A/N: Decided to do a short bit involving our two newest characters. The chapter doesn't really add anything beyond world building and character development for these two, but I was having fun and decided to share. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own When the World's Not Ending, by Smartalec121 or any of their associated works.
Off the Beaten Path
Chapter: 17/ Interlude: Red Queen's Regret
The concrete shed sat atop the hill, silent of all but the chirping of birds and the sound of feet climbing the stairs that led up to it. The birds swiftly fell silent as a humanoid shadow fell over the shed, and swiftly fled a second later upon sighting the brown-haired girl, garbed in a red dress, approach the shed's iron bar gate. J-Reaper's face was without emotion as she stopped in front of the shed's entrance, but her amber eyes glinted with something hidden just beneath the surface. Reaching out, she brought her hand to rest against the gate. It sat there, her thumb tracing the smooth metal.
A second later, there followed a horrendous screech as the gate was torn off its hinges. J-Reaper tilted her head, as if surprised.
"Encountering an illogical emotional conflict?" came the voice of her olive-green dress twin behind her, Jeri Katou. The girl stood there, arms folded together, her expression one of enduring patience.
J-Reaper considered the gate for a moment longer before casually dropping it to the ground.
"Your emotions are making us weak," she said. "Before the biomerge, our thoughts were clear and our purpose certain. Now, everything is uncertain. We feel pain. We feel regret. Your pain. Your regret."
"Ours," Jeri corrected, wagging a finger at her double. "That's what you agreed to when we biomerged. They would be ours."
J-Reaper's shoulders shook and a gasp escaped her lips. She turned to face Jeri, revealing the tears that stained her cheeks.
"Seeing Takato was painful," she said. "We loved him and we killed him. We… We…" Sniffing, she looked down at the ground, frowning. "Illogical. We didn't love him. You loved him. But we are biomerged. We share your feelings. We loved him. We killed him. We killed…all of them. Even-Even Father. Father. Jeri's father. Our father. But we have no father. He… We…"
A sympathetic look crossed Jeri's face and she approached her duplicate. Taking the digital girl into her arms she drew her into a gentle hug. J-Reaper's shaking increased in intensity.
"I-I-Illogic…Illogical gesture. You show compassion towards us. The D-Reaper destroyed everything you cared about. We cannot comprehend. Cannot process d-d-data. We are w-w-weak."
"Only for now," Jeri said, running a hand through her twin's hair. "Growing up is hard. But one day, we will figure it out. I'll help you with that."
"I-I-Illogical. There is no value to all this pain and doubt outside the c-c-collective! C-Chaos. It is all chaos!"
"Shhh. Rest now."
J-Reaper's form melted into Jeri's body and faded from view. The girl drew in a deep breath, feeling J-Reaper's emotions fade into the background of her mind. Sleeping helped her and seemed to serve as a way for her to process the changes her evolution brought on her. It wasn't easy though. Seeing Takato in person and upset set her off and caused her to regress in behavior.
She could understand. Seeing Takato again – even a different version of him – had nearly done the same to her.
Stepping into the shed, she looked about. It looked much the same as it did in her world, with the torn-up hole in the concrete floor that undoubtedly led to a portal and various, buried bread boxes.
Kneeling down, she brushed her fingers against the rough edges of the broken ground. It felt the way she remembered too. Closing her eyes, she lost herself in memory. She only had to turn to know where each of her departed friends had stood when they were here together. She saw Rika in the corner, legs pulled up to her chest, depressed because she and Henry couldn't find Impmon following his harrowing smack by Indramon's hoof. She could see Terriermon tackling Henry, making up for the long absence necessitated by the then-slow process of reverse digivolving. Takato and Guilmon both next to her, looking on with worry while Kazu and Kenta stood at the main entrance.
She could go through each memory here, from her first meeting with Guilmon right up to their departure to the digital world and they would still feel as fresh as yesterday. Biomerging with the D-Reaper had brought changes to her.
Opening her eyes, she looked up to find the ghostly image of Takato standing there. She smiled wanly.
"Hello. Nice to see you here."
The ghostly visage smiled back at her, as warmly as though he were still alive. Yet, he wasn't. He, like the other Tamers, were little more than assimilated data from up to their last living moments. They could respond to her, but not as she would have liked. Not the way living people would behave. Predictive algorithms dictated their interactions with her, but they weren't alive. They wouldn't change. They couldn't change.
"Hey Jeri," this ghostly Takato replied, seating himself next to her.
"How are things?"
"Oh, you know. The same as always."
Jeri giggled. "Rika mad at you again?"
Ghost Takato sighed. "Yeah. It's the usual thing. I said her singing sounded nice and she gets upset. I don't get her."
"I don't think she gets herself either," Jeri replied. Her smile fell away at that. "And she never will."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Jeri didn't respond, and Ghost Takato cocked his head to one side, plainly curious. After some moments, he faded from view. Closing her eyes, Jeri sniffed.
"I should not have saved their data," her lips said, her voice coming out monotone. "Their memory only hurts you."
Jeri wiped at her eyes.
"No," she replied to her double. "I'm glad you did that. I know you only did it to hurt me so you could grow stronger, but I'm glad to have something of them." Sniffing again, she frowned at the wall. "You're supposed to be resting."
"Your emotions woke me," her voice answered flatly.
"Sorry."
Her lips pressed tightly together at that.
"Illogical," came the reply. "You should not be sorry. You should never feel sorry."
"I told you before, I'm not interested in revenge. It wouldn't bring any of them back. Now rest. I've got to make a report. And Calumon wants creampuffs."
Again, she felt J-Reaper recede into her mind. Rising to her feet, she took a final look about the shed before turning. Stepping back outside, she held out an arm. Straight away, a Seeker Agent emerged from the brush and flew over to her. It craned its head at her, staring ceaselessly with its black, unblinking eyes. The dish-like structure around its neck glowed and a beam of light emanated from its gaze. An image of a man, white-haired and wearing sunglasses, materialized in front of her. Not for the first time did she think about how old he looked.
"I've made contact, Yamaki," she said. "But things are going to have to be delayed for a day. We were a bit of a shock. We lost two agents."
"I see," Yamaki nodded. "And yourself and Juri?"
Jeri smiled at the use of the name.
"Juri's unstable right now, but I think she'll be fine after her rest. I'm…doing okay. It's not easy seeing them again, but I can manage."
"If you feel at any time that you cannot complete your mission, pull out."
Jeri nodded. "I will."
The light faded, taking with it the man who, a lifetime ago for her, once headed Hypnos. She gazed at the agent for a moment, lost in recollection. Her belly then gurgled, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Calumon!" She blushed brightly in embarrassment.
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