By: Shirley Ann Burton
The Double-Trouble
Disclaimer:
The
Magician, and all other related material, are copyrighted by Gaumont
Multimédia. Digimon, and all other related material
there, are copyrighted by Toei Animation and Saban Entertainment.
Angela Jacobs is my original character. Need I say more?
Now, my note to
you before I start this thing:
This story is NOT a part of the Angela Jacobs series because it does not
tie in with those stories, since they are all interconnected. For
this story, only Rika Nonaka and her Digimon friend Renamon are involved.
In addition, Digimon for this season takes place in 2001 on TV while
The
Magician takes place in at least 2030. As a result, I have had
to create an alternate universe where all of them could co-exist on the
same plane. I hope you like this really weird story.
Part 1: A Tamer Comes to Electro City
**Tokyo, Japan…two months earlier**
In their
seemingly modest home, a 13-year-old girl, her mother, and her grandmother
relaxed as they ate a nice hearty dinner. Just then, the telephone
rang.
"I'll get
it," said the teenager, dressed in a blue-and-white t-shirt with a broken
heart on the front side. She had lilac-colored eyes and light brown
hair scrunched up with the bottom sticking out on top. "Nonaka residence,
Rika speaking."
"Rika…Nonaka?"
said a young woman on the other line. "I didn't know Rumiko had a
daughter. She never told me."
"May I
ask who's calling please?"
"I'm sorry.
My name is Zelda LeMond. I know your mother, Rumiko Nonaka.
Can I speak with her please?"
"Sure,
just a second." Rika Nonaka came into the living room where her mother
Rumiko and her grandmother watched television. "Mom, a woman named
Zelda LeMond is on the phone for you."
Rumiko,
a fashion model herself, was very surprised to hear that name. "Zelda?
In Electro City, California? It's been three years since I heard
from her."
She ran
to the telephone and picked up the receiver. "Zelda! I can't
believe it."
"Hello,
Rumiko," said a happy Zelda in her home in Electro City. "I'm so
glad I could get in touch with you."
"Really?
Why?"
"I want
to invite you here to Electro City for a photo shoot. The scenery
would be perfect for you. Would you like to come here for the job?"
"Can I
discuss it with my family?"
"Of course."
Rumiko
turned to her mother and grandmother. "Listen, I have a chance to
do a photo shoot in Electro City, California, in the United States.
How about we turn this into a family vacation, and we all go."
Rika was
slightly hesitant. I'm not sure I should, she thought. I
mean, I've got my job here as a tamer.
Rika,
said another voice only the teenager could hear, maybe a change of pace
will help you some. Besides, knowing other parts of the world may
actually help you as a tamer.
But
Mom's a model, and I don't feel interested in this kind of thing.
Rika's
grandmother Mishara became very excited. "I think that's a wonderful
idea! We could use a change in the scenery from here. Besides,
there's someone there I've always wanted to see."
"Who, Grandma?"
asked a curious Rika.
"Ace Cooper,
the famous Magician. He lives and performs there in Electro City."
"Oh." Ace
Cooper? If he's so famous, how come I've never heard of him?
Because
you've been so busy with battle after battle, said the other voice.
He really is the best magician on Earth, and he also happens to be one
of the most powerful.
Okay,
Renamon, if you say so. I guess Henry and Takato won't mind me leaving
for a couple of weeks…I hope.
Don't
worry, Rika. They do have Guilmon and Terriermon to keep an eye on
things. They'll be fine.
Rika then
looked at her relatives. "All right, I guess I could go, but I…need
to notify my friends."
"Great,
then it's settled," said Rumiko. She then talked into the telephone
again. "Zelda, we're coming over. We'll be in Electro City
in two months."
"I can't
wait to see you again. After all, you're the one who inspired me
as a child to give modeling a try."
Rumiko
smiled with a small tear in her eye. "Oh, Zelda, stop. We'll
see you in two months' time." She then hung up the phone. "This
will be great! A trip overseas for a photo shoot and it can double
as a family getaway."
"Yeah,"
Rika said, a smile growing on her face, "maybe it will do some good for
a change. I'm definitely in."
The next
day, Rika met up with two other friends in an old small shack inside Shinjuku
Park.
"And that's
the story," she told them. "Mom is going all the way to Electro City,
California, for a photo shoot with another model named Zelda LeMond."
Takato
Matsuda, who lived above a bread shop with his parents, and Henry Wong,
whose father helped to create the famous Digital Monsters game, both grew
somewhat worried about her leaving the area.
Then, a
strange creature, cream-colored with long floppy ears like a rabbit with
a single horn on his forehead, spoke. "Um, Rika, how long is the
trip gonna be?"
"The trip's
not for two months yet, Terriermon, but from what Mom's telling me, it'll
be for about a week-and-a-half. She wants to get a chance to see
the sites around Electro City, and Grandma's interested in seeing Ace Cooper."
Takato's
eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean the Ace Cooper, the great magician!?
How cool!"
"I don't
know that much about him."
"Then you
don't watch a lot of TV," Henry noted. "Ace Cooper is a media superstar
with his awesome magic. I remember one time when he was able to stop
someone who looked exactly like him live on television."
"I saw
that," interjected Takato. "Man, he's one wicked-cool magician!"
Rika noticed
how excited they were about the very mention of Ace Cooper. "Hmm,
I guess I could try going to see a show of his live."
"What do
you mean by 'live'?" asked a creature about two feet taller than Terriermon
and resembling a small red lizard. "I don't get it."
Henry tried
his best to explain. "It's like this, Guilmon. It's fun watching
him on television, but it's even more fun when you get to see his magic
act in person."
The little
red lizard understood perfectly. "I get it now. Takato could
see me live here, but not on television, right?"
"Um, not
quite," said Takato. "You see, we have a sport where sometimes games
are seen live very early in the morning. Since we can't stay up late,
I—oh, never mind, it's too complicated."
Rika laughed
slightly. "Never mind. If Grandma wants to see this Magician,
so be it. However, I've never been a true believer of magic, so I
don't know why she thinks Cooper is that special."
"She think
Cooper's cool," said Henry, "wait till she sees the girl magician working
with him now."
"Girl magician?"
Terriermon
was surprised. "You mean you don't know? There's a girl magician
named Angela Jacobs who performs with him on lots of his shows. I've
heard rumors that she and this guy Cooper share a weird bond or something."
"You've
got to be kidding me," said a sarcastic Rika.
Don't
be so sure of that, Rika, the other voice said. Anything is
possible, especially in the realm of magic. My only concern is…why
are you taking me with you? I am no use to you in America.
Renamon,
you're my friend. I don't want to leave you behind, so I'm taking
you and my Digivice with me.
I'm
worried about you bringing it with you, but it's your choice. I should
tell you, though, we more than likely won't find any Digimon in Electro
City.
Maybe
it'll be a good vacation for you, too, Renamon. Let's just forget
about battles for now, okay?
The other
voice chuckled. Okay, Rika. You win. I'll relax on
the trip.
**Present Time**
Rika and
her family were at Tokyo International Airport with the young lady about
to say goodbye to her two friends. "Take care of Japan, and don't
let any digital field get out of hand."
"Don't
worry, Rika," noted Henry. "Things will be fine. Now just relax,
enjoy yourself, and catch an act by that guy Ace Cooper."
"If Grandma
wants to see it, then I'll go. I won't go by myself, though."
Takato
added, "Remember, no fighting while you're over there. Your mom wouldn't
be too happy."
"Goggle-head,
I'm not happy now. I don't want to go on a nutty fashion shoot to
Electro City, but what other choice have I got?"
"Come on,
Rika. Zelda LeMond is one of the most popular models in the world.
I read somewhere that she got her inspiration after seeing your mother.
Give it a chance."
"Well…all
right, if you guys say so."
"Flight
298 from Tokyo to Electro City now boarding at gate 43," the message announced
over the speakers.
"That's
my flight. I'll see you guys in two weeks, but don't expect me to
tell about anything exciting, since there are no Digimon in America."
"Okay,
whatever," said Henry. "Now go on, or you'll miss your flight."
Rika ran
up with her mother and grandmother to get on the plane bound for Electro
City.
On the
flight to America, Rika wondered about what it would be like to visit a
completely different country. There's so much I've heard about…the
Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, New York City, the works! I wish
I had time to see all of America.
It would
be nice, said the other voice. The sights and sounds of a country
rich in differing cultures. I hear there are places like a "Little
Tokyo," "Little Italy," little everything.
I hear
it's very diverse in its cultures and religions. Maybe it won't be
such a bad trip after all. I just wish there were—
Digimon
to fight? Come on, Rika. Let's give it a rest for a while.
Maybe I won't be needed…then I can take a vacation.
Okay,
okay. Forget I said that.
Meanwhile,
in Electro City, California, a young woman in her mid-20s with light brown
hair and green eyes did some house cleaning inside the Magic Express, home
to the famous Magician Ace Cooper.
Angela
Jacobs had moved to Electro City several years earlier to start her life
anew. However, strange circumstances led her to live in the Magic
Express with Ace and his friends. Gifted with the Magic Force herself,
Angie developed a strong bond of friendship with Ace.
The pair
could sense each other's thoughts and feelings, communicate with each other
telepathically, and only in extreme circumstances merge their magical powers
to become far stronger.
Angie's
emotional sensitivity made her a true empathic mage, allowing her to feel
the power within herself…and at times with others besides Ace.
She was
just about finished with the computer room when she started feeling something
within her. "What the—? I can feel…a strong force of energy,
coming this way…but how? I can't understand what this is."
Just then,
the owner of the home entered the living room. "Angie, are you all
right?"
She looked
at him with some concern. "This is hard to explain, Ace, but…there's
some kind of presence getting closer to here. What it is…I don't
know. It's getting stronger, though; I can feel it."
"You have
that special sensitivity with your powers, so who knows what it could be?"
"We'll
just have to wait and see. For now, though, I need to finish cleaning
up here. We've got a show to rehearse for."
Just then,
a young man with spiky red hair walked in and shouted, "Zelda's got another
model coming over from Japan!"
"Really?"
Ace and Angie asked simultaneously.
"Yeah.
Zelda called and told me that a Japanese model named Rumiko Nonaka is on
her way here for a special photo shoot on role models. On top of
that, Mrs. Nonaka is bringing her mother and her daughter Rika. Hmm,
'Rika' sounds like a nice name."
"Um, Cosmo,"
said Ace, suspecting something from his experienced apprentice, "what if
Mrs. Nonaka's daughter is just a child?"
"Aw, come
on, dude. Rika could be my age. Besides, Zelda said that Mrs.
Nonaka's been a model for 17 years and her inspiration to get into the
modeling business."
Angie smiled.
"That was nice of Zelda to invite her role model for a photo shoot.
It shows that some celebrities never forget how they got started and who
gave them the push to try."
"Yeah.
Hey, Ang, you done with the cleaning?"
"All finished.
Let's get to the Ring and rehearse for that show. I want to make
sure I've got my part down. I've been having a little trouble getting
the fireballs properly balanced."
Ace nodded
and stated, "Don't worry, Angie. We'll figure out what's been wrong
with the fireballs at practice. Now, time to get to work."
Soon, a
beautiful black panther walked in on its four feet.
Coming
up to Ace, Zina made sure he did not forget about her.
"Oops,
I forgot. You're a part of this act as well."
Everyone
went to the garage and boarded into a turbocar, but this was a special
car. In the same color scheme as the Magic Express, the car was white
on top, blue on the bottom, and had a large letter "M" on both sides.
The Magic Racer could easily go through the streets of Electro City, but
there were times when Ace would drive like he were in the Indianapolis
500.
Before
too long, the Racer arrived at the Ring Theater, where Ace would be performing
later in the week.
As soon
as everyone left the car, Ace immediately put out instructions. "Cosmo,
you make sure the lighting's okay. Zina, you come with Angie and
me. Angie, let's see if we can figure out what's wrong with the fireball
balance."
"Okay,
let's go," said an anxious Angie. "I need to get this right for the
show."
"Don't
worry, Angie, you will. Just have some confidence in yourself."
"All right…thanks."
Ace, Angie,
and Zina went onto the stage to start their practice run.
To make
sure neither lost concentration, they communicated with each other by thought.
Ace noticed
something. Okay, Angie, it seems your fireballs are a little too
big for you. Shrink them down slightly.
She shrunk
the softball-sized fireballs to a more reasonable baseball-sized set. Hmm,
it does feel more comfortable.
That's
it, Ace thought to her. You just made them too large.
Always make the fireballs to your size, which in this case, baseball is
fine. When you're ready, then try for the bigger size. You'll
need to practice that part, okay?
I understand.
Thanks. Now I'm ready for this part of the act.
"Zina,"
Ace yelled, "time for your end of the game, girl."
The beautiful
panther slinked onto the stage, ready to practice her end of the act.
"As soon
as they're in position, you'll go through in one jump. Ready?
Go!"
Zina quickly
ran and jumped through both fire loops in the allowed one jump.
"All right!"
Angie shouted happily. "Good going, Zina! You did great!
Keep this up and we'll be ready in no time…" Just then, she felt
herself faint.
"Angie!"
Ace quickly ran up to his friend before she fell to the ground. "Are
you okay?"
"I will
be when I find out what this approaching power is," she responded.
"I can't tell if it's good or evil, though. What should I do?"
"When we
finish up here, we'll go home and see just what you're sensing. Sound
good to you?"
"Yeah…it'll
work. I just wish I knew what this was."
A couple
of hours later, the plane carrying Rika Nonaka and her family arrived safely
at Electro City International Airport.
When everyone
disembarked from the plane, Rika's mother Rumiko wanted to find her model
friend Zelda. "Come on, I know she said she would wait for us here."
"Um, Mom,
wouldn't it be easier for us just to wait here at the gate? Maybe
she's running a little late."
Mishara
nodded in agreement. "Sure. Traffic here seems to be just as
bad as back in Tokyo. I wouldn't be surprised if your friend Zelda
is running late. Just relax, Rumiko; we just got here."
"Very well,
Mother," said a displeased Rumiko. "We'll play it your way, but I
don't see how this will—"
She was
interrupted by a young woman's voice. "Rumiko!"
"I don't
believe it…Zelda!" Rumiko ran up to her old friend, a young woman
with black hair and blue eyes (not related in any way to Ace Cooper).
"Zelda LeMond, it's so good to see you again!"
"It's great
to see you, too, Rumiko. And, I see you brought your family, too."
"Yes.
I'd like you to meet my mother Mishara and my daughter Rika."
Zelda did
her customary bow to both of them out of the respect of their culture.
"It is an honor to meet you both."
Rika thought,
Hmm,
I thought she was going to pinch my face. Apparently she can tell
by the way I look.
As Rika
and her grandmother bowed, Mishara stated, "It is an honor to meet a young
model inspired by my own daughter."
Zelda then
came up to shake their hands. "I am honored to meet the family."
Shaking Rika's hand, she added, "You are pretty, Rika. I like the
broken heart on your shirt."
Rika was
pleasantly surprised by this statement. "Really? You're the
first person who does."
Rumiko
looked at her daughter with a funny face. "Young lady, I told you
not to wear that shirt on the trip."
"It's all
right, Rumiko," said Zelda. "I think it's better for her to be her
own person. Besides, she could start a trend with that broken heart,
the angst of today's teenagers."
Now
that's something I didn't think about, Rika thought to herself. Who
would've thought my own style could be the start of something?
Just
imagine what could happen if a yellow fox came along, said the other
voice. I wonder if there's enough yellow in the world.
Nah,
some yellow is way too bright, if you know what I mean.
True.
Will I be able to come out later on tonight?
Maybe
in a couple of hours. Let me get settled first in our hotel.
"Now, I'll
take you all to the Sinsun Hotel. That's where you'll be staying."
Zelda took
the Nonaka family in the limousine to the huge hotel.
"Wow,"
said Rumiko. "I've never seen a hotel that big. The owner must
be very rich."
"Yes, he
is," said a not-so-assuring Zelda. If only they knew the owner
was really one of Electro City's two biggest crime bosses.
Mishara
was slightly worried. "Are you all right, Miss LeMond?"
"Oh, I'm
fine, Mrs. Nonaka. I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else, and please,
just call me Zelda."
Rika then
spoke. "Okay, Zelda, um, are there any parks around here?"
"Yes, there
are a couple of nice ones near the hotel: Keaton Park downtown and Daedalus
Park close to the Magic Express."
"Magic
Express? What's that, a fast-food restaurant?"
"Oh, no,
Rika. The Magic Express is the home of Ace Cooper, the Magician."
Mishara
reacted with joy. "That's one of the biggest reasons I wanted to
come," she said excitedly. "I've always wanted to see Ace Cooper
perform in person."
"He and
his apprentices are performing this Thursday night at the Ring Theatre.
I do have tickets for all of us, if you are interested."
"I certainly
am," said Rumiko. "How about you, Rika?"
"I don't
know…I've never seen this guy before. I don't think he's all that
special."
"Rika,
how dare you talk about Ace Cooper like—"
Zelda stopped
her friend. "Wait, Rumiko. It's her choice. She probably
doesn't believe in the existence of real magic. It's okay."
Rika wondered
why Zelda was defending her so much instead of her mother. I don't
understand this. Zelda's on my side?
She's
still young, but old enough to understand you are entitled to your own
opinion. However, the truth is, you haven't seen him perform.
How about you go along just this once? Who knows, maybe Cooper can
change your mind.
If you
say so. "Well, I've never seen a magic act anyway, so maybe I'll
give it a try."
"That's
more like it, young lady," said Rumiko, adamant about her daughter's attitude
and Zelda's surprising defense of her. "I expect all of us to do
things together."
"Rumiko,
stop it," said Mishara. "You're embarrassing all of us. Rika
and I came here to have fun, not be stuck watching one of your photo shoots.
Besides, you remember what Rika did before to the camera. I wouldn't
be surprised if she does that again if you try to get her involved in a
photo shoot."
Zelda then
came up with an idea. "I know. Rika, would you like to have
your own photo shoot, just using that outfit you're wearing?"
"Really?
Are you serious?"
"Yes.
I'm a pretty good photographer myself. Just you and me in a photo
shoot in Daedalus Park this weekend. I take photos of you, and you
can take some of me being completely casual. What do you say?"
Rika liked
the idea. "Okay, a photo shoot with no fancy cameras or lights?
I'll do it, Zelda."
"Great.
We'll work out the plans after Ace's show on Thursday night, and no expensive
cameras. I'll buy us both the one-time use cameras. They're
a lot more fun."
Rumiko
was not very thrilled about the idea. Why is Zelda being so defensive
about Rika's attitude? I'm going to have a long talk with her about
this later.
The family
soon arrived at the Sinsun Hotel, where a woman behind the counter was
waiting. "Ah, the Nonaka family. Welcome to the Sinsun Hotel.
You will be staying in room 228. I'll have a bellhop take your luggage
up there."
"Thank
you very much," said Mishara. "I need a rest anyhow. We had
a long flight."
"Mind if
I join you, Grandma?"
"Of course
not, Rika. We'll take our keys now please."
The woman
gave Mishara and Rika their keys.
"You two
go on," said Rumiko. "I want to have a word with Zelda alone."
The two
shrugged and then took the elevator to their appointed room.
Zelda already
knew what was going to happen. "Look, Rumiko, I know why you want
to talk to me alone."
"Why are
you allowing Rika to do what she pleases? I would like her to be
a model like me."
"Rumiko,
Rika is still a child right now. She has a right to choose her own
path, her own destiny. Maybe she doesn't want to be a supermodel
like you and me. Your mother did call me about the day Rika pushed
the cameraman and the light. I can't say I blame Rika for how she
feels."
"You are
not
Rika's mother, understand!? I am her mother, and she will
do what she is told!"
"You do
know she's still upset over the bitter divorce between you and her father,
right? This is why she acts the way she does. When you
try to force your hand on her, it's like you want her to forget about her
father. You may have physical custody of her, but Rika would like
to hear from her father once in a while. I just want to give her
some space and a little creative freedom. Did you ever think about
that?"
Rumiko
turned away from her longtime friend. "That's just it. She
never tells anyone how she feels."
"Rika's
at an age where she won't feel comfortable talking to family about her
problems. It's not as uncommon as you think. You just need
to give her time and some space. The more you try to force things,
the more withdrawn she'll be. I just want Rika to be Rika for now.
Let her decide if she wants to be a model."
"Maybe…you're
right. I just wish she would be more open with her feelings."
"Give her
time. When she feels ready, she'll talk to you. Now, how about
we get up to the room, okay?"
"Okay.
Thanks, Zelda. You're much younger than I am, yet you understand
things far better than I do."
The pair
wrapped on each other's shoulders as they went up the elevator to the room.
When Ace
and his friends returned to the Magic Express, Ace wanted immediately to
work with Angie about the strange power she had sensed for the last few
hours.
"Cosmo,
I want you to play with Zina for about 10 minutes, okay?"
"Gotcha,
dude. I hope you can find out what she knows."
"We'll
just have to wait and see for now."
He asked
Angie to come into the practice room alone. "It's just you and me
now. Can you still feel its presence?"
"Yes, it's
much stronger than it was earlier. I still can't put my finger on
it yet."
"Try to
relax. I want you to clear your mind of all thought and just let
the feeling come out."
Angie glowed
softly in her light-blue aura and tried to understand the weird feeling.
"It's…very blurry. All I can see are swirls and lines…lots of numbers,
too. Like 1s and 0s. It's all I can see."
"1s and
0s?"
Just then,
a holographic dodecahedron with pink and purple lights appeared.
"1s and 0s are used in computed binary code," answered the hologram known
as Angel.
"But…that's
ancient by today's computer standards. How can that be?"
"I cannot
answer that, Ace. From Angie's description, that is all I can say."
"Thanks,
Angel. How will we ever know what this strange energy is?"
Rika, with
her mother's permission, went with Zelda for a look around Daedalus Park.
"Wow,"
said Rika in awe, "this place is beautiful. It's like Shinjuku Park
back in Tokyo."
"I went
to Tokyo several years ago. I was looking for Rumiko, but it turned
out she had gone to do a shoot in Europe at the time."
"Yeah,
I know. Mom likes to spend a lot of time doing her modeling."
"Rika,
you don't want to be a model, do you?"
"No, I
don't. I just don't feel comfortable being around the fancy cameras
and the fancy lights. It's just not who I am. Mom likes to
embarrass me a lot. I just want to be plain Rika Nonaka, the Digimon
queen."
"Digimon…oh,
the popular card game in Japan, right?"
"Yeah.
I was world champion last year."
"That's
great! You won an award for something not related to modeling.
It was what you wanted, right?"
"Yeah,
it's the only thing I really like. I don't want a boyfriend, or be
a fashion model, or anything like that. I just want to be a kid for
now."
"It's never
easy when you're the child of someone famous," said Zelda sadly.
"You just want to have happiness for yourself right now, enjoy life.
It's a sad trend when parents push their kids to do their best and yell
at them for messing up."
"How come
you can understand all this, Zelda? I mean, you're not that old."
"When my
parents learned I was doing modeling…they kicked me out of the house forever."
Rika was
shocked. "What? Why?"
"They were
pushing me so hard to be a doctor or an engineer. I didn't have that
kind of desire, though. It wasn't what I wanted to be in my life.
I mean, I plan on attending college when my modeling career is done.
This way, I'll have something to fall back on afterward. I know I
won't be a model for too long, so the money I earn from this will help
me for college, even if I am an older first-year student."
"Hmm, that
makes perfect sense. Have you been able to communicate with your
parents?"
"Not since
they kicked me out."
"Now I
see why you can understand."
As the
pair continued to walk through the park, a little device hanging from Rika's
belt accidentally fell off and landed on the ground.
She walked
on, not realizing she had dropped her toy.
"Why don't
we get back to the hotel and eat dinner at the restaurant?"
"Am I going
to have to wear a dress?"
"I'm afraid
so. It's a fancy restaurant, but it'll be only this once, I promise."
"Okay,
Zelda. I can live with it one time."
The pair
went back to the limousine and returned to the hotel, Rika still not knowing
about her toy.
Back at
the Magic Express, Angie had cooked homemade jambalaya for herself and
her friends while Zina received a nice juicy steak.
"So, how's
the jambalaya?" Angie asked.
"Very good,"
said Ace with his mouth full. "It's not super spicy like most restaurants."
Cosmo concurred
with the Magician. "Mmm-hmm. This is soooooooo good."
"Thank
you, gentlemen. I'm glad I love to cook."
As soon
as everyone completed their meal, Angie went out for a stroll around Daedalus
Park.
With the
sun setting, she knew it would be a beautiful night to walk. Even
though Electro City had its share of crime and corruption, this particular
park was rather crime-free.
Angie continued
walking when she noticed something reflecting on the ground. She
quickly came up to see what the reflection was.
To her
surprise, she noticed an oddly-shaped device: It was oblong in shape,
with a blue circle on top, what appeared to be a small LCD screen, and
three buttons.
"Hmm, what's
this? Must be the latest toy craze. Guess Professor Lars hit
the jackpot again. He's so clever with the toys he makes."
Angie then
touched the object, which set off her telemetric powers in a flare, but
not as severe as some she had in the past. "There is…a strange energy
within this device."
Upon closing
her eyes, she saw visions about the owner of the unusual item while hearing
a young girl's voice.
"Renamon,
walk all over him…I hate Digimon…She's my friend…Digi-modify!…Matrix Digivolution
Activate!"
"What
on Earth?" Angie asked in the mindscape. "What are Digimon?
I've never heard of anything like this."
She
then heard a deeper female voice out of nowhere. "What are you doing
with Rika's Digivice?"
Opening
her eyes, Angie noticed something too unbelievable to imagine…a yellow
fox with a beautiful tail, blue eyes, wearing a pair of purple arm gloves
with the yin-yang symbol, and three fingers on each paw. "Huh?
What?"
"I said…what
are you doing with Rika's Digivice? It doesn't belong to you."
"I'm-I'm
sorry. I just found this device on the ground. It must belong
to this girl Rika you speak of."
The
strange fox looked at Angie carefully but was able to sense the sincerity
in the female magician's heart. "I know you speak the truth.
I can feel it in your heart. Your intentions are not evil."
Angie
soon was able to feel the fox's heart as well. How is this possible?
I can sense this animal's thoughts and feelings. "Who are you?"
"I am
Renamon," the fox answered calmly.
"Renamon?
I've never heard a name such as that."
"Well,
I have never sensed anyone else besides Rika."
"Wait…the
strange feelings I've been having today…they must be coming from either
you or this…Digivice."
"The
Digivice belongs to my tamer Rika Nonaka, who is also my friend."
"Rika
Nonaka, the daughter of famous model Rumiko Nonaka?"
"Yes.
How do you know that?"
"My
friend Cosmo knows Zelda LeMond very well. He told us about Mrs.
Nonaka bringing her family. Cosmo seems interested in Rika."
"He
may not want to try to impress her. She's only 13 years old."
"I see.
Then, Cosmo won't be so happy after all." Angie then changed the
subject. "You know, this may sound strange, but I can somehow sense
your thoughts, even though I'm not a tamer like your friend. My name
is Angela Jacobs."
"Angela
Jacobs…what a beautiful name for such a beautiful young woman. Um,
Angela, do you have some kind of power within you?"
"Yes,
I have a power called the Magic Force."
"Which
explains how you can sense me. I can tell you are very sensitive
towards others. I know…you have incredible magical powers, including
the ability to touch objects and see visions."
"Yes,
telemetry. That's how I learned about your friend Rika. You
two have been through a lot together."
"That
we have. From mere tamer and partner to best friends."
"Well,
Renamon, I need to get this and you back to your friend. How can
I find Rika?"
"I know
she, her mother, and her grandmother are staying I believe at the Sinsun
Hotel."
Angie
nodded and smiled. "Do you know which room?"
"Yes,
it's room 228. Rika wanted to take her Digivice with her. Why
I'll never know."
"I do
know. To keep her best friend close to her."
Renamon
smiled. "I thank you for finding Rika's Digivice."
"I need
to contact her immediately to let her know her Digivice is safe.
But, will she believe me?"
"She
will believe you when you mention my name. Not too many people here
know about Digimon. You are the first outside Japan."
"Thank
you, Renamon. I won't talk about this with anyone else, but I could
have difficulty hiding this secret from my friend Ace Cooper."
"Ah,
you have a strong rapport with the Magician, do you not?"
"Yes.
We know each other's thoughts and feelings because we both have the Magic
Force."
"I guess
your friendship with him has helped you very much."
Angie
nodded. "Yes, it has. It was nice to meet you, Renamon.
You are a beautiful fox—um, I mean—"
"No
offense taken, Angela. It was an honor to meet a beautiful young
woman gifted with magic. Take care of yourself."
As Angie
awakened she softly said, "Same with you, Renamon." She placed the
Digivice in her pocket and ran to the nearest telephone. After dialing
the Sinsun Hotel, she said, "I need to speak with the Nonaka family in
room 228 please, particularly Miss Rika Nonaka."
At the Sinsun
Hotel's restaurant, Rika wore a pink dress, much to her disliking. Man,
this is so bogus. I know this is a fancy restaurant, but I don't
like wearing this dress. However, Mom is the supermodel and is here
in Electro City for the photo shoot. I guess I can handle this for
a few days anyway.
She was
also a little upset because of something she accidentally lost.
I can't believe I misplaced my Digivice. Someone more than likely
stole it by now. How am I ever going to find it?
Just then,
a bellboy came to the restaurant and said, "Paging for Miss Rika Nonaka.
Paging for Miss Rika Nonaka."
Mishara
easily heard. "Hmm, Rika, there's a message for you."
"That's
unusual," said Rumiko. "Usually I'm the one getting the messages."
"I guess…I'd
better find out what the message is." Rika then stepped up from the
table and walked to the bellboy. "I'm Rika Nonaka."
"Miss Nonaka,
you have a telephone call from a Miss Angela Jacobs. She says it's
very important."
"O-Kay."
Rika then
came up to the telephone in the lobby and said, "Hello, this is Rika Nonaka."
"Rika?
Hi, my name is Angela Jacobs. I found something that I believe belongs
to you. I think it's called…a Digivice?"
The young
girl's lilac eyes widened in disbelief. "How would you know about
the Digivice?" she whispered in shock.
"Relax,
Rika. That info was courtesy of your own Digimon friend Renamon."
"You…know
about her, too?"
"Yes, but
I need to get this Digivice back to you. I'm going to take a cab
to the Sinsun Hotel so I can return it. Can you meet me in the lobby
as soon as you can?"
Rika pleasantly
smiled. "Sure. I'm in the lobby right now. Let me just
tell my mother and grandmother, and I'll meet you here."
"Okay,
I'll meet you in 10 minutes." Angie then hung up the telephone and
immediately called for a cab. "Sally, need ya!"
Sally,
the wildest cab driver in the city, had known Angie for the whole time
the female magician had called Electro City home. "What's up, Angie?
Where do ya need to go this time?"
"Head for
the Sinsun Hotel, please. I need to return someone's lost property."
"Sure thing.
I'll get you there in no time."
Sally then
revved the engine and immediately took off for the Sinsun Hotel.
