Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Now we're really rolling. It's all coming from Rei Kurenada's perspective like a waterfall now. The Dark Gears, the Dark Network- Even Myotismon's Castle. I never believed these were random virus type data pieces or devices. I believe they had a nefarious purpose to them. In Digimon Adventure I would have thought that perhaps it was Apocalymon's doing, and maybe it was. But they never tell us. Devimon learns how to control the Black Gears. Etemon sort of does the same with the Dark Network, and Myotismon, well, his castle does have very unique properties almost like an alternate dimension...if that's the case would this not have some ties with the fabricated Dimension of Wishes he created? in Zero Two? Just a thought. But let's make sense of it this time. The Mastermind Rei Kurenada from the Prison of the Dark Ocean continues to weave his narrative...
Chapter Thirty-Eight: My Dark Network Rock Concert Fantasy
"A little to the right," Rei said, Homeostasis maneuvering around with her arms and legs on a familiar television devise. She held up two arms and one leg stretched out mid air, Rei shaking his head.
"Maybe if you hop up one one foot we'll get better reception," Cthulusmon chuckled, much to Ygdrassil''s chagrin.
"This is tiring," she sighed. "What's the point of all of this?"
"Quite simple," Rei said approaching a giant television and tapping on the television screen he had created. "Much like a cable network this device I have created can broadcast around the areas where Etemon's cables extend."
"Really?" Ygdrassil said interested. "Does that mean we can watch a movie and have snacks?" she asked, her eyes star-eyed.
"With the screen as big as this one is," Rei said knocking his knuckle against it, "why not? It will be like a visit to a theater in color."
"-But now on home video," Ygdrassill noticed sitting down, her legs kicking up and down with excitement. "This should be with much better quality than the black gears."
"Oh, they served their purpose," Rei said. "Though for how meticulous Devimon was I'm surprised he was taken down so easily."
"Really? I thought they tried really hard," Cthulusmon said crossing his arms leaning against the giant screen.
"Hey!" Ygdrassill barked. "You're going to mess with the reception!"
"Not to worry," Rei said calmly. "When you get just to the right spot then I can fashion an antennae to make this work. Theater screens don't have antennas, but it won't mess with the production."
Ygdrassil stood back up stretching her arms out. "Ok, then I'll just make a couple of moves and-"
"-No! Stop! That's good! "Rei said relieved.
"Really? Like this?" Ygdrassill questioned, her arms still stretching up.
"Yes, just like that!" Rei said. "Hold still," he said framing her with his index fingers and thumbs in a square shape taking in her outline. "...And freeze!" he said jovially as an antennae fixed itself right next to Ygdrassill.
She looked at it noticing the antennae did really appear to make the same pose she did. "So, we're all done?" she questioned.
"All set," Rei said.
"Then that just leaves one last thing," Ygdrassill said jumping down, a mischievous grin on her face.
"Oh? And what's that?" Rei said playing dumb.
"Heh heh," she grinned maliciously. "The snacks!"
Cthulusmon put his hand over his eyes shaking his head. "I just restocked the Nightmare Soldiers," he said a bit upset. "How can we prepare your army my Lord if you let her keep eating them?"
"You can't fight on an empty stomach," Ygdrassill giggled rubbing her stomach. "I could sure go for something sweet."
"In that case," Rei said, "How about soda and popcorn? You can't go wrong there."
"Popcorn? Soda?" She said interested.
Rei held up one finger as if lecturing her. "Soda is sweet and fizzy. Popcorn is buttery and greasy. But they go so well together," he suggested.
"Like...me and Homeostasis?" she asked, Rei having a hard time controlling his twitching eyebrow.
"Sure, whatever," he said wanting to grind his teeth into dust.
"My Lord!" a Gazimon said approaching him. "We're looking forward to Etemon's concert. Might we stay and watch?"
"A Movie theater is not a concert," Cthulusmon said stiffly.
"Oh let's let them have this one," Ygdrassill suggested. "It will do good to rally support."
"A fine idea," Rei agreed. "Announce it to all who wish to come Cthulusmon."
"As you wish," he said taking his leave.
"And with that out of the way," Rei said sitting down on his throne, his eyes locked on the screen, "Once the cables pick up on the Digidestined...the Dark Network Theater will play a spectacular performance. Actors," he grinned evilly jarring his teeth, "Take your places."
"I think I see something! It's the King!" The Gazimon exclaimed as the Dark Network screen picked him up. They enthusiastically watched Etemon strum up a surefire number one hit, all to angrily strike at other Gazimon for trying to take part in his theatrics. It brought a good chuckle out of all the Gazimon, but Rei could only shake his head at Etemon's foolish antics.
"I still think someone else would have been better suited," Cthulusmon said leaning against the throne with his elbow, a claw to his cheek.
"Maybe he'll be too stubborn to die," Ygdrassill contemplated popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth, licking her lips after. "What do you think Rei?"
"I think he'll definitely bring the entertainment," he said, noticing Etemon seemed joyous, the screen showing that the Digidestined were now in Server. "Let's just see what the Monkey King's got."
The Concert quickly got underway when Etemon's cables picked up the Digidestined; strobe lights, and giant images illuminating him in front of the stunned Digidestined. Of course, that girl Hikari was not there. And still that brat with the blue eyes and golden hair seemed to be in her place. He let himself be distracted as the dark network concert crush strum out from Etemon's guitar, the attack trapping the Digidestined in a cave much to the fanfare of the cheering Viral Digital Entities.
"Well, that was quick," Cthulusmon held back a chuckle. "It seems the Baboon took care of them rather easily."
"Not so fast," Rei said, noticing the overconfident Etemon start to panic shortly after realizing the kids were no longer trapped. "Don't expect this group of children to go down so easily," he cautioned.
"Then bring on the second act!" Ygdrassill said with gusto taking a gulp of soda, jittery and excited from the show.
It didn't take long for things to continue. Rei paid close attention as somehow the Digidestined were lured over to what appeared to be a soccer arena coliseum, a single soccer ball distracting them all from the imminent danger that always seemed to find them. They were just stupid kids after all.
Once they were all snared by a trap in the nets, a Greymon with a special network cable similar to the black gears approached them, only the messy large haired boy that he recognized as Taichi standing against him.
"Something looks different about him," Cthulusmon noticed. "That symbol he's holding, and that device. What do you suppose that is?" he questioned.
"You don't recognize it?" Rei mused staring entertained at the screen. "They are the same symbols we saw viewing the Heavenly Realm. It seems this Taichi fellow has found his."
"Boring," Ygdrassill said rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's see some carnage!" she shouted holding up her fists. "Let's get it on!"
No sooner had she said those words that Agumon Digivolved into Greymon and took a real beating, the jeers and cheers of the Viral Digital Entity's filling the makeshift theater. It looked like the dark network collared Greymon had Taichi's Greymon on the ropes, Rei expecting him to finish him off with a Nova Blast, but, something seemed strangely amiss.
"Certainly this is not courage," Rei said noticing Taichi's poor attitude and practical verbal abuse against Greymon. "And if that's all he has then these Digidestined are done…" he paused.
"...For?"
His eyes lit up noticing Greymon start to Digivolve, but almost with a viral implication as he morphed into a giant foreboding Tyrannosaurus skeleton.
"Who is that?!" Cthulusmon shouted. "That wasn't in the Viral Digital Database!"
"No, it's not," Rei said interested. "Though based on what I am seeing, it's code translates to Skull Greymon," he said fascinated. "This is incredible."
They all watched, many Gazimon fearful but exhilarated as he easily dispatched the Greymon, groaning out as a screen of Etemon was annihilated as well. It eventually calmed down, Rei still tickled by what he had witnessed, but, noticing the Digidestined recover, make up, and even get another crest; it left him in a sour mood.
Picturing the Greymon it reminded Rei of something. A slight lump made it's way up in his throat, Rei obliging himself with a soda swallowing it down.
"My Lord, is everything all right?" Cthulusmon asked.
"Did you have too many snacks?" Ygdrassill also asked.
"No," Rei said folding his hands in his lap. He stared down thinking deeply about the transformation. It had been quite some time since Skamon's data wished to be converted and he became Terrormon. Skamon wished to be changed to help Rei. But Greymon wanted to help as well, yet he became even more of a monster. Yes, they both were monsters, Digital Monsters. They all were. They were his play things, his tools to get his most cherished desires. They were monstrous but oh so fragile in his hands, easily dispatching them and twisting them for whatever reason he fancied.
A wicked smile crossed his face thinking about them. "Homeostasis didn't program her new toys right," he mused. "I wonder if I make them all suffer pain and agony if their partners will transform into dark counterparts?" he considered.
"That brings a question then," Cthulusmon mentioned. "What is Skull Greymon? Is he a viral digital entity? Is he a normal Digimon?"
"He is," Rei said studying him. "He is magnificent and yet repulsive," he smirked. "I can see from his data that he is viral and he his normal."
"But how can that be?" Ygdrassill questioned.
"Do you remember back when the Rebellion in the Digital World occurred and Terrormon nearly forced the Digital World to it's knees?" he asked.
"Rightly so. I remember it quite clearly," Cthulusmon acknowledged.
"We were stunned to find out after destroying them Homeostasis kept their data away from the Dark Ocean so they can be reborn again. But, what if," Rei pondered aloud, "the data had started to be filtered into the Dark Ocean, but she whisked it away with a strong pull? This would mean the newly created Digimon when they were born could have the potential for both natures."
"But why would she do that?" Cthulusmon wondered aloud. "Why, Rei-" he said instantly covering his mouth as if hoping Rei would not catch him speaking informally.
"She's doing it to teach them about the power of the crests, and to have the right kind of attitude to activate it," Rei said calmly, Cthulusmon breathing out grateful he had not crossed him. "Though, I assure you I am already contemplating how we can use this in our favor. After all, if one Digidestined can go down a dark path," he said savoring the possibilities, "…Then maybe even holy Digimon can transform into the damned…"
Aside from some network interference by a Piximon, things played out as Rei expected them to. Each of the Digidestined grew a bit stronger obtaining their crests and defeating the viral digital entities. The Cockatrimon particularly proved to have great entertaining value. Yet when all was said and done the Dark Network cables were finally traced to their source by the Digidestined.
Rei also had been curious where Etemon had placed the cables, but it appears he had a Datamon assigned over it. It was quite interesting regarding Datamon's plan to see if he could copy a Digidestined's composition to activate the crest of love's power, but alas the main protagonist of the bunch interfered.
Everyone cheered for Etemon up until the moment the whole theater erupted into chaos as Datamon unleashed the Dark Network, a ton of Digimon getting sucked into it and converted to give it even more strength. When at last Datamon had succumbed Etemon seemed as if he would also get absorbed, but he withstood and took command of the entire Network itself with the ball of dangerous viral cables.
The Viral Digimon cheered and hollered as he decimated a whole pyramid with a dark network attack, most of the Digidestined at a loss for what to do. All hope seemed lost. Even the youngest was powerless..
"Looks like the Monkey King will at last have the victory," Cthulusmon said nodding approvingly as all around him strobe lights lit up, the Gazimon dancing with the lights having the time of their lives cheering on Etemon..
"I don't think soooo," Ygdrassill hummed. "That spiky messy haired kid looks pretty focused. I think his crest is glowing to."
"Ridiculous," Cthulusmon scoffed. "The Dark Network is Supreme. It was a gift from Lord Kurenada. It can't be beaten."
Ygdrassill struggled to hide a disarming smile. "The next batch of Nightmare Soldiers for my dinner but safely in your command for now says that Greymon will digivolve with the crest power and win."
"You're on," Cthulusmon said not even flinching. "I didn't make a miscalculation. Even if he did, he would just get distorted and torn out of existence like the others," he said, Rei enjoying their little wager.
"Now, now," Rei said, "You give me far too much credit Cthulusmon. Have you forgotten? I'm not really 'trying' to destroy the Digidestined. I'm preparing them for breaking the seal. Then I'll kill them," he said with a chipper expression.
Cthulusmon took a claw to his lips and put it in-between his teeth. They all watched as Taichi summoned his power to bring Greymon to the next level. Then, with a metal claw and a powerful giga blaster attack, Etemon vanished twisting into the distortion, both Taichi and Metal Greymon caught in the aftermath as the screen fizzled out.
Cthulusmon's jaw dropped, stunned. "Oh no," he winced.
"Oh yes," Ygdrassill said placing one hand on his shoulder. "Do have them ready for me in 24 hours," she said relishing in her victory. "Oh I can't wait to see what kind of flavors I can make them!" She wiped some drool with her sleeve, still fantasizing about her prizes.
"My Lord!" A Gazimon shouted out, everyone starting to clear out from the screen back to their posts, "It's a shame Lord Etemon is gone, but where did the human and his partner go? Did they die to?"
Rei stared at the screen also considering that inquiry. He studied it, realizing that neither him nor Metal Greymon been pulled to the Dark Ocean. No, he did not sense that they had broken down. In fact, it felt like they had just slipped away like an image of the Digimon manifesting in the real world and then vanishing.
"No," he said walking closer to the screen, his hand hung loosely in his trench coat pocket. "Somehow, they are neither in the Digital World, but are not in my domain either. This tells us they are either in another dimension or quite possibly back on earth."
"Earth? That's impossible!" A Gazimon shouted.
"It's not!" Cthulusmon snapped. "If you paid attention to Lord Kurenada's greatness he has been weakening the barriers between our worlds. It's certainly possible they slipped in a gap leading back to his world."
Rei kept staring at the screen and then glanced down away from everyone. "I detest the unknown," he scoffed, turning around, his trench coat flowing with a slight breeze. "Fortunately I don't have to dread it."
"What do you mean?" the Gazimon asked. "You're not able to enter the Digital World. So how can you know what's going-"
"-That's enough out of you maggot," Cthulusmon said with a swift jab of his hand puncturing through the head of the Gazimon completely disintegrating it.
Rei gave it no thought considering what just happened. With the Digidestined separated now, the situation had changed drastically. Of course he would stick to the plan, but this unique circumstance presented an opportunity he had not considered before.
A clever grin spread across his face. "With this distortion temporarily weakening the barriers between worlds I imagine Homeostasis is up in arms about this monitoring that situation," he mentioned. "So you can imagine what an opportunity this presents us to go under the radar unnoticed."
"Under the radar? How so?" Ygdrassill asked.
"We entered this little game preparing against the brats by entering the Heavenly Realm, but the Dark Masters were nearly lost. We have no idea where they are."
"That was most unfortunate," Cthulusmon agreed.
"And yet," Rei said, "Those Digidestined have their tags and crests, which, tells us that Gennai escaped and made it to the Digital World. So that must mean the Dark Masters successfully escaped as well following after him. If the tags and crests were hidden perhaps Gennai hid the crests himself to prevent the Dark Masters from getting them."
"I had not considered that," Cthulusmon agreed. "But that makes me wonder. If you had set up Devimon, Etemon and Myotismon over certain areas how do the Dark Masters know what to do? We can't get in communication with any of them."
"And hence," Rei says, "Is the reason for my departure."
"But wouldn't that be fruitless? Their is no way for you to communicate with any of them now my Lord," Cthulusmon said defeated holding his hands out.
Rei started walking away from them, both Ygdrassill and Cthulusmon following after him. The walk was quiet, Rei keeping to himself stringing the two of them along. Eventually he reached the outer region. He approached the edge, holding out his hands unable to go any further. The two of them seemed worried, Rei sensing the route he traveled to enter earth once more.
"Oh, by the way," he said as both of them lifted up their heads, "When Fanglongmon nearly pulverized the world a few strange devices somehow fell out of that world before getting pulverized by his dreadful attack. It's quite a miracle that they survived."
"Items?" Ygdrassil wondered curiously.
"Whatever do you mean my Lord?" Cthulusmon questioned insistently.
"Two items fell from the heavenly realm and somehow made there way to the Digital World. There trajectory is also most curious," he chuckled. "I do believe they fell into Myotismon's Domain; right by his castle," he said, both of them still puzzled.
"Are they that important?" Ygdrassill asked.
"Oh, I think so," he said about ready to make his leave. "A strange unique gate that I picked up on, but really thought nothing of it till now, and, the key to make it work. Both went there. The door and the key," he said whimsically.
"Door to what My Lord?" Cthulusmon asked.
"The answer to fill in the gap," he said. "A key from the Digital World that connects to Earth."
Cthulusmon and Ygdrassill paused, gaping at him in amazement.
"Your looks say it all," he said enjoying himself without turning around. "If I can find the exit to the door, I just might be able to find the way to get there."
"But you can't make it to the Digital World, can you?" Ygdrassill asked curiously.
Rei lifted up his head breathing in deeply. "Normally no. And yet, knowing that cunning vampire, he probably has it already placed in his castle; a castle...with very unique properties."
"Like what?" she continued, Cthulusmon also attentive to his every word.
"His castle doesn't obey the rules of any world, but can circumvent and interfere with them all. In a way, it's even greater than the Heavenly Realm. And if I make it there, though I can't leave it to enter the Digital World I can guide the ones remaining. We'll just see how far they can get it…" he said, leering and smiling as he pushed himself into the route he had fashioned back to Earth.
"...But Homeostasis's missing trump card will be the key to all of this…" he said disappearing, both Ygdrassill and Cthulusmon reverently staring at him. "...Whether they will survive...or perish."