Falling Inside the Black

Summary: Yamato, Hikari, and Ken find themselves being drawn back to the world of Darkness. There, they must traverse the Digital World's Hell to take down the Demon Lords and Dagomon while overcoming their personal dilemmas.

Warnings: Heavy violence, mentions of abuse, incest, and rape.

Pairings: Taishirou, ex-Sorato/ex-Jyoumato, hinted Takari, hinted Kenyako. Also DaemonxLilithmon.

A/N: This is part of the headcanon, but can be read as a stand-alone. The Chosen's Digimon will likely not make an appearance (the Digital World was cut off in 2004).

A/N: There's been a lot of exposition-y chapters, but the action will pick up again soon. Everyone's certainly going to Hell in a handbasket, aren't they?

A/N #2: So, I haven't updated this fic... in like a few years or something. I got really burnt out on the entire thing and needed a break. I'm really sorry. In that time, I've grown as a writer, so chapters after this will probably be a bit different! This chapter was already written but left unposted then; it's actually only half of the original planned chapter, but I feel it would be too jarring to finish it here, so technically this section will be broken up into two parts.

I like the cliffhanger better here anyway.

10 (Part 1) – City of Many Angles

Hikari exited the cave and came upon a vast, gray city. The buildings were carved of stone and the streets were made of planked wood. The place seemed... homey, somehow. Not quite lively, as in, there were some monsters walking about, but not enough to remind her of, say, the city under Lilithmon's rule. Her school shoes clicked on the creaking wood as she walked. The piers turned into ramps, into paths above her head. The stone homes were built up several floors, like building a sand castle from silky muk, the layers spilled over one another. She found herself getting lost many times.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Hikari wondered, watching some of the Digimon—all Scubamon like the ones she had met encased in the Dark Spirals—exchange goods at a small stand. They traded jewelry and fish and other things. "Excuse me..."

"Queen Hikari...?" the monster questioned, dropping his gold. He quickly picked it up into his slimy claws. "Yes, you were the one who escaped us. You've returned to us!"

"I-I'm just here to talk to your Undersea Master," she pressed, trying to quiet him down. "Please, don't make a scene."

"You're as lovely as ever. I wonder which of us will have the honor of bedding you?"

Hikari burned red, "None of you! Now take me to Dagomon!"

The Scubamon shrank into the planks, quite literally, melting with embarassment into the gaps in the wood, then straightened himself out. "Come. Come, I'll show you," it said, waving a long, thin, slimy arm.

Hikari was proud. She had stood up for herself and she didn't need Taichi, Takeru, Ken, or Yamato to do it, either. Perhaps, despite the growing unease inside of her and the worried thoughts crossing her mind about her companions, that was why she kept on. The town went for miles and Hikari could easily see it was meant for more than the population that inhabited it. "Why... why are there so few of you?"

"We're not welcome by any world except our own."

"Then why can't you go back?"

"Many of us died when we were pulled into this place... this Dark Area... we don't have enough Dark Energy to return to our world."

"That's why... the darkness is so strong," Hikari stated. Then she gasped as they came upon a giant castle at the edge of the sea. The place looked straight out of a fairytail, made of quartered stone and many towering obelisks—Dark Obelisks. Octomon guarded the gate, but with the Scubamon in Hikari's company, let them pass through. "You all look like Digimon to me."

"This is to keep our interference at a minimum, your Highness."

"Don't call me that," Hikari demanded.

"I once spoke with a Numemon that heard of you," the Scubamon said. "He said you were their Queen."

"I never asked for that title, either. I am no one's thing to be worshipped," Hikari snapped. "I'm just an ordinary girl!"

"With immense, bright power, that could give us what we need to go home," it said as they walked through the castle. The place reminded Hikari of an ocean restaurant. The walls seemed to be thriving with moss and barnacles. The floor was sand. Mucky or deep or so thin the stone beneath showed through. The strangest thing were the slew of golden accents and objects and artifacts. She almost thought being a queen wouldn't be so terrible—at least then she couldn't blame herself for getting her brother kicked out, or stringing along Takeru, or just being plain boring. How many times had she tried to be anything other than beautiful and perfect and 'Taichi's sister' or 'Takeru's girlfriend'? The two weren't even dating. She hadn't been to school with Taichi in at least a year and still people address her that way (when they weren't catcalling her). The thought reminded her of Gatmon and how much she missed the only person to treat her with any dignity.

"Here is the Master's Room."

Hikari pursed her lips and furled her brow, "Alright. Open it."

The large, rusted gates opened. In the depths of the darkest of black, she could see eyes. She couldn't make out the rest of the creature. He didn't speak to her in words, but in her mind. His voice mimicked her own, which made the entire thing that much creepier.

"Hikari, Child of Light. You've changed your mind?"

"Not exactly," she whispered. She was absolutely freezing and she felt tears streaming down her face. All of those thoughts repeated themselves again, distracting her. She had to focus on making her lips move. "I've come to get the Crest of Envy from you. By force, if, if necessary."

"Is that the truth?" it wondered. "Or are you here to help us? Like you helped the Digital World so many times before?"

"B-But you're completely evil."

"Are we? Or is that something you want to believe?"

"Stop. Just hand over the Crest and I will go."

"I can't do that. Our society runs on exchange. I expect something in return. Seeing as you no longer possess the Crest of Light, there is no easy trade in your mind that I can see."

Hikari whimpered and felt herself buckling under her own voice, mixed with the mocking words of Dagomon. She wasn't sure how much she could take. "I... I have nothing to offer you."

"Be our Queen, Hikari. We will hand over the Crest."

"I-I can't throw my life away for this."

"Then how will you save your friends, your brother, your future children? Such lovely little things, they are."

Hikari shot up, "What are you saying?" That there was actually a life ahead for her?

"I'm only asking you to be our Queen, Hikari. As I said, you no longer have the power of light, so you are as useless as you think you are."

"I... I'm useless... I must be really..." Hikari whispered to herself. "What am I doing here? Trying to do this on my own. I'm an idiot. I can't breathe."

"Your choice is made in your mind already."

"No!" Hikari demanded. "I... I'm just not sure."

Hikari waited at the edge of the looming darkness. Dagomon's breathing was like bubbles, tentacles, and water all fighting for a chance to infect the air. She could also hear something slithering and she felt sick. She couldn't take another breath.

Then she heard Ken, "Get off me, you insolent fish!"

Two footsteps, one voice. Then the pitter patter of Scubamon feet. Her friends appeared from the misty castle. Ken was growling like a mad dog, kicking at the thing by his feet. Hikari could see he was giving in more than ever. If she delayed the crest any longer, then what of Ken's future? What of his family? Miyako had been less than silent about her intentions. Then, there was Yamato. What if he remained in his childlike state forever? No, Hikari couldn't let this happen. The Digital World, the Real World would be consumed by darkness and if she even had the chance to stop it... she had to take it.

"Hikari!" Ken called, running over to her. "I don't know who I want to strangle more, Yamato or that fish guy."

Yamato looked to the young woman. "So, did you get the Crest? Mister Kaizer here filled me in on the details." As he said this, Yamato held his in the palm of his hand with the cord still about his neck.

Hikari looked to him. "Y-Yamato? You're alright?"

"None of your damn business. Just answer me."

"As you can see, the asshole's returned to his old self," Ken complained.

Yamato ignored the Kaizer. "Well?"

"I..." Hikari hesitated, turning again to the pure black. Even Dagomon's eyes were closed and she couldn't be sure he was even there anymore. If he was, the others didn't seem to see him. She felt something wet in her hand and opened it. Inside was a barnacle encrusted emblem with the blue crest sitting in the center, as dark as the ocean itself."Yes, I have it."

"We appreciate your trade, Queen Hikari," said the Scubamon as the trio started out the door. The thing smiled at her.

She sneered at him. She had certainly given up nothing. She remained strong and got what she came for, that was all. She pushed past Ken and Yamato and started for the exit of the castle, ignoring all the watchful eyes.

Ken turned to Scubamon and kicked him. Yamato snickered as the frog-being fell back, clutching it's arm. Then, they caught up to Hikari in front of the castle.

"Where next on the map, Hikari?" Ken ordered. He watched as she unfolded it, then swiped it from her hands. If he remembered right, he had found it, so he deserved to keep it. He looked it over, "Murky Marshes. Not far from where we were on the beach, Ishida."

Hikari snatched back the map. "Nothing belongs to you, Ken. I'm not some slave for you to prance around."

"Wow, you really pissed her off," Yamato remarked as Hikari stormed ahead of them.

"She's just being difficult. She'll realize I am the only one worthy of this power. I'm not going to let Hikari take it from me."

"What are you saying?" the blonde chuckled. "Hikari isn't against us."

"Do you remember how she treated you?" Ken questioned.

"You've lost me, shadow Nazi."

Hikari turned back, "Get a move on!"

"I'm surprised... a playboy such as yourself not remembering such a lovely girl hanging all over you?" Ken snickered.

"She's not that type," the blonde spat.

"You don't remember anything since Lilithmon's room, right?"

Yamato cursed and nodded. "So?"

"Daemon and Lilithmon were just playing a trick on you. They want you to get confused and forget whose really out to get you. That's Hikari."

"Look, I've fell for this once before, Kaizer, but I know Hikari. I'll never trust a word you say."

Ken clenched a fist around the whip at his side. Say that to my face again. You will obey me. I'll strangle you if you don't! I'm better than the both of you. The only reason I keep you around is because you're my pawns. Just like Osamu would want me to—to live up to my potential. To be as great as he was. Just like my parents wanted. I was a fool to give this up! "Don't worry, as you said... when the time comes, I'll kill you, because... I don't trust you, either."

"I don't want to stand in the way of your divine-damn mission," Yamato explained. "Take the damn crest when you need it, but I'm going to kill Lilithmon if it's the last thing I do."

Ken chuckled a moment. Hikari twitched her ear at him, but continued walking to find the right pier where they would find the bridge leading to the Murky Marshes. "Oh, Yamato... We should be working together. Things would be so much easier. I get what I want and you can take out all that bloodlust on whoever you wish."

"I'll stay until I feel like leaving, Kaizer."

"Fine."

Hikari waited at the end of the dock. The voices grew quiet behind her, but the footsteps grew louder. She wondered in the back of her mind, What were they saying about me? I can do this. I don't need approval from them. They have things so easy. They're men and born with strength and knowledge. If I could just have a fraction of the strength they have... Hikari blinked as a warmth eminated from her breast pocket. She pulled out the Crest of Envy and immediately felt sick. What have I done...? It's activated. Hikari tucked it deep into the dark green of her skirt pocket this time, hiding the glow as the others approached. "It's this way... come on!" Who cares? It doesn't mean anything. I have the strength myself. I don't need to want their power. Just because Ken has his Kaizer rags and Yamato can hate with such apathy... I can do those things, too. I'll show them how ruthless I can be. How much of a leader I can be. How powerful I am! I have Dagomon's power, now, which is the real power. Not some cheap imitation like Ken's. I'll show them. I am a Queen!