Don't Fear The Reaper [Naoko] [Spirit Hunt]

The Daemon nodded at Titania.
"Very well, Titania. My name is Charon. I have no desire to abuse that trust, in fact, I appreciate it."
One Naoko and Titania had boarded the ship, Charon pushed the boat away from the pier, and headed out onto the river.
"I live out on an island in the middle of the river, where I collect things that are lost and forgotten, as they often end up in this river. I also fish the souls of Digimon out of the river. They sometimes end up here when they cannot properly reincarnate, yet refuse to give up on life. Before they become a malevolent force, I give them a shape, and a safe place to live on in. I make sure they are contend there."
Out of the mist, the shape of an island became visible. As the barge drew closer, the two girls could see that the island was covered in dark foliage, similar to the thorny flora of the main Dark Area. Yet these plants had no thorns, no gnarled trunks and no flesh-eating buds. They were just flowery shrubs and trees, with black leaves, and luminescent edges, dousing the island in a faint glow.
"There it is, my home."

Charon stirred his oar in the red, murky water, and thought about it. An orange Dracomon?
"A Dracomon? I cannot say I saw one. But I did see an orange Wormmon. Perhaps they are related? I can certainly introduce you."
Once they arrived, Otohime jumped out of the boat.
"He's here, I can feel it!"
With that, she ran inland, leaving Charon, Titania and Naoko behind. The Daemon blinked, then chuckled.
"You have quite the odd friend, human."
He tied his boat to the pier, then followed the dirt path leading further into the island. Unlike most places in the Dark Area, this place felt...quiet, almost serene...

"Where do the dead lurk? That is easy. I keep them close to my dwelling, so they feel safe."
Indeed, the narrow forest path soon opened into a large clearing, illuminated by the bioluminescent plants, and the large fireplace in the middle. At the north end of the clearing, near the fireplace, was a simple, two-storey brick house. The house was surrounded by all sorts of things Naoko would classify as junk, like old clocks, a shopping cart, messages in a bottle or old technology. Charon likely put them there, as they looked well taken care of and arranged with aesthetics in mind. Around the fireplace, trees stood, their branches heavy with tiny houses. Many copies of the big brick house hung on the thick branches, with tiny wooden bridges connecting them, a miniature village in each tree. And now, near the fireplace, there sat Otohime, surrounded by giggling Digignomes, hugging a little orange Digignome and crying. Digignomes were so rare that even Ayumi only knew their name. And yet, there was a whole swarm of them right here.
"And this is where I live. With all my proteges."

The tiny Digignomes floated up and circled the Daemon while giggling. A few even hugged the demon lord's head. They clearly adored him, and his smile showed that he adored them. Soon, their attention was drawn by Titania. They floated over and encircled her, too. While they all had similar body builds, certain details like wings or facial structures belied the true nature of their data. One had the draconic features of a Guilmon, another carried the mechanic traits of a Machinedramon, and so on.

As Naoko said his name, the orange gnome looked up. Indeed, his features were more Wormmon than Dracomon, but the colour, and the look in his eyes, made it clear: This was indeed Jiro.

Charon sat down by the fire, giving Otohime the respectful distance she deserved in her highly emotional moment. The Sukeban was bawling her eyes out and hugging the gnome close to her heart.

A few Digignomes settled down on Titania's shoulders, clearly surprised, but pleasantly so, over the appearance of a Digimon that wasn't Charon. They chattered at her, clearly speaking, but they did not use a language Titania could decipher.

Watching Otohime still hugging Jiro, Charon just hummed thoughtfully in a deep, sonorous voice.
"When Digimon wash up in the river, their Data is usually beyond repair. They cannot reincarnate properly for varying reasons, and slowly decay into nothingness. This form, the form of the Digignome, is one of a much smaller data size, without losing sapience or any memory. The only price is defenselessness and inability to speak our language. I turn the remains of the lost Digimon into these forms to allow them to live on, without forgetting their pasts."

The gnomes surrounded Titania, chattering and giggling, clearly amused by her lack of understanding. One of them, a girly-looking one resembling an Angewomon, floated towards Titania's face, and put one stubby arm to her forehead.
Titania's mind was flooded with memories and notions. Birth. Youth. Friendship. Adulthood. Love. Marriage.
...
Betrayal. Death.
Through the notions and images, she could see the gnome's face, looking determined. Then, when everything had washed over her, it nodded.
"To witness is to understand.", said the gnome. Titania could understand her.

Otohime kept hugging Jiro.
"It's clear what we're gonna do. I'm takin' Jiro back with me, we'll eat Melonpan, and he will be happy."
Charon rubbed his chin.
"That is not possible."
"Eh? The fuck does that mean!?"
"It is as I say it. It is not possible for a DigiGnome to leave this island. The river has already claimed part of their Data. And it is hungry for the rest. Even if you carried him above the river via flight, it would still inevitably claim the rest of him. It takes a Demon Lord, a being of authority in the darkness, to take something out of the river's grasp in the first place. But it will let a morsel escape only once."
The Daemon stared into the fire. Otohime stared at him in disbelief.
"That can't be it! I didn't come here to find him to just leave him behind! I refuse."
Charon looked her over.
"There is... -one- way, but there is risk involved."
"I don't give a fuck about risk, I'll take it!"
The Daemon hummed sonorously to himself. Then, with a movement of his hand, something rattled on his endless shelves of salvage. Two white, blank statues came floating over. They radiated power, but had no traits. One resembled a mannequin. Another resembled a featureless horse.
"These...are spirits. Spirits, robbed of their identity by the river. Jiro could merge his data with them. But that would mean opening your body to the dangers of the digital world."
"Eh? The Hell does that mean?"
"...Miss Naoko, you seem to know how to speak Otohime, could you fill her in on the nature of Spirit Evolution?"