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Love Knows No
Bounds
Bind 3: Digimon Kaiser
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Three Months Later
"Jeez. I never thought that Takaishi would do something like this," Daisuke sighed in disbelief. He scratched his raspberry hair while sitting on the couch mindlessly, feeling somewhat at loss. "I always thought he was a fighter, not a coward."
'I thought he was stronger.'
Ken, Miyako, Iori and Daisuke were at Ken's house, discussing the latest disturbance within the Digital World. Hikari was with Taichi and the older Chosen Children, searching for information in the mountains at the old campsite. Although the younger Children thought that Hikari should have stayed with them, Taichi suggested that Hikari would be better off with the older group. As Taichi explained, his little sister had succumbed to depression since Takeru's disappearance; and Taichi desired keeping a close eye on Hikari.
"Can't you at least be nice to Takeru when he's gone? How can you call him a coward when he's not even here to defend himself, Daisuke?" Miyako yelled. Her violet eyes were crazed with anger and frustration, and the girl was ready to pounce on her goggled friend.
"Miyako, please calm down," Ken ordered, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. "Yelling at Daisuke won't bring Takeru back or help ourselves. Besides, we aren't here to discuss about Takeru's disappearance. Right now, we need to find out why we can no longer travel through the Digital World, what this new energy signature in the Digital World is, and if all of these events are from a new threat." Hearing Ken's words, Miyako simmered down somewhat. She glared at Daisuke angrily but remained silent. Then, the telephone rang.
"I'll get that," Ken said, rising from his seat on the couch. He wanted to get away from the tension caused by Daisuke and Miyako, but their strong feelings captured everything within the apartment. The two Chosen Children had just gotten into a death glare contest, and Iori was helplessly trying to divert their anger.
Taking a deep breath, Ken picked up the receiver and greeted, "Hello? Ichijouji residence."
"Ken, it's me, Koushiro."
"Oh, hello, Koushiro. How is everyone doing in the mountains? Hopefully, you're doing better there than we are here." Ken whispered the last part quietly, not wanting Miyako and Daisuke to hear. "Did you find out anything?"
In a rushed voice, Koushiro said, "Ken, I need you and the others to get to the campsite as soon as you possibly can. If you hurry, you can catch the next bus up here."
"Wait, what? Whatever for, Koushiro?" Ken asked suspiciously. Ichijouji was puzzled by Koushiro's uncharacteristic rashness and knew something was afoot. But what could it be? 'What did the others find at the campsite?'
"I'll explain everything when you get here! Just hurry up!" Koushiro yelled impatiently, hanging up the phone. Ken sighed worriedly as he replaced the receiver. Something must have happened for Koushiro, a calm, polite, and intellectual man, to lose his patience so easily. If the younger Chosen Children hurried, they would find out what that something was. With that in mind, Ichijouji quickly returned to his friends; however, when Ken reached to living room again, Miyako and Daisuke were still caught in the death glare contest.
Decisively ignoring Miyako and Daisuke's heated gazes, the former evil genius walked in between his friends to the other side of the room. "You guys, get your jackets. We're going to the campsite," Ken informed, heading towards the closet to retrieve his own coat.
"Why?" Miyako asked, diverting her eyes towards Ken. "Who called, Ken?"
"Koushiro called and wants us at the old campsite. I don't know why, but Kourshiro said that it was urgent; and with the tone he used, I think the situation is worse than we thought," Ken answered gravely. His voice sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Then let's hurry," Iori suggested helpfully, grabbing his own coat from the closet. Maybe if they acted with a cause, the tension in the group would die; so Iori hoped. "If the others have found something, we should be together to handle the situation. We're stronger together than we are apart."
Hearing Iori, Miyako and Daisuke looked at each other apologetically. Now was no time for friends to fight, and the young lady and lad realized that. Smiling at the younger boy, Ken tossed Miyako and Daisuke their jackets and rushed out the door. The four Children then hurried to the bus station, determined to return to the Digital World and possibly face a new enemy.
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"Okay, Koushiro, we're all here. Now explain to us what's going on in the Digital World. What did you find?" Taichi questioned as he watched his friend type on his computer. All the Chosen Children had assembled at the campsite in good time and were ready for explanations.
"I've just discovered something about the Digital World that you won't believe!" Koushiro exclaimed, sitting on tree stump and typing quickly.
Shrugging and pulling his coat closer, Yamato commented, "I don't know about that, Koushiro. We've seen some pretty bizarre things, and whatever that happens in the Digital World is unbelievable anyway. It's getting harder for anything to surprise us." Ignoring Yamato, Koushiro turned around his computer and displayed his lab top to everyone.
"Is that the Digital World?" Taichi asked with shock. His chocolate eyes were wide, fear etched into them; Taichi, Child of Courage, was afraid of what he saw. Answering Taichi's question, Koushiro nodded gravely. Considering Yamato's earlier words, what was before the Children was truly startling.
"Why is it--black?" Hikari inquired quietly, touching the screen fearfully. The computer displayed a map of the Digital World, and all areas were black except for one or two barely visible white areas.
"Does everyone remember when Ken was the Digimon Kaiser?" Koushiro asked as he started typing on his computer again. Everyone looked to the ground, uneasy about the returning memories. "I guess we all do. Well, then I think you guys also remember the Control Towers, right?"
"Just get to the point!" Daisuke yelled in a frustrated tone. Taichi quickly put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder to calm him, and providentially, his actions worked. Koushiro looked a little shaken with Daisuke's outburst but continued nevertheless. "Well, it seems that a new child has taken over the Digital World, also claiming to be the Digimon Kaiser."
Ken turned pale. To him, this was a bad dream coming back to him all over again. "And not only does this Digimon Kaiser have control over the Digital World, he also has complete control over the Dark Rings," Koushiro explained farther, recording all of his findings.
"What? What do you mean he has complete control?" Ken shouted suddenly. The other Chosen Children turned towards him, surprised by Ken's abrupt outburst. His quiet demeanor and passive nature never suggested such a reaction as this.
"When I was the Digimon Kaiser, I had extreme difficulties controlling the Digimon with the Dark Rings. They were so difficult to control that they began controlling me," Ken explained nervously, his body shaking. He felt himself close to tears. "The reason being is because the Dark Rings are completely evil. If this new Digimon Kaiser is a Chosen Child, which he must be, then it's impossible for him to completely control the Dark Rings." Some people looked dazed from Ken's explanation.
"Can you repeat that again, this time in Japanese?" Daisuke asked, very confused like some of his companions.
"He's saying that a Chosen Child can never be evil enough to have control over the Dark Rings," Hikari translated, wrapping a comforting arm around Ken. "For someone to have complete control over the Dark Rings he must be pure evil; and a Chosen Child can never be that." Hikari, trying to ease the Child of Kindness' heart, alone understood the Darkness Ken feared and sympathized and admired him for his strength.
'He's done so much to help us, to help the entire World.'
"I get it," Taichi nodded, crossing his arms. A chilly wind blew through the campsite, and the young leader disliked the coldness in the air. "Then how does this kid have control over the Dark Rings? Is this Chosen Child under an evil Digimon's control?" Everyone was silent.
Taichi was very worried as his questions were left unanswered. Not even Koushiro or Ken could answer their leader; they had no assurances about the Darkness or the warped Chosen Child conquering the Digital World. The future seemed bleak. 'Has the Dark Ocean--If it starts all over again, I'll never forgive myself,' Taichi growled, punching his fist into his hand. 'If they did something to Takeru, I will never forgive myself.'
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