Hi guys and gals, thanks for the review!

I'm sorry if my descriptions are short. I'll work on it, I promise! I'm just used to writing for the school paper and our advisor is always saying to get rid of the "unnecessary words."

On with the story…

Review:

"You're not going alone! What if it happens again? We have to be there." Yolei began crying again. She let go of him and turned away. "I'm sorry, but I can't help it, I'm worried."
Ken blushed.
"She's right, though. You may need our help," Davis stated.

Now:
It was decided, and so when they got back to the real world Ken called his mom to let her know that they would be having guests.
Mrs. Ichijouji had been really worried about her son because of the changes she'd seen in his demeanor and physical appearance. So when the group arrived she already had home baked desserts sitting on the table to welcome them.

When they got to Ken's house, they went to his room. Ken laid down on his bed and in minutes he was fast asleep. Mrs. Ichijouji brought in the desserts and saw her son asleep on his bed.
"Did something happen to Ken?" When nobody answered her, she decided to try again.

"Please tell me, Ken already told me about the Digital World. I figured out that you all must be -- I think Ken called it -- Digidestined. The 'stuffed animals' you bring over every time you come kind of give it away. So please, tell me what happened to my son." As she finished Mrs. Ichijouji began to cry softly, her head resting in her hands.
Ken, who had been woken up by his mother's frantic words, sat up. He struggled to get out of bed and walk over to his mother. Gently he placed his arm on her shoulder. After she looked up he smiled softly down at her.
"I'll tell you everything, but you have to try to trust me. What I'm going to say isn't going to be easy to hear."
"I will."
Ken recanted the whole story, starting from his dream three months prior. When he was finished, his mother reached up and pulled him down to her level and just held him for a good long time.
"Mrs. Ichijouji, I think it would be best if we took turns spending the night, in case something happens again. Do you mind?" Davis inquired.
"Of course not," she answered lifting her head up from Ken's shoulder to glance at Davis. Then she looked back at Ken. "Ken, honey, I have to ask you another question."
"What is it?" Ken asked, even though he felt he probably already knew what she wanted to know.

"Well, it's just that you look so thin and pale lately." Mrs. Ichijouji hesitated before continuing. "It's really got me worried. What is it? What's wrong?"

Ken knew it would do no good to lie, but he didn't want to make his mother suffer even more. He thought for a moment and then realized she would see through anything but the truth. He also noticed the faces of his friends and saw that they too had the same concern.
"I worry too much, I guess." Then he said, more quietly, "And I guess I just don't feel hungry much anymore." Ken looked down not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I wish I could be stronger, but I know I'm a coward, I'm just so afraid. I don't want to die, but I know I'm just a burden to you all." Ken choked back the tears that threatened to fall.

Yolei jumped up from the chair she had been sitting on, causing it to fall over.
"How dare you say that?" Yolei wasn't really angry but her words sounded like it anyway. She walked over to the bed where Ken was sitting and slapped him, albeit not very hard. Then she knelt down and buried her face in his lap. "I'm sorry, Ken. It's just that you are strong, you have to know that. Oh, Ken." Then Yolei wept.
Ken reached down and pulled her up and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I will be strong, and I will do my best to stay strong for all of you." He pulled her into an embrace and then realized everyone, including his mother, was in the room. Yolei realized it too. Both pulled away and started blushing.
Just then the clock on the wall chimed eight times. All the kids except Davis, who took the first watch, went home.
Later that night after both boys had gone to bed, Ken rolled over to look at Davis.

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"Davis, are you awake?"
"Yeah," Davis said in a sleepy voice.
"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure." Davis sat up to look at Ken who was still lying on his bed.
"You obviously know I told my parents about the digital world, right?"
"Mh Hmm"
"Well, the thing is, I never told them about the digimon emperor."
"What? Why not?"
Ken sat up. He remained silent for a while as he formulated his answer.

"I didn't want to rehash it then, it hurt too bad, still does sometimes. Do you think I should tell them now, or is it too late?"

It was Davis' turn at silence as he pondered the question.

"No, I don't think it's too late, but the longer you wait the harder it will be, on them and you."
"Okay, I'll think about it. Thanks Davis."

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The next day when Ken woke up Davis was still asleep so he decided to take a shower and get cleaned up. When he was getting dressed, he noticed that he had forgotten his shirt in the bedroom. He looked at the deep bruises on his body in the mirror. He thought how glad he was the Davis was still asleep. Then he walked into the bedroom.

Davis was no longer asleep.
"Good morning Ke—" Davis let out a low whistle. "Man, he really did a number on you, didn't he?" His words were soft, and Ken could tell he was worried.
"It's not really that bad," he said as he pulled his shirt on quickly and flipped on the TV. Both boys pretended to watch TV until the rest of the group arrived.
When they got there, they decided to visit the digital world to check on things. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Kari still had a feeling something wasn't quite right and TK agreed. Ken wasn't sure what to feel, but he knew something was going on.
Wormmon looked up at Ken to see him rubbing his neck for the umpteenth time.

"Ken, what's wrong with your neck," he asked.

"Nothing really," Ken said with a shrug. "It just feels a little soar. I probably slept wrong. Or maybe I didn't get enough sleep."

Davis frowned, "That's true. He was up way before me."
Cody saw the perfect opportunity.

"That's not so surprising," he said.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"I'd say it's pretty obvious."
The argument they started lasted a full three minutes and when they were finished everyone was laughing. Ken was glad to have everyone's focus off of him. The rest of the day passed without incident and they decided to go home early.

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That night it was TK's turn to stay with Ken. Ken went to sleep right after dinner and TK stayed in the living room chatting with the elder Ichijoujis.

Ken's dad asked TK how he had met his son. TK said that they met in the Digital World, but that they probably already knew that. Then he made a comment on how their son wasn't so nice back then.

Ken's father looked at TK in shock.

"What in the world are you talking about," he asked.

TK looked at him, puzzled. 'Do they not know,' he thought.

"How much has Ken told you about the Digital World?"

"He told us all about the Digimon and your final battle."

"Did he mention anything about the Digimon Emperor?"

TK could tell by the quizzical expression on Mr. Ichijouji's face that Ken hadn't mentioned it. He was proven correct by the elder Ichijouji's next sentence.

"No, that doesn't ring any bells."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's something you should talk to him about then," TK suggested. "I'm getting tired; I think I'll go to bed now. Good night Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji."

TK hurried off to Ken's room and shut the door. Before he climbed in his sleeping bag, he looked at his friend.

'Why didn't you tell them Ken?'
The next morning TK woke up first. He looked over and noticed that Ken looked a little pale. TK was worried but Ken woke up a few minutes later. After both boys had showered, TK told Ken about his conversation the night before with his parents.

"What did they say," Ken asked, sitting down heavily on his bed.

"I think it would be better if you talked to them."
Ken only looked apprehensive.

"I don't know if I can do this," he said. "There's so much to say. What if they don't understand? What if they're disappointed?"

"It'll turn out alright."

"Are you sure?"

Just then the rest of the group arrived and were ushered in to Ken's room by his mother.

After his mom left, Ken told the others they were going to have to go to the digital world without him.

In the Digital World, all was not well. Kari was the first to notice it.
"All the colors are fading, it's seems as though this world is dying," she said.
The group stared at her.

"What do you mean," Tk asked her.

But just as she was about to answer TK yelled. Faster than any of the others could reach out to him, he was gone. The ground swallowed him up. Patamon freaked out. All of the Digidestined started calling to him, but there was no answer.