[fic]Mizu-Kagami 7/9

[caffeine_buzz]

Title: Mizu-Kagami 7/9
Fandom: Digimon 02
Rating: K+
Pairings/Warnings: Kensuke
Previous Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Daisuke paced in front of his D-terminal. Still no e-mail from Gennai, and he was getting more impatient and worried by the minute.

“I’m sure it’ll come soon,” Chibimon said for the fifth time in an hour. “Gennai told you it might be hard to open the gate.”

“Not this hard!” Daisuke sighed, trying to calm down. “What if we’re too late?”

“We won’t be,” Chibimon stated.

“But what if we are?” Minomon asked, his voice trembling.

“We won’t be,” Chibimon repeated, looking annoyed. “Trust me. If we were, then the Digital World would be back to normal and Gennai would’ve e-mailed us saying that it’s pointless to go to the dark world.”

Daisuke and Minomon both gave him stricken looks, and the blue in-training started to wish he had never spoken up.

That was when the D-terminal beeped. Daisuke grabbed it and immediately started to read. After a moment, he turned to Chibimon and Minomon, smiling.

“The gate’s been opened. Gennai wants us to meet him in the Digital World and then we’ll be off to save Ken.”

“Then let’s go!” Minomon and Chibimon both leapt off the bed and crowded around Daisuke, who grabbed his backpack and stuffed them in.

When he arrived in the computer lab, the others were already waiting for him. To his surprise, Yamato and Taichi were there as well.

“Are you guys going too?” Daisuke asked the older Chosen Children curiously.

“We’re here to guard the gate while you’re gone,” Yamato explained.

“Gennai explained it to me in my e-mail, hoping I could get Taichi to help,” Hikari explained. “Apparently, the power used to open a gate to the dark world affected the Digiports as well. The ones most used, like this one, have been opened, too. So Taichi and Yamato agreed to guard the Digiport until we get back, so no one accidentally wanders in and gets sent to the Digital World on accident.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if they came with us, though?” Daisuke questioned. “I mean, we’ll need all the firepower we can get, right?”

“That’s what I said,” Taichi grumbled. “But Gennai didn’t think it would be a good idea.”

“Lots of things are going to realize that the dark gate’s been opened,” Yamato elaborated. “Gennai can keep most of those things out of the Digital World, but he can’t keep them from realizing that you guys have entered the other world. And the more of us there are, the easier other creatures are going to be able to find us.”

“We don’t have time to fight off every little thing in the dark world,” Takeru put in. “So we have to go in the smallest group possible.”

“Then let’s get going,” Daisuke said. He and the others raised their D-3s and disappeared inside the computer.

They met Gennai in the center of a large, fairly empty field. He was holding something shining in his hands, and hovering before him was a strange black dot, a small window to the dark world.

“You’ll have fifteen minutes,” Gennai informed them. He gestured to the object in his hands. “This Digicore I received from Quinglongmon will supply the power to open the gate, but it has limited strength. If you aren’t back after fifteen minutes, the gate will still close, and you’ll all be trapped. Do you still want to do this?”

“Do you need to ask?” Daisuke muttered impatiently.

“We’ve already discussed it,” Takeru added. “We know the risks, and we’re willing to take them.” He glanced at the others. “Does anybody have a watch on?”

“I do,” Iori spoke up.

“Then you’d better keep an eye on the time,” Miyako said, and Iori nodded. Gennai sighed.

“All right, then. Remember, fifteen minutes from the time the gate opens fully. Good luck. You’ll need it.” The Digicore in his hands glowed, and the dark spot hovering before him widened until it was tall enough and wide enough to walk through.

“Ready?” Daisuke turned to the group, who nodded. As one, they entered the world of darkness.

Daisuke had never been in the dark world before. The first thing that struck him about it was how cold it was. In the distance he could hear waves crashing. Beside him, Hikari stumbled, one hand going to her head.

“It’s all right.” Takeru moved in beside her, helping her. “It’s not after you this time, remember? We all came in of our own free will this time.”

“I know,” Hikari replied. “But...don’t you feel it?”

“Feel what?” Miyako asked.

“The chill of death.” Hikari shuddered. “This is a horrible place.”

“We aren’t going to be here long,” Daisuke promised.

“Good,” V-mon murmured. He was keeping close to Daisuke, and the other Digimon were similarly attached to their own partners. Wormmon was on Daisuke’s other side. “I don’t like it here, Daisuke. It feels...it feels...”

“It feels like it hates us,” Tailmon supplied, her voice grave.

“Because it probably does,” Iori said seriously. “After all, we don’t like it when creatures from this world enter ours. Why would this world feel any different about us?”

“Gee, thanks for filling me with confidence,” Miyako grumbled. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “Can we just find Ken and go?”

“Anyone have any idea how to do that?” Takeru said. “We don’t even know where Ken could be. This place is huge; we could be looking forever.”

“No,” Daisuke said sharply. “We’re only going to look for fifteen minutes, because after that we’ll be stuck here forever.”

“Fourteen minutes,” Iori spoke up. “We only have fourteen minutes now.”

“I think we should go this way,” Wormmon said suddenly.

“What makes you say that, Wormmon?” Hikari wondered.

“I don’t know. I just think he might be this way.” Wormmon fidgeted nervously.

“Well, I guess you’d know better than any of us,” Daisuke said. “Lead the way, Wormmon.”

The Digimon led the group into a deep forest. The sound of the waves became more distant as they walked further into the thick foliage. Nonetheless, Daisuke shivered. There was something wrong here, too.

“Do you see it?” Hikari said suddenly, her voice hushed. “That strange glow up ahead...”

Daisuke swallowed the rising lump in his throat and strode forward beside Wormmon. Maybe this was a good sign, maybe they had found something at last. Still, he couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder, as if fearing that some strange creature might be following them.

“Something’s there, all right,” Takeru murmured. “But it doesn’t feel like it’s a good thing.”

Nobody replied, though they all felt the same. As a group, they stepped through the trees and into the clearing.

Daisuke stared. Before them was a perfectly smooth lake. Not even wind rustled the surface, it was if it was made of glass. Daisuke knew at once that it had to be Mirror Lake.

“Ken-chan!” Wormmon’s torn cry forced Daisuke’s eyes away from the water to the center of the lake.

There, suspended in the air by a huge block of ice, was Ken.

Ken’s shirt was gone and his bare chest was scarred and bruised. The ice that held him suspended him at least four feet above the surface of the lake, and he was trapped completely from the shoulders down. Only his head and neck were free from the icy prison. Ken’s head was thrown back, his hair wet and limp. His violet eyes were partially open, but they were dull and lifeless. For one terrible moment Daisuke thought that the other boy was dead, but then Ken’s eyelids flickered and he blinked once, slowly, as if all his senses had been dulled.

“Ken!” Daisuke echoed Wormmon’s cry, and his voice seemed to wake Ken up a little. The pale boy’s head raised, the movement painfully slow, and stared at Daisuke uncomprehendingly.

That....voice...

“We have to get him out of there,” Hikari said.

“Right. I’d say this is a job for Fladramon.” Daisuke turned to V-mon, who nodded.

“And Aquilamon,” Miyako added. “Fladramon can melt the ice, and Aquilamon can keep Ken from falling right back into the water.”

“Okay then. Digimetal up!”

“V-mon armor shinka....Fladramon, the fire of courage!”

“Hawkmon shinka....Aquilamon!”

“All right.” Daisuke pointed to the ice block. “Melt the ice, but try not to hurt Ken.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Fladramon told him. “I won’t fry Ken. Are you ready to catch him, Aquilamon?”

“We’re ready.” Miyako had climbed atop her Digimon. “I’ll make sure Ken doesn’t fall off.”

“Okay. Fire Rocket!”

The flames shot towards the ice block, and it slowly began to melt. Ken watched the water drip from his prison with a strange detached kind of fascination, as if it were not he trapped inside. Fladramon shot more fire at the ice and more of it began to melt, exposing Ken’s chest and freeing his arms. Miyako and Aquilamon flew in close and Miyako grabbed ahold of one of Ken’s arms. She winced as her hands took hold of him; his skin was cold to the touch. Ken glanced up at her sluggishly, still fairly unresponsive. Soon Ken was free up to his waist, then at last his legs were freed and he dangled by one arm from Aquilamon’s back.

“Don’t drop him,” Daisuke said quietly, hoping that Miyako wouldn’t. If Ken fell back into the lake, it would be difficult to free him again.

“Thirteen minutes,” Iori’s voice answered him in a grave tone.

Ken swayed in Miyako’s grip, but she pulled back and managed to drag him onto Aquilamon’s back. Daisuke heaved a sigh of relief, though he knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. As Aquilamon flew back towards them, Daisuke could see that Ken’s eyes had not lost their dulled look, and his skin was so pale it was almost white.

“Ken!” As Aquilamon landed, Daisuke and the others gathered around. Miyako lowered Ken to the ground, but it seemed that his legs wouldn’t hold him and he fell to the ground like a rag doll.

“Ken-chan?” Wormmon approached his partner fearfully, his joy at seeing Ken subdued by the state his friend was in. “Are you all right? Ken-chan?”

Ken raised his head and looked long and hard at Wormmon, seemingly lost in thought. At last he spoke, though the others couldn’t help but wince at how raw and hoarse his voice sounded,

“Who....” Ken’s voice gave out. He swallowed hard and tried again. “Who are you?”

There was a very long pause before Wormmon at last spoke. He sounded as if his heart had just been broken.

“You...don’t know me?”

“No.” Ken shook his head. “Do you know me? Could you tell me who I am? What I am? Or....or am I really nothing?”

“Wait a sec. You don’t know who you are?” Daisuke knelt by Ken’s side. At the sound of Daisuke’s voice, the other boy shivered.

“You...” Ken closed his eyes. “Do I know you? I think I might. You....and the little creature, too. You both seem familiar somehow....but I can’t remember...”

“Gennai said Kagami took Ken’s memories,” Hikari said softly. “That must be why Ken doesn’t know us. Kagami literally stole his memories.”

“Then we have to get them back!” Daisuke said. “We can’t just leave Ken like this.”

“It might not be that easy,” Takeru said. “What if Kagami isn’t willing to give those memories up easily?”

“Then we make him,” Daisuke replied.

“You’re so stubborn, Daisuke,” Miyako said with a slight smile.

Ken, meanwhile, was watching them, holding Wormmon close to him like a favorite stuffed toy. The boy had been listening to the exchange curiously, like a young child watching his parents fight over bills. When he heard Miyako speak Daisuke’s name, however, his eyes widened.

“Daisuke?” he whispered, his numbness suddenly fading away. So Daisuke had come for him! How could he have doubted such a thing?

“Ano....Ken?” Daisuke was suddenly very aware of the intent look he was getting from Ken. In the other boy’s eyes shone pure and absolute worship.

“You came for me...” Ken said in a hushed, reverent tone. “You’re Daisuke. The one I remember. I thought you forgot me, or I made you up, but....you came. You came for me. Then I’m not nothing, right? I’m not.”

“Why do you think you’re nothing?” Takeru spoke up. Ken immediately shrank backwards, shivering and holding Wormmon tighter. His wide eyes fixed on Daisuke as he hoarsely replied,

“He told me. He told me all sorts of things....those I can remember, every one of them...He told me them all.” Ken suddenly moved closer to Daisuke, seeking comfort. “But now you’re here, right Daisuke? You came to save me. You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

“We’ll all protect you,” Daisuke assured him hastily, blushing a little. “No ones going to hurt you, Ken, I promise.”

“K-Ken?” the other boy repeated. “Is....is that me? Is that what I’m called?”

“Yeah. That’s your name. Ken.” Daisuke turned even redder as Ken pushed up close to him, practically in his lap.

Calm down, idiot, the goggle boy told himself sternly. Ken doesn’t remember anything, and he’s just cuddling--is that the right word?--cuddling up to me for protection. Like a little kid. He’s just frightened, that’s all. Calm down and for heaven’s sake, stop blushing!

“Eleven minutes.” Iori’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The younger boy was looking at him intently. “If we’re going to fight the Guardian, we should probably start soon. Time’s passing.”

“Who?” Ken looked up at Daisuke for clarification.

“The Guardian,” Daisuke replied. “He kinda runs the lake, but Gennai didn’t tell us what he looked like or any...thing...” Daisuke stared as Ken stumbled back, his skin going deathly white.

“Him,” the boy whimpered. “You’re going to fight him.”

“Uh....I guess,” Daisuke replied.

“You mustn’t, you mustn’t!” Ken shook his head frantically, his grip on Wormmon tightening so much that the Digimon was starting to have trouble breathing. “He’ll kill you, I know it. He--he’s horrible.” Ken’s eyes were full of fear. “I’ve seen him. I know him. He--he can’t be defeated, I tried, but he kept telling me that I was nothing and nothing couldn’t be saved and--and he told me you didn’t exist. I didn’t believe him for a long while, but then you never came and I thought he was right and--he’s just horrible.”

“That’s why we’re going to fight him,” Daisuke said.

“But he might hurt you....and then I’ll have to go back.” Ken looked up pleadingly at the others. “Don’t fight him. None of you. I don’t want to go back there, and if you all get killed he’ll make me. No one will save me. I’ll be nothing again. I’m not nothing! I am not nothing!” He was beginning to get frantic, and not even Wormmon could calm him down. Daisuke put a hand on Ken’s shoulder and the boy jumped, falling backwards.

“No one’s going to die,” Daisuke said softly.

“I’m nothing,” Ken sobbed quietly, letting his grip go slack. Wormmon tumbled to the ground and glanced up worriedly. “I knew it, I knew it. I’m nothing, and you’re nothing, and you’ll die and I’ll be here forever, forever, nothing and cold and empty and nothing...”

“Stop it!” Daisuke glanced helplessly at the others. He didn’t know what to do, what to say. “Ken....”

“That is correct. You are nothing.”

Daisuke and the others whirled at the sound of the unknown voice, but Ken only let loose with a piteous whimpering noise and shrank against a tree, trying to make himself as small as possible.

The surface of the lake rippled once as a giant funnel of water appeared. The funnel wound upwards and then began to solidify into a more recognizable form, that of a giant snake with cerulean eyes. The Guardian stared down at the Chosen Children, its normally calm expression twisted into one of distaste. Its tongue flicked out once, briefly, and its eyes were glittering in displeasure.

“Who....” it hissed, its voice sounding rough and guttural in the harsh air, having lost its smooth poisonous tone outside of its watery den. “Who are you, who dare to take my prey from me?”

“Ken isn’t yours!” Daisuke proclaimed. “We’re not letting you have him.”

“But he is mine, “ the snake rumbled. It fixed its eyes on Ken, who whimpered and looked away. “Is that not right, little one? You are mine. You are nothing.”

“That’s right,” Ken sobbed, still not looking up. Wormmon rested his legs on Ken’s knee, but still the boy kept his face averted. “I’m nothing. Nothing at all...”

“Don’t listen to him!” Daisuke snapped. The snake hissed in annoyance.

“Give him back to me or I will kill you all and take him back. He has surrendered. He is mine.”

“We’re not going to do that!” Daisuke said. He turned to the others. “You guys ready?”

“Right.” Miyako nodded, then turned her gaze to the Guardian. “We’re not going to let you hurt anyone again!” She glanced at Hikari who nodded and raised her D-3. Tailmon and Aquilamon smiled at each other and prepared.

“Tailmon!”

“Aquilamon!”

“Jogress shinka....Silphymon!”

The Guardian barely spared a glance at the Digimon standing before it. Its eyes were fixated on Ken.

“Our turn!” Armadimon proclaimed, and Patamon nodded.

“Armadimon shinka...Anklyomon!”

“Patamon shinka...Angemon!”

“Anklyomon!”

“Angemon!”

“Jogress shinka....Shakkoumon!”

“Now for us,” Daisuke stated as Fladramon de-evolved to V-mon.

“V-mon shinka...XV-mon!”

“Ken!” Daisuke pulled the black D-3 off his belt and tossed it to Ken. It hit the ground in front of the other boy, who barely even glanced at it. “Come on, Ken! We need Imperialdramon if we’re going to beat this thing!”

“Beat me?” the Guardian laughed. “You think you can defeat me?” Its head darted forward and crystals of ice shot from its mouth. Shakkoumon stepped protectively in front of the children, and the ice cracked harmlessly against his metal frame.

“Is that the best you can do?” XV-mon scoffed, flying towards the Guardian. “X-laser!”

The beam flew at the Guardian, tearing its body in half. Almost immediately the water swirled up and the Guardian re-formed, completely unharmed.

“I have more tricks than this to get that which is mine!” it proclaimed, and opened its mouth again. A chill mist burst from its throat, descending on the group. The air was suddenly cold and hazy. Daisuke found that he could barely see anything, and he was freezing cold. He could hear the voices of his companions, trying to see in the sudden haze, and, mingled with the questioning voices, Ken’s ragged one muttering over and over,

“I’m nothing, I’m nothing, I’m nothing....”

“We need to clear this mist away!” Takeru’s voice cut through the haze. “Shakkoumon, is there anything you can do about this?”

“I’m trying,” was the reply. “But this sort of thing is hard to vacuum up.”

“It won’t blow away, either,” XV-mon added. “I’m flapping my wings, but it’s not enough.”

“Imperialdramon could probably take care of it,” Miyako said.

“Right!” Daisuke followed the sound of Ken’s voice through the mist. He nearly tripped over Wormmon as Ken came into view.

“He won’t listen to me,” Wormmon reported. “I’ve been trying, but--”

“Ken!” Daisuke took Ken by the shoulders and shook him. “Ken, snap out of it! We need your help. You have to make Wormmon evolve.” As Daisuke spoke, Wormmon picked up the black D-3 and brought it over.

“I’m nothing,” Ken whimpered, ignoring them. “I’m nothing!”

“Ken!” A moment after Daisuke cried out, a beam of ice shot through the mist above their heads, nearly hitting them both. Daisuke whirled, and he could almost see the Guardian readying for another attack through the gloom. “Ken, stop it! You’re not nothing. You’re my friend, and I’m going to save you or die trying. But you have to help me. We can’t do this without you.”

“There’s nothing I can do,” Ken said. “I’m worthless. Completely worthless.”

“You aren’t!” Daisuke shook him again. “Damn it, Ken, get a grip! You can do this.”

“But I don’t know how.” Ken stared at his D-3 as if it was a foreign object. “I don’t remember. I don’t know what that is, what all these--these creatures are, I don’t even know who I am! All I remember is a name, your name. I thought you would save me, but you never came. And now that you’re here, it’s too late. And--and now we’ll all die.”

“We will not die!” Daisuke half-shouted, his own voice strained. “We’ll get through this. Together. You have to think, you have to remember how to--”

“Daisuke, look out!” XV-mon’s voice cut him off. Daisuke looked up just in time to see a volley of ice spears cut through the air, heading straight towards him and Ken. Daisuke’s eyes widened, but he knew there was no way he and Ken would get out of the way in time....

Suddenly, a funnel of water hit the ice spears, knocking them to the ground. The chill mist dissipated, and a sole figure was revealed, standing near the trees with one hand still outstretched.

Kagami had arrived.