"Christmas," Kyubey said, "Is a holiday of religious significance when is celebrated in response to the birth of the central figure of one of the biggest religious currently active on this world. Contrary to popular belief, it was actually co-opted from another tribe of humans with different beliefs and used as a way to promote cooperation and assimilation of native cultures."
The cat-rabbit creature gave another shake of its body; piles of snow were sent cascading to the ground at the motion. The frozen grass of the park was already thick with the stuff, so that only here and there might you spoke a defiant outcropping of green. The frozen trees waved slowly in the chilly wind; their branches bowed with the weight of the snow. In the centre of the part, there was a small lake – now frozen over and glossy.
You stood at the edge of the lake. The ice looked to be quite thick, and the cold was enough to drive even the most hardy humans away from the place, but you weren't quite ready to walk on it just yet. Even if it couldn't kill you, going for a surprise dip in icy water wasn't your idea of fun. Kyubey, of course, was standing happily on the ice. Not for the first time, you considered shattering it and letting him fall in.
"That may be so." You said in response. " However, that was quite some time ago I am given to understand. Meanings shift over the centuries, and what may once have been a religious festival has taken other connotations since."
"Obviously." Kyubey said. "However, understanding of an origin is crucial in the understanding of the thing itself. The original roots may be lost, but the perception that they created will have been passed along the generations. Even if it is warped by time, shades of the original meaning can still be found within the festival. Therefore, one cannot understand a thing without knowing why it began."
"Perhaps." You had to allow. Also not for the first time, you mused on the alien creature called Kyubey and how intelligent he actually was. This was not your first meeting in this park; though usually they took place long after dark. Situated near the middle of the city, and away from your own region of control this was a comfortable place to meet in a neutral setting; though you would never like the creature and certainly had plans to deal with him in the future, the fact was that for now you had no way to permanently destroy him. Worse, he seemed to know it and so treated your veiled threats and implied abilities as a venue of new discovery rather than as an actual danger. You weren't even sure he entirely comprehended the concept.
One thing you were sure of was that he was constantly learning. Probing into your territory whenever he got the chance. You were sure he talked frequently with Sayaka, the other Magical Girl who made her home base in your part of the city, and that he was doing his very best to divine your true nature. Given that, it would seem that your best course of action would be to spend as little time as possible with him and indeed, initially you had tried to do just that. Now however, you were sure that eventually he'd figure it out with or without you. The least you could do was to keep an eye on him and see what he knew.
Hence these seemingly meaningless discussions that the two of you shared. The subject itself wasn't important; it was more about how you thought, how you each presented your argument. It was a game of subtle implications wherein you each tried to learn more about the other without giving away anything of your own.
"However." You began, marshalling your thoughts into a careful sentence. "The original meaning has been nearly entirely eclipsed by the modern incarnation of the event. I would wager that more use could be found looking into the current iteration than the past ones."
"What conclusions have you drawn then?" Kyubey cocked his head to the side, though his face was as blank as it ever had been. "I am interested to know. What is the meaning of Christmas?"
This was the challenge. Now, you had to present an answer with a sliver of truth, and yet one that did not betray too much of your thought processes. You decided to take refuge in an altered truth.
"It is a time of emotional release." You said. "Without point or purpose other than that it has always taken place. The buying of presents symbolises the renewing of family bonds, and the strengthening of the bonds of friends. It is a holdover from ancient times when it held much more importance and now is a shade of what it once represented."
"True." Kyubey agreed easily. "But not all of the truth."
"Then what have you come up with?" You asked. "And please don't tell me that there is no reason, emotionless you may be but I doubt you're that stupid."
"Humans attach a lot of importance to the event." Kyubey said with the unspoken implication that this meant his kind also placed a certain amount of importance in it. Like knowing the fields in which your cattle like to browse, you thought. "In actual truth, Christmas is about obligation. The giving of presents is representative of mutual obligation within the family unit. The young ones are given trifles and toys until they reach a certain age and then take on the duty for their own young."
"An interesting take on things." You wondered how much of it was actually how he thought.
"I could say the same to you." Kyubey countered. "I don't suppose you've reconsidered telling me just what kind of being you are, Myotismon? I have met many races, and yet none have the unique mix of abilities that you seem to enjoy."
"Now why would I tell you anything?" You let your mouth shift into a cocky grin. "It would spoil all the fun and take all the satisfaction from your mission."
" All right then." Kyubey said with his false amiability in full swing. "Then what about the Magical Girls who were attacked and their Soul Gems stolen? I can track every Soul Gem in this city, and yet only one was recovered. Moreover, something is hiding it from me. It is...vexing."
"I'm sure your own theories are superior to mine." Was all you said.
"My theories are many." He replied. "And I am sure that some of them are quite close to the truth. In time, I'll know everything about your kind."
"You sound certain."
"I have more time than you can believe." Kyubey said. "How long will it take to crack you secrets? A hundred years? A thousand? A million? We are very patient, and we don't grow bored. You've set me a task to catch my interest and now I intend to follow it up. Some day I will know exactly what you are."
"But not today, I think." You said. "So unless you have anything else to add, I think that this little discussion is at a close."
"As you wish." Kyubey. You turned away, and as you did so you heard the soft flutter of tattered wings; and a weight landed on the ground at your side. Jade; the Puella turned LadyDevimon nodded to you, and with only a slight glare at Kyubey, started to speak.
"Myotismon, we're done hunting for the day."
"Good." You inclined your head; Jade had always been a tricky one to predict. It seemed so long ago that she had been a young girl, wounded and in need of aid. Though you had bestowed her with some of your power in the hopes of creating a valuable minion, what you had ended up with was so much more. She had been a normal human at the time, and when she did contract with Kyubey later your latent power had reacted quite drastically.
You were not entirely sure what she was. Though shaped like the female equivalent of a Myotismon, she still held the magic that came of a contract and also wielded a Soul Gem that seemed not to require being recharged at all. One thing that you were sure of was that she exceeded your expectations, and was now your hand-picked second in command, or would be at least, once you had more to command than a handful of allies.
"How well did it go?" You asked. " I hope its not as messy as it was last time?"
Her lips twisted into a savage grin. "I caught a couple of muggers trying to take advantage of the snow."
Ah. The one flaw in Jade's otherwise outstanding record was her tendency towards white and black morality. A strange and ironic trait for a LadyDevimon. Though her own unique system of morals wouldn't exactly have jelled with that of, say, a Leomon for example, she held those who abused their power against the helpless in deep contempt. Indeed, you suspected it was that deeply held belief which had triggered her transformation. Much like, you sought to bring about a world without conflict; however, unlike you, she was much more proactive her in approach. Attacking anyone who would seem to threaten her ideal. Her loyalty to you was beyond reproach of course, but sometimes you wondered how she would perform on her own. A LadyDevimon with no regard for subtlety wouldn't last long in the Digital World.
"Humans consider murder to be an evil act, you know." Kyubey put in. "How much blood did you leave staining the snow?"
"Enough that a little bit more won't hurt." She gestured with her free hand, and a lance of darkness shattered the ice at his feet. The tiny creature fell into the churning water, and didn't re-emerge. "If only he'd stay like that." She muttered to herself.
Inside, you were shaking your head. So easy to get a rise out of her. Kyubey had won that little exchange and you suspected they both knew it.
"As much as I have been wanting to do that all day." You said. " He does have a point. Murder is obvious, and the humans don't often fail to notice."
"Please." She said. "I might have wanted to kill them, but the scum didn't deserve the time it'd take to do it. Since I couldn't find a Witch to feed them to either, I just scared them a bit."
"Very well. And the rest of the hunt?"
"Sayaka tracked and killed two Witches on her own. ChaosGallantmon helped of course, but you know he is still recovering from his wounds."
The dark-knight had been badly injured some time before during a battle with a rampaging mega level Digimon. Though you hadn't been present for the fight, as you understood it he'd definitely been on the winning side.
"Phantomon?"
"Didn't do much." She sighed in mock resignation. "He has been busy with getting ready for the holiday. I don't think Madoka has let him out of her sight."
You muffled a snort. Of course. Phantomon was your oldest ally in the Real World, and the only one still alive who had known you before your Fall into the Dark Area. The fact that he had so quickly developed such a powerful bond with a young human was both amusing and surprising. It seemed he had been much more idealistic than he ever appeared.
"And you?"
"I killed one Witch." She held her hand up to forestall your comment. "Only because it was the last one in this part of the city. What with the hunting we've been doing lately, there aren't many left. I think we're killing them faster than they can multiply."
"Don't worry." You said. "In my experience, when dealing with creatures like these as soon as you think you are done a new wave of them will often turn up. Do you have the Grief Seeds?"
"Of course." Jade handed them to you, and you examined them in the light. Such small things to be the source of such power. Twisted black shapes, each one unique in its own way. You felt them in your hand, pulsing with a sleeping strength that was hard to ignore. They were the corrupted form of Soul Gems, to any Puella Magi they were vital for continued survival. For you? Well, you were not too sure just yet. All you knew was that they resonated with the dark power that birthed you, and that you had high hopes for how they would turn out.
You also had one other reason that you wanted them, but you were keeping that close to your chest for now. Anubismon, a mega level Digimon with far more power than most, was using them for his own research. Though his charge was only the souls of the Digital World, he seemed to hold quite an interest in Soul Gems and Grief Seeds. As such, you had learned that in return for supplying them he often let drop hints or important information. Your alliance with the Council had been one of need, not desire and you were unsure how long it would last now that the threat was removed. It paid to know all you could.
"So what will you do now?" Jade asked. "I am going to patrol the city for a while, and see if I've missed any Witches. Could use some company."
You glanced upwards; the sun was still high in the sky, though the trailing fog which you had called up when the meeting began did shield you from the harmful effects of its rays. A vampire, even a digital one, did not like being caught out during the day.
Then again, Jade was your apprentice, and would eventually be your second in command. If you died, or were otherwise rendered unable to continue, you knew full well she would assume the burden of your duties even though you had never discussed it. Perhaps now was the time to pass on some wisdom?
You decided....
[] That you would drop in on Anubismon. Trading Grief Seeds for information had proven profitable so far.
[] That you would return to your dwelling. The sun was still up, and you didn't want to bother shrouding the whole city in mist just to move around.
[] That you would stalk the city on your own for a while; allies were all well and good, but depending on others too much could be dangerous.
[] Other