Perfect Symmetry
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Author's Note: This is my first Digimon fanfic, though I've been a fan forever. I was inspired to write this after remembering what they went through…I will always love these two. : )
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. If I did, I probably wouldn't have made anything after season 4…
Genre: General…With maybe a teeny tiny bit of mindfunk…
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He was sitting at a bar, smelling of ramen.
The chair was hard and the laughter was easy, rolling in around him like the cooking and warmth of the little tavern, uncluttered by statures as tall as his own. Clusters of green Gekkoumon sat at round tables; their shrill relative voices laughing the loudest. Red, green, yellow, the stripes of other colorful rookies filled even more chairs and tables. Tapirmon was having a time, keeping up with all the orders.
There were only a few champions at the establishment, none of which causing a fuss (yet). A pair were chatty Woodmon, enjoying drinks and their sundry list of complaints. The last was Centarumon. He was walking away from the counter, finally, hanging his shielded metallic head low.
Mummymon watched him leave. The poor mon hadn't said a word beyond the name of his preferred clear-color liquid. Perhaps it was because the mon was as troubled as the bandaged ultimate, dressed in his usual cloak of blue. Mummymon looked behind the bar—Digitamamon was carrying on his usual conversation with himself. The mon at the bar smiled.
He hadn't said a word either, beyond the name of his preferred clear-color liquid.
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She was sitting at a bar, smelling of defeat.
The chair was soft and the talk was dark as grey Gizamon were chatting about the latest word from the underground. Meanwhile, red and blue Elecmon were sharing platters, chuckling over their good fortune in a hard time. Yellow, green, orange; the spots of other colorful rookies sat in booths and on chairs at tables full of sweet smells. Taprimon was having a time keeping up.
There were only two champions here. There was a blue Veedramon, resident ladykiller she had already swatted off with a swift slap across the horn. He was sulking with a Numemon, the other champion who had a brain (and appetite) much smaller than the vaccine type.
Arukenimon watched them plot. It was a pathetic scene. Perhaps it was because…that was all her plans had ever come to, in the previous life. Nothing. Nothing at all. The woman in red rolled her eyes over the immature pair and glanced at the window doors, sliding in and out with the lights of blue and yellow. A cold draft soon wrapped around her shoulders and she smiled.
If Mummymon knew what she was planning now, he might get off his rocker.
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The ultimate cleared his throat and paid the tab without a word. He left out the open door, greeting a warm breeze with a cane and his old coat. His slim, tall frame stood there for a while, off to the side of the main doors, with his hands reposing on that narrower stick. Looking around at the lush overgrowth of the forest permeating the small town, he kept looking for a certain shadow. Anything to remind him of her.
He found nothing, of course, with his coin color gaze. Disappointed, he moved his lone yellow eye across the lonely road.
He began walking.
There was no destination in mind. After having been fired from his recent job (talking too much), he knew he needed to move on. It was always hard though, to leave a scene he'd come to know so well. He imagined Arukenimon would have called him a fool.
And so he was.
Still looking for her.
Still hoping to find that woman in red with the silver hair.
He knew he shouldn't. He knew she'd only scold him once he found her but he didn't mind. The scolding would be so warm, and so pleasant a sound. It would finally replace the awful, shrill scream she had last uttered in this grand old world.
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"Check please!" she sounded abruptly, like a small siren waiting for release. More coldness only awaited her outside and she shivered for a moment, biting her painted lip, and wondering where to go from here. For the lights of the large city were bright, and the shadows stark and black. Holding her breath, she waited yet to see a lighter shade of grey, like that of warm slate. It was the soft color of his face.
No such shade appeared—no such blue fabric found in his coat and hat—no yellow eye, glinting, winking, smiling at her from afar. Arukenimon smiled a little.
She had liked him long ago.
Only a mon like her never really realized it until it was too late. Now, with only a little money in her pocket and a job that traveled, it was all she could do just to keep walking.
And so she was.
Still looking for him.
Still hoping to find a mon in a blue buttoned up coat and hat with a cane—with a grim and effervescent smile hidden within his grey.
The practical part of her still told her she didn't need him. The defiant strands of her web told her she never needed anyone in it. More often than not, she had viewed him as a deformed twin, in the bowels of a CPU. But he was more than that. The desperation choking in his voice as the last sound she heard still echoed under her skin, just before the end.
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Oikawa.
Mummymon often entertained the idea of meeting him here, in the Digital World.
True he was not a Digimon, but somehow, the blue-clad mon felt as if the human were a destination worth coming to. And perhaps through him, might find Arukenimon. Though logically, with MaloMyotismon working through Oikawa all those years, what else could be left…but a shadow…of a shadow?
"Oh Arukenimon…what a paradox!"
The mon smiled and cleared his throat, blushing at the grand prospect of it all, and the sudden use of his inflected voice. The grand reunion. The grand…
Reunion.
For the mon didn't really know what could come after that…
Along the forest road, Mummymon stopped to look at a stump. It wasn't half so interesting as what was atop it: a television. It was one like the digidestined children and their Digimon used to travel back and for the between the digital world, and the human one. Oikawa was obviously from the later. Mummymon settled both hands on the splinter of wood, smiling, as he stared at the grey thing. Finally, he said, "Oikawa? Are you there?"
No answer.
And then, like he were wishing on the north star in the human realm, Mummymon asked him, "Could you lead me to Arukenimon?"
No answer.
Except from some strange reason, he felt he was really talking to pale human man. "It is all I ask," Mummymon continued. "And I know it's terribly loony of me to be talking to you like this, but…well…I am a loony sort of coal, I suppose."
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Oikawa.
She thought of him, sometimes, when she thought of Mummymon. Of course the idea was ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as Veedramon's glamour. Well. Almost. But the man, having only been used as his pet spider and mummy were, deserved some credit. Deserved some valor, even. A shred of his gullible, hopeful nature was in that mummy…and her, she supposed.
So maybe human emotions weren't all bad.
She dared not say it out loud. Her stubbornness was too great. And no doubt, it was another trait found in humans and digimon alike.
Humans.
Perhaps…just…perhaps…they had been on to something.
Drawing such lines of black and white with their sweaty faces had drawn amusement to her once. But the humans soon adapted, and learned to trust in their shades of grey—as they had with Ken, the greyest of them all. Poor boy. He must have been all grown up by now.
"I wonder…"
Then she let out a scoff. She couldn't wonder. Not for his sake…Even though…the child might have once…been their child. Arukenimon smiled. Mummymon had once thought so.
A child…
The woman in red glanced up at the night sky, watching the Kyoto stars as if she were really back on that cramped little planet. "…What a world," left her violet lips without complaint.
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Mummymon soon recognized the Kyoto star grid, matching the Digital World's sky.
He thought back to the beginning.
Naturally, it was a wrapped experience, being born of bandages beneath blue, and a secret desire for someone—someone he could love and be partner to. A sidekick. A tag-along…A friend. Here, he couldn't blame the human man. Being alone for so long could give any man that yearning. But Mummymon could own his wistful dreams, waking up a grey, tiny little thing with a yellow eye in Primary Village.
In both lives (for he had two now), he awoke with the premonition of symmetry. Most mon were born with more natural instincts—survival, community, family; honor. But somehow, Mummymon had that rather large and impressive word ingrained in his head long before he was a rookie.
Then, he searched, as he was now. In his own way.
Subconsciously, of course.
All subconsciously.
Where did he go? Everywhere. Not all at once, of course. But he made a tour of it enough to know it like the back of his hand. And then…one day, he came across a yellow car. He liked the color. He got in. He drove. And then…
…She was there.
And then—
—Oikawa was there.
Three.
Oikawa was on top.
Arukenimon and Mummymon were the bottom.
There were three.
Mummymon glanced back at the television.
"I don't suppose you could pop out a yellow car for me…could you, kids?"
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The sight only made her more depressed. The woman sighed, dropping her shades upon the ground.
Such a humble beginning, it was, crawling in the cracks and drains and leaves, spinning a little web…
It was such a cramped space in such a soft palate as Primary Village. She remembered being shown off somewhat—subconsciously of course. Her main desire was one of control and of power. Just like the secret longings of that silly man, so alone in his grief. But she was proud of that drive; it was what guided her even today, in this second life.
But her subconscious always reminded her of a word. It was a purpose, and it was perfect symmetry. The latter she had fought in both lives. The second life was a losing story, but for the first, she had held out…until the very end.
Now, she was searching.
Abashed of course, but searching nevertheless.
Subconsciously.
For she felt in control of it now, no matter the fate. And she had money to travel. And she would go everywhere. To the ends of both worlds; all worlds…If only…If only she could see that little yellow roadster coming up the path, chucking dirt behind. She could still remember him in it, the first time around, waving to her excitedly like a mon off the funny farm. He had been…
…The one she was waiting for.
And then—
—Oikawa contacted her again.
There were three.
Her and her…twin, on top.
Oikawa, the connecting point, on the bottom.
Arukenimon looked again to the stars.
"I don't suppose…wishes really do come true…do they?"
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He didn't expect an answer.
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She didn't expect a response.
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Yet one came.
And somehow—
she knew, then.
he knew, then.
A starlight strand of light trailed across the sky—at first he/she thought it was a comet but the light descended, scattering into…a million points of light.
Butterflies.
Pastel and bright, they floated down like pearl color candles across the mons' form. Swirling around and strolling, a heavy, thick consciousness was within them.
"…It was you…" they murmured.
"…Yes." it answered.
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She was sitting at a bar…
…made light again by him.
She had always known it somehow, but now she knew.
Consciously.
She could feel the link even now, thumping stronger against the chill. The waiting was the hardest part, because she still didn't know where, and she still didn't know when, but she was waiting. It really couldn't be long now.
Finally, she paid the tab and checked the last of her funds carefully. She decided it was enough to buy some conditioner. Good God did she hate split ends.
After she concluded her late night shopping, she stuffed the items in her purse and noticed the night sky.
No butterflies.
She wasn't hungry anyway.
As Arukenimon continued walking for the shabby little thing called a Digi-Motel, she noticed a brand new car in the parking lot.
The red-clad ultimate stopped.
The car was yellow.
And a little dirty.
And there was a mon, wrapped in blue, leaning against the passenger door.
The silver-haired mon's clock synchronized suddenly and her heart skipped a beat…the same way it had when…
"Mummymon!"
"Arukenimon!"
Within seconds they were side by side.
(Oikawa somewhere nearby.)
Three…
…and two.
Just two.
"Where do you want to go, baby?" he asked eagerly, "She's only got five-hundred miles so far!"
He opened the door for her and she hopped in. The car even smelled the same. It smelled like her conditioner, and felt like his affection. Touching the dash was like touching their bond, unbroken by so many years apart.
Mummymon meanwhile quickly got in the other side, and without missing a beat, "So, what'll it be?"
"Just drive," she commanded. "Let's go, Mummymon…We have work to do."
Pulling away, "Ohh!" he grinned, putting it in drive, "I love it when you talk dirty to me like that!"
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-By Kariko Emma, Caliko