Kai was sitting at Takato's desk, trying to come up with a way to trick the game called 'RPG Reality' into letting him correct his and Takato's mistakes. But still, it was to no avail.
Guilmon was standing behind him. "Any luck yet?" the red dinosaur asked.
Kai shook his head. "No..." He looked over to where Takato was still sitting on his bed with a deep frown on his face.
Ever since the others had left, he had been sitting there, only speaking when addressed directly, and looking as if he was sulking.
"I don't know what we should do with him, Guilmon," Kai sighed. "What happened to the Takato I know? How do we get him back on track? I hope he's not suffering from some deep depression..."
"Let me talk to him," Guilmon offered. "You keep trying your luck with the game, I'll see what I can do."
"Okay... I'll leave it to you. Good luck!"
The red-scaled Rookie nodded and walked over to Takato's bed. The goggle-wearing boy didn't even look up when his Digimon partner and current brother approached him.
"Hey, Takato..."
For a while, Takato didn't reply. Then, he said quietly: "Hey..."
"You mind if I sit down next to you for a while? Maybe we can talk..."
Takato shrugged. "Sure..."
Guilmon sat down on the floor, right next to his brother and friend. "Takato... why can't you cheer up again? This isn't like you. You know, the others have gone to save Kazu. Don't you want to help as well? Kazu's your friend, right?"
Takato sighed. "Sure he is, but... Guilmon, you don't understand! You have no idea how all of this is for me."
"Then explain it to me. I want to understand! Or is there a reason you don't want to tell me? I mean, you are my brother, right? You can tell me everything..."
"That's just it, Guilmon, don't you get it? I mean, I never had a brother before. At least, I don't remember having one. And, besides... when I talk to you now, it is as if you are an entirely different person. I have the feeling as if I wouldn't know you anymore."
Guilmon tried to understand what Takato tried telling him. "You mean, in that different version of reality you remember, I'm not like I am now?"
"Well..." Takato shuffled around on his bed uncomfortably. "It's not that you look differently, but... You act differently. You've been more playful, more... how can I say... more innocent. And while you always have been my best friend ever since I met you, we have never been brothers."
Guilmon lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Takato..." He said. "I really don't want to make you uncomfortable, but... you have to understand, having you as my brother is everything I can remember... and those times, growing up together, really have been happy times... therefore it's hard for me as well, hearing you saying all of this..."
Takato sighed. "I know... but still... While I'm happy to have a brother, I have the feeling as if I've lost a friend..."
"But why?" Guilmon asked. "Only because my behavior is different? Can't we still be friends?"
"I guess..." Takato replied, looking up from the ground for once. "It's just... well, you do remind me of the Guilmon I knew, every now and then. But then again, you say something that makes me think: My old friend would have never said anything like that."
"So, why don't you just tell me of this other Guilmon I never met?" his brother asked him. "Maybe I can imagine what he was like after hearing about him. For instance... how did you meet for the first time?"
"Well..."
----
"Impmon... if you don't apologize to Betamon, then I won't play with you any more!" Ai yelled.
"But Ai..." Impmon said. "I just wanted to protect you..."
"What for?" Betamon sniffled. "I was just playing with her..."
Confused, Mako looked back and forth between the three of them. "So... does that mean we don't play anymore?"
"Mako, shut up!" Ai shouted. "Impmon, I'm waiting!"
Impmon was torn. On the one hand, he couldn't trust the amphibious Rookie with the red mohawk. He couldn't put a finger on it, but somehow those strange, yellow eyes of his gave him the creeps. On the other hand, he wouldn't want to make Ai unhappy.
"All right, fine..." he grumbled. "He can still play with us..."
"And?" Ai asked impatiently.
Impmon groaned. "And I'm... I'm sorry..."
'I can't believe I said that,' he thought.
Ai grinned. "Now, was that so hard? Good Impmon!"
Betamon smiled. "Oh well, I guess everyone makes a mistake now and then... so, shall we play again?"
"Yeah!" Mako shouted. "Can I be it now?"
"How about we play something else this time?" Betamon suggested.
"What do you have in mind?" Ai asked.
"Um, I dunno... something that's fun... like, perhaps... playing pirates?"
"YAY!" the siblings cheered. "PIRATES!"
"And I'm gonna be the captain!" Mako shouted.
"No, Betamon's the captain!" Ai protested. "He got the idea!"
"Him? Forget it!" Impmon grumbled. "Either I'm the captain, or I won't play at all."
"Impmon, play nice!" Ai scolded. "And stop picking on poor Betamon!"
Impmon felt like screaming. "Yes, Ai..." he said through clenched teeth.
----
Guilmon chuckled. "You drew me?" he asked. "Now that sounds... weird."
"You don't believe all of this happened, do you?" Takato asked sadly.
Guilmon shook his head. "That's not it, I believe it happened to you... but I wonder if it happened to me."
"You mean you're a different Guilmon after all," Takato sighed.
"That's not what I wanted to say," Guilmon protested. "I mean, in this reality, I might be your brother, and not a Digimon that came to life through your imagination and a small drawing, but... You know, everything else you told me about, I remember. I remember fighting the Devas, going to the Digital World with you and saving Jeri from the D-Reaper... although it happened with some slight variations, here and there."
"So, it happened here as well," Takato shrugged. "What's your point?"
"My point is that while this may be a different reality from what you remember, everyone living in it is more or less the same person that you know from before... only with a few changes. So what if I act more mature? It's just that I've existed for a longer time than in your reality. Mom gave birth to me just two years after your birth, so you would expect that I'm more mature like this, right?"
"Maybe..." Takato murmured. He wanted to say something else, but suddenly, his stomach began gurgling.
Guilmon chuckled. "I think we might stop for a short while and I fetch us something to eat, what do you think?"
Takato smiled and nodded. He really hadn't eaten anything since this morning, and it really wasn't like him to skip lunch.
When Guilmon walked out of the room, Takato turned around his head and asked: "What are you getting us?"
"Just our favorite snack," the red dinosaur smirked. "Guilmon bread. Dad baked it this morning."
"Guilmon... bread..." Takato murmured to himself, while Guilmon went downstairs. So, this part of reality was still the same, even if his father knew Guilmon for a much longer time.
And while his Mom was a Digimon veteran fighter now, she still was a baker as well. So, perhaps this wasn't such a different reality after all.
"This game..." Takato muttered. "While it certainly seems to be very powerful... it really only changes what we tell it to change. And Guilmon... he is still the same Guilmon I know, only more mature, and my brother as well. Because..."
And suddenly, realization dawned. "Because... I didn't change his personality!"
Kai turned around with Takato's chair and smiled. "See? Those changes we made aren't that bad... Well, except for that Yamaki one. But still, if we try to make up for our mistakes, we might just find a way to compensate for that."
"Yeah... maybe... maybe you're right," Takato nodded. But then, his face turned sullen again. "But... but Rika, she... what shall I do about her?"
"Of course she's mad at you now," Kai said. "But I think as soon as she gets used to everything, I bet she'll forgive you, given some time. I mean, couldn't you tell? In spite of what she said, I think she's actually happy that Renamon is a part of her family now. And in some way, we actually brought Leomon back to Jeri."
"You... you think so?" Takato wondered. "But, wait a minute... He acts just like Leomon did back then, that's true. But... what about Jeri's real dad? Did he vanish?"
"No," a deep voice replied from the window. "We became one!"
"Mr. Katou!" Kai shouted in surprise. "Aren't you with the others?"
"Oh man, can't anyone use the door for once?" Takato groaned. Then he blinked. "Wait a minute... what did you say? 'We'? Does that mean..."
"Yes," the humanoid lion nodded, while he climbed into the room. "I remember everything from both... 'versions' of reality. That's why I wanted to talk with you."
"But... how?" Kai wondered. "I mean, you never used the game, so you're not a game master. So, why..."
"I believe it may be because..." Leomon shuddered before he continued. "Because I... remember dying."
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(Posted Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:47)
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