Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Tamers, though I wish I could. Darn it. Oh wells.
Author's Note: In this fanfic, Ryo is one year older than Ruki though I know he isn't, but I don't care! Enjoy!
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Memories of the Past Affect the Future
~Flashback 1~
I stood there on the stage, holding up the second place medal. I had reached half way towards my goal. I was so close in winning the last round, but he was just too good. He was too perfect. That lightly tanned boy who had spiky brown hair. He was just perfect. His manners, his kindness, everything. I smiled to him as I remembered our childhood.
~Flashback 2~
I was only six years old when my father had passed away. My mother had become drunk and my grandmother tried her best to stop her. My mother abused me. She had thrown me against the wall and was beating me with a stick. Over and over she cried out that I made my father die. She even said that she wished I wasn't even born. I had run out of the house and ran towards the nearby park, where I sobbed for an hour. I sat there on the swings and sobbed until a hand was on my shoulder. I looked up to see a boy who looked only an age older than me. He had short brown, spiky hair and was looking at me with concern.
"Shh…don't cry Ruki…" he said softly.
"Ryo…sniffle…my mommy…she hurt me earlier…because daddy died…sniffle sniffle." I replied between sobs.
"Shhh…don't worry, I won't let her hurt you anymore. Why don't you come over to my house for the night? My parents won't mind." He suggested with a large grin.
"Thanks Ryo…" I said and smiled weakly.
"That's what friends are for!" he said and wiped my tears away gently with his fingers.
I smiled at him and soon the two of us walked to his house which was only two houses away from mine. His family was nice to me and they allowed me to stay over at their house many times when my mother had her awful mood swings. They grew to love me and I felt really close to them. Ryo was my best friend and he meant a lot.
~Back to Flashback 1~
After the Digimon card tournament, I waited outside for my best friend. He finally came and was grinning happily. "Hey Ruki!" he said happily as he held up his first place trophy.
"Hi Ryo. Congratulations!" I said and hugged him.
"Thanks. Hehe, I think the two of us are the best Digimon card players. How about we make a promise?" he asked as we both walked home.
"Okay." I said.
"How about we promise to get into the top two places in the Digimon card tournament? And since I'm the best, I'll try to stay first place while you try to stay in second place, but if I lose first place. I want you to take it, okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Sure! I could beat you any day, Ryo!" I said and smiled brightly.
"Yeah right! In your dreams, Ruki-chan!" Ryo said and played with my ponytail.
"Ryo…I…I love you…" I said and was blushing.
"I…I love you too Ruki…and forever I will. I'll beat up anyone who messes with you! And I'll always win first place in the Digimon card tournament just for you!" he said and hugged me tightly.
I giggled softly at his behavior. "I love you forever too Ryo…"
~Back to Reality~
That was years ago…it was when Ryo was 9 and I was 8. I use to be a cheerful, little girl, who was always hanging around Ryo instead of the girls in the school I went to. I had loved Ryo Akiyama so much that I even drew hearts around our names and for his birthdays, I bought him a whole box of Digimon cards. Course my grandmother yelled at me because I used my whole allowance on it, but I didn't care. It was all for Ryo Akiyama, the boy who I loved…
But that cheerful, happy image and love for Ryo Akiyama had disappeared the day that my best friend had mysteriously vanished. It was after our fourth tournament in which he vanished. I was waiting outside of the building, but he never showed up. I ran inside to look for him, but he was no where in sight. The supervisors said they didn't see him after the judges gave him the trophy. I remembered how I frantically searched for him, but to my dismay…I was not able to find my best friend, my boyfriend, MY Ryo Akiyama. I still remember how I had cried so much that day and for the whole week. My mother ignored me because of her new fashion shoots, while my grandmother tried hard to comfort me, but it was no use. I had lost my happiness… I was only 12 while he was only 13 when he had vanished. His parents had moved out of our neighborhood and that was the end of our friendship…
I thought that he would return one day and I tried my best to win first place just for him. I continued to win first place, but soon my confidence that he would return died out. I began to hate him and thought that he left me because he didn't want to be part of my life. I hated him; I hated Ryo Akiyama who used to be my best friend and boyfriend. Soon a year had past, still no sign of Ryo Akiyama and now every Digimon card player in Shinjuku calls me the Digimon Queen. I was cold-hearted to everyone now even towards my mother. My grandmother I was still kind towards, but I knew my heart ached for him. He was my first love and now he left without saying goodbye.
Yet one day…I saw him again. It was during our adventure into the Digital World when we had to look for Calumon/ Culumon. I paid no attention to him and when he tried to talk to me, I had enough I had to leave because I hated him SO much. I didn't care that he was my childhood friend or my childhood lover. He meant nothing to me now. He had changed me in the ruthless, cold-hearted Digimon Queen. Renamon tried to convince me to go back, but I was too stubborn to agree. After a while and when I was able to meet up with the others, he reappeared when the Chaos was emerging rapidly from its sleeping spot. We all knew that Culumon was down there, but no one dared to go down except for one person: me. I was soon followed by Ryo. He seemed worried when I decided to go on my own. No one else worried about me. No one ever will. My father had left my family early and he was the only one who loved me. It wasn't fair at all! I hate the world so much that I wouldn't mind joining him! But he saved Culumon and me from a bunch of Chaos when he grabbed me and pulled me into a gap in the stone wall. He helped me a lot though I found myself changing throughout time again.
"Ruki! You okay?" a voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up at my indigo colored haired friend. "I'm fine, Lee (Henry). Why do you ask?" I asked him.
"You zoned out when we were talking about our adventures in the Digital World." He said and looked at me with concern.
"Oh…sorry." I replied.
"Ruki, you're always getting in trouble or causing trouble!" a voice in front of me commented.
I looked at the boy who had a dark green visor. "Shut up Kazu before I make a knuckle sandwich out of you!" I threatened him as I cracked my knuckles.
"Whatever! You can't lay a hand on me if Ryo-san is here!" he said and snickered. He knew I hated Ryo and the sound of his name.
"He won't butt in because if he did then he'll get a whooping!" I snapped back coolly.
"Ruki…you know you can't get me." Ryo said and grinned at me.
"Oh really?" I taunted him.
"Yes really." He replied back.
"Well let's see after I make Kazu into a knuckle sandwich and don't interfere, Ryo or else I'll make you into something else." I said.
"Ruki…please stop." Jenrya Lee said softly and placing his hand on top of mine.
"Lee…alright." I said softly. He was the only person other than Juri (Jeri) and my grandmother who was able to touch me.
I could feel a hurt stare look at Lee and me. I knew who it belonged to, it was Ryo. He still loved me I guess, but I won't get my heart broken all over again if he disappears again. I hated him and there was no way I'd ever love him.
"Hey guys, it's getting late. We better get home. Juri, I'll walk you home." Goggle head said and blushed as well as Juri. Why did everyone like Juri a lot? Is it because she acts like a girl or is it just because she's well…Juri?
I soon wondered if Lee had any feelings for me. No he didn't, he only worried about me as a friend. I hated all of this. Why can't love be destroyed?! I despise it…maybe because no one loves me.
Everyone began to leave and walk home to greet their parents. I walked down my neighborhood coolly and wasn't really paying much attention when some thug grabbed me from behind and threw me into the empty alley. I screamed at him.
"LET GO!! SOMEONE…HELP ME!!" I screamed, knowing that the thug was A LOT heavier than me because he sat on my while he tried to search for my wallet. I wasn't able to move.
"Shut up kid!" he shouted as he suddenly slapped me into unconsciousness. I didn't know what was going on or what had happened to me after that, but all I knew was that I when I woke up I wasn't in my room anymore. I was in someone else's room.
"W-where am I?" I asked softly, thinking that I was the only one in the room.
"Oh, you finally woke up. How are you feeling, Ruki-chan?" a voice beside me asked.
I turned to find that Ryo was sitting beside me. His arm was wrapped up as well as his side. He wore no shirt and revealed the white bandaging as well as his slightly built chest. I never wondered how he would look without a shirt when I was younger, but the sight somehow brought back images of when we were younger. He had saved me from a gang of bullies who lost to me in the Digimon Card Tournament and they were trying to beat me up, but Ryo protected me.
"What happened…?" I asked, still unaware of what happened. I slowly began to sit up and hear what this loser had to say.
"…Sorry, but I was following you home. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Then that thug got you and I quickly ran after him with some baseball bat I found in the alley way. It was a bit worn out but it still helped. I smacked the bat on his head, but he didn't fall onto the ground. Instead, he got up and we both fought and in the end, I won I guess. Oh! Here's your wallet." He said and placed my wallet beside the bed.
"…Thanks Ryo…" I said softly.
"Your welcome Ruki-chan…and I'm sorry about how I left. I didn't mean to and I didn't know it…will you…give me another chance to love you?" he asked shyly, his face turning a crimson color.
I didn't know what to say. I hated him and had placed up a ruthless image so no one could hurt me, but he was the only one who was able to get through and reach my heart. I searched slowly into my cold heart, but found a slight warmth. A warmth to wanting Ryo back into my life. I smiled slightly. "Sure…I missed you Ryo…I thought you wouldn't love me still though…"
"I DID say that I loved you forever and ever when we were younger after all. Also, I'm the Legendary Tamer and you're the Digimon Queen. What is of a king without a queen?" he asked and grinned.
I smiled back as I wrapped my arms around him. "You actually remembered?" I asked, surprised that he still remembered OUR childhood together.
"Course I do. I love you Ruki-chan…forever and ever." He said softly and kissed my lips gently.
"I love you too Ryo-kun…" I said and kissed him back. Even though he was older than me, he had once in his lifetime told me to call him 'Ryo-kun.' I had fallen in love with my archenemy. Weird concept, isn't it? I love him though…and I always will.