"Two Faces, One Mask"

7. 'Leaving'

"And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies,

When everything feels like the movies

And you bleed just to know you're alive."

'Iris' Goo Goo Dolls

"Daemon." Ken hissed, his blue eyes narrowed to slits.

"Ichijouji." Daemon's rough voice rumbled, echoing Ken's detest, "Come with me quietly and I'll make sure you die quickly."

"Now wait just a minute!" Mr. Ichijouji yelled, but Osamu held him back before he could go any closer to the Dark Lord digimon in the middle of their living room.

"Stay out of this papa." Osamu begged, "He'll kill you."

"I don't care! That's my son he's threatening!"

Daemon turned to consider Ken's father, his glowing red eyes boring into him. "Hmm, foolish mortal, you would willing give your life to save your son's? It would be in vain, I would kill him anyway."

Osamu held back his father again as he lunged at the large Digimon.

A loud bang carried from the front door as the remainder of the Digidestined and their digimon poured into the apartment. They stopped abruptly at the sight of Daemon.

"Ken!" Davis shouted, "Run! Get out of here! We'll slow him down!"

Ken contemplated the idea, but he remembered the last time they had come up against Daemon. They had tried every attack they had and after all their efforts, it took Ken opening the portal to the Dark Ocean to seal him away. The whole reason Ken was in this mess in the first place. As Ken reached into his pocket for his D-3, he realized he was shaking and his forehead was feeling clammy. He was far too weak to open that portal again so he would have to take Davis's advice and run for it. But he did not under any circumstances want to leave the love of his life as well as his best friend's, in danger.

He shook his head indicating to Davis that he was going nowhere and suddenly a strong feeling inside him rose to the surface. He had being vaguely aware of it for the past half-hour, but he had only just registered what it was now. In all the chaos going on around him, he had felt a part of him self vanish, or die.

Wormmon bounded over to Ken and as if shaking him from his thoughts, the little digimon looked up and asked, "Should I digivolve?"

Ken nodded with a smile at his partner and Stingmon rushed toward Daemon.

"Get the fight outside Stingmon!" Ken yelled.

Ken, as well as everyone else knew that Stingmon could really do no damage to the powerful digimon, but it was more of a plan to keep him at bay while they thought of a plan.

Meanwhile the Emperor was inching his way toward the front door, but Ken tackled him and they tumbled into Ken's bedroom. The other chosen rushed to the door and could not determine which was the tyrant and which was their best friend. Tossing back and forth punches to each other's face; it was an odd sight indeed. Their fight took them to the balcony, where they where pressed up against the railing, now standing dangerously close to the edge.

Yolei's eyes grew wide and she covered them with her hands, unable to watch anymore, for fear of what she might see.

With one well placed uppercut one of the counterparts of Ken went hurtling to the asphalt below. The Digidestined gasped, shocked at what they had just seen. The Ichijouji on the balcony fell to his knees and was panting. His body was racked with pain, but it was nothing like the pain his counter part would soon be feeling. He prepared himself for it, for he had figured it out. They were, in some strange way still connected. He felt what the Emperor felt and the Emperor felt what Ken felt. But the pain did not come and Ken slowly rose to his feet, with the aid of Davis. They all looked over the balcony railing to see that Daemon had caught the Emperor and was going through a purple and black portal in the road with him in his arms.

Wormmon hobbled into the room, looking defeated, "I'm sorry Ken, I couldn't stop him."

Ken, bent over, nodded his head to show he had heard Wormmon, but didn't have the strength to say anything.

"He took the Emperor." Cody pointed out; "Do you think he meant to?"

"No." TK stated, "He made a mistake, he thought that that was Ken."

Osamu and his parents rushed into the room and stood quietly as they watched the Digidestined discuss what had just happened.

"Doesn't matter." Ken stated quietly applying pressure to his bleeding lip.

"How come?" Davis asked.

"What ever he does to the Emperor, I'll feel."

"You're still connected?" Kari gasped.

Ken nodded his head slightly. His eyes stayed glued to his feet; "I need to speak to Mae. Where is she?"

He noticed there was a strange heartiness to his voice when he mentioned Mae.

There was a strong silence where no one dared to speak and tell Ken what had become of his Guardian. However it was Davis who was brave enough and kind enough to tell him.

"Uh, Ken, she, well, there was an attack with her and the Sorceress and well, the Sorceress…the Sorceress, um…killed her. I'm so sorry Ken."

Ken's head slowly lifted so he could look Davis in the eye. Davis wished Ken hadn't done that, because the pain in them was unbearable.

"But," Ken swallowed, "She can't die. She's immortal."

"We think that gift, along with her powers was given to the Sorceress, leaving her mortal." Kari said quietly, rubbing her arm.

Ken turned to the railing to lean on it and closed his eyes slowly. He ran one hand through his long blue/black hair and exhaled. He had known. That was what that feeling had been and now that feeling seemed to be swelling at a rapid rate.

"Ken," Yolei had finally decided to speak. She rested a hand on his shoulder and said quietly, "Lets take you back home and we'll figure out what to do about getting you back with the Emperor."

Dumbly, Ken nodded his head and found his feet moving on autopilot towards Yolei's car.

------

Daemon grumbled as he dumped the Emperor, who was now in his royal attire, on the floor of his home. A little surprised, the Emperor looked around at where Daemon resided when he was not locked away in the hell dimension of the Dark Ocean. It was a roomy palace, but because it seemed so dark, with no windows, he was guessing it was underground somewhere possibly in a cave. He did not know the way to it of course, because he had entered it with Daemon through the portal. The entrance hall where the dark half of Ken lay consisted of dark, granite floor and walls, with a red carpet leading up a staircase of the same granite stone. The walls held long gold torches with flames flickering at the top by the holders. A chill ran over him, even though it was actually quite warm within the palace.

Only when he finished taking in the living quarters of Daemon, did he notice the Dark Lord digimon was standing over him, grumbling or growling to himself. Defiantly, the Emperor looked up at those glowing red eyes beneath the dark hood.

"You are not Ken." He stated angrily, but more to himself than to the Emperor.

"You're quick on the mark." He mumbled sarcastically.

In a flash Daemon had lifted the Emperor up off his feet by his neck and was holding him a few inches from Daemon's face.

"Do not mock me boy or you will be looking at a life time of torment that I'm sure the Dark Masters would be glad to give you."

Daemon dropped him again and he landed in a heap on the hard floor.

Slightly shaken, though not really afraid, the spiky haired young man rubbed his neck and grimaced at Daemon.

"No matter." Daemon continued as if there had been no interruption, "This works out better really."

"Why is that?" the Emperor asked bitterly.

"Because fool, wherever you are, Ken will follow. He needs you and he'll come looking for you. In the mean time I can torture you, to lead him here. Because," he looked down on the Emperor with a glare from his eyes, "the Dark Masters informed me of something very interesting…whatever I do to you, Ken will feel."

With narrowed eyes the Emperor got to his feet and quicker than Daemon could anticipate, he shot forth strings of blue lightening from his fingertips, striking Daemon right in the chest. As Daemon began to scream in agony, he turned and ran for the nearest door. That he noticed was made of wood and with one, well-aimed energy ball it shattered into splinters. Finding him self outside, which seemed indeed to be some sort of cave like area he ran straight ahead of him, flat out.

See unlike Ken, he was sure he wanted to live, he had many plans and many things to do and many people to get revenge on. He knew that if push came to shove, Daemon would kill him as well as Ken. Then it occurred to him. If he can feel Ken's pain, and Ken can feel his pain, would the same be in death? Would one die if the other did?

He didn't have time to think of this now, he needed to get away from Daemon, but he had no idea where he was going. But just as he saw a glimmer of hope, a literal light at the end of the tunnel, something yanked him backwards. Daemon had grabbed his cape that had been flying behind him. He stumbled backwards and fell. Cursing under his breath as Daemon dragged him behind, making his way back towards the palace, he fumbled to find the catch on the cape, but he realized that his hands were shaking and his fingers would not co-operate. Daemon tossed him into a room, which was as big as four broom closets. It had nothing in it, no bed, no chair, nothing but cold and possibly damp walls and floor. Though the damp could have just been the extreme coldness of the granite. He heard Daemon shut the door and lock it. After he had left, the Emperor looked around.

He was trapped, in a tiny cage, and he realized that this is how his slaves must have felt. Something twinged inside him and he looked down at his feet as he slid down the wall to sit up against it. He pulled off his glasses and tossed them aside and whispered to him self, "I hate my existence."

------

Davis and TK led Ken toward the bedroom of his and Yolei's apartment. He didn't really need them to hold him up, he was strong enough, but they insisted after he gagged and felt a sharp pain in his neck on the way there. TK left the room and closed the door behind him so Davis could talk to Ken alone.

"Ken," he began, "It will be okay. You just, you just have to be strong and we'll get through it."

"He's right you know." Osamu had materialized in the room.

Ken did not flinch but Davis did jump back in alarm.

"Dude, do you think you could warn me before you do that?" Davis looked back to Ken, who was sitting on the corner of the bed staring ahead of him.

He took a deep breath and said, "I'll be okay, I just need some time to be alone."

Davis and Osamu nodded and Davis added before heading out the door, "We'll think of a plan and then let you know."

He closed the door, and left Wormmon and Ken alone in the dim room.

After a few minutes the door creaked open again and Yolei who looked as though she had been crying, but had quickly brushed the tears away in effort for him not to notice looked at him. She opened the door wide and stepped in, looking very awkward indeed. She kept looking at him and then her feet, or anywhere but his eyes. She shuffled her feet and shifted from foot to foot.

He looked up at her with a deep frown and asked, "What's wrong Yolei?"

She hesitated and seemed to be at war with herself. However, she had come to a decision and the words tumbled from her mouth before she could wrap her tongue around them first, "I'mleavingyouI'msorry."

His brow furrowed more, "What?"

She took a deep breath and made sure her eyes were not connected with his, "I'm leaving you, I'm sorry." She said slowly and sincerely.

He blinked a few times, not able to swallow this bit of information. His brain had seemed to have jammed and he stood up slowly and stepped closer to her, "What? Why?"

Tears had started to crawl down her cheeks again and she looked at the floor when she spoke, "I can't do this anymore Ken. I can't see you suffer anymore. It's killing me. And I know this is selfish and the worst timing ever, but I won't be able to live if I see you die Ken. And I'll blame myself if you do. I'm not strong like you Ken, I can't keep watching you go through this. Maybe I'm not the one for you after all. Ken stepped back and his brain seemed to stagger on this.

"Yolei," he begun, but realized he had no come back to that.

"I'm going to stay with my parents for a while until I can find my own apartment and-"

"Why are you doing this?" Ken choked.

"I told you…"

"You said you're not strong like me, that you can't do this? How the hell do you think I feel Yolei? You think I like doing this? You think I like suffering? You think-"

"Yes, Ken I do!" she didn't shout, but the words rang in his ears. "I think you like the suffering. Pain, suffering, anger, it all seems to find you Ken, and you think you're better than you were all those years ago? You're not! You haven't even begun to heal or forgive yourself for everything that's happened. It's not all your fault Ken, so stop blaming yourself and brooding on the past! How on earth can we have a future if you keep living in the past? I love you Ken, I love you so much and all I want to do is make you happy, but all my efforts seem like shots in the dark. I can't make you happy unless you let me make you happy."

"I don't deserve to be happy Yolei!"

"Yes, yes you do! Why can' t you see that? You're a smart and kind and gentle and brilliant man, you just can't see it and it kills me everyday. I can't take it anymore. And now you don't even know if you want to live or die? God Ken! I'm obviously not that important to you if you don't realize that if you died, I would die or that you want to live for me."

"I do love you Yolei, but you don't understand. Things are messed up and complicated and everyday is a constant fight-"

"Maybe I would understand if you talked to me once in a while. Like you used to. But lately all it's been is that Goddamned computer program. Like you need the world's approval again, like you need someone to tell you that you're perfect again? I didn't want to believe you when I was inside your mind, but it's true, you do enjoy being the Emperor, 'cause at least with him, you could be free!"

"Shut up."

"No, Ken, I figured it out. You resent us. We tore off that Emperor suit and left you all exposed with much more guilt and pain than you could handle."

"Shut. Up."

"And you never really dealt with it did you? You just pushed it to the back of your mind and hoped it would go away. But it didn't and now all this is happening and you think it's your opportunity to escape!"

"SHUT UP!"

Yolei flinched and looked into his face. She had never seen him so angry.

"You have no idea what it's like Yolei, none! So don't stand there and tell me how I feel. I know how I feel, and I know that I haven't been so attentive to you lately."

"Ken, I'm sorry I said all those things-"

"No you're not. You wouldn't have said them if you didn't mean them, or thought them at least."

"I just-"

"Get out."

"What?"

"Leave. It's what you want isn't it?"

"Yes, no, I don't know."

"Just go."

"Ken-"

"Please."

Silently and without making eye contact, she made her way to the door.

"I'll be back later to get some of my stuff." And she closed the door behind her.

He waited for the sound of the front door to open and close before he went to his draw and picked up the little velvet box and collapsed to his knees. Tears fell over his lips and Wormmon came over and nudged his leg in sympathy. Ken picked up Wormmon into his arms and held him close as sobbing racked his body. "What have I done?"

------

Mae paced back and forth in the spotlight before the three 'people'. Their pure white cloths caused an aura to glow around them. The old man had his eyes fixed on her, while the younger male looked from Mae to his partners. The young woman was the only one who looked as though she understood Mae's dilemma.

She had two choices; go back to the realm of the Digital world and real world and be immortal again or move on to paradise. (The realm where all spirits went to when they crossed over and either stayed there for eternity or chose to go back and be reborn in order to work on their karma.) Mae of course would stay there if she did go. She had lived many centuries and was tired. Also, like Ken, she had a horrible past and had to live with her guilt all her life. She sighed and knew what she must do. Ken needed her, she sensed that he was in a lot of pain and so she looked up at the three Light Masters, her face set.

"I wish to go back."

"You must remember though, Guardian of Kindness, that until the spell is recited and you are joined with the Sorceress, you will be mortal. The road to going back will not be easy though and you will go through great suffering to test you. We hope you succeed Guardian, for the Sorceress is still at large."

After their three echoing voices stopped, they sent down a parchment on which a spell was written. She snatched it from the air and nodded. After a blinding light spread forth, she awoke at the base of a mountain.

She looked up at the snowy white peak as she picked herself up off the earth. She brushed off the dirt left behind on her jeans and winced at the pain in her back. Her blue jeans and black top were stained with red/brown blood that had dried hours ago. She wiped her mouth and looked at her hand, blood was streaked across it too.

She sighed heavily and shrugged, "I guess I have to climb you."

The base of the mountain was not so bad, the weather was fine and her bare feet were okay to walk over rocks and damp grass, however it was when she got a little higher that she began to feel the weight of her test. Her wound from the sorceress was beginning to hurt her and she was becoming cold, but she pressed on none-the-less.

------

Gennai rubbed his sleeve over his eyes and stood up. There was nothing he could do now. She was gone from him, the love of his life; the woman who had always being there was suddenly gone. Taken away from him as if someone had done a magic trick and caused his heart to vanish.

Numbly he turned and began to walk out of the forest with one main objective on his mind: to kill the sorceress.

------

Ken turned the midnight blue velvet box over and over in his hands until it made him feel sick. Anger and sadness were building up inside him like a pressure cooker. As if in release of his pain, he threw the box at the door. It made a hard 'thud' and landed almost silently on the carpet below. He ran his fingers through his hair and left them there, bent double and examining his feet. He needed Mae right now, he needed her to comfort him and tell him it would be all right.

He looked up suddenly and frowned at his thoughts. Why would he think of Mae right now? Why would he think that he needed her now? And then the answer came to him; the answer he had been avoiding since Davis had told him Mae was dead. He loved her. He suddenly felt a large hole open up inside him. He wanted to mourn that feeling, that loss because he knew that a part of him self had died along with her.

He got up abruptly and wanted nothing more than to run, or destroy his room. He was feeling angry with Yolei for leaving him, especially at time like this. He also felt completely lost without her here, when he needed her too. He felt sad for losing Mae and confused about his feelings for her. All these feelings led to a chain reaction of more feelings that made him frustrated, until he screamed out in anger and punched his wall.

------

The Emperor sat against the cold stone wall and sighed to himself, dimly aware of a shooting pain in his right hand.

He had an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. It felt like despair and it made him weak. He could have blasted the door open by now, but something in him told him that he didn't want to escape. That maybe he would be better off with Daemon and whatever he had in store for him. Living inside Ken's head was easier than this. At least there he understood the feelings he was feeling, or more correctly the feelings Ken was feeling. But now he had new emotions and feelings. He was used to the standard feelings of his day. Anger, bitterness, hate, cruelty. What was sadness? A pang hit him in the stomach. He did know sadness. He had felt it that day he had moved to the Digital world for good. He was sad for what reason? Because he was alone?

He ran his gloved hand through his spiked hair and sighed again. What did he care if he were alone? He was confused. And he noticed that he was very tired. He leaned his head back against the wall and heard someone at his feet. He looked up and saw an Elecmon quivering there, "Don't hurt me, please." It begged.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and stated coldly, "I want to be alone. Go away." And with that, the digimon vanished from site and the door burst open.

"It's time for your torture Ichijouji."

The Emperor frowned in the direction the digimon had just been in and then looked up at Daemon.

He got up with the aid of Daemon yanking him to his feet. He mumbled under his breath, "Yes, my name is Ichijouji. Ken Ichijouji. The dark half. The side that carries the darker emotions. Hate, anger, desire, despair, sadness, loneliness…"

Daemon pulled him down a corridor towards the entrance hall and they stepped through a portal and ended up in the Server desert.

"This is where your torture will begin." He pointed to a large wooden poll, like a stake in the ground.

"Or my punishment." He breathed.

------

"So what is the plan?" Davis asked as they stepped into Kari's dorm room.

"Well, first things first, we need to track down the Emperor." TK stated.

"Well that's obvious," Gatomon started, "but we have no idea where Daemon might have taken him."

"But Ken should know." Everyone looked down at Cody who shrugged irritably, "Well, if Ken can feel him, maybe he can sense the Emperor too. It seems logical."

"He's got a point." Patamon chimed in from atop TK's head.

"Well, Ken needs a little breathing space right now." Davis informed them.

"Look, I understand that this is a really rough time on Ken, but we need him right now." Cody looked around at their faces and Davis turned to Kari.

"I'll call Yolei and tell her to get him ready for some Emperor hunting."

Kari looked extremely uncomfortable.

"What?" Davis asked her with narrowed eyes.

"She um, well, she's not at the apartment."

"Where is she then?" Veemon asked.

"At her parents house I imagine."

"Why?"

"Because she needs time to…because she left Ken."

Davis exploded, "WHAT?"

"Davis calm down-"

"Why the HELL would she do that and now for God's sake?"

"It's complicated and I swore I wouldn't tell you guys this much. She says she can't do this anymore. So we're one Digidestined down I'm afraid."

"Great." Davis growled, "Just great."

------

"I had a feeling you might be here."

The Sorceress spun to look at Gennai. She was torn between grinning wickedly at him or scowling, so she decided upon a neutral unreadable expression.

"If it isn't the great Guardian of the Digital world." Her tone was that of mockery, almost questioning his abilities to be Guardian of the Digital world. He let it slide, for now.

"It's time you came with me." He made to grab her wrist, but she pulled her arm away quickly.

"What makes you think I'll go without a fight?" she stepped backwards, her bare feet kicking up the caramel dirt.

Gennai glanced down at the Base that the digimon were working on and looked again into her face, "It's almost exactly the same."

"I thought it would please him."

The conversation was that of two normal people, with one great exception; these were not normal people and nor were they people at all. But the way, in which the Sorceress spoke showed that there was a spark there for Gennai to work with, a drop of humanity within the evil woman standing a few feet from him and the sadistic side of him wished to use it for his benefit.

"So you wish to please him now? I remember days where you pleased no one but yourself, Sorceress. You reveled in those days, but you were lonely were you not?"

Her eyes dropped to his feet, "I have him now and we will…"

"Rule the world? You won't get the chance."

She looked up at him grinning, "Who's going to stop me? You? Please!"

He wordlessly nodded, a cold glaze over his eyes.

To Gennai's surprise the woman with long auburn red hair and crimson red lips laughed.

His brow furrowed, "What's so funny?"

"Look at you, coming here all broody, wanting to exact revenge on the woman who killed your unfaithful lover."

His frown deepened, "Unfaithful?"

"Fool. You don't see it do you? She loved another!"

"You lie! She loves - loved me!"

"She loved Ichijouji!"

"No! You're just trying to distract me. I was wrong about you, I thought there was some tiny part of you that was still good, but like I said, I was wrong. You are evil."

She cocked her eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, "I am evil. Personified. Can we get on with this now?"

She stood with her hands on her hips, her crimson fingers drumming with anticipation, and a smirk on her face, causing Gennai great irritation. He lashed out and a white beam pulsed from his palm and hit her in the gut. She flinched, but only just. She on the other hand did nothing of the sort. Instead she raced up to him in a flash and with a roundhouse kick to the face, sent him to the ground.

She was about to step on his face when he grabbed her ankle with lightning reflexes and pulled her to the dusty ground with him. He held her wrists behind her back, so she was unarmed and whispered in her ear from behind, "There is a way for me to defeat you. Would you like to know what it is?" his tone was frightfully sadistic and it shocked him, but he did not let it show.

With amazing strength, she stood up and flipped him over her head, causing him to land flat on his back in front of her. "How 'bout you show me later?" she mocked.

In a second, Gennai was back on his feet, standing in a fighting stance.

She ran forward and swiftly punched him in the face, then again with a left hook and as he stumbled backwards; she brought up her long slender leg and kicked his face. He dropped to the ground.

She stood over him, casting him in shadow and shielding his eyes from the strong sunlight behind her. He looked up at her with seething hate. It was then that he noticed that the sky was blue here. There was little destruction in this area, but the rest of the digital world was in ruin. Why was this area so important that it should be left untouched?

------

"Things have gotten out of hand." The young woman at the court stated, her vivid red lips pouting.

"Daemon cannot go on with his plan."

This time the three voices echoed in the empty space. The Dark Masters stood in the darkness together speaking and moving as one entity. Opposite them, like a chessboard, the Light Masters had gathered and stood in pure white light.

"This is your mess. You started this."

"You have seen what is to come of this situation. We were not granted that luxury in time to warn us."

The eldest Light Master frowned, "Nor were we! We receive the visions at precisely the same time as you do."

"This is not solving anything!" the woman on the Light Master's side yelled.

"She is right." The Dark woman stated tossing her long black hair over her shoulder irritably.

"We must stop Daemon. He cannot have the Spore." All three Light Masters concluded.

And the six beings stepped to the boarders of their space and shook hands with each opposite to them; the two women, the younger males and the eldest Masters.

A flash emanated from their hands and the area around them turned to gray.

------

(AN)

Okay guys I am so sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter! I was really busy when I got home and just didn't have the time to proofread and edit this chapter before I put it up, but here I am working into the early morning to get it up for you. I've been trying to keep in mind everything that has been commented on in reviews (thanks for them by the way) but in this chapter I found dialogue to be very important and if I added too much on scenery detail, it would have distracted from what was going on. But don't worry detail will happen in the next chapter.

To clarify, the idea of the mountain that Mae has to climb I got from Samurai Jack, the episode where he has to climb the mountain of Fatoom. I love that episode. I should also add that the idea of Ken being split in two I did not get from Samurai Jack (the episode with Mad Jack). Funny thing is, when I finally did see that episode I realized it was really similar to what I was doing.

Now to make up for making you wait so long for this chapter, I will try my hardest to get the next chapter out on Wednesday.