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DISCLAIMER – Digimon belongs to several different companies of which I own none. Therefore all digimon used are their property and used without permission. The Diaries Universe belongs to Lord Archive. The German Digi-destined belong to the Diaries universe. All other miscellaneous characters are my meagre intellectual property.
By Misc666
Set in Lord Archive's Diaries Timeline
Reich Diaries 2002
Entry Eight– Whither Shall I Go
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The smack of a plastic ball striking a hard surface could be heard in the gymnasium of the school. The end of the day had come round and all the after school activities were taking place. Today was the turn of the Table Tennis Club to use it, although admittedly it was more just a collection of kids who wanted to play table tennis and not much of a club.
"Hey Niko', your forehand is way weak today." Tobias grinned as he sent the ball smacking back at his friend, Nikolaus scowled as he sent it snapping back over the net again.
"I've got other things on my mind." Nikolaus kept his eye on the ball as he said this, ready to strike it back as it came to him.
"The Digital World? Thought so, cause I'm thinking about it too. When are we going back?" Tobias looked over hopefully as he said it knocking an easy ball to his friend. But Nikolaus just scowled in response and smashed the ball down as hard as he could. Narrowly dodging out of the way Tobias looked over at his friend in disbelief.
"I don't think we should go back. Ever." Nikolaus looked out through the window towards the sky as Tobias went to pick up the ball. He sighed as he found it dented from the impact and no longer usable.
"Why not?" asked Tobias grabbing another ball, and slipping the damaged one in with the hope that the teacher wouldn't notice that they'd damaged it.
"It's dangerous for us. It's just a stupid idea to put ourselves in risk." Nikolaus began twirling the paddle underneath one of his fingers as Tobias prepared to serve.
"What about the Digital World's people? Gran Kuwagamon is gonna kill them all if we don't stop them." Tobias served heavily towards Nikolaus' weaker side as he said this.
"Our digimon can't get past Adult or Armour level. Chances of us defeating Gran Kuwagamon are VERY low. Besides, it isn't our world and therefore not our problem." Nikolaus managed to return it with a little difficulty.
"Rosie says we can evolve them to Perfect, and maybe even Ultimate. There's always a chance. I reckon you're just a coward." Tobias smacked it back expressing his distaste in his friend's words.
"Coward? It's common-sense. Why risk yourselves for others? Why risk our digimon?" Nikolaus knocked it back over, but the light way he did it showed him to be less irritated than Tobias.
"Why'd you get the Digimental of Courage? I'm the one who's willing to go that extra mile to secure victory." Tobias tried slipping the ball below Nikolaus' arms but to no avail as it was knocked back over to him.
"There are different types of courage my friend." Nikolaus decided the time was nearing an end for this game as he struck the ball hard towards Tobias.
"Oh? And you don't have any of them, you're not willing to go that extra mile. You won't take risks." Tobias struck it with the full weight of his anger behind it. As it hit the table Nikolaus realised the bounce would lead it to flying up into his face. His first thought was to try and hit it, but eventually he decided he didn't want to risk it hitting him in the face and ducked out of the way letting it fly past.
"Yeah, I don't take risks. I'm not going to put any in danger; not me, not you, not Katrina, not Karl, not anybody. Risks are dangerous, I play by the safe option, the stakes are lower but I'm not risking anything at all." Nikolaus put the paddle with the rest of them as everyone began clearing the hall up.
"Stakes and risks. Depends on what you define as a risk. I reckon having all his friends die is what Agumon would define as a risk. And I know the others agree with me." Tobias helped Nikolaus fold the table and push it together, but as their hands slightly touched both glared at the other.
"I'm not going back, you must understand that." Nikolaus began to walk away as they finished putting it away. Grabbing his school shirt, tie and bag he began walking towards the door. Tobias ran to catch up with him.
"Well, I'm going back even if you aren't. And I know Katrina is coming with me. Do what you want." Tobias slipped his shirt on as Nikolaus waved a hand flippantly in his direction.
"Anyway, why are you questioning the Digimental I got? You don't really seem like a personification of Light to me. Anyway, I gotta catch the bus." With that he walked off leaving a fuming Tobias behind.
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"Nikolaus, Katrina is at the door." Nikolaus sighed as he heard his mum's shout. He'd assumed Tobias would contact the other two about his decision not to go back to the Digital World. And he knew Katrina was not one to keep her opinions to herself. Of course whether she'd be there to sooth him into coming, or to beat his head open and drag him down there, was anybody's guess. Sighing heavily again he got up and walked to the door.
"I assume Tobias talked to you?" He looked at her as she stood there with a sweet expression on her face. But he'd had enough experience to know she wasn't here to be nice, that she was willing to travel the five miles across Berlin to his house showed it was serious.
"We're going for a walk." With that she grabbed him by the hand only stopping to let him put shoes on, but not socks, and dragged him out of the house.
Eventually as he began to see shops around him, after ten minutes of pure silence, she stopped to sit down on a bench. Finally she turned to look at him and told him to sit down beside her so they could talk.
"Again, I assume Tobias talked to you after school. I'm not budging on this, even if I was it wouldn't matter." He looked off at the clouds as she looked at him with a curiousity he'd grown used to.
"Oh, and why wouldn't it matter?" She looked like she was going to hit him at any moment and he began to wonder whether she was more angry than normal, chances were she was.
"I talked to my parents, we all did. They wouldn't let me go. Heck, they don't want to let Agumon go and he's only been a member of the family for a couple of days." He remembered explaining the situation to his parents and being pleasantly surprised. Of course he knew that Tobias' parents would be okay with it if his parents were. Their father's had grown up together, and had been part of the hippy revolution of the seventies together. And neither man had seemed to have grown up since then, a bonus for getting out of stuff Nikolaus didn't want to do. But even his dad wasn't budging on him going back.
"My parents were doubtful at first, but they accept that we have to do this. I'm sure yours will in time as well." She looked at the dejected expression on his face, clearly he didn't agree.
"It's not just them. I refuse to go back." Suddenly he felt her fist hit him in the face. He'd been right, she was more angry than usual. Normally she slapped him if she was angry, but this was serious if she was going to punch him. Getting up he looked at her, to see her looking away from him.
"I know you do. And I know you claim its common sense. But personally I think it's stupid." She had trouble getting the words out and Nikolaus was sure she was crying, an apt reason for her to look away from him.
"You're crying?" He was surprised by this, she never cried. When older boys had picked on her and Tobias in Year 3 it had been Tobias who burst into tears in the playground. Katrina meanwhile had punched one of the boys in the naughty bits instead. For her to cry was just as surprising as for her to punch him.
"Sometimes I get serious about things. Like when I followed Ingrid Kahl for a whole day to get to talk to her. I'm going to save the Digital World. Whether there are four of us, or three." She stood up as well as the brief moment finally passed.
"I can't go back on my word. I'm not going, not even for you." With that he began walking home, leaving the girl to her thoughts.
"She means what she said. We're going back tomorrow, with or without you. And I intend on asking Agumon to come back, regardless of whether he can evolve or not." Nikolaus looked into the shadows where the yellow fox, Renamon, stood in the cover of trees. Part of him wondered how she'd gotten out here without being seen, but mostly she was just a waste of his time.
"Without, and I'm not letting Agumon go." He began walking again and she kept up easily in the shade of the trees.
"It's his home. Just like its Hawkmon's, Kokuwamon's and mine. We have to save it even if some little boy refuses to. We can do it without you. We all lived in fear of Gran Kuwagamon before you came along. We don't exist purely for you humans, we exist for ourselves. To save our world." He had to admit that she looked proud as she stood there, but no talking fox was going to sway him.
"And I want to protect mine. If we fail, what happens next? Gran Kuwagamon is going to wipe out this world, the world of my family and friends. This country has already dealt with a megalomaniac warlord before. We don't want another Hitler." She just looked puzzled at the name, obviously she hadn't asked her partner too much about German history.
"It's going to go down, and nobody but us can stop him." She stood firm as she stared him down.
"Let him rule the Digital World, this world isn't ready for him." Nikolaus smiled as he reached the end of the trees, she couldn't follow him any longer.
"But what about Hans-Joachim Goeth, surely he'll suggest the invasion of this world when the Endless Forest is expended." She knew she couldn't follow any more. But she made the last ditch effort.
"Surely the Endless Forest by definition can never be expended." And finally he was out of earshot and back to his own thoughts. Nothing could sway him, although there were more people who would undoubtedly try. He would have laughed of course if he knew that the reason she didn't respond was because of the kids that thought she was someone in a suit.
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"Nikolaus, you can't ignore this." Nikolaus looked down at the little orange dinosaur. With a shrug he turned back to the magazine he was reading.
"Personally I thought I was doing quite a good job at it. Of course if everyone was to leave me alone it'd be much easier for everyone," replied Nikolaus as his eyes scanned over the movies that were premiering over the weekend.
"You can't ignore the situation, for my sake." Agumon's plea met with a stony expression from his partner who muttered something about the movie review he was looking at. Agumon meanwhile fumed at his partner's disregard.
"We're not going back, its just a stupid thing to do. I wonder what mum cooked for dinner, I think I can smell sausages." Nikolaus' comments were followed by his taking a sniff at the air, finding the smell to his liking.
"We may not be going back. But I am, and I don't need you. I want to help my kind, I want to protect them." Agumon received a snort of laughter in reply to his passionate outburst. Confusion was evident on his face, and even a little bit of hurt.
"Calm down Moses. But jokes aside, Gran Kuwagamon is an Ultimate or whatever, right? He's how much stronger than you are? How many levels above your current form?" Nikolaus leaned in as he questioned the small dinosaur.
"Well in between there's Adult and then Perfect." Agumon seemed to be faltering as he stuttered this out, Nikolaus was right about the gulf between his power and Gran Kuwagamon's. But he had to try nonetheless.
"And what would we need to fight him? We've had enough trouble dealing with Goeth and his partner, and his partner's only able to reach Adult. What chance do we even have against a Perfect, let alone an Ultimate." Nikolaus was irritated now as he said this, why couldn't Agumon just understand it.
"It doesn't matter that he's so high above us in level, we'll raise an army and overwhelm him." Nikolaus looked at his partner as if his idea was absurd, which in his opinion it was.
"An army? Of what? And doesn't this ignore what you told me, doesn't he have an army of his own? Could you raise a larger stronger one?" Nikolaus seemed to be almost mocking his partner as he set out the facts.
"We can build an army. Lady Rosemon can fight Gran Kuwagamon, I know she must be stronger. And there are Perfect level digimon we can get to fight for us. We can do it if you stay focused to the cause." Again Agumon's hopeful plea met with disdain from his partner, an utter lack of care for the situation in the Digital World.
"Some army, Rosemon told us herself that she isn't going to fight him. And without her what do you think the chances of raising support are going to be?" Nikolaus' comments dug into Agumon as if each were an attack hitting him.
"We have to try. We can't let him get away with this…" Agumon's words were cut off by the sound of Nikolaus slapping his magazine down on the desk.
"If you're committed to this then you do it alone. There's no reason for me to return, and I have absolutely no intention of doing so." Nikolaus began walking towards the door to his room but as he opened it he felt Agumon push past him.
"Then I guess I am. I'll ask your mother if she can drive me down to stay with Tobias and Hawkmon." And with no more goodbye Agumon walked off in his slow but deliberate steps to find Mrs. Reinhardt.
Nikolaus sat down to think for a minute as a indiscernible conversation carried on in the kitchen. This was followed by the opening and closing of the front door. And finally the sounds of the car pulling out of the driveway. His thoughts were interrupted by knocking on his door.
"Come in." His words contained a trace of hope that maybe it was Agumon returned to give up his foolish plan, but instead his father walked in and took a seat on his bed.
"Any reason that dinosaur of yours' just upped and walked out on you?" Nikolaus replied to his father's question with a noncommittal shrug. His dad sighed and walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him down.
"It's… difficult. He just doesn't understand what's going on," said Nikolaus as his attempts to move met with his dad pushing him down again.
"And you do? Wouldn't he know his own home better than you? You've got to understand that he wants to help his people." Again Nikolaus replied with a shrug.
"There's no possibility that he'll be able to win, he just doesn't stand a chance. I'm not going back there just so I can see him die, if everyone wants to die I have no intention of watching." Nikolaus' outburst was ended as his father slapped him playfully on the back of the head. He turned to look up, an expression of confusion on his face.
"What if you can help? What if you can stop him dying by being there? Don't you owe it to him?" Nikolaus looked at his father quizzically as a thought passed through his head.
"Weren't you against the idea of me going back last time we talked? What happened to change your mind, you never change your mind." Nikolaus' comments earned a knowing smile from his dad.
"I've spent a lot of time talking to Agumon. He's not the mindless monster I'd been expecting," Nikolaus' father paused earning an eager nod from Nikolaus who'd been surprised to see Agumon eager to integrate into human society, including his attempts at using the toilet.
But the peaceful reminiscing passed over as Nikolaus remembered the subject at hand and turned to his father he asked what relevance it had.
"Well, its just interesting to see that he's no different to you and me, well obviously excluding his appearance. Are all his kind like him?" asked his father curiously.
"Pretty much, they're pretty much like us. They have human-like personalities complete with virtues and flaws." His dad nodded along to his comments, deep in thought.
"Well, I've been thinking today. If they're like humans, then we already know what they'll think of. He told me of Gran Kuwagamon, and he sounds like human dictators obsessed with increasing their own territories. Won't he want to expand into our world? And from the sounds of it conventional weapons won't be very effective against giant bugs." His father spoke with an edge of concern.
"Dad, I don't think he could get into the Real World… and I don't think he could be bothered anyway. Anyway I've got school tomorrow, mind letting me get to bed." Nikolaus waited for his father to leave before turning to where he'd left his digivice lying.
His eyes looked towards his bag, tempting him to put it inside. But instead he left it lying where it was and prepared for bed.
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"Today is so boring, I hate Maths." Nikolaus sighed as Tobias left to go to Maths, the break had been subdued as Katrina and Karl had eaten with other friends and Tobias had barely spoken to him. They'd all accepted that he wasn't going back and this was causing some friction in the group, although he guessed he couldn't be counted as a member of the group anymore.
With a look at where Katrina was talking to her own class he began the journey to his English lesson. Sitting down he looked around the class and his eyes suddenly fell upon the empty chair beside his chair. Or where there should have been an empty one.
"Hello Niko', I'm finally back." With a grin Hans-Joachim Goeth looked up at him.
"Quiet down all." With the class starting Nikolaus was forced to ignore Hans' presence. But as the teacher looked away, busy reading the English translations, he saw an opportunity to find out what was going on.
"What are you doing here?" his whisper was quiet enough so nobody else turned to see what they were talking about. But Hans' less than hushed laugh brought the attention of the surrounding desks to them.
"Yeah, where've you been?" Nikolaus scowled as another classmate assumed Nikolaus had been curious as to where Hans had spent the past couple of days.
"Did I not ask for silence while I read? Now quiet down or I'll move you all." The teacher's voice had an edge of anger at being interrupted while reading what she, but not anybody else in the class, found fascinating.
Again Nikolaus found himself burning with desire to yell at the neo-Nazi. But as she read he could see the teacher looking over to where he sat every so often. Eventually his desire not to get into trouble won out over hatred and he went back to doing his class-work, all the while thinking about what he was going to say when he had the chance.
Finally the teacher put down her book and announced that the class was over. Kids scrambled to be the first to leave, everyone except Hans who happily and calmly wandered out the door. Nikolaus was ready to catch him at the door.
"What are you doing back here? Why's you have to come back?" hissed Nikolaus as he grabbed Hans by the arm. Hans grinned as he used his free hand to grab Nikolaus' arm, somehow managing to clutch it in the only part still injured. With a yelp of pain Nikolaus was forced to release his own grip and console himself with just throwing a glare at the other boy.
"Its getting boring in the Digital World without you guys. So I thought I'd come and see what was holding you lot up. Not much apparently." Nikolaus scowled at the comment as Hans waved at him dismissively before walking right past him.
"So beating innocent digimon to death doesn't thrill you anymore, that surprises me. I thought you were the kind of person who never tires of mindless violence." Nikolaus' comments earned a bout of arrogant laughter from Hans.
"No, Gran Kuwagamon has enough of those in his army. I couldn't have gotten attention from him if I wasn't something special. I spoke to him with winged words, as they say." The grin on Hans' face was huge by now, as if he'd amused himself with his poetical speech. Nikolaus was less amused by this as he snorted derisively.
"So what do you want, why do you help a tyrant?" inquired Nikolaus as he found himself becoming interested in the conversation.
"Boredom mostly. Look at what's become of Germany. Sixty years ago we would have lived in a proud nation, a strong and pure nation. But now look at it, Turks and Jews on every corner while the true Pure Germans like me live wary of being arrested. Sixty years ago you'd be arrested for not saluting the Furher, now a mere 'Hail Hitler' would get you sent to jail. I'm tired of the new Germany, but Gran Kuwagamon is a way to achieve the nation we need at a time like this." Hans' rant came to an end as Nikolaus looked at him in mute horror and a couple of younger kids whispered amongst themselves as to whether Hans was breaking the law.
"A 'time like this'? What the hell are you talking about now?" Nikolaus was finally able to break his silence to spit out his question.
"The world is decadent. Jews and cripples walk the streets unharmed. Germany has let itself go, a mere puppet to the United Nations. I will bring a new age with Gran Kuwagamon's help." Hans allowed himself a laugh after finishing only to receive a fist to the face from Nikolaus.
"That's just sick, you dream of an Aryan nation and yet you ally yourself with digital insects? You're willing to help Gran Kuwagamon slaughter your own countrymen?" Nikolaus was furious as he asked these questions, rightfully so in his eyes.
"Sacrifices need to be made of the weak." Hans licked some blood off his lips before spinning to leave. Nikolaus found himself rooted to the spot, unable to prevent Hans' exit.
"I should have known Goeth wouldn't ignore Germany. Damn it, I was hoping I wouldn't have to go back." Grumbling to himself Nikolaus rummaged through his bag for his digivice. He couldn't explain what had made him put it in, but he was glad he had. Now he just had to hope they hadn't left yet.
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"So it's time to return to the Digital World." Katrina looked at the group around her while Karl prepared the computer. She couldn't help feeling sorry as Agumon looked around every few seconds.
"He's not coming, you do know that. It's not like him to give in like this." Tobias snorted as he said this, Nikolaus was stubborn and was going to hold off unless there was a very good reason.
"Yeah, but I can hope." Agumon let out a sigh, much like his partner would.
"Time to go." Karl put his hand on Katrina's shoulder and pointed to her family computer where the Digital Gate program had finally readied itself. Suddenly there was the sound of someone knocking on the front door.
"Your parents?" asked Kokuwamon worriedly.
"No, they're not going to be home until later. And they wouldn't knock. Wait here." She walked into the hallway and the others heard a low pitched conversation. Curiousity began to get the better of Tobias who peeked his head out of the door.
"Who is it?" As Tobias said this he felt someone's fingers flick his forehead. At first he was angry, but then he realised who it was. And his grin grew.
Pushing his way past his friend, Nikolaus walked into the room with a grin of his own. Agumon immediately leapt at his partner who hugged the dinosaur Child tightly. His grin seemed to match Tobias' as he shook Karl's hand as well.
"Weren't thinking of leaving without me are you? Just took me some time to come to my senses." Nikolaus grinned as Katrina walked into the room. But she looked troubled.
"So what made you change your mind?" Hawkmon was just as curious as his partner and burned to know why someone who protested so much had changed his mind so suddenly. He hadn't changed it when Tobias saw him at lunch, what had happened during his last lesson?
"It might come as a surprise, but it was Hans-Joachim convinced me to return. We're going to beat him this time, and I have some stuff I'm going to do to him personally." Nikolaus grinned as he held his D-3 up to the computer screen, ready to go through the portal.
Gran Kuwagamon was going to pay.
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Next Entry - Entry 9 - Battle Royale, Four Armours released.
Once again the Digi-destined fall into a trap as they find the four Digimentals. However things are never as good as they seem as they go to grasp they find themselves surrounded by Gran Kuwagamon's army.