AC: Hello everyone and welcome back to the Second Arc. The Arc will revolve more around the evolution of Ryo and Millenniumon relationship plus some competition for Millenniumon. The other things are that the fourth attribute will start to strike in the Second Arc.
Arc 2: Partnership Competition
Chapter 23: Behind the lies
The Chosen children were halfway to the teleporter that will bring them back to the village. Ryo thought about what Millenniumon told him and dropped his head.
I told him that he was always a liar. He is a liar. But...He really released Taichi and disappeared. Why would he do that? To drop my guard...No. I don't think he would do that. But...He has nothing to gain in freeing him. He could eliminate him if he wanted and hurt VictoryGreymon. He always warned that he would kill him if he pisses him off, but he didn't kill him even when VictoryGreymon used his last chance. Even so, there is no way Millenniumon would be my partner. No way! But...
"Is there something in your mind Ryo?" Taichi asked.
Ryo gasped and looked at the others: "No! It's nothing!" he shouted defensively. He looked at the chosen children and the digimons. He saw Agumon looking at him and wondering if he was alright.
Everyone...I can't hide it.
Ryo said: "There is a lot actually. So many things happened. Many questions and uncertainties."
"What happened when you face Millenniumon?" Mimi asked.
Ryo looked at Mimi and replied: "Millenniumon said that I'm not the same chosen children than you. I am not here to fight for the light, but to maintain the balance between light and darkness."
"What does he mean by that?" Koushiro asked.
"I don't really know. He also said who my destined partner was," Ryo said.
"I thought he lied because you partner wasn't with you," Yamato said.
"Who is it?" Gabumon asked.
"He...He pretended that my partner was...Himself," Ryo revealed to the others.
The chosen children and the digimons shouted surprise.
"Don't worry about it. Millenniumon is clearly lying," Agumon replied with a small smile. "Ryo cannot have a partner as evil as him."
"That's true," Jou said.
The others agreed with Agumon, but Ryo was still a little unsure about it.
Millenniumon saw the chosen children teleporting back to the village and stopped hiding his presence. Devidramon stood behind him and waited for his lord to say the first words.
"What are your orders my lord?" Devidramon asked.
"We will wait for an opportunity. Once it will come, I'll try and talk to Ryo. I will spy on them for now, since I don't have ears listening to them. You should remain on standby until I gather enough information for our next course of action," Millenniumon said.
"My lord. I want to know...How could that chosen child be your partner? I thought the chosen children were only serving the light and opposing the darkness," the Devidramon asked.
Millenniumon looked at Devidramon. He could reply more aggressively to the Devidramon, but he knew he was more loyal than his other minions: "The balance of the digital world is more important than anything else. There is no light without darkness and there is no darkness without light. This is simple. If one is missing, the other will collapse and only the nothingness would remain. It took a while for me to understand it."
"You know a lot about this my lord. There is so much wisdom in it," Devidramon said.
Millenniumon looked at the Devidramon and replied: "I am not a god for nothing."
The dark dragon nodded and the dark god followed the chosen children.
The chosen children talked together once they were back in the village. Ryo explained in more details what happened while they were on the fighting Millenniumon and his minions. The chosen children and Ryo explained in details the event.
When they were finished, they talked about Millenniumon lie about the link between Ryo and the dark god. None of them believed that Millenniumon was Ryo's partner.
"Hello everyone," Gennai said coming at them.
The chosen children replied to the old man.
"What is it?" Koushiro asked.
"I'm glad to see everything went well against Millenniumon. I wasn't worried about your victory, but Millenniumon was an extremely powerful opponent," Gennai said.
"He is still alive. He escaped at the end of the battle," Agumon replied.
"That is not good. Although it explained the strange occurrence not long ago," Gennai said.
"What happened?" Taichi asked.
"Taichi. It is good to see you safe. I'll be honest, but something happened while you were absent. The gate between the digital world and your world has been cut chosen children," Gennai said.
The chosen children looked at each other's and knew what that meant.
"You don't look that surprise," Gennai noticed.
"Millenniumon kept his words to the end. He said that we will be stuck in the digital world if I refuse to join him," Ryo said looking at Gennai.
Gennai watched Ryo and the other chosen children: "What happened in the domain of Millenniumon?"
Ryo and the others resumed what happened. Ryo and Agumon gave the detail of the confrontation between them and Millenniumon. Gennai listened to them and nodded, until Ryo reached an important moment.
"He then told me that he was my destined partner," Ryo said looking at Gennai.
Gennai didn't show any emotions as he replied: "It is what he claims, but a digimon like him can't have a destined partner."
"That's what we think too," Agumon said.
"Gennai. From what the other chosen children said, you might know who my real partner is...Right?" Ryo asked unsure if it was the case.
"Sadly, your case is different, so I don't know who's your real partner," Gennai answered.
The other chosen children knew Gennai more than Ryo.
Gennai looked at the sky and said: "It's starting to get late. You should rest. After the battle, I'm sure you are all tired."
It was indeed getting late. The darkness was covering the sky as the light retreated. Gennai left then alone as the chosen children looked at the old man.
"He's right," Ryo replied. Ryo's mind was mostly tired.
They all nodded and walked in a house and slept.
Ryo sat on his bed and looked at his side. Agumon wasn't there anymore, but it was normal. He was once again with his partner. Ryo thought back about his journey with Agumon. He smiled as he thought about it. "It was a fun journey with you Agumon."
He was about to fall asleep when he heard something outside. Ryo stood up and looked outside. He saw the other chosen children following Gennai, but he noticed the chosen children were confused on their face.
"He must ask them to follow him," Ryo said. He thought about it and said: Hum...Maybe he knows more about it. Gennai knows who my real partner is. I had to follow them to find out the true.
Ryo walked outside of the house and followed them. He saw them entering in the house they used in case Millenniumon was spying on them. The chosen child noticed that the door wasn't close. He walked closer and listened inside.
"Why did you bring us here without Ryo?" Mimi asked.
"He's one of us. He saved all of us and fought Millenniumon with Agumon to save Taichi," Yamato said.
"I am sorry to bring you there alone, but it was clear you have questions about Ryo real partner and I cannot tell the true in front of him."
"Why not?" Hikari asked.
"There's certain digimon who doesn't want Ryo to know everything. Some things have to remain a secret. He is a different chosen children compare to you," Gennai answered.
"Who decided to keep it a secret?" Taichi asked.
"Those digimons are called the Sovereigns. They are powerful digimons that watched over the digital world and made sure that the light survives. They are the digimons that wants to keep some secrets from Ryo. When the four Dark Masters were present, they sealed the Sovereigns so they wouldn't be in their way. They couldn't have done it alone if it wasn't from the help of their master," Gennai explained.
"Elaborate," Yamato asked.
"Ryo's mission is different from any chosen children and it worries the Sovereigns of the digital world. Compare to you, his destiny is different and has unknown element in it. Nothing can be predicted. The danger of the unknown is what it will cause in the end. The unknown factors could be dangerous for the Digital world. Even so, he is still a chosen child," Gennai said.
"Even so. That doesn't mean that Millenniumon is his partner," Sora said.
"That is the case," Gennai said.
"Enough explanation. Tell us who Ryo partner is," Taichi asked.
Ryo didn't hear anything in the house for a while. He wondered what Gennai answer was. He felt some excitement and also some fear in him.
Who is it? Come on. You have to answer it. Ryo said in his mind.
"I will tell you who he is. It's not easy to say it, but I don't intend to lie to you. When Millenniumon claimed to be Ryo partner; he wasn't lying," Gennai admitted.
The chosen children were surprised at this revelation. Ryo also heard it and saw on the ground near the door.
He wasn't actually lying. Millenniumon was actually telling me the true. He is my destined partner. I said that he was lying back then. How? How is it possible? Ryo asked himself.
"What do you mean by that?!" Agumon shouted. He grunted and added: "Ryo is a nice boy, he's our friend and he would never try to conquer the digital world."
"This is the true. Millenniumon is the destined partner of Ryo because of what he claimed. The two are the different side of the same coin. Ryo is the light and Millenniumon is the darkness. The reason they are partner is unknown to even the Sovereigns," Gennai explained.
"We have to tell Ryo the true," Hikari said a little loudly.
"You cannot tell him the true," Gennai replied.
"Why are you asking us that? After all he had done for us; he had to know it! I'm sure he can take the news," Taichi shouted.
"He will never become like Millenniumon," Agumon added.
"It is forbidden to tell him everything I told you. The risk is immense and impossible to expect, because they are two side of the coin. The two forms a balance that could go any ways. They are three possibilities if they become partner and Ryo will have his digivice from Millenniumon," Gennai said.
"What are the possibilities?" Koushiro asked.
"The first one is that Ryo turned back on the light and joined the darkness. In other words, he joined Millenniumon side. The other option is the opposite, which is improbable that Millenniumon joined the side of the light. The third option is that they both remained on their side, but harmonised with each other's. It is the acceptance of light and darkness as one thing which is even less than probable. Everything depends on the influence they will have for each other's," Gennai explained. He waited for the chosen children to digest his explanation: "In other words, there is more chance that Ryo felt on the side of darkness because Millenniumon influence is stronger than Ryo's."
The chosen children watched Gennai and didn't reply to his words.
Agumon moved forward and shouted at Gennai: "Ryo will not be influence by Millenniumon! I know he won't join him."
"It is true that there is greater chance in probability, but after what Ryo has done, probability isn't something to count in," Koushiro said with a small smile.
"I'm sorry, but you have to hide this. The Sovereigns will be furious if you tell them the true and the possible consequences are too great to take the chance by telling Ryo the true. He has to be ready to fight Millenniumon without knowing that fact until his mind won't be influenced by Millenniumon's word," Gennai replied.
The door suddenly opened and Ryo stood at the entrance. He looked at Gennai furiously.
"You listened to everything?" Gennai asked, although he knew the answers. His expression wasn't annoyance as Ryo thought.
"Of course yes! Gennai! How can you say that?! I am not worthy enough to know the true about my real partner! You also think that I cannot be trusted in my decisions and also my belief! I fought several digimons with Agumon, put my life at risk, confront Millenniumon, the dark digimon god and you don't believe me! You say all that as if I'm going to betray everyone, my friends and the Digital world Gennai! I will never join Millenniumon in his quest of conquering the Digital world! Never! I am not like him and I'll never be influenced by him!" Ryo turned around walked away.
"Wait!" Agumon shouted.
"Leave me alone please; all of you. I don't want to snap out at any of you," Ryo asked. He looked at the chosen children and said with a small smile: "At least, you believe in me. I need to clear my mind now."
He walked away and left them alone. The chosen children respected his desire to be alone and looked at Gennai.
"Why did you say all of that?" Mimi asked Gennai.
"Because it was the will of the Sovereigns. They are above me. I'm here to guide you, but they are here to protect the digital world from any danger. Millenniumon is one of them," Gennai replied.
"Do you believe the same thing as them?" Tentomon asked.
"Yes," Gennai replied honestly. "Not because I don't believe in Ryo, but because I fear Millenniumon power. He can bid the time and the gate of the digital world to his will."
Ryo walked alone until he was far away from the village. He walked until he reached at a cliff. He raised his head and looked at the dark sky. He started to think about what he heard and about Millenniumon when he heard someone saying: "You finally discovered the true my dear partner."
Ryo turned his head and saw Millenniumon hanging against the wall of the cliff. He was tall enough for his head and upper chest to be higher than the cliff. He looked at Ryo from a side glance and added: "Do you believe me now?"
"You didn't lie about this," Ryo replied.
"I never lie to you compare to Gennai. Ryo...There is a few things I want to say to you. Will you open your ears to me?" Millenniumon asked.
Ryo didn't say anything for a few seconds. He thought about it and finally replied: "Yes."
Millenniumon smiled and nodded his head.
AC: This is the end of chapter 23 and the beginning of the Second Arc.
Next chapter: Our Destiny.