Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A Story for Suzie
Chapter: 38
"Takato is gone from this world," Yamaki frowned, flicking his lighter closed with a click as on the screen, a picture of a number of dots spread along the city bloomed into position, labeled as 'Tamers'. "And if our sensors regarding the digivices and their connection to recent events are accurate, Rika has disappeared as well. Likely wherever he has gone as well."
His lighter flicked open as he turned to the Monster Makers and the assembled Tamers. "At this stage, given the data readings and the recent incursions, we can assume that they both went to the same world as their duplicates."
"It's nice to know that we're on the same page here," spoke up Kazu sarcastically from his end of the table, arms folded over his chest. "I mean, we kind of figured on this when Chumley, you know, disappeared right in front of us."
"Kazu," sighed Kenta. "We didn't know about Rika though…"
"She didn't show up," Kazu snorted. "She may have been mad, but she wouldn't miss these meetings at all. It doesn't take much to connect the dots, Chumley."
"Let's stay focused," Yamaki said, cutting over the duo before either one could continue with their debate. "Henry. You said that your program was responsible for everything that's happened recently."
Henry nodded. "Yes. Well, to be more precise, I think it's the D-Arc that did it. My program was simply analyzing it for anything resembling the sentience that digimon have, since they're based on the same code. I'm not entirely sure how it went from there, except…" He frowned and shifted in his seat, becoming embarrassed. Terriermon, however, had no such difficulties.
"He pulled a Takato," the long-eared digimon piped up. "If he could make Guilmon come to life with just a drawing, then what's to stop a digivice from doing the same thing if it can overhear stuff?"
"And God said, "Let there be light," Shibumi said, resting his chin in his hands. All eyes turned toward him at this questioningly.
"Is there something you'd like to share?" Yamaki asked. Shibumi gave a dry chuckle.
"Well, it's not really my field of expertise, but given what we've seen about digimon and their mythological connections, there may be something to it. There's an idea that goes back to the Hellenistic period called 'Logos' that, roughly translated, means word or 'spoken'. It's a term that's largely important in western philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and even religion. In terms of the religious side of things, from the Stoic philosophers, the Hellenistic branch of Judaism and also in the Gospel of John, it is identified as the animating principle of the universe and everything is made through it. Very much like a 'story' that is written down."
"There are ideas in quantum mechanics that suggest that an experiment that is observed will provide results that are expected, as opposed to an experiment left unobserved," said Curly, adjusting her glasses. "However, this largely applies to the micro scale of the universe and hasn't been observed in any large-scale phenomena."
"The digital world probably changes all that," suggested Babel from next to her. "Well, probably more like the Internet changes that and the digital world as it appears now is just the outcome. Millions of minds observing things like fictional worlds constantly and it's all connected to a bubbling quantum ocean…"
"…and energy gathered from solar radiation, the Van Allen Belts… And we know that human emotional energy is particularly potent in the quantum ocean since it enables digivolution, an energy intensive transformation," nodded Curly. "Digimon would just be the first of an explosion of life that our world hasn't seen since the Cambrian explosion."
"And digimon could just as easily be made extinct by this," Dolphin said grimly. "I've studied enough of the fossil record to know that how these things can go. This new breed of life forms…" He paused. "Memetic life forms…that Henry created might be nothing now, but who knows what's going to follow? We keep pumping out stories and we consume them. That the quantum ocean hasn't already created a replacement for digimon already, especially with how fast the Internet is with ideas, is nothing short of a miracle."
"Let's keep in mind that most of the data that the digital world is bombarded with is inert, and digimon and digignomes are so far the only species that can interact with it in any meaningful way," said Shibumi. "It might have something to do with intelligence being needed like what we did with the AI research that created digimon…"
"Which brings us back to Henry's experiment with his digivice," Dolphin said, running a hand over his balding head. "I'd say it shouldn't be possible, but…then Grani gained sentience…"
"Um… How does any of this help us get Takato and Rika back?" Terriermon asked, breaking the sudden stream of thought. The Monster Makers all looked at the long-eared rabbit dog in surprise, having forgotten that there were others there and a situation that needed to be resolved.
"It doesn't exactly," frowned Janyu with a sigh. "If we're going to find them, we need to figure out where this new world is, and that's if they're even in that world to begin with." He glanced at his companions. "It'll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack."
"We did it once," Babel pointed out with a slight grin. "The digivices should still operate on the same signal no matter where they are. We can cut through the hay if we have a metal detector or something, right? Even if it doesn't give us an exact location, it'll give us a general direction to narrow things down in."
Yamaki smiled and flicked his lighter closed with a loud click.
"Then I suggest you all get started."
###
"I brought the program I was using in case you need to look it over," Henry said, passing a thumb drive over to his father. "I still don't know if it'll do any good. It was just analyzing the digivice's code."
"It still might be useful," Janyu said as Shibumi peered over his shoulder before plucking the drive out of his fellow Monster Maker's hand. "Hey!"
"Sorry. I was just thinking… Maybe it had more to do with expanded capacity? Most of its functions would be tied up in the bond between Tamer and digimon, but since you connected it to your computer than maybe the algorithm had a little bit more wiggle room to do more things in."
He grinned and looked at Henry. "In which case, it could very well be that your digivice has 'evolved'."
Henry frowned, feeling the weight of his D-Arc by his side. All of this started because of him…
"Henry," began Janyu, seeing his son's troubled look. "Why don't you take your sister home. She seems to be okay for the time being, and there's not much more we can do." He paused before he continued. "Mayumi would be comforted seeing Suzie, even with the changes she's gone through."
Henry nodded. "Sure thing."
###
Suzie felt big. She felt very big. Happily skipping next to her brother with Lopmon in her arms, she felt as though she were standing on the shoulders of a giant. No… She was a giant! In her mind's eye, the sidewalk was full of hills and valleys. Her feet quaked the earth and crushed forests. Oh, but not villages! She spared those.
Princess Pretty Pants took care of those who were smaller than her. She cared for orphans. She didn't make them.
"Someone's certainly enjoying their growth spurt," Terriermon muttered from atop his partner's head. "Makes me wonder what she's going to be like once she gets older."
"Please don't encourage her," Henry sighed, not wanting to deal with just the thought of his sister becoming as old as Jaarin or Rinchei. She was barely old enough to handle being twelve years old, a sudden shoot up from seven. There was no way she would be able to handle being a teenager and everything it entailed with a mind that was not ready for it.
"I won't," Terriermon replied. "It's still weird seeing her like this though. Makes me wonder what you're going to be like. Your birthday's coming up soon, right after Rika and Takato. You're all getting older."
There was an odd note in Terriermon's voice as he said this, and Henry noticed.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Huh?" The long-eared dog-bunny blinked down at his partner before hugging his head with his ears. "Oh, yeah. I guess I'm just realizing that you're about to enter puberty yourself and it's going to be one hell of an awkward time for you."
"Hmmm…" Henry frowned now. "Yeah," he agreed. "Rinchei and Jaarin were… Well, they still are…"
"Insufferable teenagers?" Terriermon grinned, while Henry reached up and patted his partner on the head.
"Yeah. Something like that."
"Takatomon, Jeri and Rika are going to be the most interesting," Terriermon giggled. "Oh, it's bad enough just watching those three dance around each other right now. How soon do you think it'll be before Takato's voice starts croaking or he starts growing a beard? Jeri'll like the beard I bet if he grows one. Rika though…"
"What are you two talking about?" Suzie asked, coming to a halt in front of a toy store, rubbing her face in Lopmon's fur, taking care to avoid jabbing herself with her partner's horns
"Just stuff involving Henry's friends acting weird," Terriermon replied with a wave of an ear. "You know how it is."
Suzie giggled in acknowledgement at that. "Henry always knew nothing but weird people. Like in all those chat forums he used to go on."
"He still goes on them. Just not as much as he used to."
Henry blushed lightly, frowning a little before opting to change the subject.
"We should get going," he said, starting forward, only to stop when he saw Suzie giving the toy shop a wistful expression. Turning, he glanced it over. In the window were a number of dolls fluffy stuffed animals of all manner of species. All of them had large button eyes that almost seemed to beg Suzie to hug them.
In response, her arms squeezed her partner close to her chest, eliciting a light grunt from the chocolate-furred rabbit.
"S-Suzie…" she gasped, causing Terriermon to chuckle.
"Why do I get the feeling that no matter old Suzie gets, she's still going to have a death grip?"
"Terriermon…" Henry began before turning to his sister. "Would you like to go in and see what's inside?"
Suzie jumped a little and hugged Lopmon to her chin, burying the lower part of her face in her partner's fur.
"N-No," she replied in a muffled voice, blushing a little. "I'm a big girl now. Big girls don't play with stuffed toys."
"Technically you're not actually a big girl…" began Terriermon, earning himself a warning tap on his partner's head.
"What?!" he exclaimed. "Henry! She was seven years old how long ago? That's a lot of life to cram into a short time span."
"He-He's right," grunted Lopmon, twisting in her partner's grasp so she could get a bit more room for her lungs to breathe in. "Suzie, if you want to have a look, go ahead."
Suzie blushed even harder. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly.
A small smile drew itself upon Henry's face. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he nodded to her.
"Why don't we see what's inside?" he suggested.
Still holding Lopmon close to her, the girl nodded hesitantly, and together they went inside and into a world of fluff and love.
###
Love… The thought ran through Rika's mind as she, along with her knight, made their way through the corridors of the castle. The two of them were distracted, their minds going back to the moment in the bath when they shared a light kiss. She hadn't expected herself to do that.
Feedback, she told herself, her hand tightening on her staff. It has to be the feedback. That's all there is to it. I've just picked up what he felt for that girl. It's nothing more.
Yet, a part of herself couldn't help but wonder if that was the case. She thought back to her interaction with him. Despite his formalities and preference for treating her like the princess, she felt a bit that he was making an effort to know the real her, which was not something anyone but her grandmother did for her in life.
Does he…actually try to know the real me? she wondered, her brow furrowing questioningly, wanting to shake her head. She felt badly mixed up inside and the situation was most certainly not making things any better. The other problem with the feedback and the emotions that it was causing to stir was that it made her look at how they interacted with a different light. It was possible that she was seeing only shadows and interpreting them to be something else entirely.
Still… The feeling she had when she held his hand… The way she felt when she kissed him… The move had come out of nowhere. Even for feedback, it seemed…outlandish.
"Did you two have a good talk?"
Rika jumped in surprise at the sound of her grandmother's voice, and behind her, she heard Takato swear out loud, and she imagined him going for his sword almost immediately.
"Grandmother!" she exclaimed with a loud hiss, spinning toward the elder woman, who regarded the pair with a sympathetic look.
"My apologies," Seiko said as they ground to a halt, Takato relaxing his grip on his sword hilt as Rika envisioned. "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you two all right?"
"Fine!" Rika growled a little more sternly than she had intended. "We're on our way to see mother as you suggested."
"Of course," Seiko nodded with a nod as she resumed her course. Blinking, Rika and Takato followed after her. The knight's gaze fell on Rika, having caught how jagged her words had become since their moment of intimacy in the bath.
He couldn't blame her. He wasn't even sure how to react to that himself, except that he believed that, if things such as that continued to occur, if they continued, he would have to let her down as gently as he could and…leave once the situation was resolved.
I have someone I care about, he thought, hand tightening on his sword hilt. Well… I had someone I cared about.
Memories of Jeri floated up through his mind, and he wished that he had been the sort who would find a bar to drown his sorrows in. Not that it would make a difference in the long run, but at least then he wouldn't be in this situation where he risked destabilizing the treaty between two kingdoms.
It's just pity, he thought, loosening his grip on his sword. I'm sure she just feels bad for me about what happened. It might even be because of that magic she got tangled up in. Feedback is a thing, if I remember what Henry told me right. It's nothing to get up in arms about. It'll pass like spring into autumn. It's nothing.
Yet, try as he might, he knew that the kiss had awoken something in him, something he hadn't felt since Jeri had been alive, leaving him to wonder where such feelings came from. He felt horrible about it. With the death of Jeri still so fresh in his heart, it felt to him that he was taking advantage of the princess to sooth his hurts.
I can't do that, he berated himself. I'm a knight. I'm sworn to the code. And even without that…it's just…wrong! I have to remember my place!
He firmed his resolve, remembering his promise to the queen, made in the silence of Rika's bedchamber when she had left him alone. He would do his best to discourage further events where possible and then, when the time came, he would take his leave of the kingdom, regardless of whether or not Rika released him from her service.
"Um…" he began, deciding to pick up the threads of conversation once more. "So what's going on at the meeting? Or has it started yet?"
"The queen is meeting with her court mages and generals concerning the lands beyond the city walls," Seiko replied. "For the present, I don't believe there is anything of note that has come up. Reports so far have indicated an…odd peace. If something is going on, it's either content for it to remain here, or it's laying low. The only thing that is noteworthy at the table is that the prince Ryo has something he would like to discuss. A plan of his that he has set into motion. He would like for everyone to be there however before he brings it up in the council."
"Is that what you wanted to talk about before we met with mother?" Rika asked, frowning a little. It struck her as an odd thing to take them aside for.
Seiko turned her violet gaze toward her granddaughter and shook her head.
"No," she replied simply, casting a look over her shoulder at Takato, who, along with Rika, arched an eyebrow. The princess drew to a halt once more and turned to face the woman more fully.
"Grandmother," she began, her words becoming hard. "Don't play games…"
"No games," Seiko replied, continuing onward. "The two of you needed to have words." She paused and glanced over her shoulder at the pair, her expression soft. "It would seem that it's as I feared. It's an ongoing process."
"My lady," Takato flushed, bowing profusely. "I didn't mean…"
"Takato!" began Rika, turning toward him now. "Don't you dare…!"
"Hush," Seiko interrupted, and just like that, as though thunder had broken across the land, the conversation was dashed. Takato jolted, feeling a heavy sense of pressure rolling over him and he looked up at Seiko with awe in his eyes.
She has depths even more hidden than I thought…
Approaching them, Seiko placed a hand on their shoulders.
"That is enough for now," she continued softly. "You have more to discuss later, but if I might suggest something; don't be too angry with each other. Your hearts are young after all and the two of you are already tangled. Do straighten yourselves as best you can and remember that neither of you are to blame for how you feel." She glanced at Rika as she said this before turning to Takato. "Life has a way of happening, whether you want it to or not."
A pall of silence fell between them, and Rika shifted uncomfortably.
"Grandmother…" she began, only for a shake of Seiko's head to silence her.
"We're going to be late," she said, retracting her hands. With that, the elder woman turned and resumed their trek, leaving Takato and Rika to gaze after her before looking at each other.
"Is she…always like this?" the knight asked finally. Rika wrinkled her nose and glowered at the knight.
"Are you always going to apologize for stupid things?"
Takato blinked at that. "Rika…"
"We're going to be late," she cut in, turning and starting after her grandmother. Takato watched her for a moment before sighing. Shaking his head, he followed after her, wishing he could understand the situation, and her heart, better.
What's one more problem for me to add to the fire? he thought.
###
The door to the Wong family residence opened with a creek, and in skipped Suzie, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a smile on her face, Lopmon and Terriermon trailing behind her.
"Suzie!" Mayumi gasped from the couch, turning toward the door, her eyes widening as they fell upon her youngest daughter. She shot up and hurried on over to her, wrapping her arms around the girl. "Are you all right? You…" Pulling back, she looked the girl over, eyes full of worry and confusion. "You've…" She struggled for a moment to find the words to describe her shock without making Suzie upset. "…gotten so big," she swallowed finally.
"Yep!" Suzie beamed. "All I did was wish for it, and I got reaaally big! Just like Henry!"
"You don't hurt?"
"Nope!" Stepping back, the girl gave a little spin, showing off her new appearance. "It's so cool! Now I'm a real princess, just like in the stories!"
"Y-Yes," Mayumi replied, looking from her to Henry and back, her expression wracked with concern. "Just like in the stories. So…um…What does the princess want to do?"
"I want to watch a movie! Can I?" Suzie's eyes sparkled and she bounced a little on the balls of her feet, earning her a small, if shaky smile from Mayumi.
"Sure. I'll put in your favorite one."
"Yaaay!" Suzie squealed, running around to the couch and jumping down on it. Henry and Mayumi exchanged a look before the woman stepped closer to her son.
"Henry… Is she… Is she really…?"
"She seems fine so far," Henry replied while below, Terriermon nodded.
"She's still a ball of energy and crushing hugs," the long-eared rabbit-dog pointed out, indicating Lopmon, who let out a heavy breath, her tiny paws touching her sides gingerly. "As far as the digital world is concerned, this really could be worse than her shooting up a few inches."
"Terriermon…"
"Okay, okay. She grew up more than just a few inches… Sheesh! You know I'm bad at measuring."
"I'd better go see to Suzie," Mayumi said, pressing her lips together into a tight smile. "When will Janyu be home?"
"It will be a while," Lopmon said with a polite, respectful bow. "He's working on solving Suzie's situation as we speak, however…"
"Everything is figuring that now is the best time to go nuts," Terriermon cut in. "So, basically the same as always."
"I think that's enough for now," Henry said in exasperation as he yanked up Terriermon into his arms. "I'll be in my room, so let me know if you need anything. Or if…anything weird happens."
"We will," Lopmon replied with another bow, and with that, Henry 'escorted' his partner to his room and closed the door behind him with a soft click. Terriermon looked up at him briefly before hopping to the floor.
"So…" he began carefully. "Now that we're alone, do you want to talk about today's weirdness?"
Sighing, Henry went over to his desk and pulled back the chair.
"There's not much to talk about," he replied, sitting himself down and turning on his computer. "Our job is to do whatever we can to find Takato and Rika, and then fix Suzie so she goes back to normal. Anything else we can deal with later."
"So you're postponing the whole talk about Rika kicking your butt in favor of Rika kicking your butt."
"Terriermon…"
"Broken Record…"
Henry blinked, having not expected Terriermon to mirror him with such a response.
"Is…that a nickname for me?"
Terriermon shrugged. "Rika came up with it, but now I'm starting to see why it never caught on the way 'Gogglehead' has." He made a distasteful face. "It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue as good. Don't worry, I'll think of something."
"Yeah, well, while you do that, I'm going to check on something."
"Like what?" Terriermon asked, hopping up onto Henry's bed.
"I'm going to see if my digivice has 'evolved' like Shibumi suggested. If simply connecting it to my computer gave it more processing power than…maybe…"
"Uh…Henry? Isn't this what caused all this trouble in the first place?"
"I'm not going to tell any stories like what happened before," Henry chuckled. "I took a snapshot of my digivice's code before I plugged it in. I'm going to compare it with the code of my digivice now and see if there's a difference."
"I don't know…" Terriermon said uncertainly, jumping over to his partner's shoulder. "I'm still not sure this is the best of ideas. I…hey, that's not your usual desktop wallpaper."
Turning, Henry raised an eyebrow, noticing that, unlike earlier in the day, the desktop had a new icon in the center of the screen. It was circular with a green coloration around it, similar to the ring on Henry's digivice. However, digi-code lined its surface, appearing more akin to Takato's gold-trimmed digivice ring. As he watched, a glow emerged in the center of the ring and suddenly Henry felt as though he had his mind stolen from his body and that he was floating now… Floating in some void alongside Terriermon. They were drawn to ward the glow, their physical bodies slumping behind them, almost against their will, disappearing into its all-engulfing embrace. The light burned…
A light that now, temporarily, burned unnoticed in the center of an orb at Hypnos.
And from that orb, came a voice, deep, powerful, and compelling. It spoke to Henry from the very depths of his soul, urging him to one and only one task.
Finish the story… Finish it to my liking.
8