A/N: Nothing, just read the darn thing! And remember that the episodes when Ken becomes good do not exist in this timeline!
Disclaimer: Sorry. Digimon's not mine. I wish though…
For the Sake of Love Part Three: Prophecy
Ken slowly opened his eyes – and blinked as brown eyes amazingly close to his face came into focus. He grimaced slightly as the face belonging to the eyes swam into view, glaring angrily at him – Davis, leader of the Digidestined. "What the heck were you doing back there?!?" he yelled. Ken winced; the bellowing was not helping his pounding headache. Then his violet eyes widened in fear. He struggled to his feet and looked around. Dark Tyrannamon was gone, vanquished by Halsemon's final attack. But where was –
"Yolei?" he called. Uncontrolled terror raced through his veins. What if she had…?
"Yeah, and what about Yolei?" Davis demanded. "What did you think you were doing with her?" The next second he was nearly knocked off his feet as a purple blur raced past him.
"Ken!" The other Digidestined stared as Yolei ran to him and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. If it had been any other time, Ken would have laughed at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces. But as for now…
"I was so scared…I thought…I thought…" Yolei choked out before dissolving into helpless tears too fierce for her to speak.
Ken was partially shocked. He had never comforted anyone before, and certainly he had not allowed anyone to do so to him. Still, he wrapped his arms around her, crooning softly.
"Shhh…don't cry…it's all right," he murmured. He tilted her tearstained face up to him. "I'm okay," he whispered, before kissing her with all of his strength. Yolei kissed back almost desperately, as if afraid he would disappear if she let him go.
The Digidestined looked on, their emotions ranging from shock (Kari) to disbelief (T.K. and Cody) to anger (Davis). "Hey, what's the big idea…" Davis began. He stopped abruptly. Yolei had started to glow. A pink light was emanating from her Digivice, and (it seemed) from her very skin. It covered her and Ken with its brilliance. Kari gasped, as a similar but all-too-different light burst forth from Ken's Digivice. This light was black. It quickly engulfed Ken's entire body, choking out the pink light, and suddenly their kiss seemed harsh, more violent. T.K. and Davis automatically stepped forward, ready for trouble.
But there…the pink light was not gone. It was still there, pulsing beneath the black, and it was growing stronger. Then the rosy light reached the black Digivice…
There was a flash. The Digidestined stepped back, momentarily blinded (except for Ken and Yolei, who were still kissing.) When they could see again, they saw golden – not black – light pour out from Ken's now saffron Digivice. It drove away the black, beating it down until it disappeared. A final black cloud expelled itself from Ken's body, dissipating into the night. Ken and Yolei finally broke their kiss, both of them looking slightly dazed. They stared at each other.
Ken had never experienced anything like that before. Pain had screamed through his body, like his very veins were on fire. He had no idea what was happening to him, but holding Yolei closer seemed to make the pain lessen. He could hear screaming, and a feeling of darkness so inherent it turned his body to ice. The pain was excruciating...then it started to disappear, as a feeling like cool rain washed over him. He was completely stunned when he let Yolei go. I had no idea any kiss could be like that, he thought dazedly.
Ken looked over at the remaining Digidestined. They were in absolute shock. He held Yolei close to him defensively. This is not how I wanted this to happen, he thought. But it did, and I'll be damned if I let them take her from me now. He was reassured by a loving glance from Yolei, and turned to stare coolly at the other children.
Surprisingly it was Cody who spoke first. "Yolei…" he stopped, then tried again. "How long?" he asked simply.
Ken felt Yolei tense. "A long time," she replied. "Months, now…"
Kari was looking at them with the oddest expression on her face. Try as he might, Ken could not read the emotion. She hesitated. It was very difficult to express what she was thinking in words, so the question came out much more bluntly then she intended. "Why?" Astonishment – and slight betrayal – was evident in her voice.
Ken answered that one. "After what you have just seen, I should think it fairly obvious," he said softly, struggling to keep the annoyance he was feeling out of his tone.
Davis looked like the whole world had turned over. "But he's our enemy!" Ken couldn't hide his irritated sigh, any more than he could help the rolling of his eyes.
T.K. looked at them both. "I'm afraid I'm agreeing with Davis on this one," he said. He looked utterly confused. Apparently the idea of a comrade in love with the enemy was too much for the two boys to handle.
Ken clenched his fist (on the arm that was not wrapped around Yolei). There was only one thing he could do now. You can't! an inner voice screamed .This is all you have, you can't do this! He shoved that voice away. It's the only way now. "Think what you like," he said. "But I'm willing to…" he took a deep breath. "I'm willing to try and start over, no matter what you decide about me." The joyous look Yolei gave him helped dispel the pang of loss he felt at having to give up the Digital world. Maybe it was their imagination, but a faint glow seemed to surround Ken as he said that…
Then, a – was that a – it was! A Digiegg! The Chosen Children gaped in awe as a brilliant golden egg floated down out of nowhere, to come to rest right in between Ken and Yolei. As if in a trance, Ken reached up and took it…
*Cue Digivolving sequence*
"Wormmon Digivolve to…Stingmon!"
"Stingmon…the paragon of Kindness!"
"Kindness?" gasped Davis. "What is this?"
"That Digiegg has the Crest of Kindness on it!" yelled T.K incredulously. "And it came to Ken?"
"The prophecy!" Kari exclaimed. "Love will bring Kindness out of the Dark...this must be it!"
Ken and Yolei held on to each other as they stared at the brand-new Digimon. Stingmon stood over them, in all his insectoid glory. "Worm…Wormmon?" stammered Ken. In all honesty, he had forgotten Wormmon was even there when DarkTyrranamon lost control. He reached out a hand to his Digimon, but before he could touch him, a laugh rang out of the trees.
"Look!" yelled Cody. Everyone spun around to see a black figure walk out of the woods. As he came closer, they could see-
"Ken?" Yolei cried. "But…" she turned to look at the real Ken, still standing at her side. "Then who...?"
Ken was struck dumb at this likeness of himself. The two were an exact match, right down to every spike of hair. He stared as the boy (man? creature? Digimon?) came closer.
Cody suddenly had a terrifying thought. He thought back to when the black cloud had escaped Ken's body. When all that evil left Ken, where did it go? With a chill he remembered the prophecy: "But the Darkness will not let him go so easily…"
"Run!" he yelled, as the Emperor-likeness raised an arm to attack.
Ooohh…I'm evil…please review!
Standard disclaimer applies.