I do not own Digimon.
I'm not going to lie. Ygdrassill meeting the Zero Two Digidestined feels so surreal to me. Her playful malice and general attitude towards them is really something. In Tri we never met Ygdrassill, but it pains me wanting to know how the Zero Two Digidestined would have acted around her. Those two elements missing from Tri really made it feel incomplete. Really hope I've done them both justice here.
Chapter Six: The Consequences of Survival
The color from Ken's face drained. He looked uneasily at the dangerous middle schooler, then at his own hands going clammy. "What do you mean his corpse?" he asked fearfully. "I saw Osamu's pictured frame on the coffin. I assumed his body would be in there."
"She's just trying to get in your head Ken," Daisuke countered stepping in front of him. "Don't believe her!"
"Don't believe me?" she said pointing at herself. "What reason would I have to lie to him? Ken is familiar with the Dark Ocean and the effect of its pull. If I was lying to him, he would feel it," she narrowed her eyes, much to Daisuke's unwillingness to concede.
"If what you're saying is true," Miyako said, "How did Osamu's remains get to the Dark Ocean? Ken told us he died in a car accident."
"An ORCHESTRATED car accident," Ygdrassill corrected. "I knew Malomyotismon had been using Oikawa to further his resurrection, but he needed the right vessel as a test subject for his dark spores. And that was you Ken," she said. "Having a little jealousy and frustration at your brother wasn't enough to be a candidate. No, you had to truly go through despair first," she said coldly. "And that's why Oikawa paid the driver to end your brother's life."
"I won't believe it!" Ken shouted. "All that, just to bring me in?!"
"This is insane!" Iori shouted. "You would use Ken just like that? You would prey on our moments of weakness? You're monsters! No matter what form you take!"
"Just like Arukenimon! And Mummymon!" Daisuke agreed. "And even they were nice compared to you!"
"That's not very nice of you," Ygdrassill responded tilting her head looking up bouncing on her toes.
"You're lucky you have Homeostasis's protection boy," she scolded. "If I had it MY way, I would have dragged you in the moment you spoke back to me," she snickered. "Alas, that protection is only on the Digidestined. Thanks to Osamu's dead corpse, it doesn't include anyone else."
"Wait a second," Kyoshima groaned, "Then, the case of the missing kids with Digimon around the worlds is- "
"-That's right, it was me," she grinned. "Because Osamu had gone to the Digital World before his body had become Digitized because of the Digivice. This meant that even if he wasn't a Digidestined he could be the blueprint to grab anyone else who was also not a Digidestined."
Takeru stared down at the ground, gripping his fist, Hikari knowing how irritated he felt when he looked like that.
"How does that work?" he questioned. "You dragged Hikarichan here and she is a Digidestined. According to your logic you shouldn't be able to do that."
"Hmmm," Ygdrassill mused, crossing her arms and closing her eyes. "That IS a good question," she agreed. "According to the Maestro a Digidestined's special coding protected them from the Dark Ocean like an antivirus, even going so far as shielding their thoughts," she said a bit confused. "But that didn't happen."
"Not only that," Hikari said, now herself having the confidence to speak with her, "Miyako and Ken both were pulled with me into the outer fringes of the Dark Ocean as well in the Digital World."
"Another good question," Ygdrassill agreed. "Well, without giving away any spoilers, Hikarichan, being the first of the generation to be selected, you have quite a bit of influence yourself," she said as if hiding something.
Everyone stared at her on edge, Ken still barely holding on.
He swallowed heavily, dropping to his knees holding on his head. "I'm really here, aren't I?" he asked. "My brother Osamu. My dark past as the Digimon Kaiser. I'm at that place again! I thought I escaped it!" he lamented. "And now, my brother, Osamu. You had him killed to drag me in it! And I'm reliving this nightmare again!"
"Ken," get ahold of yourself Miyako groaned. "That was in the past!"
"Don't let her deceive you!" Yamato grieved. "She's good at that! Just look at that dam smug smirk on her face!" he barked, everyone staring at her, Ken still beside himself.
Ken closed his eyes screaming out in agony.
"Ah," Ygdrassill said as if in bliss. "In your state right now, you would make the perfect snack Kensan," she said starting to drool. "But I'm under strict orders not to kill the Digidestined. What a shame," she sighed.
"Wait, orders?" Iori questioned. "Under whose authority?"
"Heh," she smirked. "You'll know soon enough."
"You think you can just tell us what to do? You think we are just going to go along with whatever you say? Just Who do you think you are?!" Yamato snapped.
Ygdrassill tapped her finger against her lip as if in thought.
"Who am I?" she said, her eyes tilting up.
"Do you really not recognize me Yamatokun," she said as if familiar with him. "It's me, Homeostasis?"
"Homeostasis?" he questioned.
"There's no way that's true!" Taichi countered. "Homeostasis would never treat us badly! She always watched out for us!"
Ygdrassill smiled widely taking a step closer to him, Hikari knowing just how dangerous the situation was right now.
She quickly bolted in front of him holding out both of her arms.
"Hikari!" he scolded, Hikari glancing back glaring at him.
"Do you have any idea just who she is?" she questioned. "None of you should agitate her," Hikari answered, glancing at all of them.
Ygdrassill still walked forward bending her head and pointing her finger at Hikari.
"Even now, you think she has your best interests, huh?" she said folding her arms above her head resting it in the curvature of her crossed hands. "When you were kids, she treated you like one. Gave you a pat on the back. A word of encouragement. But now that you're older," she said turning her back and walking away from them, "I'm telling you you'll see her for who she truly is. And then you'll realize she's taken her kid gloves off. And you'll wonder what the Hell did I get myself into," she said cryptically.
In between her indirect warning, Takeru slipped between them, his hand out in front of Hikari.
"So, if you're not going to hurt us," Takeru asked, "just what do you want from us?" he said a bit firmly, but also in a cordial way.
She blinked, looking at him as if she had recognized him.
"Oh! It's you!" She said coming over to him, Hikari nervous for Takeru.
"Now that I get a second a look at ya, I thought it was you! You're the boy! That one! The one that cried a lot! You grew up to be so handsome!" she said enthralled by him. "You should ditch Hikarichan and hang out with me instead!"
Takeru chuckled a bit nervously. "I don't think I would ever do that," Takeru smiled but he certainly seemed serious. "I'm flattered, but you're a lot younger than I am."
"Awwe," she feigned disappointment. Takeru rubbing her head.
"You're such a meanie," she said playfully knocking her fists on his chest," Takeru not daring to move as if pretending to play along.
"One day," she grinned, "You'll regret playing along with a maiden's heart."
Takeru smiled, taking in her harmless punches when suddenly his eyes opened wide as a trickle of blood dripped from his mouth. He fell to his hands and knees coughing hysterically.
"Takeru!" Hikari shrieked.
"Takeru!" Yamato cried.
"I told him he'd regret it," Ygdrassill said. "But don't worry. He won't die from it or anything. You humans are quite resilient."
"All right, that does it!" Iori growled. "If you're not going to kill us, then let us through! We have injured people here!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ygdrassill wagged her finger. "Patience my good self-righteously moral Digidestined. I can't let you through yet."
"And why not?"
"Because you don't understand how this works."
"Now I'm lost," Miyako said. "How what works? What are you talking about?"
"This tunnel," she said opening her arms wide. "The Nagamo Tunnel. The whole urban myth of people entering the tunnel and never coming back out. Aren't you just curious about it?" she said with her eyes brimming with excitement and bloodlust.
"I am," Ken said, getting his composure back having calmed down somewhat. "And it's very strange indeed. Are you saying we're in the Dark Ocean because it's connected to the Nagamo Tunnel?"
"Ding Ding Ding!" she exclaimed hitting an imaginary bell. "We have a winner here! As a prize and a token of my goodwill, I'll tell you just why the Nagamo Tunnel is named this way."
She put her hands behind her back, closed her eyes and started pacing back and forth.
"You see, a long time ago, there was a terrible flood here- a flashflood actually before the emergency tunnel was built. That event led to the deaths of twenty city workers filled with regrets about dying in the Nagamo Tunnel. Such negative feelings lingered, and the Dark Ocean became attracted to this location. As electronics developed, the neon signs, and electric communications and all of that, along with all the negative energy and thoughts of people frequenting the station- it all basically jumbled up to the Dark Ocean appearing at the tunnel."
Hikari blinked, the other Digidestined, both apprehensive and attentive.
"And you know how the urban myth goes, yes? How a loved one will guide you? Why do you think it's called that?"
Everyone stared down as if a bit hesitant to go along with what she said, all of them staring away from her.
"Fine, don't play along," she huffed. "I'll tell you. It's because those were the last thoughts of those workers who passed away. They wanted to be with their families, and their lingering regrets became the fuel to trap people in the Dark Ocean's Power."
"All of this, because of that?!" Daisuke said amazed.
"That's insane! People are going missing, all for nothing!" Iori exclaimed.
"Oh, it's not all for nothing," she retorted. "Those humans provide the denizens of the Dark Ocean a lot of protein. The skin, the organs, the blood, the bones, all of it, including their minds, their souls, it all gets digitized and breaks down in the Dark Ocean."
Everyone except Hikari and the injured Takeru stared at her creeped out, incredulous about what she was saying.
"Hey," Miyako said, a bit terrified, her knuckles shaking. "She's joking, right? This girl is joking right? People aren't really being dissolved in the Dark Ocean!" she exclaimed raising her voice. "It's just a nightmare! Like the one we experienced Hikari. With our Digimon we were never in any REAL danger, right? Right?"
Ygdrassill snickered, Hikari knowing how vulnerable they were right now.
"You're like little children without their security blankets," Ygdrassill mocked. "Without your pets you're just timid little sheep, scared and lost, never knowing when a predator will come along and separate you from the flock," she said mimicking her hand like an animal and then cutting it away with the forefingers of her other hand.
"You Digidestined THINK your untouchable. It's only due to HIS will that all of YOU are still in one piece, but, that itself creates an issue."
"Whose will? What Issue? What are you talking about?" Daisuke demanded to know.
Ygdrassill chuckled spinning around whimsically as if dancing.
"Aside from Takeru and Hikari, you newer guys are just leftovers," she said. "And leftovers have a purpose…until their expired," she warned. "But, if you're not a Digidestined…then, the rule applies."
"What rule?" Taichi asked. "Tell it to us straight!"
Ygdrassill stopped spinning and remained still, closing her eyes.
"Hanakosan. The Washer Woman. Being Spirited Away. The newest urban stories online that tickles the fancy of the young like the thrillseekers. They are all under the influence of the Dark Ocean, which means they must follow one rule."
"And that is?"
"Any normal person that enters within the parameters of the Urban Myths must go to the Dark Ocean. Once they enter in, there is no escape. It's like getting sucked into a blackhole. Once you enter into the pull it's futile to escape," she opened her eyes leering at them all.
Kyoshima groaned pushing himself forward. "So, that explains it," he said calmly. "All those disappearances. Women. Children. The broken families. The Missing Kid Reports. It's all because of you," he said. "And that means if any of you kids want to get out of here, there is only one thing that must be done."
"Mr. Kyoshima?" Taichi said concerned. He walked closer to her, groaning under his wound.
"I don't know who you are," he said, "But, if I take you down, then these children will be free! Who cares about having a Digimon? Or having a partner? I've always done things the way I want to, and I never dragged anyone along with me," he grunted. "This is no different from those times. I got these kids into this mess and it's my responsibility to get them out."
"No!" Yamato protested. "We'll all get out together! It's either all of us or none of us!"
"That's what I'm planning," he grinned taking out a taser and charging at her, the only weapon at his disposal. "Let us out, now!" he yelled rushing forward, Ygdrassill only smiling.
As he reached forward with the glow of the electrical spark of the taser, his eyes opened wide, blood coming from his mouth as a ghastly appendage penetrated through his body.
"Mr. Kyoshimasan!" Iori shouted, everyone else staring in shock.
Mr. Kyoshima groaned in agony as the appendage lifted him up, the strange extension coming out of some sort of dark void.
"We'll save you!" Taichi shouted rushing over, Yamato holding him back.
"No, don't!" he shouted.
"Get off me Yamato!" We got to save him! If we don't, we- "
"-What can you DO Taichi?!" he shouted grabbing him by the scruff of his coat and yanking him close to his face. "We don't even have our partners! We're…helpless," he hesitated putting him down.
"There has to be something!" Ken shouted. "Anything!"
The taser fell from Kyoshima's hand to the ground.
"Digidestined!" he shouted, his grimacing face curving into a grin. "I've never given up on a case in my life!" he roared. "And I'm not going to give up! Not now! Not even when I'm dead!" he declared, his eyes getting hazy from the blood loss. "I'm…leaving this to you!" he uttered loudly coughing up blood, tears starting to come out of his eyes. "Kenkun, Iorikun, I heard from your teachers you wanted to go into my field of work. if you truly want to walk down this path in your life, this- THIS is my mantle! Only you guys can save those kids!" he grimaced, the tentacle pulling back, dragging him in.
"…So…save them," he clenched his teeth closing his eyes as both him and the tentacle vanished, the portal disappearing.
Everyone looked on, breathless, Ygdrassill just condescendingly staring at them all.
"Another one goes missing," she grinned. "You should be glad all of you are Digidestined. If you weren't, you would have joined him."
"How could you?!" Hikari shook violently as she fell to her knees and wept. "How could you do that to him! He was trying to save those kids! He was trying to help us!" she sobbed wiping her tears.
"Hikarichan," Ygdrassill said closing her eyes. "It's your fault I didn't do this sooner. You could have avoided wasting all this time in the tunnel if you just let me take him back then," she scolded. "But you just HAD to beat yourself up again, didn't you?" she taunted.
Hikari swallowed her tears, appalled that once more, Ygdrassill had been playing with her this whole time. And now, it had cost her greatly. Both to Takeru and now Kyoshima.
"Poor little Hikari," Ygdrassill mocked, "so unable to bear the responsibility for Kyoshima's death. So, you see? I did this for YOU," she said dementedly. "It's not YOUR fault anymore. It's purely mine! Now you don't have to feel guilty!" she exclaimed giddily. "You're free now!" she declared as behind her the darkness cut apart and they saw the opening to the tunnel.
She grasped her fists, her tears still falling and glanced at the others in a despairing state. No one was in their right minds right now. And Ygdrassill had just opened the way out.
"T-Taichi," she said, her mouth dry, her throat hurting. "We…have to go."
Alongside her, Taichi and Yamato both frowned with ghastly expressions as they pushed forward helping everyone get it together, Miyako besides herself shedding tears, her glasses splattered with them.
"Someone, please tell me that didn't happen," Daisuke said at a loss. "He didn't just die. That…doesn't happen! Not on my watch!"
"There'll be a time to grieve Daisuke," Ken said furiously staring forward where the girl had been before, but she was no longer there anymore. "For now, all of us have to get out of here now before she comes back."
Yamato grabbed Iori and slung him on his back, the youth beside himself.
"We don't have time to wait around," Yamato said holding Takeru up like a duffle bag under his arm. "Who knows how long we've got before it closes? Hurry up!"
They all hurried forward, Hikari's heart heaving in her chest as they all pushed their way, the end of the tunnel beckoning them from the other side.
They all burst through, Koushirou and a few of Kyoshima's men waiting for them.
"Taichi! Guys!" Koushirou shouted racing over to them. "I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours! What happened?!"
Yamato put everyone down, his face snarling shaking his fist.
"Call an ambulance!" he barked.
"What about Mr. Kyoshima?" one of his men asked.
"He's gone," Hikari swallowed much to their shock. "He…let himself be taken so we could live."
Soon, everyone had calmed down, physically anyway. But mentally most of them were still deeply disturbed.
Sora and Jou worked as a team like a nurse assisting a doctor as they checked Takeru out while they learned of what transpired and Kyoshima's grizzly fate.
Sora bit her lip down listening, her eyes focused on Takeru's poor condition, her focus broken in concern for him.
"Yamato, what happened to Takeru?!" she shouted breaking her calm composure. "Is he ok?"
"How does it look like he's doing?" he growled, Sora taken aback.
"I'm…sorry," she said looking down. "I…should have known that upon seeing him."
Everyone kept to themselves as if unable to look at each other, only Jou speaking to Taichi, Yamato, Ken, and Hikari.
"Let me take a look at him before the ambulance arrives," Jou said bending down to Takeru lying flat on the ground on his back breathing heavily.
Hikari stared at them, concerned, wondering about just what exactly Ygdrassill had done to him.
"Hikarichan," Sora said a bit embarrassed for her, "You should probably look away," she recommended, Hikari suddenly reddening up and turning around, Sora with her hands resting on both shoulders leading her from behind.
"Huh!" Jou said a bit taken aback. "Look at this," he said, noticing small circular bruises around Takeru's torso.
"I don't get it. She barely touched him!" Yamato groaned. "How could that girl just- "
"-She wasn't a girl Yamato," Taichi countered. "But she wasn't a Digimon either-at least, I don't think she was."
"Jousan," Yamato said gripping his fist, "Is he going to be ok?"
Hikari glanced back as Jou checked Takeru's pulse and put a stethoscope to his chest listening.
"Nothing sounds irregular," he said. "But until we can get an x ray, I don't know how much damage has been done to his body. Bruising like that triggering internal bleeding takes a tremendous amount of force. How did something like this happen?"
They didn't have long to talk about it though, as the ambulance arrived shortly after.
The ambulance staff emerged quickly and uploaded Takeru on a stretcher into the back.
"Taich, Koushirou, take care of the others," Yamato said as he lifted himself in the back of the vehicle.
"Take care of yourself Yamato," Sora said worried, Yamato noticing the concern in her voice.
"I will," he said.
"Is that everyone?" the staff asked.
Yeah, Yamato said as the door nearly shut. "Let's go- "
"-Wait!" Hikari shouted, raising her hand rushing forward suddenly.
"I…want to go to," she said staring down. "For Takeru's sake."
Taichi and Yamato exchanged glances, Taichi nodding his head while Yamato frowned.
"No offense, but I don't think you'll be able to help him."
"None taken," she answered trying her best to keep it together. "But even still, he's been there for me more times than I can remember. I have to be there for him."
Yamato kept staring at Hikari's eyes, unwavering, but tears nearly streaming down her face.
"Ok, you can come. Hop on in."
"Thank you," she said climbing in, Hikari surprised at her strength after all that had happened.
She listened in as Taichi and Koushirou started shouting at each other from behind them as if in an argument, Hikari wedged in the corner, Takeru breathing into an oxygen mask.
"Why are they shouting?" Hikari asked.
"Taichi messaged me and told me that another ambulance is on the way to take the others in for psychological treatment," Yamato said looking at his phone. "They don't look the same since they were in the tunnel."
Hikari swallowed heavily. "I understand how that feels," she said staring at Takeru and the circular deep bruises on his chest. She bit her lip, frustrated with herself.
"But, no matter how I feel right now, I can't let her get to me. I've got to be here waiting at his side."
They arrived at the hospital sometime later. Shadows danced back and forth as hospital personnel spoke in garbled voices, the situation seeming so familiar to Hikari as if she was reliving a memory. The past came back to her in shades of grey recalling that familiar incident as she waited anxiously to hear about Takeru's condition from the ER staff.
Something about seeing Takeru wheeled away triggered the memory, her parents' apoplectic to the Doctors pleading for them to save her life. The moment felt so surreal, Hikari vanishing in the shadows and back again under the lights, aware of herself, but forgetting she was even there.
The next thing she remembered she was sitting up in a hospital bed, her parents around her, but also feeling a familiar presence as well. No, not just there. But also when they were wheeling her over. She never said anything, but she didn't feel alone. It was the same presence she's felt her entire life though she was not sure exactly when it first happened. The voice of the computer filling her conscience? Or maybe when she first met a Digimon?
She remembered her mom weeping and crying and hugging her so tightly Hikari's chest hurt. Strange how she didn't feel anything when she lost consciousness playing with Taichi and yet this caused her more discomfort.
Hikari dwelled on that thought wrapping her arms around herself.
She thought about Takeru, Yamato by his side glad he had someone to be there with him and support him. Even though she wanted to be that person, there was no way Takeru could ever see Hikari in a different light. Still, she would give anything at that moment to be there with him whispering in his ear light thoughts and giving him a bright warm smile when he came to.
Before Hikari had realized it, she had passed out and then awoke again noticing a blanket had been placed around her.
She glanced around, the room coming into focus noticing Yamato sitting next to her, his arms crossed going through what looked like a magazine of sorts about astronomy.
"Yamatosan," she said covering her mouth yawning. Instantly, she remembered how Takeru was in the Emergency Room and shot straight up.
"Is Takeru ok? How long was I sleeping? Can I see him?" she asked all at once, Yamato glancing up at her like she was crazy.
The blanket fell to the ground, Hikari a bit dazed from getting up too quickly. She nearly collapsed as Yamato caught her under her arms and forced her to sit back in the chair.
"Taichi's going to kill me if you have to stay in the hospital yourself," he scowled. "You need to take it easy to," he said, Hikari forcing herself to sit back upright again.
"Sorry," she said breathing a bit heavily leaning forward resting her arms on her legs. "It just hit me all at once," she added closing her eyes stilling her breath. "How is he?"
"Takeru?" he said scratching the back of his head. "He's not in any danger or anything. The X rays came back negative. They are keeping him overnight though for observation."
"That's good," she sighed. "I was really worried."
Yamato yawned stretching his arms. "You're a lot more open about yourself than you used to be," he noticed. "Though I'm not quite sure if you yourself realize it yet."
Hikari managed to smile, chuckling a bit nervously. "When it comes to your brother, he had me guessing so much about what he was thinking I kind of had to in order to stay caught up with him," she said.
"That sound just like him," Yamato smirked. "Anyways, he'll be out tomorrow. I can call Taichi to take you home."
Hikari swallowed, still a bit anxious for Takeru.
"Actually," she said, "Can I…stay with him over night?"
Yamato closed his phone, his eyes opened wide possibly out of surprise, but also a flare of shock and maybe anger.
"He's in good hands Hikari," he said a bit aggressively. "You should go home and rest."
"Not after what happened," she said her voice heavy. "I don't want to leave him by himself."
Yamato scoffed reaching in his pocket and grabbing his keys. He clenched them tightly.
"Fine," he said relaxing his hand after. "You can stay. I'll tell the Doctor. But you need to stay out of their way and alert me if ANYTHING happens," he said glaring at her, Hikari sort of used to his intimidation and yet not at the same time.
"Thank you, Yamatosan," Hikari said a bit relieved nodding her head.
"I'll be back in the morning," he said as if ignoring her, his mind preoccupied. He started walking towards the front desk as if to talk about staff, Hikari anxious to see Takeru again.
Apparently, the Hospital staff had booked a room just for Takeru. A hospital nurse guided her to him, the lights off, Hikari sitting on a chair next to his makeshift bed. She had to shift around a bit on it, The chair slightly uncomfortable,
The nurse nodded her head, cautioning her not to wake him so he can get his rest and to let her know if anything changes.
She reassured her she would, the nurse quickly exiting, Hikari keeping Takeru in her sight. His chest heaved up and down, Hikari wondering about the pain he had felt. Ygdrassill had barely touched him hardly at all, and yet, she hurt him this much. She could hardly believe it. The calm, cheerful protective Takeru had been reduced to this state, Hikari wondering about the lengths Ygdrassill would go to avenge anything that hurt Hikari.
She decided to check out his condition even more standing next to him and feeling his forehead with the palm of her hand. He felt warm, but not feverish. And the constant air circulation certainly helped him get the rest his body needed.
Staring down at his gentle face Hikari adored him, just thinking about the Takeru she had come to have affection for all these years. And yet, he knew nothing about it. Everything continued as it had before, Hikari doing her best to support him as he supported her all those years growing out of her shell and lapses in depression, even though she had never told him about what happened before he came back into her life.
She took a breath, calming herself, unable to mask how upset she felt, a tear streaming down her face, Hikari turning away and quickly sitting back down weeping at his side.
Takeru would be ok. He would be ok, wouldn't he? She couldn't shake doubt creeping in her heart about his condition, wondering if she could stay awake through the night.
As she glanced back at him, wiping away the tears, suddenly a familiar shadow grew next to him, the manifestation of magenta eyes putting her on edge.
"What are you doing here?" Hikari asked. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?"
"What? Me?" the familiar voice of Ygddrassill chuckled deviously. "Whatever would make you think such a thing Hikarichan? I'm only here to support you."
"Support me?" Hikari asked incredulously. "After everything you've done?"
"You have to understand Hikarichan," she said standing over Takeru, her eyes glistening dangerously, "I will exact harm upon anyone that hurts you, no matter who they are."
"Takeru didn't hurt me!" Hikari snapped. "I hurt him!"
Ygdrassill paused staring at her strangely, and then at Takeru.
"That's just like the two of you," she smirked. "You always stick up for each other when you're not at fault. It's no good Hikarichan," she grinned cheerfully. "How can you like to be with a person like that who won't let you suffer for your choices? How can you even improve as a Digidestined?"
"I don't know what you mean," Hikari said holding one of her forearms looking down. "When Takerukun suffers, it hurts me deeply. But I won't let him suffer either, so it sort of balances our feelings out."
"Ah yes," Ygdrassill said clapping her hands as if joyful for her. "I suppose you would do that, wouldn't you? After all, broken people can't help but break other people hoping to fill in the cracks in their hearts and minds," she said cryptically. "And that's unfortunately what happened to Kyoshimasan. He sought to heal himself through this case but couldn't handle it."
Hikari clenched the side of Takeru's bed, her eyes watery with grief, but determined.
"And now, just look at the other Digidestined in this failure of a generation," she teased. "This newer generation claims to be strong and tough, but don't have the mental fortitude to accept the fact that people will die under a Digidestined's gaze," she said walking over to Hikari. She grabbed her by her shoulders and pinned her down in the chair, her gaze staring into her.
"The power of a Digidestined made them prideful," she grinned. "And now is the downfall of that pride. But if they can't recover from this Hikarichan, the others might as well be thrown into the garbage. Homeostasis won't have a use for them in such a broken state. And if that's true, maybe I'll just swoop in and steal them away all myself," she warned. "Then they can enter the Nightmare Masquerade."
Hikari stared back at her fighting vainly pushing against her hands with her whole body trying to raise herself from being permanently pinned.
"My friends are stronger than you give them credit for," she warned. "You may seem them as weak, but I know they'll come out of this stronger than ever."
"How can you be so sure?" Ygdrassill snickered. "After all, there is no guarantee that they'll recover from- "
"-Daisuke is foolish, but courageous and stubborn to a fault. Miyako won't let anyone best herself not even her negative view of herself at times. Iori is upright and won't stand for his weakness because he has such outstanding character. And Ken, he's been through the darkness like I have. There's no way after escaping it he will allow himself to succumb to it."
Hikari found herself smirking, a little bit renewed by her encouraging support for the others.
"And Takerukun? No matter how he beats himself up or tries to evade others, he always doubles down to protect what's important to him, even if goes unnoticed."
"Hmmmm?" Ygdrassill said in a twisted smirk walking around Takeru.
"You seem to know him pretty well Hikarichan. But how about yourself?" she questioned. "You don't have Tailmon right now. Everyone is in bad shape. And you are alone," she said walking back over to her and resting her head in her lap.
"What's not stopping me from taking you to the Nightmare Masquerade right now?" she asked relaxing there.
Hikari pursed her lips, bent down staring her in the eyes and found herself suddenly reaching for her, stroking her head.
"It's laughable," she said. "You're so dangerous. You've hurt those I care for deeply and don't show anyone mercy accept me," she said still stroking. "And yet, I can't bring myself to hate you even after all those things you've done."
Ygdrassill stared up at her, a bit surprised.
"And why's that? Is it because I look like you?"
"No. It's because I just don't get a sense you're doing this on purpose. I don't know why you do these horrible things, but I don't think you meant to do any of it. Things just…got all twisted up inside."
Ygdrassill for one moment lowered her head further head pressing into Hikari's lap. "For a minute there," she smiled, "You sounded like her. Just like my sister," she said, "Before I hated her with all my being."
Hikari said nothing, her heart still burning from the pain of all that had happened. Ygdrassill was responsible for so much. The death of Mr. Kyosoma, Takeru's wounds, the mental degradation of all her friends, and even her bouts of indefinable dread she carried with her all these years. Yet, despite the malice emanating from her, how Hikari could not help but wonder how she could still come across as so innocent all this time? Did she not feel empathy towards others? I mean, she knew she wasn't a Digimon, but even still, she seemed much more human than humanoid Digimon as well and- "
"-Don't think about it too much," Ygdrassill grinned lifting her head staring into her. "I am what I am. And that is all. Just think of me as a wild animal enjoying the thrill of the hunt as she stalks and plays with her food," she chuckled.
Hikari paused and stopped stroking her hair.
"Oh," she said, a bit nonchalant. "I think I understand now. How you can do all these horrible things and not worry about how much pain you cause. It's because this is all a game to you. This is just part of your programming."
"Think whatever you want Hikarichan," she said abruptly getting back up and stretching. "You better reign Takeru in though," she cautioned. "If he hurts you, then, well, I won't be responsible for what happens to him. Even if he is incredibly handsome."
Hikari nodded her head. "Even if Takeru does hurt me, that doesn't give you the right to hurt him. He has no obligation to keep me- "
-She paused, her throat starting to hurt. "I'm sorry," she said, the words coming out of nowhere, tears looking down her face. Her trauma ever since she met Ygdrassill blended together, from Taichi bearing the brunt of her mother's slap to Takeru's poor condition because of her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," she kept repeating, her whole body starting to heave.
Ygdrassill bent down looking up at Hikari's distraught face, Hikari visualizing the more recent Takeru's pain and Kyoshima's death over and over again, the agony too much to bear for her.
"That's right Hikarichan," Ygdrassill said excessively cheerful. "I almost forgot the reason why I came here," she said. "Very very soon, those who you are trying to protect are going to turn on you. They'll gladly shove you in front of a train if it means saving their lives and feeling better about themselves. I just came here to warn you about that," she cautioned.
"Ygdrassill," Hikari breathed aloud, still fighting those images running through her mind.
"Will you lead your school to safety, or will they stumble blind into the deepest darkness?" she questioned, her voice fading away as she disappeared from sight. "I wonder Hikarichan. Just what kind of salvation…will YOU give them?"
Hikari swallowed heavily, her words weighing her down, everything crashing down on her shoulders.
"I can't…save anyone," she sniffed, a single tear dripping down her face, tasting the salty bitterness as it slid down her lip.
"Not Kyoshimasan. Not Chizuruchan. Not even Takerukun or the missing students. Without you Taichi, or Tailmon, Takerukun, or the others, I can't…do anything."
She closed her eyes despairing, losing herself to the night no longer having the strength to stay awake.