A/N: "YOU" and "Trauma" belong to Hamasaki Ayumi-san and avex trax, respectively. Ayu and Max Matsuura also belong to themselves, obviously. No infringement or harm is intended!

"No, leave me be!

Ken screamed as a large dark shadow began to surround him. He tried to out run it, only to be encompassed by the darkness as a deep demonic and familiar voice called out to him.

"There is no escape from your destiny Ken Ichijouji,"

From out of the darkness, a figure emerged dressed in blue, wearing a cape with pair of goggles over his eyes.

"The Digimon Emperor will never truly die."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ken shot straight up in bed, sweat covering his face and chest. Yolei, wearing a red nightie, sat up next to her husband and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you all right, dear?"

"I'm fine, honey. You go back to sleep."

Ken climbed out from under the covers. Sitting up, he slid on his slippers and walked into the bathroom. He walked to the sink, splashed water on his face and looked in the mirror.

"It was just a dream, Ken, nothing more. Just keep telling yourself that."

The next day at police headquarters, Ken, in his brown trench coat and fedora, walked in and shook hands with police chief Aito Ikari as they entered his office. Aito poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Ken.

"You look like you could use this, my friend."

"Thanks, I had a rough night. Couldn't sleep."

The two men sat, Aito behind his brown wooden desk with his police academy diploma on the wall and a picture of his family on his desk. Ken sat on one of the two chairs in front of him as he drank his coffee.

"This digiblight case is taking its toll on us all, but you're a private investigator, Ken. You don't have that much at stake in this. You should leave this to my men."

"You may be right, Aito. I do need more paying jobs, but as a father of two, this digiblight case is personal to me."

Aito shook his head and gave his friend a weak smile. "I think I might be able to help in the paying job department. Have you heard of Ayumi Hamasaki?"

Ken laughed at the question. "My kids are her biggest fans. Why do you ask?

At that moment, the door to Aito's office opened and in walked a man in a black suit and tie.

"Ken Ichijouji, I would like you to meet Max Matsuura, producer for Ms. Hamasaki."

The two men shook hands before taking seat in front of Aito's desk.

"Mr. Ichijouji, it hasn't been announced to the public yet, but Hamasaki-san will hold her first concert in the digital world next month and we're looking for a new head of security who knows the digital world inside and out. Chief Ikari highly recommends you for the job. This would be the starting pay."

Max hands a piece of paper to Ken who looked it over with a smile.

"Well, my kids would never forgive me if I said no, so we have ourselves a deal, Mr. Matsuura."

A week later in the digital world, on a stage set up in a newly-constructed concert hall, a woman with long blond hair stood on stage, her band playing behind her. As dancers danced along, she raised a microphone to her mouth and sang as the spotlight shone on her and colored lights swirled across the stage.

Your face is

more beautiful when you're sad.

I couldn't say even one word,

When I noticed, you had brimmed over with tears.

That must have hurt much more

than I thought. I'm tired.

I'm sorry that I didn't notice.

The spring wind rolls by, it draws a far off dream.

The break in the summer clouds disappeared.

The autumn sky is painful, the winter sea is cold

The more I fall into a trance the more time passes.

Many events

have slipped by.

And you, here, now,

I'm proud of you, always.

People are not memories

that you can put into words. They live

holding onto their feelings.

Sometimes you take only the roundabout way and get tired.

But the place I finally get to

is just by your side, and my heart is healed.

I want to be that kind of support someday.

As she performed on stage, Ken, in a white A-message t-shirt, stood backstage with Wormmon, watching Max then approached and placed a hand on Ken's shoulder.

"She has a beautiful voice, doesn't she?"

"That she does," Ken responded with a smile, happy to have a good paying job that had nothing to do with digiblight.

"Excuse me a minute. I'll be right back."

Wormmon scuttled off, following one of the dancers on Ayu's staff into dressing room area on a hunch. As he enters, he peaks in but is unable to get a good view. Unable to prove his gut feeling, Wormmon scuttled back to Ken.

"Everything alright, buddy?"

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"Daddy, daddy!"

Kendra and Kenny came running up, hugging their father who knelt down and greeted his two kids as Yolei walked up behind them.

"How would you kids like to meet Ayu?" Max asked the two kids who both let out shouts of yes.

As their parents look on, Max introduced the two kids to Ayu.

"I heard you two are my biggest fans," Ayu said with a smile. "How would you like me to perform a song for you?"

"Oh, would we ever!" both kids agreed.

Ayu sat down on the stage next to them with microphone in hand. "I trust you two know Trauma. Make sure to dance along, okay?"

The band started up and the kids and Ayu did the patented para-para that went along with the vocals.

Today's happy face, today's sad face.

Yesterday's weak self, tomorrow's strong self.

If it's you, who are you showing it to? If it's me, who should I show it to?

Time is sometimes a cruel thing,

but the present is made by that cruelty.

Unceasingly searching for someone, an instant of release

soon triumphs over the visiting fear.

As I don't even notice the flowers shaking before my feet,

I can't even look at myself in the mirror.

Today's happy face, today's sad face.

Yesterday's healed wounds and today's deeply opened wounds.

If it's you, who are you showing it to? If it's me, who should I show it to?

The sanity and insanity that I was given and are mine only,

Both exist together without negating the other.

Futile things, spilled things, and useless things...

I'll choose with confidence, so I am of myself.

Because I have always defined happiness with my own standards.

Today's happy face, today's sad face.

Even if yesterday's healed wounds have opened today,

If it's you, who can you show it to? If it's me, I want to show it to that person.

Ken wrapped his arms around his wife and smiled as they watched the two kids with Ayu. Unknown to the happy couple, a dark cloud was hanging over their family - a dark cloud that would soon threaten them all.