Mockingbirds Inside a Gilded Cage
Securing a clip on the side or her loose lavender hair, Miyako half turned her head to see Sora hopping around their bedroom trying to get into a pair of new jeans.
"What's so important that I have to look "dressy casual"?" She demanded, smacking her leg with her fist to punish the jeans, and inadvertently bruising herself. Miyako held back a chuckle watching her with fondness.
"I'm just going to meet up with a few people who might be able to get me a decent job that won't have me flying back and forth from Tokyo to Silicon Valley."
"Then I'll brush my hair." Sora muttered wryly. Miyako grabbed the first pillow that came to hand and tossed it at her. Catching it adeptly, Sora smiled at her. She set it down softly and came over to Miyako, pants half zipped and grabbed her around the waist. "That sounds very important."
"You look nice, despite yourself." Miyako teased. Sora looked down at her blouse, and shrugged.
"You look nicer." She said petting her lover's soft hair. "You've been... different since we got back."
Miyako straightened her glasses and looked over her shoulder. "It that a bad thing?"
"No. It's good. Very very good." Sora whispered, unable to really express how she felt. "Sometimes, I just wonder... you know?"
"I love you, too, Sora chan." Miyako turned in her embrace and placed a finger on Sora's lips. The taller woman smiled down at her energetic lover. "Being away from you for so long... when I knew you needed me, made me realize, I could live without you. But I don't want to. I want us to be together everyday. I want to share everything in your life."
"You learned a lot while you guys were away." Sora noted. Miyako smiled as she saw the happiness welling up behind her wise scarlet eyes.
"I sure did." Miyako replied, stroking her cheek with one finger. Smiling, Sora leaned in for a slow, soft kiss as Miyako gently ran her fingers through her hair. "We're gonna be late."
Sora sighed, and after a moment, pulled away to finish dressing. "You really look beautiful, you know."
Smirking in response, Miyako sat on the bed and began storing her files. "Have you heard from Ken chan and Hika chan?"
"Not for a couple of days. We should drop by, after this meeting and see if they're okay." Sora said with concern. She sat opposite of the bed and began tying up her sneakers.
"Yeah, I don't want to miss out on being an aunt to that adorable Ichijoji chibi." She replied glibly. Though if she were honest with herself, she was very worried as well. Last time they'd come over, Ken had looked terrible. Having never been pregnant herself, Miyako didn't really know if this was part of the bargain or what. But she was certain Sora would know, because she was older and had more friends with kids, and clients with kids. And if she was worried, Miyako figured it couldn't be good.
"Well, I don't think Ken chan and Hika chan will be lacking for babysitters. If neither of their parents can do it, they have three "aunts" and seven "uncles" to lean on."
"Un, maybe one aunt that's more than willing for them to lean on her." Miyako teased. Sora smiled.
"Maybe." She admitted, offering Miyako her hand as she headed out the door.
Ken yawned and stretched before dipping his brush back into the bright blue paint that was to go on the nursery wall. He's been pretty pleased with the decorations so far. Daisuke had even done a little mural on the ceiling of Angemon and Angewomon looking over the room. He'd also provided them with an outline of little Tailmons around the room chasing a butterfly. It was sickeningly adorable.
"Hikari chan, you've got to see this." He'd said upon stepping into the medium sized room. He leaned on the doorframe and waited for her to come in. They'd been entirely unsuccessful that day, having brought along a terribly energetic Daisuke and a brooding Takeru. She came up behind him and smoothed his hair absently with one hand before looking in.
True it was a little small, but they wouldn't need that room to be huge. And in the middle of the back wall was a large window seat with sky blue cushions sewn into the upholstery.
"Oh." She said softy in surprise. "It's perfect."
"I noticed." He teased her, reaching out to tickle her sides. Hikari giggled and hugged him as she looked into the room and envisioned.
"Those butterfly curtains would be adorable in here, if I could find the right rods."
"I told you butterflies were cute for a girl."
"Or for an Ichijoji boy." Hikari shot back pleasantly, pausing to stick her tongue out at him. "I wonder if Dai kun and Take chan like this place as much as I do. Hey Daisuke!"
Daisuke bounded over to Hikari and grinned widely. "This is it."
"So sure are we?"
"Yup. This place is huge, but between the four of us, we should be able to cover it. And there's an art gallery down the street, and it's really not that far from where the others live." Daisuke pulled Takeru in to look as he was walking by. "What do you think?"
"I think... I'd better hire a mover? Or bribe Anikun and Tai chan."
Barring the unanimous decision to share their apartment, they hadn't agreed on much since. Particularly between Hikari and Daisuke, who both seemed to have developed a personal knowledge on how best to take care of Ken.
"Dai kun, I can handle it!"
"I'm stronger than you! It would be better if I helped him."
"I'm his lover, not you!"
Mutter. "How long is that going to last...."
"WHAT??"
And he'd had a terrible past couple of days which hadn't helped their compatibility in the least. His back and feet hurt constantly, and despite all of Tanaka's advise on what to feed him, he just wasn't feeling well enough to even eat. Which scared Hikari and Daisuke almost as much as anything. He wasn't really sleeping well either, and the day before he hadn't even gotten out of bed. Somehow, after a few days of sleeplessness, Hikari had performed the miracle of getting him asleep, and he'd stayed that way all day.
Ken suspected she'd gone into his mind and put him to sleep manually, but at this point he wasn't about to argue.
Which was why he felt so content to sit in the floor painting the border of the nursery, make tea, clean house, while Hikari and Daisuke were still out. He felt good for a change. Perhaps not great, and still tired and sore, but after that, not much could be worse. He wanted to do something while he had the energy to do it.
Ken set the paintbrush down and climbed up into the window seat. It was such a pretty view, and he'd come here sometimes, just to relax. On more than one occasion he would wake up in this window, having dozed off, entangled with Hikari's lithe limbs that had curled up to share the seat with him. Looking down at her, he never thought he could have felt this kind of happiness, despite how strange his life had been, and always was.
Strange thing was, he kept seeing that black haired woman around the city. He was sure she'd always been around. He just hadn't noticed her before. And he was sure he'd seen her sometime before, and she'd spoken to him before. But he just couldn't remember.
"If only I could grab hold of those last few elusive ones. I could complete the story for myself." He whispered to no one in particular. He might as well have been talking to Sam. It was something he did constantly, as a matter of habit, in her mind and verbally as well. She knew his voice and Hikari's. She loved it when Hikari sang to her, though it embarrassed Ken a bit when she would sing to his belly in public.
"What do you mean by that, Ken chan?"
Ken looked over to his Digimon, crawling tentatively into the room. Trying to bring the past few days back into focus, he remembered having an Kaiser style fit at some point. It must have scared him.
"I'm sorry I yelled, Wormon. I'm not sure what came over me."
Wormon widened his eyes, trying to express amusement. Or interest. Or alarm. It was difficult to tell.
"It wasn't that bad, Ken chan. And it's not why I'm concerned."
"What do you want to talk about, friend?" Ken asked, leaning over to help him into the window. He instead almost fell out himself. He blushed as he straightened himself, and offered a hand instead. Wormon hopped up and cuddled into his side.
"You were talking to yourself just now. About something elusive? A story you needed to complete?"
"I.... just have difficulty remembering sometimes. I worry those things I cannot reach within my own mind might be important."
"You've been keeping something from Hikari chan." Wormon said softly. Ken smiled. His partner never accused him, even when he was questioning his judgment.
"If she were seeing what I'm seeing, she'd say something, I'm sure. I don't know if it means anything."
Wormon watched Ken's hand as he caressed the curve of his stomach. Without looking down, he placed his other hand on Wormon's head and petted gently.
"Do you see anyone down there? On the street?" Ken asked and Wormon scuttled over his legs to take a look.
"There's two humans walking together. And the people in cars." Wormon looked to Ken for confirmation, and Ken nodded as though that was what he'd expected.
He glanced out the window himself again, and eyes darting to all the things Wormon couldn't see. Auras, destiny lines. But in particular, the black haired woman. Following that couple.
Does she follow death? Or does it follow her?
"Are you alright, Ken?"
I'll live." Ken smiled and leaned back again into the soft padding along the window.
Takeru walked along the sideway with a half-contented smirk on his face. Pretty soon he'd meet up with Hikari, who was doing a photo shoot for Yamato and Taichi. She wasn't so naive to think their choice of her for this event was anything but a brotherly intervention. They wanted to boost her budding career, though she hadn't really chosen one yet. And they wanted to give her some time away from Ken.
New relationships are stressful enough without the added complication of children.
Yes. Soon he would meet with Hikari, and then it would all begin, or end. It hardly mattered.
The night before, Takeru had experienced a particularly strained phone call with his father. He guessed that his father had guessed his little secret, but not the big one. He'd already told his mother. All remained was the final scene in which he, like Yamato, would be utterly disowned.
He was waiting in eager anticipation.
"Ken said something odd was about to happen." Takeru mused to himself, ignoring a random passerby that stared at the strangely tattooed man who was talking to himself. He pulled his hat back on his head a little bit. He wanted to be able to see everything.
"I can sense it. Almost see, or hear it sometimes." Ken whispered to him. Takeru sat on the side of Ken and Hikari's bed quietly. Gravely. Ken's beautifully pale, sleepless face looked up at him searching for an answer.
"I..." Takeru chose his words carefully. He wasn't sure at the moment. But Ken surely would see, if there were something different? "Feel it. It's preparing itself."
"Then we should prepare as well." Ken answered. "Try to be strong."
Takeru nodded and moved a hand from his lap to touch the side of Ken's face adoringly. He was so strong and wise inside. So different from the man he loved.
But in his moment of weakness, he was falling in love with him regardless.
Ken would have known, if it had been true then. So I have to steer clear of him now. Now that he's alert again. Takeru mused. Daisuke can't see. Hikari doesn't want to see. They won't know until it's too late.
Koushiro ran a hand through his short spiky hair.
"Perfect!"
Normally, Koushiro didn't really care much for his appearance. He preferred to think of his body as the casing that held his incredible brain. No need to waste precious nanoseconds on something that didn't matter.
However, today he wanted to conform to semi-normal standards of appearance, and had taken out five minutes from his busy schedule to do so.
"Um, hello? Is anyone here?"
Koushiro swiveled around in his computer chair to look at the person who had entered his apartment unannounced.
"Hey." Ren said softly. She pulled a strand of green hair back in place with the rest of her messy, multicolored locks and shifting her weight to one side, stared at him emotionlessly.
"Ano. Hi." Koushiro scanned his brain to remember. "You're Ken's friend from the lab, right?"
"Uh, coworker, but pretty much. I knocked. You didn't answer."
"He never does when he's coding." Tentomon butted in. Ren cracked a smile, as Koushiro gave him a withering look.
"Renee, right? What do you need?"
"Nothing really. I just wanted to see how things were coming so I could keep abreast of the situation. Ken's involved in this right? And he's pretty much my only friend over here in Japan, so I want to make sure he's okay. Okay?"
Koushiro blinked in surprise at her sudden candor. "Well that's fine." He turned back to the screen and motioned for her to take a chair. "Do you know much about computers?"
"Hacking. Not construction. So speak simply."
"A hacker, huh?" Koushiro raised a brow. She responded in kind.
"Just for fun. I don't like bringing people down, just messing with their heads. You'd be surprise how easy that is in America. I briefly considered a career in software. You know, security. If I can get into any system, I can keep others out. But I'm really best at genetics."
"That would be handy to have." Koushiro pulled up his specs. He pointed to the screen. "See that? This is the Digital World as I'm monitoring it now. There have been quite a few changes since we left, and I have to keep an eye on that."
Ren nodded. "Is that a problem?"
"Not necessarily, but it could become one if I don't find a way to break back into the Digital World. From here we can't tell."
"But you could when Ken was causing problems, right?"
Koushiro cocked his head. "He told you about that?"
She nodded again.
"Well, he was putting Dark Spires in all the areas he was controlling. It made him easier to track, among other things."
"So unless they happen to be putting up markers that say, 'Come find me' it's not so easy to tell if those changes are natural evolution, or the work of an enemy?"
"Precisely."
Ren creased her brow and thought a moment. "If said enemy tries to come here and take us over, like they have in the past, will Ken have to fight?"
"Eto, well we'll try to keep him out of it."
She pursed her lips in response. "That's not very reassuring. Maybe we'll be able to take the baby before that becomes an issue."
"Any other questions?" Koushiro asked, trying to divert her interest. Ren leaned back and thought for a moment.
"Ken said you're starting a software company?"
Koushiro smiled to himself as he waited for the others to show up so they could walk to lunch. If nothing else, he had someone to keep Wallace off of him. He respected the boy's intelligence, but Americans were so forward.
Renee san is an American, supposedly. But she looks rather like a Nihon to me, in addition to her given name. I wonder if she was adopted?
"Ping pong!"
Koushiro rushed to the door to see whose voice was on the other side.
"Oh, hi Miyako san."
"Hi, yourself. I guess we got here early or something. Invite us in, Kou kun!"
Sora chuckled and trailed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"Eh, well, we have to wait for Iori kun and Wallace kun." And some other friends I am not going to mention, lest I rouse the incessantly questioning Miyako san within.
"Ken chan! Are you home?" Daisuke called into the apartment. Then winced, worried he might have woken him up. He kind of liked Ken being around when he got off school, even if it was because his doctors wouldn't let him go out.
"I'm in here." Ken called from the nursery. Daisuke dropped his book bag on the couch and poked his head inside where Ken was once again sitting cross-legged and painting the wall.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I've been in bed. Now I want to do something useful."
Peering around the room, Daisuke realized that the apartment was immaculate for the first time in weeks. Whenever his mother came over, Hikari practically torn her hair out worrying about how the place looked. One could call Ichijoji san a neat freak. "You should leave the cleaning and stuff to us, Ken chan!"
Ken was silent for a moment, as he finished up a final leaf. Daisuke came over and sat down next to him.
"You really did a good job."
"I had a good outline to follow. I have the artistic aptitude of a Mojamon."
"So what's with all the cleaning and painting and stuff?"
Ken chuckled. "I just wanted to get it out of the way. Want some tea?"
"Sure. But I'll get it."
"Shush. I can get it. Just help me up. It should be ready by now anyway."
Daisuke shrugged, and offered a hand to Ken as he struggled to his feet, then followed him into the kitchen.
"Have you seen Take kun lately?" Ken asked quietly. He himself hadn't been able to talk to him for a few days even though they lived in the same house. He sort of missed their tense little chats. He reached up to the cabinet and took out the sugar.
"No, I assumed he'd just been busy at school, you know? Getting everything ready for finals? He comes in real late to bed. And sometimes he just sleeps on the couch."
"He probably doesn't want to wake you." Ken replied, stirring the tea to uniformity, the spoon clinking against the sides of the cup, ringing into the knowing silence. He looked up at Daisuke, meeting his eyes with sympathy. Ken remembered how worried Daisuke would get when he forced himself to work late, study late.
"It's just weird." Daisuke muttered as Ken handed him a mug. They leaned against opposite counters and blew on their tea quietly. "You want to go out for lunch? Since Hikari chan's at the photo shoot, and I have no idea where my so-called boyfriend is? I'm done for the day with my classes."
Ken smiled. "Sure. You'll have to let me clean up though. I'm covered in paint."
Daisuke nodded. "I can call a cab."
"I think we've scared the cabbies enough, Dai chan. We can walk." Ken shook his head as Daisuke started to protest. "I need the exercise anyway."
Daisuke cocked his head skeptically and after a moment received and akanbe from Ken.
"He's really sick." Daisuke informed Takeru solemnly. Takeru raised a brow with disinterest but replied anyway.
"How can you tell?"
"Because he's letting us take care of him without complaining about it." Daisuke explained. "Ken chan... won't let you fuss over him unless he just feels too bad to make you stop."
"Sounds promising." Takeru replied emotionlessly leaning against their building and staring into the street. Daisuke turned his head to look at Takeru, trying to guess what he meant by that.
"He was up all night, trying not to hurt so much. If he weren't so damned stubborn maybe we could have helped. But jeez. He let me carry him back to his room."
Takeru raised a brow at Daisuke. "You carried him?"
"He's not that heavy. And I'm a pretty strong guy anyway."
Takeru smiled softly. "Yeah. I know."
"Damn him." Daisuke muttered. Ken tilted his head slightly in concern.
"What is it, Dai chan?"
"I'm just. Take chan's been acting weird, and I don't even know why."
"I wish I could help, Dai chan but I haven't even seen him in days. Maybe he doesn't really want to live with us?"
"He seemed excited about getting out of the dorms before."
Ken shrugged and looked into his tea. "Maybe he was just excited about moving in with you."
"Hate to disappoint." Daisuke rolled his eyes.
"Alone with you, Dai chan. Maybe he feels funny sharing his life with not only you, but me, Hikari chan and Sam as well."
Daisuke thought about that, nursing his tea and furrowing his brow lightly. "If that's it, he should have said something before we all signed the lease."
Ken sipped on his tea quietly, looking up at Daisuke knowingly.
The tall red haired man closed in on his prey slowly, noting every nuance of the creature's body and mannerisms. His eyes, deep sky blue and quivering. Like mockingbirds inside a gilded cage.
"Don't be that way." He told the frightened creature. "You knew I was coming, didn't you?"
"I did." Came the meek reply. The creature knew well what was going to happen, that he would enjoy it, want it. But he didn't know if he could resist it. And he did want to resist.
"That first time was pretty scary for me. But I got used to it." Takeru recalled fondly. Gliding smoothly down the street, he ignored the increasing number of stares he was getting from the people around him. Flipping off his soft black hat, he twirled it around his finger. "Now it's so sweet."
"Come to me." The red haired man demanded. The creature looked up at him. Pathetic.
Reaching out with his left hand, he beckoned the creature.
"No." He replied defiantly.
"I am the Glanconer. You cannot resist me."
"Why me? Why do you want me?" He demanded. The Glanconer raised a brow and leaned controposto on his right hip. He laughed.
"You. Because you are you. Because unlike some, I like to find a dark spirit to cultivate that is not easily reached. Pull out that sickness within you that you insist on hiding." The Glanconer walked away from him, pacing on the red carpet of his lushly decorated palace. "Ken's spirit is Dark. He is Darkness. But he is also strong, from years of resting its pull. And..."
He turned back to the creature lying weakly in his thrall. On the cold stone.
"I don't want him. I want you, Takeru. And I will have what I want." His eyes burned hotly in desire, glimmering like two twins stars. Then the stars backed away, smashing themselves into millions of a whirling cosmos, all contained within the small universe of his eyes. "Come to me."
And Takeru came.
"I was a fool to resist." Takeru told himself, returning his hat to his head. Only a few more blocks to go.
Koushiro smiled as he and the others walked over to the cafe. Iori came here often, due to a need to stay conscious despite extreme fatigue. Nuriko walked beside him chatting amiably about their common classes and certain teacher and certain students who would be retaking those classes.
"Are you going to be a psychologist, Nuriko chan?" Miyako asked. She shook her head. Nuriko's shiny dark hair whooshed around her serious face.
"I'm going to get a degree as a child psychologist, to go along with my teaching degree." She smiled shyly and smoothed her dark skirt. Iori smiled back.
"Nuriko chan wants to start a charter school for special children."
"Special how?" Ren asked. Koushiro fought a grin as she turned her head in interest. He could see that she'd taken extra care of her appearance as well. Her hair was loose, combed over to the side, and though the contrasting colors were a little strange, they made her look exotic. She was wearing a rose colored sweater that did not quite come down to her faded blue jeans and tough looking black boots. There was no makeup really, but Koushiro didn't really mind. He actually found it amusing that in lieu of that, she'd stuck a small jewel right below her left eye.
"Kids that can... sense things." Nuriko responded hesitantly. Miyako slapped her back enthusiastically.
"Oh, kids like Hika chan! I get it. Kewl."
Iori stood back and held the door of the coffee house open for them. "So...?"
"Well let's get to some damn business." Wallace said. "It was hard enough getting my brood here by plane. I need it to come to something."
"I don't want to ride in the luggage again." Terriermon sighed. Wallace grinned and petted his head.
"By the time we need to get back, I bet they've fixed things. We can go through the Digital World."
"Brilliant plan." Ren muttered taking a table. A girl immediately came up to wait on them.
"Nuriko chan and I will have mochas. And could you bring us a lunch menu? Koushiro?"
"Double espresso."
"Mochas." Sora and Miyako said together. Wallace grinned.
"Cuuute. I'll have a chocolate caramel latte."
"Eh." Koushiro protested. "Too sweet."
"And you, miss?" The waitress asked. Ren looked up.
"Oh, just water and a lemon for me."
Wallace raised his brows. "Diet?"
"Kind of. I can't have caffeine." She said rigidly messing with her hair again. Running her fingers through it, pushing it out of the way.
"Okay. Cause I thought you were way to good looking to need a diet."
"Wallace san!" Koushiro scolded. Wallace just grinned at him.
"Hey are we going to talk business, or what?" He laughed, holding his hands up in surrender as Koushiro threatened him with a fork.
"Yeah." Miyako protested. "Did you like my software ideas or what?"
"I did. But you'll need to come to America sometimes to work with me on the programs." Wallace told her. He paused, noting the crease in Sora's brow. "Or I could come over here and get to spend some more quality time with Kou chan!"
"You'll hate me in the morning." Koushiro warned. Ren let a giggle escape.
"Only if he stays up all night. You should see him running on a half hour worth of sleep."
"Whose fault is that? You were the one who wanted to talk about what kind of software would be popular this upcoming decade."
"Oh, like you wouldn't have been up all night coding." Ren shot back.
"He would, too." Tentomon put in.
"Nobody asked you." Koushiro teased leaning over to see him under the table with the other Digimon.
"I find this all really amazing. I mean, Ken's explained most of your adventures to me. But how do you get a Digimon?" Rujuko asked.
"Well, most of the Odaiba Digidestine saw a Digimon during one of the crossing over events between our two worlds. By seeing the Digimon, a connection is made." Koushiro explained. "When we battled Diablomon on the internet, children around the world made connections with the Digimon, and were given partners."
"That's not true." Wallace protested leaning down to scratch between Lopmon's ears as Terriermon nuzzled against him. "I'd never seen a Digimon before my twin Digimon showed up."
"I had seen a Digimon during the Odaiba fog incident." Nuriko pointed out. "And I didn't get a Digimon. Well, not right away."
"I don't think we can give you any hard rules, Ren san." Sora told her companionably. Miyako nodded.
"I mean, why recruit me, Iori kun, and Dai kun over all the kids in Japan that saw a Digimon when Vamdemon was around?"
Ren blinked and thought for a moment. "Ken told me it was because you three were partners to him, Hikari, and Takeru that it couldn't be anyone else, or you wouldn't be able to DNA digivolve. And your spirits were... capable of bonding with the Digimon with the ancient powers."
"Really? Funny he never said anything." Iori said pensively. "Maybe some things are just destiny."
The waitress walked up with their drinks and set a few menus down for them. "I'll be back in a minute for your orders."
Wallace sniffed his coffee with relish, letting out a sigh of contentment. Ren chuckled.
"Damn, I miss coffee." She sighed, comically leaning on her hand and taking the slice of lemon from her glass began to suck on it.
Wallace made a puckered face as he grabbed five or six packets of sugar and began to dump them into his mug.
"Eyyech!" Koushiro protested. "Isn't it sweet enough already?"
Wallace smirked sweetly and ripped open another package of sugar. Then tossed his head back and downed the sugar.
"Ehhh.... are you hypoglycemic or something?" Koushiro shook his head at the man's strange behavior. Ren chuckled again, and Koushiro turned to look at her fondly. But she'd already buried her nose in the menu.
Ah well. I still have time to woo her with the Izumi charm.
Daisuke looked around the little outdoor bistro with satisfaction. He figured he'd made a good choice. It wasn't too warm, and Ken looked pretty comfortable. Plus, Maiko's had been one of their favorite places back when they were dating.
He leaned on his palm and looked across at his friend, who had changed into some drawstring pants and a loose lavender button up shirt that he had eventually allowed his mother to buy for him. An outfit Miyako and Sora had cooed over for longer than Ken's patience had held out. Even though most of his casual clothes were really too big anyway, Ken had been forced into some clothes shopping, considering most of his extra weight was all in one place. There was no way he could really get around it, save going around the house naked. Daisuke told him that was fine with him and Hikari, but somehow, Ken hadn't found it so amusing.
"Are you going to eat or what?" Daisuke said, with a little pressure in his voice. He didn't know exactly what was up with him these days, but he didn't want anything happening to him.
Ken rolled his eyes in irritation. He had been picking at his lunch, but he didn't want to admit it. "Give me time, Dai chan. There isn't much room in here."
"You said you're feeling a little better? So it's, not as bad as it was yesterday?"
"I'm still achy, but nowhere near what I was a few days ago. I didn't do anything yesterday but sleep."
"So why were you hurting so much then? Is there something wrong?"
Ken shook his head reassuringly. "It's more fatigue than anything."
"Hikari chan must have a hard time keeping her hands off you." Daisuke grinned, gazing at his friend's handsome, almost pretty features. Those eyes really set off the rest of his face. With their deep blue, and almost angular construction. It made him look exotic. He remembered the days back when they were kids. When Ken would spend hours studying, and he just hung out, drawing him thousands of time, trying to get the picture as perfect as his model.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous. I look terrible." Ken scoffed, unconsciously caressing his stomach again.
"I think you look really cute. Your face is all lit up and rosy. But don't tell Take chan I said so." Daisuke smiled at him from across the table and scooted his chair around so he could sit beside him. Ken rolled his eyes again. Perking his ears, he could hear a couple at the next table whispering.
"Isn't that sweet how he's trying to make his girlfriend feel better about herself?"
I am not a girl. Ken thought with irritation.
Oh, I know that all too well. A mischievous reply came gently into his mind.
I would hope so, Hikari chan. You seem to be having too much fun pretending I'm your lesbian lover. Is there something you need to tell me?
I just like to mess with people sometimes, that's all. It's harmless. And some of them could use the eye-opener.
Tell me about it. Ken caught Daisuke' eye. "Hikari chan."
"Ohhh." He'd been wondering why Ken seemed to be staring into space. "Can I asked a question?"
"Sure." How's the shoot?
Great. Yamato's really photogenic, and Taichi... well anyone looks good with Yamato. Takeru supposed to be meeting me here -
"Why don't you call her 'Hika chan' anymore?"
Ken blinked in disbelief as their connection was abruptly cut off. Daisuke rubbed Ken's back as he looked off into the distance with a concerned expression on his face. The wind had picked up a bit and was tousling his hair. Cooling off the whole area.
"Something's coming." He said resolutely. Every hair on his neck was standing on end.
"What is it?"
Ken shook his head and began to rise, despite Daisuke's hand pulling against his sleeve. He walked out into the tableless area of the bistro and stood, wide-eyed, trying to get a better grasp on what he was sensing.
"Is she alright?"
Daisuke looked over to the couple at the next table. "She... Ken chan'll be fine." He clipped shortly, getting up and going over to him. Gently, he draped his arms around Ken. "What is it, babe?"
"The Digital World..." He said in alarm. Daisuke raised a brow and readied himself behind Ken in case something happened. He was looking a little out of it at the moment. "Brace yourself, Dai chan. I don't have the power to stop it."
"Stop what? What is it?" Daisuke shut his mouth tight as he watched the very air around him quiver, blurring like a tape in fast forward, then snap back into place. Ken fell back against him, barely catching himself as he widened his gate to support himself. But Daisuke encircled him with his strong arms anyway.
"Ken chanwhat was that?" Wormon asked. Ken shook his head.
"We have a big problem. The Digital World-"
Again the entire world shifted, and they could hear the screaming and confusion of all the other people who had been out that day. The blurring worsened, and sounds warped until they were both locked inside a blind soundless prison.
"What the hell is this?" Miyako cried out in fear, holding onto Sora as tightly as she could.
"I have no idea!" Iori answered. It was difficult to keep track of the others in the midst of this insanity.
"What happened to Renee san?" Koushiro demanded. Wallace had his hand firmly on his shoulder, and wouldn't let him go. He wasn't even sure if they were standing or sitting. Words like that didn't make sense in the middle of this. "Where is she?"
"It's okay. She'll be okay. She's not a Digidestined, so she's where all the other people went." Sora assured him.
"But where are they?!"
"Maamaaaaa!!"
Mimi felt around in a panic she couldn't find anything. "Makoto, call out again so mommy can find you honey!!"
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" The cry turned into a shriek. Her heart pounded fearfully as she tried to track the terror filled cries of her child. This was all too familiar to her.
"Palmon, look for him! I can't find him!"
"Get that thing away from my child!" Mimi yelled angrily, holding on to her newborn son as tightly as was safe. Their little hideout was fine for shelter, mostly, and since no new evil Digimon had tried to take power recently, they usually didn't have much to worry about. But they were in the wilderness.
Koushiro ran out of their shelter, right hand wrapped harshly in torn fabric. Mimi swatted angrily at the Tyranamon heading toward them at an alarming speed.
"Get away you freak! Go harass somebody else you tacky excuse for a virus!" She screamed at the creature, which did nothing to calm it down. Koushiro finally reached her with Miyako and tugged on her sleeve.
"Come on, Mimi san!" Koushiro urged her.
"I can't outrun anyone." She shoved Makoto into his arms. "Get him out of here!"
"I'm not going to leave you Mimi san. Don't be difficult."
"You can't tell me not to be difficult." She replied haughtily, waiting for Koushiro to obey and take the child from her arms. "Hurry up, he's coming!"
Miyako glared at Hawkmon in askance and he shook his head. They were far too exhausted from trying to clean up the mess caused by the Darkling Force. The land was drained by their misuse of the Digital World's energies, and now so were their own Digimon.
"I'm begging you, please save my son." Mimi cried, leaning limply against the weak wall of their shelter. Koushiro looked into her eyes with indecision.
Miyako crossed her arms and frowned. "No. We're not leaving. The others wouldn't run away and we won't either."
"Miyako!" Mimi burst into tears almost in unison with Makoto, who's infantish patience had finally given out. The loud monster trampling toward them, and mommy yelling. Afraid.
Miyako shook her head and began to run, waving her arms around and screaming at the Tyranomon: "Come here ya big ugly Redneck! Your mother was a hamster!"
"Miyako chan!" Hawkmon protested, fluttering after her. "Please don't be rash!"
Miyako darted recklessly in front of the creature, taunting it and running away, Hawkmon flusterly flapping from behind.
"She's going to get herself killed!" Koushiro stated. Mimi looked up at him and back to Miyako.
What will Sora chan do if Miya chan dies? What will we do without her? Mimi struggled to her feet and screamed out. "Come back here right now, Miya chan!"
"Sorry, Mimi chan!" Miyako called, a bit out of breath. She would have said more, but at that point needed to run for her life.
"Does she really think we're going to leave her?" Koushiro asked, fraught to the end of his wits.
"Miya chan!" Mimi cried out again. Makoto cried for all he was worth, and out of the corner of her eye, Mimi saw a red, flowery Digimon dart by.
"Makoto chan!" Palmon called. Mimi started as her son's wailing stopped.
"Oh gods." She whispered clutching her arms. Then a warm arm slid around her shoulders, and she looked up, as the world began to shift back into focus.
"It's okay." Jyou told her, carrying Makoto on his hip. The boy was hugging his father contentedly, and no longer seemed to be scared.
"What's happening?" She asked, clinging to them. Jyou shook his head.
"I don't know. Just stay still, and we'll be okay. I promise."
Hikari released Tailmon and looked around her. Everything had changed. Well, it wasn't entirely true, the basic setting, buildings, streets, were still there, they were just... merged with other settings.
"What the fuck was that?" Yamato asked incredulously, looking up in amazement to see Dramons flying overhead. He and Taichi were cuddled into a multi-armed ball across the street from Hikari, and proceeded to disentangle themselves.
"There are Digimon everywhere." Taichi noted. Gabumon got up and started to sniff the air.
"I smell flowers that were not here before. I feel as though we are in the Digital World."
"Maybe…" Hikari whispered pensively, getting off the ground. "Look at the skyline."
The men looked up to see sprouts of trees that had not been part of Tokyo's natural flora before. And in the middle of the sky, was a large dark object. Hikari narrowed her eyes and looked closer at the strange hovering object. It was a huge castle, with large turrets and spires casting a shadow ominously over the whole city.
"There's a castle in the sky." Tailmon remarked unnecessarily. She twitched her whiskers, amazed at the sight.
"We aren't in the Digital World." Hikari said softly. "The Digital World is in our world."
"So much potential, Hika chan. I'm proud of you."
Hikari turned around to see Takeru smirking at her, hand on the brim of his hat.
"I'm glad you're okay! Whatever happened has blocked my communication with Ken chan, so there was no way that I could contact you."
"An amenity I requested from the Glanconer." Takeru said confidently, stepping towards her. Hikari instinctively backed away. Something in the tone of his voice, his choice of words, was not the Takeru that she had grown up with.
"Glan… coner? Take chan, what's wrong?"
He shook his head sharply. "You should have asked that before."
"Take kun, kewl it, okay?" Yamato demanded walking over to join them. "We've got to figure out what's happened and how to fix it. We don't have time for this."
A half smile crept up on Takeru blatantly emotionless face. A hand darted to his pocket, and before Hikari could even see the motion, a blast of energy nearly took her head off. She froze immediately, feeling the cold where it had flown so closely to her.
"I know exactly what's happened here. What's going to happen here. It's too difficult to conquer two worlds at once." Takeru took another step in their direction.
"Take kun cut it out!" Yamato yelled. The younger brother shook his head.
"I can't. And I won't. This is my choice." He said resolutely in a cold flat voice. Hikari felt chills running down her spine as she took a good look into his lifeless blue eyes.
"I doubt that very much." She asserted. He glared back at her, narrowing his eyes, and within a second, flipping another blinding whisk of energy toward her head. Barely able to stumble back in time, Tailmon dived in front of her, singeing her paw on the hot disk of blue light.
She crouched beside Hikari, licking her paw. "You've got to Digivolve me, Hikari chan. He's serious."
"No!" She cried in horror. "I can't hurt Take chan!"
"I'm no match for whatever power he has inside him right now. He'll kill you!"
"Absolutely not! He's my best friend." Hikari protested, shaking as her cling to Tailmon in distress. I can't hurt him. I could never hurt Take chan Never never.
Yamato looked on at the scene with seeming passivity. He wasn't sure that he could attack Takeru either, but there his brother was, still walking forward with that deadly serious expression on his face that meant this was no joke. Takeru didn't play that kind of joke anyway. Not unless Hikari was actually the mastermind behind it. The angel was more mischievous that his little brother any day.
Something's gotten to him. I should have been paying attention. Yamato balled his fists and took heel.
The wind cut into his skin as he plummeted forward and ran head on into his brother, who rather than making a gentle sound of protest, snarled, almost inhumanly.
"I'll kill you, Anikun." He declared, digging his fingernails into his older brother's shoulders. Yamato could feel the sickening flood of dark energy seeping into his body. Takeru's intentions were deadly, he was sure now. Therefore, he couldn't let him near Hikari.
He'd never forgive himself. Yamato never remembered his brother being so strong before. He'd always been taller than Takeru, even as they'd gotten older and reached their full heights. He was being overpowered, and Yamato could only assume that this newfound strength had nothing to do with Takeru's biology. I won't give up!
With a surge of his own power, Yamato resolved not to stop until he'd back the man down, or Hikari was safe. He couldn't let his little brother be hurt, but he couldn't let him hurt his love's little sister either.
He slammed Takeru back to the ground. Pinning him firmly to the cracked and uneven concrete.
"Yama chan, get away!" Taichi called, waving his arms in the air. Yamato couldn't look up, so engaged in combat with his sibling, but grunted in response. Lithely he jumped back off his brother pushing him down, hard, and lithely rolled away.
"Nova Blast!"
While he'd been wrestling, Taichi had made use of Greymon, and launched a full attack. Yamato scampered back out of the range of fire, terror almost freezing him entirely. His worries were unfounded, as the fires were deflected by more of the painfully cold energy that had been used on him.
"Stop, please!" Hikari begged him, almost prostrate on the ground from fear that the next blast would tear him to pieces. "I don't want to hurt you!"
Takeru rose, deflecting another blast as though it were a mosquito. "But I want to hurt you."
Hikari looked at him in shock, feeling weak and useless as she felt something wet hitting her cheek. "Why?"
"The Glanconer wants it. So I want what will make him happy." Takeru smiled wickedly, almost blissfully at the thought of his new master. "I'm telling you, this is my choice, Hika chan. You know I haven't been very thrilled with me as me for the past year. I'm finally happy with myself." He chuckled. "You should be happy for me. But very sad for yourself. My first orders are to get rid of you and Ken chan."
Hikari's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the admission and she grabbed onto Tailmon's coat roughly. "Tailmon, listen. Go find Ken chan and make sure he's okay."
"I'm not going to leave you undefended!" Tailmon bristled, turning her head defiantly. "I'm here to protect you."
"For the moment I can protect myself. I need you to make sure Ken chan and Sam are okay. Please, Tailmon!" Hikari begged. Takeru covered his mouth and laughed at the exchange. Tailmon frowned, but after a moment responded with a single nod.
"I'll look for him, but I'll be back." She said finally, keeping and eye on Takeru as she darted off into the confusion of the city.
"Just you and me, old friend." Takeru grinned. Hikari stood and looked at him disapprovingly.
"Don't make me hurt you, Take chan."
"Like I'm scared." He mocked, fishing another disk out of his pocket and aiming at her. Hikari raised her forearms into a cross in front of her face.
"Like you should be." She replied flatly. "Yama chan, Anichan, please go round up the other Digidestine and make sure they're all alright."
"I'm not-" Taichi protested.
"Go!" Hikari snapped. "You don't know what's going to happen here, and I don't want you to be part of it. Go, now."
Taichi hesitated, one foot in Yamato's direction, the other in Hikari's, as though his feet seemed to be of opposite minds of which way they wanted to take him.
"Come on, Tai kun. You're the leader!" Yamato yelled, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the scene. "The other will need some guidance."
Taichi bobbed his head as he was led away, dying to look back when he heard a sharp popping sound, and a loud crash. The noises continued as they broke into a run, and a wind hit their backs hard from the reactions going on behind.
Ken opened his eyes and looked around at the vastly different backdrop to Maiko's that had been suddenly changed by the collision of the Digital World with theirs.
"It had to be on purpose. Someone did this." Ken said firmly, cuddling his bulge and looking around for Daisuke, who was tottering over to make sure everything was all right.
"Why would anyone do this?"
Ken shrugged. "Maybe it's easier to take over two worlds at once than two separately."
Daisukeh frown and sat next to Ken. "We're in the Digital World?"
"We're in both." Ken replied, looking up and scanning the sky. Daisuke mimicked his motioned grimly, wondering what he was looking for.
"What should we do?" Daisuke asked after a moment. Ken continued to stare at the sky.
"I don't really see her anywhere." He muttered, then looked at Daisuke. "Yamato kun and Taichi kun's place is close to here. I think we should walk down there and get out of the way, in case anything comes this way. If I'm blocked from communicating with Hikari chan, then it won't be so easy to find us."
Daisuke nodded and they made their way out of the street, should a car have the poor sense to still be driving around in this mess. Their Digimon were oddly quiet, sniffing the air, and trying to feel for enemies.
Ring!
"Damn!" Daisuke cried out at the sudden sound. Ken giggled.
"Calm down, it's only your phone." He said, picking it out of Daisuke' coat pocket and answering. "Moshi moshi."
"Ken kun? Is that you?"
"Yeah, Iori kun. Is everyone with you alright?"
"Well, yes." Iori answered, sounding disparaged. "Koushiro kun's a little freaked-" He paused for a moment to listen. Apparently someone was contradicting him on the other side of the line. "Well everyone's fine, really, but there's practically a hoard of Digimon going crazy over here and we need some help rounding them up and calming them down."
"Where are you?" Ken asked. Daisuke had leaned over and was listening in on the conversation, almost touching Ken's face in proximity.
"The café by Koushiro lim's apartment."
"That's halfway across town!" Daisuke complained.
"Well, it's not like we planned on making you travel, Daisuke kun. This sort of just happened." Iori snapped, stress apparent in his voice.
"It's okay." Ken intervened. Daisuke frowned.
"I'm supposed to leave Ken chanhere alone?"
"What do I look like?" Wormon asked. Veemon chuckled and gave the worm a high five.
"You know where I'll be." Ken covered the phone and whispered. "Taichi kun is with Hikari chan. They'll need you to lead them. Sora kun won't be able to guide them forever."
Daisuke puffed out his cheeks, then sighed heavily and nodded. He moved Ken's hand from the phone. "I'll be there with Raidramon in a few."
"Good. I'll let the girls know you're coming. They want to go find Hikari san and Mimi san."
"Yeah, well, I'm sure your section of town isn't the only place going nuts."
"Try the whole world. If you do get to see Taichi kun, you need to get him and Koushiro kun together to contact the other Digidestine around the world, so we can keep some sort of order here." Ken advised. Daisuke nodded.
"I gotta go." Iori said abruptly, hanging up. Daisuke contorted his face into a grimace for a moment then straightened up.
"Take the phone. Call me if you need anything."
Ken nodded. "If the phones stop working, and they might, email me. I'll check it every hour or so."
Daisuke nodded and took off in the other direction with Raidramon.
Hikari sat motionlessly, blinking every so often, staring unaffectedly into space. Feeling something still on her cheek, she unconsciously wiped it away, smearing it across her cheekbone. Looking at her hand, she saw the unrelenting red of blood.
"My blood?" She asked to no one in particular. No one else was there. Everyone else had run away, adroitly. "Tailmon's? Takeru's?"
Using the excess liquid still on her hand, she smeared the remainder onto the other cheekbone, making a matching mark. Two blood red glare stains. Marking her as a destroyer. She finally looked up.
The city around her was nearly demolished.
"Now we can really fight." Takeru whispered lustfully, unleashing the presents given to him by the Glanconer, whisking one after another at her mercilessly. A loud pop rang in his ears, and then another, until he realized this attack was as useless against Hikari as Greymon's had been against him, fizzling ineptly against Hikari's defenses. He halted his attack and observed. The cross made of her arms was still intact, and she stood resolutely in the same spot as he'd seen her ordering her comrades to get away. Was it selflessness? Typical Hikari martyrdom?
He narrowed his eyes and looked at her closer, seeing almost outside his field of vision, a light glowing barrier that prevented him from attacking her directly.
"Where did she learn how to do that?" He asked himself. Hikari blinked at him.
"Guess, Take chan. Who has spent more time in the Digital World than any of us? Who actually scares Daemon into his place?"
"Ken…" Takeru hissed, pondering the other things he'd taught Hikari that he hadn't been aware of, and conversely, the things that she'd managed to teach him. Lessons he simply hadn't been privy to. He firmed his lower lip and shot back at her. "Maybe I should go kill him first."
"Don't you dare. You deal with me first, you coward."
"While you have that shield up?" He said, trying to work out the puzzle for himself. There must be a way to counter it. "Why do you call me a coward? I'm doing exactly what I want to do."
"You're a coward, Take chan, because you have friends to come to, to share your life with, but you're too afraid! We'd help you though this, but you fight us instead. You have a family that loves you, but you're turning them away. That's cowardly. That's the worst kind of cowardice, Take chan And I won't stand for it."
"Don't lecture me! You think you're so perfect! The angel of light! Well, you're not! It's your fault your beloved Ken chan is in so much danger, and you won't even face up to that, so what does that make you!"
"What?" Hikari dropped her arms and stepped toward him. "What do you mean? How is it my fault?"
Silently, Takeru jumped into the air, forming a large ball of energy and slamming it down on her.
Hikari had no time to build another shield. She reached into herself and unleashed a wall of light at him. The energy fizzled harshly though the body of the sphere. The remainder of the wave billowed out into the streets, and Hikari hear childish screams pealing out over the city, people running, panicking at this new horror. Every Digimon in sight fled to the west in abject fear.
"Get away…" She whispered to herself, trying to stand her ground against her own attack. She could feel the mere presence of it forcing her back, threatening to dissolve her being.
Crunching sounds pounded against Hikari's ears. The buildings around her were crumbling down, falling one by one like little toys. A little further off, the glass simply shattered, feeling the emanations from the wave of light.
Amidst it all, Takeru barred his teeth, forcing more energy forward in a desperate attempt to keep the light from breaking his body apart completely. He could barely withstand the pressure. He could feel the soul being ripped from his body.
"Help me!" He screamed as the wall finally threatened to engulf him completely.
A giant flower of color opened behind him, and he disappeared. With no resistance, the light flew uninhibited over the landscape, leaving only a burned out shell of a horizon in its place. Hikari fell to the ground, and began to cry in relief as she saw the devastation she had caused.
"I didn't want to hurt anyone." She whispered hoarsely. She'd been screaming at some point, but she didn't remember screaming at all. Slowly she reached out with gentle tendrils of thought, searching for life within the city. Nothing, nothing, then finally, faint signs, far far away. Terrified. Exhausted from running. But still, there. "Get far far from me. I didn't want to hurt anyone."
Hikari looked again at the blood smeared on her fingers, contrasting sharply against the creamy white of her flesh.
"I killed someone today." She said despondently, staring once again out into the city.
It was a farther distance to Taichi and Yamato's flat than Ken had remembered. Or, perhaps, before he'd been in a better condition to walk it, and there were less hills, and foreign fauna to fight through.
"Do you need a break, Ken chan?" Wormon asked, probably for the fifth time. Ken rolled his eyes but bit back an irritated comment.
"I need to get to some shelter, so I can call some of our group I know weren't with Iori kun and the others today." He panted, clipping off the rest of what he'd been planning to say to save his breath.
"And we have to go to Taichi kun and Yamato kun's for that?" Wormon questioned tentatively. Ken sighed.
"It's as good a place as any. It's big, it's close, and it's where Hikari chan, Yamato kun, and Taichi kun will probably head if they get into trouble." Ken froze after his last words, feeling a cold wind blowing against his back. Before he could turn to see what was causing it, Ken found himself held tightly by a pair of strong arms, one with a very sharp knife pressing into his neck.
"Hika chan's still at the photo shoot." Takeru said softly, rubbing a finger against Ken's cheek gently. "I apparently wasn't ready to deal with her just yet. But I can deliver what the Glanconer wants from you."
"Get off of him!" Wormon yelled. Ken shook his head slightly in warning as the knife dipped closer into his flesh.
"Stay back, please." He whispered to him. Tenderly narrowing his large exotic eyes, making more of a triangle shape in their sadness, it seemed as though Ken were conveying a message to his partner.
"I've always felt like I should have stopped the evil Digimon from getting to you Ken chan." Wormon confided on day, when he was studying for a midterm. Generally, when his roommate Mamo was actually in the dorm, Wormon would stay quiet and out of the way, despite the fact Digimon were a common sight nowadays. But not today.
"I don't think there was anything you could have done. You were busy fighting, and couldn't have gotten to me and Ryo chan before the Dark Spores hit something." He shrugged. "That something was me."
"Yes, but… do you remember?" Wormon continued hesitantly. Ken turned from his notes and looked at Wormon seriously. It wasn't often his partner tried to jog his memory. It usually had bad results.
"Remember what?"
"I wasn't exactly on your side when you first met me. I was…"
Ken let the silence overtake them, wondering if he wanted to know. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. "You were what?"
"I was working for Daemon. He'd sent me to kill you."
Ken's eyes widened in shock. But he did remember, on some level.
"But, you didn't."
"No. You talked me out of it. You convinced me I didn't have to work for Daemon, no matter what type of Digimon I was." He crawled closer to Ken. "Viruses… usually stay among Viruses. That's the way it is. But you taught me differently."
"I… barely remember. But you did decide to come over to our side." Ken said, struggling to brush the fog away from his memories. "I was so happy. When we first go there, I thought I didn't have a Digimon."
"I should have been there for you."
"Oh, you didn't even know I existed."
"I was talking about after."
Ken pursed his lips. "It's hard for you to be there for me if I don't want you there."
"I should have forced it. You did. You knew I might kill you, but you fought for me anyway." Wormon insisted. Ken let himself down to the floor and set Wormon down in his lap.
"Sometimes, things happen for a reason. And… you tried. At least you tried. You couldn't be there with me in the Real World… and that was when… things really got bad."
"But still…"
"You tried. That meant the most to me, when I finally remembered who Ken was, and realized, I hadn't been him in a long time."
"What do you want, Take kun?" Ken asked calmly, keeping his body ridged, despite Sam's obvious distress, she was kicking like crazy, which was making him exceedingly uncomfortable. However, Takeru certainly wasn't in his right mind at the moment, and he didn't want to give him any undue reason to take two lives.
"I'm fetching the Dark Spore for the Glanconer."
"The Glanconer can't use the Dark Spore." Ken told him firmly. "Not unless he becomes more than what I remember him to be."
"Oh, he's more than he was. He told me so."
Ken could feel the cold wind blowing against him yet again. It was freezing him inside and out.
"Take kun, I'll die if you take the Dark Spore out of me." Ken informed him. "By now, it's too much a part of me to be removed."
"Pity." Takeru quipped sarcastically. The corners of his mouth curled of in glee, making the curling blackness on the right side of his face all the more gruesome.
"Hikari chan will never forgive you if you let Sam die. She might forgive, if it were just me. Please, wait…" Ken asked softly. Takeru hesitated. He moved the knife around to the back of Ken's neck, fixing it on the area where he knew a barcode would appear, if the right energies were present.
"Hika chan… doesn't want to kill me. It's a shame really. She's the bearer of Light, but still so weak."
"No, she's not. You should know she's not."
"She didn't plan to kill me. If she had, it would have been by accident." Takeru sneered. Ken hadn't the faintest what he was talking about, but still entertained hopes that he could get away long enough for Sam to be safe.
"We all have our Achilles' Heels, Take kun. It doesn't make us inherently weak." He said authoritatively. "It makes us stronger in fact. When we decide there are things more important than our personal problems."
"Maybe. Maybe I think killing you is more important than my friendship with Hika kun, or that brat you're carrying."
"Maybe you do, but that doesn't mean that it's true. Do you want to kill me?"
"Yes. Getting the Dark Spore for the Glanconer is just gravy."
Ken thought for a moment, letting his senses take over. Taking in the painful silence that had lapsed over the city, the smell of gasoline burning somewhere far away and the sent of Takeru's cologne he knew that he must have borrowed from Yamato. The gentle thoughts of his daughter pushing softly in his mind The flat of the knife was pressing against his neck, no longer cold, as it had been there long enough for his own body heat to warm it, change it.
"I'll ask you again to wait, Take kun." Ken said. "You'll wish you had, if you don't. You'll regret this someday, and you know I speak from experience."
Takeru rolled that over in his mind for a moment. I feel Kaiserish right now. He's telling me all these things, and they seem to make sense. But this is Ken chan. He's in no position to be objective. He just wants to save himself and his daughter! He doesn't even care about the Glanconer, if he even knows who he is… but he couldn't.
"And you care for me too, don't you? It's burning against everything you feel against the Glanconer, but you love me too. Do yourself a favor and give yourself the chance to figure this out."
"You're nobody! Not like me!" The fraught denial came. The child wrapped in darkness screamed out what he needed desperately to be true.
You aren't what you pretend to be.
Takeru narrowed his eyes suddenly. But the Glanconer knew him. That little slut!
Takeru dropped the knife and dug the index finger of his right hand, the one tattooed with dark marks into Ken's neck. Taking a life of their own, the marks began to burrow underneath the skin, rooting they're way towards the prize that would make Takeru worthy to his master.
Takeru could hear Ken screaming, and a hissing behind him, but the sounds did not register as he laughed. And a pain shot down his back, but he didn't really feel this either. There was a glory in the killing, and as Ken's barcode flashed to life before him, Takeru could only dream of the possibilities once the Glanconer had this in his possession.
The all at once the tendrils jumped back, and a blue charge shot up his arm and penetrated his brain. He fell to the ground, and barring a little twitching, could not move.
What.. how Glan Daisuke who how wha? Takeru found himself unable to even form a complete thought, and the more he tried, the less he accomplished.
"What did you do?" Tailmon asked scampering swiftly to Ken's side. She glared at the writhing Takeru and licked his blood off of her paw. It had been a surprise to her when her Lightening Paw attack had done absolutely nothing.
"I…" Ken took a deep breath, and picked up the knife. "I scrambled him a little bit. He won't be able to think properly for a few hours, at least."
Takeru looked up at them, his eyes shaking in fear. Ken frowned looking into Takeru suddenly vulnerable face. This looks familiar.
"Please…Dave…. Glan… help…."
"I can't help you, Take chan. But maybe I can contact someone who can." With that Ken turned back in the direction of Yamato and Taichi's apartment and made his way resolutely forward holding the lower curve of his belly and bracing his back. Tailmon looked over her shoulder at Takeru angrily, then followed Ken and Wormon silently.
"Man, the whole city is a mess!" Daisuke cried, slapping his hand to his head in dismay at the utter chaos in this area of the city. Raidramon pinned down a group of Anomalocarimon, and looked over at them.
"Well, gee, Dai kun, what the fuck to you expect when worlds collide?" Miyako demanded. Daisuke shrugged and looked around at the group of Digidestine. He eyed Ken's friend, who looked rather pale and withdrawn, sitting quietly next to Koushiro and starring at her feet.
"You okay?"
Ren shrugged. "I've been worse." She wheezed, gently moving a hand over her chest as though it hurt her. Daisuke nodded and patted her shoulder. She laughed weakly at him. "Don't worry about me. I'm stronger than I look. I think they've gotten most of the Digimon in this area, but there are some stronger ones over that way that they didn't want to tackle without some back up."
"How are we going to keep the Digimon where they are now?"
"We could use a Golden Noose." Koushiro speculated. "Where's Takeru kun? Have you seen him today?"
Daisuke shook his head. "I… don't know where he's gone. He's been out a lot recently."
Iori looked over in their direction intensely. He had his hands on part of a fence that Sora was constructing; from some stray wire they'd found lying, probably from some destroyed building, in the street.
"Don't let go, Iori kun." Sora ordered as she bent the last of it into place. Garudamon and Halsemon were hovering over the captive group of Digimon menacingly, should they try to escape and cause more havoc. She looked at Digimon and tilted her head. "If you decide you can behave, maybe we'll let you out. But we can't have you running around hurting people."
Miyako nodded firmly. "Look, the Gazimon are behaving."
An Anomalocarimon snarled in response and threw a Taichil Blade at them crying indignantly: "You have no right!"
"Oi!" Daisuke yelled, running from Rujuko's side. "Stop that! Our job it to make sure all the Digimon and humans alike are safe! We can't do that if you're running around, hurting people and destroying stuff and generally muxing everything up!"
Raidramon stepped in front of Daisuke to protect him, but he jumped in front of him immediately. "Do you get that? We can send you home, but you can't be in our way. Some seriously bad stuff is going down and you have to let us take care of it, okay?"
The Anomalocarimon refused to respond and turned from them passively.
"Come on guys, let's see how far we can get before night falls." Daisuke urged. Iori stepped away from the cage and fell instep with Anklyomon.
"We need to find out who's in charge of this."
"I wouldn't worry about that too much. We'll find out eventually. There's no point in worrying right now. The enemy will show up."
"You're not worried at all?" Iori said, lowering his voice a little, and casting his eyes over at Ren and Koushiro. He was helping her along a little bit, and he wondered if this was a common affliction of hers. She seemed so calm about everything, as though life forced her to take even the most bizarre turn of events as her destiny.
Daisuke scratched his temple a little. "I'm worried as hell about Ken chan, and Take chan, too. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him really in a few days. I mean he just pops in and sleeps on the couch. It's weird."
"Have you asked him what's wrong?"
"I… meant to. I've been distracted and I forget." Daisuke said sheepishly. He groaned. "I'm a terrible boyfriend. Ken chanalways told me that I was dense about that stuff. Well he was lots nicer about it, but basically I'm dumb when it comes to all that detailed junk."
"You haven't asked at all?"
"I asked him a million times "are you alright." It feels like I say that to everybody lately. Ken chan are you alright, is the baby okay, is your head on your shoulders. Hikari chan are you alright with me taking care of Ken chan while you're out. Take chan, are you alright with moving in with us. Tai kun are you alright with your sister living with a bunch of guys. Yamato kun are you alright with me dating your brother!"
"Seems like you're paying attention to the details. I can't imagine Ken chan calling you dumb. Other than joking of course."
Daisuke chuckled. "Aw, you dumbass."
"Are you alright?"
"It's not like I ever have to deal with the junk everyone else is."
"Yeah, but you've spent most of your life trying to support everyone else. Do they ever return that?"
"Huh?"
"Do you ever feel like we're taking you for granted, Daisuke kun? We rely on you a lot." Iori gazed down at him with his bright green eyes. Daisuke felt pinned down and wished for the days when he was taller than Iori.
"Ken chan helps me with practically everything in college. And Hikari chan… is Hikari chan. You know how she is."
Iori grinned.
"I guess, even if they don't say anything, everybody has their own way of thanking me, you know? And I try to go back with that by helping out. It… not like I'm keeping score."
"Good. I just wanted to make sure." Iori said. "You don't talk about yourself much, so… well you know me. I want to know."
"You little geek."
"I'm bigger than you." Iori protested.
"Height isn't the same as stature."
Iori rang out in laughter, catching Miyako's attention. She bounded over and look at the guys accusingly.
"You heard that from Ken kun!" Iori accused. Daisuke hooked his thumbs into his belt loops and beamed proudly.
"You don't know that. Maybe I came up with it on my very own!"
"You two are weird." Miyako said, pushing down Daisuke' head.
Ken leaned back on Yamato and Taichi's sofa, sighing in relief and placed both hands over his belly. He could feel her every move, and for that he was glad. Ken creased his brow as his muscles tightened briefly under his hands. How… odd.
"I don't want you taking any more chances with Hikari's cub." Tailmon ordered. She was looking at him like a teacher scolding her student. Ken looked over at the feline and smiled. It hadn't been the easiest of strolls, what with the various Digimon roaming about in total confusion. He'd had to get out of the way so that Tailmon and Stingmon could try to contain them without hurting them.
"I wouldn't worry too much about that." He settled into the couch and picked up Daisuke's phone.
Iori's voice came in ragged gasps over the phone. "Ken kun?"
"Are you okay?" Ken responded in alarm. Iori laughed, panting a bit.
"I need to get back in shape! Nah, we're alright. I just had to run pretty fast. A huge wave came our way and we had to get out off the way."
"Can I talk to Dai chan?"
"Is everything alright?"
"Un, I just need to tell him… I have some bad news." Ken sighed, looking up at the ceiling fan.
"Are you sure? What's going on?" Iori sounded hesitant.
Questioning to the end, eh, Iori? Ken thought. "He'll tell you… I just need to talk to him okay?"
Iori finally relented and there was silence for a moment as he looked around for Daisuke.
"Dai chan?"
"Ken chan! Waaa, you so missed this."
"You missed it too." Ken muttered. "Look, Take chan…"
"Do you know where he is? I'm starting to get worried."
Ken crooked a smile and leaned his head back into the couch. "Take chan isn't on our side right now. You have to be careful, Dai chan."
"What? What do you mean, he's not on our side?"
"I mean… well one of the Digimon I used to know… one called the Glanconer, he's gotten to Take chan somehow, and he's not thinking right. He-" Ken firmed his jaw suddenly, feeling his stomach tighten again independent of his will. "What is that?"
"Ken chan?"
"Huh? Oh. I mean-"
"Is he dangerous? What do I need to do to help? Do you need me to come over there?" Daisuke asked rapidly.
"You need to stay out of his way!" Ken demanded. "He might try to hurt you, since you're part of his old life. A pretty important part."
"Take chan… I can't believe he'd… well I guess I can believe somebody got to him. I should have been more… aware. I knew he was having a hard time. I should have-"
"You can blame yourself later, Dai chan. Right now, we need to find the best way to deal with this situation."
Daisuke was silent for a moment, and Ken bit his lip, hoping he hadn't been too harsh.
"Tai kun and Yama kun are on their way. Sora kun and Miya chan went out to find Hikari chan, and Mimi chan if they can. We tried calling her but she didn't answer, so…" Daisuke paused again. "How did you find out about Take chan?"
Ken took a deep breath, but didn't respond.
Ken sighed wearily and lay back on the length of the couch, propping his feet on the armrest, his knees bent slightly to relieve some of the pressure that was building on his tired back. "I wish I had something better to say to Dai chan. This has to be killing him." He bit his lip.
"He'll survive." Tailmon said coldly. Ken looked down at her. She was sitting, curled around her legs at the foot of the couch.
"Why aren't you with Hikari chan?"
"She asked me to come look after you and her cub."
Cub. Ken thought with amusement and raised a brow at her. "I'm glad of it, but I want her to be safe, too."
"I got the distinct impression that Takeru kun doesn't stand a chance against her."
"If she's willing to hurt him." Ken muttered. Yamato's phone rang and Ken reached over to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Who is this?" A deep voice demanded. Ken frowned.
"This is Ichijoji Ken, at Yamato kun and Taichi kun's residence. Who are you?"
"Oh. I'm Yamato's father."
Ken blinked in surprise. From what he'd heard, Yamato hadn't been on speaking terms with his father since high school.
"May I take a message?" Perfect time to be polite, Ken, he chastised himself.
"I just wanted to say hi." He said gruffly. Ken snorted.
"You weren't at all worried about the chaos going on right now? Which always has to do with your sons? Who might not make it back from this new threat to the world?" Ken snapped unexpectedly. Wormon looked up at him questioningly, though the words were just as big a surprise to Ken.
"Look I don't need-"
"They need you. Did you know that? Yamato kun and Take chan need you."
"Take chan?"
" Life gets twice as hard when you start finding out who you really are, and when a parent rejects you for it, life just doesn't seem to be worth living." Ken took a breath and decided to see where this rant would take him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tailmon grinning mischievously. Wicked little kitty. "Have you ever really been there for Take chan? After the divorce, did you ever make the effort, like Yamato kun did, to keep him as part of your family? Even after Takeshi san decided to move so the boys could be together, I don't remember you ever being around when he needed some kind of father figure.
"I remember a particularly nasty incident when Yamato kun was eighteen that sent Take chan through loops, that caused him to try to work things out with you on Yamato kun's behalf, and left him feeling like he couldn't ever go to you or trust you again. Particularly now. He needs his family now. It's because he doesn't have the kind of support he need that this happened!"
"You… this is none of your business!" Ishida Masaharu protested.
"He's my friend." Ken replied coldly. "I'm not saying it's all your fault. I'm saying, take some damn responsibility, and stop trying to mold your kids into a perfect little model."
Masaharu was quiet for a moment. "I didn't mean for things to turn out so badly. I don't hate my sons for who they are."
"You should let them know that. I know it's hard."
"I overreacted initially. It is.. difficult for me to express to Yamato when I'm wrong."
"I'm guessing it's just as hard for him, since he hasn't really tried to get in contact with you since." Ken said, calming down a little. He relaxed into the couch. "I know he still cares. You should try to contact Yamato kun, for Take chan's benefit."
"What's wrong with Takeru?"
"He's having…" Ken looked at the phone in confusion as it suddenly cut off. "Figures. Well, he'll find out."
He laid his head back and stared at the ceiling listlessly. "I wish there was something I could do." He muttered to himself looking around the apartment. He didn't really feel like moving at the moment, and could feel the weight of his eyelids increasing. Wormon hopped up on the couch, and looked at Tailmon, who was still curled into a ball, but he could tell from her back that she was ready to jump into a fighting position if necessary.
"Could you hand me my D-terminal please?" He whispered softly. Wormon scuttled over to complete the task then watched silently as Ken typed a bit awkwardly on the little device. "I'm sending a message to a few key Digidestine, warning them that they need to contain the Digimon, not destroy them. We need to get the situation under control here, and separate the worlds. I don't know how deeply our worlds would merge if many of the Digimon were destroyed."
"Good idea." Tailmon said. "Mention to them that you haven't conferred with Taichi kun yet. And that when he contacts them, to do as he says."
Ken nodded and added that to the message. "Michael…"
A smile played his lips in memory of their little tryst before he'd gotten together with Daisuke. "He's a wild one. I wonder how he's doing now…"
He copied the message and pasted it into a few other files so he could translate to Russian, and for Chicos, Spanish.
"She certainly grew up a lot." Wormon noted, looking over his shoulder. Ken grinned.
"To everyone's relief I'm sure." He sighed and shut the D-terminal. "I'm not sure what else I can do to help."
"Just wait here." Tailmon advised. "Hikari chan will let us know when she needs us, and maybe Taichi kun will be sending instructions at some point. You can translate."
Ken nodded halfheartedly as his head lolled over and he fell asleep.
Takeru could feel someone holding him gently, kissing along his forehead, on his face, down his neck, even before he'd actually woken up. The other body was warm, cleaning his face with something warm and rough, as it continued to caress him. Cleansing, and kissing.
His eyes fluttered open to find himself in the lush, red velvet quarters of his master. He looked up hesitantly seeing the deadly beautiful face regarding him fondly.
"You failed, Takeru. On both accounts. You could not kill Hikari, nor could you retrieve the Dark Spore for me."
Takeru bit back a sob. He was so terribly ashamed to have failed, so completely. And here his master was, taking care of him regardless. Or perhaps he was preparing him for his death.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Glanconer." Takeru tried to raise himself, so he could get into a proper bowing position, but found it impossible to do. His head spun and all the images his eyes were trying to focus on jumbled with others that simply didn't belong.
"You've had your mind scrambled. It will pass." The Glanconer told him austerely, petting his soft blond and black hair.
Sighing shakily, Takeru raised pressed his face into the Glanconer's powerful chest. "I must be punished. I've failed you. Please, punish me terribly."
"Oh, have no fear, my dearest Takeru. I will." He kissed Takeru's head gently. "I will."
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