Disclaimer: Digimon, its plots, characters and concepts are not mine. They're belonged to such people as Toei Animation, Bandai and Saban. All are being borrowed and will hopefully be brought back as they were. No profit is being made, so please don't sue. Any quotes from the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux aren't mine either. The Ghost Roads idea was borrowed from the Buffy Trilogy, The Gatekeeper I think. It's not mine either. Any original characters and this fic are mine.
"Where the hell were you yesterday?!" The first thing that alerted Daisuke were the words. The second thing was the icy tone in Ken's voice. That was when he knew things weren't going to go well that day. In fact, when he looked back on that particular scene and the events that followed, saying the day wasn't going to go well was a very big understatement.
Ken had already been standing in the control room, arms crossed, waiting for him and a steely expression on his face. He could see the sapphire orbs that were Ken's eyes burn with an alarming flame. He'd done something he had told himself over and over again never to do. He'd pushed the Kaiser beyond his limit and now he was going to pay dearly.
But he wouldn't let Ken make him cower. He wouldn't show weakness to him again. He would prove to the blue-haired genius he was just as good as him... and it looked like he was insane enough to do it. Wrenching his gaze up from the floor, Daisuke met Ken's glowering gaze directly. "I wasn't here."
"I know that!" Ken snarled, and Daisuke felt Veemon lose his nerve and dive behind his legs, shivering. When Veemon lost his nerve things were very bad. "Where were you?!"
"I went home," Daisuke replied coldly. "I didn't want lessons yesterday."
"Are you insane?!" Ken hissed, taking a threatening step towards him. "Do you think I teach you for the fun of it? I have the Digital World to take over in case you've forgotten!"
"It's rather hard to forget," the redhead said dryly, and Ken's lips tightened. The dictator's temper was rapidly rising and the punishment he had planned for Daisuke now made the Room of Mirrors look like a picnic. He'd had all yesterday and this morning to think it through.
"You'll regret doing that and everything you've just said Daisuke," Ken told him, his voice dangerously quiet now. "No one ever gets away with missing a meeting with me just because they were too lazy to come. And that's all you were Daisuke," he added, before Daisuke could interrupt, "lazy."
Daisuke felt his teeth grit. "I wasn't lazy!" he replied shortly. "I was just sick of you ordering me around!"
How could I have ever thought I loved him? Ken wondered, as he glared at Daisuke, who glared right back. "I'm the teacher in this situation," he snapped back. "Do you act like this to your own teachers? Maybe that explains your grades!" Daisuke's cheeks burned in embarrassment and the look of pure fury he tossed at him told Ken he had gone too far. But Daisuke had made him go too far, so it didn't matter anymore.
"That's it," Ken hissed, stepping forward again. Daisuke took a step back, suddenly unsure of himself. "Once again, I must go through the tiresome routine of punishment."
Daisuke knew what that meant. "The Mirrored Room?" he asked. He could deal with that again, he knew what to expect this time.
But Ken was shaking his head, and the smirk on his face chilled Daisuke to the bone. "Oh no," he whispered, his voice too soft. "I have something else planned this time." Daisuke began to wonder if this was such a good idea now. Ken didn't look very nice at all. He and Veemon exchanged frightened looks.
With a cruel chuckle, Ken flicked a wrist and the scene around them shifted and dissolved, and Daisuke's stomach hurt so much, and Veemon was clinging onto him desperately, not liking whatever Ken was doing at all.
They landed in the Digital World, and Daisuke gave Ken an incredulous look as his stomach settled again. "What did you just do?!" he yelped shakily, looking around. A river gushed to their left, singing over the rocks.
"Transported you," Ken replied casually, as if that sort of thing happened everyday. Daisuke wouldn't put it passed that it actually did. "Quicker than walking or flying don't you think?" He didn't even look tired. It was finally hitting Daisuke that making Ken mad wasn't exactly the smartest thing he had ever done.
"What are you going to do?" the digidestined asked, glancing around. There didn't seem to be many dangerous things here that Ken could use against him... in fact the only dangerous thing was the river... Oh no... A shocked expression in his brown eyes, he turned to Ken who was nodding.
"Guessed it, have you?" he asked. "Well, you're smarter than I first thought." He shrugged.
Daisuke backed away desperately, making for the nearest escape as fast as he could. But he was no match for Ken's stronger power and right then he was more afraid than angry. Ken wouldn't do that to him, oh he wouldn't....
He could only scream as he was lifted into the air and thrown into the icy river.
He'd never known Ken was telekinetic. The boy genius had given him absolutely no clue, probably in case he had to use his powers against him like he was doing now. Daisuke fought against the rushing current, as he broke the surface and gasped for air. The river was larger and deeper than he had first thought, and right then the current was yanking him along at a frightfully fast pace... Grab the first thing you see that can give you a proper hold and balance.
He wasn't sure if it was his own mind talking or a vaguely familiar voice, but it knocked some sense into his head. His eyes darted around, and he swam parallel to the current towards a group of trees whose roots drifted out into the water. Grabbing onto one that looked particularly strong, he held on for dear life, trying to get enough strength to drag himself up. His thoughts were completely lost.
How could you do this to me Ken? I...I never thought you'd actually lose your temper so much and act that rashly. You could have killed me... and I...I thought I was falling for you...
Whether it was his subconscious reacting badly to this, or something else he couldn't tell, because his back stiffened, and suddenly his grip was slipping on the tree root and he was falling back into the river with a frantic shriek. Before he sank under he thought he heard someone yell his name, but he thought it was Veemon. He hoped his partner wouldn't do anything crazy like dive in after him or anything. He didn't think Veemon could swim very well.
It was then he realised worrying about Veemon was the least of his problems. Something was holding him under.
He couldn't swim up and get air, because something had a pretty strong hold on him. He struggled desperately, aware that his current supply of air was rapidly getting smaller. If he didn't get new air soon he would breathe in water and inevitably drown. The prospect didn't sound appealing, non-surprisingly. But raw panic began to set in when something grabbed his neck and tried to throttle him.
He struggled not to open his mouth, as the instinctive reaction to yell rose through him. He clawed at the invisible thing that held an iron grip on his neck, still struggling in the water. He was frantically aware his lungs were burning and he desperately needed air. Blackness was starting to tint the edges of his vision...
A cold voice entered his mind: How dare you have feelings for another! You are mine, now and forever, do you understand?
The voice was frustratingly familiar, but he couldn't think. Whoever the voice actually belonged to, he wasn't going to agree with him, considering what he was currently doing to him. No! he thought fiercely, struggling mentally and physically. No! No! No! I'm not yours!
You agreed my sweet. You told me yes. You are mine. Now and forever. The cold voice caused shivers to crawl down his spine. But if you refuse... Daisuke nearly gasped as the grip on his throat tightened. Why wouldn't Ken help...?
Then something did happen, and Daisuke allowed himself the brief fantasy that Ken was coming to help him. Then it hit him -- Ken was indeed coming to help him. About time too.
Let him go! Ken's voice was sharp and cold, using the I'm-a-ruler-and-you-can't-threaten-me voice. Daisuke had never been so glad to hear that voice before then in his entire time as a digidestined. He could only freeze as an uncomfortable warmth surrounded him and something shrieked and then he was free. He finally let the adrenaline inside him take over and he swam desperately upwards, and found he had hardly any strength left.
Then he felt a pair of strong arms grip him and drag him out of the water and onto the bank, where he lay, shivering and coughing up water, as he was temporarily lost in the sensation of still being alive. He had survived. Thank God, he was still alive.
Then he finally realised he wasn't alone. He looked up to see Ken standing near him, watching him silently. Surprised was too weak a word to describe Daisuke's reaction as he realised Ken was shaking and his shades were gone (he assumed Ken had torn them off in panic) and his gorgeous blue eyes were wide in fear. "Are you all right?" the dictator whispered.
Daisuke nodded, still stunned. "Apart from being cold, I'm fine," he replied, his voice just as soft. Why are you afraid for me? You just tossed me into the river in the first place!
"Thank God." Ken walked over to him and then... slid to his knees so he and Daisuke were at eye-level with each other. "I thought you were going to drown..." Daisuke was shocked to see the haunted shadows in Ken's eyes, as if he were reliving a terrible memory.
"Are you all right?" he found himself asking, thinking, Well this is a change of roles. I'm asking the person who threw me into a river is he okay!
"Yes," Ken whispered, looking down at the grass, and for a moment he looked so vulnerable and scared that Daisuke couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Without realising it, he was leaning closer and closer to Ken. The dictator started in surprise when he looked up to see Daisuke so near him. For moments that dragged out, they stared at each other, stared at the swirling, confusing emotions they filled them. Then Ken was leaning towards him and their lips were touching...
The kiss was amusingly soft at first, both of them not even sure what they were doing. Then it grew deeper, and Daisuke found himself holding the back of Ken's neck to keep himself balanced. Ken was rapidly taking control of the situation, his lips fierce, warm and very demanding. What am I doing? Daisuke wondered, and then his question was answered by himself. I'm kissing Ken. It took a few moments for the actual meaning of the situation to hit him and when it hit, boy did it hit.
I'm kissing Ken! Oh crap! His eyes snapping open, he tore himself away from Ken and stared at him in complete shock, panting heavily. Despite the whole craziness of it, he had to admit Ken was a damn good kisser. There was just one problem, two actually -- one, he was his enemy, and two, he had tried to drown him. And now he was kissing him. Couldn't Ken make up his mind?!
Ken himself was breathing heavily, watching Daisuke intently. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to... do that." He couldn't say it: I didn't mean to kiss you. It seemed so bizarre.
"No," Daisuke said quickly. "Don't be sorry... it's just... I don't know." To his embarrassment he felt his cheeks start to burn as he stared at the grass, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. It was true, he really didn't know what was gone on, he hadn't felt so confused in a long time.
"Daisuke..." Ken began hesitantly. "Did you enjoy that?" Since when did Ken, the Digimon Kaiser, act so strange?
"I don't know," he repeated and tensed as Ken approached him and kneeled beside him. He felt him cup his face between his hands and stare into his eyes.
"Then let me help you decide," he whispered, and kissed him again. It stared out gentle, but then grew more deep and demanding, both trying to be the dominant, but in the end Ken winning as he expected. With a groan, the Kaiser felt his control slip and shoved Daisuke back in the grass, himself on top of the redhead and still kissing him.
Daisuke meanwhile, had found he couldn't resist and responded eagerly, his gloved hands tangling wildly in Ken's spiked hair. His breath came in ragged gasps, his cheeks flushed and he was aware that this was wrong -- oh so wrong! -- but he didn't care anymore. All he cared about was that Ken was on top of him, and Ken was kissing him and he was doing one hell of a good job of it. He could only whimper as Ken began to kiss his neck.
"You know," Ken said after a few minutes. "Don't take this personally, but this would be a more enjoyable experience if you were dry. Wouldn't you like to be dry?" He raised a slim eyebrow, as he regarded Daisuke.
"Uh... yeah, I guess it would be," Daisuke replied, still blushing. Amazed that Ken could be so calm and composed as he picked himself up off of him, Daisuke looked around and caught sight of Veemon and grinned at the awe-struck expression on the digimon's face. "Don't say anything," he muttered to him as he came to his feet, and watched Ken pick up his shades. "Really."
"Shall we?" Ken asked, glancing at him. Daisuke nodded and in a moment he and the others were transported back to the base. But Daisuke couldn't help but feel uneasy as the scenery faded around him. He couldn't shake off the feeling he was being watched -- and whoever it was, was very, very angry with him.
But that voice was so damn familiar... who was it?
He snarled in his prison, green eyes burning furiously. That boy had claimed he had never agreed to be his... Daisuke deserved to be punished even worse than what that arrogant so-called ruler had tried to do to him. He would have succeeded if that Kaiser hadn't interrupted and used his new-found love for the boy against him.
No matter. He had retrieved enough energy from Daisuke to get his strength back. Now it was time. Time to strike at last and reclaim the Digital World, as it so rightly should have been.
With a determined air, he began to dig upwards... upwards towards the light.