Old Ones Return (VII)

*Displayed on the Monitamon are Tally & any of the family members who have deemed it fit to show up. Ryota has an arm around Ceto, who squeezes his other hand in her own.*

Ceto<Euryale? Honey? Your friend told us what's been going on-->

*Euryale shoots a glare at Thiera, who stares back, unmoved.*

Ceto<We just want to say...we're with you. You can do this.>

*Ryota nods along with her words.*

Binah<Thiera-->

*Thiera doesn't even look at the screen, moving around to fiddle with the settings.*

Th"There is no time to talk. I will return to the human world soon enough."

*The Sorensons and Kornels show up to support Euryale's parents. The tamers and their partners wait in what must be an awkward silence*

Taiyo stands by Euryale, showing how supportive she is to her future mother in-law. Somewhere in the crowd of parents, the Shikasu's can see the wreck that is their future daughter in-law.

*Eventually, the screen flickers & changes, showing Tactimon & WarGreymon in the middle of the Olympian fields.*

Th"How did you break the sword?"

E"With my claws. We were struggling."

*The figures change to do just that.*

E"That's not right. There was this big explosion, &--& Sakuyamon was nearby."

*Taiyo notices that Euryale is starting to sweat. Once the explosion is programmed in, Euryale hastily shuts her eyes before it can hit Sakuyamon.*

Th"So that's what you were thinking about when you Biomerged? Protecting Taiyo?"

*Euryale slowly reopens her eyes.*

E"Actually...I thought Taiyo was dead. I just wanted to take Jupitermon & rip him to shreds. Someone had to be punished."

A<We both did. He told us he was going to help Taiyo & Renamon, then betrayed us all.>

*Everyone is still silently watching, not wanting to interrupt*

Taiyo gives Euryale's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Taiyo: "Everything turned out okay though."

E"Did it really?"

Th"If that is where your anger started, then that would be...shortly after we lost Venusmon."

*She does whatever she's doing behind the screen again, reproducing the clusterfuck in which Venusmon is consumed by fire & obliterated. Euryale winces. War Greymon shouts & tries to make it to Taiyo, but is too late as the distortion created by Megidramon expands in a flash, consuming her. The scene then shifts to Taiyo on the boat, being held down & tied up by the mermaimon. Euryale looks away, shivering badly. Monitamon pauses.*

E"Stop! I can't watch that again!"

A<Yuri, it's over. We rescued Taiyo, just like we beat Jupitermon. The whole point is to show you how we got past all of this.>

E"We didn't do anything. I wasn't there."

Kylie:<You couldn't be in two places at once. It's not your fault someone else had to go instead.>

Taiyo: "Just because you weren't there in person doesn't mean you weren't there."

*Gomamon nudges Tsune.*

Ts"Wha--uh, yeah. You said we should go because we'd be better at rescuing her from sea monsters, remember?"

E"...If you really think I won't be able to fight until I--confront this, then--just play the rest of the clip."

*Monitamon acquiesces. As 1 of the things Thiera's D-Power retains is DemiDevimon's memories & they all saw Thiera get the piss whipped out of her, it is easy to program in the clip of Taiyo being dragged to the mast, secured from head to toe, & eventually flogged to her stomach. With each flail & crack, Euryale jerks as if she was the one being struck. Her eyes water & her jaws clench, but she is determined to watch, save for sparing the occasional glance at Taiyo.*

Taiyo doesn't like the looks of it, but she has to bear with it for Euryale's sake.

*Kylie and Lyra look away from the screen. Cameron looks between Euryale and Thiera*

Th"Tsune, I need you to come up here and tell me what the Mermaimon base looked like."

Ts"Uh, okay."

*So she heads to do that, at which point Euryale starts shaking her head.*

E"We should just give up, all this is doing is upsetting everyone!"

Th"Oh, but we're almost done, see?"

*On the screen, the group is bringing Taiyo back, heading towards Olympia.*

Th"You say you have no control, but you got the Mermaimon to stand down. Not to mention, we would have been overwhelmed had you not defeated Jupitermon."

*Euryale frowns. Thiera sighs, then heads over to sit beside her & Taiyo.*

Th"If you're still not convinced, we have one more event to watch. I will show you that we can handle anything."

E"You know, we don't have to--"

*Thiera shushes her, & 1 of their more recent battles begins playing. From the moment Malkuth was assassinated, up to Daemon pursuing them, cornering Cameron & Kylie. As Ophanimon is blasted back & separated into her & Lady Devimon, then Lady Devimon comes to the humans' rescue, Thiera remains passive, hands in her pockets. Then, once again, they see Lady Devimon reduced to Wizardmon.*

D<Guess I won't be with you to the end after all. Just promise me you won't change. Oh, & do me a favor &-->

*As before, the flames finally break through, engulfing & obliterating the Digimon. Once again, Daemon laughs as he absorbs her. Thiera sighs.*

E"And what was the point of THAT, then? I DIDN'T save her!"

Th"No...but you made sure everyone else was safe. And you've been taking steps to regain your Digiviolution power. Yet you say you have no control."

A<...Yuri? I want to become WarGreymon again. I want to join forces with Sakuyamon. To push through the pain & fear & finally stop Kurata. But most of all, I want to go home. What about you?>

Kylie:<Euryale, we want to fight along side you to defeat Kurata! We can't do it without you.>

Taiyo: "Just you being you and being okay is okay. It doesn't matter if you were there or not."

"...Thank you all, but--would you all mind leaving? I think I need some time to think."

*So Thiera gets up, beckoning the Monitamon to follow, & they leave the stick house. Gomamon hops after her & Tsune shrugs & follows.*

Taiyo gives Euryale a hug and a kiss on the cheek, saying she loves her before leaving.

*Everyone gets up to give Euryale and Agumon some privacy*

*Euryale returns the sentiment, then she & Agumon begin to meditate. Outside, Thiera finds a spot far enough away that Euryale won't be able to hear, & vomits into the stream, collapsing to her knees & clutching her stomach. Tsune stands back awkwardly, chewing her lip, but Gomamon hops over. Not sure what to say, he just kind of stares at her creepily.*

*Cameron runs over to Thiera and pulls her hair away from her face. Kylie, Lunamon, and Biyomon approach as well, while Lyra and Kotemon hang back*

Taiyo waits outside for Euryale.

*After she's done vomiting, Thiera gasps & moves on to crying. Looking uncomfortable, Tsune shifts her gaze from her to Taiyo.*

Ts"So...we could be waiting out here a while. Maybe Cameron was right. Maybe we should be trying to think of a way to get Azuma & Hitomi to Biomerge."

Taiyo: "I don't know why they can't."

*Cameron just holds Thiera steady. Biyomon comes over to hug her other side*

Kylie:<To biomerge, you need to feel united with your partner, right? We need to find a way to make them feel more united, I guess...>

Ts"How on earth do we do that?"

*Thiera wipes her eyes & gradually calms the heaving of her shoulders. She takes water from the stream & wipes her mouth with it, then takes more to rinse & spit.*