Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Drifting Pieces ❯ Shades of the Past ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Author’s Note:This fic was originally partially posted at the end of 2010. Since then, I have rewritten every single chapter and done a serious edit as well as finished the story. If you have not visited since October of 2010, I recommend that you start over. It’s worth it (05/2012).

Gennai is so hard to write. I still hear him as the silly old coot from Season 1 even if he has the Jedi young Obiwan look to him in season 2… Please review!


Chapter 12: Shades of the Past

Hikari slowly wrapped the gauze around Takeru’s arm, her nimble fingers gentle and precise as she worked. The gash wasn’t nearly as bad as it had originally looked, but with all of the sand and dust floating around she didn’t want to risk having an infection settle in.

She had managed to locate a fairly decent medical kit in one of the bathrooms and briefly wondered about the implications of it being there.

Hikari tried not to think about what had caused the wound or question why there was a whip carelessly discarded in the corner as she worked. Takeru had not offered any explanations and she had not asked for any.

Takeru sat silently in the chair, staring at the ground and holding a cold compress to his cheek tenderly. There was guilt in his eyes and something troubling that Hikari couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Across the room, Daisuke was sitting on the edge of the bed and leaning over Kaiser, gently dabbing at a bloody lip with a cool washcloth.

Hikari felt unsettled by the way Daisuke was so focused on the unconscious boy. The tender and complete loving care Daisuke was using to make sure that both Ichijouji boys were comfortable in the large bed left her with an odd feeling that she couldn’t quite identify.

Watching both boys sleep in the large bed was strange to her. They seemed so calm now… So innocent and young.

The digimon had offered to go explore the base to make sure that there weren’t any unpleasant surprises or dangers lurking in the shadows. Considering the state of the fortress, Hikari would be surprised if they came back having found nothing.

It had been a real challenge to get Wormmon to go with them, but they had managed to convince him that Ken would be safe with his friends. Once it had been pointed out that Wormmon knew the base better than anyone else, he had reluctantly agreed to guide them.

Takeru shifted beside her as she gently finished taping up the gauze. She wanted to feel upset at him for not listening to her. To feel guilty for not responding to Takeru’s email faster and telling him to wait for the others because it wasn’t safe… But she doubted that he would have listened to her.

She had been delayed while helping the others gather supplies and organize their cover stories. A part of her realized that even if she had responded faster, by the time Takeru had emailed her, he had probably already been stepping through the gate anyway.

She had initially planned on lecturing him, but the way he had avoided any eye contact with Daisuke and flat out refused to help tend to Ken or Kaiser let her know that he was already beating himself up enough.

Koushiro finally looked up from his computer and cleared his throat, breaking the silence as cautiously as he could. “Okay. We’re making zero progress here. Someone’s going to have to fill me in because I get the feeling something big happened and unless I’m expected to read minds, one of you I going to have to start talking.”

Takeru clenched his teeth and continued to inspect the floor with extreme intensity.

Daisuke shifted on the bed, careful not to disturb the two sleeping boys. After glancing at Takeru, he sighed heavily. “When we got back to the real world, Kaiser was in control. I think the transition must have jumbled things up for him or something. He was pretty dazed for a while before he got back to being his wonderful Kaiser self again.”

“Did he cause any trouble?” Iori looked at Daisuke with large worried eyes. Out of all of them, Iori’d had the hardest time forgiving Ken for ever being the Kaiser.

Hikari wondered how Iori was doing now that Kaiser was back and Ken was left exposed. Did he blame Ken for this?

Daisuke hesitated at the question and Hikari frowned. She knew that look. It was the look Taichi used to give her when he knew something that would upset her and he didn’t want to reveal the whole awful truth. The answer to that question was something that none of them would likely ever hear.

“No. He behaved himself.” No one looked convinced, but no one pressed it any further.

It was disturbing to think about just how much Daisuke was starting to keep from them. He used to be so open, outgoing, and full of energy. It was not uncommon to have him voice his opinions loudly while jumping to conclusions without thinking… But lately…

Hikari looked over at Ken, whose brow was creased ever so slightly as he slept.

Daisuke was quieter now. He thought things through more often and was less of a show off. It would seem that the more time he spent with Ken, the less foolhardy he was becoming.

Hikari still hadn’t decided if this was a good thing or not.

“Ken got control just before we came here. Right when Takeru showed up, actually…” Neither boy looked at each other as an uncomfortable silence settled around them.

Koushiro cleared his throat again in his no-nonsense sort of way.

Daisuke continued, looking at the genius now. “When we first got here, they were both in pain. It was like some sort of migraine or something real bad. … They were starting to phase again too.”

Takeru looked up suddenly. “It wasn’t in their heads. Not directly, anyways.”

Everyone looked at the blond boy in surprise. “They were clutching at the backs of their necks. I checked and there was something there. Something glowing under the skin. I think… No, I’m positive… It was the spore.”

“What?!” Everyone gaped at Takeru in mixed disbelief and distress. Everyone except for Koushiro, who simply nodded as if he had already guessed as much.

Despite the news, Hikari couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. Koushiro had most likely always known the answer. He never liked to guess unless there were solid facts to back him up. He was a careful genius that preferred to take his time and think out the answers before he even started to discuss what actions they might consider taking.

She had always trusted Koushiro’s ideas and plans no matter how strange they often seemed. Ken, who was probably on the same level as Koushiro, still disliked discussing his ideas with the others. He tended to simply come to a conclusion and act on it before anyone else even realized what the problem fully was. He was always running off into danger in an effort to protect the others from what he considered to be his own mistakes.

Only lately, it hadn’t just been Ken running headlong towards certain doom. Daisuke had started running along right next to him. Ken never even had to say anything; he would take two steps and Daisuke would be right there with him, trusting blindly and never stopping to consider if it was safe or the right thing to do…

Hikari frowned as she watched Daisuke.

Koushiro spoke up again, typing furiously at his laptop. “I suspected as much earlier but I couldn’t be sure till now.  There’s no telling when or how or where it happened, but my guess is that out there in the real world, the spore started to crack.”

“Cracked? Like he hit his head or something? He never mentioned anything like that to me!” Daisuke looked down at the two sleeping figures with deep concern etched across his face.

That look. I know that look.

“I doubt it was anything physical. It might have been stress or a mental strain or…” A rare hesitation as Koushiro censored his thoughts quickly. “Either way, a crack alone wouldn’t have caused all the trouble. After it stopped working, it was supposed to be broken down anyway. Ken’s body would have pushed it out or absorbed it just like any foreign object. It was supposed to be harmless.”

“So why didn’t it? Why is it causing problems now after all this time?” Miyako sounded as frustrated as everyone else appeared to be.

Hikari wondered if there was more behind that frustration than just her typical impatience. This was Ken, after all. Miyako had been chasing after Ken since she first found out that he existed. Sort of like how Daisuke had followed after Hikari.

Yet that wasn’t true anymore. She tried to recall the last time that Daisuke had declared his love for her or the last time Miyako had begged Ken to spend more time with her? Hikari had been so used to ignoring Daisuke’s advances that she’d hardly noticed when they had stopped.

She furrowed her brow as she looked over at Daisuke again. That look was still on his face; his eyes burning with a fire that only seemed to appear around Ken.

Ken… It had been when Ken and Daisuke first jogressed that Daisuke had shifted his focus and Hikari had become an afterthought. But when had Miyako stopped chasing Ken? Had she given up and accepted the fact that Ken just wasn’t interested? Had she accepted that maybe… Ken was interested in someone else?

Hikari wanted to feel happy for them… Whatever those two shared, it was special. It was more than could be put into words. It was all right there in that one look.

Yet… Why did she feel so unsure?

Next to her, Takeru was staring at the Kaiser with extreme intensity. There was a sort of morbid fascination etched across his face and a light in his eyes that she had only seen once before.

Why is Takeru so interested in him? Hikari stilled her mind and forced herself to return her focus back onto Koushiro, who appeared to be trying to work his way around the biggest question.

“It shouldn’t be… Not unless…” His typing slowed and he stopped at last, heaving a deep sigh as if he regretted having to speak the next words. “Not unless it was active again.”

Everyone’s attention snapped back to Koushiro instantly as the air seemed to be sucked from the room.

Daisuke jumped up, suddenly angry. “What do you mean active again? How could it be active? I didn’t see any control spires or capes or whips out there! He’s not out to take anything over!”

Takeru flinched, his eyes shifting to the whip in the corner as Daisuke spoke. Hikari fought back the urge to ask him what had happened. She knew that Takeru would tell her eventually and that she would listen quietly; even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

“I don’t think it was fully active. Or at least like it was before. Ken has… Ken had… better control than he did back then. Not to mention those that were controlling him aren’t exactly around anymore. It wouldn’t have the same results. Without someone controlling it, maybe we’re seeing its true original design. There’s no telling what effects it could have without a master behind it. Again, I can’t say for certain. I’m only speculating here.” Koushiro almost sounded offended by that last admission.

“Okay… So… The spore is active again… And it cracked. Then what? Do we just glue it back together or have it removed? I mean, we can’t exactly take him to a doctor and tell them to remove this evil dark spore that’s imbedded in the back of his neck.” Taichi, sounding as elegant as ever.

Hikari smiled at her big brother. He had been here before and he alone could really understand what Daisuke was going through. Taichi knew what it was like to watch someone they love attempt to self destruct.

Next to him, Yamato had his arms crossed protectively over his chest. It was clear that he was far off, revisiting old distant memories and feeling the weight they had once left on him.

Taichi draped an arm over Yamato’s shoulders and pulled him closer in a gesture that could almost be mistaken for one of casual horseplay. Hikari recognized it right away as one of comfort and deep compassion. It was Taichi’s way of telling Yamato to snap out of it and leave the past where it belonged.

It was a gesture that Daisuke had picked up from his mentor and mastered on Ken.

Koushiro stared down at his computer as if it held all of the answers. “There’s no way to tell just how long it’s been active, but I don’t think it has been for very long. The spore must have been cracked or in the process of being broken down when it reactivated. I can’t even begin to fathom what it was doing to him out in the real world. It was meant to feed off of darkness while warping emotions and manipulating thoughts...”  

Everyone looked down for a moment, trying to imagine what Ken must have been going through.

“The real mistake…” Koushiro picked up again.  “Was coming here the first time. The crack was deep and getting worse and the spore itself must have been struggling to stay active and alive without the proper nourishment. Finally when Ken came here the last time, the stress of the fracture was too much and it split in two, allowing it to divide almost like a cell.”

“And it divided Ken right along with it…” Iori whispered, horrified at the notion of being ripped in half.

“How do we fix it? How do we put it back together again? Or better yet, how do we get it out? We can’t just leave it in there to hurt him and make him suffer like this!” Daisuke looked frantic and outraged.

“You can’t.” A voice from the doorway made everyone jump.

“Gennai! Where the hell have you been?” Daisuke now looked even more outraged than ever. “We’ve needed you! He needs you!”

The guardian looked at Daisuke apologetically. “Sorry I’m late. I had some research of my own to do…” Hikari got the impression that this research was something far more intense than any of them could ever imagine.

Once more, she found herself looking at the guardian with a growing suspicion. Questions about what he knew and what he had to do with Ken or Ken’s past were rattling away inside her.

The first time he had come to them in his new younger form, he had seemed to keep his distance from Ken. Ken had been confused and timid around Gennai at first. When he looked at the guardian, it often seemed as if a long forgotten memory was stirring but staying just out of reach. Then in the desert, Ken had grown cold and bitter while Gennai had seemed sad and… defeated.

“So what do you think of my theory, Gennai? Is it possible?” Koushiro smiled up at the guardian like a student seeking approval from his teacher.

“More than possible. For the better part, it’s true. Ken’s spore was different than those that were planted in the other children. While theirs were just copies, his was an original and never had the chance to bloom. I admit that I do not fully understand the mechanics behind the spore, as it is foreign to this world… But I know that something has affected it and caused it to activate again.” Gennai looked at the two boys stretched out on the bed, his eyes distant and full of pain. “However, I do not believe that it was cracked or fractured. I believe that some force has caused it to divide or bud off in some abnormal way. You can see the results for yourselves.”

“But what do you mean we can’t fix it?” Yamato spoke up softly. “What are we supposed to do?”

“I’m afraid it’s in Ken’s hands. The loss of Wormmon and realization of what he had done had been enough to shock him out of the darkness and force the spore to shut down. This time… We don’t have that kind of sacrifice to give. He isn’t being controlled and he isn’t blind to his own deeds. His demons are invisible this time, and none of us can fight them for him. It’s all up to him.”

“What if he can’t do it?” Takeru whispered. “What if this time, he’s not strong enough? What will happen to him?”

Gennai gave Takeru a long mournful look that said far more than he intended.

Hikari felt her stomach drop as Gennai answered. “He’s being pulled in.”

“Pulled where?” Miyako again sounding frustrated and getting impatient with the lack of information.

Takeru didn’t have to wait for an answer. “The dark ocean. It’s where the spore originated from, isn’t it? And now it’s trying to return to its true origins. It’s affecting him and doing all it can just to pull him back. The split is preventing him from thinking clearly and now he can’t control it anymore.”

He saw it. He saw the darkness. Whatever happened between them…

Hikari placed a light comforting hand on Takeru’s shoulder as she now understood. She understood why he had come here and why he was so focused on the Kaiser.

Gennai’s tired eyes turned towards Takeru and Hikari. He knew something… Maybe everything… What is he hiding?

Slowly, he nodded. “A soul isn’t meant to be divided like this. Split like this, Ken lacks the ability to resist it fully. Two minds are still fighting over the same heart and spirit putting untold stress on him. If one should fail, they both fail.”

“I can’t let that happen. I just can’t.” Daisuke’s fists were clenched at his sides and trembling with intensity. “I won’t let him face this alone. I will find a way to stop it and help him.”

“I hope you do, Daisuke… For his sake, I hope you do.” Gennai looked at the boys for a moment then closed his eyes and turned away. “I need to check on the engine room and make sure the core is still protected.”

There was a heavy silence as Gennai left without waiting for a response.

Takeru suddenly jumped up and ran after him. Hikari smiled apologetically to everyone, silently asking them to stay where they were, and then ran after him.

“Gennai!” Takeru called out, stopping the guardian in his tracks. “What happened between you two?”

Gennai stopped and looked down at his feet silently, not looking back at the boy. For a moment, Hikari was certain that he wasn’t going to answer.

“Do you remember when you and the others first returned from the digital world to search fort he eighth child?”

“Of course.”

“Back then, time was much faster here. You were gone for a very long time. While you were gone, the world was unprotected and another evil rose up. The protective forces couldn’t call you back until you had defeated Myotismon so another team was summoned. As weak as the forces were back then, they only had the strength to summon two boys: Ken and Ryo.”

Hikari and the others had always known that Ken had been a digidestined before he was the Kaiser, but they had no idea when or what it was he had done. They had just always assumed that he had been alone… But if there really was another boy, where was he now?

Gennai continued somberly. “Back then, the digital world was in chaos. It was wild and far more dangerous than it is now. The evil they fought was Millenniummon, a cunning and dangerous digimon that nearly defeated them. The two boys struggled and battled for what must have seemed like years to them. Only two small boys against such a creature… And Ken was so very young… He lacked the big brother to guide him through such hardships and dark times like you two had. Fortunately, Ryo took up that role, guiding him and helping him through his trials and lessons. Ryo had been here long before any of you and he knew what was needed. He was a destined of a different sort; a Tamer. His role was to guide and train both the destined and their partner digimon. He had such a huge task in Ken, but they connected faster and became closer than we ever expected .” Gennai stopped and looked down.

“Why haven’t we heard of or met Ryo before? Where is he now?” Takeru almost sounded scared of the answer. Hikari wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it, but she knew that she must.

The light glinted off of Gennai’s cheek briefly and Hikari realized with a start that there were tears in his eyes.

“During their final battle, Millenniummon was desperate. He made a deal with a far more powerful and dangerous being that opened the gate to the Dark Ocean. The things that exist there have the ability to bring great misery to both our worlds… We are lucky in many respects that Millenniummon only found interest in just one of the many dangers that lurked there.” Gennai paused here, his eyes distant and Hikari recalled that Gennai had once been infected with a similar dark seed that had caused him to diminish and age far before his time. She couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like to have your body wither away in what must have been a matter of days.

He wiped his cheek with his fingers nimbly, clearing away the tracks of his tears as if he could just as easily wipe away the past. “Several spores were unleashed on this world and Ken was hit trying to protect Ryo. Those that did not find fertile land withered away and disappeared. Only one seed managed to take root and mature. It caused him so much pain and suffering as it burrowed into him…We did not think that he would survive. The original plan had been for them to meet up with you eight and to have all of the crests brought back together and join as one.” He shook his head as if trying to clear away those painful memories.  

“I was so naïve back then. I failed them both.” Gennai looked up at the ceiling lights and the tears threatened to fall once more.

The hallway suddenly felt far too cold and small.

“What happened to them?” Her voice was quiet, terrified to disturb these memories that lurked like monsters in the dark.

“Ken fell ill. Ryo was taking care of him while I set out to look for answers. While I was away, there was… An accident.” He closed his eyes. “Ryo died.”

Hikari gasped, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. Beside her, Takeru looked far too pale in the dim light.

What happened to someone that died in the digital world? Would they become a part of it like Oikawa had? Would they come back in some other form like Wormmon or Patamon had? Or did they just disintegrate like Kaiser had out in the desert?

“What happened?” Takeru’s voice was flat in the dark hall.

“I’m afraid I cannot tell you that. All I can say is that when a human dies in this world… They do not die in the same sense as they do in yours. Even so, death is still final. There is no coming back to what they once were.”

“How did it happen?” Takeru’s voice edged on something dangerous and Hikari fought the urge to shrink away from him.

Gennai simply shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to go into details. For Ken’s sake…”

“For Ken’s sake or your own?!” Takeru snapped and Hikari flinched at the angry accusation as it echoed down the hall.

Gennai stayed silent, meeting their gaze sadly.

A thought suddenly occurred to Hikari and she somehow found her voice again. “You erased his memories. That’s why he never mentioned any of this. It’s why he hates you.”

“You have to understand… He was so young. Already suffering from the spore as it dug its roots in, what happened to Ryo was too much for him to handle. The damage was too great for even this world to help. It was out of kindness that we erased his memories and returned him to his home. He was left with the simplest memories of another world beyond his where he had done something great… Where he had been happy…”

“That’s why he thought it was a game. Why he didn’t think it was real.” Takeru sounded angrier than Hikari had ever heard him before.

“We did not anticipate that he would be able to return. We had done what we could to prevent it, but the spore had already started to affect his mind. It prevented us from wiping away those memories in full and then twisted them till they were corrupted and used against him. When Ken tried to return to find this world, the spore tricked him and brought him to the Dark Ocean.”

Hikari thought over Gennai’s story slowly. There was something missing from the puzzle and it was nagging at her.

“So you sent him back right after Ryo died and right as we were returning to fight the Dark Masters.” She looked at Gennai fully.

“Yes. We had hoped that he would still retain the growth that he had achieved while here and take it back with him to help him overcome his problems much like you children had. We wanted him to forget the horrors he had been faced with and to heal.”

Something clicked into place. “Oh god.” She felt like she was going to be sick.

Takeru suddenly caught on. “His brother… He died just a short time later.”

Light and Hope stared at the guardian in horror. He turned away from them, unable to meet their eyes any longer.

“I can only try to protect you from the threats of this world. I cannot protect you from the horrors of the other one.” It was an apology more than anything.

Hikari felt tears start to sting at her eyes. “No wonder the darkness won’t leave him alone. He carries it with him…”

“There is more…” Gennai looked back at them apologetically. “The spore not only affects the one it buries into. It spreads the darkness and pulls in all that it can. You two are most affected by the darkness because you have already encountered it on some level. Takeru, when you lost your digimon to Devimon that first time and Hikari, when you were once pulled into the Dark Ocean.”

“Wait.” Takeru spoke up quickly. “I still don’t understand how she was pulled in to begin with. It’s another world all together. How did it even find her?” The look on his face was clear that he was no longer willing to accept riddles for answers.

Gennai accepted the challenge. “She has always been sensitive to the forces of this world and others. It first found her by accident the first time, but the second time it found her through Ken. At the time, Ken could freely create gateways between the worlds and the spore allowed him to have access to the digital world at will. His travelling around our barriers created weak points in which the other world could slip through. Her sensitivity and close contact with Ken allowed her to get caught up in the spore’s pull and she was pulled in.”

“Then… The more Ken starts to get pulled in, the more danger we’re in because we’re sensitive to it?” Takeru suddenly sounded afraid again.

“He is being affected by powers that are outside of this world’s control. Beyond even my understanding. I cannot protect him. His darkness from the spore and his own demons will spread. If you two are not careful, you will be pulled in with him.”

“The Kaiser said that… He said if we didn’t stay out of his way, he would take us with him.”

“What about Daisuke?” Hikari spoke up suddenly. “Kaiser is fixated on him and… He has a connection with Ken.” She looked down as Takeru gave her a startled look.

“Some are more vulnerable than others. Daisuke is strong and offers the most resistance to the darkness; however, that doesn’t mean that he is safe. He might be at the greatest risk of all if he isn’t careful. Even Miyako was pulled in once because she got in the way. Once you have been touched by the darkness, you will always remain vulnerable and it will try to pull you in.”

Takeru looked away, his guilty fearful look from earlier returning. Something told Hikari that he had been touched by it and it had already started to pull him in.

“How are we supposed to help Ken if you’re saying that we can’t even get near him? What can we do if we’re too scared to protect him?” It was starting to sound so impossible and hopeless…

“You don’t.”

“Gennai, are you telling us… There’s nothing we can do? That we should just stay away from him and let it take him? We’re supposed to just stand back and watch it pull him in?” Takeru asked with utter disbelief.

The guardian looked back down the hall into the darkness. “The powers that be have decided to let him go. He has become too unstable and dangerous. One child lost is more acceptable to them than all of you. You must understand… He was not supposed to return and he is now more dangerous to this world than ever before. They sent me here to make sure that the darkness does not spread. I do not agree with them, but I have to follow orders. I will offer whatever guidance I can give, but I cannot interfere.”

“No.” Takeru shook his head. “I won’t accept that. I can’t. We won’t.”

“My boy… I’m afraid that when he wakes up… He won’t be the child of Kindness that you know anymore. The spore will find a way to break him and there is nothing any of us can do to prevent that final blow. When it happens, and it will happen, the Ken you once knew and called your friend will disappear. I fear that the spore will release his memories and unlock all the darkness that was hidden away from him. I hope that we are all wrong and that he is still strong enough to fight… That he can still be saved…” Gennai sighed and slowly started to walk down the hall. There was nothing more he would tell them. Nothing more he could possibly say to help them.

“We will save him.” Takeru’s voice trembled and Hikari thought she could hear the smallest bit of doubt somewhere in those words. “I know we will. We have to…”

Gennai paused at the end of the hall. “It may not mean anything anymore… But please tell him that I’m sorry for his suffering.”

The guardian turned and started down the long flight of stairs, no longer willing to face Hope and Light’s accusing eyes. Hikari wondered just what Gennai was willing to do in order to protect them from the growing darkness. Did he really expect them to just let Ken go so easily?

Behind them, there was the sound of a scuffle then a loud crash as the bedroom door flew open and the others tumbled out in a heap.

From the looks of things, they had been listening at the door and Taichi and Yamato had been doing their best to restrain and muffle a fully enraged Daisuke.

“You’re wrong! You’re WRONG!” Daisuke scrambled to his feet, still trying to fight off the others as they frantically tried to keep him from running after the guardian. “I can save him! I will save him! You’re wrong!”



--------
Disclaimer: According to Wikipedia: Akiyoshi Hongo was the creator of the Digimon concept. Bandai, Saban Entertainment and various other entities that are not me own Digimon. I am in no way making money off of this and am strictly using the characters and world for my own fan based fiction.

Converting /tmp/phpm4wOL3 to /dev/stdout