Kensuke

All right let's go to the less funny part of writing a fic…the DISCLAIMERS!!! -_-;;

I *hate* disclaimers!!!!

Digimon does not belong to me (even though I wish it did! Then I'll change the ending and make Ken marry Dai ::nods::) It belongs to Toei and the other real owners.

Now go on with the fic!!! Enjoy!(PLEASE R+R!!!)

Shattered mirror

Part 02 – Acceptance

The sun had set the sky on fire. The sky, dark and livid until a few moments ago, was now of a brilliant red tone, with lilac and velvet azure brush-strokes embellishing it.

Usually, that's the colour the sky turns to when the sun sets, descending toward the horizon to grace it with a sweet kiss, but to the purple haired boy who was darting frantically trough the knee-length grass the last of his concerns was how bizarre this dawn was. He surely heard the roar of the wind echoing inside his ears and the cries of the people calling at him from behind. But he couldn't see anything, since his mind was focused on a single face.

Or maybe two.

Daisuke's tan skinned, smiling face.

And the Kaiser's mysterious one.

There was something…

Something in the way the Kaiser looked at him…the way he touched him…Ken couldn't put his fingers on it, but he *knew* the Kaiser had something in his mind.

Something other than kill him and take Daisuke, that's it.

Ken bit his bottom lips with a force that nearly made it bleed, and balled his hands in bewilderment.

Looking at the Kaiser had made the strangest and most incomprehensible feeling run trough his body. The Kaiser was him and yet he wasn't. They were identical and yet radically different. The impression he got was the one to look at his image reflected by shattered mirror.

That's what the Kaiser was. The reflection in a broken mirror. Billion of shining fragments, little shapes of light, dancing and turning in a kaleidoscope of lights and colors. The light he held was mesmerizing and yet scaring in a way. It was hypnotic. It was able to drown you in a sweet oblivion.

But it –he– was scary.

Because the siren spell he was able cast on you, drifted you down in an oblivion as sweet as poison.

And equally mortal.

The chilly air of the first hours of the day stung his eyes and his chest throbbed with every step he took, but he was past caring. He didn't know how and he didn't know why, but deep inside he knew that let the Kaiser reach Daisuke would lead them to something terrible.

His whole body trembled for a fear that could no longer be denied, and he was just dimly aware that the voices of behind him had intensified into screams.

Suddenly a hand clasped his shoulder and he was forced to turn around and look in the deep pools of brown which were looking at him with concern and a bit of anger.

"Ken…" the brunette panted, obviously out of breath. "Dear God, Ken! Slow down!"

"Ken!" The lavender haired girl who had jogged up to his side, pleaded. "We've to take a rest! We ran for the whole night!"

"Miyako is right, Ken!" the brunette at her side agreed. "We are too tired to go on!!" She panted and swallowed, reluctantly freeing Ken from her grasp. "Besides, what we'll get out of it, apart from black rings around our eyes and a tiredness which will only make us more vulnerable?!" she paused. "We don't even know *where* to search, Ken."

Ken roughly turned away and exhaled deeply, willing his heart to slow down its frantic pace. "We've to…hurry up…and find him…" He panted, realizing all of a sudden that he was out of breath. "He is in danger…"

"How do you…" Miyako panted, "know…he is…his…target??" she sighed, happy that the air in her lungs had been enough to articulate a complete statement.

Ken gritted his teeth and exhaled sharply trough his grinned teeth. He couldn't answer her question, mainly because he'd been asking himself the exact same thing over and over without come out with an answer. He didn't know how or why he knew who the Kaiser wanted was Daisuke…he just did. And he refused to believe he knew it because he wanted him too.

That_couldn't_be.

The purple haired boy looked around and his heart stopped when his gaze fell on the endless field of blue flowers at the bottom of the little cliff where he was standing. Ken held his breath as he listened carefully at the sound of his heart.

It hadn't stopped.

It was beating at an unusual quick pace and a second, equal happy sound, was echoing it.

Tu-tum.

Tu-tum.

Tu-tum.

He closed his eyes and then opened them…

Two hearts.

There were two hearts beating inside his chest.

His own and the one of…

"DAISUKE!!" he cried out. The fear and urgency had dissolved into pure joy. He took in a deep breath and smiled, before speed up forward.

Miyako and Hikari heard his cry and swirled around just in time to see Ken run toward the edge of the little cliff and jump.

"KEN!"

"I can't watch!" Hikari cried as she slammed her hands over her face.

"KEN!!!!!!" Miyako shrieked, running over the same spot and stared with wide eyes over the edge of the cliff. Then she whirled around and grasped Hikari's wrist in her hand. "C'mon!!" she yelled.

"C'mon?!" Hikari cried as she felt herself fall down.

Over the cliff.

"Woah!!!" Hikari squeaked as she landed at the bottom of the cliff.

"Owwwww! Hikari, get off of me!!" Miyako whimpered, gasping for air.

"Sorry!" She replied as she tried to stand up. "Ah! Gatomon! Stop clinging onto my shirt and get of!"

"I will as soon as *he* gets off of me!" she hissed back. "HAWKMON MOVE!"

"Sorry…" he offered weakly as he promptly jumped off the big heap they landed into.

Gatomon jumped down Hikari's back and the brunette quickly helped the poor Miyako up to her feet. "Owowowowow…" she moaned. "It's time for you all to go on a diet!!!"

"EHY!" Gatomon swirled toward her, evidently pissed.

"Uhm…sorry Miyako, but *you* are the one who dragged us over the cliff…" Hikari whispered, blushing slightly.

"I know, I know…" she waved, while looking around for Ken.

The purple haired boy was standing still a few meters in front of them, his cheeks flushed and his eyes sparkling. The soft breeze was playing with his silky hair, whipping soft locks of purple around his face. How different he was now from the worried, tensed boy he has been until then! All his being radiated a wave of happiness that contrasted with his previous dark mood as black ink on a snowy white page.

"Ken?"

He didn't even turn as he restarted to run.

"Ow…" Miyako rolled her eyes and tilted her head up. "Does he *ever* get tired to run??"

"Oh well…" Sighed Hikari at her side. "What are we waiting for?"

* * * * *

The three digidestined had spent the rest of night just looking at each other. It was when the first sunlight leaked lazily from behind the blue mountains, visible in the close distance, that one of them eventually shattered the silence, trying to understand what had happened to the cinnamon haired boy who was standing front of him.

"So…" Takeru licked his lips. "You're not harmed?" the other replied with a slight toss of his head. "I see…"

Takeru and Iori exchanged a glance, while Daisuke nibbled his upper lip. Beside him, the younger digidestined delicately cleared his throat before speaking:

"You see…that means…"

Daisuke's face paled visibly, and he took a step backward. "NO ONE TOOK ME THERE!"

"Woha!" Iori jumped as soon as he heard his friend's yell. "Take it easy, Dai…it was just a hypothesis…"

A flash of guilt rippled Daisuke's eyes, suddenly wide. He didn't understand *why* he was reacting like this, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it.

"And a very likely one…" he spoke up quietly, running a hand through his spiky brown hair. "I know it's strange…and I'm not saying that it isn't but…I__I'm__I can't believe someone actually took me there…it's so…weird…It…is…impossible and…I mean, only me…and then *who* could do that… it just got to me…you understand…?" He trailed off, realizing that he was babbling.

Iori arched slowly an eyebrow and Takeru blinked.

"Ehy" the blonde said. "It's okay."

"But I…"

"DAISUKE!!!!!!!!!!!"

Daisuke's heart stopped.

No.

To be honest it didn't stop, but started to beat at unison with another.

Tu-tum.

Together.

Tu-tum.

At the same rate.

Tu-tum.

…Ken.

Daisuke swirled around and his eyes widened as he saw Ken. The purple haired boy stopped for a moment, letting the soft breeze blowing between them to play with his hair again. Then he took a step forward and then another, and another, walking toward him hesitantly, as if in a dream.

"Daisuke…" he breathed, as if afraid that speaking too loud would scare him away.

"Ken?"

"Daisuke!!!!"

"KEN!" they started to run toward each other. It was like a dream and a sense of déjà vu caught Daisuke in a sudden grasp. The wind was blowing softly, dancing gently blue petal around them. The sun shone down at him, dandling him in soft warmth and clothing each blade of green grass with a dress of gold. Daisuke grinned, with a rather happy blush coloring his cheeks as he opened his arms and…

"DDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAISUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The lavender haired girl threw her arms around Daisuke's neck, and he had to spin her around in attempt to not fall backward. Then, after she was settled down on the ground, she jerked up her thumb. "YOU'RE ALL RIGHT!!! WE DID IT!!!"

"Miyako?!"

"Daisuke!"

"Uh?" Daisuke looked up only to see Hikari running full force toward him. She gave a whoop of joy before gave him a brief hug. "We did it!!" she squealed, clapping happily her hands. "We have been the first to find you!! We won!!!"

"…won?" Daisuke was a little confused…

"We had to find you before the Kaiser or he would have done God-knows-what to you." Miyako blurted out in high speed.

"The Kaiser??" Iori asked as he jogged up at Daisuke's side. "But…" he raised tentatively a finger toward Ken, but Hikari shook her head.

"Ken and the Kaiser are two separate entities now…"

"WHAT?!" Takeru cried as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and hurried to explain everything.

* * * * *

"So that's what happened." Concluded Hikari. During the not-too-brief explanation, the six Chosen and the two Digimon sat down in a circle. She looked up at the boy in front of her trough her eyelashes. As she get a glimpse of Daisuke's face her eyes widened, but she kept her head down. Her eyes darted around and she noticed how Iori and Takeru looked worried, too. She jerked her head upwards, so that it was facing Daisuke's, and blinked as she saw how the color seemed to have dried from Daisuke's cheeks.

"Daisuke?"

He turned toward Iori as begging him to say "no", but he nodded, speechless. Takeru slammed his palm against his mouth, murmuring something. Daisuke went even paler and suddenly jerked up on his feet. He swirled around and took a few steps forward, his breath quickening with worry.

The air suddenly went tense and thick with unspoken questions, but no one dared to ask them. The one around which all the questions revolved was literally paralyzed. Silent, wide eyed and covered with cold sweet he couldn't stop from mouthing silently incoherent words.

"No…" he suddenly spoke softly, shattering the stillness. He turned around and gave his friends a searching look, trying to decipher the truth in Hikari's words. His eyes shifted toward Iori. "We've no proofs…"

The younger boy shifted and nodded slightly, "Yes but…" he swallowed, looking away from the redhead "but we have nothing to undermine it…"

The expression on the tan face, an expression where a small glint of hope hadn't been killed by the fear, turned to a dark discomfort. He fell down on his knees, uncoordinatedly, gracelessly. Just as a broken doll threw carelessly on the floor.

Where was the good on denying it?

Deep inside he *knew* that was true.

Scary, helplessly, cruelly true.

"Daisuke?" Miyako moved closer. "You all right?"

"He won."

"What?" Miyako's hand, which was traveling tentatively toward Daisuke's shoulder, jerked backward as he spoke.

"The Kaiser…" he repeated. "He…won." He looked up, looking first at Kari and then at Miyako. "He reached me first." His gaze fell on Ken then. "Am I…his, now?"

Ken's eyes grew wide. He went pale and he was grateful he was already on the ground or else the tremble at his knees would have made him fall down. His mouth opened in utter shock, but nothing came out. He moved his lips, mouthing something, but he couldn't let his voice leave his mouth.

Daisuke was *his*.

Daisuke belonged to the *Kaiser* now.

"No…" he managed in a breath, his voice broke and weak. "No…" he repeated as he shook slowly his head, feeling the tears build up in his eyes.

"Am I HIS??" Daisuke cried louder as he crawled on all four toward Ken. The purple haired boy shook his head, covering his ears with his palm.

"I…I…I…"

"I am…am I not…?" Daisuke looked up at Ken, eyes wide and shining with tears. Ken shook his head and his hands slowly fell from over his ears. He looked down, incapable to bare Daisuke's look, but the tan skinned boy just looked down at the soft grass below. "DAMN" he shouted, pouncing the ground. "This isn't fair!!!!" he lowered himself down to the ground, his fingers lacing into the moss beneath. "How can I be his…? What did he do to me…?"

"Daisuke, I…" Ken looked up at his friend. Then, on instinct, he took the other boy in his arms, gently dandling him. "We won't let him take you, Daisuke…" Daisuke couldn't help himself from letting go of the moss and moving his arms slowly around Ken. "We'll protect you…" he whispered against Daisuke's neck, his lips brushing slightly the amber skinned earlobe as he did.

Daisuke's chocolate brown eyes sprung open in shock.

Wh-What is he doing?

Ken's hug tightened, pressuring their bodies closer together. His head moved up and his lips ran over his hair, and soon soft fingers were entangled in the brown spikes.

Daisuke's head jerked up and leaned backward, so that he could take a good look of Ken.

"K-Ken…?"

He was afraid.

The bearer of the crest of Courage was *afraid*. This Ken in front of him scared him more than anything. Even the idea to fight the Kaiser again was less scary. Because he had never seen Ken's eyes flash this way, ripple with this emotion he still couldn't name. Daisuke went weightless, falling backward, still encircled by Ken's arm. He cupped gently a hand around Daisuke's now relatively red cheek and moved closer, still whispering.

"We'll protect you Daisuke…" His other hand slipped noiselessly around his waist.

"I…I…I…" Daisuke's voice had come out as an hoarse whisper. "I…"

Ken stared hard into his eyes as he slowly, nearly unconsciously, leaned down.

"We'll protect you…" he pulled closer until their faces were inches apart. His grip tightened around Daisuke's waist and their breath were dancing over each other's lips.

"I…I…" Daisuke repeated breathlessly. Ken slowly leaned towards him and Daisuke closed his eyes, feeling his heart speed up in his chest, thumping against Ken's chest, at unison with his own heart.

"Oh, no…I don't think so…" The Kaiser's voice resounded, chilly and limpid in the morning air, forcing Daisuke's eyes open.

The heart suddenly trembled. Ken and Daisuke immediately jumped apart. Daisuke fell back with a thud and a yelp and Ken sprang to his feet, wide-eyed and looking like he wasn't aware of was about to happen moments earlier. The earthquake grew stronger and all of a sudden at the center of the flower field a pillar of electricity, boiling and agitated, rose up, destroying everything close around, and causing a tempest of blue petals to whirl around it. The intensity of the brilliant light was unbearable, blue and green bows of lights streaming outwards as skeletal fingers in search of something to held to. The Digidestined covered their faces, backing away and then blinked as they noticed a *huge* shape was slowly looming inside the brightness.


The light started to slowly fade away as the dark shadow regally flew out it. It was a digimon, a some kind of armored dragon. And it was extremely huge. It covered the bight sun, sending a dark sheet to envelop the digidestined in its folds. The blue dragon landed gracelessly, and his huge wings fan around his body. He leisurely moved on all four toward Daisuke and Ken's present location. His long, white, bat-like wings trembling softly on his back. His sharp, glowing eyes narrowed and his black armor shined as the snowy sparks, remains of the column of electricity, ran upon it.

He looked up and grinned at Daisuke. All the boy could manage was a strangled gulp.

There was something about the digimon that caught his attention. He was special somehow, but Daisuke didn't know why. Part of him wanted to step closer and gaze into those eyes he knew would be red. Another part of him wanted to run away and hide from the attacks he knew to be mortal. The glow in the digimon's eyes diminished and Daisuke was now looking into those eyes he knew to be ruby even before look at them.

His heart fluttered.

Scared, he pressed a sweaty palm against his chest. Daisuke looked up at the digimon and found that he was laughing, a sound almost similar to a growl. He seized Daisuke's body and advanced slowly. It started to thunder in the sky and the world started spinning out of control in front of Daisuke's eyes. He started to pant and bright flashed appeared in front of his face.

Ken screamed and the others let out worried cries as Daisuke crumpled to the floor. His chocolate brown eyes rolled back and his body shuddered. He was gasping for breath.

"Daisuke!" Ken cried as he rushed toward his side. "Daisuke!!" He removed a strand of brown hair from his forehead and looked straight in his eyes. "Daisuke! Daisuke, what's wrong?" He shook him gently "Daisuke?? Daisuke can you hear me??" he shook him harder, but Daisuke didn't react. His eyes were open, but he seemed completely oblivious of Ken hovering above him. His body shivered, and to warm him, Ken carefully cradled his head in his lap and stroked his hair, while keeping on calling him. "You…" he hissed as he looked up at the digimon before him. "What did you do to him?? Who are you??"

"That's something for me to know and for you to find out…" he murmured, beating leisurely his wings. "Or more accurately it's for *them* to find out. You should know who I am."

"I…?" Ken blinked, taken aback.

"C'mon…doesn't my voice ring any bell to you?" Ken blinked again, a feeling of déjà vu ringing in the back of his mind. But this time, the one in front of him wasn't human…he was a digimon…so…

"The digimon Kaiser's digimon…" the huge creature bowed slightly as to let the former Emperor know he was right.

"Who?" Ken unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself "Who are you? Where is Wormmon??"

"Wormmon…" he sighed and then blinked. "Somewhere in that forest…if he survived my attack…"

"WORMMON!"

"And he wasn't alone…he was with some digimon you should know very well…they were searching for you all…" he paused and slowly restarted walking toward the two of them. "Give him to me."

"Never!!" The digimon suddenly lunged forward and butted Ken with his head. He jerked backwards and Daisuke's head fell from his lap to thump on the grassy floor. Ken tried to crawl back to him, but the digimon placed between them. The two glared at each other until a croaky noise coming from Daisuke caught the armored dragon's attention. He cocked his head to one side and took a narrow-eyed look at Daisuke's red face as he let a ragged noise surge from deep within his throat. Daisuke arched his back, whipping his head backside, his mouth open and moving quickly. He was gasping for breath now. His body went into convulsions and his friends looked at him with pure terror showed over their faces.

"Daisuke!!" Hikari cried as she too tried to reach him. The huge digimon turned toward her and glared at her like a snake that is glaring at his prey. Hikari stopped, frozen dead in her track. She could stop the shiver that ran down her spine as she took a trembling step backward.

"Ga…Gatomon!" She cried, wrapping her arms around her body in a gesture similar as the one scared animal made to look littler. The cat-like digimon leaped forward, her eyes narrowed and her mouth open to show her sharp teeth.

"Gatomon digivol…"

"NO GATOMON!" Taken by surprise, the cat interrupter her digivolution and swirled around, to see Hawkmon ran frantically toward her.

"Uh?"

"We' need the jogress shinka!!" he yelled. "Hawkmon digivolve to…Aquillamon!!!"

The two digimon nodded at each other as the sprinted forward in unison.

"Gatomon!"

"Aquillamon!!"

"JOGRESS SHINKA!!"

"Silphymon!"

The semi-anthropomorphous Digimon darted forward, in his hands a purple beams of energy, which looked like some strange kind of power, was in the process of forming. The evil digimon growled quietly at the sigh and jumped up in the air, never losing his majesty. His white wings bated slowly at his sides and he gave his head an annoyed toss, narrowing his glassy ruby eyes. Silphymon's attack shifted from one hand to another and he let the power twisting in the fireball reach its limit before cup both his hands around it and fire it.

The armored dragon dodged easily the attack, following it with his eyes as it flew past him and hit the ground. Then he looked down again and his glassy ruby drifting eyes met Daisuke's wide open and blank ones. He growled, narrowing his eyes into two tiny slides, from which anger leaked down copiously.

He rushed toward Daisuke's stiff body full speed, but he came to a stretch halt as the insolent attack of purple energy dared to caress his side.

He looked down at the foolish digimon and he gritted his teeth. He screeched loudly as he turned to fully face him. His wings stopped to move but he didn't land. His eyes widened as the hot liquid bubble out of his throat grow in his mouth. He molded it quickly to form almost a ball he shot it out of his mouth. White and warm and bright, it flipped out his wide-open mouth, rushing at incredible speed directly toward the digidestined. His eyes grew even wider as more balls of boiling energy built up in his mouth and quickly darted toward the ground. With an amazing speed.

They spheres of white energy jumped and leaped toward them. Ken, who was running toward Daisuke, was forced to stop by the mortal rain and so was Kari. Takeru wrapped his arms protectively above his head and Iori fell backward, raising a hand in front of his face. He was fortunate he had enough rapidity to roll out of the way of a sphere that was about to pounce on him.

"Woah!!!" he cried while choking and panting.

Selphymon's body shook violently as he shot five that were starting to gang up on him and the digidestined.

"Damn you!" He yelled as he realized he was in the process of running out of energy.

Daisuke gasped again, a strangled, low moan escaping his now purple lips as he did. His body stiffened as a dim dark mist surrounded him like a fine sheet. Ken screamed again as Daisuke's head lolled to one side and his body went limp, his lips slightly parted and his eyes open. The armored dragon growled loudly, his glowing eyes going dim. The dragon immediately stopped his attack and his head jerked backward toward Daisuke's now completely still body. He growled and leaped upward, throwing a last ball of energy to Selphymon in order to stop him for following.

He was too exhausted , though and as he scrambled to the ground he digivolved back into a panting Hawkmon and a sweating and muttering Gatomon.

Ken slowly dared to open his eyes, only to squirt them a second later. White, everything was white. He tried again, blinking rapidly to ease the pain the brilliant light caused to his purple orbs. His gaze shifted around. He could see nothing.

Nothing except…

"Daisuke!" Ken yelped as he scrambled up to his feet, darting toward the brown haired boy.

Kari's eyes hut open and she watched Ken as his figure quickly ran past her into the now fading light. Light, too much light… everywhere was white. Her gaze moved from his back to the figure that was lying motionless on the ground…as if he was dead. Shoving that thought aside, the brunette swept up to her feet and hurriedly followed Ken.

The purple haired boy knelt beside his tan skinned friend and lifted gently his head. He felt his eyes stinging as he slowly let his fingers comb through the brown spikes and then wander down to take his hand.

It was icy cold.

And he wasn't moving.

No... he can't be… Ken blinked quickly, not even able to *think* that. After swallowing, he tried calling his name...

"Daisuke?"

Nothing.

He swallowed again. "Da-Daisuke…?"

Again he received no reply.

No ... oh, please, NO!!!

He hesitantly tried again, shocking his cold body lightly. "Dai?"

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

"Daisuke…" a soft voice whispered gently.

Ken cocked his head sideways at the sound of Kari's voice and saw her came slowly towards him.

Crying.

She peered over his shoulder and looked down at Daisuke.

"Dai, wake up…" she smiled. "Come on…"

Ken tentatively placed his hand over his heart...

Nothing.

No, wait…

He felt Daisuke's heart beating in…*his* chest. Looking down he squeezed a little harder Daisuke's hand.

It was beginning to warm…

"Daisuke?"

The cinnamon haired boy shifted a little, rewarding Ken with a slight moan. His eyes fluttered open and he gazed up at Ken with misty eyes.

"…Ken…?" his eyes went off focus as he fainted again. "…my…dream…"

=========================================

To be continued in part 03: Encounter

::eyes swirling:: Peww…I did it…@_@ This was supposed to be *longer*, though…but I didn't think make this chapter longer could be of any good…-_-;; I'm sorry if maybe like this the title "Acceptance" doesn't fit the chapter too well…the only things that Dai accept is the fact the Kaiser found him first…@_@

In my original idea he had to accept *something else* at the end of this chapter…but I had to divide it in two…

As always my fingers started typing following their own will and I ended up adding that scene with Ken and Dai almost kissing…a scene which wasn't supposed to be *there* ::groans:: -_-;;

And then I'm sorry it sorts of resemble another fic of mine where… ::Daisuke quickly shut her mouth closed with a hand::

Ken = Are you crazy?? Do you want to give away your fic like this??

Nemesi-chan = MMPH!!!! MMPH!!! MMMMMMMPH!!!!!!! ::shakes her head::

Daisuke = Will you stay quiet if I'll let you go?

Nemesi-chan = MMPH!!!! MMPH!!! MMMMMMMPH!!!!!!! ::nods::

Daisuke = Good ::releases her::

Nemesi-chan = ::gasps for air:: Peww…Anyway, minna-san! Thank you for reading and see ya in the next chapter!!!! ^_^

Ken = And please let us know what you think!

All = Ja-ne!!!!