A/N: You know, the last part was actually going to be the last. But I got so many requests for continuations, I'm writing more! Thanks so much for liking my story! This part will explain Ken's actions in the last part. Well, on to the fic!
Disclaimer: After all the rest of the stories I posted, do you really think I own Digimon now? Nope, sorry. Look for free merchandise somewhere else! ;-)
The Heart of an Emperor Part Four: Spring
Wormmon peeked around the corner of the door into the control room. Yes, Ken was still sitting in the middle of it, completely unmoving. He had been there for hours and hadn't moved or spoken. Wormmon had to look twice to be sure his Master was still breathing.
"Master?" he asked timidly. He knew Ken didn't like to be interrupted but he was starting to get worried. "Master?" No response. The little Digimon had sighed and turned to leave the room when an alarm went off. He immediately turned back. "Master, the Digidestined are here!" Ken looked up. It was the first sign of life he had shown since that morning. "Oh, thank good –" he stopped and oddly at his master. Ken was staring unblinkingly at the screen that had just popped up, which showed the Digidestined. "Master?" he questioned again. Still no response.
* * *
Ken wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in his control room. After Yolei had left –after you let her go, a nasty voice inside him said – he had found himself in the middle of the room with no recollection of how he had gotten there. Ken had just sat down – and he had been there ever since.
The Emperor took no notice of time passing. His thoughts whirled, round and round his head until he wanted to scream or go mad with the weight of them all. What is wrong with me? He thought angrily for the hundredth time. I got rid of my human emotions a long time ago! She shouldn't have this effect on me! She…he stopped there, for every time his thoughts came full circle they always landed back on one thing – Yolei. He didn't want to think of her. He didn't want to think of what had happened that morning, which was the reason he was sitting there in the first place…
**Flashback**
Ken woke up early that morning. He felt strangely happy, and he lay contentedly in bed trying to recall the last fleeting traces of his dream. There were himself, and handcuffs, Yolei and that whip of his…WHAT?
Ken sat up in a blind panic. He had dreamed that? The impossibility of it sent his mind reeling. His only clear thought: This has to stop. Yes. He would find a way to get rid of this feeling, get rid of these dreams, stop the way he felt almost –human- when he was with a certain purple-haired prisoner…no!
Panic sent his scattered thoughts to the wind, scrambling for purchase in his agitated mind. To his fuzzy sleep-encrusted brain there was only one solution: get rid of Yolei. After all, to kill a snake you cut off its head. He could fix the cracks in the broken wall around his heart by forcing Yolei out.
He hadn't counted on Yolei feeling like he did. He hadn't counted on her kissing him, there in the bottom of his dungeons, before running from him horrified that she had even touched him. He never dreamed that he would like it so much, or be so hurt when she ran.
**End Flashback**
Ken clenched his teeth in anger. Why hadn't his idea worked? Instead of making his feelings go away, losing her had made them even stronger. None of his genius had ever prepared him for what was happening now, and try as he might there was no logical explanation for what he was feeling.
For a minute Ken thought he heard voices, but he was too deep in thought to listen. He continued to brood, succeeding only in making his thinking wilder and more ragged.
What was that? His alarm? Like a swimmer clutching a life preserver he listened to that sound, letting it pull his mind back to the reality of his tower. So he was awake enough to hear Wormmon say, "Master, the Digidestined are here!" Automatically his head snapped up to see the position of the Digidestined, who were now being displayed on his center view screen. His mind cried out a warning, but it was too late…
His gaze was immediately caught and held by a lone figure walking towards the main group of people. The larger group saw her and started running towards her, but Ken paid no attention to them. His hands typed into the keyboard without conscious thought, enlarging the view screen and duplicating it so the figure was shown in full glory around his entire tower as he sat mesmerized.
* * *
I can't believe I kissed him, thought Yolei. I don't believe it…I didn't…I did. Yolei had been walking aimlessly around in the Digital world with Hawkmon, who wisely recognized that trying to talk to one so preoccupied was useless. She knew in the back of her mind that she should be trying to find her way home, but she just couldn't concentrate on that thought long enough to act on it.
She had liked kissing him. That was what scared her the most. When he had ran after her, she hadn't thought about what she was doing. It seemed natural to kiss him, like there was no other alternative and she had planned it all along. It was only after she saw his shocked face that she realized what she had done and ran.
And now I'm wandering around in the Digital world acting like a stupid lovelorn girl in some romance novel, she thought. Who would have thought I'd sink so low? Nevertheless she kept walking.
Then she heard voices. "Yolei!" She looked up and saw Kari, T.K., Davis, and Cody running towards her. In a few minutes they had surrounded her, talking excitedly. She only caught snippets of what they were saying, but the gist seemed to be how they were amazed that she had escaped.
"I didn't escape," she said. "He let me go."
Davis, who was looking slightly miffed that he had been interrupted, yelled, "What!?! You mean we nearly killed ourselves trying to rescue you for nothing?"
"Davis!" Kari reprimanded him. Davis shrunk back under her tone. "Not that we didn't want to rescue you, of course," he added hastily.
"Yeah, of course," Yolei sniffed, pretending to be offended. "Didn't even want to rescue me. I feel wanted." Inside she was incredibly grateful for Davis' stupidity. She probably would never feel like that again, but right now it was drawing attention away from her and the fact that Ken had let her go. She didn't think she could explain why Ken had done that, if only because she didn't understand herself. Just like she couldn't explain that she hadn't entirely wanted to leave him…she quickly changed the subject. "Are my parents really worried? Did you make up an excuse or what happened?"
Her friends exchanged glances and groans. She smiled inwardly; she had apparently picked a very good topic to change the subject to. Davis started off the tirade. "You won't believe what we had to do!" he moaned. "It was so hard keeping your parents away…"
"You have never had more field trips, group school projects, and sleepovers in your entire life," Kari added.
"And my computer "broke down" so many times I'm surprised it still functions," said Cody.
Yolei laughed. "Thanks, you guys."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Davis demanded. "Let's get moving and go fight Ken!"
"What?" Yolei blurted out. She couldn't see Ken again, not before she had a chance to work out how she felt about him! Luckily Kari gave her an excuse. "Davis, you are so insensitive! Yolei just got out of the Ken's dungeon; do you think she wants to go back now?"
"Oops," Davis said sheepishly. "All right, then let's…um…go home, I guess." He looked thoroughly depressed at the thought.
"Better," Kari said.
"All right, that's great. Let's get back now," Yolei said irritably. The group walked towards the nearest TV monitor. As they walked, Yolei reached a decision about what she was going to about Ken. She firmly cemented the idea in her brain before she could change her mind. Though she had no intention of going home, she had to get everyone out of the way first.
When they got back into the real world (with the tradition of falling all over each other in the landing), Yolei pretended to need something from her locker and told everyone to go ahead. Once she was sure they were gone, she sneaked back into the computer room and re-entered the Digital world.
After she landed, she looked around to be sure of her surroundings. Yes, she knew where she was, and where she was going – or where she was going if she didn't lose her nerve. Already the little qualms of doubt were invading her will. This is stupid. He doesn't care about anyone. You know that. Just turn around and forget about it! She hesitated, half-turned back. No. I have to do this. Yolei set out at a run towards the Emperor's palace.
* * *
The Emperor had watched Yolei until she had disappeared from his realm. When he looked away, it was like coming out from under a spell. He had sat totally mesmerized for the better part of an hour.
Ken stood up at last, wincing as his legs -so long immobile- started working again. He started walking to his room when another alarm sounded. He whirled around to see Yolei – again. He barely had time to be amazed before he realized she was coming straight towards him.
Ken turned and walked out of his castle. He suddenly felt very old and surprisingly empty. His heart, earlier so stormy, had changed into a comforting void. He should have known that she would come. He had known; had known that he would not get away from her so easily. He stopped a little ways out from his castle and waited.
He didn't wait long. Yolei came charging over the hill, looking determined. His heart skipped a beat. She stopped in surprise when she saw him and tried to catch her breath.
Once she could talk, she said, "Ken."
"Yolei," he acknowledged. He managed to keep his voice and face completely expressionless. Inside, his void was suddenly seething with emotion. He didn't know seeing her in person would affect him this much.
"We need to talk." When he did not reply, she pressed on. "About what happened today." Ken still said nothing, and she got angry. "C'mon, Ken!" she cried. "How can I talk to you if you don't answer me?"
"You still have not asked me a question," Ken replied in perfect monotone. That was it. Keep her off balance, so he never had to talk about that morning. He could still keep her away.
She flushed angrily. "This morning when I…when I kissed you." Her cheeks got even redder.
"What about it?"
"Damn it, Ken! You know what I mean! We both felt something, and I know it!"
"How interesting," Ken said. His heart was thumping so loudly he was surprised she couldn't hear it. His lips were tingling as he remembered their kiss. "It's nice to know someone knows what I'm feeling." The words came out much more bitterly than he had wanted them to.
Yolei looked at him in surprise, then understanding. "You're scared. I can relate to that."
"I am not scared," Ken yelled at her.
She looked at him piercingly. "Then why won't you look at me?" Yolei asked softly. He started. It was true; he hadn't looked directly at her since she had arrived. Defiantly he looked her straight in the eye –
The strange state came over him again; the one where he couldn't think, could hardly even breathe. He fell into her eyes as all his defenses, so carefully laid, came crashing down around him.
They were standing so close…so very close…
Ken made the first move. He reached out and cupped her face with his hand, before leaning down and kissing her hungrily. She kissed him back with equal passion, putting her arms around him. The world faded away around them, as the Emperor's frozen heart awoke at last.
That's my best attempt. My entry to IZZY GIRL's Kenlei contest has officially ended. I worked very hard on this, so please, please review.