A ball beaning Ken Ichijoji in the back of the head caused him to stop just as he was about to set foot on the bridge. Leafmon made an inquiring noise, looking down as the ball rolled a few feet to stop in front of him. Ken raised an eyebrow. It seemed like an ordinary enough ball. One of those cheap ones that you find in a convince store for your cat or dog. But what was it doing hitting him?

"Little help?" A hopeful voice called from below. Ken shrugged, picked up the ball and dropped it below. It disappeared into the shadows. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He called back automatically, feeling a bit puzzled. The voice sounded almost familiar.

"Ken?" The voice called back after a slight pause. "Ken Ichijoji? Is that you?"

Leafmon looked up at him, meeting his puzzled gaze."...Yes?"

The voice laughed, reinforcing the impression that he had heard it before. "Hey, Ken! C'mon down and join us!"

"Think we should?" Leafmon whispered. 

He shrugged. "You want to?"

The tiny Digimon pondered it over for a second. "Sure! They sound friendly enough."

Aside from hitting him in the head, he couldn't argue with that. "How do we get down?" He called back.

"There's a ladder on the west side of the bridge. Just come on down!"

He walked over to the other side of the bridge. Looking down, he didn't see anybody in the grassy area by the stream, but he could see several rungs in the wall. "Hold on." He instructed Leafmon, stepping over the small fence to slowly climb down one-handedly. 

He dropped down to the ground and looked around. No one appeared to be there, just a bunch of grass, reeds and rocks. 

"Hey, Ken! Catch!" Something flew at him from the reeds and he easily caught it. It was the ball. Puzzled, he walked over. 

Takeru's smiling face greeted him as he peeked over the weeds. "Fancy running into you here." He grinned, holding a hand up. "C'mon in and join us."

"Us?" He queried, stepping through the reeds. The 'us' became apparent as he noticed Hikari stretched out beside Takeru, apparently asleep. He handed the ball over to Takeru. 

"Thanks." The blond haired boy casually tossed it over his shoulder, into the shadows. There was a delighted squeal, then Patamon came flying out, carrying the ball with his front arms. The flying Digimon spotted Leafmon and flew over. 

"Wanna play?" He offered, smiling cheerfully. Leafmon looked up at Ken beseechingly. He nodded, both Digimon giving delighted cheers. He set Leafmon down on the grass, and the Digimon began a bizarre game of soccer with the pet toy.

"Is she... okay?" He asked, noticing that Hikari hadn't moved the entire time. Tailmon was curled up next to the girl, a contented look on both their faces. 

Takeru's grin grew wider. "You know that saying about cats being solar powered? I think Hikari is too. Something about her and light."

Made sense, Hikari had the Digimetal of Light Ken mused as he looked around. They were just under the bridge so that anyone looking down wouldn't see them, but not so far as the sunlight wouldn't reach them. The blanket of reeds hid them from anybody looking around from farther down the street as well. "Nice place you have here." He commented.

"Tailmon found it a while back. We're supposed to be studying for our history class before meeting up with the others, but then Hikari fell asleep and the rest is... well, history." Takeru explained with a slight blush at the pun. 

"Going back to the Digital World?" Ken questioned.

"Naw. Studying. Not easy being a Digidestined you know. Got to save the fate of two worlds and pass geometry class too."

Ken momentarily gaped at Takeru. He'd never thought of it quite that way. "A... study group?"

Takeru nodded, his grin back. "Yup. And when we do go to the Digiworld, it makes a great cover story. two birds with one stone! You should join us sometime. You know, for studying, not just for fighting. But then you're so smart I bet you don't have to study much, do you?"

Ken's gaze dropped. "You'd be surprised." He mumbled. 

Takeru blinked, the grin dropping away to be replaced with concern. "You're still a genius, right?"

"The Digimon Kaiser was a genius. Ken Ichijoji is nearly failing science." He said, looking away. Leafmon and Patamon were now pushing the ball in circles, each one trying to push it in 'their' direction which made their course erratic. 

"That's not a problem." Takeru assured him, sounding cheerful again. "Koushirou helps us out with that. Distract him with enough sugar and he actually makes it make sense. You'll just have to watch your butt."

Ken blinked, surprised by both the offer and the last comment. "You mean 'back', right? I know Iori..." He trailed off. He knew the smallest boy still hadn't forgiven him for when he had been the Kaiser, but that didn't mean that he would do anything too cruel, would it?

Takeru flashed him a mega-watt grin. "Naw. Butt. Miyako thinks you're cute."

Ken gulped. "Oh. Thanks for the warning." Well, that was better than watching out for a kendo stick to his head, right? 

Takeru chuckled. "Relax, Ken. Relax. I don't think she would." The look on his face wasn't too convincing however.

"So, what are you in danger of failing?" Ken asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Nothing at the moment." Takeru looked off at the playing Digimon, a more serious look on his face again. "I need to work on my English and Math though. I'd like them to be a bit higher. Hikari doesn't like History much."

"Ah." Once again, Ken was struck with just how little he knew about the other Digidestined. He only saw them very rarely, and then it seemed like it was always to battle or destroy control spires.

Control spires. Every time he thought of them, he felt queasy. He was never going to be able to completely resolve himself of his acts as the Kaiser. 

The Kaiser...

He peered up at Takeru's face, trying to spot something. "How did your cheek heal?" He asked.

Takeru blinked, a hand going to his cheek where the whip had struck it. "I..." He trailed off, his shoulders starting to shake slightly. "I had forgotten about that." He admitted, laughter bubbling up in his voice. 

Ken blinked. Takeru had been so mad at the time, so unlike what he normally acted, and yet somehow he had forgotten? 

Takeru waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Don't get me wrong Ken. It's just that sometimes I forget that *you* were the Digimon Kaiser. It seems almost impossible, y'know? You're so... different from back then."

The blond boy sighed, the laughter fading again. "It healed up without a scar. I wouldn't recommend bringing that up around Iori though. He's a good friend, but he sometimes reminds me of Jou in his inability to be very flexible."

"Jou?" Ken questioned.

"The old holder of the Crest of Reliability." Takeru explained.

"Crest? Like... the one I had?" 

Takeru blinked at him, looking surprised. Then understanding appeared to dawn. "Oh, that's right. The original Digidestined didn't have Digimetals. They had Crests. They were destroyed though, as well as the Tags.."

"How do you know so much about them?" Ken asked. As the Kaiser, he had never even heard of the Tags or Crests. 

"I was one of the original Seven Digidestined." Takeru explained. "Taichi, my big brother Yamato, Sora, Jou, Koushirou, Mimi and I were stuck in the Digital World for several months. We practically grew up there. Hikari joined us after the first time we left, as the 8th Digidestined to defeat Myostismon."

Ken merely stared at him blankly. Takeru put a hand behind his head, laughing nervously. "Never mind. It's a long story. We'll explain it to you later. When we have lots of time. Lots of time."

Ken nodded. Probably a good idea. But it did sound interesting. "So what else should I avoid mentioning around Iori?" He asked, backtracking the conversation.

"Oh." The arm fell back down as Takeru relaxed again. "I wouldn't worry about that too much. Iori doesn't say much anyway, but Miyako usually makes up for that. As does Daisuke." 

At Daisuke's name, Tailmon twitched, moving in her sleep. They paused, waiting as the cat Digimon rolled over, continuing to snore peacefully.

"Daisuke likes Hikari, doesn't he?" Ken asked, watching the girl sleep as he tried to put together is puzzle known as the Digidestined together in his head.

Takeru tilted his head, an eyebrow raising. "It's rather obvious." He said dryly.

"Huh." He mused it over. "She doesn't like him, does she?"

"I don't think she likes him in the same way." Takeru said slowly, nodding. "But they're still friends."

"What about you two?" Ken asked. He then froze, realising that his mouth had run away before he had a chance to think. It really wasn't any of his business. "I mean... uh..."

Takeru smirked, the expression growing in to an easy smile. "Her brother and my brother are best friends. We're practically family. She also my oldest friend." Takeru looked down at Hikari, a distant expression growing in his eyes though the smile remained. "We've been through a lot together."`

It showed. The two of them were comfortable together in a way Ken had only maybe seen once. With his grandparents before Osamu had died. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Ken apologised, looking down at the grass. 

Takeru chuckled, stretching his legs out. "It's alright. It's always better to ask than to just get jealous over something." He snorted, muttering something under his breath.

"Pardon?" Ken asked. It had sounded like he had said Daisuke's name.

He blushed. "I said that Daisuke's gonna kill me later."

"Why?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "For hanging out with Hikari?"

"Actually... for hanging out with you. He's really protective of you, you know." Takeru admitted.

"Of me!?" He physically felt his eyebrows vanish into his hairline. "Why?"

Takeru shrugged. "He's your friend. Probably one of the best friends you will possibly ever have."

"But..." Ken floundered with the concept. Their Digimon had fuse together a couple of times now, and it had been Daisuke's Digimon that had finally defeated him as Kaiser... but... Being his friend? To the extent of protecting him? "Why?" 

To his surprise, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Takeru. The blond smiled at him, his eyes close to form upside down 'U's. "Maybe you should ask him sometime." He suggested mildly.

Ken nodded, staring at the boy like he had never really seen him before. Takeru's smile grew into a grin. "You know, we're your friends too. Me, Miyako, Hikari. And Iori. He just doesn't show it much."

He had to smile at that. "I'll take your word for it."

"Glad somebody is." Takeru remarked, patting his shoulder before releasing him. He glanced up at the sky. "It's getting late, we'd better get going or we'll get in trouble. You wanna come to Study with us? One more is always welcome, and I promise to personally hold Iori back if he pulls out a shinnai."

Ken debated as Takeru rose from the grass, stretching. He wasn't sure, but he could really use the help with some of his classes. And it would be a chance to maybe get to know the other Digidestined without battling. But he didn't want to disrupt the group, they seemed to work well as a team. 

"Is Chibimon going to be there?" Leafmon asked, startling him. Patamon nodded. 

"Yup! And Poromon and Upamon too! It's great! We all get to hang out together and eat snacks and play and all sorts of stuff!" The larger Digimon bubbled enthusiastically. 

Ken nodded, decision made before Leafmon could even look imploringly at him. "Why not?"

"Yeah!!!" The two Digimon cheered, bouncing up and down in a display that made him smile. Just because he usually preferred to be alone didn't mean that Leafmon did. 

"Great!" Takeru grinned as well, re-enforcing the idea that he had made the right choice. Ken rose, brushing himself off as Takeru quickly shoved his books in his bag.

"You know..." Ken mused thoughtfully "If you took a picture of Hikari asleep, you could probably sell it to Daisuke for some funds."

"Waaay ahead of you." Takeru grinned, giving him a quick wink that surprised him. So he wasn't quite as innocent acting as he appeared.

"I heard that." Hikari mumbled, shifting and waking up Tailmon.

"No, you didn't." Takeru said quickly, putting on his backpack.

Hikari opened an accusing eye at him. "Yes I did. So THAT's where those pictures on my camera come from!" 

"Well, you never take any of yourself, it's only fair." Takeru retorted good-naturally. Patamon giggled. He promptly shut up when Tailmon glared at him.

Ken distracted himself from it by picking up Leafmon. His Digimon let out a small contented sound, burrowing against him. When he turned around again, Takeru was giving Hikari a hand up. She noticed him standing there.

"Glad you decided to join us." She said, smiling sincerely at him. Ken shrugged.

"Seemed like a good idea." He commented. He hoped it would continue to be one. 

"C'mon, we're late!" Tailmon called, somehow already at the ladder back up to the street. 

"Coming!" Hikari called, scrambling to put on her backpack on her way join her partner. Takeru was on her heels, Patamon flying around his head.

Ken paused, his feet suddenly stuck the ground as second thoughts filled his mind. This was a bad idea. They were going to kill him. He was better off alone. 

Takeru's voice caused him to look up. "C'mon Ken! We gotta go!" He called from the ladder, his Digimon's ears sticking out from the back like a pair of miniature wings.

"Ken?" Leafmon whispered, his soft voice confused. Ken gave him a reassuring pat on the head.

"Right behind you!" He called, running to catch up with the other Digidestined.

Fin.