(Note: This fic takes place prior to the events of Digimon Tamers.)
Viximon's eyes snapped open to see her surroundings were different. She stood in front of a massive, round gate of stone, floating through a dark digital valley. Strange runes were carved upon it, and a silent glow emanated from its marble-like surface. She was sore all over, and she felt the cold sensation that someone was watching her.
"What happened? The last thing I remember was the ground breaking open and...""It is not yet your time." said a voice "And yet you are here."
Viximon stared into the gateway in front of her. A pair of ancient-looking, warm brown eyes looked at her with an expression of distance.
"Where... is... Here?" Viximon asked, awed and confused.
"Have you ever thought of what happens when Digimon are defeated by a superior foe?" replied the voice.
"Well, yes. They break into data, and the winner absorbs it." Viximon said indifferently, as though it was obvious "But what does that have to do with me?"
"Sometimes, Digimon aren't absorbed." replied the voice. "Sometimes Digimon break apart for other reasons. Be the reason as it may - if they are not absorbed, they all end up here. Here, they are judged - to see whether or not they deserve a second chance. I am the arbiter and the guardian of this place."
A large Digimon emerged from the gate - it was blue, canine in design, but humanoid, slender, and sporting a pair of golden wings. Viximon gulped audibly at his sight.
"Anubimon..."
"That is correct." Anubimon said, smiling at Viximon. He reached out an arm and touched Viximon's forehead gently with the tip of a claw.
Viximon felt a warm tingle in her body, as she felt herself changing form.
"Viximon you are no longer, but Renamon." Anubimon smiled at her, shrinking himself to her size. "And in this form you shall be judged. Prepare yourself."
He then turned away from her and stepped toward the gateway.
"Follow me." he said.
Clueless and yet curious, Renamon followed Anubimon into the gateway, the trials to come wandering in her mind.
"So, what is this ‘judging’ about?" Renamon asked Anubimon as the two walked on the bank of a digital river. The valley around them was not so dark anymore. It resembled a field, most of all - A vast, green field. Dark mountains rumbled in the distance, standing in sharp contrast to the serenity of the place.
"What is the true desire of most Digimon?" Anubimon asked Renamon.
"To see the world beyond the digital." Renamon answered, knowing that question was asked on purpose.
"Do you believe that you will ever see that world?" Anubimon replied.
"If I shall be found worthy and if I am strong enough." Renamon nodded.
"Yes. But that does not answer my question.” Anubimon replied “Do you... or do you not?”
Renamon paused for a few minutes.
"... I believe that I will." She nodded, eventually. "I will become faster and stronger as time passes, and eventually I will."
"Positive thinking. I like that in a Digimon." Anubimon smiled. If that compliment was not critical to her future, she would have blushed.
"Do you believe in destiny, Renamon?" Anubimon asked her, motioning her to sit down by the river, and did so as well.
"I believe that one's destiny is determined by decisions made through the years." Renamon sat down, looking at her reflection in the river. Even though it was flowing, she could see her reflection clearly – something which made no sense according to what she knew about rivers.
"The River of Styx mirrors the soul." said Anubimon in explanation. He detached a small plate – which quickly grew back to its original size after being detached - from one of his bracelets, dipped the plate in the water of the Styx, and then, he breathed on the water in the plate.
"Look into the mirror of the soul, Renamon... And tell me what you see."
Renamon complied, looking into water in the plate. At first she saw nothing but her own reflection, but then, she found herself looking deeper, beyond the surface. She felt her consciousness swirling into the crystal clear water...
The vision came seconds later.
"You arrogant bitch."
"…Who said that?" Renamon narrowed her eyes, taking in her surroundings: A dark void, silvery fog bathing the surface she stood on. There was no one there.
"So you think you will be the best of the best! You think you will be good enough to reach anywhere beyond the Digital World! I pity you."
"Who are you?!" Renamon growled, preparing for possible confrontation.
"Oh, isn't that obvious, Foxglove? I am you."
A second Renamon materialized before her, seemingly out of thin air. She was almost a carbon copy, except for her eyes - they were cruel, criticizing... and in some way, condescending.
"You really aren't as sure of yourself as you think, are you?” sneered the mirror Renamon. “No. Deep down, you are still certain that you aren't good enough."
"I may not be good enough in YOUR opinion." Renamon scowled.
"I am you, Renamon. Or at least part of you." The mirror Renamon smirked.
"Even if there is a part of me which thinks that I am not good enough, I don't care! I will try, no matter what! And if I'll get absorbed on the way, well, so be it! A part of me will go to the real world through the one who will absorb me!" Renamon shouted at her carbon copy, narrowing her eyes in determination.
The mirror Renamon smirked, as if she’s been expecting that outburst.
“Great action hero Renamon. That is so like you – being overconfident in your abilities, going about making dramatic speeches. Life is not as simple as you think, Foxglove!”
"Be quiet, you!" Renamon growled, clenching her fists.
"'Be quiet, you!' You know perfectly well that you cannot shut yourself off like this!" The mirror smirked again.
Renamon replied with a quick slash. The mirror easily bounded out of the way.
"I see you still try, though. Well, let us see how well you face yourself!"
Renamon dodged a quick claw from her mirror. She leapt into the air, preparing to launch a kick - but the mirror dodged out of the way and punched her in the back. Renamon crashed on the floor noisily, and as she rose to her feet, her mirror has vanished.
Before Renamon could re-orient, the mirror re-materialized and delivered a painful kick to Renamon’s stomach – hitting her directly. The mirror obviously knew how to use its body in combat better than Renamon did – and Renamon groaned, preparing to meet her attacker once again. The mirror launched another slash – but this time, Renamon was ready. She rapidly spun and caught hold of her opponent's paws. She leapt up into the air, somersaulting, and kicked the mirror off of her in the process. The mirror crashed on the floor, snarling – but by no means down. She rapidly rose to her feet, preparing to charge again.
Renamon felt the power build in her fingertips...
It was now or never.
"Diamond Storm!"
The mirror's eyes widened as the tiny shards of light embedded themselves into her fur, entrapping her form in a crystal, unable to move away as Renamon came down with a kick, shattering the crystal – and with it, its contents.
With a loud scream, the mirror Renamon shattered into tiny fragments and vanished.
The battle ended. Renamon felt slightly dizzy, but held on.
"That was impressive." said a voice from no where.
Renamon turned her head in the direction the voice came from, only to find Anubimon, gazing back at her.
Renamon regained her consciousness. She was lying on the bank of the river Styx, Anubimon sitting down and looking into her eyes.
"What..." She said, but Anubimon cut her off before she could continue.
"You have sunk into a trance." he said "You have seen a vision of yourself which tells you two truths - a dark one and a light one. You have faced yourself - your doubts - and you have prevailed."
"I... still can't move." Renamon said, as life began to flow back into her limp body.
"The effects of the mirroring take a while to wear off." Anubimon replied. "Yet you have passed the first challenge, and so I shall answer one of your questions. Choose wisely."
"... How did I get here?" Renamon asked.
"I was afraid that you will ask that. Look into the water."
Renamon observed the water of the river. Even in its flow, it rippled slightly...
And then, she saw herself - a Viximon, hopping in what seemed to be a desert. "One of the Digital World's lower world shells." Renamon thought. Her past self seemed worn out after a few days of travel without rest.
Suddenly, the ground gave in. A fuzzy field of icy-white energy encompassed her. Viximon plumetted into the field, as did Renamon's vision.
Viximon was entangled in what seemed to be white fibers, inside an all-encompassing light. She looked around, barely, trying to figure out where she was. Then something happened. The field began to disintegrate - not into the Digital World she has known, but into nothingness...
Viximon sighed, giving in to the unconsciousness that struck her at last.
The river's rippling ended, and Renamon found herself staring into her own reflection again.
"Oh my." she said "So that is what happened after... the ground fell apart."
"A digital anomaly. They appear randomly, trapping any Digimon that stumbles upon them accidentally. Some believe they are vindictive spirits, wishing to return into being. Others say that they are shadows of the true enemy, against which the Digital World is protected by the Sovereigns. No matter what they are, the digital strives to repair the anomalies. It sees not the Digimon inside, but erases the entire anomaly." Anubimon explained.
"What a terrible fate..." Renamon sighed.
"Most of the anomaly victims' Digicores survive. The image of theirs when they appear here is residual data, imprinted in the Digicore's memory. I possess the Pyramid Power - A force that reigns over time, or its digital equivalent. The power has foreseen your future form, and bestowed it upon your Digicore. Hence you are Renamon, and not Viximon, at least for the duration of these trials." Anubimon replied.
Renamon nodded in understanding.
"And now, it is time for your second trial. You have faced yourself. Now, you must face your dreams."
Running. Running through the darkness, she was. Swift and agile. The seas of binary data, the circuit-boards and wireframes of the digital planes gave in to an unfamiliar fog. A digital field. Renamon *emerged*.
"No, wait, it's another trial. This is not the real world. But it's close." She thought, looking around. The environment was truly alien. She looked up and saw nothing but sky - different than her own sky. Clouds were drifting slowly through it – and it was orange-red.
Renamon did not know what sunset was, for there were no sunsets in the Digital World - day simply shifted to night in an instant, like a blanket of shadow was cast upon the lands. Hence, the red sky came as a surprise to her, at first.
She melded with the shadows, not wanting to be noticed by any of the humans. And even though some people felt a small movement in the corner of their eyes, they shrugged it off as a trick of the light, or of the wind, or of their minds, over-strained from work. The streets of West Shinjuku were as busy as ever.
That was how she always pictured the real world - a strange world of skyscrapers and the occasional tree, many people rushing to somewhere unknown. She did not imagine the sky being red, though, but she figured that Anubimon knew a bit more about the world than she did.
She felt alone, like an alien who has just landed on a barren planet.
"... So... what do I do now?" she muttered to herself softly, as she reformed in an alley, hidden from sight.
"You die." Said a little voice from out of no where.
Renamon instantly turned to find no one there.
"Oh joy." she said sarcastically. "Pardon me, but death just isn't my style."
"It shall be." Said the voice again.
Two deep blue eyes stared at her from the deeper shadows.
"My name… is Tsukaimon." Said the voice again – and out from the shadows emerged a purple creature, reminiscent of a rodent with bat wings instead of ears. “And there is no hope for you. Purple Fog!!!"
Tsukaimon leapt up to the air, and inhaled until he inflated himself with air. Then, he released that air... as a large cloud of what was probably poison gas.
Renamon leapt up in the air, prepared to strike the purple creature down. Amazingly, Tsukaimon escaped Renamon's leap with incredible agility - faster than the eye could see...
"Slamming Attack!" Tsukaimon shouted and crashed against Renamon. She never knew where it came from. She was slammed to the floor by the small rodentlike Digimon, which promptly flew up again, grinning.
"Death is not your style, is it?"
Renamon attempted to swat it with her claws, but once again it evaded her, faster than a speeding bullet.
"It shall be." he said. "As I said. Say farewell, Renamon."
Suddenly, Renamon felt a presence behind her. A silhouette. She couldn't make out who the person was but apparently he (or perhaps she?), has been watching the fight with interest.
"When she'll absorb enough of them, she'll Digivolve, and then we'll both be truly invincible." Said the person in a voice that was obviously female. She drew a small, strange device from her belt, and slashed a card through it.
"Digimodify! Activate Speed!" the person said in a commanding tone. “Take it down, Renamon!”
Renamon felt the power flowing through her – new data combining with her own. She was faster now. MUCH faster.
… And at the precise moment Tsukaimon released its potentially devastating attack, Renamon nimbly dodged out of the way, leapt up and swatted Tsukaimon down in what felt like one fluid motion.
"Two can play that game." She said, glaring at her foe. The creature cursed under its breath and took in another breath of air – attempting another Purple Fog attack – but Renamon leapt out of the way effortlessly. The Tsukaimon pursued her, launching more clouds of purple gas – but after a little while, Renamon was moving so rapidly that the Tsukaimon – in pursuit of her - found himself flying directly into his own attack. He was, of course, immune to the gas’ poisonous effect, but it was still a thick mist which gave Tsukaimon difficulties in breathing...
And that was when Renamon unleashed her Diamond Storm.
Tsukaimon had a look of horror on its face as it dissolved into data, which Renamon promptly absorbed into herself.
"Thank you." She turned to tell the mysterious person, but she was no longer there. Renamon felt a surge passing through her.
"So that is what fighting with a partner like...” she said to herself “I will become the strongest, and find the strongest partner... And then, perhaps I shall know what it is like to... Digivolve."
The word 'Digivolve' seemed to echo in her mind endlessly as the vision faded.
"So that is your dream." said Anubimon "Interesting. Tsukaimon are often harbingers of bad omens, especially in dreams."
"I've… had that dream for a while." Renamon said "But the world was different. It was less... formidable. And I was always defeated - he was too quick, and I was alone..."
"But you were not fighting alone this time." nodded Anubimon. "And you have faced your dreams."
"So what must I face now?" Renamon asked.
"There is but one challenge remaining, Renamon. You proved yourself worthy by strength of body and spirit - but do you have the courage to face the world?"
"I believe that I am." Renamon replied, looking into his eyes.
Anubimon sighed "This test may be the most painful for you, for it will show you some of your possible fates if you do emerge. I suggest that you have a good night's rest before this test commences."
Renamon nodded. "I believe that you may be right. Even though I should not be, I am… worn out."
"You are not truly in your own body." Anubimon said simply. "Rest, now. Come tomorrow, you shall face your possible futures."
He sat down and entered a meditative state, closing his eyes. And the world was darkening.
Renamon curled up by the river, wrapping her tail tightly around herself, listening to the murmur of the water as she was lulled into dreamless sleep.
Did time truly pass in Hades between her falling asleep and her waking? Did time pass at all in this realm? When she awakened, the sky was still dark - but she felt rejuvenated enough. Anubimon was still meditating - she wondered if she should break Anubimon’s meditation, or await him to awaken on his own accord, and eventually decided to wait. She waited for a short while, listening to the soft flow of the river, when Anubimon’s eyes opened, and the world brightened once again.
"You have awakened, Renamon." Anubimon said, nodding at her "And your final challenge is at hand."
"I am ready." Renamon said.
Anubimon simply nodded, and reached out his hands – a soft glow emitting from them. Slowly, a Pyramid of light formed around them both.
"The Pyramid Power." she remembered "What was, what is, and what may come to be."
The image shifted abruptly – Renamon found herself standing on a cliff, in front of a large abyss. She looked beyond the mists, beyond the abyss... And to her surprise – and horror – she found herself staring at a sheer wall... of images.
Frames from all time.
Taller than she could ever imagine.
She saw the beginning of the digital world, shades of the first Digimon, the DigiGnomes and the True Enemy. She saw the rise of the Sovereigns and their servants. She saw herself...
But it was but one narrow row. There were many images - some she did not recognize at all - other Digital Worlds, and other worlds beyond the digital…
The wall stretched to all infinity.
And she was but a tiny speck.
Slowly, the images began fading away, as other images became larger, taking the place of some of the fading images. She realized that this wall of time was orienting on her from the moment she would have left Hades – her possible futures.
So many were dark visions. She was bested by other Digimon in some. In others, she has bio-emerged but found herself alone in a cold dark world. In some she emerged and was captured immediately by men in black coats and sunglasses, who took her to a laboratory, where she was made to float in a container, and screamed as her body was broken apart into its data components and analyzed. In a few others she has been captured by waves of a terrible weapon, erasing all that is digital and sending its data back. And in some...
Was that the True Enemy that she saw crawling upon the magnificent cities of the real world?
But then, she saw herself standing proud alongside a young girl, who was holding a strange device with a holographic display – one that she has seen before. She saw battles. She saw... Friends? There were nothing but shadows of them - but she knew that somehow out there, someone will care.
She looked down into the Abyss. It was deep, and there would be no turning back.
She felt a door open behind her.
"Remember, Renamon." she heard a voice - Anubimon materialized by her "Once you cross the abyss, there shall be no turning back. Your return to the world would be in a time where you might fall into many terrible fates - or many great fates. The worlds - both Digital and Beyond Digital - Would never be the same again. Do you have the courage to be caught in events that may bring an end or a new beginning? Remember. You can turn back now - you can wait here, in Hades, until you feel ready to try and face the world again. Or, you can cross the abyss... and into whatever destiny may hold for you."
Renamon closed her eyes. It was a terrible choice - she was well aware of the risks - any one of those realities could be true.
Then she felt her battle spirit pulsing through her, revitalizing her. Her fur almost glowed in a light of its own, and her frightened eyes became determined once more.
"Destiny is determined by our own actions." Renamon declared boldly "And I am prepared to face it! My spirit shall keep me going - for better or for worse. So you see, Anubimon… I am not willing to try and face the world."
Anubimon's eyes widened as Renamon smiled determinedly.
"Because there is no try. Just do."
She boldly amassed a running start and leapt across the gaping abyss - almost floating towards the wall, gliding free as the wind. And as her body was to impact the wall, she felt herself passing through it.
Renamon found herself in a great hall, consisted of impressive blue and pink crystals. Renamon looked behind her - there was no longer a wall of time and images - just a wall of blue crystal, completely solid. There was no turning back.
She turned in the other direction
She found herself standing before a gigantic portal. It was triangular in shape, and strange runes were marked upon it. On the top of the triangle was a crown of crystals, set with the symbol of a pyramid eye. Anubimon stood by the portal, even more regal-looking than before.
"You have been found worthy." Anubimon said, with a smile. He approached her, and with one quick movement swept her into an embrace, wrapping his arms and wings around her.
It happened very quickly - or very slowly. Time had no meaning. Anubimon was growing to his true size... or was she getting smaller? Or perhaps both. She began feeling her image fading away. What was going on?
All she knew was that Anubimon held her in his two hand-paws - not even his arms - and gently set her within the portal, which drew her inside, closing behind her.
She looked around into the digital slipstream, feeling her memories of Hades fade away - the living were not supposed to remember - and saw others - when she realized what she now was. A condensed glowing sphere, swirling like alabaster, which contained all that she was.
The true form of a Digicore.
"... How did I get here?" She asked herself when she awakened. It was not the desert layer she remembered. It was a lush forest, gentle wind breezing through it.
She stood up, trying to remember. She stretched, turning towards the small lake she was standing by, and saw her reflection – and to her surprise, she found a different form than she remembered: A slender, muscled, anthropomorphic vulpine form. All that remained of the form she remembered was her golden fur and her blue eyes.
"Renamon." She thought. "That is what I am... But... I was not a Renamon before... I… blacked out. What happened?"
Suddenly, she twitched an ear. Her improved hearing picked up the sound of a battle in a distance, and then a roar.
She grinned to herself, her battle spirit flowing through her body, and ran in the direction the roar came from, ready to meet the creature that unleashed it head on – and absorb its data. She was going to become unbeatable. The best of the best. She would settle for nothing less.
And from far, far away, beyond the world of the living itself, a pair of ancient, warm and knowing brown eyes - eyes that have seen through all of time - followed her slender form as she headed away from the place of her awakening, ready to fulfill the destiny she has made for herself.
Anubimon smiled.