Kensuke

Oooops…It was coming out too big to put in one single chapter ::goes into shock:: I can't believe it...I get carried away! It probably won't happen again!!! ::notices how everyone is staring at her:: Okay, okay…Probably it *will* happen again…-_-;; It happens very often that my fingers start typing following their own will and completely ignoring my brain!!! _ Please forgive me. Eh-eh... ::blushes:: so, here it comes chapter 03 –or better the second half of chapter 02—of "Shattered mirror".

I'm disappointed the second chapter didn't come out as good as the first one, but this get better…^_^ It think that, so far, this is my favorite chapter!!! ::grins:: I can't help but like it!!! ^_^

Daisuke and Ken = ::gets big eyes:: O_O you usually don't praise your own work!!!!

Nemesi-chan = The-eh…^_^ I can't help my self…Yes, I definitely *like* this chapter…it's nothing special, but I still like it! I shouldn't be the one to judge my own work, though…

Oh! One last think…I think I should buy a brand new brain, considering how I almost forgot ((and in the second chapter I did! o.O)) to say this fic is dedicated to Hotaru!!! A nice friend, who is always kind and ready to help!!! ::waves happily:: Hi, Hotaru!!!

Now, let's go on with the fic!!! I hope you'll enjoy this and let me know what you think!!!!

Shattered mirror

Part 03 – Encounter

Takeru creeped to Daisuke's side and watched in awe the way his chest was raising and falling rhythmically. The redhead was alive but unconscious. And they had to get him back to the real world, where they could take care of him. Cure him.

The blonde boy knelt slowly beside Ken and gently brushed Daisuke's hair from his face.

"We've to take him back to the real world." He whispered as he slowly moved his arms around Daisuke and pulled him away from Ken's warm embrace. "I'll take care of it."

Hikari turned to see Takeru pick their leader up carefully. He carried him so gently…it was as if he was afraid he might break. He was looking at him now with an intensity that made her shiver, and a concern that caught her off-guard. She blinked her soft brown eyes rapidly as her gaze met Daisuke's face.

The tan skinned boy looked so peaceful.

Nearly…happy.

Hikari blinked a few times, her gaze focused on the smile that played softly on his lips. She had never seen the boy so happy, so content, so…so…

She shook her head, short locks of brown whipping around her face, trying to suppress the feeling that she felt whenever she looked over at Daisuke's sleeping face. She didn't know how to describe it. It was like the air around him trembled for the soft waves of happiness radiating from his whole frame. As if, whatever the Kaiser had done to him to make him his was…

Right.

"No!" Hikari cried out, gripping the soft grass in her slender fingers. It couldn't be *right*! Whatever he had done to him, it should have been horrible! Terrifying! Disgusting!

But then, if that made Daisuke happy…

She shook her head again, squirting her eyes closed. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and quickly turned to find the owner of that hand staring at her, wide green eyes rippling with confusion.

"Hikari…?"

The girl shook quickly her head, her lips curving in a small smile "I'm all right Iori-kun…"

"But…" She completely ignored him as her eyes traveled again toward Takeru and the tan skinned boy in his arms. She gritted her teeth, a small cringing sound that startled even her. Shacking her head once again, Hikari slowly rose up, looking back at a still frowning Ken.

He didn't know of the smile that had formed on Daisuke's tan features when he fell unconscious.

She slowly made her way toward Takeru, with Gatomon elegantly stepping at her side.

"Miyako?" the blonde boy suddenly stopped and turned toward his right, gazing questioningly at the lavender haired girl jog up at his side. "We need to find our digimon…"

"Me and Hawkmon can take care of it!" She winked at him and turned toward Hikari. "The only digimon here are ours, Hikari…"

"I'm coming." She nodded, taking few steps toward the other girl. "Take care of Daisuke." She called as she slowly made her way toward the little forest visible in the close distance. Takeru nodded absently and looked down at Daisuke with soft eyes.

Ken slowly rose from the grassy ground and looked deeply at his blonde companion. He wanted to carry Daisuke but he didn't want to challenge Takeru for the right. He sighed softly, taking hesitant steps toward the pair.

"Let's go…" he murmured as he walked past the two and his soft voice made Takeru's head jerk up.

* * * * *

Hikari hopped out the digiport elegantly, nearly surprised they hadn't landed on a big heap as always. "Ehy, Miyako…" she turned and looked at Miyako, who was trying to keep two over-worried digimon in her arms.

"Ken-chan! I wanna see Ken-chan!"

"LET ME GO TO DAISUKE!!!!!! LET ME GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

The two balls of digital fur eventually made their way out her arms and darted toward the door of Daisuke's room.

"Minomon!" Miyako yelled as she speeded up after them "Chibimon!!" And Patamon and Upamon close followed.

Hikari giggled before go after her friends, but stopped as she noticed Ken pacing back and forth in front of the bedroom door. She wanted to reach out to him, but he didn't seem to notice her. She quietly made her way toward him, anyway, even if he didn't seem to be aware of her.

Looking away from him she saw the others gathered around Daisuke's bed, where he laid still unconscious…still smiling slightly. Takeru glanced at her from inside the room and shook slowly his head.

She sighed.

Then gulped when she noticed Ken was looking at her, big violet eyes watering.

"Aren't you going to be there when he'll wake up?" she asked.

"The other will be with him" he said softly. "He won't be alone."

"What about you, Ken?" Hikari moved closer, looking up at the sky out of a window, her hands clasped behind her back.

"What do you mean?" he asked, following her gaze out the window and up to a passing cloud.

"You're not the one who made to him…" she sighed. "Whatever has been done to him…" she paused, playing with a lock of her hair with a finger. "You should be in there with us…with *him*." She paused, dropping her finger from her hair. "Both of you *need* it."

Ken stood where he was for a few seconds, then returned to his gaze to the floor. His shoulders dropped, then he straightened and looked out over the horizon. Swirling around, he paced quietly toward Daisuke's room, and Hikari couldn't help but let out a content giggle as she promptly followed him in.

"How is him?" she asked as she peered inside the room.

"Nothing new." Takeru sighed as she flopped down to floor with a soft 'thud'.

As Takeru said this, Chibimon nuzzled closer to his human, rubbing his plump cheek against his chest. His big eyes were half closed and his mouth was reduced to a thin line.

"I know he will be all right soon…" he whispered.

At that the purple-haired genius' lips twitched upward in a crooked little smile, and on instinct he moved closer to the bed.

"Me too…" he said quietly, before sitting on the bed beside Daisuke's feet. Chibimon titled his head sideways, casting him a quick glance, before resuming his nuzzling closer to his partner.

Ken ran his palm over the blankets tucked around Daisuke's prone form lightly, and when he reached his hand, he softly move it out from under the blankets, and cupped his pale hand over Daisuke's. The contrast between his snowy finger and Daisuke's tan bronzed skin frozen Ken in his spot. Their hands were so identical, yet radically different…like look in a mirror and receive back a twisted reflection. That little contact miraculously managed to fade away Ken's panic into a feeling of calm and peace. He kept running his thumb over the back of Daisuke's hand and wanted so badly to look up and see Daisuke's face, that it hurt. But it hurt even more to know than once he'll look up he wouldn't see Daisuke look back at him.

Out of the blue the dark fingers squeezed lightly his paler ones, and the purple-haired boy's head snapped up in awe.

"Daisuke?" everyone looked at them and soft cries escaped their mouths as Daisuke's eyes fluttered open.

He slowly rose up, blinking his brown chocolate eyes leisurely. When he was up in a sitting position, Daisuke's lids fluttered for a moment, then lifted halfway. He gracefully tilted his head and looked around at a snail's pace, surveying them all. He kept blinking dawdling all the time. Then he tilted his head down and closed his eyes, reaching a hand out to his brown hair. It ran trough his spikes slowly and with a grace no one had ever suspected he could have. His lips moved and parted slightly, allowing a small moan to escape them as he charmingly let his fingertips move gently trough his hair.

No one dared to speak as they looked at him. He was mesmerizing in the slow, elegant way he moved, and no one could dare to shatter the moment. It was as if time slowed down, allowing them to savor every single second of that.

His lips puckered a little and when his fingers unbounded from his hair, he gave his head a little toss and blew air out trough his slight parted lips. He produced a low, soft sound, a sweet melody to the ears of whoever was close enough to ear.

With an elegant toss of his wrist, his hand dropped in his lap and Daisuke re-opened his eyes. Then he lifted his head, blinking in the sudden brilliance that shone down on his face trough the window. He squirted his eyes closed before blink them several times, to get used to the light.

As if he had opened his eye that very moment.

When the mahogany orbs focused, he couldn't suppress the cry of surprise that rose to his lips.

"G-guys…?" he murmured, a question more than a statement.

"You gave us quite a scare Dai." Ken smiled at his side, squeezing his hand a little harder.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" He smiled weakly. "I dragged you to the digital world to save it, but then you had to save me…" he sighed. "I guess it all was supposed to be a bait for me…"

"Bait?" Takeru frowned.

Daisuke nodded slowly, looking deeply in his blue eyes. "He wants me, right?" he shrugged. "And want he wants, he gets." Daisuke took in a deep breath and exhaled deeply, a long and sort of elaborate lungful of air which made Ken flinch.

"Not if we'll fight him." He offered.

Daisuke just shook his head.

"We should have left you here!" erupted Miyako. "where you're safer!"

"We know that, *now* Miyako." said Hikari. "How could we imagine what the Kaiser wanted?"

"So, it's settled." Concluded Iori. "No more journeys to the digital world for you, Daisuke."

Daisuke sighed again, not caring to hide his discomfort, as he placed a hand on his forehead. He looked like hurting and when he bit gently his bottom lip, he just confirmed the first impression he had given. Ken opened his mouth but Chibimon jumped on Daisuke's lap, waving angrily his little hands, a look of panic setting his eyes on fire.

"D'suke is tired! Let him rest! All of you, go away!!! Go! Go! Go!!!" he puffed out his cheeks, narrowing his eyes in attempt to look scary…and only succeeding in looking utterly kawaii.

"See you later, then!" Giggled Hikari, who was now at his side. "Rest, Daisuke…" She smiled sweetly and gave him a little peek on his cheek.

Takeru just stepped closer and waved a hand in front of his face, flashing him one of the famous "Ishida family" smiles. Iori bowed slightly before step outside the room. Miyako, being the overexcited teen that she was, rushed at his side and held out a finger in front of his nose, a rather angry look on her face.

"Now, don't do anything stupid as rushing outside and go playing soccer, or I'll have to do something *bad* to you! Ya heard me?"

"All right, *mom*…" Daisuke chuckled as Miyako rolled her eyes before reach the others in the corridor.

"Will you be all right, Dai?" Ken whispered, a little disappointed that Daisuke had let go of his hand to lie down. Ken's breath caught in his throat, a rush of warmth coursed through his body as Daisuke stared at him, and a huge, sweet smile appeared instantly on his lips.

"Hai…" he managed in a breath, his lids heaving. He shifted under the sheets and Ken carefully stood up and noiselessly walked outside. Chibimon burrowed under the covers, and quietly nuzzled closer to Daisuke. It was only when everyone had left the house, that he poked his head up. He hopped down the bed and scuttled across the floor, till he was in front of the door. There, after casting a last glance --one filled with worry and bordering to sadness-- at his companion, now tossing lightly in his sleep, Chibimon jumped up and locked them inside.

* * * * *

The Kaiser raged round his fortress, cursing the bad luck that let his designed prey flew away, and threading dreadful things to the one who had let all of his toys to run away.

A movement in the corner of the dark corridor caught his attention. When he looked over, his eyes made contact with a pair of glassy ruby ones. His digimon.

He growled in annoyance.

Typical.

Everywhere he went, he would have gone after him.

The Kaiser could feel his features twisting in a look of anger, and in response he ducked his head, allowing his hair to slide forward and conceal his face.

The digimon —now in his rookie form— stepped out the shadows which were surrounding him and gave his partner a long look.

There was a strange contrast between the boy and the digimon. The boy was wearing a wary look, paralyzed by his own rage, but the digimon stood calmly, and only by the slow way he let his lids drop and raise from every now and then, one could say he was a living being and *not* a some kind of toy.

The digimon Kaiser stepped closer and walked slowly around the little digimon, as the earth circle the sun. But that wasn't right, since *he* was the sun. The conqueror. The emperor. The *God*.

"You…" he hissed quietly, letting the tip of his tongue peer out his lips as a snake would have done. "You let them go…"

The digimon followed his "master" with his gaze as he spoke. "I had to." The Kaiser stopped to pace around the little body and stepped closer, bowing forward to be nearly at eye-level.

"What?" he hissed, evilness leaking from his voice.

"Daisuke was hurt." He replied. "What else did you want me to do? I had to let them go."

"You…" he blew air in trough his grinned teeth, producing a rather disturbing hiss, but the digimon didn't lose his calm.

"What did you want me to do? Stay there and wait for him to awake? Oh! How *smart* for me to do!"

At this point the Digimon Kaiser jerked up and before his digimon could ever think, his master's whip was sneaking toward him full force. In a flash it hit his rather puffy cheek and sent him flying toward the wall. As the ball of digital data hit the stone wall, the digimon Kaiser retreated his whip, ready to smash him again.

The little digimon suddenly looked up, his eyes narrowing in dangerous anger.

"I'm not *Wormmon*." He hissed. "You can't do as you please with me…I could always go against you."

"You wouldn't."

"No? I'm *your* digimon after all. My priority *isn't* to be whipped to blood. My priority is to protect, cherish and comfort." He stopped, slowly rising up. "…even if this could mean go against your wishes."

"Oh?" he said that completely nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. Then, he opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again as he realized the truth of what his digimon said. Being *theirs* digimon meant that, after all…he had done right, letting Daisuke go. "…sorry…" he growled, his own words clawing their way up his throat, burning the insides of his mouth and bruising his lips as they exited his mouth.

"What?" the digimon blinked, looking bewildered.

"Don't make me repeat myself!!!" The Kaiser snapped. "You heard me, I know you did."

Grinning evilly, his digimon hopped to his feet, shifting his weight forth and back to one foot and then to another, clasping his hands behind his back. "No, in all honestly I didn't. What did you say?"

His eyes flashed angry behind the heavy shades, but the digimon could see the little glint of amusement rippling their depths. "Now, don't challenge your luck, little thing."

The digimon shrugged. "Just trying to amuse myself."

"And don't try to imitate me!"

"Just trying to amuse myself!" he stock out his tongue at his master, who rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, which only made his digimon's smile grew eviler. "Are you angry Kai-chan?"

This took the Kaiser completely off guard. He swirled around and jerked his head backward, his usual grace suddenly gone for a brief moment. "WHAT??" His digimon blinked up at him.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"How dared you to call me…like…like…like…*that*??"

"Kai-chan?" he blinked, waving his little ears. "It's cute."

"I'm the *emperor*" he hissed, bending forward and reaching a finger out in front of the blue face "I'm scary. I'm evil, I'm everything *but* cute!" he raged. His hand automatically went to his whip. His digimon blinked before look at his hand, then he blinked again and looked straight up at his face. Realizing what he was doing, the Kaiser dropped his hand away from his weapon as if he had been burned. Then he swirled around and paced toward his control room, grumbling something under his breath.

"It's cute." The digimon shrugged once again, before hurry after him. "What do we do, now?"

The sparkling eyes of the evil tyrant darted toward the little thing bouncing at his side and he drew back his lips in displeasure. The digimon took the hint and sighed, his little shoulder raising and dropping in annoyance. "Excuse me if I dare to ask, you Royal Highness, but I'd like to know what do you need me to do."

"You're catching on." He smirked. "It sounded false, but it was better, indeed." He looked forward again, taking long, calibrate steps toward his final destination. "We need everything to be set by the next time they'll come here. I want those digidestined kids to be welcome guests in my fortress."

"You do?" the little comment was rewarded with a glacial look. "'K. Just checking. What kind of things do we need to set?"

"Oh, you'll see…" he smirked. "You'll see… …anyway." His gaze, who had previously returned to the dark corridor, was now back on the insolent digimon. "Be ready to fight. I want you to challenge them in battle."

"…" the little digimon looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his ears twitched and he blinked. "…Kai-…M-Master?"

"Oh, yes, you're catching on." the Digimon Emperor chuckled.

"Master…what do I do with the digidestined? Do I have to kill them?" The Kaiser stopped instantly. And his digimon could see by the working of his face that he was thinking, and the process seemed so deep and so…hearted that the digimon, in all his innocence, could just blink. At last, after a hard swallow, he spoke, his face expressionless, as his veiled by a fine, invisible sheet of coldness.

"You know what my final purpose is." He spoke quietly, his words leaving his lips in a breath as soft as butterfly's wing beats. "I shall give Daisuke what he wants. What he needs. I'll give him what he needs in order to keep living. He won't survive if he'll cut his wrist again." His eyes wandered unconsciously toward his own wrists. "Humans being are fragile. So fragile that a wind's blow a little stronger could shatter them into pieces. And Daisuke can't bear another blow. Not even one as gentle as a breath." His eyes narrowed as his tongue darted out his lips, to lick the suddenly dry skin. "And after I'll give him everything, he'll give me back whatever *I* need. The obscure corner of his soul, where shadows dance and twist as a living creature, will be my refuge and my home…and its voice, that sings broken nursery rhymes to him while he sleep, will feed me as I'll feed Daisuke with the gift of happiness. I'll give him a taste of life, letting him relish in the little bubble of soap that will be his happiness and he'll give me back…himself." The Kaiser smirked, letting his lips trace leisurely a wet line across his bottom lip.

His digimon was drinking in his words, a rather fascinated looks playing over his little features. He didn't even dare to breathe as he was scared to break the rather holy moment. All of a sudden he was overwhelmed by a need to worship and please this boy in front of him, who never had loved anything as much as he loved Daisuke in that moment. His digimon could feel it too, coursing all the way through his bones, rushing inside his vein and tingling through every fiber of his body.

Daisuke was the Kaiser's heaven.

But Daisuke was his hell as well.

His damnation and his glorification, Daisuke was the only being that could free him and allow him to rack this world under his domination, or else cage him forever.

The digimon sighed, shacking slowly his head.

Which choice was better?

Let a crazy dominator taking over the world, or leave a lonely soul be enchained for all the eternity in the depths of a blue damnation?

Let a young, carefree boy to be encaged in the glacial hug of a lethal love, or let a lonely soul take his only chance to fully live the life that had always been denied to him?

The digimon wasn't sure.

The only thing he was sure of, was the he would be by his master's side till the end.

No matter what.

"Let them live." The moment of "religious" truth came to an end, and the Kaiser hissed, chewing gently his bottom lip in dark pleasure. "Let them live, he *needs* them to be there." He restarted to walk, only to be stopped by the haunting little presence behind him, which gave voice to the conscience that he hadn't inside.

"And what about Ken?"

Something inside him stirred at the mentioning of that name. His eyes narrowed as he played in his mind the scene of him and Daisuke almost kissing. Over and over he let the images run in front of his eyes, killing a bit of his soul every time he remembered their lips nearly brushing, their breaths mingling, their looks crossing to share an intimacy he couldn't share with his tan skinned love.

He loved him because of the feelings Ken had held for the tan skinned boy since the first time he laid his eyes on him. The Kaiser knew that and Ken knew that too, somewhere deep inside.

This somehow raged them.

Both of them.

They just couldn't accept that.

None of them.

"Let him live, too." He stated quietly, resuming his walking. "He *needs* him, as well, but at a somewhat deeper level." The Kaiser snorted, narrowing his eyes till they became to glowing slides in which the shadows around him reflected themselves. "And I need to broke him with my own hands, if I want Daisuke to be completely mine."

* * * * *

He glanced at the small building before pushing open the door and entering. The warmth and aroma of coffee wrapped itself around him as he carefully stepped inside, slightly disturbed by the soft ring of the bells on the door announcing his arrival. His eyes scanned the whole shop, till a friendly waitress stepped up at his side, snapping him out of his trance.

"Are you alone or joining someone?"
Frowning slightly, the boy kept looking around, replying in the kindest voce he could manage at that moment: "Joining someone. But think they aren't arrived yet, though."
"Maybe you would like to seat down at a table and wait for your friends?"

He nodded silently and slowly made his way toward a lone corner, to settle down in the small table by the window, looking with eyes that held no sight at the warm cup of cappuccino that was being offered to him.

She walked sort of timidly inside the little shop, and took a few seconds to look around. A fresh aroma of coffee tickled her nostrils as she looked around. Suddenly a blonde glimpse at the corner of her eyes caught her attention and here he was, his back to her, but the never-missing hat making him unmistakable.

From the point where she stood at the entrance, she could see how her friend looked distracted, worried. The crystalline blue eyes were filled with something indefinable, but surely close to the worry.

She gracefully walked up to him and cleared her throat. "Sorry I'm late" Moving a lock of brown hair away from her eyes, she carefully sat down in the seat in front of him. He didn't even bother to look up, too absorbed in the way his coffespoon traced golden circles in the brown liquid.

Sighing, she decided to try something different. "Takeru?" She said softly as she laid a hand over his. It was cold.

The blue eyes flicked up towards her, a small frown on his face. "I don't understand."

Hikari, sighed, shifting in her seat to a more comfortable position. "Me neither, Takeru…everything is so strange…" her fingers unconsciously reached out toward her hair and her look wandered out the window. "Are you worried for him?"

"Is being worried for an old friend a crime?" he snapped, rather hurt.

"No, of course not." She shook slowly her head, returning her hazel eyes to his face. "But we never considered him before…God, Takeru what happened to us? How come we isolated him so much? Why are we realizing we care for him only now that we could lose him?"
He gazed straight into her eyes. "You're worried too, then." A slight nod of her head told him he was right. "Hikari…I can't help but be worried for him…" he looked down at his hand and entwined his fingers with her. "I don't know…he…radiate something…he radiate hope and yet I can feel he is hopeless. I'm the bearer of the crest of hope, Hikari, I can't deny this is puzzling me."

"And he radiate light, too." She nodded slowly. "But yet it seems like he had lost his light as well."

"Had the Kaiser done this to him?"

"I think so." She nodded slowly, locking her eyes with his, now wide and focused on her.

"Two cappuccino please, and very *heavy* on chocolate!!!!!!" the cheerful voice startled the two away from each other. The owner of the high-pitched voice grinned and added in a teasing tone, "What?! Did I just shatter one of those Kodak moments between our little couple?! Oooow…" she slumped down in a seat next to Hikari. "It was *his* idea, though."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" he protested, but shrugged. "I didn't even notice you two, I just suggested to take a seat and order." The littlest digidestined slowly sat down near his blonde friend. "Something's wrong?"

"A little something has been bugging me, yeah…" He replied, trying to sound nonchalantly. And luckily the cups that slided in front of their noses saved him from further explanation. "Here's your cappuccino." the waitress smiled sweetly, before walk away.

"So." Miyako paused as she took her time to blew on her cup and cool her hot drink. "What do we do, now?"

"Go seeing Daisuke it's the first thing to do, I think."

"Now?"

"We just exited school and we have noting planned for the evening, so why not?" Hikari shrugged. Then she looked around. "Where is Ken?"

"It should be coming." Miyako said before took a sip of her cappuccino. "I called him."

"I did it, too…" blinked Hikari.

"Ehm…me too…" added Iori, widening his eyes. Takeru, the only one who hasn't spoken yet, slid down his seat, dropping his shoulders.

"I did the same…I called him and adverted him not to miss…" he mumbled.

"For Daisuke's sake…" Hikari ended and everyone nodded. Miyako rolled her eyes, slamming her cup on the table rather hardly.

"I hope he didn't take it the wrong way!" she paused, letting out a heavy sigh. "I juts wanted him to be with Dai, cause I felt it is right…"

"We all felt the same, Miyako…" Hikari reassured, in her sweet, caring voice, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Her smile disappeared as the quiet voice questioned,

"So, tell me. Why is so important for you to make your leader met the former Digimon Emperor?"

She lowered her head, evading his piercing gaze, before answering, "That depends. I think he is the only one that can truly do something to help Daisuke." Suddenly, she looked up, her gaze serious and intense "Am I wrong, Ken?"

Big violet eyes narrowed briefly at the comment and he slowly make himself comfortable near the lavender haired girl. "It depends." He mumbled. "How and why do you think I could help him?"

"You're his partner!" said Hikari. "The one he shares the jogress shinka with!"

Ken shrugged.

"You know *why* the Kaiser wants him!" Miyako held out a hand in front of her as she noticed Ken's mouth opening for a reply. "And don't try do deny it! You don't know how or why but you knew the Kaiser was after him! You admitted it!" Ken shrugged again, letting out a some sort of resigned sigh and relaxed in his seat.

"You're his best friend." Stated Iori, his big emerald eyes narrowing.

"You're…" Leaning forward, Takeru whispered in a raspy voice, low enough just for the purple haired boy's ear to catch it. "You're his *love*." He pulled back in his seat and his eyes flinched up just in time to see Ken's face quickly converting from shock to embarrassment, a deep blush creeping over his usual pale cheeks.

"You-You mean it?"
"I mean it." He nodded. "He needs you cause you're *you*."

After what seems like an eternity Ken nodded and silently stood up.

Takeru sat, looking at him for a moment, delighted in the way he had made him uncomfortable and thinking over what kind of effect Ken had on their cinnamon haired leader. He sighed as he stood up, speeding up to catch after the other boy.

* * * * *

When Davis woke up, it was for the weight on his chest. The first thing he felt was the sharp pain of the light hitting his eyes. The first thing he heard was Chibimon's sweet whisper.

"How are you feeling, D'suke?" Daisuke opened slowly his still groggy eyes and blinked at the sight of his digimon sitting on his chest.

"Like I just came out from a washing machine…" he groaned.

The little digimon giggled, curving his big eyes into to tiny lines. He twitched his ears and moved happily his rather too big feet.

The memories of what had happened before he blacked out suddenly came back to him, and Daisuke looked around, trying to recollect the puzzle that was now his memory. He noticed the light was flooding copiously trough the blind. The next thing he noticed was that his head didn't hurt as before. So, feeling a lot better but still kind of tired, Daisuke sat up in the bed. He felt dizzy and tired, and it was strange since he should have slept for a long time.

"Ah!!" after realizing *that*, the question hit him like a slap. His gaze dash toward his alarm clock and his mouth fell open. "15:30…" he stated slowly. "Two hours after the clubs activities at school ends…" he blinked. He had missed school! "KUSO!!!!!!!" Daisuke flung his legs over the edge of his bed in a flash, but he had a hard time staying up. He was *tired*.

*Extremely* tired.

A hard knock on his door made him jump and fell down on his bed with a strangled yelp.

"SQUIRT! Open immediately this door!! Your friends are here to see you!!"

"J-Jun…?"

"AND WHO ELSE, IDIOT?! OPEN UP!"

"O-open up…?" Daisuke blinked, amused. The door was closed? From the inside? Who…? Then it hit him and his eyes fell down toward the big ones peering from under his sheets. They blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.

"…it was…safer…" eventually came the hesitant reply.

Daisuke shrugged as rose up from his bed, walking toward his door as fast as his legs let him. "Hi…" he breathed as he unlocked the door and peered outside.

"Come in…"He whispered, hiding his face from his friends. They slowly entered his room one by one and Iori noiselessly closed the door behind them.

Daisuke slowly went to his bed and sat down, wrapping the cover around his body.

"Feeling better?" asked Takeru, sitting down on the only chair.

"…kinda." He muttered.

"You really scared us, Dai!!" giggled Hikari.

Now, where did I already heard that??

"You even missed school!!" scolded Miyako.

Really?? Tell me something I didn't know already!"

"You look better, though, maybe still a little pale…" breathed Iori.

Are their brains short-circuit?? It isn't too difficult of a concept to grasp, that being pale his a *clear* signal of a some kind of disease!

"Are you sure you're all right, Daisuke?" Takeru blinked, noticing the emotions playing over his face.

OH! Like if he gave a damn.

"Don't worry, Dai!" giggled Kari. "We'll help you feeling better!!"

How? Jumping down a cliff? Idiot little bitch…

…Oh god.

Chocolate brown eyes widened in horror as Daisuke realized *what* he had been thinking.

He *wasn't* supposed to think like that.

With such venom.

He was supposed to be their friend.

Not someone who threw them free insults…

In a voice that *didn't* belong to him.

"Oh, my…"

"Are you alright, Dai?" Ken's concerned voice almost broke him, but he quickly shrug off the pale hand tentatively placed on his shoulder. Daisuke knew he had to look pale or something, since he could feel the blood quickly rush away from his face.

"I'm…I'm fine…" he looked up at the deep pools of purple which were Ken's eyes… "Ken…" Every time Daisuke looked straight into Ken's eyes he felt like drowning. At the scary thing was that he *liked* it.

Yeah, yeah…he is cute indeed…

"Ken, I…"

"Daisuke?"

Bah…Over with that shit!

"I…I…I…" Daisuke lowered his head, focusing on the sheets. "Go away, please…"

"But Dai…"

"You don't understand!" he yelled, shutting his eyes "I said go away!!"

Ken reached one hand up and brushed a lock of hair away from his face. Surprised that he was on the verge of tears, Ken reached his hand out toward his shoulder, murmuring softly his name:
"Daisuke…"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!!" he screamed, slapping Ken's hand away. Instantly, he retreat it.

Now the boy *knew* something was wrong. Daisuke was *never* like this. Not without a reason. Not with him.
"Daisuke what…" Hikari stepped closer, confused.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" he screamed, trembling madly. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!"

Tsk! How could them?

And with that he jerked up to his feet and ran away.


"Daisuke!" Ken screamed as he run after him and Chibimon, now on Daisuke's shoulder. He was looking back at them, his red eyes wide and apologetic. Ken didn't need to turn around to know the other were following him as he ran after Daisuke, rushing like there was no tomorrow through the corridors. Then, they reached him…

In front of Jun's computer.

Holding out his digivice.

"NO DAISUKE!!!"

"DIGIPORT OPEN!!!!" he yelled. A great light filled the room, and a second later Daisuke was gone.

* * * * *

Daisuke opened his eyes to find himself flying through a void filled with millions little fragments lights and colored bows spiraling around him. He reached a hand out and caressed a bright beam of indigo as it circled around him, giving off a musical note. When the strange wave that separated him from his friends the last time came, Daisuke just closed his eyes, letting the wave of energy surround him. Not fighting it, but welcoming it in every way he knew, he took a deep breath in and waited.

Waited.

Waited.

Too see what he didn't want to see.

Too ear what he feared to ear.

The world then became dark as he slid deeper through the once colored void. Even if his eyes were closed he could see flash of with light here and there, he briefly wondered when he'd arrive, when all of a sudden. He stopped feeling like whirling in a glass of water.

The brief journey brought him in a very bright place, were the purity of the last sunrays blinded him. He reached a hand out in front of his face, giving his eyes the time to adjust to the light. He blinked and looked around, until he saw Veemon's sweet eyes looking up at him.

He blinked and his digimon did too, mirroring his action. Then, the blue ball of fur smiled and it was Daisuke's time to mirror the other's action. Carefully placing one foot in front of the other, Daisuke took his first hesitant step outside the forest and inside the flower field, where the violets were still waiting for him, whispering softly in the warm breeze.

Walking silently through the emerald grass, embellished by shining pockets of silver blue petals, Daisuke slowly found his way toward the lake. Its azure surface rippled and danced at the point where the small waterfall bubbled into the limpid water.

As he reached the edge, the tan skinned boy rested his back against a high palm, his eyes lost and faraway. He slowly slid down the tree, closing his eyes and tilting his head down toward the blue water as he touched the ground.

And waited.

His digimon at his side, his arms placed on his knees.

He waited.

Until he opened his eyes, and his gaze met why the sight he didn't want to see.

"Kaiser…" he whispered.

"Daisuke…" he purred back.

"…why…?" he chocked out a last, closing his eyes to block the painful sigh in front of him.

"Oh, Daisuke…" he purred again, sending a shiver to run down the tan skinned boy's spine.

"This isn't right…why? Why…? Why?!" he cried, his voice quickly rising from a whisper to a loud yell.

"I'll give you whatever you want, Daisuke…whatever you need…close you eyes, Daisuke, and relax…I won't hurt you…"

"…why…?" he chocked again.

"You're mine Daisuke, I'm yours…"

"…no…"

"It's not use denying what destiny settled for us, Daisuke…" he licked his lips. "Come to me…and I'll give everything you need, everything you want…"

"…everything…I…want?"

He laughed at this. "Didn't I provide you with the thing you need the most while you dreamt?"

Daisuke's eyes widened in shock. "It was you…it was you all along…"

"I gave you happiness during those dream, didn't I? Now let me give you *really* what will make you happy, my Daisuke…"he paused, feeling the uncertainty rushing inside Daisuke.

"No one ever cared for you, my Daisuke…have they ever listened to you? It's a horrible world, Daisuke…where people are closed-minded…they hate you cause you've proved to be different, to think different…they had cast you away for not fitting a prefixed mould…" The Kaiser voice was as sweet as poison and as mesmerizing as nothing Daisuke could compare it to. "They have never accepted you, and they'll never will. I'm the only one that love you and I'll protect you, I promise, so…stay here with me, forever...I'll stop the pain, Daisuke, I'll stop the laughs, the beats…I'll heal your soul…let me Daisuke…just say 'yes' and let me save you…"

Daisuke's hand jerked up to grab the goggles, glistening in the daylight on their resting spot above his head, and tossed them on the ground. The glass shattered and billions little fragments flied everywhere. Embellished with reflected sunrays, glimmering teardrops and pulsing red blood.

"Daisuke!" Veemon cried as he rushed to his side, noticing the ruby track slid down his hand as he gripped the broken goggles tightly.

"…save me…" he whispered. "…yes…save…me…"

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

To be continued in part 04: Return

Well? What did you think? Good? Bad? Strange? CRAZY? @_@

Surely that was *long*…-_-;; now you understand why I had to divide this in two…

Send me feedbacks and tell me what you think! It gives me confidence and helps me write more stuff, better (hopefully!!!) and faster!!! So, please review!!!

I just hope I haven't been too evil ending the chapter *there*… ::glances nervously at a mob of angry readers who are coming dangerously closer, holding out every kind of weapon you could imagine::

AAAAH!!!!! ::squeezes stuffed Ken-chan and Daisuke dolls and whimpers:: Oh, I didn't mean to be evil!!!! _ Go tell it to my muses!!!!!!!!!!