Chapter 40: A Bound
Devidramon finished preparing the food, "That took longer than usual. Never prepared something for a being of the flesh world. I hope the boy will appreciate it," he commented.
He brought it outside the remaining of the palace. He looked around and saw how empty it was. He remembered when there were other dark digimons in the palace, accomplishing their usual duties for Millenniumon or chill out sometimes, when it was possible and that Millenniumon wasn't threatening to eliminate any of them, "Good times. We will succeed next time anyway."
He returned outside and hesitated to interrupt what he was seeing. Millenniumon was holding Ryo against his chest and watched him sleeping peacefully against him. Devidramon saw a content smile on the dark god face. He stood there and watched his lord, feeling that he was different than his usual self.
"He must be feeling complete," Devidramon quietly commented. He lowered his head and grumbled, "I wonder how it feels to have a partner. If my lord smiles like that, I wonder if I would feel the same way?"
Devidramon had to displease his lord as he asked, "I am sorry my lord, but I've brought food you asked."
Millenniumon grumbled. His joy turned into a grumpy mood. He lowered his eyes and watched Ryo. He didn't want to wake him up, but the boy had to eat. He moved the boy away from his chest and gently tapped the cheek with his claw and whispered, "Wake up Ryo. It's time to eat."
Ryo grumbled quietly as he woke up. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw Millenniumon looking at him with a soft smile, "What is it?"
"Ryo. It is time to eat. You must be hungry," he replied to his destined partner.
"I am not hungry right now," Ryo replied.
"You just woke up, but hunger will come eventually. You should eat something right now," Millenniumon replied. He used one of his hands and gave a sign.
Devidramon nodded and walked closer with the food. He brought them close to them, "I hope you will enjoy it Ryo, partner of my lord."
Ryo winced lightly when Devidramon said that. Even so, he looked at what the dark dragon prepared. It was well made and variated. It had meet and vegetables, which Ryo didn't want to be sure what it was. The rest was for Millenniumon and it was meat in large size. Ryo hoped it wasn't a digimon the dark god was about to eat.
"Do not worry, none of those meat was digimons. You should eat everything," Millenniumon softly said.
Ryo looked at the dark god and said, "You act like my mother."
Millenniumon was dumbfounded by the remark and said nothing for a while. He looked at this partner who laughed at his face.
"You should see yourself Millenniumon," Ryo said with a large smile.
"I do not want to see myself if you laugh that way," Millenniumon replied with a small smile.
Devidramon was surprised that his lord wasn't infuriated or at least, pissed off by what he said. You are really the only one who could speak freely what you have in mind without suffering for any consequence. Even I couldn't say something lightly insulting toward my lord without risking my death. He served Ryo and his lord before saying, "Enjoy," as he turned around and left them alone.
The dark god and his partner ate together what they have in their plate. Ryo heard Millenniumon eating loudly and cheerfully his plate before he finished it. When they finished, they said nothing for a while.
Ryo remained on the palm of Millenniumon all the time, not able to touch the ground. He doesn't want to escape. I'm sure it's why I'm still on his palm. I have to check if I'm right.
"Millenniumon?" Ryo asked.
The dark god looked at his partner and replied, "What is it?"
"Can you put me on the ground?" Ryo asked.
"I'm sorry Ryo, but I won't do that. You need to heal and this is the safest place in my mind," Millenniumon replied a little nervously, knowing he didn't really have a good reason not to.
Just as I thought, Ryo said in his mind, not furious about his situation. He was expecting something like that and it wasn't a lie, in Millenniumon's mind of course.
Millenniumon watched his partner and waited for him to protest or something like that. He was a little confused and eventually asked, "That's it?"
"That's it what?" Ryo replied.
"You aren't a little furious about the fact that I won't let you on the ground, or even a little pissed off? I was sure it would have been the case."
"I am not. I was sure you wouldn't accept it," Ryo replied with a small smile. "It is easy to read you sometimes."
Millenniumon mouth lightly opened as he heard that. No words came out of his mouth. He couldn't express his thought. He eventually closed his mouth, giving up on trying replying and lightly smiled.
Ryo didn't ask anything about the smile on the dark god and eventually thought about Monodramon. He must be worried about me. I'm with Millenniumon. I cannot say that I'm fine and Millenniumon would surely let it weight on the consciousness of Monodramon. Ryo felt a little guilty that he didn't thought about the purple dragon since he regained consciousness, but Millenniumon presence is quite large, literally and figuratively.
"Millenniumon. Will you tell Monodramon that I'm fine?" Ryo asked.
Millenniumon grunted loudly, clearly displeased by what he demanded. He looked in the air and made Ryo waited; fighting inside his mind about the answer he should give. Millenniumon continued to grunt even more loudly than before as if he hated what was in his mind. He eventually stopped grunting and replied, "You are asking a lot of me Ryo. Monodramon is my rival. I am your true partner and this m-digimon will never be. I want to let him in the ignorance and maybe die when his core break, but...I will send him a message that you are fine," he said defeated.
Ryo looked at the face of the god. He saw the lips of Millenniumon down and his eyes frowning. Ryo wondered if that small sentence made him sick. He said one thing, "Thanks."
The lips of Millenniumon lightly rose as he was praised by his partner. It was little, but for the dark god who had been denied his bound with the other Ryo, it meant a lot, "It is a lot, but not that much to ask Devidramon to tell them that you will heal."
"It's more than that," Ryo replied.
"Hum?" Millenniumon said confused. He lowered his head and looked at Ryo with a confuse gaze. He eventually asked one question with anticipation and uncertainty, "What do you mean by more than that?"
"The fact that you saved me and indirectly...Mimi, Jou, Gabumon, Palmon and Monodramon," Ryo replied with a small smile.
The Dark god felt disappointment about the reply of his true partner, "That means nothing for me."
"But for me, saving them means a lot. They are my friends Millenniumon," Ryo replied.
Millenniumon didn't need to think for more than a second that saving them gave him an approach to create a stronger bound with his partner. It made him sick to protect the other chosen children, but if it gave positive consequence as gaining more trust from Ryo and bounding together, he would take it. Maybe a digivice will eventually appear. When it happens, it means that his soul and my core will truly connect in the two ways. I do not care if I had to help the chosen children if it leads to this. I don't care if it's against my very nature. All is for you Ryo and only you. The dark god enjoyed this thought. This will only be the first phase. Eventually, it will be more beloved. He chuckled in his mind while hiding how he felt.
Ryo saw the eyes of Millenniumon shining lightly and wondered what was in his mind. He must appreciate it. He guessed.
"You should rest again Ryo, and this time, for the night. It is already late. As for Monodramon, you don't have to worry about it," the dark god replied with some disgust when he said the name of his rival. He gasped surprised when he felt something touching his jaw. He couldn't see it, but knew, from his sense of touch informed him of a five fingers form. Ryo was touching him of his own will. He couldn't see it, one disadvantage of his size. He knew his partner did it for Monodramon, but for him, he never expected it. I can't believe it's actually happening. Does that mean he forgives me from the accusations? He wouldn't do that if he didn't feel something ill toward me. Ryo, you just don't know how happy that made me. I think my core could explode of joy right now. Millenniumon moved his hand away from his jaw and raised it toward the level of his eyes, "As I said Ryo, you have to rest. The wound caused by the Erasers are different than normal."
"I know. You said it often," Ryo replied.
"It's because you don't seem to listen to me or my wisdom Ryo," Millenniumon replied as he lightly frowned his eyes, "I want what is best for you and regaining your strength is my priority now."
Ryo sighted and sat on the palm of the dark god hand, complying, "Fine," he said with a small smile before yawning.
Millenniumon moved the boy closer to his chest again and looked where Devidramon left. He walked there to give him a small and easy mission.
Monodramon was barely walking in the village. His legs were shaking while Agumon helped the purple dragon walking.
"Are you sure you are fine Monodramon?" Agumon asked worried for the digimon.
Monodramon replied each syllable slowly, "I'm fine. I am just...training a lot."
"Are you in pain?" Agumon asked.
Monodramon looked at Agumon and lightly nodded negatively before grunting painfully.
"Liar. I know you have to train a lot to become stronger, but if you are going too far, you will collapse and it won't help Ryo," Agumon replied.
Monodramon frowned before replying, "What would you do if Taichi was in danger?! Will you rest when you know you have to become stronger to save him and protect him?!"
"N-no, but you are al-"
"There is no but! I have to acquire strength if I want to protect Ryo next time! I am lucky to have another chance to protect him. Millenniumon should have refused it in the first place. Ryo was injured because I was a failure," he finished, lowing his head.
"YOU ARE ALSO INJURED!" Agumon screamed, "You protected him with your body! If you didn't, he would be dead! No digimon can do the impossible! Millenniumon too!" Monodramon was about to reply when Agumon lightly hit his snout, shouting any replies coming, "You are lucky that wound didn't reopen Monodramon. If you die, you cannot protect him. Never forget that."
Monodramon lowered his head and sighted, realising how right Agumon was, "Sorry."
"It's alright," Agumon replied.
"That was touching. Dragon bounding. Mind if I join in?" a voice chuckled.
Agumon turned to his left and Monodramon too. They saw Devidramon grinning at them.
"What do you want?!" Monodramon shouted.
"Don't mind me. I am only here to give you a message from my lord," Devidramon replied.
"What did he said?" Agumon and Monodramon asked.
"He wants to tell you that Ryo is fine and starting to recover from his injuries. I did the bandaging by the way. Ryo is awake and worried for you," Devidramon said.
Monodramon sighted relieved of a huge weight. He knew Millenniumon would save Ryo, but wasn't sure if he saved him in time.
"That is all. I must make my leave," Devidramon said and turned away. He opened his wings, but closed them after a few seconds, "Monodramon. You were tempted by the darkness a few seconds ago."
Monodramon grunted loudly, but it only made Devidramon chuckled.
"It was faint, but feeling powerless, awoke your inner darkness. Maybe you'll turn out like me, if you evolve without a digivice," Devidramon replied.
Monodramon shouted, "Never! I won't succumb to the darkness! No matter how tempting it might be! I won't become a Devidramon!"
Devidramon grabbed the collar of his tuxedo and lightly squish it under his fist, "Why does a Monodramon often chose darkness Monodramon? You might already have the answer," he then flew away, leaving the two mini dragons confused.
AC: This is the end of chapter 40.
Next chapter: There is no distance.