Disclaimer: I do own Digimon.
On a special note, I noticed the similarities between Yggdrasil and Homeostasis in Digimon Tri, and it really got me thinking about them. They operate by proxies, they twist and manipulate their way around, and don't reveal themselves directly. Moreover, we can catch glimpses of them through those same proxies such as the JP Lovecraftian influence from Ordinemon, the twisted nature of Gennai, and the Dark Ocean for Yggdrasil but also for Homeostasis through the indifferent attitude of the Digidestined she possesses and the stoic composure of her servant Jesmon. It made me really wonder if somehow, in all of this, if Yggdrasil and Homeostasis were in some way related. This chapter explores the potential such a relationship could have had. And I felt it would have deeply fleshed out both of them in the whole Digimon Adventure Series. Such a shame.
Chapter Fifty-Two: Sisters
Everyone has two sides to them, Rei thought to himself standing in the shadows observing Yggdrasil stand determinedely in the center of his throne room waiting for Homeostasis.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, everyone has the capacity for greater good or unspeakable evil. However, if the hypocrisy of what is 'good' draws one closer to the darkness then over time they will become numb to what is 'good'. They won't be conned by such terms to label them in order for others to bastardize and judge them for their actions or appearances.
Yggdrasil waved to a Viral Digital entity who barely waved back before she converted the data into a cupcake and buried her face in it licking her lips.
Rei snorted slightly, concealing his presence from her. Even the simplest beings were not immune from this realization. Rei had spent so much time with her, teaching her, making light of her relationship with Homeostasis and pointing out her flaws- every single one of them. He put her in as negative a light as possible conveying Yggdrasil's superiority being crafted from part of his data.
He watched over her carefully as if watching over a younger family member but he allowed her to roam free- a free spirited killing machine and the instrument of his creation. She was a unique entity, resembling even more of a human appearance than Rei Kurenada himself. Her mind was also entirely her own. She was clever, whimsical, and, if Rei had a daughter, if he had cared about such sentimental bonds or attachments he was sure she would have at least resembled her.
She was fashioned not only out of the viral data of Rei Kurenada and the data of Homeostasis...but also Homeostasis's memories of her sister Thaelia. And, as such, for whatever reason she appeared to resemble that of the Hikari Yagami vessel of Homeostasis when she was younger in middle school. At times she would seem confused as to which of her origins she leaned towards. Rei himself knew how much of a challenge it would be denying your very composition, but it was possible. It could not physically be changed, but it could be viewed differently if one rose above the condemnation of others.
Rei recognized her ruthlessness and how other viral digimon feared and to even be around her except Cthulusmon. Yet even still, with the monstrosity he had seen her change into on more than one occasion causing world changing consequences, deep down he knew she had held back even in the most despairing situations because of that weakness of hers.
Yggdrasil licked her fingers one by one, and then flicked the saliva data off her hands like she was shaking out a towel. She seemed a bit impatient stretching out her arms and yawning. She didn't seem at all tense, though, her data said otherwise.
Rei watched her behavior closely. By the time this encounter with Homeostasis was over, The Digital Creator would have lost his second in command. It would be a striking blow he could use to corner him. With Homeostasis out of the picture serving as his proxy who knew just how he would fight back against him?
Saliva built up in his mouth as Rei savored the thought of going toe to toe against the Digital Creator just knowing the Digital Creator would have nowhere left to run or puppet to serve in his place.
He took a slight breath calming his excitement, not at all afraid of any consequences. Even if Yggdrasil somehow lost against her he would be sure she took her down with her. But, more than that, there was also the chance she would override her own data and become more than Homeostasis's memories of her sister.
Rei decided in that moment to make his way over to her casually glancing around the 'mess' she had caused with the cupcake, crumbs scattered around.
"I'm surprised you are not taking this more seriously," he teased. "Just look at this mess. It's far from intimidating."
"She won't care," Yggdrasil replied rolling her eyes "All she cares about are results."
"Do you really believe that?" Rei questioned circling around her raising his hands behind his head and folding them together against the back of it.
"Of course I do," she said unsteadily, her eyes following him. "Why?"
"Goodness, so defensive!" Rei said pretending to be taken aback putting his arms back down. "Don't forget all she has put you through," he cautioned. "A real older sister would not treat her younger sister so harshly. That's reserved as the right for the younger sister. Homeostasis, if anything, should be taking care of you."
"You're right," she sighed a bit deflated.
"And now look, she's on her way now to kill you. That's not very sisterly of her," Rei sneered.
"Mhm," Yggdrasil said staring down, her mouth scowling.
"It's not the ideal situation," Rei said, "But it's either kill or be killed. Even if you still care for her deep down it's just the business of war," he said nonchalantly speaking into her ear. "You're on one side. She is on the other. Whoever dies loses. They just become a war casualty. Do you understand?"
She nodded her head, Rei turning her cheek with his hand. He felt her data mask over him, Rei using her data as a barrier to conceal his presence further.
"Rei?" she said a bit dazed. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing at all," he smirked. "I know you'll be victorious Yggdrasil," he grinned. "In fact, I guarantee it."
"Ahem!" a familiar voice coughed, Rei noticing Gennai coughing in his fist having observed them both.
"I didn't notice you there," Rei answered like trying to ignore a critter in hanging in the corner of a room.
"I've waited long enough," Gennai said gruffly. "Noblemon has as much of your data as I could give to it," he said. "And I'm ready to go whenever you are to get into the Digital Record. Not sure exactly which Digidestined I will take their body from, but I'm looking forward to it."
"That's good," Rei said. "Let me see that gem cube of Ordinemon for a moment," he said holding out his hand.
Gennai put his hand in his robe pocket and pulled it out, Rei casually glancing over it.
"This is condensed Ordinemon data all right," he said admiring the eerie purple color. But it's not enough. Take this as well," Rei said holding the stone to his chest and masking it wrapping it in several layers of his recently acquired viral data from the trial he had put Takeru and Hikari through. The stone, glowing an eerie purple was now a deep black dark hue pulsing with a light grayish hue.
'Interesting," Gennai said picking it up looking at it closely. "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Just conceal it inside that 'glove' of yours," Rei responded. "Take it with you into the Digital Record."
"Can do," he said sliding his glove of data off and placing the viral crystal data in it.
No sooner than he had completed this a vicious rumbling shook the castle, Gennai a bit thrown off, but Rei only tapped his foot anxious for the battle to begin.
The two of them smiled facing each other, Rei knowing this plan relied heavily on Gennai. And who wanted to get back at the Digital Creator nearly as much as he did? He nodded his head, allowing him to depart.
Gennai grinned holding up his hand and starting to walk away. "Then, I'm off! See ya around!"
Reports came in from Rei's servants of the presence of Homeostasis on her own cutting a path through the viral digital entities she happened to even look upon, none of them even a remote challenge for her.
Rei nodded his head leaning against a pillar, wanting to cut the annoying chatter of it's voice. "That's fine," Rei said. "Why don't you go greet her and bring her here?" he said, the servant, a Gazimon, scampering over that direction Rei knowing it wouldn't live past a second glance.
He yawned, the floors starting to vibrate as a few screams of viral digital entities shouted loudly and then faded out. He went over towards a column in the southern most corner in the room concealed in shadow minimizing Yggdrasil's masked presence he had used on himself. It would completely be masked by her entire being standing in the center of the throne room.
The doors to his castle main chamber flung themselves open, one of his viral digital entities unfortunately being smashed to pieces by the force of the door catching him and splattering his body into the stone wall.
There she stood, Homeostasis, the second bane of his existence and the dread of his data. She walked forward clothed in a faint light, her appearance as a hidden translucent being giving off an incredible aura.
Yggdrasil stared at her, determined, but her frown turned into a muffling smile. "That's not going to work for me," she said stretching out both of her hands, a bit of her data going towards Homeostasis.
She stayed still not budging or retaliating as Yggdrasil's data warped around her transforming her appearance. Her hair changed to brown flowing long hair, her eyes of gold and green and lights beamed through towards her, fleshly skin covering her form wrapped in a pale gray garment similar to hers. Rei could see the same similar facial features of her on Homeostasis's now formed face no longer invisible. He wondered if by chance with that form she could bleed just as easily.
"There!" she said cheerfully. "Now we really do look like sisters," she smiled.
Homeostasis glanced over her body at her appearance, not at all moved. "It appears you are correct," she said. "A ninety-five percent resemblance. The viral presence you are composed of though provides a more consistent answer. You and I are not the same," she concluded. "Neither will we ever be the same."
"But we have the same data!" Yggdrasil protested placing one hand over her core. "I am the memories of you before you became what you are! I am what you desired! I am Thaelia!"
She stared at her and turned her head downwards. "You were Thaelia," she said. "But that was in my memories. As you are now, you only look like her."
"Oh!" she said grinning trying to stifle her laughter. "If that's how you truly feel then why did you save me sister?!" she shouted, her playful demeanor changed to anger. "You saw me as that beast! And your golden dragon took me down! But still, you saved me! After all the damaged I caused to the heavenly realm you saved me! Why else would you do that if you didn't care?!"
Rei felt the annoyance of his eye bothering him. This battle was not how he had expected it would go. And now Yggdrasil's heartfelt emotions were making his eye twitch, Rei making sure to remain absolutely still so he was unnoticed.
"At the time," Homeostasis said, "Even with the destruction of the Heavenly Realm you were not a threat to the Digital Creator or the Digital World. I had no reason to save you or to kill you. It was the whim of your pleading face from memories past that led to that result," she said, Yggdrasil clenching her hand like they were claws.
"But now," she said heartlessly looking through her, "You have been deemed a threat worthy of annihilation. You have endangered my prized vessel," she said holding out one finger. "You have decimated both the earth and the Digital World," she said holding out another finger, "And lastly, and most grievously you have inconvenienced my Lord and Master," she concluded holding out a third one. "All of these reasons warrant your immediate execution."
Yggdrasil glared at her, her teeth jagged. "If that's how you feel," she challenged transforming her other arm into a tentacled appendage, "Then instead of me being a memory of you, you will live on, but only as a memory through me!" she declared launching her tentacles at her, whipping them towards her like a blunted weapon.
Homeostasis calmly held up her hand and took the brunt of it easily, the tentacles dissolving upon touching her.
"Instantly erased huh?" She said nervously. "Don't think you can take me down so easily!" she shouted changing her other arms into appendages and then throwing them all at her relentlessly, each of the appendages striking and being erased at the same time.
To Rei it seemed she had not been causing her any discomfort or damage, but the sheer force had pushed against her moving her at the very least which would lead to hopefully light bruising. Then again, Homeostasis did not seem to be attacking her at all.
"Why won't you fight me?!" she shouted combing both arms into a tentacled appendage form into what appeared to be a sledge hammer and with a shout slamming it down on her. The floor embedded the force of the hammer, cracks growing splintering out through Rei's poor castle.
She held up one of her hands, snapped her finger and in blitzing speed the light burned through the tentacles disintegrating them up to the tips of Yggdrasil's appendages burning her slightly. She had no choice but to grow them out and sever them, taking slight breaths as she did so.
"Judging by your condition the execution should proceed without incident," Homeostasis said indifferently starting to walk towards her. "However, should you shed that human form and show yourself for the monstrosity you are I calculate a seven percent chance of delay."
Yggdrasil groaned glancing up at her annoyed beyond belief. "You've always been like that!" she shouted slowly transforming into the tentacled behemoth monster that was Yggdrasil. "Even before you died! You always acted without asking me how I felt!" she sniffled. "You assumed whatever you did was the best option! But not once did you ever think about how it would be without you gone! But you won't need to inconvenience yourself sister because you'll be gone this time!" she screamed her voice changing from the voice of a child to a gluttonous roar.
Each of her appendages manifested tentacles that struck towards her being decimated each time, but this time it appeared Homeostasis had set up a barrier around herself taking the attacks and also immediately burning away the ones that swung at her each time.
Yggdrasil had lost it, her tentacles lashing out mercilessly, her appendages launching forward teeth and jaws ready to chomp down on Homeostasis, but she moved so quickly they only took chunks of the castle. Like unchained rabid dogs she struck, but still came up empty.
Homeostasis did not slow down either, but with each jump Rei could see how Yggdrasil forced her against the back wall, each of the four appendages and tentacles descending all at once. "Sister!" she roared as they all crashed down on her, Yggdrasil holding up one hand. In a burst of light she dispelled their attack forcing them back in a painful explosion of light. Rays of light came from her hands as she obliterated all four appendages and in equal measure destroyed each of the tentacles, her expression never changing.
"All of my memories of you," she said, "And yet this is all that you are able to manifest?"
Yggdrasil screeched out, each of her limbs having been burnt to the ends.
"It makes no sense," she said ignoring her cries. "You were able to put the Digidestined through so much strife. And yet, compared to your battle with them how are you falling to me so easily?"
Yggdrasil bit down on one of the tentacles, saliva foaming at the mouth as if trying all she could to stay sane.
"I won't lose to you!" she groaned in a monstrous voice. "I swear sister, before I die I will take you-"
"-Foolish," she said in a blistering light burning Yggdrasil and her form away, the husk of Yggdrasil falling to the ground shedding the hideous form. She was now back to her humanoid appearance, her body singed from the intense rays.
She winced, barely opening her eyes, Rei noticing only one of them half opened.
"S-sister," she said, her voice breaking. "Please, end me," she asked.
"End you? Even if you are just my data memories of Thaelia, I never remembered her as the type of being to give up. In other words, having given in I have concluded you are corrupted memories of Thaelia."
"Corr...upted?" she said concerned.
"An illogical conclusion for that being so long ago. In other words, you are a fraud, and nothing more."
"Fake? Me?" she said, her mouth turning to a grin.
"That would be, quite the best wouldn't it?" she smiled looking at her blazing aura of light. "Yggdrasil! A nobody made from false impressions of Homeostasis's sister! Meaning, I, Yggdrasil ,"she said getting up and grabbing her arms suddenly, grinning from ear to ear, "am a fake!" she smiled dementedly. "I don't have any purpose in this life! Even if I am a lie YOU gave me a reason to live!" she pleaded wrapping her arms around her and crying into her arms. I lived for you!" she wept. "I lived to hate you!" she sniffed. "It's because of you that I lived!" she declared, Homeostasis manifesting a blistering white light in her hand.
"So you have," she said coldly. "If that brings you comfort then take solace in it. You will pass from this world as a threat to the Digital World having been vanquished. It is the judgment so passed by the Digital Creator," she said, a golden power brimming in her right hand. She manifested the blistering power holding it over her head.
Yggdrasil tensed up clenching her teeth and closing her eyes. "I'm ready," she said. "In the end, I couldn't beat you after all. If the only way you will think of me, even it's just for a moment is to kill me, then I couldn't ask for more," she said bracing for pain.
Homeostasis transformed the light into a javelin holding it above her. "I observe you have fully given into defeat," she said. "So shall I cast judgment down now," she said bringing down the javelin of light towards Yggdrasil, Rei finding it hard to believe everything was all for naught at this moment. Years of deceiving and twisting his most powerful servant, gone!
He closed his eyes despairing of this opportunity….passed? He thought he would have heard a piercing sound right now, but no, Homeostasis had her hand pressed forward with the javelin over what could only be her Digital Heart, her face contorted in confusion.
"What?" he questioned not understanding the situation anymore.
"This is abhorrent," Homeostasis scowled pressing forward with one hand, but holding the javelin back with the other. "The commands of the Digital Creator are absolute. There is no hesitation or exception!"
Yggdrasil dared to open her eyes, her face scared but curious at her behavior, the blade just in front of her chest barely being held back.
"Why do you resist?" she questioned pushing forward even more, the other hand in desperation covering it having been stabbed.
She groaned as she kept pressing forward.
"Any and all threats to the Digital Creator will be purged," she concluded. "I analyze a ninety-percent change in your perception due to the error of the existence of Thaelia," she said as if speaking to herself. "These memories though real do not prove the existence of this monster," she concluded. "It is an anomaly," she said still at odds with herself. "She must be put down."
Yggdrasil quivered, opening her eyes staring at her sister who seemed to be at war with herself. But how could that be? Rei himself had cast off attachments so long ago, but, aside from his rage towards the Digital Creator and his disdain for everything else, every now and again he thought about the woman he once loved that was taken from him.
Every recollection he had thought about a time when he considered himself 'happy' that moment eventually reared it's ugly head making Rei twice as angry as before. Perhaps this bond one could call 'love' had been deeply embedded in Homeostasis's memory even causing her to be at a stalemate against herself.
Rei opened his eyes wide, grinning licking his mouth. "Oh, if their ever was a time," he said sinisterly to himself.
Yggdrasil seemed paralyzed at a loss emotionally unable to decide how she felt about her sister. Tears and anger dripped down her face, her fists clenched in pain, her body covered in burns. Yet even more Homeostasis's surprising behavior tossed and turned, her eyes full of cold blooded murderous intent, but also for an intense desire to save her.
He could not have asked for a better opportunity.
Slipping through the intensity, masking his presence with Yggdrasil's he swiftly, but quietly approached her, Homeostasis having little awareness of the threat Rei Kurenada was to her at that moment. He let his mask slip, his overwhelming presence stab into her like the blade he carried plunging into her for once fleshly chest, the pleasant sound of gurgling data coming out of her mouth.
"It's been quite some time...Homeostasis," he snickered chuckling in her ear. "Unfortunately, this will be the last time," he said twisting it, his hand trembling in fury as the weapon twisted Digital data inside of her.
Homeostasis stared down, her eyes unable to believe the blade that had pierced her. Her arms barely held herself up, a look of horror on her face, Yggdrasil devastated, her face contorting in pain and hatred.
"Sister!" she cried, Homeostasis falling forward onto her, Yggdrasil catching her.
"This does not…" she said indifferently, her data trickling out of her chest onto Yggdrasil, "...make sense. It is not the Digital creator's….will," she said weakly her breathing shallow.
Yggdrasil reached behind her, her trembling hand pulling out the blade, the blade falling to the ground broken in three pieces.
"It doesn't make any sense because I put all of my hatred for the Digital Creator and the most concentrated viral data into it," Rei said walking by her satisfied with himself. "I'm sure the Digital Creator had constructed all kinds of safeguards for you when you were fashioned, but," he said holding out his hands as if pretending to pity her, "Against my own perfectly crafted viral data, it slices through his Digital Creations like butter," he said starting to laugh.
"And to think, you, Homeostasis, were the Right Hand of the Digital Creator! His most trusted servant!" he giggled starting to lose it in his own megalomania. "You, an emotionless doll were undone by those very qualities of a fake sister! She is an imitation! A copy! And a poorly accurate one at that!" he cackled. "And you have proven without a doubt, Homeostasis, despite your hubris looking down at all other beings, YOU are the defective one! You are the one who defeated yourself! Because of that WEAKNESS of yours, you destroyed yourself!"
Rei could barely contain his elation, the dying breaths and trickling of data mixed with the upset tears of Yggdrasil putting him in a euphoric state. To be one step closer- taking such a giant leap forward to cornering the Digital Creator and enacting his revenge-there was nothing like it!
"No. No!" Yggdrasil winced. "This...this is not what I wanted!" she said weeping even more. "Sister! Sister!" She desperately started to shake her. "Please! You can't leave me! Not again!"
Homeostasis glanced up at her placing one hand on her cheek. "You...aren't Thaelia," she said, "But..for some reason...you remind me of her," she confessed. "I could not betray that truth, no matter how much I justified eliminating your existence. And it didn't change the fact…." she said, coughing hysterically, "...That Thaelia was right. I did leave her behind. But," she said, her eyes hazy from losing her data, "Even if it brought her pain, I did not regret my decision. If I did not sacrifice my life to the one of the four, yours would have been sacrificed in my place by the village. I would never let that happen," she said. "So, even if I'm going to leave you again, I want you to know...at least this time...I did it...to save your life."
"But why?" Yggdrasil sobbed. "Why would you do this for me? For a memory of your loved one? I'm not her! I'm just what you remember of her all twisted up! It's not right! You shouldn't be…"
Yggdrasil's eyes lightened her lip curving. "...It's so clear, my emotions and memories returning as I remember this similar sensation of dying. It is a sad thing, but also very precious to me. I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. Because, in the end, to me, we share the same data. The same memories. And the one I hold most dear," she said, her eyes closing, "...Is you...Thaelia…"
Yggdrasil stared down, at a loss, her tender frame heaving as she grieved into her chest, Homeostasis no longer moving.
"All is fair in love and war isn't it?" Rei said indifferently. "With her body expired, it should be dissolving. I can't tell you how much of a pain that bitch was in my side," he huffed. "But now that she's gone, I will be able to move much more freely."
He started to to walk away, thinking about what he would do next. Maybe he would launch an all out assault while the dimensional holes were still there? It would take awhile. Perhaps even the Digimon Sovereign would no longer be a threat and-
-He glanced back annoyed, Yggdrasil still weeping. Still. That husk of a corpse remained. She was data, wasn't she? Why wasn't she dissolving?
Rei clenched his teeth even more annoyed even in death she still caused him such irritation. "Come Yggdrasil," he commanded. "Let's get you cleaned up. I'll have one of my favorite nightmare soldiers converted into a whole cake for you to celebrate your victory."
"I'm...not hungry," she swallowed, her eyes red from the tears.
"Maybe you should just sleep it off then," he suggested. "After all this was your victory. We'll go celebrate what we accomplished today later after you've had a good long rest."
"What we..accomplished?" she questioned. "Why? I only feel empty...and sad. I lost the only thing that mattered to me," she said darkly.
"Ridiculous," Rei said having had enough. He reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Let's go young lady," he said, Yggdrasil ripping her hand away from him.
"No!"
"That wasn't me asking nicely," he said reaching forward again to grab it, Yggdrasil yanking back scratching herself in the face. She held up her hand towards it, seeing her data on it.
"It's not like me to have to discipline you," Rei said coldly walking aways a bit expecting her to follow him. "Just for today though, this slight little nothing will be my mercy towards you. I won't tolerate another refusal again," he warned. "Now let's go."
Yggdrasil sniffed staring over her sister. Rei, having little sense of the hurt she was feeling, could not shake the suspicion something seemed off, but he did not know what.
Yggdrasil's face staring at her sister suddenly changed to shock and elation.
"You poor thing," Rei said glancing back shaking his head walking away further. "Despite all I did for you in the end you've lost it. Has your mind just cracked?" he taunted lifting up his head looking down at her. "Perhaps I'll have to rework the viral data within you to override today," he said. "It might take awhile," he said, glancing to turn his head towards her again, "but I'm sure you-"
-He paused, Yggdrasil shaking, grabbing a sharp piece of the blade he used to stab Homeostasis.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked. "Don't tell me you plan to fight me?"
"…"
She said nothing, her eyes shaking.
Rei couldn't quite put his finger on it. She was acting strange. The whole situation was weird.
She looked down at Homeostasis placing her hand on her cheek. "You and I, we share viral digital data Rei," she said swallowing. "But, no matter what you did or tried to make me do, I could never hold onto your hatred," she confessed. "The moment I saw her I started doubting myself...even though she hurt me deeply when she told me I was a lie."
She grasped the blade piece firmly, her other hand moving down to Homeostasis's chest. "But just like I tried to deny my viral nature she tried to deny hers," she smiled, her hand over her.
Rei studied her, realizing that slight sharp cut on her face was gone. But...how? He glanced down at her other hand confused by Yggdrasil.
"It doesn't mean a thing," Rei said dismissing her. "Your struggle controlling your nature and winning against her means that you were the stronger one and you overcame your greatest weakness. You might have been her memory, but I guess the memory of her was greater than her desire to serve the Digital Creator," he smirked. "Unlike him I don't have such flawed minions," he stated. "Now, put that silly thing down. We have things we have to-"
-He paused, glancing down at Homeostasis's chest. It was not much, but it seemed to him the stab wound, though fatal had not given as injurious of a blow as he thought. No, that wasn't true. He glanced down at her and back at Yggdrasil.
Yggdrasil shakily held onto the blade and smiled down at Homeostasis. "Sister," she said, her mouth twitching hesitantly. "I was so happy when you fought back to kill me, even though you could have at any time. You suffered for my sake," she said holding the dagger out pointed inwardly towards herself.
Rei stared at her stunned. "What are you-"
She grinned. "I'm giving her back what's hers. This part of me, mixed with you, I realize now. Your data is what's making me hate her...and myself," she declared. "So I'm not going to hate anymore. I'm going to give back the life she sacrificed," she said holding Rei's weapon in front of her, her hands no longer tense.
"Yggdrasil!" Rei shouted. "What do you think you'll accomplish taking yourself out? Homeostasis is dead!" he declared. "Are you just going to throw away the life I've given you?"
Yggdrasil sniffed, hesitating, her breath shallow. She took in a deep breath, Rei transfixed by her.
"It's my life Rei!" she shouted plunging the dagger piece into her own chest, the contents starting to leak out onto Homeostasis.
He stared at her horrified. "What have you done?!" he shouted. "What have you done Yggdrasil?!"
She groaned, her breathing shallow as Rei could see the data drain from her fall to Homeostasis.
Her body heavy, she lifted herself over her sister expectantly, Rei noticing both of their chests heaving up and down.
"This can't be possible!" he yelled holding out his hands at a loss. "She's dead!"
Yggdrasil seemed to ignore him all of her being focused on her.
Homeostasis mumbled slightly, her eyes opening, her golden eyes glistening.
"Welcome back," Yggdrasil smiled, the last of her data fading away as she started to vanish with it.
"...Thaelia?" Homeostasis questioned, her eyes opening wide.
"I'm so happy you remember me," she said kindly. "Sister, I...I've always been jealous of you," she said. "I thought you had forgotten about me, but you just didn't know how to have a bond with me. So," she said swallowing, "When you took that child Hikari Yagami and bonded with her I felt so jealous," she confessed. "I...I treated her not very nicely...all because I wanted you to look at me and no one else."
Homeostasis lifted her hand touching her face as if barely able to process through her sacrifice.
"No matter what happens," she swallowed, her voice shaking, "Your data calls out to mine. That, Thaelia, will forever be proof of our bond. That memory will never fade."
"Mhmm," Yggdrasil agreed, tears forming in her eyes. She groaned, gritting her teeth, her complexion growing pale. "Sister, I'm not going to die," she said, her eyes getting cloudy. "I''ll always be living on, as your memory inside of you. Don't forget me," she grinned, as the last of her faded away.
Homeostasis rose from the ground, her eyes focused as if she could clearly see the world once more, her injured chest completely healed.
Rei clenched his teeth, his anger simmering boiling through his fingertips all the way to his hateful eyes. He snarled, his teeth like fangs grinding against each other, Rei pushing air outside his mouth and through his nose laboriously.
"You…You witch!" he roared holding up his hand sending viral data at her, but strangely they would not connect, fragments of data hanging around her like a cloak.
She stood up, the data around her head as if she was wearing funeral attire. "The judgment has been passed," she said. "The threat known as Yggdrasil is no more. The commandments of the Digital Creator have been met," she confirmed holding out her hand, a portal manifesting, much to Rei's surprise.
"Just as she foiled you, the abomination," she said, "So too will the Digital Creator do so one hundred fold," she added looking at her hand. "With Thaelia's presence as a part of me, it is unnecessary to interact with her physically. This form is now unnecessary."
With that Homeostasis shed the resemblance of Yggdrasil as a single tear fell down her face. Like cracks of sunlight over her flesh her brilliant light dissolved the data, Homeostasis restored once more into a translucent clear being.
"With my mind restored of her memory, it is no longer necessary to remember the events of today," she said lighting up even more intensely. I foresee they will only hinder me in my servitude. Thaelia will always be remembered. The data within me...will attest to it."
The brightness decimated everything around her, Rei taken aback at the swathe cut around her no longer containing any traces of viral digital data.
She lifted up her hand, the last vestiges of the viral Digital Data of Yggdrasil floating away like sparkling shimmers from the palm of her hand.
"With Yggdrasil gone my vessel will now be able to flourish unhindered," she said. "Very soon we will reach the event horizon. And all will fall into place regardless of your intentions or mine," she professed. "No matter how hard you try to block out the light, it will always shine through no matter how much darkness and confusion surround it. Per the Will of the Digital Creator, your end will come."
Rei Kurenada twitched, his eye unable to stay still, his teeth grinding practically into Digital dust. His veins throb as he curled his hand. A hot breath escaped from his mouth, his throat burning at the thought of being manipulated. He gasped out his vitriol throwing his hand forward unleashing a fury of Dark Viral Digital data at her, literally from all angles. His servants, the castle, anything he could reach out to he chucked at her relentlessly.
"Just shut up!" he shouted losing his cool. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut your dam mouth you condescending bitch!" he snarled, the image of Yggdrasil covered in dark viral data, shimmers of light shining after each one. Rei had heard enough mockery. He still had the chance to bury her while she was in his territory. It would not be the same as before. There was no way Rei Kurenada would allow her to-
-In a blazing light all of the Viral Data was cast away from Homeostasis, the data suspended in air in front of her as if she had stopped time.
Rei stared at her power, flakes of light shimmering in the process as the darkness broke apart like glass. He knew, as she was right now, no matter what he threw at her, nothing could stop her from escaping his Dark Domain- even if he sacrificed the whole world in the process.
He realized that if he ever had a chance to do anything, even though he himself could move freely through viral data, he did not have a lot of time. He noticed the remaining particles of Yggdrasil that she had not used to heal Homeostasis and dodged through the light and shadow to snare them. Then he concentrated them in his hand.
Perhaps, if anything, this would get through to her, and pierce the light. He turned Yggdrasil's power into a javelin, and with all of his might thrust it towards her, but, upon touching the light, the javelin cracked, shards injuring both Rei Kurenada and Homeostasis.
She seemed indifferent to the pain, a shard of the javelin having stabbed into her shoulder slowly, but Rei had narrowly avoided a shard from going through his face, having grazed his cheek.
He stared angrily gnashing his teeth, his hands clenched into fists as she disappeared into a blazing light, piercing the outer reaches of his barrier.
It took a moment for him to stop staring, looking down at his hands, as if he had stopped inhaling and exhaling and simply existed, but forgetting everything else around him, even himself so taken by the spectacle.
He felt nothing, the pain in his cheek vibrating. He dared to touch it, noticing the viral digital particles and that he had not healed yet. It was hard to believe. All of his cunning. All of his manipulating. All of his gas lighting Yggdrasil- everything… It was all gone.
As the light went away Cthulusmon approached him and kneeled, his eyes closed tight, his teeth clenched together, his form throbbing as if he could feel the indescribable agony that Rei was going through. Rei placed his hand over his face, his eyes piercing out between his fingers just feeling the impact of everything.
He scratched his face, hoping the pain would be even worse than the loss he just felt, but it wasn't. He felt a hot pressure rising through his agony and couldn't keep his composure or hold it in. With a loud wail he shouted out, having no words to express his remorse for failing. He cursed Homeostasis, the magnitude of his words so fierce and heavy all surviving beings fell prostrate in front of him shivering afraid of what he would do to them… but he cursed himself even more internally.
He put his hands to where his heart would have been, a sharp dull pain increasing in intensity the more he reflected on everything. Despite all that he had accomplished, the Digital Creator still had obtained the victory in this battle. There would be many more battles in the future against them and the Digidestined, but out of all of his losses, this one...stung the most.