There were days now when Ken didn’t recognize himself in the mirror. He’d look into the glass and expect to see the Emperor smirking back at him.

The worst part was the lurch of disappointment in his stomach when he didn’t. 

The worst part was he wished he could still be him. Wished he could reach for that pride, that confidence, that strength.

Why did it have to be real? To mean that he was hurting real creatures– people? All he’d wanted was a place to be his true self.

The worst part was his true self was a monster.

AO3 Link

In memory of the digimondrabbles community on Livejournal.