Disclaimer: Digimon, Ken Ichijouji and Daisuke Motomiya aren't mine (**sniffs sadly**) and neither is anyone else. Nothing's mine except the fic and everything's borrowed and no profit's been made. So don't sue.
Daisuke stared up at the large double doors, the wood darkened and smoothened, his eyes wide in amazement and fear. If he hadn't know what fear was before, he sure knew now. Those two doors held his worst fears. He took a correct guess in saying whatever was behind those doors, was what controlled his worst nightmares. And ultimately his destiny.
He sighed, gloved hands slipping into his pockets, as he rocked gently back on his heels. He wasn't looking forward to this, that was obvious to anyone with eyes. Ken was unable to go in with him, apparently that was the way this thing worked, or at least that was what Ken had told him. He knew inside however, that Ken didn't have any real idea what was going to happen and was just trying to make him feel less nervous by telling him what he wanted to hear. What he really wanted to hear was that he didn't have to do this and could go away fast. But things were never that easy.
"So you had this entrance there all along?" he remarked, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at the two doors. He had to admit they were impressive.
Ken nodded as he came up beside me. "I built my base around it and then discovered it." He shot Daisuke a wry grin. "It just proves I don't know everything." Daisuke chuckled softly, but it wasn't light-hearted enough to hide the fear in his voice.
"It'll be all right," Ken said quietly, knowing Daisuke wouldn't believe him and quite frankly, not caring.
"You don't know that."
Ken met Daisuke's eyes without any trace of pain. "But I had to try." Daisuke didn't reply. Crossing over to him quickly, Ken gripped him tightly, forcing him to look up. "I don't want you to have to go through with this Daisuke. You know that. But I don't have a choice. You must do this." To his shame and embarrassment he felt tears sting his eyes, but he forced them away. He never cried. He hadn't cried since Osamu died and he damn well wasn't going to start now.
"I know," Daisuke replied softly, as looked away. "I'm just not looking forward to it much, that's all." He tried to laugh and failed.
Ken pulled him gently to him, easing his lips over Daisuke's. The kiss was brief but the meaning was anything but. When it ended, Ken let go of Daisuke for a moment to reach up and pull his shades of. His eyes, a deep shade of sapphire blue and extremely jewel-like in reality, bored into Daisuke's own chocolate coloured, warm eyes. "Daisuke, you know as well as I do there's a chance you mightn't survive," Ken said slowly. Daisuke nodded. "So this might be the only chance I'll get to say this." He paused, searching for the right words. Finally he said the only thing I could think of. "I love you."
I love you. The three most cliché words in the English language. Most often said with the littlest thought and thinnest depth or emotion. They were often said without meaning. But Ken Ichijouji never said anything without meaning. He was utterly serious about everything he said. This was no exception.
"W-what?" Daisuke stammered. He'd had the idea Ken had liked him at least ... but loved? That was an entirely different soccer game. That was something adults said, something only couples who were serious about each other said. He and Ken hadn't even had one date yet! If Ken would ever go for that sort of thing ... Besides they were way too young to even be thinking about that l-word. Okay, so he'd said it about Hikari a lot of times but he hadn't meant it. But Ken did. Right now. Daisuke swallowed hard.
"We're having one hell of a serious talk about this when I'm done," he said at last , moving away. Kneeling down to Veemon, who to be short, looked completely miserable, he said, "I'll see you afterwards okay?" The blue digimon nodded, still miserable. "Don't worry, I'll be fine and Ken'll be here if anything happens to you." The last statement didn't exactly cheer Veemon up much.
Walking towards the doors, Daisuke took a deep breath, trying to calm his thundering heart and loosen the tight ball of fear in his stomach. He didn't get very far. At least his heart slowed down a little bit. Pushing open the door, Daisuke walked in to met the keeper of his destiny without looking back. The doors slammed ominously behind him, making him tense to avoid shivering, as he faced the darkness wearily.
He didn't look back, because if he had, Ken would have seen the tears in his eyes.
The darkness clung to him, searching, dominating. He froze for a few moments, panicking. This wasn't right. Darkness wasn't supposed to feel like it was a physical being. A physical being that could do a lot of damage. Something that wanted to conquer him even worse than Ken had, something that wanted complete control over him. Something that would kill him if he didn't co-operate ... Daisuke bit back the urge to scream in terror.
Okay Daisuke, calm down. Think, what did Ken say to do? Find the stairs, grab a torch and make your way down. So find a damn torch and get going! Taking deep breaths, he made his way through the darkness, stumbling regularly over unseen objects, trying to ignore the clammy feeling he was getting from the pressing, insistent darkness.
It almost seemed as if the darkness was some sort of fog, because when he stepped over an invisible barrier, the darkness immediately dimmed. He blinked, as he waited for his eyes to properly adjust to the change. Sighing in relief, he made his way over to the sloping stairway, or more preferably, the torches on the walls. It was only then he realised there was a staircase there. Gripping the handle of the torch he had picked up, Daisuke descended carefully, his heart doing irregular things inside him.
He was afraid. Terrified. He didn't care what you called it, not really, all he knew was that he wanted out and he wanted it now.
But he couldn't go back, he'd only started. Besides he'd lose face before Veemon and Ken. That was the last thing he wanted. Setting his lips in a grim line, Daisuke went on with his descent.
The steps were cold, damp and felt really, really old. It was just something Daisuke sensed, something he was dead certain of, as sure as he was of his own name. This ... thing ... had seen a lot and had survived it all. Centuries, millenniums, meant nothing to it. Time was nothing to it. It was a scary thought and Daisuke didn't like it. He felt so puny and ordinary compared to it. Hell, he didn't feel this bad even when compared to Ken! Even though doubt plagued him, Daisuke carried on, trying his hardest not to stumble. Somehow, falling and unintentionally killing himself didn't seem like such a good idea right now.
The most unsettling thing was the silence in the place. The only sounds were his only hesitant, soft steps, as well as his laboured, panting breath. And to Daisuke personally, there was the heavy beating of his frantic heart to deal with inwardly as well. Altogether not nice things to have to contend with. This was not turning out to be a good night.
I wish I'd been able to bring someone with me, he thought miserably, as he stepped off the last step and found himself standing on smooth, cold earthen ground. Alone. Or so he thought. The flickering torch cast unsettling, bizarre images across the damp walls and left the farthest corners in deep shadow. Shadows where anything could be waiting ... waiting to tear his throat out or worse ... Daisuke bit the inside of his cheek hard to avoid screaming hysterically. If he allowed himself to lose control this early, whatever he had to face would easily drive him mad. Literally.
It was the soft, reptilian rasps that first caught his attention. They whispered in such a way that reminded him of rolling waves, only not as loud. Definitely as powerful though. That voice (could it even be called that?), while it was only speaking (was it even speaking?) in whispers, it had a strength in it that frightened Daisuke. It made everything they had ever come up against, even Ken at his worst, look harmless. This thing was evil. And what it wanted ... it always got.
He wanted to leave. He wanted to leave now. To hell with whatever test he had to face, whatever respect he would lose, he was way out of his depth here. There was no way in anything he'd be able to survive what he was about to face. Trembling, the white in his eyes prominently showing, Daisuke stepped back, intending to reach the stairs while he still could.
Something grabbed him.
Uttering a low cry that echoed far too loudly for his tastes, Daisuke spun around, the torch slipping from his hands to fall to the ground with a loud rattle. It shouldn't have died, something inside Daisuke, that had seen the time when humans lived in caves and had been the hunted, knew that well. But then, a wind (that shouldn't have been there, Daisuke was sure of it) howled slowly through the cavern. Within moments the flame had been dominated and he was plunged into total darkness.
Daisuke went mad for a few moments. Completely lost his senses, as he fell to the ground, openly shaking as he tried to control his fear and didn't succeed. He was scared, he wanted to go home. He just wanted to leave, even if it meant going back to Ken. He didn't want to be here! Daisuke felt a sob come to his throat, and when it finally sounded, it seemed weak and pathetic. It proved more than anything else that he was way out of his league right about now. To be short, he was toast.
When the voice actually sounded in his mind, it was strong enough to jerk Daisuke out of whatever mindless rant he had been silently uttering and caused him to come to enough attention to understand the words.
A pity. I assumed the one the Kaiser had chosen would be stronger than that. The voice reeked of disgust. Although you did pass the first test, so there's one point in your favour.
"First test?" God, his voice sounded so small compared to whatever he had heard. It fully reminded him how human and mortal he was. No mortal was supposed to come against this. "What first test?"
A rumbling laugh was his answer. Descending the stairs of course. Going into something unprepared scared the life out of you before. If there was ever a surprise test or soccer game, you went crazy, because you didn't know what to expect. You've conquered that fear, at least to some respect. The further two tests will be stepping stones from that. These exam of sorts, is for you to conquer your worst fears Daisuke. Only then can you come to your power.
Daisuke was shaking and didn't know how to stop. "How do you know my name?" he whispered, more terrified than he ever thought he could ever be. What was even worse was that whatever that thing had said had been true. He hated going into things unprepared!
That is not necessary. I know many things you only think about in your most distant dreams. Your hopeless crush on Hikari, your constant fear of letting everyone down ... I can help you or torture you Daisuke. It all depends on you.
The response triggered something inside Daisuke, causing him to look up, his battered eyes searching the darkness vainly. "I don't wish to be hurt," he answered eventually, after thinking about it. "But I'm not sure I want to be helped by you either."
Another rumbling laugh was his answer. Daisuke didn't like this. This thing knew too much. Far too much for his liking. "What's the second test?"
Instead of a straight answer, a question was put forward instead. Do you know why you are doing this? The thing actually sounded genuine. Daisuke didn't like it.
He considered. "Ken told me I had to do this to gain whatever power I have," he answered at last.
That's one of the reasons, yes.
"There's another?"
Of course. You didn't expect Ken not to have a hidden agenda, did you?
Alarm bells were ringing in his head by now, "Hidden agenda? What do you mean?" Daisuke felt uncertainty begin to grip him. What did it mean?
Naturally, if you rose to your power, the Kaiser would have a powerful ally. You didn't think he genuinely liked you, did you?
"I - I -" Daisuke felt crushed. He was just another thing to Ken, something to order about? Everything that had happened meant nothing? No. No. That couldn't be true, no way! A part of Ken liked him, he was sure of it. Why else would he waste his time on someone like him?
But ... but Ken hadn't actually given anything of himself to him. Daisuke had given Ken complete control, complete dominance over him. Ken had given him nothing. Maybe ... maybe he was just a toy to Ken. Maybe secretly Ken was only amused by what a willing fool Daisuke was making himself to be. Maybe ... Daisuke began to feel his heart sink, as the thing laughed.
And the cavern began to crumble, eaten away by the darkness.