Ashiteru, Vandemon…

[A/N: I warned you that my first fic would be a death-fic. Flame, review, whatever. This is going to use al lot of the Japanese terming, just look at the title. This takes place as if Apocalymon existed, a little bit afterwards when the kids are saying their goodbyes.]

[Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own this stuff.]

"Shinji?" Vandemon called through the Digiworld. His partner was nowhere in sight. Gennai had given them the news that the digimon had to stay behind. But he also said that Shinji's parents had been killed.

"Shinji!" Vandemon yelled again, "Kuso, where is she?" He had something important to tell her.

Shinji sat by a small pool of water that was by a large pile of rocks. She knew that the Digi-destined only had one more day in the Digiworld. Her mother and father were dead. "What am I going back to?" Shinji whispered, "I'm leaving the one I love and returning to my old life. Why?"

"Any sign of her?" Taichi asked solemnly. "Ine." Vandemon replied. "Where did she go to?" Takeru asked, "Don't you know, Gennai?" "Gomen." the man sighed, "But I haven't seen Shinji since I told you about leaving." "We have to leave tomorrow." Sora reflected quietly, "What do we do if she's not here with us?"

It was about an hour till the kids and digimon fell asleep. Shinji still hadn't returned. "Where are you, Shinji?" Vandemon whispered before drifting into sleep.

Shinji was up the whole night, thinking. "I can't stay here…" she mused silently, "And there's no point for me to return to the Real World… Oh, what am I supposed to do?!" The Ninth Digi-destined held her head in her hands, moaning softly.

"Shinji!" Vandemon called. Still his cry went unanswered. The Digi-destined had to leave the Digiworld by nightfall, or they would be trapped. "Shinji!" Vandemon called again.

Shinji still was thinking. Her heart was pained beyond belief. "I want to stay here, but it's too dangerous." she thought, "Vandemon-sama can't protect me forever. I'm too much of burden on everyone. Kami-sama, I'm pathetic…" Shinji pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something down.

"SHINJI!" Vandemon shouted. The sun was close to the horizon. If he didn't find Shinji, she would be stuck in the Digiworld until Kami knows when. A soft crinkling of paper made the tall vampire look down. It was a small letter and it had been caught under his boot. Vandemon knelt down and picked up the paper. It read: Vandemon-sama. Intrigued and confused, he folded open the letter and began to read.

Dear Vandemon-sama,

Gomen. I'm too pathetic to return to the Real World. My parents aren't alive anymore, and it's pointless for me to be there. And even if I stay, I'll be too much of a burden for you to take care of. I can't stand my own worthlessness anymore. Goodbye… My love.

Love, Shinji

Vandemon stood frozen in shock. He read over the letter one more time. Shinji, the caring, happy girl had written this? Vandemon looked up. The sun was almost below the horizon. "SHINJI NO!" Vandemon screamed, starting to run. He had no idea where Shinji was, but his heart seemed to draw him somewhere.

He ran for what seemed like an eternity. "SHINJI DON'T DO IT!" he shouted. He rushed into a clearing, breathing hard. His heart felt as if it would explode with elation when his eyes fell upon Shinji, her back to him. "Shinji-" he began, but never finished.

Shinji twitched and something dripped onto the grass. It was thick, and red. The fourteen-year-old fell forwards, blood flying from her already pale wrists.

Vandemon's throat ran dry and he dashed forwards. "Shinji no!" he whispered, "Dammit no!" He dropped to his knees and pulled Shinji gently into his arms. Her skin was almost as pale as his.

"Shinji…" Vandemon whispered. Shinji opened her eyes weakly at the sound of her name. She looked at Vandemon and nearly started to sob. "Why?" Vandemon asked, "Why did you do that?!" "Because I'm worthless." Shinji whispered, "I'd be too much of a burden on anyone if I kept living." "No!" Vandemon snapped, "You wouldn't have been a burden! I could have cared for you!" His midnight-blue eyes started to brim over with tears.

"V-Vandemon?" Shinji asked, her voice weak. "Nani?" Vandemon whispered back. "A-ashiteru, Vandemon…" Shinji whispered. Vandemon closed his eyes and slowly reached up to his face mask. "Ashiteru, Tenshi." he breathed, pulling the red metal away. Shinji looked at his face for the first and last time. She smiled, tears streaking silver lines on her pale face. Her hand reached up to Vandemon, but faltered. He took her pale, fragile hand in his own and kissed her for the final time.

Shinji's midnight-blue eyes slowly closed and she stopped moving. Vandemon pulled away. His mouth was full of Shinji's blood. He swallowed bitterly and sobbed. "Shinji…" he whispered, "Shinji no… Please Kami no…" But Shinji would never wake again.

Vandemon sobbed harder and harder, for he had never shed tears before. "Tenshi, you have returned from where you came…" he whispered, "And I will follow…" The anguished digimon pulled off his glove and placed his wrist underneath his sharp fangs. "Goodbye…" he whispered.

Vandemon ran his wrist cleanly on the point of his fang, slitting through the skin and vein. As the edges of his vision began to dim, Vandemon could have sworn that he saw Shinji open her eyes and smile, but ignored it and wrapped his arms tightly around his parted love. "Ashiteru, Tenshi." were Vandemon's final words.

The two lovers died in each other's arms and their bodies slowly vanished from existence. The Digi-destined had already departed for the Real World, without Shinji. But as the sun set, and they lost sight of the Digiworld, the children all saw two dim figures in the distance. The figures glimmered softly in the night sky, like two stars, and disappeared.

And in the spot Shinji and Vandemon had been, Shinji's silver digivice and her Crest of Understanding lay on the ground. The Crest and the digivice each had a drop of blood on them, each from the two lovers from two different worlds.