Ken was still sleeping, when suddenly, he opens his eyes. His mother enters in the room and to her surprise, she sees him sitting.
- My God, Ken. You finally wake up - she says, almost screaming - Honey, come here. He´s awake.
His father runs to his room and looks surprised to him too.
- This is a miracle.
Ken looks surprised to them.
- Mother, father? What happened?
- Oh, honey. We have been so worried about you. You´ve been in coma for a couple of days. You disappeared from home for a couple of months, but when you return you fall in coma - explain his mother.
- We were been so worried about you, but we knew that you would wake up soon - say his father - Could you tell us what happened in the time that you disappeared?
He looks to them confused.
- I... I... I don´t know. I don´t remember - he say, with his hands in his head - The last thing that I remember is of doing bubbles in the balcony with...
He opens more his eyes, and looks around.
- Where is Osamu? Where is my brother?
His parents look shocked to him.
- But... but Ken. Your brother died a long time ago - reveals his mother.
Suddenly, that terrible memory of that moment returned. The tears begin to fall from his eyes.
- Oh no. How could I forgot that? Osamu died and it was all my fault - he cries.
- But, Ken. What are you saying? - asks his mother, worried.
- Please, leave me alone.
- But, Ken...
- Please, let me be alone - he insists, not in a rude way.
His father puts an hand in her shoulders.
- Is better if we do what he said. We talk with him when he calms down.
They leave the room, worried. They went to the living room and stood there.
Ken gets up of his bed and approachs of his balcony, looking with sadness to the view at his front. He was remembering all the events that happened before the dead of his brother, some years ago.
" When I was a little kid, I loved to do bubbles made with water and soap, prepared by my brother Osamu. Just like that I could do them well done. He was a genius and an excelent student. He could do everything. And he was very proud of himself. All our neighbors talked so well about him. Because of that I begin to fell that my parents attention were just for him, and that they were forgetting that I exist" - all those memories begin to occupy his mind one after the other - " I was feeling so excluded that I even wished that my brother died. And it was a few days after that, that he died hit by a car in my front, when he was crossing the road - he remembers, lamentably - I never forgive myself because of that, because of that evil wish that I had. I wanted to run away from here, to spy my guilt. To do something that could bring him back again. But it wasn´t use. All what I could do was continue living"
While Ken was remembering those hard moments, his parents were in the sitting room, sit in the couch.
- I can´t feel anything else but guilt for what is happening with or son - say his mother with sadness.
- Why do you say that, honey? - asks his father, shocked.
- Do you remember what happened some years after or son Osamu died? Suddenly, Ken begun to have great results in school, and we became so happy because we though that we had recover or Osamu.
- Yes, I remember. And what was bad we that?
- Don´t you think that we should payed more attention to what was happening to him? That that suddently change of Ken was strange? We even didn´t pay attention to Ken´s feelings when Osamu died. He closed himself in his own world and we didn´t though about it. We just payed attention to him when his results begin to get better. We were more proud with his prises and with his fame. Just when he disappeared was when we realize how much he was important to us - she recognizes it with sadness.
Her husband was recognizing the truth of her words.
- You have right, honey. Since Osamu died that we forgot about Ken all these years - he say, looking to the floor with shame.
Ken´s mother raises up, still with a sad face.
- I´m gonna do a snack to him. Maybe he´s more calm now.
She goes to the kitchen.
Ken was now sit in front of his computer, trying to remember of more things. He knew that were memories buried in the deep of his mind, but he could reach them. It was then, that he heard someone knocking in the door.
- Yes?
His mother opens the door, holding a board with a peace of cake on it and with a package of milk.
- I did a snack to you, Ken. You must have hunger - she say, tenderly.
- Sorry, mom, but I don´t have hunger.
She could hear that his tone wasn´t that cold and bitter from before of his disapearance. Now was just soft and sad.
- But you didn´t eat nothing for several days, Ken. Please, try a bit - she asks, worried.
- Leave it in there. I already eat a bit - he says simply, trying to confort her.
He turns his head to Osamu picture, and his mother saw that. She couldn´t contain her tears, seeing her son´s sad face.
- My dear Ken. Now I know that you are the one who most suffered with the lost of your brother - she say, cleaning her tears.
She begins to walk to the door, when she guides her hand to her right side, and feels something inside of her pocket. She takes the thing from there and sees Ken´s Digivice, which she found in the ground when she found him lied in his bed.
- I remember, Ken. This is yours, right? - she asks extending the Digivice to him - I found it in the ground, next to your bed.
Ken grabs the Digivice, looking surprised to it.
- Yes, yes, its mine.
- Ok. If you need something, please, call us. And please, eat a bit, Ken - she insists tenderly.
When his mother leaves the room, Ken, who was looking to his black digivice, was remembering the moment that he received that instrument.
" I was in my room with Osamu, reading a book, when this thing appeared from the computer and fell in the floor. We stood looking for it for a while, and then Osamu grabbed it, and tried to understhand what it was. Since he couldn´t do nothing he put it in the drawer. Then, he left the room, annoyed for couldn´t make that thing work. I took advantage of that to open the drawer a look better to that digivice. I grabbed it, and in that moment, it shined intensively. At the same time, the computer begin to shine to, like if was reacting to the digivice. Like if was calling it. I extended the digivice to the screen and I was sucked to it. I don´t remember what it happen after that. I couldn´t remember what happened after that, but I did that several times for several days, until one day that my brother finded me with the digivice in my hand. He run angry to me, and took brutally the digivice from me, proclaiming that was his and that I couldn´t take the others´s things without permission; and put it again in his drawer. He order me, in fury, to leave his room, and so I did it, devastated with my brother´s words. It was after that that I wished with more will than ever that my brother disappeared. And so it happened. My brother was dead, and I was buried alive with guilt for his death".
Looking to the digivice, those memories were returning to him. In that moment, the Digivice begun to shine, and Ken raised from his chair, shocked. With that, he remembered another thing.
" After Osamu´s death, I received an anonymous´s email for me. I opened it and readed it. The message was saying " Your brother died because of a terrible accident. This must had break your heart. But you shouldn´t feel that way. In fact, the dead had freed your brother from this sick world. He is now in a better place. But you will still have to leave in this sick place. I´ve so much pitty of you because of that. However, I know a better place for you to leave. A world just for you". I was reading that message so anxious. But at the same time, those words were making me feel less guilty for Osamu´s death, so I prefered to believe in that message. The less sentence of the message was " To go to that world you just have to extend your digivice to your computer". And so I understhand that that world that was for me, was the one which I saw when I entered in the computer."
Remembering that, seeing the connection between the digivice and the computer, the same connection that he saw the first time when he grabbed the digivice, Ken didn´t though twice and extended the digivice to the computer to continue discovering the mistery of her closed mind. He was sucked immediatly.
After he enter in the computer, his mother enter in his room.
- Dear son, do you already eat something... - she stopped when she didn´t found him - Ken, where are you? - she looks around the room.
When Ken arrives to the Digimon world, he appears in a place surrounded by trees. More memories begin to rise in his head.
" When I arrived here for the first time, I didn´t know where I was. I begin to explore this place. After a while, I saw some weird creatures walking by here. They didn´t saw me when I saw them, but I also didn´t let me being seen because I didn´t know if they were hostils or not. I left that place with careful, and continued to explore. After a while I saw some bush moving. I became scared with that, because I though that something awful was about to jump from there. But only appeared a creature, a green worm with big and innocent blue eyes. He told me to not have afraid, that his name was Wormmon, and that he was waiting for me, of is human partner. He also told me that this was the Digimon World, an world composed by datas, and full of creatures called Digimons, it´s inhabitants. I walked with him by the Digimon World, while he was showing it to me, and he turned into my best friend. All the time that I went to the Digimon World, was only to be near of Wormmon. The last time that I saw him, before Osamu catch me with the Digivice, he told me that he was happy to have me has his partner and that I was a very kind boy. He also told me to not let go my Digivice ever. That only belonged to me and that I had a very important mission to complete. But after my brothers dead, when I returned to the Digimon World after reading that message, I appeared in a very different place of the Digimon World. Was a very dark place, with a dark sea in my front and surrounded by a dark fog. I didn´t know how, but, when I appeared in that place, I felt that someone was calling for me. I could hear the voice in my mind. I looked around, but I didn´t saw anyone. But I still could heard that voice inside of my head, that was saying to me to walk to the water. I did what that voice told me, and in that moment, I felt a scratch in my neck"
His memories stopped to show in that moment. He tried to remember of something else, but his memories were still very blocked. But more than that, he didn´t know where Wormmon was in that moment.
- Wormmon, where are you? - he called.
He continued walking by there, calling for Wormmon. He was very confused, because he didn´t remember nothing after those memories when he arrived to the black sea for the first time. He didn´t remember what happened to Wormmon after that.
He arrived to a place, next to a cliff, with trees making an barrier to it. He becames surprised when he saw three children under the cliff, helping some Digimons with some constructions. When the boy with the googles in the head turned to his side, Ken could see his face and recognized him immediately. In that moment, the rest of his memories appeared suddenly.
"After I arrived to the Dark Ocean, and feel that scratch in my neck, I continue hear that voice inside of my head, to put my digivice under the water, and so I did it. When I did it, it turned in this new and black Digivice - he remember, looking to it - After that, I begin to feel my brain activate instantly. My inteligence begin to grow and so my ambitions. Suddenly I begin to understhand everything and I was completely full of will to obtain power. When I leaved, my evaluation in school was getting better and better until I being recognized as a genious. The first time that I saw Wormmon after I leave the Dark Ocean, I was very rude with him and violent, and I forced him to call me Digimon Kaiser, because I considered my self the ruler of this World - he remembered the first time that he hitted Wormmon - And he obey me in fear and sadness. But he never leaved my side, for much that I mistreating him or for much that I mistreating the others Digimons. Then those guys appeared and they confronted me. When they made me realise the horrible things that I´ve done, I felt terrible, a monster " - the last thing he remembered was of Wormmon death in his arms.
- My God. Wormmon died - he says in despair, putting the hands in his head - How could I forgot that? I left him died. First was Osamu, and now was Wormmon. I lost the two most important persons to me because of me. What I´m gonna do now? - he said, embracing himself, with tears in his eyes.
In that moment, he sees his Digivice shine.
- What is happening?
He raises with it in his hand and begins to follow the signal which was showed in the Digivice.
While Ken was following by the florest, Davis, Codi and T.k., who were the only who Ken saw under the cliff, where helping some Gotsumons with the constrution of the city, while Kari and Yolei were in another place.
- I´m so tired - say Davis, sitting in a rock, together with V-mon - I can´t believe that we have a lot of things to rebuild. The Kaiser really leaved this a mess.
- I agreed - say T.K. - Since this was all his fault I think we should go get him to help us when he wakes up.
- No way - says Codi, firmly - I don´t want that he comes back here after what he did. Is better if he stay way.
Armadillomon looks admired to him.
- Codi! - he exclaimed.
Davis looks admired to him.
- I don´t agree so that much with you, Codi. I don´t think that he´s a threat anymore.
- We can´t thrust him - says Codi firmly.
In that moment, they hear their digivices doing a "bip, bip" sound.
- I think our digivices are detecting something - say Davis, serious, looking to it.
- And it seems that it came from there - says Codi, pointing to the florest, over the cliff, behind of them.
- Can it be another Digiegg, or something like that? - asks Armadillomon.
- I don´t know. We have to follow it to know what it is - completes T.K..
While they follow the signal that their digivices detected, Ken was following his own signal. He continued walking a little more, until he arrive to the a place full of eggs in the grown.
- Where am I? - he asks to himself, confused.
- You are in the place where the Digimons that died, transform themselfs in Digieggs and reborn - explains a baby Digimon next to him, who already had reborn.
- Really? That it means that Wormmon will reborn too like those Digimons? - asks him, anxious.
- Of course. All the Digimons reborn.
Happy with that information, Ken runs to the middle of the field, looking for the Digiegg of Wormmon. But he was surrounded by so many Digieggs that he didn´t know where was the one that he was looking for.
- How can I know where is Wormmon´s Digiegg in the middle of these Digieggs? - he asks, confused, looking around.
- Hey, you must be the Digimon Kaiser - says reproachfully, an angry baby Digimon next to him - What do you wanna do with Wormmon´s Digiegg? Haven´t you had enought of mistreats him?
- No, no - tries to explains Ken, feelingly - I just wanna have my friend back.
- Is really need to have audacity for you to call him friend after what you have done to him - accuses him another baby Digimon in his other side - Are you believing that Wormmon´s reborn will smooth your guilty for what you have done to him or the others Digimons?
- You are so selfish - continues accuse him another baby Digimon behind him - You just think in your own feelings. Do you really believe that Wormmon will reborn to help a selfish guy like you?
Those words left Ken shocked.
- It means that Wormmon will not come back? - then, saddly, he remembered that the same thing happened to his brother - Of course. How could he? My brother died too and he didn´t came back too. How could someone return to the side of the responsible for their death? - he says to himself, lowering in his knees.
- What you did was horrible - continues one of the baby Digimon - What you did is completely irreparable.
- The pass can´t be undone - says the other baby - That other side of yours will always be part of you. Admit that.
Ken´s looks to the ground, crying.
- I really have to admit that. I distroyed the Digimon world, mistreated all those poor Digimons and even my best friend Wormmon. I left my friend died because of my destructive ambition - he says, with guilt eroding him - But why have I did that? - he says desperated, with his hands in his head - I remembered a lot of things, but why can´t I remember the reason that turn me into sush a destructive person? Why suddenly, I left of see Wormmon like a friend, and passed to see him like an annoyance?
He tried to force is mind, but was useless. It was like something was blocking is mind.
- But even if I remembered, the true is that nothing will change what I did - he embraces himself, crying - Osamu, Wormmon, please forgive me. I will always live with the responsability of what I´ve done. If I had the change, I would try to repair everything what I´ve done - he yells in despair.
Suddenly, he´s digivice begins to shine, together with another pink Digiegg next to him. Confused, he raises and walks to it.
- Why is my digivice, reacting to this Digiegg? - he asks, looking to it.
Then he touches in the Digiegg, and it opens immediately, revealing a creature inside of it.
- Worm...mon - he babbles, apprehensive.
Then the creature looks to him.
- Hi, Ken. I´m so happy to see you again.
Ken cries, seeing his friend alive again in his front.
- I was looking for you - he says tenderly, holding him.
- I´m so happy to know that, Ken. I knew that you would come for me.
Ken embraces him, still crying.
- Thanks for comeback, Wormmon.
Wormmon cries together with him.
In that moment, Ken hears some steps behind of him.
- Ken Ichijouji? - he hears the familiar voice of Davis.
He looks behind and sees Davis, T.K., Codi, and their Digimons looking to him very surprised, just like him to them. Immediately they understhand that the signal that their Digivices detected was of Ken´s Digivice. They couldn´t left of feel a big anger of him.
- Weren´t you in coma? - asks T.K., seriously.
- Yes, but... I woke up yesterday - he explains, aprehensive.
- And what are you doing here? You came to finish what you begin? - asks Codi, in a calm tone, but venomous.
- No, I... - he begins but is immediatly interrupted by Davis.
- So what are you doing here? - asks Davis, angry.
- Please, guys. Is not what you think - says leafmon ( Wormmon´s fresh form ), defending immediatly his partner - He just came to look for me.
Davis, T.K. and Codi look surprised to the digimon in his arms. But immediately, T.K. and Patamon expression turns more calm, since he knew what was happening.
- Who are you? You can´t be Wormmon - says Davis.
- Actually I am - reveals Leafmon himself.
- But how can be possible? We saw you die - completes Codi Davis sentence.
- But the Digimons can reborn again - explains T.K., with a serious face.
Davis and Codi look to him.
- Are you serious, T.K.? - asks Codi.
- Yes. All we reborn in the Digimon World after we die - says Patamon, over T.K.´s head.
Then they look again to Ken.
- Well, it doesn´t matter - says Codi with contempt - How can you return to the side of that monster again? - he asks to Leafmon, referring to Ken.
- Please, guys. Don´t say that. He´s not the Digimon Kaiser anymore - defends him Leafmon.
- How can we believe in that? - asks T.K. in the same tone as Codi.
- I just know it. I can feel it - he insists.
- And how can we thrust in you too? You were being by Ken´s side all that time that he did those horrible things to our world - accuses him Patamon.
Ken raises from the floor with Leafmon in his arms, offended with that accusation.
- Please guys. Don´t accuse him - he beggs to them - He was all by my side all this time because he liked me a lot. He just wanted to be by my side, altought the way I was treating him. Never was malice in his heart, unlike me. He always tried to stop my actions in his own way.
Davis was the only one starting to believe in Ken´s change, unlike the others that just stood there listening, still not believing in his innocence. But in that moment, they heard an impact tremor that left them worried.
- What is this? - asks Codi, falling.
- I think that something is approaching to here - says Davis.
Then a big shadow covers Ken´s figure completely from behind. He turns to behind to see what it was, and he sees the figure of a Centarumon. Immediately, he takes Leafmon from his arms.
- Wormmon! - he screams worried.
- Ken! - screams too Wormmon after being removed from his partner´s arms.
- You will pay for everything what you have done, Digimon Kaiser - he threats him.
- Please, leave Wormmon in peace - he beggs to him.
- Never. You will not see your Digimon partner again. That is your punishment.
Then Davis approach of Ken.
- Please, don´t do that. Wormmon don´t have fault of this - he beggs to him too.
- Digidestined, please, stay out of this. I´m doing a favor to you. This scoundrel needs to be punished for everything that he did - he orders, pointing to Ken´s the cannon in his arm.
He shoots to him, but Davis deviates Ken of the way.
- Ken! - screams Leafmon, scaried.
- I will not allow that to you. You don´t have the right to kill a Digidestined - says Davis, firmly.
- How could you? How can you believe in this scoundrel? - asks Centarumon indignated.
- I don´t know if he changed but I know that he´s not the Digimon Kaiser anymore. So please. Give him back Wormmon.
- Never! - he refused, firmly.
- In that case, you don´t give me another choice - he says, seriously, turning to V-mon, holding the Digivice.
- Are you ready, V-mon?
- Of course, Davis - he says, firmly.
Believing in Davis logic, T.K. prepares to do the same thing.
- Are you ready, Patamon?
- Sure - he agrees.
Both Digivolve to Exveemon and to Angemon. They fly in his direction and Exveemon is the first to shoot to Centarumon, but he could deviate of it. Then Angemon does the same thing.
- Codi, aren´t we going to help them? - asks Armadillomon.
- But why should we do it? Isn´t Ken receiving the punishment that he deserved? - he asks confused and a little indignated.
- But, Codi, what are you saying?
Then Exveemon and Angemon shoot to Centarumon, but he deviates once again, and shoots his Solar Ray to each one of them, making them fall, weakened.
- Oh, no! Exveemon.
- Angemon! - exclaims both Davis and T.K..
Then Centarumon looks victorious to Ken with Leafmon in his hand, who was seeing everything worried.
- Now I´m gonna finish with your friend.
- No! Wormmon - he screams, raising and trying to run to him but being prevented by Davis and T.K. who were grabing him by his arms.
- Don´t approach more of him. He´s dangerours - says Davis.
- Please. Don´t do that - he still begs, screaming.
- Please, don´t kill me. I waited all this time to reborn to be by Ken´s side again - says Leafmon, crying.
Those words made effect in Codi´s heart.
- He wants to be by his side, after the way that he treated him? - asks Codi to himself - How can he? Can I thrust in Wormmon´s will?
- Say goodbye to your friend - says Centarumon, ready to kill Leafmon.
- NNNOOOO! - screams Codi.
Then his Digivice shines, making Armadillomon Digivolve to Ankylomon.
- But, what happened? - asks Codi, looking surprised to the champion form of Armadillomon.
- He could digivolve - says T.K., looking surprised to him too, just like Davis and Ken.
In that moment, Exveemon and Angemon can recover some of his strengh and prepares to attack Centarumon again. Exveemon shoots his X laiser, but he could deviate once again. But Ankilomon taked advantage of that instant that he lands on the floor, and immediatly, attacks him with his tail hammer, making him releases Leafmon from his hands, and fall.
Leafmon lands in Ken´s arms, who holds him tenderly.
Then Exveemon, Angemon and Ankilomon, form a barrier in their front to prevent Centarumon of approach again. He raises again and looks threateningly.
- You will regret for trust in that rascal. And it will not be because of me - he say, running from there.
Ken was hugging Leafmon, deeply, and crying.
- I thought that I was gonna loose you again.
- Me too, Ken - say Leafmon crying too.
Then Codi approachs of him to his front, looking with a mad face to him.
- Now that you have Wormmon with you, can you leave, please?
- Codi! - exclaims Davis, seeing his rudeness.
But Codi ignored him. However, instead of arguing with him, Ken just said:
- Thank you for save Wormmon. I wouldn´t know what wouldn´t happen if it wasn´t you.
- I just did it for Wormmon. If he´s choice is to stay with you, them thats with him. Now, please, leave - he orders, firmly.
Feeling that Codi´s words were making his guilt turn more strong, he deviates from there, with Leafmon in his arms, walking saddly. When he was farway, Davis turns to Codi and asks:
- Why have you done that? Don´t you see that he´s different?
- Davis, come on. Wake up! Do you really believe that Ken had turn into a better person? After everything that he had done? - asks Codi, indignated - I don´t trust him. I just saved Wormmon because was his will to stay by Ken´s side. I just trust in Wormmon, not in Ken.
- But...
- Codi has right, Davis - completes T.K. Codi sentence - You need to think better in that trust in him. We need to stay vigilants about him.
Davis didn´t know how contradict them. He wanted to believe that Ken was now a good guy, but could he be wrong?
The Digimons returned to their normal form, and all of them, return to were they were, before they follow the signal of Ken´s Digivice.
While that, Ken returns home from the place where he entered in the Digimon World, and appears again in his room holding Leafmon.
- Don´t worry about them, Ken. I´m sure that someday, they will trust in you - says Wormmon.
- I don´t have so sure about that - he says, in a lower tone - And I can´t blame them for that. But what it matters now is that I have you with me again - he says, hugging him again.
- I´m so happy too, Ken.
Then Ken leaves his room and goes to find his parents, who he finds in the leaving room. His mother was crying because he thought that he had disappeared again.
- Ken! Where have you been? We were being so worried about you - say his father.
- We had so much afraid of loose you again - say his mother, crying.
Seeing his mother crying for him, Ken understhood that his parents always liked him just like they liked his brother. Now he knows that.
- Mom... - he says, surprised.
They look admired to him too, after he says that.
- Mom! You called me "mom"? - she says - How much I missed that you called me for sush tender name.
And they embrace him, tenderly.
- Mom, dad. I´m so glad to have you as my parents.
But there was still a thing to do, to close the trust between them. Ken goes get Leafmon, who was behind of the door hearing everything and shows him to his parents.
- Mom, dad. I would like that you meet Leafmon.
They look confused to him, but immediatly Ken begins to tell everything about him and about the Digimon World. After all, they deserved to know why he had been desappeared for so long time, and because he was planning to disappear more times to the Digimon World to complete is true mission. In that way, they wouldn´t be surprised of not seeing him in his bedroom, everytime he disappeared. And for the first time in his life, he could say thanks to his brother Osamu, that somehow, he felt that his energy helped him to recover.