Disclaimer: This work was not intended to make a profit off of the works of others or any profit at all. Digimon is not owned by me; please support the actual series.
"This is the way the world ends/ This is the way the world ends/ This is the way the world ends/ Not with a bang but a whimper."- T.S. Elliot, "Hollow Men"
If anyone still went to the wasteland that long ago had been a summer camp they would have been treated to the sight of two Mega level Viruses falling out of seemingly nowhere, if anyone still went there. Alex began to get off of the ground, and was greeted by the sight of his fellow escapee doing the same. After they got up the Digimon Gate Cards and the Dais began to evaporate into flecks of data, it was going home. The thought of going home warmed his heart, but when he looked at his companion who was looking at the same thing he noticed that the Dragon's expression was grim. "We can't let it go," the Virus said. He seemed to know that Alex would ask a question and he answered it before hand.
"If we let that data go, the Digimon Emperor will be able to use that Gate again. Who knows what he'll use it for- who else he'll take." Alex realized that he was right, and the thought of the jerk doing anything to his friends, his mom, his dad… he wouldn't let that happen.
"So how do we stop it?"
"We absorb the data ourselves." Alex nodded and the two walked into the cloud of information. Alex didn't know how to go about the process of "absorbing the data ourselves," but decided to go with it. Suddenly it was as if he was a magnet! All the data around him was flying toward him and disappearing when it touched him! He looked over and saw the same thing was happening to the Virus. When the ritual was over both their digivices beeped and flashed a message.
'program 50% complete. more information needed. program 50% complete. more information needed.'
"Ok, I have absolutely no idea what that is about." "Me nether."
Looking down and noticing the ashen earth the two Viruses take stock of their surroundings. They were in a clearing of nature that had recently been crowned in infernal fire. The sky was a coal black, as shapes flickered through the abysmal celestial plain. Defiantly not home.
"We must have gotten the combination wrong," Alex said, sure that that was the case.
"No, I checked and double-checked the other eight cards and you put down Gomamon into the Rookie Data Slot. It wasn't that. Maybe if we look around we can find something that can explain it." The Virus headed off and Alex followed sure that eventually they would find their way to a city. As he looked at his fellow traveler and de-facto leader, a thought struck him.
"You know, with everything that happened, the escape and almost dying- we never introduced ourselves," he said. "My name's Alex Kimiya. My dad's Tia Kimiya, Chosen of Courage and Digital Ambassador. My partner…" He looked away not sure how to continue, what had happened to Koromon? For that matter what had happened to HIM?
The Dragon nodded pulled out of whatever morbid thoughts the landscape had placed him in. "Name's Takato Matsuki. My partner is Guilmon, preferred Level: Rookie; Attribute: Virus; Type: Reptile. Our current form," he snorted in disgust, "is probably an altered state of Megidramon, Level: Mega; Type: Evil Dragon; same Attribute."
"Guilmon? I've never heard of that species before."
"I'd honestly be more surprised if you had." Seeing Alex tilt his head he explained. "I drew him up a couple of years ago, besides that I doubt information moves fast through inter-world travel." "Takato" muttered the last part of the sentence and Alex had to strain to catch it. While curious about the second part of his statement, Alex decided to focus on the first part.
"You drew him up? Is that even possible?" "Diaboromon." "But he nearly destroyed the worlds-twice!"
"So? You only asked if it was possible." Leaving that issue and the boy's blatant lack of concern, Alex tried another approach. "Anyways if you drew him up you would have had to have been at least five, everybody gets a partner at birth." As son to the Digital Ambassador, Alex believed that he would have heard about this kind of thing a long time ago.
"Not where I'm from. My world has more of a… mutual selection process."
"You say that like you're not from Earth." Takato turned and smiled at him, or at least Alex thought he did, bearing his fangs really would have been an awkward gesture at that point.
"Oh I'm from Earth, just not YOUR Earth." Takato turned forward and kept walking. Alex followed in silence trying to formulate his next question, Takato, however, had anticipated it. "I don't know exactly how it works, but I found out through a reliable source and a good friend that there are multiple Earths and Digital Worlds out there. Each set exists on its own timeline, and any decision would cause at least two distinct timelines to form each taking a different route. However if they are too similar they collapse together and nobody would notice."
"You and I come from separate realities each with their own Earth and Digital World. Each Digital World furthermore has its own set of rules- I'll explain the differences between ours later. Some worlds are aware of this phenomenon and are even aware of other timelines. For example, my world knows something of yours." Takato read the shock in the body language. "Most people that know of your world only think that it's a TV show, so if you gave out your name most people would think you were cos-playing. The Tamers, our world's equivalent to the Digi-Destined, know it's real, but our information is sketchy after Imperialdramon blew up MaloMyotismon. For example, we know that Tai had a son, but I didn't know your name, or who your mom is or what she does," Takato explained.
"Who is your source?" Alex asked, wondering how they could possibly validate something like that.
"Ryo Akiyama," Takato said as if it explained everything. "But he died in an explosion." "Did you ever find a body?" Alex shook his head. "Did Millenniummon turn into an egg?" Again Alex shook his head. "Then how do you know he died?"
"The island exploding was a pretty big clue."
"Did you know that Millenniummon has some interesting abilities over time?" "So?" "After their battle Millenniummon and Ryo fought among the universes, going to alternate versions of my world as well as yours. Only after one last confrontation did the dreams of the three fighters come true, you see, Millenniummon thought that Ryo was in fact his true partner. Throughout the fight, Ryo had been working with a Monodramon who believed that he was Ryo's partner. Ryo had always in his heart wanted his own partner, but had never had one. He had needed to borrow others'. At the end of their last fight Monodramon and Millenniummon DNA digivolved into an egg. Ryo and that egg were thrown into my universe and eventually they met up and became partners." Takato looked back and read concern on Alex's part he decided to wrap it up bare bones. "Ryo Akiyama: Partner: Monodramon; Preferred form: Cyberdramon; Level: Ultimate; Type: Cyborg; Attribute: Vaccine." Takato rattled off facts like a Digimon Analyzer without the favor text.
"Is… is he- happy there? -Your world, I mean?"
Takato thought about it for a while, then just when Alex thought that he would get silence for an answer Takato spoke, "If you're asking me if Ryo has no problems and now thinks of the world as one big party, then no. I don't think he's giddy every moment of every single day. I think he's… content. He's made a home for himself in our world, friends- a life. Heck, I think the only reason he even told us was because Kazu and Kenta were pestering him about a look-a-like in the series background as well as being a main character in some games. He treated it like he was reopening an old wound."
Alex thought about that, it was a bittersweet thing that he could tell Uncle Ken, 'Hey he's alive but he doesn't want to see you.' Takato's voice cut through those thoughts however. "I think that was mainly because of a couple of things: one, he probably didn't think we'd believe him. I mean it does sound kind of ridiculous. Two, it sounded like he didn't leave on the best of terms. But I know he still feels a connection. I think he was genuinely happy the first time we all decided to have a marathon of the show and the movies. He and Monodramon really took the Digimon Emperor thing hard, but seeing Ken's recovery and that he wound up with three kids, we all thought that Ryo might start floating. I think if he ever had the chance to visit- even for a day- and patch things up he'd take it."
Alex nodded; comforted by the idea that one of the Digital World's greatest heroes was not only alive but "content." He noticed that the conversation as seeming cathartic for both of them. "So who else is in your group?"
"Let's see, there's Henry Wong- Partner: Terriermon; his little sister Suzy- Partner: Lopmon; Rika and Renamon, Kazu and Gaurdromon, Kenta and MarineAngemon, Alice shows up sometimes, Ai and Mako are twins and are both partnered to Impmon, and Jeri has been taking care of Calumon ever since…" "Since?" "…The war. You've got to understand, where I'm from, digimon don't come back after they die." Takato kept speaking and Alex could tell this was a big issue for him.
"We'd seen friends die right in front of us. We were facing a program that was designed to delete any intelligence that surpassed its original parameters. Only, it mutated after deleting digimon, and it attacked humans and digimon alike in both worlds. I think the stupid thing deleted about 80% of the digital world and its inhabitants before we stopped it. It wrecked Shinjuku. When we stopped it we actually ended up having to send the digimon to the Digital World for a while and had to basically seal up the entrances. We got through later though."
"Now, just when we had almost completely finished repairs on both sides; when people were starting to accept digimon-" he slammed a fist through a tree, "-THIS HAPPENS! They're going to kill me for dropping my guard, just because there was no need to Bio-merge for months. But how was I supposed to know they'd fall right on top of us from literally thin air? Even if I had known this sort of thing would happen beforehand, I would have thought it would be a straight up fight. How could I be so STUPID! Before I could hear and feel Guilmon when we were at Mega without issue. NOW HE'S BARLY A WHISPER!" he ranted, a light briefly flickering from his crest. Alex would have sworn that he felt the Earth briefly shake but dismissed it.
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, freaking out at the emotional shift.
"What that idiot did to us! He took my process and perverted it, used it against me, then he went and got you involved!"
"You know what they did to us?" Alex asked awe-struck. Takato nodded. "Then you must know how to undo it!"
"I've been trying!" Takato stopped walking. He took some steadying breaths. "It will be easier if you feel it yourself. Did you feel anything unusual when you used the Terra Destroyer?" Alex nodded. "Good, that was your connection to your partner, look inside and try to find it again." Alex did what the Tamer asked and after a short time found himself on the plane of consciousness inside this body, he was human again but without clothes, but he was also emitting light enough to save his modesty, he was also encapsulated in an orange sphere with fractal code surrounding it.
"Good you made it. And gravity defying long hair is a Kimiya trait I see." Alex turned, startled to see another human male, about fourteen years old, in a similar position to himself, except the other boy's sphere was red. "This is what we've jokingly called the 'Bio-Merge Plain.'" The boy whom Alex guessed was Takato gestured around. "Now normally, by just wishing to separate from this plain is enough to 'sever' the connection and end Bio-Merge. However, when we try it now…" as he spoke he began to shiver. "…That happens, I don't know what it is but it somehow keeps us in here. I tried to leave right after I woke up in the cell, the chill was stronger then, and it actually shoved me out of this plain. I think the farther we are away from the energies in the Black D-3 Crazy-boy has the easier it will be. Like now I can actually hear Guilmon again, but right now it's hard. Here, just try to separate."
Alex agreed and tried to separate not really expecting much, what he got was a violent reaction. From suddenly it was as if he had been dropped onto Antarctica in a Speedo and the colder he got, the harder it was to breathe. But what was really freaky was that his absolute center felt like a freaking star! The breathing trouble had the effect of shocking him out of the process he had been attempting, which meant it stopped getting colder and his core cooled rapidly. After a few seconds he started to warm up and they disappeared from the plane and Alex found himself back in the physical plane, sometime during his excursion he had fallen on his back, simultaneously shivering and sweating. "What the heck was THAT?" he asked the Hell Dragon Mega who managed to contort that evil visage into a look of tender concern.
"That is why we haven't been able to turn back though you seemed to have it worse than I did." They continued to walk now on a road toward Odiba.
"Um… Takato?" Alex asked.
A grunt told him that the dragon was listening. "Did he put a Dark Ring on you?"
"Yeah, he did."
"Why didn't they work on us? He mentioned that he has the Sovereign under his control so it can't be level."
"My best guess is because we're not digimon- at least not in the sense that the control program was used to so it didn't affect us. You were one of his attempts at learning the difference between hybrids and regular Mega. He tried using me but since this form shouldn't even exist I was deemed a failure and was forgotten about. If we hadn't escaped, you would have been his lab rat and he would have eventually used the information he got from you to get it right. It might even have worked on me. What's worse is that he's modified the designs so that once a digimon breaks and willingly serves him it infects the digi-core and can never be removed even by killing the slave- I've seen some of the death matches the Emperor put on; disgusting piece of trash.
"After that he'd probably send us against our friends and family. Maybe if he got a very disturbing combination we'd have been able to do nothing more but watch it all- or maybe tell them who we were just so they wouldn't be able to fight back. But still just in case, you better take the others off- unless you like having them on." Alex didn't and quickly removed the remaining ones.
They were quiet for a while as they came upon Odiba. What sight awaited them is most accurately portrayed in stating that someone had taken Dante's city of Dis and made this place to match, regardless of what had already been standing there.
"Stay on your toes," Takato called. Gingerly, they stepped through the ruins and the bodies.
Megidramon had a disgusted look on his face because of a bad smell in the air and BlackWarGreymon just looked like he'd be sick. A couple of macabre windowless portals had fallen victim to his dry heaves. During one of these events he caught sight of a newspaper and brought it back to the Hell Dragon. "Shit. Look at the date." Alex did and was surprised to see that it said "Saturday, December 25th, 2002."
"This can't be happening. THIS… IS… NOT… POSSIBLE. This says we're thirteen years before I was born!"
"Well to be fair, it says it was printed thirteen years before you were born, but yeah that is the implication," Takato mentioned nervously. Then his sense of smell heightened by his partner and Guilmon's familiarity with the scent picked up on one specifically. "Come on," he said dragging the Viral Dragon Man along.
"Where are we going?"
Takato hissed into his ear, "I've got the fresh scent of a human- alive. As in somebody who survived, somebody who can tell us just what happened here." Takato led his fellow Virus through a maze of ruins, the twists and turns nearly impossible to remember, and the farther they went the bigger the grin grew, more scents, more people! They cautiously opened a doorway partially concealed by rubble and descended a flight of stairs. In front of them was another doorway, they nodded and Takato opened the door.
I grew up on the Engish dub.
