Disclaimer: I don't own any of these Digimon characters¾I just borrow them, I do this out of pure boredom¾so they all still belong to their respective owners and I get no money from any of this soooo don't sue me 'cuz you'll get nothing¾I have no money, duh!  If I did have money then I would have bought some of the Digimon characters and I wouldn't have to do this disclaimer, now would I?

S&A: Alright!!!  I finally got one story up!

Daisuke: Wha'd ya do fall asleep?

S&A: Quiet, insolent muse! *Chucks Wormon at him*

Daisuke: Ahh!!! *Tackled by Wormon¾a very amusing sight*

(S&A: Actually I lost this story and when I found it I saw that I hadn't even finished typing the first chapter¾but I found that too!  Yay!)

Ken: One?  How many stories do you actually have at this moment?

S&A: Anou…too many?  No, let's see…*starts counting off fingers* hmm… one, two…three…

Daisuke (holding Wormon): That looks like it could take a while.

S&A:…then there's those other¾what, three?  Hey, wait¾I need more fingers!!!

Ken: Maybe I shouldn't have asked…

S&A: Oh, yeah¾toes!!!  I can use my toes!!!

Ken, Daisuke, and Wormon: *sweat drops, big ones*

S&A: Wormon, make yourself useful¾ hold up your pincers!

Ken: *Looks at all you lovely readers* You guys should just go on and read the story.

Daisuke: Don't forget to review because she sucks and needs input to become better.  Or just review to tell her to stop putting up crappy stories (well actually just one crappy story).

S&A: Daisuke *growls menacingly* you made me lose count!  And just for that I'm going to kill you or something in this fic.

Daisuke: What!?

S&A: *looks at readers* You.  Read. NOW!!!

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My Kingdom, My life

Chapter 1: Issues of Kith and Kin

By ShinkuAme

"Change is the watchword of progression. When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view."
--Ella Wilcox

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The streets were full of people hurrying about their own business as children played haphazardly among them.  The faint sound of birds singing could be heard in the background as the crowd grew, both in size and volume.

They had no idea of what was to come… Lucky fools.

If one were to judge what kind of state the Kingdom was in just by determining just how content the people seemed then they, too, would be mislead.

All was not well in this Kingdom and had not been for quite some time.  But not very many people knew that, nor could very many of those people do anything to change that fact.  Nay, only one among them held such power.  The only problem with that is that he has yet to realize it.

Looking away from the window and down to the crumpled parchment crushed within his hand the Prince was suddenly overcome¾once again¾with a variety of mixed emotions, but his first reaction upon reading the document was, oddly enough, not present.

The only heir to the throne unfolded the decree, smoothing out the wrinkles, and proceeded to reread it once more.  But he was still inclined to deny the contents of the paper, how could he not?  It was preposterous…unconceivable¾impossible!

The Prince's initial reaction was understandable; anyone would have done the same.  But I'm not the same as everyone else, he thought, I am royalty, I'm the Prince…I am…what?  What¾who¾am I really?  Is being the Prince of this Kingdom the only thing that defines me?  Is this the only thing that I'm good for?

He shook his head clearing those thoughts away, I am the Prince whether I like it or not and I will do whatever it takes to defend and protect my Kingdom.  And that's exactly what I'm going to do…even if it kills me.  I was right to do what I did.  I am right…

*****

He was outraged¾no, beyond outraged!  He strode quickly through the Palace, his black boots beat heavily upon the carpeted floor and echoed off the hall walls as his midnight blue cape flapped about this thin─but well built frame.

He burst through the double doors of the throne room with such force that they banged against the walls.  The sudden entrance of the Prince caused all eyes to fall on him.

"I see you've heard," said the King as a way of greeting his now only son.  "Ken─"

"What is the meaning of this?" raged Prince Ken as he stalked toward his father making all the servants cower as he passed them, and even the guards themselves.

The King was well experienced with his son's temper, though it was rarely seen.  "Leave us.  All of you."

None of those within the throne room need to be told twice─servants, advisors, and guards all but ran from the pair, glad to leave the presence of the Prince and his fury.

Calming himself as they were left alone, Prince Ken managed to contain his emotions while waiting for the double doors to close, which trapped both father and son in together.  He didn't even wait for a full second of silence before speaking, "Father¾"

"Stop," the King held up a hand and wielded a face that Ken knew well and knew it brooked no argument especially when used on him.  "We don't know if its true or not," he said as he lowered his hand.

Prince Ken sighed seeming to deflate with such news.  He started to say something but yet again his father cut him off.

"Your behavior is most inappropriate, causing a scene like that, it will result in the servants and guards talking and from that the rest of the people will be spreading rumors.  Do you want to worry and cause doubt to creep into¾ and grow in¾the hearts and minds of the people of our ability to keep the Kingdom safe?"

There was more than enough emotion hidden in his father's voice¾and words, obviously¾to warn Ken of impending consequences to his hasty entrance.  But that did not prevent him from justifying himself.  "And what if we knew¾for a fact¾that this were true?  What would you do then?  Would my behavior then be appropriate?  Would you let the people know what ails their Kingdom and what may come?" His carefully contained emotions were running rampant against his will, yet again.

Ken knew that he was avoiding his father's question by asking his own but he did so for a reason.  And that reason was that Ken, himself, was at a great loss on how exactly to answer such a question.

Would the Kingdom be better off with different rulers?  Was his father taking the necessary precautions for the Kingdom's safety?  Was he ensuring his own position of power by not acknowledging the people's right to know what happens around them¾and more importantly, to them¾if such information were true?  Would the King be overthrown if they knew the whole truth?

The King picked up on his son's frustration and decided that there was only one way to truly satisfy him, "The fact of the matter is that we do not know.  You should not concern yourself with what could be but focus on what is and what may come of that."

There was something about this son, something that grated on his nerves to no extent.  Whenever he tried speaking with Ken he ended up yelling at the young Prince, if they had no audience that is¾it was most curious.  It happened even when trying to talk of the most dull and mundane things.

The Prince just seemed to bring out the worst in the King whenever the boy opened his mouth, If he could just keep his mouth shut.

To the servants, and other people, the Prince seemed, for the most part, to be quieter than a dead mouse and would in fact sit still for just as long at times while trying to translate the ancient works.

The Ancient Works are a collection of writings that were engraved upon various items, from weapons to armor and stone tablets to walls.  Known and found throughout the land the Ancient Works were a mystery to all and none could ever make either heads nor tales of it¾to them it was just gibberish.

Some thought that the ancient works were phony and so they meant nothing at all.  Others believed them to be the primitive works of the creatures that came before them.

But not Ken, he believed that neither of these explanations were true.  He had always suspected they were something more, a thing of great importance such as, a code or ancient language.  And after much effort he found that he was right.

The time that the Prince had spent pouring over the collection of the Ancient Works was not to figure out what they were, as everyone thought¾but to read and understand what, and why, it was written.  In doing so he learned a great deal but of what is the real question because there is only one who even knows that the young Prince Ken has cracked the Ancient Works.

And that one living creature is not his father.

When thinking of his son one phrase always seemed to come to thee King's mind, That boy is trouble, possibly more than he is worth, and now was no exception.

So it was very unlike his father to give such advice to Ken and he knew something was up.  Suspicion ate at him as he felt his frustration turn back into anger and he could not help himself whenever he may be around the King, but he had to admit that he did derive a kind of pleasure to how his mere presence and voiced opinions seemed to affect his father.

"You speak nonsense, father."

"I speak only of that which I know."

"Then you know nothing."  Ken's eyes became but mere slits of indigo that locked onto the equally silted brown eyes of his father.

Silence descended upon the pair but was once more broken, although the heated glares the two exchanged did not.

"Why not contemplate the future¾yours, mine, the Kingdom's?¾Least you be caught unknowingly one day and doom us all." You only acknowledge that which you chose to, you think the people are bind but it is really you who does not see that which lays right before your eyes.

"My time is a precious and valuable thing¾you are wasting it.  I have not time to bicker."

And you hear only that which you want to hear…

"Do what you want, as you always do, but you will get no help from me nor will you waste any of the resources of the Kingdom.  If you desire to find out the truth then you do it on your own.  None are to help you, you should be alone in your quest, if you so choose to follow such a path."

This caught Ken completely by surprise for many reasons.  First and foremost being that his father actually told him that he could pursue this basically by any means that he wanted.

"I will hear no more of this matter¾unless of course, that is, if you can prove to me that it is in fact true.  And if you cannot than you have proven, not only to have wasted my time, but yours as well."

I knew it, don't want to take part in any of the dirty work, do you?  Yet, if I find something that is actually of use you want to hear all about it.  Just as Ken knew this he also knew that if he were to voice his thoughts than he would be forbidden from the entire subject.

"So what is your answer?"

''I¾"

*****

The sudden sound of knocking upon his chamber door interrupted Ken's recollection of the day's events.

"Ken?" inquired a voice from behind the heavy double doors.

But the Prince did not answer, nor did he make a move to do so as one of the doors was opened, he just continued to stare down upon the people within his family's Kingdom.

"Ken, you called for me?"

"Yes."

A moment passed as he waited for his prince to answer but when Ken did not he pressed on, "And, may I be so bold, as to ask why, my lord?"

"I told you not to call me that, you are not a servant and you know it as well as you know that we are leaving."

"Yes, I do…when?"

"Tonight."

"Why?"

"Because we must," Prince Ken replied but said no more.

Silence drifted between the two long-time friends; though the air was not strained it did hold something in it, something akin to foreboding of things unsaid and yet to come.

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"There is no such thing as absolute certainty, but there is assurance sufficient for the purpose of human life."
--John Stuart Mill

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S&A: `Kay everyone hope ya like and you should know what the Ancient Works are if ya are a true Digimon fan.  And review.

Kaiser: *cracks whip*go review and tell her to stop or else!

S&A: Hey! Who let you out of your cage??!!

Wormon: Ano…it's not my fault, I swear!  He tricked me!

S&A: …Where are Dai and Ken?

Kaiser: *freighting innocence* What, you haven't seen them?

S&A: Wha'd ya do?!?!

Kaiser: I did nothing…and you can't prove a thing!

S&A: Aggh!!!