Note: I own the following characters: Ariyuki, Kailomon/Midori, Kii (more to come in future chapters). I don't own any of the Digidestined or their parents. I know their real Japanese names like Hikari, Daisuke, etc. but I know how to spell their American names better. By the way, thanks to a certain someone's help, I realized that I spelled Yolei's name wrong. I've gone over and hopefully spelled them all right. By the way, I think I spelled Uzulongmon's name right. If I didn't, please let me know.
A Lost Darkness: Chapter 2
Mysteries in The Digital World
Born from Darkness in the Light, the child exists in shadow
Born from hatred, given love, the child exists to fight
Yet know he not the road is long, and should he stray from right
Grow cold his heart, grow dark his mind, may Evil grow that night...
Since it was the weekend Ken could sleep as late as he wanted, but the smell of his mother's cooking pancakes, eggs, and bacon slowly and pleasantly woke him up. I wish I had an alarm clock like this, he thought as he stretched his arms and legs, dislodging Wormmon from his chest, causing him to wake up.
"Careful, Mommy," he muttered, still half-asleep.
It must have just been a dream, Ken thought, staring at the ceiling. I met a young look-alike named Ariyuki who was gonna be my little brother from now on...
Ken yawned and climbed down his ladder and stared. There was the bottom bunk from where Ariyuki had slept. Excited, like it was Christmas, Ken dashed out of his bedroom, through the short hall (with various pictures of him and his family), and into the kitchen. There, helping his mother stir the remaining pancake batter, was Ariyuki.
Ken grinned excitedly and snuck on tiptoes toward the unsuspecting chefs. With a sudden "Boo!" Ken grabbed Ariyuki's and his mother's shoulders, causing his mother to flinch, and Ariyuki the jump and yelp.
"Well, I'm glad you're awake, Ken," said Molly, grasping her heart.
"Mor-ning!" sang Ariyuki, pushing back his extra long sleeves and standing on his tiptoes, stirring the batter with a gigantic spoon.
"Breakfast smells great, Mom!" announced Ken, ambling over to the table, where he sat down.
"Thank you, dear," said Molly, blowing a kiss to her son.
"Can we go play today?" Ariyuki asked his mother, tugging at her apron.
"Why don't you ask Ken, honey?" replied Molly, bending down and landing a kiss on Ariyuki's cheek.
"Kay." He trotted over to Ken, who glanced at him from his cup of orange juice. "Can we go outside and play today?" Ariyuki pleaded, his hands clasped together, and his shiny eyes gigantic; Yep, Yolei would definitely fall for Ariyuki's eyes.
Ken ruffled Ariyuki's hair, "Sure. I'll take you to Keichoe's Ice Cream Parlor today, alright?"
"Okay!" Ariyuki jumped in the air, squealing with delight, then ran into Ken's room, his arms outstretched like he was flying.
Ken gazed behind him. Out through the sliding porch window the sun was shining brightly; through the blinding radiance, he could barely make out a sky the same color of Ariyuki's hair. The sun shining through the window casted a bright set of rainbows all over the living room walls. According to Molly, Ariyuki was pretending to catch them earlier. Though Ariyuki had only been in their household for the night, he already brought joy and laughter to his new family; Molly informed Ken that his father told Ariyuki the good news this morning, adding on to the youngling's playful energy.
Molly walked over to the table and placed a large plate full of pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of Ken. She then set the salt and peppershakers and syrup on a cloth in the middle of the table.
"Ariyuki, honey! Your breakfast is ready!"
Ariyuki ran back in, sliding to a stop in front of the table on the sleek kitchen floor with his little white socks. He was dressed in the same set of clothes as yesterday; a pair of gray slacks with a white shirt (it was impossible tell if it was long sleeved or short), and a long gray jacket with long cuffed sleeves. Molly had obviously washed them, because there wasn't a big black spot on his shoulder from God knows what.
When breakfast was finished, Ken strolled into his room, Ariyuki pushing from behind. He pulled off his pajamas, then slipped on a pair of sandy brown khakis, a white T-shirt, and a pair of white socks; he was going to dress lightly today. The twins (if you call them that) then walked to the front door, said good-bye to their mother, slipped on their black shoes, then walked out the door. They had just started down the concrete apartment stairs when Ken realized he left his wallet inside.
"Dang! Hang on a second, Ariyuki. I'll be right out."
Ken rushed back inside and grabbed his brown leather wallet. He had just grabbed the door handle when-
"Oh, hang on just a second. Ken, honey! Phone's for you!" Molly called for Ken from the living room couch.
"Oh, no," Ken muttered to himself, turning back around to the living room. "Who is it?"
"It's your friend, Davis."
No, he thought. Not now! Can't I do anything without him calling me?!
Molly handed Ken the phone then sauntered into her room. Ken sighed, then reluctantly put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hey, Ken! Now if you tell me you can't go anywhere, the gang and I all agreed to march over there and drag you out! You avoided us yesterday, then didn't even bother to call us today!"
Thinking quickly, Ken said, "I'm sorry. I told you yesterday; I had a ton of homework." Not wanting to offend his friend, he added, "but I'm all done now, though-"
"Great! Everyone's going to the park! We'll meet ya there!"
"But-"
"See ya, Ken!" and Davis hung up.
"Damn," muttered Ken. He sighed, massaged his neck, then trudged back outside. "Sorry, little buddy, but it looks like we won't be able to get some ice cream yet."
"Oh," fiddling with his braid, he timidly asked, "Why?"
"Because, the second I grab my wallet, my...friend called. His name is Davis and he wants me to go meet him and the others at the park. We'll be going there instead."
"Okay!" Ariyuki was still thrilled. "I don't remember me ever going to a park."
"Speaking of remember," said Ken, "Could you remember anything of what happened before you got here?" He watched intently as Ariyuki strained his mind.
"No," he said, squinting his eyes and rummaging around in his memory. "Nothing...except I was...floating...And I was so-so cold..."Ariyuki's head drooped. He seemed lost in his memory. Suddenly, he shot his head up to the sky and cried, "Help me, someone!"
Growing hot with panic, Ken shook Ariyuki back into reality. "Ariyuki, it's alright!" he knelt down and embraced Ariyuki.
"I was so cold," he whispered in Ken's ear.
"It's alright. It's okay now." Ken wiped the forming tears in Ariyuki's eyes away and smiled. "Let's go to the park now, alright?"
Tears still shining, Ariyuki grinned and took Ken's hand.
After making a few blocks progress, Ariyuki looked up and said, "Ken, what are your other friend's names?"
"Hmm, well, there's Kari, she's really sweet. Then there's T.K.; he can lift anyone's spirit up. Davis, I told you about him; he's annoying at times, but he's a laugh riot whenever he does silly things, and he does that a lot. There's Cody, he's nice, but quiet and shy around others.'
"Yolei, huh; she's somthin' else. If you start a fight with her, she'll carry it out to the bitter end, and is the loudest girl I've ever seen!" Ken glanced down at Ariyuki, who was giggling.
"Your friends sound nice," he said.
"They are-Oh! Here we are!"
Ken steered Ariyuki into the park with no name. It was one of the smaller, more pleasant parks; two swing sets, a large slide, a merry-go-round, and a few picnic tables. Sitting on one of them, were all of Ken's friends; Yolei with her soft pink hair and round glasses; Davis with his brown-red hair and goggles (the sight of him made Ariyuki giggle); young Cody who had big green eyes and dull brown hair; Kari, who wore her usual pink shirt and gloves, yellow shorts, and put a clip in her short mouse brown hair; and T.K. with his bucket hat covering his short blond hair. Ken noticed they all brought their Digimon.
They all greeted Ken with waves.
"Hiya, Ken! C'mon and sit down!" cried Yolei.
Ken blushed then moved closer. Davis stared down at Ken's feet. "Hey, Ken," he said, "I never knew you had four feet."
"Huh?" Ken glanced behind him; Ariyuki was hiding from the others; clearly he was the shy type. "I don't," said Ken. He grasped little Ariyuki's arm, then pulled him out from behind. "Guys, this is Ariyuki."
Everyone stared at Ken's little look-alike.
"Wow, Ken! A little you!" declared Davis.
"Shut up, Davis!" said Yolei, shoving Davis off the picnic table to get a better look at Ariyuki. Just as Ken suspected, Yolei leapt off the table, and swept the youngling up. "Look at this little cutie! Oh, he has the cutest blue eyes! Look at this hair! He's so cute!"
Ariyuki laughed with enjoyment; he loved to get attention, and this funny haired girl was giving him it by the truckload. Ken finally managed to wrench Ariyuki from Yolei's grip.
"It's very nice to meet you, Ariyuki," Kari had come up to say hello. "My, he is cute."
Davis growled behind Kari's back. His girl was going for a small fry!
Ariyuki glanced at Gatomon sitting on the table. "Wow! What a cool kitty!" Ariyuki stroked Gatomon's back. She began to purr with enjoyment.
Kari glanced at Ken uncertainly. "As long as he thinks she's a cat." he said simply.
Cody and T.K. were next to shake hands with Ariyuki. "Where'd ya meet him?" T.K. asked.
Ken's face went dark. "I'll tell ya guys later," he said. "Right now I promised to take Ariyuki to Keichoe's."
"Great! We'll all come with you!" Davis announced.
So, the group of Digidestined and the youth, Ariyuki set off for the Ice Cream Parlor. Ken bought Ariyuki a chocolate marshmallow shake and himself a vanilla cone. Sitting at the umbrella shaded ice cream table, Ariyuki slurping his malt placidly, the group discussed their next adventure.
"I say we go to You-Know-Where. Have a picnic and stuff," suggested Yolei.
"What's You-Know-Where?" asked Ariyuki, curiously interested, sipping on his straw.
"It's this place we all go to," said Kari, trying not to give The Digital World away. "It's just for the six of us. Kinda like a club. You see?"
"Wow. Can I come too?" Ariyuki asked Ken.
Ken choked on his ice cream. "What?"
"Can I come too?"
"Ummm-I'm not so sure, Ariyuki-"
"Huddle!" said T.K.
The six kids gathered 'round each other, blocking Ariyuki from earshot.
"We can't just let him come with us! You know what Uzulongmon said: 'No one, except the Digidestined can ever enter the Digital World again!' He said it was to keep the Digital World safe!" informed Cody.
"Yeah, but the other Digidestined around the world gave up their Digivices just to be safe," Ken reminded them. "I don't think it's a threat to let one little boy in!"
"Yeah, but 'one little boy' could cause One Big problem!" said Yolei.
"Well, what would it hurt?" asked Kari. "He's Ken's friend and a trustworthy friend at that. I say we give him a little chance. Right, Davis?"
Davis went red. "Of course. Ariyuki's coming." he said, letting his affection for Kari do the talking.
"Then it's agreed," said T.K. "Ariyuki's coming with us!"
"Yeah! C'mon, little buddy! You're comin' with us!" Ken told Ariyuki. Ariyuki leapt of his seat and grabbed Ken's hand.
"So, where is this place?" Ariyuki asked as they made for Davis's house. His house was the closest.
"You'll see," said Ken. "You'll love it. It's a beautiful place."
"Yeah," said Demiveemon before anyone could shut him up. "There's a forest, a desert, a snow land, and even a few restaurants here and there."
Everyone glared at Demiveemon. "Demiveemon, you blabbermouth!" Yolei scolded.
"Wow! You must be a friend of Wormmon!" said Ariyuki, causing everyone to stare at him.
"How do you know about Wormmon?" asked Ken.
"I woke up really early this morning," said Ariyuki. "I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't, but your toy talked. At first I thought I was still half-asleep, so I shook Wormmon. When he finally woke up, we had a little chat for a while. He told me all about Demiveemon, Hawkmon, and all the others. Then daddy came in the room and told me all about how I am now a part of the family and your little brother!"
The other five kids came to a halt and gaped at Ariyuki and Ken.
"You never told us you got a new little brother!" exclaimed Cody.
"I'm sorry," said Ken frantically, "I just didn't know when to tell you!"
"Well, ya might as well start spilling the story on how you found Ariyuki," said T.K.
Ken sighed, preparing to tell them the tiring story about finding Ariyuki in the rain, the cloth, and Ariyuki's strange amnesia. When he had finished, the others had their mouths open.
"And Ariyuki doesn't remember a thing?" asked Kari, closing her jaw.
"Not a thing." said Ken, his voice somewhat hoarse from talking.
"Hmm, I think it's strange how Ariyuki looks so much like you, Ken," said Yolei, looking down at Ariyuki, then at Ken, then back to Ariyuki.
"What I'm concerned about is the cloth," said T.K. "I mean, your head just began to hurt?" he asked Ariyuki.
"Yeah," said Ariyuki. "I was thinking about the cloth, then a flash of two figures entered my head, but only for second. That's when my head began to hurt."
"Also, this afternoon," said Ken, "Ariyuki was remembering what happened before he got here. He said he was floating, and really cold. Then he screamed for help."
"Ya know what I'm worried about?" budded in Davis. "Finding something to eat. I'm starving!"
"You pig!" yelled Yolei. " You just ate ice cream! How could you possibly still be hungry?!"
"I'm not as much of a pig as you are, Yolei!" retorted Davis.
"Uh, guys. We're here!" announced Ken, successfully breaking up the argument.
Davis's apartment was smaller than Ken's, and his room was a mess. Even Ariyuki (who didn't mind messes) winced at the sight of it. Davis walked proudly over some of his old socks, shirts, and a pair of underwear, and turned on his computer monitor. He put his Digivice (Ken explained the Digivices to Ariyuki already) to the screen, and a little TV-like picture appeared that displayed a field of a variety of flowers.
"Wow, is that The Digital World?" Ariyuki asked, staring into the little picture.
"Only part of it," said Ken. "Hang on tight." He grabbed Ariyuki's hand and held it tightly.
"Let's go!" everyone shouted.
The next thing Ariyuki knew, he was surround by a blinding light. This, however was only the beginning of Ariyuki's strange sensation; now he was grasping Ken's hand and flying, or falling through a whirl of colors; he could even hear the wind rush passed his ears, and looking back, he noticed his long braid flying behind and whipping around, striking Cody in the face a few times. "Sorry!" he shouted, but could barely hear his own voice. Ken and the others had grown used to this and even enjoyed it.
Just when Ariyuki thought he was going to be sick from the churning in his stomach, his feet made contact with ground. He lost his balance, though, and fell over. The soothing fragrance of tulips brought him back to reality. Holding his head, Ariyuki stood up.
He drew a sharp intake of breath as he gazed around; all around him were flowers over just about every color, except black, and the combined scent of them smelled wonderful. Surrounding the fields of flowers was a large forest that seemed to circle them completely. Far into the distance, he could see mountains that were misty blue and snowcapped. The air was fresh and pure with a gentle breeze, and he sighed with he feeling like he just got home.
"I told you this place was gorgeous," said Ken abruptly, startling Ariyuki.
When Ariyuki turned around, he stared in wonder at his friends. Most of them were wearing different outfits; while T.K. and Kari, wore the same set of clothes, Davis, Cody, Yolei, and Ken were all wearing completely different garments. Davis's main feature was his fire embedded jacket. Yolei was now wearing red stirrup pants, a blue long sleeved shirt, gloves and a helmet (thought Ariyuki didn't know why). Cody now wore a sandy brown long sleeved shirt and brownish-red pants.
His own brother, Ken was now wearing his gray school uniform, badges and all.
"What happened to you guys?" he asked.
"These are our Digital Outfits," explained Yolei. "What d'ya think? Do I look cool?"
Ariyuki really didn't want to answer that.
"Well, let's give the kid a tour!" said Davis, marching forward.
"You'll love it here," Kari told Ariyuki. "These flowers are heavenly, and there's also the Digimon Nursery; we'll take you there, too. The restaurants here are to die for and-" Kari stopped, noticing Ariyuki was behind them. He had come to a halt in front of a group of lilacs. He dropped to his knees and put his nose to them.
"What's wrong with Ariyuki?" Cody asked.
"Is everything alright?" said Ken, sauntering over to Ariyuki.
"I know this smell," Ariyuki said, continuing to stare at the purple flowers, as though enchanted. "I don't know how, but I do." he closed his eyes, "...A garden...a forest...stream...Ah!" Ariyuki clenched his hair, shrieking in pain once more. Everyone ran over to his aid.
"Ariyuki!" Ken shouted. "Ariyuki, snap out of it!"
"Oh, Ariyuki!" Kari cried.
Ariyuki released his head, then gazed wearily upward at Ken, looking as though he were about to faint. "I saw him again," he said raucously. "One of the two people I saw last night."
"Who?" Ken asked.
"He was standing among the lilacs, reaching out to me," Ariyuki continued.
"Who? Who was it?" T.K. persisted.
Ariyuki let his head fall. "I don't know," he moaned, his shoulders shaking. He was crying. "I could only see an outline. The rest was just shadow. His hair seemed frizzy." He looked back up, tears pouring down his cheeks.
"It's alright, Ariyuki," Ken and Kari told him.
Kari pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "I rarely find a boy who can cry and look adorable." she hugged Ariyuki lovingly. Davis turned red behind her.
"Hey, if you're not careful, Davis, Kari might end up going out with Ariyuki over there," T.K. joked, laughing.
"What?! No way!" said Davis.
"It sure looks that way," teased Yolei.
Kari blushed. "Don't be silly. I'm not going out with anyone. And I can't go out with Ariyuki. He's too little."
"What's age gotta do with it?" asked Cody.
Ariyuki and Davis were not enjoying themselves. Both boys were red in the cheeks. Ariyuki, out of embarrassment, and Davis, out of rage. Ariyuki retreated behind Ken, while Kari and Ken giggled. "So cute," said Kari.
The seven children set off toward the forest, Ken watching Ariyuki apprehensively, frightened Ariyuki might try to remember something again. After an hour of trudging, climbing, and chattering, they found a familiar clearing where a small hill lay in front of them.
"We've almost made it to the Digimon Nursery," stated Ken to Ariyuki. "Just over this hill."
The seven of them slowly climbed the slightly steep knoll without difficulty. When they emerged to the top, Ariyuki gazed down and gasped. There seemed to be a playground at the end of the hill. Looking closely, he could see little baskets dotted everywhere. "Wow!" he said, "Is that the Digimon Nursery?"
"Yup!" said Davis, proudly, pointing down toward the rubber playground.
"All Digimon are born here," said Yolei.
"Even the bad ones?" asked Ariyuki.
"I'm...pretty sure." said Ken.
"What makes a bad Digimon bad?" he continued.
"Well...I'm not sure how to answer that," said Ken. "I suppose that some virus Digimon get the idea that he's all evil and should start acting like it. Kinda like me when I got-" he caught himself just in time. He didn't want to reveal to Ariyuki the kind of person he was a few months ago. A terror to the Digital World.
He remembered he wore that ridiculous outfit, spiked his hair, wore sunglasses, and called himself the Digimon Emperor. He recalled bitterly when he use to enslave Digimon with Dark Rings and watched them fight for his entertainment. He would abuse his own Digimon, Wormmon, and try constantly to kill the Digidestined. Davis noticed the bitter look on Ken's face, and tried to sidetrack Ariyuki.
"Well, lets get goin' down there! We aren't gettin' any younger standin' here!" He charged down the hill, the others behind him, Ken in dead last. Ariyuki overrode Davis and ran past him. He regretted this. The second he stepped foot on the green floor, he bounced ten feet in the air; Davis and the others had failed to inform Ariyuki that the floor was made of rubber. Ken managed to grasp Ariyuki's leg before he flew even higher.
"This place is so cool!" exclaimed Ariyuki. "What's over there?" he ran over to a basket and peeked inside. Inside was a red little head with bumps on top. A baby Digimon. "Aww," Ariyuki cooed, "he's so cute."
"Not a he, a she." grunted a voice behind Ariyuki. He jumped and spun around. The Digimon Nursery caretaker, Elecmon, stood in front of him and began shooing Ariyuki away from the cooing Digimon. Looking at Ariyuki, he added, "Oh, great. The last thing I need now is another Digimon Emperor in this world!"
"Who?" asked Ariyuki.
"He's not another Digimon Emperor!" said Ken, hurriedly, pulling Ariyuki behind him. "He's just a little friend of ours."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Emperor Boy. Just keep your poisonous offspring away from the babies!" and he stalked away.
"What a rude, rude Digimon," said Ariyuki, staring after him. "Why did he call you that?" he added, looking up at Ken.
Ken didn't want to tell Ariyuki the truth, but he had no choice now. He sighed, his body tingling with fear. What would Ariyuki think of him? "Ariyuki, a long time ago-well, a few months ago- I was...bad. Very bad. Almost evil."
"What did you do?"
"I would terrorize The Digital World. Enslave as many Digimon as I could, and even tried to kill the Digidestined."
"Why?" Ariyuki asked, gazing at Ken.
"In a sense, I was controlled. Something bad was in me; in my head. Even still, I had partial control of myself, which makes it half my fault. I even treated my own Digimon like dirt. I won't deny, though, I paid for what I did."
"I even lost my best friend for a while. My friends finally brought me out of the Darkness, but it was a long and painful process." Ken kept his head down as if he didn't deserve to look Ariyuki in the eyes.
The other Digidestined gazed at the two, hoping Ariyuki wouldn't be too angry, disgusted, or upset. However, much to even Ken's amazement, Ariyuki wrapped his arms around his waist. He looked up and smiled. "Thanks for telling me that," he said. "Now I know why you're as quiet and lonely as you are. I wish none of that had ever happened to you."
Ken drew a shuddering breath and began to cry. He hugged Ariyuki tightly, uncaring that the other were watching. "So do I," he sobbed.
"Well, I hate to break up the love fest," said Davis, "but we came here for a good time, not a soap opera."
"Right, right," said Ken, standing up. "C'mon, Ariyuki. I wanna show you the Digi Eggs." He took Ariyuki's hand and toured him around the Digimon Nursery. Ariyuki was very thrilled with the gigantic blocks (which were also rubber) and the trees with toys in them. Ken called them Toy Trees. After a while, Ken's friends called for him to climb with them to the top of one of the blocks; he left Ariyuki at the Egg Fields upon his request.
Ariyuki trekked through the sea of eggs, making sure he didn't step on any. Every Digi Egg had its own design. Some were so interesting that Ariyuki bent down to get a closer look. After watching three hatch, Ariyuki made toward the forest of gigantic blocks to be with his friends. Then he heard it; a small, very faint voice from somewhere.
He turned back 'round and began searching for the disembodied voice, knowing he was being stupid. He was following a voice he could barely hear, and couldn't see who or what was causing it. After a while, he realized the voice was louder to the ground; it must be coming from one of the eggs. Now that he was closer, he could make out bits and pieces of what the voice was saying; like static: I feel you...please hel...find me...
What in the world was going on? The voice began growing softer. He was having more trouble hearing it. Out of desperation, he called for it. "Where are you? I can't hear you anymore!" The tired, dying voice spoke up.
I'm here... Though he could still barely hear it, he knew the voice was somewhere to the left of him.
"Please keep talking!" he shouted.
I can't.
"You must! You must try! I'm close to you. Do you hear me? I'm so close! Don't give up!"
So tired...Ever since I felt you here, I've been...calling. I...I can't anymore. My friend, please find me. I...I won't...make it...
Startled, knowing what the voice meant, Ariyuki began running through the eggs, searching for something, anything. As he ran past one egg, he stopped. What was that? He backtracked until his shadow was over the Digi Egg he passed.
Under his dark shadow, he could make out a faint blue glow. It was so weak that it was impossible to see in the sunlight. The design on the egg looked familiar, but he didn't have time to ponder. He snatched up the egg and it immediately shone a very bright blue.
When the light disappeared, he noticed his trembling hands weren't holding an egg anymore. It was now holding a small, cat-like creature. Its body was green and its eyes were big and crystal blue. There was a purple ring from its nose, all the way around its mouth.
Its four paws were pink, and there was a purple ring around the end of its fluffy tail. It had a small patch of pink fur on the top of its head. Ariyuki could feel it shake from exhaustion. It looked up and smiled. "Thank you for finding me. I was so tired...I didn't think I was gonna make it." It had a high-pitch, girlish voice.
"How did you make it?" Ariyuki asked. "Your voice was so quiet and soft. I thought you had died. I was so scared."
"Well, if you had found me any later, I would have died. But when I hatched, I borrowed some of your energy," when it saw Ariyuki checking himself, it added quickly, "Not enough for you to notice; just enough so I could survive."
"Oh," gazing at the Digimon, he realized it looked familiar. "Um, what's your name?"
"My name is Kailomon. And in case you're wondering, I'm a girl."
"I kinda figured that," said Ariyuki.
"Not to mention, I'm your Digital Partner!" it added proudly.
"What?" Ariyuki inquired, stunned.
"Yup! Your Digital Partner!"
"I can't be your partner! There's no way! I'd have to be a Digidestined, and I'm not!"
"Uh, huh?" said Kailomon. "Well, Ariyuki, I really liked your gray outfit, but I much more prefer the white one you're wearing now." she grinned.
Ariyuki looked down at himself and jumped up. In place of his gray jacket was a royal white one with the softest material he'd ever felt. His shirt was also white, but his pants were light blue like his hair. They weren't jeans or khakis; he'd never felt this material before, but he really loved it. His shoes were black, and he noticed a blue stone at the collar of his neck.
"You see?" said Kailomon, "Only a Digidestined can just pick up a Digi Egg and make it hatch (especially with its partner) , and only when a Digidestined finds its Digital Partner can it wish for a different outfit. You are a Digidestined! Isn't this great?"
"But, I don't-I don't have a Digivice or anything." said Ariyuki, "Every Digidestined needs one."
"Ariyuki, you have to find those. Didn't your friends tell you this?"
"How did you know I have friends here?" he asked.
"I could hear them. I could hear you talking to them. They're a funny bunch, they are."
"Wow," Ariyuki couldn't believe this. He was so full of energy and excitement. He had to show Kailomon to his friends. "Kailomon, I want you to come see my friends. I think you'll like them."
"I know I will!" she leapt up onto Ariyuki's shoulder, sitting straight and tall. "Onward, Partner!"
"You're kidding!"
"No way!"
"Where'd ya find it?"
"I've never seen a Digimon like that."
"What a cute outfit!"
"I can't believe you're a Digidestined too!"
The other Digidestined were all pressing close to Ariyuki, trying to get a better look at Kailomon. Ariyuki held her close. All of this attention over one Digimon was frightening.
"All we need to do now is find your Digivice. I'm so proud of you, Ariyuki! Mom will be too!" said Ken. He ruffled Ariyuki's hair.
"What's your name?" Kari asked politely.
"Kailomon," she said. "I'm Ariyuki's destined partner!" she puffed up her chest with pride, "And I'll be taking care of him!"
"Looks like Ariyuki has a mentor," Yolei whispered to everyone.
"So, how did you find Kailomon?" asked Davis, barely an inch away from Kailomon's face.
"I found her in a Digi Egg," said Ariyuki, backing away from Davis in alarm. "She was so weak, I thought she was gonna die. The designs on her egg looked familiar; like a blooming rose with a strange symbol on it."
"Blooming rose?" Ken dished around in his pocket until his fingers grasped something small and rectangular. He withdrew his Crest of Kindness and showed it to Ariyuki. "This? Did the symbol look like this?"
Ariyuki squinted. "Yeah! And now that I think about it, the same symbol on my cloth!"
"And ya know," said T.K. "Kailomon does look an awful lot like Wormmon-"
"Except she's a cat and he's a caterpillar," Cody finished.
"I know about Wormmons," said Kailomon, standing on Ariyuki's shoulder. "Green, like me, with the same markings all over. It's strange, but I think I can recall a past life. A life before I died...maybe. It's all mixed up into one big beating, though." She had the same lost-in-her-thoughts look, just like Ariyuki whenever he tried to remember something. She was disrupted, however, by Cody and his distracting thought.
"I wonder what she'll Digivolve into."
"Maybe a big, green cat with wings and horns!" suggested Davis.
Kailomon hissed. "I sincerely doubt it, fool! I am not something to tease!"
"Strong willed," said T.K., impressed. "She'll Digivolve into a strong Digimon! I'd take good care of her if I were you, Ariyuki."
"It's okay, Kailomon. Davis was only joking," said Ariyuki, stroking her arched back. He then gazed around. "Where's Yolei?"
They all looked around. She was no where in sight. Then-
"Hey guys! Sorry I ran off. Elecmon made us a little surprise!" she held up a basket. "Picnic goodies! We can all dine right here!"
"I know a better place," said Kailomon, "I don't know how, but I do. Follow me!" She leapt off Ariyuki's shoulder and trotted forward, her fluffy tail straight up. The others shrugged, then followed her.
Kailomon had finally stopped in front of a swift, not to deep stream. There were apple trees outlining the forest they had just came out of. Ariyuki leaned against one and slid down, sighing. The sound of the running stream was soothing and soon everyone was sitting under the pleasant shade of an apple tree.
"This place does seem familiar," said Ken, glancing around. "I know! This is where Wormmon and I use to hang out when I was the Digimon Emperor and not too corrupt. Those were pretty good times."
"I can't see how good of a time you can have when you're dark and evil," muttered Cody, causing Ken to stare at his knees.
Ariyuki frowned at Cody in disapproval. He knew about Cody and his problem with Ken and his past, but that was no reason to get on his case now. "Ya know, you can be Dark and not Evil," he murmured hotly to Cody.
"What are you talking about?" retorted Cody. "Darkness and Evil go together like macaroni and cheese!"
"That doesn't mean someone's all evil just because they may have some Darkness in them! You have no right talking to Ken like that!" He was standing and looking as if one more bad word would set him off. Cody seemed not to notice this.
"And how would you know this? You can't even remember when you were born!" Cody shoved Ariyuki. Ariyuki countered and threw Cody against a tree. Ken and Davis had to separate them immediately.
After the fight, Cody and Ariyuki weren't looking or speaking to each other. Ariyuki thought Cody was being way to judgmental on people, while Cody was convinced that Ariyuki was working for dark Digimon.
"It's alright, Ariyuki. Cody was just speaking his mind," said Ken, reassuringly.
"That's not much of an excuse," snarled Kailomon. "Doesn't that baby know to hold unpleasant words on that repulsive tongue of his?"
"Now that's enough! We should all be friends, here," said Cody's Digimon, Armadillomon.
"Yes, exactly. You two fighting won't make this picnic any more enjoyable," came Hawkmon's British voice.
"He's right," admitted Cody. "I'm sorry, Ariyuki. I didn't mean to offend you, or Ken."
"You should be," snapped Kailomon.
"Kailomon," Ariyuki mumbled. "I'm sorry too," he held out his hand and Cody shook it.
"Right, well now that that's settled, I think I hear some fish calling my name," said Gatomon.
The feast then began. Kari, Ken, and Davis were all enjoying sesame chicken, while Cody and T.K. snacked on rice cakes. Yolei and her Digimon companion were bolting down sushi. Hawkmon wrapped his feathery fingers around the last one when Kailomon grabbed the other end with her teeth.
"Hey, I had it first! Give it back, you little thief!" He snapped his beak over the other half and the tug-a-war began.
Behind them all, too absorbed in his cloth to care for eating, Ariyuki sat under a full-grown apple tree. I wonder where I came from. I wish someone could help me, he gazed at his brother who was laughing with his friends. He saved me from danger, but he can't help me. He doesn't even know where I came from. He sat up then silently wandered away from his friends, to a lonely stream deep into the forest. It seemed to suit him fine. A lonely stream and a lonely boy.
He watched the water run slowly and strangely, sadly through the trees. He watched ripples appear as tears fell into the stream. "Can't someone help me?" he asked the water. His breathing was uneven and he began to gasp in frustration. "Someone help me! Who am I? Am I nothing more than a phantom of a child, fighting hopelessly to find out who I am, or am I something special and important? Tell me!" He slapped the water then cried into his knees. "Why won't someone tell me?" he whispered. He was too weak to scream anymore. Now that he came to think about it, he was very tired.
He could barely feel himself fall on his back. He was drowning in weariness. The last thing he saw before passing out was the cloudy gray sky.
Ariyuki, don't give in to Darkness. Don't let sadness consume your heart. Open your eyes, dear.
A gentle voice sounded around him. His eyes opened slowly at first, then his surroundings shocked him so much that they shot open. All around him was black, but looking down, he seemed to be standing on water, his shoes not even drenched. There were waterfalls all around him, but not swift and furious waterfalls. These were slow falling and gentle; the glistening blue of the water shone a mystic purple in some places.
"Ariyuki, are you afraid?"
He looked up for the first time and saw a beautiful woman before him. Her hair was deep purple, straight, and long. It flowed to the floor like her long, elegant garb. Her skin was pale and her ears were pointed like a fairy or elf. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Do you fear me? Do you fear your life?" her voice was as lovely and pure as a crystal. It almost hurt to hear her.
"Yes," Ariyuki replied, staring down. "I'm very afraid. I don't know what I'm doing here. Am I something bad?"
"It all depends on what you choose, Ariyuki," came her soft voice. She stepped closer until she right in front of him, then gracefully knelt on both knees so that she was almost his height. "I am Kii. You have grown since I last saw you. That was only three months ago."
"What do you mean?"
"You were only a baby then."
Ariyuki's mouth fell open. "What are you talking about?! Babies take years to grow up! All normal kids do-" he stopped, dropping his head.
"You are not a normal child, Ariyuki; you know that. You are a gifted boy with magical abilities. You have the power to summon elements and control them. To move objects and yourself. And yes, you are even a Digidestined; that is one thing he did not count on." She smiled sincerely.
"'He'? Who's he?" Ariyuki asked.
"I cannot say. It would destroy me. But when you were born, Ariyuki, he stole you from your volunteering caretaker and had you mature quickly. You were suppose to be thirteen or fourteen, but your powers broke your restraints and you nearly escaped. However, he recaptured you, and imported something evil into you; you were then released to this world where he plotted you to lose your memory.'
"Ken then found you and brought you into his family," she gazed at Ariyuki with sadness.
"So I am Evil," Ariyuki said in despair.
"No, Ariyuki! You are whatever you choose. You are merely a host to something Evil. You, like Ken are pure and good. I guess you could say, you are Ken."
"Wh-what?" his jaw dropped and his legs nearly gave out from shock.
"You are. But you are not the only one. There is another like you, Ariyuki. I cannot explain it all now, young one, but I can tell you, you were born in a different realm." She kissed his forehead, then backed away. "Your friends are frightened for you. You must return to them."
"Please, wait. Can anyone tell me about myself? Anyone here?" asked Ariyuki in desperation.
"There may be one, Uzulongmon. He knows a great deal about things that have happened, are happening, and will happen," her gaze lowered to his neck where his blue gemstone shone a weak light. "I see the Glacier Stone has found its way to you here," she placed her hand over it, causing Ariyuki to blush. "Keep it close, for it will help introduce you to new powers you will inherit. Ask Uzulongmon for help; he will grant you information."
And with that, she kissed Ariyuki on the forehead again, backed away, then bid him farewell. Everything around Ariyuki faded into black. The next thing that happened was frightening; he felt like he was drowning, choking on water. He tried to gag it up, but couldn't. Around him he could hear voices.
Ariyuki! Ariyuki open your eyes!
Please wake up, Ariyuki!
Suddenly, he could feel his chest being pressed hard. The next thing he knew, he was sitting up, hacking up water, then laying his head back onto the damp ground. His vision was blurred for a few minutes. When he could see clearly, he gazed around.
Kari, Ken, and Yolei had tear stained cheeks, and the other three boys were sighing with relief. Ken wrapped his arms around Ariyuki, embracing him tightly. Ariyuki was just confused.
"What happened to me?" he asked raucously through Ken's arms.
"We thought you'd died," sobbed Ken, his breathing unsteady.
"We found you sinking in the river, motionless," said Kari, her voice quavering. "Davis and Ken had to dive in after you. When they pulled you out, you weren't breathing and we thought we were too late."
Ariyuki stared at everyone. "I saw a woman. She-she told me I was taken from a person taking care of me when I was a baby. This man, he tried to age me to about your guy's maturity, but I managed to escape. However, he was able to recapture me and put something bad inside me; I don't know what, but that's probably what's keeping me from remembering my past.'
"Anyway, then he sent me to this world, wittingly making me forget everything before I woke up. Guys, I'm scared." He buried his face in Ken's chest, Ken holding him once more.
"A woman? Is that what she told you?" T.K. asked.
"Yeah," said Ariyuki, standing up. "She also told me a guy called Uzulongmon could help me. I'm gonna guess he's a Digimon."
"He is, and a very strong one at that," said Ken. "He's very powerful and very wise, but I can't see him knowing about you or how you got here."
"I know, but Kii, that woman, mentioned this thing," Ariyuki unclipped his blue gemstone and showed it to his friends, "She called it the Glacier Stone. She said it would help me on finding my magic."
"That's...weird," said Davis, thoughtfully.
"I know. I never even knew I had powers."
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean, a strange lady visits you while you're dying, claiming you have magical powers, warning you to stay away from Evil, but expects you to trust her? You can't be serious! There's something up," Davis sat on the ground.
"That's the first smart thing you've said all day," admitted Yolei.
"You guys are hard on trusting people, aren't you?" asked Ariyuki.
"Very," said Cody.
"Well, I think we should just be grateful that Ariyuki's alive," said Kailomon, speaking up for the first time.
"Yes, I think so too," agreed Kari. "Maybe we should all head home now and discuss this tomorrow. No point worrying over something when we don't know what it is."
"Kari's totally right!" said Davis, "And I'm tired."
"So am I," admitted T.K.
"Are you guys serious?!" exclaimed Cody. "We need to find out what this thing is!"
"Don't be so uptight, Cody," said T.K. "It'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Ariyuki's exhausted, just like the rest of us. We all need some rest so we won't get into any more fights."
"Amen," Kailomon wearily agreed.
"I'm all for that," mumbled Ken.
"Then it's decided!" said Davis, "We'll all meet back at the park tomorrow at the most congenient time!"
"That's 'convenient', Dip stick!" Yolei teased.
"Lay off, Duck Feet!" retorted Davis.
While Davis and Yolei engaged in a name-calling fight, the others tip-toed away silently. When they were back in the field where they started, they all sighed, then fell into the flowers.
"Are they always like that?" Ariyuki asked.
"Always," replied T.K., Ken, Kari, and Cody.
"Ariyuki, do you trust this woman that you saw?" Kari asked.
"Well...I'm not sure. She seems nice and friendly, and knows more about me than I do," said Ariyuki.
"I don't mean to sound rude," said Cody, "but who doesn't?"
"Yeah, I know." Ariyuki's thoughts traveled back to Kii. "Hey," he said, "I remember her telling me that I'm you, Ken, or something like you. She also told me that there's another!"
"You mean, you're a counterpart?" asked Cody.
"That's what she told me," Ariyuki replied, staring at everyone.
"And there's another like you? So, you're telling me that there's gonna be Ken triplets running around?" T.K. inquired, looking stunned.
"I don't know," Ariyuki's head hung. "I don't know anything right now except I'm tired."
"Yeah, we all are." announced Kailomon. "Lets all head home and get some sleep. Davis and Yolei will be fine."
And with that, the five Digidestined and their Digimon went back home through the Digiport.
"Are you serious?! Ariyuki's a Digidestined too?!"
"Oh, wow! I'm so proud of you, Ariyuki!"
Ken had told his parents the whole story about Ariyuki finding his Digimon and his becoming a Digidestined. Molly couldn't stop glowing with pride. Cal couldn't stop being concerned; Ken had also told them about Ariyuki's near death experience and Kii telling him that he was a counterpart of Ken.
"So, no wonder he looks so much like you," said Cal. "He is you...in a sense."
"I've read in "Ancient Lore" about counterparts. They're either your friendly and pure side, or your Evil side.
And Kii said that there's another like Ariyuki. That must mean I have a pure counterpart and a Dark counterpart, thought Ken.
Dinner that night was enjoyable and full of laughter. Molly made a Caesar salad as an appetizer, and later brought in the main course; a delicious turkey dinner with mashed potatoes (Ariyuki wasn't too fond of them, though). Kailomon and Wormmon were able to join them at the dinner table, but not before meeting each other. It was quite a sight to see.
Kailomon and Wormmon were studying each other from very angle, encircling each other, even patting each other's ears. They became very good friends in the end, though. While Kailomon and Wormmon were munching down their pieces of turkey, Ariyuki entertained everyone by attempting to sing "We Didn't Start the Fire" with his drumstick as the microphone.
After dinner, Ariyuki and Ken cleaned up, pulled their pajamas on (Molly bought Ariyuki a few pairs that fit him) and crawled into bed.
"Ken? When do you think we'll find the other person like you?" Ariyuki asked, staring at Ken's top bunk.
"I'm not sure, Ariyuki. If I know my dark self, we'll find him when he wants us to."
Pondering Ken's confusing, yet wise remark, Ariyuki rolled on his stomach. Kailomon curled up beside him, purring as she closed her eyes.
"Kailomon?" he asked.
"Yeah?"
"I've decided. Every Digimon in the Digital World has their name ending with "mon", well, I decided to give you a real name," He smiled.
"And what's that?" Kailomon yawned.
"I'm thinking of Midori. What do you think?" he asked.
"Hmm. I actually kinda like it. But why would you want to give me a name?"
"To make you unique. Now there isn't a single Digimon like you. Get it?" he smiled to his Digimon companion, who simply yawned and grinned.
"Yeah, I get it. Midori...I can really get use to that. Good-night, Ariyuki."
"Night, night, Midori," said Ariyuki.
He and Midori fell asleep almost instantly, waiting until next mornings light where a new adventure would definitely be waiting for them and their friends.