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Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

One World Away From Darkness

Chapter 7: Gaurdian Angel

Ken Ichijouji

Ken quickly shoved his books into his locker and closed the door with a sigh. If the voices don't drive me crazy, the worrying will. He leaned his forehead against the locker and tried to focus on taking slow, deep breaths. The metal surface felt cool and refreshing against his hot skin. Maybe I'm coming down with something. That would definitely explain a few things. Just my luck. It isn't even flu season. So much for that idea.

He pushed away from the locker with a groan, and he started down the practically empty hallway towards the computer room. Why had T.K. taken a sudden interest in him? Probably a fluke. Maybe it was just one of those Twilight Zone moments. But...I'm sure I didn't imagine it. He was looking right at me! Wonderful. Now I'm talking to myself. What in the Digiworld is wrong with me? Forget I said that. If I start answering back, then there really will be something wrong with me!

He entered the computer room and found the others already inside waiting for him.

"You should have seen Mr. Ono's face when Davis handed in his worm!" T.K. laughed. He was seated in a chair next to Kari, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. "I thought for sure another detention was on the way!"

"Davis!" Yolei shouted in fury.

"Luckily for Davis, the bell rang just at that moment!" Kari giggled. "I've never seen him run so fast! It made his stamina on a soccer field look poor!"

"Yeah. He was out of there before Ono had a chance to blink!" T.K. grinned.

The look Yolei sent Davis was filled with murderous rage and Ken winced. Ono was the least of Davis's problems right now!

"I'm here, aren't I? So lets get going alre- hey, Ken." Davis sent a glare in Yolei's direction and turned to smile at him. Five pairs of eyes stared at him, and he blushed at the sudden attention.

"Hey," he replied, trying his best not to sound weary.

"How'd the soccer game go? I meant to ask earlier, and then I forgot." Cody looked expectantly at them, and he shrugged.

"We won of course!" Davis cheered and raised a fist in victory. Then he turned to Ken and glared at him. "No thanks to you! What happened out there?"

Ken blushed a second time and lowered his eyes to the floor. He could not deny that he had not played his best today. In fact, he had been absolutely terrible and that was putting it nicely. If it hadn't been for Denbe, the other team would have scored big points and won. Instead of paying attention to the soccer ball, he had spent most of the game worrying about whether or not he was losing his sanity. It was a miracle that he had even been able to concentrate at all. Denbe, on the other hand, had made some pretty spectacular moves. I have to remember to thank him later. Without him, the game would have ended in disaster. "You see? Roka was right. We won even without yesterday's practice," Ken said in an attempt to make amends.

Davis just crossed his arms and gave him a sulky look.

"Everyone ready? We should get going." T.K stepped up to the computer and everyone else got up to join him. Ken snuck a peek at his blond friend, but T.K. gave no notice that he had seen it.

"Lets roll!" Davis held out his D-3 and the others did the same. "Digiport open!"

They found themselves on a grassy plain in the Digital World and spotted their Digimon running towards them. "Veemon! Dude, over here!" Davis called out. He waved an arm in the air which made Ken smile. The gesture was rather pointless considering that the digimon had already spotted them.

"Davis! Where have you been? We were expecting you ages ago!" Veemon ran into Davis, nearly knocking him over, and hugged the goggle headed leader's legs.

"We would have been here sooner if it hadn't been for a certain someone!" Yolei sent a dirty look in Davis's direction and gave Hawkmon a squeeze.

"I don't think I'm going to ask!" Patamon laughed. He dropped out of the sky and settled himself onto T.K.'s head with familiarity. Now that T.K. no longer wore a hat, Patamon was constantly messing up his hair. T.K. didn't seem to mind though.

"Hi, Patamon," the blond said, sounding somewhat distracted. His sky blue gaze roamed the landscape as if he expected something to happen. Ken wasn't sure exactly what T.K. would be looking for, but it made the skin on the back of his neck prickle.

"Hello, Ken."

Ken glanced down and smiled fondly at his digimon partner. "Hey, Wormon. I missed you," he said softly. Reaching down, he picked Wormon up and cuddled the digimon to his chest.

"I missed you, too," Wormon replied. He rubbed his head affectionately against Ken's cheek, and Ken smiled. He was starting to feel better already.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Gatomon asked. She stood at Kari's feet and gazed expectantly at everyone.

Davis frowned and thoughtfully adjusted his goggles.

"I know!" Yolei said. Her face brightened and she smiled. "Why don't we go visit Primary Village?"

"Sounds good, but with all those baby digimon there I doubt I'll get my afternoon nap in." Armadillomon sighed wistfully.

Cody laughed. "Come on guys. Lets get going."

They started off in the afternoon sunshine with a warm breeze swirling around them.

"Do you think the babies will be happy to see us?" Patamon asked.

"I'm sure they will be," T.K. replied. He absently scratched the little digimon's ears and glanced around with a frown on his face.

Ken blinked in surprise. That's odd. Usually T.K. gives Patamon his full attention. Patamon did not even seem to notice. The digimon gave T.K. an adorable smile and used his ear to stroke T.K.'s cheek. The blond didn't even crack a smile. Ken was positive T.K. had not even been aware of Patamon's gesture. He shrugged. Maybe T.K.'s just having a bad day. I know what those are like. Lately, nothing has been going right for me. But then...why was he acting so weird in biology class? He glanced at T.K. again and sighed. He wished there was some way he could find out why T.K. had been acting so strange. I might be able to help him. Yeah right. I was the Emperor. I'm not in any condition to be helping anyone. Still, it would be a way to get to know the blond a little bit better. There was only one problem. He couldn't help holding back a bit. There was just something about T.K. that always made him feel rather shy when the other was around. T.K. was just so nice and friendly that he made other people feel good about themselves. Well, everyone except me. But that was T.K. He had a profound affect on anyone he met. It was no wonder all the girls liked him and all the guys wanted to be his friend. Including me. Unfortunately, he was never quite able to fully meet T.K.'s eyes. Everytime he did, all the guilt over the things he had done as the Emperor came rushing back. T.K. had never let darkness stop him. It made Ken feel ashamed of his own weakness even though he knew that was ridiculous. The others had all forgiven him. Everyone except T.K. He hated looking like a horrible person in T.K.'s eyes, and he would do anything to change the blond's opinion about him.

"We're here," Cody announced, interrupting his thoughts.

There was a loud cheer and the little digimon all came over to greet them.

"Hey there, guys," Yolei said. She smiled as the little digimon hopped about with excitement. "We thought we'd come spend the day with you."

"Hurray! Lets play a game!" the digimon cried.

"Sure," T.K. said, smiling. "What would you like to play?"

"Hide and seek! Hide and seek!" some of the digimon chanted.

"Soccer!" several others shouted.

Kari laughed and pulled up her long sleeved yellow gloves. "Alright. Why don't we split up? T.K. and I will take some of you to play hide and seek while the rest of you play soccer with Davis."

"Hey wait!" Davis shouted, but he was too late. Kari and T.K. took off with a group of digimon following behind.

"Not fair!" Davis whined. He kicked at the grass and glared after T.K.

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Stop your whining! Come on." She smacked Davis in the back of the head and went to find a soccer ball.

"Why are you always picking on me?" Davis snapped. Grumbling to himself, he followed after her with Cody and their digimon.

Ken found himself standing alone in the middle of the street.

"Aren't we going to go too?" Wormon asked.

Ken shrugged. Personally he'd had enough soccer for one day, especially with the way Davis had been shouting at everyone on the field all afternoon. "Actually, Wormon, do you mind if we just go for a walk? I don't really feel like playing a game right now."

"If that's what you want, but won't the others be wondering where you are?"

"They won't miss me for a while." That was one of the setbacks of being quiet. People tended to forget about you, only in this case, for once it was working in his favour. Right now he wanted to be alone.

He hugged Wormon tight and headed for the grove at the edge of Primary Village.

T.K. Takaishi

"How about right here?" Angemon asked. "This will be a good spot."

"Okay. It's as good as any other place. It'll take the baby digimon a while to spot us."

Angemon set him on his feet, and T.K. turned to smile at his partner. The two of them were standing in a large grove next to Primary Village. They were surrounded by trees in a small clearing with the sun shining brightly overhead. Angemon had flown them there to escape the baby digimon they were currently hiding from. Kari and Angewomon had gone off in the other direction.

T.K. sat down on a fallen log, and Angemon sat down gracefully in the grass at his feet. The two fell silent and T.K. frowned. He made himself comfortable, (who knew how long it would take for the baby digimon to find them) and glanced up at the sky.

It was his digimon who broke the silence. "T.K.? Is something wrong?"

He turned to stare at Angemon and found his partner staring back at him.

"No," he replied, feeling nervous.

Angemon waited patiently as if expecting him to say more.

Tell him! You have to tell someone before it drives you crazy! He sighed. Angemon's my partner. He would never betray my secrets to the others. He'll support me no matter what.

"Yes," he said finally and stared at his hands; they were shaking. "There's something very wrong."

Angemon's face clouded into an expression of concern. "I thought so. I can feel when something is upsetting you. What is it?" The angel laid a hand on his arm, and T.K. covered it with one of his own before turning to gaze back to the sky.

"Every night I keep having this strange dream," he began slowly. "It always starts with me standing in a dark forest. At first, I'm always alone. The moon's shining down and that's when the shadows come alive. They try to grab me, but something always happens to stop them. Then I discover that I'm not alone. Someone else comes out of the forest and starts to speak to me. He keeps telling me that something bad is going to happen. I can't see his face, but he always seems...familar somehow. After that, this horrible voice starts to laugh and the other guy tells me that I'm too late. For what, I have know idea. What is it all suppose to mean?"

Angemon stared silently at him for a long moment. "T.K.," he said finally. "You have never let darkness stop you before. Why would you start now?"

"I can't help it," he whispered. His face crumbled, and he pulled his hand away from Angemon's. He had not felt this helpless since Devimon. What if this is the same kind of thing? I don't want my friends or my digimon to get hurt. If anything ever happened to Angemon again...

He felt Angemon's hand against his cheek, and he jumped at the sudden touch.

"What are you afraid of?" Angemon's voice was gentle and the feel of his fingers was soft against T.K.'s skin.

"There was a voice," he whispered, his words trembling. "It spoke to me. It said that someone was going to suffer."

Angemon leaned forward and slipped his arms around T.K.'s waist in a warm hug. "No one is going to get hurt as long as you believe in yourself and your friends," the angel said softly. "The darkness can't harm any of you if you stand strong together."

T.K. hid his face against the top of Angemon's head and wrapped his arms around his partner's neck. "I can't help it," he mumbled. "Where had that voice come from, and who does it belong to?"

"I do not know," Angemon murmured. "I don't like it, but I know you can fight it if you don't let your doubt get in the way."

Angemon pulled back and rested his forehead against T.K.'s with a smile on his face. "You've always been a strong person, T.K. I know you can do this, and I'll be there to help you no matter what."

"Will you?" T.K. felt his eyes tear up and he had to turn away.

"T.K., why are you so upset?"

His partner's face was filled with alarm, but he was unable to say anything that would comfort the digimon.

"T.K.?"

"How do I know that for sure? What if something happens to you a second time? What if the darkness..." He broke off and covered his face with his hands. "I couldn't bear it if I lost you again," he whispered, his voice breaking.

"T.K.? Hey, look at me."

T.K. felt his hands being pulled away from his face and found himself gazing at his partner.

Angemon pulled his trembling body close and held him tightly. "Listen to me," the angel murmured softly into his hair. "No matter what happens, I will always come back to you. Nothing can take me from your side. We will fight the darkness together. You're my partner, T.K. I will always protect you."

"But, I failed you," he whispered tearfully into his partner's chest. "I let you die. Why would you want to protect me?"

"You have never failed me," Angemon said quietly. "We belong together. Why else would I want to protect you?"

He remained silent, and Angemon placed reassuring hands on his shoulders. "If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I gave up my life to save you and the others, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. You know how much I care about you, and we will do what we can to protect each other."

T.K. reached out and gently stroked one of Angemon's large, feathery wings. "My gaurdian angel," he murmured. "What would I do without you?"

Angemon merely smiled at his touch and rested an arm on the log next to his thigh.

Angemon really does understand. I never should have hesitated to tell him.

"There's something else that's bothering you," Angemon said quietly. "What else has you troubled?"

T.K. stared at him in surprise and started to laugh. "You know me better than I know myself, Angemon." He frowned. "Actually, it's Ken. I can tell there's something bothering him, but I have no clue what it might be."

Angemon gazed off into the trees and sighed. "His heart is pure, and yet, his guilt still remains."

T.K.'s mouth fell open, and he quickly shut it. In all the years that they had been partners, he had never really thought about what Angemon's feelings towards his friends might be. Is this how Angemon sees Ken?

"Um... Angemon?" He hesitated and quickly plunged in. "What do you think of the others? Do you care about them as much as you care about me?"

The look on Angemon's face suggested that he was asking an extremely ridiculous question. "Of course I do! I'm quite fond of all our friends."

T.K. smiled and reached out to rest his head against Angemon's shoulder. "Good. I'm glad."

"T.K.? Why do you think there's something bothering Ken?" Angemon asked curiously. The angel's hand came to rest gently on the back of his head.

"He's been acting really strange lately. Sometimes he looks almost scared. I can tell he hasn't been sleeping. I just wish I knew what was wrong. If he won't tell me, then how am I suppose to help him?"

"Why don't you ask him what's wrong?" Angemon suggested.

T.K. blushed and stared at the ground. "I don't think that would be a very good idea," he mumbled.

"Why not?" Angemon looked surprised. "Ken is your friend. Don't you like him anymore?"

"Of course I like him," he replied, sounding somewhat defensive. Why would Angemon think that I didn't?

"The angel stared at him in confusion."Then what is the problem?"

"It's just...nothing, nevermind." There's no way Ken would even want my help. Besides, I'm sure Davis or one of the others will help him. He doesn't need me.

"T.K., Ken is your friend," Angemon repeated. "If there is something bothering him, then you must be willing to help. Otherwise, it might be too late. If that happens, will you still be able to live with yourself knowing that you failed to be there when he needed you?"

T.K. bit his lip and turned away. Angemon's right. If something bad happens to Ken, and I don't help him, then I'll never forgive myself.

"I feel it, too," Angemon murmured. "Ken is uneasy about something, and we will help him through it."

How can I when Ken seems so far away from me? "I'll try," he said slowly. "Um...did you really believe that I didn't like Ken anymore?"

Angemon shook his head. "No, but this distance between the two of you seems to grow larger everyday. I do not understand why you hesitate to get closer to Ken. If you let this continue, I fear the gap will grow too large for it to ever mend again."

T.K. nodded and hugged his partner tightly. "I'll think about what you said," he whispered. I can't get close to Ken. If I do, he'll only push me away.

There was a sudden murmur of voices close by, and T.K. glanced into the trees with a frown. "I wonder who that could be."

"Let's go and find out," Angemon replied.

T.K. stood up and rested his cheek against Angemon's wing. "You better turn back to Patamon or you'll eat all my food, and I'll have to go hungry. Champions use a lot of energy."

Angemon snorted loudly. "I thought we decided that I wasn't a pig!"

"You're not, but that doesn't mean you don't eat like one!" T.K. grinned.

Angemon gave him an indignant look, and he laughed. "Don't worry," he said softly. " I love you just the way you are."

"Same to you," Angemon murmured. His partner turned back to Patamon and settled onto his head.

"I wonder who those voices belong to?" Feeling curious, he headed towards the sound.