Reality Redux
By ArchangelUK & Digicowboy

I do not own Digimon, the Internet, or any other place spiritual, physical or technological...
Except for my bedroom...

Chapter 1: Revelations

DigiWorld

"No, this isn't right... No, it is not."

Gennai mumbled taping away at a laptop reminiscent to the one carried by the DigiDestined of Knowledge. He looked at the sky, the clouds seemed to be fading away, the sky itself seemed almost to be fading. Closer and closer to transparency, it flared briefly a ripple of static arcing across the horizon.

Real World

ArchangelUK relaxed in his chair letting it recline to it's maximum, the superbly soft and shiny leather surface remarkably comforting to his aching back. Of course, this was not the case, his back still ached frightfully strained while playing ten pin bowling of all things. The chair was not a luxurious leather recliner, but a somewhat battered computer chair second-hand from his father's ex-workplace. The cotton, severely worn in places to the point of thread bare had seen too many days and too many derrières before it had reached AAUK's house. The plastic groaned and the sticky joints cracked in protest as he made himself more comfortable, turning his head back to the monitor. "Five blooming minutes." He moaned, "Can't MSN be a bit more reliable?" The computer did not reply, that is until a 'ding dong' sound announced that the sign-in process was complete and that he 'had mail'.

"The usual nonsense of course, one from DC saying he'll be on at around ten... Free credit card, hmm, increase your what? I think I'll block that in future and one from... Some weird e-mail." The e-mail appeared to be in some strange language, like a cross between French and Japanese - AAUK had never been a good linguist.

'A'eees coloir dei fol, de suete malarge q'uil wraz Zu'Clarrn fier naqt voulandre sor-lou.'

"Yeah, okay..."

A second 'ding dong' sound indicated the appearance of Digicowboy online, intrigued by the e-mail A began to compose a message.

DigiWorld

Gennai was disturbed from his worrying by an elbow in the ribs, an irritated look upwards showed the elbow to belong to a tall boy with an immaculately quoiffured hair.

"Dude," Matt said agitatedly, "You're the expert in these things. Is it supposed to do that?" Gennai raised an eyebrow in reply.

"What do you think?" The old man was obviously in no mood for such a ridiculous question.

"You tell me. It's your sky." Matt snorted. It was Izzy who finally ended the exchange, pulling Matt away from an increasingly steaming Gennai

"I think Matt, It's safe to assume that the sky vanishing isn't a normal or healthy occurrence."

The ripples of static increased, Izzy joined Gennai at the laptop and the two began taping furiously. The other eleven DigiDestined and their partners began to huddle together for warmth, the temperature had suddenly become icy cold their breath created small clouds of condensation.

Joe turned to his partner Gomamon, the white coloured Digimon looked even paler than usual, indeed he seemed to be making a very considerable effort just to stay still. His head was swaying back and forth, it looked like he'd collapse at any second.
"I'm not feeling so good." Gomamon groaned, a quick glance around by the others revealed similar conditions, Agumon fell over backwards causing Tai to cry out in alarm.

"Me neither..." The little Digimon whispered, though whether through weakness or choice it was difficulty to tell. Gatomon, one of the few still standing upright moved gingerly over towards Kari, her feline balance a distinct advantage.

"Kari? I feel... uhh..." With that Gatomon devolved back to her rookie form Salamon.

"Salamon!" Kari cried out in alarm, sentiments echoed by TK who had to dive to catch Patamon who suddenly fell from the sky like a stone. Tentomon who had been the only other Digimon in-flight collapsed against Izzy and slid to the ground.

Internet

The being known as Digicowboy signed, in being greeted by the one with the user name 'AAUK' with a "Hey DC".

"Hey man, how's things going?" DC typed back in reply.

"Not bad," AAUK gave a shrug on the other end of the connection, "I've just updated my section on our website and added a new Takari and 'Rants' section."

"Cooly."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, wassup?"

Well, I got this really weird e-mail and I wondered if you've got something similar?"

There was a half minute pause, "-Did it have weird words on it?"

AAUK indicated yes.

Digicowboy frowned, "I got something that looked like Welsh..."

"Welsh?" AAUK typed back, bringing up a wide eyed smilie of doom.

"Oh I don't know what it meant. Strange ne?"

"Mmm, indeed. I think the net is acting a bit weird today, I can't get into half the sites I try and the connection time was ages."

"Could be my man, it took ages for me to get online." He agreed, "MSN is all weird colours too, hey, maybe Microsoft is messing about again."

AAUK sighed before simply typing: Could be.

DigiWorld

"This can only mean one thing, the time of the unification is at hand." Gennai said standing up, "The Unification. Oh I have dreaded this day for many years."

"Unification?" blinked Ken, the others looked equally confused except for Izzy who remained eerily silent.

"The time when the real world and the DigiWorld will shift together and become partly merged."

"You mean our world is going to merge with the DigiWorld?" TK spluttered, "But after all we've done to prevent the barriers breaking down, to maintain the balance..."

"No, not your world." Gennai said looking at Izzy, Izzy looked back face gaunt his shoulders seemingly carrying an invisible burden.

"Perhaps Gennai, it's time they knew."

"Knew what?" Demanded Tai, "What is it you two know that we don't? Spill it!"

"It's well, about us."

"What about us?"

"How do I put this Izzy?"

"Just tell them..

"TELL US WHAT?" They yelled in unison.

Gennai took a glance around eying up all the Digimon and their partners, how could he tell them the truth? What would it mean? How would they react? He had scarcely believed it himself when he and Izzy had discovered the shocking revelation, but there was too much evidence out there to deny it.

"We don't exist."

Real World

AAUK smacked the side of his monitor, the buzzing noise finally ceased and colour returned to the screen. "OK, what the hell is going on?" He checked the Internet link which was still connected thankfully, another message from DC appeared on his screen.

Digicowboy was having similar issues, "Are you having problems at your end?"

"You bet, my computers gone all screwy."

"Me too. We haven't been virused have we?"

" I don't think so. Try getting onto on contacting someone else. See if they've got trouble too.!"

"On it."

DigiWorld

"We don't exist?" Joe asked bewildered,

"No." Izzy shook his head.

"We're imaginary." Said Matt.

"Yes." The old man said quietly. TK stepped forward cradling a weak Patamon in his arms, Kari held on to his hand tightly, the other holding Salamon.

"So. You're telling us that our experiences, all the people we know, our Earth, the DigiWorld, our lives in general - never happened?"

"If that's true." Kari interrupted, "What are we?"

"We are... In essence, nothing more than cartoon characters."

"We all knew Davis was a loony toon, but you're saying we are too." Yolei said, pushing off the infuriated keeper of courage and friendship.

"Our world is imaginary, it was created long ago by those on the real Earth. Our universe is ever changing, our actions moving from scene to scene on an unseen script written by those in a different dimension. Something has happened to that 'link' and now we are merging with the real world at speed. The Digimon are losing their energy as the worlds merge, they are okay for now they will regain it in time."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sora stammered,

"The unification was prophesied long ago, the two worlds will partly merge, during this time two from the real world will join up with the DigiDestined to separate the DigiWorld and help restore it so that the merger will cease."

"What happens if the merger doesn't stop?" asked Mimi,

"Everything will be destroyed." Everyone stood, mouth open in amazement -

"Oh... nice." Was all Davis could say.

"There is a prophecy that two who know of our existence from the real world, will come to ours to help save it. They will be chosen as they are among those who are worthy enough to freely navigate the one place that constantly connects both worlds - the Internet."

"The Internet?" Tai asked, "The Internet is the link between our world and theirs."

"It is the gateway, the locked door few can open."

"We don't have to go into the Internet again do we? I got a headache last time." Moaned Tentomon, a worried frown on his insectal face, Gennai rolled his eyes.

"As I've said they will be coming here, now hold on everyone... 3,2,1 - Download!"

There was a flash of light and some digital static, and then there were screams as everything went dark.

To Be Continued...

Has the transfer been successful? Are AAUK and DC really the chosen two or is it much more complicated than that? (Probably not) Tune in when DC writes the next chapter of Digimon: Reality Redux!

Ooooh, weird stuff there methinks. The next chapter in this 'gestalt fic' will be written by Digicowboy with the chapter after that written by me, and so on. Reviews are like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're going to get. But nice ones are fun!
-ArchangelUK 0:o)

Digicowboy c):o)
Sponsored (In no way at all) By - "Free your mind... via this toll gate."