Dragon Lady
: All right! A new fic! *cheers*Ken
: Yeah…that's nice and everything dl…but aren't you supposed to be working on your other fic?Dragon Lady
: ^^;; Um yeah…Magical Game…it's just taking a quick little break for the moment…Ken
: -_-;;; Don't forget about it. I have a feeling people will be most upset if you don't finish it…Dragon Lady
: I didn't say I wasn't going to finish it…I just had this fic on my mind too. And I had to do something about it before I lost it.Ken
: *sighs* Uh huh. DigimonDragonLady doesn't own Digimon. Or me. Or Daisuke. Or any of the other characters she uses. Its all non profit and strictly for her enjoyment. So she doesn't mind if you don't like it, she appreciates it if you do and tell her so, but this is for her pleasure, and not the ego stroking.Dragon Lady
: Yep! ^_^Ken
: So…on to the torture…Dragon Lady
: You're a mean muse Ken-chan. =P Oh, by the way. I do own Katrina and Sean. Katrina is mine, so don't take her. She's from an original fantasy story, and she really is my favorite original character, so if you want to use her for something…at least have the decency to ask, all right? 'Kay…with that said…you're free to read the fic now.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dangerous Games
By: DigimonDragonLady
Ken slowly opened his eyes to a world of misty grayness. He blinked as he looked around him. It was…strange. Here he was, standing in this empty world with no idea as to why he was there. This was…a dream…right? What an odd place to dream about, he thought. The atmosphere was peaceful, and relaxing. Indeed it seemed to be casting a spell of calm over him, and Ken slipped blissfully into the new state of relaxation. But at the same time…some part of him was sure he needed to be fighting it. He wasn't quite sure why, but he thought that he should know this place.
He didn't even jump when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, slowly around, until he was gazing into a pair of big, emerald green eyes. "Hello Ken," a soft voice greeted him.
Ken studied this new face curiously, though he was sure that he had seen this person before…somewhere. The girl, young woman, looked to be only about five or six years older than himself. She had waist length auburn hair, and gently tanned skin. Her eyes seemed to be her most prominent feature, and the hooded cloak of green that she wore only made them look more wild and beautiful. She smiled.
Suddenly in a rush of painful memories everything came rushing back to him. He was standing in her world. The guardians world. What was he doing there? What was going on? Why? It wasn't right! He shouldn't be here! He shouldn't even be remembering this place! It was wrong! He had given it up! He had made sure that all traces of this life style had been erased from his memories!
"You," he hissed, taking a step back away from her. "What have you done?! Why have you brought me here?" he demanded harshly.
"Please remain calm," she told him. "All will be explained to you in time--"
"I don't want it to be explained to me in time! I want my answers now! Better yet -- I don't want my answers at all! I want you to send me back! Take these memories back!! This isn't what I want, and you know it!"
"Ken…" her tone was gently admonishing. "Don't fight it. Please relax a little. We shall sit and talk."
"What makes you think I have anything to discuss with you?" he sneered. He didn't bother to disguise the unmistakable disgust that seeped into his tone.
The woman raised as staff that she clutched in her right hand, and pointed it behind him, waving it slightly. Taking him firmly by the shoulders once more, she turned him so that he could see a set of living room furniture. "Come Ken, be reasonable, you're here now, we might as well talk. There's no going anywhere for you until I decide that you may leave."
"You don't decide anything for me!!" Ken growled. "I make my own decisions!" But he allowed himself to be lead to a seat on a couch.
Once she had seen that Ken was seated, the young woman took a seat of her own in a large comfortable chair. On the table in front of her was a silver tea service, and she busied herself pouring Ken a cup. He took it from her grudgingly and casting a suspicious glance in her direction took a cautious sip. It was sweet and flavored with honey, and as the hot liquid slipped down his throat he felt immediately warm and content.
He made a face. "More of your nerve calming tea," he scowled. "Has it ever occurred to you that people might like to be angry every once in awhile?"
The woman said nothing, merely poured herself a cup full, and sipped quietly. Nothing was said for the longest time, until she put down her cup and looked straight at Ken, who was avoiding her eyes. "Ken…you and I have much to discuss here," she said finally.
"I don't hold conversations with those that act as Gods," he replied coldly.
"You have no choice. You must listen to this. What I say now greatly effects your future."
"My future, has nothing to do with you," he answered stonily.
"Ken, you are soon to be desperately needed."
"The last time I saw you, I told you that I would have nothing more to do with…all of this," he looked around him in contempt.
"I had to bring you here, Ken." She said softly. "I had to ask again. You were eight when you made that decision…I had hoped…had hoped that something I could say now would change your mind…"
"Nothing will make me change my mind."
"Please listen to me, Ken." This request was spoken so powerfully that Ken could not help but raise his gaze to her. "I know that the death of your brother hurt you deeply…I can understand how you feel --"
"You have no idea how I feel!" he snarled at her. "You have no idea what it feels like to stand there and watch your brother die…the only person that I had left in the world. The person that meant more to me than life itself…"
She remained silent as he continued. "I had to stand there. I had to watch as Osamu drew his last breath. I had to watch as the magic that he taught me to treasure did nothing to save his life. Do you understand me? NOTHING!"
"You have lost much," she agreed softly. "Your parents, your brother. But don't you think…that we all have?"
Ken blinked in surprise. He didn't even have a comeback for that.
"I once stood where you do Ken. I was once faced with the same decision. I as well lost my family, my brother, a best friend and sister, and a lover. I gave it all up. And when I realized how my life would never be the same, I too screamed out in rage and demanded to be sent back to the time that I could change all of it. But I grew to realize that there is something greater that hangs in the balance."
"What happened to you?" he asked.
"I was offered my wildest dream come true. Magic. To tame the untamable. To control it, wield it. To bring it to my aid. But in agreeing to hold the magic, I lost both of my worlds. The world that bore me, and offered me life, and the world that taught me to love all life and created me anew. I would wander the halls of time, never being able to stay for very long…in any world, but this."
"Aren't you…lonely?"
"Yes. Very much so," she answered. "But all that loneliness changed when I found you. Your parents dead, you and your brother, wandering alone…I took you in, and raised you as well as I knew how. I was fascinated by you both. Two boys who could sense magic so clearly…you had a curious affinity for it…and yet you yourselves couldn't use it. It was so strange…and I took at it as the sign it was, that you were meant for wonderful things. I wanted to teach you."
"You always seemed to know so much…" he murmured. "Did you know…know that Osamu would die?" he asked in a choked voice.
"I did."
"Wasn't there anything that you could have done?" he cried. "If you loved us so much, couldn't you have saved him?"
She came to sit beside him, held him in her arms, and together they cried. "I wanted to so much Ken. I wanted to see him live, but at the same time I knew what needed to be done. That Osamu had to die for you to achieve your destiny. It is not easy…playing God."
"Then why? Why let me go?"
"You were hurting Ken. I could see that. Nothing I could do for you would ease the trouble of your heart," she told him, smoothing down his hair and holding him close. "I wanted to be there for you, and I wanted to do what was best for you. My heart broke when you told me that you didn't want any of this. Didn't want anything to do with me. And while I felt sure, that you didn't mean it, I let you go. I erased your memories, and sent you back to the world that I had taken you from, into the arms of a new family, where you could grow on your own."
"Then why am I back?"
"I wanted to give you another chance. Show you what awaits you if you once again return to this path."
Ken watched as she raised her hand, and created a type of portal hole from the mist around them. Ken could see a little store. Old and shabby. It looked to be an antiques shop, just the same as many others around his town. But he knew there was something important about it.
"What does this have to do with my future?" he asked.
"Everything," she answered. "Here you will meet your destiny."
"If I choose this," he looked at her. "I won't be able to forget anymore will I? I won't be able to pretend that Osamu never existed…I'll know…"
"The moment you enter this store. Yes. You will remember. And there will be no turning back. But choosing this, will send you into the arms of another, that can understand your pain, and can comfort you more than I. He will be your greatest love."
"He?" Ken asked, wiping his eyes.
She nodded. "You and he share much. And could help each other on the path to recovery. Together, you can do so much. Be great. But it will require a great strength, which you can find only in one another."
Ken frowned. For a moment, the great guardian had sounded sad. "You don't want me to do this?" he asked.
"I do. I want to see you happy with him, Ken."
"You do, but you don't."
"I…I love you, my Ken," she answered quietly. "I love you. But I can never be more than a motherly figure to you, even if I wanted to be. You…you have your own path to follow. And I… have mine. You will love him. And I want to see you happy."
"Do you know what I will decide?" he asked.
"I know not. I could know. But I do not want to. This, despite what you think, is still your decision. I will not know until you make it, on your own. So I will send you back now."
"Will I see you again?" he asked.
She shook her head. "That…remains to be seen."
He nodded in understanding. "Goodbye, Lady Katrina."
"I will send you home now." She waved her hand and more of the mist around them began to twirl around Ken, growing thicker and thicker until it engulfed him completely, and he was gone. The girl gave a sad, weak smile, and then turned her gaze back to the mirror that she had created to show the shop. It was now showing a picture of an old man, and his wife, who stood together behind the dusty counter of a store filled with miscellaneous items.
She touched the image, and it swirled and disappeared beneath her fingers. "Take care of him Sean, my brother."
* * *
There came a soft knock at the door, and Ken Ichijouji rolled over, and opened his eyes, yawning ever so slightly as he did so. "Ken dear," his mother's voice floated through. "Time to get up. Breakfast is on the table, and you and I have some shopping to do today."
"I'm coming mother," he called out. "Just a minute."
He slowly and carefully made his way down the ladder of his bed, and pulled on some clothes for the day. He stood surveying himself in his mirror, as he brushed his chin length indigo hair. He stood and stared a little longer than necessary…but he wasn't examining his appearance. His eyes had gotten a far away look, and he seemed to be starring past his reflection in the mirror. He was thinking about the strange dream he'd had the previous night…he knew it had been strange, but he couldn't remember any of it…and he was sure that whatever it was that he dreamed about was When he had deemed himself presentable, he emerged from his room to join his parents at the breakfast table.
His father smiled at him, lowering the morning paper to speak. "Hey there Ken."
"Good morning father," Ken answered the greeting.
"I hope you're ready for today Ken," his mother told him, as she served some eggs onto his plate. "We've got a busy schedule ahead of us. So much to do."
"Yes mom," Ken nodded.
An hour later his father left for work, and Ken and his mother took to the shopping they would have to get done. It was almost Christmas, and there was a lot to do. Presents to wrap, and ornaments to buy, and still some gifts left to select. They wandered down the crowded streets with their purchases, and his mother looked at her watch.
"Well…I think this is all for now Ken, don't you? Of course we still have a little time left…is there some place you'd like to look at?"
Ken frowned. "I don't know…" A tiny shop across the street caught his eye. It was dingy and old from the looks of it. Ken was surprised that the roof was still intact. He wondered why on earth he had never noticed it before. The name of it said that it was the Lann Antique Store; and a sign in the window told him that it "specialized in strange, bizarre, rare and hard to find merchandise".
Time seemed to stop right there. He could go in this store and look around…see something new. Or…he could go to his favorite used bookstore, which was just a few more shops down the street. Decisions, decisions. But whatever it was it had to be made then. What to do…
"Mom…can we go look in that store?" he asked, pointing. "I don't think I've ever seen it before…"
His mother glanced at it as well. "That's funny…I don't think I ever have either. And it looks like its been there for quite a long time…"
"Maybe it was so old we just always over looked it?" Ken suggested.
"That might be it," she agreed.
Together they made their way across the street to the store. The moment Ken entered he felt his life turn completely upside down from the way he had been a second before. Upon walking in the door everything he had known before returned to him, his dream, meeting Katrina in her world between worlds, his brothers death. It was like a slap in the face. He just stopped walking and stood completely still.
His mother turned to look at him. "Ken dear, is something wrong?"
He looked at her for a moment. "No mom…everything's fine." When she turned away again he murmured under his breath, "I guess this is what I really choose…"
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Dragon Lady
: hehe…I'm getting pretty good at these cliff hanger endings…Ken
: You're going to start ticking a lot of people off by doing this…Dragon Lady
: Tough. =P *giggles* I love this new found power of mine…*laughs evilly*Ken
: Um…riiiight.Dragon Lady
: ^_~Ken
: -_-;;Dragon Lady
: Katrina is still my favorite original character. She's developed much more nicely in my other story, but I like to stick her into other things once in a while. And I'm really not going to go into explaining Katrina's past in this story I don't think. That pertains to my original, and nobody gets to read that yet because I have plans for that story. ^_^ Maybe one day when I'm a best selling authoress you'll know. ^_~Ken
: Keep dreaming.Dragon Lady
: *pouts* Thanks Ken. I just saw all my ambitions go up in smoke… =P You really are a mean muse.Ken
: Whatever. I'm not even paid to do this you know. I just happen to worry about your well-being and help you out. =PDragon Lady
: *ignores Ken*Ken
: Read and Review. Because if you don't all my work is going to waste here.