A/N: Part two of my story! I've decided to enter this fic in IZZY GIRL's Kenlei contest. Please read and review!
Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. By definition, a fiction by fans. Therefore, I do not own Digimon.
The Heart of an Emperor Part Two: Cracked Ice
Yolei whimpered slightly as he closed in on her, eyes blazing and whip raised. She shut her eyes and prayed it would be over quickly – but knowing the emperor, it probably wouldn't be.
Then a timid voice broke the charged atmosphere of the room. "Master?"
Ken whirled around angrily and snapped, "WHAT?" Yolei allowed herself a small sigh of relief as he lowered his whip.
Wormmon, who had just entered, cringed at the tone of his master's voice. "Master, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Digidestined are storming the castle!"
If possible, Ken looked even more furious. "How dare they! This is my castle! Do they think I can be defeated so easily?" Then his expression changed to an evil smirk. "Then again, this is what I had wanted all along. They are playing right into my hands."
Yolei's head jerked up at these words. "What do you mean by that?" she cried.
Ken sneered at her. "Really, girl, haven't you figured it out by now? You're just the bait! I've set a trap for the Digidestined, and they're walking right into it!"
"No!" she cried, but Ken was no longer listening. "Wormmon! What is their position?"
"Master…?"
Ken snapped his whip at Wormmon, who just barely managed to dodge it. "You fool! I mean, where are the Digidestined?"
"I'm sorry, Master! There are two attacking the gates and one who tunneled under the moat. The fourth one has gone around the back."
"Hmph!" Ken grunted, and swept out of the room, making sure to give Wormmon a kick as he did so.
"You jerk! How can you treat your own Digimon that way?" Yolei yelled after his retreating back.
He turned around instantly. She was shocked. She hadn't expected him to even acknowledge her words. "I'll deal with you later," he sneered. He paused. "On second thought…"
He moved swiftly towards her. She recoiled in fear as he reached for her. But he simply undid the chains that were holding her to the wall, and as she fell to the ground stunned, twisted her arms behind her back. She growled savagely and tried to bite his hand as she kicked out behind her, then yelped in pain as he twisted her arm further. "Don't move," he whispered, "unless you want it broken." She nodded, her eyes watering with pain.
"Good. Let's go."
Ken walked Yolei down a long hallway to a circular room. Judging by the computer screens all around them, Yolei guessed this was the control room. The Kaizer swiftly tied her to a waiting chair, still holding her arm at the pressure point. He started to walk away, then as an afterthought handed her her glasses. When he had finished he sat himself in a chair in the center of the room.
"Now, Digidestined," he said, "prepare to meet your doom. Meramon! Darktyrranomon! Airdramon! Attack!"
Yolei watched in horror as the evil Digimon beat her four friends. They fought bravely, but in the end there were just too many enemies for them to face. She saw Davis, bleeding from a cut lip, call a retreat. Everyone ran, but not before Cody looked back. "Don't worry, Yolei! We'll be back for you!" Then he fled with the others.
"ARGH! They weren't supposed to get away!" Ken jumped to his feet, filled with rage, but then just as suddenly slumped back into his chair. Yolei was shocked by the change in him. No longer was he the arrogant victor. He now looked exhausted, world-weary, and just plain worn out. Yolei felt almost…touched. She felt a sudden urge to go comfort him – which she quickly squashed. This was the enemy, after all.
Then Ken stood back up. The beaten look was gone from his eyes, but something of the exhaustion still lingered as he said, "Wormmon. Bring the Digimon back to their cells, and punish then for failing me."
"Yes, Master," said the little caterpillar Digimon. Yolei was startled. She hadn't even noticed him enter the room.
"You can't do that," she said. Ken looked at her, surprised, and before he could get angry she hastily continued, "I mean, you can of course, but why would you want to? They didn't really fail you; I mean, they won didn't they?" Ken looked shocked at this, but quickly recovered and glared at her. "When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!"
"But think about it," she argues. Yolei had always been good in debates. She could feel her old spirit rising within her. "Why do you think the Digimon keep escaping your Dark rings? It's because they don't want to be enslaved. Of course, no one in their right mind would want to, but with you punishing them all the time, it makes their desire to escape even greater. They're much more likely to get out of the Dark rings that way."
Ken looked at her, his expression unreadable. He turned away. After a silence, he commanded, "Wormmon!" The larvae peeked out from behind the door. "Cancel those last orders."
Wormmon stared at him. "Master?"
"You heard me, now cancel those last orders!" Ken yelled. Wormmon nodded vigorously and ran out the door.
Yolei was, to put in gently, in shock. Never in a million years had she expected the Emperor to actually listen to her. Then he walked to her and grabbed her arms again. She winced. "You don't have to do that, you know," she said irritably. He said nothing, but the pressure for once did not increase. As he led her back down the hall, she was aware of a great need. "Um…Ken?" He glared at her. "I mean, Digimon Emperor?" She normally wouldn't have stooped so low to call him that, but she was desperate. "Do you think I could go to the bathroom before you tie me up again?"
Ken started. His head jerked up and he stared at her. She flushed, embarrassed and annoyed. "Well, it is a normal function of human beings, you know!" He nodded wordlessly and led her down a different hall to what she supposed was a bathroom. He hesitated, then let her go. "I warn you, should you try to escape you will only make things that much worse for you."
She nodded, and slipped in the door and looked around. Well, at least he has plumbing, she thought. A quick glance around told her there was no escaping from this room. The only door was the one she had come in through.
After a short time she came out, her face washed and hair tamed somewhat. The Emperor looked startled when he saw her. "What are you staring at?" she snapped. He was shocked, but settled for a glare at her. Then he walked her back down the hall to the dungeon. Yolei moaned when she saw the chains that were to hold her again. Ken glanced at her, at the chains, and then led her away from them. "Wha…?" she said. He unlocked a cell at the side she had never noticed before and put her in it. "I'll send some water down later," he said quietly. She was too surprised to think straight. "Thank you, Ken."
He gave her a condescending look. "It's not for you," he said, sounding much more like his old self. "I just don't want you to die before I get the chance to capture your friends."
She glared at him. The sympathetic thoughts running through her head immediately disappeared. "You won't ever capture them!" she snapped.
He sniffed. "Of course I will," he said. "It's merely a matter of time." He started to walk away. Then he turned back. "Why do you care?"
"Huh?" she said.
"Why do you care how I treat my Digimon? Why do you care if I run this place?"
She blinked. "Well…I guess I don't like seeing people or Digimon hurt. I don't like to see someone in trouble and not do anything about it."
He stared at her like she was some kind of alien species. For a minute, Yolei could actually see an emotion in his usually expressionless face. Confusion. And something…something else…
Ken blinked and the expression was gone. He whirled around and swept out of the room.
Yolei watched him go, trying to decide what had just happened.
Whew! That took some effort! Do you still want me to continue? Please review!