A/N: Happy 3rd Anniversary Digimon TCG: Cyber Drive!
[Cyber City Babylon, Another World, Christmas, 2049…]
Did this count as running away? Probably not. Could it count as "practice" if she ever truly needed a break from them? Maybe. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that…after all, with your face planted on every wall ever, where could one really run off to?
Sitting on a rooftop amongst a sea of virtual skyscrapers, Fifteen-year-old Raelyn Ocasio watched as her image was plastered on the virtual billboard within the main square. There she was, sitting across from her interviewer as they discussed how the popular teen actress was talking about retiring rumors. The news shook the entertainment industry, especially since she'd only just stared just out of middle school and quickly grew in popularity. This time in her career would either make or break her for years to come.
"'Well, it's not so much retiring per se, it's more like 'taking a break.'" Raelyn mocked herself—or rather the words her mother made her recite. As talented as she was, Raelyn didn't desire a life of glamour like her mother before her. After growing up in the world of entertainment before delving in herself, she was due for a change.
Also, she was fifteen! She only had a few years left before she was an adult. What was wrong with having a traditional, normal teen life for the remainder of it if she chose? How nice it would be for her to live without eyes watching her every move, hiding their exploitative motives. Or to have actual friends and not rivals trying to steal her spot on the grand stage that is the industry itself—which they could have as far as she was concerned.
And even if that was asking too much, couldn't she entertain the populace on her own terms? Become famous on her own merit as opposed to being the vicarious puppet for someone else?
She held her D-Streamer out and materialized a deck, flipping it up to its face. Lucemon stood bright in the front of it, with BT3 Mastemon snug behind. The angel of the industry, striving to bring smiles to her captivated audience…and a fierce fighter teetering between two worlds, with a longing to escape…"
During a photoshoot, she wandered over to some staff on break playing the Digimon TCG. She couldn't explain what drew her to it; her mother forbade it, claiming it would be a distraction. Little did her mother realize that a distraction was what Raelyn needed to decompress.
One thing led to another, and her Uncle Gabriel caught wind of it. Wanting to support her hobby, he helped her acquire a D-Streamer, helped her build a first deck, and introduced her to Babylon, the main hub where everything took place. She even got to have an AI partner to make the experience even more immersive.
Raelyn, for the first time in a while, felt the weight of the world off her shoulders. The surrealism that she could walk around and not have eyes recognize her felt too good.
It was so good that the idea of switching careers crossed her mind.
When she went to bring the topic to her mother, she learned that her Mother had been privy to her late nights online. As her 'Manager,' she was upset that she was letting a children's card game get in the way of what they'd built. This sparked an argument, and Raelyn said that she planned to retire from acting at the end of the year and that the announcement would be made public on the day of her interview with the morning talk show that morning.
As she watched herself lie through her teeth, betraying her feelings of escape, Raelyn had to accept that there was only so much she could do as long as she was under her mother. With a deep sigh, she leaned back and looked at the dark, digital sky above, closing her eyes and wishing for someone to take the life she loathes away. Even for a moment, the chance to live a life that she had control of would be a blessing…
...If only someone existed to grant her the sweet escape she desired…
The very black sky shimmered at that moment, catching Raelyn's attention. The shimmering then grew brighter as she curiously opened her eyes, and suddenly…
"DAMMIT!" Nico punched the wall beside the glass window. With Doctor Woods mysteriously absent now of all times, his team scrambled on the other side of the window, attempting to stabilize Sylvia, who lay comatose after being discovered in an empty training room. Justin sat on a bench nearby with the shaken Bianca, who made the discovery. There wasn't much to be said at the moment.
Milo came down the hallway, causing a bit of a commotion when he turned the corner. "Nico!"
Hearing Milo's voice, Nico looked up and watched as the boy came to a heaving halt. He waited until Milo caught his breath before speaking to him. "Where's Kaden?"
Milo knew that was going to come up. He remained silent, not responding to his question.
Nico knew the answer to that, evident by the bitter tears running down his face. Justin broke the news to him just before. He was hoping Milo would tell him otherwise.
"Make way!" Voices came from the other end of the hallway, diverting their attention for a moment. Nurses were coming down the hall, rolling machines on carts to get them into the room where Sylvia was. Milo looked through the glass, watching the doctors prepping for what looked to be a heavy procedure. The newly brought machine was rolled beside Sylvia, and the nurses began to take it apart, pulling electrodes from it to stick onto her while others were tapping furiously on tablets and consoles already present in the room. It made one wonder why all of the computers were necessary like this…
As they continued their prep, Milo turned to Nico for information, to which Nico spoke after wiping his eyes. "She has nanotechnology swimming in her brain. They think something caused it to malfunction, resulting in her brain going haywire."
The information he gained from Dexter implied that she had some special procedure done to rectify an underlying medical crisis. Nanotechnology in medicine isn't uncommon; as a matter of fact, it's pretty much the norm in biocybernetics. However, there are seldom reports of nanotechnology being used on the brain itself—or at least to the extent STREAM Corp is presenting it.
"…is she going to die?" Milo asked, curious, if all else, to see Nico's reaction.
Nico's throat closed, not wanting to imagine such a concept. However, given how delicate her condition is, it's a miracle her personality switched as opposed to the former. With all the stress she's been put through, she's somehow managed to hold on.
Milo had to look away from Nico, turning his attention to Justin and Bianca off to the side, silently waiting for updates. Bianca made eye contact, noticing his staring. Milo took a moment to read her expression before breaking away. Though he's still learning about the facility's inner workings, to have a resident like her here…
…was she the same as Raelyn? Or something else…?
Kaden… Milo thought to himself.
…Don't screw this up.
"We met not long after Omnia was released to the public…" Kaden recounted. "When I first joined, I quickly took to the PVP feature and was on a decent streak until she came along. She was merciless, her and her ShineGreymon Hybrid deck. We became rivals, battling every chance we got, and from that, we began to make names for ourselves. We became best friends over time…"
"Did she ever get into her family life?" Melanie asked.
"She was private about that stuff," he explained, turning to Gabriel, the man who claimed to be her uncle, "I mean, who wouldn't with the way the internet is nowadays?"
"Fair." Melanie agreed.
"Of course, that version of Rae probably wanted eyes on her rather than what was behind," Gabriel commented.
"'That version?" Kaden questioned.
"When you consider that, she definitely comes off as a scapegoat for the Zenith," Ryusei noted as well.
Kaden turned to him, "'Scapegoat?"
"So one lived for the spotlight, while the other hid in the shadows going unnoticed…" Melanie deduced. "Sounds like two sides of the coin, doesn't it?" she turned to Gabriel, to which he nodded.
"Her other version, Riley, became a total shut-in after the accident, and the ensuing circumstances prompted me to get her out as soon as possible. Couldn't risk anything else happening before we found a way to get her back to—!"
"Time out!" Kaden exclaimed, angrily interjecting between them. "What are you three on about?! Version this, version that, how about someone give me the real version of what's going on with her?!"
After a moment for Kaden to realize his brash, albeit warranted outburst, he backed down, after which Melanie was able to come up with a reply. "It's not quite that simple, I'm afraid."
"Why not?" Kaden demanded. "You said you had answers behind both the Zenith and Nadir Districts and their intentions. Riley, Sylvia, Rae—whatever her name is, is at the center of everything, right? Or at least the parts that I'm concerned about. Seems simple enough."
"You're right," Melanie agreed.
"So then, why are we talking as if there are three versions of her?"
"Because there are," Ryusei answered. "Raelyn and her two alternate selves."
Kaden was shocked into silence by that revelation. Ryusei turned to him and couldn't help but smirk a bit. "Still think it's simple?"
"I..." Kaden tried to answer but ended up turning to Melanie.
"Right, might as well keep the crazy train going," she prepped herself. "I'll explain the deeper details at another time, but right now, you need to know that your friends, Riley and Sylvia," she held up two fingers, "are two halves of one girl named Raelyn." She joined her fingers together, finishing her illustration. "The why's and how's will take too long, but Doctor Woods of STREAM Corp has been her caretaker and primary neurologist in charge of helping her recover."
Kaden silently accepted Melanie's explanation, not completely understanding it but not arguing about it either.
"Beforehand, Raelyn was an up-and-coming actress and singer, her stage name 'Raesyl.'" Gabriel followed.
Kaden looked up to him, "I never heard of her."
"Really?" Melanie found that curious.
"If I did, then I'm pretty sure I would've recognized Riley, at least during our first meeting."
"Well, I did say up-and-coming. She's the daughter of Roselyn Acevado, but don't worry if you haven't heard of her," Gabriel went on.
"Roselyn…Acevado…?" Kaden pondered. "If I ask my parents, they might know her.
"In any case, Raelyn's situation happened around Christmas time. She suddenly woke up one day a different person. She said her name was Riley and drove herself into a panic attack after a heated argument with her mother. Later that same day, she suddenly said her name was 'Sylvia, and rather than act anxious and sporadic, she was calm, sweet, and easygoing. In the end, she was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder."
"That same evening before," Melanie continued, "reports from Babylon indicated a sudden phenomenon where the sky flashed white. The servers crashed and reset almost immediately, prompting many to think that it was a glitch and nothing past that. Users were kicked momentarily and logged back in as if nothing happened. AEGIS initially didn't see anything wrong either; that is, until a certain boy appeared nearly two weeks later, with memories of an alternate world where he and a group of individuals were fighting a war for our present." Melanie went on.
"That boy was...?"
"Zack Sullivan," Ryusei stated. "Better known in this space as Alphamon himself."
Kaden processed that, at least knowing how Ryusei tied into this.
"An endless amount of 'Pre-Worlds' broke down and reformed into this singular 'Post-World,' as our group has labeled them. The war that Alphamon fought resulted in a complete reset of reality, marking the beginning of realities featuring the healthy co-existence of humans and AI.
"…you're slowly losing me," Kaden admitted.
"Not surprising. It was a lot for me to take in myself, but I assure you that everything I'm telling you is for context to explain what happened to Raelyn. By the logic of reality itself, this world has a pre-established history or a 'backstory.' And in it, there was a Raelyn Ocasio, a Melanie Whittaker, and so on. All of our roles were established in this reality, comparable to a writer building a world for a novel. In my case, the destruction of the previous worlds resulted in various versions of myself coming together to make who I am before you. In Raelyn's case, the leading theory is that past variations have come together to create this reality's version of her, but with a catch."
"Instead of Rae, we have Riley and Silvia?" Kaden guessed.
"Exactly," she confirmed. "two prominent fragments are struggling to fit neatly together, resulting in a girl named Raelyn, who has no memories of her pre-established existence but as Riley and Sylvia, who are 'twin sisters.'"
"Okay…so what did you guys do then? I met Syl over the summer and met Riley recently. Was Syl's retirement a way to have them swap places or something?"
"Actually… the reason behind Syl's retirement was due to—!" Melanie paused suddenly as a purple and black gate suddenly opened across from her on the edge of the room. Ryusei reactively got in front of her while Kaden and Gabriel jumped back.
From it came the Nadir Representative, maskless to capture the shock of his audience, especially Melanie. She found herself overwhelmed with emotion while Ryusei scowled. Both Kaden and Gabriel remained hesitant, not taking a chance to make a move. Even after coming completely through, only the humming of the gate echoed.
"…Zack…" a tear ran down Melanie's face.
"Make it easy on yourselves…" the Nadir Rep's cold words shook Melanie. "Give me the Omni Sword."
"Screw you!" Ryusei roared, letting his draconic side out some. "Something as pure as the blade has no business being tainted by your hands!"
"And here I thought I taught you better…" the Nadir Rep crossed his arms.
"You did," Ryusei raised his arm, activating his gauntlet. "Which is why I'm gonna beat the sense back into you! Let's go!"
The Nadir rep turned to Kaden, who reactively shifted back. "Follow me."
Ryusei was taken aback, "Hey!"
"Why should I?" Kaden demanded.
"I take it you want to know the crime the Nadir District has committed. Here's your opportunity to learn." The Nadir rep turned back towards the portal and began to walk through.
"Oh no, you don't!" Ryusei exclaimed, charging right behind him.
Kaden gasped and reactively charged, momentarily forgetting of both Melanie and Gabriel. The gate closed, with the remaining pair attempting to process what happened. Melanie fell back in her chair, and Gabriel jumped to tend to her.
"I'm fine…" she said, resisting tears. She wiped her face and took a moment to compose herself.
Gabriel looked back at the spot where the gate once was, "…You laxed the security for him, didn't you?"
Melanie didn't respond, embarrassed by the naivety of her action. Gabriel didn't press further, switching topics. "It's a shame that Kaden didn't get the message," he looked at the desk and saw the transcript of the argument Kaden and Milo had. It was clear to Gabriel that Milo, despite his age, was as shrewd as they came. He knew STREAM Corp's walls had eyes and ears and provoked Kaden into an argument to hide his simple request…
"I should've known better,"
"I always know better, so how did I let this happen?!"
"Ha! Very admirable for you to apologize;
guess envy can be added to your list of qualities."
"I'm right, aren't I?
It's appalling that someone like you would stoop so low."
"Like everyone else here, ever so more than you have."
"I…loved her."
"Sorry, you have put up with this.
"I never expected heartbreak to hurt so much…"
Should've…
Always…
Very…
Envy…
Right…
Appalling…
Everyone…
Loved…
You…
Never…
Save Raelyn…
"Tinkermon, Security Attack!" Sylvia commanded. "Cupimon's IE effect allows me to draw a from my deck."
Sylvia's Digimon twirled her staff and fluttered over, swinging it recklessly at Riley's security. From it, Wendigomon jumped out, startling the fairy into retreating.
Tinkermon: 2000 DP
Wendigomon: 5000 DP
Wendigomon reached out and grabbed Tinkermon's leg, swinging the terrified fairy back and slamming her into the ground, dispersing her into yellow binary code.
Riley
Security: 5-4
"Tinkermon's effect: Security Attack -1 on your Loweemon," Sylvia stated as the remnant binary flew towards Riley's hybrid, debuffing it for a time. "Next, Zoe will Spirit Digivolve into Zephyrmon!"
Sylvia's tamer stepped forward and used her Digivice to scan the code wrapped around her hand. With it, she transformed into Zephyrmon, flexing her wings and talons.
Zephyrmon (BT7-036)
Color: Yellow
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
2-0
"Until the end of your turn, my Security Digimon all get a 3000 DP boost," Sylvia explained. "Now, Zephyrmon, Security Attack!"
Zephyrmon shot up into the air and shot arrow-like feathers at Riley, who reactively shielded as her Security appeared to defend. Gazimon appeared, but with a measly 2000 DP, it too fell victim to the barrage.
Riley
Security: 4-3
"I end my turn by playing Pillomon," Sylvia stated, summoning the puffy ram Digimon.
Pillomon (BT9-033)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Riley)
Riley lowered her arms and presented herself unfazed, much to Sylvia's surprise. "My turn!" She drew and moved Gabumon out into the Battle Area. "Loweemon may not be able to do anything to your Security, but I can definitely do some damage this time. Loweemon Slide Digivolves into KaiserLeomon!"
Loweemon was surrounded by purple binary code and allowed its being to be converted into its quadrupedal counterpart, the lion Digimon gearing up to pounce as it roared ferociously.
KaiserLeomon (BT7-073)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
3-2
"KaiserLeomon, attack Zephyrmon!" Riley ordered, giving her Digimon the green light for the cat to go after the bird.
KaiserLeomon: 6000 DP
Zephyrmon: 6000 DP
Zephyrmon dodged Kaiser's initial lunge and retaliated from above. Kaiser likewise jumped back and took off to its right, leading Zephyrmon on a chase through the courtyard. Zephyrmon continued her feathered assault, chipping away pillars that provided cover. All the while, KaiserLeomon was searching for a source of lift. Eventually, it hopped onto a bench and stopped short, making Zephyrmon go too far and for KaiserLeomon to get behind her. Using the added height, KaiserLeomon launched and pried its jaws open to clamp down on its prey. However, Zephyrmon anticipated as much and, in the last moment, shot KaiserLeomon point blank, taking it down with her.
With both girls losing their hybrids, while the field looked even, Sylvia lost her defensive barrier quicker than anticipated, whereas Riley still had room to pull things back in her favor. "Koichi's IE effect refunds me the Memory I spent on KaiserLeomon.
MEMORY
2-3
"I'll use it to play Lopmon, then end by digivolving it into Devimon."
Devimon materialized on Riley's side, crossing its lanky arms, awaiting the moment to provide defense.
Lopmon (BT7-068)
Color: Purple
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Devimon (ST6-08)
Color: Purple
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
3-0
0-1 (Turn Change: Sylvia)
Sylvia drew, quickly realizing that she couldn't do much on this turn between her hand and her limited memory. Riley caught on and giggled, annoying Sylvia enough to respond. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Riley said. "If anything, it's cathartic to see your plans unravel in real-time."
Sylvia drew, "You keep accusing me like I'm hiding something."
"And you keep denying everything you've done to me." Riley shot back, switching gears. "It was bad enough that I lost you, but then you took over my body!"
Sylvia hesitated to respond, only fueling Riley's anger. What did that mean?
"Make your move already!" Riley spat.
"I hatch Cupimon!" Sylvia reacted, summoning the angelic digimon.
Cupimon (BT1-006)
Color: Yellow
Level: 2
"…Cupimon digivolves into Tinkermon; t-then I end by playing Kari Kamiya from my hand…"
Tinkermon appeared in Cupimon's place, followed by Kari beside her, both of whom stood with Sylvia, showing her support. All the while, she trembled before Riley, developing a sense of fear that was scaring her more than the girl herself. Coming to mind again, what did she mean by 'take over her body?' Is that why everyone was calling her Riley? Were they referring to her?
Her senses were screaming at her that something was very off about the situation, though she couldn't understand what it was. It was as if her mind was scrambled, details in her head not connecting to places where they should, guilty feelings increasingly misplaced but simultaneously warranted.
Tinkermon (BT6-031)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Kari Kamiya (BT8-090)
Color: Yellow
MEMORY
1-3 (Turn Change: Riley)
Riley drew and hatched a Kokomon, following it up by digivolving it into Lopmon. "Y'know, I didn't stay asleep for very long. I've been watching you from here…"
Sylvia broke eye contact and stayed silent. She couldn't refute information she could barely comprehend without making the situation worse. Regardless, that prompted Riley to send Gabumon to attack. "Kokomon's IE reveals the top 3 cards of my deck, allowing me to discard a tamer from amongst them." The cards revealed were Kari, Psychemon, and Glaive Memory Boost. She discarded Kari and sent the rest to the bottom of her deck.
Meanwhile, the Level 3 Digimon spat out blue flames, making Sylvia flinch back as her Security was activated. In a twist, however, Ancient Kazemon emerged to smite the small Digimon, sending a massive rush of wind that nearly overtook both girls. Silvia looked up at her ace, who likewise looked down at her. Before fading away, the Digimon nodded to her, letting her know that she wasn't alone in this fight and that she would have support regardless of what may happen. Interpreting that as such, Sylvia exhaled sharply and turned her attention to Riley.
Sylvia
Security: 5-4
"So you were watching me, so what?" Sylvia bit back.
Riley didn't expect an answer like that. "After everything you did to me, that's all you can say?!"
Silvia crossed her arms, "I don't regret any of it." On that front, it was true; she didn't regret the time she spent with Kaden. She couldn't speak about what she did directly to Riley, but the latter didn't need to know.
Riley's throat tightened as anger began to build. "Devimon digivolves into NeoDevimon and then, Security Attack!"
Devimon grinned and took to the sky, bathing in the purple binary as it transformed it into its gray-skinned, gold-faced, red-winged variation.
NeoDevimon (BT4-084)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
3-0
NeoDevimon then took its sword and swung, sending a crimson wave of energy crashing down on Sylvia, the latter of whom shielded herself from the blast.
Sylvia
Security: 4-3
A quick gust of wind blew the dust and debris from Sylvia as the Option Card revealed itself, "Security Trigger: Ultra Turbulence to my hand."
"Might as well be a dud," Riley continued, taking a card from her hand. "Come forth, Fallen Beast King! NeoDevimon digivolves into Cherubimon!"
NeoDevimon folded its wings on itself and curled up as streams of purple binary cocooned it. Moments later, it reformed into the titanic Digimon, whose demeanor sparked a bit of tension Sylvia but not enough to make her fearful.
Cherubimon (BT7-079)
Color: Purple
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Sylvia)
"When Cherubimon is digivolved into, I can play a Purple Tamer from my trash," Riley explained, bringing back Kari Kamiya. Then, I can delete one of your Level 4 or lower Digimon for each tamer I have in play. I choose Pillomon as my target!"
Kari appeared on Riley's side as Cherubimon went about conjuring crimson lightning in its palms.
Kari Kamiya (BT4-097)
Color: Purple
With a malicious grin, Cherubimon slammed the force down on Pillomon, decimating it and sending Sylvia flying back. She landed several feet back and hit the ground, lying as the pain registered.
Laughing, Riley ended her turn. "Lopmon gives me a Memory for playing a Tamer."
MEMORY
4-3
Sylvia picked herself up and dusted herself off. When she did, she looked at Riley and suddenly had an epiphany. A thought suddenly came to mind, almost like it was unlocked.
"What?" Riley asked, curious to know what she was going to say next. "If you're looking to start begging me to stop, I'd suggest you save it."
Sylvia looked at Riley and smiled.
"What are you smiling about?!"
"Nothing…just remembered something you mentioned before. Come to think of it, you're bad at this."
Riley was taken aback, "Bad at what?"
"Bad at trying to make me fear her."
Riley was growing confused. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Oh, my mistake, Riley. I'm not talking to you…" Sylvia said.
Riley blinked and suddenly felt two small arms wrap around her, sending a chill down her spine. The familiar gesture shook her so much that she turned back, only not to see anything behind her. Sylvia saw the window of opportunity and jumped.
"Tinkermon to the Battle Area!" she commanded. "Security Attack!"
Tinkermon fluttered ahead, swinging her staff and shattering Riley's Security while the latter was distracted. LadyDevimon responded, grabbing Tinkermon by the throat and allowing her poison grip to corrode her data until she phased out.
Riley
Security: 3-2
"Tinkermon's effect: Security Attack -1 on Cherubimon!"
"Doesn't matter!" Riley countered. "Kari's effect: When a card is removed from my Security Stack, I gain a Memory!"
MEMORY
3-2
"I end by playing Meicrackmon from my hand, giving my Security a +4000 DP boost." Sylvia ended, summoning the anthropomorphic orange cat Digimon, who appeared on top of one of the unbroken pillars, legs crossed."
Meicrackmon (BT4-045)
Color: Yellow
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
2-5 (Turn Change: Riley)
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?!" Riley snapped.
"What can I say? I suddenly decided that I had a reason to fight…" Sylvia replied, fixated on the entity floating behind her.
The sound of determination in her voice created a bubble of anxiety in Riley. Sylvia was serious. What happened that she suddenly felt confident all of the sudden? After everything that's happened, she couldn't just lose this and have her take over. She needed to get back to her friends, whatever it took. Sylvia's presence tortured her long enough.
"Don't listen to her lies…"
"We both know she's just trying to keep control over your body…"
"Go on…take back what's yours…"
"You're not going to trick me!" Riley exclaimed, drawing. "You've manipulated my friends with your fake amnesia nonsense and broke my friends' hearts…" Riley teared up, drawing her card. "I swear you'll pay for hurting them!" She moved Lopmon forward. "Lopmon digivolves into Devimon and then into Antylamon!"
Her Lopmon warped into the tall, lanky rabbit Digimon, its still expression pronounced further from its blood-red eyes.
Antylamon (BT7-074)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 7000
MEMORY
5-4
4-1
"Antylamon's effect brings Koichi back from my trash," Riley explained as the tamer came back. Afterward, per his effect, she drew and discarded Gabumon from her hand.
Koichi Kimura (BT7-091)
Color: Purple
"Now, both Lopmon's IE effects kick in, giving a memory each for Koichi's summoning."
MEMORY
1-3
"And now, since I got rid of your Pillomon, I can summon Cherubimon without worrying about over-capping on Memory. I delete my purple Cherubimon, and from my hand II play the Yellow variation!"
Cherubimon roared as its data broke down and binary code turned yellow, reforming it into the pure variant.
Cherubimon (BT8-043)
Color: Yellow
Level: 6
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
3-0
"With Cherubimon's deletion, I revive Gazimon and Lucemon from my trash and into the Battle Area."
Sylvia braced herself as Cherubimon used its powers to summon the pair of rookies. Ignoring Gazimon's appearance, Sylvia focused solely on the angelic youth who materialized. Opening his eyes, Lucemon locked gazes with Sylvia and grinned.
Gazimon (BT3-077)
Color: Purple
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Lucemon (BT4-115)
Color: Yellow
Level: 3
DP: 10,000
"Deciding not to hide anymore, are we?" Sylvia asked.
Her question caught Riley off guard. "What are you on about now? I haven't been—!"
"Ah-uh…" Lucemon raised his hand and wagged his finger, surprising Riley. "Don't interrupt."
"…what the…?"
Lucemon turned his attention back to Sylvia, who was visibly growing tense. "What's wrong? Jealous that I found a new plaything?"
"'Plaything'…?" Riley repeated, still confused. "What's going on?"
"I won't let you twist her mind up any further! If you want to torture someone, then torture me!" Sylvia exclaimed.
Riley was silent, whereas Lucemon chuckled. "Oh, trust me, my dear. I've long since got what I was after out of you. Now it's time to obtain the rest of it…"
"Syl…what the hell is happening?"
"Riley, run!" Sylvia exclaimed, realizing what Lucemon was referring to. "Just run!"
Riley's hesitation allowed Lucemon to swing back and tackle Riley, vanishing upon impact. Sylvia paused and watched as the scared girl trembled in place. Her body jerked, and she fell to her knees, screaming as if her head was in a vice.
"LUCEMON!" Sylvia screamed as she charged after Riley. However, she was but inches away when a wave of purple energy exploded from Riley's person, sending Sylvia back, crashing on her side. As Sylvia rose, she watched a shadowy figure form around Riley, and Sylvia grew cold. It was exactly the same as before…
Back when Lucemon attempted to sync with her…
A demented grin formed on Riley's face, the girl looking up with bright purple eyes. "Now…Lucemon, digivolve into Chaos Incarnate to achieve Salvation for the Nadir District!"
"RILEY DON'T!" Sylvia attempted one final, desperate plea.
"Lucemon: Chaos Mode!" Riley swiped the card, and the shadow figure broke from her as purple binary rained from above. As the shadow and binary fused and solidified, the atmosphere in the surrounding area grew dreary and grim. The once beautiful landscape was darkening and decaying. The structures were collapsing as destruction encroached upon the mindscape.
As the winds died and Sylvia deemed it safe to sit back up, she felt her chest tighten at the sight of the unconscious Riley and the formed figure standing in front. With an androgynous appearance, Lucemon was a tall individual wearing a white body suit and black coat. He had long blonde hair and ten wings: five angelic ones on his right side and five devilish ones on his left. Adjusting to his new, complete form, he stretched and cracked his neck before looking at Sylvia again.
Lucemon (BT7-111)
Color: Purple
Level: 5
DP: 12,000
MEMORY
0-7 (Turn Change: Sylvia)
"Ah…after so long…" Lucemon chucked. "How I've longed to be complete once more..."
"You…!" Sylvia hissed. Meicrackmon, who was still around, shared Sylvia's sentiment and dove down to attack Lucemon. However, the evolved Digimon held his hand out, causing Meicrackmon to impale itself on accident. Sylvia's eyes widened as Meicrackmon was deleted. Lucemon held the fallen Digimon's core and examined it, pouring energy into it so it broke down and reformed into a card.
"I'm sure I will find use for this later…" He said, making the card vanish. He then crossed his arms and waited for Sylvia to try something else.
"You used me to get to Riley…" Sylvia realized. "How…when?"
"You ask how while ignoring a fundamental part about us," Lucemon replied. "You're data, housed within this girl's mind to prolong your existence. I'm a virus, encroaching as far as my reach will take me until I claim what is rightfully mine. Taking you over in your dormant state to groom Riley into giving me the strength necessary to regain my original form was child's play. That said… did you enjoy your 'reward?' Getting to swap places for a time to reunite with your beloved knight in cobalt armor?"
Sylvia's involuntary blushing betrayed the anger she was feeling. In hindsight, she wasn't proud of it. However, being a prisoner in her situation was too excruciating. Ever since the incident, she'd been forced to sleep within Riley's consciousness, only ever able to live life virtually. The time between the Exhibition Match and the time she woke up is nonexistent to her. And if she had to piece it together, Lucemon would be responsible for her fragmented knowledge of Riley, among other things.
"This form before you is the result of the hatred in her heart towards you. The beloved sister who betrayed and took everything from her. These negative emotions resonated within the core of my being and empowered me. Needless to say, I couldn't have asked for a better puppet than you, Syl…"
Sylvia's emotions died down slowly as she was subjected to the unfortunate reality. She was but a victim of involuntary ignorance, and what's done is done.
She drew and passed her turn.
Lucemon raised his hand, demonstrating complete control over Riley's Digimon. Antylamon struck, jumping and sending an axe kick down on Sylvia's security and shattering it. Elecmon bounced out and followed suit with her security.
Sylvia
Security: 3-2
Gazimon dashed over and punched a Security, revealing Reinforcing Memory Boost.
Sylvia
Security: 2-1
Cherubimon summoned its holy rings for the final Security and sent them to crush the last Security, unveiling Ophanimon. As it was constricted, Lucemon held his hand out and drew her peeling yellow binary code to him. Once she vanished, like Meicrackmon, he reformed it into a card using his powers and tucked it away.
Sylvia
Security: 1-0
And finally, Lucemon took steps towards Sylvia, who at this point seemed as if she'd given up. The Digimon towered over height-wise, making Sylvia look up at him.
Her dimming eyes took note of his blonde hair.
They reminded her of Kaden…and her endless summer with him.
…Would she ever have another like it…?
[Myodin Manor, Nadir District...]
Kaden emerged on the other side of the portal, doubling over as his senses caught up with him. He admitted to himself that he should've thought before charging into the unknown, but here he was.
"Why did you bring us here?" Kaden heard Ryusei ask, drawing his attention from the floor. Kaden scanned the room, quickly realizing that it was a throne room. Gothic in aesthetic, the chill in the air added to the eeriness that permeated the room. He scanned for Ryusei and saw him as the Nadir Rep walked further away from them. At this point, he forced himself up and slowly made his way toward Ryusei.
"The relationship between the Zenith and Nadir Districts is one riddled with conflict stemming from one mere act of defiance." The Nadir Rep ran his hand against the wall and stopped. One high-ranking Digimon decided to challenge the authority of their sovereign and rallied like-minded individuals to their cause. In response, the Sovereign of the Zenith granted immense power to a Digimon with a heart of justice and used it as a weapon to quell the insurrection, sealing away the perpetrators and exiling what remained."
He continued walking, "Reeling from defeat, the Insurrectionists and their remaining army rebuilt themselves into what's become the Nadir District, upholding the idea of wanting nothing more than to bring down their 'Oppressors.' Centuries passed, with each attempt for vengeance thwarted. Each failed attempt drove the Zenith to enhance their presence in Omnia. Five additional sovereigns were created and established to guard each of the world's cardinal directions as well as the heart of this world: The Tortoise of the North, the Dragon of the East, The Phoenix of the South, the Tiger of the West, and finally the Golden Dragon King of the Center. Their establishments brought about the births of the four Districts of Omnia, with the Center serving as a crossroad for interrelations among them. And then one day…everything changed."
The Nadir Rep turned to Kaden and Ryusei, who had been listening intently up until this point. Kaden hesitated, but Ryusei spoke up. "What does this have to do with anything?"
The Nadir Rep responded by opening his palm to reveal the virus program to them, the same one given to Dexter before. He scanned their reactions before answering verbally. "The Zenith, fearing that the Nadir District's influence would take over omnia sooner or later, attempted to unleash the X-Program on the world.
Kaden's voice caught. "…But…isn't that the same virus that destroyed Central District?!"
The Nadir Rep nodded. "In order to force the Nadir District into submission, the Zenith unleashed the program on the world. The Nadir District leader, Bagramon, was weakened dramatically, allowing the Zenith District's Paladin to deal the killing blow to them. Ironically, the Paladin's sacrifice cleansed Omnia and stopped the virus from eroding the world. In the end, the Zenith District wrote the narrative for the generations to follow. The Nadir District was regulated to the role of the evil of this world, and their descendants took it with pride.
Ryusei was silent, attempting to process the revelations. Being one of the current generation, the Nadir Rep's explanation sounded like baseless lies and accusations. There was a strong chance that none of what he said was true. At the same time, the Zenith District has had almost no contact and is regulated as a mystical force within Omnia's history.
"What does this history lesson have to do with anything?" Kaden demanded to know. "I get the Nadir are following their own twisted sense of justice, but how does that relate to you? Why is Alphamon leading them down a path that'll ultimately destroy them?"
"Because that's the kind of person he is…" Ryusei replied, finding himself chuckling. "Achieve Salvation Through Chaos…"
Kaden blinked. "Achieve Salvation…what?"
"To free the Nadir District from the Zenith's grip and to purge the world's false history, I'm willing to destroy everything and start over."
"Wait a sec…by that, do you mean—!"
Kaden's thought was interrupted by the sudden creak of the room door. Turning back, he was surprised to see Dexter walk inside. Of course, upon unveiling his heterochromia, he was reminded of Dracmon's possession of the Saibatar. He didn't think he'd run into him, but here he was, the latter smirking.
"Am I interrupting?" Dracmon asked.
"What is it?" The Nadir Rep walked past his guest. "I take it that East has been subdued?"
"Bad news is that the Southern District's added firepower is holding us back. Regardless, our troops will keep our window open until we finish what we need to do."
"And the good news?"
"Oh. Right," Dracmon turned and whistled. "As you humans say, Christmas came early this year."
Nervous, Kaden watched as a second individual made their way into the room, causing his throat to grow tight in utter shock and awe. Almost as if the nightmare was finding new ways to escalate.
"S-Sierra…?!" Kaden's voice went dry upon the appearance of Lady Azurena, the Eastern Representative.
Sierra looked at Kaden, and with a cold expression, she responded to him. "I'm sorry, Kaden, but I need to save Riley no matter what…" Afterward, she held out her hands, and a blue orb materialized from them. Moments later, it shined with white light and reformed into a magnificent white blade.
Ryusei was also at a loss for words, taking her appearance as a sheer act of betrayal after everything that had happened in the short time while Dracmon cackled. Only the Nadir Rep looked upon his fellow with a sense of curiosity.
What kind of game was she playing, he wondered…?
Riley groaned as she awoke, totally dazed and confused. Head spinning, she tried to recall what she was doing, only for her answer to come in the form of laughter. Drawing her attention, her eyes widened in shock as Sylvia lay sprawled on the ground, binary code peeling off her person and flowing toward Lucemon, who stood over her with his hand held out to collect it.
"SYLVIA, NO!" Riley found the strength to get onto her feet, and she ran forward without any thought of her safety. At that moment, it was as if she realized that her sister lay on the ground, and not her enemy.
Lucemon looked over his shoulder, and with his free hand, he caught Riley by the throat and lifted her up. She gasped as his fingers latched tight around her, Lucemon grinning all the same.
"…Ri…ley…" Sylvia weakly uttered, catching the struggling girl's attention. "…So…rry…"
Riley couldn't reply like she wanted. As tears ran down her face, she desperately tried to reach out to Sylvia, only for the girl to combust into a cloud of binary code before Riley. Lucemon rounded up the remainder of Sylvia's data, and the shock of it all made Riley's arm go limp.
Her head dipped forward, losing what little willpower she had left. Longing to see her friends again, she found herself in a white void suddenly, with all of them standing in the distance. Naturally, she ran to them. However…
Homura vanished.
Another step.
Dr. Woods faded as well.
Riley stopped, quickly realizing what was happening. Biting her lip, she powered through the remaining four.
Nico…
Milo…
Sierra…
…Kaden…
By the time they all vanished, Sylvia was unconsciously sprawled on the ground. On impulse, Riley knelt and picked her twin sister up, hugging her tight.
"Sylvia…" Riley cried as she herself felt her consciousness drift.
"…I'm sorry too..."
"…lo…!"
"…on! Wake up…!"
"Milo!" Mason's voice finally got through to his brother as the latter gasped awake, coughing harshly afterward. His body felt sore and burned, and his vision was blurry.
"Milo, can you stand?!" his brother sounded as if he was in a rush.
"Mason…?" the heat around them began to register. Milo touched his face, realizing the lack of bifocals but the red blotch on his hand. "What the…?" Mason helped his brother onto his feet, where the area around him was lit in orange and red light. Justin and Bianca were nowhere to be seen, and Nico wasn't present either. It was then he realizied his grim surroundings. "RAE—!"
Milo quickly spun, only to see the horror across from him. The glass wall that separated them was destroyed, leaving a gaping hole and a background of flames where computers were once stationed. The girl at the center of it all stood amongst the bodies of those tending to her, taking in the sensations around her.
"Raelyn…?" Milo uttered.
The girl giggled a bit before turning around. "Close…"
Milo bit his tongue until she faced him completely. Then, opening her eyes, Milo's chest grew tight and painful, with the girl sporting heterochromatic eyes purple and gold eyes. She grinned devilishly as digital black wings suddenly emerged from her back, leading to even more questions. "You may call me…
…Raesyl."
A/N: It's that time of year again, everybody! For my new readers out there, December 17th marked the three-year anniversary of the Digimon TCG fanfic series I've been working on. Despite the site issues and just being busier IRL, I admit that staying motivated to write has been pretty difficult, resulting in this fic taking longer to finish than expected. Nonetheless, with us wrapping up Act 2, we're finally approaching the endgame of the X-Stream Series, and I, for one, can't wait to see what comes out of it, both as an ending that I've been fantasizing about for nearly a year, but for the sequel for Kaden and the rest of the crew. Yeah, I'm not stopping here (even though they FINALLY announced a TCG webcomic for spring 2024). So with that, let me make the formal announcement for the series to follow X-Stream…
Digimon TCG: X-Fighters
BT10-13 has given us quite a bit of fun new decks to experiment with, so trust me when I say there's too much content NOT to try and spin a story with them. Obviously, it's set for 2024, and as always, I'll keep you readers updated on a specific release. So until then, thank you all, as always, for reading, and I hope you'll stick things out with me just a little while longer. I appreciate you all. Be safe; I'll catch up with everyone in the new year.