Disclaimer: I do not own digimon or any digital monsters or characters.
A final quick side note to this story: Once you go down the rabbit hole you are never the same if you make it back up again.
EPILOGUE
The energetic laughing atmosphere seemed to be haunted by the echo of it's own laughter. Takeru could hardly believe that Hikari was being possessed so soon by Homeostasis. No, that wasn't it. In fact, he could see all of the other digidestined, but it was as if they could not see him. He had no idea what was going on. He wondered if this was the work of a digimon, but it did not seem likely.
"Hello!" he shouted looking at all of them, but a few looked down at him while others looked at Hikari as if they could not hear him.
"What happened to him?" Sora said concerned.
"I don't know," his brother fretted, "but I think it has something to do with Hikari being possessed. I don't know how to reach him!"
"Child of Hope," he heard Homeostasis's voice say within his own mind. He turned around and saw Homeostasis in Hikari's form.
He did not know how to react since it had all happened so fast. "What is it that you want?" he asked. "We defeated Freitmon and the Digital World should be at peace. Why are you here?"
The being approached him, her presence unnerving to Takeru.
"The Digital World cannot be restored without all of Freitmon's data. Though you defeated him, you did not secure all of it. That remaining data is now in your world. Without that last important heart of information to all of him all of your work will become undone," she said with a breath of finality as if her word was law.
Takeru stared at Hikari, terrified for and of her the way her terrifying yellow eyes and bright appearance felt as if they dominated his whole being. She seemed to have more and more control over Hikari as if the two of them were in battle of dominance over her body and yet Homeostasis had been the victor. He swallowed heavily, foreboding words piercing into his soul, the future he thought had been so clear seemed now doubtfully possible.
"Now then, Child of Hope," Homeostasis said, "The darkness is strong when the light is bright. It is deep, it is vast, and as I possess her more and more the Child of Light will be able to be here less and less. If my presence becomes too much for her, over time her presence will be eliminated and this will be my body forever."
"But why?" Takeru asked confounded by this revelation. "What did she do to you for you to do that to her?"
The being stared at Hikari's hand as if they were her very own.
"She may have resisted me before," Homeostasis explained, "but when she begged me to help her save your life that mark on her hand became a promise of eternal submission to my will as is the mark on yours. As consequence of that choice although you are not possessed you will reveal the promises of the past, the records of the Digital Record that I have borne for so long. From henceforth my will is now your will. You will seek the missing elements to the Digital Record and claim it in my name," she commanded.
Takeru tried his best to comprehend what Homeostasis declared, but her words and intensity were too much.
"You seem confused," Homeostasis said approaching him. "This will convey to you everything. When we touch you will have access to this data." Her hands stretched out to him as if pulling him towards her. "It will implant itself in your mind. As the guardian to the digidestined of light you too must bear this burden."
"What are you-" Takeru had no idea how to react as shockingly Homeostasis closed her eyes and planted Hikari's lips on his. The lips felt cold and unresponsive, but they pulsed with life. He pushed her back taken aback by the kiss, but then flashes of light dashed around his retina. He grabbed his head and closed his eyes as if it would stop the images from assaulting him.
"What is this?" he said screaming as they kept attacking him.
"The past realized internally," Homeostasis gravely replied.
"What did you do?" he weakly asked looking at her completely vulnerable. Her shadow enveloped him, Takeru not knowing whether to fear her or push her away from him, but it was useless no matter what he did.
"It's not enough," Homeostasis mused burying her lips down against his again.
The kiss felt like his brain had frozen and dethawed many times to Takeru like snapshots of pictures flashing across his mind, freezing in time after each shutter flash.
"More," Homeostasis said as if she was quenching her thirst on his lips. She dove down and pressed her tongue and lips further into mouth, Takeru helpless to all of the dazzling images crossing the periphery of his mind, sensations and visions too wondrous to behold...
The Digital Record: Realized.