A/N: Hmm...let's pretend that this takes place shortly after "Crest of
Kindness," okay? Keaira is an OC who won't be important after the prologue,
and / marks denote italics.
Prologue
"You're drowning in despair, you know."
Ken sat up in bed, his dark, tangled hair falling over his pale skin. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, exhausted. Great, he'd finally managed to fall asleep, and now someone was in his room saying...what?
"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. He could see the vague outline of the speaker, a slender young woman with long hair
"Keaira," she said. "But I'm not important. I just came here to warn you that if you don't snap out of it and forgive yourself, everybody's doomed."
"Yeah, right," Ken moaned. He flopped back onto his bed. "Go away. You'll wake my parents, and they'll know I'm awake, and they'll ask me questions I can't answer."
She was silent for a long time, until he finally had to roll over and make sure she'd left. She hadn't. "Are you going to listen to me now?" she asked.
"Fine." He watched the ceiling determinedly, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had his full attention.
"Ken, what you did was terrible. I won't deny that. A lot of Digimon got hurt, or killed. But that's over. It's done with. You're way too depressed. All is not lost."
"Yes, it is," he snapped. "Wormmon's lost. He's my only friend. Thus, everything is lost."
Her tone changed, became amused. "You really don't know much of anything, do you?"
"Did you come here to torment me, or did you actually have a purpose in mind?"
"I'm here to offer you another chance."
"There are no second chances." He spoke automatically, recalling something Osamu had told him long ago.
"Not in your ordered little life, but if you hadn't noticed, you belong to a somewhat more chaotic realm now."
"Just leave me here to die. It's what I deserve."
Keaira rubbed her forehead. "Am I going about this the wrong way?"
"That depends, what way are you going about it?"
"I'm trying to be somewhat subtle, you idiot. So, I guess I have to be blunt. Wormmon isn't dead, Digimon can't die, you're a Digidestined, and I'm offering you a chance to go back in time and never be the Kaiser at all!"
Ken sat up, finally showing some interest. "I don't believe you. I know /everything/ about the Digiworld, and I didn't know they come back!"
"That's because Elecmon managed to hide Primary Village from you!"
"Stop raising your voice! You'll wake my parents!"
Keaira obediently lowered her voice, but continued to speak fiercely. "I'm giving you a chance to have everything you ever wanted! Now take it already so I can get out of here!"
He shook his head. "You can't give my brother back."
"I can't."
His point proven, Ken collapsed back into his pillows.
"...but you can."
"What?"
She smiled, the grin barely visible in the soft light of dawn. "That's what I said. I'm going to send you back three years. You'll become a part of the first set of Digidestined. If you work it right, you can save your brother, your partner, maybe even the world. But only if /you/ do it right."
"I never do anything right..."
"Well, you'd better do this right, because you only get one chance. Are you gonna take it or leave it, kid?"
Ken resented being called 'kid,' but there was nothing he could do about it, was there? "So it's time-travel."
"In a way, yes."
"Do I still exist?"
"Yes, as a child. But you - the present you - will...oh, it's complicated, would you just formally agree so I can send you back?"
Ken crossed his arms over his chest, a fake pout on his face. "I have to admit I'm intrigued, but I'll need more information."
Keaira groaned. "You're impossible. Okay. I propose that you rewrite history. Make up a new you, join the Digidestined - they'll never know the difference! Help them, you help yourself."
"But how is joining them going to help my brother?"
"You have to figure that out on your own, kid."
"Please don't call me that."
"Yeah, yeah. So do you agree?"
Ken's mind whirled. It was all so sudden...it would never work...he was probably hallucinating...
"Yes..."
"Good." She clapped her hands. "I have three suggestions for you. First of all, you know the Crests of the older Digidestined - so use that knowledge. Second, the Digidestined have a bad habit of splitting up and thus getting into trouble, so when you can, prevent that from happening. Third...there's a Digimon called Demidevimon. Help him, and he might help you."
"Okay. But...do I still exist back then as a little kid? Isn't that kind of a paradox? What happens to me when it's over with?"
Keaira shrugged. "Hey. You said yes. You figure it out. Quite frankly, it makes /my/ head hurt."
Ken opened his mouth to protest, but didn't get a chance to speak before swirling lights engulfed him.
Prologue
"You're drowning in despair, you know."
Ken sat up in bed, his dark, tangled hair falling over his pale skin. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes, exhausted. Great, he'd finally managed to fall asleep, and now someone was in his room saying...what?
"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously. He could see the vague outline of the speaker, a slender young woman with long hair
"Keaira," she said. "But I'm not important. I just came here to warn you that if you don't snap out of it and forgive yourself, everybody's doomed."
"Yeah, right," Ken moaned. He flopped back onto his bed. "Go away. You'll wake my parents, and they'll know I'm awake, and they'll ask me questions I can't answer."
She was silent for a long time, until he finally had to roll over and make sure she'd left. She hadn't. "Are you going to listen to me now?" she asked.
"Fine." He watched the ceiling determinedly, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had his full attention.
"Ken, what you did was terrible. I won't deny that. A lot of Digimon got hurt, or killed. But that's over. It's done with. You're way too depressed. All is not lost."
"Yes, it is," he snapped. "Wormmon's lost. He's my only friend. Thus, everything is lost."
Her tone changed, became amused. "You really don't know much of anything, do you?"
"Did you come here to torment me, or did you actually have a purpose in mind?"
"I'm here to offer you another chance."
"There are no second chances." He spoke automatically, recalling something Osamu had told him long ago.
"Not in your ordered little life, but if you hadn't noticed, you belong to a somewhat more chaotic realm now."
"Just leave me here to die. It's what I deserve."
Keaira rubbed her forehead. "Am I going about this the wrong way?"
"That depends, what way are you going about it?"
"I'm trying to be somewhat subtle, you idiot. So, I guess I have to be blunt. Wormmon isn't dead, Digimon can't die, you're a Digidestined, and I'm offering you a chance to go back in time and never be the Kaiser at all!"
Ken sat up, finally showing some interest. "I don't believe you. I know /everything/ about the Digiworld, and I didn't know they come back!"
"That's because Elecmon managed to hide Primary Village from you!"
"Stop raising your voice! You'll wake my parents!"
Keaira obediently lowered her voice, but continued to speak fiercely. "I'm giving you a chance to have everything you ever wanted! Now take it already so I can get out of here!"
He shook his head. "You can't give my brother back."
"I can't."
His point proven, Ken collapsed back into his pillows.
"...but you can."
"What?"
She smiled, the grin barely visible in the soft light of dawn. "That's what I said. I'm going to send you back three years. You'll become a part of the first set of Digidestined. If you work it right, you can save your brother, your partner, maybe even the world. But only if /you/ do it right."
"I never do anything right..."
"Well, you'd better do this right, because you only get one chance. Are you gonna take it or leave it, kid?"
Ken resented being called 'kid,' but there was nothing he could do about it, was there? "So it's time-travel."
"In a way, yes."
"Do I still exist?"
"Yes, as a child. But you - the present you - will...oh, it's complicated, would you just formally agree so I can send you back?"
Ken crossed his arms over his chest, a fake pout on his face. "I have to admit I'm intrigued, but I'll need more information."
Keaira groaned. "You're impossible. Okay. I propose that you rewrite history. Make up a new you, join the Digidestined - they'll never know the difference! Help them, you help yourself."
"But how is joining them going to help my brother?"
"You have to figure that out on your own, kid."
"Please don't call me that."
"Yeah, yeah. So do you agree?"
Ken's mind whirled. It was all so sudden...it would never work...he was probably hallucinating...
"Yes..."
"Good." She clapped her hands. "I have three suggestions for you. First of all, you know the Crests of the older Digidestined - so use that knowledge. Second, the Digidestined have a bad habit of splitting up and thus getting into trouble, so when you can, prevent that from happening. Third...there's a Digimon called Demidevimon. Help him, and he might help you."
"Okay. But...do I still exist back then as a little kid? Isn't that kind of a paradox? What happens to me when it's over with?"
Keaira shrugged. "Hey. You said yes. You figure it out. Quite frankly, it makes /my/ head hurt."
Ken opened his mouth to protest, but didn't get a chance to speak before swirling lights engulfed him.