Digimon Adventure Chronicles II: Secrets Revealed

...chapter TWENTY THREE – A State of Redemption

“I thought Sora said he was talking again?” Taichi asked Hikari as he stared at the figure on the couch. Vamdemon was laying on his back with his right leg crossed over his left. Clutched in his right hand was the music player he had received from Yamato. Soft melodies traveled from the bright red device through a wire and to the head phones clasped onto his ears. The music was louder than he usually played it at. His eyes were shut, and he was drifting in and out of sleep.

“She did.” Hikari said. “Maybe he isn't feeling well, or just wanted to talk to her and not us. He never did like me much, and you being my brother doesn't help much.”

“Well, moping about isn't going to do him any good.” Taichi muttered and turned away. He pulled on his jacket and reached for the door. Hikari did the same.

“Are you sure its alright to leave him alone?” She asked, glancing back at the couch.

“He's not alone. Mom's there, and so is Agumon and Gatomon.”

“Yeah, but I don't think Gatomon would stop him if he tried anything, and Agumon is sleeping...”

“Kari, he'll be fine.” Taichi stated and exited the building. Hikari reluctantly followed.

..ss...

Tailmon was pacing back and forth in Hikari's room. Yet again she had woken suddenly from sleep by odd visions and nightmares of things she hadn't experienced and certainly didn't want to. She wiped wildly at her eyes to quell the sudden emotion that had reared up inside of her.

There was a noise from the next room, causing her to freeze. She approached the door and strained to interpret the sounds. Whimpering flowed across the hall and into the room and her ears. She slowly pushed open the door and crouched across the floor to a spot besides the couch.

Peering around the side revealed Vamdemon, who was no longer laying down but was in a sitting position and pulled tight into himself. The music player was discarded to his side and his cheeks were wet and red. He was clutching at a chain she hadn't seen previously while trying to calm his heavy breathing.

She wanted to laugh, to berate him for showing weakness, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Hikari's words from another day rang through her mind...

'You have to move on, Tailmon... Living your life full of hatred will only make the pain harder to handle and the wounds less likely to heal. I know he's done terrible things, but he's aid that he desires redemption, and he can't have that if we all can't let go of the past. Give him a chance... Talk to him, let him explain himself...justify his actions... Maybe you'll learn something you didn't know before.'

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she stepped forward and jumped onto the table where she sat with flattened ears. Vamdemon's watery eyes immediately stared fearfully at her still form. He released the chain and dabbed gently at the tears on his face, revealing the stone he had been clutching.

She watched the oval swing back and forth for a few seconds before it came to rest against the fabric of his sweatshirt. “That's really pretty.” She said, having difficulty even bringing herself to speak to him. He froze as if he had been stuck by another of her holy arrows. “Where did you get it?”

He didn't answer straight away. Slowly the shock seemed to wear away and he pushed himself against the back of the couch and further away from her. “It was a gift...” He whispered defensively. “...from Angemon... It helps me calm down after...”

Tailmon gazed downwards, slightly surprised by the giver and remembering what she had said to him the first time he had stayed at the home. “After a nightmare.” She finished. “You really do have them, don't you?”

“Yes...” He said, voice starting to return, though still full of uncertainty.

“I've been having some as well...about an on looking boy...” She whispered. Vamdemon's eyes snapped to her once more, this time in surprise.

“You..?” He said quickly. “Just now..?” She nodded her head and looked back up at him as well. “You saw......”

“I think...that we've been having the same nightmares...Vamdemon.”

Fresh tears had built at the corners of his eyes without him realizing. He blinked and the pool cascaded down his face and onto spots on his shirt. He appeared to have stopped breathing.

“These visions...are your memories, aren't they?” She said slowly.

His hand closed once more around the stone and spoke with a sad voice. “Yes...”

Tailmon pulled in a deep breath. She had been hoping that he would say no, that the things she saw didn't really happen...that they really were just visions of the mind... Though she was afraid, she continued to speak. “That boy...was he..?”

“He was my partner.” Vamdemon said quietly, voice steady for the first time since she entered the room. He continued to watch her.

“That's why you didn't kill Hikari...” Tailmon stated.

“Correct.” He said. “As you have seen...I had to watch him die. I was helpless and restrained, just like you were. At that moment, standing in the tower and presented with the opportunity to please my lord, my resolve faltered. I couldn't do to you what was done to me.”

“And the visitor, in the castle, that you locked me away from...that was-”

“Don't.” He said with alarm. “Please...for my sanity if nothing else... I don't want to think about that right now...”

“I'm sorry.” She said. “About everything that's happened to you. You went through so much and apparently risked a lot in keeping me alive. I forgive you, Vamdemon...for harming me. I see now that's not who you really are.”

He was having difficulty believing her words were sincere, but he played along just in case. “You should not be the one who is apologizing. Tailmon... I should have forced myself to be stronger, or to have accepted death over a tortured life that I turned upon others...”

“But then I might not have survived, or ever have met Hikari to begin with.” She said. “Somehow these events are intertwining. It's amazing how one decision can alter so many lives across the years.”

“Indeed...” He whispered, and watched in a daze as she leaped from the table to his side and hesitantly climbed into his lap, staring upwards from the obvious and discolored scars across his face to the stone which he uncovered once more during his surprise.

“He's wonderful, isn't he?” She whispered.

“Huh?” He asked, confused. “Who...”

“Angemon.” She told him. “He goes out of his way to make sure others are happy, no matter what the situation is. Even as Patamon he was like that... So you don't need to worry anymore. With Angemon helping you, you'll be alright soon. Time heals all wounds, after all...”

“Angemon...yes...” Vamdemon muttered oddly, trying to think of how to word his reply. “He's incredibly...purifying. Its hard to describe, or explain, but when he's around me I'm not as afraid of everything. He makes me hopeful...”

“Yes, well, that is the trait he best represents.” She said with a smile, and to his surprise, curled up on his lap and removed her gloves. She flexed the exposed, scarred paws before placing her head upon them. Tentatively, he placed his hand upon her back to stroke her fur, and smiled slightly when she began to purr softly. When they fell asleep, the nightmares didn't seem as bad knowing that they had one another for support.

...ah...

There was a flash of light and the two of them jumped in surprise. Tailmon toppled to the floor and glared upwards at the perpetrator before stalking away. Vamdemon remained on the couch, staring wildly, as he had been blinded, for the origin of the light.

“I got it!” Hikari exclaimed happily. Taichi emerged from the kitchen. “So cute!”

“So unexpected.” Taichi added and glanced at the photo displayed on the camera Hikari held. “Nice picture.”

Vamdemon stood suddenly with a fire in his eyes. “No way, Brat! Get rid of it!”

Hikari appeared taken aback at his sudden speech but recovered quickly. “Oh come on, its adorable.”

“It is not.” He stated with great attitude. “It was a private moment that you have kindly decided to ruin, now get rid of it!”

“It can't be private when your in the living room.” She rebuttled. “Everyone comes through here!”

He thrust his right arm forward and pointed menacingly at her. “I'm warning you, keeper of light! Get rid of it or suffer the consequence!”

She blinked in surprise. “No way!” She pulled the camera close to her chest. He growled and lunged at her. With a screech, she ran around the couch as she was chased. Finally he grabbed her and managed to pull the camera out of her grasp. He had nearly won...

“If you delete that I'll tell Angemon that you were misbehaving!” She threatened.

As she expected, Vamdemon stilled and stared at her, unmoving, with disbelief. “You would do that?”

She smiled wickedly. “I most certainly would. You know he checks up on you.”

He hesitated for a moment before placing the camera on the table. She snatched up it. “And he'll love to see this.”

There was a moment of silence. “What!” He yelled, heart beating wildly. “You can't do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because he'll never let me live it down!”

“Since when do you care what other people say or think about you?” She wondered.

He paused and glared at her, momentarily speechless. “I care what he thinks, and I know he will read wrongly into that photo.”

Hikari laughed. “How can anyone read it wrong? It says that you two have made up with each other. Unless your trying to tell me that there is something more?”

Vamdemon's glare returned, as well as a slight redness in his cheeks. “There is certainly not.”

Hikari rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. “How did that even come about, anyway?”

“Oh...” He said, regaining normal coloration. “ Apparently we've been sharing our night time visions, and she came over to see for sure if that's what was happening.”