Rocks, twigs and small stones bite into my back and legs as we slide down the cliff together. The goggle headed boy on top of me has his hands around my neck, ready to cut off my air supply as soon as he gets a good enough grip. The look in his eyes promises that he will too.

I smile.

The pain is excruciating. A lesser being would be screaming by now, being used as a boogie board down the side of a high rocky cliff. The boy is shouting at me, insensible nonsense about the Digital World. The pain flares up even higher as one of his legs knocks against mine, re-opening the soccer wound. Warm blood begins to tickle my shin.

My smile grows wider.

It only seems to infuriate the idiot, my expression. Really, now. This pain is nothing, less significant then he is. And it is much more enjoyable to drink in the rage in his eyes as the decent continues. Now that is a treat worth relishing. Much better than the numb shock his so called friends appear to be perpetually stuck in.

My lips part, my smile growing into a grin.

There's a touch of confusion in his eyes now, as he lands against me again before we are thrown into the tender mercies of the air once to repeat the pattern once more. He doesn't understand. The rage hasn't abated, it's still burning there in the brown depths. But now there's a question. 

The grin grows even deeper, parting to make way for a chuckle. 

He wants to know why.

And I laugh.

Why?

He couldn't possibly begin to comprehend why, this moron with more guts than brains.

I smile for many reasons.

I smile at the foolishness of these... fools. They are fighting a fight they haven't got the slightest chance at winning.

I smile because one of them broke.

I smile because one of them finally confronted me face to face. 

I smile because he'll lose. 

I smile because I know that what I'm feeling now is nothing in comparison to the anguish he was feeling just moments before.

I smile at the challenge this presents. Maybe, just maybe, this game may be worth playing after all.

I smile because it infuriates him.

I smile at the humour of the situation. Me, the Digimon Kaiser, being ridden down a cliff. *I'm* the one who does the riding around here!

I smile because of the irony of it all.

I smile because no one can know what your thinking when you're smiling.

I smile because of the pain. It's the first thing I've felt in a long time.

I smile because it reminds me of my brother. 

I smile because it means I've won.

I smile because I can.

I smile because it's the only thing you can do when you can't cry anymore.

Fin.