After the battle against Leviamon, the Chosen Children were granted with a merciful period where there was no activity for them to deal with. Hikari was beyond relieved for the chance to take a deep breath and try to ground herself in the world at present. She had seen too much chaos over the course of the past week, and even if she was in a realm that she absolutely despised, she wanted to try and find a way to relax. If she didn't try to calm down at least a little bit, her paranoia and fear was going to eat her alive.
The group was getting closer to Daemon, and Hikari could see it. Everyone else seemed to have picked up on such a truth as well. There was a silent sense of tension that had risen among the members of the group, and while Hikari wished that there was more she could do to fix it, she knew that it wasn't quite so easy. Nothing seemed to be that simple anymore, and Hikari hated it with everything that she had. Each step was pushing them closer to their final battle against Daemon, and soon enough, they would be ready to return home where they belonged.
Koushiro had mentioned earlier that Daigo and Hiraku were supposedly ready to bring them back to Earth at a moment's notice once they had finished their mission. Hikari was glad that there was a way for them to return home after all was said and done. She didn't want to have to wait in the Dark Ocean any longer than she absolutely had to, and she hated being there to begin with. Everyone else felt the same way, she was sure, though there was one person above all others who was bothered by this concept.
Ken had only started to look more hollow and empty since Daisuke saved him during the battle against Leviamon. It seemed as if he had slipped into a trance of sorts, like he was trying to detach himself from anything that reminded him of the grounded world. He didn't want to be in the Dark Ocean, and while Hikari couldn't blame him, she knew that there was more to it than he was willing to say. If Hikari had to guess, his guilt over putting Daisuke in danger a second time was starting to eat him alive. Daisuke had volunteered for the danger whether Ken wanted to admit it or not, but that wasn't going to stop Ken from tearing himself apart internally over the decision that Daisuke had made.
Hikari knew that there wasn't exactly a way to stop Daisuke from doing something once he had put his mind to it. In fact, that was nearly impossible for anyone to do. She had learned years prior not to try nudging Daisuke away from his goals after he set his sights on his next goal. He had taken on this danger without a beat of hesitation, and he would do it again. That was just the type of person he was, eternally loyal and stubborn because he cared too much to even dream of letting anybody go.
Hikari understood Ken more than she was willing to admit openly. She knew that she had once struggled with hiding her emotions from those that she cared for. She was responsible for doing many things that had torn her apart in the process, and it was only thanks to the help of her teammates that she was able to pull herself out of her shell. Miyako had extended the first hand, and from there, everyone else latched on and refused to let Hikari go. That was how they worked as a team; they relied on one another through thick and thin.
Hikari knew that her problems were getting worse again. At the same time, she was fully aware of how this was the case for everyone else as well, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything that could possibly inconvenience her teammates. They were struggling as well, and it didn't feel right for her to dump her own problems onto them while being aware of the fact that they were trying to get by as well. That would be simply too cruel in Hikari's mind, and she wasn't about to dream of something so harsh. Instead, she decided to concentrate on just staying alive in the Dark Ocean. That was what mattered most, was it not?
Hikari's gaze shifted a moment later in Taichi's direction. She could tell that her brother was changing too, but she didn't know how to approach the matter of his emotional shift. He was taking more chances than he should have, and there was something about him that seemed hardened around the edges. His eyes were growing more and more exhausted as time dragged on, and Hikari couldn't help but see Daigo in him more often than not. It wasn't as if she held anything against Daigo, but at the same time, the last thing she wanted was for her brother to slip into such lows. She knew that the Digital World had started to pull Daigo to pieces years prior, but she didn't want her brother to meet the same fate. If only she had ideas as to how she was meant to prevent such a thing to begin with.
Taichi's thought process was rather simple, Hikari thought. She knew the reason that he had become so intense all of a sudden thanks to the conversations that he had shared with Agumon late at night. Hikari heard bits and pieces as she passed by his room even without the intention of eavesdropping. She didn't think that her intentions mattered quite so much at the end of the day though. She was hearing what she had to know, and it helped the pieces to come together without any issues.
Taichi believed that they should all be looking after one another. Ken may have been blaming him for Daisuke falling victim to Daemon's attack, but he was not the only one who should have done more to prevent Daisuke from getting hurt. The rest of the Chosen Children had an obligation to look after Daisuke in much the same way, but they had not done all that they could have. Hikari wished that she had seen what was coming before the strike was carried out for Daisuke's sake. She wanted this feeling of pain to be lifted off her chest even though she knew that nothing in life was that easy, especially not when it concerned matters of great guilt.
Hikari stared down at her feet, concentrating on simply placing one in front of the other so that she didn't get too distracted and fall apart in the process. She had a lot to take care of, and it didn't feel right for her to allow herself to stray too far from the path that had been presented before her. She let out a small sigh and shook her head wordlessly. She simply wanted everything to stop, but that wouldn't happen until after Daemon had been defeated. She squeezed Plotmon a bit tighter against her chest, almost halfway wondering what he would look like with one of Angewomon's arrows lodged in his chest.
Iori could tell that something was wrong.
It wasn't as if it was hard to recognize that there was something more on Ken's mind than initially met the eye. Ken was dealing with quite a bit, and he wasn't going to be revealing his thoughts to the rest of the group quite so easily. Iori had learned years ago that Ken could be quite stubborn when he wanted to be for all of his shy introversion. Iori didn't know how to break through Ken's walls no matter how much he knew that he had to. He had never been the best when it came to understanding those around him; no matter how hard he tried, it seemed as if there was always something that kept him from truly comprehending what was happening in the minds of others.
Iori had started to struggle in the aftermath of the fight against Daemon. He knew that all of them were feeling the sting of Daemon's damage even weeks after the fact. Ken had been trying to pull himself together with a smile before then, but Daisuke's injury seemed to shatter every piece of determination that he had to seem composed or relaxed. It was the last straw, not that Iori could particularly blame him. Daemon's actions had been a shock to him as well, and he didn't have the weight of blaming himself inherently for the blow that had been dealt to Daisuke that day.
Iori had moved past his ideas of regret, or at the very least, that was what he wanted everyone else to think. His conversations with Armadimon had helped him to move on at least a little bit, but he still found his mind wandering back to what he had done that day. SlashAngemon had started to fight back all of the Deep Ones without hesitation, and Iori had decided that it was for the best. The bloodshed of the day had been immense, and Iori didn't seem to be able to get the image out of his head no matter how hard he tried.
Iori knew that Armadimon had a point on one thing though. If he was put in that same position again, Iori wouldn't even hesitate to do what he could to save his teammates. He would do everything that he had to if it would mean that those that he cared for were protected and safe. Iori detested death after having been given a taste of grief all too young following his father's passing, but he didn't think twice about chopping through every Deep One in his path as soon as Daisuke's life was put on the line. If the battle had dragged on for much longer, then Daisuke would have had even slimmer chances of recovery. Iori knew all of this, and yet, he couldn't help but feel a nagging sensation of guilt at the back of his mind that he had crossed a line.
His Crest was that of Integrity, and yet, Iori didn't know if he truly did fit its description. It was a hard subject to navigate, all things considered. How could he say that he had the Crest of Integrity when he knew deep down that he had betrayed his morals the day that Daemon attacked? He shouldn't have gone so far as to kill so many of the Deep Ones, but he had done it regardless. Avoiding needless death had been his number one priority, his singular rule, for as long as he could remember, and yet, he had betrayed that.
Iori knew that he had done the right thing, at least to a degree. If the Deep Ones were given the chance to roam freely throughout Odaiba, then countless people would have gotten hurt. At the same time, if Iori had really made the right choice, then it didn't seem as if it should hurt quite this much. Being in the Dark Ocean was a reminder of what Iori had failed to do in a way. He was glad to have finally breached the Ultimate level alongside Armadimon, but he felt as if he had gone too far to accomplish it.
But he didn't want to mention this to anyone else. His feelings on the matter were gray enough as it was, a mess of emotions that he struggled to articulate even to his partner. The rest of the team was clearly struggling, and Iori didn't think it was right at all to burden them with his musings on morality when he knew that there was no right answer one way or the other. If there was a solution, he would have found it already, but instead, all he had come across was a nauseating sense that he had made a mistake that would never be reversed.
Iori didn't even seem to notice it when he fell into pace alongside Miyako and Daisuke. They were holding tightly to Poromon and Chibimon respectively as Iori's arms curled around Upamon's sleeping body. Both of their gazes were locked strictly on a single person, and Iori followed their train of sight even though he already knew that he was going to find at the other side.
Sure enough, there was Ken. He was walking somewhat apart from the rest of the group, still close enough to be ready if he had to move close to them at a moment's notice, but he kept his distance as well. Iori couldn't say that he was surprised given that this had become almost tradition for Ken ever since the attack took place in Odaiba. Iori hated having to admit it, but he knew the truth just as well as everyone else did.
"He's whispering something," Miyako murmured, and Iori snapped out of his trance to glance over in her direction. Miyako continued, seemingly unaware of how much she had startled Iori. "I think that he's talking under his breath, but Minomon is asleep and has been for a while. What could he be talking about then?"
"He told me that he's been hearing Daemon's voice," Daisuke told Miyako. "He didn't want to admit it at first, but... Apparently this has been an issue for a while now, and he was just too afraid of saying anything."
"Then we should go over and talk to him!" Miyako hissed, clearly struggling to keep her voice quiet as she glanced over in his direction. "It seems to me like the communication is only available one way, and if Daemon is the only one talking to him, then... I don't know. I guess we should try to get Ken to stop thinking about that. Maybe that will help him out."
"Okay," Daisuke nodded. He glanced down to Iori with a smile on his face. Daisuke's grins were normally as bright as the sun, but this time around, it seemed as if there was something almost darker to his smile. He was trying to hide his own struggles, if Iori had to guess, not that this was particularly surprising to him. Of course Daisuke had a lot to hide. He was the one who had gotten so hurt at Daemon's hands, so it was only natural for him to be struggling. Iori suddenly felt as if his woes regarding the death of so many Deep Ones mattered at all.
"Are you in?" Daisuke questioned, once again disturbing Iori's wandering thoughts without a beat of hesitation. "The more of us that go to talk to him, the better, I think. What do you say to that?"
Iori nodded before he could stop himself. He wanted to do what he could to help Ken and the rest of the group, and this situation was hardly an exception. "Alright," he agreed. He didn't know how exactly they were going to be handling this situation, but he had faith that Daisuke and Miyako would be able to figure out what the best course of action was. They knew Ken incredibly well, after all, and they were more in touch with their emotions to boot. Iori was glad to have them at his side on such an important subject. He hardly would have known what to do if he was left to his own devices here.
"Before we go..." Miyako suddenly whispered, and Iori looked over to her with a frown. "I have to wonder if perhaps Daemon is doing all of this talking to Ken as a way of trying to activate the Dark Seed again."
"As long as the host of the Dark Seed remains positive and has joy in their life, then the Seed will remain dormant," Iori murmured. Even though Ken's Seed had never been removed three years prior, there had never been any concerns about it causing issues for the group again. The other children who were infected by the Dark Seed were of little issue as well. They had found their sense of hope, and that was what mattered most.
"What if Daemon is doing all of this as a way of trying to break down Ken's spirit so that the Dark Seed will activate again?" Miyako questioned. "It clearly hasn't happened given that Ken is still... Well... Himself. But if Daemon is trying to do all of this, then that could mean trouble for us in the future, right?"
"It would," Iori agreed. He didn't know what powers the Dark Seeds held, but he also decided that he didn't want to know the full extent of what they were capable of either. That seemed like knowledge that was best left sealed away from the light of day, and Iori was hardly about to be the one who breached something that should have been left forbidden.
"We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen again," Daisuke declared, though he did his best to keep his voice quiet to make sure that the rest of the group wasn't disturbed. "Besides, once we stop Daemon, we'll be able to cut off his attempts to reactivate the Dark Seed, and that should do a lot to help Ken out."
"It'll do quite a bit, but... I don't think that it will solve the issue entirely," Miyako murmured. "The damage has already been done, and... This is the time of year when Ken lost his brother so many years ago. I feel like it's going to be hard for him to break out of all this when it's piling up so quickly. I mean, I want to do what I can to help him out too, but it's not going to be over just because Daemon is gone soon."
"Oh," Daisuke muttered, though it seemed clear as could be that he was already at least vaguely aware of the fact that it wasn't going to be quite so easy for Ken's concerns to be dissipated and returned to the tombstones that they had risen from to begin with.
"For now, let's do what we can to help him out," Iori cut in. He earned nods from the two other Chosen Children, and when Iori glanced down to their arms, he realized that their Digimon partners had fallen asleep in the midst of the conversation. The Digimon had been involved in quite a lot of combat as of late, so it was only natural that they were going to need more rest in preparation for what was bound to be the final encounter with Daemon.
Ken didn't seem to notice that his companions were present until after Iori, Daisuke, and Miyako had all come in around him. He had been staring blankly at the ground before that, and he perked up carefully as soon as he realized that he wasn't alone. "H-Hello, everyone..." Ken greeted carefully, his words shaking as he spoke them. He swallowed dryly. "Is there something that you need...?"
"We're here to help you, Ken," Miyako told him. There was a slight edge to her voice that suggested irritation, and Iori assumed that he knew where it had come from. He had known Miyako for a long time, and if there was one thing she hated, it was helplessness. She had a lot of energy, and she put that effort toward helping her friends when she was given the chance. Seeing so many members of the group struggle was undoubtedly having its recoil against her as well. Iori silently prayed that he wasn't dedicating anything to this issue even though he already had a feeling that his hopes were in vain.
"I... Um... Thank you," Ken said, though it was clear that he was pushing himself to get the words out. "B-But you really don't need to worry about me too much. I'm feeling fine, and you don't need to spend too much time concerned over me..."
"We all know that isn't true, you know," Miyako told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You should know better than to think that we were going to fall for something like that quite so easily, Ken. In fact, we're here because we know that you're having a hard time, and we want to do what we can to help you come out the other side. You can talk to us if there's anything on your mind."
Ken bit down on his lip and shook his head. "Alright," he whispered. Iori could tell that Ken wasn't entirely convinced of their words, and Iori found himself staring down at the ground as well. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that there had to be something that one of them could say to make this issue resolve itself sooner. He just wished that he had the answer that he was looking for.
"We think that we know what Daemon might be up to," Daisuke said next, his voice honest and frank. Iori's head whipped up in Daisuke's direction a moment later as he realized that Daisuke had decided to explain Daemon's plan to Ken. Iori didn't know if that was the best idea, but after a moment of consideration, he realized that lying to Ken wasn't going to have much of a point. The truth was going to come out at some point, after all, and there wouldn't be a reason for them to drag honesty out any longer than they had to. Perhaps telling Ken what was happening would be exactly what they had to do.
Ken appeared startled by the implications of Daisuke's words, and he shook his head in an attempt to clam himself a beat later. "What?" he questioned. "What do you think that he's after?"
"There's a chance that he's trying to activate the Dark Seed once again," Miyako told Ken carefully. "He could be speaking to you in an attempt to bring the Dark Seed to life, and if he's trying to do that, then... I guess that it's because he's still trying to get his hands on it after all this time."
Ken was hesitant for a moment before he sighed. "I believe that you could be right," he confessed quietly. "I... I think that Daemon is trying to get his hands on the Dark Seed for his own nefarious purposes, though... I still don't know what he could want from it. I barely know what the Dark Seed is capable of beyond what we saw three years ago. Daemon's reasons for trying to get it... They're still a mystery to me."
"He's trying to push you the wrong way," Iori said bluntly. "That means that hiding all of this is only going to make it worse. Even if Daemon wasn't trying to do this, then the issue of you trying to hide things would remain present. You have to trust us if there's something that's weighing on your mind, Ken. You don't have to do all of this alone."
Ken's eyes went wide, and he stared at Iori for a long moment. "I... Um..." he struggled to begin before he swallowed dryly to clear his sentence before it could even truly start. "Thank you for all that you do for me... All of you. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you to rely on."
"Then why won't you do anything that shows that you're letting yourself count on us?" Miyako suddenly questioned, her voice a bit louder than Iori expected. He winced immediately, figuring out almost instantly that this was hardly the question that Miyako should have been phrasing in such an aggressive way. As Iori silently begged for Miyako to stop, she continued regardless. "Ken, you can't keep tearing yourself apart like this. You have to stop acting like we're going to get hurt because we do something like care about you. We want to help you, but we can't do that as it stands. You say that you don't know what you would do without us, but you aren't even doing anything to count on us in the first place!"
The area fell completely silent save for the crunching of grass underfoot. Ken refused to meet anyone's gaze, and Iori knew that a mistake had been made. He had no ideas as to how they were going to help Ken out of his shell after this, but Iori found himself preparing for a dreadful twist of events either way. It seemed that Miyako's battle with her own perceived sense of helplessness had finally reached a breaking point, and Ken had just so happened to wind up caught in the crossfire.
"I don't want you to get hurt in case something happens," Ken murmured. Iori was left wondering what he was talking about at first, but as soon as the pieces clicked together in his mind, he almost wished that he could return to the blissful ignorance he had known just a short few seconds prior.
"You mean... If the Dark Seed takes control of you again...?" Miyako asked, all of the acid in her voice having melted away to something soft and hollow. She quickly got a hold of herself once again and shook her head firmly. "Ken, that isn't going to happen as long as we're here for you. We aren't going to let that happen."
"But what if it does happen?" Ken questioned in response, his eyes going wide in something that tasted like blood and fear on the tip of Iori's tongue. "You've all suffered more than enough at my hands when I lose control under the Dark Seed's influence, and I'm not about to let all of that happen again. I... I appreciate all that you're trying to do for me, but I'm not deserving of your kindness."
Daisuke was shoving Chibimon into Iori's grasp before he could register what was happening, and a moment later, Daisuke's hands were clamped firmly against Ken's shoulders, forcing the dark-haired boy to look into his eyes. "We can stop anything like that from happening in the first place," he told Ken with quiet intensity laced in every word. "You're afraid of what could happen if the Dark Seed takes control of you, but if you let us in, then that won't happen to begin with. We can make sure that you're alright so that everything is fine. Let us help you, Ken. We've been here for you every step of the way, and we aren't about to abandon you now."
Ken's eyes started to cloud over with numb tears as Miyako nodded, coming up beside Daisuke with passion flaring throughout every part of her body. "Exactly! We aren't going to let anything happen to you quite so easily, Ken! You're our friend, and we aren't going to abandon you quite so easily. You might think that you don't deserve us, but you haven't ever been more wrong about anything. We're here for you no matter what. I promise," she told him.
Iori nodded, finding it to be his turn to speak. "We forgave you for everything that happened ages ago. This was not your fault, and it isn't something that you should blame yourself for either," he chimed in. "Let us do what we can to help you so that you don't cave under the weight. You act like this is inevitable, but it's something that we can prevent. All you have to do is allow yourself to count on us. We're going to make sure that nothing happens. It's what we're here for. We're here for you."
Ken closed his eyes, and two trails of tears started to streak down his cheeks. "I'm... I'm going to do what I can to stand up to it," he whispered. "I don't want the Dark Seed to control me ever again. I don't know what Daemon wants, but I don't want to give it to him."
"And you won't have to," Daisuke told him, his grasp on Ken's shoulders tightening ever so slightly. "We aren't the only ones that are going to support you no matter what. The rest of the group is here for you too, Ken. We look out for each other because we're a team, and we aren't going to let you go quite so easily."
Ken nodded as he opened his eyes. He wasn't even bothering to hide his tears anymore, simply letting them flow freely from his eyes. His gaze was filled with such intense emotion that Iori couldn't even find the words to describe it. Iori was glad to see the determination in Ken's stance all of a sudden after how much the older boy had been struggling. It seemed as if this was the first step to Ken finally reclaiming himself from the depths of his own despair.
Daisuke finally pulled himself away from Ken and realized that the rest of the Chosen Children had kept walking while they were distracted. "We had better catch up with everyone else," he told the other members of the group. He reached out and pulled Chibimon back into his grasp, awakening the groggy blue Digimon in the process. Chibimon didn't have the chance to ask what was happening before Daisuke had taken off running back in the direction of the rest of the group with Miyako and Ken hot on his footsteps at their own individual paces.
Iori, meanwhile, couldn't help but smile to himself. He felt as if this was an important first step for Ken to take, and it already seemed like a significant amount of progress was being made. There was still a long way for all of them to go, but every journey had to start somewhere. Iori let out a small sigh and concentrated on catching up with the other members of the group. He was glad that there was a chance for the better being made already. It was a beginning, and as far as Iori was considered, that was what mattered most.
After the group got going once again, they moved for a short while longer before deciding to stop for the time being. Ken didn't like the fact that they were stopping so soon, but he knew that the Digimon were going to need another break. Unfortunately, it wasn't an option for the group to keep moving because of the fact that they had gotten into combat as of late. The Digimon had to recuperate, and Ken was going to have to calm his agitated nerves for just a short while before they could keep moving.
He felt better after talking to Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori. He realized that they were right about him closing himself off out of fear, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to do that forever. He was hardly going to say that this resolved all of this issues, but it was a step in the right direction. He no longer feared this concept as much as he once did, though it was still a point of anxiety for him. He felt better, but that was hardly saying much when he was struggling so much as it was.
Ken sat down on the ground and watched mindlessly as Minomon continued to eat. Most of the other Digimon had already evolved up to their Child forms with the newfound access to food. Ken eventually closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree that he was sitting next to. He didn't think that this entirely counted as a break or anything, but he was glad to be off his feet briefly. Plus, it gave him a chance to think about everything that Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori had told him while they were on the way to their current destination.
Ken had known all along that they were right. His first instinct when he started to struggle was to buckle down on his own sense of isolation. He didn't entirely know what to say in response to everyone's sudden and overwhelming support of him because he had both known the truth and forgotten it at the same time. It was hard for him to wake up and accept it even still though, and his hesitation remained much longer than he was willing to admit. He wanted nothing more than to open up and embrace their support in full, but it seemed so much harder than it had any right to all of a sudden.
Ken was only pulled free of his trance when he noticed that Minomon had started to glow. He let out a gasp and glanced down to see Wormmon looking up at him, his eyes bright and shining. Wormmon shifted positions so that he was nuzzling his head against Ken's body gently. "You know that I'm always here for you, right?" he asked softly, keeping his voice quiet to make sure that no other members of the group overheard him.
Ken nodded. "I do," he assured his partner. It seemed as if the two sides of him, the one that craved the support of others and the other that feared it for silent reasons, were constantly at war. Ken was glad that Wormmon would be there for him no matter what. He knew that for better or worse, and he was going to keep it in mind for as long as he had to so that he could make sure he never forgot the fact of the matter.
In a way, Ken was afraid of what would happen if Wormmon was around if he gave into the power of the Dark Seed. He had treated his partner so terribly the last time, and Ken detested remembering anything that he had done while he was still using the guise of the Digimon Kaiser. Wormmon had been his primary victim, and Ken still felt bad for all that he had been responsible all that time ago. It was sickening to imagine all that he had been responsible for, and he wished that there was more that he could do to make it up to Wormmon that he had done so much.
Ken pulled Wormmon a bit closer, his eyes falling shut. He didn't know what he would do without Wormmon, in all honesty. Even if something happened, he knew that Wormmon would stand by him regardless of what took place from there. Ken didn't know how to fully express his gratitude. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he gave in and succumbed fully to the influence of the Dark Seed once again, but the possibility remained at the back of his mind even so. Ken wanted to outrun it, but he couldn't seem to do so no matter how hard he tried.
All things considered, Ken's emotions were complicated. He knew that the rest of the group was there for him no matter what, but he still feared what could happen if something sour took place. He had Wormmon by his side, but Ken was still afraid that he could potentially stab someone in the back if he wasn't careful enough. The rest of the group was right in saying that their best option from here was prevention rather than accepting his fate for what it was. Ken was glad to have a glimmer of hope rather than simply accepting everything that he could potentially face. If not for the honesty of Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori, he likely would have come to simply believe that there was no way for him to get away from the potential horror that awaited him.
Ken didn't want to do anything that could make him yield to Daemon. He had thought too much of how awful his fate could be for quite some time, and it was time for him to reclaim the path that he wished to take from then on out. He was tired of passive acceptance. The time had come for him to fight. The rest of the group would do anything in their power to make sure that he was protected from then on if he had to be. Ken was glad to know that he had the support even if he was quietly anxious about the potential for what could come next. He was still somewhat nervous and shaky on his feet, but he was going to start running from whatever he thought was bound to be fact in a matter of time rather than standing still and allowing it to catch up to him.
As Ken looked around at the rest of his teammates, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He was glad to have been given the chance to spend time with so many kind people who would be there for him through thick and thin. A few years prior, he never would have imagined such a thing to be possible for someone like him, but he had come to know better. In a way, they were like a family, and he would do anything for them if he was given the need to.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Ken found himself frowning. In a way, he understood why it was that Daisuke had done something as dangerous as getting in the way of Daemon's attack. Daisuke was loyal to a fault, and he had done everything in his power to look after the other members of his team. Ken still struggled to actively believe that he was deserving of Daisuke's actions of defense, but he could still sympathize with what had been done. He swallowed dryly to himself, letting out a small sigh at the realization. It was uncomfortable and didn't sit well with him at all, but it had to count for something at the end of the day, right?
The other members of the group were, for the most part, clustered together in small groups throughout the area. The trees were growing slightly more far apart as they continued their journey in Daemon's direction, and that left a wider clearing for them to spend time in as they waited for the Digimon to recuperate. It was easy for Ken to see every member of the group gathered together in some way or another. In a way, it was comforting to know that everyone that he had a reason to be around in the immediate area was gathered together. He knew that they were safe and alive for just a few moments longer, and that was much more relieving than it had any right to be realistically. He knew that this was primarily because of the Dark Ocean and the impact that it had on people, but he was willing to mark it down as a positive for the time being. After all, what other choice did he truly have in the matter?
Mimi and Meiko were sitting together against a tree as their partners chatted about some subject or another. Palmon was much more animated than the stoic Meicoomon, though this was to be expected given their contrasting personalities. Sora was talking with Koushiro and Jou. Piyomon was off with Agumon and Gabumon while Tentomon and Gomamon engaged in discussion with Patamon and Tailmon. Takeru and Hikari were gathered together with Miyako and Daisuke. Iori was next to Taichi and Yamato, simply listening to the two and their intense discussion as Armadimon chatted away with Hawkmon and Veemon. Ken couldn't fully say for sure what anyone was saying, but he wasn't at all objecting to that. He didn't need to know what they were saying to know that everything was alright for at least a little bit longer, and that was more valuable than he could ever hope to describe.
"I think that we're going to be alright," Ken told Wormmon before he could stop himself. It felt as if he was seeing hope for the first time in what felt like a thousand years, and it was so immensely refreshing that he could barely stop the wave of joy that flooded through every part of his body. He glanced down at Wormmon and smiled, starting to feel the weight of his words already. He didn't expect them to have such a positive impact on him out of the blue like that, but he wasn't complaining in the slightest. This was exactly what he needed, if he was being honest.
"I think so too," Wormmon said to Ken, his eyes beaming with what Ken knew was a wordless smile. "We have much stronger Digimon on our side compared to the first time that we fought Daemon, and we aren't going to let what happened last time repeat itself. We're going to find a way through this... I'm sure of it."
Ken nodded and began to stroke at Wormmon's head silently once again. He hadn't realized how much he needed this moment of peace until after it had already started. As it turned out, his constant issues with stress and self-deprecation were having more of a negative impact on him than he had previously imagined. When he thought back on it, he was hardly surprised, but for the time being, he allowed himself the chance to laugh under his breath, wondering the last time that he had done such a thing and meant it.
He knew that there was still a long way for him to go before he truly felt safe with all that had taken place. One could argue that he wouldn't even fully recover after Daemon had disappeared, and Ken almost halfway feared that this was going to be a temporary high that was ultimately bound to be torn apart under the weight of his future depressive bouts. But Ken still found himself doing all that he could to concentrate on the present moment and all the beauty that it entailed. His friends were safe and alive, and he trusted that they would find a way to come out on top one way or another.
Ken's emotions hardly had the words needed to voice themselves, it seemed. They were always just out of reach for him, not that he particularly felt the need to say them out loud. He didn't think that he would be able to even if he tried. He was simply glad for the fact that they were still alive for the time being, and that meant more to him than he could ever hope to describe. He could resolve the internal issues that he was wrestling with when Daemon had been taken care of in full. For the time being, he was going to try and focus on the matter at hand. He wanted to put all of this in the past as soon as he possibly could, and he wouldn't be able to do that if he was more focused on matters that he knew could wait just a while longer.
Even as he thought this though, Ken had to wonder if perhaps he was simply making up excuses because he was trying to avoid the truth. He was still afraid of what could come next no matter what issue was tackled first, but at least the rest of the group knew what to do on pure instinct in terms of combat. Emotions were messy things that were hard to deal with even if someone had a full support system, but charging into battle was simple in theory. Ken did his best to shake off this thought and concentrate instead on petting gently at his partner's head. He was glad for the familiar sensation of Wormmon's body beneath his fingers. He needed the feeling to ground him more than he was willing to admit openly.
Ken was suddenly pulled away from his thoughts when he realized that something was wrong. Mimi and Meiko had stopped talking, and as soon as the two of them fell silent, their partners did as well. From then, the silence spread outward with a ripple effect, and the entire group was claimed not long after the fact. Ken felt a shudder run up his spine, and he stared up at the sky blankly. He could tell that something was wrong, and his body immediately responded with a dose of adrenaline that stole away every beat of positivity that he had previously been repeating to himself in the silence. The uncertainty inside of him had taken over in full already, and he jumped to his feet with Wormmon still tight in his arms.
"Something is wrong," Mimi declared, her voice trembling ever so slightly. The rest of the group had caught on as well to the fact that they were not entirely safe as they had been a few moments prior. The Digimon sunk into defensive stances, ready to leap into action at a moment's notice. Ken heard his heart screaming in his ears, and he tried to focus on the world around him instead of how overwhelming the sound was.
Ken couldn't tell if he wanted to run toward the danger or move as slowly as possible to keep from being caught, but his decision was ultimately made for him a moment later. A figure came streaking from the skies, and Ken's eyes went wide. His heart began to beat faster in his chest, and if there were any remnants of his hope left, they immediately began to melt away as his stomach tied itself into a knot all too quickly.
"Daemon..." Taichi snarled. He was the closest to Daemon since he had landed, and the Chosen Child of Courage was already preparing to leap into combat if he was given the need. Ken knew that it was just a matter of time before they had to start fighting back in full, and he felt nauseous at the very idea.
"You have made a grave error by coming to the Dark Ocean yourselves," Daemon began to say. He remained perfectly still, seeming to know that everything was resting on the edge of a knife. Everything could fall out of his control in the blink of an eye, and he was fully aware of such a fact.
"You've caused us more than enough trouble by coming to Earth, so we're here to finish the job," Taichi said, his eyes shifting to a glare narrowed in Daemon's direction. "You've done too much, so here we are to take you out once and for all!" There was a darker edge to Taichi's voice, and Ken found himself feeling sick at the revelation. There was something wrong, and it was something that made Ken nauseous almost immediately. He didn't think that he had ever heard Taichi quite this grave and serious, and it was beyond upsetting to him.
Daemon's eyes narrowed. "If you believe that such a thing is possible... That is your mistake," he declared. "Unfortunately, if you want to get to me, you will have to go through the Deep Ones first. Do you believe that you're up for the challenge?"
"You're on!" Daisuke cried out. Despite the fact that he had been hurt in the past, he didn't seem to be willing to allow his fear to show. He slammed a fist into his other hand, which was waiting as an open palm. "We aren't going to let you get away with this! That much is a promise!"
Daemon chuckled, the voice low and rumbling. "You will come to regret this," he announced. A moment later, the shadows in the area seemed to spark to life, and countless Deep Ones came into view. None of them were transformed into Digimon yet, but it didn't quite matter. It was just a matter of time before they shifted into their new forms, and everything was going to fall apart from there.
"I could say the same thing to you," Daisuke told Daemon. Even though they had been part of a dire incident the last time that they crossed paths, Daisuke and Daemon refused to acknowledge it. Daemon's goals undoubtedly rested elsewhere, and as such, he was choosing to not give anything out of his range the time of day.
Daemon simply shook his head. "Wrong answer," was all he said in response. The Deep Ones began trying to change form, and Ken swallowed dryly. He knew exactly what was happening, and this was where the final battle was going to be starting. Too much had taken place, and escape was out of the question. All of Ken's past thoughts about getting this encounter over with and in the past had abandoned him, and he was only focused on trying to get out of this situation alive. He had to focus no matter how much it felt as if his world was falling apart.
The Digimon started to change forms as soon as Daemon's reply reached everyone's ears, and the battle began to explode into a new type of chaos a beat later. Most of the Digimon reached their Ultimate forms, and those that lacked this ability instead went for their highest level of Perfect. Ken was glad that the area was a bit more open since it allowed him the ability to see the battle clearer than he would have otherwise, but at the same time, he knew that there were few places for any of them to hide behind. At least the trees would have smaller chances of falling over and risk crushing someone if there were fewer of them right?
JewelBeemon was rushing forward a moment after Ken realized that Wormmon was out of his arms. He barely seemed to process any of what was happening, his eyes wide but unseeing. Ken shuddered as soon as he recognized that the circumstances were changing. The group's Digimon were attacking the Deep Ones that were starting their transformations in an attempt to cut the shifting short. JewelBeemon's spear pierced the chest of one of the Deep Ones. He was the first to defeat one of their foes, and from there, a cloud of darkened data began to spiral up into the sky. It didn't take long from there for the other Digimon to join in, and everything began to devolve into even further chaos. Even simply trying to figure out what was happening gave Ken the opening poundings of a headache, so he allowed his eyes to remain unseeing at least temporarily.
"You aren't alone in this, you know."
Ken didn't realize that he was no longer alone until after Daisuke's fingers had already come down on his shoulder. He jumped out of pure anxiety, his eyes going wide as he turned to face Daisuke in full. "No matter what happens, you aren't the only one going through this. We're all here for you, and we aren't going to let you fall apart on us now," Daisuke continued. "I said that we would be here for you, and I meant it."
"I... I'm nervous," Ken forced himself to admit quietly. The words tasted bitter and wrong somehow on his tongue, but he did his best to push them out regardless. "I don't want anything to happen to you or the rest of the group. You've been through enough already."
"You don't need to be scared on my behalf," Daisuke told Ken, his eyes narrowing intensely. "I know that you can't just shut off your feelings like that, but... You also don't have to do all of this on your own. The rest of us are here for you no matter what. You are never alone."
"Exactly!"
Miyako appeared beside Daisuke a moment later, her eyes shining brightly. "I said that we were going to be here for you earlier, and I meant it. You don't have to be afraid of any of this as long as we're here for you. Everything is going to be fine," she assured Ken, every word laced with energy that fit her regular beat. "I know what's happening is bad, but we're going to find a way through it no matter what happens!" She reached out and put one hand on top of Ken's, and a moment later, Daisuke's fingers joined the stack. Ken simply stared over at her, feeling that warmth from before start to wash over him once again.
Ken glanced out at the rest of the group a moment later. He could see all of them gathered in the area, and they were fighting with everything they had. They were allowing themselves to lean on one another, and they were doing all that they could to come out on top. He could see everyone easily, whether they be human or Digimon, and the sight immediately brought a smile to his face. No matter how much he struggled, he was never going to be alone. They would be there for him no matter what.
Ken felt something in the back of his neck, though he knew that it was just a phantom pain rather than anything real and active in that moment. After all, the Dark Seed couldn't hurt him anymore. His doubts had started to get to him once again, but he managed to push through to find peace regardless. Even if his emotional recovery was bound to be difficult, he was going to find a way through it. After all, the rest of the group was going to do everything they could to be there for him, and that meant that he had to give it his all.
Ken looked over to Daisuke briefly before shifting his gaze to Miyako. Both of their smiles were so bright, a sign of light and hope among the darkness of the area. The Dark Ocean was gray and cast in shadows, but he they offered a small amount of levity and illumination. All he had to do from there was follow the light to the end of the path that it was showing him, and he knew what was going to be waiting for him on the other side.
A moment later, light suddenly started to explode outward from his hand. Ken glanced down and realized that his other hand, the one that wasn't holding tightly to Daisuke and Miyako, was still clutching at his Digivice. His eyes went wide as he recognized just what was happening. He had seen this countless times over the course of the past few months, and it had happened again more recently as the group traveled into the Dark Ocean. At long last, he was set to join a new level of ranking among the Chosen Children.
JewelBeemon was glowing as well from his place at the center of the fight. The Deep Ones near him began to recoil, rejecting the light that he was starting to emit. The symbol of the Crest of Kindness flashed across Ken's screen, and he smiled to himself before looking up to his partner. He still had a long way to go, but he was going to be fine somehow. As long as he had others to rely on, he was going to find a way to come out on top.
JewelBeemon's body began to change shape, and despite the brightness of the light, Ken found himself looking straight into the glow. He stared, entranced, as his partner shifted form to become a darker bug that easily eclipsed Stingmon and JewelBeemon in size. He was all black with four wings that spread out behind him in a grand display, and claws extended from both of his arms.
"JewelBeemon, evolve to... GrandisKuwagamon!"
Ken's eyes remained wide as he stared up at his partner. He hadn't expected an evolution to take place then of all times, though it did make sense when he thought back on it. He found himself smiling when he heard the cheers of joy from where Daisuke and Miyako were standing on either side of him. They were proud of him, and they were still going to be standing by him no matter what. That meant more than anything else ever could have, and Ken was left to wonder how he could have doubted such a thing in the first place. The day had been filled with highs and lows, but he was going to take advantage of this emotional peak for as long as he was able to.
GrandisKuwagamon didn't hesitate when he swept backward into the air, clearly charging himself up for an oncoming attack. His first action following his evolution was to slash his claws outward, hitting every creature in his path without a beat of hesitation. Countless Deep Ones were left to shriek and fall away into nothing but dust and data that spiraled into the sky. More of the Deep Ones were starting to complete their shifts into Digimon because of how long the fight had dragged on for, but that wasn't going to stop GrandisKuwagamon or any of the other Digimon partners from taking them out as soon as possible.
Daemon remained impossible to see because of how far away he was from the scene of the battle. He was using the Deep Ones in the area as shields, and Ken could tell. However, it wasn't going to take long for the Chosen Children to chop through the Deep Ones that they were up against, and from there, Daemon would be left defenseless. Ken knew that wasn't going to be an automatic victory for the Chosen Children though; Daemon was still a powerful foe, and Daisuke's injury from their last encounter made that perfectly clear. He wasn't going to be surrendering easily in the slightest, and the sheer force that he had at his disposal was not something that could be underestimated.
But Ken still had faith that they were going to find a way to succeed. Three years prior, Daemon had led an invasion to Earth that ultimately prompted him to be sealed away in the Dark Ocean to begin with. The Chosen Children had not been able to defeat him before because of his sheer power, but they were stronger than they once had been. There were even more of them gathered together than before, and Ken knew that they were going to have to take advantage of this if they were going to defeat Daemon. It wouldn't be easy, but Ken was going to hold on and have faith that they were going to find victory one way or another. It felt like all he had, yet at the same time, he knew that it was sufficient in its own special way.
The other Chosen Children were looking around the area carefully, but Ken could tell that they were stealing glances back in his direction out of curiosity regarding the newfound evolution of GrandisKuwagamon. Ken simply smiled blankly to them, feeling tears starting to well up in his eyes. He still lacked the words to properly explain his emotions, but he knew that verbalizing his feelings would have no point. Everyone already understood exactly what he was going through, and that was what mattered the most.
Ken kept his eyes on GrandisKuwagamon from afar, staring as his partner slashed through every Deep One that dared to come too close to him. The other Digimon were following suit, most of them teaming up into smaller groups to take out more of the Deep Ones. There were too many of the beasts to count, and it seemed as if there were always more of them no matter how many they defeated. At the same time though, Ken was continuing to hold this moment of hope and optimism in as high regard as possible. He would not be giving in and allowing Daemon the chance to harvest the Dark Seed any time soon. Instead, he would do everything in his power to lead the Chosen Children to victory and accomplish what the past versions of the Chosen Children had not been able to. He was going to make sure it happened one way or another no matter what.
Evolution time again! Hell yeah!
I mentioned that the Zero Two cast has evolutions based in their connections with others, right? Yeah, well, I wasn't kidding when I said that this was going to be coming back again soon enough. Ken deserves to feel love, and if Tri canon isn't going to treat him right, then I will. You know, after he suffers through the angst of this story. Whoops.
This story's character development philosophy is primarily based in the impacts of the past and present on the future, and I love working into that with all of the character arcs. Even if the Zero Two cast has been the focus for the past few chapters, there are still hints resting secretly for the rest of the group along the way showing what problems they've got. One thing I really do like about Digimon is how every season has its own development philosophy, so I had to give one to Echo. Of course, we've still got a long way to go for all of that to be revealed as per the fact that the story is still less than halfway over. Whoops.
I'm going to leave things there for the time being. Next week, we've got a grand battle as the team continues to face off against Daemon, this time with GrandisKuwagamon. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital