Digimon Adventure Tri: Echo

34) Heavy is the Crown

Ken didn't think he had ever been this anxious before. 

SlashAngemon's sudden appearance had given the group the chance to escape. He was more than capable of fighting through the enemies that tried to turn in his direction, and seemingly that was all that they needed in order to fully defeat the foes from the Dark Ocean. Everything had happened so fast that Ken could barely process what it was that had happened. He could see that Iori's expression had grown notably stormy though, as if he was unable to think about anything aside from what had happened. Then again, it wasn't as if Ken was the paragon example of being able to move on either given that he hadn't been able to tear Daisuke from his thoughts either. 

Ken hadn't ever been forced to wait in suspense this way to hear news of this nature, and he decided very early on that he hated it. In fact, that seemed like an understatement; it was one of the worst feelings that he had ever been forced to put up with, and it seemed to make him endlessly nauseous no matter how hard he tried to push the subject out of his mind. Ken couldn't help but go back and forth through the dizzying cycle of asking if Daisuke was going to be alright without his mind telling him that even if Daisuke was fine, Ken would have to live with the guilt and responsibility his entire life. 

Daisuke had said that Ken wasn't in this alone just before Daigo and Maki whisked him away, but that wasn't enough. Ken wanted to be there with him the same way that the rest of the group did. Instead, only Jou and Maki were missing as the group sat inside the office that Hiraku had so generously given to Koushiro. Jou was helping out with the procedure and had unceremoniously dropped Pukamon off with Mimi before dashing away himself, knowing that she would be able to care for his partner in his absence. When Daigo returned to the group, his clothes still notably stained with the outline and stench of crimson, he said that Maki was going to relay any updates to them as they were released. It wasn't much, but it had to count for something. 

Unfortunately, it was the waiting that seemed to be so fatal. The office had been quiet for a while, all of the Chosen Children choosing to stay silent as they turned everything over in their minds about what this all meant. Everything had happened so quickly, and it was unbelievable how easy it was for everything to change. One moment was all it took for Daisuke to get hurt, Ken to be saved, and Iori to spark a new evolution. SlashAngemon had since reverted back to Upamon, and he was halfway asleep within Iori's grasp.

Ken had set aside his issues with Iori three years prior when the two were finally able to reach out and connect with one another. It took a long time for them to get there, but Ken was relieved when it finally happened. Back then, he found it impossible to know what was going on inside of Iori's head. All of a sudden, he felt as if he had been transported back to those times even tough he knew that Iori no longer thought of him with such acid and hatred. However, that wasn't where the comparison came from in the first place; it was the unreadable nature of Iori's eyes that bothered Ken the most. Ken liked to think of himself as a kind and empathetic person, something that both Wormmon and his Crest were all too happy to back him up on Still, that did little to help him figure out what it was that Iori was thinking about. He wondered if any of them would be able to get through to Iori, as a matter of fact. 

There was one thing about Iori that remained firm even after three years. If there was one thing that Iori hated, it was loss of life. He didn't want to even imagine that he could do something to cause such harm to others, and Iori refused to raise a hand to take a life if it could be at all avoided. The one time that he had been forced to break his silent pact, Iori was left rattled and hollow despite knowing that there was no other choice. He hated to think of it even years later, and this seemed like an unfortunate reminder of things that Iori was yearning to forget. 

It had been out of anger. That much was blatantly clear. Iori and SlashAngemon had been in sync as a result of the recent evolution, and all Iori was thinking about was trying to protect his team in the aftermath of what happened to Daisuke. He was trying to keep them safe, but that wasn't enough for Iori, it seemed. He hadn't tried hard enough to hold back, and he was unsure of what he was supposed to feel about it. Ken wanted to say something, anything, that would make Iori feel better, but he didn't think that he would be able to help. His words refused to leave his lips, remaining trapped somewhere in his chest.