Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Shinwa ❯ 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Notes: so, there's a whole host of reasons as to why this chapter took so long… all of which sound like something out of a sitcom or something. So, I'll skip the excuses and just apologize for the fact that this took so damn long. Sorry.

Warnings: homosexuality, violence, and we can't forget the vengeance… Ken & Dai have some scores to settle at this point…

Disclaimer: dun own, dun sue… would be pointless…

Shinwa- 7

After he had discovered some of his captor's secrets the blond had departed. Daisuke sat on the floor of his cell growing increasingly frustrated. He needed to have the man in the same room if he wanted to collect any information. Having tried to get out of the cell by using magic had proved fruitless and he had long since given up on short circuiting whatever power he might possess. However, the young man was beginning to wonder if he really did need the blond to be in the room. Smiling to himself, Dai settled on the floor and closed his eyes.

Picturing the blond man was easy- especially since he was the last person Daisuke had been in contact with. His mind slowly but surely built a steady, unwavering image of the ninja. It seemed traces of his captor were still lingering in the recesses of his brain. Interesting. Even the scent of the man seemed to hang in the air like another sort of psychic fingerprint. With the image assembled, Daisuke stopped a moment. How would he be able to find him? Ultimately, Dai decided to chance it and slowly pushed the image out- into what, he did not know, just out into something.

At first the search yielded no results beyond a black void. But then something seemed to snap into a sharp, angry focus. With the scent, the clothing, the physical mental assembly Daisuke had composed he seemed to be hunting through psychic means. The world suddenly consisted of white noise and light. People moved in separate blurs of collective consciousness. Switching focus left, then right, Dai picked up a trail. A snake-like shadow that slithered through space. It smelled of skill, hard work, and simple brute force.

Back in his cell, eyes still closed, Daisuke smiled. "Trippy," he whispered.

***

In the darkness, the body of Ken huddled inside the blood circle he had created. His plan was tricky and was dependent largely upon the pride of the gigantic creature that moved over his head. For the first time since his capture, he emitted sound. Ken coughed- not for attention, though he knew that it would garner it just the same. Contemplating just what to say, he found the enormous spider beat him to it.

"Yes, my dear child?"

The hiss came from above and at least fifteen yards ahead of him, Ken noted. Perfect. "What makes you think I want something?" He kept his voice flat, firm.

A rasping chuckle sounded in the darkness. "That is the first sound you have made since you were caught. Perhaps you wish to bargain? Make an exchange of information?" There was a pregnant pause before Ken heard exactly what he had been expecting. "I could help you, you know. There's still time before the demons completely corrupt your spirit again. You could become whole."

Seeming to deliberate this choice for a moment, he bit his lip in thought. "Somehow, I doubt you really want to help me," he finally responded. "I think, that if given the choice, you would prefer to eat me."

"Perhaps." There was silence for another series of moments. "But, perhaps we could help one another."

Ken heard the creature moving and risked rising to a crouch within the confines of his circle. "What are you doing?"

The demon gave another whispering laugh. "Simply moving closer to converse, child." It lowered from its great height, lumbering down the wall until it rested just in front of Ken's body. As close as it could move without triggering the barrier of the circle. "Do you know who I am?"

Thinking for a moment, he realized he should know but had no recollection. Knowing the demon could see him he shook his head in reply.

If a spider would smile, the demon would have. As it was, its cluster of eyes seemed to glitter, even in the darkness. "Very well then, I shall tell you…"

***

Ryo sat on the floor of the Kido apartment. He crouched, curled in on himself behind the sofa in the living room. The group knew where he was, but decided he was not a threat to them or himself so they let him be. Rocking back and forth, the Child of Earth caught bits and pieces of conversation from around the room. None of it mattered to him. All he knew was that he wanted to get to the target. He had to get Daisuke back in his possession. Then Osamu could be made whole, they could collect their reward, and he would be forgiven. But how to do it?

The Kido brothers had been right in saying that Ryo had nothing to lose. The fey was not afraid of dying, nor was he afraid of facing down an entire army of demons. So long as he could have his beloved Child of Water back in his arms, in his bed. Then everything would be all right once more. They had no need for Ken or Daisuke really… Osamu had seen to that years ago. Their elemental circle had been destroyed shortly after the younger of the brothers had been sold in the demon market. They had collected quite a high price for Ken too. Daisuke would most likely sell for much more than what their client was offering. In his madness, Ryo was willing to bet that Osamu had overlooked that fact.

Still, despite his nature to plot and plan things in accordance with the wishes of his lover… Ryo began to wonder just what would happen if he tried to collect Ken and Daisuke to fix the circle. They had never really been given a chance to see what would happen if all of their elements were aligned. And Daisuke could most certainly substitute as a Child of Fire. True to the nature of the circle, Fire and Earth would look similar just as Air and Water did. They would mirror one another in two pairs of darkness and light. With Osamu and Ken though, it was difficult to say which brother was which.

A solid slap connected with the back of Ryo's head. He never saw where, or who, it came from, he simply lashed out in his natural way. Beside the sofa was a fireplace- complete with wood for decoration. Though it could never be used, the hearth made the room look familial. However, all Ryo could see in it was that it consisted of brick, mortar, and wood- all pieces of his true element. Aiming only at his antagonist, he called the bricks from their places and wove the mortar into a net. Once his trap solidified, he forced the wood to swell and grow into something much too big to fit in its designated place as a "decoration". A wooden box enclosed his foe, then was surrounded by brick. It happened within seconds as part of Ryo's fighting instinct and gave the others in the room no time to react. Even Gennai could not conjure anything that quickly.

Ryo smirked at his creation. Normally, at that point Osamu would slowly begin to fill the box with water. Since the fluid was of mystical origin it did not effect the mortar to soften it and the net kept the captive from rising with the surface level to catch extra air and find a means of escape. All in all, it was quite an effective method of torture. Not so long ago, Ryo and Osamu had used the box on several demons as well as humans… The Child of Earth stopped for a moment, reverie broken.

Muffled screams sounded beyond the barrier of brick and wood. Without really giving it much thought, Ryo had started to fill the box with soil in place of water. Not quite as terrifying, but it would still smother the captive. A strange light of feral bloodlust went out behind his caramel eyes. He called the bricks away and disassembled the box as quickly as he had put it together before lurching over the sofa to kneel beside his prey. On the floor, Taichi stared at the Child of Earth for a few seconds before screaming again and scrambling away. Still kneeling, Ryo looked up as Yamato embraced his lover to comfort him.

"Next time," the Child of Earth said, "don't hit me to get my attention."

***

Osamu shook. The fine tremble of rage and betrayal ran from his fingertips to his legs. All he had been doing was having a bit of fun with his beautiful captive and how had he been repaid? That little whelp had hit him and run off. Any lingering ideas of collecting a bounty vanished from Osamu's mind. No one hit him. No one tried to use magic on him. And certainly, someone who had been able to escape would not last very long at all.

Typing furiously the Child of Water ran nearly a dozen simultaneous location scans for Motomiya. No signal anywhere. Not even a trace left in the air. Which meant someone had grabbed him and was holding him for one reason or another. Had Daisuke met an untimely end by that point there would most certainly have been traces of him hanging in the atmosphere. The Adepts were known for going out with style to say the very least. Remnants of soul would be left flitting about the earth. Something would have been left. Yet, it was just as if the man had disappeared completely. This did nothing to sway Osamu's quest. If anything, it made him work harder.

Fingers moving with supernatural speed over his keyboards and touch-screens, the fey scowled. There was no video feed or anything to give a movement pattern. Whoever had picked Daisuke up had been very thorough in covering his tracks. The space in which Osamu lived was well monitored, but he ran out of video feed after the last frame of Motomiya bolting out the main door. That alone was quite impressive. Only Osamu and Ryo knew the secrets of their living quarters. They had painstakingly traced runes and other spells into the very walls to create confusion to any who dared wander the corridors. But it seemed Daisuke had had no difficulty getting out.

Osamu snarled. Things were not looking good for him. His fingers stopped for the briefest of moments over the keyboard. Deliberating on whether he should contact his client about the prey he opted to wait. No sense letting the demons know he had lost the Adept. Still, it could be worth it for the tradeoff of having his beloved little brother back in his home again. It had been so very long since he had heard Ken scream…

Shaking himself free of his memories, Osamu continued his searches. Not five minutes later he yelled out a slew of curses and threw one of his boards against the wall. Someone had hacked into his system.

***

Koushiro smiled- a simple thinning of his lips, but it was a sure sign that he was pleased. Ryo had finally volunteered to help them track Osamu's dealings with the client. If they could find whoever had ordered Daisuke captured then perhaps they could find Ken as well. At the back of his thoughts Koushiro was still worrying over one of the last things Dai had said before being taken. Ken had been split. Things were not looking good.

"Ha! I'm in!" The redhead crowed from his perch at the keyboard. The system of firewalls and ethereal protection Osamu had set up had been all too easy to get past. Now, to find some sort of clue as to what he was doing hunting Daisuke…

Huddled on the floor, Ryo watched as Koushiro ripped through the system with blinding ease. Allowing a smile he said quietly, "We should have used better security. The computers were way too easy for you to get into." As soon as the words left his mouth he felt the point of a knife touch his throat.

"You don't speak unless spoken to," Miyako's voice was stern.

From the computer, Koushiro waved a hand in the Pagan's general direction. "No, Miyako, it's okay. If he has things he needs to tell me about this system it might be useful in making this go a lot faster. I mean, we don't even know if Daisuke was able to escape or not at this point. He could be holed up in a cage somewhere with only Osamu to keep him company."

Smirking a little, Miyako shook her head. "Good point." She noticed the way Ryo's face seemed to be twitching. "You have something to say then you'd better spit it out."

"Check the video feed," the Child of Earth offered softly. The Pagan woman seemed to have a special vendetta against him. Being so close to her was making the fey's thoughts jumbled as he started to panic.

Jyou peered over his lover's shoulder to check his progress and then glanced back to their captive. A medical degree was completely unnecessary to see that Ryo was on the verge of lashing out full-tilt again. "Miyako, get away from him." The pyrokinetic stood tall, face grim. "I think you're scaring him a little too much. If he's hyperventilating it'll be that much harder to get him to share any information."

"You're the expert on that one, Jyou," the older Kido brother elbowed his sibling in the ribs with a grin. "How are your allergies anyway?"

"Um, they're fine. Look, can we find something else to talk about?"

Shin blinked at his brother for a moment. "Oh… right. Sorry, it's just," he turned away. "I don't know, Jyou." Nodding in the direction of the more private areas of the apartment he turned and proceeded towards the bedroom he shared with his wife.

Noticing a few raised eyebrows from the group, Jyou simply shrugged and followed his brother. He missed the questions that immediately sprang from Taichi upon his departure. "Allergies? Like, really bad ones? Are we talking the kind where Jyou was one of those Coke-bottle glasses, pants pulled up to his nipples, had a permanent wedgie, and got his ass beat every day kind of nerd?"

Sighing, Koushiro saw that there was no way he was escaping answering the empath. "Yes, Taichi. Jyou was a nerd. And now he's my nerd, complete with much thinner glasses. And if you don't shut up I'm going to throw you into a wall, or maybe just off the balcony." His search of Osamu's database was not going well.

"Hey, don't get your panties in a knot, Kou," Tai snickered. "I was just asking."

***

Staring at his brother, Jyou waited for something that felt like it was never going to happen. "Shin? Is this about my abilities?"

Shin stopped his pacing for a moment to stare thoughtfully at the floor. "Well, there's that too. It's just… I don't know, Jyou. Something feels really wrong about all of this."

Folding his arms the pyrokinetic tilted his head a bit. "How do you mean?"

"Even I don't remember meeting Daisuke. Doesn't that strike you as just a little bit odd?"

"Yes, just a bit." He frowned at his brother. "You don't remember him at all?"

Shin shook his head. "Not a thing. Hell, he was in my wedding and I couldn't even tell you if he had fun at the reception or not!"

Jyou smiled a little. "Rest assured, he seems like the type who likes a good party. I'm positive he had a good time." Chewing his lip in thought for a moment, he finally added, "I'm still a little freaked out that Ken was there though. And that none of us spotted him. He does sort of stand out even if he is wearing a glamour when we see him…" He continued muttering to himself for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door.

Jun poked her head into her bedroom. "Koushiro is asking for you, Jyou. The group seems to be thinking about what they want to do."

Nodding, Jyou turned to his brother for a moment and noticed that Shin was turned away lost in thought. Sadness flowed over his face for a second before he merely turned and left the room, allowing Jun to step inside.

"Shin," she ran a hand down his back, "are you okay?" When he shrugged she leaned up to kiss his shoulder. "Koushiro says it looks like my brother got away."

"That's good," the reply was bland. Turning to his wife, Shin traced a hand down her cheek to cup her chin. "Do you remember him at all?"

Eyebrows knit in confusion Jun laughed a little. "Of course I do! Why?"

"No, I mean from our wedding day-"

"Yes. He made an absolutely beautiful toast to us and managed to spill wine on his tux after trying to force feed his date. Don't you remember? We have it on video too." A sense of unease welled up in her chest.

"I can't remember him at all, Jun. It's like my brother said… none of us can remember Daisuke." Pulling his wife into an embrace he whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

"For what? My brother's a spastic reject most of the time." She softened for a minute. "Don't worry about it. We'll get this all sorted out and you'll remember how you almost strangled him at our rehearsal dinner."

***

Hours later Daisuke was still seated on the floor of his cell. Staring up at his blond captor he let his eyes fill with innocence. His efforts at performing, however, were going unappreciated.

"Don't look at me like that! I know you were in my head earlier. I could fucking feel you moving around in there. What were you looking for, eh?" The blond man was seething. His privacy had been completely violated and all he was trying to do was help.

Finally, Daisuke spoke. "Look, I know how you feel. Personally I always hated it when reporters or whoever would just push into my past or try to get a deeper look at who I might or might not have been…" Shaking his head, Dai apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't even know I could do it, but I at least had to try."

That caught the ninja's attention. A head full of blond hair snapped up, cold eyes fixed in the general direction of the prisoner. "What? You didn't know you could…?" His shoulders sagged a little. "Shit you're going to be a lot of trouble."

"That's exactly what Ken said to me," Dai gave a soft, sad smile. "Do you know where he is? I need to get to him."

The blond bit his lip and had to look away. "He's the reason why I'm keeping you here. Believe me, if I could let you out so that you could go to him, I would. But I can't." It was all so unfair. Fortunately enough, the blond had been trained to hide certain bits of information- to mix them into his aura so that any telepaths would be unable to read him. It had been hellacious training, but worth it in the end.

A quick flare of his temper and Daisuke was on his feet. "What do you mean by that?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," the ninja offered over his shoulder. "Ken is always able to find you when he wants to. You can't ever escape him Motomiya."

Cinnamon eyes sparked with anger and flared wide as he clenched his hands. He was trying to keep his anger in check but his opponent was making things awfully difficult. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Stop being so cryptic and give me a damn answer… Wallace."

Dai's deliberate use of the name struck just the right cord. "Fine," the blond said flatly. "I'll tell you what you want to know. But first we're setting a couple ground rules. One- you don't ever go in my head again. Is that clear? No fucking snooping around in there for shit that's got nothing to do with you."

"Fine," Daisuke's voice was hard, his anger temporarily abated. "And two?"

Wallace nodded. "Two- you're going to have to understand that I can't let you out. I've been instructed not to and I know what will happen to me if I fail. You cannot be allowed to get loose, Motomiya. There's a lot of mystical, magical shit riding on you and Ken at the moment and you running around Tokyo with your newfound Adept hardon would only cause trouble." Despite his stern demeanor, the ninja was trying his best to keep fear at bay. Oh he knew Daisuke was angry- the very air was becoming stifling with heat and rage. But there was nothing the blond could do about that.

The prisoner frowned at this bit of information. "No deal," he stated. "I'm sorry, but I don't agree to those terms-"

"Well that's too god damn bad for you then. If you'd shut up and listen I'd almost be willing to tell you why I can't let you out of that cage. And why you haven't been able to escape it either. But only if you'll sit back and calm down for a minute. It's getting a little hard to breathe in here." Wallace eyed the other man, watching as he slowly thought over his options. Of course, Daisuke realized he had no choice.

"As if I really had a say in the matter anyway," Dai muttered and sat back down on the floor.

The blond smirked. "As long as we're on the same page, Motomiya. Everything will be just fine so long as you cooperate." He pulled a stool away from the wall and placed it in front of the cell. Taking a seat on it he looked up at his pouting captive and smiled. "Don't worry, he'll find you. I wasn't kidding before. You'll never escape him. Never."

"What the shit are you talking about? Stop being so cryptic, Wallace. Or, I promise you, I'll find a way out of this cage and when I do-"

"What? You'll kill me? I hardly think so, Motomiya." The blond smirked again. "You're not the murdering type." Coughing, he cleared his throat. They were in for the long haul. "I was talking about Ken. He always knows where you are, always has, always will." He let that information settle in for a moment before speaking again. "I know the kitsune hinted at some of this when you stayed at his place. But… let me put it this way- the reason you can't go anywhere is Ken, plain and simple."

Daisuke thought about that for a moment. Why would Ken be the reason? Shaking his head, he finally admitted, "I don't follow you."

"Ken's the one who gave me orders not to let you out of there."

***

Somewhere, within the many districts of the city a light shimmered. Slowly and surely that light was being attacked. For a few moments the light had flickered, but it was safe now. Secure in its hope and faith. But darkness loomed heavy around it waiting, watching. Looking for that one moment when the light would let down its guard. Still, it glittered and shone with complete hope. Because somewhere inside that light lay a memory. A clinging attachment to the physical world- a realm of flesh and blood.

Hovering amidst the darkness the light gripped at the last fleeting recollection it had. A name, a face, a body, a shape… a personality, a human. Something so simple as a memory seemed an easy thing for the darkness to swallow whole. But just as the gloom had trickery to deceive and capture, so the light also had secrets. And the secret lay locked within the memory floating… somewhere in the city.

Ken's soul, still not fully conquered by demons… He held on- alive with the imprint of a man burned into his mind. Someone who could save him, whom he could save, whom he could love and be loved by…

He knew his body was hidden somewhere. Stashed in some secret cubbyhole behind the twists and turns that made up Tokyo. Yet he had faith- he knew the man in his memory could find it. However, time was running out.

Whispering, with lips of intangible auric crystal, Ken continued to hold on with all of his strength. "Hurry, Daisuke…"

***

Inside his blood circle, the body of Ken stood- still listening to the demon spider that kept drifting closer and closer in the darkness. "So, you're the Jishin-Mushi… interesting." Turning away, he let the creature study his back, let it think he was bored. "You know the legends say you're a male, they say you cause earthquakes. They also say that you were burned and horribly scarred before being sealed beneath the ground."

"Lies," the spider hissed. "All lies! Simple tales told by humans so that they can sleep better at night. Besides, you've seen the children I birth. I could never be male. Such nonsense you've heard."

Turning back to the demon, he smiled and put his hands on his hips. "Oh come now, I heard what the demon prince said when he was in here. He set you free. Which means you were sealed up in the ground." He stopped for a moment and let his smile grow devilish. "A pity you were all alone…"

The dry sound of laughter answered that statement. Moving down the wall with unnerving speed, the spider paused just above and outside of the circle. Close enough to touch, but not close enough to reach the barrier. "I'm never alone. My lover is always with me." At that, she shifted her great body once again and dropped to the floor to let her side face the circle.

The breath caught in his throat. She had not lied. Wrapped and withered within the bodice of the demon, he could see the lines of a body- mummified by time. He could only hope the man trapped within the spider's body was dead. Yet, as he looked closer, he saw two eyes, not quite violet and not quite red, rolling around in their sockets. The face was withered much like all of the mummy's remaining flesh. But when he saw Ken's body… he smiled, and his eyes twinkled.

The fey body took a step back, barely within the borders of its own circle. Some part of his mind was screaming with recognition but it was buried beneath layers and layers of the white noise of fear. The small part of him was screaming that he had heard stories of the Jishin-Mushi seducing her lover into visiting her one night and had swallowed him. Not that her lover had complained- after all, it meant he would be joined with his beloved for all of time. Shaking his head, he tried to focus and found it difficult. Something about the horror of seeing a mummified man trapped and… happy within the body of a demon bothered him. It only took him a few seconds to recover from the shock of it all, and then he was ready.

"That's quite the scare tactic," he whispered quietly. She was so close now; he could hear every small shift she made in the dark. She was close enough that he could see her, or at least her faint outline. It gave him chills to think of how her lover must appear in full light. The thought nearly made him sick. He shook himself. No. He had to stick with his plan. "Brilliantly played, my lovely demoness. Very well done," he let his voice go cold, tried to fill himself with ice- to steel his stripped mind against what he was about to do.

"I always think so," the spider hiss quietly. "He loves me and is quite happy there… and he's enough for me to bear children when they are needed and to feed on when I am too tired to hunt."

Ah, there it was. The hint that she was hungry. That she would be willing to bargain on a trade- let her feed on his blood and she would help him escape. The body of Ken chuckled in the darkness. Even without his memories, he was no fool. She would kill him as soon as she had the chance. Better that he kill her first- or at least try. Moving silently, he knelt and let his hand make a quick pass over the floor to draw fresh blood. As the fluid welled up in his palm he saw the great creature stop. A deadly and still shadow against the larger darkness.

"Hungry aren't you? You know, we could always make a deal," he let his voice whisper against the air. As though he was not really speaking, but that he was letting his voice guide her thoughts. "A drink of my blood and perhaps you'd be willing to show me the way out…"

Only a little closer…

The demoness shifted again. Dozens of eyes narrowed on the source of food. "Sounds like a fair plan to me."

One more tiny step…

He smiled. "Well then, I've left the circle now. You can come over here and get me." Waving his hand in the air he knew the scent of his recent wound would cover the older smell of the boundaries. Eyes focused against the shadows he saw her still, readying to strike.

The Jishin-Mushi moved with blinding speed… but as the empty shell of Ken's body had discovered, he was fast too. He ducked her just in time tracing patterns on the floor as he did so. She lunged at him, hissing in frustration. "Come on," he whispered back, "what's a little foreplay?"

Attacking again, this time the demoness spit venom as she moved. Perfect. He let his blood drip over her poison and traced patterns on the floor just beyond her line of sight- even with her many eyes. Absolutely perfect. He stopped moving and stood up tall to watch her. The spider tried again to move in for the kill… only to find a nice, neat barrier keeping her bound.

"Some of you just never learn," he sneered. "Didn't you realize you were only chasing me in circles?" He laughed when the demoness shrieked in anger. Just as he had protected himself, he had trapped the Jishin-Mushi within a blood circle. Only this time, he had traced runes and symbols outside the barrier and let it mix with the captive's own magicks. She was most definitely trapped for a while as the runes slowly siphoned her life away. Exactly as he had planned.

Pulling open the door he called over his shoulder, "And the next time you see your boss tell him I'll be coming for him soon." With that said, and a smirk firmly in place, he left- the howl of rage at his back.

***

With Osamu's database hacked, Koushiro was finally able to confirm a few things. One: Daisuke had managed to escape before anything violent occurred. Two: they could find no trace of him anywhere. Three: neither could Osamu. In summation, they were back where they started.

"Is there any chance Osamu can trace this magically?" Iori was stern in addressing Ryo. After witnessing the way the Child of Earth lashed out when threatened, they all seemed to be taking precautions.

Thinking for a moment, Ryo shook his head. "No. We built in a lot of security and tracery systems but nothing for the network- unless he did it himself."

Tilting his head and studying the fey, Taichi tried to collect some sort of emotional signal from him and came up empty handed. "Why are you being so helpful?"

When he glanced at Tai, Ryo noticed how the other immediately backed away- once again to the safety of his lover's arms. "Because I love Osamu, and you might be able to bring him back." He blinked caramel colored eyes and shrugged. To him, the logic was simple.

Chuckling a bit, Gennai spoke up. "You do realize it will take much more than what you are expecting, don't you? A fey who is lost is difficult to regain."

"Which is what's going to happen if we don't get to Ken soon," Sora cut in. "I hate to break up the sentimental moment and all, but we've got to focus."

Mimi hugged her girlfriend. "Don't worry, we'll find him."

"Indeed," the kitsune added. "If Daisuke is loose then it is only a matter of time before Ken goes to him."

Koushiro looked up from the computer screen he had been studying. "What do you mean? And if what Daisuke said earlier is true, I'm not so sure how that could work. If Ken has been split it will make things that much more difficult."

Gennai simply shook his head. "You misunderstand me. It does not matter how many pieces Ken is broken into. He will always be able to find Daisuke, no matter the circumstance or nature." He paused, deliberating and taking a deep breath. "I told you before that Ken is a Guardian. And he considers Daisuke to be his. That there is nothing-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Koushiro waved a hand at the kitsune. There were a few glances between the two from the others in the room.

"I hate to be the one asking questions, but what are you talking about?" Hikari's voice was soft. None of the group liked being left out of the loop.

Sighing, the telekinetic motioned to the kitsune. "Do you want to take this one, or shall I?"

"By all means," Gennai gave a gentle smile. He knew this was a strenuous task, not to mention a difficult thing to understand. And as Koushiro began to explain the connection between Ken and Daisuke, Gennai could only hope the others would process and accept the information as soon as possible. After all, there was still the matter of demons and fey to deal with.

***

Wide-eyed and completely bewildered, Daisuke sat, mouth hanging open. Wallace had explained the status of Ken's Guardianship and slight obsession. Given the recent things he had learned he could do and handle, it was no wonder that Dai found this extra bit of information a bit much to take on. "He watched me? For all those years, he just fucking stood by and watched me? And now…" he swallowed.

If he had been a different sort of person, Wallace would have felt bad revealing the truth. However… "Ken loves you, Daisuke. Make no mistake about that. But he is going to be extremely possessive of you until you can prove that you can handle your own shit."

Nodding, he just sat on the floor of his cell, still trying to make sense of it all. It would explain a few things. Like the inexplicable draw between himself and the fey. The way Ken had seemed so standoffish at their first actual encounter. Then again, if Ken had been watching for all of those years, why would he be so blatantly rude?

"He might have seemed a little cold when you first interacted with him," the ninja offered. "That's only because he's been trying to push away that feeling of obsession."

"Sure," Daisuke replied absently. That one hurt a little bit. Although, some of the blond's story would explain why he felt so compelled to be with Ken, to be near him, to have him. As it was, the ninja was a member of the Circle of Guardians, but only out of familial obligation. Typically, only the fey or even the demi-fey could keep watch over an Adept. Largely because only the sidhe had the power to control them if necessary. Or to keep their abilities on a tighter leash before they were fully understood. Yet, Ken seemed to be an exceptional case. He had become a guardian through the extensive recommendations of Gennai. However, it seemed no one had told him exactly why, or what he was doing. Ken had been given a few books of prophecy to read and had found out about the Adept without knowing what he truly was. It was odd, given that a fey should have been able to sense Daisuke's power. After some time though, Ken failed to realize that he was attracted to Dai. To him it was only supposed to be a job- watch him, make sure he stayed alive, and never directly approach him unless necessary. It seemed that last bit had been important as a lot of the appointed Guardians lost track of the young Adept only too easily. Apparently, it had been difficult to find someone suitable to watch over Daisuke. He had to laugh at that. Even Dai was willing to admit he was a handful for the unwary. Still, Ken had only been appointed as his Guardian within the past few years, which meant someone had to have been filling the role before then. Cue Wallace at that turn. His family had maintained a shrine outside of Kyoto for countless years, well aware of the mystical creatures that dwelt in Japan. They had offered the services of their only son as a simple act of faith. Quite frankly, Daisuke thought it was all more than a little unfair. "Doesn't it ever bother you?"

"Doesn't what bother me?" The blond stood up from the stool he had been sitting on and stretched.

"That you were just volunteered for this gig without a choice. I mean, that's not really fair to you. You could've had a normal-"

"A normal life?" He shook his head. "No, Daisuke. There is no such thing as a normal life for me. Besides, I've never known anything different. And really, it's not bad at all- aside from worrying about whether I've pissed off Ken or not. I mean, I got to learn a lot of folklore, I can kill a man at least one hundred different and very painful ways, I don't have to pay taxes ever, and really, the whole ninja lifestyle kinda suits me." Giving a thin smile he registered the complete astonishment in the captive's eyes.

"Sounds like you got the short end of the deal to me, man." Even if never paying taxes and being a stealth master did sound more than a little appealing.

"You don't have a choice either you know. Being an Adept isn't something you can really turn down." Removing the stool from Dai's line of sight, Wallace peered back into the cell, noticing the fading light in the other man's eyes.

"Yeah, don't remind me."

At that precise moment, another voice sounded- cold, crisp, concise. "Don't be upset, my Daisuke. Everything will be just fine. You'll see."

Both Daisuke and Wallace stared in awe as Ken's body stepped into the room. Looking more than a little worse for the wear, not to mention completely nude the fey gave a smile that was all for Daisuke.

***

"Son of a bitch! If I find that little whelp I'll slice his fucking skin open, drink his blood, and feast on his stinking flesh!" The demon whirled in the darkness. Furious with the failure of the Jishin-Mushi, he was ready to extract vengeance on the closest living organism. "How could you be so utterly, fucking STUPID?! You idiot!"

The ranting continued for quite some time. After the prison had departed for places unknown, the demon prince had returned to the cell only to find the large spider caught inside her blood circle. She had informed him of what happened, much to his irritation.

"I should just leave you there to rot!" He stopped for a moment and seemed to be thinking. Slowly, a wicked, gleaming grin curled about his face. "No," he whispered, "I know what I'll do with you." Stepping forward, he broke the blood circle with a minute amount of effort. Grabbing the spider demon's short, silvery hair he hissed at her: "I'll leave you to his friends. They bound you once before and they can do it again." Throwing her aside he sneered, "You're pathetic. I don't know why I even bothered freeing you in the first place."

After he stormed out of the room, the Jishin-Mushi sat on the floor. Biting her lip in thought she fought so hard not to cry. Her only chance at freedom- gone in an instant. And all because of some stupid little Elemental fey. In the darkness her eyes flared with fire. Someone would pay for this. "Wait, my Lord! I might know a way to track them," she called out and scuttled after the demon prince. Both were eager for revenge. A taste of magical blood and the sound of screams…

***

"So, let me make sure I understand you," Takeru was confused. "The demons who took Ken split his soul from his body?"

Koushiro nodded. "Exactly."

"What the hell for?" Taichi seemed to think the idea was entirely stupid, having said as much after Koushiro's initial explanation. "Wouldn't they need Ken's body in order to completely mess him up for life?"

"Not really," the telekinetic sighed. As he struggled to find words, he was surprised to hear someone else take over the conversation.

"They probably plan to corrupt his soul and then reinsert it back into his body. Ultimately, that would make Ken an even more fierce killing machine than the warrior boy we all know and love," Mimi stated. Expression grave, she knew the others would start asking questions soon. "Seems to me like this is probably the same group that's after Daisuke. Only someone like Ken would be able to capture and contain him, especially after corruption."

"And you know this how…?" Tai raised an eyebrow.

Everyone in the room noticed the way Mimi seemed to cower behind Sora, hoping her girlfriend would protect her. "While I was gone a few things happened. I had to learn demon etiquette real fast." She swallowed, not wanting to finish. When she felt a gentle touch on her wrist, she looked up into Sora's chestnut eyes.

"They marked you," the touch sensitive whispered. Eyes filling with tears, she bit her lip and tried to fight them off. "Let me see it, Mimi. Please. I need to know…"

Mimi shook her head violently. "No, Sora. I'm not showing you this now. We've got other, more important things to look into-"

"Don't give me that! You were gone for far too long for me to just let certain things go anymore. Stop hiding from me, Mimi," Sora's voice dropped lower. "We can go into another room and you can show me. Because I'm not letting this go. Not this time."

Silence thickened and everyone held their breath until Mimi nodded. She knew when to give in. Motioning for Sora to follow her, she asked Jun where the bathroom was. Once the pair was locked in, she let out a heavy sigh. "Before we do this, I just want you to understand a few things. I left because I was scared of my power. It had nothing to do with you. And I know that doesn't make up for what I did, but I do love you, Sora. More than anything."

"I know," Sora cut in. "And I love you too." Leaning forward in the small space, she placed a tender kiss on Mimi's lips. "Just show me," she whispered. Explanations could wait for another time.

Mimi nodded and turned around, lifting her shirt as she did so. "I just want you to understand that I came to terms with this while I was gone." She spoke in even, measured tones knowing full well that Sora was staring at the scarred mark in the exact center of her back. Almost three years old, it was a scar left by a pyrotic when she had been in the wrong place at the entirely wrong time.

Sora stared at the mark willing herself to touch it. She knew if she ran her fingertip over the puckered surface of the scar she would be able to find the one who did it. The scar was small, exact, and in simple kanji that spelled out otoru- to weaken a person's power. The mark was designed to cut Mimi's power out, away. And try as she might, Sora still could not touch the scar. A few slow tears slid down her face. "We'll find a way to fix this," she promised.

"I've already proven it wrong though," Mimi spoke over he shoulder. "I flew- I found Ken, or what must have been his soul."

Lips set in a grim line, Sora had to ask the next question. "Did it feel like something was missing?"

Thinking about that, Mimi knew what her girlfriend was hinting at. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "Yeah, it did."

Silence overtook the bathroom. Outside the rest of the group waited, each wondering what was happening.

***

Wallace was alert in an instant. "Ken?" No, not Ken. That much was clear. But somehow it was. Shaking his head in confusion, the blond felt his hand automatically reach for one of his knives.

Turning to the ninja, Ken's body stared at him blankly. He knew the man, how he was unsure of. Ultimately, Ken decided he was of no importance so he shrugged and turned back to the burgundy haired man in the cell. "Hello, my Daisuke," he smiled.

"Ken," Dai's voice squeaked despite all of his efforts to stop it. "Um, maybe you should look into finding some clothes?" Letting out a nervous laugh he realized Ken had a one-track mind. "Where have you been?"

"With the Jishin-Mushi. She told me what's been happening. I know who's after you now and why. And I know part of me is missing." Shrugging he pulled the locked door of the cell open with ease and stepped inside. The display of strength was more than a little alarming to Daisuke.

Struggling to keep his mind focused, Dai stumbled as he stepped back. "Then why are you-"

"Daisuke, my perfect Daisuke… shut up." With that, Ken rushed forward and kissed the Adept for all he was worth. Even without his soul the fey loved Dai unquestioningly. The kiss was full of heat and passion. Holding onto his precious treasure, Ken felt a sense of rightness deep within. Having the beautiful, burgundy haired man was a rare and delicious treat. Filling the kiss with promise, Ken let his tongue claim what had been his only hope in the darkness of the blood circle.

And it was all Daisuke could do to not melt into the sensation. Some part of him knew that time was a factor, that there were things that needed to be dealt with. But, it was Ken kissing him. The fey he had felt so empty without. Still, eventually Daisuke had to end the kiss- particularly after he heard a quiet cough from elsewhere in the room. Gently prying Ken's body off, he glanced over at Wallace who looked away quickly. "Is he glowing to you too, you pervert voyeur?"

Scowling at the insult, the ninja rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Now that you mention it… yes, actually. He's glowing."

"So it's a safe bet that people probably saw him as he wandered over here?" Doing his best to keep Ken at bay, Daisuke shivered when he felt a warm rush of air at his neck. If the blond man would just leave them alone for a few minutes…

Wallace shook his head. "You don't understand magick well enough yet, do you? Simply because Ken's been separated it doesn't mean one version or the other is powerless. Magick such as a fey's or even an Adept's exists at a genetic level."

That made him stop and think. Pushing Ken back firmly, Daisuke stared at the ninja who still stood outside the cell. "I thought all the myths said it comes from the power of the soul…"

"In part," the blond was cynical. "There is a small piece of personal magick that comes from the soul, almost like a key. But mostly it's just genetics." He shrugged. "With advances in science it's been determined that a person's abilities on a magical level exist much like those on an athletic level or artistic level."

"Give it up for modern technology, I guess." The news depressed Daisuke quite a bit. "So, I'm just the luck of the draw then, right?"

"No, Daisuke," Ken spoke up. "You are very special. Truly unique. Even he must know that," motioning to the blond, he made a face. When Dai turned to look at him, he stepped forward and cupped his face. "You have compliments but only one equal, one match. Only one being exists to rival you in power and spirit."

"You've regained some memory then," Wallace was cautious. If the body was remembering it meant one of two things. Either Ken's genetic power that resided in his body was strong enough to call his soul, or the demon's were putting it back. When the fey merely shrugged, the ninja decided it must be his personal power. "I'll get you some clothes, Ken."

"Yes," he nodded. "And then we'll find the others so that they can keep Daisuke safe while we hunt down the demons."

Pulling away from the protective hold of Ken's arms Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Keep me safe? I don't think so. Not after your brother…" When Ken's head snapped in his direction, Dai saw two piercing indigo eyes narrow. No matter what kind of power he held at that point, it was clear that Ken was still deadly.

"What did my brother do?" The words were arctic and made Daisuke shiver.

"Um, he just kidnapped me and brought me to his fucked up little lab that he calls home. That's all." No need to mention that Osamu would have raped him if given the chance. Not with Ken ready to go on a homicidal rampage at a moment's notice.

"You're hiding something from me," Ken declared. Indigo eyes flashing like wildfire it was obvious to any observer that if he found out what Osamu had done the Child of Water would be finding out just how mortal the fey really were.

Looking to Wallace for some support, he saw the blond shrug. Damn uncaring, ninja bastard. "Ken's soul is the seat of his emotions. Everything that is light and positive resides there." Wallace was careful in his explanation. He knew full well- better than most- what a soulless Ken was capable of. Only the kitsune had been able to tame him.

"So with just the body…" Daisuke began to fidget under the intense scrutiny of Ken's glare.

The blond did his best to look sympathetic. "If I were you, I'd answer the damn question."

*************

ghetto Kensuke/Daiken action… I know. And I'm truly sorry this took me so damn long. A lot of things happened that were unexpected and highly problematic. The next chapter will DEFINITELY be out in much less than a month. Review or criticize as you choose.