It Was Either That Or Another Digipad
By Trudyann B.
Rated K[plus for very mild language
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or settings. I am playing in Konami's sandbox.
Ending E
(This story contains a few references to other endings as well.)
Chapter 1
0.0.0000 0:00:00
When he refocuses, he is in a room too familiar for comfort. It is Homunculus's Lair, the place he came after every death he had to endure. Seeing this room had usually been accompanied by a dull pain from the injury that caused his death, but surely he was not dead now…?
He looks to the figure standing about ten feet away. The pale skin, dark clothes, and ruby red eyes could be identified from eighty meters away.
"Hello, Eike. How are things?" Homunculus uses his favorite greeting, a look of amusement playing across his face at watching Eike's astonishment. Eike doesn't speak, taking in his surroundings over and over again and still not believing where he was. "I know I told you we probably wouldn't be meeting again, but I have a task for you," the humanoid continued. Eike was no longer looking at him, but at the large door behind him, then the window above the large misshapen stone head, then the grandfather clock in the corner before refocusing on Homunculus again, his face still portraying nothing but shock.
"Y-you want my help… and you expect me to just give it to you…" Eike replies, gaining his footing in this place again.
"Well, I had hoped you would be obliging, considering I had saved you," Homunculus says. This isn't the complete truth. The dijnn knew it would be difficult to persuade Eike to do this for him after all that had happened six months earlier, but persuasion was something Homunculus was fairly good at. Besides, he could think of nothing in this simple favor that Eike would want to object to.
"The only thing you did was make sure you were born. My surviving was just a side affect," Eike states. "If I had died that night after your destiny was already preserved, you wouldn't have lifted a finger to save me and we both know it." The red eyed creature raises his eyebrow mockingly. Homunculus is, in fact, a bit surprised that Eike had thought it all through so carefully. He was right, if Eike had died that night after Homunculus was already sure he would be born, the dijnn certainly would not go through the trouble of resurrecting him again. It had been a hassle just to resurrect him in the first place. Doing all those incantations over and over again was certainly not how the dijnn would spend his free time if he could live otherwise. But he would not let actual surprise show when dealing with such an inferior as a human being.
"Oh, come now. Why must we always talk about such unpleasant things?" Homunculus asks rhetorically. Eike answers anyway.
"Because I refuse to be your puppet again. I know better now. If I can help it, I won't let you screw around with other people's lives anymore; even if I die because of it!"
"Those are very strong words, and I give you points for morale, but I'm afraid I won't be needing a puppet today," Homunculus chides. Eike is caught off guard by this.
"What?"
"Eike, I'm not going to manipulate you in any way… this time. I'm going to be frank and honest with you. Is that so hard to believe?" The demon places his hands on his hips dramatically.
"Yes," The human answers. Homunculus is amused.
"I swear on whatever you humans swear on in your time. I will be totally and in every way honest with you," the dijnn states, raising his right hand. Eike stares back in complete amazement, and Homunculus smirks. "So, will you help me?"
"That depends on what you want me to do. " Eike replies. The demon keeps his smirk in place as he kneels, and makes himself comfortable on the wooden floor, and then invites Eike to join him. Eike sits cross legged and waits for Homunculus to speak.
End of Chapter 1.