I don't own Digimon, I wish I did...
Someone emailed me mentioning that the Digimon Adventure and 02 series is an
anime in the Tamers universe - Unfortunately, I'm missing the Megidramon
episodes - which if I remember, has Takato looking at an Agumon plushie or
model (I'm waiting for Toei's Vol 9 release of Tamers. Later this month I
think) I couldn't remember if they did the same thing in the Japanese series -
I was always under the impression the Series 1 & Series 2 being a cartoon was
more of a US Dub move than anything else - but I could be wrong.
Personally, I would really be offended to be told I was from a cartoon and if
they promptly began to rattle all my personal history and antics. So.....
with that in mind, I decided to just skirt the issue entirely and link the two
universes more like they did in the Wonderswan games. :)
Also, I'm making up Ryo's relationshiop to Osamu I have no bloody clue wether
they really knew each other. I'm assuming they should have since they seem
about the same age. I think its odd that Ryo would get to know Ken otherwise
otherwise too... so... anyways... that's just a bit of information about where
I'm coming from.
Enough babbling from me... Here's the next chapter.
Digital Convergences Chapter 5 - "A Turn for the Worse"
by Vivi-Chan
-----
Ken looked pretty good this morning... Daisuke thought. He had awoken to
seeing Ken learning the card game from Jianliang with Takato and Ryo offering
helpful tips.
Daisuke would have loved the attention that Ken was regularily lavished.
Fangirls. Love Letters. Chocolates. Ken always gave the latter to V-Mon who
was a chocolate fiend.
In all areas Ken was superior to him. It galled him just a bit.
"I'd gladly trade it all to be normal," Ken had once told him after a soccer
match. Ken stayed the night and they had been talking while Minomon and
Chibimon played with each other.
Of course... Ken could afford to say it. Daisuke was always just a tad jealous
of Ken. He was smart. He was athletic... then again... Ken always went out of
his way to help him. Especially with homework.
Ken was also incredibly reserved and had enough mental problems and anguish to
make Daisuke - ultimately... say it wasn't worth it to be in Ken's shoes. How
his friend stayed sane was a huge mystery at times, but he figured Ken relied
heavily on his parents, their friendship and Wormmon's companionship. It was
sort of like a stool - you couldn't sit on one unless it had three legs!
"So can you show us what a Card-Slash is like?" asked Miyako while nibbling on
a bit of toast with jam.
"I'm sure we could," said Takato, eagerly. "Right guys?"
That would be cool to see a card slash. It sounded SO cool. He wanted to see
one just to imagine himself performing one to the cheering of fans. Or
rather... Hikari-chan.
"I'm not going to waste Renamon's strength," said Ruki. Couldn't she lighten
up?
"What exactly are you going to use the cards on?" asked Jianliang.
Takato looked stumped at that looking around. "How about that rock over there?
" He pointed at an outcropping.
"C'mon Guilmon!" exclaimed Takato.
"Waaaaai!" The red Digimon seemed really caught up in the notion. "Guilmon
play!"
Takato pulled out a card, holding it briefly at eye level. Holding his D-arc
cupped in the palm of his hand he twirled it in his hand so that as he raised
it, the scanner slot faced upwards. Overhead he slid the card smoothly through
the reader. "Card Slash! Attack Plug-in A!"
It looked SO cool. Takato was lit with a green light as the ground beneath him
seemed to glow with a digital grid beneath him. The card itself seemed to
spark with energy as it ran through the reader. He HAD to get himself one...
He remembered to watch Guilmon, who spit out an impressively LARGE fireball.
It obliterated the rock and created a glassy pit in the ground. "I wanna D-
Ark!!!!" protested Daisuke. He sideled up next to Takato, elbowing the boy.
"Hey.... I'll trade my D-3 for your D-Ark!"
Takato scratched his nose, "I'm not sure that it'd work... I mean... I lent my
D-Ark to my friend Kato-san... she tried to card-slash with it but nothing
happened."
Nothing... happened? Daisuke dropped his head, crestfallen... "That's not
fair..." he heard himself whine, slumping to the ground. "But I want one!" Yes
he was being incredibly childish... he had been hoping though, that it was
somehow possible.
Ken was obviously trying to placate him, "Calm down... Motomiya..." Ken was
glancing at the Tamers. "Ryo-san...? Could I possibly... see your D-Ark? I'd
like to see if there is any possible way of converting a D-3 into a D-Ark..."
Daisuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're a REAL pal Ken!" he
exclaimed hopping to his feet and grabbing Ken's hands and shaking them
vigorously. "I'll do your homework for you for a month!"
"He's better of not doing his homework at all. If you do his homework for him,
" said Miyako snidely. "You'd just drag his grade down."
"Shaddup." Why did Miyako always have to put it that way? Wasn't it supposed
to be something more like 'it's the thought that matters?'
"It's all right Miyako... it's the thought that matters..." Ken voiced.
Daisuke felt a surge of triumph. At least he could count on Ken to understand
how he felt!
"Oh... um sure..." said Ryo, passing over his D-Ark. "I don't think it'll
really help. It's not like I had a D-3 miraculously transformed into a D-Ark."
Ken smiled, accepting it. "Thank you Ryo-san."
-----
Jianliang was curious, hovering over Ken somewhat. "Do you really think it's
possible?" he asked.
Ken was studying the D-Ark intently, "I don't know.." He fiddled with it for a
moment. "I think it's worth an examination - if nothing else." He frowned
slightly.
"You must enjoy electronics?" Jianliang asked. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"I prefer programming," Ken did look for a moment as if he might object but
then he smiled. Jianliang wondered if it had just been his imagination. Ken
resumed studying the device. "Please sit down."
Jianliang eased himself into a cross-legged position craning his head slightly
to watch what Ken was doing.
"Really?" asked Jianliang. "My father's a programmer... he worked on a project
20 years ago that brought Digimon into existance."
Ken looked up, seemingly fascinated. "Really... What do you know about it?"
"Well... the D-Ark was designed as an interface of sorts to connect a human to
the Digital World. That's what one of my dad's former associates put it. It's
used to 'realize' digital data in the real world through the transference of
data."
"Creating matter from the quantum level?" Ken asked.
Okay... the boy was a creepy sort of brilliant. He had been teaching Ken how
to play the card game earlier this morning and had been impressed how quickly
Ken had caught on. It seemed the boy was very technically oriented.
"Yeah..." Jianliang replied.
"Fascinating," Ken replied. He pressed the centre button, and a slot opened on
the top of the D-Ark. He frowned. "Data port? So was the D-Ark designed
artificially?"
Jianliang nodded, "Apparently you can interface it with a computer... I've
never really tried it before." Although Shibumi did it to realize Grani. It
had involved a very complex explanation which only he had seemingly
understood.
He could get to like Ken.
"That's what I'm not very sure of," replied Jianliang. "It certainly can
accomplish things that seem like magic but a sufficiently -"
"- advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." said Ken
simultaneously. "Arthur C. Clarke."
Jianliang had to smile.
-----
"You're amazing, Ken-chan!" said Wormmon.
"Takato, you're losing your edge," said Ryo clapping the younger boy on the
shoulder. "You lost to a complete newbie."
"I was so sure it'd work," replied Takato with a faint pout. He extended his
hand to Ken. "That was a good game, Ichijouji-kun."
Ken shook hands with Takato.
"I don't think I've seen anyone pick up on the idea of combos so quickly
before," said Jianliang. He was bent over, observing the cards that had been
put into play.
"It simply means that you were an excellent instructor," said Ken with a
smile. He looked at Takato's hand for a moment then shook it. "It was a good
game."
"Takato isn't that good of a card player anyways," said Ruki with a snort.
"I'm not sure wether he just randomly uses cards hoping to hit on a combo."
"Well you play him then," said Takato.
"I don't think it'd be a fair game," said Ruki with a critical air.
"He just might surprise you," said Ryo.
Ruki seemed to shoot Ryo this annoyed look. Bleh. Daisuke thought that Ruki
needed to lighten up. If she was more like Hikari-chan, she might be cute.
"I don't mind. It's not always about winning," said Ken with a smile. "It's
always interesting seeing how other people strategize."
Daisuke was getting really tired. Apparently there wasn't any chance of Ken
converting the D-3 into a D-Ark. Daisuke reached over for a can of soda. "Ya
know... Ken just might surprise you, Ruki." He popped the tab and guzzled it
down in a few gulps.
"All right then, don't say I didn't warn you," she replied.
Ruki pulled out her cards from the hip-pouch she wore. That was sort of cool.
Daisuke began to feel the caffeine working it magic and he decided that he
could actually concentrate.
Daisuke hadn't quite figured out the game, even with Takato's coaching -
watching Ken play against Takato hadn't helped at all either. Watching Ruki
and Ken play their cards it became utter confusion very quickly. It probably
would have helped if he even understood the rules... or for that matter the
strategy.
Ken set down a card. "Finish."
"Three turns...." said Takato with a note of awe in his voice.
Ruki had this completely stunned look on her face.
Daisuke started laughing, "Seee!!! I told you!" Daisuke pointed at her
waggling a finger. "Ken kicked your ass!"
Ruki looked furious, "Shut up...." She gathered up her cards and crammed them
in her pouch to go stalking off.
Ryo nodded approvingly saying, "That's my Ken. A genius just like his brother!
"
Daisuke stopped laughing. As a matter of fact, everyone had gone deathly
silent. Takeru. Miyako. Hikari. Everyone that knew Ken.
"Er... did I say something wrong?" Ryo asked, looking around from face to
face.
Damned right he did. Daisuke wondered how Ryo could say something like that.
"Y'know for someone that calls himself Ken's friend you really got alot of
nerve-" began Daisuke.
Ken was looking down at the ground, not meeting Ryo's eyes. "I'm sorry, Ryo...
I wasn't sure if you knew... but my brother passed away..."
----
"W... what?" Ryo had faced faced down Milleniumon countless times. He had
survived being blown from one universe to another. He wasn't so sure he could
survive this.
He only vaguely felt the ground as he sat down, his legs had given out on him.
Osamu? Dead? "When....? H-How? You're kidding me right?"
Ken replied, his voice barely audible. "Three years ago... it was a hit and-"
"A hit and run?" Of all the ways Osamu could have died. "Osamu was supposed to
do great things... like find a cure for cancer or... or... discover the answer
to life the universe and everything! Not get mowed down by some careless
driver!"
"I'm sorry Ryo..." Ken said softly.
He had really admired Osamu for his genius. He enjoyed hanging around the
Ichijouji family. He had tons of fun keeping Ken company when Osamu was too
busy doing homework to babysit the younger Ken.
"You okay about it?" Ryo asked softly. He had managed, albeit unsteadily, to
walk over to Ken, resting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I know he
meant alot to you..."
Ken nodded slowly, still not looking up.
"If you wanna talk later... I'll listen... 'kay? I'm going to go for a short
walk..." He really needed to get away and let it really sink in. "C'mon
Monodramon."
Monodramon gave a little faint sort-of honking noise as it scrambled to catch
up to him. "You knew his brother?" Monodramon asked curiously.
"Yeah.... we were classmates," Ryo replied as they walked. "He was really
smart... that was part of the problem. He wore glasses - in first grade even.
That was another problem... That made him, instantly, a target for schoolyard
bullies."
Ryo could see that Monodramon was digesting this information. "Really? Why
didn't he fight back? Is it that weird to be wearing glasses?"
Ryo grinned faintly at that. "He wasn't very good at actual punches." No.
Osamu was the the master of verbal punches. "And I think he was the only kid
in first grade to be wearing glasses."
The first time Ryo had met Osamu was when he was pulling off this one bully
that was intent on taking Osamu's calculator. It was pretty dumb now that he
thought about it - to be fighting over a calculator... but the calculator had
seemed SO cool back then.
It had sort of been the beginning of a really strange relationship. Ryo had
never been really bright. It was sort of like Beauty and the Beast... Ryo was
the wild one and Osamu was the really soft-spoken one.
"So... Ryo.... why exactly are we wandering around out here?" asked
Monodramon.
----
Ken listened to Ryo walking away. His head bowed, it was impossible for anyone
to tell that he was smiling and that the trembling was more from the
repression of laughter. How easy it was to fool these pathetic insects.
How simple it was to access the thoughts of this miserable fool that had
failed to ressurect him. Humans were so flawed by design. Them and their
compassion. Fools. Insects.
Our compassion is what will defeat you.
You're still around?
Of course he was still around. Just an insubstantial ghost, locked away where
he couldn't do a thing. Just watch and suffer. Watching the boy suffer was so
delicious. It was like feasting on ambrosia making him stronger still.
When you had a strong enough mind... oh it was so simple to bend a weaker one
to your will. Especially when you shared the same body. Ken's mind in
particular was a wonderful place. The light within Ken was strong, but because
of it's strength, so were the shadows. It was within the shadows that he had
lurked, feasting on Ken's minor frustrations, sustaining itself.
Arriving here, it was incredible to think that there could be so much of his
data still in existance.
There were no such things as hands, bodies and the like within the mind. But
he so enjoyed shaping what his victims perceived.
The room was lit with soft purple hues. A mental dungeon of sorts if you
considered it. He reclined on a throne of velvet and silk. Almost a ghost...
that's how weak the fool was. A pale waif of a boy was trapped like an insect
in a web. Given long enough, he could drain Ken to nothingness. Only a thought
away, he liked keeping Ken close to watch him suffer.
"What are you going to do with Ryo's partner?"
"His partner? I'm his partner!" It had seemed fitting that it mold its mental
image of itself into the Digimon Kaiser. The epitomy of everything that Ken
hated about himself.
"I should have been his partner! He was always with another Digimon! It made
it impossible to partner with him! Chosen Children! Always interfering! Nosing
about where you weren't welcome." He seized Ken's own mental image gripping
him by a fistful of hair. "And you! You were so close to restoring me! We
could have found him. He could have joined us! You fragile. Pathetic. Insect.
You disgust me."
He would need to initiate the second phase of his plan soon. Then he would be
together with Ryo. Forever.
"Ken..." He identified the voice as belonging to that annoying simpleton.
Daisuke. "I can't believe that Ryo was that insensitive-"
Turning his attention from the prisoner within, he focused back on Daisuke.
"You shouldn't blame him," he said, still not looking up. He stood up, careful
not to look anyone in the eye. "He didn't know... he couldn't have known. I'm
sorry, Daisuke... I want to be alone right now..."
He turned to walk away, he wanted to drop this absurd act. He wanted time to
initiate the second phase of his plan. It would be so easy to create a rift in
these two groups. Daisuke. He could tell the boy was jealous. Jealous that Ryo
seemed to be such a part of Ken's past. Oh it would be so delicious.
"Very soon.. my love..." he mumured to himself.
Someone emailed me mentioning that the Digimon Adventure and 02 series is an
anime in the Tamers universe - Unfortunately, I'm missing the Megidramon
episodes - which if I remember, has Takato looking at an Agumon plushie or
model (I'm waiting for Toei's Vol 9 release of Tamers. Later this month I
think) I couldn't remember if they did the same thing in the Japanese series -
I was always under the impression the Series 1 & Series 2 being a cartoon was
more of a US Dub move than anything else - but I could be wrong.
Personally, I would really be offended to be told I was from a cartoon and if
they promptly began to rattle all my personal history and antics. So.....
with that in mind, I decided to just skirt the issue entirely and link the two
universes more like they did in the Wonderswan games. :)
Also, I'm making up Ryo's relationshiop to Osamu I have no bloody clue wether
they really knew each other. I'm assuming they should have since they seem
about the same age. I think its odd that Ryo would get to know Ken otherwise
otherwise too... so... anyways... that's just a bit of information about where
I'm coming from.
Enough babbling from me... Here's the next chapter.
Digital Convergences Chapter 5 - "A Turn for the Worse"
by Vivi-Chan
-----
Ken looked pretty good this morning... Daisuke thought. He had awoken to
seeing Ken learning the card game from Jianliang with Takato and Ryo offering
helpful tips.
Daisuke would have loved the attention that Ken was regularily lavished.
Fangirls. Love Letters. Chocolates. Ken always gave the latter to V-Mon who
was a chocolate fiend.
In all areas Ken was superior to him. It galled him just a bit.
"I'd gladly trade it all to be normal," Ken had once told him after a soccer
match. Ken stayed the night and they had been talking while Minomon and
Chibimon played with each other.
Of course... Ken could afford to say it. Daisuke was always just a tad jealous
of Ken. He was smart. He was athletic... then again... Ken always went out of
his way to help him. Especially with homework.
Ken was also incredibly reserved and had enough mental problems and anguish to
make Daisuke - ultimately... say it wasn't worth it to be in Ken's shoes. How
his friend stayed sane was a huge mystery at times, but he figured Ken relied
heavily on his parents, their friendship and Wormmon's companionship. It was
sort of like a stool - you couldn't sit on one unless it had three legs!
"So can you show us what a Card-Slash is like?" asked Miyako while nibbling on
a bit of toast with jam.
"I'm sure we could," said Takato, eagerly. "Right guys?"
That would be cool to see a card slash. It sounded SO cool. He wanted to see
one just to imagine himself performing one to the cheering of fans. Or
rather... Hikari-chan.
"I'm not going to waste Renamon's strength," said Ruki. Couldn't she lighten
up?
"What exactly are you going to use the cards on?" asked Jianliang.
Takato looked stumped at that looking around. "How about that rock over there?
" He pointed at an outcropping.
"C'mon Guilmon!" exclaimed Takato.
"Waaaaai!" The red Digimon seemed really caught up in the notion. "Guilmon
play!"
Takato pulled out a card, holding it briefly at eye level. Holding his D-arc
cupped in the palm of his hand he twirled it in his hand so that as he raised
it, the scanner slot faced upwards. Overhead he slid the card smoothly through
the reader. "Card Slash! Attack Plug-in A!"
It looked SO cool. Takato was lit with a green light as the ground beneath him
seemed to glow with a digital grid beneath him. The card itself seemed to
spark with energy as it ran through the reader. He HAD to get himself one...
He remembered to watch Guilmon, who spit out an impressively LARGE fireball.
It obliterated the rock and created a glassy pit in the ground. "I wanna D-
Ark!!!!" protested Daisuke. He sideled up next to Takato, elbowing the boy.
"Hey.... I'll trade my D-3 for your D-Ark!"
Takato scratched his nose, "I'm not sure that it'd work... I mean... I lent my
D-Ark to my friend Kato-san... she tried to card-slash with it but nothing
happened."
Nothing... happened? Daisuke dropped his head, crestfallen... "That's not
fair..." he heard himself whine, slumping to the ground. "But I want one!" Yes
he was being incredibly childish... he had been hoping though, that it was
somehow possible.
Ken was obviously trying to placate him, "Calm down... Motomiya..." Ken was
glancing at the Tamers. "Ryo-san...? Could I possibly... see your D-Ark? I'd
like to see if there is any possible way of converting a D-3 into a D-Ark..."
Daisuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're a REAL pal Ken!" he
exclaimed hopping to his feet and grabbing Ken's hands and shaking them
vigorously. "I'll do your homework for you for a month!"
"He's better of not doing his homework at all. If you do his homework for him,
" said Miyako snidely. "You'd just drag his grade down."
"Shaddup." Why did Miyako always have to put it that way? Wasn't it supposed
to be something more like 'it's the thought that matters?'
"It's all right Miyako... it's the thought that matters..." Ken voiced.
Daisuke felt a surge of triumph. At least he could count on Ken to understand
how he felt!
"Oh... um sure..." said Ryo, passing over his D-Ark. "I don't think it'll
really help. It's not like I had a D-3 miraculously transformed into a D-Ark."
Ken smiled, accepting it. "Thank you Ryo-san."
-----
Jianliang was curious, hovering over Ken somewhat. "Do you really think it's
possible?" he asked.
Ken was studying the D-Ark intently, "I don't know.." He fiddled with it for a
moment. "I think it's worth an examination - if nothing else." He frowned
slightly.
"You must enjoy electronics?" Jianliang asked. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"I prefer programming," Ken did look for a moment as if he might object but
then he smiled. Jianliang wondered if it had just been his imagination. Ken
resumed studying the device. "Please sit down."
Jianliang eased himself into a cross-legged position craning his head slightly
to watch what Ken was doing.
"Really?" asked Jianliang. "My father's a programmer... he worked on a project
20 years ago that brought Digimon into existance."
Ken looked up, seemingly fascinated. "Really... What do you know about it?"
"Well... the D-Ark was designed as an interface of sorts to connect a human to
the Digital World. That's what one of my dad's former associates put it. It's
used to 'realize' digital data in the real world through the transference of
data."
"Creating matter from the quantum level?" Ken asked.
Okay... the boy was a creepy sort of brilliant. He had been teaching Ken how
to play the card game earlier this morning and had been impressed how quickly
Ken had caught on. It seemed the boy was very technically oriented.
"Yeah..." Jianliang replied.
"Fascinating," Ken replied. He pressed the centre button, and a slot opened on
the top of the D-Ark. He frowned. "Data port? So was the D-Ark designed
artificially?"
Jianliang nodded, "Apparently you can interface it with a computer... I've
never really tried it before." Although Shibumi did it to realize Grani. It
had involved a very complex explanation which only he had seemingly
understood.
He could get to like Ken.
"That's what I'm not very sure of," replied Jianliang. "It certainly can
accomplish things that seem like magic but a sufficiently -"
"- advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." said Ken
simultaneously. "Arthur C. Clarke."
Jianliang had to smile.
-----
"You're amazing, Ken-chan!" said Wormmon.
"Takato, you're losing your edge," said Ryo clapping the younger boy on the
shoulder. "You lost to a complete newbie."
"I was so sure it'd work," replied Takato with a faint pout. He extended his
hand to Ken. "That was a good game, Ichijouji-kun."
Ken shook hands with Takato.
"I don't think I've seen anyone pick up on the idea of combos so quickly
before," said Jianliang. He was bent over, observing the cards that had been
put into play.
"It simply means that you were an excellent instructor," said Ken with a
smile. He looked at Takato's hand for a moment then shook it. "It was a good
game."
"Takato isn't that good of a card player anyways," said Ruki with a snort.
"I'm not sure wether he just randomly uses cards hoping to hit on a combo."
"Well you play him then," said Takato.
"I don't think it'd be a fair game," said Ruki with a critical air.
"He just might surprise you," said Ryo.
Ruki seemed to shoot Ryo this annoyed look. Bleh. Daisuke thought that Ruki
needed to lighten up. If she was more like Hikari-chan, she might be cute.
"I don't mind. It's not always about winning," said Ken with a smile. "It's
always interesting seeing how other people strategize."
Daisuke was getting really tired. Apparently there wasn't any chance of Ken
converting the D-3 into a D-Ark. Daisuke reached over for a can of soda. "Ya
know... Ken just might surprise you, Ruki." He popped the tab and guzzled it
down in a few gulps.
"All right then, don't say I didn't warn you," she replied.
Ruki pulled out her cards from the hip-pouch she wore. That was sort of cool.
Daisuke began to feel the caffeine working it magic and he decided that he
could actually concentrate.
Daisuke hadn't quite figured out the game, even with Takato's coaching -
watching Ken play against Takato hadn't helped at all either. Watching Ruki
and Ken play their cards it became utter confusion very quickly. It probably
would have helped if he even understood the rules... or for that matter the
strategy.
Ken set down a card. "Finish."
"Three turns...." said Takato with a note of awe in his voice.
Ruki had this completely stunned look on her face.
Daisuke started laughing, "Seee!!! I told you!" Daisuke pointed at her
waggling a finger. "Ken kicked your ass!"
Ruki looked furious, "Shut up...." She gathered up her cards and crammed them
in her pouch to go stalking off.
Ryo nodded approvingly saying, "That's my Ken. A genius just like his brother!
"
Daisuke stopped laughing. As a matter of fact, everyone had gone deathly
silent. Takeru. Miyako. Hikari. Everyone that knew Ken.
"Er... did I say something wrong?" Ryo asked, looking around from face to
face.
Damned right he did. Daisuke wondered how Ryo could say something like that.
"Y'know for someone that calls himself Ken's friend you really got alot of
nerve-" began Daisuke.
Ken was looking down at the ground, not meeting Ryo's eyes. "I'm sorry, Ryo...
I wasn't sure if you knew... but my brother passed away..."
----
"W... what?" Ryo had faced faced down Milleniumon countless times. He had
survived being blown from one universe to another. He wasn't so sure he could
survive this.
He only vaguely felt the ground as he sat down, his legs had given out on him.
Osamu? Dead? "When....? H-How? You're kidding me right?"
Ken replied, his voice barely audible. "Three years ago... it was a hit and-"
"A hit and run?" Of all the ways Osamu could have died. "Osamu was supposed to
do great things... like find a cure for cancer or... or... discover the answer
to life the universe and everything! Not get mowed down by some careless
driver!"
"I'm sorry Ryo..." Ken said softly.
He had really admired Osamu for his genius. He enjoyed hanging around the
Ichijouji family. He had tons of fun keeping Ken company when Osamu was too
busy doing homework to babysit the younger Ken.
"You okay about it?" Ryo asked softly. He had managed, albeit unsteadily, to
walk over to Ken, resting a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I know he
meant alot to you..."
Ken nodded slowly, still not looking up.
"If you wanna talk later... I'll listen... 'kay? I'm going to go for a short
walk..." He really needed to get away and let it really sink in. "C'mon
Monodramon."
Monodramon gave a little faint sort-of honking noise as it scrambled to catch
up to him. "You knew his brother?" Monodramon asked curiously.
"Yeah.... we were classmates," Ryo replied as they walked. "He was really
smart... that was part of the problem. He wore glasses - in first grade even.
That was another problem... That made him, instantly, a target for schoolyard
bullies."
Ryo could see that Monodramon was digesting this information. "Really? Why
didn't he fight back? Is it that weird to be wearing glasses?"
Ryo grinned faintly at that. "He wasn't very good at actual punches." No.
Osamu was the the master of verbal punches. "And I think he was the only kid
in first grade to be wearing glasses."
The first time Ryo had met Osamu was when he was pulling off this one bully
that was intent on taking Osamu's calculator. It was pretty dumb now that he
thought about it - to be fighting over a calculator... but the calculator had
seemed SO cool back then.
It had sort of been the beginning of a really strange relationship. Ryo had
never been really bright. It was sort of like Beauty and the Beast... Ryo was
the wild one and Osamu was the really soft-spoken one.
"So... Ryo.... why exactly are we wandering around out here?" asked
Monodramon.
----
Ken listened to Ryo walking away. His head bowed, it was impossible for anyone
to tell that he was smiling and that the trembling was more from the
repression of laughter. How easy it was to fool these pathetic insects.
How simple it was to access the thoughts of this miserable fool that had
failed to ressurect him. Humans were so flawed by design. Them and their
compassion. Fools. Insects.
Our compassion is what will defeat you.
You're still around?
Of course he was still around. Just an insubstantial ghost, locked away where
he couldn't do a thing. Just watch and suffer. Watching the boy suffer was so
delicious. It was like feasting on ambrosia making him stronger still.
When you had a strong enough mind... oh it was so simple to bend a weaker one
to your will. Especially when you shared the same body. Ken's mind in
particular was a wonderful place. The light within Ken was strong, but because
of it's strength, so were the shadows. It was within the shadows that he had
lurked, feasting on Ken's minor frustrations, sustaining itself.
Arriving here, it was incredible to think that there could be so much of his
data still in existance.
There were no such things as hands, bodies and the like within the mind. But
he so enjoyed shaping what his victims perceived.
The room was lit with soft purple hues. A mental dungeon of sorts if you
considered it. He reclined on a throne of velvet and silk. Almost a ghost...
that's how weak the fool was. A pale waif of a boy was trapped like an insect
in a web. Given long enough, he could drain Ken to nothingness. Only a thought
away, he liked keeping Ken close to watch him suffer.
"What are you going to do with Ryo's partner?"
"His partner? I'm his partner!" It had seemed fitting that it mold its mental
image of itself into the Digimon Kaiser. The epitomy of everything that Ken
hated about himself.
"I should have been his partner! He was always with another Digimon! It made
it impossible to partner with him! Chosen Children! Always interfering! Nosing
about where you weren't welcome." He seized Ken's own mental image gripping
him by a fistful of hair. "And you! You were so close to restoring me! We
could have found him. He could have joined us! You fragile. Pathetic. Insect.
You disgust me."
He would need to initiate the second phase of his plan soon. Then he would be
together with Ryo. Forever.
"Ken..." He identified the voice as belonging to that annoying simpleton.
Daisuke. "I can't believe that Ryo was that insensitive-"
Turning his attention from the prisoner within, he focused back on Daisuke.
"You shouldn't blame him," he said, still not looking up. He stood up, careful
not to look anyone in the eye. "He didn't know... he couldn't have known. I'm
sorry, Daisuke... I want to be alone right now..."
He turned to walk away, he wanted to drop this absurd act. He wanted time to
initiate the second phase of his plan. It would be so easy to create a rift in
these two groups. Daisuke. He could tell the boy was jealous. Jealous that Ryo
seemed to be such a part of Ken's past. Oh it would be so delicious.
"Very soon.. my love..." he mumured to himself.
