**Presently**Jaku

Sure enough, a creature struck by my broken phone glows, and seems to spaghettify, and so do I. Something pulls away from me, and once again, my vitality drains in a way that leaves me closer to death's door, yet somehow I feel safer, content. The black dragon glows, elongates. Its silhouette changes. The dragons’ wings heal slightly, and, duplicate? It has four now, I'm not sure if it had four before. Instead of stitching and pleather-seeming-skin, the dragon appears to be armored, with some sort of cooling cables or tubes. It's very cyberpunk. It almost looks like my broken phone is built into his chestplate, sort of. Since I don’t see it anywhere else around, maybe it is.

The cybernetic dragon-man takes several test-swipes at the werewolf-turned shotgunning-biker, knocking his shotguns aside momentarily. Even with all that we’ve done so far, the motorcycle-leather clad man with clawed hands and an edgy mask looks little more than inconvenienced. Realizing a losing battle after analyzing the situation momentarily, the cybernetic dragon takes flight, abandoning the fight. I suppose that’s fair. At least someone survived.

I gasp a ragged breath, the cold dry air stinging my lungs, raking them with fresh new pains upon each inhalation. I nearly pass out in shock from the pain alone as the recently-werewolf individual turns to face me while picking up his shotguns. Gulp. I now, truly, truly understand the phrase staring down the barrel. A familiar, very welcome, incredibly powerful yellow streak blitzes up the mountain, performing a double aerial knee-slam, knocking aside the shotguns as the man pulls the triggers.

The shotgun blast is forced upwards along the cliff face, dislodging more snow, causing another mini avalanche. In the confusion, Rena scoops me up, and leaps incredibly high into the open sky, above a vast drop. Grateful for even these last few moments of life, in her arms, it takes me a moment to realize that the cybernetic dragon-man is hanging onto Rena by her free arm. We. We’re going to escape. We’re flying away. We lived! Ow. Well, they lived. I’m easily in as bad of shape as when Kabuterijerk pummeled me into meat-paste. Possibly slightly less blood-loss though, between the crushing attacks, the cold keeping any wounds dry and sealed, and the surprisingly resilient leather, plastic, and nylon of the motorcycle armor.

Might I still survive this? We’re so far away from the Balth though. Unless the dragon wants to fly us directly there, in plain view of everyone in the early-evening sun, I’ll perish before we make it. Plus, the dragon is headed away from the city, swooping now northeast, after having swooped far southeast towards town. We’re almost doubling back, more likely veering off of a straight path in order to elude a pursuer. Will that werewolf-turned-man go into town?

I’m curious what would happen if he went into town. He still appears slightly monstrous, and he’s ridiculously tall. No one would take kindly to him waving guns around. I doubt anyone in the city could remotely put up a fight against him though. Creatures that can battle kaijus, cause avalanches, topple mountains all fell before him. He’s like some sort of demon straight from the depths of one of the rings of the hells. Mephistopheles or Beelzebub or something. Just unholy levels of power.

I gasp another pained, shuddering breath as the cybernetic dragon man swoops low towards a plateau in the side of a mountain. On this plateau appears to be a cave that leads within the mountain. The dragon sets down Rena gently, and stays, facing outwards at the edge of the cavern as Rena rushes me swiftly inside. I, um, guess being buried in a mountain cave is kind of cool? Maybe I’ll have an opera, or a song written, when someone discovers my remains in a hundred years. I always did like Into the Hall of the Mountain King, and Court of the Crimson King. I know, I know, not really related, but vibes and titles, y’know? Oh well. I wonder how much my corpse will rot, with the chill of the altitude.

Rena finally speaks to me, somehow, her eyes are beaming with pride as she smiles down upon me, “Jaku, I’m torn between pride, and admonishment. You were so reckless. But, so was I. I really am made from you, for you. It’s okay, you’re safe now, my beloved partner.”

I flash her a weak, halfhearted smile as I try to respond while coughing, “Koff, I’m, I’m sorry Rena. It looks like I’m dying again, this time for real. We’re too far away to get to a hospital in time.”

Rena, oddly, scarily, begins laughing as she shakes her head. I’m incredibly confused. Laughter at my expense is not the last sound before dying that I thought I would hear from someone that seems to care about me as much as Rena. A tear rolls down my cheek before she starts to speak, “Jaku, feel your chi. You still have so much. You are far from derezzing, death. Pull your chi to your injuries. You may not have the pool, or control of a master, but you have more than I expected for an uninitiated. Not much, but a little. At least right now. I’m not sure how much you lost defending yourself. I don’t see any blood, so your instincts must have served you well.”

Wait. What? Did she initiate me into some sort of mystical order? Chi masters? Chi pools? Is that the eerie glow she can coat herself in, that looks like some sort of fox-fire, or will-o-wisps? Wait. It wasn’t the leather and plastic armor that kept me safe from the visceral cuts of the werewolf’s claws? I mean, I guess they slowed the attacks somewhat. But when did I even get chi? How? What is it? How much do I have? How do I interact with it? Is it why I was out of the hospital in days instead of months? Is it why I have almost super-strength?

Rena lays a pawed finger upon my brow, and my frantic mind slows. My thoughts still, and relax. My partner. She saved me again. I just have to believe in her, trust her words, follow her guidance. Somehow, she’s here, in spirit, in some strange fashion, in my mind. Her spirit draws me along within my own mind, like a childhood friend clasping my hand as we sprint happily across a sandy beach. I feel so safe, calm, content, that I don’t even notice it as each location we visit begins to mend under the protection of chi. Translucent, light-blue energy follows us as we traverse a mindscape representation of the inside of my body.

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A conversation snaps me to my worldly senses, a voice like a chainsaw growls, “I’ve always been dark-data, but your partner, they had so much data, so many petaflops, flipping away the fragmented zeroes. I’ve never had a partner. I spawned at the death of a videogame NPC that looped its final dialog. I was destined to decompose. How is this possible?”

Humor dances along Rena’s face as she cattily replies, “What isn’t possible with a partner? Perhaps mine has enough data to share, and chi to heal. Thoughts?”

The cybernetic dragon-man shakes his head, “No. I’m grateful, but no. Keep your partner, your snide attitude, your risks. I want nothing to do with you. I’m free, for the first time ever, and I’m not getting dragged down to die in some idiotic crusade. Good luck with your partner, fox.”

The dragon-man leaps into the air and glides away as Rena cattily grumbles under her breath, “Snide attitude, hmf, you’re one to talk.”

I try not to laugh at my partner’s grumpiness. She’s so interesting, and fun, and, well, she can rocket across a landscape fast enough to knock a kaiju off a mountain basically. I sniffle momentarily, caught between a myriad of emotions. Confusion, joy, pain, sadness, regret, distaste, even mild hatred for the werewolf-man now wandering around out there with shotguns, Weregaruru.

I hesitantly ask, “Rena? Is, is this really reality? Are you real? Chi? Monsters? Devilish bikers with shotguns who are also werewolves? Me having almost olympic levels of strength after sleeping for a week?”

Rena grins mischievously, “You’re only scratching the surface Jaku, there’s so much more. The world is weird and wonderful, and vaster than your wildest imagination. That is why I strive to stay Zen in the Dao.”

I puzzle out, “Zen in the Dao? Being at peace, in harmony, within the greater knowledge of the universe, the cosmic web that links all things?”

Rena nods emphatically as she smiles proudly, “Yes Jaku, exactly this, yes! I have such a good partner. Smart, kind. Stupidly brave. I’m surprised you sought me out so early. I thought following the clues would take you longer.”

I scratch my head, and in moving my limbs, I’m suddenly aware of how chi flows through my body. I have more control over it by the moment. It’s not going to instantly regenerate pulverized, shattered bones, but it’s an amazing life-force, a vitality that strengthens me everywhere that I send it. Still, I respond in confusion, “The clues? Wait. Were the pictures on the glowing SD card from you? Rena. Do you have any idea what those locations are? What they mean to me? How much they hurt to be seen again?”

Rena is nodding along proudly, happily to each question until the last, when her face becomes crestfallen. She begs, “Jaku? Please forgive me. I thought, I thought, to keep you busy, while I got stronger. You would learn of dark-data, and digimon that are loose in the real world. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I did not mean to hurt you.”

I can -Feel- her sorrow. It’s a tangible monument to her emotions between us. My words cut deep and she instantly regretted having thrust that knowledge upon me. I don’t know how to handle this. She cares so incredibly much. But she ripped open the biggest, oldest wound. In the last year or two, I’d finally closed that chapter of my life, gotten settled, started freelancing. I don’t know if I can absolve her, if I want to absolve her right now. I do know that I don’t want to see her feeling so hurt though. I almost immaturely ask to be left alone. But loneliness isn’t something either of us need right now.

I huff a sigh as I sniffle. If she can sense my emotions anywhere near as much as I can feel hers, she knows the hurt I’m experiencing. The emotions struggling to the fore, trying to dictate how I respond to this. I weep as I spread my arms wide. For the first time, we’re hugging each other as equals. Not mysterious savior carrying a frightened, broken body, not a real-worlder clasping a monster-partner to jump away from danger, ready to throw their life away. We’re friends. Partners. We’re friends, and she hurt me, and she’s sorry. That’s just sort of how life goes, isn’t it?

My stomach rumbles, and I’m struck with hunger pains. I think any of the day-outing supplies I’d bought are somewhere in one avalanche or another by now. Oddly, I can quiet my rumbling stomach with chi. It’s certainly not the same as eating, but it diminishes my chi, and the pain. I feel like I could subsist on chi much longer than if I were starving without it.

We both cry in each other’s arms. I don’t know how to, or if I’m ready to say I forgive her. But I can’t imagine continuing to blame her for this hurt forever. I, I think I just have to reach Zen, and let it go. I gulp back a sob, and fight a shuddering sigh as I struggle to sit up against the rear of the cave. Slowly my breathing becomes less strained, and less over-emotional. I don’t have to give up my emotions. But I can center myself. Chi is teaching me. I can hold Rena accountable for her action, but also absolve her. Juxtaposition is part of Zen within the Dao. Seeming oxymorons or dissonant thoughts can coexist. I see that now.

I squeeze Rena once before gently nudging her ever-so-slightly away, so that we can speak, face-to-face. I start, “Rena, I am, as you guessed, as I said, as you felt, deeply, incredibly hurt by having those old wounds ripped open. But I can sense that some of your intentions behind them were for me. Some of them were for you, using them as a distraction, but I felt more than that.”

Rena begins to speak but I interrupt to continue, “I’m not done. Rena. I don’t know how to express this to someone so special to me. I don’t even normally interact with people all that much, much less some fated person who cares so deeply about me. I love that you’re now a part of my life. I’m beyond enamored of the idea that we might be friends forever, deep, true friends, the best, for all time. I just need you to know that, those things, all of them. I’m hurt, but that doesn’t change that I love you, I feel slightly used, but that doesn’t change it either. I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to you, for saving me, for fighting for me, for teaching me. I’m sorry that my hurts weigh so heavily on you.”

Rena gulps momentarily, any cattiness, humor, snideness, or other teasing undercurrent to her voice completely gone as she says, “Thank you. Thank you for telling me, for your honesty. For being my Jaku. I’m so sorry. You’re right. I was selfish, and wasn’t thinking what they might do to you, what they might bring up. I can’t say sorry enough to express how horrid I feel at having done that to my partner. To you, my Jaku.”

I flash her a sad half-smile as I extend my hand. I ask a single word, “Friends?”

Rena clasps my hand, and a wealth of emotions flow through her, through my hand and my chi as she responds, “Friends.”