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Eight-year-old Ken Ichijouji knew that his older brother, Osamu, would be mad if he caught him messing with his things. He just wanted to see the thing that had come out of Osamu's computer. He just wanted to look at it one more time. He grinned to himself as he tiptoed into Osamu's room. On quick peek couldn't hurt. Osamu would never know. He pulled open the drawer where Osamu had put the... what had he called it again, oh yeah... he had called it a Digivice.
Ken carefully reached in and pulled it out. Strange, it felt warm to the touch. Suddenly a bright flash of light surrounded Ken and he didn't even have a chance to yell before he was pulled into the computer.
Ken woke up on the hard ground. What had happened? Had he fallen? He shakily got up off the ground and gasped from the pain when he put pressure on his left leg. He looked around him and he once again gasped. This time it wasn't from pain though. He was standing at the edge of a desert.
"Where am I?" he wondered out loud. "Daddy? Momma? Osamu? Anyone?" He looked like he was about to cry. He probably would have, if he hadn't seen a very familiar-looking creature fly overhead. He gaped in shock at the same huge monster he had seen four years earlier. Was this place where it had disappeared to?
*
Another human boy watched the younger Ichijouji child from a distance. Perfect, he thought to himself with a grin. It's about time he got here.
He turned to the small, butterfly-like creature beside him and said, "Spiritmon, why don't we go introduce ourselves to Ken? We should tell him about the Digital World, don't you think. We want him to trust us... for now at least."
The creature didn't say anything in return. It only smiled shyly.
Ken stared at the monster flying away into the distance. He didn't even notice the boy walking towards him with strange-looking creature behind him, at least not until they were almost beside him. The boy looked to be about Osamu's age, with short brown hair and an angelic face. His eyes had a definite wild streak in them though.
"Hi, I'm Ryo Akiyama," the boy said to Ken with a welcoming smile. "This is my Digimon, Spiritmon. You are now in the Digital World, along with me and seven children on the other side of this world. I've been here for quite awhile now, so let me explain to you what is going on."
Ryo Akiyama smiled at the shocked look on Ken Ichijouji's face when he told him that he was in a place called the Digital World. He couldn't wait to tell him about the other things he knew. Of course, he thought to himself, I'll have to make sure that before he leaves the Digital World for the last time, all of his memories of this a blocked out. My master wouldn't like it if he remembered this. His smile turned a little grim when he thought about that. He had better start his story.
"I know you, Ichijouji Ken. You're the younger brother of Ichijouji Osamu, the boy genius. You first saw a Digimon four years ago. You just saw the same one fly overhead. It is called Magnadramon." Ryo smiled as Ken nodded weakly.
"I also saw it that night. I have a question for you, though. Did you notice the ni-- I mean eight, children on the TV who also saw Digimon. The ones at Highton View Terrace?" Ryo gave a sad smile as he said that.
Ken gave a weak nod. He still looked worried, scared, and shocked. Ryo gave him a comforting grin before he continued on with his story."
"Seven of them have just arrived in the Digital World. At the moment, they are on a small island in the middle of the ocean called File Island. They will be heading towards this part of the Digital World soon enough though. I was chosen by a powerful Digimon to keep an eye on them. You know, to make sure everything goes according to his plans."
After he said that, a pained look flickered on his face. Ken stared at him in shock. For a moment, his eyes seemed scared and worried. They had a sad look in them, like there was something Ryo wanted to say, but couldn't. He seemed to go back to normal in a few moments, though. Ken looked away and pretended he hadn't noticed a thing.
Ryo gently grabbed Ken's shoulder and turned the boy towards him. He gave a large smile. "Well Ken, do you want to help me? Do you want to watch the other Digidestined?"
Ken gave him a confused look. "Digidestined? Is that what anyone who comes here is called?"
Ryo nodded. "Yes. You, me, your brother Osamu, and those eight kids are all Digidestined. That means all of us have our own Digimon partner, and that we were chosen to protect this place. Will you help me protect this place?"
Ken stood there a minute thinking. He didn't know how to get home, so he was probably stuck here. There were other kids here, but they were on the other side of the world. What other choice did he have? He couldn't stay by himself. He slowly nodded. "Yes, I'll help you. What did you mean about us having a Digimon partner, though?"
Ryo gave another one of those smiles. They were supposed to be reassuring, but to Ken, they seemed a bit unnerving. "All Digidestined have a Digimon partner. Spiritmon here is mine. You have one too, but you won't meet him on during this visit. You will meet him the next time you visit the Digital World."
Ken gave a nervous-sounding laugh. A million thoughts raced through his mind. The next time? How can he know that? There is something wrong here, but I just don't know what. Should I really trust him. Wait a second, did he just say that Osamu was a Digidestined too? He would have kept going, but the Digimon, Spiritmon, was staring at him so strangely. Could it read his mind?
Ryo grabbed Ken by the arm, and pointed away from the desert. "Come on, we need to head towards the shoreline. The other Digidestined will be there any day now, and we need to be there, watching, when they arrive."
*
Ken Ichijouji watched the seven children sneak into Myotismon's castle. It was hard to believe he had been here so long. He had gotten used to Ryo and the lapses he had every now and then. The ones where he would grimace in pain and his eyes would look like someone else's. He had gotten used to sneaking around and spying on these children. It had been months since he had arrived here, and he had gotten used to life in the Digital World.
Ryo Akiyama watched the young boy, Ken. He was slowly changing, growing stronger. He didn't have a clue about what was really going on. He would be safe, for now, because of that. Wait a minute, Ryo thought to himself. Why do I care about this boy. He is just a part of the plan, isn't he? Why am I so confused?
*
An old man, Gennai, watched the two kids from a distance. He sadly nodded his head and thought about the prophesy that he knew these kids would fulfill.
"Four of the Chosen will start the battle, but only two will finish it. The older two will fade away, into the clutches of darkness. The younger ones will drift apart, both being consumed by evil. One will defeat the darkness inside, and join with the rest. The other will sink even farther into the evil one's grasp, eventually becoming a slave to the darkness."
Gennai gave one more look at the two boys. How he wished he could interfere, but he couldn't do anything this time. Even though he wanted to with all his heart.
*
Ryo looked up at the darkening sky. It was time for Ken to leave, for the moment at least. He glanced over at the young boy, surprised to realize that he would miss the kid. "Well, Ken, it's time for you to go home. It will be safer for you in the Real World. You will come back, though. Eventually."
Ken stared up at Ryo in shock. He had started to think of him as another older brother, and he couldn't imagine leaving him. He still felt uneasy about him at times, but he didn't want to leave him. "What? Why do I have to leave? Can't I stay with you?"
Ryo gave a weak smile. "Sorry, kid, you have to go. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. In the Real World, time passes differently. If you leave now, you can get home before anyone realizes that you're gone. My parents think that I'm at summer camp, so they won't worry about me. Your parents will though."
Ken nodded sadly. He knew that Ryo was right. "I'll come back to the Digital World soon? Are you sure?"
Ryo rolled his eyes sarcastically. He gave a grin to show that he was kidding. "Yes, for the last time, I'm sure. Don't worry, we'll meet again. He pulled out the small computer he kept in his coat pocket. Hold your Digivice out towards this. I think it will let you go home."
Ken pulled out the Digivice he had stolen from Osamu. He looked around him one more time and smiled. "Goodbye, Ryo! Goodbye, Spiritmon! I'll see you again!" he said loudly as he held his Digivice towards the computer.
"Goodbye, Ken," Ryo whispered quietly as the young boy faded away. "We will meet again, that I know."
Ryo stood tall and silent as a shadowy figure materialized in front of him.
*
Ken woke up on the floor in his brother's room. He sat up groaning and then looked around him. It hadn't been a dream had it? He stared down at the glowing Digivice in his hand. No, it hadn't been a dream. He carefully dropped the Digivice back into the drawer of the computer desk. Maybe he better not mention this to anyone. Especially Osamu.
*
The figure floating in front of Ryo was one of pure evil. Ryo looked up fearfully into its face.
"You have done well, young one. The plan is working perfectly. Now, I want you and Spiritmon to go back to the Real World. You are to keep an eye on the Digidestined children, including Ken and the other Digidestined girl. The one that holds the Crest of Light. You are also to make sure that a man named Oikawa Yukio is ready to be taken over by Myotismon. Then you will return to the Digital World."
Ryo simply nodded. He had to obey. If he didn't, he was dead. Just like Sakura. His eyes looked cold and dead as he whispered, "Yes, Master. Whatever you say"
He held out his Digivice and slowly was pulled back into the Real World.