Disclaimer: I don't own digimon or any other copyrighted material that may appear in this story.
Worlds Apart
Chapter 3: The Protectors
The Tamers stood with their mouths hanging open staring at their childhood hero's. Saying the moment was surreal would have been an understatement. The five looked at some of the largest icons of their childhood and noted the changes in them. The Digidestined looked to be about the same age as them. They looked very similar to how they had in the television series. In fact the only noticeable change in Yolei or Codey was the fact that they were each significantly taller. T.K. looked mostly the same, he was taller now and his hair was long but those were the only differences. Kari was the same except her hair was down to the center of her back. Ken and Davis appeared to have changed the most in appearance. Ken in addition to being taller was now much more broad in the shoulders. Davis' main change was his hair, his once wild spiky hair style had been replaced with a short cropped buzz cut. Though he still wore the pilot goggles Tai had given him.
The one to break the awkward moment was Ken. Ken didn't even bother looking at the other Tamers, instead focusing solely on Ryo. Ken stepped out from the group and walked over to Ryo who was standing on the far end of the group closest to Exer. He walked slowly as if any sudden movement would break the spell, and his long lost friend would disappear. After a moment he reached Ryo who simple starred at him puzzled.
"Ryo-" Ken said, his voice had a slightly dream like quality to it. "Is it really you? It's me... It's Ken... Do you remember?" Ryo' eyes widened in shock. It had been 8 long years since he had last seen Ken. Needless to say they both looked very different.
"KEN!" Ryo yelled drawing the dark haired boy into a hug. "I thought I'd never... I never dreamed you were actually him!" Ryo said patting his friend on the back.
"Wait wait wait" Rika said agitatedly "you're telling me that YOU knew that they were real this entire time and didn't mention it to any of us?"
"I just figured Ken was from our world and that the name in the television show was a coincidence." Ryo replied after he and Ken had broken apart.
"TV show?" Davis asked curiously.
"How are we supposed to know you guys are real anyway?" Rika asked looking across at the Digidestined who had moved closer once the tension had been broken.
"What do you mean are we real?" Yolei asked heatedly. "What if it's YOU that isn't real! How are we suppose to know this isn't a set up?" Yolei finished glancing at Liam. Within a second the tension between the two groups reappeared only this time punctuated by the movements of the digimon into a fighting stance between the two the groups.
"Stop this!" Liam said in a very threatening tone as the digimon looked to their partners for instructions.
"Guy's no!" Ken yelled jumping between the two lines of digimon. The Digidestined looked at a Ken for a second and then they took a step backwards. The Tamers and their digimon kept in a fighting stance.
"I understand this is all hard to take in but if you'll just calm down we can explain" Exer said. Rika glanced sideways at her. "You're just going to have to trust me." The Tamers reluctantly stepped out from behind their digimon.
"So go ahead and explain" Rika said still eying the opposing group with apprehension. Liam explained to the group at large how the layers of the digital world linked to different realities and that under normal circumstances the only ones aware of the other realities were the sovereign and themselves.
"So..." Takato began as Liam finished his explanation. "I guess the different realities makes sense and all but... How can they be real?" Takato asked pointed towards the digidestined. "I mean... they're cartoon characters."
"Who you calling a cartoon?" Davis asked. Liam ignored him and turned his gaze on Takato.
"Sorry man I don't have all the answers... My best guess is that the writer from your world had a psychic link to theirs and interpreted his mind seeing the events of their battles as imagination" Liam replied shrugging. "That could be completely wrong, but it's the best answer I've got."
"Wait a minute... In their universe we're a TV show?" Kari asked in an awe struck voice.
"Yeah and digimon are a card game!" Takato replied excitedly.
"This is unreal" Cody said walking forward. He stuck out his hand to Takato. "I guess you know all of us then... but what's your name?" Cody asked politely as Takato shook his hand.
"I'm Takato"
"My name is Kazu"
"You already heard my name is Ryo!"
"Rika" she said in a somewhat cold voice, waiving her hand slightly at the group. She still wasn't sure what to make of this.
"Nice to meet all of you... But Ryo why didn't you ever mention this to us?" Takato asked remember Rika' unanswered question.
"I just never got around to recounting that adventure to you guys... and I had no idea I was in a different digital layer or that the Ken I met was the same one from the TV series... I mean I always figured it was just a funny coincidence and that Ken just lived somewhere far away."
"I guess I believe that" Rika said turning to face Exer and Liam. "Now that we've solved the mystery of how we're talking to our favorite TV characters... just what in the hell are you two?" Rika asked pointing a finger them.
"Thankfully that answer is a bit simpler" Liam replied smiling.
"We used to be regular humans like any of you. Then we were chosen by the sovereign and had our DNA fused with digital data to give us the powers of a digimon without the need to Biomerge like you do." Exer said looking at Rika.
"What's Biomerge?" Gatomon asked.
"It's when a human and digimon digivolve together to form a digimon of mega level... Sort of like DNA digivolving with a human" Ryo replied.
"That's pretty much it" Liam added. "Anyway Exer and I are the protectors of the digital world. I am known as the 'Guardian of Hope'" Liam finished holding up his left arm to show the markings on the back of his hand forming the crest of hope.
"And I'm the 'Angel of Light'" Exer added holding up her right arm to show a series of markings that formed the crest of light on her hand.
"Was that the crest of light we saw stitched into your cloak?" Takato asked suddenly remember the symbol.
"It was" Exer replied smiling widely at him.
"I thought Gatomon was the Angel of Light when she digivolved into Angewomon?" Kari asked looking down at Gatomon who was standing by her feet.
"Since you are the bearer of the crest of light when Gatomon digivolves she not only draws power from you but also from me... So I guess you might say we are both 'Angels of Light'" Exer replied.
"So I guess when I digivolve I get power from you and T.K. right?" Patamon asked.
"That is correct" Liam replied looking fondly at the small digimon. "It's our job to protect the digital world from any and all threats."
"Then where the hell were you when Malomyotismon was trying to destroy it or when-" Davis paused and glanced nervously at Ken.
"When I was taking over as the digimon emperor?" Ken asked in a somewhat harsh tone.
"Or when the D-Reaper was trying to destroy the digital world all together?" Rika asked.
"One question at a time!" Liam said trying not to laugh at their indignation.
"Here's a good one for you T.K." Exer replied a little smugly. "Who do you think it was who hid your crests for you to find? Or who told Piximon to help Tai overcome his fear to make Greymon digivolve?"
"And who do you think told Gennai that prophecy you used to activate the mega evolutions. We also made sure that Myotismons reinforcements never made it to the real world" Liam added. "And as for you" Liam said shifting his attention to the Tamers. "Who do you think chose you to be tamers and created the digital fields for you to obtain your D-Arcs, and for you to be united with your partners?" Liam paused for a moment before adding "we also opened the digital portal you used to come to the digital world AND assisted in fighting the D-Reaper from this side."
"So you see... We were always trying to help you... But we have to protect five of the seven layers to the digital world... We had to delegate some of it to you" Exer finished glancing around.
"So basically you've been our Deus Ex Machina this entire time?" Yolei asked. Liam and Exer both exploded with laughter.
"I've never thought about it that way but I suppose you're right Yolei" Exer said nearly crying with laughter.
"We've done a whole lot more for you behind the scenes but if we're gonna go into that then we're gonna be here for a really really long time" Liam said.
"Okay... I do have one question" Takato began.
"Just one" Ryo said massaging his temple. "I'm already getting a headache."
"You said that you 'chose' us to be Tamers... what did you mean? Does that mean that you created Guilmon?" Takato asked ignoring Ryo' interuption.
"No, I'm afraid Guilmon' creation is a phenomenon even we can't explain but I am the one who sent you your D-Arcs... I determined that you three had something special about you that would allow the digimon to bond with you and become stronger for it." Liam replied.
"So if you chose them then did you choose us?" Davis asked voicing the question the entire group was thinking.
"No... the destined and the tamers are completely different" Exer replied.
"How so?" Yolei asked.
"Tamers are chosen and with the exception of Takato are paired with a digimon so that the digimon may become strong through the bond with the human. It is similar to the bond you share with your digimon but it is not the same" Exer replied. "With the destined such as you your digimon were created specifically for you. That's why many of their personalities match so well with your own."
"The Digidestined are also chosen by the world... Not by us" Liam added. "The world calls forth digidestined when it perceives a great threat. An example would be the Dark Masters that caused the world to call the original Digidestined... You guys were chosen by the world to be fated hero's and act as a last line of defense... The Tamers were chosen by us based on the merits we saw within them... as a last line of defense" Liam admitted repressing a laugh.
"What about me and Kenta?" Kazu asked.
"You two and Suzie obtained your arcs and digimon in the digital world... It was a spontaneous occurrence based on your connection with the digimon." Exer replied.
"Well that explains a few things" Ryo replied. "But I still have one question-"
"What do you want from us?" Rika asked, beating Ryo to the punch.
"Yeah... I doubt you dragged us all this way just to introduce yourselves" T.K. added.
"We brought you here to ask for your help" Exer replied. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a very serious look. "It's going to take the combined powers of both your teams to defeat the enemy at hand."
"Which is?" Rika asked impatiently.
"The twelve beast of the Zodiac" Liam replied.
"You're a bit late... we beat the hell out of them when were thirteen... and they're call the Devas" Rika replied.
"The Devas are of no concern to us and in any case they would be no real threat... Wrong Zodiac Rika... Remember there are two of them" Exer replied calmly.
"The Greek Zodiac" Henry said in recognition.
"Very good Henry" Liam replied. "The Deva's were in fact Zhuqiaomon' second attempt to create a force of minions to serve him. His first attempt based on the Greek Zodiac was a group of twelve mega level digimon. However they were to powerful for even him to control. So the four sovereign sealed them away... Remember how I told you the lowest level of the digital world was a purgatory where the most powerful and evil of all digimon reside?"
"So are they more powerful than the sovereign themselves?" Renamon asked.
"We aren't sure" Exer replied. "This happened hundreds of years ago long before Liam and I became the the protectors."
"Either way... Recently the seals the sovereign placed on them have began to fail and it's only a matter of time before one of the evil ones break's their seal and starts wreaking havoc on this and eventually your home worlds" Liam said.
"What do you mean the evil ones?" Terriermon asked.
"All creatures are born benign. It is apparent from what we have discovered that several of the beasts wished to rule the digital world... but to do that they first had to get rid of the Sovereign. However it doesn't say they all wished to fight. I think maybe the Sovereign sealed all of them just to... be safe" Liam replied with a tone that suggested he didn't entirely agree wit the Sovereigns decision.
"And let me guess the Sovereign don't want to get involved so they sent you to get us to do the dirty work for them?" Rika asked. Liam and Exer smiled.
"The Sovereign aren't even aware that the beasts have awakened... You are here because Liam and I cannot defeat these enemies on our own... So what do you say... Are all of you up to save the digital world one more time?" Exer replied.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Davis asked in a mocking tone "of coarse we'll help! Right?" He looked over his shoulder and group nodded.
"What do you think?" Takato asked looking at Rika. "You all think we've got another good fight in us?" he asked scanning his group.
"I guess it's about time we faught someone who could give us a real challenge again!" Ryo replied excitedly punching the air.
"What are you talking about? We took down the D-Reaper... compared to that this should be a walk in the park!" Rika replied sounding slightly happy for the first time since they had met Exer. "Besides... we'd be idiots to miss a chance to hang out with them" Rika muttered jerking her head towards the group of digidestined.
"So where are these Zodiac beasts?" T.K. asked as the groups moved closer together. Liam chuckled a little bit and the crest on his hand began to glow.
"Follow me!" he said in a would be cool voice as a field of digital mist surrounded them and the entire group plummeted into darkness to the sounds of Terriermon shouting.
"NOT THIS AGAIN!"