**Presently**J

Falling, huh. This is a familiar sensation somehow. Oh, right, I leapt off the cliff to save Vixi, err, Rena one time, then I slid off of an avalanche another time. This really is some sort of black dragon with leathery, stitched skin though isn’t it? It’s so odd, and he seems so weak after the werewolf tore into him. His wings were in tatters before the Weregaruru, but now almost nothing remains of them. I really hope my partner survived those blasts. I wish I were with Rena in the end, but this strange technicolor tunnel appears as if it’s separating my mind from my body, sending me towards the afterlife, with the dragon. Only the dragon, since my partner is nowhere in sight. Maybe that means she survived. Hopefully she can flee before the weird shotgunning motor-cycler decides to finish her off. How the heck does a werewolf turn into, oh wait, dumb question. I guess it’s not that weird for a werewolf to be a guy who likes shotguns and motorcycle jackets.

Actually, the weird thing is, I still feel like I’m in the process of dying, not dead yet. This is my body, being dragged along some nightmare Wonka tunnel like a mop.

Somehow I know that at the end of these rotating squares of light is a drop. I think maybe I can see it. There isn’t really, truly sight here, though I do still feel somewhat tethered to life and my senses. I was pulverized by that Weregaruru thing though. I guess this means Vixi was, is real. Some small solace in that I wasn’t hallucinating or going crazy at the end. It just means the world is way weirder, and way more supernatural than I ever thought.

Despite not knowing this dragon at all, he did try to save me from the werewolf. I mean, there wasn’t anywhere for me to escape to while climbing the mountain, but he at least tried to tell me to flee. If we’re about to die, then maybe I can at least comfort him and show him some gratitude. I swim through the non-air of our seventies sci-fi teleportation tunnel, barely reaching the dragon in time. I clasp him in a hug as he seems to be shrinking in his death throes. Actually, not just shrinking, changing shape. I hope it’s not painful, but if it is, don’t worry pal we don’t have too long to live to endure it. Thanks for trying to save a stranger.

Wow, we have to be thirty thousand feet in the air or more, over a vibrant yet hellish landscape. I, I can’t breathe. We’re falling so fast it feels like I’m burning alive. We’re plummeting towards a massive lake of lava, and even if we miss that, we’re going to crater against a stony landscape that has lava running through it in rivulets. Every atom of my being is stripped, flayed from me during our fall. My Draconic friend fairs no better, as he appears to now be little more than a head with a horn. Somehow, the head is glancing around in surprise. Perhaps, somehow, he’s now like Vixi was? She was a cute, round creature that mostly looked like a head.

The seconds tic by during our extended fall, we had to have been miles up, and finally, still long before even impacting the ground, I perish.

**Presently**Tsuno

Huh? How am I alive? Wait, free-flowing data, and I’m not hungry. I’m not empty anymore. But how’d we get back to the Digital World? Who is this human? Oh, the light, life just left their eyes. Somehow this human saved me, sent me to the digital world, and even fixed my dark-data corruption. Poor humie just died. Sure I’m many stages lower in evolution, but, heck, good to be alive, right? Well, for another few seconds anyway. This is going to hurt. If I had some sort of burst of data, I could evolve, and glide. Hm, this might be a bit mean.

That human’s soul is sort of all over the area right now. They’re not using it. I think. I instinctively chomp at and slurp down the soul, falling back to my dark-data habits. Sorry bud. Hope you didn’t feel that. I tried to tell you to get out of there. Thanks for saving me I guess. Here we go, human soul was enough data apparently. What’s that whispering questions in the back of my mind? My form extends, releasing the compression on my data, sending me back a step up my evolutionary line towards what I had previously grown to. Last time I didn’t consume souls, or other digis though. It almost feels wrong to have given in, now that I’m no longer dark-data. What is that obnoxious buzzing that sounds like questions?

**Presently**Monoku/Jadramon

Our form stabilizes as Monodramon, and we fan our arm-wings experimentally. We glide slowly out of terminal velocity, and away from plunging into a boiling lake of lava.

Monodramon’s mind asks, Wait, we? Who’s in here with me?

Jaku’s mind responds, Uh. I’m pretty sure I just died. This is a really weird afterlife. Oh whoops, guess I gotta focus and keep that arm straight, sorry, um, me?

Monodramon’s mind complains, Great, a ridealong in my head, and of all the ones I could get, I get a total amateur!

Jaku’s mind apologizes in confusion, Woah, uh, seriously, sorry. I’m discombobulated, totally confused right now. A second ago I was melting from like, re-entry, trying to comfort some dying dragon-dude.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Monodramon’s mind mutters in frustration, That was me bonehead, sort of. I was so destroyed, I dropped all the way down to Tsunomon, but was still pretty close to my rookie stage, Monodra. I uh, sorta ate your soul to get my wings back so I wouldn’t splat.

Jaku’s mind balks in surprise, causing our body to blink in shock. I flub, accidentally losing our balanced glide for a moment, flapping frantically as I struggle to right our body. You what.

Monodramon’s mind offers with chagrin, Hey, no hard feelings, right? I’m sure your data will, like, bleed away eventually or something. Go to some afterlife or whatever you humans do.

Jaku’s mind reels incredulously, I facepalm, once again upsetting our precarious flight, since our wings are external fins on our forearms. Whoops, sorry.

Monodramon’s mind orders, Look, this is my body, so just, I don’t know, take a back seat or something. Let me drive.

Jaku’s mind tries to placate, Hey, if I could do that, I would. Probably. I mean, I like existing, and having at least some control over where I am, but, you know your body better than I do. Whoops. Seriously. I’ll get better. If I could hand over the wheel, I would. I swear.

Monodramon’s mind mutters in frustration, Ugh, rank amateur. I need to find somebody’s face to pound in to let off some stress.

The pair of minds coordinate as best they can, as best we can, as we scour the digiscape for a fight to jump in on. Apparently Monodramon are fairly famous for getting involved in fights, and being unrelenting.

Monodramon’s mind asks, Do you really have to sub-vocally narrate everything we do?

Jaku’s mind answers, I’m sorry, I can’t help it! It’s just how my brain has always worked.

Monodramon’s mind rolls our eyes as we finally come to a safe landing, our velocity having dropped enough after an incredibly long glide. Their mind drags us forcefully about near the edge of this volcanic plain, as we approach the Digital Ocean.

Jaku’s mind pokes at Monodramon’s memories, learning as much as it can about the Digital World, Digimon, and a lot more about reality than they expected.

Monodramon’s mind grumbles, Hey, be careful digging around in there. It’s not all fun and games. It was tough being dark-data, and not giving in to the hunger, not consuming digi-cores.

Jaku’s mind nods along empathetically, I’m sorry to hear that Monodra. Truly. I wish we could have met earlier. Whatever my soul did that stopped the dark-data bleed, I’m glad I could help in some way. I’ve, phew, I’ve been through some rough times too, where I was also pretty much going to die if I couldn’t find something to eat.

Monodramon’s mind grumbles, Shut it with the sappy stuff ya freak! Wait, really? I peek into the human’s memories a bit. They really did hit some rough patches, some really bad ones. I could maybe take it a little easier on them.

Monodramon’s mind roars, I told you to knock it off with that sub-vocal narration crap! I’m no sap, I’m not going to take it easier on you just because you think you thought you heard me thinking such a, a, a sappy crappy idea.

Jaku’s mind half frowns as it apologizes, I’m sorry Monodra. If it makes you feel any better, no one’s ever going to know. You could be as sappy as you want in here.

Monodramon’s mind grunts, Can it! Just shove it! Straight in your pie-hole. I aint no sap, and I aint thinking no sappy thoughts that you think you thought you heard me thinking.

Jaku’s mind shrugs apologetically as they help search for a fight to jump in on, I’ll do my best to shut up, but, well, the narration just seems to be a part of us now, sorry that your thoughts come along for the ride.

Monodramon’s mind growls, Aint my thoughts, punk! They flail our right arm towards, us? Aiming to strike something, but we simply step backwards, avoiding wasting our own energy injuring ourselves.

The two haven’t yet realized they’re becoming the three, the parts, and the sum of the whole pair. At least one of the two is quite immature in one regard or another. We have our work cut out for us.

Jaku’s mind fritzes in confusion, We, we what? I swear Monodra, that stuff just now wasn’t me.

Monodramon’s mind grunts, Shuddup punk, I don’t believe a word outta yer, uh, head!

See what we said? Immaturity. This relationship is going to take some work on all of our parts. Quite some work indeed.

Jaku’s mind is filled with fear at the thought of further angering Monodramon, I swear, I swear Monodra that’s not me. I’m trying not to be a bother, really I am. I don’t want you to hate me, but, but I, I don’t want to just exist in some silent box trapped at the back of a mind.

Monodramon’s mind chooses to ignore Jaku entirely for the time being. Silently grateful for their attempt, and infuriated with the third being now narrating their thoughts.

Monodramon’s mind howls in rage, Would you shuddup already?! Get the heck out of our, I mean, MY head!

Monodramon’s accidental admission of their acceptance of sharing their mind with Jaku begins to wear cracks in Monodramon’s facade. The facade still holds for the time being however. They will have to come to grips with it sooner rather than later though, as the Digiverse ripples, somehow the entire Digital World is in pain. Something serious is going down as Monodramon would put it. That would of course, be putting it far, far too lightly.

Even Monodramon’s mind perks up in response to the third being's proclamation, Digiverse is doing what now? Wait, the hell’s that ripple? It’s like shadows, but they’re spillin’ out like liquid. The. The hell’d the human get us into dragging us back to the Digital World?

Jaku’s mind offers apologetically, I truly, truly don’t know. I didn’t even know such a thing existed before a few minutes ago. I’m beyond confused. I don’t want us to die again Monodra. I can feel pain over in that direction, like the whole world hurts, and like that hurt is coming this way. Tell me what I can do. Teach me. Train me. I’ll do my best.

Monodramon’s mind rolls our eyes and acquiesces, Fine, ridealong, get this straight, that limb you got flapping around? That’s a deadly weapon. Ya see someone worth hitting, hit ‘em with it! That’s all there is to it.

We sympathize with Jaku as they try not to react to Monodramon’s ‘training.’ We would laugh if the situation weren’t so dire. This is a far less harmonious melding than the many possible realities we might have branched into. We are also at the mercy of the arrogance of a dragon.

Monodramon’s mind grumbles, Stuff it lamebrain.