Me: I have recently been thrown back into a couple of my older fandoms, one of them being "Digimon." So, here's a new fanfic for the season!
Disclaimer: I don't own "Digimon" or the excerpt of "Yuuhi no Yakusoku." They belong to Akiyoshi Hongo, Bandai, Toei Animation, Index Music, etc.
Warmth
"Great, I'm the first one here." She sighed irritably and her breath condensed in the cold air. The girl stood inside the vacant shelter and contemplated her surroundings as she folded her arms to keep herself warm. It had been a while since she'd been here, but it still looked the same as last time.
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the ground. It was hard to believe that the immense hole Guilmon had dug was covered in concrete, for it was here that Takato had discovered another portal to the Digital World. A part of her was still sore that they couldn't go back to find their partners, but it was the logical thing to do. The Digital World was massive and their Digimon could have been in any of those planes they had been thrown into when they had been looking for Culumon. The trip then wasn't without its mishaps, and surely another involving searching for several of their digital companions would be more problematic. So it was with counsel from Yamaki and Jenrya's father that the decision to seal the portal was determined. If left unsupervised, it easily could have lead to Wild Ones breaking through; and without their Digimon, there wasn't much the Tamers could do to protect the city.
She kicked the bottom of her boot across the cement in frustration. The resulting sound was joined by footsteps hurdling up the stone steps which lay just outside. Turning, the girl saw the colours yellow and blue bobbing towards her amidst a mess of brown hair. It was from the exhausted boy who soon stumbled into the shelter, struggling to catch his breath while looking up at her.
"R-Ruki! Hi!"
"Takato, did you run all the way here?"
"Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "I thought I was going to be late."
"Uh-huh…" She looked him up and down. The jacket he was wearing appeared suspiciously thin, and other than that he was absent of any appropriate outerwear for the current weather. "You do know it's winter, right?"
"Well, I was in a rush and only had time to put my jacket on."
"You could at least have grabbed a hat instead of those goggles."
He gave her a strange look and replied, "Eh? But I always wear my goggles when I go out," having missed her point completely.
Ruki closed her eyes and sighed. "Anyway, do you know why Jen called us here?"
"No, do you?"
"If I did I wouldn't have asked you." She once again gazed around her. The emptiness of the room and seasonal weather echoed with a chill that had little to do with the temperature. "Why did he want us to meet here again?" Ruki muttered half to herself. She shoved her gloved hands into her pockets and shuddered. "It's so cold now."
Her feelings reached Takato; he knew what she meant. The boy easily empathized, being in the place where he had kept Guilmon so many months ago, and having lost him the same way as his fellow Tamers. Yet, even though their Digimon were no longer with them… "No… it's still warm."
Ruki looked up at him questionably.
Suddenly aware of how peculiar this may have sounded, Takato stuttered, "I mean, uh… it has…" He paused. "… warm memories."
The unchanging stare Ruki had set upon him was making Takato feel increasingly uncomfortable and doubtful of what he said. Finally, she responded, "… I can't believe you seriously just said that."
"Uh…" Takato sheepishly reddened.
"Hey! Are you two on a date?" a voice hollered from outside.
Takato jumped and whipped round to the doorway. "J-Jen! What's with saying that all of a sudden?"
Ruki virtually didn't react, other than to the way Takato had gotten so easily wound up. "It's only because I said that about the two of you before."
Jenrya joined them in the shelter and grinned. "Except I don't find it creepy."
This time Ruki riled, and the flush on her face from the cold seemed to brighten. "Look, did you call us here to make fun of us or do you have a good reason?"
"Sorry, I was just kidding," he chuckled, "and yes I have a good reason. Here, these are your presents." Jenrya held out an extravagantly decorated bag to each of his friends.
Takato took his with surprise. "You're giving these to us now?"
"Yes. My family is going to Hong Kong during the winter break so I won't be here to give them to you any time closer to Christmas."
Ruki made a face. "Why didn't you tell us you would be giving these to us when you phoned? We could have given you ours too."
"That's okay, actually," Takato interjected. "I haven't finished making your presents yet."
Stunned expressions took Ruki and Jenrya's faces. "You're making them?" they chorused.
"Uh, yeah… is that strange?"
A smile graced Jenrya's features. "No, I'm actually impressed."
"It doesn't matter to me either way," replied Ruki.
"Ah… okay." Takato pondered the difference of opinion of these answers.
"So what are you two going to do over the break?" Jenrya asked.
Takato happily responded first. "I'm going to Okinawa again, this time with my parents."
Jenrya remembered the last time Takato traveled to Okinawa along with him. Though the vacation turned out to be generally far from relaxing, it was an experience neither of them could forget. "Ah, tell Kai and your grandfather hello for me."
"Sure!" he chirped.
Their attention then went to Ruki, awaiting an answer from her that may never have come under certain circumstances. She was quite aware of this, and awkwardly replied, "My mother is trying to clear her schedule so we can spend the break together."
"That's great, Ruki!" Takato genuinely cheered for her.
"Sounds nice," Jenrya agreed.
By now they were both at least somewhat aware of Ruki's unstable relationship with her mother, and even the slightest sign of them getting closer was warrant for excitement.
A gust of cold wind blew into the room, the three of them bracing themselves against the frigid air. The lightly clad Takato however, couldn't hold back a sneeze.
"Takato, are you okay?" Jenrya asked as the wind died down. "Do you have a cold?"
"I'm fine, it was just a sneeze."
"Still, sneezes are suspicious around this time of year. Why are you still not wearing a winter jacket?"
"I've been meaning to look for it but I keep getting distracted by other things. My mom's been getting pretty annoyed with it, haha…"
The utter scatterbrained nature Takato had on display was tugging at Ruki's nerves with increasing vigor. It eventually snapped. "Mou! You should be dressed more warmly in this weather!" She roughly undid the scarf around her neck and shoved it into Takato's arms. "You're so hopeless sometimes."
He blinked bewilderedly at the scarf now in his possession, then at her. "Eh? What's this for?"
"You're walking home, aren't you?" she said as indifferently as possible. "You shouldn't let that sneeze grow into anything worse."
"O-Oh… thanks, Ruki." Takato offered her a grateful smile. It might have come out awkward as there was an anxious feeling that had decided to settle within him.
"Just make sure to give it back to me," Ruki retorted, though she chose not to look at Takato as she said this.
The goggled boy gazed down at the scarf in his hands. "I will."
Jenrya's eyes glanced between the two, not unlike that time back in the underground tunnel. Although now, he had a better understanding of what was going on. He must have, or he wouldn't have made those comments that he did when he greeted them. Chuckling to himself, Jenrya thought, 'It's amazing what time can do to a person.'
- - -
The location of her room could be such a pain. If she wanted access to the rest of the house, she would need to go outside where she was subject to the elements before finding cover in an adjacent room. It was particularly annoying when it was cold, so after school Ruki decided to lie in the sitting room, staring up at the ceiling.
She was seriously considering how this year's holiday would go. It had been long time since she was able to fully embrace the holidays. Ruki thought back on what she had told Takato and Jenrya in Guilmon's shelter. It wasn't like her mother was always busy around this time. In fact, her family always made an effort to bring her into the spirit of things, but there was always something holding her back. Last year though, she was sure that barrier had cracked. Last year, she had Renamon to experience the holidays with her, along with the boys and their partners she had met earlier in the year. Somehow it filled in part of what was missing in her life. It wasn't the same as having him back, but it did make her feel better.
Suddenly she jolted up into a sitting position when she felt vibrations in her pocket. Scolding herself for getting startled, she reached in and pulled out the cellphone her mother had bought her. Ruki had insisted she didn't need her own, but her mother rebutted with comments such as, "What if you get into trouble?" and "This way I can contact you any time!" She yielded to her mother's enthusiasm, and it was now a personal habit for Ruki to carry the cellphone in place of her digivice, no matter where she was.
Glancing at the display, her brow furrowed when she read who was calling her. 'Matsuda?' She flicked it open and answered. "Hello?"
A weak voice at the other end responded, "Hi, Ruki…"
"Takato? What's wrong, you don't sound well."
"Yeah…" he laughed feebly. "That's probably because I'm sick."
"You're what!?" Ruki leant over the table beside her to brace herself. "What are you doing calling me if you're sick?"
"I wanted to let you know that I probably won't be able to return your scarf any time soon because of it."
"Don't worry about that," she calmly replied. "Just take it easy and get back to bed, okay?"
"Yeah, I am feeling a little woozy standing here in the kitchen," he mumbled.
"That's why you need to rest," Ruki insisted, wondering why he was bothering to tell her this.
"Mhmm…"
There was a pause between the lines, and for a moment Ruki speculated that Takato may have hung up without saying goodbye. However…
"So… how was your day, Ruki?"
The girl nearly banged a fist on the surface of the table. "Takato, I told you go to bed!"
"I know, but I thought it'd be rude to not ask how you are."
The urgency to return him to resting was wrestling with her desire to reprimand him. "I'm-!" Her rising voice fell as her mother walked into the room with a smile on her face. Modesty overrode her heated sentiments, and in a considerably softer tone she replied, "I'm fine, alright? I have to go now. Bye, then," and she flipped the top of her phone down.
Rumiko knelt next to her daughter and cheerfully said, "I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Mama."
"Ruki, guess what?" her mother beamed. "I got it! I got time off during the break, so we've got Christmas together!"
A warm swelling in her chest developed at the news. She looked at her mother; happiness reflected in her eyes which she felt as well. Ruki smiled. "I'm glad." Rumiko flung her arms around Ruki and pulled her into a hug. As she released her, Rumiko's eyes caught sight of the cellphone resting on the table.
"Do you like your phone?"
Her daughter reached over and clasped it in her hand caringly. "Yes, I do."
The reply gave birth to another wave of delight within Rumiko. "You sounded pretty livid when I came in."
"It was just Takato," Ruki sighed, now reminded of their conversation. "He's sick. I think it's because he wasn't bundled enough the other day."
"Sick, huh…" Unexpectedly, Rumiko's face lit up. "I know! We should make him some rice porridge!" She stood and headed for the kitchen, signaling for Ruki to come with her.
"Ehh?" Ruki staggered as she hurriedly got up to follow. "Wait Mama, I'm sure Takato's parents are already doing enough to take care of him." When she caught up with her mother, Ruki found that she was already rummaging for an appropriate pot.
"I know Ruki, but it wouldn't hurt for us to do something for him as well." Rumiko dragged a steel pot out of the cupboard and placed it on the stove. "Ruki, can you get the rice and measure about three cups to wash? I'm going to check with your grandmother what the water to rice ratio should be."
Before Ruki could object any further, Rumiko had already gone to look for her grandmother. The young girl glanced about the kitchen and resignedly sighed. How did this happen?
- - -
It were times when he was ill that he realized how much he didn't take the time to appreciate when he was healthy. He also used this moment to reflect on how Ruki was probably right after all… he shouldn't have stayed on the phone talking to her; his throat was now sorer than before. During his bedridden state, Takato kept flipping over into alternative positions in an effort to subdue his stuffy noise. In the end, he would resort to blowing futilely into a tissue, with no improvements. As he dropped one such casualty into his wastebasket, a knocking arrived at his bedroom door. Takato mumbled miserably, "Come in…"
The door slid open and Jenrya emerged from behind it. "Hey, Takato. How are you feeling?" He reached back to shut the door.
Groaning, Takato muttered, "Winter break is starting and I'm sick… I feel terrible."
"Ah, well here's your schoolwork. Sorry if that makes you feel worse," he teased. Jenrya placed the stack of papers on Takato's desk, next to a basin of water with a cloth floating on its surface.
Takato uttered another moan and pulled the sheets up over himself. He didn't want to so much as think about the work he'd have to do once he was better, let alone look at the offending pile. Resting on the top bunk of his bed didn't help to ignore it either.
Jenrya pulled out the chair at the desk and settled in. "So how was it when Hirokazu and Kenta visited you?"
The ill boy peeked from under the sheets. "They told me about the new Digimon Card Game booster. They brought me a couple as gifts." Takato jerked his head to where the packs lay on his desk. "And… Katou-san came by too." More colour appeared on his reddened face. "She said she was worried, and… something about this feeling like a manga. I didn't really understand that part."
"Oh, is that so? Hmm…" From overhearing his older sister Jaarin's television dramas, Jenrya had a fairly good idea of what Juri had meant.
Growing uncomfortable with this subject now that it had reared its head, Takato stammered, "A-Anyway, Hirokazu said he wants to enter the upcoming card tournament, even though Ryo-san is going to be participating."
"Ryo-san still enters those, huh?" Jenrya leant back in the chair casually, crossing his arms and legs. "I hear Ruki doesn't participate in card tournaments anymore."
"Hmm…" Takato tucked the blankets under his chin. "I guess she's tired of it…" He turned to Jenrya and smiled playfully. "With Ryo-san in the tournament though, I wonder if she'd be able to win anyway."
"Yeah."
The two of them chuckled. It wasn't often that the boys were able to share a joke about the Digimon Queen. In fact, cracking a joke about her in the past would have been unheard of; not like there was anything to joke about anyway. Suddenly there was a loud rapping on Takato's door, startling them out of their frame of mind.
Takato had just barely begun forming a reply when a voice from the other side announced, "It's me!"
His stomach nearly leapt out of his throat. Takato sat up; ignoring the slight pain it caused his sore body. "R-Ruki!?" he exclaimed in a whisper as he stared at the closed door. Turning to gape at Jenrya, he saw that his friend was as surprised as he was. He also knew that they were both worrying about the same thing: Did Ruki hear us just now??
"Can I come in?" Her voice was muffled by the door, but there was definitely a hint of impatience in her tone.
"Mm – hmm!" was all Takato could muster as a response.
The door slowly opened, and Ruki appeared with something of a cross expression. She was holding a tray which carried a covered bowl and spoon resting beside it. They watched her enter hesitantly, violet eyes gazing around Takato's room as if gauging it to decide on what to make of the boy's aesthetic ability. She stopped a few feet away from them and looked at Jenrya. "Jen, you're here too?"
Determined to make this conversation as smooth as possible, Jenrya calmly replied, "Mm, I came to give Takato his schoolwork."
"Oh, that's right…" she said lightly. "You're in the same class this year."
He nodded, and then diverted the attention to the tray she held. "Is that for Takato?"
"Yeah, his parents had me bring it up since they're busy downstairs." She turned to Takato, who had been observing her in an awestruck manner since her appearance.
He started, and reflexively yanked the bedspread closer, his face feeling warmer than before.
Ignoring this, she held the tray up to his bed and stated, "Your parents want you to eat."
Takato gazed down at the tray and blinked. "Uh… okay…" She pushed it onto his bed and Takato lifted it the rest of the way with a, "Thank you." He rested his hands beside the tray and contemplated the sight before lifting the cover off the bowl. Inside he found it full of hot rice porridge.
Ruki shifted her weight to one leg and held her arms behind her. Her eyes couldn't quite turn up as she informed him, "When I told my mother you were sick she became maternal all of a sudden and decided to make some rice porridge for you."
"Oh, wow… Tell her thanks for me."
"Yeah, well my grandmother helped her with it…" Feeling unexpectedly sheepish, she moved a bit further away as a tad of colour touched her cheeks. "… and I did too."
Takato quickly looked over at her. "Eh, really?"
A spark of fire lit in her and Ruki met his gaze. Bothered by Takato's reaction, she retorted, "Is that so surprising?"
"Uh, no!" Takato raised a pacifistic hand. "I just, um…"
"She made me help you know, it's not like I wanted to." Ruki spun on her heel and walked to a part of the far wall of Takato's room that wasn't covered in pictures of Digimon. Slumping against it, she folded her arms resolutely.
Not knowing how to handle this, Takato turned to Jenrya for help. He seemed unsure as well, but at least silently made the suggestion that the boy should try eating the food.
So, Takato picked up the spoon and dipped in. A strong bite greeted his taste buds and he reexamined the rice porridge to see strips of something mixed in. "Is there ginger in this?"
Ruki lifted her gaze to him. "… I thought it'd help with your fever so I had her put some in; and I think it's better to have more flavour in it."
"You're right." Takato smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Ruki, I like it."
The auburn-haired girl dropped her arms, once again placing her hands behind her back. "You can have more later… I brought a tub of it."
Sitting between the two, Jenrya felt puzzlingly uncomfortable. It was as if he was in the middle of something more than physically. Could he be… a third wheel? He wasn't even sure if he knew what that meant. Was that term applicable here? In any case, it wasn't a position he was fond of. Wondering how long this would continue, he glanced at his watch. When he saw the time, he jumped out of the chair, causing the legs to rattle against the floor.
"Sorry, I just remembered; my mom needs me to look after Shuichon while she's out." Jenrya strode for the door. "I'll call you guys later before I have to leave for Hong Kong. I hope you feel better soon, Takato. Bye, Ruki." With those parting words, Jenrya shut the door behind him in his wake.
The remaining occupants were astonished by Jenrya's abrupt, sweeping exit. They looked from the closed door, to each other. A queer coyness rested between them, and suddenly they didn't know what to do with the other. Ruki looked to anywhere besides Takato, and Takato became intensely interested in eating his food.
For the first time, Ruki saw the basin of water Jenrya had noticed earlier. The cloth which should have been on Takato's forehead was lying in the water. She walked towards the tub and placed her hands on either side to lift it.
As Takato jerked around, the bowl slid on the tray and clamored against the spoon in his hand. While fussing over the set in his lap he stammered, "Um, what are you -"
"I'm going to change the water; be right back." Before Takato could say anything, she took the basin and left to look for the washroom.
The bathroom wasn't hard to find, as the Matsudas' living quarters were limited by the space they had over their bakery. She picked the cloth up and wrung it out before dumping the water in the basin down the sink. Turning the tap, Ruki watched the water replenish itself while listening to the hushing noise it made. Though she had told Takato she would do it, Ruki couldn't help pondering, 'Why am I doing this?' It was the same as when she had arrived at the Matsudas' bakery with the rice porridge. She had told his parents that it was for Takato since he was sick, and after thanking her, they immediately asked if she could bring some up to him as he hadn't eaten since early in the afternoon.
Well, it wasn't like she particularly minded. He was a friend after all. Doing a few favours for a sick friend wasn't anything to fuss over. Still, she somehow felt as if she was being setup. That was ridiculous though, why would someone do that to her? Recalling Jenrya's escape, Ruki remembered thinking, 'He just left us like that?' He wouldn't have a hidden agenda. Her irritation stemmed more from the awkward tension that had followed his departure, rather than the exit itself. In fact, she volunteered herself to refresh the water basin because she didn't want to be immersed that that atmosphere, whatever it was. Now though, she had time to organize herself.
Takato was still sitting up in bed, his bowl now empty of its contents. He was debating with himself whether to move the tray to his desk, or wait for Ruki to return. Just as he began pulling the covers back, Ruki pulled the door open with the water in tow. Takato yanked the sheets back up and repositioned the tray on his lap.
She glanced at the cover on the bowl as she came in and asked, "Are you done?"
"Y-Yeah." Takato fidgeted his feet under the blankets.
"Okay, well lie down." Ruki set the basin on the desk, which was rather cluttered. Along with the schoolwork Jenrya had brought were sketches Takato had done, small trinkets, scattered bits of art supplies, a pile of stationery, and a couple of packs of cards. She looked at the cards reminiscently before noticing the neat stack of boxes placed at the far right-hand corner. Even as she said, "What are these?" Ruki picked one up.
Takato swung an arm across in panic in an attempt to stop her, but there wasn't much he could do from his bunk. "Oh no, that's – !"
Ruki popped the cover off and peered inside. Her eyes widened. Rested upon a cushion of cotton was a miniature clay Renamon accompanied by a couple of small bells, dangling from the end of a spun violet strap. Without looking up, she asked in a soft voice, "… Did you make this?"
"Uh, yeah…" Takato scratched the side of his cheek nervously. He hadn't anticipated one of his friends finding the gifts he crafted before he intended to distribute them. "That one's yours. I know your mom got you a new cellphone after what happened on Locomon, so I thought I'd give you something to decorate it."
She continued staring at the contents of the box for a time before muttering, "How embarrassing…"
"E-Eh?" A shock of anxiety pulsed through Takato. "Um, if you don't like it, then…"
"I didn't say I don't like it."
"Eh?"
"I just said it's…" Ruki lowered her face. "Embarrassing."
His eyelids flittered bewilderedly. "O-Oh… okay." Feeling lightheaded from the commotion, Takato eased down to rest.
Ruki looked at the clay Renamon lying in its cotton bed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. After only a moment of thought, she lifted Takato's gift out of the box, looping it on with a tinkle of the bells. She held her newly dressed phone in her hand and contemplated how it looked. … She liked it.
As she tilted the mobile her eyes could see an orange tinge on her skin. Surprised, she looked out the window to see the sky a mix of red, orange, and yellow. Her eyes softened at the painted scene, buildings and telephone poles silhouetted in the glow of dusk. "Ah, the sun's already setting…"
From atop Takato's bed, Ruki heard a mumbled, "Zutto…"
Startled, Ruki spun about and stared at him. His flushed face was toned out by the shine of the setting sun, and his eyes remained closed as he breathed. Not sure if he was asleep or not, she took a small step closer, and was stunned when he began to recite familiar lyrics in a soft, shuttering voice.
"… zutto… issho ni iru to…"
She swallowed and gripped the cellphone in her hand as she moved next to his bedside. "Takato?" whispered Ruki.
The response she received was more of the song. "… Ano yuuhi ni… yakusoku… shita kara…" A puff of air escaped his lips and Takato's breathing subsided from the laboured breaths he had been taking as he had delivered those previous words. His head shifted to one side on his pillow as he dropped into complete sleep.
Ruki was still gazing at him as seconds past since he had fallen asleep. She was unsure what she was feeling. Amazed? Shocked? Takato had remembered the song she unwillingly sang when Parisimon possessed her on Locomon all those months ago. He remembered it so well in fact, that he actually began singing it in his fevered state. Somehow, she was touched; touched that he would remember that song, after just one hearing, and be able to recite it; even if it was just the beginning.
So, she brought her phone with the handmade Renamon strap to her chest, closed her eyes… and continued it: "Ima sugu aiti Sono kimochi o Onegai tsutaete ne…"
- - -
When Takato awoke, he was surprised to discover his room plundered in nightfall. He felt a cool sensation on his forehead, and when he reached up to pull it down; he found it to be a damp cloth. Memories of earlier flooded his mind, and he levered to sit on his bed. The tray was gone, as was Ruki. 'Of course she wouldn't still be here…' Takato shook his head at his own naiveté.
His hand brushed up against something with an edge on his mattress, and he looked down to see a folded piece of paper poking from underneath his pillow. Bemused, he picked it up and unfolded it. Written neatly on the stationery sheet was:
Thank you for the gifts.
- Ruki
Takato blinked at the last word of the sentence. "... Gifts?"
Me: Happy Holidays.
Edit: First, thanks to my first four reviewers; E.S. Simeon, Frozen Twins, Crazyeight, and Pyro The Harbinger Of Chaos. Your reviews have been both encouraging and helpful, which brings me to my next point.
It has been brought to my attention that readers may be confused about the order of events I chose to incorporate in this story, so I'll explain myself. Continuity in anime has been a puzzling thing for me, as a title can cross many mediums including television, movies, and drama CDs (such as "InuYasha," and of course, "Digimon"). The chronological order and inclusion of the separate stories can be fairly clear or uncertain, but I digress.
I always thought the Locomon movie was after the series, whenever the Tamers reunited with their Digimon during the spring; especially considering the use of Dukemon Crimson Mode. After the drama CD came out though, I began to question this as it takes place several months later. This would mean that the time of Ruki's birthday, and cherry blossom season, had already passed as the Tamers were well into sixth grade. Ruki should also be eleven by this time (I counted the candles on her cake to check that it couldn't be her birthday for the follwing year). So I assume the Locomon movie to be a special project detatched from the main storyline, meant to be there, but not quite fitting in. On another note, I think writers need to consult one another when adding to a storyline.
Anyway, that's my take on it. If you disagree or are confused by my reasoning, then you can interpret the story as an alternate universe.
Oh, and "mou" is an expression of frustration, like "geez."