A/N: This is the end! Really, it is! Everything is solved, one way or anotheroh yes. It has been brought to my attention that Stingmon is not an Armor Digimon; he is a Champion. ::coughs embarrassedly:: Well, what can I say? I honestly didn't think anyone would notice! See, I wanted to have Ken find a Digiegg, and I wanted to include Stingmon. So by exercising my supreme author powers and a selective memory, I made Stingmon an Armor Digimon. Simply put: This is my world, and I will distort it as I please. Sorry to everyone who noticed, but I'm going to keep it this way for continuity. And I've rambled far too long. On with the fic!

Disclaimer: Don't own em, but you already knew that, right?

For the Sake of Love Part Four: Cycle of Darkness

* * * And be careful when exorcising demons, that when you cast one out three more do not enter into its place. * * *

A beam of dark energy screamed across the sky towards the Digidestined. The children threw themselves flat and it missed their heads by just inches. Ken was on his feet in an instant, ready for another attack. He glared triumphantly at his look-alike. Round one, Digidestined, he thought.

Then to his enormous surprise, the dark figure started to laugh. Before Ken could recover, he shot off beam after beam at the new bearer of Kindness. Ken managed to dodge them all, though the last one grazed his cloak. He looked up victorious at the newcomer, only to see a feral grin spread across his features.

Fools, the dark Ken thought. They have no idea they have played right into my hands. They think that they have won because they cast me out of Ken's body. They haven't won at all. He is vulnerable now. With me gone he feels nothing but emptiness. Anything can fill that emptiness now. Anything

"Good," his double laughed. "My slaves should be agile. That is how many of them survive as long as they do."

As Ken gaped, Yolei came up next to him. "What do you mean, your slave?" she yelled. "Ken isn't anyone's slave!"

"Yeah, because he was too busy doing all the enslaving," muttered Davis.

The dark figure smiled. "Oh, you think not? Then perhaps you do not know your precious Ken as well as you think you do, Yolei." As Yolei sputtered, he continued, this time directing his speech towards Ken. "Digimon Emperor. You have done well."

Ken gaped at him. He knew that voice. It was the one he heard in the middle of the night that came to him in his dreams. It was the voice he associated with the place inside him that was now an empty void.

The dark Ken smiled inwardly. He cocked an eyebrow at Ken. "Do you fear me?"

"No," Ken replied.

The creature snickered. "Of course you do. You know who I am, and you fear me for it. But what is there to really be afraid of, Ken? Do you really fear yourself?"

"I'm not you!" Ken cried.

"Oh no? I am the Digimon Emperor," he mocked. "I will control all of the Digital world! Does that sound at all familiar, Ken?"

"But Ibut I" he stammered. The voice was his. He could remember those exact words, coming from his lips. But that was before

"He's not like that anymore!" Yolei said defensively. "He got rid of you!"

"Oh, he didn't get rid of me. I'm still very much here. Why would he want to get rid of me? I'm a part of him! So deeply ingrained that I might as well be burned into his soul. I am him, and he is me!"

"He is not!"

Ken just stared. He looked back and forth from Yolei to his double. He was suddenly painfully aware of the deep aching void inside of him. He's right, Ken realized. He is a part of meand now that he's gone, there's nothing left of me anymore

"Realizing the truth, Ken? You can feel the emptiness inside you, can't you? The feeling that an irreplaceable part of you has been torn out by the roots?" The darkness smiled inwardly at the painful realization on the boy's face. Perfect, he thought.

It was time to switch tactics. "What have I ever given you but an escape from pain? Do you remember when your – our – brother died?" As he spoke, he projected the memory into Ken's mind. As closely linked as they were, he could easily control the Emperor's thoughts and memories on so little as a whim.

Ken gasped as memories flooded into his mind. The screamsand the crashfollowed by the wailing of sirens and of a little boy who has just lost everything

"You became me," whispered the darkness. "You became me to rid yourself of the painwhat sort of fool are you, to give that up now?"

"Don't call him that!" yelled Yolei.

He glared at her. "You," he said, "are getting increasingly annoying." Before anyone could react, a black beam raced through the air and hit her square in the chest, knocking her backwards against the cliff where she slumped lifelessly to the ground.

"Yolei!" Ken cried out, and ran towards her. An energy shield thrown up in his path stopped him. Seething with rage, he turned to his dark twin. "How dare you hurt her?!?" he screamed.

"I dare much more than that, Digimon Emperor," came the cool reply. In a matter of seconds he had laid flat all of the remaining children and their Digimon. "Look at me," he commanded. Ken's eyes were caught in an unshakable hold by that terrible voice. "Why do you care what happens to her?"

"Because!" he yelled. "I"

Dark Ken sneered. "Why? Because you love her?" He smirked, and held up three fingers. "Three weeks. That's how long an average relationship lasts at our age. And each one filled with more I love you's' then you could shake a stick at."

Ken reeled back like he had been hit. "That's not true," he said. But his voice lacked the conviction it had held at the beginning.

"Oh, I think it is, Ken. How long until your little girlfriend gets sick of you? How long until she decides to move onto some better fish in the sea?"

Ken's thoughts and emotions whirled. Nothing was making sense. The demon sounded so right, so sure of himself. And wasn't that what he himself had believed until just a few short months ago?

Kari stirred slightly. Unlike the others, she had only been stunned when the blast hit her, for T.K. had managed to take most of the blow for her. She rose slightly and looked around. She was shocked to see Ken in a face-off with his double. Ken looked unsure, worried, and the evil one looked triumphant and very smug. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this was very, very bad. She caught the last part of what he was saying, something about Yolei

Oh no! she thought. He's going to use Yolei against him to make Ken turn evil again! Panicked, she nearly got up and ran for the Digimon Emperor, but she stopped herself just in time. Better that he doesn't know I'm awake and capable of helping Ken.

The dark figure was speaking again. "Do you remember, Ken? What it was like to be hounded every moment of every day by reporters, fans; always being pressured to be better and better?" He laughed, and Kari gasped at the anger and pain of memory that flashed across Ken's face. "Of course you remember. I can see your hate. I can feel your desperation to just get away to somewhere where you could control your life, not reporters and your parents."

Kari was in absolute shock. She had never stopped to think what effect fame could have on someone. Especially a kid who was just like her. That doesn't matter now. I have to get Ken to see that thewhatever that thing is is wrong! It's in the prophecy'Light will help Kindness see the truthI have to help him! The problem was that she had no idea how to do that.

While Kari agonized over her position, the dark Ken delivered the final blow. "And your parents. They never really loved you. Even as a little kid you knew that. They loved Sam and only Sam, and even after he died all they cared about was turning you into a miniature of him. They never loved Ken." He sneered. "They only cared about him."

That was it. Ken's face twisted into an ugly mask of rage and hate. He knew what the person told him was true. How could he have been so foolish to believe Yolei? How could he have been so trusting to believe that he could go back to a normal life? He never had a normal life! And no one cared if he did or not.

Kari could see the acceptance on his face. A rush of pain hit her then, nearly blinding her. No! she screamed inside herself. This couldn't happen! The prophecy said she was supposed to save Kenand here she was not doing anythingthey were all going to die here because of her helplessness! She looked at T.K., still sprawled unconscious on the ground. He took the blast for me, she remembered.

The Bearer of Light was suddenly filled with an intense anger. Without pausing to think she stormed up to the Emperor. "I'm sorry," she said, "but this is the only thing I can think of!" She slapped him full across the face.

Ken recoiled in shock. A hand flew to his cheek. "Whawhat was the meaning of that!" he exclaimed.

"Because you're being so frustrating!" Kari all but screamed. "Can't you see he's lying to you? I don't know what your problem is, but if you stopped and thought about what he was saying instead of just reacting, you would see how obviously he's manipulating you!"

He stared at her in utter disbelief. Kari was too angry to care. "How could you possibly believe what he said about your parents? I've seen them, Ken. Nearly everyday there's a story on the news about them, and your mom can't speak because she's crying too hard. I saw your dad at a grocery store, and he looked dead. Like someone who has lost everything he lived for and all hope is gone."

Ken was in shock. His mind reeled with conflicting ideas and emotions. On one level, he agreed with Kari and was saddened at the thought of his parents suffering. On another, he seethed with rage at the thought that they only loved him as a prop to make them look good. He gripped his head in confusion.

Kari could see Ken weakening. I'm getting through to him, she rejoiced silently. She gave a sideways glance at the still forms of her friends and blinked away tears. For you, Yolei, she thought, I'll save him. Not for destiny or any stupid prophecy. I'll do it because you loved him, believed in him. I'll save him, so everyone's sacrifices will not have been in vain.

A pretty speech. But Kari's momentary distraction was all the evil one needed. He closed in on Ken, eyes blazing. "Are you going to believe her? Your enemy? How can she know about your parents? She doesn't know anything about you. She doesn't know anything! Who are you going to trust: she, who is your enemy, or me, when I am as much a part of you as your own breath?"

Kari gasped. She saw Ken's features darken, and he half-turned towards the dark figure. No! Nonononononononononobut the darkness wasn't finished yet. "She may have been right about your parents. After all, they did give birth to you, so they probably have some sentimental attraction to you. But that isn't the real issue here. After all, what was it that made you decide to try and shut me out of your life for good? Not your parents. Yolei." He smiled fiercely. "I am rather disappointed in you, Ken. I thought that under my guidance for so long, you would see what a foolish thing it would be to trust in "love". His voice dripped sarcasm. "Let me show you."

Ken's eyes widened as a flood of visions rushed through his mind. Yolei, kissing another boy who he vaguely recognized from the night of the dance. Yolei, laughing and holding hands with him as she strolled through the park. The darkness' cruel voice went on. "Guess what, Ken? That was from just last week. Last Monday. Do you still believe she loves you?"

"That's not true!" Kari yelled. She didn't question how she knew what Ken was seeing; she just knew, and she had to convince Ken what he was seeing was just created by the dark figure. Aren't prophecies wonderful things? I'm supposed to help Ken, so suddenly I have the ability to read his mind. Oh joy.

"Ken, listen to me," she pleaded. "There's no way Yolei would do something like that to you. I know it!"

"Just like a girl," insinuated the form. "Trying to protect her friend's reputation." Ken glared at Kari.

"Ken, I was with her last Monday. She was so excited about her computer club meeting that she almost missed going into the Digital world. There's no way she would have had time to go to the park." She turned to the figure. "How do you explain that?"

"Ah, Monday? I meant Tuesday," he covered quickly.

"Tuesday's out too," she said triumphantly. "Yolei and I went shopping all day."

He lost his smug look. "Well" he glanced at Ken who was listening to Kari now, and glared. "Damn you," he hissed.

"Ken, look," Kari said. She gestured to Yolei's prone form. "She sacrificed herself for you. Remember when we found out about you two? She stood up for you even though none of us believed you were changed. Then when that thing came along, she tried to protect you. Do you think she would do that for someone she didn't love?"

"Don't listen to her!" cried dark Ken. He turned desperately to Ken. "She's trying to trick you," he said. "She's only lying to save herself!" Ken looked at him for a moment, then glared and turned back to Kari. He blinked. Was it his imagination, or was she glowing?

"I'm telling the truth, Ken," she said softly. "Remember that Yolei has the Digieggs of Love and Sincerity. She wouldn't ever deceive you like that. And," she said, biting her lip. "I should have believed her. Even if she is flaky sometimes, she knows things about people. I thinkI think she was right to forgive you. AndI forgive you." Those last three words were the hardest things Kari had ever had to say in her entire life. But it was necessary

Ken looked right at her. It was a scary feeling. When he turned his violet eyes on her it seemed like he could stare straight into her soul, uncovering her deepest secrets. She tried not to squirm and held her breath.

Finally, he nodded. "Okay," he whispered. "I believe you."

"No!" the demon Ken cried. Ken turned on him. "I believe her," he said in a stronger voice. "And you can just get out."

The demon screamed horribly, a long hair-raising screech that chilled them down to the bone. It lost any resemblance to Ken at all, and became nothing but a wraithlike shadow. Then before their eyes it started to disintegrate. Its mouth was the last thing to go; screaming until it fully disappeared. A blinding light flared out to touch each of the children in turn before vanishing.

The silence that followed was deafening. Ken and Kari stared at the empty air where the Ken-creature had just stood. Out of the corner of her eye, Kari noticed something. "T.K.!" she yelled. The Digidestined were starting to stir. She ran to him as he struggled to sit up and threw her arms around him. Ken took off in a dead run towards Yolei.

Please let her be okay, he thought. Please oh please oh pleaseHe reached her and pressed his fingers against her wrist, searching for a pulse. For a terrifying moment, there was nothing. Then, a faint pressureand Yolei opened her eyes.

"Hey," she said.

Ken simply looked at her. He felt too drained, emotionally and physically, to dredge up much of a response. "Hey," he said. "You all right?"

She nodded. "You?"

He responded in kind. They stared at each other a moment longer. Then Yolei noticed something. "Ken, your uniform." Ken looked down for the first time. His Digimon Emperor outfit was gone, replaced by his simple school uniform.

Somehow that triggered more feelings then anything else, and he felt his emotional barriers come crashing down. Apparently Yolei saw it coming, for she wrapped her arms around him and just let him sob.

* * * Epilogue * * *

Yolei walked up the steps to an apartment building. She didn't think, just let her feet take her along the familiar path. She stopped and knocked at a door.

Ken Ichijouji opened it. "Hello – " she began, before she was cut off by his lips on hers. As they broke the kiss she smiled. "Well, I guess I don't have to ask how your day went." As they walked in she noticed his tired smile and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said.

"Uh uh," she said. "You know I hate it when you don't answer my questions." She began tickling him mercilessly. He laughed and squirmed, trying to get away. "Will you answer me?" she demanded laughingly.

"Yes, yes!" he gasped. And she stopped tickling him. When he had his wind back he said, "I'm just having a hard time readjusting. It's so weird to wake up in the morning and have to go eat school and cafeteria food for lunch. Everyone's been making a huge fuss over me since I've been back, and I wish they wouldn't." Yolei nodded. Ever since Ken's return two weeks ago (in the middle of the night, in his own bed even though the apartment door was locked) there had been quite a stir in the media. Even Yolei was feeling some of the pressure, because somehow the reporters had found out that Ken had a girlfriend – her.

She shrugged. "Well, what can you do? The return of a gorgeous boy genius is a very newsworthy item!" He started to protest when he realized she was kidding.

"Yeah, well," he said "I wish they would stop asking me questions about you." He mimicked the reporters. " Ken, how did you meet your current main attraction?' Tell us about the love of your life.' Ken, how long do you think you'll be together?' "

"They don't really ask that, do they?" Yolei said, amazed.

"You bet they do," he replied. "And that certainly isn't the worst of it. I'm too embarrassed to repeat some of their questions."

Yolei blushed as she thought about that. "Well, they'll just have to be in suspense then, won't they?"

"That they will," he said. He kissed her then, and thoughts of reporters flew right out the window.

Yolei snuggled happily in Ken's arms. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, much less brainless reporters. All that mattered was that she and Ken could finally face the world – together.

And that, my friends, really is the end! Please review.