Note: This takes place shortly after "An Old Enemy Returns."


	Ken, the self-proclaimed Digimon Emperor, angrily muttered to himself as he walked 
along a hallway in his dark base. His cape ruffled, and his boots make a muffled clumping 
sound on the hard floor as he moved. His hands were clenched in fists and his mouth twisted 
in a tight scowl as he tried to concentrate on how he could find a quick way to end the 
interfearance of those annoying and arrogant Digidestined once and for all. 
	"Ken... are you alright?"
	The quivering voice of that sniveling Wormmon broke the air.  How DARE he interrupt 
my thoughts and call me by my first name, Ken thought to himself. He spun around, reached 
for his whip, and lashed out at the little nightcrawler.
	"LEAVE ME ALONE! Go busy yourself with some servile task; I don't want to deal with 
you for the rest of the night.", the Digimon Emperor said as his voice echoed through the 
hallways. 
	Wormmon cowered and trembled as he lay there on the cold floor, watching Ken walk 
down the hallway until he rounded a corner, and then Wormmon stood up and listened to Ken's 
footsteps echo in the empty and lonely base.
	"That's not you.... Where are you, Ken... I miss you.", Wormmon said quietly to 
himself. 
	The Digimon Emperor kept walking until he reached the center of his base, and the 
hallway opened up into the large cavern where the engines were located. Usually, seeing the 
power of his base cheered him up... but not today. Something was missing, and he couldn't 
put his finger on it.
	"Oh... what do I care? I have better things to think about.", Ken said as he pushed 
the empty feeling away and headed to the lower decks. He stopped when he got to what was 
once his dungeon. Those Digidestined brats had freed his slaves... all of them! Ken clenched 
his fists again as he thought about it. He walked around, looking at the broken metal bars 
that once caged the Digimon he had captered; enclosing them without hope of freedom.... if 
they had hope. He decided that they didn't -- Digimon existed for fighting anyway. What did 
it matter if those lowly pawns were free or not? But now this place was so... so empty inside. 
	The Digimon Emperor continued to walk amongst the empty cells in the dungeon, and 
then something shiny caught his eyes. A good-sized piece of glass that must have broken off 
when the Digidestined made their getaway. He crouched down near it, and moved to see his 
reflection. He assumed he would see his reflection looking powerful and fearsome, as strong 
and redoubtable as he viewed himself. Instead, it was the opposite. The face staring back at 
him in the mirror wasn't the Digimon Emperor, but just plain Ken. His hair was ruffled, his 
face was smeared, and his tear-filled eyes showed sorrow, fear, and guilt.  For a moment, Ken 
forgot about being the fearless Digimon Emperor, and his heart let in the sadness he'd 
been pushing back. He reached out his hand, trying to reach his reflection... but then, at 
the last moment, he regained his pride and slammed the piece of glass across the 
room and watched it shatter into hundreds of pieces. His hands were trembling, and he felt 
a dark chill run through his body.
	"Is that how they see me?! I'll show them!!", Ken screamed as he stood up and ran 
from the dungeon. He kept going, while echoing through the lonesome hallways until he 
reached his control room.
	"Kimerimon, GO, destroy everything in your path! I'll show everybody how strong 
I can be....", Ken said with vengeance flowing through his voice. 
	Wormmon quietly watched from outside the doorway. His antennas drooped. 
	"So close, so close... the mirror never lies."