[Sorry this chapter took a little longer than expected, but a mix of writer's block and a heavy workload tends to slow production down. I'm trying to increase production, and I know it's hard getting so little every week, but please just bear with me until I can manage my time better. Now then, when we last left Ken, he had an unlikely encounter with his dead brother…]
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Slowly, the battered, bleeding, and bruised figure of Sam materialized before Ken's eyes. He stood confidently before him with a little evil sneer on his face.
"S-Sam?" asked Ken very apprehensively.
"Who else would it be?" asked Sam, readjusting his broken glasses.
"I… I just can't believe it," said Ken. "How could you… How is this possible?"
"Oh Kenny, you were always naïve," said Sam. "So weak. You lost sight of what real power is."
"What are you talking about?" asked Ken.
"Simply put, this is possible because I make it possible," said Sam. "That is the power that I now possess."
"Power?" asked Ken.
"Can't you feel it?" asked Sam, looking very pleased. "It's so… incredible. Not even you know the feeling that courses through my veins, even when you were at your zeal."
"You're talking in riddles," said Ken.
"It's very simple," said Sam. "I now have the same kind of power you possessed as the emperor, only far more potent. The surging energies are indescribable. It's like nothing I've ever experienced."
"You've got to be kidding!" exclaimed Ken. "That power is pure evil! It's monstrous! You can't let yourself be consumed by it Sam! Fight it! Don't give in!"
"What makes you think I want to fight it?" asked Sam. "You surrendered your power, but I won't. I'm too smart for that."
"No…" said Ken forlornly. "You… this can't be you."
"I can help you Ken," said Sam as he placed his hand on Ken's shoulder. "I can answer your questions. I can tell you exactly what happened."
"You… can?" asked Ken.
"Of course," said Sam. "I can tell you everything you need to know."
"No…" said Ken. "No! You're not Sam! Sam could never become evil like you! I'll never be like that again and I won't allow it to happen to you!"
"Oh please," said Sam. "You actually consider me evil? Oh, if it were only as simple as that. You don't get that there is no line between good and evil. The world isn't black and white; right and wrong; good and evil. It's all one shade of gray. In the end, it's your own prejudices that make you think I'm evil. You don't see me for what I truly am, for what I represent. You don't see that we are all working towards the same end. You knew, in very limited terms, what that end was at one point. But then you lost your perfection; you became weak; you became one of them."
"I was saved by them," said Ken. "I was evil when I was the emperor."
"You only think so because they told you so," said Sam. "They have destroyed just as many digimon as you did. Digimon like Devimon and Etemon, The Dark Masters, and Myotismon on THREE separate occasions all fell to them, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In the end, you can see how good and evil are both the same."
"But… but we were only trying to save innocent lives," said Ken, clearly shaken. "Those evil digimon had to be killed; there was no other way."
"Think about it Ken," said Sam. "Though their tactics might differ a bit, both 'good' and 'evil' as you call them are seeking the same goal. Join with me and I can restore your perfection, Ken. Join with me and you can help to achieve what all forces in the Digital World have been striving for, for over a millennia."
"You're not Sam at all, are you?" asked Ken with tears in his eyes. "Who are you?! Tell me!"
"No, I suppose I'm not your dearly departed brother," said Sam. "But this IS the form your mind chose for me. I find it rather befitting. But now if we are almost done, I can make you an offer. That spore that you still carry within you is very much alive. It is lying dormant for now, but it can be reawakened. Back when it remained in power, Malo Myotismon intentionally kept its true potential suppressed, as he feared it would grow even stronger than he was. It never reached more than 30% capacity. I on the other hand do not fear the spore's power. I choose to embrace it, to be caressed by its shear might. I would hope that you would choose to do the same."
"Never!" shouted Ken as his eyes washed over with tears. "You can't make me go back!"
"Come on Ken," said Sam, leaning in closer. "I know you can still hear it. It echoes deep inside your mind. You can still hear his voice. There is no escaping it. You know that when we reach our goal, there will finally be order. There will be no more needless deaths. I'm sure that your brother and Mr. Oikawa would have appreciated that order. I'm sure they would have preferred to live. And let's not forget your friend, Wormmon. He sacrificed himself out of his own weakness, out of fear of what he considered 'evil'. You were lucky to get a second chance with him, don't blow it Kenny boy."
"I… I don't know what I…" sobbed Ken, choking on his own spit.
"Do you remember Ken?" asked Sam. "Can you remember the power you felt when you released your darker side against Daemon? The power in you is enough to banish even the most powerful digimon from your sight! And I am the only one who can help you to feel that power again!"
"I don't want to be afraid," said Ken. "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt. I… I just want everything to be alright again."
"Join me Ken," said Sam. "I can make you strong again. I can make you perfect. And together, you and I will have all the power we need to realize that which has been our dream for ages. We have hungered for this day Ken, and now it rests on your shoulders to accept your fate. Do you want order? Do you want perfection?"
"…No…" whispered Ken.
"No?!" demanded Sam.
"That's right," said Ken, seeming to gain strength again. "I'm not going to help you! You can't make me, and you certainly can't stop the others! You will not win!"
"So be it…" said Sam, his eyes filling with rage. "This would have been easier and much less painful had you cooperated, but I can't let you simply refuse me. You will bend to my will whether you like it or not!"
Sam's entire body was cast in shadows as he removed a crest from around his neck. The demonic red light that poured from the vile crest cast a fiery din over Sam's figure. The crest itself was in the shape of three triangles swirled together like a cyclone with the points meeting in the middle. Upon revealing the crest, a strong wind picked up from beneath Ken, causing his hair to flail wildly around him. A severe pain ran up and down his spine as a small point on the back of his neck matched the glow of the crest. Ken cried out in agony, overcome by terrible pain and hatred.
"Give in to me, human," said Sam. "Only I can take the pain away now."
Ken was entirely illuminated in a red glow that seemed to spring from the ground beneath him. The wind blew so strong on him that he was nearly forced right off the ground. His muscles tensed and his face was filled with terrible suffering.
"Surrender, or I'll be forced to kill you," said Sam indifferently.
"…N-n-n…" struggled Ken.
"Something you wanted to say?" asked Sam.
"Never!" screamed Ken, suddenly causing the wind around him to disperse, blowing Sam back a few feet.
Ken looked at Sam with eyes like flaming daggers. Before Sam had recovered, Ken rushed at him, brutally kicking him in the stomach and causing him to double over in pain. Ken didn't stop there though. A swift kick to the face knocked Sam on his back. Ken pounced on him, closing his hands tightly around Sam's neck and trying to crush it as hard as he could. After a few seconds though, a wave of reddish energy shot from Sam, knocking Ken away. When Ken stood up again, he saw Sam floating in front of him, a devilish smile smeared across his face.
"I knew you still had it in you," said Sam. "Your cruelty is as strong as ever Ken. And now, your crest has fallen. Cruelty has won against kindness, and now you will bow to myself and to the Crest of Corruption that I bear! Welcome home, emperor…"
Day 24
Another day came for the DigiDestined, and once again they had all agreed to meet in the middle school computer lab once school was out. It was an overcast day with almost no wind. A strange feeling lingered in the air all day long. One by one they gathered in the small room that looked out over the virtually abandoned campus. However, it once again seemed that their numbers were steadily decreasing.
"This is getting worse," grumbled Tai.
"No kidding," said TK.
"Who's disappeared now?" asked Joe, who had just arrived.
"Sora and Matt," said Cody.
"Any leads on how it happened?" asked Izzy.
"Well I was with Matt at the time," said TK. "We were just hangin' out at his place, playing video games and stuff. I went to the kitchen to grab a snack and when I came back he was just gone. I swear I couldn't have been gone more than three minutes and I didn't hear a sound. It was just so… strange."
"Sora and I were supposed to meet to do our homework together," said Tai. "We agreed to meet at her place, but when I got there no one was home. I got someone who knew me to let me in and I headed up to her apartment. The door was unlocked, the TV and stereo were on, and there was a bag of chips left lying out. Normally that last thing wouldn't throw me, but Sora is such a neat-freak. She'd never leave all that stuff like that before going out, but she was nowhere to be found."
"Our little problem is getting more serious every day," said Joe with a grimace.
"Please tell me you're close, Izzy," pleaded Cody.
"Like I said, it's only a matter of time," said Izzy. "I just wish I knew how much. I'm not gonna' lie. I don't know what has happened to our friends, but it can't be good. Unless we can hurry, the same will happen to us."
"I knew this would happen," said Kari despondently. "I knew there was something very wrong, but I didn't say anything. It's my fault."
"Don't talk like that Kari," said TK. "Even if you had said something it probably wouldn't have made a difference. There's no way we could've prepared for what's going on."
"Besides, there's no time for regrets," said Izzy. "I'm going to be taking a leave of absence from school until I find us a way though the gate. My advice to you guys is to stick together at all times. It seems that our friends only disappear when they're alone, so I'm willing to bet that there's safety in numbers."
"I'm really scared," said Yolei. "What'll happen if we can't solve this mystery before we all disappear? Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?"
"Just try to stay where there's lots of people," warned Izzy. "Other than that, I-"
Before Izzy could get out another word, the computer behind him sparked to life, shining a brilliant white light over him. Izzy felt himself being yanked back by the strong force of the computer, but he was saved at the last moment. Tai threw the full weight of his body into Izzy, tossing him out of harm's way, but sacrificing himself to do so. Davis had been cleaning his goggles, but he jumped up instinctively, dropping them on the ground. Tai grabbed at the air as his legs slid into the computer screen. Davis locked arms with Tai, stopping him just in time.
"Don't let go!" shouted Tai as he struggled against the computer.
"Hey guys!" shouted Davis. "Help me out!"
TK grabbed Davis' waist, and Kari grabbed onto TK. Izzy was still on the floor, but Joe, Yolei and Cody all grabbed onto TK and Davis, helping to pull Tai out. However, their efforts were clearly failing.
"I'm coming Davis!" shouted Demiveemon as he leaped onto his partner's back to help him pull. Suddenly, Davis' shoes slipped and Tai was gone, but Davis was now buried shoulder-deep in the computer himself.
"Help me!" shouted Davis.
There was nothing the others could do though. One at a time, their grips began to give out. Finally, only TK and Demiveemon still held Davis, with TK gripping Davis' belt and Demiveemon holding a leg. Davis' face was under an inch away from the screen and he was sweating bullets. The others all held TK, but his grip was failing too.
"Don't worry!" shouted Demiveemon. "I gotcha' covered! Demiveemon digivolve to-!"
Before Demiveemon could complete his digivolve though, TK's grip failed, causing the entire group to fall backwards. Davis was pulled through the gate along with Demiveemon, who still held his leg.
Those that remained all just stared at the computer from the ground. The monitor flipped off, and everything seemed perfectly normal.
"So that's how it happens…" mused Izzy. "Prodigious."
They all slowly stood up again, dazed by the experience. Very cautiously, Kari approached the place where Davis had been sitting just a few moments earlier, cleaning his goggles. The goggles lay on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she could see that a long crack ran through the center of the right lens.
Back in the DigiWorld, underneath the ever-expanding gaze of a cloud that cast eternal night over everything it touched, an ancient base was once again running at its full capacity. Hundreds of Tankmon and Gardromon patrolled the halls while Datamon and Hagurumon performed assorted tasks. Groups of Mekanorimon, Clockmon, Giramon, Metalmamemon, and even a pair of Metaltyrannomon and an Andromon could be found wandering the premises. Outside, at the entrance, a sandstorm whipped around a tall, thin man in a black cloak with blue lining. His face was hidden beneath his hood, and he seemed to exude evil.
"Halt," said a Mekanorimon at the door. "What is your business here?"
"I will not be questioned by such inconsequential creatures," said the man in a low, raspy voice.
The Mekanorimon's power systems suddenly overloaded all at once without warning, sending out sparks and smoke. The now disabled mechanical digimon slumped back against the wall of the facility as the man proceeded through the door without missing a beat. He proceeded into the rank depths of the complex, walking forward with precise knowledge of where to go. In another ten minutes, he reached the control room and stepped through the door. Datamon were hastily working at the computers along the walls while one figure stood in the middle of the room, working at the center console.
"I take it you're too busy to welcome an honored guest," said the man in the black robes.
"I didn't expect to see you again," said the figure at the center console without turning to face his visitor. "Has the Vanguard lost so much faith in me?"
"Let's just say that you've proven yourself to be… unreliable," said the man. "I'm here to deliver a message: this is your last chance. Failure and death are now the same for you."
"You're bluffing," said the figure. "We both know that you need me a lot more than I need you."
"Wrong," said the man. "There is another to take your place. The only reason you've had this many opportunities is simply that he is not ready to come to us yet. Your bumbling has cost the project years. Either the DigiDestined die, or you do."
"Sir!" said a Datamon. "We've confirmed three new acquisitions. Two humans and a digimon."
"You know where the digimon goes," said the figure. "What about crests?"
"Courage and Miracles," said Datamon. "Both are very strong. This could be a challenge."
"It should prove a simple task for me," said the figure. "They shall all fall to my might."
"You have no reason to be overconfident," sad the man. "Remember, we're watching you, and we do not like what we see. We have already lost one of our ancient order for you, and it was a high price to pay. We will not be paying it again."
"Relax; you guys at the Vanguard take things WAY too seriously."
The man's eyes filled with rage and he moved to grab his subordinate, maybe even kill him. However, that came to a stop when the figure spun around, the white digiegg in his hands. The man stopped in his tracks, backing away nervously.
"Why do you keep that thing?" asked the man. "It can do our cause no good."
"I keep it to keep you guys at bay," said the figure. "Now unless you are looking for some trouble, you had better skulk back to your brethren."
"This will not be forgotten," said the man, regaining his composure. "Even if you succeed this time, your fate is sealed."
"Hardly," said the figure with an evil smile. "With this in my possession, even he will have to do what I say."
"You'll regret this course of action," said the man as he turned to go. "You're just like your younger brother. Rogues like you have no place among us."
"When my reign comes, you'll be the first to die," said the figure.
The man walked out of the base, the haunting laughter of the shadowy figure nipping at his heels.