Chapter 32: Prelude to a ballad
Picodevimon had lived in that village ever since he could remember. It was located on the edge of a forest, right before a cliff, under which the waves of the ocean hitting a rocky wall could be heard. The houses were made of rock and wood and were simple: two floors at maximum, one single door and two or three windows. The only exception was a tall tower that belonged to a secluded scholar called Vamdemon, the closest building to the sea. There was no sign of doors there; only two windows were visible in the highest level: one directed at the village and the other at the huge mass of water below.
Picodevimon had been told that he had been brought there as a baby to give company to Vamdemon. However, the vampire digimon died of an unexpected illness not long after the baby's arrival. He was taken care of by the other villagers until he evolved to his child form and was able to fly to the lone tower by himself. Despite being dusty, the interior was luxurious.
There was an open coffin in the middle of the room, the inside covered in red velvet. A silver chandelier hung from the roof right above a wooden table that had a white sheet with flower drawings on it. Close to the sea window, there were an armchair and a telescope. A circular shelf filled with books occupied most of the wall. A hole in the floor led to stairs that led to other rooms full of books.
One book in particular caught Picodevimon's attention. It was lying on the table, among empty glass cups and bottles. Its cover was red and had written on it, in golden letters, Prophecy Recompilation.
Curious, Picodevimon read the book. When he came across a particular prophecy, he wasn't able to turn the page for a while.
'In the world of the humans, a monster that defied death would rise and rule the mortals. Venomvamdemon, lord of the night, invincible until Love engulfs him.'
He knew that he could become Vamdemon one day. That was probably the reason why he had been brought to the scholar that used to live in that tower. Then, it should be possible for him to evolve further and become Venomvamdemon.
The prospect of being the monster in that prophecy delighted him. That was so much more interesting than having a boring life in a village where nothing happened. That was so much more compelling than wasting his time with ordinary digimon that didn't even like to read and couldn't hold intelligent conversations!
That prophecy had to be about him. He had to be the monster that would go to the human world and rule the mortals that inhabited it. Picodevimon imagined himself as an all powerful king feared by the people and was fascinated by the idea. He would be grand and invincible.
On the following day, he told the other villagers about the prophecy, expecting them to acknowledge his superiority and overall greatness. However, the villagers made fun of him. They said that the human world was nothing but a legend and that, even if it existed, there was no way a weak Picodevimon like him would evolve to ultimate level and become a conqueror.
Humiliated, Picodevimon swore that he would make the prophecy come true. He studied the books inside the tower for years, only leaving it to find food in the forest. Whenever they saw him, the villagers asked how his world domination plans were going. Their mocking tones enraged him deeply. Every time, he swore to them that he would go to the human world and prove them wrong.
His spite fueled his obsession as he devoured book after book, learning about magic, history and prophecies. Even awake, he dreamed about becoming Venomvamdemon and bringing terror upon the world. Maybe, he could teach a lesson to those foolish villagers first.
He came to learn about Fate and was convinced that the almighty being had to be behind those prophecies. Fate had to have prepared things for Picodevimon to go to that specific village and find that specific book, for no other reason than to make the digimon aware of his destiny. It had to be that! Everything made sense that way!
The final part of the prophecy, which said that his invincibility would end once he was engulfed by love, did not worry him.
"Then, I simply must never love anyone." He concluded, satisfied. That wasn't going to be a difficult task.
In one hot day, Picodevimon was taking a nap in the cozy coffin when he heard screams coming from the village. He peeked outside and saw a circular gate in the sky, sucking the villagers into it. On the ground, a digimon that looked like an angel wearing a purple helmet was pointing his large golden sword to the circle.
That's a Holyangemon, Picodevimon thought. What did he just do? Where did he send the villagers? Why did he do that?
The circular gate was closed and disappeared in the clear noon sky. It didn't seem like there was anyone left but him and the invader. Holyangemon turned his face in the tower's direction, earning a shriek from Picodevimon.
I need to escape! The bat monster thought, terrified. He looked for the Prophecy Recompilation book and, after finding it, tried to take flight carrying it. However, it was far too heavy. During Picodevimon's frustrated attempts, Holyangemon arrived at the top of the tower and entered through the window.
That overwhelming presence made the child level monster forget to flap his wings in midflight, causing him to fall on the floor along with the book. He quickly stood up, but soon cowered in fear of the angel walking in his direction.
"Are you going to resist me as well?" Holyangemon inquired in a grave tone.
"R-Resist?" Picodevimon stuttered.
The angel stopped a couple of steps in front of the smaller monster and looked down on him, still holding the sword in his right hand. At least the bat digimon assumed that the angel was doing that, considering that Holyangemon's eyes were covered by the purple helmet.
"I'm assembling an army to bring peace to this world." The angel informed. "I requested the villagers for support and they refused the call. To oppose me is the same as opposing the Spirit of the World, therefore they had to be punished."
"The Spirit of the World…?" Picodevimon could not hide his surprise. What could that angel have to do with Fate?
Holyangemon smiled proudly before replying:
"I was chosen by the Great Spirit to pacify the Digital World."
Fate chose him? No… it can't be true! No! Picodevimon didn't want to believe in that. Why him? What made him special enough to deserve such an honor?
Picodevimon was intelligent and determined. He was certainly someone worthy of being chosen by Fate. That brute angel, however… it couldn't be right! It couldn't be true!
"Why do you look at me with such angry eyes?" Holyangemon inquired, tightening the grip on the sword. "Does a mere Picodevimon like you intend to oppose me?"
The perfect level digimon positioned the sword in front of his body. He held the hilt with both hands and made the point of the weapon lightly touch the rocky floor. Picodevimon saw his reflection on the blade.
Is that me? He asked himself, staring at the reflection of a pathetic little digimon, sweaty and trembling in front of Holyangemon. That can't be me! I'm the one who will rule the human world one day! I can't look that pathetic! I can't look that weak!
"What's your answer?" Holyangemon asked. "Do you intend to oppose me?"
Picodevimon wished to send that angel to hell, like he did with every digimon that had ever angered him. But he knew that, unlike the villagers, Holyangemon wouldn't just laugh that off. He was in front of a powerful digimon that had no qualms regarding murder. If Picodevimon wanted to survive to one day become Venomvamdemon, he had to be smart. He had to fool that barbaric monster and take advantage of him.
"If you allow me, I'd be more than honored to serve you…" Picodevimon spoke those words feeling as if he was poisoning himself. He had to continue, he had to be convincing! He forced himself to finish the sentence with a smile, "Holyangemon-sama."
The angel grinned, approvingly.
Picodevimon was taken from the tower, unable to bring any book with him. From that day on, he would work with Nanomon in an abandoned castle Holyangemon had turned into a base, located on a hill close to a forest. His duties consisted mostly in research and lab work. Sometimes, he was ordered to take Holyangemon's dinner to his private chamber in the highest tower. Picodevimon tried to knock on the doors in the beginning but soon learned that the angel never answered. Then, he slightly opened the wooden doors and slipped in, carrying the food plate on his head. The room was always dark and he could listen to the angel's murmurs coming from some corner:
"I'm doing the right thing. Everything I do is right."
That was what they used to sound like.
Picodevimon missed the books from his tower immensely, above all the one that had his prophecy. He once tried to talk Nanomon into bringing the books from his tower to the castle but was met with scorn:
"A Picodevimon thinks he has something to offer me?" Nanomon asked, laughing at his face.
Once again, he was looked down. Whoever set eyes at him saw nothing more than a simple Picodevimon. But whenever the frustration torn him from the inside, Picodevimon remembered about the prophecy.
They can laugh as much as they want but they'll pay for it. He used to think. Once I evolve, I'll make them all regret looking down at me! I'll murder them myself, starting with that angel!
However, no matter how many centuries passed, he continued to be Picodevimon. Holyangemon had evolved and was now acclaimed as an emperor by his followers and a Bloody Lord by his enemies. Seraphimon was treated as the most fearsome and powerful digimon in the world, especially after he obliterated an entire continent. Picodevimon, on the other hand, went almost completely unnoticed in that castle.
A weaker digimon would have begun to doubt his glorious destiny by then, but that was not who he was. Every day and night, Picodevimon reminded himself of the prophecy. He couldn't be just another face in the crowd, just another creature whose life amounted to nothing.
I will be Venomvamdemon! I will conquer the human world! I will slay every fool that ever doubted me!
But he didn't have the chance to get his revenge on the angel.
In one of the nights where he had slipped in to bring Seraphimon's dinner, he was greeted by a female voice that said "Hello."
The room was dark but some moon light came from the large glass window. A silhouette of a slim angel with five pairs of wings could be seen in front of it, partially leaning to the right, lifting a spear that seemed to be soaked in thick liquid. The scent of blood filled the place.
"Who are you? Where's Seraphimon-sama?"
"The name my brother used to call me must never be pronounced again." She said in low voice. "I'm the one who has taken Seraphimon's life. I'm the one who will watch over the Digital World from now on and correct what he's done."
She killed him?! Picodevimon thought, trembling in fear. How insanely strong must she be?
"A-Are you my new master now?" Picodevimon asked. "Mistress?"
"I could be that, if you want." She replied. "I could take care of you as my own child."
I'm nobody's child! Picodevimon protested in thought, spiteful. The sound of footsteps came from the corridor outside.
"You'd better leave." She said, turning to the window and opening it. "Things are about to get messy here."
"You're… letting me go?" Picodevimon couldn't believe his ears. After centuries being forced to serve that angel, was he finally free?
"I'll contact you when I need you." She told him, stepping away from the window and heading to the slightly open doors. "I don't need you now. Go!"
Picodevimon flew away from the castle, without looking back. He was free at last! It was a shame that he didn't get his revenge but it didn't matter anymore. All that was important was that he was free to fulfill his destiny now. The pure joy that he felt was stronger than everything he had ever experienced. That feeling burst within him and he evolved two levels in a row.
He was already Vamdemon when he returned to the place where he had lived before. The ruins of the village didn't show any sign of life. Even the forest around it had died, seemingly consumed by a huge fire.
The tower had been overtaken by ivy and had part of its roof destroyed. Vamdemon flew to the window and was shocked to find almost nothing left in the chamber. Thieves must have had taken all the valuable things away. All that was left was the old armchair next to the sea window, rotting down. His hopes of finding the red-covered book were almost completely crushed when he noticed a flash of red behind the armchair. Vamdemon quickly moved the furniture and found the book opened on the page of his prophecy. But that wasn't everything.
A Picodevimon was reading it.
"What are you doing with my book?!" Vamdemon roared, kicking the smaller monster away from the Prophecy Recompilation.
"My apologies, Sir!" Picodevimon cried. "I had no idea someone else lived here! I just arrived a few days ago!"
"I should kill you for your insolence!" Vamdemon said, taking out a whip from his belt.
"Please, don't! I don't want to die!" Picodevimon begged, among sobs. "I just escaped death, please! I'll do anything you want!"
"You escaped death?" The vampire was intrigued.
"My home… my entire continent was destroyed… everybody I knew…" Picodevimon muttered, shedding a couple of tears.
"Cloud Continent?" Vamdemon asked. The other nodded.
"It was Seraphimon, wasn't it?" Picodevimon asked, trembling. "I told them so many times… why did they have to resist the Bloody Lord?"
The ugly crying of the smaller monster got on Vamdemon's nerves. That image evoked memories that he wished to leave behind.
"Pathetic…" The vampire spoke with spite. "Weak…"
"I know I'm like that." Picodevimon said in an apologetic tone. "I was never brave like my friends! I can never be… I don't even have the guts to seek revenge against that angel!"
"Seraphimon is dead." Vamdemon informed. Picodevimon was shocked to hear that.
"Another angel killed him." The vampire added. "I was there when it happened."
"You were there…?" Picodevimon murmured in awe. "Did you… did you help in that tyrant's demise? You must be really strong!"
Vamdemon had never been looked that way before. Was that admiration present in that child level digimon's eyes? To have someone gazing at him that way felt right. That was what Vamdemon had always deserved! He needed more of that!
"I've avenged your friends' deaths." Vamdemon told him. "You are in debt with me now, do you understand?"
"In debt?" Picodevimon sounded confused.
"I will allow you to be my servant in order to pay me back." Vamdemon explained. "A weak and pathetic monster like you, who never did anything worthy with your life, should be honored to serve a digimon fated to greatness like me."
Picodevimon looked at him with apprehension, which Vamdemon disliked. He hit Picodevimon with the whip.
"Do you have any complaints?" The vampire inquired.
"No… absolutely not!" Picodevimon replied, whimpering. "I'll live only for your sake now, Vamdemon-sama!"
Vamdemon smiled widely. That honorific fit him well.
Vamdemon had brought a tower of his castle along with him to the human world. He placed it in a small island not far from Odaiba and hid it with dense fog. Earlier that day, Monzaemon helped him to develop tools to look for the godly power present in that world. The toy monster was the first to leave the hideout. Then, Picodevimon flew with Agumon hanging from his feet, each carrying a tool. Gabumon expressed his desire to go too, but Vamdemon kept him in the tower. He didn't know that digimon well enough and thought it was too soon to let him do as he pleased.
Instead, the vampire had the child level monster help him in his private chamber by bringing him magic books. Vamdemon was preparing a large scale surveillance incantation to cover more ground than his subordinates could and find the source of the godly power. Once everything was ready, during a snowstorm, he tried to cast it but some sort of external influence blocked it. Only when the snowstorm ceased, the spell was manifested in countless shadow bats that flew into the sky.
Not long after that, Picodevimon and Agumon returned. Vamdemon didn't want to step away from the crystal ball placed on the wooden table in the middle of the chamber, that showed what the shadow bats saw. Therefore, he summoned the two digimon to his chamber to receive their reports. None of them found any clue to the godly power and neither had seen Monzaemon.
Picodevimon hovered above his master's head and took a glance at the crystal ball that showed different parts of the city.
"W-What is that, Vamdemon-sama?" He asked.
"The interface of my surveillance spell." Vamdemon replied, dryly.
"W-What?!" Picodevimon had a fearful expression.
"Is there something wrong?" Agumon asked the bat monster, standing by Vamdemon's right.
"Nothing at all! What could possibly be wrong?!" Picodevimon tried to sound unconcerned.
"You're not being very convincing." Gabumon commented, by Vamdemon' left.
"Quiet, the three of you!" Vamdemon hissed.
The images in the crystal ball continued to change until it showed something that made the vampire stop the switching. Picodevimon nearly fell. Agumon gasped. Gabumon smiled.
"That's… one of the chosen children…" Vamdemon said, astonished at the vision of the little blond boy holding a Patamon in an apartment's balcony. How could that be? All the chosen children should have died along with his army! None of them should have escaped! Did they all survive? Were they all in the human world with their partners?
"A chosen child! That's so unexpected! I have never been this shocked in my life!" Picodevimon spoke in an overtly dramatic way but Vamdemon paid him no attention. The vampire was focused on only one thing: find out how that had happened.
He murmured a spell close to the crystal ball to listen to their conversation.
The apartment where Yamato lived with his father was very small. The door opened to the kitchen, that had only a sink with a cabinet under it, a small stove, a refrigerator and a counter that served to divide the kitchen from the living room, where the table and its four chairs were. There weren't armchairs or a sofa in there, only the television over a support in front of the table, to the left of the counter. Some magazines and newspapers used to lie around the floor, but they had been removed before Takeru came over in the morning. At the other side of the living room, there was the glass door to the balcony.
"I should call Mama and let her know I'm going to spend a few days here." Takeru said, being the first to enter the apartment. "Where do you keep the phone?"
"It's in Dad's bedroom." Yamato replied, carrying one suitcase in each hand. "I'm going to leave these in my bedroom and bring the phone to you, okay? Do you want me to take your backpack too?"
"No, it's okay." Takeru told him, walking in large steps. "I can take it there by myself."
"Wait, Takeru!" Yamato tried to stop him but Takeru had already taken the corridor connected to the living room and made his way to the boy's bedroom. The big brother almost ran after the smaller child, followed by Patamon, who was puzzled at Yamato's mortified expression.
Yamato's bedroom was small. The bed and the wardrobe were less than ten steps away from each other and each touched a wall. Close to the window, there was a desk with some books over it.
On the bed, Takeru found two things that he recognized: his brother's harmonica and a photo album from their childhood. The little boy was about to pick the book up when Yamato entered the room, quickly put the luggage on the floor and leaned over Takeru to pick the album first.
"Were you looking at our family photos before we went to the camp?" Takeru asked, smiling.
"It's not like…" Yamato murmured, blushing and looking away. Then, he opened the wardrobe and put the album on some of his folded clothes.
"I'd like to see family photos too." Takeru told him. "I don't remember a lot from those times, so I ask Mama to tell me about them. I know lots of stories about your early childhood thanks to that."
"I'm… going to pick the telephone. Stay here." Yamato mumbled, leaving the bedroom without turning to Takeru.
Patamon landed on the bed, next to his partner. The little boy had a sad but resigned expression.
"Please, forgive Onii-chan. He's not rude on purpose; he's just very shy and awkward." Takeru said, picking up the harmonica. "He used to play this all the time. I wonder why he didn't bring it to camp."
That comment made Patamon remember a childhood long lost. The sister he once had loved music so much that she would sing every day. She used to be so happy. He wondered if she still sang.
"Hey, Patamon." Takeru called. "Are Piyomon and the others like siblings to you?"
"Well…" The digimon hesitated. "I guess… in a way…"
It was awkward to think of them as siblings now that he remembered his sister. He and the other four chosen digimon had bonded over a tale in their minds about humans that would come to be their friends. Each one of them tried to guess how their future partner was going to be. Pyokomon wanted Sora to be cheerful and sweet. Pukamon wanted Jyou to be cool. Motimon wanted Koushiro to be a chill person. Tanemon wanted Mimi to be brave and strong, which made absolute sense now considering who that digimon used to be. Tokomon didn't know about his past back then. He only looked at the future, in anticipation for Takeru, having only one wish: for Takeru to be kind.
The boy was kind, indeed. Kinder than the digimon could ever be.
"It must be nice to be able to be with your whole family all the time." The child said. "I bet you guys never had any fight. Adults fight, you know? They fight and then don't want to be together anymore…"
"Yeah…" Patamon murmured. "Adults make stupid mistakes like that…"
His sister had fought him because of the crimes he had committed. Palmon fought him in a previous life to stop his reign of terror. She died by his hands and now she remembered. What would Palmon do with that knowledge? He had asked her not to tell anyone but would she listen to him? She had no reason to do so. If she told the truth to the others… if Takeru heard it… Patamon would lose everything.
"What's wrong?" Takeru asked, suddenly.
"Huh?" Patamon was brought back from his thoughts.
"You seem to be sad. Why?" The boy inquired, worried.
"You just told me something sad. I was being sympathetic." He made up an excuse.
"I'm not stupid, Patamon!"
The serious way Takeru said that sent chills down the digimon's spine. The boy was staring at him with intensity.
"I know that you're hiding something from me. You've been hiding something from me ever since you came back to life." Takeru said. "I can't figure out what it is but I know that it's making you upset."
"You're very perceptive…" Patamon muttered.
"Tell me what it is, please! I want to help you!"
Of course you do, that's just how you are. Patamon lamented in thought. If only you knew…
Without warning, Yamato entered the bedroom and gave the cordless phone to his little brother.
"I'm going to prepare something to eat now." The older child said.
"Don't you want to talk to Mama?" Takeru asked. "You barely spoke to her when she brought me over."
"We don't have a lot to talk about…" Yamato murmured, looking down.
"She would like to talk to you more." Takeru told him. "Whenever I return from a visit to you, she always asks me how you were."
Yamato's eyes widened and shone with almost unnoticeable tears. Yet, he didn't say anything else, heading straight to the kitchen.
"I wish he wasn't such a difficult person." Takeru said in low voice, dialing his mother's number. "It's like he works against his own happiness."
"I'm going to talk to him." Patamon said, taking flight.
"It wouldn't hurt to try." Takeru murmured, showing a tiny smile.
In the kitchen, Patamon saw some vegetables on the counter and Yamato placing a pan on the stove. The boy soon noticed the other's presence.
"What is it?" Yamato inquired.
"I was wondering why you don't want to talk to your mother."
"That's none of your business." The other replied, picking a knife from the cabinet under the sink and walking towards the counter, where he began to cut the vegetables.
Patamon landed on the counter and observed Yamato, trying to understand why the child would act that way. He thought about the reasons that had made his bond with his sister get strained.
Does he want to be seen as someone strong? Patamon wondered. Does he want to be acknowledged as a capable leader who doesn't need anyone's help? Someone competent enough to protect the entire world…?
It had all begun with his desire to protect his sister. And that desire had led him to cause her immense pain.
"Thank you." Yamato said, suddenly, startling Patamon.
"W-What?" The digimon asked, confused.
"You protected my brother in that other world, right?" Yamato asked, keeping his eyes on the vegetables. "You even died for him…" He frowned. "I can never thank you enough. You were very courageous."
That compliment sounded like a cruel joke to him. Courageous? He had abused of Fate's power and brought horror to the world while preaching that he was bringing peace. He had tortured and killed more digimon than he could count. He had damned the inhabitants of the Cloud Continent to a corrupted existence of never ending pain. He had killed Palmon in her previous life. Palmon, who had never been anything more than wonderful to him and the other three chosen digimon. She was a kind and responsible leader, something he could never have been.
"I'm not that." Patamon murmured, looking down. "Takeru is the courageous one. He has a fierce sense of justice and is ready to fight for anyone who needs help…"
"Did he…?" Yamato hesitated. "Did he manage things well on his own?"
"Yes, he did." Patamon confirmed. "He was insecure and scared sometimes but he matured a lot. As he is now, I'm sure he could handle anything. You should be very proud of him."
Yamato's face fell but Patamon had no idea why.
"Onii-chan!" Takeru called, getting into the living room and bringing the cordless phone to his brother. "Mama wants to talk to you."
"What? Why?" Yamato asked, nervously. Patamon wondered if he was afraid.
"I've explained that I'm staying here because of the snow and she asked to talk to you." Takeru told the other, offering the phone to Yamato. The older boy hesitated to take it.
"Stop acting like that and just pick the phone already." Takeru sighed, holding his brother's left hand and placing the phone in it. Yamato let go of the knife he was using to cut the vegetables. He held the phone with both hands, as if he was worried about dropping it. His face was pale and sweaty.
"H-Hello…" Yamato muttered, timidly. Then, his eyes widened, seemingly in surprise. "I can't hear you well! There's a weird noise... can you hear me? Hello?"
After half a minute, Yamato put the phone on the counter, saying that the line had gone down. Takeru picked it up and tried to call his mother, with no results.
Yamato had already said that the line was down. Didn't Takeru believe him? Patamon wondered.
"Maybe you should keep it, in case she calls again." Yamato suggested, looking at his younger brother standing at the other side of the counter.
"She wanted to talk to you! You keep it!" Takeru replied, annoyed.
"What's the matter?" Yamato asked, seriously.
"You must be so pleased now." Takeru murmured angrily.
"Why would I be pleased?" Yamato asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You didn't want to talk to her!" Takeru replied. "You never did! Just like you never want to visit us in Kawada! I'm always the one that has to come over!"
Yamato was visibly shocked at Takeru's outburst. The little boy noticed that and quickly apologized:
"Sorry for yelling at you... I shouldn't have done that."
"Did Mom ever…?" Yamato couldn't ask him that while looking into his eyes. He turned around with the excuse of putting the cut vegetables in the pan on the stove. After he lit the fire, Yamato asked:
"Did she ever complain about me?"
"Of course not." Takeru denied, looking down. "She never said anything but I can tell that she's sad over the situation. Maybe she thinks that you hate her and that's-"
"She thinks that?" Yamato turned to Takeru again, showing a horrified expression. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Hey, calm down! I don't know if she thinks that. I just suspect it." The younger brother explained. "It wouldn't hurt if you told her otherwise, would it?"
Yamato didn't reply. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the floor.
"You could tell her that if she calls again or you could call her and tell her that. It's your decision." Takeru told him, walking away from the counter, towards the corridor.
Patamon was about to follow his partner but decided to tell Yamato what he thought:
"You will regret not being honest when you had the chance."
Yamato was left alone with his thoughts. Not even the increasing sound of the wind coming from the outside distracted him from them.
Palmon had followed Mimi when she went to call Koushiro, hiding behind the wall next to the kitchen's entrance. She could peek at her partner's shaking back, wrapping the cord of the phone around her finger.
Mimi seems to be so down. The digimon thought. Why is she like that? Fate didn't actually hurt her or her mother. They're both alive and unscratched…
She gulped as she remembered the countless digimon who had not been so lucky, the digimon she had not been able to protect from the Bloody Lord.
Without her noticing at first, Satoe approached the entrance to the kitchen, seemingly not paying attention to the digimon. After listening to the end of the conversation Mimi was having with Koushiro, the woman stepped inside the kitchen and spoke to her daughter.
"Who were you talking to?" Satoe asked.
"Koushiro-kun… he's a chosen child too… and my friend." Mimi murmured.
"You were asking him to come to check on me… why would you…? Do y-you think I'm still p-possessed?!" Satoe's voice got higher as she began to sob. "It's me, Mimi! I swear on my life it's me! Can't you recognize me anymore? It's me! I'm your mother!"
Palmon saw her partner, who had been standing next to the phone, looking down, suddenly lift her head and turn to Satoe. At that moment, the girl's sorrowful face was visible. Mimi's tearful eyes made Palmon feel as if something was squeezing her heart.
It's okay, Mimi. Nothing bad really happened. Palmon told her in thought, unable, for some reason, to say it aloud. Everything is okay now, why don't you cheer up?
"Please, don't cry…" Mimi pleaded, almost inaudibly in comparison to Satoe's loud crying. The mother fell to her knees. The daughter reached out for her but hesitated midway.
"What are we going to do now?" Satoe asked. "H-How can I prove that I really am myself? Tell me what I can do! I want to make you trust me again!"
"I'm sorry, Mama!" Mimi cried out, finally wrapping her arms around her mother. "It's not your fault! None of this was your fault! You shouldn't feel bad about it!"
"You called me Mama…" Satoe muttered.
"That computer program could never cry like you." Mimi stated. "It was a heartless beast that didn't feel like you at all! Mama, you always wear your heart on your sleeve! It's always easy to know what you're feeling! I know you! I've known you my whole life! I should have seen it was you right away! I'm so sorry!"
"I've known you my whole life…" That sentence made Palmon feel strange. So what if Mimi had known her mother since ever? That was not a guarantee of anything. Someone with whom you had grown up together could still turn out to be completely different from what you believed.
"Don't apologize for any of this! Never!" Satoe forbade her. "Everything you feel is normal, you shouldn't be ashamed! Neither of us should!"
"It hurts, Mama!" Mimi said, among sobs, burying her face on the woman's shoulder. "Everything hurts so badly! Why did any of this have to happen to us?"
"Bad things don't happen for a reason." Satoe told her. "There's no point in questioning why it happened. We can only deal with how it affects us."
Watching those two hugging and crying made Palmon feel her eyes get wet. But why? They were reacting over a thing that couldn't even be qualified as a tragedy. Nobody had been physically injured. Nobody had died. Nobody was grieving their fallen ones. There were no destroyed villages; there was no blood tainted field; the cries of children who had suddenly found themselves alone in the world weren't being carried by the wind.
What had happened? A deity had admitted to having manipulated digimon to start wars and had possessed Mimi's mother to talk to the girl. That was all of it. Had Mimi not been through worse and recovered? Why was this affecting her partner so much?
Palmon stepped back a little and felt her tail touching a pair of long legs. She turned around and saw Mimi's father standing behind her, with his eyes locked at the other two humans, crying as well. Maybe he had not even noticed that Palmon was there. The digimon stepped to the side right before the man ran into the kitchen and kneeled beside the girl and the woman.
Palmon could not stand to watch them any longer. She went to her partner's bedroom and sat on the floor, next to the girl's bed, hugging her knees. Mimi was suffering over nothing at all. She should know that! If she was like that now, how would she react when the truth behind Patamon was revealed? What would she choose to do?
What should Palmon do?
I'm supposed to fight him. I had vowed to save the world from him. I know who I am! I know who he is! I know what the Bloody Lord has done! I can't afford to let my determination waver!
The digimon had not seen when the snowstorm had begun. She stayed still, consumed by her thoughts, until the howling sound of the wind suddenly ended. Palmon went to the window and peeked outside, finding that there was not even one snowflake falling from the sky anymore. The clouds were still dark but no longer completely covering the sky. Now it was possible to partially see the sunset.
Palmon left the bedroom and went to look for Mimi, finding her in the kitchen, standing with the phone in one hand, not saying a thing. Keisuke was cutting vegetables at the table while Satoe was frying something at the stove.
"Mimi…?" Palmon called, getting close to her partner.
"Koushiro-kun vanished into the snowstorm before I could do anything!" The girl spoke with shame. "I'm trying to call his place!"
"I'm sure your friend is alright, sweetie." Keisuke tried to sooth her.
"He headed straight to Fate's trap and I couldn't stop him! I was the one who called him over and exposed him to danger!" Mimi had begun to cry. "If something happened to him or his family, I don't know what I…"
"Whatever happened, Koushiro is going to be fine!" Palmon stated. "Didn't Fate say it was rooting for the chosen children? It's not going to hurt any of you!"
Disbelief overtook Mimi's face as she stared at Palmon with wide open eyes.
"How dare you say such a thing?!" Satoe yelled, stepping away from the stove still holding the frying pan. She stared down at Palmon, furious. "Don't you understand what Mimi is going through?!"
"Don't you remember what Fate did to Koushiro-kun before?" Mimi asked her partner, in low voice, placing the phone back to its place. "And to Jyou-san and us?"
"The Spirit of the World could've killed you all before but didn't do it." Palmon pointed out. "That thing is mischievous and manipulates others but it isn't a threat for us at this moment. It might be playing with Koushiro right now but I don't see any reason for Fate to want to cause real harm to him. We can't afford to waste time worrying about something that is not our enemy yet."
"Fate is the only enemy everybody has ever had! That thing is the cause of everything that has ever gone wrong in the Digital World!" Mimi protested. "It's not just because of what it did to us! Think about the Digital World! Think about all the conflicts that happened because of-"
"I don't have to think about it! I lived through some of those conflicts!" Palmon interrupted. "I've fought the worst digimon who ever lived and let me tell you one thing! Fate might have helped him and given him power but it sure as hell wasn't controlling him! Seraphimon did everything out of his own will! Every war that happened in that world wasn't caused solely by Fate's machinations! They were the result of the choices the digimon took! They were caused by digimon resisting oppression! To think otherwise is an insult to everybody who has ever taken on weapons to defend what they cared for!"
Mimi and Palmon stared at each other without saying another word. Keisuke and Satoe also remained silent. The digimon noticed that the girl's once angry expression had been replaced by one of sadness. Palmon knew that she was in the right but it hurt her to see her friend like that.
"I'm going to keep calling to Koushiro-kun's place." Mimi muttered, picking up the phone and dialing the number.
"Do as you wish." Palmon murmured, leaving the kitchen.
Gomamon had been startled when his partner woke up from his nap due to Koushiro's father entering the Kido family's apartment while calling for a doctor. But he wasn't surprised when Jyou quickly put a grey robe over his blue pajamas and demanded to see Koushiro. There had never been a chance that the boy would do anything else.
Now, Jyou was in the kitchen of the Izumis' apartment with Koushiro's cordless phone, talking to Mimi. The sound of the violin could be heard in the entire place. Gomamon had left the company of his partner's brothers, who were talking in the living room, to listen to what Jyou was saying to the other child. The boy had one of his hands on the kitchen's counter, sustaining his weight on it.
"Koushiro-kun is okay now, don't worry! He's going to be fine!" The boy spoke with forced cheerfulness. "Yes, it was Fate. I didn't have the chance to speak to Koushiro-kun properly yet but we're all sure it was that thing. How did you know it was Fate, anyway?"
Gomamon went to the boy's side and saw how his face got paler as he heard whatever Mimi was telling him. Jyou's knees began to tremble and the digimon was afraid that the child could collapse at any moment.
"Tell me your address!" Jyou spoke in a very serious voice, several minutes later. "Mimi-kun, I need to see you! Don't tell me you're fine! There's no way you're fine!"
What happened to Mimi? Gomamon wondered, noticing the tears appearing in Jyou's eyes. Does he want to go out again? Why? Why can't he just stay here for now? He's going to see her tomorrow anyway!
"I understand…" Jyou seemed to be less agitated. "I am worried about Koushiro-kun too but you're… Mimi-kun, I know that you need… I can go to your place! Why won't you let me?! I know that we're going to talk tomorrow but I won't rest well knowing that you're in such a state!"
"Jyou!" Gomamon called his friend. Jyou looked at him, seemingly surprised to find him close to his feet. A guilty expression passed through the boy's face and he looked away.
"Let's meet a little earlier tomorrow, then. Is half an hour before the meeting good for you?" Jyou asked. "I really want to talk to you. Okay, then. See you tomorrow."
Jyou hung up and looked at Gomamon again, with sorrowful eyes.
"I'm sorry for making you upset earlier." He said.
"That was an idiotic plan that wouldn't help anyone!" Gomamon let him know.
"Maybe…" Jyou murmured. "But I had to do something!"
"Sometimes, there's nothing you can do!" Gomamon stated. "Sometimes, things are just out of your power and you have to accept that! There's nothing shameful in it!"
The digimon's eyes were getting filled with tears and he glanced down. He wiped some of the tears with one of his hands, but it wasn't enough to stop the crying. Gomamon had been through so much stress that he couldn't hold it together anymore.
Jyou had begun as a story in his head. Gomamon had spent years dreaming about the boy and the adventures they would have together. He had dreamed about valiantly rescuing Jyou from any and all danger and saving the world with him, despite not really knowing what the world had to be saved from. The story in his head was vague but it was a happy one.
Reality, however, was not happy at all. Jyou was the one chasing after the danger and Gomamon had no clue in how to rescue his partner from his own recklessness.
"You scare me to death, Jyou!" Gomamon confessed. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days, trying to do what you think is the right thing. And maybe a better partner would admire you for that and support your ideals but I can't!" A couple of tears rolled down his eyes as he said that. "I can't bring myself to find your willingness to sacrifice yourself a good thing! I'm not a noble hero that puts everybody else's needs before my own! I'm a selfish guy! I… I just want my dumb friend to be okay! Maybe that doesn't make me cut to be the partner of a chosen child but I can't help it!"
Jyou picked Gomamon up and embraced him.
"It's frustrating to want to help someone and not being able to. I can't think in anything worse than that." Jyou said to him in low voice. "I get so wrapped up in my own feelings that I forget…" He gulped. "I'm sorry for making you feel like this."
Does this mean that he's going to be more careful now? Gomamon wondered. A part of him wanted to ask that out loud, but he was afraid of the answer. To be hugged by his partner like that felt reassuring and he didn't want to let the feeling go.
"That's right! You'd better be sorry, Jyou!" Shin said, suddenly, entering the kitchen accompanied by Shuu.
"Were you listening to our conversation?" The youngest brother asked, annoyed.
"We didn't mean to do that!" Shuu hurried to say. "But then we couldn't stop! Sorry!"
Shuu glanced at his older brother, who was standing next to him, in front of Jyou and Gomamon, still bearing a severe expression.
"Shin-niisan, aren't you going to apologize?" Shuu asked.
"The only one here that needs to apologize is Jyou." Shin stated.
Why does that guy have to be such a pain? Gomamon wondered, irritated. Jyou, on the other hand, apologized:
"I didn't consider how my behavior affected you. I won't act like that again. I'm sorry!"
Shin's expression softened as he looked at Jyou's serious face. The boy meant what he said and that had to have value.
"We should go home." Shin suggested. "The Izumis have been talking for a long time now; Koushiro-kun must be fine."
Only in that moment Gomamon noticed that the violin had stopped. He wondered if the instrument had any special meaning to that family.
"I'd like to wait a bit more." Jyou said. "I'm worried about Koushiro-kun."
"But if he's out of danger-" Shin began to say.
"It's not just his physical health that worries me! Koushiro-kun is my friend!" Jyou protested, blushing at his own statement. "I told him that I wanted to be his friend and that I wanted to help him! Right now, I feel that he needs my help!"
Shin and Shuu observed the child with surprise. That might have been the first time he had talked about having friends.
"Ok, then." Shin conceded.
"I can bring you some stuff in case you decide to spend the night here." Shuu offered.
"Thank you!" Jyou said, smiling at both of them.
After the song was over, Koushiro told his parents and Motimon everything that had happened to him. The three of them were sitting on the bed, close to the boy, Yoshie by his right and Masami and the digimon at his left.
"Another Koushiro-han…" Motimon whispered. "Fate is another Koushiro-han who died…"
There was a Koushiro from a different universe that was tricked by Wisemon and had his mind uploaded to a computer program. A Koushiro that suffered endless agony for billions of years and that took his anger out in other versions of himself. That Koushiro tried to kill his partner. But he was his partner as well.
What was Motimon supposed to do? He wanted to protect Koushiro. He didn't want to let him be in pain. But if things came down to it, would he be able to destroy Fate to save the Koushiro he knew?
"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" Yoshie asked, taking her right hand from the violin on her lap to touch her son's trembling wrapped fingers.
"That other you…" Masami said in an almost inaudible voice. "Isn't there a way to take him out of… there?"
"I don't know…" Koushiro mumbled, looking down. "I would like to find a way to help him."
Motimon looked up to his partner, surprised.
"You… want to help yourself, Koushiro-han?"
"Well… yeah." Koushiro replied, looking at his partner. "He's hurt and confused. It's not his fault that he became like that. I'd like to bring him some peace if possible… I think I can understand him…"
Motimon felt a familiar wave of energy coming from his core as white light enveloped his body.
Koushiro-han is willing to be kind to himself… to forgive himself… he has finally learned…
"Tentomon!" The boy exclaimed, smiling at his partner who had just evolved.
"H-He changed!" Masami almost screamed.
"He evolved." Koushiro corrected. "He can become even bigger than that."
"It's nice to meet you." Yoshie greeted the insect monster.
"I'm still the same one in the inside." Tentomon said, giggling.
Yoshie grinned at Tentomon, soon noticing that Koushiro was paying close attention to her face.
"He looked a lot like you… your son…" The boy murmured. "My brother…"
Both adults stayed silent, looking at the child seriously. Koushiro had talked about simulation Makoto briefly and they did not dare to interrupt his narration. But now, their son was willing to talk to them about their other child. They couldn't bring themselves to stop him.
"He was very brave and kind." Koushiro spoke with a mix of sadness and fondness. "He was determined and emotive… he loved his brother a lot. I think I… I mean, the other me… loved him a lot too."
Masami and Yoshie rubbed their eyes but their tears could not be contained. Nor could Koushiro's.
"Could you tell me more about my other parents?" The child asked. "I'd like to know more about them."
His parents exchanged looks and asked, at the same time, if the child was sure.
Koushiro nodded.
Sora wasn't able to make another phone call for the rest of the afternoon. After many attempts, her mother told her to wait until the snowstorm was over and the girl agreed. She left her notepad on the phone's table, put the strange amulet that Picodevimon had in her pocket and went to the living room, where her father was asking Piyomon various questions while her mother was finishing the flower arrangement she had been working on earlier. They were all sitting on pillows on the floor.
"There's something I don't quite understand, Piyomon." Haruhiko said, after a very long interview. "How did you and the others know that Sora and the other children were coming? How did you know their names and who was who?"
"It was a story in our heads." Piyomon replied, amused at the man's puzzled expression. "Ever since we were born, we knew they were coming and waited for them eagerly. I didn't know what Sora looked like or how her personality was going to be but when I saw her for the first time, I knew it was her."
"That had to be Kanda-san's doing." Sora commented. "He wanted us to have better relationships with our partners…"
"It was wrong of that man to take children to such a dangerous place!" Toshiko said, with controlled anger. "If I were to meet him, I don't even know what I'd do."
"He's dead now. There's nothing to do." Sora muttered, earning concerned looks from everybody else.
"It must've been tough for you." Haruhiko murmured.
"It was worse for the others, I think." Sora said. "They saw the original children as their sempai. My relationship with Kanda-san was more complicated than that. I felt bad for him but I'm not entirely sure if his death made me sad… I mean, at least he's not suffering anymore…"
"Feelings are complicated things." Toshiko told Sora. "They need time to be understood. Be patient with yourself."
"I will. Thank you, Mom." Sora smiled largely at the woman, who smiled back.
Sora seems to be better now. Piyomon thought, gladly. She's finally at peace.
"The snowstorm has stopped!" Sora interjected when she could no longer listen to the sound of the wind. Then, she got up and headed to the phone. Piyomon followed her.
"Who are you going to call first?" The bird digimon asked.
"Mimi-chan." Sora replied, looking for the number written on the notepad she had left on the phone's table. Once she found it, she quickly dialed. It took almost one minute for the other girl to pick up.
"Hello?" Mimi spoke.
"Hello, Mimi-chan. It's Sora. I'm calling to let you know about a reunion-"
"Yes, Koushiro-kun told me everything about that already." Mimi interrupted. Something in her tone made Sora uneasy.
"Oh? Koushiro-kun has talked to you already? That's good." Sora said. "Is everything okay with you? You sound kind of down…"
"I've talked too much about what happened today…" Mimi was evasive. "Is it alright if I tell you about it tomorrow?"
"Does it have anything to do with digimon in our world?" Sora tried to guess.
Mimi stayed silent for a while, probably thinking about what to say. Then, she replied:
"The Spirit of the World talked to me."
"THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD?!" Sora shouted, in shock. "That thing?! What…?! How…?!"
"Please, don't freak out over this! I can't go over this again!" Mimi pleaded, in a crying tone.
"Are you okay, Mimi-chan? Did that thing hurt you? If you give me your address, I can go to your place and-"
"I don't want anyone coming to my place again!" Mimi protested. "I don't want to talk about it now! I'm so sick of crying, why can't I just rest a little?!"
"I'm sorry, Mimi-chan…" Sora muttered, feeling guilty as she listened to the younger girl's sobs.
"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault." Mimi tried to sound reassuring. "It's really stressful to talk about it through the phone… I've already made Jyou-san and Koushiro-kun worried about me… I feel so bad!"
"Hey, it's okay." Sora told her, in a tranquil voice. "Feelings are complicated things."
"They sure are." Mimi agreed. "Is it okay if I hang up now? I want to go to sleep. I promise I'll tell everything tomorrow."
"Of course it's okay. Sleep well." Sora told her.
After Mimi hung up, Piyomon asked what had happened and her partner explained to her.
"Now it's Fate and Picodevimon!" The digimon was concerned. "Could that thing be his master?"
"I don't know." Sora said, worried as well. "We'll have a lot to discuss tomorrow… now I should let Takeru-kun know."
She dialed his Odaiba number and waited almost two minutes until someone picked up. Then, she heard Yamato's voice.
"Hi…" He said, timidly. "There's something that… Takeru told me something and I…"
Why is he hesitating so much? Is there something wrong? Sora wondered. Hold on, does he know it's me?
"Erh-" The girl began to say but was interrupted.
"Please, just let me say it!" Yamato now had urgency in his voice. "I thought you knew… I never considered that you could not know… that's my fault, I suppose… I'm sorry for not talking too much… and for not seeing you a lot…"
Who does he think he's talking to? Sora asked herself. Yamato-kun sounds so sad… so vulnerable… is there something I can do to help him? Wait! What am I thinking? I'm not supposed to listen to what he's saying! He doesn't know he's talking to me! I need to tell him!
But when the girl was about to let him know, he said something that left her without reaction:
"I'm sorry, Mom… I still think… I…" Yamato spoke in a pained voice. "I… Mom, I…" his breathing became heavier, "I… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm not... I wanted to but I'm not..."
Is he apologizing to his mother? Does he have issues with his mother as well? Sora wondered. I could help him sort his feelings out… no, wait! I need to let him know that he's talking to me and not to her!
"Yamato-kun! This is Takenouchi Sora!" The girl almost shouted. "I called to let Takeru-kun know about a meeting tomorrow! I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner that it was me! I know that you didn't say any of those words for me! I'm really sorry for violating your privacy like that! I can never apologize enough!"
Piyomon touched her partner's left hand and asked, in a whisper, why she was getting so worked up. Sora didn't respond because she was busy saying how sorry she was in every way she found possible.
"Wait! You said meeting?" Yamato managed to ask after a few minutes of Sora profusely apologizing. "Why are you having a meeting? Is there something wrong?"
"Well…" Sora hesitated. She could tell that Takeru's brother was getting anxious and pondered if it would be a good idea to let him know what was happening.
"There is something wrong, isn't there?!" Yamato was raising his voice. "Is it something dangerous? Is Takeru in danger?!"
"It's too soon to know!" Sora said. "I mean, I saw a digimon and Mimi-chan talked to Fate and-"
"What's Fate?! What is that supposed to mean? Hold on! You said digimon? Are there digimon here?! Did they come after you? Are they coming after Takeru?!" Yamato was shouting at this moment.
He's in full panic mode now! Sora thought, feeling bad for Yamato. What should I do? How do I help him?
Then, she heard Yamato talking to someone else, away from the phone. After that, Takeru spoke to her.
"Sora-san? It's me, Takeru." He said.
"Your brother! I'm so sorry! I should've had more tact!" Sora was nearly shouting. "I made him freak out!"
"Don't worry about it. Onii-chan is a bit dramatic sometimes." Takeru giggled.
Sora could hear Yamato shouting at the distance that he was not dramatic, to which Takeru replied that he could hear him yelling at Sora from their bedroom. The girl got very anxious, thinking that she had caused a fight between the siblings.
"Anyway!" Takeru spoke to her again. "What happened?"
Sora told him everything.
Yamato, Takeru and Patamon had together the vegetable soup the older brother had prepared. Patamon was over the table and the boys were sitting across from each other.
"This is delicious!" Patamon said, trying to break the awkward silence between the siblings.
"Thanks…" Yamato murmured, not taking his eyes from his plate.
"So… the snowstorm stopped. That's nice!" Patamon tried again.
"Yeah…" Yamato mumbled.
Before that day, Takeru had never showed anger towards his brother. Now it was as if he could see all of Yamato's shortcomings. The older sibling shouldn't be surprised. Takeru had grown considerably while he was in that other world. Besides, he had been with people a lot more admirable and reliable than Yamato, like that girl Sora, who was worried about hurting his feelings despite Yamato being the one to create the awkward situation. And that after he had been rude to her earlier that day! Then, he shouted at her, again, without wanting to, as if he couldn't control himself. What kind of opinion did Sora have of him? Worse than that, what did Takeru think of him? Takeru hadn't said a word ever since hanging up the phone.
I'm a farce… Takeru knows that already… he's never going to believe again that I'm a responsible big brother that can take care of him… like Mom had asked me…
In the morning of that day, while Hiroaki was chatting with Takeru, Natsuko approached the older boy and asked him to watch over the smaller one, adding awkwardly that she had already told Takeru not to cause trouble to Yamato. After hearing that, Yamato thought that his mother sounded like someone who was asking a stranger for a favor, as if she didn't remember that he was her son as well and Takeru's brother. The other thing that he noticed was that Natsuko didn't have too much faith in him to take care of things, which led her to tell Takeru to behave well.
What had made her distrust Yamato like that? Since the divorce, he had put extra effort in showing that he was alright and that she didn't have to worry about him living alone with his father. She should only worry about Takeru. Yamato could take care of himself, he wouldn't be miserable away from his mother. He couldn't allow her to worry about him. He couldn't let her think that he needed her. But did his effort lead her to understand something she was not supposed to?
"You could come to the reunion tomorrow and apologize to Sora-san in person." Takeru finally spoke, looking at his brother.
"Is that really okay?" Yamato asked.
"You got nervous and lost your temper, I get it." Takeru told him. "As long as you make amends, it's not the end of the world."
He's so wise now… Yamato thought. I stress over things that he doesn't care so much about. What must he think of me now?
The phone rang. Takeru was about to get it but Yamato asked to do it instead.
"It could be Mom." The big brother said, not noticing Takeru's smile at his phrase.
However, Ishida Hiroaki was the one calling. Natsuko had called her ex-husband to talk about Takeru staying over, which surprised Hiroaki greatly. Now the man wanted to know why Yamato hadn't called to inform him of any of that, or even about the camp being cancelled.
"I'll be right back." Yamato told Takeru, going to his bedroom with the cordless phone. The little boy smirked.
"You don't seem to be angry at him anymore." Patamon commented.
"I wasn't angry at Onii-chan, just frustrated." Takeru said back, taking a spoon full of soup to his mouth. "But now I have worse things to worry about."
"What did Sora tell you?" Patamon asked. "Why does she want a reunion?"
"She saw that Picodevimon from Aurora Town. He was looking for something in the snow and mentioned a master." Takeru explained. "But that's not the worst thing."
"What else did she say?" Patamon had a concerned expression.
"I don't know the details…" Takeru said in low voice. "She told me that Mimi-san spoke to Fate. That thing is in the human world."
Patamon's eyes widened in horror and he took flight, as if trying to escape.
"No!" The digimon had a pleading tone. "Why is that thing here? Why doesn't it leave me alone?!"
"Welcome back!" That voice had told him that in Kanda's base. The same voice that had offered him power. The one that allowed everything, that had made him…
But he was never made to do anything. It'd be so much easier to believe in that but he knew it was not true. Since the beginning, he was the one making the decisions. But that voice told him that he was right… that he was the chosen one… that he would bring peace to the world! All the things he wanted to hear, especially during the nights where the faces of his victims appeared before him.
Seraphimon had died. Patamon was someone else now! He had a new life and could make new decisions! But that thing came to him in that tunnel. And he accepted that power again. So easily… as if nothing had changed! He lost himself so quickly and so completely, if it wasn't for Takeru's cry, would he have fallen under that influence again? Could that be his true nature, after all?
What would Takeru think? Righteous Takeru, who believed in justice… Takeru who once told him there was no way he could be evil… what would he think if he knew? Last time, the boy was convinced that he had been possessed by Fate. He couldn't bear to think that his partner was the one performing those horrendous slaughters! Takeru believed in him… Takeru believed in his good heart… but if Takeru found out…? That thought was unbearably painful!
Patamon was in the human world now! He was far from all that! He was supposed to be free from Fate's influence! Free from his bloody past! But he was not. Fate was there. For what reason? For what other reason? To remind him of who he was, to seduce him with power, to lead him down that path again! He didn't want that but it had already happened twice! What if it happened once more? What if he became that monster again? And Takeru would see him…
Patamon stumbled on the roof and almost fell. Agitated, he made his way to the balcony's door and opened it. He wanted to escape, not knowing where to go. He just wanted to get away from everything. Away from Fate and from the ghosts of his past. The ghosts that had only begun to come after him…
The digimon would have flown away if Takeru hadn't grabbed him from behind just in time.
"Patamon, what's wrong?!" Takeru asked, struggling to keep his partner in his arms.
The digimon couldn't articulate any answer. What could he say to him? Lie? But in all that time he wasn't able to truly lie to Takeru. He said part of the truth and hid the painful details, but he had never lied. Should he do that now? For how long could he sustain that deception? Fate was in that world. To tell anything but the truth would only postpone the inevitable.
"Don't be scared!" Takeru tried to sooth him. "I won't let that thing possess you again, I swear!"
"Stop!" Patamon pleaded. "Don't talk to me like that! I don't deserve your concern!"
"What are you talking about?! Of course you do!" Takeru protested, forcing Patamon to face him. "You're my best friend! I will always be concerned about you! I'll never stop caring for you!"
Patamon first tried to look away, focusing on a shadowy spot in a corner of the balcony. But he couldn't keep his eyes from his partner's preoccupied face. Takeru cared too much for him.
"You're better than I've ever imagined you could be." Patamon said, feeling tears accumulating in his eyes. "My kind partner…"
"Tell me what's wrong." Takeru pleaded. "We are friends, aren't we?"
"In this life, you've always been everything that mattered to me." Patamon told him. "I wish it could've stayed like that forever… but then I remembered…"
"Remembered what?" Takeru asked apprehensively.
"A long time ago, in a past life, I did many bad things." Patamon confessed. "I remembered everything after being reborn… now I can't forget it… and Fate won't let me forget it…"
"I don't understand… what bad things? What does Fate have to do with this?"
Patamon looked at the boy's face with attention, as if trying to memorize it. That child could not let the digimon get close to him again after knowing the truth. But Takeru had the right to know. And he had the right to stay away from him.
"Do you remember that story Elecmon told us in the Village of the Beginnings?" Patamon asked. "Two eggs had hatched at the same time. The digimon who had been born were so close that they thought of each other as siblings. One of them was a Patamon and he heard the Call of Fate. He wanted to bring peace to everybody but he became ruthless… he came to be called 'Bloody Lord' and his sister was forced to kill him."
"W-Why are you bringing Seraphimon up?" Takeru had a nervous tone. He was afraid of where that conversation was going.
Patamon confirmed his fears:
"A long time ago, I was the Seraphimon that spread terror through the Digital World."