Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Digimon Adventure 02
Title: What The Digital World Is For: Chapter 1: Beauty
Romance: Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken
Word Count: chapter: 6,184||story: 6,184
Genre: Romance, Drama||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Written for the 2014 Advent Calendar Challenge, day #6; Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, section J, #2, a multichapter with no more than five chapters
Summary: [1/5 chapters, Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken, 2014 Advent Calendar Challenge; Diversity Writing Challenge] The Digital World is made up of data from Earth. Humans have a lot of data about...
The click-clack of keys being struck echoed faintly around the room. Wormmon stared up at Ken hopefully, longing for his partn - his master, he had to remember that, even though he didn't want to - waiting for Ken to remember that it was nearly midnight and even the mighty Digimon Kaiser needed to eat and sleep. He didn't always remember to eat, and frequently these days he fell asleep in his throne before he got up to go to his bedroom.
As much as Wormmon liked seeing Ken here all the time, he didn't like that Ken had become such a workaholic since he'd moved here on a permanent basis. At least when he'd lived in the human world, he'd eaten and slept more or less regularly. But here…here…
"What is this?" Ken seldom spoke out loud when he was working, unless he were so into his project that he didn't think about not speaking out loud. Wormmon tilted his head back and tried to get a look at what was going on through the viewscreens. Were the Chosen Children up to something? They'd been flittering about the world for days now, picking up new Digimentals. Wormmon wondered just how many of those there were. Surely they'd run out of them sooner or later.
"Ken?" He shifted closer, ready to wriggle away at a moment's notice if Ken lost his temper. He'd seen it happen enough times to know the signs. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." As he expected, Ken's response was brusque and cold. Wormmon sighed, bending his head. He'd give anything if he could evolve and help Ken do…something. Anything. He wasn't all that particular about what.
He kept watching the Kaiser, though. Something was up, whether Ken wanted to admit it or not, and he caught wind of several other words, muttered more under Ken's breath now, likely just to avoid Wormmon asking more questions.
Still, he was a little surprised when Ken shot to his feet and snapped out an order. "I want an Airdramon ready to fly in five minutes." He stalked toward the nearest exit from the fortress, leaving Wormmon to scramble along in his wake.
Ken's order hadn't been given to Wormmon himself, but rather transferred down to those slaves who had charge over the Airdramon and any other Digimon that Ken chose to use for transportation. By the time the two of them reached the exit, one of his regular AirDramon lay waiting. Ken didn't stop for a moment, but hopped on board and gave Wormmon a look that told him to hurry his pace.
Afire with curiosity, Wormmon wriggled faster, and managed to get on just before Ken's patience ran out and he ordered the AirDramon into the skies. He clung tightly to Ken's leg, peering over the side and wising that he could fly like this as well.
"I've discovered a new territory." Ken spoke at last and Wormmon paid attention. "It's giving off strange readings, so I want to check into it myself before I have a tower put up there."
Oh. Well, that explained things, at least to some extent. He tilted his head to the side. "What kind of strange readings?" He doubted he'd understand what Ken had to say but he asked anyway.
"I don't know." Those were words that he seldom heard Ken say and it was just as well that Wormmon could cling to almost anything, otherwise he might well have fallen off in sheer shock. "But I've also ordered a few of the local Digimon to be in the area in case I need them."
Wormmon nodded, now more worried than ever. Whatever was going on there could be dangerous. He didn't dare suggest that Ken not go. Ken's goal was to conquer all of the Digital World, and that included this area, whatever it might be. He couldn't help but feel sorry for whoever lived there. They were not going to enjoy this visitor.
Ken leaped off AirDramon's back and waved for it to return to the skies. He wouldn't need it right now, not until he'd finished exploring this area. That could take hours. Perhaps even longer, if it were larger than he thought. His scanners hadn't been able to pick up much beyond the fact the place existed and that it held some kind of an energy or effect he had never encountered before.
Clearly long distance scans weren't going to accomplish anything, so he determined to take matters into his own hands. So far as he knew, the Chosen hadn't even arrived in the Digital World today, which was fine by him. He didn't need them interfering in his work any more than they already did. If they did turn up, then he had several Digimon ready to take care of them while he continued his work.
He'd landed just outside the problem area, and gave it a good look now. A mountain valley. At least that's what it looks like from out here. That partially explained why he hadn't picked it up until now. Mountains always interfered in his scans, and he hadn't yet refined them to fix that. There was always something else that he needed to do. His great work wasn't going to create itself.
Wormmon stuck close to him as he moved forward at a predator's stalk. He paid little attention to the grub; if the pathetic creature could do anything useful, Ken knew he would've discovered it long ago. Since he hadn't, Wormmon couldn't. Simple as that. He settled for not stepping on the small Digimon when he didn't actually want to and that was it.
A few steps brought him to the valley's opening, and he braced himself to take a look inside. He expected anything and everything. Ravening hordes of Digimon, empty rockiness, perhaps just pretty scenery.
What he didn't expect was precisely what he got: something that made 'pretty scenery' seem a weak attempt to describe the vista that spread before him. The sky glimmered a brilliant blue, a shade that he'd never seen in either world. The Digital World's sun shone down a fraction warmer here than it did outside of the valley, and that itself confused him; weren't mountains supposed to be cooler?
A scant breath past his booted feet began a wave of rich green grass that raced up the sides of the mountains and down the valley, coating everything as far as the eye could see. Flowers the likes of which he'd never seen before - not that he'd ever wasted his time studying flowers - fluttered their blossoms in the warm scented breeze as it teased through the air.
He could hear the sound of water cascading over stone when he bent his ears to listening and took a few careful steps inside the valley proper, wanting to see what else could be seen in this strange place. He took his time; he had plenty of it, and the more thoroughly he explored, the more he knew he'd learn and the more he would know how to use this place to his best advantage.
Already ideas for what he could do stirred in the back of his thoughts. If he could lure the Chosen here and seal them up, they'd never bother him again. He'd have to search through it and make certain all of those televisions were disposed of first, though. He wasn't going to make any mistakes like that.
That also meant making certain to seal off any and all other exits from this place, either before he brought them here, or having methods to do so in place. Preferably before; they had an annoying habit of preventing plans that should've destroyed them. Especially Motomiya.
Ken refused to acknowledge how his teeth ground at the very thought of the goggle-wearing Chosen Child. He'd find a way to stop them all, and him most of all. If not here, then somewhere else. But it would happen and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, least of all Motomiya himself.
Which did mean he needed to find out all the secrets of this valley, so he could use them to his best advantage.
"Ken, I don't like this place." Wormmon murmured. He still hadn't moved more than a fraction away from Ken's side. "It smells funny."
Ken drew in a deep breath; Digimon had stronger senses than humans at times, and while he didn't trust Wormmon's brain one little bit, testing the air likely wasn't such a bad idea. He frowned a moment later.
"That is a strange odor." The flowers? It didn't smell like any flower shop he'd ever been by, nor any perfumes he'd scented either. He sniffed again, trying to figure out where it was coming from, and started down what he thought was a likely trail.
Wormmon whimpered a little, but followed him loyally. Ken hadn't expected anything else.
The farther that he walked, the stronger the scent grew. Ken reasoned that he was getting closer to the source, though he couldn't yet decide on what that was. The sound of the water grew louder as well, and finally he turned a corner to see a river winding through the valley, which widened out even more before him. A full exploration of this place would take days, if not weeks, and that pleased Ken far more than he thought it would initially.
I could move the fortress in here. The Chosen weren't very likely to find him any time soon whether he did or not, and this would make for a very pleasant resting area without a doubt.
Ken stopped in his tracks and shook his head as hard as he could. What was he thinking? He didn't need a rest area. If he needed anything, it was to find out where the most powerful Digimon in this area were and put Rings or Spirals on them as fast as possible. He wasn't here for the scenery, he was here to work!
"Ken?" Wormmon nudged his ankle and Ken glared down, not even sure of why he didn't kick the worm to the horizon. "Are you all right? You look upset."
"There really is something different about this place." Ken clenched his fists and looked around. "I don't like how it makes me think."
If he brought the Chosen here, would they be affected the same way? Would they find themselves thinking of relaxing and enjoying the scenery, instead of fighting him? That would make it worth all of this effort. He wouldn't even need to seal it up if they couldn't be bothered to leave in the first place.
The scent grew even stronger as he took another step or two and this time he thought he knew what it was. A small offshoot from the river poured twisted down one side of the valley, forming a cup of land and water, half-filled with a clear, wide pool, too deep for him to judge by eye alone and clear as daylight. A short distance from one side of the pool grew a bush that could only be the source of the lovely fragrance. Thousands of blossoms in uncountable shades covered this bush, and it was all he could do to keep himself focused the closer he got to it.
"What sort of plant is this?" Ken murmured far more to himself than to Wormmon. But he got an answer nevertheless.
"I've never seen one before, but I've heard talk about a…a place…" Wormmon shifted nervously back and forth, leaving a small sticky trail on Ken's pants as he moved his pods over them. Ken thought about kicking him away but couldn't muster the energy to do so. The idea of taking a small nap began to appeal to him more and more.
He forced himself to think more clearly. It wasn't easy at all, but he was the Digimon Kaiser, and he let no plant and no place in the Digital World tell him what to do. "What about it?"
"All I've heard are rumors, but they talk about a place where no one feels the urge to do anything but…" Wormmon hesitated and Ken didn't know if he resisted the urge to kick him out of some lingering breath of patience or because this place worked its vile effect on him. "Well, no one wants to do much of anything here. Even the Dark Masters avoided it."
"Who?" Ken brushed aside what Wormmon said even as he asked the question. It didn't matter who they were. What mattered was how to put a stop to this plant's effect, if it were what actually caused it.
Samples. I need samples. Trusting to his gloves to protect him, he snapped off a branch of the bush and examined it up close. The scent was so strong here that he all but staggered and had to fight to remember he didn't want to lay down and rest and perhaps wait…
But he did fight it off, biting his lip as hard as he could to keep himself focused. "We're going back." With this, he could learn more than he could wandering around, probably getting lost, and having to struggle to keep himself on track.
So far as he could tell, there weren't any Digimon in the valley itself either, which would make it much easier to take over. He stalked back the way he'd come, and glared at the first of his enslaved Digimon who caught his eye. This one was a Unimon, who bowed low as soon as Ken's gaze fell on him.
"Get some workers in there and put up as many spires as are necessary to get it under control. I want it part of my territory as soon as possible. By nightfall tomorrow at the latest."
Unimon bowed once again, then turned to start giving orders to the other Digimon with it. Ken paid no attention, too busy summoning his AirDramon back. He kept hold of the branch, not letting it get too close to any of the Digimon around him. Whatever effect it might have on them, it would likely interfere in their work, and even with Spirals and Rings they didn't do enough of that.
Wormmon clung to him as he jumped to the AirDramon and ordered it back to the fortress. He kept the branch at arm's length, but even so, the fragrance wound around him, teasing at his nostrils and urging him to think thoughts that weren't of conquest and bringing this entire world underneath his heel.
Instead, his thoughts wanted to go in the direction of the Chosen. At first he didn't object; they were his enemies, and he would have to deal with them sooner or later. Inch by inch, however, the fantasies that stirred through his mind weren't the usual ones where he defeated them all, cut off their access to the Digital World, and paraded around with their defeated leader on a leash to prove his mastery of the world.
Though they did involve Daisuke, just not how he usually preferred to imagine the brunet.
Ken would've thrown the branch down, if that wouldn't have ruined everything that he had in mind anyway. He glared at the branch as if the thoughts it raised were deliberate. Perhaps they were. He'd not write it off entirely.
And if they were, then this plant knew absolutely nothing about him. As if he'd ever see Motomiya as anything but the chief of those who needed to be severely crushed and broken to the point he never lifted his head again.
"Hurry it up," he ordered, fingers of his free hand clenching around his whip handle. He couldn't remember if he had anything in his base that would filter out the fragrance. He would come up with something if he had to.
No, not if. He did need something like this. All of these thoughts and fantasies kept him too far from his goal and he couldn't allow that.
Not that the idea of teaching Daisuke his place in certain other ways didn't have a mild appeal to it, if only for how shocked and horrified the boy would be…
No. Never. He wouldn't ever think like that!
He stamped one foot without realizing it, and a heartbeat later AirDramon began to wriggle erratically underneath him. Ken growled; this was not the time for disobedience! "Quiet down! Get moving!" They were within sight of the base already; he'd had it hide behind one of the mountains in order to keep the Chosen from finding it, should they be so annoying as to turn up while he was away.
AirDramon kept on wiggling, though, and Ken hissed, stamping his feet on purpose this time. "I said calm down! What is the matter?" Normally his be-Ringed and be-Spiralled slaves didn't do much besides what he told them to, so this annoyed him far more than usual.
"I think it's smelling that, Ken." Wormmon indicated the branch that he held. Ken looked down at it and held back the urge once more to just toss it to the side.
"Then the sooner I get it inside, the better." If whatever power or reaction this scent held could even work through his spirals and rings, then he needed to know what it was, and find out how to block it. One little discovery had given him a large mountain of work. He might even have to put aside the building of his perfect creation for a short while.
They weren't very far from the entrance to the fortress, and while AirDramon's flight wasn't nearly as steady as it had once been, it did manage to set Ken down safely. The Kaiser leaped from the creature's back at once and snapped orders to the handlers to see that it was checked over and that the Ring on it was still in working order. He supposed they would feed it as well; his slaves still needed to eat, and he always made sure to keep his rides as well fed as possible. No need for him to take a tumble because they were hungry.
As if the thought stirred up his own appetite, his stomach growled fiercely at him. Ken frowned; he didn't want to put off starting his research into this subject any more than he actually had to. But as much as he disliked taking the time away from work, he knew that he had to eat sooner or later.
"Wormmon, have some food brought." He'd take a few bites after he made some progress. That was all he would need.
He paid just enough attention to know that Wormmon headed into the direction of the kitchen, while his own steps turned toward his throne room/work room/place where he did virtually everything. He didn't see a purpose in dividing up his base into multiple rooms when he could get most of it done from one. It was more efficient if he didn't have to wander from place to place either.
Strange, the scent doesn't seem to get any weaker with time away from the main plant. He eyed the branch in his hand. By what little he did know of Earth plants, the fragrance should've died down a little. If it had, he couldn't tell, and the reaction of the AirDramon certainly indicated that it held a certain level of strength.
He made a note of that; it was something he would have to factor in when he started to filter it out for his slaves. He doubted they would appreciate all the work he went to for this. They didn't have minds enough to appreciate it even if they would've wanted to anyway.
Ken settled down into his throne and called up a table to set the branch on. He refused to touch the thing with his bare skin until he knew more about it. Just breathing in the fragrance was enough to send his thoughts skittering off into directions he didn't want them going into. He thought enough about Motomiya when he was planning to destroy him and his friends utterly. He didn't need or want to think about him in any other way.
It didn't take very long for Ken to get so absorbed into his work that he didn't pay the slightest bit of attention when Wormmon pulled in a tray full of food. Instead he continued to delve into the mysteries of the fragrance for the next several hours, pausing only to snatch a few bites when his vision began to blur and his stomach roared at him to the point he suspected he might pass out if he didn't eat something.
Ken couldn't tell, but the sky to the east had begun to lighten with dawn's first touch when he finally leaned back and reviewed what he'd learned overnight. It wasn't nearly as much as he wanted, but it was a beginning.
It reacts to both human and Digimon in different ways and it depends on their level of physical maturity. He hadn't yet pinpointed all the differences or the effects, but he knew one thing: the Chosen were at a stage where they would feel much as he had when they breathed in the aroma. Extremely relaxed and unwilling to do much of anything. He had the first clues of how to filter it out with his Rings and Spirals, and he decided he would work on that after he got a little rest. Recoding to do that would take a lot of his effort and focus and if he didn't get some rest, he wouldn't be able to pull it off properly.
There were times he hated being human and having human weaknesses, such as the irrepressible need for food and sleep. He wondered if there were anything he could do to himself in the Digital World that would eliminate that so he could work more efficiently, without losing so many hours having to take care of himself. Yet another project he'd have to look into when he had the time.
He leaned back in his throne and examined his results one more time. The best I can do with it right now is make certain there aren't any ways out of that valley and then lure them in and seal it up. Whatever other effects the fragrance and the location would have on them would keep them there quite likely forever. Then he could get down to finishing his conquest. Perhaps he'd let them out once he was done, if they were still there to be released. The mental image of their reaction to his victory sent a sweet wave of joy all through him.
Everything in its proper time, though. First, he needed to check on his workers to make certain they'd done as he'd said. They still had a little time until his deadline, but he preferred to check on them earlier. He liked to think they worked harder when they didn't know if he'd suddenly turn up or not.
He made it easier on himself by turning his monitors toward that valley. While he couldn't have figured out the mysteries of the place from a distance, checking on construction was simplicity itself.
Everything seemed to be moving along, even without the signal to filter the fragrance and its effects out. To be precise, he wouldn't exactly filter the scent itself out. That wasn't possible. What he would be doing would be suppressing his slaves' reactions to it at all. Some of his research indicated that if their Rings or Spiral were removed, there would be some kind of backlash or feedback effect, where all the 'stored up' scent, so to speak, would strike them harder than if they'd dealt with it naturally.
Oh, well. If they let themselves get defeated, then it was only what they deserved.
Ken considered getting to work on the filter anyway, and decided now perhaps wasn't the best time. He would need to plan a way to trick the Chosen into that valley as well, and he did much better work once he was rested. With great reluctance, he rose up from his seat and headed for the bedroom tucked into one side of the throne room.
The room itself wasn't much to look at; it contained only a bed, a closet where multiple copies of his uniform and boots rested, a screen he could use to check on his slaves whenever he chose, and a small table he used for a nightstand. He kept only a small glass of water there, for those times when he woke and needed a drink. For the most part, everything in the room existed only for a purpose. There wasn't anything there for the show of it, nothing at all that he indulged himself with.
With only one exception: the bed itself. A huge king-sized mattress, with blankets and sheets of the finest weave that he could put his hands on, and a thick pile of pillows, awaited his repose. In Ken's mind, he was the lord and master of the entire Digital World, and he deserved the very best when he wanted something.
In the back of his mind as he stripped down for sleep, he wondered what Daisuke would think of this bed of his, and what it might be like to…
He stomped down on the thought with all of his mental strength and decided he needed one more thing before he got around to sleeping: the coldest shower he could get himself.
That damned plant again. Why him? Why Motomiya? He'd touched on some other effects the fragrance could have once the person who breathed in the aroma matured, but hadn't paid much attention to them. If he weren't as worn out as he was, he thought he might've researched into that, for the sake of curiosity if nothing else, and use as a weapon against his enemies. Motomiya did seem to like that one girl, the Chosen of Light. If he could put that to use, then…
No. It wasn't worth the effort. Besides, Motomiya would like it too much and Ken would gladly go out of his way to annoy the brunet, but wouldn't turn his head to give him the time of day, much less give him something that he wanted.
On the other hand, something that he would loathe, that would wake him up screaming for months, if not years, to come…Yes. That he could do. That he would do.
Ken let the ice cold water rain down all over himself and began to put together a plan.
"What is it, Koushirou-kun?" Miyako peeked over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the computer screen, trying to guess what he'd called them all there for.
"Aren't we just destroying more Dark Towers today?" Daisuke wondered, giving a few sharp looks to the bag of food Miyako brought with her. She pushed it out of sight absently; most of that was for the Digimon, not for them!
"That's what we had in mind," Takeru agreed, settling into his seat on the other side of Koushirou. "Did something come up?"
"You might say that." Koushirou tapped his fingers on the keyboard in front of him. "I was checking to see what the Kaiser's been up to, and I picked up a strange signal. When I deciphered it, this is what I found."
All of them turned their attention to the screen, and not one jaw remained undropped as a message spilled across it.
Hurt. Send help. Please. Ken.
"Whoa." Daisuke managed to pull himself together first. "You've got to be kidding me."
Miyako's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. "It's got to be a trap, that's what it's got to be. Where's it coming from?"
Koushirou's fingers flew over the keys once more. "I've tracked it down to a mountain valley here. I can't get a visual, probably because there's a Dark Tower there. But that's what it says and that's where it's coming from."
Iori frowned, large green eyes focused on the message. "Is it possible that he's sending this to his own slaves?"
"Maybe." Hikari acknowledged, just as concerned as the rest of them. "But would he sign it with his real name if he did?" Iori nodded his agreement; that wasn't very like their far too proud enemy.
Daisuke folded his arms over his chest. "If he really is hurt, then now might be a really good time to take him down. And if he's not, then we can make sure whatever he's planning doesn't work."
Takeru smiled for a quick moment. "That's not a bad idea." He would want to be a little more cautious himself, but he'd learned not to expect that from Daisuke. "There should be a television port somewhere near there, right? We can use that to escape if we have to."
"I'm picking up one just outside of it," Koushirou agreed. "You'd better all be careful, though. Even if he is hurt, he's still very dangerous. And it might not even be him: he's hardly the only person in the world named Ken. This could be someone like Michael."
"If it's another Chosen, then that's a really good reason to get there before the Kaiser does!" Miyako declared, digging now into her pocket for her D-3. Everyone ready?"
In mere moments they'd all downloaded themselves, save for Koushirou. The redhead got to work typing up his regular e-mail to the other older Chosen, letting them know what today's mission was. No one except him had been able to turn up for the trip today, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He was still working on finding a way to open up the gates with one of their older Digivices, but until they could, the ones who stood the best chance of fighting were the ones who were there now.
I wonder if that is the Kaiser, or just someone with an unfortunately similar name. He made a point to keep an eye on what was going on as best that he could. Whatever happened, they would all need to know about it.
"There it is." Takeru shaded his eyes with his hand and looked across the stretch of land that lay between their arrival point and the mountain valley that was their goal. It was almost impossible to see anything of the valley from where they stood, but the breeze that blew from it spoke of peace and rest and long lazy days with nothing to do except spend time with friends.
"Well, we're not going to find whoever it is by standing around here!" Daisuke started off at his usual brisk pace, V-mon only a breath or so behind him. The others exchanged amused looks before following him.
"Everyone keep an eye out," Takeru advised as they drew closer to the valley's opening. "If this is a trap, it could get sprung on us at any time."
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Daisuke waved one hand and kept on going. Takeru didn't say anything more; Daisuke took risks like most people took baths.
Stepping inside the valley was like stepping into the most wonderful dreamscape one could possibly imagine. Long stretches of pure green grass flowed out in every direction, dotted with flowers of every shade and shape imaginable, and some that had never been imagined.
Iori blinked at all, then looked down at his D-3. "Can anyone get any kind of signal? If it is a different Chosen Child, we should get one."
Miyako breathed in the rich scents deeply, her eyes going somewhat dreamy and distant. "Do we really have to bother with that? This place is so beautiful. I want to rest here a while."
"I know what you mean." Hikari nodded, looking all around as if she couldn't drink in enough of the scenery.
Takeru frowned, but not very hard. "We probably should look for whoever it is…" He fidgeted, not entirely sure of his own words. "I mean, if they're hurt, then…they'll need help…won't they?"
Daisuke kept going without even looking at them. "Right, right! Well, I don't see anyone around here. Hey, Miyako, think you and Holsmon can check it out from up there?"
When he didn't get a reply, the young leader twisted around to look at her, frowning all the way. "Hey! Miyako!"
Miyako bent over one of the flowers, breathing in the scent. "Hm? Did you say something?" She slowly raised her head, blinking at Daisuke, head tilted to the side, eyes distant and dreamy.
Daisuke ground his teeth for a heartbeat. "Yeah, I asked if you could take a look for whoever we're looking for from up there." He waved one hand to the skies.
"I suppose." She fidgeted a fraction herself, rubbing the back of her head before she reached for her D-3. "Ready, Hawkmon?"
"As always!" Hawkmon prepared himself as the light of evolution began to enfold him. "Hawkmon, armor evolve to Holsmon, the Wings of Love!"
Takeru watched as they took off, a few whispered thoughts murmuring in the very back of his head, where he always did his best never to look at them. Today those thoughts appeared a fraction louder. He still tried hard not to pay attention, though it wasn't easy. "Is splitting up such a good idea? If this is one of Ken's traps, then sticking together is our best bet."
The words had barely left his mouth before a herd of Tyrannomon stampeded into the valley behind them, and a flight of AirDramon whisked around from the mountains ahead of them. Two of them peeled off from their formation, targeting Miyako and Holsmon.
"So glad that you could join me here in this lovely little retreat." The Digimon Kaiser stood on an outcropping of rock a short distance away, arms folded over his chest and his usual smug smirk twisted over his lips. "I think you're going to like it here so much that you don't ever want to leave."
"You've got that wrong!" Daisuke had his D-3 out and Lighdramon appeared in front of him in record time. "Really wrong!"
Daisuke didn't get very far before a batch of Tuskmon tromped up to get in the way. Without hesitation, Lighdramon attacked, aiming for the Rings that kept them enslaved to the Kaiser. They all knew how this worked; they got rid of the Rings or Spirals and Ken generally escaped on one of his AirDramon. The variations were endless, but the general shape of their battles remained the same.
Takeru, Hikari, and Iori didn't waste any time getting their own partners evolved and into the fight. Ken had clearly brought a significant portion of his army with him, and the question on if this were a trap or not seemed fairly well solved: it was and they were going to have to fight all of these enslaved Digimon to win their way through it.
No matter how many of those Digimon whose control devices they shattered, more seemed to rise up almost out of nowhere to take their place. Takeru and the others were kept busy dodging out of the way whenever an attack came too close to them. In moments, Takeru couldn't have said where any of his friends were, other than in the same kind of trouble that he was. Energy blasts, feathers, fur, and fragments of dark tools flew everywhere, and he spent more time ducking and swerving than he did anything else short of watching Pegasmon.
We've got to regroup. He didn't think they were losing, but he knew that he needed to see what was going on so they could all figure a better way to work through this.
Rolling to what looked like a clear area, he came to his feet and looked around. Miyako caught his eye first; she and Holsmon still circled in the skies, dodging AirDramon. Even as he watched, they got the Ring off of the last of them, which shook its head and sloped off to follow the others out of sight.
Iori and Hikari were still fighting, Iori a short distance to his left and Hikari somewhat farther along to his right. Miyako swooped down to help Hikari out, and as soon as he had a fix on where Iori was, Takeru urged Pegasmon to lend Digmon a helping hoof.
He couldn't find Daisuke, but that didn't surprise him either. Ken didn't often set traps just for one of them, but when he did, it was Daisuke more than it wasn't. Looks like he's in another bad mood. Finding Daisuke wouldn't take all that long, Takeru decided. What would take a while would be figuring out exactly what Ken's plan really was.
Not to mention the sudden tingle of fear through his spine as those few Digimon who still had Rings or Spirals on all suddenly backed off and headed for the nearest way out of the valley, leaving the Chosen behind.
To Be Continued