I don't own digimon.

Story 76

Germinacide Pt 7: Erasure

Ken Ichijouji and Miyako Inoue were too tired for this shit. Between the different time zones and now this, they both wanted to go to sleep and start the day off fresh. Or at least, as fresh as one can get in this crazy world.

"Kore o hakkiri sa sete kudasai. (Let me get this straight.)" Miyako announced, staring at the person across from her and Ken. A teenage girl, she was adorned in a purple tunic and pants. Black heeled boots stretched up her legs, ending right before her knees. Short gauntlets obscure dark purple nails, while a choker hangs around her neck. The oddest part was the blades sitting in her lap. Well-used, they appear to be intended for fencing/sword fighting. Whether or not they were used for that, remained to be seen. The finishing touches were faded magenta locks with a pair of purple eyes staring back. "Anata wa watashitachi no musumedearu to shuchō shite imasuga, dōjini… anata wa dō iu wake ka kanojo demo arimasen ka? (You're claiming to be our daughter but at the same time… you're somehow not her as well?)"

The teenage girl nodded. Gaze split between Ken and Miyako here, this was very much not the way she had expected to be having this conversation. At the same time, this was just a good of a time as any. If one could even call it that.

"Watashi no kanten kara wa tanjun-ka shi sugite iru to shite mo, tadashīdesu. (Correct, even if that is an oversimplification from my point of view.)" the teenage girl answered as Wormmon and Hawkmon entered. Gaze already on this strange girl, it promptly swiveled over to their respective partners.

"Hyotto shite, ima, sora ga akai riyū o shitte imasu ka? (By any chance do you know why the sky is currently red?)" Wormmon inquired and turned to face the nearby window. There, one could make out the red sky outside. The portals were very much there, along with the people doing their best to fight against it.

"Ē to… īe. Shiteki sa reru made akai koto ni sura kidzukanakatta, rippana imomushi. (Uh… no. I didn't even notice that it was red until you pointed it out to me, fine caterpillar.)" the teenage girl answered, getting a look from her subjects here. Had she somehow said something wrong? No. She had clearly not introduced herself properly. Yeah. That had to be it. She needed to fix that. "Watashinonamaeha keiserindesu. Anata ni o ai dekite kōeidesu. (My name is Keiserine. It's a pleasure to meet you.)"

Wait. There are no 'a's' in that name? I swore there was. Oh well. Ms Super High School Level Conqueror in the apartment or something. Looking back, those kinds of titles are a touch stupid. But when you're pretending to be a high schooler, they sounded so cool and awesome.

"Dewa, naze anata wa koko ni iru nodesu ka, keiserin-san? (So then why are you here, Ms Keiserine?)" Hawkmon added, only to be met with a shrug from our dear conqueror. Not the answer he was looking for, let alone to put him anywhere close to ease.

"Anata no suisoku wa watashi no mono to onajidesu. (Your guess is as good as mine.)" Keiserine announced, silence falling over both couches. Made the sounds of someone punching another person all the more noticeable. "Suisoku suru ni, akai sora to pōtaru ga kankei shite iru kanōsei ga arimasu. Tsūjō, watashi wa jizen katsudō o suru hitode wa arimasenga,`tabun ryōshin' no tame ni reigai o mōkeru koto ga dekimasu. (If I had to take a guess, it likely has something to do with the red sky and the portal. Normally I'm not one to do charitable things, but I can make an exception for my 'maybe parents'.)"

Ken raised an eyebrow, but brought it back down seconds later. Wasn't much use in dwelling on the nature of the claims here. Daughter or not, she was here to help them through this strange event. How and to what end, remained to be seen.

"Tsumari, kore wa anata ga okori uru kanōsei no 1tsudearu ka, soretomo anata no tokutei no mirai ga shinikakete iru tame ni okoranai to iu kēsudeshita ka. (So is this a case of you being one possibility that can occur or was this a case of your particular future not occurring due to one of dying.)"

Keiserine looked away. Muttering something to the empty space, what looked to be a tear fell down to the floor.

"Yoroshikereba, sono shitsumon ni wa kotaenaide itadakitai to omoimasu. (I would prefer not to answer that question, if you don't mind.)" the conqueror announced and lifted her blades up. Attaching them to her side, she forced her attention over to the couple. A part of her envied them. They were unaware of the events that could have transpired and those that did. Because we totally need another pre-time shift Ririsu running around. Said no one ever. That part of DA03 sucked and had no redeeming qualities. Not even the rewrite solves it. I digress of course.

"Ichijōji Ken, kotchi ni koi! (Ken Ichijouji, get your ass over here!)" a voice announced and Ken froze. Craning his neck in the direction of the voice. It couldn't be. He had to have misheard the tone here. Yet, he knew it was true.

"Osamu? (Osamu?)" Ken called out, motioning Wormmon to approach. Wormmon complied, taking care to climb up onto his partner's shoulder. Once he was comfortable, Ken headed for his brother. Miyako, Hawkmon and Keiserine followed right behind, taking care to give the chosen some space. The least they could do here without the full picture.

"Shōjikina tokoro, kore wa sorehodo odorokubeki kotode wa arimasen. Osamu wa hitsuyō no nai toki ni arawareru warui kusegāru. (Honestly, this is not that surprising. Osamu has a bad habit of showing up when he is not needed.)" Keiserine explained and got an eyebrow raise from Miyako. Of all the things to hear today, this felt… weird and yet normal. If anything, it would be odd if she somehow hadn't crossed paths with the other wannabe emperor.

"Sore de, anata wa izen ni kare ni dekuwashita koto ga arimasu ka? (So you've run into him before?)" Miyako inquired and got a nod from Keiserine. Turning their attention back to Ken, Osamu could be clearly made out here. Dressed how he was right before that truck ended his life, he didn't look particularly happy to be here. I wouldn't be too if I was whisked away from whatever destiny I had.

"Hai. Kare wa kirainahitodesu. (Yes. He's an asshole.)" Keiserine muttered as Osamu went for a swing. Missing by a large margin, that was all Ken needed to grab hold of his hand and put him off to the side.

"Osamu, kokode wa anata no furumai wa issai shimasen. (Osamu, I will not be having any of your behavior here.)" Ken announced, only to get kicked in the stomach. Taking it far better than he had any right too, he met his brother's gaze.

"Ō? Watashi ga tada anata ni atamawosageru to hontōni omoimasu ka? Honmono ni naru. Anata wa watashi no dejivu~aisu o nusunda, sorede owarida. (Oh? Do you really think that I'll just bow down to you? Get real. You stole my digivice and that's final.)" Osamu announced and cracked his knuckles. Staring Ken down, a chuckle escaped his lips. Where the fuck is that truck when you need it? Probably running around the streets of Odiaba, 'inadvertently' changing the fates of others. Yeah. I wouldn't put it past the driver.

"Anata no dejibaisu? Sore ga watashi no dejivu~aisudatta no yo, baka yarō! (Your digivice? That was my digivice, you dumbass!)" a second voice countered, bringing with it the Digimon Kaiser or just the Kaiser to his enemies. Dressed in his normal emperor attire, his gaze was split between Osamu and his regular self. More on the latter than the former, he looked more than ready to throw down.

"Ken no jaakuna bājon wa tadashīdesuga, sore wa kono basho ga tatakau tame ni tate rareta monode wa nai to iu jijitsu o kaeru monode wa arimasen. (While the evil version of Ken is right, that doesn't change the fact that this place was very much not built for fighting.)" Wormmon announced, the Kaiser threw what looked to be a chair at his opponents.

Fezā Surasshu! (Feather Slash!)

Hawkmon threw his forehead feather out, watching it slice up the chair into itty-bitty pieces. Watching said pieces fall to the floor, that got the hawk digimon a pet from his partner.

"Ganbare hōkumon. (Good work, Hawkmon.)" Miyako added and turned her attention to the Kaiser. Shooting him a look, she was met with an eye roll from her opponent. By no means the reaction she was expecting, much like the purple worm that was being thrown her way. Swinging her foot right into it, the attempt to reenact yet another stupid moment from the past was thwarted. "Ittai nanida, kaizā? (What the heck, Kaiser?)"

The Kaiser only shrugged, charging for Ken and Osamu. Jumping up into the air, he came down on the pair. Knocking Ken and Osamu to the ground, it left him open to being stabbed. Which was exactly what Keiserine did. Getting a couple stabs in, she stepped back before Osamu and/or the Kaiser could get a move in.

"Anata wa sono wāmu to onaji kurai yakunitatanai. (You're as useless as that worm.)" the Kaiser announced, his words falling on deaf ears here. Shifting his attention to his present self, he attempted to push Ken away. But all that accomplished was getting punched by Osamu.

"Anata ni mo onaji koto ga iemasu. Watashi kara supottoraito o ubawanai yō ni, dōshite jisatsu shinai no? (I could say the same about you. Why don't you kill yourself so you don't take the spotlight from me?)" Osamu countered as he stood up. Kicking Ken's side for good measure, he looked over to Miyako and Keiserine. All that got him was a glare. "Kare wa kotoba no arayuru imi de kanzen'na haishadesu. Dochira ka to ieba, watashi to tsukiatte kudasai. (He's a complete loser in every sense of the word. If anything, you should hang out with me.)"

For as suave as Osamu thought he was sounding here, his attempt at flirting fell on deaf ears. Which wasn't even getting into the age difference between him and them.

"Dōdesu ka… īe? (How about… no?)" Ken answered as he stood up. Shooting Osamu a look, it took everything in his power to not go for another swing. While having Stingmon do the job sounded nice, it was petty and ultimately meaningless. The sort of gesture one did when they were backed into a corner and didn't want to admit wrongdoing. No, he instead needed to defuse this situation diplomatically. Or at least come to an agreed understanding so they could deal with this in such a way that everyone could be happy. While ludicrous, there was still a chance that it would work. "Miyako wa watashi no gārufurendodeari, keiserindesu… watashitachiha kanzen ni wa kakushin ga motemasen. Mata, anata wa shinde iru hazudesu. 6 Fīto shimonohito o aisuru no wa chotto muzukashīdesu. (Miyako is my girlfriend and Keiserine… we're not completely certain. Also, you're supposed to be dead. It's kind of hard to love someone who's six feet under.)" Ken countered, only to be met with a look from Osamu here. Was this somehow not the reaction his brother was hoping to get here.

"Koko de ittai nani ni tsuite hanashite iru nodesu ka? Anata ga watashi no mimimoto de bunbun naranakute mo, watashi wa totemo sutekina seikatsu o okutte imashita. Dochira ka to ieba, anata wa 6 fīto shimonohitodenakereba narimasen. Mado kara hōri nagetara, an'na kaze ni natte shimau kamo. (What the hell are you talking about here? I was living quite a nice life without you buzzing in my ear. If anything, you should be one who is six feet under. Perhaps if I throw you out a window, you'll end up like that.)" Osamu suggested, only to get wrapped up in Wormmon's string. Falling to the ground, he glared at the worm digimon. Which was all the Kaiser needed to get his whip out. In the background, the sound of something attempting to climb up the side of the apartment building could just be made out. Because we totally need more people to crash through and create more issues for everyone. Not that they even need the arrival of guests to do that. No, they were already doing a bang-up job of causing it for themselves.

"Watashi wa kare o oidasu koto ga dekimasu ka? Onegaishimasu? Kanari onegaishimasu ka? (Can I be the one who gets to throw him out? Please? Pretty please?)" the Kaiser announced, only to get a look from everyone else in the room. What did he think the answer to this burning question was going to be? Totally, yes. They were absolutely going to let him of all people throw his brother of all people out of a window. Was he not paying attention to the situation going on around him? Or was this something else entirely? No one could say except for the Kaiser himself.

"Dōomoimasuka? (What do you think?)" Keiserine announced and shot the Kaiser a glare. While related by blood (technically), that didn't change the fact that he was a complete asshole here and needed to stop before he created an even bigger me-

Keiserine's thoughts were cut off by Archnemon and Mummymon crashing through the apartment wall. Dusting themselves off a second later, their attention turned to the ground in front of them.

"Koko ni wa nani ga arimasu ka? (What do we have here?)" Archnemon announced as she switched to her human form. Looking over to Mummy, he did the same as well. "Nagaiai a tte imasendeshita ne. Chotto tachiyotte itadaite mo kamaimasen yo ~ (Long time no see. I hope you don't mind us stopping by for a bit~)"

Miyako raised an eyebrow. Leave it to them of all digimon to show up and to crash what was honestly a pretty awful family reunion. How could they somehow convince this nefarious pair to go elsewhere and bother someone else? I don't know. Maybe shout that you see Okiawa somewhere and that he's looking for them. That's bound to do wonders in getting them out of your hair. Though, that could just as easily get your ass kicked. Hmm… Fire is usually a good way to get rid of insects and mummies, but you need far too much of it in order to achieve your goals here. Let me think on that one.

"Hai, jissai ni sō shimasu. (Yes, actually, we would.)" Miyako announced and shot Archnemon a look. Getting a chuckle from the spider woman digimon, out came the phone. Oh yeah. None of them know what Koushiro did. Oh well. I can't wait to see the firestorm that erupts from that.

Hawkmon evolve too…

A circular cocoon made from dark blue hexagons formed around Hawkmon's body, bringing both opponent's gazes over. While the temptation to attack said cocoon was very much there, their attacks would likely bounce off and hit them instead. Instead, the couple watched as what looked to be large wings pierce through the cocoon. The data of feathers proudly displayed here, eventually giving way to a set of horns forming on the hawk digimon's head. With it, a set of eyes to track them down.

Aquilamon!

The cocoon shattered and revealed the large eagle digimon. Staring out at Archnemon and Mummymon, he watched them take a reluctant step back. Mummymon reached for his gun cannon thing and aimed it at Aquilamon. Finger reaching for the trigger, what looked to be a grin formed on his face.

Burasuto Rēzā! (Blast Laser!)

Letting out a massive roar, Aquilamon shot forth multiple ring-shaped lasers. Slamming right into Mummymon, he was knocked right through the hole he had just come from. As for Archnemon, her gaze had been split between the created hole and Sam attempting to find something to get out of Wormmon's binds.

"Hora, waki ni orite mite iru dakedesu. Sonokata ga umaku ikudeshou ka? (You know what, I'm just going to get off to the side and watch. Would that work better?)" Arachnemon announced and Ken shook his head. What the heck did she think her answer would be?

"Akiramon, bōifurendo to issho ni iru tame ni ākunemon o tobashite kuremasen ka? (Aquilamon, would you mind flying Archnemon down to be with her boyfriend?)" Ken inquired and Aquilamon nodded. Walking over to Archnemon, the large eagle digimon took care to set his opponent on his back. Heading for the hole in the wall, it was quite easy for Aquilamon to fly out and drop off Archnemon. Once he had done that, it's back to the apartment.

"Ē to… watashitachi no chintai hito no hoken wa sono ana o kabā suru to omoimasu ka? (Uh… do you think our renter's insurance will cover that hole?)" Miyako whispered and Ken stared down at the floor. While he wanted to say yes, they probably wouldn't. At least, not without challenging the claim in court.

"Sō negau shika nai. (I can only hope so.)" Ken answered, the couple's attention turning to their remaining targets. Or at least, they hoped would be their remaining targets. Beyond Keiserine, there aren't really that many things that could show up. Now that I wrote that down, I've made things worse. Oh well. "E ̄ to… keise Rin-san, kongo dejimon no kōgeki ni yoru songai wa hokenkaisha ga hoshō shite kureru nodeshou ka?

(Uh… Keiserine, in the future, do insurance companies cover damage from digimon attacks?)"

Keisierine froze up. Not because this was somehow an armor-piercing question, but more because she very much did not know. Were there any insurance companies in the Digitalverse? No. There was too much murder and property destruction to allow those places to even function to begin with. Which wasn't really a surprise.

"Ē to… sukunakutomo watashi to ōku no hitobito ga sunde ita kaju-en igai ni ie o shoyū shite ita hito wa dare mo shirimasen. Anata no kōkishin o manzoku sa seru tame ni kurayami de shashinwotoru hitsuyō ga aru baai wa, nō to iimasu.. (Uh… I don't know anyone who owned a house, at least beyond the orchard I and a bunch of people were living in. If I need to take a shot in the dark to satisfy your curiosity, I'm going to say no.)" Kieserine announced and got nods from her 'parents'. By no means the answer they were likely expecting to hear, it was very much the truth. Even if the most ridiculous thing about Hunters were the main characters owning their own homes. But I digress.

"Shitte okuto yoidesu ka? (Good to know?)" Miyako answered as the Kaiser finally decided he was going to use his whip for something. In this case, that meant attacking Osamu while he was still looking for a way to get out of his bind. This whipping was the exact thing he needed to do just that.

"Dōshite asoko no ī ko no yō ni narenai no, Ken? (Why can't you be like that nice boy over there, Ken?)" Osamu taunted and Ken rolled his eyes. Where to even begin with a statement like that? The part where the person in question had attempted to enslave a good chunk of the digital world. The part involving the whipping? Or perhaps both at the same time. Why limit yourself to one thing when you can do two and really drive your point home here?

"Wakarimasen, tabun watashi wa jūbun ni ōkina kirainahitode wa arimasen. (I don't know, maybe I'm not a big enough asshole.)" Ken answered as Osamu stood up. Cracking his knuckles, he charged for Ken once more. Going for a swing, Ken managed to step out of the way in time. In turn, Miyako took the chance to push Osamu away. Not enough to convince him that this was a bad idea, but more than enough to turn his attention to the only other target that mattered here - the Kaiser. Walking over to his younger brother, Osamu swung at him as well. Unlike Ken and Miyako, the Kaiser's dodging abilities were not quite up to snuff. Left wide open for attacks, Osamu had one hell of a field day with him.

"Anata ga kesshite kawatte inai koto o shitte iru no wa yoi kotodesu. Ima, watashi wa anata o kinodoku ni omoimasu. (It's good to know that you never changed. Now I just feel sorry for you.)" the Kaiser announced as he kicked Osamu's legs. Knocking his brother to the ground, he got a couple more kicks in for good measure. Great and all, up until Osamu pulled him to the ground. Now, it was his turn to get even more flesh he supposedly believed he was owed. At this point, it didn't matter who exactly owed who at this point. No, they were just hurting each other for the sake of hurting each other. No amount of peace talk and other techniques to soothe the feelings within. And yet, that wasn't going to stop Ken and company from at least trying to get to a peaceful resolution.

"Hyottoshitara, sonōchi no 1-ri o hikihanashite moraitaidesu ka? (By any chance do you want me to pull one of them away?)" Kieserine asked and Ken nodded. Turning her attention to the Kaiser. She walked over with grace.

Scooping her target up with ease, Keiserine threw him over her back. Walking over to the couch, she set the Kaiser down on one of the cushions. Turning back to Ken and Miyako, she was met with a thumbs-up, even as the sound of a car speeding up for one reason or another echoed through the hole.

Taking a seat right beside the Kaiser, Keiserine took a moment to flash her blades in her 'father's' direction.

"Hontōni? Watashi o tomeru tame ni kanojo o riyō shite iru nodesu ka? Awarena. (Really? You're using her to stop me? Pathetic.)" the Kaiser screeched as Ken and Miyako turned their attention to Osamu. Currently raiding the fridge for any food that he could get his hands on, it was surprisingly easy to grab him as well. Pulling him aware, the sound of fists punching against the floor echoing about.

"Watashi o hanashite! (Let go of me!)" Osamu screeched, his cries falling on deaf ears at the moment. I don't know what he was expecting here. Them to just listen and let him go? Get real. You deserve this to some extent. But that's my view of this mess. It's probably not the right view, but I'm aware of that.

"Naze anata o tebanasu hitsuyō ga aru nodesu ka? Anata wa min'na o uchi makasu koto ni nesshindesu. Seikatsu ni modotte, hoka no seisan-tekina koto o kangaeta koto wa arimasu ka?

(Why should we let you go? You're intent on beating everyone up. Have you considered doing something else productive with your time back in the living?)" Miyako announced and caught a glimpse of Osamu swinging about. Attempting to get out of his brother and his girlfriend's grip, all that accomplished was their grips tightening on him. Even more so as the couch came into view. Setting him down on one of the cushions, Aquilamon took the time to serve as a blanket of sorts. A very feathery blanket, in fact.

As for Ken and Miyako, they took their place in between both couches. While a decent enough plan, now came the hard part. Actually convincing both parties to maybe for-

It would've been 'forgive', if not for the fact that the Kaiser attempted to reach for one of Keiserine's swords. For that, she sliced off his left arm. Watching it fall to the ground, I can't help but be reminded of what happened to one of my aunt's. She lost an arm in a fight with an eastern dragon right after meeting a different aunt of mine. For some reason, that was a big enough bonding moment to get them to hook up with my other (living) aunts on momma kitty's side.

"Baka yarō! (You dumb fuck!)" the Kaiser announced and attempted to take a swing with his left hand. For that, Keiserine pushed him down. Getting a kick in for good measure, her attention shifted to Osamu.

"Yoku yatta ne, Ken! (Serves you right, Ken!)" Osamu announced and got a look from both Kens here. Yes, rubbing salt in the wound was really going to help here. It's totally not going to fuck you over in some ridiculous fashion. I can already see it. But there's still a chance of something happening to change things and/or throw a massive wrench into this.

"Oi! Watashi wa sekushīna kirainahito ni naru no ga osoidesu ka? (Hey! Am I late to be a sexy asshole?)" a voice announced, a clump of dust floating about in the kitchen area. While trying their hardest to look threatening, it wasn't really working. If anything, it only seemed to make Ken laugh.

"Mayonaka to iu koto o kangaeru to, hai. (Considering that it's the middle of the night, yes.)" Ken answered and was met with what could only be described as an exasperated sigh from the dust clump. While their voice felt familiar to him, he couldn't place where he had heard it before. Perhaps from that weird period of time when the chosen of kindness first met Wormmon?

Closing his eyes, Ken tried to recall those days. Long ago as they may be, the details came through crystal clear. He was in a desert with Wormmon. They were heading for someone, only he was pushed away and infected with the dark spore. Yet, something was missing. A person. Right on the tip of his tongue, the answer eluded him at every turn. But why? He could recall everything else like it occurred the day before. Why did that get forgotten?

"Mae ni o ai shita koto arimasu ka? (Have we met before?)" Ken continued and the dust clump froze. Looking over to Miyako, what looked to be a diary appeared. Pages flipping backwards in rapid succession, the dust clump grew in size. Lasting only a moment, the additional mass turned to ash as it fell down.

"Mā. Watashi no yōna sekushīna mono o sakujo suru tame ni, dareka ga akiraka ni anata no kioku o henkō shimashita. (Oh dear. Someone has clearly changed your memories to remove a sexy thing like me.)" the dust clump announced, Miyako's 'diary' disappearing. In its place was a massive tome of sorts - multiple diaries bound together. Much like Miyako's, this one went backwards as well.

"Watashi no nikki o minai hō ga ī yo! (You better not be looking in my diary!)" the Kaiser announced, attempting to reach out to the massive tome of diaries. Not that Keiserine allowed him to do so. Now, if he could just stop bleeding on the couch.

"Īe, kare no nikki o mitekudasai! Watashi no mono o minaide kudasai! (No, look at his diary! Just don't look at mine!)" Osamu announced, his words falling on deaf ears as the page flipping stopped. The dust clump looked in Osamu's direction, then it's over to the Kaiser.

"Watashi no yōna sekushīna hito ga naze ki ni suru no ka sae wakarimasen. (I don't even know why a sexy thing like me even bothers.)" the dust clump announced and floated over. The diary disappeared, the result always the same. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Sekushīdesukurisutaru! (Sexy Death Crystal!)

'Sexy' discs of incorporeal energy shot forth. Slicing the Kaiser up, Keiserine's gaze shot over. Staring at the dust clump, something less than appropriate escaped her lips. The dust clump didn't respond, choosing instead to fade away. This night keeps getting worse. Wonderful, fuckimg wonderful.

"Sore wa… tashika ni nanikadeshita. (That was… certainly something.)" Miyako announced and Ken nodded in agreement. Whatever the deal with their memories was and how it played into everything else remained to be seen. They would just need to keep it in mind, much like everything that had occurred tonight so far.

"Watashi no nikki o nusumu nante, ano jin'un wa nanto shitsureina kotodeshou. (How rude of that dust cloud to steal my diary.)" Osamu announced as he pushed Aquilamon off of his chest. Charging for Ken, he attempted to get one more swing in. But all that accomplished was getting knocked back with a push. Not really the sort of gesture one might want to give here, but it'll do.

"Nikki mo mi sasete moraimashita. Anata wa watashi ga subete no Riru o te ni irete iru no o mimasen - (I got my diary looked at too. You don't see me getting all ril-)" Ken announced, a punch to the face from Osamu. Knocking the chosen of kindness to the ground, he stared up to his brother. Nothing about this made sense.

"Kore wa tadashiku arimasen. Kore wa dore mo tadashiku arimasen! Koko ni iru hazu no hito ga yukue fumeidesu! Anata ga watashi no Kendatomo omoimasen. Mochiron, watashi wa kore ni tsuite hara o tateru tsumoridesu! Dochira ka to ieba, soreijōde wa nai ni shite mo, sore to onaji kurai hitsuyōdesu! Ubawa reta hazu no mirai ga hai ni natte shimatta! Tanin no kimagure de min'na kara ubawareta! (This isn't right! None of this is right! There are people missing who should be here! I don't even think you're my Ken. Of course I'm going to be pissed about this! If anything, you should just as much if not more! The future that should've been was stolen and reduced to ash! Taken away from everyone by the whims of another!)" Osamu screeched as Miyako and company took the opportunity to get between them. All that accomplished was getting punched. And the sound of an engine speeding up down below. Quite a loud one in fact. Almost as if it was about to do something. "Sō iu wake de, watashi wa anata ni iu tsumori wa arimasen. Kore o subete jibun de kangaedasu koto o ganbattekudasai! (As such, I'm not going to tell you. Good luck figuring this all out on your own!)"

With that, Osamu headed for the hole in the apartment. Jumping out, Ken could only watch him head for the road below. Somehow managing to stick the landing, it didn't matter. The vehicle that had been speeding up slammed right into him. Sending his brother flying, it honestly felt both absolutely pathetic and senseless at the same time. Forcing his gaze back to Miyako, the chosen of kindness found himself embraced. Meeting his girlfriend's gaze, a sigh escaped his lips.

"Nani ga okotte mo, watashi wa anata no tame ni soko ni imasu. (No matter what happens, I'll be there for you.)" Miyako explained and Ken nodded, just catching a glimpse of Keiserine approaching. Breaking away right after, their gazes shifted to their temporary companion.

"Onaji. Kongo mo o ai suru kikai ga ōku nari-sōna yokandesu. (Same. I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of you in the future.)" Keiserine announced and headed for the door. Making her exit, she left the two lovebirds and their digimon to their own devices. Faced with more questions than answers in the face of a revelation that very much changes everything, one can only hope that they can make it through this.

.

St Velodias, Dimensional Space

A man hangs from a noose. Around him, the poles for thirteen more await use. Done up in a circular pattern, a junk fire remains frozen in time. Right in the middle of the room, the unique properties of this place prevent everything from being reduced to ash. Not that it stops the bodies of the deceased from being proudly displayed as a warning of those who might dare to fix what's broken.

'Wake up, my beloved.' a joyful, almost innocent voice called out, the man's eyes shooting open. A faded shade of orange, any happiness and/or joy has been sucked away by the monster so willing to erase a happy ending.

Staring down at the noose, he reaches up to the rope. While a challenge to get free from this nefarious trap, he managed to get himself out of the rope.

Falling to the ground, the man dusts himself off. Forcing his bones back to where they were (regardless of the need for healing), his gaze shifts to that of the fire. Nothing in the water anyway in this forsaken hellhole, he whispered a prayer of safety to the afterlife. If such a place even exists. Stripped of their names and stories, no one would know their story. Or the fact that someone had done this with the express purpose of stealing the future that they and many others had worked so hard to achieve.

"I will not let you be forgotten." the man whispered as he stepped into the hallway proper. Knives coming out, he was beginning to feel a bit hungry. Spotting a student walking down the hall, he charged for them. What follows is hard to watch. This person looks exactly like the man I cherish greatly. A man who has stuck by me every step of the way. I've spent more time with him than I have without. To see a version like this sink to such levels… It hurts my heart. It hurts Jestery. Jest- I need a moment.

Harlequin's Notes:

*The note is too stained to be readable.*