The Remains of Heaven
By Ryan Bodle
Chapter Two: Black and White Makes Grey
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any related characters. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes and not copyright infringement.
Ken sat shaken up. He stared to the floor eyes wide and shivering. His clothes a shamble, laid on him. He had slowly gotten dressed and rather shamefully. He snapped when he thought he heard whispers. He sat in silence, feeling his lungs contract and open faster and shallower. His throat trembled and dried very quickly, a small croaking emerged his mouth. There it was again. He stood straight hand against the wall behind him, using it as support as he glanced around. They couldn't have been there. He was alone.
Alone. That was the problem, especially right now. He heard them again, this time they didn't stop as suddenly as they came. He wanted to speak out but his voice was too dry, he stumbled to the wash basin not far. He turned the faucet rapidly and brought the water to his lips, feeling a cold liquid pass his lips. He let go of his hand made bowl and spat half of what he had in his mouth. It was salty in taste, like sea water. Black sea water. He gasped, staggering back. Leaving the water to run.
Those faucets nearby turned themselves on and began to pour the same substance. Ken thought the entire changing room was shaking. More water burst, beating ken's heart harder as the showers turned themselves on. It went on forever.
"Child of Kindness," the growl was so low. In fact it didn't seem to be a growl, just the sound of a coarse voice speaking. Slowly, and lower than Ken had ever heard.
"What do you want? I put you behind me long ago!" Ken shouted, his feet spread. He felt empowered now.
"You ignored me and ignored yourself child!" The voice started back. Ken's knees buckled as the voice clamed itself. "You think I am here to destroy you? To consume you? You do not even know what I am."
"Well," Ken started, he didn't know what to say. "Wh-what are you then?"
"A pitiful result, for which I accept nobody's sorrow. I am what all digimon loathe, fear and mourn."
"What?"
"A personification, child of kindness, all the hate, the sadness, the fear, everything a digimon was not meant to be, became discarded data, and like every digimon, I was created from data. The waste."
"That's why you tried to corrupt me? And take Kari?" There was a silence. "So what's left to say?"
"I make no excuses for the effects of my world on your life, but I did nothing to try and bring the child of light here, that was my servants. I had no part in that, child of kindness, living in a world of darkness, I only knew the data that made me.
And then you reached to my world, through a consuming greed and resentment, yet I felt none of it. I felt the heart of you, I saw your real persona and I was enriched an empowered by it, I never wanted to let it go, so I could not let you from my grasp. Alas it was that I had to."
"You let me go?"
"Indeed I did, and now I come to you, openly, no traps, just to ask for your strength."
"I'm strong? There are others you talk to, I don't trust whatever you are."
"You cast me aside without second thought, when those friends of your see nothing but a tool in you?"
"I don't think so," Ken picked up his bag. The waters erupted making him step back.
"That little child, forever pestering with answers and ideas, always trying to beat you and make you seem less, you call that a friendship?"
"Cody?"
"And the elder girl, always screaming, putting you down. Blaming you for every mistake, before batting her eyelids so that you stick around so she can manipulate your skills and strength."
"Yoeli, but," he stopped, why was this making sense to him. "She doesn't do that all the time. Does she?"
"The child of hope, sneering and domineering over you the whole time, the only act of compassion he made to you was one based on greed and betrayal. Then there's the child of light, she herself consumes your attention as well as the others, that vulnerable self pity act she makes. Never has she gone out of her way for you." His sports bag dropped to the floor.
"T.K, Kari," there was the pause. "Davis?"
"Of course, this child seems to be smarter than he leads on. After all, he sides with you to become more powerful with your own digimon, powered by your own characteristics. Then in a heartbeat will forget you exist to chase the child of light and make himself a leader among a back stabbing group."
"They used me," Ken sounded astounded. "But why?"
"To keep themselves alive, they knew they could never accomplish great things on their own, they needed you. And you are destined for great things, I have seen it."
"Like the Digimon Emperor?" Ken snapped back to reality.
"If you wish, it is not my decision, it is for you to decide. Be the ruler of a world, be fighter of the helpless, be nothing if you wish it, I'll not force you any further, it was a mistake to do so before."
"Why did you?"
"Your energy it was captivating, I was so attracted to it, and all the time I never knew its source. Until I tracked you down through my visions, I had seen what my powers had done in return and cut you loose from me before permanent damage was made."
"But it was the dark spore that influenced me."
"Do you not understand, the spore bridged a link to my world, the world I control? When I stopped its manipulation through you, it became less powerful, and you fought righteously from that point."
Ken sat down and tried breathing. What was he hearing? He didn't want to think about the possibility of it being a huge mistake. It wasn't plausible, but when he heard it from that side it was kind of believable. If Ken held some sort of energy that engrossed light or kindness as his crest reflected then it was possible for this creature to be attracted to it. Was it possible for this thing to be sorry for a mistake?
"Ok, what is you want from me?" He finally asked.
"I want to escape this place, I want to be a digimon again, help me escape this world."
"How do I do that?"
The voice wretched. "Again your kindness is exemplified greatly, I cannot begin now, my energies have been spent in our meeting here, I must rest to gain my strength so that we can try, I will come again Ken Ichjouji, I thank you deeply for your understanding."
The waters began to wash away and then everything stopped running as Ken was left on his own. He heard feint footsteps begin slam along the corridors.
"Ken!" It was Davis. Ken instinctively grabbed his bag and stood up, just as Davis kicked the door open. T.K was there with him. "Hey Ken Kari's fine, so I rushed back to check on you again, you ok now?"
'Right,' Ken told himself. "I'm fine Davis, maybe a little shaken, but I'll be ok." Ken pushed past the two and started walking off. Davis and T.K was left behind with an expression that included one part confused, one part scared and two parts curiosity. They chased after him.
His arms ploughed deeper into the roots of the digital world until he could feel the information of the world at his finger tips. His corrupted reach searched everywhere. He stopped, a file photo appeared in his memory banks. There she was, she had changed and grown so much, he had to have her, use her powers, it drove him insane, now there was only one thing to do, find a way to her world.
"Stop! Identify yourself!" Cyberdatamon's neck twisted so that his full face glared at the source of his voice. He stared down an Andromon, who was unfazed by his icy stare.
"I'll not answer to a weakling like you!" Cyberdatamon replied, relinquishing his arms from the earth below. "I'll rip apart your insides for addressing me so rudely."
Andromon took a fighting stance. For all the good it did. "Micro missiles!" Cyberdatamon's finger formed into tiny tubes and each fired a single missile at Andromon, who could not react. The shear force on impact was devastating as a good two mile radius blast erupted, destroying Andromon instantly. Cyberdatamon stood unaffected. He craned his legs before taking to the air and disappearing from the scene.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any related characters. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes and not copyright infringement.
Ken sat shaken up. He stared to the floor eyes wide and shivering. His clothes a shamble, laid on him. He had slowly gotten dressed and rather shamefully. He snapped when he thought he heard whispers. He sat in silence, feeling his lungs contract and open faster and shallower. His throat trembled and dried very quickly, a small croaking emerged his mouth. There it was again. He stood straight hand against the wall behind him, using it as support as he glanced around. They couldn't have been there. He was alone.
Alone. That was the problem, especially right now. He heard them again, this time they didn't stop as suddenly as they came. He wanted to speak out but his voice was too dry, he stumbled to the wash basin not far. He turned the faucet rapidly and brought the water to his lips, feeling a cold liquid pass his lips. He let go of his hand made bowl and spat half of what he had in his mouth. It was salty in taste, like sea water. Black sea water. He gasped, staggering back. Leaving the water to run.
Those faucets nearby turned themselves on and began to pour the same substance. Ken thought the entire changing room was shaking. More water burst, beating ken's heart harder as the showers turned themselves on. It went on forever.
"Child of Kindness," the growl was so low. In fact it didn't seem to be a growl, just the sound of a coarse voice speaking. Slowly, and lower than Ken had ever heard.
"What do you want? I put you behind me long ago!" Ken shouted, his feet spread. He felt empowered now.
"You ignored me and ignored yourself child!" The voice started back. Ken's knees buckled as the voice clamed itself. "You think I am here to destroy you? To consume you? You do not even know what I am."
"Well," Ken started, he didn't know what to say. "Wh-what are you then?"
"A pitiful result, for which I accept nobody's sorrow. I am what all digimon loathe, fear and mourn."
"What?"
"A personification, child of kindness, all the hate, the sadness, the fear, everything a digimon was not meant to be, became discarded data, and like every digimon, I was created from data. The waste."
"That's why you tried to corrupt me? And take Kari?" There was a silence. "So what's left to say?"
"I make no excuses for the effects of my world on your life, but I did nothing to try and bring the child of light here, that was my servants. I had no part in that, child of kindness, living in a world of darkness, I only knew the data that made me.
And then you reached to my world, through a consuming greed and resentment, yet I felt none of it. I felt the heart of you, I saw your real persona and I was enriched an empowered by it, I never wanted to let it go, so I could not let you from my grasp. Alas it was that I had to."
"You let me go?"
"Indeed I did, and now I come to you, openly, no traps, just to ask for your strength."
"I'm strong? There are others you talk to, I don't trust whatever you are."
"You cast me aside without second thought, when those friends of your see nothing but a tool in you?"
"I don't think so," Ken picked up his bag. The waters erupted making him step back.
"That little child, forever pestering with answers and ideas, always trying to beat you and make you seem less, you call that a friendship?"
"Cody?"
"And the elder girl, always screaming, putting you down. Blaming you for every mistake, before batting her eyelids so that you stick around so she can manipulate your skills and strength."
"Yoeli, but," he stopped, why was this making sense to him. "She doesn't do that all the time. Does she?"
"The child of hope, sneering and domineering over you the whole time, the only act of compassion he made to you was one based on greed and betrayal. Then there's the child of light, she herself consumes your attention as well as the others, that vulnerable self pity act she makes. Never has she gone out of her way for you." His sports bag dropped to the floor.
"T.K, Kari," there was the pause. "Davis?"
"Of course, this child seems to be smarter than he leads on. After all, he sides with you to become more powerful with your own digimon, powered by your own characteristics. Then in a heartbeat will forget you exist to chase the child of light and make himself a leader among a back stabbing group."
"They used me," Ken sounded astounded. "But why?"
"To keep themselves alive, they knew they could never accomplish great things on their own, they needed you. And you are destined for great things, I have seen it."
"Like the Digimon Emperor?" Ken snapped back to reality.
"If you wish, it is not my decision, it is for you to decide. Be the ruler of a world, be fighter of the helpless, be nothing if you wish it, I'll not force you any further, it was a mistake to do so before."
"Why did you?"
"Your energy it was captivating, I was so attracted to it, and all the time I never knew its source. Until I tracked you down through my visions, I had seen what my powers had done in return and cut you loose from me before permanent damage was made."
"But it was the dark spore that influenced me."
"Do you not understand, the spore bridged a link to my world, the world I control? When I stopped its manipulation through you, it became less powerful, and you fought righteously from that point."
Ken sat down and tried breathing. What was he hearing? He didn't want to think about the possibility of it being a huge mistake. It wasn't plausible, but when he heard it from that side it was kind of believable. If Ken held some sort of energy that engrossed light or kindness as his crest reflected then it was possible for this creature to be attracted to it. Was it possible for this thing to be sorry for a mistake?
"Ok, what is you want from me?" He finally asked.
"I want to escape this place, I want to be a digimon again, help me escape this world."
"How do I do that?"
The voice wretched. "Again your kindness is exemplified greatly, I cannot begin now, my energies have been spent in our meeting here, I must rest to gain my strength so that we can try, I will come again Ken Ichjouji, I thank you deeply for your understanding."
The waters began to wash away and then everything stopped running as Ken was left on his own. He heard feint footsteps begin slam along the corridors.
"Ken!" It was Davis. Ken instinctively grabbed his bag and stood up, just as Davis kicked the door open. T.K was there with him. "Hey Ken Kari's fine, so I rushed back to check on you again, you ok now?"
'Right,' Ken told himself. "I'm fine Davis, maybe a little shaken, but I'll be ok." Ken pushed past the two and started walking off. Davis and T.K was left behind with an expression that included one part confused, one part scared and two parts curiosity. They chased after him.
His arms ploughed deeper into the roots of the digital world until he could feel the information of the world at his finger tips. His corrupted reach searched everywhere. He stopped, a file photo appeared in his memory banks. There she was, she had changed and grown so much, he had to have her, use her powers, it drove him insane, now there was only one thing to do, find a way to her world.
"Stop! Identify yourself!" Cyberdatamon's neck twisted so that his full face glared at the source of his voice. He stared down an Andromon, who was unfazed by his icy stare.
"I'll not answer to a weakling like you!" Cyberdatamon replied, relinquishing his arms from the earth below. "I'll rip apart your insides for addressing me so rudely."
Andromon took a fighting stance. For all the good it did. "Micro missiles!" Cyberdatamon's finger formed into tiny tubes and each fired a single missile at Andromon, who could not react. The shear force on impact was devastating as a good two mile radius blast erupted, destroying Andromon instantly. Cyberdatamon stood unaffected. He craned his legs before taking to the air and disappearing from the scene.