DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, but I do own the OCs introduced in this story and later stories (except where stated).
CHAPTER 13
Their Demons
In life, we all end up playing God in the end to deal with our Demons, be they physical or metaphorical, real or completely imaginary. The mind plays tricks, and it can affect others in the process.
We all defeat our Demons in different ways.
Some give life…
REAL WORLD
Stevens and Flynn Residence
18:52 JST
3rd July 2010
Henry sat at Mari's laptop, Terriermon on his head instructing him how to open the file. Takato and Rika stood eagerly behind him, and, spread around the apartment were Kari, Davis, TK, Tai, Sora, Kristy and Jeri, finding seats where possible as they waited for anything to happen. There would normally be enough proper seating for all of them, but at present one of the sofas was taken up by Mari and Ryder. Ryder's sleeping head lay on Mari's lap, as she calmly ran her hands through his hair, sorrow in her face as she recalled the events of the past few hours.
Ryder had passed out from the shock, and, on the medical advice of the only one they could really trust in their current situation, Joe, he was taken back to the apartment, still unconscious, a state he had yet to wake from. The rest of the group that had witnessed the events had followed them back to the apartment, Joe leaving to return to his university after ensuring that Ryder was okay. Yamaki and Hypnos were currently dealing with the authorities.
Mari frowned, recalling what Ryder had done. The group had mixed feelings about it; some believed that it prevented far more deaths in the process, while others believed that it was still murder all the same. She had considered disposing of the gun there and then, but she had decided against it, on the risk that someone else could obtain it and use it for ill reasons, and on the risk that they would need it again, a fact that still worried her. Personally, Mari was divided, she knew it was murdered, but she at the same time felt it was justified.
One thing had become clear; their lives were no longer going to be simple. If these Demons were human, they had to face the fact that there would in all eventuality be more deaths.
MiniDonmon sat on the back of the sofa, looking down sorrowfully at his partner, and occasionally vehemently arguing his case in his absence. Of all those objected to it, Kari and Jeri had been the most vocal, although Elecmon disagreed with Jeri on it, despite his own experience with death. DarkRenamon also seemed to want it justified, feelings of revenge prompting her emotions. Mari herself had stayed silent, not wanting to be involved in the bickering. Kristy seemed to just simply be surprised, but also seemed to think that it was justified, hopeful that more deaths were prevented. Mari noted the fact that this was related to her Angel virtue, Hope. Speaking of Hope, TK also believed that it was justified, based on getting revenge for what had been done, a feeling that had gotten him worked up before the others calmed him down. Having seen deaths caused by holding back on punishment in the past, TK was particularly annoyed about all the criticism Ryder had received.
Davis, Sora and Tai had settled down to the fact that, while it was a horrible act that Ryder had done, it was also justified to prevent further deaths. This problem looked set to divide them, and it would be likely to continue as soon as the next Demon appeared.
"DarkRenamon…" Mari said, attracting the attention of her partner. "I'd just like to say that this is one of the best days of my life, because of you, even if the rest of it was pretty awful."
DarkRenamon nodded. "Being nearly killed yourself, having your partner-to-be killed and then having your boyfriend kill someone does not exactly make a good day, does it?" she replied.
Mari smiled and nodded, her first smile in a few hours. "Yeah, but I got a partner…and a purpose…and I learnt that I'm an Angel…"
"So, do you feel any different or something?" Davis asked. Mari shrugged.
"Not really, I mean, I feel like I know a lot more, and that I can use a power now, but other than that, no…"
"Ryder once mentioned he can feel the other Angels, can you do that?" Tai asked.
"Yeah, but I can't feel where they are…" Mari closed her eyes, looking almost as if she was listening out for something. "I can feel…ten signals? I can't sense my own though…Ryder's is strong…and then there is another strong one, and a very weak one, the same signal…and then there are a lot of other ones that are just normal…" she said.
"That's strange…" Rika noted. "It's also strange that I can't feel that, if I created all of you…"
"Yeah…and ten signals but not including yours…that is particularly odd…" Henry noted, as Terriermon worked away on the computer.
"But there are only ten Angels, how does that work?" Kristy asked.
"Yeah, and earlier I could only feel ten…" Mari replied, before looking around the room. "Rey, I know that you're in here…" she called, noticing a door slightly open. The door opened, and Rey stepped out.
"Very deductive…" she replied, before walking over to Mari, Rejimon still on her shoulder as always. She leaned on the sofa, as the others watched her, still in amazement that she just managed to appear like that.
"Rey!" Kristy cheered.
"It's good to see you…" Tai noted. Rey looked around.
"Wow, you're all here?" she asked.
"Yeah, Ryder fainted…" Kari replied.
"I know…is he okay?" Rey asked, looking to Mari.
Mari nodded, glancing to him. "He's just unconscious…I'm hoping he'll be okay when he comes to…"
"He really gets the bad end of the deals, doesn't he?" Rejimon noted, her voice feeble. Rey nodded.
"You said it…thrown out of his own universe, forced to kill someone, hit by so many attacks and trauma about Mari's safety…not to mention all the other stuff…" she replied. "And good for being brave and speaking in public, by the way…"
"No problem…" Rejimon replied. "I won't be doing it again…"
"Rey, I have a bone to pick with you…" Rika insisted.
"Huh?" Rey asked, turning around to meet Rika's glare. "Oh…that…" she replied, realising.
"Yeah, what the hell were you thinking of when you did that?!" Rika asked.
"Um…" Rey replied, thinking of an excuse.
"What are they talking about?" Jeri asked.
Renamon smiled, knowing the truth, but saying nothing.
"Rika, what are you talking about?" Takato asked curiously. Rika turned around, searching for a way to say what she was referring to.
"The system's ready…" Henry said, interrupting their conversation. Rey breathed a sigh of relief, as they began to gather around the screen, with the exceptions of Ryder and Mari.
"So, Harmony, Chaos, are you guys okay with this?" Henry asked, finger hovering above the enter button that would execute the program.
"Yeah…"
"Doesn't sound that bad of a plan…I mean, I'm stopping short of saying that Terriermon isn't a pervert but…go ahead and do it…"
"What exactly is this plan?" Sora asked. Henry and Terriermon had briefly explained the plan to Takato and Rika, but they'd kept secret about it to everyone else, a fact that Terriermon decided to maintain.
"Too late!" Terriermon said quickly, leaping onto Henry's hand which then hit the return key. The screen flashed as the program began, and the Hypnos firewalls were passed through.
"Terriermon!" Henry complained.
"What? They'd only have complained, and I'm sick of waiting…" Terriermon replied cheerfully. "It's not like we had all that much time though…"
"Time to do what?" Gatomon asked, before feeling woozy all of a sudden. Henry looked around the room, noting the Digimon's split-second reactions, which faded as the perception filter kicked in. He breathed a sigh of relief that Harmony's last minute addition had worked, it solved a lot of the problems with the plan that he still had.
He hoped it was the right choice though.
Some take life away…
Mari felt some arms slip around her neck. She was about to say something, but she noticed out of the corner of her eye Rey's red hair, and then looked down to see a golden necklace with a golden number '2' like pendant that had been placed around her neck. She turned around, to see Rey put her finger on her lips telling her to keep quiet about it. MiniDonmon watched, before hearing murmuring.
"Ryder's waking up…" he announced, as Ryder began to gently open his eyes, looking up to see a concerned Mari, amongst other faces.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse due to his dry lips.
"Home…" Mari replied, smiling bravely.
"Was…was it a dream?" Ryder asked. Mari frowned and shook her head. "So I killed someone…" Ryder replied, his voice rough still. Mari handed him a glass of water as he sat up, and then put her arm around him, moving to sit next to him on the sofa as he turned to pick up the glass. He stayed silent, drinking it to wet his lips, before sitting in silence and staring at the glass.
"Are you okay?" Kristy asked, worried for the older boy.
"I killed someone…" Ryder repeated.
"Yeah, but you prevented more deaths…" TK noted.
"Does that change things?" Ryder asked. "I still killed someone…"
Mari pulled him close. "I would've made the same choice…" she reassured him.
Ryder frowned, closing his eyes. "What's going to happen to me?" he asked.
Mari frowned in response. "I don't know…but…you did the right thing…he would have killed others had he been arrested…"
"We could have reasoned with him…" Kari suggested.
Davis put his hand on her shoulder, frowning. "Some people are beyond reason…" he told her. She frowned.
"But…" she began, before realising she had no way to finish that sentence. She had to admit, Davis had a point.
Ryder leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "I have to kill again…I'll have to…" he said.
"Huh?" Takato asked.
Ryder looked to him. "We're going to have to face eight more of them, and…we're going to have to deal with them in the same way inevitably…I just…can't face that…" he said, emotion in his voice. Mari pulled him into a hug.
"Whatever happens…I'm by your side…" she told him, kissing him. He frowned afterwards.
"This…this is going to take…a long time to come to terms with…"
Rika and Henry frowned, and unknowingly both had the same thought.
'I know what that feels like…'
"Do you want them to stay?" Mari asked, looking around.
"If they want…it makes no difference…"
"We'll get through this…" MiniDonmon reassured. "We just need…to get your mind off things…" he added.
Ryder nodded. "I guess so…Mari, are you enjoying being a Tamer, and an Angel too?"
"It's different…that's all I can say…"
A slight smile crossed Ryder's features. "You'll get used to it, and be a good Tamer…"
"Yeah…the fact I already know what her ultimate and mega forms will be does take a bit of the fun out of it though…" Mari joked, glancing to Rika and Renamon, who nodded in response to the joke.
"I'll be glad to fight alongside you…" Sora reassured her.
Additions of "me too" came from those watching, and Mari smiled.
"Thanks…" she said humbly. "I won't let you guys down…"
"After seeing that dust storm, I don't think you could…" Tai noted. Mari nodded, and chuckled.
"It's getting late…" Sora noted. "We've got to head back to University, and I'm guessing that you guys have to get back to Odaiba soon?" she asked, looking to Davis, Kari and TK, who nodded.
"Yeah, after all the attacks today, my mum is probably having a fit…" TK joked.
"My sister'll be glad, she hates me…I'm glad she's at university…" Davis noted.
"Yeah, but she wouldn't want to see you injured, would she?" Kari asked.
"Not when she's the source of those injuries…" Davis joked.
Ryder looked into Mari's eyes, noticing the rest of the others gradually leaving out of the corner of their stare. Ryder pulled Mari into a kiss.
"Whatever happens…" he noted.
"Never say that!" Rika warned, as she and Takato left. Rey watched them leave, looking like she was about to follow, before she paused and sat on the sofa.
"Why?" Mari asked, but Rika was already gone. She shrugged, and switched on the television, Ryder putting his arm round her.
"Rika always said that every time Takato or her said 'Whatever happens', something bad would inevitably occur…" Rey noted, looking to the pair.
"Rey, did I make the right choice?" Ryder asked.
Rey smiled bravely at the question, nodding. "You did…he'd have killed so many more if you didn't, the others may view you harshly but you had to make a tough decision…"
"I don't go to jail or anything, do I?" he asked.
Rey smiled, and shook her head. "Of course not, you're a Hero…"
Ryder breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, thanks for the reassurance…"
"No problem…" Rey replied. "I guess it counts as playing around with time, so just play along when you have the questioning from police or anything like that, can you?"
"Okay then…" Ryder answered.
"So, are you going to leave again or what?" Mari asked, looking to the redhead.
"I'm…waiting for something…" Rey replied.
"What?" Ryder asked.
"I can't tell you…" Rey replied.
Ryder sighed, as a thought occurred to Mari. She glanced to DarkRenamon, who nodded.
"Rey, can I ask you something?" Mari began. Rey looked at her curiously, before nodding unsurely.
"Are you Rika and Takato's daughter?"
Ryder and MiniDonmon's eyes widened, as the evidence ran through his mind, almost as if played on a tape. Rey's eyes widened, as she realised what Mari had asked. She looked to Rejimon, who was similarly bewildered, before looking back to Mari.
"Um…" she began, hesitating as she tried to figure out what to say. "Yeah…" she said nervously, an odd mix of Takato's lack of confidence and a voice similar to Rika's.
"No…way…" Ryder exclaimed.
"Please…don't tell anyone yet…I want to…I want to reveal it myself…" Rey replied.
"Okay…" Mari replied, smiling to reassure the girl. "I now understand why you kept this secret so long?"
Ryder panned his eyes upward in thinking. "Now, let's see, assuming that Rika had you when she was in her late twenties, say 26, that'd make you from…about 2036?" Ryder asked.
"No…not exactly…" Rey replied nervously.
"So when then?" MiniDonmon asked.
"I was born on the February 28th 2011…"
Ryder's eyes widened, as realisation began to dawn on him. "But…that's next year…"
Rey nodded uneasily. "Yeah…"
"That's less than nine months away…Rika must be pregnant…now?" Mari noted.
Ryder was now very surprised at the facts that had been revealed to him all in a line. "But…when? Does she know?"
"She knows, and it was in New York…anything else would be far too personal…" the redhead replied. "It's been hard to keep it a secret…"
"Hmm…but…surely someone would've figured it out by now?" Mari asked. "Other than me, of course. There is so much evidence that I'm surprised that they didn't…"
"The flows of time and destiny…they will run as straight as possible…making people ignore even the most obvious of clues…it's a big element in how a perception filter works, if people don't expect to see something because of its unlikelihood, their mind will tell them that it's impossible…" Rey replied.
"Does that explain why Kristy hasn't noticed yet that she's the Ninth?" Ryder asked.
"Perhaps, it's definitely possible…" Rey replied.
"Thanks for telling us by the way, this distracts me from the fact I killed someone today…" Ryder noted, remembering the events of that day that he had begun to forget.
Mari frowned, placing her hand on his shoulder in reassurance, and changing the subject again. "So, when are you going to tell people?" Mari asked. "Presuming you do plan to tell people the truth…"
"I hope that it mostly becomes clear naturally, then I'm going to fill in the gaps…" Rey replied.
"This'll change our lives forever, won't it?" Mari noted. Rey nodded.
And others change lives forever…
Rika hesitated as they walked through the streets, heading to the park where they would once again bid farewell to each other until the following day. Takato noticed that Rika had stopped as they walked along the streets, the orange sun beginning to set from its place in the sky, and turned to face her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Rika nodded weakly, before nervously looking into his eyes.
"Takato, I have something to tell you and I know that you'll react in a way that'll make you faint…so…can you come to my house?" she asked, hesitating as she spoke.
"When, now?" Takato asked. Rika nodded, feeling her body tensed in uneasiness.
"I really…have to tell you something that's important…" she told him. "And I've only just summoned up the confidence to tell you, and I normally have plenty of confidence…"
"Will this explain why you've been acting all funny today?" Guilmon asked. Rika nodded.
"Yeah, I think Takato'll understand once I tell him…" she told the dino, who then looked to his partner.
"Okay…" Takato replied, Rika smiling in response and taking his hand.
"Thanks…" she replied.
Henry lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, the first silence he'd had in a while.
'I hope I made the right choice…I guess that we'll just have to find out…'
"Henry, are you okay?" Terriermon asked, leaping onto him and winding him.
"Terriermon!" Henry complained as he gasped for air.
"That answers my question then…" Terriermon giggled.
Henry sighed, looking to his partner who smiled back to him.
"We made the right choice Henry…" the dog-bunny told him. "I'm sure of it…"
"I hope you're right…"
Nonaka Residence
20:03 JST
"Mum, I'm home…" Rika called out as she entered her house, Takato and Guilmon following. She noticed Kristy watching television, having left before her, and Kudamon sitting on her head. Seiko stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
"She's out on a date; she'll be back later…" Kristy said.
"Is Takato staying for dinner?" Seiko asked.
Rika nodded before Takato could reply. "Yes, he is…" she asserted, before looking into his eyes pleadingly. He nodded in response. Renamon smiled at the action, having reappeared inside the house.
"Yeah, I'll just call my parents…they'll think that something's kidnapped me otherwise…" Takato replied jokingly. Rika nodded, as he walked to the phone.
20:46 JST
"Thank you for dinner…" Takato said humbly, as he stood up.
"No problem, you're always a pleasure to talk to…" Seiko replied.
"Why is everyone in this house so polite?" Kristy asked Rika, who chuckled. Living in a house with Renamon, Kudamon and Seiko would inevitably annoy some people after a while.
"No idea, come on Takato…" Rika said, standing up, taking Takato's hand in hers, and leading him away to her room.
"It feels like those two have been together forever…" Seiko noted whilst smiling after they left.
Kristy nodded, and smiled. "Not like I've known any different…" she whispered to Kudamon, who smiled.
Meanwhile, Takato following Rika through the door into her room, Renamon holding Guilmon back.
"Guilmon, Rika and Takato are going to have a private chat…" she told him. He looked at her, and she looked into his eyes and nodded.
"Okay Renamon…" he replied. "What do you want to do? Not tag, by the way…" he asked.
Renamon chuckled. 'Good luck Rika…' she thought.
Takato stood nervously, watching as Rika walked to the middle of her room and turned round. He stood nervously near the door, unsure as to what exactly he should do. He was slightly worried about finding out what Rika had to say, if it scared her, it was clearly major. He decided that he would be by her side regardless of what it was. He just hoped it wasn't too big.
"Sit down Takato…" she told him.
Takato cocked his head. Why would she want him to sit down? "Huh?"
"Trust me; you'll need to sit down…" Rika told him, nervousness in her voice.
"O…kay…" Takato replied, settling down carefully to sit on the wooden floor, looking up to Rika above. Rika smiled to reassure him, before sitting down herself, back to the wall.
"Takato…I learnt something this morning…" she began. "Something that I was scared of telling you…"
"Huh? Really? You can tell me anything, you know…" Takato reassured her.
"I realised that today…you protected me…you'll always be by my side, and I'm sorry for doubting you…" she replied.
"Don't worry…" he replied, smiling.
"I should've told you straight away, but…I was scared…scared that you might leave me…scared you might hate me for what I made us do…"
"Huh? What you made us do? What are you talking about?" Takato asked, now completely confused by what was going on.
"Takato…" Rika began, frowning as her voice went nervous. She felt herself grapple with what she was going to say.
"You can tell me…" he reassured. "Please…" he added, smiling to her. "I'm sure I'll understand…"
"Takato, I'm pregnant…" Rika told him. Takato looked at her, eyes beginning to widen, before he fell back. "And this is why I made you sit down…" Rika added, as he fainted.
She sighed, moving over to him and putting him into her arms. She smiled bravely, feeling great relief from what she had done. She lay him down on her futon, and walked to the door, sliding it open gently.
"Grandma, Takato fainted!" she called.
THE END
And so, the book ends, with a quite predictable reaction. Next up will be a series of epilogue chapters, which will cover the consequences of Rika telling Takato, and her having to tell others.
Hope you've enjoyed the book itself, it was a challenge to write, and is now my favourite, partly because the plot is much stronger than previous books, and partly because it has so much more to write about emotionally, particularly with the dark ending involving Ryder which was particularly interesting to write. Please review.
Next time…
How will everyone deal with the consequences of Rika and Takato's actions?
Find out in 'His Reaction', Chapter Fourteen of Dimensions Book Five: Demons.
