Digimon of all shapes, sizes, and levels worked tirelessly at the lumber mill, lugging heavy logs without much complaint - after all, their Evil Rings refused them that right. Carrying the fallen trees in any manner they could, the controlled Digimon created an assembly line to and from the massive building meant to process their cargo.
At the entrance to the facility, two Digimon stood guard over the entrance. One was a Gazimon, the other a Gekomon. Both wore Evil Rings around their necks like collars, their eyes glowing red to show the influence of said item.
While the Gekomon stood as still and silent as a statue, the Gazimon seemed to have enough wherewithal to look around and watch the other Digimon. Acknowledging each Digimon as they entered and left the building, he gave the impression of actual vigilance as the workers went about their business.
After several moments, the Gazimon turned to the Gekomon beside him, staring at him with his glowing eyes. "So, hey. What do you think this stuff is actually for, anyway?"
The Gekomon didn't respond, his blank eyes staring straight forward into the forest around them.
The Gazimon paused before he looked away. "I mean, it's a lot of trees and I don't ever see anything being built. Do you think he just hates trees?"
The Gekomon gave a small croak in his throat, though it was unclear if it was a response or a coincidental action.
"I guess he could be shipping it out somewhere," the Gazimon continued as he scratched his chin. "We're just sentries, so it's not like anyone cares to keep us informed, right?"
The Gekomon still offered no real response, staring straight ahead unwaveringly.
The Gazimon glanced at the frog Digimon beside him before he let out a heavy sigh, his ears drooping. "Yeeeeah, you're a load of fun, Croaky. I may as well be talking to a tree right now."
The Gekomon didn't have a chance to respond, not that he would have in the first place, as a sudden shout echoed through the trees.
"Fire Knuckle!"
The Gazimon looked up sharply, just in time to see Fladramon burst through the woods and plow into the nearest large Digimon, a Monochromon. The massive black and gray quadruped dinosaur yowled as he toppled over, the attack striking the Evil Ring around his neck and shattering it.
Fladramon landed on his feet, crouching, as Tailmon, Pegasmon, BladeKuwagamon, and Shutumon rushed forward to join him. Even Gomamon was among the attackers, having evolved through the use of the Digimental of Honor in to a new form - Shawujinmon. The furry seal Digimon had been replaced with what appeared to be a blue-haired Kappa dressed in samurai attire of green armor pieces overtop white robes, complete with a long red scarf about his neck.
The Monochromon rumbled, disoriented, as his eyes lost their glow and glanced about dizzily. The other controlled Digimon stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at the attackers.
"The Chosen Children!" the Gazimon cried out before he whipped about. "The Chosen Children are attacking!"
The Gekomon croaked, his eyes narrowing before he rushed forward blindly into the foray rather than call for assistance like his partner did.
In the end, the Gazimon's efforts were just as useless as the Gekomon's, as neither proved to be effective against Chosen Children as they moved in like a hurricane, striking at all the Evil Rings they could find until they made their way into the lumber yard itself, where the Dark Tower sat at the very center. When the mighty obelisk itself fell, the battle was over as all remaining Evil Rings were shattered and the Digimon in the surrounding area were freed from their enslavement.
The Gazimon scratched at his neck where the collar had been, his eyes still red due to being his natural eye color but no longer glowing to show the influence of the Evil Ring. He watched as many of the Digimon, crying with relief, gathered around the Chosen Children and thanked them before fleeing the facility - and into the woods they had been harvesting. The canine Digimon let out a hum in his throat before he sat down on a log, flicking his ear. "...Oh well… they'll be back, one way or another..."
Takeru blinked as he noticed the Gazimon sitting on the log, not nearly in a rush like the other freed Digimon to flee to safety. He glanced at the others before approaching the Digimon. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
The Gazimon blinked, looking up at Takeru, before he gave a small shrug. "Naw, I'm just fine. Thanks for asking, though."
"Aren't you going to flee with the others?" Mimi asked as she approached as well, coming to a stop by Takeru.
"Nope," Gazimon said, with another shrug.
"...Nope?" Takeru repeated, slowly.
"Nope," Gazimon repeated. "Don't see a point in it."
"Why not?" Daisuke asked, baffled. "You're free now!"
"For now, yeah," Gazimon replied. "But the Digimon Kaiser's just gonna come back and put collars on anyone after you leave, so what's the point?"
Mimi looked as if she had been stricken, her face going pale. "What?"
"He's right," another Digimon said, a Tsukaimon who strongly resembled Patamon but with purple and gray instead of orange and white. He flapped his ears before landing beside the Gazimon. "Everyone else thinks they're going to be able to run and hide, but where exactly do they think they're going to go?"
"Well, they could go to the Holy Beasts," Koshiro said, raising a finger as if counting each option. "Or go to other areas that aren't controlled by the Digimon Kaiser."
The Gazimon snorted before he let out a chuckle. "Yeah, that'll work. Considering the Digimon Kaiser's already killed one, they're not really so safe as everyone seems to think they are."
"Besides, they expect you to fight to protect them," the Tsukaimon agreed. "So that's not really safe at all, is it?"
Takeru stared at the Digimon, taken aback by their attitude towards the situation. After several moments, he furrowed his brow. "So you… gave up?"
"Eh, what's the big deal?" Gazimon asked with a shrug.
"What's the… you're enslaved!" Mimi protested.
"I've had worse bosses," Gazimon replied. "And while they didn't use fancy collars or things like that, you were still pretty much at their mercy."
"But… he abuses you!" Jou protested as he joined the startled Chosen, and gestured to the lumber yard about them. "And forces you to work!"
"Abuse?" Tsukaimon repeated slowly before he let out a derisive laugh. "Hah! You've obviously never worked for Vamdemon! Now that was abuse!"
Tailmon glanced over at the two Digimon, her ears canting back before her eyes wandered down to her paws. While they were covered by her gloves, the scars hidden underneath gave a soft throb as if a reminder of what she had undergone.
"At least the Digimon Kaiser only whips you when he's mad," Gazimon agreed. "Vamdemon whipped you for fun."
"I mean, yeah, it sucks if you're being used as training fodder for the elites," Tsukaimon agreed, with a sage nod. "But in those cases, the Digimon Kaiser doesn't even bother putting a collar on you… so it's better to have a collar than not!"
"Yeah, at least you know you're safe if you have a collar," the Gazimon agreed. "Vamdemon didn't care who you were, so you never knew if you were safe or not!"
"And don't forget Etemon!" another Gazimon said as he approached, waving his paws.
The first Gazimon groaned, tilting his head back. "Don't even get me started! I'd rather be whipped a thousand times than listen to that hack and his 'singing'!"
The second Gazimon nodded before he struck a pose, pretending to hold a microphone in his paws as he threw his head back. "Yeeaaah, yeaaah, I think I can siiiiing but really it's just screeeeeeching, I'm so obnoxious and stupiiiid~!"
The Tsukaimon and first Gazimon burst out laughing and clapped their hands, enthusiastically. They cheered on the other Gazimon as he continued to pretend to sing, purposely making screeching noises into his imaginary microphone.
Back in the real world, Taichi stared at the screen in disbelief, his arms crossed. "Are they serious?"
"No kidding," Yamato said, his expression equally taken aback. "I mean, yeah… the Digimon Kaiser has been taking back the land as quickly as he free it, but… you'd think they'd still try."
"Do they just not care?" Sora asked, furrowing her brow.
Ken glanced over at the other Chosen as they huddled around the screen, his expression unreadable before he returned his attention back to his own laptop. He did his best to ignore Wormmon's worried gaze, refusing to acknowledge that there was any need for it. "Who knows."
Takeru glanced over at Hikari, at a loss, before he returned his attention to the Digimon. "So you're just going to wait for the Digimon Kaiser to come and enslave you again?"
"It's better than wasting our time running away," the first Gazimon said, with another shrug.
"Oh, oh!" the Tsukaimon said as he fanned his wings. "Maybe we'll get promoted!"
"'Promoted'," Jou repeated, slowly. "I don't think slaves get promoted."
"You never know!" the second Gazimon said as he discarded his imaginary microphone. "Maybe he'll think we're actually trustworthy because we didn't run away, and we'll get a cushy job… like guards for that giant floating fortress of his!"
Daisuke gawked at the Digimon with horror and disbelief in equal measure. "He makes you his slaves!" he shouted with an almost desperate air as he threw his arms out to his sides. "That's not a job! That's 'I'll kill you if you don't kill yourself for me' and bullshit like that! You don't get a choice!"
"That's usually how it works, yeah," the first Gazimon said, with a nod.
"A lot of Digimon who work for evil Digimon aren't really evil," Hikari said softly as she reached out to place her hand atop Tailmon's head. "That's why they need us to fight for them, to give them the choice to do what they want."
Narakumon's tell-tale chime came from the Chosen Children's D-Terminals, drawing their attention away from the three Digimon. Flipping open their devices, they saw the DigiGod of Darkness' comments.
This is the way of the Digital World. Unlike humanity, whose society has mostly evolved to the point that the strong aren't able to eagerly and openly devour the weak, the Digital World still follows the rule of power. Those who have the power, rule.
As such, Digimon are left with three choices - gain power, align themselves with those who have power, or suffer without. Those with ambition become strong, and those that lack ambition can either become servants of the strong or live their lives under the threat of becoming victims.
In the end, the Digimon Kaiser is no different than any Digimon who has amassed enormous strength - from Devimon and Etemon to Vamdemon and the Dark Masters. Even the Holy Beasts are guilty of this, though they are at least more inclined to treat their followers fairly than all the foes you have faced.
Takeru stared at the screen for several moments before he glanced at the two Gazimon and the Tsukaimon, who were idly chatting amongst themselves as they sat on the log. "So to them, this isn't horrific… it's normal."
"They've lived their whole lives in this environment," Iori said softly as he lowered his head, his expression solemn. "Our way of thinking is completely foreign to them."
Though troubled, Mimi was thoughtful as well as she tapped her lower lip. "It sounds kind of like how people in America are different from back home in Japan, I guess." Her brow furrowed. "Only… this goes way beyond just a little culture shock."
"That doesn't make it right," Jou said as he crossed his arms. "But I suppose it's hard for a cultural exchange to happen when we're the only humans they've come across."
"We can't stop trying," Hikari said. "No matter what, we have to save any Digimon who needs our help."
Daisuke clenched a quaking fist at his side before pumping it in front of him. "That's right! We'll take down any jerk who thinks they can pick on anyone just because they can, and we'll keep doing it until the Digimon learn what it's like to be free and stay that way!"
Ken watched the Chosen on the screen before his eyes darted to the Digimon. After several moments of silence, he finally looked away, his expression still unreadable. Absently, he reached over to touch Wormmon's head, his fingers lightly brushing the insect Digimon's scalp.
"'Jerk', huh," Ken muttered, keeping his voice low to avoid being overheard.
Wormmon knew that Ken was still brooding over the encounter with Daisuke as the Digimon Kaiser and lightly touched his partner's fingers with his digits. "Ken-chan, it's okay. I'm not upset."
"You never are," Ken replied. He then turned back to the screen, staring hard at the laptop. It was one of the many reasons he knew he didn't deserve Wormmon - the insect Digimon's patience and understanding seemed limitless.
Though it was a moot point. It wasn't as if Ken cared what Daisuke thought. He expected to be hated, he expected them to heap insults against him, so the corrupt Chosen didn't care at all. He'd just keep doing what he always did, going forward to save the Digital World and everyone in it.
Even if they didn't appreciate it.
"...You're the jerk, Daisuke Motomiya."
"I'll become a happy butterfly - and ride on the glittering wind - I'll come to see you soon~!"
The thrumming strings of a guitar sent music fluttering through the air, a cheerful sound that didn't match the bleak atmosphere of the battlefield memorial. Sitting at the feet of the angel statue, rocking back and forth as he entertained himself on his guitar, was Kyoumon. His tail wagged behind him like a metronome, keeping time as he sang in his squeaky voice. His singing paled in comparison to the flawless tune he strummed on his guitar, but he was having too much fun to notice.
"It's best to forget - the unnecessary things - there's no more time to be fooling around~!" Kyoumon sang, not even bothering to watch his hands as his fingers found the right strings from memory alone.
A flash of light jarred Kyoumon from continuing the rest of his song, drawing his attention to Mimi and Palmon who appeared a short distance away from the memorial. Upon spotting him, Mimi gave him a smile that shined brightly enough to pierce the gloomy surroundings.
"Hi Kyoumon!" Mimi chirped, carrying a rather hefty flower patterned bag in front of her.
Kyoumon perked up, his smile bright. He gave a quick toss of his guitar, which seemingly disappeared into thin air, before he lunged to hug the Chosen of Purity. "Mimi~!"
Mimi giggled as she readjusted her hold on her bag to return the hug enthusiastically. "I'm glad to see you too."
"Kyoumon didn't know Mimi had a mission today!" Kyoumon said, holding on to Mimi tightly.
"There's no mission today," Palmon said as she raised her arms. "Except for Operation Visit Kyoumon!"
Kyoumon stared at Palmon before his eyes got wide, his face positively beaming. "Kyoumon loves that kind of mission!"
Mimi flashed a wide smile as she raised the bag. "You're going to love it even more after you see what we brought you."
Kyoumon squealed happily as he squirmed, jumping back to prop himself up in his tail. He kicked his legs as he clapped his paws, excitedly. "A gift for Kyoumon!?"
Mimi reached into the bag and pulled out a large plastic baggie, this one clear to show off its delicious contents. "I brought an extra large batch of Mama's cookies, and these are special American-style recipe - chocolate chip!"
"American cookies!?" Kyoumon repeated, before he frowned. "What's an American?"
"America is the country we moved to from Japan back on Earth," Mimi said as she sat down beside Palmon and Kyoumon. "It's a really interesting place, especially the food. Food in America is huge, so I knew it was the perfect treat for Digimon!"
Kyoumon flopped down on to the ground, his eyes still quite wide and eager. "Huge food is the best food! Kyoumon likes American food!"
Mimi giggled and pulled out a large cookie from the baggie, which she offered to Kyoumon before giving one to Palmon as well. "Mama is the best cook ever too."
"Thanks, Mimi~!" Palmon said before she took a big bite.
Kyoumon gasped before he held up the cookie to his face. "American cookies are bigger than Kyoumon's eye!" To emphasize the point, he held the cookie over his right eye, which was completely dwarfed by the doughy confection.
Mimi smiled. "I know, that's why I can't even eat two without feeling like my tummy is about to burst, so that's why these cookies are mostly for you and Palmon to share."
"Thank you~! Kyoumon loves his cookie~!" Kyoumon said, happily, before he brought the cookie to his mouth and took a big bite. As soon as he sunk his teeth in to it, the Digimon paused and his eyes became filled with little tiny stars.
"They're great, huh?" Palmon asked, then grinned widely as Kyoumon nodded vigorously before shoving the entire cookie in his mouth with delighted little scarfing noises. "Mimi's mom is the best cook!"
"The best in the whole world," Mimi said cheerfully. "I'll bet she could even have her own cooking show if she wanted."
"Kyoumon would watch!" Kyoumon said, his mouth still full before he gave a mighty swallow.
"Here, I have something else for you!" Mimi said, reaching into the bag before pulling out a small pink digital camera with a flower-patterned wrist band. "See~?"
Kyoumon stared at the camera, tilting his head. "Oooh, what's that?"
"A camera!" Mimi said, brightly. "You use it to take pictures!" To punctuate her words, the Chosen of Purity lifted up the camera and snapped a picture of Kyoumon. She then switched the camera about to show the Digimon the preview screen on the back. "See?"
Kyoumon blinked before he lifted himself up on his tail, using it so he could get a better look. His eyes widened as he stared at the image of his own face, then clapped his hands. "It's Kyoumon! Kyoumon sees Kyoumon!"
"You can take all sorts of pictures!" Mimi said, with a giggle. "Doesn't that sound fun?"
"Yes, yes!" Kyoumon agreed as he accepted the camera, holding it carefully with both hands. He lifted the camera to aim it at Mimi, like she had done to him. "Like this, like this?"
Mimi nodded, smiling. "Now, press the button on the top right!"
Kyoumon did as he was told and the camera rewarded him with a clicking sound. He lowered the camera and squealed with glee at the sight of Mimi's smiling face. "Kyoumon took a picture of Mimi!"
Mimi couldn't help but giggle, her smile growing ever brighter. "That's great, Kyoumon!"
"Palmon, Kyoumon will take a picture of you too!" Kyoumon said as he turned to the plant Digimon, who giggled before posing in a curtsey for the camera. "Kyoumon will take so many pictures!"
Mimi set the baggie down between the two Digimon with the top open wide before she reached back into the flowery bag. "Palmon and I have one more gift for you, Kyoumon, but you've got to close your eyes first."
Kyoumon held the camera to his face and pressed the button, before quickly turning the camera over to see the results. The puppet giggled before he realized Mimi had spoken to him. "Huh? Close Kyoumon's eyes?"
"It's a secret~!" Mimi said, with a wink.
Kyoumon paused before he set the camera down, attaching it to his tail with the little wrist strap on the device, then reached up to cover his eyes with both paws. "Like this?"
"Right!" Mimi said. "Now hold still and no peeking until I tell you to look, got it?"
"Kyoumon got it!" Kyoumon chirped.
The plush Digimon squeaked as he felt something being done to him, a brush of fabric against his neck. Still, he kept his eyes firmly covered until Mimi gave him the word.
"Okay~!" Mimi said, happily. "You can look now!"
Kyoumon opened his eyes before glancing down to see what Mimi had done. Rainbow immediately caught the Digimon's attention, making Kyoumon pause. A sparkling, rainbow scarf wrapped around his neck before trailing behind him, glistening in the sun.
"S… so pretty…" Kyoumon whispered, his eyes as big as saucers as they sparkled alongside the scarf.
Mimi beamed at the awed reaction. "Palmon and I thought that since this place is so dark and gloomy you could use some color to brighten your days."
Kyoumon turned to stare at Mimi. "S-so the pretty color is for Kyoumon?"
"Yep!" Mimi said. "This scarf is all yours now, Kyoumon!"
Kyoumon's face lit up before he let out a happy squeal, lunging to hug Mimi. "Thank you, thank you~! Kyoumon loves his pretty colors!"
Mimi giggled as she returned the hug. "I'm glad! Palmon and I shopped around all morning looking for only the most perfect gift for you."
"Right!" Palmon said as she clapped her hands together. "Mimi has the best fashion taste in Japan and America!"
"Kyoumon's so happy~!" Kyoumon said before he leaned back, brightly smiling at Mimi. "Kyoumon used to have lots of colors, but they're all gone… so Mimi gave Kyoumon back his color!"
Mimi blinked. "Used to?"
"Oh, yes!" Kyoumon said, with a nod, before he gestured at himself. "Here, and here, and here, and aaaaaall over! It was all color before I got stained."
Mimi felt a chill send a shiver up her spine. "Stained?"
"Uh huh," Kyoumon said with a sigh before he smiled again. "But now Kyoumon has color again, thanks to Mimi! Mimi is so kind, just like K-chan~!"
After a moment's hesitation, Mimi nodded, trying to relax despite the disturbing news. "Kyoumon, do you have any stories you can share about K-chan? We're all really curious to hear about what he was like before."
"K-chan is K-chan. He hasn't changed," Kyoumon said with a blink before he paused. "Thoooough K-chan does yell a lot more, and gets angry really quickly, and sometimes freaks out before he breaks out crying for no reason." He paused to let out a thoughtful hum before he smiled brightly. "But other than that, nothing's changed at all~!"
Mimi blinked, startled. "Crying?"
"Yyyyeah, and it gets really awkward for Kyoumon," Kyoumon said as he crossed his arms, giving a small nod. He then brightened. "But K-chan still brings Kyoumon gifts, even if he doesn't do it himself!"
"Gifts?" Palmon repeated.
Kyoumon nodded before he hopped away from the humans, taking off quickly. "Right, right! Come see, come see!"
After pausing to put the rest of the cookies away in her flower patterned bag, Mimi hurried after Kyoumon with Palmon right by her side the entire way through the dark and somber ancient battlefield.
Eventually, they arrived at a small building, one of the few that still had a roof. Kyoumon gestured inside before disappearing through the doorway. Mimi hesitated before she followed, uncertain of what she'd find.
Mimi was immediately greeted by a small, makeshift room. There was a bed covered in pillows and blankets, a small table with little tiny chairs, and even a sofa. But more importantly, the entire left side of the wall was filled with food - mostly preserved. There was a wide assortment of cans and jars, and even boxes of crackers and other types of food not meant to go bad if left unrefrigerated. Overall, it was enough to feed an army for a week - or one Digimon.
"See, see?" Kyoumon chirped. "K-chan gave Kyoumon all this! And he gives more every week, too!"
"Wow…," Mimi murmured as she took in the entirety of the room. "K-chan gave you all of this?"
"Yep, yep!" Kyoumon said, brightly. "Though he mostly has it delivered now."
"Delivered by who?" Mimi asked.
"Sometimes FlaWizarmon and Witchmon, sometimes some creepy Digimon," Kyoumon said. "Kyoumon doesn't like the creepy Digimon. They never talk, they just stare at Kyoumon with blank eyes."
Palmon glanced up at Mimi. "It must be a controlled Digimon."
Mimi shuddered. "I'm glad he hasn't tried to control Kyoumon like that too."
Kyoumon blinked. "Controlled?"
"D-don't worry about it," Palmon said as she raised her hands and waved them dismissively. She then turned to Mimi, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I don't think Kyoumon'd understand…"
Brow pinched, Mimi nodded. It was obvious to anyone how damaged Kyoumon's mind was, and if what he told her about being stained meant what she feared it did, the colorless Digimon was in far worse straits than anyone had realized.
All she could do was keep him company and wait for the Digimental of Darkness to finish purging the land - and with it, perhaps the same taint that had infected Kyoumon. It was all that she could hope for.
The sounds of battle echoed through the stone walls of Baihumon's fortress. A large gathering of Digimon battled with each other within the massive foyer, surrounded by high walls filled with spectators. The battling itself was nothing new, and not the cause of the large crowd who sat about gawking. Instead, it was the new arrivals currently mingling with those fighting far below - the Digimon partners of the Chosen Children.
"Cat Punch!" Tailmon lunged forward to slam her fist into the sword of a Knightmon, who braced his weapon with both hands as he attempted to hold his ground.
"Air Shot!" Patamon shouted as he unleashed a powerful gust of air towards a Goblimon, sending the green Digimon skidding back.
"Petit Thunder!" Tentomon called out as electricity danced off his wings before rushing towards his own opponent, an Elecmon.
"Surfer Dive!" Gomamon said, his words punctuating his attack as he lunged to bodyslam a Gizamon, smashing the hairy toad-like Digimon into the ground.
Most of the Chosen Children were at the fortress, with notable exceptions. As Takeru, Koshiro, Hikari, Daisuke, and Jou trained their partners, the partnerless Miyako, Sora, Yamato, and Taichi sat on the sidelines as spectators. Even Iori was present, with his partner in his lap as he watched the training rather than participate himself.
Ken and Mimi were nowhere to be seen.
"Everyone's trying their best, aren't they?" Sora asked as she sat on the sidelines, resting on the edge of the steps of a building.
"I gotta admit, it feels really strange watching them fight Digimon that aren't our enemy - or being controlled," Yamato said as he crossed his arms, leaning against the stairwell as he stood off to the side.
"Not to mention having to stand by and watch," Taichi said as he sat beside Sora, resting his elbows on his knees. "I just feel even more useless than before."
Sora nodded before she looked down at her hands as they rested on her lap, fingers laced together. She couldn't help but feel left out, especially with Piyomon still in the clutches of the Digimon Kaiser. Even worse, the knowledge that the corrupt Chosen was probably doing 'training' of his own made her heart hurt.
Iori sat on the other end of the long steps, watching the Digimon as they sparred in the foyer. In his lap, Fufumon hopped around excitedly as he cheered for the participants, clearly enjoying himself. The Chosen of Honor looked down at his partner in silence for several moments before lifting his gaze. "I suppose it'd cause too much confusion if I attempted to train."
Fufumon peered up with Iori with wide, innocent eyes. "You could train with me, I-o-ri!"
Iori faltered, unable to respond immediately. After several moments of awkward silence, he furrowed his brow as he lowered his head. "It's fine."
Miyako watched Iori out of the corner of her eyes before returning her gaze to the practicing Digimon. It was going to take time to get Iori to fully accept his partner, but at least the most important step had been made - actually allowing the Digimon into his life. It was something that she was desperately looking forward to when her own partner was returned to her.
"Is it really okay to leave Mimi all by herself, especially with him?" Jou asked as he glanced at the other Chosen. "We really can't forget that Kyoumon originally attacked us..."
"She said she'll call us if she needs help," Yamato said with a small shrug. "Plus she has Palmon and can gate out if she needs to. She's been visiting him a lot and hasn't had any problems so far."
"I have my laptop on, and my D-Terminal," Koshiro said. "If we need to, we can go there straight away to help her."
"She doesn't want to train, and we shouldn't make her," Sora said as she continued to look down at her hands. "It's fine if she doesn't want to." After all, it had been Mimi who had lost her will to fight during the final stretch of their first adventure, demoralized by all the death and violence they had faced. The Chosen of Purity had instead ventured off on her own to gather her thoughts, before returning to the final battle against the Dark Masters with a reinforcements - friends who wanted to help.
Mimi was the heart and soul of their group, and she had done an amazing job with handling the burden of fighting for so long. But as months stretched on, even she had her limits. Sora knew that it was better not to push her, and let her deal with things on her own terms.
V-mon lunged forward, slamming his fist into the stomach of the Veggiemon that acted as his opponent. A loud 'oof' came from the plant Digimon, who fell backwards as his tentacle arms flailed about. V-mon crouched as he watched his opponent fall down before he straightened up and turned to grin at Daisuke as his partner stood nearby, watching. "Daisuke~!"
"You're doing great, V-mon!" Daisuke called as he pumped his fists. "Keep going, and you'll be stronger in no time!"
"Yeah!" V-mon agreed, raising his fists to mimic Daisuke.
"Why are you not evolving your partner?" a mature, female voice came from behind Daisuke.
Daisuke blinked before he turned, then gave a start as he found himself staring at the stomach of a Digimon. Stepping back, his eyes moved upwards until he found the face of the large rabbit Digimon from before, who had been staring down at them when the Chosen had first met Baihumon. Andiramon twitched her ears as she looked down at Daisuke with her red eyes.
"Huh?" Daisuke blinked slowly.
"Your partner," Andiramon said. "Why do you not evolve him?" At Daisuke's stunned expression, the rabbit continued. "The Chosen Children possess the ability to help their partners easily evolve, which is something that normally only happens after immense effort. This allows them to achieve far more strength and new forms that are not available to other Digimon."
Iori paused and glanced over to the rabbit Digimon, his expression going neutral.
"I'd like to evolve V-mon to FlaDramon," Daisuke said as he slid one hand behind his neck, "but we gotta keep our Digimentals charged in case we need them, you know? With that kaiju sized monster Tiny T… the Kaiser's got cooking, we gotta be ready for a fight all the time, right?"
Andiramon blinked her red eyes slowly. "Then do not evolve with a Digimental."
"Well, we'd like to, but the Dark Towers-" Jou began, pointing his finger skyward.
"There are no Dark Towers in Baihumon's territory," Andiramon said.
Takeru paused at that, turning away from watching Patamon's fight, and stared at Andiramon. "Huh?"
"There are no Dark Towers in Baihumon's territory," Andiramon repeated, turning to look at Takeru before returning her gaze to Daisuke.
Takeru opened his mouth before he closed it. After several long moments, he let out a soft chuckle and shook his head ruefully. "I guess we're so used to expecting them to be around that we... just assumed?"
Tailmon glanced to Hikari as she flicked her ears before turning to face her opponent. "I think I'll stay as an Adult, but the rest of you should evolve." While she might get more power out of her Complete evolution, she didn't want to risk killing her opponent. As it was, she was giving Knightmon a real workout.
Takeru nodded before he turned to Patamon, pulling out his Digivice. "Ready?"
"Ready!" Patamon chirped.
Jou adjusted his glasses as he turned to face his own partner. "Gomamon?"
"You got it," Gomamon said, with a grin.
"Koshiro, I am ready when you are," Tentomon said as he hovered around Koshiro.
"Let's do it," Koshiro agreed, drawing out his own Digivice.
V-mon turned to stare as the three Digimon began to glow, the light of evolution engulfing them. Before his very eyes, Patamon was replaced with his angelic Angemon form, Gomamon became the much larger, muscular Ikkakumon, and Tentomon transformed into his Kabuterimon form. V-mon frowned before he lowered his arms, looking down at them as he suddenly fell all too aware that was still a Child. "I…"
Daisuke looked over the other Digimon and their Chosen Children in silent contemplation before he turned to his partner. "Looks like there's nothing to it but to do it. Ready to try out a normal evolution, V-mon?"
"I… I'll do my best, Daisuke!" V-mon said as he raised his fists, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He couldn't help but remember how badly he humiliated himself the last time he tried to evolve to Adult.
V-mon braced himself as Daisuke lifted his Digivice. Even though V-mon dreaded the worst, he was soon surprised as the light of evolution engulfed him as well. Within moments, the small blue dragon Digimon was replaced with a much taller, muscular blue dragon - with a pair of white wings on his back, a bladed horn on his large snout, and twin spines on his knuckles. A gray X marking rested on his chest, overtop his white underside. "XV-mon!"
Daisuke's eyes grew wide upon seeing his partner's evolution. For a moment, he could only stare, but then he was quaking with pent up energy that exploded into a gleeful shout. "This is awesome!"
"I did it, Daisuke!" XV-mon said, his voice far more adult than it had been as his previous evolution. He grinned, reaching up his arms to flex his muscles.
"Damn straight!" Daisuke agreed as he ran to grab on to his Digimon's bicep, who effortlessly lifted the Chosen of Tenacity into the air with just his arm. "You're totally badass, XV-mon!"
"You know it!" XV-mon said, with a triumphant grin.
"Congrats, Daisuke, XV-mon," Takeru said with a smile, watching as the two celebrated the next step in their relationship. He still remembered how special it had been when his own partner finally evolved, after so long of a wait.
Of course, his partner had then proceeded to die in front of him against their opponent.
Takeru's smile became strained before he shook his head, dispelling the bad thoughts. He wasn't going to let it ruin the happy mood, especially not with Angemon alive and well beside him.
Andiramon watched the Chosen, her expression curious, before she turned her attention to Daisuke and XV-mon. "It's true. You really do have an enormous potential… an incredible power within you. Other Digimon have to work hard for years to achieve evolution."
Tailmon flicked her ears, crossing her arms. She remembered how hard she had to work in order to obtain her current form, as well as all the suffering she endured under Vamdemon. It was also the reason why she was able to maintain the form, when everyone else reverted to their Child forms. "It's still a good idea to train so that we can use our own power to evolve. We'll be able to become even stronger when our partners help us."
"Yeah, that's a good point," Yamato said as he straightened up. "Sometimes, that extra push makes all the difference. It'd be great if we didn't have to cut each fight so close."
Daisuke barely noticed the conversation going on as he examined XV-mon from all angles eagerly. "You look so cool! You're even more dragony than before, and you've got wings! Can you fly now, XV-mon?"
"As high as I want!" XV-mon replied as he fanned his wings wide. "I feel like I could take on anyone!"
"Then do it," Andiramon said as she drew closer to XV-mon. She stopped when he turned to stare at her in confusion. "Let us fight."
"Huh?" Daisuke asked, blinking at the rabbit.
"Wait," Koshiro said. In his hand he used his Digivice to scan each new Digimon they came across during their training. "You're a Complete, aren't you? VX-mon just evolved to Adult, so your strength levels won't match up."
"That won't be a problem," Andiramon said. "He will be able to use his full strength without worrying about my safety."
XV-mon frowned. "I don't mind, but just who are you, anyway?"
"I am Andiramon," the rabbit Digimon replied. "One of the twelve Deva who serve the Holy Beasts in their mission to protect this world. In particular, I am..." She paused and her ears canted back slightly, though her expression remained neutral. "...I was a Deva of Qinglongmon."
"Qinglongmon," Takeru repeated slowly before his eyes widened. "You mean the one-"
"Yes," Andiramon said. "The Holy Beast killed by the Digimon Kaiser."
Yamato frowned before he glanced at Taichi. After a moment, he returned his attention to the rabbit Digimon. "So, why do you want to train with him? What's that got to do with XV-mon?"
"I want to see your strength for myself," Andiramon said. "I want to see the strength that Qinglongmon believed in. When the Digimon Kaiser's army came for him, he sent my comrades and I away, with the bulk for his army… telling us to hold our faith in the Chosen Children while he faced the Digimon Kaiser." Her ears twitched back slightly. "Lord Qinglongmon is now dead. I want to see why he would make that choice."
XV-mon stared at the rabbit Digimon before turning to his partner. "Daisuke?"
Daisuke rubbed the back of his head before looking back at XV-mon. "It's okay with me if it's okay with you. It's not like we're fighting to the death or anything here, right?"
"Correct," Andiramon said.
"Then let's do it!" XV-mon said as he clenched his fists. "I won't hold back!"
"Good," Andiramon replied before she crouched into position, spreading her large arms and ears.
Lounging in the mammoth gateway of the temple, Baihumon watched as XV-mon lunged at Andiramon, who blocked the blow with both of her arms, bringing her fists up as she pressed her forearms together as a shield. The massive tiger kept his eyes locked on the fight, his gaze never straying - not even to glance at the three Digimon who approached him from within the shadows. It was the dog, rooster, and monkey Digimon who had been watching the Chosen when they first arrived, along with Andiramon.
"Speak your mind," Baihumon said. "It is unlike you to be silent, Caturamon."
The dog Digimon paused before he cleared his throat. "It is as you say, Lord Baihumon."
"I see that Sinduramon and Makuramon are with you," Baihumon said. "Have you no interest in training with the Chosen Children?"
"There's no point," the monkey Digimon said, with a flippant wave of his hand. "It's a waste of time! They're obviously inferior to us. There's no way we can depend on them to protect the world."
"Makuramon is correct," Caturamon said. "As they are now, none of the have the power necessary to fight the Digimon Kaiser, let alone Zeed Millenniumon."
"It is true that they have allowed their strength to stagnate," Baihumon agreed. "As is typical in time of peace. At least now they are making efforts to change that."
"We don't have time for that!" the rooster, Sinduramon, squawked as he placed his wings on his round sides where his hips theoretically would be. "We're not going to wait here, twiddling our wings while the Digimon Kaiser does whatever he wants!"
"So you mean to go assist the coward," Baihumon said, with a flick of his ear.
"There is no question that Lord Xuanwumon will be the next target," Caturamon said. "We must go assist the others in protecting him."
"If that is your desire, I will not stop you," Baihumon said. "You know as much."
Caturamon frowned before he looked at Makuramon and Sinduramon. After a moment, he returned his attention to the massive tiger Digimon. "This is a time of crisis. Lord Qinglongmon is dead, and Lord Xuanwumon is next. We should band together to stand firm against our enemies, especially if the Digimon Kaiser is-"
"If the Digimon Kaiser is who we think he is, then this war is nothing more than a consequence of our actions," Baihumon said, with a snort and a mighty snap of his tail. "And that coward should face it for himself, rather than hiding behind others as he has always done."
"Obviously, that hasn't worked out well, given Lord Qinglongmon's dead," Makuramon said with a shrug of his shoulder.
There was a weighty silence as Baihumon watched several more blows before he answered in a voice that rumbled low like distant thunder. "If the Digimon Kaiser is who we think he is, then Qinglongmon realized it the moment he cast eyes upon the boy."
"And because he knew the truth, the Digimon Kaiser murdered-" Sinduramon began, puffing up furiously.
"No," Baihumon said, firmly. "Qinglongmon would have laid down and died like the worm he was, possibly hoping his death would satisfy the boy and spare the others his wrath." Finally he turned to look at his three Devas. "Know this - if you mean to fight, then do so. But do not forget that we all must pay for our actions. Stand by your convictions, and you will never die with regret. Sacrifice your convictions for any reason, and you are nothing - not even worth the code that makes up your very bones."
"Like Lord Qinglongmon?" Caturamon asked.
Baihumon turned his attention back to the courtyard, his eyes once more on Andiramon as she and XV-mon fought with great energy, with the rabbit Digimon lashing out to strike at the dragon only for the Chosen Digimon to take to the air to dodge. "There are no exceptions."
With that, Baihumon said no more to his Devas and returned to watching the mock battle. He didn't acknowledge his subordinates as they bowed to him before they left his presence and disappeared into the shadows once more.
It was long after they left before Baihumon let out a low, rumbling growl.
"We all must pay for our actions… one way or another."
Ken quietly leaned against the wall, his head bowed in thought. He paid no attention to the people as they walked by, focused instead on the turmoil inside of him. His thoughts were a total mess ever since the Chosen had surprised him at his fortress.
While it had initially baffled Ken, he eventually realized what had happened. Koshiro had figured out how to access the deeper code of the Digital World, and worked out a way to use it for his benefit. That fact alone made Ken want to curse, as he was certain it was entirely due to his own comments. They had meant to be nothing more than empty encouragement, something to keep Koshiro busy. Instead, the Chosen of Knowledge had used it to make an enormous breakthrough in his code.
The most frustrating part of it all was that Ken couldn't block it - they were on an even playing field.
"There's no deeper code to override his," Ken muttered. "And there's no way to put restrictions on it that he can't just remove…"
He really had only two options at the moment - either avoid going to the Digital World or go only when he knew the Chosen wouldn't be monitoring it. The first option was straight out, as he couldn't abandon his plans over something like this. So, it meant that while the other Chosen Children were sleeping peacefully in their beds, Ken was working extra hours in the Digital World.
His schedule was already a complete disaster, but he at least was able to sleep at night. With the new developments, he wasn't even going to have that luxury.
"What a pain…" Ken grumbled.
Unfortunately, the situation wasn't the only one heavily preying on his mind.
Ken glanced up and over to the ice cream shop, where Daisuke eagerly waited in line to order for the both of them. As the corrupt Chosen stared at Daisuke, he felt his insides clench. The way Daisuke had acted towards him - and to Wormmon - had annoyed him far more than it should have. More than that, he had felt pained - betrayed.
"It's so stupid," Ken thought as he furrowed his brow. "Of course he would've acted like that. He despises the Digimon Kaiser, and there's no way he'd know he was talking trash about Wormmon." And yet he couldn't deny that, as Daisuke had taunted him, he felt far more upset than he had any right to.
"Well, if ya feel that strongly about it," FlaWizarmon had joked back at the fortress, with an easygoing smile as he laced his fingers behind his head. "You could always just try and talk to him~!"
Ken knew FlaWizarmon was being facetious, but the words still stuck with him. They reminded him of Wormmon, who had encouraged him along the same lines as well. He had dismissed the suggestion completely, but after what had happened, it wouldn't go away quite so easily this time.
"He won't listen, none of them will," Ken thought, with a shake of his head.
They're all so childish, and would never understand.
"They just can't think outside of their own tiny worldview," Ken muttered.
That's why they're insects. They could never compare to a genius.
Ken paused before he furrowed his brow. "Though Senpai did manage to figure things out once I pointed him in the right direction."
He may have been underestimated, but the others just stand around and gawk with stupid looks on their faces. Besides, he probably got help from that stupid chatroom. The odds of him actually understanding what he's done are very low.
"Maybe," Ken muttered before he closed his eyes. "Still, maybe if I… try, maybe Daisuke'd listen… maybe he'd understand it too."
He's an idiot.
"He is," Ken agreed, before he opened his eyes. "But maybe… if I point him in the right direction, he'd..."
The sudden sound of Daisuke's cheerful voice pierced through Ken's turbulent thoughts and brought his attention to the goggle boy, who came rushing over with an ice cream cone in each hand.
"Sorry it took so long," Daisuke said as he handed over Ken's ice cream. "I swear, that lady in front of me asked them to remake her sundae like five times."
Ken stared at Daisuke before his cheeks took a faint blush, accepting his ice cream. He hadn't even noticed Daisuke return; it was a little embarrassing. "Ah, yes… that… people can be so self-absorbed sometimes."
"I know, right?" Daisuke said before taking a bite of his ice cream.
Ken looked down at his ice cream for a moment before he glanced at Daisuke. "So, how is… everything? You know, after what happened..."
"Hmm?" Daisuke blinked. "Oh, right, you totally missed out on seeing us owning the Digimon Kaiser."
Ken paused at that and quickly looked down at his ice cream, hoping he wasn't making the face he felt like making. "Oh, yes. Miyako told me all about that." He paused to take a bite out of his ice cream as he considered his next words before he turned to Daisuke again. "But I meant more… at home."
The gleeful grin on Daisuke's face froze before melting away into a far more hesitant, crooked smile. "It's actually been better than they've ever been. My parents are actually on my side for a change, and Jun's been leaving me alone. The only thing that could top how things are going now is if they knew about Digimon and were cool with it like our Senpai's parents are."
Ken blinked before he smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."
A pregnant silence hung in the air between the two boys as they ate their ice cream. Daisuke kept his eyes lowered, eating much slower than usual. After watching a trickle of melted ice cream dribble onto his fingers, he finally glanced back up at Ken. "Hey, uh… Ken… We're… we're best friends now, right?"
Ken gave a start and turned to stare at Daisuke. After several moments, his face turned red as he looked down at his ice cream. "...I…"
What a stupid question. It's like he doesn't even realize he's being tricked.
Ken closed his eyes as seconds ticked by, before he turned to look at Daisuke. "Daisuke, it's been a long time since I've… ever felt this close to anyone."
Not since Keiko and Ryo, and that turned out so well, didn't it?
Ken tensed slightly, hoping Daisuke wouldn't see him flinch, and instead returned his stare to his ice cream. "Do you… feel the same?"
Daisuke nodded. "Yeah. I mean… Hikari-chan is the best, but there's some things, uh…" He paused for a moment and hastily sucked the dripping ice cream off his fingers. "Well… you know. There's some things guys can't tell girls, and well, I mean… if I told you a secret, you'd promise not to tell anyone, right? And I mean not anyone, not even Hikari-chan?"
Ken nodded, finding the line of questioning odd but nothing he wouldn't willingly agree to. "Absolutely, Daisuke."
Daisuke nodded vigorously, his expression resolute. "And you wouldn't think I was the worst person ever if I told you something kinda bad about myself, right?"
"Of course not," Ken said, with a blink.
No one could be worse than me.
Ken felt his cheek twitch but instead brushed the stray thought aside. "I could never think that way about you, Daisuke."
Warmth flooded Daisuke's cheeks as he looked away. "O-okay, I'll hold you to that. So, uh… yeah, what I wanna tell you, if anyone finds out… they'll probably hate me, so you promise not to tell?"
Ken furrowed his brow, growing concerned both by Daisuke's behavior and his words. "I promise."
Daisuke stared at Ken for a long time until he felt convinced of the other boy's sincerity. "Okay… so… about Jun and all that stuff about her, and my parents freaking out over feeling bad for her… I should feel bad too, right? I mean, she's my sister, and I'm supposed to not want bad stuff to happen to her even if she's a jerk since that's not what good guys do, you know?" His eyes dropped to the ground. "Just… all I can think about is it serves her right, and it serves my mom and dad right that they finally feel bad about this kind of stuff after all the times they blew me off."
Ken stared at Daisuke in silence for several moments, his gawking stare making the goggle-boy squirm. Just when it seemed like Daisuke was about to regret speaking up, the boy genius let out an undignified nose snort as he covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh," Ken said, relief flooding his face. "But it's just… with all that build-up, I was expecting something a lot more… substantial."
Daisuke blinked and stared blankly at Ken, too startled by the other boy's reaction to know what to think. "You… don't think I'm a jerk for thinking that?"
Ken shook his head. "Daisuke, it is perfectly natural to feel that way. You were being abused by her. Your feelings are completely justified." His expression grew dark. "Being family doesn't excuse her behavior. If anything, being family means she should be held to a higher standard."
Daisuke shifted his ice cream cone from a sticky hand to the other and used the excuse of taking a bite to give him time to think of what to say. "You… you really don't think I'm the worst for thinking that way? Good guys aren't supposed to be like that… They always forgive everyone no matter what or people hate them. I mean… Senpai got so mad when I said something bad about Jun just once."
"Good guys are often written by people who've never experienced the kind of abuse you have, or that many people have," Ken said, his tone low. "So they'd have no idea, and would never even consider what it's like…"
"I-I wouldn't call it abuse exactly…," Daisuke muttered, shifting in place.
"I would," Ken said, sharply. "And did."
"But abuse is like your dad beating you with a beer bottle or something," Daisuke said. "Or… or worse."
Ken turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke, if Jun was my sister and did those things to me, would you still think that?"
Daisuke jerked. "What? No way that'd happen. You took her out so easy yesterday, and you're so smart it'd take ten of her to be even close. She'd be sucking up to you all day everyday."
Ken paused before he chuckled. "Alright, that was a bad example. Well, what if she was Hikari's sibling? Instead of Taichi-senpai."
The cone crunched in Daisuke's suddenly trembling fist, but he barely noticed the ice cream that splattered onto his shoes. "If Jun was Hikari-chan's sister…" He couldn't finish, his voice rough and shaking as many awful memories with Jun flashed through his mind.
"You see?" Ken said, softly. "You'd never think it was okay if it was happening to someone else, so don't think for a second that it's okay for you to go through it."
Daisuke grimaced before focusing on the mess in his hand. He fumbled to grab a handkerchief from his pocket to clean some of it up. "Yeah, but… I'm a guy. Guys have to fight their own battles and are supposed to be tougher than girls."
"That line of thought is precisely why she was able to get away with so much for so long," Ken said, with a scowl.
"I guess…," Daisuke muttered as he focused on ineffectively scrubbing his hand. "Sometimes I think if I was a girl instead, I would've had an easier time handling Jun, since I could scratch at her, pull her hair, and actually fight back without getting into too much trouble like girls do… or maybe if Jun had been a guy instead we could beat each other all day and no one would care or assume I'm shit for punching back."
"I can understand that," Ken said with a sigh before he turned to smile at Daisuke. "But there are a lot of expectations, for both boys and girls. They're just different… but they're no less hurtful. Especially when you're the victim of bullying like this."
Daisuke nodded slightly. "Yeah, if there's one thing Jun is good at, it's being a bully." His gaze went somewhere in the distance without seeing his surroundings. "And, you know, she's done worse stuff to kids she's hated, like really bad stuff." He closed his eyes. "She's bragged about it sometimes when she knows if I tell anyone, she'll get me back ten times worse, so it's like…"
After a moment's hesitation, Daisuke grimaced and looked sideways at Ken. "Sometimes I think if she had a Digimon like us, she'd team up with the Digimon Kaiser then stab him in the back and torture Digimon for fun instead of because of evil mind control. It's the real reason why I haven't let anyone find out about Chibimon." He paused. "Well, that, and she'd do awful things to Chibimon like she did to our cat. Everyone in my house thinks our cat ran away, but I had Hikari-chan find someone to take care of her."
Ken felt the icy cold grip of anger flood his heart at the very image. "...Some people are just… too awful."
Daisuke nodded, his expression somber. "Yeah… That's why the Digimon Kaiser really bugged me so much." He let out a quiet huff of air. "Though I guess I really shouldn't be giving him a hard time, should I? His friends all died or got captured, and he's being controlled, so he's not really like Jun; he's not himself. I mean, there's no way in hell someone like Jun could ever be Kindness, you know? So I guess I should stop thinking of him as being someone who thinks they can get away with hurting everyone just because he can, like Jun or just the usual bad guy like in games in anime."
Ken stared at Daisuke, stunned by the boy's words.
Daisuke stuffed his dirty handkerchief into his pocket and let out a sheepish laugh. "It's funny… I actually feel kinda bad for making fun of him now. I mean… I guess it's sort of like how I thought Miyako hated me and wanted to get me in trouble all the time, then I found out she wasn't really like that; I still feel pretty guilty for it." He rubbed his nose. "I guess I just got carried away after hearing he got dressed up like a princess."
Ken felt a surge of happiness at Daisuke's words. It was as close to an apology as he was going to get, and he was more than thrilled to get it. "Daisuke…"
A small huff of humorless laughter escaped Daisuke. "It's funny… I feel worse for making fun of the Digimon Kaiser than I do for my own sister getting her life wrecked." He turned his anxious eyes back to Ken. "You're sure that doesn't make me a bad person?"
"I'm absolutely certain," Ken said, firmly. "What happened to her was her own making."
"You really think so?" Daisuke asked tentatively.
"Absolutely," Ken said with a nod.
Daisuke leaned back against the bench with a sigh, letting the tension seep from his muscles. "Thanks, Ken. I think I really needed to hear that."
Ken smiled at Daisuke before he looked away. His smile faltered as he furrowed his brow. The words of the Chosen of Tenacity weighed on him, prodding him. More than that, it gave him hope. If Daisuke was telling the truth, then maybe he actually would listen. And given Daisuke had just bared his soul to him, it truly felt like this was Ken's opportunity - and his only chance. "...Um..."
Daisuke clapped his hand on Ken's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks a lot for cheering me up. You're a great friend, Ken."
"Eh? Ah," Ken's face turned red as he shifted his weight between his feet, fidgeting. "Y-you're welcome… Daisuke." Inside his head, he was screaming at himself not to lose his nerve, not to let this opportunity go. And yet, even as he tried to reason with himself, a large part of him couldn't deny that he was afraid - afraid to see how Daisuke'd react.
There's no reason to believe his show of 'compassion' won't end the moment he knows. It's all well and good to talk about it, but putting it into action is another thing.
"It's true, but…" Ken murmured.
Besides, they'll realize that you've been spying this whole time. That's considerably different than what Miyako supposedly did.
Ken grimaced at the reminder. He couldn't deny that his entire situation had come from an attempt to spy on the Chosen. The very idea that he'd then expose himself seemed completely counter-productive. It'd not only end his mission, but they could very well want to cut all ties to him. The very thought made him sick to his stomach.
"What'd you say?" Daisuke asked, blinking as he leaned in closer to Ken.
Ken jerked as his eyes widened, staring at Daisuke. "Ah?!" Realizing what had happened, the corrupt Chosen turned a dark shade of red. He must have spoken out loud, drawing the boy's attention to his turmoil. "Oh, um…"
Confusion colored Daisuke's face as he noticed the expression Ken wore. "Hey, is everything okay? I didn't say anything weird, did I?"
"N-n-no, I…," Ken trailed off for a moment before he stiffened. "Um, Daisuke… I…"
The sound of screeching tires pierced Ken's head.
Suddenly, Ken was no longer standing to the side of a walkway with a friend who he was spying on, but sprawled across an old familiar sidewalk that he hadn't walked on in years. He could feel the bruising in his muscles, the thrum of ache from his bones being rattled after he was jarred once by his brother, then the second much greater one that he felt resonate through Osamu's body as it took the brunt of the impact.
He felt lightheaded, scratched up by concrete, but he knew the coat of blood seeping into the once crisp gray uniform that perfectly fit his eight-year-old body wasn't his. He could barely hear Osamu speaking weakly to him, his voice choking on fluid as he couldn't even see his brother's eyes through the cracks and smears of red on what was once a pristine pair of glasses.
"Are… are you... okay… K-Ken?"
"Ken?"
A hand shaking him firmly by the shoulder snapped Ken back to the present, bringing his wild black-speckled gray eyes to focus on Daisuke's worried face. "D… Dai…"
"Are you okay?" Daisuke repeated.
Ken trembled as he felt his head spin, his blood going cold. He noticed that he had dropped his ice cream, though he couldn't bring himself to even care. Instead, he focused on Daisuke in front of him. "W… what...?"
"You looked like someone just died or something," Daisuke said. "What happened?"
Ken felt his stomach churn, and he quickly brought his hand up to cover his mouth. "H-hrgh…"
"Oh, oh crap," Daisuke muttered as he looked around wildly before pointing down the path. "Um, there's a bathroom down that way!"
Ken shook his head as he waved off Daisuke's concern. "I-I'm fine, I'm fine… i-it's passing…"
"You sure?" Daisuke asked. "Do you need me to get you something?"
"N-no, it's… okay," Ken said as he straightened up. He gave the concerned goggle boy a weak smile. "It was just... " He trailed off for a moment as he faltered for an explanation, before he blurted out the first thing he could think of. "...Brainfreeze."
Daisuke blinked. "Brainfreeze? You looked like you were going to toss your cookies or something."
"Ah, well," Ken faltered before he offered a small smile. "W-we all react in different ways, I suppose?"
"I… I guess," Daisuke muttered, uncertain. "You sure you don't need anything? Maybe something to drink?"
Ken hesitated before he glanced down. "I… I suppose a drink would be good."
"R-right!" Daisuke said with a nod before he turned sharply on his heels. "I'll be right back!"
Ken watched as Daisuke ran off before he looked down at his feet, where he had dropped his ruined ice cream. He stared at it for several moments before he closed his eyes. "It's fine… I don't need his help. I don't need help from any of them."
He would go it alone, it was the best for everyone. With his plans, there was no way Ken would lose. With FlaWizarmon, Witchmon, and his brilliance, he would finish the war and make the Digital World submit to his will - make it safe for everyone.
He wasn't going to get anyone else killed.