By: Windy-chan
' ' Denote thoughts
/ / Indicate Ken's conscience/true self
Ken looked down at his black gloved hands which were balled into fists in anger. 'Why? Why won't it go away? This pain won't leave me alone!'
He stood in a snowy plain, surrounded by Digimon forced to do his bidding by his creation, the dark rings. His yellow-lined blue cape whipped in the harsh, freezing wind. He growled lowly, taking the cruel leather whip in his hand and took out his frustration out on his Digimon slaves.
'Why—'
*Crack!*
'won't—'
*Crack!*
'it—'
*Crack!*
'stop?!'
*Crack!*
The Digimon Ken had been beating collapsed in the snow, worn down by total exhaustion and unbearable pain. "Get up!" Ken howled, kicking the poor Digimon.
"Please, Ken, don't you think they've had enough?" Wormmon pleaded with his master. Ken growled, turning on Wormmon.
"I told you never to call me that! I am the Digimon Emperor, and I shall do as I please! No one shall tell me what to do, especially not you!"
"Yes, Master," Wormmon said submissively. Ken turned away, staring at his slaves. 'If I am my own master, then why do I feel so empty inside? Why won't this horrible ache ease at least a little?' He threw his whip down to the ground. "Forget this. I'm going home." He turned and stalked back to his base where he had a gate back to the real world, seething of anger and frustration.
—
Ken stares out the window, down at the street where some children were playing. 'Such innocence,' he thought scornfully. 'Little do they realize a world of pain awaits them to bring them to reality. Soon now they shall come to realize that others will only take interest in them to use them. That their parents only see them as a trophy to show off to the world of their bedroom prowess. There are only two categories; the users and the used. I won't allow myself to be the latter anymore. I won't let myself be used! I am my own master now!'
He paused, touching a hand gently to his aching heart. "But if that's true, then why am I so empty inside? Why do I feel like there's something missing in my life? Why... does it hurt so much..."
/Because you have no friends. You feel no love,/ a little voice whispered in his mind. He shook his head.
"Don't be ridiculous," he argued with that tiny bit of himself. "I don't need friendship or love. Not when I have power!"
/That's what you keep telling yourself,/ the voice replied. /But if that's true, then why do you feel so empty?/
"Shut up!" Ken yelled, covering his ears. "I don't want to hear it! Love and friendship are merely emotions that can be used against me. I'll never let them use me again!" He lowered his hands, shaking. "Those emotions... those emotions only cause pain in the end... like when... like when my brother... died... NO!"
'I'll never be weak again,' Ken thought, his fists clenched and shaking. 'Even if it means... that I'll have to live with this emptiness... I'll never be weak... I am my own master... I control... my own destiny. I am the Digimon Emperor!' Slowly, softly, he began to chuckle, which turned into a laugh, which turned into hysterical, maniacal laughter that rang in the empty air, causing the children below him to stop and look around, suddenly feeling nervous...
Owari