"Where am I? Wormmon?" I looked around not seeing my partner digimon. It took me a while, but I knew where I was: the dark ocean. Last I had been here was when my clone and I saved Kari; the day I told her how I felt. It had been a few years since we'd been here. We even sent Daemon here to reside.
"Is this a dream?" I wondered aloud.
"No, not a dream, exactly…" A voice responded.
I looked around seeing nothing.
"Who is there?" I asked the voice.
I heard a cruel laugh, "Don't you know your own voice when you hear it?" The Kaiser appeared next to me.
"You? Are you a clone again? Are you an illusion?"
"Clone? Not exactly. Illusion, no. Daemon created me from data that you left unattended. I am as real as you are. And evil, to boot, unlike you and that useless clone of you," he smirked.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Well you know, take over the digital world, get some slaves, free Daemon," The Kaiser elaborated.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, hoping this was simply a nightmare.
"You sure ask a lot of questions for a genius. I need energy. And I am taking yours and your body too," Ken could feel the darkness taking over himself as he saw the Kaiser disappear. He looked down and he was the Kaiser again. He didn't seem to be in control of his body after that, he just was watching from the inside.
After a few moments though, everything blacked out.
"Ken? Ken? Wake up?" Wormmon said shaking me.
I sat up confused, "Was that a dream?"
"What Ken?" Wormmon asked worried.
I shook my head, it must have been a dream, right?
"Come on, we have to meet Kari soon," Wormmon reminded me.
I got dressed and ready for my day and headed off to meet Kari with Wormmon in my arms.
"What's wrong, Ken?" Kari asked after a while. We were walking to school, but I just couldn't shake this dream.
"Hey guys!" TK asked as we arrived to school.
"I'll tell you about it later," I agree, wanting to tell her without TK listening. He had known I was the Kaiser. And he had known about the clone. But I didn't want to bring it all back up due to a silly dream. I knew Kari would want to know though, and being my girlfriend, she'd be the first one I tell anyway.
It was lunch time and everyone was heading to the cafeteria. Kari got out of class late, so I waited by her locker.
"Hey Ken," Kari said smiling.
I gave her a peck on the forehead, "hey," I smiled back.
"Oh what was your dream about?" she reminded me.
As if by force, my head turned to look and see if anyone was in the hallway.
"Huh?" I said with a confused look on my face. I felt the darkness slowly creeping over me, like I was losing control.
"Kari, help," I whisper before I completely lose control.
"You're coming with me," my body pulls at Kari.
"Ken, what's going on?" Kari asks worried.
"Ken isn't here right now," The Kaiser says evilly.
"Kaiser?" She asks even though she knows.
"Yes my Kaiserin, and this time, you aren't getting your precious Kenny boy back," he sneered.
It felt weird being in my body but not under my control. I knew when I was the Kaiser before, I was making the choices. Yes, they were fogged up a bit from the spore, but it was me still. This isn't me.
We ended up in the digital world and back at the base. I was back in the Kaiser outfit.
This time I really will blow it up. I said I should last time with the clone, but I never got around to it. We've actually used the cameras and stuff a few times searching for things. We haven't been to the digital world in a while, though our partners are still with us. Plants started growing up the side of the base.
"For now, I am locking you up. I can't trust you," The Kaiser snapped at Kari, locking her in the room we made her previously.
I wish I could go save her, let her free, but I couldn't get control of my body.
The Kaiser set up things and started drawing out plans. I couldn't tell what he was doing, because I couldn't read his thoughts; if he even had thoughts.
A security noise started going off, "It must be that girl," the Kaiser said aloud.
We ran back to her room, her window was open and she escaped, "Someone needs to be chained up," He decided.
Kari must not have thought out her plan enough, or she really just wanted to escape because we found her outside our floating base, with a broken ankle.
"That's what you get for trying to escape me," The Kaiser sneered.
"Please, let me go, I can't help you," Kari begged. I cringed, hating seeing her in pain, and because of me.
"You belong to me," The Kaiser snapped.
We grabbed her hand and dragged her to a dungeon.
We chained her to a wall, and left her there, for hours. I don't even know how long she was down there, but I knew she needed to eat soon. The Kaiser kept busy, he kidnapped a few digimon to use as soldiers. He also started working on creating his own digimon. That didn't work well the first time, but maybe the Kaiser could do it this time. I doubt it though. It isn't a very safe or good thing to do.
After a while, my body rose out of the chair and went to the kitchen. Thankfully, I designed the fridge to restock itself constantly, so we always have food here.
We grabbed a plate and headed down with some food for Kari.
She looked weak. She must have spent her energy looking for a way to get out, plus with the broken ankle and no food all day, she was looking worn down.
We placed the plate in the cell. She didn't look up or even ask questions or fight back. Was she giving up already?
"Why are you so quiet? Trying to figure out how to get your poor Kenny back?" The Kaiser said jokingly.
She turned her head away and stayed silent.
"Hey, I am talking to you," The Kaiser went up and slapped her. Her face started turning bright red.
"Thank you for the food," she said silently in response.
She didn't eat while we were in the room. The Kaiser led us back to the main room to work on more of his plans. I started feeling sleepy, and my consciousness started drifting off. I'm not sure if the Kaiser or my body was to, but I drifted into sleep.
I awoke and felt thirsty. I reached to get some water.
Wait. I reached. Was that me?
I waved my fingers in front of my face. I was in control. Was I in control when he was asleep? Or is he gone? What is going on.
Kari. I have to get her out.
I woke up and ran down to the cells.
"Kari?" I asked, and she looked up. I still was dressed as the emperor, would she trust me.
"Ken?" She asked quietly.
"Look, I don't know everything that's going on," I found the key in my pocket and opened the lock, "In a dream, I went to the dark ocean. He was there, saying he was made from data and brought to life by Daemon. He's using me for energy, and he's trying to bring Daemon here. I haven't been able to control my body, I'm not sure how this all works. Just please Kari, go before he comes back. Get yourself to the others. And please, fight me, beat me, whatever you have to do, and I'll try to find a way out. I love you Kari."
Kari had gotten up and was hugging me, "I love you too. I will find a way to save you," she ran as fast as she could with a broken ankle. I hope she got home. I decided to see what else I could do before the Kaiser woke up. I went and deleted most of his plans and released the digimon he had captured. It was just after I released the last one that he took control. I don't know if he can hear my thoughts, but he seemed to know I couldn't read his, so he said aloud, "That will not happen again Kenny boy. It seems obvious now that you can take control when I sleep. I will put an end to that and an end to you as well."
He stayed awake, planning for days. I tried staying awake to see if I could take over again, but I couldn't. I don't know if he ever went to sleep, but I doubt it. He had taken to drinking coffee to stay awake.
"Damn those kids," he muttered. I looked on the screen, the group had come to take him down.
"Come out!" Davis yelled at the base.
The Kaiser left the base and headed down with some digimon. He had found a new way of controlling them that didn't need the dark rings or control spires.
"Come to have your ass handed to you?" the Kaiser spat at them.
"And you my Kaiserin, have you come back to join me?" we glanced at Kari who looked disgusted. I wish I hadn't become the Kaiser in the first place, it keeps coming back to haunt everyone, especially those I love.
Davis and Raidramon, came charging toward us, "I'll save you Ken!" I was glad to have such great friends. The Kaiser fought back with his digimon, defeating the group one by one. Eventually, they decided to retreat to fight another day.
After they left, the Kaiser led us inside. He turned on the TV to watch the news of what was going on. Nothing really interesting. He was worried his parents would put out another search for him, but they knew about the digital world now. Hopefully Kari or Davis gave them some excuse for me to be here. I never told them about the Kaiser. They knew I wasn't perfect, but this would break their hearts. I couldn't tell them.
It'd been almost 8 days of the Kaiser being awake. My body was getting skinnier and weaker. I think we were missing meals. When someone is awake for too long, their body starts to shut down to try to rest. It can also cause psychological problems. Although at this point, this is all one big psychological problem, isn't it?
He was more than data now. He was bound to my body. I couldn't release him from me as I did the clone. I knew there was only one thing left to be done to get rid of him, but I wasn't sure I could bring myself to do it. I knew the darkness, and it almost took me and my life multiple times. To be so far in the light, and turn my life over so willingly, was a tough thing to do. But I knew, it would kill the Kaiser for good.
It took me a few more days to know that was the only way. The Kaiser had been awake for 11 days so far. That is the record for any human not sleeping. I felt exhausted, like I was barely there, even though I had rested. Maybe he is feeding off my psychological energy at this point to stay awake. I have been sleeping more lately. I could tell he was slipping though. My eyes were twitching every few seconds and he kept muttering to himself. Even I couldn't' always tell what he was saying. I think he's losing his grip on reality. If he snaps, I might be able to take over long enough to do what I need to do.
The group had been here 4 times if I was awake every time they had been here. He kept fighting him off. But they kept setting back his plans more each time, so he was still not close to getting Daemon out of the dark ocean. Just as I was about to doze off again, I saw on screen the group came again. This time, with more of the older digidestined to fight.
The Kaiser stood up and stumbled out of the base. If I didn't know better, he'd seem like he was drunk.
"You look terrible man!" Davis yelled at us. I know, but I couldn't do anything about it.
"You will never win!" The Kaiser said, as he laughed a little too creepily. His monsters attacked. Many of them got defeated, giving a few of the group a chance to rush toward me.
"You told Kari you wanted us to defeat you, I'm here to help you Ken," Davis yelled as he started throwing punches at me. I started to black out, but I knew my chance was closer than ever. After a few minutes, I held my hands up. I was in control again. I waved my fingers in front of me again just to make sure.
This was my chance. My chance to end the Kaiser. To end it all. This was the third time the Kaiser has wreaked havoc in the digital world. Third time I'd hurt people because of him. I had to get rid of him for good, that involved getting rid of me to.
In a matter of seconds, Davis looked confused, wondering if I was really Ken. Kari had come up holding wormmon, and with what little strength in my body, I urged my lips to speak to them, "I'm sorry."
And then I got up and I ran. The digimon were still fighting, and the others were not fast enough to stop me. There was a cliff nearby, and I dove, right off the side. The falling sensation made me feel so free. There were rocks at the bottom, sure to destroy me. I was glad though, that I could rid the world from the Kaiser.
Maybe I went too fast to remember, or maybe I had passed out from exhaustion, but I had been expecting to feel some kind of pain. I only felt peace.
I awoke to find Kari sitting next to me. I could barely move my head. Was I in a neck cast?
I recalled the events of what happened. Did I not succeed? Was the Kaiser still here to wreak havoc? Why am I alive?
I couldn't speak, but Kari had noticed my eyes had opened.
"Ken?" She asked softly. She could tell in my eyes that it was me.
"I know what you were trying to do, and if it helps, I think he is gone, for good this time. You are in an almost full body cast. I tried to heal you, but I used all my energy keeping you alive. You'll probably need to relearn to walk, if you can ever walk again. But don't worry, I'll be here to help you," she smiled at me.
Because of her I am alive. And she wants to stay with me, even after all that. I will never understand what I did to deserve her.
"I'll help you too!" Wormmon exclaimed jumping up on me. I must have been so medicated I couldn't feel it.
"Your parents went home to rest, but they've been here worried sick about you. You've been out for a couple weeks," Kari confessed.
I heard a loud noise out in the hall, it was Davis coming in to visit. I couldn't move my head but I heard Kari say, "He's awake."
"Ken!" Davis exclaimed, "We'll have you out of here and playing soccer again in no time! I know it!"
The rest of the group came to visit one by one, giving me positive words. A few scolded me for jumping, but they were glad the Kaiser was gone. I'm not sure how else we could have killed him, and I'm not sure anyone else had any ideas either.
Finally my parents came in, "We love you Ken!" I'm not sure if anyone told them what happened, but they didn't bring it up or mention it, just kept saying they are glad I'm alive. I was so wrapped up in the Kaiser and my body shutting down, that I hadn't considered them. They already lost one son, now they've almost lost another. I don't regret getting rid of the Kaiser, but I wish they didn't have to see me like this and worry over me.
I know I'll heal. Maybe not out playing soccer as Davis hopes, but I will heal, and life will get back to normal. At least I know I have so many people caring about me through everything.