Stranded
Hongo: Ai's and Mako's Grandparents':
"Impmon! It's for you", the Twins' father called out. He was wondering who would be calling, asking for Impmon.
"Impmon here…"
"What's up, Ruki? …"
"We've been following it on cable… Are you sure? I really didn't contribute that much"…
"I… don't know… If I can get away…"
Ai and Mako had seen Beelzemnon nearly get taken out from a D-Reaper attack. These dark green panels caught him as he was trying to break Juri out of the D-Reaper's Kernel Sphere; he wasn't paying attention. This attack sent him plummeting towards the Chaos Mass, shedding data all the way down. He wouldn't've survived had Grani not rescued him, and delivered an unconscious Impmon to Sakuyamon's care. She saw him onto the bus to Hongo. Ai and Mako had come after seeing all of the battle.
On the way to Hongo, Impmon was complaining that he was "no good" and "failed to what he'd committed himself". Ai and Mako disagreed, insisting they'd seen, that he did the best he could. This loyalty was rewarded when a digignome delivered the twins their own digivice.
This was also the first time the twins' parents met Impmon. He had much to explain, about Tamers and Ai's new digivice. Many questions about his intentions towards the twins, concern about how such very young children had gotten involved. Impmon explained that the Ancient Ones weren't concerned about age, that they didn't fully understand about human children. The Ancient Ones had seen how Ai and Mako cared about Impmon, how they inspired Impmon to get in contact with his better half. That was enough.
Of course, their parents were less than pleased that the twins had run off, took the bus to Shinjuku. It earned both of them a bare assed spanking.
"That was Ruki", Impmon announced, "seems they're having some sort of victory celebration in the park. She invited me, even if I didn't do anything. I'd like to take Ai and Mako, let them meet the rest of the Tamers…"
"Canwe! Canwe!", the five year olds piped up.
"I… don't know", their father objected. "Shinjuku…"
"PLEEEEEASE!", they pleaded.
"We haven't known Impmon all that long".
"We're partners", Impmon pointed out, "that means I will protect my partners with my life. You trusted me enough to allow me to stay here, and I will take good care of them".
"PLEEEEASE!"
"All right, you two: you stick with Impmon at all times, and you do exactly as he says".
"We promise"
Impmon took each twins' hands: "Shall we be off?"
"How will we get there?"
"The subway, there aren't many crowds, and it's cheaper than a taxi".
"What're they like?", Ai asked. "Your friends?"
"They're older – fifth graders – but I don't think they'll hold that against you. You'll see".
Chou Park
Impmon led the twins to the edge of a meadow, putting finger to lips. They could join the party later. There had been a narrow escape as the rapidly disappearing Chaos Mass that had spread over a large part of Shinjuku threatened to take them with it. Their Mega forms broke too soon, before they could get out. Kazu, Kenta and their partners, Guardomon and Marineangemon, had come to the rescue. Along for the ride was Siuchon Lee and her partner, Lopmon. Marineangemon's Ocean Love sphere got them out, and none too soon.
Fortunately, almost all the damage the D-reaper inflicted had reversed itself when it was devolved back into an obsolete program. The only thing missing from the skyline was the twin towers of the Hypnos building. All that was left was the foundation. The whole building had been transformed into a goddess-like statue encased in Chaos Mass: the D-reaper's attempt to protect the source of its AI, the Kernel Sphere.
Ruki was the first to speak up: "It's over… It's finally over".
"We did it!", Guilmon agreed.
"Yeah, we sure did", Takato said.
He was looking over Guilmon's head at Juri Katou when he noticed… He looked back to where she was focused. There, leaning against a tree was Impmon.
"Last time I saw you, you didn't look like you were long for this world", Renamon said.
"Eh… you won't be rid of me that easily", he said.
He was with a couple of young children, no more than five, the twins: Ai and Mako. The girl, Ai, was wearing their digivice as a brooch.
"There were Tamers, even for me", he announced.
"I see", Renamon said, "I'm pleased to see you finally took my advise. You'll see: there's more to partnership than getting stronger and evolving to the next level. It's also about bringing out the best of each other".
"I… I…", Impmon began to say as he approached the assembled Tamers. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done.
"I'm glad you're OK", Juri said it for him. "No one else… I didn't want to lose anyone else", Juri announced.
"Juri… you… you're... forgiving me?", Impmon said. It was better than he had any right to expect, considering how he hurt this girl.
"Ummmm…", Juri said as she smiled the warm smile not seen since Beelzemon loaded her partner: Leomon.
While the Tamers were watching Juri and Impmon they hadn't noticed the digital field. These were hard to spot during daylight, and this one came straight out of the mid morning sun.
"Takato!", Guilmon called out in distress.
"What is it?", Takato asked.
"I… don't know", the red dino said as he was becoming a smaller dino.
"Terriermon!"
"Renamon!"
"There's something… wrong", Renamon told her partner.
Kazu and Kenta looked on, speechless as the same thing was happening to Guardromon.
"Cyberdramon!"
"Ryo, something's wrong with me", he said with uncharacteristic verbosity.
"Lopmon! Terriermon!", Siuchon called out as she was arriving with her father.
"Huh?", she asked, "How come you got so small?"
"Father!", Jen called out. "Help us!"
"Mr Lee", Takato asked, "why are our partners dedigivolving?"
Takato was holding something small: Guilmon's In Training form. He didn't know Guilmon even had such a form as he was created as a Rookie.
"Dedigivolving?", Jen asked himself.
"You knew this would happen, and still you…", Jen accused after a few seconds reflection.
That his father looked away confirmed all his suspicions.
"The Frontier is stable once again; our plan worked. It was the only way out: we had to take it even if it meant losing the digimon. I've done something unforgivable, but it was the only way to save the world, both our world and the Digital World", Janyu explained.
"What of the digimon?", Ryo asked.
"They were never meant for this world. They have to go back before they completely devolve into the simple programs they were originally, just like the D-reaper".
"Guilmon was meant to be with me!", Takato protested. "I promised we'd be together forever!"
"I'll never accept that", Ruki said as she held tightly onto Viximon, Renamon's In Training form. "You can fight this, can't you?"
"Jen, moumentai", Gummymon, Terriermon's In Training form said as he left for the digital portal.
"Terriermon… no…"
"We'll see each other soon", Viximon said as she was slipping from Ruki's grasp.
"When?! Tellmewhen?!"
One after another, they left: Gummymon, Kapurimon, Viximon, the other In Training forms, except for Calumon and Marineangemon as they were already as small as In Training digimon.
"We'll play again soon?", Guilmon said as he was leaving.
"Yeah", Takato said.
"It's a promise, Takato. I'll be looking forward to it".
"It's a promise", he said as the digital portal was dissipating.
"I want my Lopmon and Terriermon!", Siuchon sobbed into Jen's pant leg.
"I know it hurts now, Son, but it'll get better, you'll see".
Jen glared back at his father with contempt when his whole expression changed.
"Does he look like a program to you?!", Jen pointed an accusing finger at Impmon. Impmon and Ai and Mako stood there, as clueless as to what they'd seen as the rest of the Tamers. "It didn't have to happen!"
Impmon hadn't devolved; he wasn't pulled into the portal.
"I don't… understand…"
Yamaki was arriving: "Let's get you to the seaside resort. You're probably not up to speaking with the press just now".
"Yeah", Kazu agreed, though under more pleasant circumstances he would have relished the idea of goofing with reporters.
"Impmon, I'd like if you came to Hypnos so we can get to the bottom of this", Yamaki said.
"I dunnow… I mean the kids…"
"We'll see them home, and you can rejoin them later".
"I still… I'd... rather not", Impmon objected.
"Just a simple examination…"
"I know what happened the last time you 'examined' (finger quotes) a digimon. Didn't work out so swell for Darklizardmon, did it?"
Yamaki inwardly cursed to himself. If there was one thing he preferred Impmon not know about, that was it. During the development of Shaggai, the program to eliminate all digimon, he'd captured a new arrival: Darklizardmon. This examination destroyed him, and Yamaki had been extremely cold-blooded about it. Calumon had seen everything, and told all the Tamers what he'd seen.
"It won't be like that. It's for your benefit as well. What happens if you have a serious accident? Wouldn't it be nice to know where all the parts are supposed to go beforehand? What if you get sick? Wouldn't it be worth knowing what night cure you or what might kill you? You can also help out your friends if we can figure out what makes you different, why you can survive here in the Material World".
"I… suppose… But if I see anything I don't like, I'm out".
"Fair enough".
Impmon and his partners went their separate ways: the kids back to their grandparents' home in Hongo. Impmon to Hypnos.
"See you soon", Impmon reassured.
"Bye, Impmon".
Hypnos HQ
"So what do I do?", Impmon asked the tech.
"Just lie still, it's like getting an MRI, just what we did with Terriermon", he explained.
"That doesn't reassure me. That's when you guys loaded Terriermon with Shaggai".
"Nothing like that, I promise".
He waited for what seemed to be a very long, very boring, time.
"All done", the tech announced.
"Think this'll help?"
"No tellin', but the Wild Bunch are delaying their departures. They want to get to the bottom of this as much as the Tamers and you".
Yamaki was waiting for Impmon: "I think you should see a psychologist…"
"What for?"
"Takato and Jen told me what happened while you were in the Digital World. Also, you're stranded here in our world. That has to lead to problems, I'm thinking PTSD".
"And that would be?"
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: it frequently occurs among war veterans after they return from the battlefield. I have someone in mind".
"I'll… consider it".
Hongo: Ai and Makoto's Grandparents' House
"So what are your plans now?", the twins' father asked after Impmon described what happened in the park.
"Honestly, I have no idea", Impmon admitted. "The D-reaper's gone and there are no more threats coming from the Digital World. Yamaki tells me the Frontier is stable, and no digimon should be crossing over. What's keeping them out is keeping me in".
Seaside Resort
The Tamers, Takato, Ruki, Jen and Siuchon, Juri, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta and their parents were back at the resort where they waited while Shibumi and his Wild Bunch colleagues worked out the solution to the problem of countering the energy draining properties of the Chaos Mass that caused the digimons' mega forms to devolve. That solution was Shibumi's Red Card.
Yamaki was giving a brief address:
"I know how hard it is being separated from your partners so suddenly and without warning. The press will be wanting a story, and there will be a press conference, but not now. I and the government are doing our best to ensure your privacy is respected. We will trade a press conference for guarantees that you won't be stalked by reporters. It is our hope to get all of you back to some semblance of a normal life. It may take awhile, as the public at large knows who you are and what you did; they will naturally be curious to learn more about you. Here, we can allow you the space you'll need to come to terms with your separations. Mr Lee has some news".
Yamaki yielded to Janyu Lee:
"You won't be separated from your digimon partners, not completely. One of our design goals for your Arks was that they could be used to communicate with your favourite digimon characters, back when Digimon was just a video game. Even though the design has evolved considerably, they do retain that feature. You can communicate audio/visual with your partners. I know it's not the same thing, but at least it won't be a complete separation where you'd never see or hear from your partners. I promise that we of the Wild Bunch will get to the bottom of what went wrong, and hopefully, your partners can come back. I can't make any promises as to when – or if – that will be".
Ruki realized that must have been what Renamon or Viximon meant by seeing each other soon. The idea that the digivices could be used for communication across the Frontier never occurred to her.
"At least that's something", she called out. "How does that work?"
"Touch the screen to bring up the main menu. There, you will see an item on the drop-down menu 'COMM'. Click that, and select 'Connect'".
Yamaki took Juri's parents aside for a private discussion.
"I believe your daughter should see a councilor", Yamaki explained. "There was her losing Leomon, and then her ordeal of the Kernel Sphere. I'm concerned about PTSD".
"Juri seems just fine".
"PTSD doesn't always show up immediately. We see this in veterans returning from war. You need not be concerned, Hypnos will take care of the expense, and I have a therapist in mind I would like you to see".
Back in their bungalow, Takato tried it. Just as Jen's father said, the main menu seemed to float above the digivice, as did read-outs when identifying unknown digimon. Touching "COMM" brought up a submenu: "Connect", with a default ID. Touching that, brought up a message: "Connecting…", with the ellipsis animated. Within a few seconds, Guilmon's face filled the screen.
"Looks like you're doing pretty well", Takato said. He could see in the background a lavish apartment.
"Takato! I thought I'd lost you forever. Any idea when I'll be coming back?"
"Jen's father is still working on it. So far, they have no idea. He said we could use our digivices for communication".
"So what happened to us?"
"We still don't know, but…"
"… They're working on it"
"Yeah… How about you? What happened when you returned?"
"We all returned to our Rookie forms, and we were brought to Qinglongmon's palace. There's gonna be a banquet of some sort, a welcome home party. This doesn't feel like home. There's only one home for me, and that's Shinjuku. I was already planning my future, I was gonna open a bakery…"
"Dad wouldn't like that, Guilmon, being the competition".
"Not in Shinjuku, somewhere else. I wouldn't do that to your family, Takato".
"How about there? Or don't they have bakeries in the Digital World?"
"I'm sure they do, but it won't be the same… What's going on back there? I don't recognize…"
"Oh yeah: Mr Yamaki put us all up at this resort to keep the press at bay, you were here not too long ago. You know how pushy reporters can be, and the whole story is a big deal here. There's going to be a press conference. As for home, there's still a lot of clean-up, even if the messes the D-reaper made pretty much reversed after it was devolved, and that red shit sucked into that Transphotic Eddy. There's still the damage all those Deva did. The old Hypnos building is a total loss, nothing but the foundation was left".
"There's a lot of cleaning up here too. They tell me that over half the Digital World was deleted. Lots of loss of life. That's why Qinglongmon insisted on a welcome home banquet, to encourage the survivors. From what little I've seen, they're gonna need it. I'm hoping that Qinglongmon can send me back, at least, that's what I'm going to ask if I can get to see him".
"I hope he does. The park's gonna be pretty lonely without you".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Didn't I say we'd see each other soon?", Renamon asked.
"You knew?"
"About the communication feature? I knew, but that digital portal didn't leave me any time to explain. I knew you'd figure it out. There's one problem: Impmon didn't return with us…"
"He's still here, in the Material World", Ruki explained. "So far, he seems just fine and wasn't affected. He's living with his Tamers".
"I feared we lost him. The last thing I remember was Jen's father saying we needed to return or devolve completely. I thought he missed the portal somehow".
"It didn't affect him".
"Why…"
"Yamaki can't explain it either. He says they're working on it, but no idea as to when they'll know anything".
"The others will be relieved to know Impmon didn't disappear. As for my plans, after the banquet, I will be doing my part to restore the Digital World. There's a lot that needs to be done, and I hope we'll be able to visit you after we're done".
"You're not…"
"Coming back permanently? No, I don't think so. Would the government allow it? I'm hoping they'll allow a temporary visit. I would hate to miss your high school graduation".
"You think it will be that long?"
"I… don't know and I don't want to build your hopes up high only to see them crash again. There is so much we don't understand, how we were able to materialize in your world in the first place, or if it can happen again".
"It happened before: Yamaki told us some ten years ago. If you can't come to us, maybe we can come to you? He also said that happened, these kids went to the Digital World".
"One way or the other".
"I'm… sorry"
"About what?"
"That I never said 'I love you' when you were here".
"I know it isn't easy for you to talk about your feelings. I know how you felt, even if you put up a front of indifference".
"I'm… trying to change that".
"I know you are, and when you get back to school, try being friendlier with the other girls. Maybe join in on some… what do you call it?"
"Extracurricular activities?"
"That's the term I was looking for. It can't hurt, and can only do some good".
"I'll try".
"You could also try being nicer to your mother…"
"Now you're coming dangerously close to lecturing".
"I don't mean to, it's just that I care about you and want what's best for you. I may not be there, but I'm still your partner. Nothing can change that".
"At least we're not fighting like we used to, and she's coming around to seeing things my way. She isn't foisting off these hideous dresses, and sometimes I dress up like the girl she always wanted. I'm trying to work on her, let me transfer to Yodobashi to finish out the sixth grade. I know it isn't as convenient, but I'd be going with Takato and all our friends. That fancy girls' academy isn't all that much better. Still waiting on a decision".
"That sounds like a good idea, sticking with friends".
"It's just that… ummmmm…"
"Go on".
"It's… nothing, really. Anyway, hit you up later".
"Until then, and take care".
Hypnos HQ
"What have you learned?", Yamaki asked.
"Impmon has 88 chromosomes, as you can see here", as the tech displayed the image. "Nothing so unexpected here. It wasn't until we sequenced the DNA that we discovered something extraordinary. There are no pseudogenes that lack the means to turn them on, and none of the meaningless, gibberish, sequences we see in most DNA, as though this was designed from the very beginning.
"Unlike the paraprotein we took from Darklizardmon, we see none of the fragility. We never learned whether that fragility only occurred in vitro, or whether the digimon were somehow continuously regenerating it. We're not going to find out from Impmon's protein, as it's no different from any other protein, and there's no way to even determine it came from a digimon".
"I could've told you that", Impmon said. "I knew it all along".
"How did you know?"
"I came to the Material World with the intention of finding a new life here, apart from the destruction of the Digital World and its feckless leaders who wouldn't tell us anything. The Ancient Ones heard, and granted that wish, so of course I'd be no different from the life here. How else to survive?"
"How do these Ancient Ones do that?"
"We don't know. We've been trying to find out, but haven't had any luck. We know they have a language, but it's defied every attempt to translate it. On those occasions they want to communicate, they have to resort to sign language. They can cross the Frontier at will; they can alter matter down to the subatomic level. This is where the digivices and blue cards came from. Where they came from, we have no idea, and as far as we can tell, they maybe as old as the Digital World itself".
"So the Wild Bunch didn't create them?"
"The Ancient Ones aren't digimon, and Mr Lee and his friends didn't create the Digital World either. When we arrived, the entirety of the Digital World was desolation. We don't know what happened, but we weren't the first. There was someone else, but all we have are scattered ruins they left behind. As for who or what, we don't know. Was it some sort of natural cataclysm? Did they do it to themselves? Since our arrival, we've been tailoring the Digital World for our needs".
Next up was Janyu:
"We discovered what went wrong, or more accurately, confirmed our suspicions. A part of Operation Doodlebug was to transform the structure of the digimon to be more compatible with Chaos Mass in order to allow them to operate inside that mass without the energy drain. This was the purpose of the Red Card the Tamers scanned. It worked as planned. The digimon were able to stay inside the Chaos Mass, and retain their forms. Unfortunately, Shibumi didn't take into consideration the nature of the biomerged, hybrid forms. As a result, the Red Card program terminated prematurely, leaving the digimons' structures unchanged, and therefore vulnerable to the same devolution program that attacked the D-reaper. This is the reason for their sudden departure. I originally thought it was because they were no longer needed here, once the threat to our respective worlds was removed".
"Then why didn't I leave?", Impmon asked.
"You were never exposed to the Red Card Effect, not directly or indirectly. You were in Hongo during that final battle. Even though Guardromon, Marineangemon, Lopmon, or Calumon didn't use the Red Card, they were all inside the Chaos Mass. Simply being there was enough to change them as well. As for who…"
"The Ancient Ones", Impmon announced. "They wouldn't bring digimon here only to leave them to devolve. It was also Qinglongmon, he wanted to rescue them as well. Even planned a big banquet and 'Welcome Home' and victory party. Something about keeping up the public spirit after all the destruction.
"Now for the big question: what can you do to fix this problem? When will the kids' partners be able to come back?"
"That is a problem. After the digimon left, the Frontier's stable once again, as it had been for over ten years, after the last time digimon came to visit, when all those kids went missing. There were no digimon who crossed over until D-reaper crisis began".
"So you're saying they aren't coming back any time soon?"
"I'm afraid not. We have no way of knowing when – if – anything will happen to the Frontier that will allow passage. That will have to be up to the digignomes".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Impmon borrowed Ai's digivice, brought up the COMM menu and entered Renamon's ID.
"Good to hear from you", she said, "we were worried you were devolved when you didn't come with us. Why are you still there in the Material World?"
"It was Shibumi's Red Card Algorithm: he screwed it up when he didn't take the biomerge into consideration. It terminated prematurely, before it could reverse making all of you more like the D-reaper. That's why you would have devolved too. I wasn't there to be affected by it. As for why, well, I guess the Ancient Ones did it: I wanted to try to make a new life here, why I left the Digital World in the first place".
"That was most unfortunate. Do you have any idea as to when or if we can come back?"
"Reversing the process is the least of the problems. Chief Yamaki and Mr Lee tell me the Frontier is stable, and that there are problems with any transit out of the Digital World now that the Ark is lost. As for those digital portals, the Ancient Ones opened them, and who knows how they'll decide".
"So we aren't coming back any time soon?"
"I'm afraid not, it's keeping you out and me in. I have no idea when or if I'll ever see the Digital World, or even if I want to. What's going on back there?"
"The rebuilding is just getting under way. Fortunately, there are back-ups, so we know how to rebuild. A lot was lost…"
"Go on".
"I'm afraid it's bad news, and I don't know…"
"Just come out with it. Don't think about it, just say it".
"Very well. The Violet Zone was hit especially hard. I'm sorry, but there were just a few hundred survivors".
"Damn them! Damn them to hell!"
"Please try to keep your Inner Velociraptor under control. Don't do something stupid when I'm not there to clean up the mess".
Impmon had a habit of attributing all his bad behaviors, such as smashing in the roofs of a dozen cars, flinging fireballs at Jen's father, trying to con Renamon into fighting Terriermon, becoming Beelzemon and killing Leomon, to his velociraptor side. The good behaviors he said was due to his lapine better half.
"If they hadn't tried to appease… That was inexcusable".
"I agree that Qinglongmon wasn't using good judgment, but what is done, is done. We all have losses of our own. Please promise you won't do something as poorly thought out yourself".
"I… suppose…"
"You also might want to have a talk with Guilmon. Being sent away is especially hard on him since he's never lived in the Digital World, and Shinjuku is the only home he's ever known".
"I'll need his digital ID".
"I'll get it for you".
"I'm goin' out", Impmon announced.
"Can we come…", Ai and Mako piped up.
"I think Impmon needs some alone time", their father explained.
Impmon took the subway to Shinjuku, and headed for the Matsuda bakery. He noticed a new sign: a red dinosaur as the shop's mascot. The bell above the door tinkled as he entered.
Takehiro was working the counter.
"Wasn't expecting you so soon. I thought you were staying in Hongo?"
"For now, I stopped by to see if Takato was around?"
"Sorry, but he's out".
"Too bad, while I'm here, I could use some of that Guilmon Bread, a half dozen".
"That's turned out to be our biggest seller. Takato's friend, Kazu, is always asking where his royalties are since it seems it was his idea", Takehiro explained as he put a half dozen of the buns in a sack. These being shaped like Guilmon's head and made bright red with generous applications of cinnamon. Cinnamon gumdrops formed the eyes.
"That does sound like Kazu. You give him any?"
"I should, I suppose, even if it was never actually official. Still hoping Mr Yamaki can talk the government into giving the kids scholarships. It's the least they could do".
"I'm off, and tell Takato I dropped by".
"Will do".
Impmon was relieved to see that he was welcome. He wondered about that, but it looked like they didn't hold his past bad behaviors against him, or that Takato never mentioned what he'd done in the Digital World.
He decided to drop by the park, the small one next to the school. Takato, Kenta, and Kazu had their card game out.
"I thought I might find you here", Impmon announced his arrival.
"What brings you here?", Takato asked.
"Your father's Guilmon Bread", as he held up the sack. "Playin'?"
"Not really…", Takato began.
"… Battle Cards seems so… lame… after everything...", Kazu finished that thought.
"I should learn to play. They're asking for an endorsement from a real, live digimon…"
"You didn't come for bread and to play cards, did you?", Takato asked.
"I just got done talking to Renamon… bad news…"
"What happened?", Kenta asked.
"The Violet Zone, almost completely destroyed".
"What's the 'Violet Zone'?", Kenta asked.
"Where we impmon… called… home. There were no more than a few hundred survivors…"
"How awful", Kazu said.
"Sorry for your loss", Takato agreed. "We never thought about how digimon lived in the Digital World".
What more could they say? These kids had almost no experience with any sort of loss, except for Juri who lost her mother at age five, and her partner: Leomon. Ruki as her parents divorced when she was four.
"I had to get away", he explained.
"Wish there was more we could do for you", Takato said.
"Yeah", Impmon said. What more was there to say?