Digimon Adventure Tamers
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon
(Play Digimon: The Biggest Dreamer TV Size)
(Play Digimon Tamers Aban)
Two years have passed, and the Tamers have reunited with their Digimon partners. However, Ryo has been acting strange lately, between his dislike of the Digimon Adventure 02 series and his partner continuing to go out of control and attack his friends, and now they have gone to the Digital World alone to talk with the Sovereigns. What could this possibly mean…?
(Play Digimon Tamers: Subtitle 2)
The Tale of the Tamer!
It was late at night in Shinjuku and while everyone was asleep, with the exception of those with night jobs, Rika Nonaka was wide awake in bed as the memories of her talk with Ryo earlier were still fresh in her mind. What she learned about Ryo was so shocking, she had trouble falling asleep. Sitting up in bed and looking at her clock, Rika let out a groan of frustration as she noticed the time on her clock said one-thirty in the morning. Getting out of bed, Rika walked out of her room and into the courtyard, where she sat down on a rock and stuck her feet in the small lake. The redhead let out a huff as she looked up at the night sky.
'Damn it Ryo…you just had to deprive me of sleep,' she thought, though she didn't truly hold much of a grudge against Ryo for her temporary insomnia. Deep down, Rika was truly concerned for Ryo and his current state of affairs. She just didn't want to admit it to everyone in the world, least of all the other Tamers.
"Thinking about Ryo?" Renamon asked as she appeared behind Rika, who didn't look over to her. Rika snorted, not surprised at how Renamon was able to read her like a book.
"Yeah…but it's not that big of a problem…"
"It must be if you're still awake," noted the yellow fox. Rika merely said nothing as she pulled her feet out of the lake and started walking back to her room.
"Renamon, it's nothing," Rika said, looking up at her partner, who merely narrowed her eyes to the girl.
"Is it?" Rika looked up at her partner again, and sighed, knowing she couldn't get out of this easily. "Rika, if you want to talk about it, I'm right here…"
"I…I don't know Renamon…maybe not here in case my mom and grandma are heading to the bathroom and overhear us…" Rika failed to notice her partner's nod as the next thing she knew, she felt herself being lifted in Renamon's arms and the wind blew in her hair. When she was set down, Rika found herself standing on the rooftop of a building in the main part of Shinjuku.
"What the…Renamon, what are we doing here?"
"I come here often at night to think…as well as see the city at night…" Renamon answered, looking out at Shinjuku, which was filled with faint noises of nightclub music and police sirens. "I figured if I brought you here, you could tell me more about Ryo…"
"Well, you could have told me what you were doing," snapped Rika. "I'm still in my pajamas…and I don't have footwear!" This was true as Rika still wore her striped pajamas and her feet were bare. Renamon briefly nodded before going to a cardboard box and pulling out a blanket which she offered to her Tamer. Rika took the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, sitting down on a crate with Renamon sitting next to her.
"So tell me Rika…what is it about Ryo that ails you?" Renamon asked softly. Rika remained quiet as she stared out at the city lights again and then to her feet before speaking.
(Play Digimon: Last Piece)
"…Do you remember when Jeri first joined us as a Tamer? Do you remember the way she always was around us?"
"Yes, I do," answered Renamon. "She seemed like a very optimistic girl who always smiled and never seemed to have a problem, other than her doubts of being a good Tamer."
"That's what I made of her as well," said Rika, "until Leomon died and Jeri was used as a battery for the D-Reaper. Finding out about her deceased mother, and the strained relationship she had with her father and stepmother…she had it worse than I did…I just didn't notice it because I was wrapped up in the card game and being a Tamer, as well as my own family issues…I didn't realize that Jeri had it worse than I did until it was almost too late." Rika remembered sitting down with Jeri after the D-Reaper crisis and being one of the people to help her with her problems. Since then, Jeri often saw Rika as a sister figure.
"What exactly does this have to do with Ryo?" inquired Renamon.
"I'm getting to that," said Rika. "I always had a problem with Ryo, and it wasn't because he beat me in that tournament a few years back, but because he always seemed so…perfect. He could handle any situation with ease while we were struggling, he never seemed to let anything drag him down, and he never seemed like he had a problem with his family…other than leaving them for a year to be in the Digital World."
"But after the D-Reaper crisis, and after Jeri told me about her problems and why she put up a façade, I began thinking that maybe everything Ryo did was some sort of mask; that he had some problems in his past and he buried them deep within himself by acting like he did. When he started acting differently ever since you came back, I knew something was bugging him. Then he told me about being from another dimension and being adopted…and I realized he had it just as bad…maybe worse…than Jeri." Rika's face looked down once she finished speaking. Renamon's face showed no emotion, but inside she felt for Rika.
"I believe he may have had it worse than Jeri," voiced the yellow fox. "He's been separated from his friends and family for so many years, living in a world where everything and everyone he knows are literally fictional characters, with little to no way of ever returning home. He has made new friends in all of us," she referred to the other Tamers as well as herself and Rika, "but perhaps it hurts him, knowing he may never see his old friends again, nor his old family."
"I know," Rika sighed sadly. "And I want to help Ryo like I helped Jeri…but his situation is entirely different, and I don't know how exactly how I feel now about Ryo. At first, I always felt angry around him, mostly because of my hurt pride after he beat me in the tournament and didn't even recognize me when we met again in the Digital World. But now…I don't know. Maybe I'm still just the same as before."
"No, you're not," Renamon said firmly, putting her hand on Rika's shoulder. "You've come a long way since we first met Rika. When we first met, you had trouble connecting with others and letting them in, but over time you became more open with your family and those you considered your enemies who later became your friends…and you've even helped them out. You can help Ryo, but you need to let him come to you gradually."
"I guess so…" Rika muttered, feeling sleep finally consume her as she swayed off to the side. Fortunately, Renamon was able to catch her partner before she hit the ground. Picking her up in her arms, Renamon jumped over the rooftops, finally returning to Rika's bedroom.
'Just when I think I understand humans,' the yellow fox thought as she placed Rika in bed, 'I find out more about them that I don't understand.' Renamon then walked out the bedroom and jumped up to the roof of the house, observing the night sky and looking out for any threats that may come.
In the Hypnos building, Yamaki sat in his office, poring over paperwork on his desk. Some of the paperwork were reports of today's battle for the government, while other papers were of Ryo Akiyama. These papers included a newspaper clipping talking of Ryo's victory in a Digimon card game tournament two years before the D-Reaper crisis, the tournament Ryo beat Rika in; another paper was his Hypnos profile. The blond-haired man sighed as he took off his sunglasses for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose and look out the window. All seemed peaceful outside in Shinjuku and the entire world, but Yamaki knew better. The peace never lasted for long. Originally forming Hypnos to eliminate every single Digimon, Yamaki later realized that the Digimon would always be around and they would be needed to combat threats like the D-Reaper. Ever since the Digimon returned, Yamaki and the staff at Hypnos at been constantly and carefully monitoring both the Digital World and Human World, on the lookout for any incoming major threat. One would call Yamaki paranoid, but with the revelation of another world and the advancements in technology that would come in the future, Hypnos knew a new threat could come soon that would require the Digimon Tamers.
'The question is…what could the threat be?' the blond-haired man thought, returning to his desk and putting back on his sunglasses. As he returned to his paperwork, a knock on his office door caught his attention.
"Enter." The door opened and Janyu Wong, Henry and Suzie's father, stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. One of the Monster Makers, the creators of Digimon, Janyu was originally hired by Hypnos to find a way to annihilate all Digimon, later helping come up with a way to eliminate the D-Reaper. Ever since the D-Reaper crisis, Janyu and the other Monster Makers had been working with Hypnos, as they, like Yamaki, realized a threat more dangerous than the D-Reaper could always be on the horizon.
"Yamaki…you wished to see me?" Janyu asked, taking a seat in front of the Hypnos director.
"Yes, I did Janyu," answered Yamaki. "I apologize if I woke you up, but there's something we need to talk about…"
"And that is?"
"Ryo Akiyama," Yamaki answered, showing Ryo's profile to Janyu. "You were the one who compiled the profiles on the Tamers, am I correct?"
(Play Digimon Adventure: Hirogaru Fuan)
"Yes, but it was a joint assignment," said Janyu. "Shibumi and I both worked on the profiles, with Robert helping a bit as well."
"I'm aware of that, but I believe you were the one who talked with Ryo and took care of his profile." Janyu shifted slightly in his chair, realizing what Yamaki was talking about. He remembered the day he talked with Ryo to have his profile made, and what he learned was stuff that would have been impossible for him to put in the official Hypnos records.
"I see…is there something wrong with it?"
"To an extent," said Yamaki. "There isn't much in here about Ryo's past, only that it says he's adopted. When was this?"
"Well…Ryo said he was adopted a year before the Digimon card game tournament where he faced and beat Rika Nonaka…and then shortly after that, he vanished into the Digital World."
"Did you ever talk with his adoptive father?"
"I did. He told me that Ryo never talked much about his old family."
"Did he say anything else?" Janyu hesitated slightly before answering.
"Yes…he said that when he adopted Ryo, the boy had an egg with him that was bigger than a chicken egg. Several months later, the egg hatched into a small purple dragon. Ryo usually left the dragon at home, but a few weeks after Ryo's tournament victory, the dragon changed into a black dragon man that nearly wrecked the house. Ryo and the dragon man left the house and then they disappeared."
"I see…" Yamaki muttered as he digested this information. "So Ryo had his partner Digimon for years on end. Why exactly did you not put this in his profile?"
"I talked with Ryo's father before I talked with Ryo and put his profile together," said Janyu. "When I brought this up with Ryo, he tried to evade that topic, as well as the topic of his partner's outbursts."
"So he didn't say anything about that?" It was at this question that Yamaki knew that Janyu was hiding something, judging from the hesitant look on his face as well as the way he was fidgeting slightly in his seat. "Janyu…did Ryo tell you about his old family?"
"He did…" Janyu answered. "In fact, he told me about his entire past, but from what he told me, I wasn't sure if Hypnos would believe it…and Ryo didn't want word to get out about it."
"Get out about what?" inquired Yamaki. "What exactly did he say?"
"That he came from another dimension, and his partner as well." Yamaki's eyebrows raised up slightly upon hearing this.
(Play Digimon Tamers Shutsugen)
"Another dimension, you say? You mean, like he came from another universe?"
"I know it sounds crazy, but he seemed like he was telling the truth," answered Janyu. "He said he came from another world that had children with Digimon partners as well. Ryo and his partner were fighting a very powerful, very dangerous Digimon when a portal sucked them into our world, where he ended up being adopted."
"I see…" Yamaki said, looking at Ryo's profile again.
"Ryo also said that his partner absorbed the data of the Digimon that brought them here, and it's apparently the cause of his outbursts and tendency to attack everything and everyone around him," Janyu continued.
"Another dimension…I can see why Ryo didn't want to tell anyone about this. It sounds unbelievable, something out of a science-fiction movie, but given the existence of Digimon…"
"It does sound believable," said Janyu. Before either one of them could speak again, a buzzer on Yamaki's desk went off, alerting Yamaki to an incoming call. Reaching over to his phone, Yamaki pressed the button to allow the call to come through.
"Yamaki, it's Riley. Tally just picked up someone going into the Digital World through the portal in Guilmon's old shed." Yamaki frowned slightly at this.
"Do you have any confirmation of who it was?"
"Yes," answered Riley. "It was Ryo Akiyama." Yamaki and Janyu's eyes widened at this news.
"What?" asked Janyu. "Why would he go into the Digital World?"
"I'm not sure," said Yamaki, opening his cigarette lighter before snapping it shut. "Drat. I really needed to talk with him about this other dimension…"
"As did I," said Janyu. "We'll have to wait until he returns." Both men remained silent, wondering why Ryo went to the Digital World, and what his motives were for going there.
(Play Digimon Kanshou)
In the Digital World, Ryo and Cyberdramon stood before the Sovereigns Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon, who were two of the biggest Digimon in existence. His reasons for coming to them were simple: He needed to return to his old home dimension, and the Sovereigns, with their god-like power, were the best choice.
"So…you wish to return to your former home," Zhuqiaomon said once Ryo was done with his explanation.
"I do," said Ryo. "This TV show that I've seen in this dimension…it's a universe alternate to my own, and I'm sure you know this!"
"Yes, you are correct in that assumption," said Zhuqiaomon. "What you have seen in this television show is a lie…those events did not happen in your dimension…yet…" Ryo's eyes widened slightly at this, confirming his suspicions.
"So Ken…the shrapnel Millenniummon shot at us…it was a Dark Spore that corrupted him…" the brown-haired boy said sadly.
"Yes," Azulongmon said morosely. "Ken Ichijouji did become the Digimon Emperor due to Millenniummon's influence…but however, since the television show is alternate from your universe…it is possible that there are other forces at work as well."
"So…you're saying Myotismon…Daemon…the Dark Ocean…"
"I cannot say for sure," said Azulongmon. "As I said, the television show you saw was an alternate universe…"
"Yeah, I think I got it when I first saw it," Ryo said, thinking of past memories before returning to the present. "I just needed to be sure. So you're saying Ken did become the Digimon Emperor?"
"I'm afraid so," said Azulongmon. "As the Sovereign of your world Ryo, I have been witness to Ken's fall into darkness. I have been unable to act in your world as the Control Spires have erected a barrier of darkness that has trapped me outside of your world."
"Damn it!" cursed Ryo, who kicked a nearby rock. "So that means I can't get back home!"
"Why exactly do you want to return?" Zhuqiaomon asked skeptically. "How do you not know that the new Digidestined can handle the problems themselves?"
"Maybe they can handle it, but it's my fight as well!" said Ryo. "You know of my history with Millenniummon! And I can't ignore the fact that his evil has tainted Ken! I have to return home and finish what I started two years ago! But because Azulongmon is all but locked out of his Digital World, then that means I'm stuck here!" Ryo kicked another rock in anger and frustration, feeling that he couldn't help his old friends.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Ankoku ~Kibou~)
"You are correct when you say the Control Spires prevent me from doing anything in my dimension," said Azulongmon after a long silence, "but however, that does not mean they are preventing me from doing anything here." Ryo's head shot up back to the azure dragon Digimon upon hearing this.
"Wait…are you saying you might be able to send me back home after all?"
"Yes," said Azulongmon. "If I am able to open up a portal in this dimension, you will be able to travel back to your own dimension and aid the Digidestined in combating Ken." Ryo couldn't help but smile big at this news. At last, he was finally going home.
"Then can you send me back?"
"He cannot," Zhuqiaomon said suddenly. "As powerful as Azulongmon is, he is only one Digimon Sovereign."
"Then why don't you help him?" asked Cyberdramon, who had been silent for most of the meeting. "Two heads are better than one, they say."
"I'm afraid two Sovereigns will not be enough either," the crimson phoenix stated as he looked down at Cyberdramon. "If we are to open an interdimensional portal, then we will need all the Sovereigns together." It only took Ryo a moment to process this information before speaking again.
"Okay, so you need Ebonwumon and Baihumon as well," said Ryo. "How long will it take for them to get here?"
"It will take about a week," Azulongmon answered before turning to his fellow Sovereign. "Zhuqiaomon, I leave that task to you. I shall watch over your sector in your absence." Zhuqiaomon looked over at Azulongmon as if he was offended before letting out a massive huff.
"Very well." The crimson phoenix stretched out his four wings and took flight, vanishing in a portal of fire. Once Zhuqiaomon was gone, Ryo looked over to his partner.
"Well Cyberdramon, we should get back home and get ready for the trip." Ryo and Cyberdramon turned to leave when they were stopped by Azulongmon.
"A moment please, Ryo. There is something we should talk about." Ryo turned around and looked up at Azulongmon with an uneasy look on his face. The Legendary Tamer had a suspicion of what Azulongmon wanted to talk about, and he wasn't sure if he was going to like it.
"What is it we need to talk about?" Ryo inquired, looking up at the azure dragon again.
"The other Tamers," Azulongmon answered simply. "You have not been honest with them about your past, I believe. You haven't told them the full truth of who you really are…and where you're really from…" Ryo fidgeted slightly as if he wanted to run and not have this talk, but he stayed where he was as he knew this was important.
"Well…I have told Rika and Henry's father…but I made them promise not to tell anyone else until I was ready…plus I didn't exactly tell them the full story."
"Then perhaps you should spend the next few days telling them," Azulongmon suggested. "You will need them by your side for this mission." What the Sovereign said cause Ryo to look at him with wide eyes and a look of shock.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Though Ryo had a feeling what Azulongmon meant, he still asked as he wanted to be sure, and he wanted Azulongmon to elaborate further.
"What I mean is, you should bring the other Tamers as well. Having them help you and the Digidestined could be very beneficial." Ryo was silent as he processed this information and Azulongmon's advice.
"Azulongmon…I'm not sure if I can just bring the others along for this. I will tell them everything once I get back to Shinjuku, but I can't just bring them all along. They all have school to go to, and they could be away from their families for so long. It's different for me, because while this dimension and the Tamers have been good to me, it's technically not my home…" Ryo trailed off, looking down at the ground as he thought about Takato, Rika and the others. "Besides, what's not to say that a Digimon may attack Shinjuku while we're away?"
"The other Sovereigns and I can prevent any bio-emergences from happening in your absence," Azulongmon replied. "As for the other Tamers' personal lives…I'm sure their families will understand. It is not the first time that they have left for another world."
"This is different."
"Perhaps," Azulongmon said to Ryo's statement. "But it does not matter what dimension you're from. What matters is you all have Digimon partners, and you care greatly for your home worlds, and that is more than reason to bring them along." Ryo was quiet again before he looked up at Azulongmon again.
"All right. I'll tell them, and I'll see what I can do about them coming with me."
"Good," said Azulongmon. "Besides, there may be a possibility that you'll find a familiar face in the Digidestined's world…a certain Digimon you've all been looking for." Ryo looked confused for a moment before it suddenly came to him.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Digimon Tamers no Theme)
"Wait…are you saying Impmon is in my dimension?"
"Yes," said Azulongmon. "A while back, I felt a strange presence in your dimension; a presence I later realized to be Impmon. I tried to find him, but his digital signature disappeared after a while." Azulongmon's words made Ryo feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Disappeared…are you saying he may be…permanently dead?"
"I did not say he is dead," corrected Azulongmon. "His digital signature is obviously somewhere I cannot detect it…but perhaps his Tamers could find it with their Digivice." Ryo really felt uncomfortable at the thought of bringing Ai and Mako along. They may have been Tamers, but Impmon became their partner after the D-Reaper Crisis and right before the Digimon returned to the Digital World. If he brought them along…it would be the twins' first major adventure.
"Azulongmon, I'm not sure if that was a good idea…Ai and Mako are both only seven years old…"
"And some of the Digidestined were near that age when they first started out," said Azulongmon. "If they want to come with you Ryo, then there is nothing much you can do to stop it. Plus…considering the Tamers are from another dimension, I highly doubt the Control Spires will prohibit Digivolution." Ryo tried to say something, but stopped when he realized Azulongmon was right. The Tamers were given D-Arcs of their own, even Ai and Mako, and were always given a choice. If the Tamers' choice was to accompany Ryo and help them, then there was little to nothing he could do to stop it. And if what Azulongmon said was true and the Control Spires' anti-Digivolution program didn't affect the other Tamers' partner Digimon, then it would make things easier. Looking up at Azulongmon again, Ryo nodded and said, "All right…I understand Azulongmon."
"Good," Azulongmon rumbled before lifting his head up and directing it to a nearby Digital Split. "If you take that Digital Split there, it will take you back to Shinjuku." Ryo and Cyberdramon nodded in acknowledgement and flew up to the Split. A flash of light later, and the duo found themselves in a cloud of fog.
Back in Shinjuku, the alarms blared at Hypnos as the systems detected a bio-emergence.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Net no Umi)
"Sir, our sensors are picking up an entrance!" Tally informed Yamaki, who stood in the center of the room with Janyu Wong. "And it's right near this building!"
"Is it a Wild One?" Yamaki asked, snapping his lighter again.
"Scanning…" Tally looked at the screen before seeing a blinking blue dot on the screen. The blond-haired woman let out a gasp, realizing what it was.
"Sir! We're detecting a D-Arc signal in that Digital Field!" Yamaki and Janyu both looked up at the screen in surprise, before looking at each other in understanding.
"It appears our AWOL Tamer as returned." Janyu nodded to Yamaki, who turned around and left the room.
Everything around Ryo and Cyberdramon was white for several moments before the Digital Field dissipated, revealing the city of Shinjuku around them. Ryo looked around and was surprised to see he was standing next to a familiar building.
"It looks like we ended up right at Hypnos," Ryo noted as Monodramon, who had just degenerated from Cyberdramon, looked up in surprise as well. "Good thing too, because this is where I wanted to go right when we came back." Ryo and Monodramon began walking to the entrance to the building when the front doors opened up, revealing Yamaki standing in front of them. Though his face showed no emotion, Ryo knew that Yamaki was aware of his escapade in the Digital World.
"Ryo Akiyama…we need to talk."
"Yeah…we all need to talk," Ryo said, not backing down from Yamaki's intimidating stare. "I need you to call in all the Tamers…and that includes Jeri, Ai and Mako."
It took an hour for all the Tamers to be called in to Hypnos. As it was still early Saturday morning, most of the Tamers, especially Rika, were sleeping in when they received the call. Though they were still tired, all of the Tamers managed to make it, though some of them still wore their pajamas.
"What were you thinking going off into the Digital World in the middle of the night, you moron?!" scolded Rika, who was understandably grouchy due to only getting a few hours' sleep. "Especially with your partner going off the axe handle when nobody expects it?!"
"Oh, take it easy Rika!" Kazu reassured the red-haired Tamer. "I'm sure Ryo was able to handle anything that attacked him!"
"Monodramon and I didn't get into any fights," said Ryo. "We went to the Digital World so we could talk with Zhuqiaomon." This caused the Tamers to look up in surprise, Terriermon and Lopmon being the most surprised.
"Wow! You actually talked to turkey-face and walked out alive?" asked Terriermon. "You must be one lucky Tamer!"
"Well, Zhuqiaomon's opinion on humans has changed slightly," Ryo rubbed the back of his head, "and it also helped that Azulongmon was there as well."
"Why did you need to talk with the Sovereigns Ryo?" Lopmon questioned the Legendary Tamer. Ryo took a deep breath, looked at Monodramon who gave Ryo a reassuring nod, and looked back at the Tamers answering, "We were talking about where I really came from."
"Where you really came from?" asked a confused Kokuwamon. Most of the Tamers were wondering what Ryo meant, but Rika and Renamon both sat up in surprise, realizing what Ryo was talking about.
"There's something I need to tell you guys," Ryo said, his voice now clear and strong. "The only ones that know were Henry's dad, Rika, Renamon and Yamaki, but they don't know the full story, until now."
"What story?" asked Betamon. Ryo took another deep breath and said, "I…am not from this dimension. I was born in another dimension…on another Earth." All was silent as the Tamers digested this bombshell of information.
"Another…dimension?" asked Henry, who was the smart one of the group.
"You're an alien?!" Ai and Mako asked in surprise. Ryo couldn't help but chuckle at the young twins' outburst.
"No, no…I'm not an alien. I'm a human being very much like you. What I mean is I come from another Earth that's very much like ours…but it's different."
"Oh…" the twins both said, now realizing what Ryo was saying.
"You're kidding!" Takato gasped.
"No I'm not," said Ryo, who looked serious again. "In fact, I'm not just from any other dimension…I come from the earth of the Digidestined." A stunned silence fell over the room again. Takato, Kazu and Kenta all had their jaws hitting the floor in shock.
(Play Digimon Adventure: Iya na Yokan)
"That…that can't be," Henry said with a frown. "The Digidestined are just characters in a TV show."
"So were Digimon, but they're very much real," countered Ryo. "I'm not kidding, the Digidestined are real."
"He's not lying," voiced Renamon, who could read people just by their body language. "His posture, the way he is composing himself, he is telling the truth."
"And from the way he smells, he's not lying," said Guilmon, who walked up to Ryo and sniffed the hem of his pants before sniffing Monodramon. The purple dragon backed away slightly until Takato pulled his partner back.
"Ryo…if you really did come from the world of the Digidestined…then did you…"
"Yes," Ryo said, knowing full well what Takato was prepared to ask. "I met the Digidestined…the original eight, to be exact."
"WHAT?!" yelled Takato, Kazu and Kenta.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Li no Theme)
"No way!" Kazu said in excitement. "I knew you were cool before Ryo, but now…!"
"So you actually met Tai and Matt and the others?!" Kenta asked excitedly as well. "Then that means you must have fought alongside WarGreymon and Angemon and…"
"Hey, hey guys, let's focus here!" Takato said, though it was clear the goggled Tamer was just was excited about all of this as well. "As much as I want to geek out, let's let Ryo continue speaking!"
"Great, now those two are going to be worshipping Ryo like a god now," Rika grumbled, looking at Kazu and Kenta with narrowed eyes.
"Thank you," Ryo said to Takato before continuing. "Yes, I did fight alongside the Digidestined before. It's a battle that never made the show, nor did it make any of the other media platforms for some reason."
"What happened exactly?" Suzie asked curiously. Ryo took another deep breath before really diving into his story.
(Play Digimon FIGHTING SOUL)
"It all started on New Year's Eve 1999. I was in my room playing with my computer when my screen lit up and a Digivice came out of it. When I touched it, I was instantly sucked into my computer and I found myself in the Digital World. At first I thought it was just a dream, but when a Kuwagamon attacked me and cut my arm open with his pincers, I realized that this was no dream. It was very much real."
"You got attacked by a Kuwagamon?" asked Jeri. "Didn't the first Digidestined get attacked by a Kuwagamon their first day in the Digital World?"
"Strangely, yes," Ryo chuckled before continuing. "Kuwagamon kept chasing me until Tai's partner Agumon came to my rescue. He managed to fight off the Kuwagamon and he took me to Gennai's house, where Gennai told me of a new threat in the Digital World: Millenniummon."
"Millenniummon?" asked Kazu. "I've never heard of that Digimon."
"I'm surprised, yet not surprised that you haven't heard of him," said Ryo. "Millenniummon was a very powerful Mega level Digimon, far more powerful than Apocalymon. Millenniummon rose to power after Apocalymon fell, and he began taking over the Digital World, creating clones of Devimon, Myotismon, Etemon and Piedmon to aid him. The Digidestined attempted to fight them, but they were all captured with the exception of Agumon, who managed to escape with Tai's Digivice and send me the distress signal."
"Gennai told me that I had been chosen as a new Digidestined to help free Tai and his friends. I received my own Digivice, which was very much like the ones Tai and his group had, and Monodramon became my Digimon partner."
"So Monodramon is also from the Digidestined's dimension…" Henry noted, looking over at the purple dragon.
"Ryo and I set out with Agumon to fight Millenniummon and his cronies, as well as save the other Digidestined," Monodramon continued the story. "Along the way, I was able to Digivolve to Strikedramon and later Cyberdramon, and we managed to recruit a number of Digimon to our cause. Eventually, we freed everyone and we all came together to fight Millenniummon."
"No way," breathed Takato. "And you won, didn't you?"
"We did, but it was incredibly difficult at first," Ryo sighed, remembering that day. "I wasn't joking when I said Millenniummon was more powerful than Apocalymon. He had control over time and space and he could create his own dimensions to fight in. We were being royally thrashed, with only two Mega level Digimon and seven Ultimate levels. Most of the Digidestined were close to giving up, but I refused to back down against Millenniummon, and Tai and Matt refused as well. The other Digidestined soon got their second wind, and what happened next was no short of a miracle and amazing."
"What happened?" asked Guilmon.
(Play Digimon Adventure Brave Heart)
"Cyberdramon Digivolved to Justimon for the first time ever," Ryo answered, smiling brightly as he thought back to that day. "And it wasn't just him. Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon and Gatomon…they Digivolved to the Mega level as well."
"No…way!" Kenta said in surprise. "You mean like in that Digimon Adventure game on the PSP?"
"Exactly like the game," answered Ryo. "In fact, the Mega levels were all the same. Biyomon became Hououmon, Tentomon became HerculesKabuterimon, Palmon became Rosemon, Gomamon became Vikemon, Patamon became Seraphimon, and Gatomon became Ophanimon."
"Wait, so Gatomon's Mega level is Ophanimon and not Magnadramon?" Kazu asked in confusion. "But in the Hurricane Touchdown movie…"
"I highly doubt it's considered 'canon' in my home dimension," said Ryo. "Anyway…with nine Mega level Digimon, we were able to fight back against Millenniummon and we managed to defeat him, ending his reign of terror on the Digital World. Afterwards, we all returned to the Digital World, and I made a promise to Monodramon that we would see each other again."
"That's amazing," Guilmon said, sitting on the floor as he munched on some bread Takato had brought along.
"But wait," said Henry. "How exactly did you get here to this dimension then?"
"Ooh, boy…" Ryo huffed, running a hand through his head. "This is where it gets really crazy…"
"We're all ears!" Terriermon chirped, raising his long ears up to listen better.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Ruki no Theme)
"It was a few months later…to be more exact, it was a week after the War Game movie…where Omnimon fought Diaboromon. I was called back to the Digital World to fight Millenniummon again. He returned and he was stronger than before and he had managed to capture all of the Digidestined's partners and turn them into stone. It was just me and Monodramon…but we weren't alone."
"You weren't?" asked Suzie. "Was someone else with you?"
"Oh, there was," said Ryo. "Tell me, do anyone of you remember Ken's backstory episode in season two?"
"Yeah, they showed a flashback of his first time in the Digital World," answered Kazu. "He was Wormmon and another…kid…" the visor-wearing boy trailed off as he looked at Ryo with a look of absolute shock. Kenta and Takato suddenly realized it as well as the other Tamers.
"Yes," Ryo said with a nod. "I was that kid with Ken."
"HOLY SMOKES!" yelled Kazu. "You were on TV?!"
"For all of a few seconds," Monodramon grumbled. "And they didn't even show me at all in the show!"
"Well, considering how crazy you get as Cyberdramon, they probably wanted to think of the children watching," Terriermon joked, causing Monodramon to glare darkly.
"Terriermon…"
"Moumantai!" Terriermon said to his Tamer. Ryo sighed before continuing.
"That was Ken met Wormmon for the first time, and he received his Crest of Kindness. During our travels, Ken was able to get Wormmon to Digivolve to Stingmon, and later to Dinobeemon, his Ultimate level."
"Dinobeemon?" asked Kazu. "Isn't he an alternate DNA Digivolution of ExVeemon and Stingmon, besides Paildramon?"
"Yes, but Stingmon didn't need to fuse with an ExVeemon to become Dinobeemon," said Ryo. "We eventually fought Millenniummon again, and after a long, tiring battle. We managed to beat him, but he still had some strength left as he was dying. He managed to get a second wind and fired black shrapnel at me. Ken pushed me out of the way and…"
"…and the Dark Spore flew into him and he became the Digimon Emperor," Rika finished, realizing what happened next.s
"Yes," Ryo said, looking very down. "I didn't know what happened, only that Ken was writhing on the ground in pain and holding his neck. I came to the conclusion that Millenniummon had hurt Ken somehow…and when that happened…I just snapped and I charged him with Justimon. We put everything we had into one last attack, but the next thing we knew, a portal was created from Justimon and Millenniummon's attacks colliding, and we were sucked into the Digital World in this dimension."
"What happened then?" asked Calumon, who had been chewing on some bread with Guilmon.
(Play Digimon Tamers: Digital Field)
"We tried to continue fighting Millenniummon but ending up in a new Digital World revitalized him. He was too powerful for us to fight alone, so in the end Monodramon made a huge gamble. Taking advantage of the data-absorption properties of this dimension, Monodramon went right at Millenniummon and forced a DNA-Digivolution between himself and Millenniummon."
"You mean to say he deliberately absorbed Millenniummon's data?" asked Renamon, her eyes showing a rare widened expression.
"It was a huge gamble, but Monodramon managed to absorb his data, and taking advantage of Milenniummon's shock, he forced Millenniummon's consciousness down and subdued him, becoming a DigiEgg in the process. After that, my Digivice turned into my D-Arc and I found myself in Shinjuku. I immediately realized that I was stuck in another dimension with no way to return home. It hit me hard, but I knew I just had to suck it up and accept it. I went into an orphanage with Monodramon's egg and I was later adopted."
"Oh my," Kokuwamon said in shock. "That must not have been pleasant."
(Play Setsunasa: The Biggest Dreamer)
"Hey, you want to talk about unpleasant?" asked Monodramon. "Unpleasant is having the data of an evil Digimon being stuck in you for who knows how long, trying to break free and affect your mind. Why do you think I go crazy more than once?"
"So that's why you've been losing control," said Renamon. "Millenniummon is constantly fighting you for control."
"It's a bitch, let me tell you," Monodramon sighed, sitting down next to Ryo. "And it's gotten worse because of what's going on back home."
"You mean in your home dimension?" asked Ai.
"Yes," said Ryo. "When I saw the second season of the Digimon TV show for the first time ever, I was shocked to see what Ken had become. At first, I didn't know what caused it. But then I saw episode 43 where they had a flashback of our last fight with Millenniummon, and when I saw the Dark Spore fly in his neck, I realized he had been corrupted by Millenniummon's influence."
"So the Dark Spore acting up in Ken may have been reacting to Millenniummon's data in Monodramon, or it was the data reacting to the Dark Spore," Henry theorized.
"Either way, it's still affecting Monodramon and Ken," Ryo said darkly. "That TV show is a reality completely alternate to my own. While the TV show events may have already come and gone in another reality…they're just starting in my dimension. I talked with Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon about this, and they confirmed it. I asked them if they could send me back and they said yes. It's going to take them a few days, because they'll need Baihumon and Ebonwumon to do it."
"So you're going back home alone?" Kazu asked, looking down somewhat. "Aw, man! I wanted to meet the Digidestined! Do you think they do autographs?"
"Get your head on straight!" snapped Rika. "This is serious! If you did go with Ryo, you'd need to focus more on fighting Ken and whatever else is there, and less on getting autographs from the Digidestined!"
"And you will have to Kazu," said Ryo. "I can't do this alone, guys. I need your help."
(Play Digimon Tamers: Takato no Theme)
"Wait…you mean you want us to come along with you to your home?" Takato asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Yes," Ryo said with a nod. "With all of us Tamers helping the Digidestined, it will make things much easier. Because your Digimon are different, they can Digivolve without worrying about the Control Spires."
"Awesome!" said Kenta.
"Yeah, for you," Mako said with a sad look. "Ai and I can't come. We don't have Impmon with us."
"And as for me…" Jeri said looking down as she remembered Leomon. Takato sensed her distress and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Like I'd leave you guys out of it," Ryo said with a light smile. "Besides…Azulongmon said Impmon was caught in some kind of dimensional portal and ended up there."
"Wait, you mean Impmon is in another Digital World?" asked a surprised Mako. Ryo nodded, and the twins' faces both lit up with excitement.
"Impmon is in another dimension?" Guilmon asked, surprised at this as well.
"That may explain why Hypnos's scanners have been unable to find him in our Digital World," Henry muttered.
"Still…this is a little crazy," said Takato, "that you come from another dimension that's a TV show in this one. I mean, you went on these crazy adventures and you were only reduced to cameos in two episodes. I can see why you didn't like the second season that much."
"There's more to it than that," said Ryo. "Yes, I was a little pissed that they didn't show much of me and Millenniummon, although I am somewhat grateful for it, and I was mad about the epilogue because I knew Tai and the others well, and I know that definitely isn't the right kind of careers for them…although I do agree with the positions that Joe, Izzy and Kari ended up with, as well as TK's…but there's more to it. The TV show was a completely parallel universe to my own."
"Parallel how?" asked Calumon.
"Well, like Monodramon said, he was never on the show," Ryo started, "although the only Digimon in Monodramon's evolution line that was created at that time for the media was Cyberdramon, so it is a little understandable…but that they only showed me and Ken fighting Millenniummon in those brief moments."
"So you and Ken were accompanied by someone else?" asked Renamon.
"Yes. The child that was with us was someone who would become very important in the Digidestined's future. Someone who was exposed to the dangers of the Digital World and gained his partner Digimon in my home dimension long before he ever did in the show. The boy's name was…Davis Motomiya, the Digidestined of Miracles, partnered to Veemon." A long, stunned silence filled the Hypnos conference room before everyone, including Renamon and Calumon, yelled out loud, "WHAT?!"
(Play Days ~Aijou to Nichijou~ TV Size)
END CHAPTER 2