Disclaimer: I do not own Digmon.
Who would have thought I would still have an audience after daring to complete the backstory of the entire series from a villain's perspective? We know Rei is the bad guy, but I think this chapter will give you an idea of just why it is. Sometimes villains are not so black and white. They started and one spot and shifted over to it justifying themselves. I'm sure they do not see themselves as good or bad, but rather what is right and what is wrong. This chapter starts to draw the lines even more, but I can't even draw anything, but a conclusion. You can laugh now. If only we all had a digimon partner to smile and laugh with. I have my wife and son. They are a better alternative.
Chapter Ten: Between Flesh and Data
The moment felt so surreal Rei said to himself watching his partner Skamon woof down a cheeseburger and fries. Skamon, my friend turned into truly a savage beast. He ripped Goumatsu apart and completely devoured him blood and all, and then the whole place became such a state of panic we were able to just walk out completely untouched no one saying a word or anything to us. And yet Skamon even though he had been shot seemed fine.
Rei himself though had been dealing with the pain himself, his side groaning even with bandages wrapped around it.
"Oh yeah this tastes much better!" Skamon exclaimed happily devouring fries, munching on a cheeseburger, and slurping down a soda. "Thank you Rei!"
"No, thank you Skamon," he replied. "Because of you I avenged all of the dead people in my family. Goumatsu finally got what he deserved," he said plainly.
"But you don't seem happy or anything Rei," Skamon said burping, then digging in for another fry. "Why is that?"
Rei studied him watching his movements, but still a little apprehensive of him. "I suppose it's the fact my friend had to cover for me and kill him," he said. "I don't feel right about that."
"But if your friends are in trouble don't you help them?" he asked slugging down more soda sighing out in satisfaction after. "You would right?"
Sure enough if Hiroki or Sarada were in the same situation he would in a heartbeat, but they were dead. His father was dead. His mother, dead. The detective, dead. His lover Asaki dead. And even still, with him in his mid twenties he knew his death could not be far off. His heart condition had bothered him from time to time and it did seem to be getting worse as time went by. It was only a matter of time.
"Rei?" Skamon said concerned. "Are you okay? I'm here for you if you need anything," he grinned. "You know that right?"
Rei forced a smile and nodded his head.
"That's good," Skamon replied cheerfully. "I-"
At that moment Skamon stopped talking. His body tensed up, Rei noticing a look of terror in his eyes. R-Rei?" He said looking towards him, a look of terror on his face. "W-what did I do?"
Skamon's arms and legs suddenly had a very odd black almost vein-like colored appearance, Skamon looking at them wondrously. "D-did I do something bad?" he questioned looking at them. "Did I do something wrong Rei!?"
Rei reached over towards him and looked at his arm. "I don't know what's happening," he replied. "But I do know that must have been quite a shock for you."
"Yeah," Skamon sighed. "I didn't really want to hurt him," he said, "But I could not let him just hurt you Rei. Do you think maybe I am just sick?"
"No," Rei replied. Something had to be more serious. The reptile started to appear sluggish and wobbly.
"I'm not feeling so good Rei," he replied. "Let's go home," he said trying to get up, but instead fell face forward at the table.
"Skamon!" Rei said immediately rushing over to him. "Can you hear me? Skamon!"
Rei hurried with his digital dinosaur partner on his back, Skamon's breathing labored, him groaning out in pain. He had no idea why his body had reacted this way, but he knew it had something to do with what had happened to Goumatsu.
"Isn't there someplace I can take him?" he wondered aloud. He kept running, panting, and then stopped right before entering into the middle of a road, a car immediately rushing passed him.
"Wait a second," he said calmly. "It's not the hospital, but there is one place."
Down the escalator Rei and Skamon went, the green lights flashing as he descended into the digital platform his Father had set up in the past. If anyone could help him and Skamon here only the one who had sent him could have any clue as to what happened.
As soon as the platform reached the bottom Rei leapt down and ran over where he saw a translucent digital figure with a staff in one hand.
"Please," he said. "You have to help us Digital Creator. Skamon, he-"
"-Place him down," he demanded, Rei setting Skamon down on the ground. His reddish skin had turned a grayish color, the veins throbbing with some dark force.
"Tell me what happened," he said, Rei explaining the situation as best as he could. As soon as he had told him everything, the Digital Creator got up and started walking around as if contemplating.
"Tell me," he said, "Did you go all around with Skamon making him happy? Did your relationship grow?"
"Of course it did," Rei replied not wanting to admit it. "I thought he would be just a nuisance, and, in truth he is. But he is still my friend. He's my...partner," he said realizing how much he meant to him. True he was annoying and cheerful, but he was always there for him on such a deep level in a way that he had rarely felt.
"That is good," the Digital Creator smiled. "I've noticed a change in you to Rei. You wanted nothing to do with your father's legacy, and now, your heart has seemed to change as if it found healing."
Rei swallowed looking down at his 'buddy'. "Yes," he simply answered. "Skamon has changed my life."
The Digital Creator walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You see? This is exactly what I want to do for human kind. If Digimon can heal the hearts of those who are injured then surely your race can conquer their sinful nature."
Rei sighed out looking at his partner suffering. "Please, is there anything you can do for him? I can't stand to see him suffering like this. It looks more painful than when he even got shot."
"Of course," The Digital Creator said bending down towards Skamon. "You have done your role well my servant," he said. "However, you should have known the consequences of willfully hurting another. You are now warring with the sinful nature because of this."
"Warring with the sinful nature?" Rei said curiously. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Normally a digimon cannot harm another digimon," he said. "It is written in all Digital Code. It is why the Digital World is peaceful. There are no threats except the conflict between humans and digimon in the future."
"So then why did Skamon do it? Why did he protect me like that?"
"Hmm," the Digital Creator contemplated. "There was a bug in the programming it seems. Digimon can't harm other digimon with harmful intent, but that did not apply towards beings of your world. Though his nature is not to harm digimon or even to 'harm' in general, his relationship that he had with you overrrided this nature."
"What does that mean?" Rei asked.
"It means Skamon no longer lives off of non harm. He is now an anomaly to the digital world."
Rei stared on starting to contemplate what he meant. "Isn't there any way to cure him? To fix him?"
The Digital Creator nodded his head. "No, he is curable because you brought him so quickly. I will show you. Bring him here over to this table," he said walking over towards a strange technological slab.
Rei picked up Skamon, his body heavy in his arms. His poor digimon could barely move a muscle.
"Reiā¦" Skamon winced breathing heavily, Rei's hands a bit slimy from his buddy sweating so profusely.
"Don't worry Skamon," he said hurrying over. "It will be ok. Your creator is going to heal you. Hang on...buddy," he said hesitant to express himself to him that way.
He placed him on the cold table. The Digital Creator put his hand over his head.
"My faithful servant Skamon," he said, "Don't worry. You will be restored," he promised holding up his hand in the air. Immediately from around him digital bits were pulled together creating a strange syringe. He immediately held it up the syringe filling with a strange glowing light blue substance, the same colored substance as the digital bits the creator had shown as it's material substance.
"What is that?" Rei asked marveling over the glowing substance.
"The cure," The Creator replied taking the syringe and injecting it into Skamon, Skamon wincing. The blue liquid appeared to flow through his system, all of the black veins clearing away, the bulging stopping. Incredibly Skamon seemed even calmer, his skin tone coming back to a healthy red color.
Rei stared amazed, Skamon opening his eyes joyous to see him.
"Rei!" he exclaimed getting up and jumping into his arms.
"Skamon!" he replied hugging him back loosely, Skamon overjoyed to see him.
"I missed you! I remember eating a cheeseburger with you and then I felt bad and then I don't remember."
"You fell over," Rei answered. "You really scared me Skamon. How are you feeling now?"
"Much better!" he grinned. "I haven't felt this good in a long time."
Skamon seemed to be in his own world psyching himself up as Rei looked over addressing him with The Digital Creator.
"How is this possible?" he asked. "In this world, with humankind it takes weeks, months to completely recover from illness. Sometimes even years. Even then you have to deal with sight effects, complications, and sometimes even permanent disability," he said. "Many times even surgery is involved if serious enough and oft times even after all of that someone still dies," he said amazed.
"You're kind," the Digital Creator said, "Are not advanced enough with their technology to reach this point. And unfortunately, such medicine only works on digital beings. If this was used against a human it would be fatal."
Rei swallowed heavily somehow feeling all of his emotions well up within him. "My father," he said, "If he was able to use the technology you have would he have been able to prolong his life? I know he passed away not from a medical illness, but if you did have something like that-"
"-Rei Kurenada," the Digital Creator said firmly, "Digital Medicine is not meant for humankind."
"I know that," Rei said furiously searching his mind. "I know that, but what about Skamon's miraculous healing?" he asked. "Even before he got into his prior condition."
"What is it you wish to know?" he questioned.
"When I had been facing off against Goumatsu he shot me and Skamon in the side," he said putting Skamon down. "This is what it looks like to humans," he said lifting up his shirt.
He gritted his teeth hesitating as he ripped a bandage, some blood seeping out," Rei panting a bit.
"You see?" he said. "Flesh and blood does not heal as quick," he said. "It's going to take weeks if not months for this to fully heal. And this will eventually scar," he added.
"That indeed does look painful and discomforting," The Digital Creator noticed. "I wish there was something I could do for you."
"How could there not be?" he said incredulously. "Just look at Skamon. His data repaired itself quickly! He did not need any medicine or anything."
"It is not required," The Digital Creator replied.
"Then," Rei continued, "if you heal this quickly can you tell me how many years it takes for a digimon to have a weakened healing process? Or can you tell me when it stops working altogether?"
"It simply does not," The Digital Creator answered.
"It doesn't stop working?" Rei said anxiously. "Then, if you can always heal then that must mean you don't age! But that's just crazy! Programs become obsolete. How long could a digital existence last?"
The Digital Creator looked at him directly in his eyes, Rei unnerved, but furious towards him.
"Forever," he revealed. "Digimon do not die. Should something happen to where they severely injure themselves they are reborn at the conjuncture of rebirth, Primary Village in the Digital World."
Rei felt his knees go weak and fell forward bruising them. He fell forward placing his hands on the cold hard metal surface.
"Rei what's the matter?" Skamon asked.
Rei could not believe it. All of the struggles he had gone through. All the deaths he had seen, yes it all made sense now. His father had been right about there being another world. And maybe, just maybe if he could visit it he could unlock the secret to a longer life if not immortality.
"I would very much like to go the Digital World," he said. "What would it take for a human like me to make it there?"
"You want to go the Digital World Rei?" Skamon said enthusiastically. "That sounds great! How about it Creator? Can he go?"
"What would be the purpose of him going Skamon?" The Digital Creator said a bit coldly. "Rei only wants to go to try to figure out the secret to immortality for humankind, that's all. He cares nothing about forming trust between our worlds or being an ambassador. Why should we let him come to our world?"
"You let me into his," Skamon said holding onto Rei. "Is it not fair for him to go to ours?"
"To digitize a human," the Digital Creator said, "Unfortunately cannot be risked at this point. Even if he is doing Digimonkind a huge favor, if we opened the gate Skamon then this would give his kind the opportunity to invade our world."
"But I would be with him the whole time!" Skamon exclaimed.
"That's not the point Skamon," Rei grinned, clenching his fists. "You see, we may not be as technologically advanced as your kind, but if you open a hole or an opportunity for us to take advantage of you then for certain we will. My kind might go into your world and harvest it for resources or even take it over."
"But Rei!" Skamon interjected-
"-What Rei says is the truth," the Digital Creator said. "It is unfortunate but there is nothing that can be done to increase your life expectancy or the life expectancy of humanity. And their is no way to turn you into a Digital Being Rei Kurenada. You will have to live your life till the end."
Rei gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes shut, but then unclenched his fists standing up looking at the creator coldly.
"Yes, I understand," he said. "I get it now. There is no hope for mankind to live longer. Only if we were digital beings like you would this be possible," he said swallowing painfully.
"Rei," Skamon said trying to console him.
"Come on Skamon," he said. "We must keep our friendship going. Our bond will make it possible for everyone to receive a Digimon," he said wanting to choke on his own words. "You want that don't you?" he smiled, his eyes glaring.
"Y-yeah," Skamon said nervously. "Let's go then Rei!" he grinned leading him by the hand. "I want to go back to the park again!"
"Of course," Rei smirked, looking back at the Digital Creator who just kept looking at him.
Rei turned his eyes back, his eyes snarling towards him.
"Yes, I understand now," he said grinning deceptively. "I know Skamon I can do anything when I am with you. We can reach any height. We can overcome any trial," he said.
"That's right buddy," he smiled. "I feel that way to."
"Then," he said, "I was wondering Skamon, if by chance you would help me with something."
"Help?" he questioned. "You never ask me to help you with anything Rei. What gives?"
"Because we are such good friends now and we've been through a lot together I thought I could open my heart to you."
"Wow!" Skamon said touched. "You really feel that way Rei? Do you mean it?"
"Of course," he said, his gaze absorbing Skamon's visage. "Just like you would do anything for me Skamon, I hope you know that I would do anything for you."
"Absolutely," he grinned wiping tears from his eyes. "Wow Rei I am so happy you feel that way about me! You're my best friend!"
"You to," he said patting his head. "And as my best friend Skamon could you help me with a problem?" he said as they started up the escalator back to the mansion.
"Absolutely Rei," he smiled. "What can I help you with?"
"Oh you'll see soon my friend," he grinned, his vision darkly clouded. "You'll see."
