Chapter 4

"The stars are pretty tonight" Yolei said. She and Ken had been staring in silence for about a half-hour, looking into the digital sky. Yolei wasn't that keen on speaking to her enemy, but if she didn't break the silence, Yolei thought it would kill her. Ken, in response to Yolei speaking, rolled his head to the left to look at her.

"I guess they are. I don't really think of stars as anything more than burning clumps of hydrogen." Ken said tiredly. Normally, Ken wouldn't have even bothered with talk, but he was incredibly bored. "But, as long as we're on the subject, do you see that cluster of stars to the left?

"Yeah."

"That's called the Gizadrom. Many say it looks like a Gizamon, though I never saw it." Ken said smartly

Yolei now turned her head to look at Ken, confused.

"How do you know this?" She asked

"Gekomon. Annoying digimon, but have amazingly good records. When I took one of their cities, I came across a library full of books. They contained information of Astronomy, History and just facts about this world. I downloaded as much as I could onto my base computer and have been studying it." Ken said in reply.

Yolei stared even more at Ken and gave him the strangest look.

"You find that stuff interesting? I mean I would, but you trying take over this place, not learn about it."

"Yes, well." Ken coughed, shifting uncomfortably, seeming embarrassed "How can I conquer something I don't even know?"

"I guess that's true." Yolei said. After that they stared in silence at the sky again for around five minuets. Then Yolei gathered up her courage and asked the long awaited question.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What? Staring at the sky?" Ken asked

"No. Why are you trying to take over the digiworld and fighting us?" Yolei said trying to keep her courage.

Ken sighed. He'd wondered which one of his enemies would be the one to ask the question. It had only been a matter of time.

"Isn't that what Kari didn't want us to do?" Ken asked, thinking the day's event's and shuddered. "I don't ever want to listen to that scream again."

"But Kari's not awake. The least you could do is try to make me understand you."

Ken looked at Yolei and gave her a short smile for her persistence. The fact was, he was only playing this game because an unknown voice in his head. Ken really didn't want to admit that something was compelling him to play, some force that almost seemed to be controlling him.

"Let's just say, that destiny has made me what I am and there's really nothing you can do about it." Ken finally said

"OK. But, if fighting us is destiny, then why are we working together?"

For once in his life, Ken was speechless.

"The stars are pretty tonight, Ken." Yolei said trying to lighten the mood

"Yes Yolei, yes they are."

And with that the two enemies watched in silence as a shooting star fell from overhead. Then some where around one o'clock, sleep finally took hold of Ken.

***

Ken woke up to something really smelly smothering his face and a lot of weight on his good shoulder. He painfully used his injured arm to take of the smelling item and see what was going on.

"Up and at'em, sunshine" Ken heard Davis say sarcastically as he blinked in the sunlight. He looked and saw Davis zipping up the bag he had brought with him and giving him an amused smile. Ken then looked over to his left and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock. Yolei must have fallen asleep next to him and had her head resting on his shoulder.

"Yolei?" Ken said while moving his shoulder, hoping to wake her up. "Wake up."

"Hmmm? What's going on?" Yolei said sleepily. She opened her eyes and saw what she had used as a pillow. Needless to say, she was startled.

"Ahhh! I am so sorry Ken! I didn't realize... Hey, Davis! What are you staring at? It's not like we did anything." Yolei loudly said in Ken's ear. While Davis laughed his head off, Yolei stood up and walked to the lake to wash up.

"Sure you didn't!" Davis called to her retreating back while Ken was caught between shock and embarrassment. "Anyway, Ken, you should put those clothes on."

Ken looked at what he had taken off his face. It was a black T-shirt and in front of him was a pair of olive green kaki shorts.

"And where did you get these?" Ken said looking disgusted.

"Those are my gym clothes, I had gym yesterday. And, unless you want to walk around with bloody, dirty and ripped clothing, I suggest you put them on." Davis said bluntly

Ken grumbled, but gathered up the clothes and used the tree to help stand. He almost didn't make it, but then Davis came over and straightened Ken up and Ken walked away still clutching his side. When Ken came back from the woods, he almost looked like Ken Ichijouji, not the digimon Kaiser, well, except for the hair, which was still as wild as ever. Breakfast was fish again and no one complained. In fact, no one really talked at all, for they were to busy looking at Ken in shock. The only one who didn't seem to shocked was Wormmon, who was still calling Ken master. The only reason, the digidestined concluded, that Wormmon wasn't getting abused was because Ken still didn't have the strength to hit or kick.

"Hey guy's?" TK said nervously after breakfast. "I just looked at my D-Terminal and this map came up."

TK showed everyone the screen on his D-Terminal. Instead of a chart like the Control Spire map, it was a map of the digiworld with a red line running through it that was moving steadily.

"It must be a progression of Vexilmon's movement." Ken said, putting his genius skills to work. "Someone must have sent this to help us track him."

"Like the Control Spire map!" Kari realized. When Ken looked at her confused Kari said "A few days upon getting our D-3's, we came across a map that showed all the Spires you put up."

"You have that map too? Interesting." Ken said, surprised but trying not to show it.

"Kari, now would be the time to explain your master plan to us." Yolei said

"OK. From what we know, Vexilmon has the power to control digimon. We also know his venom explosion can destroy digimon in seconds and that he's a mega. We have to do something about him, and this may seem rash to some of you, but we may have to destroy him." Kari explained

"We can't just destroy a digimon! That would be like...like...well it would be like him." Cody exclaimed pointing across at Ken. Ken narrowed his eyes, but a piercing look from both Kari and Yolei kept his mouth shut.

"Well, what would you rather have. Me and TK have dealt with digimon like this before. There's no reasoning with them and at times, destroying them is the only way to restore the balance. Now, if you do want to be kinder we can try and spiral him but..." Kari said getting annoyed

"I doubt that's possible." Ken interrupted "My spirals are meant for solid digimon, not ones that have acid bodies."

"But... digimon are living creatures!" Cody argued

"Sure they are. And so is the Easter bunny and Santa Claus." Ken muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"I'm sorry Cody, but some times you have to do things like this." TK said somberly. Then he looked up at Kari. "Now that that's settled, how do you plan to do this?"

Kari stood up and kneeled in front of Ken in a respective manner. Ken was confused. Not one of his enemies gave him respect, not that he expected it. Something was up.

"Ken, we're vulnerable out in the open like this; we need access to computers and digimon. You have to take us to your base." Kari said, not blinking once. Ken looked at her for a second before bursting out in laughter.

"Good joke, Kamiya. Really funny." Ken laughed. "Like you'd expect me to just tell you where my HQ is."

Kari stared at him with unblinking, serious eyes.

"Hey Ken, I don't think that was a joke." Davis said indignantly once Ken had stopped laughing out loud.

Ken looked at Kari again. She was still in the kneeling position, but now she was biting her lower lip in a sign of nervousness.

"I'm not telling you where the base is." He said bluntly

"If you don't tell us then we'll just beat it out of you." Davis said walking over there and curling his hand into a fist. He started to raise it but another hand caught it.

"Wait." Yolei, the holder of that hand said. She bent down to look eye to eye with Ken. Yolei stared at him for a moment. Then she slapped him upside the head.

"Ow! Hey, what did you do that for!?" Ken yelled

"Didn't you listen to anything we talked about last night?" Yolei yelled in return "You said that destiny made you what you are, right? Well wake up. We're working together and that's not just fate. And by the way, I heard what you said earlier; digimon are real, so get with the program. You know you can change your destiny, and you know that this isn't your destiny. If fate is to run it's course, then we're going to die from Vexilmon, and I want to stay alive. It's your decision Ken. You make the choice."

Ken looked like he was going to beat Yolei up on the spot, no matter what injuries he had. Davis and TK got ready to take Ken out if need be, but nothing came to that. Instead, Ken sighed, as if to concede defeat, and closed his eyes.

"Please Ken, an answer." Kari said quietly

Ken looked up and smiled.