Darkness Reborn

Chapter 9: The Truth   

by Silver

*Disclaimer: I don't claim any ownership to Digimon's creatures, characters, or story.*

            Author's note: Still alive, still writing (albeit slowly). This story's almost done after nearly two years of work. This chapter reveals a lot of the mystery about the new Emperor. Some might agree with it, but I'm expecting some outcries against my idea. I look forward to seeing how people react. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy.

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            "YOU!" TK hissed venom at the figure sitting across the way.

            The Emperor held a finger to his lips. "Shh. You'll wake Patamon." The tiny Digimon still slumbered by the bed. Whatever held TK from lunging forward and striking his rival, it certainly wasn't fear of knocking his partner down. And yet something inside him kept him coiled back, even though his desire to rip the Emperor apart was overpowering.

            "What are you doing here?"

            "A social call. I don't understand why you're not happy to see me. I can tell I've been on your mind quite a bit lately."

            "Don't give me that. Because of you… because of you…"

            "Yes?"

            "People and Digimon are dead!"

            "And?"

            The innocence of that question stunned TK more than anything. "Don't you understand? People are dead! They're not coming back. You've taken lives and ruined families!"

            "Oh, that." The Emperor shrugged. "I'm creating a new world order, don't forget. That's not something I can accomplish by pussyfooting around everyone. The humans and Digimon who've lost their lives thus far are stepping stones to my reign of peace. I think they'd be willing to make such an exchange; for the sake of the survivors, of course."

            "You don't even care!"

            "You're right. I don't. I just thought that little rational might calm you down a little. But I see it's only made you angrier. That's even better."

            "Why?" TK's mind rushed through all the taunts and threats of the day. From the moment he and the Emperor had met, it had all been about infuriating TK. It was a painful process that had succeeded. TK had never known such loathing. "Why are you so obsessed with making me mad?"

            "You honestly don't know? You haven't felt it?" The Emperor shook his head as if explaining a simple concept to a child. "I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet. Haven't you wondered what's been holding you back so far? What's keeping you from unleashing all your rage at my destructive Chaos Generals? Even in your deepest moments of hatred, you haven't lashed out once. Can you tell me why?"

            "… No." How did he know all this?"

            "It's fear. Fear from some tiny corner of your mind where you realize the truth, albeit subconsciously."

            "What truth?"

            An expectant smile smeared that masked face. "If you truly wish to know, I suggest you gather your friends and meet me in Ferry Futo Park. You'll see five control spires arrayed in a semicircle. I'll be there."  

            "Why there?"

            "I thought you might like to meet there. So late at night, few people would be there, and you could have at me without fear of another massacre. Or are you willing to kill another couple thousand to get at me?"

            It was all just a game to him. All a twisted little game with people serving as a background; their deaths as inconsequential as a passing breeze. TK had seen such cruelty and disregard in Digimon, but never in a human. Not even the former Emperor nor Oikawa had been so apathetic towards their own kind. Everything in TK cried to strike the Emperor down now. End this battle with a clash between humans, not Digimon. Yet something still fixed him to the bed, staring at this thing before him. Why couldn't he attack?

            "I can feel it in you." chuckled the Emperor. "The hate. The loathing. The desire to go for the kill. I suggest you bring every ounce of that hatred with you to Ferry Futo. Otherwise this war will never end… Think fast!" He tossed a nearby pillow at TK, smothering his face for an instant. TK tossed the pillow away, and the Emperor was gone.

            Dazed, confused, and more than a little afraid, TK shook his partner. "Patamon, wake up!"

            "Ugh… five more minutes."

            "No! No more minutes. We need to get moving." TK was already out of bed and typing in a message to the others. They would all meet at the school yard before heading over to Ferry Futo in unison. Anyone who didn't arrive in the next half-hour would be getting some unexpected visitors. The Emperor was right about one thing. One way or another, this would end tonight!

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

             It took a full hour and a half to gather everyone into a group. The martial law order and curfew resulting from ChaosImperialdramon's attack slowed everyone down as they ducked past police and patrols, so it took everyone at least a half hour to arrive. And then there were personal problems that further slowed the group. Kari was still limping from her ankle injury and so Yolei had to support her while standing. Davis had slept right through his d-terminal's chime, making him the last to arrive. Even though TK could understand how tired everyone was, he couldn't help seething while he hustled the other Digidestined to the meeting place. "We don't have a lot of time. The Emperor wouldn't show his face unless he had something big planned!"

            Davis yawned, "I know! I know! I can't help it if I'm a deep sleeper!"

            TK nodded and forced his frustration to the back of his thoughts. Getting mad at his friends wouldn't help matters now. It never helped. The Emperor said to bring all his hatred to the meeting. TK had no intention of following those orders. But it was so hard not to hate. This was a creature—he couldn't consider him a human being anymore—who had slaughtered thousands and enslaved a whole world in one day. And he'd no sooner taken a breath then began the conquest of another. What next? TK had learned from experience that those who sought power craved more with each ounce they possessed. Ruling two worlds would never be enough. No matter what, the Emperor couldn't be given the opportunity to stake claim on another unsuspecting world.

            Finally assembled, the Digidestined mounted their Armor or Champion Digimon and set for Ferry Futo Park. Their flight path took them far too close to the site of last night's battle. TK couldn't look at the crater—now surrounded by police and rescue crews—without feeling sick. In hindsight, it all seemed so inevitable. As the strength of the Digidestined's enemies grew, so too did the risk to the innocent. Each new threat placed people in even greater danger. Something like this was bound to happen, but that didn't make it any easier. For a moment, TK wondered if the Emperor was right to envision a world where he could cut off any threat before it developed. He quickly dismissed that notion when he remembered the price of that world. There would have to be many more deaths for such as state to arise. Below, people screamed at the sight of the Digimon passing overhead for fear of another massacre. Each of the Digimon flinched and added a burst of speed to pass the graveyard as quickly as possible. For the time being, it was best to put that memory in the back of everyone's mind.

TK couldn't understand why the Emperor had chosen such a place for the final confrontation. A small island at the outskirts of the Odaiba, Ferry Futo served as a travel juncture to Tokyo. The park that lay beyond the ferry docks was primarily a means of welcoming tourists and travelers. Was there some sort of symbolism to this location? A welcoming of a new ruler perhaps? The Emperor craved power, but Ferry Futo had no great symbol of power therein. In truth, the reasoning was a moot point. It didn't matter what the Emperor was thinking. All that mattered was that he was still there, waiting.

            The Digimon set down in the middle of the park, amid oddly quiet trees and plants. The entire park hovered quietly, awaiting the future. "Over there!" Ken pointed to several discarded rifles and military uniforms that lay in a mess near their landing point. The guards stationed here were gone. Deserted, or perhaps worse. TK felt the furry build inside of him as he realized the latter was likelier. More people dead; all for some warmonger.

            The five spires noted as the meeting place were easy to spot. The night's sky could never be as dark as their polished surfaces. They stood perfectly erect, pointing towards the sky as if to indicate the worlds beyond that would be the Emperor's next conquest. There were no lights or auras surrounding them, yet the mere sight made the Digidestined shudder. For too long these towers had been the symbol of an enemy. Now they were symbols of death.

            "EMPEROR!" TK shouted. "We're here. Show yourself?"

            Cody glanced around nervously. "Should we really call him out? It might be better to try to catch him off guard."

            TK shook his head. "We're past the point of second-guess ourselves. He wants a showdown, let's give him one!"

            "TK." Kari placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you angry. Remember what you told XV-mon and Stingmon. If we fight with anger, we'll make a mistake and we'll lose. We can't lose." It still amazed TK how Kari's touch could drain all the hate from him. But the Emperor's laugh brought it right back.

            "Welcome, TK! Welcome to the final phase of this war. I must admit I'm almost sorry it has to end here." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no one other than the Digidestined present, yet that voice had been far too close to be a amplifier, and too clear for a recording.

            "Where are you?" demanded TK.

            "My, my. Such anger. I see you followed my advice." Still no sign of the voice's origin. "It's so nice to finally see you expressing all that rage. It's been hidden too long."

            "The only rage I feel is caused by everything you've done!"

            "Of course it is. Surly the noble knight feels no anger over his past. No sadness from his parents' divorce, or his separation from his brother? Honestly, TK, you really should be more honest with yourself."

            This was starting to scare him. This Emperor knew too much about him. He knew things that TK hadn't revealed to anyone. "Stop hiding and come out!"

            "Um, TK?" Davis asked. "Who are you talking to?"

            "The Emperor. Can't you hear him?"

            Yolei shook her head. "We… didn't hear anything."
            "Deaf and dumb. How sad for them." The Emperor cackled.

            TK whirled, the voice now more discernable. He stepped to the spires, glancing around them to see if the Emperor hid behind one. No one. "Stop playing games and show yourself!"

            "TK, you're starting to scare us." Ken said hesitantly. "Are you hearing something we aren't?"

            "How can you not hear him? He's here. It sounds like he's standing right next to me."

            "Not next to you, in you. I'm right here." TK glanced at the control spire's dull reflection, expecting to see himself. Indeed he was there in that black slate, but with a visor over his face… and a black cape. The Emperor grinned back at his hanging jaw like a distorted mirror. "See? You found me! Well done!" He applauded mockingly.

            TK took several horrified steps back, and the Emperor's image shrank as he pulled away. "Everyone, what do you see in that spire's surface?"

            Cody looked from TK to the Spire and back again. "I just see our reflections. What do you see?"

            TK's mouth wouldn't move. Probably because his mind couldn't accept what lay before him. The Emperor waltzed around the group in the reflection's image, like a stand-in for TK. He eyed each Digidestined closely and made either a sneer or a dismissive gesture. "These 'friends' of yours are so bizarre. You have a fifteen year old who acts like a ten year-old and a thirteen year-old who acts older than all of you. I never did understand how you could have him for DNA digivolution partner." He motioned to Yolei. "Then there's this cross between Snow White and Attila the Hun. How do you manage to stand near her? I might fear for my life because of his barbarian.

"And here we have our former Digimon Emperor. Do you think he still remembers that pounding to the face you gave him? I hope so. It'd give him something else to be habitually depressed about." The Emperor didn't say anything about Kari. Eyeing TK once again, he grinned and reached for his mask. "You're probably wondering how I know all this. How can I know the small resentments and discomforts you hide from all, even yourself? Well, let's have a grand unveiling, shall we?" The eyes he revealed didn't belong on that face. They were cold angry; devoid of any love or compassion. There wasn't a spark of humanity in the eyes of the Emeperor's… no… TK's face. "Figured it out yet?"

            "What… what is this?" TK could only vaguely hear his friends asking him questions and shaking him. "Who are you?"

            "I'm you. Or, rather, I was a part of you—emphasis on was."

            "No…"

            "Oh, here we go. I've seen this coming for days now. I reveal the truth, you deny it completely. We spend half the night arguing while all your friends start to think you're crazy. Sounds pretty boring." The Emperor pondered. "I know! Let's liven things up. Time to show you the real purpose of my control spires."

            "Real purpose?" TK echoed dumbly.

            "TK," Kari placed a hand on his shoulder. "What real purpose? What are you talking about?"

            "The Emperor… he's going to show the real purpose of the controls spires. At least, that's what he's saying."

            "Saying where?" Davis looked around furiously. "What's the deal here? Why does TK get to have it out with the guy while all anchor the ground?"

            Yolei waved her hand. "And what's with this 'real purpose?' We already know what control spires do."

            "We knew what my spires did." Ken corrected. "These aren't your normal control spires."
            "Oh, come on, Ken. You and I both know this guys just copying your-eek!" Yolei fell on her bottom as the ground shook under the Digidestined. Slowly, the spires began to ascend, ripping up patches of concrete all around them. TK could only stare in awe as more and more of the obsidian monolith vaulted past him. The spires seemed to stretch into infinity, until TK noticed the darkness materializing about him.

            Suddenly, he wasn't a teenager anymore. Now he was only about eight, standing beside Tai and the others, watching Myotismon's fog finally dissipate. But where there should have been clear skies and peace, a new conflict had arisen. Here with Kari, Davis, and the others, that same threat appeared before him. The Digital World hung over his head, shinning with a strange light far more unnerving than before. Yet for all this similarity, there was a critical difference. The Digital World, still slave to the Emperor, was far darker than he remembered; and that darkness was reaching for him. Small specks of black, like tiny voids in the lush landscape, steadily grew in size until he could make out their polished reflective surfaces.

            "Control spires!" Cody voiced everyone's thoughts.

            Ken nodded dully, horror striking his face. "We saw it… that pattern in the Digital World… The control spires were always designed to shift the Digital World's borders, but this…"

            "He's so close. But even an idiot can come close to a bull's-eye if he fires enough times." The Emperor still mocked TK from within the spire. "These spires don't just shift the borders. They rip them apart!" At that moment, the spires collided. Every spire on Earth smashed into its counterpart in the Digital World. Not one spire stood alone in the gathering of towers. Each one aligned perfectly with its other-worldly brother. And as their tips pressed together, they melted into one another. TK had barely begun to grasp what was happening when it was suddenly ended. Now there was no differentiating Earth spires from Digital World spires. Black columns bridged the distance between the two worlds, completely indistinguishable from one another. Now the sky looked as if it was barred with darkness; a prison for the populace of two realities. Never before had TK felt so trapped.

            Kari's scream did nothing to relax his fears. Everyone whirled around to see her sunken to her knees, clutching her head. "No… NO! Stop it!" TK was about to demand what the Emperor had done to her when the ocean cried out. It wasn't so much of a roar as a moan. Something was coming. Something horrible. TK could feel his insides sinking, as if all the happiness in his life was draining away, leaving only a void. He'd felt this before. This oppression… this emptiness…

            The black waters of the Dark Ocean swept over the shores and flooded the entire park, encircling everyone's ankles. Kari continued to scream as the darkness radiated against her crest of light. More than anything TK wanted to run to her side and comfort her, but he was still transfixed by the thing with his face in the control spire.

            "You did this."

            "Actually we did this. You and I."

            "What do you mean? I had nothing to do with this." The other Digidestined were shouting at him, but he couldn't focus on their words.

            "You had everything to do with this. You made me. You gave me a body to help accomplish my designs. Look around you. This is all your doing." The Emperor swept his arm, taking in the whole city. His gaze focused especially on the crater from the pervious night's battle. "Every death is a result of your hate."

            "What do you-"

            "Bwwaaaahahahahaha!" A mad cackle rang from all around and yet had no origin. TK glanced around, hoping to suddenly see the Emperor standing before him in the real world; not a dark reflection but a person of flesh and bone. What he found was a pair of leathery wings.

            They slipped out of the black water's surface as naturally as a fish skims through a river. They were wrapped tightly around some sort of object, protecting it from the wetness and obscuring it from everyone's view. The body must have been enormous for the wings kept rising to the sky as if to challenge the control spires for dominance of the heavens.

            Small patches of crimson robe fluttered towards the bottom of the wings, but it wasn't until TK saw the tips of black boots suspended just above the water's surface that he began to recognize those agonizingly familiar wings. "Daemon?"  The other Digidestined gasped collectively, confirming TK's suspicions.

            "Very good!" The wings flapped open, showering everyone with black liquid. Behind those wings, two steely blue eyes gazed out from a blood-red cowl. A pair of horns arced upwards, almost surpassing the claw-tipped wings in height. This was figure almost forgotten by the Digidestined, having be absent for almost five years. TK glanced from his dark reflection to Daemon, wondering how these two monsters could be connected. Daemon stretched his arms. "Ah, free at last. It's been a while, Digidestined." He held up a finger with a small flame flickering at his nail. "I still owe you a funeral pyre."

            "Fat chance!" Davis stepped forward. "We're going to kick you right back where you came from."

            Ken joined his friend, "How did you get back here?"

            Daemon chuckled, obviously unimpressed by Davis and Ken's bravado. "Why, I owe it all to TK. Or rather, the TK within TK." Everyone looked to TK, hoping for some sign of clarification. He couldn't give any. "Looks like I'll have to spell it all out for you." Daemon hovered towards them, taking great pleasure in his oration. "Do you know what life is like in the Dark Ocean? It's an unending stream of depression, anger, and fear. All those emotions come from you humans and flood the world like these black waters. It was the cruelest prison you could have sent me to, but I was not overwhelmed by these feelings. Any world I dwell in must be made my own, and the Dark Ocean is no exception. But the current head of that dimension is rather stubborn, and he has a large army of servants to throw at me, wearing me down to the point where I'm not strong enough to face him.

            "For a time I feared that I would be trapped in that dark place, forced to be number two on the food chain. But then I began to learn, mostly through trial and error. I learned how to access the darkness within people through my own will. Thus I searched for someone who could be my aid in escape; and I found the most ironic ally in the mind of one of my captors." He fixed his frozen gaze on TK. "I never would have guessed the Digidestined of Hope harbored such dark feelings. You're a very good actor."

            "No… NO! That's not true!"

            "Yes it is." The Emperor now added to TK's misery. "Time to face reality, TK. How else can you explain the fact that you're talking to a control spire right now? All the other Digidestined think you're going crazy, but we know better. We're having this little heart to heart in your mind, just as we've done so many times before. I'm you; or at least I was a part of you. I've be come a bit more 'self-sufficient' in the last few months."

            Daemon must have been able to perceive the Emperor as well, for he picked up at exactly the right moment. "When I searched your soul, Takeru 'TK' Takashi, I found a deep core of anger and sadness, buried in the deepest level of your very being. It was fun show: the divorce of your parents, the loss of your brother, the terror of your encounters in the Digital World, and the death of your partner. And then there were all those hidden resentments. All those morbid feelings towards those you consider to be your friends. Your misery and hidden hatred actually brought me some pleasure. I was entertained for weeks! It was only after I began to lose interest in being a passive observer that I decided to take a more active role.

            "I reached into your soul through the Dark Ocean, and gave your darkness a consciousness. And from the Dark Ocean itself came manifestations of your own emotions."

            The Emperor took over. "ChaosWarGreymon was far too much like BlackWarGreymon for your tastes: a maverick of darkness who tore the Digital World apart for his own agenda. You saw darkness in that spawn of a control spire and you hated him for it. But then he sacrificed himself to protect both worlds, proving that your judgment of him was wrong. Deep down, where you refused to admit the truth, you hated him for that."

            Daemon chuckled at TK's horror and bewilderment. "The latter two Generals are a bit more subtle in their representation. ChaosImperialdramon is your rivalry and your resentment personified."

            TK shuddered, but tried to remain focused. "I suppose you're referring to Ken? I don't buy it."

            "No, not our former Emperor." The Emperor waved to his uniform. "I have that covered with this wardrobe. ChaosImperialdramon is a representation of your feelings towards another Digidestined."

            Being the evolved form of a fusion Digimon, there was only one other Digidestined the Emperor could be referring to. "You mean Davis?" Not possible.

            "What about me?" Davis looked around rapidly, trying to catch up to a conversation he couldn't even hear.

            Daemon laughed yet again. "There's something your dear friend TK has been hiding from you, Digidestined. You have no idea of the grudges and resentments that dwell beneath his awareness. Especially those for you, goggle-head." He pointed to Davis.

            "You're lying!" TK shouted. "Davis is my best friend!"

            "And your biggest rival. Think about it, all of you. TK has more experience in the Digital World than any other Digidestined, yet Davis always manages to steal the spotlight and assume leadership. Tai gave the title of leader to this young upstart even though he didn't know a thing about Digimon at the time. You all saw TK as the unofficial leader for at least half your adventures. And whenever the time came to make a command decision, who had the groups interests in mind? Surely not this hotheaded fool who charged head-first into danger every time."

            "Who are you calling a fool?" Davis shook his fist. "We beat Kimeramon because I was willing to take on something dangerous!"

            "But were you thinking of the groups safety when you made that charge? TK certainly was. I've watched that scene in his mind at least a dozen times. There he was, trying to advocate retreat to protect his friends and partner, while another fool refused to see the obvious gap in power between your Digimon and Kimeramon. He put himself and the rest of you at risk all because he was too stubborn to pull back and try again. That's how you saw it, TK."

            TK shook his head. "We beat Kimeramon because of Davis."

            "Dumb luck. What would this loose cannon have done without the golden digiegg? His foolishness and luck stole the spotlight. From TK's perspective, Davis was only thinking of his own ambitions while TK himself had the group's safety as a priority. Davis stole the glory even though he made the biggest mistake, just like always."

            Daemon sighed as all the Digidestined protested. "Oh, give it a rest. It's not like the rest of you are any different. I've looked into all your souls and found the exact same hidden thoughts buried at one level or another. All you humans harbor such feelings; the only difference is some of you choose to act on them while others do not. In any case, the point is moot. TK's dark side is all that I need for my conquest. With both the Digital World and the human realm in my grasp, Dragomon will not have enough power to deny me, and I shall bring three worlds under my heel. Now that I am free, I shall fulfill my end of the bargain."

            "What bargain?" demanded Yolei.

            The Emperor addressed TK. "Being a former part of your persona, I have no body of my own. I've been using you as a time-share these last few weeks to set up my plans while you slept. But I'm tired of this arrangement. It's time for you to break that barrier of denial in your mind and act on your anger. Give it up, TK. I'm your true nature. Admit it."

            "No. You're not a part of me."

            "You've felt me beside you more times than you'd care to recall. I was your strength when you battered the Digimon Emperor. I was the force that helped you break free of MaloMyotismon's illusion. I kept you strong against the Chaos Generals. All your hatred, all that drives you, comes from me. I make you strong, but constantly deny me! Just accept your situation and embrace me. Together, we'll create the world you've always dreamed of!"

            "I don't want to control other people!"

            "You want peace! And the only way to gain true peace is to deny people the choice to behave with violence! I understand that free will is a deterrent to eternal peace, so I'm willing to do what has to be done. As long as people and Digimon can choose to kill one another, no one will be safe. We can make people safe if you swallow your fear and admit that you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done!"

            "NO!"

            The Emperor sighed. "Fine. I wanted to at least offer you the chance. We could have become one again and been stronger for it, but now I'm going to take control."

            TK scoffed. "Just try it. What can a reflection do?"

            "I'm more than a mirror for you. I'm in your mind and soul, active and connected to my creations." He looked at Kari. "And I told you, I'll make you angry by scaring her." He raised a finger, pointing to towering black columns. Each of the five arrayed before the Digidestined crackled with a dark energy, creating an unnatural lightning storm. TK stood transfixed as the purple lightning danced across the surfaces of the spires and converged in the center, collecting into a massive ball of sizzling energy that made the air shimmer.

            His fascination turned to horror as a bolt of lightning lanced out and struck Kari in the chest, throwing her to the ground. She opened her mouth but she had no air with which to scream. Instead she splashed into the black water and curled into a ball, trying to block out the pain.

            "KARI!" TK's cry echoed with the others'. He wanted to run to her and check her wounds, but he instead turned a hateful glare on the Emperor.

            "Not bad, eh? I'd say she's pretty scared now. But you're not angry enough." Another burst of energy collected around the center spire and fired at Kari. The black water conducted the blast through her body, increasing the pain and the pitch of her scream. Her body thrashed as her muscles acted without orders from her mind. The current subsided, and Kari lay twitching on the ground, crying almost inaudibly. The others had been thrown back the blast's force. Davis was already recovering and moving to Kari's side. Everyone else followed closely. But TK continued to glare at the Emperor.

            "Stop it!"

            "No. Get mad!" Another blast, this time it struck all the Digidestined.

            "STOP!"

            "I told you to get mad!" More lightning. TK could smell burning now. "I'm going to kill all of them now. That way I'm sure I'll be free. Watch and remember how your own anger and resentment killed them. Think on that for a long time." The energy began to collect again.

            TK looked at his friends, lying limp and hurt in the water. Both Digimon and Digidestined had shielded Kari with their bodies, lessening the blow to her already weakened body. Now they all stood at the precipice of death. Beyond them lay another mark of death: ChaosImperialdramon's crater. And above them hung ChaosWarGreymon's graveyard, a barren brown patch that carved into what should have been a lush forest. So many deaths. Some Digimon, some human. Some would return in a few years, others were gone forever. Time slowed as TK looked from one death spot to the next, trying to absorb that it was all his doing. He'd always known he was angry. He knew he suppressed some of his emotions for fear that he'd act on them. Anger, hatred, sorrow; nothing good ever seemed to come from them. Yet not acting on them had only caused them to fester and grow, evolving into this thing before him that had taken so many lives. TK had hated ChaosWarGreymon and ChaosImperialdramon from their murders, but they were also a product of his buried self. He had killed all those people. He was responsible for all those deaths.

            The guilt weighed on him, threatening to crush his heart and break his body in two. He was a knight, trying to protect two worlds; but he was also a devil, for he was the spawning ground for these creatures of darkness. He hated darkness, and hate made the darkness stronger. He had given birth to a new Emperor, and paved a road of death for Daemon's freedom. All his doing; all his fault. The sorrow and guilt swelled in him, pushing at his ribs and belly, filling his whole body to the bursting point.

            "… stop it."

            "Why should I?"

            "Because you're me. And you know I don't want anyone to die."

            "Wrong. Part of you wanted this cruel world—and the people within it—to disappear. I'm that part, and I don't listen to you anymore, my weaker former-half."

            "Stop-it-now…"

            "Or what?"

            "I told you to stop." The energy was at the bursting point again.

            "That's all you can do." The Emperor spat. "You're a spineless weakling who can do nothing more than make idle threats and make short-term repairs to a weak and broken world. You're too pathetic to ever accomplish what needs to be done. Now, say goodbye to those fools you called friends. It's time to remove one more set of useless people."

            "I TOLD YOU TO STOP!" The world vanished into white as TK lunged forward with his fist held out, aimed at the Emperor's forehead. As he struck the spire's surface, he felt his bones cracking from the strain as the distorted mirror's face shattered. But beyond that clean glass-like surface was darkness; darkness that swept around him and began to seep inward. And TK new after that moment of blind rage that the Emperor had won.

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Author's Note: Another Digimon fan once described TK as a paladin, or perfect human. I've never agreed with that view. Perfect characters are boring. The main aspect of TK's persona that I enjoy is that hidden spark of anger he sometimes shows. It makes you wonder what's really going on inside his head.

I'm sure many people will not agree with my take on TK's character, and I welcome such disagreement. I'm very curious to know how people view TK, and how they think this chapter portrays him and the other Digidestined. So, any reviews would be much appreciated. Part of the reason I started interacting with other fans was to discover their take on the show.

There are only about two more chapters after this. I'll try to get them done soon.