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For They Shall Be Filled
By: Vain 5/31/2001-1/26/2002
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It's done. This story—Book One of the Revelations Arch—is complete. This was the second work I started for Digimon. This was fourth fan fiction ever. This was the single longest work I've ever done. And now the first part is complete. ^_^
Thank you's must be extended to all my readers, from those of you who have been here since the beginning and those of you who just picked this up.
Special thanks must be extended to Athena, Herongale and the splendiferous Other, Mink, Jekka chan, Tatsuni no Yami, Evy, Soulless Ishida, and DigitalGirl562.
Arigato and merci. Please enjoy the last part of the fic and Review. Ja ne!
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~"And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
-Matthew 16: 19
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Epilogue
The Days of Justification
In a place called limbo two spirits met one another. For a moment there was a heavy silence and then one of them spoke.
// Well? // he asked expectantly.
Well what?
// What do you think will happen now, Osamu? //
If I knew that then I wouldn't be here talking about it to you.
A mental shrug. // I don't think that he'll be happy with things like this, you know. //
I know.
//So what do you think will happen now? The danger has not passed. //
I know, I know. But just for a little while I'm going to pretend that it has and that everyone's safe and that everything will work out happily ever after.
// Ah. //
By the way, thanks for the save back there.
// Hmmm? //
Somehow you managed to get the Anti-Crest to Ken. Thanks.
// You did most of the work, Osamu. All I did was give him the tools. If you and the others hadn't managed to get through to him during the last battle, the two Crests would have never rejoined again. //
But you gave them the tools. That was a masterstroke. // . . . Don't talk about that like it was something brave. It's the Child of Light who has paid the price for that. // And would it matter if I told you you did the right thing? // I shoved the Prophecies in her head, 'Samu. I laid the knowledge of the Guardians at the feet of the Chosen without giving her the experience or ability to understand it. I violated her mind and left her with someone else's memories. No, Osamu. It wouldn't help. // . . . I'm sorry. // I know. // . . . So how exactly did you get it to him, anyway?// What? Oh, the Anti-Crest? I waited until his spirit migrated to limbo and put the qualities of the Crest in him as he dreamed. //
Do I even want to know the physics of that?// Limbo doesn't have physics, genius. . I just wish that this had been easier on him . . . easier on them all. //
The silence returned again, deep and uncomfortable.
// They'll be sending me back soon. To complete my training, I mean. Now that Gennai has proved himself to be true, I'll be training under him for a while and then I'll take over the North and West Spheres. //
That's cool.
// Yeah. //
The dead spirit's energy shifted restlessly. He was still troubled by these recent turns of events. There's still the Spore to contend with, too, he reported a bit despondently. And Ken has yet to face Oikawa and his minions. Do you know if the Guardians will release the D.N.A. Digivolve yet?
His companion—the living spirit—seemed to flutter. // The Jogress? I'm not sure. They have the Tail Ring, but it all depends on how the Chosen want to deal with each other now that they're through this. //
Osamu gave the impression of a sigh. It's going to be quite a long road.
// Will you walk the entire way with him? //
Yes.
This prompted a wry snort. // Then why not tell him that your there? Give him some peace of mind. Maybe even tell him the truth . . .? //
I . . . I can't.
// Coward. //
. . .
You don't get it. It's so easy for you to say that—you wouldn't have to face him. 'Hi, Ken. Remember me: you're dead brother Osamu? I was just dropping in to tell you that I've been haunting you for a while now. Oh, yeah, and by the way you're not human anymore. But don't let that interfere with your career goals or anything.' Yeah—that would sound swell.
// Swell? I don't think I've ever heard you say that word before. And you know that that isn't what I meant. //
No. . . . But I've done enough damage already . . . hurt him enough already. I owe him a normal life at least.
// Kenny-boy will never have a 'normal' life, 'Samu. None of the Chosen will. //
I suppose your right.
// Then stop torturing yourself over it already. //
I can't.
// Why not? //
I don't know . . . I—He's my ototochan. I love him.
// That's a crappy excuse. You're afraid. //
And you wouldn't be?
// . . . Loser. //
There was a long silence as the two reflected on everything that they had seen in their short lives—and, in one case, death. Then the living spirit seemed to frown, his energy fluctuating briefly. // We are such hypocrites, aren't we? //
Pretty much.
// . . . So . . . //
So?
// What do you think will happen now? //
Shut up, Ryou.
**************
The sun shone brightly—real sunlight, not the plastic sunlight of the Digital World. Ken Ichijouji sat on a bench in Odaiba and closed his eyes as the wind washed over him. He hummed a lullaby under his breath and Leafmon was off playing in the grass. The heat felt good.
"We figured you be here today."
Ken slowly opened his and regarded Davis Motomiya calmly. The sun was behind the other boy and it cast odd shadows on his face, highlighting his cheekbones and giving his tanned skin a faint glow. His brown eyes were unusually serious, a bit sad maybe, and looked somewhat distant—faded without losing his any of his radiance.
Ken closed his violet eyes again and leaned back on the bench, allowing his head to loll behind him and letting the weathered wood absorb the tension in his body. He wondered idly where his Leafmon was, but wasn't too concerned: anyone who messed with that baby would be in for a nasty surprise. " 'We?' " the boy asked. "And where's Leafmon bounced off to?"
"Yah, 'we.' " Davis stretched, collapsed gracelessly next to him on the bench, and closed his eyes. "And Leafmon's with the others. I gave him directions when I came hunting for you. How do you think I found you? The picnic's today. Did you forget?"
Actually, Ken had forgotten. There was just always so much to do . . .
"Ken?"
The former despot raised his and opened his eyes to stare deep into Davis's concerned brown orbs. "Mmm?"
Davis frowned at the empty expression in his eyes and shifted for a moment, clearly displeased with something. He glared at the ground and kicked a stone spitefully. It bounced away. "Ken . . . What's wrong? We won. Why aren't you happy?"
A derisive snort slid from Ken's lips. "We won? I'm not so sure." He shook his head. "It could have been me up there, Motomiya. It could have been me so easily. We were the same, Kazunori Saito and I . . . I don't think that I wanted this when I agreed to join you. I just wanted my life, my memories, back."
The Child of Courage and Friendship was uncharacteristically quiet for several minutes and the wind blew loudly through the trees. Finally he looked up at Ken. "You're not like him, you know. If you were, we would all be dead now."
The boy shrugged noncommittally. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I suppose we'll never know now, will we?"
"So will you join us now?"
"No." Ken tilted his head to the side and regarded the other boy through his hair. "Not yet. I can't yet."
Davis looked away in and scowled petulantly. He had hoped that they had all reached some sort of understanding by now. "What are you looking for?" he ground out quietly, half to himself and half to the closed off youth at his side. "Peace? Forgiveness? Closure?"
A short bark of laughter broke free from Ken. "Closure? There's no such thing as closure." He settled back against the bench again and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I wish that things would change," he murmured. "I wish I could change."
"But you have!" The exclamation was soft yet fervent and Ken looked over at his companion, startled in spite of himself.
"Whu—"
Davis threw his hands into the air and just barely resisted the urge to reach over and shake the boy. "Don't you see it? You haven't even insulted me once since I sat down."
A smirk quirked around the edges of Ken's mouth. "Don't push your luck, Motomiya."
The other boy grinned and they both relaxed a bit.
"I'm very tired, Motomiya," Ken said suddenly.
The brunette watched him with sad frustration for a moment, clearly not understanding what Ken meant.
"It would be nice, though," the former tyrant continued as he stretched.
"Hmm?"
"If we could all live happily ever after and ride away into the sunset. If things weren't really the way that they are."
"Yeah." Davis stood and gave him a shaky smile—it was not a Davis kind of smile. "It would be, wouldn't it?"
Ken reached out and gripped the brunette by the elbow. "Wait a minute." His eyes caught the light and seemed to flash. "What do you love, Davis?"
"Huh?" Davis stared at the boy in confusion. "What do you mean? I don't know. Veemon, my parents, Jun when she's not yelling at me or hogging up the bathroom. or—"
Ken released his hold and stood. "No. That's not what I meant. I mean . . . If you could be anything at all—if you could be free—what would you be?"
Davis startled Ken by whirling around and leaping up onto the bench. Ken recoiled slightly and stared up at the other boy, looking scandalized.
Davis grinned, put his fists on his hips, and struck what he considered to be a suitably heroic and impressive pose. This naturally only succeeded in making him look ridiculous. "I would be SUPERMAN!!"
The indigo-haired boy stared as Davis carefully balanced himself on the back of the bench, puffed out his chest like a peacock, and yelled at the top of his lungs: "Here I come to save the day!!"
Ken snickered and Davis looked down at him and pouted. "What?"
"Superman doesn't say 'Here I come save the day.' "
A clouded expression of confusion passed over the darker boy's face. "Then who says that?"
Ken snickered again. "Mighty Mouse."
Davis blinked and immediately deflated. This unfortunately had the effect of making him lose his balance and he promptly fell backwards off of his precarious stage and landed with a thud and a groan behind the bench.
Ken was still chuckling when he turned around to peer over the back of the bench down at the winded goggle boy laying in his back. The Tamachi boy's hair fell into his eyes as he grinned broadly at the other boy. "You're such an idiot, Davis." The words were affectionate and there was nothing but gentle amusement in his eyes.
Davis waited until the starts stopped exploding behind his eyes before he raised his head and grinned weakly at the other boy. "But I got you to cheer up, didn't I?"
A wistful smile flickered across Ken's face. "Yeah. Yeah you did, Motomiya."
Davis pushed himself up with a grunt and Ken's smile faded to a look of concern.
"You okay?"
"Pfft." Davis waved a hand. "Just knocked the wind out of myself." He walked around and sat next to the other boy again, absently pulling grass and leaves out of his hair.
Ken watched him for a moment before reaching up and gently removing a few twigs from his friend's hair. "So," he pressed as he ran a delicate hand through Davis's hair. "You still haven't answered me."
"I don't know . . ." Davis squirmed and flushed bright red. "What would you be?"
Ken suddenly pulled back and looked at him hard for a moment. Then he wrapped his arms around his waist. He stared at the ground. "The wind. I would be the wind."
Davis frowned and wrinkled his forehead. "Why?"
"Because . . . it's freedom." He looked up and forgot to be hard and indifferent for a moment, allowing Davis to see through the smooth veneer to the delicate spirit beneath—a delicate spirit that was as beautiful and dangerous as a flame, and just as easily extinguished without those mile-thick walls. "You can't see it or touch it," Ken continued, "but it's there. It's everywhere. It's incomprehensible, but utterly simple. I'd like to be the wind. Nobody can touch it. Nobody can change it."
"Nobody can love it, either."
Ken's eyes turned a sudden, vivid blue and he raised his head to look at Davis. He was something small and fragile then and the darker boy felt a swift pain contract his heart.
"I could," Ken murmured. "Couldn't you?"
The Child of Courage and Friendship blushed again turned away, feeling confused and light-headed. "I think I'd be a robin."
"Robins are fragile. They don't live very long."
"But they can fly."
"Not without the wind."
For a minute the two were quiet and then Davis laughed.
"That sounds like that corny old American song." He made a gagging sound and feigned choking himself.
"Why a bird?" Ken asked, smiling faintly.
He halted his antics and stood. His brown eyes were serious once more, a secret, strange expression, and he looked thoughtful, assuming the unconscious wisdom of the innocent. "The same reasons as you, I guess." He shrugged and shifted restlessly. "It's free. But it's also something that people can see and understand. A robin is just robin, nothing more. They don't need to wear masks or pretend."
"And you're saying that we pretend?"
"Are you saying that we don't, your Imperial Highness?" Ken stiffened, but Davis didn't notice. "You should know more about pretensions than any of us. Look at TK. He's not nearly as innocent and pure as he acts. Kari isn't the embodiment of Light and perfection. Cody has problems and issues that we'll never know. Even Yolei is more than she looks, I guess. None of us are what we appear to be."
"And what about you, Motomiya?"
A pair of dark eyes widened in surprise as Ken continued. "We all know that I'm screwed up, but what about you? Are you really as bouncy and simple as you appear?"
The wind blew softly and Davis looked away from the other boy's piercing gaze, a third incriminating blush surging up to stain his cheeks a dusky rose.
Ken cocked his head to the side. "Would you like to see something special, Davis?"
He eyed the other boy curiously, unable to discern the odd expression on his face. "Alright."
Ken grinned then, an unusual, but pleasant expression on his delicate face, and then screwed his eyes shut. He cupped his hands together, extended his arms and his slender body trembled. The air around him seemed to shimmer.
"Ken, what are you—"
"My power isn't that strong here but . . ."
The shimmering intensified and slowly swirled down into his palms.
"Ken . . ."
"I can't make you a bird . . ." The trembling ceased and Ken opened his eyes. He opened his cupped hands. " . . . But I can make one for you."
Davis's face softened. "Aw, Ken . . ."
Lying in Ken Ichijouji's palm was a perfectly sculpted robin formed of ice. It glittered brightly, like glass or crystal. It was beautiful.
The shorter boy gingerly lifted the bird and examined it. Its wings were stretched wide in flight. He stared at Ken in amazement. "Why? How . . .?"
"You've always stood up for me," he said simply.
"Ken . . ." Davis shook his head. "Cody was the one who believed in you. He was the one who brought you back."
"It was all of you. But you stood by me from the beginning. You never doubted, never faltered, not even for an instant." Ken voice dropped and his eyes softened to a shimmering blue. "I'd be lost without you, Davis."
A sudden beeping startled them. Ken looked down at his waist. "It's my D-Terminal."
He pulled out the device and popped it open. His eyes widened briefly when he scanned it and he quickly read over it again to be sure he wasn't mistaken.
Hey there, Kenny-boy,
How goes the war? Things are fine here—almost back to normal. The Airdramon send their regards. You should really pay them a visit soon. I'll be continuing on in my duties, hopefully with some help soon. I just wanted to say thank you. I'd say I'm sorry, but we both know that it wouldn't matter. Be good, Kenny-boy. Be strong. Your destiny is not yet complete and it will lead you to the answers to your questions.
This is only the beginning.
Your friend,
Gennai—Guardian of the Chosen.
Ken smiled and shook his head. "It figures."
"What is it?"
"Hmm?" He looked up and snapped his D-Terminal closed. "A note from an old friend, that's all." He returned the device to his pocket. "Well, aren't we going to a picnic, Digidestined?"
Davis grinned. The spell was broken, the moment gone. "I thought that you were going to sit here and pout about things that you couldn't change."
Ken snorted and bent down to pick up his ever-present school bag. He stood, automatically straightening his shirt and smoothing his pants. "Just because things didn't turn out happily ever after doesn't mean that I can't amuse myself for the moment. Even geniuses need a break now and again. Besides," he smirked. "I still need to kick your ass at soccer."
"What?! You wish, Ichijouji! You couldn't hurt my shadow!"
Ken shoved him lightly, surprising him and knocking him off balance. "Yeah? Then catch me if you can, Digidestined!"
"Cheater!!"
He took off towards the picnic area, Davis hot in pursuit.
To any passerby who knew them from two weeks before, they didn't seem any different. Davis was still open and optimistic. Ken was still cool and cynical. But they were different. The change was inside them—inside all the Digidestined who fought in the Dark World.
They had set as children, ignorant of themselves, distrustful of each other, and just a little bit afraid of the future. They left the fight, still children, but a bit surer of themselves and one another. And perhaps they left a little bit of their Light, Hope, Courage, Kindness, Love, Faith, Purity, Friendship, and Knowledge behind in the black sands, but they walked away with something much stronger—each other.
Behind them, a small bird made of ice was melting on a park bench. The droplets of water slipped through the cracks in the wood and, as the wind blew, it gently carried the liquid down to rest on the lush green grass below. The water gleamed like something precious in the afternoon sun, but nobody noticed it.
~Fin~
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::COMING SOON::
Book Two of The Revelations Arch:
Eidolon Am I
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