Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Digimon Tamers: The Next Level ❯ Episode 14: Humanity and Divinity ( Chapter 14 )

Sure enough, several pairs of glowing eyes were visible from one of the cave mouths, the one that Revenmon had been clawing at. Though they didn't appear to be threatening, the effect was unnerving.

"You can come out now," Takato finally said. "That guy won't be bothering you any more."

Two sets of eyes suddenly raised a lot higher and the source of them became visible. A pair of very large orange dinosaurs appeared from the inside of the cave, clearly marked by the brown helmet-like bones on their head as Greymon. Several small dinosaurs stepped out behind them, warily, which Takato recognized easily as Agumon.

"Human children," one of the Greymon rumbled. "Certainly a strange sight in the Digital World. Might you be those `Tamers' I've heard about?"

"Our reputation precedes us," Henry mused. "Yes, that we are."

"Your reputation doesn't precede you as much as the bounty on your heads," the other Greymon answered. Meanwhile, the Agumon had gathered in a circle near Guilmon, and they were talking excitedly.

"Bounty?" Kazu repeated. "There's a bounty on us Tamers?"

"A rather hefty one as well," the first Greymon confirmed. "If it weren't for the little ones," it said, glancing at the Agumon, "it might be tempting. As it is..."

"Glad to hear it," Rika said flatly. "What exactly are the details of this bounty?"

"Bring proof of all of your deaths, mainly your `digivices', and receive the reward."

"So," Terriermon asked, "how much are we worth?"

"They promise enough data to digivolve to Mega, as well as a place of honor among their ranks. A generous reward to be sure, but if you were truly able to defeat that creature, one hard gained."

"Yes, but effective," Henry sighed. "Now we'll have to deal with a lot of Digimon thinking they can earn it."

"Wait," Takato broke in. "You said they wanted our digivices to be brought to them. Where did they say to bring them?"

"One of the lesser planes of this world," one of the Greymon answered. "Rumors have been saying that there have been Digimon gathering there for quite some time, powerful Digimon. I'd be careful if you intend to go there."

"Thank you for your information," Takato said, bowing slightly. "It's time we get going now."

"The least we could do," Greymon answered. "Come now," he said to his pack, "we're leaving."

"So soon?" One of the Agumon replied.

"Aww," another added. "Bye, Guilmon!"

"Bye!"

"Bye everyone," Guilmon waved as the Agumon left. He watched as they retreated into the distance, rushing to keep up with the Greymon. Henry watched them leave, a curious look on his face.

"Make some new friends?" Takato asked when Guilmon returned to his side.

"Yeah," Guilmon said happily. "They were all really nice."

"Come on everybody," Takato smiled. "Let's head back."

******

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better," Babel said, sarcasm obvious in his voice. "I am really feeling the lack of an inside man in Hypnos about now."

"Hypnos is making a bid for world power," Daisy said, hand on her chin. "With an army of Digimon at their back and a monopoly on weapons capable of fighting them, they may well succeed."

"The question is," Janyuu sighed, "what now? There seems to be so little we can do about it."

"Maybe little stuff will work," Dolphin suggested. "Hypnos has flourished while out from the world's eye. Spread enough rumors, and that name will become common once again. It's a lot harder to work in the dark when there's that much light on you. That and we can find ways to provide support to those on the front line."

"Well," Janyuu said, "Henry made a device that could send solid objects between the two worlds. Hypnos confiscated the working one, but we might be able to build another one."

"It took Henry nearly a year to build one," Babel replied. "What makes you think we can build another one in only a few days?"

"We have to," Dolphin told him. "Those children have to fight for the world once again."

"Yes," Janyuu said, "but they're not children. They never got a chance to be."

******

Jeri sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, chin in her hands, deep in thought. It had been several hours since Takato and the others had left to investigate the Digimon and she had been there ever since. Her thoughts were on Takato and the strained relationship that they had going, and they drifted into the past.

Jeri almost smiled at the memory of Takato in her head. The way he was always so nervous around her was almost cute. She had to admit that when Takato had admitted to liking her as more than a friend shortly after the D-Reaper incident, she couldn't help but feel the same way and she told him so.

From there, their relationship steadily progressed until they were officially going steady. Jeri reached into a pocket and pulled out the ring that Takato had given her and turned it over in her hand. It was a simple thing, but Takato had made it himself which only made it more special.

The ring held the last two promises that they had made to each other. As their relationship advanced further, the unavoidable question came up. Of course, neither of them had ever gone that far, but with the ring came a promise from Takato; a promise that their first time would be with each other.

Bringing back her hand, Jeri prepared to throw the old ring away as she had foolishly thrown the promise away, but a change of heart made her bring her arm down again. She opened her hand and saw that the ring was bent slightly, another reminder of the promises: bent, but not utterly destroyed.

It wasn't very long after the promise was made that Takato was forced to leave for the Digital World forever. Takato made a second promise on the ring to her that day, that he would eventually return. But days stretched into weeks and then into months and years, and even years came and went, and still the promise was unfulfilled.

As time passed, so did Jeri's hope of ever seeing Takato again and complete both promises. Then, in a moment of weakness, Jeri gave in and broke her end of the promise. And for what? She asked herself. A few minutes of pleasure that cost her chance to share an eternal bond with Takato.

"How could I have let it happen?" Jeri sobbed softly. "I can't even forgive myself, so why should I think Takato will forgive me? I'm no good; I'm just a sl..."

"Don't even say that word!" Rika shouted at the girl. "Don't you dare ever say that word!"

Jeri looked up at Rika, tears running down her face. "But..."

"But nothing!" Rika interrupted. "So you gave into temptation. So what? You're human, and humans make mistakes. Lord knows I've made plenty in my lifetime, short as it's been. I regret most of them, but that doesn't mean I go around beating myself up about them and calling myself dirty names."

"You don't know what this is like!" Jeri shot back. "Takato meant everything to me and I just threw it all away for some guy I barely knew! If that doesn't make me a, you know, then what does?"

Rika sat down on the bench next to Jeri and dropped her head into her hands. "You think you're bad? You're lucky. You can at least count the number of guys you've been with on one hand. Not me. God, I can't even count the number of girls on one hand. If anybody deserves to be called such a name, it's me. Don't think nobody has ever called me one before, either."

"Rika, I didn't..."

Rika didn't let Jeri finish. She lifted her head and said, "So, if you think I'm going to let a girl like you call herself that, you've got another think coming. Jeri, you're the kindest, gentlest, sweetest soul I've ever known. Like I said before, you're human, and humans make mistakes. That old saying may go on to say that forgiveness is divine, but in that sense, I have no doubt Takato is the most divine of us all."

"How can I expect Takato to forgive me when I can't even forgive myself?"

"Jeri, everything that happened is in the past. Let it go; don't let the past get in the way of what might be a wonderful future. And it's not just your future, it's Takato's as well. He's been in love with you all this time. Not even being in two separate worlds could change that fact, so one or two little mistakes won't change it either. Don't let your humanity get in the way of your divinity."

"Rika," Jeri began softly. "Thank you."

Rika nodded slowly as Jeri got up from the bench and walked out from the courtyard. As Rika sighed sadly, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, Renamon's. Rika put her own hand on it and looked back into Renamon's face. "You heard everything?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"I did not mean to eavesdrop," Renamon replied, "but..."

"No," Rika shook her head. "I wanted you to hear that. I wasn't faithful while you were away either."

Renamon sat down on the bench facing Rika and took the girl's hands into her own. "None of that matters to me," she answered. "I love you Rika, and nothing you or I may have done in the past will change that."

Rika smiled sadly. "I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you, Renamon."

"But that's not true," Renamon corrected. "You were my first, and you will be my last. That is what I give you and that is all I would desire in return."

"Sometimes, Renamon," Rika said finally, "I forget how divine you truly are."

"I'm only human."

******

Later that evening, Takato was in the central hall briefing Ryo on everything that had happened up to that point when Jeri entered the room. Takato started to turn around to say something to her, but thought better of it and stayed where he was. Jeri came to a stop behind Takato, hands clasped at her waist.

"Takato," she finally said. "I need to talk to you. Can we go some place private?"

"Uhhh, okay," Takato said. Standing up, he said to Ryo, "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course," Ryo nodded. "I was just about to head outside anyway."

"Umm," Takato said nervously once Ryo had left the room. "Is my room all right?"

Jeri nodded, and Takato led her through the halls and up to a door in one of the larger hallways. Takato made a motion and Jeri sat down on the edge of his bed, Takato sitting next to her.

"Jeri, I..." he started. Looking down at her hands, he continued, "Hey, you're wearing the ring I gave you."

"Yeah," Jeri replied, "that's one of the things we need to talk about. Do you... remember what you promised when you gave this to me?"

"What I promised? Of course," Takato nodded. "I could never forget that."

"Well," Jeri replied, her voice starting to break, "I... I... I'm sorry, Takato, but... I didn't keep my half of the promise."

"Jeri, what..." Takato began, but he cut himself off and lowered his eyes. "Oh, you mean..."

Jeri quickly turned away, unable to look into Takato's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Takato. I never wanted to hurt you like this."

"I," Takato began, dumbstruck, "I don't know quite what to say..."

"Don't say anything," Jeri told him. "I broke our promise, and I don't have any excuse for what I did. That's why I've been avoiding you like this; that's why I said all the stuff I did."

Takato sat silent for several seconds just staring at the floor and then, "Did any of them mean anything to you?"

"Takato?" Jeri said, dumbstruck. "What do you...?"

"The guys you were with... did you love them?"

"Takato, please," Jeri answered, trying to stand up. Takato wouldn't let her and instead pulled her back into a sitting position, both hands on her shoulders.

"Answer me," Takato told Jeri, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Did you love them? Did they mean anything at all to you?"

"No," Jeri sobbed, unable to look away. "They didn't. I didn't love them. Please, Takato, I said I'm sorry..."

"What about me, Jeri?" Takato asked, voice harsh, though tears were forming in his eyes. "I'd like to think I mean something to you. Well? Do I?"

"Yes," Jeri answered softly. "You do. I love you, Takato, but..."

"You see," Takato replied, voice softening, "that's just it. Jeri, I made that promise to you from love. You said it yourself; the other guys meant nothing to you. Since they meant nothing, they might as well have been nothing. We love each other; we mean something to each other; that's all that matters. I won't let `nothing' prevent `something'."

"Takato..." Jeri started, but she was stopped by a gentle "Shhh" from Takato.

Reaching over, Takato brushed a tear from Jeri's eye. "I love you, Jeri, with all my heart."

"With all my heart..." Jeri repeated softly. She and Takato both leaned in and shared a lover's kiss, then another, and another...