47) After the Battle
"It looks like there were no ill effects", Shibumi explained. "Clean bills of health all around".
Tamers and digimon, alike, had been poked, prodded, and blood sampled.
"Mr., Mrs. Katou", Yamaki was explaining to both Juri and her parents. "Given everything your daughter's been through, I believe counseling would be advised".
"For what?", Juri asked.
"PTDS", Yamaki explained. "You may feel alright right now, but in cases like this, distress can show up later. We see this with soldiers returning from war zones all the time. Don't worry about the cost. Hypnos will pick up the expense. It's the least we can do", he explained.
"Thank you for that", Tadashi and Shizue agreed.
"I still don't think...", Juri began.
"It's for the best", her father explained. "If you don't need it, it won't so any harm, and if you do, you'll be glad you have it".
"I'm also recommending counseling for Ruki as well", Yamaki explained to Seiko and Rumiko. "After everything she's been through lately..."
"No need to sugar coat it for our sakes", Rumiko explained, "she told us all about it".
"After what she did as Lilithmon, I think it's highly advisable to help her come to terms with that".
"I agree", Seiko said. "So far, we haven't told her father. We don't know how".
"I understand", Yamaki agreed.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The Tamers and their partners and parents were assembled in a "green room" off the hotel's main ball room where representatives of both the domestic and international press were waiting. Shuichon and Lopmon were staying with Cho-sensei, as Janyu believed her too young for this ordeal. Juri was also excused, given her recent ordeals of losing Leomon, and the Kernel Sphere. Her parents had come to escort her and Calumon back to Matsumoto where they would be staying with Juri's grandparents until the publicity died down a bit more.
Ryo and Monodramon weren't there since Ryo's father believed that Ryo had had enough of the limelight. It was time the Legendary Tamer learned how to resume a more normal life.
The individual members of the Wild Bunch had delayed their departures to their various homelands, as there would be questions for them as well.
Rumiko was doing a last minute fix-up of Ruki's hair. Ruki, of course, wanted to wear her usual outfit: jeans and a T. Rumiko wanted her to wear one of those hideous outfits. They'd compromised: Ruki borrowed one of Juri's outfits at the last minute, as they were both about the same size.
"I hope I don't screw this up", she was saying.
"I'm sure you'll do just fine", Lutramon reassured.
"You're not the one with camera shyness".
"It won't be like that photo shoot", Rumiko explained. "No one's gonna shove a camera in your face".
"Just look the audience in the eye", Seiko offered advice. "Don't pay attention to the cameras. Just do your best to answer their questions".
Takato was also getting used to the suit and tie that he wore: "Stop fussing with that tie", his father told him.
"I still feel naked without my goggles", he complained.
"You want to make a good impression?"
"Yeah, but everyone's seen us already".
"This press conference will be seen the world over, don't forget that".
"Everyone", Yamaki announced, "we'll be going in in a couple of minutes. Take your places like we rehearsed; I'll make a brief announcement, then the floor will be opened for questions. Try your best to relax, be natural, and answer their questions. I'll be moderating to keep the chaos to a bare minimum. Shall we?"
The Tamers filed in, and took seats behind a long conference table. Yamaki stood at the podium.
"On behalf of Hypnos, I welcome the representatives of the various news organizations who are with us this morning. I know you are all probably curious as about these extraordinary children behind me who refer to themselves as the 'Digimon Tamers'. They have agreed to this press conference to answer all your questions. It is the hope of the Japanese government, Hypnos, and myself that they be given every opportunity to return to as normal a life as possible, now that the D-Reaper threat has been neutralized. I am going to keep this speech mercifully short and open the conference for questions"
Hands went up and calls of "Mr. Yamaki, Mr. Yamaki" rang out.
The Tamers went through their stories, how each one met their respective partners, their partners told the story from their point of view. The Wild Bunch described how they created digimon, explained why they thought it had to be children, and not adults. For the parents, it was a rehash of everything they'd heard and been told.
"Ben Forrester for FOX. One thing's been bothering me... Why did the digimon come here in the first place?"
"I have a pretty good idea about that", Koichi answered. "From everything we saw while we were in the Digital World, everything Qinglongmon and Mr. Mizuno told us, it looks like our digimon were sent here to become an advance force. We can't ask them, but it looks like these Ancient Ones – the Digignomes – knew the D-reaper could not be appeased, and that there would be a fight.
"They granted Qinglongmon's wish that the Light of Evolution be hidden away, and concealed in the form of Calumon. They hid from him his true nature and identity. Yes, they did exactly what Qinglongmon asked of them. They took the initiative of sending Calumon here to our world, of weakening the barrier between the worlds. They also made the digivices that relayed requests to Calumon for evolution by means of the cards that already existed as part of a game.
"The digimon would find Tamers, partners, who held that power. That way, they would form relationships that gave them as big a stake in the Material World that the digimon who remained behind would have in the Digital World. As you know, the D-reaper had to be defeated on two fronts. It sent the most advanced part of its artificial intelligence here, in the belief that humans would pose a much lower level of threat".
"I agree", Renamon said. "The key to digivolution here was caring: partner to digimon. Before the digientelechia was released, this is what unlocked digivolution. Independent digimon weren't evolving, except for a few rare exceptions. Before I met Koichi, I had a different partner, and we didn't connect. It made no difference, the cards didn't work, and loading opponents gave us nothing. It all seems so clear now, but that would give us a good reason to fight this threat to both our worlds".
"I didn't come here to fight", Impmon explained. "I wanted out because I saw how the Digital World was deteriorating, that we were getting no answers from our Sovereign, and I didn't trust them. I know I wasn't alone; there were a lot of digimon of a lot of different species who wanted the same thing: to sit this one out.
"At first, due to a most unfortunate partnership with these two kids who were way too young, because I didn't know very much about children, I resented what I saw as subservient relationships. We were the superior beings, or so I thought, and so I didn't evolve. It took me a lot longer than it should have to realize this wasn't the case, and to find my partner. Once I did, I knew I had no other choice: this world was worth fighting for, Outworlders were worth defending".
"I came to get stronger", Renamon agreed. "I am a digimon warrior, and that was important to me. If I couldn't do that in the Digital World, I would do it here. So long as that was all I cared about, it didn't happen. I blamed my former Tamer for being inadequate without realizing that the inadequacy was entirely my own. I attacked lots of digimon who were crossing over and loading their data because I didn't understand at the time that the rules had changed. I'm not proud of a lot of what I did at first. Compassion and empathy were two things I had to learn from Koichi".
"Mr. Yamaki... Mr Yamaki..."
"I have a question for the digimon. I was wondering", another reporter asked, "why are you still here? What will you do now?"
"I made a promise", Guilmon said, "to be with Takato forever. This is the only world I've ever really known. The Digital World was as foreign to me as it was to any of the partners. I really don't know, and haven't really thought about it. There are things I can do here. I suppose that some day, I will go to the Digital World, to see the world of my origin. It's still new to me... a world without fighting, I mean".
"I am new to my partner", Lutramon explained. "I would like to stay awhile, get to know my Tamer better".
"I think my responsibility should be to go back", Impmon said. "Half the Digital world was destroyed, and I should help with the rebuilding. I... haven't decided when that will be".
"I don't think any of us have", Renamon explained. "When – if – we go, it's not gonna be easy, leaving our partners behind. After learning to care, you just can't turn it off".
"Moumentai! We leave that up to fate", Terriermon explained.
"Yes, it is going to be hard to see them go", Jen agreed. "We've been through so much, for so long now".
"Mr. Yamaki... Mr Yamaki..."
"I wanted to ask about all those threats the digimon were making".
"You have to know: that was the doing of just one of the Holy Beasts", Takato explained. "Zhuqiaomon declared himself "God" in defiance of his three colleagues. While we were in the Digital World, we had to fight him to make him understand that he had us all wrong. He thought we were trying to destroy his entire world. I hope that now, he knows different".
"I take full responsibility for that", Yamaki explained. "I misread their intentions. I thought it was an invasion. We had these digimon materializing here, and they fought in the streets, in broad daylight, with devastating weapons that caused quite a lot of damage.
"The SDF doesn't have these weapons in their arsenal, and couldn't defend should these digimon turn them on us. I saw this as an existential threat. I was also very concerned to discover that children were treating these digital monsters as pets, or so I thought.
"That was before I realized that the mission of the partners was to help keep feral digimon and digimon who crossed over just to make trouble under control. At the time, I thought I was doing my duty as the Director of Hypnos to secure the nation, and to protect the children. Takato tried to explain it, but I wasn't willing to take the word of a fifth grader. I should have listened sooner, then things wouldn't have gotten so far out of hand.
"What else was I to think? The last two times, these digimon fought their battles in Odaiba. First, Lucemon and then King Yggdrasil. I thought it was starting all over again, and I didn't want to see that. It took longer than it should have before I realized that wasn't the case this time.
"If nothing else demonstrates that we need a new approach to the Digital World, then I don't know what would. It is well past high time we established diplomatic relations. We know transit, coming and going, is possible. We could avoid misunderstandings if we exchanged ambassadors. If digimon are going to come, let them come as any other foreign visitors and guests".
"I know", Koichi began. "The digimon are watching, and I hope Zhuqiaomon realizes that we mean the Digital World no harm".
He didn't tell them he had serious doubts as to the Holy Beast's sanity and trustworthiness. Now that the threat was gone, he wouldn't bet against Zhuqiaomon's resolve to make good on his threats.
The Seaside Resort
The presser had lasted three hours. By the time they made their way back, it was noon.
"I am so proud of you", Touko was telling Ruki. "Maybe I don't have that right, but I'm saying it anyway".
"I'm just happy you came", Ruki said.
"It's too late", he apologized, "your mother and I. I'd still like to have some tiny part in your life. I shouldn't have just abandoned you like that".
"I'm sure we can work something out", Rumiko said. "For Ruki's sake".
"So you're a digimon?", he asked Lutramon.
"Indeed I am. Ruki and I are partners now. I consider it an honour to have been chosen for this, and that I fought with Ruki".
"Still, I sense there's more to it than that?", Touko said. "You're holding something back?"
"Lutramon wasn't my first partner", Ruki explained. "I had another partner: her name was Renamon... It didn't work out".
"Koichi's partner?"
"She partnered with him after we broke up. Some day, I'll tell you all about it", she promised. "It's just..."
"Whenever you're ready".
Ruki didn't know when – or how – she could tell him about the things she'd done.
"You were holding something back", Renamon observed.
"Huh?", Koichi asked.
"You weren't totally honest back there, were you?"
"How can I explain?", he said. "The D-reaper's gone, you're still here, and there's no reason for that is there? I wonder if there isn't more going on here that we don't know about".
"Such as?"
"Batshit Zhqiaomon. I find it hard to believe that whacko's suddenly turned over a new leaf. He seemed pretty damned sure of himself when he sent those Devas, made all those threats. He declared himself a god, and look what he did to Ruki. That girl's had her problems. But Lilithmon... Jesus!"
"The thought's occurred to me as well. I hope you're wrong".
"But you're not so sure?"
"Unfortunately not. Given the history of the Digital World, the temptations of megalomania among its past leaders, it's not looking good. Still, there are the other three Sovereign to keep him in line".