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Ackbarfan5556: Yup. We're getting there.
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Welcome, everyone, to the next chapter. This is going to be the shortest chapter in the whole story, but it will be well-worth your attention. Just going to go ahead and warn you guys about some dark stuff that comes in this chapter. I'm sure you'll love it.
On with the show.
The Digimon Emperor grunted as he sipped on another cup of coffee. The readings had to be wrong. There was no other explanation. He carefully planned out everything, so why was the technology failing him?
He silently seethed, 'Stupid computers. Is there no technology capable of being right all the time? Maybe I'll have to invent one someday.'
He took one last look at the digital map on the monitor to his right. A red dot that signified his base moved from the bottom right hand corner towards a swirl in the middle of the map. This was the last step that needed to be taken before his ultimate plan could start. Even so, something did not feel right.
A couple days ago, he was reading in the base's small library filled with books he found and collected during his travels in the Digital World. While he was reading, he came across a passage in one of the books that talked about a "Dark Whirlpool" that was somewhere in the middle of the sea. Supposedly, the story went that when a dark Digimon was destroyed many years ago, its spirit refused to be reborn at the Primary Village and so was cast away into the depths of the sea. The spirit's energy was so powerful that it created a whirlpool to shield itself from the outside world. Aquatic Digimon were said to fear it so much that every time one would come near it, they would always change course and swim away from it.
Ken could not help but initially laugh. It sounded too much like something out of the Odyssey. The sea monster Charybdis was the only comparison he could really make, though this whirlpool did not swallow any unfortunate soul that dared to cross its path. It all sounded a bit too exaggerated for Ken, so he didn't think much of it until he read a bit further in the passage. The final part captured his interest.
Whoever has the power and strength to enter this whirlpool can corral the darkness within it and become its master. That being will have the powers of darkness under their complete control and be unstoppable.
Once he read that, Ken's whole attitude changed. With the powers of darkness, if the passage was to be believed, he could complete the final stage of his master plan and destroy the Destined Jedi forever. The dark side surrounded the whirlpool. He could feel it, even from this far.
It was a chance he was willing to take.
Not long afterwards, he sensed two familiar people not far away from his base. The Jedi were preparing for one last chance at him. He knew it would not be long before they came for him, so he started the engines to fly out. They initially stalled, having not been used in so long, but with a little "jumpstart", the engines roared to life and he fled.
Even with his unmatched power, Ken knew he could not stay on the run forever. The Jedi were never going to give up on their pursuit. He hated to admit it, but he was impressed by how determined they were to defeat him. It would only make their deaths much more honorable when he unleashed the horror he had planned for them.
The Emperor turned in his chair towards another monitor. A dark silhouette made up of disjointed body parts was right in the middle of the screen. He smiled with a wicked glint in his eyes.
'Soon, you will be complete. One last section, and there will not be a being in the entire Digital World that can stop me. Not even the Jedi.'
The fire crackled and shot embers into the air. Mr. Ishida used the poker to move some of the wood around so that the fire could stay alive. Darkness had settled in over the lake just a little while ago, and he already wanted to go back home. Why did the kids have to leave him alone with his ex-wife and new girlfriend? Why did he even agree to do this?
The fish that Nancy and Rumiko had caught earlier cooked on the pan over the fire. The younger woman monitored the fish while Nancy went back to the cabin to do some work. It was just the two of them outside now.
A blush spread across the man's cheeks.
"Fish almost ready?" he asked.
"Almost," Rumiko replied quietly before sitting down next to him. "Where are the kids? I thought you said they'd be back by sundown."
"Oh, I'm sure they just lost track of the time," Mr. Ishida chuckled nervously. This was why he hated being here. It put him in a bad position to lie to Rumiko about where the kids really were. She did not know about their secret, and granted, he wanted to keep it that way for now, but not at the expense of having to lie to her.
"I'm gonna go look for them. It's dangerous to be out in the woods after dark."
Mr. Ishida grabbed her wrist once she got up.
"NO!" he said in a much higher voice.
The two stared at each other nervously. The blush across the man's face deepened while the younger woman looked at him in confusion. Mr. Ishida desperately searched for something that would make sense to say and get Rumiko to drop the subject.
"I mean, heh heh heh," he started, his words shaking as he added a nervous chuckle. "They're strong kids. They can handle themselves just fine. Why, a couple of years ago, the whole lot of them were stranded out in the forest for a couple of days during their school camping trip, and they came out alright."
'Like she's ever gonna believe that,' Mr. Ishida berated himself. It was partly truthful, but with some of the significant details glossed over. 'I'm such an idiot.'
Rumiko stared directly into his eyes, like she was trying to guess if he was hiding something. They had only been going out for a month, so they did not know each other that well just yet. Even so, she thought it be better to just trust her boyfriend's judgment.
She shrugged. "I guess you're right." Then she looked over at the frying pan. "Fish is ready."
"Good. I'm starving." Mr. Ishida replied, rubbing his stomach to show how hungry he was.
He looked towards the forest, getting an eerie feeling that wherever the kids were, trouble was threatening to boil over.
'Be safe, you guys. Come back home soon.'
The night was peaceful with just the sounds of digital crickets chirping and the wind sweeping through the trees filling the air. This could have been a typical summer night anywhere, which considering how extraordinary the Digital World was brought a sense of normalcy to its inhabitants. It was a little past two o'clock in the morning, and most of the Destined Jedi were asleep. Whatever was left of the fire tried desperately to stay alive through sparking and shooting embers into the air. The smoke rose every few seconds in intervals towards the forest canopy.
TK yawned loudly as he rested his arm against the tree trunk to keep him up. He had been on watch almost two hours and was desperate for it to be over. His eyes had a hard time staying open and would occasionally catch himself before he could nod off. His body was screaming to shut down and recover from the long day, but he was going to fulfill his duty to the group. Once the Jedi talked about who would do night watch, he volunteered right away. Unlike three years ago, when Matt discouraged him from the idea, he was determined to do his part for the group and make sure Ken didn't have any surprise attacks on the menu. Tai admired his enthusiasm for the job, and allowed him to cover the midnight to two shift.
The blonde Jedi of Hope looked back at camp and watched his friends sleep. Their peaceful faces and light breathing put him at ease. So far, he couldn't sense anything close by that was threatening. Ken's presence was nowhere to be felt. It was like he had completely vanished from the grid.
'If only he would stay gone,' TK thought. The Digimon Emperor was starting to become a real pain rather than a threat. He talked a big game, but when it came down to it, he only resorted to sneak attacks and ambushes like a coward. Sooner or later, there would be nowhere for him to run and he would have to face the Jedi in a fight to the death. It was a reality that none of them wanted to face, but knew it was inevitable.
"I love this place at night."
TK jumped in surprise. Matt sat down next to him and looked up at the sky.
"Hey, Matt," the younger brother mumbled with a yawn before looking up. "Yeah, the sky's nice here."
"You don't get stars like these back home," Matt continued, staring in mystified wonder. "The thing about stars, TK, is there's no right or wrong in them. They're just there. Watching over us."
TK chuckled. "That's a good way to put it."
The brothers continued looking up at the sky for another five minutes. The light breeze blew lightly through the trees and tossed their hair slightly. TK appreciated having someone with him; it made him feel less alone. Matt made it even better because he was always a source of comfort for the younger blonde.
"Hey, Matt," he said.
"What?"
"Do you ever think we'll be a family again?"
Matt was caught off guard by the question. He stammered a bit to collect his thoughts before saying, "I'm not sure what to tell you, kid. It's something I think about sometimes, but you know how it is with Mom and Dad. Then there's also the woman Dad's dating."
TK still watched the stars, this time lost in thought. "I keep dreaming of the day that Mom and Dad will come to their senses and get back together again. It's something I've always thought about since our first adventure. There's always a chance for it."
"That would be nice, TK," Matt conceded. "But I'm not sure if it's really going to –"
"You need to get over your issues with Mom. She loves you, Matt. Deeply. When are you going to stop blaming her for something that they both are responsible for?"
"I don't wanna talk about this," Matt replied, wanting to move away from the subject. "All I can say is keep your head up, kid. You never know what could happen in the future."
TK sighed and nodded. "You're right."
"Go on and get some sleep. I'll take over for ya."
"Thanks."
Before TK got too far, Matt held his arm out to halt his progress.
"Hey, I love ya," he said with a gentle smile. "You'll always be my brother no matter what happens with Mom and Dad. We're gonna get through this together."
"I love you too," TK returned his brother's smile. "Good night."
"Night."
The younger blonde went to his sleeping mat and settled under the blanket. Matt watched him for another couple of minutes to make absolutely sure he was asleep. Light snores reached his ears. He smiled and turned back to the open valley ahead of him. The land was peaceful and quiet.
'If you only knew what I did, TK,' Matt thought sadly. 'I'm sorry.'
A beeping sound went off on the monitor to Ken's left. The Digimon Emperor turned from the screen he had been staring at for the last two hours and checked what was going on. A swirl in the middle of the screen, with a small red dot coming from the bottom of the screen.
Ken smiled. Everything was going according to plan.
A chill went down his spine. The world started becoming cold. Ken almost thought he could see his breath when he would exhale. The dark side of the Force was so overpowering when one was in its presence that it was like standing in the middle of a ferocious blizzard completely devoid of clothing. The icy winds were nipping away at the soul and sucking out the will to live. The only wish to be made was for the suffering to end.
Ken reached his hand out, and with the Force caused the far wall to rise. Instead of a cold, dark wall, floor to ceiling windows revealed the open sea in front of him. The water outside was slightly murky, but the Digimon Emperor could vividly see the outlines of a funnel a few yards up ahead. The Dark Whirlpool.
'Your new master is coming,' Ken deviously thought as a salacious grin began on his face. A low laugh began as a rumbling in his throat. With every chuckle, it rose in volume until becoming a full blown maniacal cackle that filled the entire room.
He smirked as he witnessed the dark void that lied in wait before him come closer and closer. Once he had tapped into its power, his final plan would be able to commence, resulting in his total victory over the annoying Jedi. He would give them one last chance to join him. If they refused, all would be executed.
Finally, the ship breached through the sea wall and hovered over the dark abyss below. The stars twinkled above as the dark sky made it impossible to see the bottom of the whirlpool. Goosebumps ran up Ken's arms, but he ignored the feeling running through him. He was the Digimon Emperor, the most powerful being in the entire Digital World, and he feared nothing.
Ken pressed the receiver button on the console in front of him.
"All units, deploy!" he ordered.
Alarms went off as a hole in the bottom of the base opened up. Three Mekanorimon flew out into the whirlpool in search of the power source. Ken smiled wickedly as he watched his impending victory practically lay itself in his hands.
As the Mekanorimon descended into the abyss, small wisps that looked like ghosts surrounded them from all sides. Pained moans and cries filled their ears, but the mechanical Digimon paid them no heed.
Suddenly, one of them felt like it was being pulled from all sides by an invisible rope. The Mekanorimon tried to rebalance itself, but the gravity was too strong. It let out a monotone cry as it rapidly fell to the bottom of the whirlpool.
Ken was snapped out of his gleeful bliss. What was happening? He didn't get any immediate answers as another of the Mekanorimon was pulled down, followed by the other.
"How did that happen?!" he shrieked and pressed against the earpiece in his ear. "Come in, all of you! Come in!" he yelled, but there was no answer. Ken ripped the device out of his ear and threw it onto the ground, smashing it with his foot. This was not part of the plan.
Without another word, Ken stormed out of the control room for the hallway. Why did he have to depend on others to get jobs done for him? He was a genius for crying out loud! He didn't need any help with anything. The only person one could depend on to get things done right were themselves.
"Of all the times that something could go wrong, it has to be now?" he grumbled as he fast-walked down the hall with heavy footsteps. "No matter. I'll just find it myself. I'm the Digimon Emperor. Nothing can stop me."
"Is that what you really think, Kenny?" a familiar voice behind him said.
Ken's stopped walking, his blood going cold. An icy feeling went through him.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he hissed. "How did you get on board my ship without me knowing?"
The voice laughed venomously. "Silly Kenny, I've always been here. I've been with you every step of the way."
As it laughed again, Ken couldn't stand not knowing the identity of his tormentor a second longer.
"Who are you?"
"Call me your shadow."
The Digimon Emperor turned quickly. He froze in shock. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a figure that looked to be an exact copy of him. The same suit, the same gauntlets, the same sunglasses, right down to the same hairstyle. The only difference between them was this Digimon Emperor was slightly taller than himself.
"Hello, Kenny," the faux Emperor said. "How have you been, my brother?"
"Sam," Ken breathed, unable to believe what he was seeing. His look of fascination disappeared in a second. "You're not really here. You're just a figment of my imagination. You are dead, and there's no changing that."
"Do I look like a ghost to you, Kenny?" Sam snickered.
"Don't use that stupid nickname! You're not really Sam. You're just an amalgamation of my thoughts personified as my dead brother! I saw his body before they closed the casket on him."
"While my body may have left, my spirit remained beside you this whole time," the faux Emperor shot back. "Do you honestly think that you can control the forces of darkness? You were always a fool, Kenny, but I never thought you could be this foolish."
"Oh, you think taunts from a dead man are really going to stop me?" Ken smirked as he looked directly towards Sam's eyes.
"Yeah."
"Shut up! I don't have to take any of this from you. I'm better than you could've hoped to dream! You're dead, and I survived. It was a great day for me when you died. It was time for me to get the proper respect I deserved from everyone."
Sam cackled. "Is that all you thought about? You merely stole my destiny and tried to fulfill it. I'm the only one who is able to command the darkness, not you. It was my destiny to take over the Digital World." He looked at the saber on Ken's waist. "You even took my lightsaber from me when I asked you not to touch it."
Ken clenched his fists as his anger ravaged like a wildfire. "The lightsaber was never yours to begin with, Sam! It was mine! It chose me!"
He took the saber and unleashed the blue blade within it. He growled, "Keep smiling. It's all you were ever good at!"
Ken charged forward as Sam activated his lightsaber and deflected Ken's first strike. The younger sibling simply shrugged off the deflection and kept up with the offensive as he threw three more slashes towards Sam's chest.
Sam responded to them in quick fashion before he threw an attack of his own that Ken blocked. Sam continued with the counterattack before the two brothers locked sabers, with both of them trying to win the deadlock.
However, Ken was soon able to break through and knocked Sam's lightsaber aside, leaving him wide open for an attack.
"Goodbye, Sam!" Ken cried out in sinister glee before he decapitated his brother.
Ken panted as he caught his breath before Sam's body collapsed on the floor and his head landed next to it. Ken's eyes suddenly went wide as Sam's glasses fell off to reveal not his face, but rather Ken's own.
A small scream emitted from Ken's lips as he swiftly backed up into the wall. Seeing the headless body brought back the same terrible memories of what happened long ago. He had killed his own brother again.
His breathing came out in swift ragged gasps. His fists grasped as much hair as they could hold, but Ken was so traumatized by what he saw that he didn't notice the pain.
"What just happened?" he said between gasps. "How was that possible? He's dead."
"Fool…" Sam's voice echoed across the chamber as Ken growled once more, snapping out of his shock.
"I will not be taunted by a dead fool!" he roared. "I am the Digimon Emperor! No one mocks me!"
He resumed his walk down the hallway towards the hangar. Once he got there, he jumped into one of the Mekanorimon's heads and took off. What happened in the hallway continued to dog his thoughts as he flew towards the bottom of the abyss.
'Fool, am I?' he stewed. 'Once I control the powers of darkness and finish my ultimate weapon, no one will remain to criticize me. I'm alive, and Sam's dead. Nothing will change.'
Ken's obsession with being the most powerful started when he was helpless in the shadow of his older brother. Sam got the most attention from everyone, and Ken was treated like he didn't exist from anyone around them, even their parents. He never wanted to feel that way again. Once he took over the Digital World, maybe he would move on to the human world too. Without the Jedi to stop him, the world's leaders would quickly appease him in order to not be destroyed. He shrugged. No matter, he thought, he'd destroy it all anyway.
As everything got even darker, Ken switched on the headlights that rested on the mechanical Digimon's shoulders. He looked around the dark whirlpool for any signs of life, but saw nothing. He became more visibly frustrated. Maybe that legend was just that: a legend.
"Be careful when playing with the Dark Side," an unfamiliar voice that sounded like pure evil began to echo in Ken's mind.
Ken's eyes went wide once more at what he saw in front of him.
The voice began to cruelly laugh.
"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities," it said. "Some considered to be unnatural."
A tall being with blood red eyes looked directly into the Emperor's. It was vampire-like in appearance with two fangs peeking out from its shriveled grey lips. The full-body suit it wore was dark navy in color with two wings poking out of the back. On the front, an orange face was splattered in the appearance of a jack-o-lantern. Its arms were long with sharp claws tipping the ends of its hands.
"Who are you?" Ken ordered.
The vampire snickered. "I am here to warn you, o great one," it said. "The powers of darkness can corrupt those who are not strong enough to control them. It will deliver you to madness. Beware the darkness, lest it destroy you."
Ken scoffed. "Beware the darkness?" he mockingly replied. "I AM THE DARKNESS, YOU FOOL! I AM THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS! Thanks for the advice, but I don't think I'll need it."
The Digimon cackled. "Your arrogance blinds you, Emperor," it sneered. "Better be careful, or it will destroy you much quicker than the darkness."
"SHUT UP!" Ken roared, pressing a switch near him. A large suction arm emerged from the Mekanorimon's shoulders and started to absorb the Digimon's data. Within moments, the vampire had completely disappeared. His mission was complete. "YOU HEAR THAT, SAM? WHO'S THE FOOL NOW?!"
A wild look started to appear in Ken's eyes. It was like an animal instinct inside of him finally was freed from the chains that held it back and now allowed to roam free. He was alive at last. His final plan was now ready to commence.
When it was over, he would be undisputed. Respected. Saluted. And seen for the wonder he was.
The words rolled off his tongue.
"My teeth and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!" he recited with a broadening psychotic grin before unleashing the most blood-curling laugh that the whole Digital World could feel in their blood.
Creepy, huh? You could say that a shining new era is tiptoeing nearer. What is this weapon that Ken has been working on? You will all have to wait one more week to find out about that ;-p Stay tuned for the next chapter of Attack of the Emperor because these next two chapters are going to be a ride.
You all probably know what the last part is from, so the copyright goes to that.
As always, leave a review with your thoughts going forward and be sure to subscribe to the story if you haven't. I'm back in the spring semester, so you guys know how that is. I'm going to do my best to stay on schedule.
I'll see you guys real soon.