Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. For like the 1000th time already.

Before you read this chapter reader I want to pose a question to you I really want you to think about: What does it mean to be evil?

Does it mean having a predisposition to do harmful things to people and are just wired that way like a spider spinning webs and eating flies, or, is it not so black and white? Perhaps it's picking the lesser of two evils, but having no other alternatives. Or maybe, just maybe it's backing yourself in a corner and having to fight your way out. Regardless on what you define it to be, scripturally speaking it's having in one's nature to sin. Only by accepting the blood of Jesus Christ to cover one's sins and asking him to save you can one be saved in real life ultimately though one still has that sinful nature until heaven, but, in a story what salvation can one have? Their will be consequences regardless, but I think it's how one ultimately lives with one's consequences that really determines their character instead of just choosing the right thing every time. Of course, if we get to the 'right' thing that's a whole other discussion, but let's just say it's the moral path though everyone can claim their morality as justified. Just something to ponder as you wander.

Chapter Eleven: The Unforgivable Sin

Rei Kurenada frowned walking with Skamon who seemed incredibly happy just being with him. They exited the mansion without fanfare, no one daring to approach him especially after Goumatsu went missing. They either respected him out of fear or dared not tangle with the dinosaur raptor basilisk creature that had frightened his personal bodyguards.

They exited the mansion walking along the sidewalk, Rei keeping watch looking at Skamon who only grinned innocently glad for all the attention.

"Skamon," he said. "I'm getting awfully tired. What say you and I retire for the evening and get an early start tomorrow?"

"That sounds good Rei!"

Later on in the evening when Skamon had passed out, a snore bubble coming out of his nose, the digimon tossing and turning in his bed, Rei contemplated the next morning.

He felt so irritated he had no idea how to handle himself. Every time he looked at Skamon he only saw the Digital Creator there. He imagined the creator being smug as if toying with him, leading him to falsely believe that humanity could not achieve immortality or a longer life span like the digimon. He kept glaring at Skamon even though he knew it was not his 'buddy's' fault. Even still this only infuriated him even more.

"I've had it with this," he winced lifting up his shirt and noticing his side and the bandage. Humans bled when they got hurt. They despaired. They either healed or they died. People were sad. They wailed. And yet, Digimon, Digital Monsters, they never had to worry about any of that. It was a completely foreign concept. They lived like children just like Skamon in there own paradise. And they only came because humanity became a threat to them. They were no messengers of deliverance. No, they were 'Angels of Mercy' seeking to bring mankind in a state of bliss until they died. Almost like they were caretakers in an elderly patients home. Even though he knew if they only shared what they knew then both partner and human could live an eternity together. Sorrow would disappear and truly both races could be friends and partners for eternity.

Rei contemplated what the future would only look like imagining himself no longer slave to a heart condition or the ravages of time. He kept turning towards Skamon watching him slumber away unable to pass away the hours. No, on such a night as this, he could not afford to sleep.

Rei came back later that day noticing his kitchen looked a bit of a mess. Skamon stood frozen looking at him standing over a mixing bowl with a blender. Eggs were cracked on the floor. Flour had been dusted everywhere, even on his nose.

"G-good morning Rei," Skamon laughed nervously.

"Good morning," Rei said obviously annoyed. He let it go though wondering about it all.

"Just what were you trying to do Skamon?"

"Oh, um," he said twiddling a whisk in his hands, "I saw on one of the menu's at the restaurant something called pancakes. I thought we had the right ingredients and since you weren't home I was going to surprise you," he said sulking. "I guess I messed up huh?"

Rei sighed. Usually at this point he would have gotten frustrated with him, but with his lack of sleep and preparations he did not have the energy for it. Not only that, but he realized he could not change Skamon. He was unchangeable, unlike him. He would live forever and Rei would pass away.

He grabbed a washcloth patting the dry flour on Skamon's face and proceeded to clean up the mess.

"I'll clean this up," he said. "Why don't you sit down at the table and watch a show on my phone?" he said handing it to him.

"Really? Rei you're really being nice to me today," he smiled. "I guess that's my charming personality rubbing off on you," he said cockily.

"Your 'charming personality' has nearly destroyed my kitchen," he smirked. "But never you mind. I'll bring them over when they are ready," he said holding out his cell phone.

"You're the best Rei!" Skamon grinned grabbing onto the phone and hurrying over to the dining room table.

Rei looked at his hand where he had touched Skamon's hand, his hand clenching up.

"Time for breakfast," he said seriously. He took out a phial from his pocket he had constructed that morning at his lab and mixed it with syrup for Skamon. Then he constructed a batch of pancakes, their golden puffiness sure to light up the eyes of his buddy.

"That should do it," he said grabbing the pancakes and syrup and went over to the table where his dino-basilisk friend patiently waited for him.

"Wow Rei!" Skamon said practically drooling. "So those are pancakes? They look so good!" he said licking his lips.

Rei nodded his head and set the plate down in front of him.

"Oh, but they are," he said pushing the plate to him, Skamon holding one claw with a knife and another with a fork set to devour them.

"Thank you Rei!" he exclaimed barely able to contain himself. "Let's eat!"

He was about to shovel the first bite into his mouth, but Rei stopped him.

"Hold it," he said calmly. "I think your forgetting this," he said holding up the bottle of syrup he had mixed in with the contents of his phial.

"Ooh Syrup!" Skamon said even more hyper. "What a pal! Drench it Rei! Don't hold back!" he said.

"Oh don't worry," Rei grinned. "I won't."

He drizzled the syrup on his pancakes, but Skamon wanted more so he practically dumped the whole thing on there.

Rei watched as Skamon took a couple of bites relishing them to his delight.

"This is so good Rei!" he shouted happily with his mouth full. He kept eating and eating barely able to stop himself.

All of a sudden Rei noticed he started to get a bit woozy.

"Hey, what's going on?" Skamon said starting to rub his eyes. "What's wrong with me Rei?" he asked starting to yawn. "So tired. I think I'm getting-"

-Before he could finish the sentence he collapsed falling off his chair to the floor.

Rei bent down to him to shake him awake, but his dinosaur friend had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Skamon," he said staring at him coldly. "You've always helped me my friend. And if you truly are my friend you will help me, at least one more time."

"Gauuuugh!" Skamon screamed out, Rei watching him within closed quarters in his secret laboratory he had funded with Kurenada finances. Somehow ever since Goumatsu went missing everyone became afraid of him. He used Skamon and the threat of people going missing to gather the funds he needed for this project. Even his superiors did not know about it. No, he had paid them off well enough to let him go about his business in secret at his laboratory.

A lightning flash from an electric taser pressed into Skamon's digital flesh, the dinosaur crying out as he became burned. Even then as Skamon sweated panting for breath chained up in his own cage, a metal muzzle around his mouth, his flesh had started to heal.

"Incredible," Rei said, his other scientists documenting the results typing into computer equipment.

"It's as you said," one of his subordinates observed. "Mr. Kurenada this is the breakthrough of the century! No, in all of the 20th century!"

"It's even greater than that," Rei said glaring at Skamon. "The existence of Digimon will remain a secret, but one way or another we will obtain the secret to immortality."

A pain suddenly stabbed into his chest, Rei taking a knee. He gritted his teeth and looked up at Skamon who stared at him as if with pity.

"Don't you look at me like that," he said gritting his teeth. "How can you pity me when I have done all this to you?" he grunted.

"Sir?" his subordinate said a bit confused.

"It's not enough pain," Rei groaned. "Turn the setting to maximum charge."

"But sir!" a female subordinate scientist called out, others whispering. "If you do that it's enough power to kill a small wild animal!"

"He's a digimon," Rei scoffed. "Their idea of pain is too minimal for my concern. Do as I have commanded or hand in your lab coat."

"Understood sir," the female subordinate said clearing her throat. "Turning to maximum setting!" she shouted, the other subordinates waiting to document this.

"N-no, Rei," Skamon said tearing. "Please Rei," he begged. "Let's stop doing this. Let's go home. Let's go play and have yummy food. Let's-"

"-Do it," Rei said forcefully as the amped up taser shocked Skamon, Skamon crying out, his whole body rattling the cage.

"Reiiii!" he screamed, smoke emanating from his body from the reaction to the shock.

"Skamon," Rei said coldly. "You have two choices. One, you can tell me how to get to the Digital World or obtain the same kind of body you have. Your only other option is to bear with the pain until I figure it out myself."

"But why Rei?" Skamon rasped, his body a bit slow to heal. "Is living forever that important to you? Aren't you enjoying your life now? Even if your body will one day fall apart doesn't that make your moments seem more memorable to you? More precious?"

"That is irrelevant," Rei responded. "Everyone is scared of dying. Even the dead were scared until they passed, but how so much more the living? If only we could eradicate death could we live more fulfilling lives not afraid to risk our own."

Skamon groaned out in pain. "Rei, I know you're in their somewhere," he wheezed. "Why would you do this to your partner?" he cried. "Why Rei? What wrong did I ever do to you? Haven't I been nothing but loyal?"

"It's nothing personal Skamon," Rei replied. "Had we another digimon we could experiment on that one instead of you, but you are the only one of your kind in this world. The responsibility for what happens to you falls on me, but the pain? As the representative, no, the emissary for the Digital World that falls on you."

Rei steadied himself as the experiment continued, Skamon screaming out being shocked even more, the lights of the shock lighting up the room time and time again, Rei immune to the cries of his friend.

Later on that evening when all of his subordinates had gone home Rei isolated himself in another room going over the data that he had accumulated. He chugged down the last contents of an energy drink, his eyes heavy from having to withstand Skamon being shocked and having lack of sleep.

"Why?" he said looking over the tests, data coming back as inconclusive regarding human DNA and Digimon Data similarities. "Why isn't there some link? In this world isn't he just flesh and blood like I am? If not, why isn't there any commonality between us?"

He looked back and forth between charts wondering if by chance he had missed something. "Skamon felt the pain and reacted as a human would," he said to himself. "If that's so and he is just data why did he feel pain? Then again he felt other emotions to. Anger, sadness, joy, but he's just a program from another world," he said trying to rationalize the creature.

"What is it that I am-"

At that moment he let the papers slide between his hands on the ground.

"No, Skamon is not the one I am mad at," he glared imagining the Digital Creator looking at him. "It's you," he said. "Skamon is just your toy thing. You're the true enemy," he said with disgust. "You're the one that started all of this."

As he let his anger get the better of him he remembered some words of warning that he had cautioned telling Rei, Rei wondering if there could be any meaning to them.

"So," he contemplated. "I'm not to mix Digimon medicine with human data, but you also told me that a digimon's coding is unique. If anyone were to mess with it or change it then that being would be cursed," he said wondering about that remark.

"Just what did you mean by that digital creator?" he contemplated reflecting back on that moment looking at him directly, the two of them, although having just met seemingly at odds with each other.

He studied the papers and thought back to Skamon crying out, noticing the burns and the digital flesh slowly repair itself and heal in no time.

"I am in no position to mess with a digimon's DNA," he said. "And even though he's going through this Skamon is still my partner," he said. "If I knew he wouldn't heal this fast I would never let it happen in the first place," he said wincing, his wound still bothering him.

He felt disgust realizing the infirmities of his flesh. His wound had still not healed. And Skamon though he whined and cried would be as if nothing had ever happened to him in the first place.

"I can't let it continue this way," he said darkly. "Even if I let Skamon go I will be dead in ten years. And then what? Skamon would live an eternity without dying lamenting my death. If he is my partner then he would also be sad for the rest of his miserable existence," he realized. "And I can't do that to him. Not after all we've been through together," he said burying his hands in his eyes.

The next day after work Rei came back to see Skamon. He held out a bag to him, pork cutlets and miso soup that he had picked up earlier.

"I'm sorry you've had to go through this Skamon," he said indifferently. "But it's almost over," he said.

Skamon said nothing to him, as if afraid to talk to him.

"Why don't you look at me Skamon?" he asked.

"Because you tricked me Rei," he said.

"I've only been loyal to you, and yet, you,-"

"-You would never have gone with me willingly if I had not done this," he countered. "But look, as a reward, and to thank you I brought you this," he said offering him the food.

He opened up the package, the miso soup aroma wafting over to him.

"And of course pork cutlets," he said taking one, dipping it in the miso and popping it in his mouth. "It's quite good."

Skamon finally looked towards him, starting to drool. "I can't complain," he said starting to smile. "I am hungry after all Rei!"

"Of course," Rei said. "Loosen his bonds," he commanded, the other subordinates there freeing them, but Skamon remaining in the cage.

Skamon took the food willingly and started eating it.

"Pay close attention," Rei said whispering into a subordinates ear. "Analyze the contents of the food and how it processes through his system. "I want to see how physical food converts into a digital body."

"Y-yes sir," the male subordinate whispered back holding up his hand, signaling other subordinates to Rei to scan him.

Rei then went back over to Skamon right next to the cage.

"How does it taste?" he asked.

"It's delicious Rei," he sniffed. "Can we go back home? Please? Let's just forget this ever happened," he said. "I know it hurt, but I forgive you Rei," he smiled, tears falling from his eyes.

"Very soon Skamon," Rei said grabbing onto his claw with both hands clasping it gently, but his eyes were not so gentle. "You just have to wait a little bit longer."

In the early hours of the morning the analytical data had been completed. Rei could hardly sleep anxious to find some way to find out the secret to a Digimon's eternal life. Usually in such fields of study it took years, even decades to find out any breakthrough and by that time the originators of that will had perished, someone else taking up their mantle long after.

He clenched his hand shuddering the thought of passing and another picking up his work.

Just then his phone started ringing, Rei answering it.

"Mr. Kurenada!" a subordinate said almost exasperated.

"What is it?"

"Sir, you'd better come take a look at this."

Rei hurried down in his own lab coat, briskly scanning his own badge and entering into a conference room, seven other of his workers there with all kinds of compiled data.

"I came as soon as I heard," he said. "What have you all found?"

The first subordinate tilted the glasses on his face. "On the first part, we scanned Skamon when he ingested and digested the food. I don't know how to explain it, but somehow his metabolism has the same process as ours, but in this case just like a reptile. The digital data creature processed it just like a physical flesh and blood entity."

Rei contemplated this news realizing that yet another dead end had been hit. But still, something significant had to have been found if all seven were there.

"Anyone else?" he asked. "Did anyone find anything new?"

One of his older subordinates raised her hand holding onto a clip board with paper on it.

"I-I think I found something," she said slightly nervous.

"Let's hear it then," he said. "What did you find about Skamon?"

Another slightly older female seemed to look at her, nodded her head and took over because the younger one seemed timid. "Sir, this isn't about Skamon," she said.

"What?" he said incredulously. "Then what could you have possibly found?"

"Sir, this is about you," she said, the last word ringing through Rei Kurenada as if a veil had suddenly been lifted.

"About me?"

"Yes sir," she said. "See for yourself."

She offered Rei the documents Rei reading through it.

"I don't particularly see anything," he said. "Nothing about my genetic structure or-"

"-Sir, don't you see it?" she said incredulously. "How could you miss something like that? You're looking at this too closely."

"That's close to insubordination," he said glaring at them dangerously. "I will have your jobs here and now if you do not explain yourself."

"Well, your right there is nothing different about you and Skamon individually," she said. "But did you not notice the difference when your skin touched when you clasped his hand?"

"What?" Rei said looking back over the data. Very slightly, looking over the data at those precise few seconds he realized he could see something.

"Of course," he said putting his hand over his face. "The two of you will both get a raise," he said. "And if this is successful," he said, "Then all of you will receive a huge bonus for your work."

The subordinates seemed excited nodding their heads, smiling, and some laughing with each other.

"Now if you don't mind," he said. "I need to be alone."

All of the subordinates left their data and exited the room Rei collapsing in a chair. The room became quiet, Rei left alone to his thoughts.

"It's all starting to come together," he said. "But this explains everything even more."

Rei looked at his hand remembering when he had touched the digital egg, his own influence, DNA and he believed even soul programmed into the egg for the imprinting.

"Somehow when we overlapped," he said, "Just for a moment our data, the data of human flesh and digital particles were as one form. An amalgamation," he said to himself. "And if that's the case then there is only one thing that can be done."

Over the next few months Rei had to convince Skamon to hold on even longer, though he did spend more time with him. Like a child Skamon seemed to pout sometimes, but when he gave him attention and even played with him Skamon seemed to forget about it and find some way to be happy even his situation. To Rei it seemed commendable, but at the end of the day foolish.

After the latest time spent with him Rei exited the experimental room, other subordinates accompanying him.

"Sir," one said. "The preparations are nearing completion. It's astonishing you were able to gather the capital and the funding to utilize military grade experimental equipment."

Rei chuckled slightly his hand on the side of a door as he scanned his badge.

"Utilize?" he questioned. "No, not utilized. But perfected," he said opening the door, a giant behemoth of a machine awaiting him, the room awfully cold.

Yes, all around the room windows could see the device from all angles, the monstrous metallic chamber imposing upon any that looked upon it.

"You're positive nothing, not even a person has entered into the chamber correct?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the subordinate replied. "Everything is clean and sanitized. Not one speck of dust. But sir, if I may ask what is it you are just trying to do?"

Rei smiled placing one hand on her shoulder. "Create a miracle," he grinned walking out with her.

A groaning echoed out through the chamber as Skamon woke up, Rei looking at him in his new cage.

"Rei? Where am I?" he asked. "Just what is this?"

"It's a nightmare Skamon," he confessed. "A nightmare I need you to help me wake up from."

"What are you talking about Rei?" he asked, Rei hearing him rattle his confines.

"You remember how I told you I needed your help right? That time has at last come," he said. "I don't know if you'll really be able to help me or if this will work, but you are the key to all of this my friend."

"I still don't get what you're talking about Rei," Skamon said panting a little. "Can we go home now? It's dark in here."

Rei turned to his subordinate approaching him.

"Everything is ready," she said. "Are you sure you want to risk it all sir? There is no guarantee that amalgamation-"

"-Ssh," Rei said putting a finger to her lips.

"Amalgamation?" Skamon said confused. "What's she talking about Rei?"

Rei lifted up a latch window on the outside to look at Skamon. He placed his hand up both of them touching opposite sides of the viewing pane.

"Skamon," he said trying to find closure to his feelings, "For the sake of our friendship, no, our partnership I need to take your life," he said.

"Take my life? What like kill me?" he said incredulously.

Rei nodded his head solemnly.

"This?" Skamon wondered. "This is why I've been in this cage all this time? Just so you can-"

"-No, that was not my original intention. However, it seems the only way for me to have the same kind of eternal body like you have is to make you a part of myself," he said placing his hand over his heart. "But I will have to break you down first!"

Skamon shuddered staring at him.

"P-please Rei!" he cried. "I don't want to die Rei! I want to live! I want to be with you!"

"You'll always be with me Skamon," he grinned. "You'll be a part of me. Me. You. We will be together forever. We will never die."

"Something's the matter with you!" Skamon screamed wiping his eyes. "The real Rei would never do something like this! He wouldn't kidnap or kill his best friend!"

"But the alternative Skamon," he said, "Is either eternity together, or eternity alone. Wouldn't you be sad when I die? What will happen to you? Would you go on living your life in my memory?"

"Rei…" Skamon said.

"Or would you find a new partner and outlive them to?"

"...Rei!" Skamon said closing his eyes as if trying not to think about it.

"You don't understand Skamon," he grimaced. "It's either loneliness or one of us has to got to go. And I'm not going," he said. "This experiment will not fail. I'm not going to die."

"But Rei!"

"-I will not let you become a nursing home patient caregiver!" he snapped. "I have a greater purpose than that! I will find it! A destiny beyond death and suffering!"

"So that's it Rei," Skamon said wincing. "You're just scared."

"Of course I am," he replied. "Who isn't scared to die?"

"So you'll take my life just to extend yours?" he said horrified.

"That's right," he confirmed. "If the Digital Creator wants to keep that technology to live forever then he can keep it. He never cared about mankind. He only cared about sparing your kind. And now you can see why," he leered. "We are selfish creatures, but not as monstrous as your kind," he said.

"But Rei," Skamon sniffed. "I did so much for you! I saved your life! I even ate that guy! Doesn't that count for anything?!" he said, his voice hoarse.

Rei bent down to him and shook his head. "I told you once," he said, "I would show you what's it like to live, so you will know what's it like to die," he said coldly. "And now Skamon I am going to fulfill that promise to you," he said turning around walking away from him.

"Rei!" Skamon cried pounding his fist against the pane. "Don't turn your back on me! Rei!" he sobbed.

Rei let Skamon's sobs bounce off of him approaching the lead subordinate. "Is everything ready?" he asked.

"It's all set," she said.

"Good. I am going now. If this succeeds then mankind will be able to live forever. It will be a whole new age."

"This way sir," a male subordinate said as Rei followed him. He entered into a changing room removing all of his clothing setting it on a cold table. A slight chill nibbled the air around him, Rei immune to it.

"Is the settings on the shower ready?" he asked.

"As you have instructed it," his subordinate said, Rei gritting his teeth as a blazing hot shower enveloped him purifying his outer body from any bacteria. Then a powerful blast of steam completely soaked through and dried his body.

He exited it walking towards the other side of the machine.

"Two minutes," he said not turning around. "And not a second more," he added walking forward into the machine, his subordinate closing it.

Rei stood there in the darkness, waiting for the machine to work. He felt slightly nervous, but determined. Now was his moment. He had been surrounded by death all his life, and now, the curse would end, but at the price of his dear friend. He hit the wall with his fist frustrated.

"What other choice did I have?" he said to himself. "Either I end his life now or he is miserable for the rest of his life without me? This is the best choice!" he exclaimed yelling at himself.

"Is that you Rei?" Skamon's voice called out, Rei hesitant to look for him.

"You can still stop it Rei," Skamon sniffed. "Please don't do this horrible thing! Rei!"

"It's no use Skamon," Rei said. "No matter what you say now, my decision is final. I hope you can forgive me one day my friend if we ever meet again."

"No!" Skamon cried. "Rei! Don't do this to me! Rei! I don't want to die! Reiiii!"

Just then the machine turned on, a mysterious neon green light appearing, the air moist and thick as if Rei could float. He noticed Skamon floating to, Skamon starting to sweat.

"What's happening to me?" Skamon said nervously sweating.

Rei noticed an intense force like gravity constrict the airspace with Skamon in it, Skamon buffeted being crushed in place from all sides.

"Rei!" Skamon shouted, Rei watching him amazed at the display.

An endless stream of tears flooded down Skamon's cheeks as he screamed out in pain. "Rei help me!" he screamed.

"It's almost over Skamon," he said. "You're suffering is at it's end."

"No, please save me Rei!" he cried doing his best to reach out to him even though his arm started breaking down into Digital Particles.

"Reiiiiii!" he shouted one more time, his form unable to say in physical shape.

"Reiiiiiiiiii!" he lamented breaking down into digital bits, Rei feeling lighter and strange. As if by Skamon's final cry a burst of steam emitted from the machine, Rei having committed the forbidden act.