Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Oasis ❯ Oasis: Thieves ( Chapter 4 )

~~Warning*Disclaimer*A/N~~ Okay, quick words. AU fic, Kensuke, yaoi stuff to be!! Yeah!! Some fighting, nothing bad. Angsty, this one. XD Oh, and there'll be some parts I'll be explaining down below…XD…it concerns Daisuke's heritage.

~~Dedicated to the ML people. ^_^ And a quick and very heartfelt Thanks to Gale for having this contest-which she had announced me the 'winnah!' so I'm completely and endlessly excited! *huggle* Can't wait till the next one! XD

~Oasis, Part 4~

Daisuke drew away from the window when he knew that there would be no more ventures into the small dwelling, and sat himself down in the chair. His hands were shaking, partly from Ken's confusion and own fear at the sudden arrival of his brother, and…

Yamato. What was Yamato doing here? It was impossible-how could Yamato, who had left over two years ago on some personal vengeance thing, be here?! Daisuke frowned, his mind deeply troubled as he ran his mind around the strange appearance of an old friend…

Yamato had been the one who found him. The blond had been the one who had taken him from the rubble of an abandoned house, cold and shaking with fever, only two weeks gone from his dead mothers' home. Nearly dead, if he remembered right. Yamato had been the one to look down, peeling back the blanket and smiling at him.

Taichi hadn't been far behind, with his ready smile and haunted eyes-as if Yamato was the only thing he lived for. During the next few months, as he struggled to regain his strength, he had found out that Taichi previous job, as a guard or something, had ended "badly", as Yamato had put it. Daisuke wasn't sure what that meant-he wasn't about to ask. He had his own secrets.

But Yamato knew. Yamato somehow always knew. He was from the north, where the land was wilder than wolves and free and beautiful-But Yamato never talked about it much. Yamato was…Yamato. A wolf in human skin, someone had said once.

Daisuke smiled faintly, remembering. Those days, with his friends and companions and family, were good days. He missed those days. They taught him things, how to fight and defend and run, how to hide-they knew he was different, they knew he wasn't quite human. He missed them deeply…Tai and Yamato. Takeru, tiny Iori…even Miyako. Hikari and her cats…all of them had looked past the stigma of mixed blood and saw him, a lonely energetic boy looking for a family. They adopted him into their group, adopted him into the makeshift protectors of the seedy city they had traveled to, called him brother and made nicknames for him and helped him laugh. They went to the different cities, until they reached one where they had nowhere else to go. The city farthest from it all, according to Taichi. The city far from a young and powerful sorcerer, someone called the Kaizer.

It had been in a different world, then. The Kaizer was a name. Daisuke didn't care about anything like that-no one had seen any proof, besides, and there was more to worry about then a boy-king.

Yamato and Taichi, the leaders of their growing group of youths and respectful adults, had convinced him to seek out his mother's lover. His father. Somehow, Yamato knew where to look, and sent him off. Daisuke had found his father at the age of thirteen, two years after he had run from the angry hostile man his mother had married, and discovered his past.

He had discovered quite a bit of other things as well, his father's magic, his own-his mother's. Then, at the age of fifteen, only two years ago, he had returned with the knowledge and the power, returned with a sense of himself, to see the people he called family.

He returned to a war.

~\*/~

He parried, swinging the blade parallel again as the youth, quick and agile and almost inhumanly fast-~Taichi was this fast,~ came the brief thought-he managed to block the blow, despite the growing fatigue and ache in his muscles. He wasn't old by any means, but this-this boy was good/

~This boy is the Kaizer's brother…the man I am to kill…~

Snarling silently, Ishida twisted his body to avoid a strike to the stomach, kicking out with a foot, missing like he knew he would, and swung his sword. The jarring screeching schting sent sparks skittering past his eyes as Ken blocked, and somehow slid to avoid his fist.

~At least,~ Ishida grinned inwardly. ~He isn't invulnerable-~ Sweat marred the smooth gold-touched skin of the younger boy, determination glinted in his bright indigo eyes. Ishida had almost forgotten about the Kaizer, far into the role selected for him. Perhaps if he timed it right, maybe moved the fight closer to the seated ruler, he would be able to end it all-

Ken smiled, then, and countered with a very familiar strike, something that only Ishida knew, Daisuke, and-

"Taichi?" he mumbled under his breath, in disbelief, as the sword went clattering from his hand, skidding in the sand. A gleaming metal edge pressed against his throat as Ishida stumbled to his knees, stunned. ~No way that Daisuke could have taught him that-that move was executed seamlessly…perfectly…~

The Kaizer clapped approvingly-

Ken dropped his sword, suddenly. "Who?"

Ishida glanced at him, the stunned look still in his eyes, and shook his head. "An old…friend…he taught me that move-where did you learn this?"

Ken had paled, shaking suddenly and mumbled, "I…you said Taichi-Taichi's dead…he's dead…"

"What?" Ishida narrowed his eyes, and rose to his feet. "Who are you?" he whispered.

"I-"

"Are you okay? Ken didn't hurt you, did he?" Osamu stepped up next to them, his face surprisingly worried-until Ishida caught a waft of his sudden raging scent and shivered in the face of the anger despite himself. "Well done," he said to Ken, who smiled faintly at him despite the pallor of his face.

Ishida watched the Kaizer with something akin to wariness hidden behind his eyes, and shivered. "I-" Helplessly, he cast a glance to where he knew Daisuke was, praying he was watching-if anything, the boy could help, God knows he had enough power somewhere inside of him-

The indigo eyes narrowed behind the simple spectacles that the Kaizer had tinted during his unusual reign. "Ishida?" he asked, calmly, his voice so familiar, so like the times he had ordered death or torture. Calm, with a touch of amusement, as if this was all a game.

"I'm fine," Ishida said, and knew that this glance towards the half-buried dwelling was a mistake.

"You've found something?" Osamu said, that eerie and cold gaze staring at him. Ishida hesitated, his glance going between the two, thinking inanely, ~They do look alike,~ and shrugged as Ken's eyes narrowed slightly, and darted to his brother.

"Just a strange scent, really. Faded."

"A…different…scent?" That low dangerous look had returned.

"Oh, that? There were travelers not to long ago, brother," Ken said innocently. "They were riding camels! I hid in the trees and watched them go to the east-" Ken's voice took on a faintly hurt tone. "I wish you could've seen them, but you're always gone."

Osamu blinked at his brother before drawing him into a brief hug. "Ah, little one, you know I would be here if I had the time."

"Yes," Ken said, muffled from the shirt and flesh of his sibling.

Ishida shivered, and caught the gaze directed at him from over the boy's shoulder. The Kaizer's voice was light, caring, but his face-his eyes-held a very marked threat. A cold and impersonal threat, and Ishida knew that whatever happens, Ken was first. Ken was always first. ~Who is he, if he knew Taichi, was perhaps even taught by him?~

The only thing that bothered him about the look in Osamu's eyes was that the way he regarded Ken wasn't loving. It wasn't caring, or affectionate.

Ken was merely a possession, a very valuable possession.

Ishida didn't know what confused him more, the act that the Kaizer was enduring for his brother, or the fact that somehow, somewhere, they had known Taichi.

~\*/~

He returned to a city full of war, destruction. Full of hungry and dying people, begging in the streets with no more than rags. Children with gaunt dark eyes, lusterless and without that special childlike innocence were huddled in groups. From the shadows Daisuke had seen patrols of black-armored men, expressionless and heartless, kick people out of their way, sneering and striking others without hesitation.

It was as if he had returned to a different world. Horrified, he had fled deeper into the shadows and made his way to the old place, barely able to contain his rage, his misery, his grief…so many were gone…so many friends and laughing faces…

By the time he stumbled across another member of their wide-spread group, a familiar face in the horror of the war and death-Iori was just as surprised to see him as Daisuke had been-the day was closing. Tired, exhausted and emotionally wrecked, Daisuke had allowed Iori to lead him to where Taichi was hiding.

Taichi had been glad to see him, nearly crying as he finally recognized him. He had looked up, tired and just as dirty as the homeless peasants outside, and asked, "Another one?" without really looking. Daisuke had cried, then, and threw himself into the older man's arms as the man stared in shock.

"Daisuke!" he had whispered. "Daisuke!"

The hug had lasted for very long, as Daisuke grinned at him through his tears, and Yamato burst into the room. The three of them laughed, hugged, cried and laughed some more, as Daisuke told them of his father, and his sister. The true story of his mother's love had been told that night. He told them everything about himself, all of his magic except for what he actually was. That, he explained, was a sworn secret, promised to his sire in dire urgency.

But Yamato knew, somehow. He had said, later, when they were alone, that such a thing was a gift, all the better for his mixed blood because he got the best of both worlds. Daisuke had shrugged, leaned against the blond, and smiled as he told him in whispers about how it felt to use his other blood.

Yamato had smiled, and listened with a knowing look. Yamato always knew.

But the war became worse. People began to starve, the armed and dangerous soldiers began to kill outright, as they prepared the world for the Kaizer, who had grown into more than just a name, more than just a cold whisper of power, forbidden and forgotten as the nights faded.

The half-breeds of lesser blood began to go first, dragged off and murdered for the crime of being tainted. A decree of the Kaizer himself. The night they came for Daisuke, the guards having been tipped by an old man needing another bottle of sake, Yamato and Taichi killed them all. They ran, then, with the blood fresh on their blades and spattered in their clothes and on their skin. Daisuke, frightened, had been forbidden to use his magic, to use his other blood to save them.

They managed to get away, leaving the country and taking refuge on a caravan headed out of the city. No one questioned them, a pair of half-grown men and a fifteen-year-old scrawny boy.

The next night, the soldiers came and killed everyone in the caravan, as they ran again. That was the night that Yamato had instructed them to hide, while he went and diverted them. Told them he would be back, told them to wait for him, because no matter where they went, he'd find them, no matter how long it took him.

He had said the only way to stop this madness was to take out the source.

He hadn't returned.

~\*/~

Ishida watched, as Ken and his brother Osamu, the Kaizer, made small talk as he stood. Shaken, he could only watch as the man wove a web of lies with only a few words, saying something that "They were still out there," and watch Ken nod in adoration. The boy loved his brother, trusted him and believed in him.

There was no way, without Osamu killing him instantly or Ken refusing to listen, that he'd be able to stop the Kaizer. There was no way he'd get a chance to speak to Daisuke-or a chance to ask what and why the Kaizer had Ken secreted away here.

He was important, Ishida knew. Important in a way that the Kaizer feared to have revealed-yet, he had revealed this very secret to Ishida. Either the man was good at acting and going to kill him the moment they returned-perhaps he was just flaunting his power in front of him-or he was truly conceited enough to trust Ishida to a point.

Ishida had met such men that needed their pride stroked, men similar to the Kaizer, but not as cunning. Most people who came within the Kaizer's eyesight left thinking that they were the smarter, the winner of the subtle and most often unseen battles.

But the Kaizer was very very smart, and very very willing to use his power.

Ishida, perhaps, had been the only one unaffected by the Kaizer. The only one not to fall at his feet and praise him and worship him like so many other men. The only one with iced eyes and a cold heart-perhaps that was the reason. The Kaizer needed to impress everyone, and that included Ishida. Perhaps his pride made him blind to the motive behind Ishida's icy veneer, his broken heart, his aching memories of brown eyes and a wide smile.

Ishida found his gaze on the trees, imprinting them on his memory along with the treasured ones of his younger days, and hefted the sword in his hand absently.

~Perhaps,~ he thought. ~Today I will finish this…~

~\*/~

~Yama…he's with him…with the Kaizer. With that evil thing who's killed so many--~

And in a softer, weak voice that cried out in sorrow, Daisuke thought, ~Ken's brother…My chosen's brother…~

~He can't be anyone else,~ he closed his eyes. ~Yama…Ken…what do I do?~

~Ken said to stay hidden-but Yamato is like my brother-I can't-~

~This will kill him…~ he thought of Ken, in regards to his innocent trusting soul. ~His brother uses him for some purpose, and all Ken does is wait for the next visit.~ Fury sparked deep within his anguish, deep long-lived sparks. ~He doesn't know-Osamu has filled his head with lies…~

~Even now,~ he thought, and squeezed his eyes tighter against the flood of tears. ~Even now, he suspects, but agrees with it…his brother…his brother who could do nothing wrong…~

~…his brother the Kaizer…~

~I have to get him out of here…~ With the thought that he was perhaps overdoing it a bit, he curled his fingers around the cord, feeling the warmth of the dragon's scale against his palm and smiled. The charm was a memento from a friend, an acquaintance of his father-someone close to Daisuke. A failsafe charm that would call the help he needed. Damn the promise to never reveal his blood-damn it all.

Feeling the power build in his palm, a lick of flame from the scale, he snapped the cord and shattered the fragile object in half.

"Hurry, Veem'th. Hurry."

~\*/~

Osamu was encouraging Ken to tell him his latest fancy-involving a lake-when the first trickle of an unfamiliar power skittered along his wards, alerting to his presence. Frozen in mid-sentence, the older Ichijouji raised his head, knew that Ken would sense it as well, and threw open his senses as he invoked a full ward of Protection around the three of them.

Ken looked startled pale, as his own alert-system keyed him to look in the same direction as Osamu without knowing. "Osamu?" he whispered, and a lip was caught between small white teeth.

'It's…different," Osamu mused, barely hearing. ~Not a Glyph power-perhaps an elemental mancer…but that's almost impossible. Mancers died out with the older races…~

He wasn't far off.

In the blood that ran through Daisuke's veins, blood that came from his father's side, the redhead was a Stormwalker. This power gave him the ability to manipulate the skies and air around him, calling forth lightning and rain and such storm-like things. It was as innate to Daisuke as Osamu's essential Glyph energy. It was inherent. It was powerful. On his mother's side, however, ran a very different power. His mother's diluted half-breed lineage-someone in her far past had been half-bred-gave him the ability of a Firemancer. A dangerous and rare ability, because the user inevitably burned himself up unless properly trained. This power, the ability to summon fire, and anything related, made Daisuke hazardous all by itself. Mixed with the Stormwalker blood from his father's side…Daisuke was a downright deadly person.

That mix of power was partially the reason that Firemancer blood had died out. To be a Firemancer was to be the fire, in the most essential components. To call the fire, pull it from the air and out of his very essence, calling it forth from the fire in his spirit-invariably, the ability literally burned itself out except for a few recessive children. Not all of them lived.

The true reason that Daisuke-aside from the other slight magical abilities that his father's breed had given him-was so completely powerful was that the Stormwalker was the essential opposite and tempering of the Firemancer. The qualities of Air fed Fire-yet had the gusting power to extinguish. Daisuke, as he had said earlier, was truly a unique person.

That mix of abilities was the power that Osamu sensed, the building energy as Daisuke called forth the clouds and the rain with all of his remarkable strength. Osamu frowned, his shield more than enough to guard from this, as the first drops fell from the still-clear sky, and looked upwards. He had the thought, then, that such a power could perhaps be turned to a better use, and quirked a lip.

"Ken, stay close," he murmured after a moment, and extended his shield into a small dome-like build of energy, barely visible to the eyes, as the clouds gathered into dark swirling masses of gray and slate-green. Lightning forked in rapid succession with the accompanying clap of thunder-Osamu began to grin amid the deafening sound.

This was a challenge.

"What is it?" Ken called to him under the wail of the rising wind, even though he knew who it was. Even though he knew that revealing that knowledge would be the end of everything-Ken couldn't risk it.

"An elemental mage. A mancer. Little one, I believe we're under attack."

Ken stared at him with wide eyes. "But-" ~That can't be,~ he thought, and bit his tongue. ~Daisuke wouldn't attack…would he?~

"Mancers are powerful, Ken. This one is even more so-I don't know how he managed to arrive without tripping my wards, but he seems devious. Don't worry, little one. My power is more than a match for him." Ken didn't reply, his arms hugging his torso as the rain began to batter against Osamu's shield, sluicing away in torrents as the drops struck and rolled down the energy. Ishida, his sword clutched in his hand, was standing stiffly with his back to them. The blond didn't look around to them as Osamu spoke:

"Ishida-have you any idea of who attacks?"

Distracted, Ishida shook his head, his gaze fixed on the barely-visible area around them. "I cannot tell," he said. Inside he was thinking, ~Daisuke, you little bastard! What the hell are you doing?~

As lightning forked again, flooding them with moments of blinding whiteness, Osamu thought he saw someone walking through the murky veil of the rain.

The rain stopped, suddenly, the torrents falling away to occasional droplets. Uneasy, they could only watch, Ken huddled behind Osamu, and Ishida waiting with his sword held ready. This, they knew, was no ordinary storm; it wouldn't have to obey most laws of nature. As the rain slipped away from the shield fashioned around the three, they saw a boy with reddish hair, loose old clothing and a determined blank look on his face.

Daisuke stood before them.

Ken gasped under his breath, betrayal in his eyes, and flinched, as Osamu let the wards flicker away. The scent of the rain and the wet sand filled the spaces around them. Face twisting, Ishida slipped in front of them both, sword upraised and presented blade-first to the intruder.

"Rogue," the blond said. "Thief and rogue and mancer-how unsurprising to see you after all these years, little half-breed," Ishida made his voice as dour and hateful, praying to whatever god was listening that the boy knew what he was doing. ~Play along, Daisuke-it means your life!~

Daisuke didn't speak for a long moment, his impassive eyes fixed to the blonde's face, then smiled a tiny smile. "Ishida. Traitor," he spat, and raised his hand, hating himself when the words rang too true in his heart. ~Where were you? Why didn't you return?~ Flame flickered into sight-Osamu cursed under his breath, thinking ~Firemancer?~-and Daisuke pulled the flame into a brilliant crimson orb with a white-hot center. "Shall we finish what we started?" he said as the flame came to his eye-level.

"Ah, perhaps," Ishida said calmly. "You've tried to kill me before. I still live."

Daisuke grinned a frightening smile. "We'll see." He reached into the flame with his right hand, and gripped. An expression of pain flickered across his features as he yanked his hand back from the globe of fire-

-and a sword, gleaming and dark of blade, was clenched in his fist. "My father taught me this," he mused quietly. "What do you think?"

And then he was off, darting suddenly for them. Ken stumbled back, falling heavily on his elbows and lower back as he slipped in the wet grass. Osamu hissed something, his fingers already flickering for a shield as Ishida growled back and leapt to meet the boy-mancer.

Their swords clashed with metallic screeching, the boy fast and agile, the blond twisting and turning to keep him in sight. The clouds roiled above them, keeping them in the eerie greenish orange darkness as the two began to dance. Muscles flexed as they faced off, the blades, one dark and one gleaming silver, sparked against each other and skittered back again.

"Ishida-" Osamu warned, feeling the tell-tale tickle of power-

But he was too late in his warning, as Daisuke twisted, the sword low, and his left hand balled into a fist. He swung the power-laden fist with the force of the gusting wind behind him, sending Ishida flying into the trees, a soft painful sound of surprise escaping him before his body struck the trees. Ishida fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Hissing out words, Osamu flared several white-hot projectiles and sent them zipping towards the boy.

Daisuke swung around violently, his face twisted in anger, the sword slicing through them with astonishing ease, even though the fragments of the shattered Glyphs stung his exposed skin. "You." He shook the blade with an expert snap of his wrist, sending droplets and glimmering residue of Glyph energy flying.

"You realize that you won't survive this," Osamu smirked. "Attacking me…hardly an intelligent thing to do, boy."

"My name is Daisuke-and I know who you are."

"Then let us see who lives, halfbreed," Osamu sneered, and summoned the sword Ken had dropped to his hand. "We are evenly matched. A Firemancer with the Stormwalker ability…interesting…"

"Yes," Daisuke admitted with a glitter in his eye, and refused to look at Ken, stunned and frozen on the ground. Osamu settled into the stance, ready with the narrow blade held parallel to the ground. His free hand twisted, moving over the blade, but Daisuke didn't know the words or the wards used. The sword gleamed with a renewed light, the edge enhanced, and Osamu grinned that maniacal grin.

The redhead raised his own sword, his legs bending beneath him, and smiled. "Let's do this, destroyer."

~\*/~

A shape, serpentine and sleek, flickered through the air with mind-bending speed, scattering the few wisps of clouds in his wake. Wings beat the air with thunderclaps of sound; Veem'th was speeding towards the darkened edge of the world where he knew Daisuke was using his magic.

He could sense it. The dragon rolled, his muscles flexing with all of his strength as he snapped them back down and tried to increase his speed. Daisuke's urgency was eating at him-something was wrong, if the charm had been snapped. Add the power that Daisuke was deliberately pulling forth, even if it killed him, led Veem'th to the conclusion that Daisuke was in Mortal Peril.

The dragon dived through the air, determination in his crimson eyes and furious. His friend, his fire-kin, his blood-brother was in danger, and Veem'th intended to change that. Ahead of him, the darkened sky resolved itself into looming and dark-looking clouds, lightning flickering madly, stabbing towards the earth again and again. Inspite of his urgency, Veem'th marveled at the sheer size and power that Daisuke had summoned.

The same thought, then, led him further along the conclusion that Daisuke was not only in Mortal Peril, but fighting for something as well.

~\*/~

Ken pushed himself to a seated position, an expression of horror on his face as his barely-found friend-~Mate?~-and brother dueled with magic and blade. Energy exploded around them, the brilliant purple-green of Osamu's color, then a jet of flame or a burst of sparks-Ken could feel them tugging around him, pulling inwardly and outwardly. The heat sent his skin into a warm flush-tears threatened. Lightning flashed again.

~This can't be happening,~ he thought. ~He-he-they're fighting-~

He watched, struggling to his knees, and swiped away Osamu's original shield around him with a word. "Stop! Stop it!" he cried, as Daisuke sprang into the air, his palm towards Osamu and flame bursting forth-lightning jabbed down with explosive sound and force. Ken shrieked in surprise, his hands covering his ears as he tumbled to the ground amid the sound-shattering blasts.

In the lull of the storm after the lightning, Ken forced himself to his feet, seeing that his brother and the boy whose soul was bound to his locked in stalemate, too close to each other to use their powers, forced to use the blades instead. Then, as Daisuke was forced back enough to where Osamu sent him staggering with a quick twist and push of a force spell, he staggered forward into the path of Daisuke, nearly running himself onto the dark-bladed sword before the redhead pulled back.

Still, they were face to face, closer that Ken had expected. He supposed that Daisuke could see the tears in his eyes, the terror, but he didn't care. "I can't let you do this," he said fantically, simply, and placed his palms upon Daisuke's chest. Silent, Daisuke watched and waited, his sword held ready. Ken pushed at him insistently, his eyes getting wilder.

"Please, go," Ken whispered. Behind him he could sense Osamu waiting, too far away to be of any help, but a Glyph held ready, his eyes fixed on their forms. "I mean it-I don't want to hurt you."

"What are you doing Ken?" Osamu shouted. "He's dangerous-let me handle this-get back from him!"

Daisuke lowered the tip of his sword to the ground, ignoring the elder brother. "I can't, Ken. I can't let this happen."

"Dammit, don't you understand?" Ken cried. "I will not attack you! I dare not! Go, Daisuke, before I'm forced to!"

"No…I will not leave you here!" Daisuke whispered as the clouds began to fade, suddenly. Shadows and shafts of sunlight flickered across the ground-neither of the brothers noticed the shape high in the sky. Daisuke knew that Veem'th was there-time was short. "Ken," he said softly. He kept a wary ear cocked for the devious older brother, and raised his hands tenderly to cup Ken's face. Osamu's face twisted into a paroxysm of rage, betrayal and jealousy. Then, as Ken focused his eyes on his face, he smiled faintly, and used his last weapon.

"Ken! Step away!" Osamu ordered, anger making his voice shrill.

But the needle concealed in the palm of the redhead had already jabbed into the skin, leaving the poison on the tip streaming into the blood of the boy. Ken stiffened, his eyes darkening with pain and mistrust, and would have stepped back in response, but his body was already going numb. Swaying, Ken began to topple, as Daisuke caught him with one arm. The other he used to raise the sword up as Osamu took several furious steps forward, telling him without a word that his brother's life was forfeit if he stepped further. Growling, his face white and strained, Osamu paused. All in the space of moments, designed to keep Osamu guessing and confused, uncertain.

But rage and madness shone in Osamu's eyes, quivered along his frame, his muscles as he changed his mind, began to run. Pale and yet flushed with something that made Daisuke shiver, the sword held ready, cursing him for making it harder.

A shadow lanced the ground, thunder blasted as Veem'th dropped out of the sky, and Daisuke, twisted and yelled, throwing the sword with all of his force at the approaching brother. He knew it would vanish in a few moments-hoped-that Osamu didn't, and as the man saw the projectile headed for him, he realized he had no wards up and dropped in the instinctive effort to avoid it.

Daisuke felt a stab of victory, grinned fiercely as the sword vanished, and Veem'th lowered himself enough for Daisuke to heave the unconscious Ken across the massive withers, vaulting up after him in mere moments. The trees shook, their leaves trembling violently in the wake of the dragon, and Osamu raised his head, pushed himself upwards onto elbows and hands, growling, insane, as Veem'th launched himself back into the sky. He watched, furious and helpless as the dragon pulled out of range with effortless ease, the triumphant pale face of his sudden nemesis peering down at him.

Osamu rose to his feet, then, screaming out curses, feeling as if he could destroy everything and it wouldn't matter, and gathered a small arrow-like Glyph to his hand. He reared back, threw it with all of his strength and muttered the vicious words of accompanying the spell. "I'll kill you!" he screamed into the sky. "Do you hear me!?"

If the arrow didn't first. He grinned, and laughed, hysterically, madly-heedless that it was really a scream-heard it echoing into the trees.

~\*/~

"Are you sure?"

Sound was the first thing he was aware of. Sounds, and the wind. The wind was cold. Breathing, mixed with a strange sort of gasp. Breathing, a deep-sounding rumble, almost a feeling instead of a sound. Ken realized that something under him, pressed against his cheek, was sort of nubbly and warm.

He wasn't sure-his eyes weren't working right. In fact, as he thought a bit further on it, nothing was working right.

~I'm alive,~ he thought, though, and felt the thing he was laying on shift, felt a sudden panic that he was falling. The wind whooshed again, and he heard a voice, worried, low and scratchy.

"You're hurt, Dai…"

~Oh,~ Ken thought. ~That can't be good.~

"…Yeah…" the second voice, familiar, was little more than a pained grunt. "I'll be fine, Veem'th…hurry up. We don't have any time to waste."

"Dai-we're too far from the others-you could die!"

~…Daisuke…Daisuke's bleeding…Daisuke's dying…?~

Faintly. "I know…" A sound of pain, rustling. "Veem'th…listen to me closely. Whatever happens, you protect this boy with your life, you hear me? With your life-he's very…shit, important…"

A long silence, while Ken wondered who the boy they were talking of was, not realizing that the boy in question was himself, didn't realize anything but the fact that Daisuke was hurt-and he couldn't do anything. Something slender and coarse looped around his waist, replacing arms that he didn't know where holding him tight.

"So why are you tying yourself to me?," the other voice replied, finally. "You know I won't-Dai? Daisuke?"

"…hurry up…"

Ken desperately wanted to find out why Daisuke was bleeding-he wanted to know what had happened. If he was alive, then-

But the darkness swirling around him dragged at him like heavy chains, and as he thought that perhaps he should try opening his eyes, the thoughts fragmented, spinning off as Ken succumbed back into the clutches of the sleeping potion still burning through his blood.

~\*/~

"…wake up…"

"Damn it, little human, wake up!"

Muddled as he was, Ken made a mental face of disagreement and told the voice he didn't care-it was peaceful here, and quiet, with the surreal quality that fading dreams contain, the mindless blank void-ness keeping the words from staying inside his mind.

"NOW!" the voice roared. "Daisuke's dying!"

But that thought stuck, and held. Daisuke was…dying? His confusion rose in bounds, as Ken fumbled in the formless darkness that had become a sort of haven. Daisuke was…

He thought of laughing eyes, and a welcome grin, the smile and the way he had been held in the moonlight-memories came suddenly to him, coupled with a sense of panic that he hadn't known he could feel. Daisuke. Daisuke was dying-Daisuke was-

Something shook him, snapping his head around so that he nipped the edge of his tongue with his teeth. He could smell the dirt and unfamiliar scents of grass and flowers, focusing on that even as his mouth bled. The pain cleared his head, in that moment, fading suddenly with only a dull throb to show the last effects of the drug, and Ken opened his eyes blearily, wincing at the setting sun throwing red-tinged light into the sky.

He coughed, his throat dry and tickling, and squinted. "Ngh…who…"

A blurry face swam into view-Ken realized he was laying flat on his back-and blinked, his eyes watering. He looked into frightened and furious crimson eyes, with a pale face marked by blue lines, and a pale shock of blue hair lighter than his own. Confused, he wrinkled up his brow in the effort to speak, the effort to ask who this boy-creature was.

"Are you awake?" the boy asked, the voice familiar, but lighter than what Ken had expected-then frowned in confusion. He didn't know this boy-how could he have any expectations of the sound of his voice? But the question hovered on the air between them, and slowly, Ken nodded minutely.

"Hurry!" the boy said. "Hurry-he'll bleed to death if you don't do something! I can't stop this thing-I don't even know what it is-and the others are too far away-"

Long slender arms reached down, grasped him by the shoulders with unnatural strength and hauled him upright. He didn't trust himself to speak; his stomach was gurgling alarmingly, his head spinning with the sudden shift in perception, and looked down upon himself.

Blood-so much-covered his loose tunic in drips and splatters, smeared and black around the edges. Fresh…

"Daisuke!?"

The boy slipped arms around his waist, tugging him upright, his eyes bright and worried. Swaying, pale with more than the fading effects, Ken rasped out, "Dai-this is his blood?-" panic made his voice shrill. But the boy merely looked at him, then away before he nodded faintly.

Somehow, Ken wasn't sure of how exactly it happened, they found their way to where Daisuke was lying crumpled on the ground, his skin an ashen color, his lips tinged blue, and his hands, bright with blood, clenched around the gleaming shaft of a-

Ken stumbled, eyes widening as he recognized a twist in the power.

A Glyhpmage's attack…

~Osamu's…~ Choking on a sudden surge of bile, Ken pulled away violently, dropping to his knees and retched. Shaking, he wiped his mouth, tears leaking from his eyes, and shuddered again. "Brother, what have you done?" he whispered to himself.

Shadows moved, as the sun settled further behind the edge of the world, and Ken looked up to see the boy, naked, kneeling by Daisuke's side, rocking and hugging himself. His eyes fell to the arrow-shaft, and he knew. He knew that his brother had thrown this, tried to kill this boy…

~He was just trying to protect me!~ he told himself. ~He was just trying to keep me safe!~

But this-

Grimacing, Ken crept to Daisuke on hands and knees, the glow of the shaft illuminating an area of several feet now that the sun was fading. "Oh gods," he whispered. "I don't know-"

"In this form I am helpless-Do something! He'll die if you don't-if you don't-" The boy bared his teeth in a fearful grimace, looking desperate. "Oh…Daisuke…fire-kin-blood brother-"

~What can I do? This is high-level magic-~

The boy was nearly weeping, tears bright in his crimson eyes. Ken felt like screaming, tearing out his hair. His mind raced. Absently he licked his lips to moisten his mouth, shuddered at the taste in his mouth, and looked up. ~It won't work…it's impossible…~ "Hold him down," he said in a low shaking voice. "He'll scream…"

~I have nothing to lose…~

The boy, nodding, placed a palm flat against the blood-soaked tunic, pressing down while avoiding the gleaming shaft. And, at a second word of Ken's, gathered the hands grasping at the weapon and held them down.

Ken nodded, drawing a deep breath to steady himself. He yanked a small dagger from the sheath hidden on his upper leg, he slashed open his palm, cupping it so blood pooled, spilling over his fingers. He took the fingers of his other hand, after dropping the dagger, and dipped them in the blood. It seemed, as his hands flowed over Daisuke, that his mind was watching this from all so very far away, as blood Glyphs were traced onto his forehead, the hollow of his throat, and a circle drawn around the wound.

~Daisuke,~ he thought. ~He…I-I have to save him…I have to try…~ He pushed away the thoughts, traitorous and hateful thoughts that Osamu had perhaps been wrong, small thoughts that he was such a bad brother if he had let someone become more important that Osamu-

~But…this is Daisuke…~ This was a boy who had smiled at him, held him, and-in his own way-rescued him.

He reached out with his wounded hand, closed it over the corrupted Glyph, and pulled.

~\*/~

In a small village only miles away, heads rose as an unearthly scream, ripped from the soul of a person, sounded out of the evening sky. It sent shivers down the back of a young blond boy seated on the lower perimeter wall, a naked sword in his hands and a rag in the other. His nape prickled-

Takeru knew that voice.

Reflexively, with the wind in his face, he sniffed, long and deep.

Blue eyes widened even as the cry died away. Without looking he could tell that the others were all looking with unease at the forest below, for even this high up in the mountains there had never been any problems with spirits or demons. A few began to stand, hands waiting on their weapons.

But-

~It's him…he's returned!~ Unknowingly, Takeru rose to his feet, the soothing task of oiling and caring for his blade forgotten. He pulled his nose to the wind again, calling the scent to him to make sure. Was it possible? Even this distance from the cities, from the last time he had seen Daisuke, was it possible that the boy had returned to their rag-tag band of mercenaries?

~Veem'th with him...and someone else…blood-fighting? Fear…tears and pain…~

"What is it?" a quiet voice murmured, and the blond looked down to see Iori peering up at him with wide green eyes. "What do you scent?"

Takeru swallowed, considered his words carefully as the others gathered close. They trusted him, his abilities, and waited with barely concealed impatience. "Is…is Taichi back yet?"

Iori shook his head, slowly.

"Then," Takeru concluded, disbelieving even himself as the words fell from his mouth. "We'll have to go."

The rest of the group, Miyako and a few others raising their voices in question. Takeru whirled, silencing them with a look. "I'm leader while Tai's away-have you forgotten? I say that we have to go and look."

"But…why?"

"Because," Takeru replied grimly, and sheathed his sword with a hissing clintck. "That was Daisuke."

~\*/~

Shaking, cradling his throbbing hand to his chest, Ken slumped to the ground in a near faint. Tears of pain and fear burned against his cheeks, and he laid there sobbing for breath while his vision danced into colorful sparks. ~That nearly killed me…~

It seemed like forever before he cracked open his eyes and saw the worried face of the nameless and unclothed boy peering down at him. Relief shone brightly in those innocent-ageless eyes. "Who are you?" Ken managed to whisper, and rolled over onto his back.

"I am named Veem'th," the boy replied.

Ken pushed himself upright with one hand, wincing at the dull mental ache, swaying with exhaustion and nausea. "What are you?" After a long debate with his stomach on the merits of emptying itself again, he swayed up to his knees, half-listening as he scooted towards Daisuke's unmoving head and checked the pulse still fluttering in the hollow of the throat.

He lived, he noticed with a sinking sense of relief, and dashed away the tears on his face.

"I-" Veem'th hesitated, and looked away. "The others don't know-please, don't tell them-but I trust Daisuke, and I trust you. I am a dragon, despite the form I wear is human-like." Then, after a pause, the pale boy shrugged. "It's different."

Ken struggled to process this, as he carefully began wiping away the traces of evaporated blood, the Glyphs, from the skin. He looked up at the boy, Veem'th, with a tired frown. "If you're a…a dragon…why take that form?"

"Because, fire-kin's mate, I vowed to protect you-and this way I get to travel with Daisuke-we're cousins, of a sort. His mother's ancestor was descended from my mother's brother."

Ken stared at him in absolute confusion. "But-" ~Daisuke's related to dragons…how…interesting.~ Then his mind focused on the first part of the sentence. "My brother can protect me," he protested. After a bit he realized that his hand had settled on Daisuke's forehead, resting gently, and was stroking the tufts of hair that grew wildly. His stomach jolted, as he looked down at his traitorous hands and thought, ~I don't know what I'm doing anymore…~

"But," Veem'th said, the smile suddenly gone, and looked off past Ken. "Your brother isn't here. I am. And Daisuke will be long in healing. You, I suspect, have never been outside that desert home in years. The world has changed-"

"But I-"

"They're coming-Takeru's caught the scent. He'll be here shortly-do you…are you…" Veem'th glanced to where Ken was caressing the hair and something in his eyes smiled, brightened. "You'll stay with us?"

Ken couldn't answer the question, with his hand throbbing, burned deeply and bleeding, his body bruised and feeling sick to his stomach. This was all so much to understand, too much to think about-Daisuke's abduction of him, his attack on Osamu, his…declaration of loyalty and the promise he'd never leave.

~…maybe…~

So much had happened in so little time-Ken felt suddenly dizzy, and realized his world was spinning, before the familiar empty darkness swam in front of him and he fainted away, slumping over Daisuke before the thoughts exited his mouth.

~\*/~

In another part of the world, an oasis burned to ash, witnessed by insane eyes and anguished alike.

~\*/~

The first thing he saw, as his eyes wandered open almost of their own accord, was his hands laying curled up by his head, one bandaged with thick cream-colored lined, the other slightly out of focus and still stained with dirt and faint traces of blood. Frowning, he blinked, wondering for a long thorough second why his hand was bandaged, when he realized-remembered-that he wasn't in his home anymore.

He was Somewhere Else.

"How are you feeling?" a kind and gentle voice replied.

Without moving, Ken let his eyes shift in the direction of the speaker, taking in the image of a girl, possibly about his age or so, with long mahogany hair and gentle wine-colored eyes. Then, imperceptibly, he drew his hands close and backed away as slowly as possible. Panic suffocated him-with the thought that he should hide-but-

"Do you still hurt anywhere?" the girl continued, as if Ken's reaction was normal. "You've been sleeping for three days now. Daisuke-we're so glad to have him back-he's been worried sick about you, you know." She sat, then, on the edge of the bed and patted his shoulder.

Confused by the mention of Daisuke, the familiarity she had with him, he gave up all pretenses, and flinched, scooted away. "…is he alright?" he whispered, unable to help himself from asking, thinking, ~I'm breaking all the rules.~

"Yes-would you like me to-"

"Ken!!" came the voice before she could finish, and the door burst open. Daisuke, dressed in a different but similar outfit-a paler shade of red and brown than the scuffed dirty tan from before. He rushed to the bed, dropped to his knees. "Are you okay?! Veem'th said that you saved my life-what happened-"

Ken swallowed, feeling inexplicably happier and at ease that Daisuke was apparently healthy, and trapped between the walls and unknown people and watching eyes. Breathing shallowly, he glanced with wide frightened eyes between the two people. "Um…"

"You should give him time to wake up, Daisuke, before you start pestering him," an amused voice replied.

~Another one?~ Ken thought in helpless burst of fear and made a faint sound of distress. His eyes took in the tanned and blond figure standing in the doorway, smiling with a faintly familiar smile.

Daisuke twisted to look over his shoulder, grinning, and shrugged. "Ta-ker-uu…you're such a prude. I'm just-"

"Being Daisuke," called a voice.

"Yeah!" the redhead laughed. "Oi, Ken-" he turned then, and looked at the boy.

Shaking, pale, Ken had drawn himself into a tiny ball, arms around his head and peeking at them with undisguised fear shining bright, his entire frame shivering.

Stunned, feeling stupid for the lack of oversight on Ken's strange fear of people, Daisuke smiled a softer smile and placed gentle fingers on the arm he could reach. "Ken…it's okay…you don't have to hide from anyone here."

"…you fought Osamu…" Ken replied. "You took me from my home, Daisuke! How do I know-that-that…"

The girl got up from the bed as Daisuke made an indignant sound, his eyes flashing hurt, and drew away. She paused by Takeru, and murmured something to him; he nodded once, and glanced at the pair with curious eyes and motioned to the people peering into the window. They left them alone, then, Ken hiding and fighting tears and the sense of betrayal, abandonment, hurt…emotions that he didn't ever consider possible to feel this strongly. Daisuke was kneeling by the bed, his expression waiting and hopeful.

"That I won't kill you? Is that what your brother says about everyone?" Daisuke made a strangely dark face, his eyes twisting. "I'm so not surprised to hear that-don't you trust me?" He paused, regarding Ken with bewildered eyes. "I wouldn't ever hurt you…I couldn't…"

"But-"

"I had to get you away from there, Ken…" Fingers brushed his bandaged hand, feather-soft. "You know that, right? You were in danger there…"

But the only question Ken could think of, in that illogical moment of tranquility and anguish, was, "Would you kill my brother, then, to take me away?"

Something flashed into Daisuke's eyes, and the hands dropped away. He was long in answering, his face drawn, and Ken knew the answer was honest.

"I would."

Ken closed his eyes, and didn't reply.

~~~

Okay, quick notes/references. First off, a 'mancer' is sort of like a sorcerer. It's a different sort of power, however, in the fact that the power a 'mancer' uses is different than a mage, who has to find a power or use what's there. A mancer had access to elemental power, and therefore are-can be-unlimitedly powerful. Daisuke, well, he's sorta like that. But, unlike the other mancers, he's balanced. Ugh…it's almost another story on explaining how the mancer-power got split/divided and spread among the higher races. SO…

Yes. Daisuke's a mancer. He's also partially dragon-but not a complete dragon. It's a small part of his 'firemancer' blood-that make sense? BUT-let me make this point-that's not what Daisuke *is.* His mother, and him, have only a *tiny* bit of blood. Dragons are notoriously long-lived, so while Veem'th-(aka Veemon XD)-is young, he's still over 500 years old. That's young. XD But a lot of generations on Dai's mom's side, right? So it's died out a bit, but the recessive gene on the human side, mixed with the dragon's blood, gave Daisuke the Firemancer ability.

His Stormwalker stuff-god, some of these just sound corny…shoot me if they get bad. That ability from his father is the same power, different element, different breed, mind you. Daisuke is half human, half___ with a bit of dragon ancestry. I have to make this point because it'll be important later on. XD and NO I'm not telling what he is until I get to that part of the story. I'm so evil.

Second point-in reference to Daisuke's amount of power, and facing off against Osamu-he's *not* as strong as him. He's clever, and uses distractions to get away. I have to make this point because when Dai does get an added boost…*hint*….well, then we'll see some action. Yamato knows all, btw, and I'll explain how those two, yama and TK have such a weird power. XD

**And hopefully, next part, Taichi comes back-and Ken realized a few mistakes-and Takeru has a Talk with Daisuke.

What? I can't give it all away, now.