Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
A/N: I am so terribly sorry that this took so dang long. I hope you aren't too mad. It's just that I've had a hectic holiday season. To make up for it, I'm giving you two chapters.
LOVE'S TRUE STRENGTH
Chapter Nine: Can't Fight the Moonlight
Kari thought about the day with Ken as she showered. The hot water ran down her body and she could almost feel Ken close to her. How odd was this? She was daydreaming about Ken? She must have been nuts. Kari shook her head and laughed to herself.
When she got out of the shower, Kari slipped into the little silk night dress. Kari glanced into the hall before she walked out. She didn't want to have Ken see her in this again. It was embarrassing enough the first time.
As Kari entered her room, she was excited to see that she didn't have the bay window Ken had promised, but French doors which led out on to a balcony. Kari immediately ran out onto the balcony and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a warm night and the stars were glistening in the black sky. A star winked at her and Kari smiled. The floating base provided a little breeze which caressed Kari's skin. She closed her eyes and imagined that she was a princess in a castle and her prince would soon save her. Kari opened her eyes and gazed at the starlight sky. No one was coming to save her.
"Kari?"
Kari looked and saw the Digimon Emperor approaching her cautiously. He was back in his cape and spiky hair, but there was a look in his eyes that was still Ken.
"Hello, Ken," Kari greeted, pushing her sadness aside. "Thanks for this. It's wonderful."
Ken stood idly and watched Kari. She glanced over at him, his deep blue eyes staring with intensity.
"Beautiful night," he said, still looking at her.
Kari nodded in agreement as she glanced out over the star-kissed desert. The sand looked blue in the moonlight. She could feel Ken still staring at her, making her skin tingle.
"Today was fun," Kari commented casually.
"Yes, it was," Ken muttered. "I haven't done something like that in a long time."
"It's good for you to have fun once in a while," Kari voiced, trying to keep from looking at him.
"Kari-" Ken began, a seriousness in his voice.
"Do you gaze at the stars often?" Kari asked interrupting.
"No," The Digimon Emperor muttered.
"Why not?" Kari pried.
The Digimon Emperor shook his head and looked away from Kari. She figured that she better not ask anymore questions. It was probably a sore subject. Now that he wasn't looking at her, Kari really wished that he was. It was the weirdest thing. Kari shrugged it off.
"I'd better go to bed now," Kari said quickly, as she turned and went back into her bedroom.
Ken watched her. She had left. He had wanted to tell her how much he cared, but he couldn't get it out. He was afraid she didn't feel the same. Of course she didn't! He was the Digimon Emperor, scourge of the digital world. Why would a person as kind, selfless and beautiful as Kari want anything to do with him?
Ken shook his head. There's no use in dwelling on things. He tried stargazing to get his mind off Kari. A new sorrow came to him. The stars were twinkling down on him. He could almost smell the soapy water, see the bubbles. He could almost hear Sam's voice.
"Ken, it's all ready to go."
Ken glanced where his brother's voice came from. There was no one there. Ken shook his head and closed his eyes.
"You do it now," came his childhood voice.
"Uh, well, I'm not very good at blowing bubbles," Sam said back.
"Come on, Sam. There's nothing in this world you can't do."
Ken felt tears in his eyes. He shut his eyes tight so that they would not escape. He couldn't cry! He was the Digimon Emperor and he doesn't cry.
"Your bubbles come out perfect because you're gentle. I blow too hard and mine pop right away."
Nothing could prevent it. Tears streamed down Ken's cheeks Why? Why did he have to remember? Why couldn't he just forget what happened, forget that Sam ever existed?
"Sam," Ken cried.
Kari glanced back out on the balcony. She thought she heard Ken say something and wondered if he was talking to her. To her surprise, she saw Ken leaning against the balcony railing, sobbing. Kari just stared, not wanting to say anything and make Ken realize she was watching him be so venerable. Ken turned away from the view and sank to the floor. Kari stepped lightly over to him, then knelt by his side, gently running her fingers through his hair to try to comfort him in some way. Ken fell in her lap, sobbing, his arms wrapped around her waist. Kari continued to stroke his hair. This was the Digimon Emperor they had feared so? He was just another person with emotional scars. He needed Kari and she realized, somehow, she needed him too.
A/N: Very short chapter, I know. I'm sorry. The last chapter was extra long, so this one is allowed to be extra short.
A/N: I am so terribly sorry that this took so dang long. I hope you aren't too mad. It's just that I've had a hectic holiday season. To make up for it, I'm giving you two chapters.
LOVE'S TRUE STRENGTH
Chapter Nine: Can't Fight the Moonlight
Kari thought about the day with Ken as she showered. The hot water ran down her body and she could almost feel Ken close to her. How odd was this? She was daydreaming about Ken? She must have been nuts. Kari shook her head and laughed to herself.
When she got out of the shower, Kari slipped into the little silk night dress. Kari glanced into the hall before she walked out. She didn't want to have Ken see her in this again. It was embarrassing enough the first time.
As Kari entered her room, she was excited to see that she didn't have the bay window Ken had promised, but French doors which led out on to a balcony. Kari immediately ran out onto the balcony and took a deep breath of fresh air. It was a warm night and the stars were glistening in the black sky. A star winked at her and Kari smiled. The floating base provided a little breeze which caressed Kari's skin. She closed her eyes and imagined that she was a princess in a castle and her prince would soon save her. Kari opened her eyes and gazed at the starlight sky. No one was coming to save her.
"Kari?"
Kari looked and saw the Digimon Emperor approaching her cautiously. He was back in his cape and spiky hair, but there was a look in his eyes that was still Ken.
"Hello, Ken," Kari greeted, pushing her sadness aside. "Thanks for this. It's wonderful."
Ken stood idly and watched Kari. She glanced over at him, his deep blue eyes staring with intensity.
"Beautiful night," he said, still looking at her.
Kari nodded in agreement as she glanced out over the star-kissed desert. The sand looked blue in the moonlight. She could feel Ken still staring at her, making her skin tingle.
"Today was fun," Kari commented casually.
"Yes, it was," Ken muttered. "I haven't done something like that in a long time."
"It's good for you to have fun once in a while," Kari voiced, trying to keep from looking at him.
"Kari-" Ken began, a seriousness in his voice.
"Do you gaze at the stars often?" Kari asked interrupting.
"No," The Digimon Emperor muttered.
"Why not?" Kari pried.
The Digimon Emperor shook his head and looked away from Kari. She figured that she better not ask anymore questions. It was probably a sore subject. Now that he wasn't looking at her, Kari really wished that he was. It was the weirdest thing. Kari shrugged it off.
"I'd better go to bed now," Kari said quickly, as she turned and went back into her bedroom.
Ken watched her. She had left. He had wanted to tell her how much he cared, but he couldn't get it out. He was afraid she didn't feel the same. Of course she didn't! He was the Digimon Emperor, scourge of the digital world. Why would a person as kind, selfless and beautiful as Kari want anything to do with him?
Ken shook his head. There's no use in dwelling on things. He tried stargazing to get his mind off Kari. A new sorrow came to him. The stars were twinkling down on him. He could almost smell the soapy water, see the bubbles. He could almost hear Sam's voice.
"Ken, it's all ready to go."
Ken glanced where his brother's voice came from. There was no one there. Ken shook his head and closed his eyes.
"You do it now," came his childhood voice.
"Uh, well, I'm not very good at blowing bubbles," Sam said back.
"Come on, Sam. There's nothing in this world you can't do."
Ken felt tears in his eyes. He shut his eyes tight so that they would not escape. He couldn't cry! He was the Digimon Emperor and he doesn't cry.
"Your bubbles come out perfect because you're gentle. I blow too hard and mine pop right away."
Nothing could prevent it. Tears streamed down Ken's cheeks Why? Why did he have to remember? Why couldn't he just forget what happened, forget that Sam ever existed?
"Sam," Ken cried.
Kari glanced back out on the balcony. She thought she heard Ken say something and wondered if he was talking to her. To her surprise, she saw Ken leaning against the balcony railing, sobbing. Kari just stared, not wanting to say anything and make Ken realize she was watching him be so venerable. Ken turned away from the view and sank to the floor. Kari stepped lightly over to him, then knelt by his side, gently running her fingers through his hair to try to comfort him in some way. Ken fell in her lap, sobbing, his arms wrapped around her waist. Kari continued to stroke his hair. This was the Digimon Emperor they had feared so? He was just another person with emotional scars. He needed Kari and she realized, somehow, she needed him too.
A/N: Very short chapter, I know. I'm sorry. The last chapter was extra long, so this one is allowed to be extra short.