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.
"I can't do this."
Daisuke stared at Ken in a mixture of fascination and amusement, hardly able to believe this boy had once been the fierce Digimon Kaiser. The two were so different, it was staggering. And even 'good' Ken had split personalities it seemed. The sobbing boy who had come alarmingly close to a nervous breakdown was nothing like the shy, quiet boy now pacing before him. "Ken, you can do this. I know you can."
Ken stopped in his pacing for a moment to look at him. Daisuke shuddered inwardly at having those sapphire eyes look at him directly. They were a deep, true blue. "I'm glad for your vote of confidence," the once-Kaiser told him with a wry smile. "But after everything that's happened, everything I've done..." He trailed off, a troubled expression on his face. Immediately he started pacing again.
Daisuke sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Walking over to Ken, he gripped his wrists and forced the boy to stop in his pacing and look at him with startled eyes. "Ken, you have to stop acting like this," the redhead told him gently. "We've been over it already."
Ken shook his head, stubborn as usual. "I can't just forget it like it was something insignificant," he pointed out. "The Digimon Kaiser was me for a long time Daisuke, in fact he still is. He'll never truly leave me and you know it. I have to get over this and the only way I can do that is by forgiving myself. And that's going to take time." Ken's eyes softened, as he said, his voice slightly tender now, "But I appreciate it that you want to help me."
Daisuke sighed. "Of course I want to help you Ken. I care about you, it'd be weird if I didn't want to. And we have Takeru on our side as well," he reminded him. "He's going to stick up for you as well, when we meet the others later."
Ken grimaced and shuddered. "I know," he muttered. "And I appreciate his help as well." But it was obvious he was nervous about meeting the other Digidestined later. Daisuke quickly wrapped his arms around him and Ken automatically leaned his head against his chest, sighing softly. At least with Daisuke he knew things were all right. With him Ken felt safe and often felt like he could do anything with the redhead at his side.
"It's going to be okay," Daisuke murmured, stroking Ken's soft twilight-coloured hair gently. "We'll get through this together, like we did with Erik." He paused, considering his words. "Well... Takeru actually included himself in the thing with Erik, but that's beside the point," he amended, causing Ken to laugh suddenly. "Although Takeru probably wishes he hadn't got involved in the first place."
"Probably," Ken agreed, snuggling into Daisuke's shirt and jacket and sighing contentedly. "Although did I get the impression that Takeru was slightly star-struck with my brother? Or was it just my imagination?"
Daisuke chuckled then. "No, Takeru was definitely star-struck!" he laughed, eyes amused. "It could have been because your brother was dead and technically a ghost. But... if I didn't know any better I'd say Takeru could have had a crush on him!"
For a moment, Ken blinked, letting this bit of information sink in. Then he said flatly, "Takeru will have a fit if you ever tell him that."
"Yeah," Daisuke agreed. "Remind me to use it against him later." Ken laughed and agreed. "Come on, we better go and get this over and done with." Smiling, he kissed Ken quickly on the cheek and stepped back, waiting for Ken to get Wormmon to come with them.
Ken leaned down and scooped Wormmon into his arms, cuddling the green worm close to him. Wormmon tensed for a moment and then purred, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being rubbed by Ken. There were going to be tense times between the two of them (it wasn't easy for Wormmon to forget how Ken had treated him as the Digimon Kaiser), but they were going to get through it together. Daisuke were insanely proud of them for that.
It was only a few hours since Daiseus and Osamu had left them. Soon after the three of them had returned to Ken's base, which, they noted, had seemed to become completely powerless. Nothing that Ken had been planning to use against them in the future was visible. His storage facilities and his disks were scatted throughout the place, and Ken had decided to return later to find and destroy them. His dungeons were a wreak, thanks to the Rings and Spirals placed on the captive digimon cracking and shattering. The digimon -- now themselves again -- had taken the smart motive and had crashed the place before escaping. Ken wasn't sorry to see the mess. A quick check on his monitors (those that still worked) had shown that all the captured digimon were now free. But the control spires were still up. They would have to be destroyed in the future, but Ken knew he would be ready.
Takeru had quickly decided to go back to the real world and make sure Patamon and Chibimon were all right and hadn't raised the alarm with the others yet. At Daisuke's worried look, he had assured the redhead that he'd phone his parents and say he'd stayed over at his place the previous night, a sort of spur-of-the-moment thing. His own mother... he'd use the same excuse on her, only vice-versa. He'd also ask Patamon to check on Chibimon without being seen. He'd also told them that he'd get the rest of the team together that evening, and he'd wait for them. He'd also make it clear to Ken that he'd support him that evening along with Daisuke. Ken had been hardly able to believe it, but had thanked Takeru profusely. Smiling, the blonde Keeper of Hope had left in search of a Digi-port, letting Ken and Daisuke alone.
They had searched for Wormmon first, and the green worm hadn't known what to believe when he had seen Ken, completely free of his Kaiser alias and so unlike himself. The green worm had become overjoyed when he had realised Ken had returned to the boy he had once been and forgiveness had come almost immediately. But they had all known there was still a long way to go yet between them. There were still a lot of open, tender wounds to be healed yet.
Daisuke had been hesitant at first when he had first suggested Ken returning to his home and relieving his frantic parents. Ken had been completely against it at first, claiming to not being ready to face his parents yet, after the way he had treated them. But Daisuke had pointed out that it would just get worse the longer he put it off and the longer he put it off, the more worried his parents would get. He had also told Ken about the huge search his parents had begun for him and Ken could hardly believe the amount of trouble his parents had gone for him. Daisuke had tactfully replied that perhaps they hadn't wanted to lose another son. This, aided by Wormmon's encouragement, had finally made Ken decide to come home.
So here they were, walking towards the Digi-port Takeru had no doubt earlier used himself. As they walked, Daisuke took it upon himself to instruct Ken on what to do with Wormmon to keep him out of his parents' sight when they got back to the real world. He knew Ken needed this advice because he had never taken Wormmon to his home before. And the boy didn't seem to be able to do a lot of deep thinking yet. Daisuke had decided he was still in shock and made a mental note to go research stuff like this with Takeru in the library. Besides, the blonde was seriously starting to consider a career in counselling (which would no doubt flummox his parents and Yamato), so he'd agree to go with him anyway.
"Now, when we get back Wormmon will probably revert back to his In-Training form which is...?" Daisuke paused as he awaited Ken's answer. When none came, he looked at him to see Ken's upset expression. "What did I say?"
Ken sighed, looking extremely upset. "I don't know what Wormmon's In-Training form is," he murmured quietly. Wormmon's antennae drooped. "He was already Wormmon when I first met him and I... never let him revert back to that form because..." He stopped and Daisuke, sensing he didn't really want to talk about it yet, swiftly started talking.
"Well you'll find out soon enough," the redhead said logically. "Anyway, it'll be safe to say he'll be smaller than he already is, so you'll be able to hide him in a bag or something." Daisuke's lips pursed for a moment as he thought. "Or you could pose him off as a stuffed toy, which is what we usually do. If Wormmon can stay completely still that is."
"I can try," the digimon said, looking up at him with large, pale-blue eyes. Daisuke smiled and gave him a thumbs up sign, before looking up and grinning.
"Digi-port ahoy!" he yelled, immediately starting to run towards it. Ken simply stared at him for a moment, before rushing after him, smiling slightly.
"One question," Daisuke asked suddenly, as they stood before the small TV. Ken and Wormmon looked at him, blinking. "Do you still have magic?"
Ken blinked, staring at him, before raising one hand, making sure Wormmon was securely in his other arm. Concentrating on his hand for a moment, Ken was pleased to see sparks suddenly leap from his fingers. "I guess I do," he said, smiling at Daisuke. "I think the only reason I can't manage anything more than sparks is because I'm tired."
Daisuke grinned broadly at him. "All right! Uh... are you still teaching me then?"
Ken stared at him again. Finally he said, "Well... I don't know. Do you want me to?"
Daisuke suddenly became embarrassed, fidgeting slightly. "I'd like you to..."
"Then I will." At Daisuke's surprised look, Ken smiled. "Can't get rid of me that easily Motomiya."
"I should think not!" Daisuke shot him a mock-offended look, which caused Ken to chuckle lightly. "Hey Ken?" the Keeper of Courage and Friendship asked then, becoming very embarrassed, trailing his boots in the dirt and looking down at the ground as if his life depended on it.
"Hmm?" Ken looked up from investigating his D-3 and wondered silently why Daisuke looked like he'd become sunburnt on his face.
"Erm... what about us as well? That is.." Daisuke began to splutter, much to his embarrassment and dismay. His blush deepened, but before he could continue, Ken had stepped forward and had placed a finger on his lips.
"I think you already know the answer, don't you? But just in case..." Ken smiled and leaned forward, touching his lips on Daisuke's. The chaste kiss rapidly deepened, and Daisuke wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Ken and pulling the boy to him. They remained in a world of their own until Wormmon's panicked yelps and struggles became apparent and they separated, Ken apologising to a furious Wormmon for almost squashing him.
Daisuke laughed and slung an arm around Ken, causing the blue-haired boy to blush slightly. "That was definitely a good answer," the redhead told him, grinning wickedly. There were still many things to sort out and things weren't going to be great for a while. Ken was going to have a hard time adjusting to life again, now as a digidestined and not as the Digimon Kaiser. There was going to be the whole thing of Ken meeting his parents again and trying to get over the things he had done. It was going to take him a long time to forgive himself for what he had done, and to find that same forgiveness from the digimon he had forced into slavery. There was also going to be the task of meeting the other Digidestined, who were not going to be happy letting Ken into the team. But Daisuke knew he was going to be on Ken's side, and so was Takeru. With their help and Wormmon's faith in Ken, he knew things were going to get better eventually. It would take time, but they would get better.
Grinning, the Digidestined of Courage and Friendship held his D-3 up to the TV and shouted, "Digi-port open!" Then there was only the delirious feeling as he, Ken and Wormmon were sucked in and thrust back into the Real World, to begin their lives again. Still in one piece.