Eternal Conflict

Amalgamation

Chapter 10: Delusion

Miyako stood in a large cafeteria area. She was alone, and the lights were dim. However, there was a glazed look in her eyes as she sat down, looking at her hand, as if it was covered in blood.

You've killed… You've taken two lives.

'It's not like I had a choice!' Miyako shouted to this voice in her head, which sounded a lot like a cynical version of her own voice.

You're no longer innocent.

'Shut up!' Miyako exclaimed. 'I didn't ask to have to do this!?'

You got an e-mail saying that you're going to be instructed in Kenjutsu. Are you going to kill with your own hands next time, instead of hiding behind your partner?

'What do you mean, hiding behind Hawkmon!?' Miyako asked herself.

Hawkmon wouldn't have had to kill if he didn't have to protect you. You forced him to kill. You wanted Aero V-dramon dead.

'He would've killed Hawkmon!' Miyako was now sobbing. 'He would've killed me! Aero V-dramon would've killed the others, would've killed…'

…Takeru?

Miyako's eyes widened.

So that's it then? You feared for Takeru's life.

'What does it matter!?' Miyako shouted in her mind.

You're becoming like him. A monster.

"I'm not!" Miyako shouted out loud. "I'm not becoming a monster, and Takeru isn't one either!"

He's so indifferent about killing, as if it were the same as picking out what shirt to wear.

"Shut up!" Miyako shouted, grabbing her head. "Who ever you are, leave me alone!"

Why do you fear for Takeru? Is it because he's cute, athletic… or are you the same as him?

"I don't want anything to do with this!" Miyako shouted. "For the last time, leave me alone!"

You're running away from what you did.

Miyako brought her head down, sobbing into her arms.

And what about your first kill? The V-dramon?

"V-dramon killed his own allies when they were knocked out!" Miyako shouted.

But he was under the Kaiser's control. He had no control over what he did. You and Hawkmon did. Hawkmon felt enough rage to kill because you wanted it!

"Leave me alone!" Miyako shouted again.

What would Momoe say if she saw you now?

"Shut up!" Miyako shouted once again. Suddenly the door opened.

"Inoue-san?" Takeru said as he entered the cafeteria. He was currently wearing a red t-shirt and blue pants, obviously meant to be used as sleep wear.

Miyako picked up her head, seeing Takeru looking over at her, before bringing her head down again.

A frown of worry appeared on Takeru's face. The blond haired chosen moved closer towards the violet haired girl and sat down next to her. "Are you alright?"

Miyako lifted her head towards Takeru, seeing the worry in his face. "No." Miyako said in a sob, before embracing Takeru, and beginning to cry again.

Takeru blushed slightly, before returning the embrace. "What's wrong?"

"I'm a murderer." Miyako said through her sobs. "I've already let Hawkmon kill two digimon today."

"And if you didn't, we would all be dead." Takeru said.

"I killed a V-dramon in rage during the battle." Miyako said. "I could've told Hawkmon to free him from the Kaiser's control, but after he killed those V-mon, I just lost it."

"I wish I could say that it would be alright, but I can't." Takeru said. "Even though digimon are reborn when they die, they don't remember most of their memories, unless they're a chosen digimon. And when reborn digimon do remember something, it's usually the worst memory that they had in their previous life."

"So I've condemned two digimon to hell as well then?" Miyako said, tears still cascading down her face.

"All I know is this," Takeru began. "Any digimon that is under the control of the Evil Rings, or whatever those new versions that the Kaiser has created would rather be killed than continue to serve him."

Miyako looked over at him. "I really don't understand you Takeru-kun." Miyako said, her tears starting to stop as she closed her eyes.

'That makes two of us.' Takeru thought as he continued to embrace the young girl.

Daisuke looked over at the sleeping Chibimon. He was currently in a room similar to Hikari's. 'He's really worn out.' The brown haired chosen thought. He had already looked at the computer when he couldn't sleep, which was why he was sitting in the computer chair and staring into the ceiling.

'I still don't know about sword training.' Daisuke thought. 'Should I be happy? Should I be afraid? And why is Takashi-san teaching me? Will Hikari-chan be there?'

Chibimon yawned. Daisuke just shook his head.

'And anyway, I wonder how Miyako is handling this?' Daisuke thought. 'I heard that Hawkmon was forced to kill two digimon in the battle.'

"Killing should be used as a last resort if it even has to be used at all!" Iori had said that.

But now the question was if he and V-mon were actually going to be able to stay true to that.

'Do I honestly want to learn how to use a weapon?' Daisuke asked himself. 'Do I want to kill with my own hands?' Daisuke looked over at his sleeping Baby II stage digimon once again. And suddenly the answer was clear to him.

'No, I don't.' Daisuke thought. 'But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to do it. I can't leave all of this killing to Chibimon. He's supposed to be my partner, not a weapon.' Daisuke then went and lied down on his bed.

'I'm going to learn how to help him as fast as I can.'

"What's wrong Iori?" Armadimon said. Like with Daisuke, and Hikari, Iori was currently in his room as well, unable to sleep. Iori was sitting on his bed, staring at a wall. Armadimon was curled up in a ball, his head looking over in his partner's direction.

"I'm just wondering how long it will be before we're forced to kill." Iori said.

"You shouldn't think about things like that." Armadimon said. "It's true that we may be forced to kill, but at the same time we might not."

"Do you honestly believe that we'll be able to avoid killing?" Iori asked his digimon.

Armadimon stayed silent.

"Thought so." Iori said glumly. The human and digimon were silent for a few seconds. "Armadimon, I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" Armadimon said.

"When we're forced to kill someone, try and make it quick."

Mimi sighed as she looked around the large room of the base, which was called the "War Room". In this room were many advanced computers and large view screens, capable of showing a map of the entire digital world.

Mimi, in all honesty, hated this life.

She was currently seated at a large circular table, with Wallace, Michael, and Steve sitting across from her.

"So I hear that you're going to teach Hikari how to use a spear." Michael said.

"What does it matter?" Mimi said. "And why did I learn how to wield a weapon in the first place?"

"You do have to admit, Martial Arts skills have saved us in the past." Wallace said. Mimi looked over towards the human partner of Terriermon and Lopmon.

"Aren't you training Chizuru in hand to hand combat?" Mimi asked.

"What's your point?" Wallace asked.

"We really should stop bickering." Steve said. "We know the Kaiser's getting more serious with his conquest."

"But why?" Michael said, in a serious tone. "Does he think that the new chosen are a legitimate threat to him?"

"I hope not." Wallace said. "With them, our best bet was that the Kaiser would underestimate them. And now he can control perfect level digimon."

"I know." Mimi said. "The new kids are going to end up with more kills than any of us."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, clearly interested.

"During our battle with the Vritramon (1), and then later the Kaiser, my number of unassisted kills went from One to Fifty. And that was only in the first month. Miyako's already killed two digimon today."

"This isn't good." Michael said, in a worried tone. "Gennai was hoping that she would be able to ease into killing along the way, not to be forced to kill abruptly."

"I know." Mimi crossed her arms over her chest. "I just hope she doesn't have an emotional breakdown."

Suddenly a door to the war room opened and Takeru walked in, his shirt stained with Miyako's tears. Steve looked over towards the blond haired Japanese-French chosen.

"What happened to your shirt?" he asked.

"Miyako-kun did." Takeru replied simply, sitting down at the table. "She's currently feeling guilt. I just had to carry her to her room from the cafeteria."

"So are you going to start training her tomorrow?" Wallace asked. Takeru sighed.

"If she's up to it." Takeru answered. "I'm also going to be training Daisuke and Iori."

"You shouldn't have any problems with Daisuke." Steve supplied. "He's the type of person who'll do the right thing. He'll want to learn to take some of the grief off of his partner."

"However, Hida is going to be a problem." Takeru said. "I know what the kid will think. He won't try learning how to kill anything, and will probably try to avoid learning anything from me."

"And he doesn't like you that much." Wallace added. "He probably thinks that you always go to killing as the first resort to end a battle."

"I wish I could blame Hida for thinking that." Takeru said somberly. "I guess it should be that the first chosen in this room to kill a digimon should be the one more likely to resort to killing as a method."

"What do you think about Chizuru?" Wallace asked in an attempt to change the subject. Takeru shook his head.

"I think Maria scared her." Takeru said simply. Mimi banged her fist against the table.

"Why do we have to do this?!" Mimi shouted, banging her fist again. "Why must children like us be forced into saving the world?! Look what it's done to us!"

"I know." Steve said. "But all I know for sure is that none of us would want this burden to be placed on anyone else."

Kuro was leaning against a tree, in the middle of an insignificant forest. His Black Gabumon was sitting against the tree as well.

"The situation is already getting out of hand." Kuro said, looking up towards the black sky.

"It's been out of hand. Almost nothing is happening like it's supposed to." Kuro's Gabumon said. "The fact that the others are evil and that you're here is enough proof of that."

Kuro shook his head. "Still. Ryo shouldn't have become the Kaiser. Ken-kun should have."

Gabumon looked over at his partner, a questioning look on his face. "You would rather that have happened?"

"At least we know he would've been defeated." Kuro said, glumly.

"And he'd be insane." Gabumon responded. Kuro was about to speak, but he heard a twig snap. The masked chosen turned around, and saw Sabia Rei looking over at him.

"So here you are." Rei said simply.

"What do you want Saiba-san?" Kuro asked, clearly watching her. Rei moved closer to him.

"Nothing much." Rei said as she continued walking, until she was right in front of the dark haired chosen. "I'm just wondering why you're fighting against us." Rei brought her hand up and caressed Kuro's cheek. "Why you're fighting against me." Rei moved her face closer to the male chosen's, before pressing her lips against his.

Kuro didn't seem to react as Rei kissed him. Rei brought herself back. "Indifferent, is that it? Or maybe a certain Inoue is on your mind?"

"You know why I'm trying to stop Ryo, and why I need to stop you." Kuro said coldly as he grabbed Rei's hand and pulled it off his face. "But you must know what that Oikawa's plan will kill us all? Why are you letting that Dark Seed control you? The Rei I knew wouldn't be controlled by anything!"

"People change." Rei said simply. "Besides, despite what you think, the Dark Seed isn't controlling me."

"That's what everyone says." Kuro responded simply. "You're just hiding from the truth. Are you really that weak?" Rei glared, before she slapped Kuro.

The dark purple haired chosen didn't even flinch as Rei's hand collided with his cheek, hard.

Gabumon readied himself to attack. "At least I'm not hiding behind a fake persona." She said bitterly, beginning to walk away.

"You aren't dead." Kuro said simply, causing Rei to stop moving, her brown hair falling in front of her eyes. "But why are you going with such a crazy plan? Certainly you know that Earth and the Digital World aren't the two only worlds in existence?"

"Oniisan." Rei said simply. Gabumon looked confused.

"What?" the small lizard digimon asked.

"I cannot fight against my oniisan." Rei said, before vanishing in a black portal. Kuro stared at the space Rei had vacated.

"I can't blame you for that." He said quietly, before he and Gabumon walked out of the forest.

"I'm worried about Miyako." Chizuru said simply. She was sitting on her bed in her room on the base, her arms wrapped around her legs. Labramon was lying down near the pillow.

"What's there to be worried about?" the small dog digimon asked.

"Hawkmon killed today." Chizuru said simply. Labramon looked confused.

"So?" the small dog digimon asked.

"I don't know if she could handle it." Chizuru said.

"You think she's felling guilty that she let her partner kill in order to stay alive?" Labramon asked.

"Yes. Not only that, but I think she feels guilty that Momoe was killed as well." Chizuru said. Labramon had a puzzled expression on his face.

"Who?" he asked, clearly confused.

"My older sister. She sacrificed herself to save Miyako in a battle before I got my digivice." Chizuru answered sadly.

Labramon just looked over at the teenage girl. "Are you feeling guilty about that?"

"Yes… but at the same time I know it wasn't my fault." Chizuru said. "I just feel guilty that my sister's dead and I'm not."

"But would you want your sister to blame herself if you were killed?" Labramon asked.

"No, I wouldn't." Chizuru answered.

"Then there's no reason for you to feel guilty about her death. She wouldn't want you to feel this way." The dog digimon stated simply. Chizuru just looked over at her partner.

"I guess you're right." Chizuru said, resting her head on her knees.

Jyou, Jun, and Koushiro were currently in the living room area of the Kido apartment. The digimon were asleep. Jyou turned out to be correct in that his parents would encourage a relationship with Jun, much to the brown haired chosen's dismay. Mr. Kido had looked at Koushiro's wounds, and his shoulder was now covered in a long white bandage.

"So, what should we do now?" Jun asked. "I don't know about you two, but I'm not going to be able to get to sleep now."

"I guess we'll have to skip school." Koushiro said. "Besides, there would been far too many questions about this." Koushiro pointed towards his shoulder.

"I think I'll have to agree with you on that." Jyou said. "Now, what exactly happened between our digimon?"

"They Jogress evolved, fused together in order to evolve into a perfect level digimon. I've only seen it twice, not counting today." Koushiro said.

Jun looked puzzled. "What instances were they?"

"The first time was during the battle with Diablomon. War Greymon and Metal Garurumon fused together to form a stronger digimon called Omegamon. The second time was with an American chosen named Wallace, who has two digimon partners, a Terriermon and Lopmon, and Jogress Evolved them into Antiramon." Koushiro explained.

"So, we both have the perfect of Atlur Kabuterimon now?" Jyou asked. Koushiro shook his head.

"Not exactly. Wallace said he could Jogress his digimon into two different perfects. I assume that we can do the same." Koushiro said.

'I wonder who Bakumon will end up jogress evolving with.' Jun thought.

It's time to kill Hiroki.

Oikawa blinked. He was outside the Hida Apartment. Hida Hiroki should be in the apartment by now. Oikawa brought his arm into his trench coat, feeling the handgun holstered there.

'Why do I have this gun?' Oikawa thought. He also realized that he was wearing latex gloves.

To kill Hida Hiroki with. A voice which was clearly not his own answered.

'I don't need to kill my friend.' Oikawa thought.

We already agreed that Hiroki would die Yukio!

Suddenly black light ran across Oikawa's body as a blank look appeared in his eyes. "Yes. The plan must be put into motion." The Oikawa smiled evilly as he drew the black handgun, before knocking on the door to the apartment. The door opened and Mrs. Hida appeared in the door way.

"Yukio-san. I haven't seen…" She then looked down and noticed the gun in Oikawa's hand, before he fired, the bullet hitting in the chest. Mrs. Hida's eyes widened as her body fell to the ground. Hiroki appeared, his gun drawn, aimed in the direction of the door. Hiroki's eyes widened as Chikara also appeared, checking to see what happened.

"Yukio, why?" Hiroki asked weakly.

"Nothing personal, I just can't leave any witnesses to your death if my plan is to come into frutation." Oikawa said simply. Hida Hiroki went to pull the trigger of his handgun.

Oikawa was faster.

The bullet from Oikawa's gun went through Hiroki's eye, as the police officer fell to the ground, dead. Oikawa then shot Chikara in the head for good measure, before drooping the gun.

'I had to do it. The plan is already too far behind to allow something like this to mess it up.' Oikawa tried to justify his actions before vanishing in black tendrils of energy.

End Chapter 10

Author's Notes:

This chapter is shorter than I would like, but I really had nothing else that would fit here.

The first scene was inspired by the later half of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

1. Mimi's referring to the battle that the New York chosen were called to fight against. It happened roughly around the same time Takeru, Ken, and Ryo were fighting Millenniumon.

Anime obsessed fan: Yes, Kabuterimon and Ikkakumon can also Jogress into Zudomon… as soon as Koushiro and Jyou figure out how to do that.