Alter Ego
* * *
Part IV: The Great Escape
OR
The Reconciliation For Part III
OR
Not Exactly, But It'll Get Better, I Promise!
* * *
As indicated above, although this part doesn't get much better from the events of the last one, it's definately uphill. Except I seem to have made a habit of sticking unfortunate circumstances into these...oh, well. Almost forgot-don't own Digimon, probably never will. Not writing for profit, just borrowing these characters for a little while, promise to put them back in-almost-mint condition. Anyway, just continue and read.
* * *
\\"Twelve is such an ugly number. It has no significance. If I were to want so many guardians, I'd make it 13." A teacher standing before her students. "13 has meaning, substance. 9 is better, but 13 is a powerful number."
* * *
Whirling images, and another voice.
"If you just stick with it, you'll never fail."
"But then again, part of perseverence is knowing when it's hopeless."
"Failure is not an option!"
"The epitome of perserverence is the Orborus, who spent eternity trying to devour its own tail-" a teacher droned.
"Only a fool gives up, but only a fool sticks with a hopeless cause."
"The wise man knows which path will lead to success, and stays on it."
* * *
Death. Pain. Agony. There was no blood, bodies, but the area stank of death.
"You are not Fear; you feed on it. You feed on fear of yourself, and you are -------." An angel stood before the Devil himself, standing between Ken and the creature. "I am just as powerful as you, so I can win."
"No; you have failed, for your allies have fallen." The Devil raised his trident, to strike down the figure of light, but the weapon would not strike her.
"No, you have failed, because you cannot see the truth. And because you have succumbed to your own namesake, you must die." And the shadow faded away. But what was the secret? How did the Devil fail? And what was his identity?
"Who are you?" The answer was soft and caring.
"The one who will never abandon you..."//
Ken awoke from his fevered dreams, and focused on the cell again. The images of what had occurred, what, ten minutes ago? were still burned into his mind.
"Dai-chan," he croaked, his voice strained by the screams. "Help." But Daisuke had forgotten him. They thought that he had succumbed again to his demons. But he couldn't; he had Dai-chan. Except now he didn't. The pain was simply too great. Ken wept, letting the tears stream under his face.
* * *
The castle stood on the shores of the Dark Ocean itself, several walls hanging over the black water. Creatures of darkness swam below it, looking for any scrap of light to devour. Suddenly, they scattered. The Ancient One was arising, and none dared stand in her way. She was older than the sea, the Dark World, or even the Earth itself. She was infinitely wise, and more powerful than any of them dared imagine. A small shark swam towards the ripple arising from the depths, and was thrown back. A moment later, a head poked from the surface, and in a flash of true Light, the creature was gone. The ripple continued, with all living beings scattering before it. When the Ancient One moved, great things were afoot.
* * *
"Hello? Anybody?" Julienne sat down, disheartened. The screams she'd heard earlier had been quite unnerving, but nothing seemed to have changed. Except, of course, the unsettling revelation which had occurred after she'd been imprisoned. She had barely been able to believe that-She shook her head. "First, find a way out of here, then deal with this situation." She placed her hand on the wall, and suddenly smiled. "If it's only a program, then..." She began to sketch strange symbols on the wall, humming as she worked.
* * *
"Ken-chan couldn't have," Daisuke muttered. "And he's in trouble. I know it." Miyako rolled her eyes, but remained silent after a glare from Hikari.
"But all the signs point to it-" Koushiro began.
"You know, I would have figured you'd have already started to plan an escape by now," the mocking voice said. The Kaiser again appeared from an invisible door. "I really am disappointed." He turned to the group, his lip curling upwards in disgust as he saw Taichi sitting in Yamato's lap. "Every time I come back here, I find another reason to kill you all. People like you have no place in civilized society." He turned as if to leave, but Iori stood up.
"No, Kaiser. It's people like *you* who don't belong in civilized society. You judge based on lifestyle choices, religions, nationalities, yet you don't look at the person. It's people who trod on the feelings of others, who take what they want by hurting others, who place themselves and their desires before the needs of others, who should be discriminated against." He stalked over to the Kaiser, eyes blazing. "And if I were a violent person, I would have given you the beating you deserve, because you are a true bastard." The Kaiser glared for a moment at Iori, and then slapped him.
"That was for speaking against me. And that-" he continued, kneeing the teenager in the groin, "was for calling me such a horrendous name. Good day." He turned to leave, stepping over Iori's pained body, but found Takeru standing before him.
"Do you think you can just beat us up and leave us like broken toys?" The Kaiser looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Basically, yes." Takeru said nothing else, but punched the glasses worn by the Kaiser. Daisuke dashed forward almost immediately, to help the fallen man, but froze.
"His eyes..." he began, staring. Takeru knelt down at the man still laying on the ground. The eyes beneath the glasses were not the violet-blue that blazed in Ken-the-Kaiser's gaze. His eyes were a cat green, shimmering with anger. The Kaiser pushed himself up, smiling.
"I'd hoped to keep you divided before I killed you, but it seems I've misjudged you. You have two choices of death, Digidestined. You can die of starvation, or rather, of thirst, in here, or you can escape this prison, free the two other prisoners it contains, and die at my hands in battle with your Digimon." He stood up, and stalked to the wall, seemingly melting through it. Iori spoke first.
"You didn't have to do that, TK." Takeru smiled, and shifted a little.
"Well, you see, I couldn't just let him walk all over you like that, especially when you stood up for yourself so well." Iori nodded, and started to stand up. But he found Takeru's hand to help him up.
"You don't need to-" he started, his face nonetheless reddening.
"I want to," Takeru said quietly. "Iori, if we're going to die during this, I have to tell you...I like you."
"Well, you're a good friend-"
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," Iori muttered. "Why?"
"Well, you're smart, you stand up for what you believe in, you're dedicated, serious, cute when you let go a little, do you want me to go on?" Iori shook his head, his cheeks brightly pink.
"But, Takeru, aren't I a little...young for you?" Takeru grinned.
"Two years? That's nothing! So, can you think of any other reasons why I can't like you, or will you decide whether you like me back?" Iori stepped towards the blond a little.
"Well, I wanted to make sure-that you were actually interested-before I did anything," Iori replied, his eyes locking with Takeru's. Almost simultaneously, their lips moved together for a gentle kiss, which lasted for quite a long time. There was a flash of light, and they broke apart, startled. Hikari stood before them, smiling, one arm around Miyako, the other holding her camera.
"I'll call it 'Lovers' First Kiss'. What do you think?"
"I think you're giving me that camera!" Iori snapped, lunging forward. As he did so, he managed to trip on a small rock, and fell to the stone floor with a thud.
"Iori?" Takeru inquired, kneeling next to him. "Are you all right? Is your face okay?" There was a faint chuckle, and Iori sat up.
"Yep, all accounted for."
"Um, guys, I know you two just found each other and everything, but Iori seems to have stumbled over the exit," Jyou stated.
* * *
A tall woman stood at the very beach where Ken had fallen into the path of darkness. She glanced out at the sea, and smiled. The shallow water could not hide the serpent from view. It swam powerfully towards her, slowing only slightly as it slid onto the sand.
"So. We are to work together," she stated. "I suppose you know who I am."
"The human of Perseverance."
"Close enough. So, shall we go?" She leapt lightly onto the serpent's back, and it whipped around, entered the water, and began stroking for the opposite shores of this Dark Ocean.
* * *
The small protrusion on the floor had been a switch that had swung the floor down into a staircase.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Iori said gloomily. Takeru grinned, and looped an arm around the boy's waist.
"Well, if anything goes wrong, I'll protect you, Iori-chan." Iori's cheek reddened a little, but he smiled.
"Arigatou, Take-chan." He stepped forward to the stairs, and the others followed. A moment later, Daisuke had pushed past them.
"We have to find Ken!" he responded to the protests at his movements. "The Kaiser's hoolding him prisoner, and we have to find him before something terrible happens!" The others followed cautiously after him, descending into the dark passage. As the light faded, a low humming filled the hallway. The various couples walked closer together, trying to avoid the source of the eerir noise.
"Guys, I'm allergic to damp hallways. I think I'll go back now."
"Jyou, shut up."
"Like you should talk, Tai-chan." The group fell into an uncomfortable silence, and then there was a shout of pain.
"Daisuke? Are you all-"
"I tink I broke by dose," he managed to reply. "Dere's a right turn here, and no one told be what it was."
"Hello? Is there someone out there?" The voice came from the left, and they turned to the side.
"Agumon, could you make a light?" Taichi asked.
"Sure. Pepper Breath!" The small Digimon ignited a darkened torch on the wall, and they saw a simple locked door.
"Can you help me get out? The door won't budge, and I've been using all my programming knowledge."
"Julienne?" Koushiro asked. There was a pause.
"Listen, Digidestined, you have to find your other friend. He's nearby...I heard him scream when the Kaiser tortured him. And also, don't bother fighting him; he's too powerful." Daisuke growled, and looked like he was ready to dash off and strangle the Kaiser with his own two hands. But Iori stepped forward, and smiled at the door.
"It's a simple lock; just give me a minute..." He toyed with it, and the the door swung open. Julienne stumbled out, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you. Now, we have to find your friend. The Kaiser didn't seem to like him much."
"It's understandable," Takeru replied. "Ken once *was* the Kaiser, but drove him out. Or so we'd guess; we always thought the Kaiser was a part of Ken." Julienne drew in a breath.
"Well, he's in a lot of danger. I think his cell is this way; I started out here." She walked forward, but then froze. A piece of shadow detatched itself from the wall and approached her. "Pulveramon..." The shadow bowed, and a tendril engulfed her.
"Why are you out of your cage? Master will be unhappy..." The voice was hypnotizing, smooth and calm.
"Where's Ken?" The shadow turned to face Daisuke.
"He's fine; now you should rest..."
"He's not fine and I need to find him!" Daisuke responded angrily. The shadow backed up, and its voice was carefully controllled now.
"You will return to your cell. NOW."
"Veemon, Digivolve."
"I'm sorry; I can't let you do that. Shadow Plane!" The air seemed to shift, twist, and bend around the Digidestined, and then-
"Hah! I was right!" Julienne stood triumphantly, one hand reached out. "You can't touch us if we don't let you. Guys, he's just a figment of your imagination. Leave him behind." They followed slowly after her, uncertain.
"I'm not a shadow; I'm a ghost. Please, remember me...don't let me fade away..." The voice grew fainter, and then died out. Pulveramon was gone.
* * *
"Jonathan? Pulveramon? Where are you?" The Kaiser marched through his chambers, looking for his companion in the Digiworld, now in his world of darkness.
...He's gone...
"What? How do you know?"
...They ignored him...They knew he needed attention to exist...
"They what? I'll kill them, I really will..."
...Why?...
"They killed my only friend."
...Excellent...
* * *
"Here it is. This is where I was originally taken." She pointed to the wall, where a faint line that could have been a door which was set into the stone. "Although I can't open it from the inside, I should be able to open it from here-" But even as she spoke, Daisuke strode forward with Exveemon at his side, blasting the stone to pieces. He was met with a sad sight. The room was as dark as the hallway, the only decoration a tangle of chains in the center. Daisuke hurried inward, his brown eyes piercing the darkness for some sign of his love.
"You said he'd be here!" he snapped at Julienne. She frowned, and walked in behind him.
"He is." She moved to the chains and bent down. She carefully helped the cowering teenager dressed in nothing but the chains sit up. He held his knees to his chest, to conceal and protect. Daisuke ran to his side, and tried to pull Ken into an embrace, but the blue-haired boy drew back suddenly. "Jyou. We need your help," she said simply. He hurried forward, but recoiled at the sight of the boy. He nevertheless tried to help him up.
"The chains..." he pleaded. Julienne knelt down and sketched a few symbols on them, and they melted away.
"This place is a computer, and I have guessed how to control its program," she explained. Jyou carefully helped Ken up and gasped.
"Iori, I've got a bag of medical supplies back there; bring it here." Daisuke stood, horrified as he saw Ken being helped up by Jyou.
"What happened to him?" Jyou shook his head.
"He was definitely tortured, but I don't know with what. However," he began, his face pale. "Even with only I cursory look-over, I can determine that among the tortures he endured...he was raped."
* * *
...I have finally taken what I desire. You have completely succumbed to me. I am glad it happened such... The man was sullen, glaring at his captor.
"You may have my body, but my mind will never belong to you," he snapped defiantly.
...You are all that is left of who you were. And soon, you will be dead...
"Get out of my head!" he responded, his voice desperate.
...Certainly I would...if it were your mind to claim...but possession *is* nine-tenths of the law...
"What makes you think you will win?"
...Because is it inevitable...
* * *
"Ken? Can you hear me?" Daisuke. He had come back. But it could be a cruel trick, a figment of his imagination, a hoax by his captor. To lure him back into security before he-"Ken! I'm so sorry; I doubted you, we all did. I'm sorry I couldn't have faith in you." Why would the Kaiser go through so much trouble? How could he know that Daisuke would respond just so? Ken took a chance.
"Faith is not your strength. Friendship. Courage." Ken shuddered as he realized someone was touching him. Hands on his flesh...His own hand lashed out, nearly of its own accord, and he felt it connect. But then his arm erupted into a flaming heat, a white-hot pain. The whip. The neuronic whip. He'd forgotten that.
"Ken, please, let Jyou help you. We all want to help you." The pleading tone in Daisuke's voice made up Ken's mind. He opened his eyes and stared out at three others. Daisuke was looking hopefully at him Iori impassionately, and Jyou with the worry that seemed ingrained into his flesh.
"Ken, you have to tell us what happened," Jyou said plainly. "We can't help you if we don't-"
"I should think it was obvious," Ken replied curtly. "He beat me, and then he-had his way with me. There is nothing more, nothing less. And I am sure this proof is all you need to see that I have changed, that I am no longer the heartless creature you once fought. I would like to go home now." His words, intended to be strong and defiant, sounded like a pleading child's. But still, he saw the hurt flash in Daisuke's eyes at the implied accusation. There was a long silence, and then Jyou handed him some clothes.
"Extras I packed for myself," he said, and then stood up, walking across the room. Iori turned away, and left the room to join the others. And Daisuke simply stared at him, the pain in his face accenting the physical agony Ken had already experienced. It was too much. He slipped his head into his arms and cried.
* * *
\\The avenging angel swooped down into him, her flowing tresses glowing like a fire in the darkness. Light cloth hung over her, and she held a sword, forged to look like a serpent. He raised his hands, intending to destroy her where she stod, but his power flowed off of her.
"Who are you!?" he screamed. She smiled, and plunged the sword through his heart.
"Your equal, perhaps your better,' she replied simply. And then he was dying, slipping into an eternal darkness...//
"Bad dreams, Kaiser?" The voice was amused at his obvious distress.
...No... he lied. How could he not? To admit weakness was-unfogivable, he decided.
"But you forget we share a mind, Kaiser. You can't lie from me, only hide the details of the truth."
...But I can kill you...
"But you still need me," he replied, his voice light with an energy he had never possesed before. It worried the Kaiser.
* * *
Had he truly abandoned Ken? Had he doubted that Ken was still good? Daisuke was sure that he had not. But why, then, had he faltered to strike the Kaiser? When the Kaiser was Ken, he struck at him. But if the Kaiser were Ken again, he could not touch him. So he must have believed the Kaiser to be Ken. That alone could explain it.
"You lay too much blame upon yourself, Daisuke," Julienne said, sitting next to him on the floor. He had left Ken to his own devices, and the boy was stil alone on the stone floor. "Many things happen in life that Man cannot understand. Cruelty is one of these." She sighed. "The answer you seek may lie in your strengths, or in your weaknesses." She was speaking in riddles. Daisuke hated that.
"Just tell me what you mean," he said angrily. She smiled sadly.
"The Kaiser is a demon that eats at a man's soul. The man he holds should not be hated, only pitied. One who has been held by the demon shall never allow it in again unless his resolve is weak, and those who hold it within them should be given the hand of aid." She stood, and glided towards the door, where the Digidestined were anxiously awaiting some sort of decision. Daisuke looked after her, but then walked over to Ken.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, that the others doubted you. I'm sorry that it ever had to come to this, Ken. The Kaiser is a person, too, and at that moment, he looked like you. I am not a cruel person, and I don't hurt others except in the name of friendship. But Ken, I want to tell you this. No matter what happens to you, I li-no, Ken, I love you. Ai shiteru, Ichijouji Ken." He paused, and placed a hand on Ken's shoulder. Ignoring the wince from the other boy, he continued. "Ken, we want to help you get through this. I know none of us understand what you're going through, or the pain and humiliation you're feeling, but please, Ken, accept our help." Ken was silent so long, Daisuke thought he might have gone to sleep.
"What did you say?" he asked cautiously.
"We want to-"
"Before that."
"Ai shiteru?" Ken nodded.
"Why?" Daisuke sighed.
"You're kind, you're graceful, smart, but not arrogant, well, not anymore. Ken, there's just something about you-" Ken sobbed.
"Why? Why? Daisuke, I thought you just-why?" He suddenly stood up, or tried to. His legs collapsed under him, and he swore.
"Ken-chan?" He was hovering over the boy, and shot a glance to the door to the chamber, trying to get the other Digidestined to notice him. "What did he do to you?" Ken lay on the floor quietly.
"Too much. Daisuke...please, I need to think. I can't deal with all of this now. Maybe...when I'm better, I can look at you and say I return your feelings. Now, could you help me up? We have to find the Kaiser."
"Why bother looking? I am here." The man was dressed in gray, as Ken was accustomed to doing, but his stance was different, bolder. "I think it is time to end this game." He raised one hand. "This is a world I created, to hold te power of the Digiworld. It is mine, and my power is umlimited here. And so...to end all the virtues." He snapped his fingers, and a consuming fire arose from the stones. "Destroy them, the Digimon, too." And the flames, swift and hungry, surrounded all the Digidestined save Ken, who watched in horror as his friends were destroyed by a hellish flame.
"You-"
"Bastard. I know. Lovely, isn't it?" The flame died down, and the Kaiser walked forward to stand before the cowering figure. "And it is down to you, and it is down to me." He smiled, and pulled out the neuronic whip. "I shall finally have what I want."
"I seriously doubt it, Failure." The Kaiser hissed, and whirled around.
"Perseverence!" Ken stared at the red-haired angel, a tall, elegent woman clothed in flowing white lace, with burning eyes that reminded him of Daisuke. And then it hit him.
"Jun?"
* * *
"I swear to God, if you don't get out, I'll kill myself!"
...You don't have the guts...
"Just try me. Their spirits bolster me. If I must, I will."
...Ha! You can never conquer me. Only one ever has, and it nearly drove him mad! And only because he had friends he survived. You have no one...
"I have myself. And I am strong enough."
* * *
* * *
Part IV: The Great Escape
OR
The Reconciliation For Part III
OR
Not Exactly, But It'll Get Better, I Promise!
* * *
As indicated above, although this part doesn't get much better from the events of the last one, it's definately uphill. Except I seem to have made a habit of sticking unfortunate circumstances into these...oh, well. Almost forgot-don't own Digimon, probably never will. Not writing for profit, just borrowing these characters for a little while, promise to put them back in-almost-mint condition. Anyway, just continue and read.
* * *
\\"Twelve is such an ugly number. It has no significance. If I were to want so many guardians, I'd make it 13." A teacher standing before her students. "13 has meaning, substance. 9 is better, but 13 is a powerful number."
* * *
Whirling images, and another voice.
"If you just stick with it, you'll never fail."
"But then again, part of perseverence is knowing when it's hopeless."
"Failure is not an option!"
"The epitome of perserverence is the Orborus, who spent eternity trying to devour its own tail-" a teacher droned.
"Only a fool gives up, but only a fool sticks with a hopeless cause."
"The wise man knows which path will lead to success, and stays on it."
* * *
Death. Pain. Agony. There was no blood, bodies, but the area stank of death.
"You are not Fear; you feed on it. You feed on fear of yourself, and you are -------." An angel stood before the Devil himself, standing between Ken and the creature. "I am just as powerful as you, so I can win."
"No; you have failed, for your allies have fallen." The Devil raised his trident, to strike down the figure of light, but the weapon would not strike her.
"No, you have failed, because you cannot see the truth. And because you have succumbed to your own namesake, you must die." And the shadow faded away. But what was the secret? How did the Devil fail? And what was his identity?
"Who are you?" The answer was soft and caring.
"The one who will never abandon you..."//
Ken awoke from his fevered dreams, and focused on the cell again. The images of what had occurred, what, ten minutes ago? were still burned into his mind.
"Dai-chan," he croaked, his voice strained by the screams. "Help." But Daisuke had forgotten him. They thought that he had succumbed again to his demons. But he couldn't; he had Dai-chan. Except now he didn't. The pain was simply too great. Ken wept, letting the tears stream under his face.
* * *
The castle stood on the shores of the Dark Ocean itself, several walls hanging over the black water. Creatures of darkness swam below it, looking for any scrap of light to devour. Suddenly, they scattered. The Ancient One was arising, and none dared stand in her way. She was older than the sea, the Dark World, or even the Earth itself. She was infinitely wise, and more powerful than any of them dared imagine. A small shark swam towards the ripple arising from the depths, and was thrown back. A moment later, a head poked from the surface, and in a flash of true Light, the creature was gone. The ripple continued, with all living beings scattering before it. When the Ancient One moved, great things were afoot.
* * *
"Hello? Anybody?" Julienne sat down, disheartened. The screams she'd heard earlier had been quite unnerving, but nothing seemed to have changed. Except, of course, the unsettling revelation which had occurred after she'd been imprisoned. She had barely been able to believe that-She shook her head. "First, find a way out of here, then deal with this situation." She placed her hand on the wall, and suddenly smiled. "If it's only a program, then..." She began to sketch strange symbols on the wall, humming as she worked.
* * *
"Ken-chan couldn't have," Daisuke muttered. "And he's in trouble. I know it." Miyako rolled her eyes, but remained silent after a glare from Hikari.
"But all the signs point to it-" Koushiro began.
"You know, I would have figured you'd have already started to plan an escape by now," the mocking voice said. The Kaiser again appeared from an invisible door. "I really am disappointed." He turned to the group, his lip curling upwards in disgust as he saw Taichi sitting in Yamato's lap. "Every time I come back here, I find another reason to kill you all. People like you have no place in civilized society." He turned as if to leave, but Iori stood up.
"No, Kaiser. It's people like *you* who don't belong in civilized society. You judge based on lifestyle choices, religions, nationalities, yet you don't look at the person. It's people who trod on the feelings of others, who take what they want by hurting others, who place themselves and their desires before the needs of others, who should be discriminated against." He stalked over to the Kaiser, eyes blazing. "And if I were a violent person, I would have given you the beating you deserve, because you are a true bastard." The Kaiser glared for a moment at Iori, and then slapped him.
"That was for speaking against me. And that-" he continued, kneeing the teenager in the groin, "was for calling me such a horrendous name. Good day." He turned to leave, stepping over Iori's pained body, but found Takeru standing before him.
"Do you think you can just beat us up and leave us like broken toys?" The Kaiser looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Basically, yes." Takeru said nothing else, but punched the glasses worn by the Kaiser. Daisuke dashed forward almost immediately, to help the fallen man, but froze.
"His eyes..." he began, staring. Takeru knelt down at the man still laying on the ground. The eyes beneath the glasses were not the violet-blue that blazed in Ken-the-Kaiser's gaze. His eyes were a cat green, shimmering with anger. The Kaiser pushed himself up, smiling.
"I'd hoped to keep you divided before I killed you, but it seems I've misjudged you. You have two choices of death, Digidestined. You can die of starvation, or rather, of thirst, in here, or you can escape this prison, free the two other prisoners it contains, and die at my hands in battle with your Digimon." He stood up, and stalked to the wall, seemingly melting through it. Iori spoke first.
"You didn't have to do that, TK." Takeru smiled, and shifted a little.
"Well, you see, I couldn't just let him walk all over you like that, especially when you stood up for yourself so well." Iori nodded, and started to stand up. But he found Takeru's hand to help him up.
"You don't need to-" he started, his face nonetheless reddening.
"I want to," Takeru said quietly. "Iori, if we're going to die during this, I have to tell you...I like you."
"Well, you're a good friend-"
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," Iori muttered. "Why?"
"Well, you're smart, you stand up for what you believe in, you're dedicated, serious, cute when you let go a little, do you want me to go on?" Iori shook his head, his cheeks brightly pink.
"But, Takeru, aren't I a little...young for you?" Takeru grinned.
"Two years? That's nothing! So, can you think of any other reasons why I can't like you, or will you decide whether you like me back?" Iori stepped towards the blond a little.
"Well, I wanted to make sure-that you were actually interested-before I did anything," Iori replied, his eyes locking with Takeru's. Almost simultaneously, their lips moved together for a gentle kiss, which lasted for quite a long time. There was a flash of light, and they broke apart, startled. Hikari stood before them, smiling, one arm around Miyako, the other holding her camera.
"I'll call it 'Lovers' First Kiss'. What do you think?"
"I think you're giving me that camera!" Iori snapped, lunging forward. As he did so, he managed to trip on a small rock, and fell to the stone floor with a thud.
"Iori?" Takeru inquired, kneeling next to him. "Are you all right? Is your face okay?" There was a faint chuckle, and Iori sat up.
"Yep, all accounted for."
"Um, guys, I know you two just found each other and everything, but Iori seems to have stumbled over the exit," Jyou stated.
* * *
A tall woman stood at the very beach where Ken had fallen into the path of darkness. She glanced out at the sea, and smiled. The shallow water could not hide the serpent from view. It swam powerfully towards her, slowing only slightly as it slid onto the sand.
"So. We are to work together," she stated. "I suppose you know who I am."
"The human of Perseverance."
"Close enough. So, shall we go?" She leapt lightly onto the serpent's back, and it whipped around, entered the water, and began stroking for the opposite shores of this Dark Ocean.
* * *
The small protrusion on the floor had been a switch that had swung the floor down into a staircase.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Iori said gloomily. Takeru grinned, and looped an arm around the boy's waist.
"Well, if anything goes wrong, I'll protect you, Iori-chan." Iori's cheek reddened a little, but he smiled.
"Arigatou, Take-chan." He stepped forward to the stairs, and the others followed. A moment later, Daisuke had pushed past them.
"We have to find Ken!" he responded to the protests at his movements. "The Kaiser's hoolding him prisoner, and we have to find him before something terrible happens!" The others followed cautiously after him, descending into the dark passage. As the light faded, a low humming filled the hallway. The various couples walked closer together, trying to avoid the source of the eerir noise.
"Guys, I'm allergic to damp hallways. I think I'll go back now."
"Jyou, shut up."
"Like you should talk, Tai-chan." The group fell into an uncomfortable silence, and then there was a shout of pain.
"Daisuke? Are you all-"
"I tink I broke by dose," he managed to reply. "Dere's a right turn here, and no one told be what it was."
"Hello? Is there someone out there?" The voice came from the left, and they turned to the side.
"Agumon, could you make a light?" Taichi asked.
"Sure. Pepper Breath!" The small Digimon ignited a darkened torch on the wall, and they saw a simple locked door.
"Can you help me get out? The door won't budge, and I've been using all my programming knowledge."
"Julienne?" Koushiro asked. There was a pause.
"Listen, Digidestined, you have to find your other friend. He's nearby...I heard him scream when the Kaiser tortured him. And also, don't bother fighting him; he's too powerful." Daisuke growled, and looked like he was ready to dash off and strangle the Kaiser with his own two hands. But Iori stepped forward, and smiled at the door.
"It's a simple lock; just give me a minute..." He toyed with it, and the the door swung open. Julienne stumbled out, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you. Now, we have to find your friend. The Kaiser didn't seem to like him much."
"It's understandable," Takeru replied. "Ken once *was* the Kaiser, but drove him out. Or so we'd guess; we always thought the Kaiser was a part of Ken." Julienne drew in a breath.
"Well, he's in a lot of danger. I think his cell is this way; I started out here." She walked forward, but then froze. A piece of shadow detatched itself from the wall and approached her. "Pulveramon..." The shadow bowed, and a tendril engulfed her.
"Why are you out of your cage? Master will be unhappy..." The voice was hypnotizing, smooth and calm.
"Where's Ken?" The shadow turned to face Daisuke.
"He's fine; now you should rest..."
"He's not fine and I need to find him!" Daisuke responded angrily. The shadow backed up, and its voice was carefully controllled now.
"You will return to your cell. NOW."
"Veemon, Digivolve."
"I'm sorry; I can't let you do that. Shadow Plane!" The air seemed to shift, twist, and bend around the Digidestined, and then-
"Hah! I was right!" Julienne stood triumphantly, one hand reached out. "You can't touch us if we don't let you. Guys, he's just a figment of your imagination. Leave him behind." They followed slowly after her, uncertain.
"I'm not a shadow; I'm a ghost. Please, remember me...don't let me fade away..." The voice grew fainter, and then died out. Pulveramon was gone.
* * *
"Jonathan? Pulveramon? Where are you?" The Kaiser marched through his chambers, looking for his companion in the Digiworld, now in his world of darkness.
...He's gone...
"What? How do you know?"
...They ignored him...They knew he needed attention to exist...
"They what? I'll kill them, I really will..."
...Why?...
"They killed my only friend."
...Excellent...
* * *
"Here it is. This is where I was originally taken." She pointed to the wall, where a faint line that could have been a door which was set into the stone. "Although I can't open it from the inside, I should be able to open it from here-" But even as she spoke, Daisuke strode forward with Exveemon at his side, blasting the stone to pieces. He was met with a sad sight. The room was as dark as the hallway, the only decoration a tangle of chains in the center. Daisuke hurried inward, his brown eyes piercing the darkness for some sign of his love.
"You said he'd be here!" he snapped at Julienne. She frowned, and walked in behind him.
"He is." She moved to the chains and bent down. She carefully helped the cowering teenager dressed in nothing but the chains sit up. He held his knees to his chest, to conceal and protect. Daisuke ran to his side, and tried to pull Ken into an embrace, but the blue-haired boy drew back suddenly. "Jyou. We need your help," she said simply. He hurried forward, but recoiled at the sight of the boy. He nevertheless tried to help him up.
"The chains..." he pleaded. Julienne knelt down and sketched a few symbols on them, and they melted away.
"This place is a computer, and I have guessed how to control its program," she explained. Jyou carefully helped Ken up and gasped.
"Iori, I've got a bag of medical supplies back there; bring it here." Daisuke stood, horrified as he saw Ken being helped up by Jyou.
"What happened to him?" Jyou shook his head.
"He was definitely tortured, but I don't know with what. However," he began, his face pale. "Even with only I cursory look-over, I can determine that among the tortures he endured...he was raped."
* * *
...I have finally taken what I desire. You have completely succumbed to me. I am glad it happened such... The man was sullen, glaring at his captor.
"You may have my body, but my mind will never belong to you," he snapped defiantly.
...You are all that is left of who you were. And soon, you will be dead...
"Get out of my head!" he responded, his voice desperate.
...Certainly I would...if it were your mind to claim...but possession *is* nine-tenths of the law...
"What makes you think you will win?"
...Because is it inevitable...
* * *
"Ken? Can you hear me?" Daisuke. He had come back. But it could be a cruel trick, a figment of his imagination, a hoax by his captor. To lure him back into security before he-"Ken! I'm so sorry; I doubted you, we all did. I'm sorry I couldn't have faith in you." Why would the Kaiser go through so much trouble? How could he know that Daisuke would respond just so? Ken took a chance.
"Faith is not your strength. Friendship. Courage." Ken shuddered as he realized someone was touching him. Hands on his flesh...His own hand lashed out, nearly of its own accord, and he felt it connect. But then his arm erupted into a flaming heat, a white-hot pain. The whip. The neuronic whip. He'd forgotten that.
"Ken, please, let Jyou help you. We all want to help you." The pleading tone in Daisuke's voice made up Ken's mind. He opened his eyes and stared out at three others. Daisuke was looking hopefully at him Iori impassionately, and Jyou with the worry that seemed ingrained into his flesh.
"Ken, you have to tell us what happened," Jyou said plainly. "We can't help you if we don't-"
"I should think it was obvious," Ken replied curtly. "He beat me, and then he-had his way with me. There is nothing more, nothing less. And I am sure this proof is all you need to see that I have changed, that I am no longer the heartless creature you once fought. I would like to go home now." His words, intended to be strong and defiant, sounded like a pleading child's. But still, he saw the hurt flash in Daisuke's eyes at the implied accusation. There was a long silence, and then Jyou handed him some clothes.
"Extras I packed for myself," he said, and then stood up, walking across the room. Iori turned away, and left the room to join the others. And Daisuke simply stared at him, the pain in his face accenting the physical agony Ken had already experienced. It was too much. He slipped his head into his arms and cried.
* * *
\\The avenging angel swooped down into him, her flowing tresses glowing like a fire in the darkness. Light cloth hung over her, and she held a sword, forged to look like a serpent. He raised his hands, intending to destroy her where she stod, but his power flowed off of her.
"Who are you!?" he screamed. She smiled, and plunged the sword through his heart.
"Your equal, perhaps your better,' she replied simply. And then he was dying, slipping into an eternal darkness...//
"Bad dreams, Kaiser?" The voice was amused at his obvious distress.
...No... he lied. How could he not? To admit weakness was-unfogivable, he decided.
"But you forget we share a mind, Kaiser. You can't lie from me, only hide the details of the truth."
...But I can kill you...
"But you still need me," he replied, his voice light with an energy he had never possesed before. It worried the Kaiser.
* * *
Had he truly abandoned Ken? Had he doubted that Ken was still good? Daisuke was sure that he had not. But why, then, had he faltered to strike the Kaiser? When the Kaiser was Ken, he struck at him. But if the Kaiser were Ken again, he could not touch him. So he must have believed the Kaiser to be Ken. That alone could explain it.
"You lay too much blame upon yourself, Daisuke," Julienne said, sitting next to him on the floor. He had left Ken to his own devices, and the boy was stil alone on the stone floor. "Many things happen in life that Man cannot understand. Cruelty is one of these." She sighed. "The answer you seek may lie in your strengths, or in your weaknesses." She was speaking in riddles. Daisuke hated that.
"Just tell me what you mean," he said angrily. She smiled sadly.
"The Kaiser is a demon that eats at a man's soul. The man he holds should not be hated, only pitied. One who has been held by the demon shall never allow it in again unless his resolve is weak, and those who hold it within them should be given the hand of aid." She stood, and glided towards the door, where the Digidestined were anxiously awaiting some sort of decision. Daisuke looked after her, but then walked over to Ken.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, that the others doubted you. I'm sorry that it ever had to come to this, Ken. The Kaiser is a person, too, and at that moment, he looked like you. I am not a cruel person, and I don't hurt others except in the name of friendship. But Ken, I want to tell you this. No matter what happens to you, I li-no, Ken, I love you. Ai shiteru, Ichijouji Ken." He paused, and placed a hand on Ken's shoulder. Ignoring the wince from the other boy, he continued. "Ken, we want to help you get through this. I know none of us understand what you're going through, or the pain and humiliation you're feeling, but please, Ken, accept our help." Ken was silent so long, Daisuke thought he might have gone to sleep.
"What did you say?" he asked cautiously.
"We want to-"
"Before that."
"Ai shiteru?" Ken nodded.
"Why?" Daisuke sighed.
"You're kind, you're graceful, smart, but not arrogant, well, not anymore. Ken, there's just something about you-" Ken sobbed.
"Why? Why? Daisuke, I thought you just-why?" He suddenly stood up, or tried to. His legs collapsed under him, and he swore.
"Ken-chan?" He was hovering over the boy, and shot a glance to the door to the chamber, trying to get the other Digidestined to notice him. "What did he do to you?" Ken lay on the floor quietly.
"Too much. Daisuke...please, I need to think. I can't deal with all of this now. Maybe...when I'm better, I can look at you and say I return your feelings. Now, could you help me up? We have to find the Kaiser."
"Why bother looking? I am here." The man was dressed in gray, as Ken was accustomed to doing, but his stance was different, bolder. "I think it is time to end this game." He raised one hand. "This is a world I created, to hold te power of the Digiworld. It is mine, and my power is umlimited here. And so...to end all the virtues." He snapped his fingers, and a consuming fire arose from the stones. "Destroy them, the Digimon, too." And the flames, swift and hungry, surrounded all the Digidestined save Ken, who watched in horror as his friends were destroyed by a hellish flame.
"You-"
"Bastard. I know. Lovely, isn't it?" The flame died down, and the Kaiser walked forward to stand before the cowering figure. "And it is down to you, and it is down to me." He smiled, and pulled out the neuronic whip. "I shall finally have what I want."
"I seriously doubt it, Failure." The Kaiser hissed, and whirled around.
"Perseverence!" Ken stared at the red-haired angel, a tall, elegent woman clothed in flowing white lace, with burning eyes that reminded him of Daisuke. And then it hit him.
"Jun?"
* * *
"I swear to God, if you don't get out, I'll kill myself!"
...You don't have the guts...
"Just try me. Their spirits bolster me. If I must, I will."
...Ha! You can never conquer me. Only one ever has, and it nearly drove him mad! And only because he had friends he survived. You have no one...
"I have myself. And I am strong enough."
* * *