AN: Long absence, I know, even for short chapters. This year has been one nightmare after another, so I've barely had time and energy before now. Hoping to get back into the swing of regular updates again. I appreciate the wait, and welcome any new readers as well.

Where's Piedmon, you might be asking about now? Wait for it dearies...


The music began to swell long before the lights began to illuminate the stage in a soft glow. It wasn't the usual brash affair of a circus, with rings of fast-paced performers and a loud ring-leader in the center to guide the audiences attention. No, this was more of a theater, though each participant was dressed in a way that fit the name given, they behaved in a manner much more impressive to the intellectual mind. Obviously they had put some thought into at least trying to appeal to what they might guess to be his tastes, and even Wormmon was surprised to see his master sitting quietly through the opening act.

The music was orchestrated, dramatic, building in a gradual swell with definite undertones of rock influence. All in all the combinations of each piece creating an intricate puzzle that ought to clash. And yet, the story built was seamless. Somehow each element complimented one another instead of distracting or taking away. A Lopmon appeared among the whirling acrobats, the scene on stage a garden with a large stone tower and a fountain in the center. The Lopmon lamented his inability to digivolve, marking himself as a main protagonist. Though the words were sung in French, the gist was able to be gathered. At least for Ken, Wormmon's pitiful brain was struggling, though he thought better than to interrupt his master with his inquiries. When the first song was over, the stage dimmed, the audience below applauding politely.

In no time at all the stage was lit again, the music building up once more. This time the tune was on the whimsical side, and Ken's eyes narrowed on the stage. There, sitting on the edge of the fountain, was very clearly a human girl. It took Wormmon some squinting to realize it, though the self-proclaimed Kaiser knew the truth instantly.

"Just what I need," he cursed, "another Digi-brat to deal with." Wormmon's gaze flickered between his master and the girl on stage, who continued her act oblivious to the glare directed at her. She must have been classically trained, dancing on pointe around the edge of the fountain, glancing at her reflection in the pool, and when the lyra hoop lowered from above she gave a performance that looked effortless in the grace and flexibility it displayed. Still his master scowled, teeth grit and mind no doubt wheeling on dark possibilities.

"Well, we don't know she's with those others-" Wormmon immediately tried to sooth the notions, only to fall silent when the scathing heat of the glower jumped over to him. As bad as Wormmon felt for what no doubt awaited the girl below, he still cowered in the face of his master's anger.

"Perhaps you're right." Did he hear that right? Surely his master didn't honestly agree with him? No, judging by the malicious smile on his lips, Wormmon very much doubted it. His stomach was twisting into knots just trying to figure out what was going on under that blue hair.

Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the play. He didn't know French either, but the story played out with enough emotion that he could sort of follow it. Jokermon played the roll of bad-guy. A friendship formed between the girl and the Lopmon. Jokermon worked to come between the two, jealous of the new friend she had made and wanting the attention for himself. In the end his attempts to regain her favor would backfire. She would refuse him in his tower, the daring hero Lopmon running to her aid despite his own perceived shortcomings, climbing the ivy to reach her. By this point Wormmon was at the edge of his seat, invested and eager to see the happy ending. Ken, was growing bored. Jokermon turned his back, indicating he would let her go. She smiled, rushing to the tower's balcony to reach down for her friend.

Then a gleefully smiling Jokermon turned around. And shoved her off the edge. A gasp sounded through the audience, Lopmon reaching out a paw but too small to catch her in time. Wormmon covered his eyes and even Ken's eyes widened as she free-fell. The music stopped to accent the thud as she hit the ground, Lopmon screaming as he slid down the ivy to her. The music remained absent. The audience was silent. The guest of honor watched as the hero of the show tried to get her limp form to move. Normally the Kaiser took little more pleasure than in the torment he had brought upon the very subjects he had dominated. He made friends fight each other. He beat his subjects. He was by no means at all the kind boy he had once been. Yet, watching a human girl drop to her death? Something about it clenched at his heart, if only for a moment before he reminded himself it was just a show. It wasn't real. It was just a cheap trick to elicit an emotion from their audience.

Before he could begin evaluating the stage and looking for the wires, the soft landing, the anything to prove the falsehood of the scene, the music began again. Lopmon let out a scream of rage, and as he turned to climb the tower his skin began to peel back into digivolution. Antylamon climbed the tower, fur dark and warped, eyes filled with fury. Now, Ken was interested. By the looks of it that was a genuine dark digivolution, as far as he knew no stage magic could fake that. Now at last a malicious chuckle slipped from his throat, evolving into full on laughter as the Jokermon fought fruitlessly to remind the Dark Antylamon that he was supposed to be a hero. No luck. The music was more of a symphonic metal now, the growling lyrics Antylamon sang fueled by the rage of loss, the dance between he and Jokermon brutal, until only Antylamon remained standing. Panting. Shaking at the center of the garden. He moved over to the girl, dropping to his knees and cradling the limp form. He finally Digivolved, rising to his feet and turning to the audience. The music came to an end, and he spoke in calm broken tones the lesson to be learned here, tears staining his fur. Neither Ken nor Wormmon knew enough French to know just what his heart-broken words of warning were, just that the entire production ended in tragedy. He hung his head, an the curtains came to a close.

It was, of course, all a show. The audience gave their applause and cheers, and minutes later the curtains opened again. There they all stood. The three main actors, alive and well and Lopmon back to normal, and the dozens of other Digimon who had provided background acts or in between skits lined up. They gave a bow, and Jokermon turned back to their guest of honor. Everyone stopped what they did to wait for his reaction now. He stood, Wormmon held his breath, and then he gave a smile and light applause. The crowd doubled their prior cheers, Jokermon reaching up for a rope that brought him up to the balcony in a matter of seconds.

"Oh we are so pleased you enjoyed our performance!" Jokermon gave a deep bow, and Ken answered him.

"I can't wait to see how you'll out-do yourself next time."

"Next time, your majesty?"

"Oh yes. And of course, I dare say you won't object to my meeting the other stars of the show?" Wormmon gulped at the evil glint in his master's eyes, but Jokermon responded without missing a beat,

"Oh but of course not! I'll have you taken right down, should you like. I'm certain they would be delighted to have the chance to meet you! Most honored in fact."

"Oh good, I'd hate to leave without paying my respects to the stars of the show." It took all Wormmon had not to whimper his discomfort for the situation, fighting to remind himself to keep quiet.

"You heard his majesty, bring him down to meet the stars! I'll meet you there. Someone must close out the show!" he was ever delightful, back-flipping off the balcony and down below as the two exited the box. What was his master up to? What ever it was, Wormmon was certain he wasn't going to like it anymore than he liked the cool confidence with which Jokermon handled each situation...