Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon and its characters, nor am I making any money from this. This is done purely for fun.
Warnings: This story disregards the ending of season 02. The Digital World is still a secret except for the Digi-destined. And this story contains violence, angst, and some mild language. I have only seen the American version of Digimon. So although I try to stick to cannon as much as possible, there are some things that I have to guess at. Oh yeah, it's becoming slightly AU. Hope that doesn't bother you too much.
As always, I thank my sister for getting me involved in yet another anime obsession.
To Sleep…Perchance to Scream
Chapter 5
Time is a funny thing.
It does strange things. In theory, it should flow smoothly, never altering its course as it travels on its never-ending journey. But sometimes there are rapids, and even falls along the way. Or still pools of quiet before resuming its course along its eternal passage.
In the utter stillness that followed Cody and Izzy's exchange, while the shadows didn't lengthen, and the sun stayed in place, Davis would never forget the look on Ken's face. He had just happened to be looking at Ken, and their eyes had locked when Cody's softly spoken words had impacted on the air.
The one thing that most people noticed right away about the famous child prodigy was his eyes. So blue they tended toward violet, surrounded by thick charcoal lashes. You would think that looking into those soft eyes, you would be able to see whatever Ken was feeling exquisitely showcased.
Wrong.
Ken's eyes were like the ocean. All you saw was the pretty surface; the unimaginable depths were completely hidden behind the violet shade. It was only because he was Ken's best friend that Davis was allowed to see a bit more than the breathtaking view. On rare occasions Davis could see beyond the violet and into the deeper part of his friend where the Child of Kindness' true self was. Such occasions were only when under extreme emotional duress that Ken's pretty walls would drop enough for a person who knew him well enough, (like Davis) to get the barest glimpse of the tortured soul behind them.
Time is a funny thing. In that briefest instant that lasted an eternity, Davis was able to read Ken like a Dr. Seuss book. Surprise and amazement flickered like waves upon the sand. Disbelief mingled with denial followed, crashing onto the sand. And throughout the turmoil, was pure, unadulterated fear and self-doubt.
Then Ken blinked and the walls were back, firmly in place once more. The others, who had sat in stunned silence for a heartbeat, exploded into a fury of questions and astonished comments.
This went on for nearly thirty seconds before Tai had had enough. "All right people, put a sock in it!" he bellowed. They subsided, muttering a bit rebelliously then shut up.
Tai drew a deep breath then turned to Izzy. "Ok, I am not willing to say that Ken is some sort of god," he nodded apologetically at the Child of Kindness, who shrugged back. "But even if that is the case, we still have to deal with Daemon first, then we'll decide what we should do about Ken, if anything. I hate to say it, but I think our best option is Davis' plan," Tai said, glancing at Matt, who raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "Daemon is too strong, and he knows we are coming, so the element of surprise is out. We should go in and hit him as hard as we can with everything we got."
Matt frowned, but didn't argue. Joe brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes, opened his mouth, changed his mind, and then shut it again. The others, with a blend of fear and excitement, nodded in agreement.
"Kari, can you contact Agumon so he can get the other Digimon together to meet us," Tai asked his sister and she assured him that she would. Tai smiled at her with approval.
Ken watched his friends and fellow Digi-destined start to make plans to go into battle. He knew they were going on what was basically a suicide mission. Daemon was waiting for them, and would most likely attack them as soon as they entered the Digital world. He wished there was another way. He wished…and blinked as a sudden idea struck his agile mind.
Knowing he only had a few minutes to work, he opened up his laptop and started accessing programs. The others, except for Izzy, ignored him for the time being. But Izzy was a bit distracted and missed some of the most vital information flowing across the screen.
"I'll open a gate to the Digital world, so we can bring the laptop in case we need it," Ken offered after he had finished with what he was doing. The others nodded and Ken closed the lid of the computer, not shutting it off.
The others all stood up, looking nervous but grim with determination. "Are we ready?" Tai asked.
They nodded.
"Digi-gate open!" Ken shouted, gritting his teeth in concentration and feeling the rush of power flowing out of his body as the dark Digivice accessed the power of the spore. How could he have given this up? This wonderful, heady feeling of being unconquerable. The seductive darkness whispered to him, urging him to give in, use the power to punish, no, kill Daemon, and anyone else who had ever hurt him. Remembering Davis and the others, Ken resolutely ignored the urge, pushing it away.
Until he needed it, that is.
The gate opened slowly, but surely. Soon, the bright light, shining out of a tear in the air in front of them indicated that the gate was open enough to pass through.
"Go!" Ken commanded, and without a thought, they dived through the portal. Tai, with Matt on his heels, TK and Patomon, Izzy, who was carrying Ken's laptop, Joe and Cody after him. Yolei and Kari, each carrying their respective Digimon partners and last of all Davis, with Demiveemon. Some instinct made Davis turn around at the last second and look at Ken, who was still holding his dark Digivice up, and watching them leave. The look on Ken's face made his brown eyes widen in horror.
"Ken, NO!" he screamed, even as he felt himself sucked into the gate and downloaded into the Digital World. With a silent snap, the gate closed, leaving Ken and Leafmon alone in the park, under the shade trees.
"I'm sorry my friends," he murmured to the air in front of him. "But I must do this alone."
TBC