Reader is one of the many unfortunate people to have a digimon partner in a purge timeline, Angewomon (She/They/Its) is not ready to leave its trainer behind.
This wasn't fair, you sat staring at the countdown displayed on the large screen usually used for advertisements in the town Square, 71 hours 43 minutes and 13 seconds, and counting, the counter invaded every part of every individuals life to some it meant nothing, others a time slot where the Internet went down but for you and others like you? It was the end of your world as you'd become accustomed to.
Three days, the digital world, or homostasis or whatever has control over the digital alternate reality of digital monsters had given you three days to say your goodbyes before it would unleash a virus to kill and purge all previous data to improve efficiency, your digimon was going to be permanently erased to free up some hard drive space.
The anxiety spread across the globe like the plague that was coming, some people turning near insane with the maddening reality their close bonds were ending, some of them your age even older bonds that have lasted years, or worse the children clutching in training digimon crying not knowing why they'd be losing their best friend unable to comprehend.
You hold the hot beverage in both hands but, it brings no warmth even as you look to your angel, floating just there holding its own mug specially bought at the market looking out the window at the garden you'd planted that you'd both planned to harvest this year for the first time since moving in, they delicately sipped their drink watching the trees faintly sway in the breeze. You could only hold your own cup in anger, this wasn't fair, you were meant to enjoy the fruits of your labor together! How were you expected to go about this alone?! After all this time.
You'd seen the articles, the statistics but never gave it much mind, always thought the digital world couldn't get overcrowded you wouldn't be a generation that saw a purge! And here it was!! 66 hours away! You must've made a noise because the soft gloved hand touched your cheek and they smiled at you tenderly as you made approximate eye contact through the mask.
"aren't you?" you could barely croak, with the angel watching you patiently, 'burningly' she left unsaid, her thumb silently wiped under your eye, "let's not weep for me, you, deserve to feel joy have joy, we, should enjoy the time we have together," their voice was like listening to a choir, harmonised layered and beautiful and only for you. It moved to wrap its arms around your shoulders and the cool mask nuzzled your skin, her wings weren't feathery as you'd learnt but a delicate soft fur like the finest coat you wondered if it was similar to a seal or mink, either way those luxurious wings brushed your body in the embrace, an affectionate action they danced around you.
It was so fucking sick. You had to go about your day, knowing each second slipped away, you didn't even want to sleep, what good would being unconscious so many hours do?! You lasted until about 00:47 am, with Angewomon softly fretting the whole time that you should rest, sat up slightly slumped on your phone desperately communicating to other digimon holders to find a way to stop this massacre. They tenderly took the phone from your hand and placed it to charge, and then the hands moved to maneuver and place your sleeping form into a more comfortable position, tucked in the pillow at the just right fluffiness.
It liked you when you were asleep like this, only it got to look at you this way, nobody else, snuggled to her own cushion her fingers traces your sleeping features, cheek to your jawline, tracing back to below the ear then down the side of your neck. A ritual she did since digivolution, grateful for her fingers as she found them tenderly twirling the strands of hair, once more committing the texture length strength cleanliness entirely to memory in safe keeping, everything about you she saved and kept and not even the sin of wrath could carve it from their data. As the thoughts of a lover crept like a virus into her thoughts laying with you caressing your hair like this it delicately plucked a hair and brought it to its body placing the blessed strand on her tongue and disappearing it into her mouth. They were the only one and would be the only one.
"What, would you like to do?" Your words were gentle and awkward, you probably had less than 48 remaining and you wanted to do something nice with your angel, she floated idly about milling as they often did, seeming to muse the question, really all they wanted to do was stay here with you, wrapped up together breathing in your very air breath and essence hands clutching your clothing, hair, your flesh.
"Why don't we go to that aquarium we've been dying to go to together?" it offered you warmly, didn't want to actually go outside but you'd always said you'd go to this place and never did, as much as they desired to be selfish the thought of lazing around doing nothing rather than enriching you both with new memories would surely come to haunt you once she left, and they weren't about to do that to you. So on a day out you went, so you had those pleasant memories, of the places you'd always wanted to go finally visited.
You saw many other digimon and people while you were out, other digimon holders and even just wild digimon enjoying the last days alive strays once chased off with brooms like common dogs now offered food from street vendors, you saw multiple baby pokemon gathered on and around an elderly lady in the park as she softly read them stories with them nestled into her clothes like doting grandchildren, an Elekmon lounging under the bench dozing in the shade but alert.
There was also protests, people loudly chanting marching down the street signs and microphones yelling about the injustice. Angewomon guided you away before some protestor tried to shove a mic in your face and record you for videos and tiktoks without your pregiven consent feeling entitled to your opinion as a someone with a digimon.
The aquarium was quiet surprisingly save for other people with digimon, everyone likely out and about with their daily lives or protesting or enjoying their last hours with their digimon elsewhere. A child held up a Gomamon to the fish, starting to talk about them before they inevitably started to break down into tears after mistakenly claiming 'Maybe you'll get to eat some someday if I become a fish person,' presumably meaning marine biologist before the tears got them as they realised that future won't happen, their Gomamon won't be there anymore for it. It was quite sad really, you missed the way Angewomons lips grew into a thin annoyed line as she could sense how these other people were making you upset. Regardless you looked at the fish, it pointed them out telling you about them from the information available, or being silly just for you telling you that that fish was called Frank and he was a divorce attorney, and that was one was Clementine and she was a bitch to underpaid store clerks.
You got a fridge magnet and key chain from the souvenir shop at the end of it all, to remember the day, the good of the day not, the other connotations, Angewomon rolled their eyes so hard they got a mild headache under her mask as the child was also there and still crying or crying again talking with their digimon about how they'd get this seal plushie so they'd always be together.
They guided you through the market, for trinkets and snacks, you went into a photobooth together something you'd not really done ever and got your photos taken together, "that way you can keep this happy memory forever, you could get it saved digitally and it'd be like I'm right there, you can keep me in a key chain even," they softly nuzzled their face against you, "you could keep it in a pocket next to your heart," their more intense tendencies lost on you, the action just felt sweet.
Dinner back home was quiet, as you both knew that tomorrow was your last day together, "do, you want to go to that park we'd play in as kids? When you were still a salmon?" you asked hesitantly, it was a few hours away by train as you'd moved away from home but it's where you'd first met, it, felt fitting to go there together and,,
"Yes, we can have a picnic, like we used to, and lay on a blanket in the shade," their ethereal tones took you from your dark thoughts, nodding quietly, it was settled. It insisted upon you going to bed at a decent time to be up and ready in time for catching the appropriate transport, and though you didn't want to lose time you went to bed, with her besides you on the large mattress, how empty it was going to feel...
She moved silently when you finally drifted off to make the prep work for the picnic, they weren't about to let you do all the work for it and waste time that could be used together in grassy fields, making sandwiches and other bits that would survive being in the fridge overnight ready to throw in a chill bag in the morning, before she returned up to the bedroom, listening at the door just to appreciate the sound of your breathing, your sleepy mumbles and the subtle rustle of blankets as you shifted in your sleep. She returned by your side without waking you, and performed her last nightly ritual, palm of her hand caressing your face, feeling your warmth your settled warm pulse, you were breathtaking.
She woke up gently, like the little personal alarm clock she was whispering the time against your hair above the shell of your ear, letting you know you had time to lie in bed before getting up, before pulling away to prepare breakfast. You enjoyed those moments in bed before the dread and anxiety settled heavy in your chest like a sleeping gatomon, it was the last day. The floorboards creeked as you got up swiftly and dressing making yourself presentable, thankful for the clothes already left on the bed by Angewomon to make sure you were dressed appropriately for the day and headed downstairs to not waste a single moment.
It handed you your morning drink, and food, like any other day and smiled at you leaning over so it's nose softly pressed against your forehead, "do not let guilt fester in you, I want to take care of you, you need not worry about making this so important for me," at seeing the rising guilt in your eyes that you didn't make them breakfast that you weren't taking care of them. "You're all I need, taking care of you makes me happy," as it gently pushed you into your seat to eat.
"Angie I should really be making the picnic, not stuffing my face," you tried, "it is already done," you could've sworn her voice was made of the most heavenly bells that rang a song more captivating than any siren, "prepared last night, we can catch the first bus and enjoy the hours we have," the tear that rolled out your eye confused it, catching the tear on her thumb and examining it.
"No, no just," you sniffed hard and wiped at your face, "just sucks, don't it?" They only gave a silent nod, licking the tear from their thumb as you ate, understanding that you were grieving her already because before the day was over she'd be gone.
Chill picnic bag packed with food crisps and drinks, outting bag prepared, all money and such accounted for because the last thing you wanted was to arrive there and have no money to pay for the train, you set off. Others sometimes asked why you didn't have your digimon fly you places, but, that felt rude? She wasn't a ride, but a person, to you at least, wouldn't it tire her out? And, admittedly, it was nice to be able to go places go into the public and not be alone, have somebody sitting besides you who'd keep you safe. You saw more people and their digimon trying to squeeze in that extra time together, watching the world from your train seat window. You couldn't believe the world was about to change forever in the blink of an eye.
When you arrived you had 5 hours remaining, and it was a gorgeous day, you barely even knew what to do with yourself, Angewomon pulled you to the surprisingly deserted playpark, "where is everyone, you'd think there'd be hundred of kids here?"
"School, I read the facilities were very strict and weren't going to allow students to miss attendance for this as they had the weekend." You frowned, how incredibly bleak. And cruel. She gently pushed your chest and you sat in the swing, and she sat besides you, letting herself sway back and forth idly the metal link chains squeaking faintly.
It was, almost dystopian here you were at an empty park from your childhood home sat on a swing with your digimon and she'd be dead before you knew it, a wet drop hit your hand and you looked up at the clear sky for the offending cloud, sniffing as tears ran down your cheeks, your shoulders trembling and your breaths shallow as the sob wrecked through your chest finally. The squeaking stopped as you finally, cried.
"A,, aAHH-Hhhihhhaaa" the sound from your throat didn't even feel like your voice as the soft wail escaped your lips drifting out choked and hiccing, you couldn't even muster the energy to scream, it felt pathetic it felt childish it felt wrong, sniffing hard through your nose more tears rolling down your cheeks gasping in short breaths as the delicate hand stroked your back, you leant forward and continued to sob and wail into your hands shoulders raising and falling as Angewomon pet your back softly, letting you cleanse yourself with tears you'd been denying.
She offered you tissues to clean your face once you'd quietened feeling snotty and crusty, "t-Than-k you," blow your nose hard ignoring the slight blood from a minor ruptured vessel not enough to cause a nose bleed just enough to bloody your snot your bodies way of saying that was some intense crying, a new tissue to wipe your eyes and hands rubbing your eyes with the back of your hands to give your damn lashes a wipe.
"better?" ",,,no, not really" it caressed your cheek and jaw softly, "it will eventually," helping you up you throw away the tissues and set up picnic in the shade, she makes you drink water and eat some fruit to rehydrate and heal as she puts it.
Some more humans show up, with digimon or not some just have regular dogs, you could've sworn you heard Angewomon quietly growling as somebodies dog wandered too close to your picnic basket watching the dog scamper off tail between it's legs.
"You're so mean," you laugh softly before cringing, you didn't want that to be the last thing you said to her, "I'm not mean, mean would be using celestial arrow," her little fang became visible as she smirked, "simply guarding what's mine" they teased warmly and you rested against her, "besides this is a no off leash zone," you couldnt help laugh at her chuntering.
The sun slowly dragged herself in her display across the sky, her backup dancer clouds cascading and decorating the sky in displays and swirls, "what, happens," it was soon, "do," your throat tightened. Did she have to go to the digital world? Maybe they could just stay here indefinitely and then it'd be safe! They never traveled to the digital world anyways.
"The virus will be mass downloaded into the codes all digital monsters," your chest tightened, you hugged her arm quietly, "I, I don't want you to go"
"I know," she stroked your hand softly that rested on her arm sighing softly as she slowly detangled you both, her fingers interlocked with yours briefly before parting, standing and stepping into the grass, "thank you, for being my human, for being the one for me, for, everything, I've spent so long trying to imagine the right words but," she turned to look at you and simply smiled bright and warm, 00:00:00.
All at once every digimon went tense like their circuits were being fried, Gazimon, Tsunomon, Ogremon and Megadramon around the world started to disintegrated and the world seemed to scream with the pleas and begs of all humanity of all tamers across the world, please, not my friend not my partner.
'This wasn't fair' her wings were disintegrating in slow motion, data sparkles deleting staring at you sinking to her knees slowly, 'no, I'm not ready to accept this!' you try to stand to rush to dash to catch her but everything so slow, 'I won't let this be the end, I can't die like this, I won't let myself die like this,' it grasped to the concept of it's data core even as its different layers and mapping were deleted, mask broken and looking at you with bright eyes.
For you it was mere second she went stiff and started to rapidly disintegrate falling to their knees, your digivice greyed off and then it exploded outwards the alien metal swirling and turning and reforming rapidly and although foolish you grabbed the glowing form. It was hot. It burned your hands. But there. A reformed digivice sporting a large X pattern, and a blinding bursting of light as the screen lit up.
Arm up to protect your face multiple feathered wings softly flapped and when you finally dared look, the seraphim like angel was smiling back at you adoringly, her ornate sleeves swayed as the digimon cupped your face,
"A-Angie?" you'd never seen this form before, the flowing white made it almost like a wedding dress though the new mask made her look like the pope. Golden wings, two of them and 4 more, six, six wings not even counting the wing like structures of the bow she clearly had all the time now, a permanent trait? Her clothes still a beautiful wedding gown.
"You're beautiful," and she laughed, and the heavenly bells of her voice soothed your soul even as you slipped to your knees, they softly pet your face.
"You are the reason I have ascended, I am no longer just Angewomon, I am x-antibody," you sniffled softly at her warm tones moving your hands to softly grasp her arms.
"Y-you, you can be whatever f-form," you look up at her eyes earnest gratitude longing and relief clear, "as long as it means you're coming home"
The multiple wings embrace you, hold you close, "I'm always home with you, but, yes, I am also still coming home." her heaven drowned out all the despair while others now embraced a new future of loneliness, you embraced her.