Title: Chaos Rising: Chaotic Evolutions

Author: Katreal

Category: Digimon Seasons II and IV Crossover

Genre: General

Timeline: Frontier-AU after Lucemon's defeat. 02- AU after the Holy Stones Arc. Oikawa and the Dark Seeds never happened ;)

Notes: Mostly Kouji and Kouichi-centric

Disclaimer: I don't own any seasons of digimon…though now that I think about it…Anyamon and Akemon are mine :P Well…their descriptions are at least.

Chapter 7

Ken stuffed his hands in his pockets, lost deep in thought as he walked down the street. His thoughts kept returning to the person they found…the person that looked so much like him. Kimura Kouji, who was he? He looked like what Osamu would've been if he had lived. He didn't realize why he hadn't noticed before, perhaps it was the bandana that he had worn; perhaps it was just the adrenalin rush from the short battle between Anyamon and Agumon. Either way, he hadn't realized, hadn't noticed that the boy reminded him of his dead brother…

'Osamu…' His heart clenched at the wistful thought. He thought that he had gotten over this; the burden of guilt that had haunted him since his brother's death. The feeling that maybe, just maybe, if Ken hadn't wished for him to go away, Osamu would still be around. The wistful thoughts of a young child, whose last words with his brother had been angry, spiteful, and directed to hurt. That argument was the last time Ken had spoken with his older brother. Osamu died the next day.

'I didn't mean it Aniki!' A younger Ken had cried then, tears gathering in his large eyes, 'Come Back!'

But he didn't come back.

Ken shook his head violently, there was no reason to be thinking about this now. He should've been thinking about what to tell his parents when he got home. His parents…The chosen of kindness froze in mid-step. How would his parents react? They had been hit hardest by the death of their oldest son. If Ken had fainted at the resemblance…what would his mother do? His mother had always been an emotional woman, much more comfortable with showing her emotions than her son was. She had cried for weeks after Osamu's death, clinging to her husband and youngest son like a drowning woman clings to a rope. Ken's father had expressed his own grief a different way, by pushing Ken harder and harder in his school work.

The Chosen of kindness had resented that once, believing that they had tried to replace the son they had lost by forcing Ken into his brother's place. Yet, Ken couldn't really blame them now. In fact, he truly never did. He had just felt neglected. Back then, when his parents looked at him; they had seen Osamu, not Ken. When they complimented him, they were praising how much like Osamu he was. Athletic, smart, and infamous, they were all things Osamu had been before he died. Thus it was no wonder he had taken refuge in the Digital World, a place where no one knew his brother.

Ken shook his head, catching the attention of his partner digimon. Wormmon stuck his head out of Ken's backpack, "What's wrong, Ken?"

"Nothing Wormmon…I just realized that my mom will either freak out…or faint."

The green insect digimon tilts his head slightly, "Why?"

"Kimura." Ken replied, as if that explained everything.

"Ah…I see." In a way, it did. Wormmon ducked back inside the backpack as Ken started moving again, trudging closer to his home, where Taichi would drop off Kimura.

Ken wondered if his family was ready, even after all these years, to face his brother's ghost.

-

"Let me get this straight…Ichijouji-san fainted because I look like his dead brother?" Kouichi asked, staring incredulously at the brown-haired chosen beside him.

"Yep."

"Nii-san is right. You do look a lot like Osamu's picture." Hikari interjects, "Maybe a little younger then he would be at this point but the resemblance is there."

Kouichi chuckled softly and shrugs, "Whatever you say."

The Warrior of Darkness glanced down at the wolf-like digimon in his arms, cracking a slight smile at the indignant look in Kouji's eyes. Kouji caught the glance and looks away, "I can walk you know."

"I just like torturing you."

"Evil…" The Warrior of Light growled.

Kouichichuckled, "I know."

Hikari watches the exchange with amusement, trying to stifle her laugh with her hand. Taichi however, didn't even bother. His light chuckles were easily audible in the still autumn air, enticing a glare from the Warrior of Light. The rest of the walk was completed in companionable silence until they arrived at Ken's apartment complex. Kouichi raised an eyebrow, "What is it with you people and Apartments?"

Taichi just snorted, ignoring the question, "Ken will be waiting for you inside. Don't freak his parents out too much."

"Hai, hai, Yagami-san. I'll be on my best behavior." Kouichiglanced at the Yagami siblings, "I guess I'll see you at school?"

"Nope. You'll see Hikari not me."

"Right."

As the two brunettes headed down the street his smile faded, leaving a weary expression behind. Kouji looked up at his older brother, "Why do you do that?"

"Hmm…? Do what?"

"That…" The warrior of light tried to find the right words to express his concerns. Kouichi never acted so open and happy around people he just met. It was just…out of character for the Warrior of Darkness to be in the spotlight of a group; that was always the role Takuya took. The two twins preferred to watch, not initiate. Yet, here Kouichi was, donning a mask in front of the chosen. A smiling, joking, and friendly mask; but a mask none the less. "Why do you pretend, nii-san? I don't understand…"

"Neither do I…" Kouichi admitted softly, pushing open the door and heading inside, spotting the chosen of kindness waiting for them, "They don't expect me to…well…act like me. I just wondered what it would be like to act differently."

"…Did you like it?"

"No."

-

Ken walked silently down the hallway of his apartment, mulling over the events of the day. His parents had taken Kimura's arrival rather well. Apparently they had been notified by the school(-cough-­ Gennai) about the 'exchange program' hours beforehand, and all their shock must have been either used up, or hidden before Ken brought Kimura home. They also hadn't been too surprised to see Akemon. Apparently Digimon had become an accepted thing in the Ichijouji residence. Kimura had been given Osamu's old bed room, which had long ago been converted into a guestroom.

Speaking of which, Ken paused in front of the slightly ajar door to the room. Glancing inside he noticed that Kimura was sitting on the bed, Akemon curled up beside him. A small smile crossed Ken's face and he continued past. He had school tomorrow so he couldn't stay up all night watching the new kid. He still didn't completely trust the boy who looked so much like his brother, but Gennaitrusted Kimura so he couldn't be all that bad.

-

Kouichi glanced down at his brother as Ken's footsteps faded, "Ne, Kouji."

"Hmm…?" The Warrior of Light cracked open a sleepy blue eye, glancing up at Kouichi's face, "What?"

"Why were we brought here?"

"I don't know…"

The Warrior of Darkness shifted his gaze so he was staring at the wall. Softly he asked, "How long do you think we willbe here?"

Kouji sighed and shook his head, closing his eyes, "I'm sorry nii-san but…I don't know."

-

A/N: I know this is late…and I won't bore you all to death with excuses…so I'll just tell the truth. The reasons this is late are two things. One, Writers block – I just don't know where to go next in this story…well…I do but I don't know how to get there. Second, Laziness…pure and simple.

I am not going to respond to every review this morning. Only the questions. It is 3:27 am as I am writing this note so I am not going to ramble on too much. I'm way too tired.

To answer Wouldn't you like to know XD's question, I'm not going to put in any deliberate angst, but if it turns out that way, it does. I'm just writing what comes to me. I don't have anything pre-set except a few key plot points, and even they may change before I get to them.

Oh yes, and Gemini Star01, I love both your Harry Potter and Kingdom Hearts crossovers. I have yet to read the YYH one.

Yahara, Yes, Yamato will show up. How could he not? He's my favorite Season One Chosen.

CISELKANEO2, Sorry, I'm not going to spoil anything by answering those questions :P And, I can't beta any stories; have you seen how bad my grammar and spelling is? I can't even beta my own story!

And thanks to everyone else who reviewed, I reaaalllyyy appreciate your reviews. Reading them reminds me why I write these stories. If it weren't for you readers I would've given up on this when I first hit writers block.

o.o Wow, It's 3:37 now…I spent 10 minutes on this note! I gotta go get some sleep…Please review this chapter as well. Good night…or I guess it is technically Good Morning…