25. The Action Plan
Rion doesn't chew her lip, doesn't bow her head at the many stares. She doesn't have much left in her to waste on theatrics, especially not with her past-self around to restore her energy. Besides, she's given worse speeches to larger crowds. She can do this much.
She takes a deep breath and gestures to their Digimon. They perk up. "This is all happening a lot faster than i expected it to. I believe it's affected by my being here, so I apologize in advance for that. However, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a choice." She lets out a sigh. "Whatever the case, much of the events following this conversation will happen to you because you were chosen long before my -Hikari's- fate, was turned off course. I can't be sure of how much Gennai - the old man- will tell you, but here is the basic idea. There is a creature behind a place called the Wall of Fire who was created by this world, if unintentionally. Right now, they are causing distortions to it, creating creatures to conquer it. One of those creatures, Vamdemon, was sent to the human world originally in 1999, in an attempt to quell the rebellion started by choosing all of you. By eliminating the eighth, it hinders your full strength. by eliminating one, he can kill the rest."
"He came to kill… you," Koushiro says slowly.
Rion shrugs and nods. "Wouldn't be the first time." She sees them flinch and lets out a sigh on the inside. She keeps forgetting; still ordinary kids. Hikari had wanted to be; she still does. The trouble is that Chosen Child and ordinary life tend to be clashing ideals in crisis time. "Let's not forget, he came to kill all of you. Or he certainly tried. He left you behind in this world, assuming you would die in his collapsing castle. You didn't," she adds. "You got close, so very close. But Yagami Hikari died that day. No one could stop a second attack. Naturally, he took care of you next before you could think."
Rion waits, watching all of their faces, watching Takeru grip Poyomon so tightly the jellyfish starts to squirm. They can't express, they are too horrified. Even Taichi is startled by how simply and bluntly she puts it. He doesn't want to believe her. She understands.
"Generations later...Rion awoke, in a world where light and dark are reversed. No one questions that, for the most part. I worked to create a team, a revolution… it went about as well as you'd expect." She scratches her head. "So instead, we looked for a new way, a way to change the course of history. We discovered it… so that's why we're here now."
"We?" Koushiro interrupts before someone else can speak, before someone can voice their disbelief. Thank Homeostasis for that. She doesn't care if they believe her anymore. Her time is almost up. They just need to know.
Rion nods quickly, tapping her long fingers against her arms. "Yes, one other is with me. Unfortunately, in all my searches, I have not been able to find her. Wherever she is, she will be a much better help than I am, sad as that is." She laughs. "Problem of the same person existing twice. Not supposed to work, ya know?"
They all stare at her, aghast.
Finally, Jyou speaks up. "I'm sorry but this all seems… impossible."
Rion snorts. She had been so close to avoiding this. "You're holding a baby monster in your lap and came here through what looks like a kid's toy. You worry about impossible now?"
"Mass hallucination," he counters. Rion's impressed, despite herself. She had figured he would quail in the face of her lack of sympathy. Must have gotten him on a good day.
"Mass hallucinations aren't usually quite so detailed or still dedicated to the laws of physics and common sense," she says with a smile. "Good try though."
Taichi makes to speak, but he's cut off by the sound of Hikari screaming. The others jump to look. Rion only smiles.
They would hear that scream and think of fear. Rion hears that scream and thinks of joy.
"Looks like you made it after all," she says as she disappears, watching the Chosen Children go. She can try to tell them more later, but she's left enough to get the cogs turning.
At least, she hopes so.