.

"I wouldn't. I swear." Ken promised. Davis grinned.

"And I promise not to let you crash into that hole."

"What?!" Ken stopped moving and almost sent them both tumbling. Davis laughed, for there was no hole. "Davis!" This only caused him to laugh harder. Ken laughed along with him and they continued on their way.

As they neared the end of the ravine Davis was busy congratulating himself for getting this far without making Ken suspicious. Just as he was about to get to the bridge he heard something. It sounded like something scurrying quickly over dry leaves. He stopped Ken and looked all around.

"Why have we stopped?"

"I thought I heard something." Davis said. Again the sound of scurrying, only this time a twig snapped. Both boys looked in the direction of the noise. Ken started to pull the blindfold off.

"No! I'll go see what it is." Davis said quickly. Ken frowned.

"It could be Wormmon and Veemon."

"So you don't have to worry. Wait here, I'll be right back." Ken nodded and waited as he heard Davis hurry into the trees.

It was a few more seconds before a chilly wind blew, a quiet whistling sound following it. Ken folded his arms and shivered.

A quiet thud emitted from the direction Davis had gone in. Ken raised his head to look there, with or without a blindfold, when cold hands gripped his shoulders, squeezing them with unnecessary force and pushing him foreword.

"Ah! Davis?" He gave a sigh. "Davis, you scared me! Don't do that!" Ken scolded as he let his friend guide him once again. 'Why are his hands so cold?' Ken thought, he shrugged off the thought, as well as trying to loosen Davis' grip. "What was it? Did you find Veemon or Wormmon?" He asked, hoping to at least hear one word from his unusually silent friend.

He heard something unexpected instead.

A low growl, from the back of the throat, emitted from the boy behind him. Ken felt himself shudder, and not just from the cold.

"Davis?" He asked. 'Your not Davis are you?' he thought to the person leading him. Realising he could be right he darted forward, pulling off the Blindfold and spinning to face… himself.

"Wha… what the…?" He stammered. The boy in front of him wore yellow glasses with purple tinted lens and the symbol of a bat on them. He had dark purple, yellow outlined trestles and a white, blue and black uniform underneath.

Ken was staring at the Digimon Emperor, himself.

He saw his face smirk evilly and take a step foreword, while he took a step back.

"I… impossible." Ken murmured, looking all around for his friend and fellow Digidestined.

The child of Kindness dropped the blindfold belonging to his friend and turned to run. Instead a sharp pain found itself to his ankle and he fell forward onto his chest and face.

Spitting out the dirt and turning his head, Ken saw the Digimon Emperor had taken out his whip, which was now wrapped around his ankle. Ken jerked his leg away from the whip which had loosened since the fall and scrambled away and to his feet. He swayed slightly on sloped ground and ignored the evil glint in his former-self's eyes.

Ken jumped back as his counterpart lifted and cracked the whip again, missing him by inches. He turned and hurried through the tree's, until he stood at the exact edge of the ravine. He looked down at the steep walls and found, at this point, he couldn't see the bottom.

The Digimon Emperor came through the tree's and ran at Ken, who, his mind working slower with each second, didn't move. As his counterpart gave another evil smirk had found his legs moving once again, backing up a step before giving in beneath him. He fell on his side, watched as a look of surprise and terror filled the Digimon Emperor's face and felt his shoe hit his other side. Ken watched as the evil he once was tripped over him and flew head first into the ravine. Ken didn't waste time in watching himself fall, he instead leapt to his feet and began running again, not having a clue where he was, or where he had come from. He found the blindfold and picked it up. Looking all around he noticed a slight rise ahead of him and ran to it.

Standing on the rise he looked all around, hoping to find his friend, the fear and vague relief of knowing the Emperor was finally gone flooding his system.

*

Davis walked through the bushes and trees, slowly so as not to absently find the edge of the ravine. He pushed through some abnormally large leaves and opened his mouth to call into the shadows when a cloth found itself attached to his mouth. Davis gasped in the scent of choleriform and struggled to call for help. But all that came out were whispered mumbles and the wind which conveniently blew over at the time didn't help either.

Davis, feeling his eyes and body grow heavy, slow and weak, fell to his knees and eventually fell on his back, blacking out altogether.

*

Ken managed to calm his heart and the adrenaline which had raced through him. He stood up from a rock he had found to rest on and looked around again. Finally, with a sigh, he moved along the ravine, toward the north. He finally found what he'd been looking for.

It was a brief flash of red and yellow flame, grey-white and dark purple thread. It was Davis' jacket.

Ken ran to what he hoped was his friend, and found his jacket draped over a bush instead.

Ken lifted the jacket and, shuddering at the cold, called his friends name again and again.

When only his echoes answered him he looked down at the blindfold clutched in his hand. It was dark orange with red flecks. Davis' initials were sewn in silver thread in the corner. 'His mother must have made it for him.' Ken thought as he admired the scarf which had posed as a blindfold. He smiled slightly before shuddering in the cold again. 'Without his jacket Davis must be freezing! I wonder why he… no, he wouldn't have taken it off… he's been kidnapped! And I know just who by!' Ken snarled and clutched the scarf tightly.

"Arukenimon and Mummymon." His face shifted to a thoughtful expression as he remembered the look on the Digimon Emperors face. 'He never said anything… just like…' "…a control spire!" The realisation hit him with the wind, like a dagger through the heart. "Arukenimon!"

Ken shuddered again in the cold. He pulled on Davis' jacket, surprised that it even fit him, to fight off the cold. He then tied the scarf around his neck and wandered around the area he'd found the jacket, searching for his friend, the keeper of Courage and Friendship.

He was wandering through the trees aimlessly when he felt something hit him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" He yelped lifting his hand to find something stuck in his shoulder, pulling it out revealed a dart with dark, metallic blue feathers. The same colour which Davis had pointed out was probably the colour of evil. Ken looked around, ignoring the numbness which settled into his shoulder blade and arm. He had just turned in a full circle when another dart hit him in the neck. He gasped in pain and shock and he pulled it out and threw both to the ground.

He started to move forward, to run, when something tripped him up.

He felt himself sliding back into unconsciousness as he watched the Digimon Emperor's face cloud his vision.

"No." Ken murmured with his last ounce of strength, and blacked out.

*

Kari waved happily as Wormmon and Veemon hurried across the bridge together. She pointed them in the direction of a small lake which they'd found a few days ago.

The two Digital monsters thanked their human friend and hurried along a natural path. (You know, ones which are hard to find, and even harder to follow?)

They came to the lake which had a small waterfall falling from a couple of large stones at its southern point. There were paper lanterns and coloured streamers set up in one corner of the clearing where the lake resided. T.K., Cody, Yolei and their Digimon were busy setting up a table with some goodies on it. Tai and Matt where busy setting up a small stereo on another, smaller table.

Yes, the Digidestined had decided to give Ken a surprise birthday party! (Aww's emit from audience)

Yolei looked through her bag, before raising her head and calling to the former leader of the Digidestined;

"Hey Tai! Do you think it'll be overdoing it if I put up a banner saying 'Happy birthday'?" Tai looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just a bit."

"As far as Davis told me this'll probably be the first time Ken's ever had a birthday party, or any surprise party, set up for him." T.K. called from where he was shooing Agumon away from the candied rice balls. (Mimi's fav!)

"I'll take that as a no." Yolei said with a roll of her eyes before pulling out a small packet. "Balloons?" Everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Wormmon and Veemon chose that moment to show up. Yolei looked at the expressions on her friends faces with confusion. "What?"

"They'll keep exploding, we don't want to attract any unwanted attention." Cody pointed out.

"Boy Yolei, you really get into setting up parties." Tai laughed. Yolei only smiled and put away the balloons before starting to shove her's and her friends backpacks under the table with the stereo on it. Wormmon and Veemon hurried over to Tai who waved at them.

"Their on their way!" Wormmon informed him. Tai nodded and smiled.

"Great. Uh, just how is Davis getting Ken here? You know, so he isn't suspicious?" Veemon and Wormmon looked at each other and shrugged helplessly. Matt gave a laugh as he finished with the stereo. (Which was going to be set on low the entire time)

"Knowing Davis he's probably got some weird, hair-brained scheme in mind."

*

Davis woke up with a headache and the feeling he'd been used in a soccer game as the ball.

Rubbing his head the newest leader of the Digidestined sat up and looked around at his new surroundings.

He was in a type of cave. The stalagmites in the ceiling looked as though they would fall at any second and turn him into a Digi-shish-kebab.

Davis swallowed and stood on shaky legs which supported his weight for about half a minute before falling numb again, making Davis eat dirt. (Dirt's tasty in this fic, isn't it?)

Just as Davis was about to start swearing, noticing his jacket was gone, he noticed it lying off in the corner. A confused feeling covered him as he noticed there was someone wearing it.

Crawling towards the figure he found himself half-surprised to see the face of his best friend.

"Ken!" He cried, grabbing the older boys shoulder, hoping the touch would wake him. "Ken!" The raven-haired boy stayed unconscious, his position on the ground making Davis wince at whether he really was only unconscious.

Davis lifted Ken into his arms as he leaned against the wall of the cave. He watched his friend, muttering under his breath a promise never to leave him standing alone again.

*

"Where are they?" Kari whispered, glancing at her brother who had come from the 'party-area' to wait with her. He glanced at his watch and frowned.

"I know Davis likes to take his time, but this is ridiculous! Even for him! And that's saying a lot." Kari giggled at her brother's bad joke. It was true, the time their friends were taking was almost impossible.

"Maybe Ken started to get suspicious and dragged Davis back to look for Wormmon and Veemon." Kari said. Tai nodded and looked over the boulder they were hiding behind at the wooden swing bridge. No one was on the other side, or on it. He sighed and leaned against a tree trunk again.

"I'm starting to think whether this was such a good idea. I mean, we should have at least made it so the came into the Digiworld through a closer Digiport." Kari smiled and looked over the boulder as if her friends would just miraculously appear out of thin air. She frowned when they didn't and leaned against the boulder again.

At the party Cody was glancing over at the path which lead to the bridge, his face filled with concern. 'They should be here by now! Davis isn't good at pretending not to know where he's going, but even he should have convinced Ken to get here by now. Something's wrong, I can feel it.'

Noticing he's friends expression, T.K. walked over and sat next to Cody on the ground near the path. Cody looked up and smiled at his DNA digivolving partner.

"Worried about Davis and Ken?" He nodded. T.K. smiled. "Don't worry, they'll get here." Then under his breath, looking away from Cody so he wouldn't hear, T.K. mumbled; "I hope."

*

Ken woke up, his neck hurting from where the dart had hit him. He groaned and raised his hand to rub it. He felt he was leaning against something. Something warm… and alive. He gave a yelp and jumped from the person he was leaning against.

"Whoa! Ken, it's just me! Calm down!" Davis cried at his friends actions. Ken gaped at the Digidestined of Courage and Friendship before sighing and kneeling, looking at his lap.

"Gomen nasai Davis." He said, sounding lightly shook up. Davis moved to his friends side and wrapped his arm around Ken's shoulders. Ken raised his head to look at Davis.

"I'm sorry too. What happened? Do you know?" Ken bit his lower lip for a few seconds before retelling his encounter with… himself.

Davis gaped at him the whole way through his tale, until it ended.

"You're… not kidding?" Ken shook his head, biting his lower lip again and fighting back tears. "Whoa." Then, getting which was most probably the greatest idea in his life, he took out his D3. Ken watched as he typed an E-mail to Yolei, telling what had happened, not mentioning the Digimon Emperor, and asking for help. He then stood up, finding his legs had gained their strength back. He then helped Ken up. "Well Digimon Emperor or not, lets get out of here." Just as Ken was trying to decide wether Davis had absentmindedly dissed him or not there was a hollow, echoed, evil laugh which filled the cave, until it became a dull roar. Holding their heads and ears the two Digidestined doubled over in pain.

"Lets get out of here!" Ken called through the ruckus, just as a stalagmite fell and shattered on the ground. Davis grabbed his friends arm and tugged him to the exit.

"Yeah! Good idea!" He called back.

The two children ran through the cave until they found themselves running through a windy, long passageway. They sprinted as fast, and as hard as they could before they finally reached what they saw as the exit.

This, however, was blocked by a Digimon with a glowing red eye. Mummymon.

"This can't be good." Davis muttered under his breath. Mummymon laughed again, causing the entire cavern to echo, again. "You know you could do with a breath mint!" Ken rolled his eyes at his friends humour.

"Oh that's funny, about as funny as this!" He then raised his gun and fired at the two of them. They both raced out of the way as the ground where they'd been standing quite suddenly disappeared in the power of the lightning emitted from Mummymon's gun. He grinned at them and fired again. This time they didn't get out of the way as fast. Ken cried out in pain and clutched his arm, just below his shoulder. The lightning had managed to burn a shallow cut through both his top and Davis' jacket, which he'd forgotten he'd been wearing.

Davis quickly hurried to his friend.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Ken gave a smile through his pain and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Davis helped his friend up again. Mummymon snarled at them.

"Playing nice are we?"

"Go jump in a high voltage washing machine!"

"Davis!" Ken hissed. Mummymon frowned.

"Really? Is that the best you can do?" Davis bared his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Your not so tough!" Mummymon gave a smirk at this and fired his gun at the ground in front of them, showering them with dirt and dust.

"Way to go." Ken coughed. Davis waved his hand in front of his face while covering his nose and mouth with the other.

"Sorry." He raised his head and found himself looking right at Mummymon's face. "Ack!" He coughed as Mummymon grabbed his throat and lifted him in the air. Ken's head flew up in alarm as he heard his friend choking.

"Davis!" He cried, gripping his wounded arm and staring helplessly as Mummymon slowly choked his friend to death.

Just then there was a cry from behind Mummymon:

"Pepper breath!" Mummymon let go of Davis and spun, surprised, as Agumon's attack hit him in the back and shoulder. T.K., Kari and Tai stood with Agumon, Wormmon, Veemon, Gatomon and Patamon, all ready to battle Mummymon.

Just then Arukenimon showed up behind the small group and started to throw an attack at them.

"Look out!" Ken cried. The 3 Digidestined and their Digimon quickly hurried out of the way as Arukenimon's attack hit the ground were they'd been standing.

"Drat." She grumbled.

Ken hurried to Davis to help him up, the wound on his arm not hurting as much anymore.

Mummymon yelled and fired his gun at them again, this time they were in no position to move. But this time Mummymon's attack was deflected by another.

"Boom bubble!" Patamon cried. Mummymon scowled and aimed at the little flying Digimon. Gatomon leapt at him.

"Scratch attack!" She cried, hitting Mummymon in the face with her claws.

"Arrgh!" He cried, backing up.

Kari, Veemon and Wormmon hurried to help Ken and Davis as the battle between the five Digimon raged.

Noticing the wound on Ken's shoulder Kari carefully untied the scarf from his neck and wrapped it around the cut. Ken smiled and thanked her.

"Pepper breath!" Agumon cried again, hitting Arukenimon in the face. She cried in raged and launched another of her attacks, right at the small saurian-like Digimon. Tai quickly grabbed his Digimon and hurried out of the way before her attack hit the ground, once again.

"Hey Ken, let's teach these two a lesson!" Davis cried, pulling out his D3. Ken nodded and did the same.

"Veemon digivolve to… Exveemon!" Davis' Digimon morphed into a larger version of itself with a pair of wings.

"Wormmon digivolve to… Stingmon!" Ken's Digimon morphed like his friends, only into a more exaggerated version of his rookie form.

The two newly digivolved Digimon attacked the two eviler Digimon.

"Uh oh!" Arukenimon yelped as Exveemon let loose one of his attacks which hit her full force and made her just about fell over.

"Sting blade!" Stingmon cried, attacking Mummymon who had used his bandaging attack to stop Gatomon turning his face into coleslaw. Jumping away from the larger Digimon, Mummymon hurried to Arukenimon, who was looking bewildered.

"Drat!" She cried again. "As if it wasn't bad enough they destroyed another control spire Digimon, they have to beat us too."

"Again." Mummymon said, causing Arukenimon to glare at him.

The two Digimon, realising they were in trouble, metamorphed into their human bodies and ran for it as fast as they could.

"Tempest wing!" They heard from outside, as well as the sounds of Arukenimon and Mummymon yelling in fright and running away screaming.

"Another control spire Digimon?" Kari asked.

"She must mean that Bakemon we saw earlier." Exveemon said to Stingmon who nodded in response. Ken suddenly realised why the Digimon emperor's hands were so cold. It wasn't his evil counterpart, it was a Bakemon giving the illusion of being him. Davis must have figured this out too because he turned and smiled at Ken, who smiled and nodded back.

*

The small group of Digimon and their human partners walked across the bridge, Ken still holding his arm with the scarf wrapped around the cut.

"Don't worry." Yolei said with a smile. "I've got a first aid kit in my bag." Ken smiled at her.

"Next time we do this, we go to the mall, got it?" Davis, who was wearing his jacket again, said still not revealing to Ken how come the other Digidestined had shown up as quickly as they did. No one had mentioned to him about the party, and Ken was convinced they were heading to a Digiport to go home.

"It was a good thing you were wearing Davis's Jacket, or else that cut might have gone deeper." Tai pointed out, ignoring Davis' comment. Ken smiled and nodded again.

"Yeah, I guess." He said.

As they got across the bridge they headed past a large boulder and down an overgrown path, until they came to the lake. The early evening sun reflected off its smooth surface playfully, illuminating the shadows of trees and plants with a dancing light.

Looking around Ken was startled when Davis put his hand over his eyes.

"Aaah! Davis, don't do that!" He cried. He heard the others laughing. "What are you doing now?"

"You'll see." He heard Hawkmon say. They lead him to the small area where Matt, Armadillomon and Cody had been waiting.

Davis took his hand from Ken's eyes and they all cried;

"Surprise!" Ken wasn't sure if he jumped at the shout or the scene, but he did know that the smile he gave afterwards made his face hurt.

"I don't believe this!" He managed to breathe out. The others laughed.

"Happy birthday, Ken!"