Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. I don't own Digimon or anything related to
it. What did you think I was going to say?
"Daddy?" Rika called, running through the halls of her house. "Daddy? Where are you?" She searched everywhere she could, trying to find her father, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Daddy?" Rika's mother, Mikino, was sitting at the table in the dining room, head in her hands, a piece of paper in front of her.
"Mommy?" Rika asked, entering the room. As she did, Mikino hastily wiped her eyes, and stashed the paper onto her lap before looking at her daughter kindly.
"Yes, dear?" she asked.
"Mommy, where's Daddy? I can't find him!"
"Your Daddy had to go away for a little while," Mikino told her daughter.
"When will he be back?"
"Soon, honey, soon," Mikino said, trying to hold in her tears for Rika's sake. "He'll be back soon. Soon… Soon… Soon…"
******
Rika woke up with a start, her mother's voice still echoing in her head. It was a seldom recurring dream of hers, forcing her to relive painful memories from her past. She hadn't known it at the time, she was only three, but now she knew that her mother had been lying. Her father had never come back, he was gone for good.
A second after Rika's head shot up from the pillow, Renamon was right there in the room. Rika caught her breath with a glare at her partner.
"Renamon," Rika said to her partner. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw you suddenly wake up," the golden fox responded. "I was worried something might be wrong."
"You needn't have been," Rika replied curtly. Even though the two of them had reached an understanding after the Harpymon incident, Rika was still hesitant about opening up too much. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" At Rika's nod, Renamon rose from her kneel.
"Go get some sleep," Rika said. At Renamon's raised eyebrow, Rika added, "You never know when another Wild One might appear."
"Of course," Renamon tilted her head in recognition. With one final glance around the room, she faded from sight. Rika let out a rather frustrated sigh before laying her head back on the pillow, hoping to get some sleep before school the next day.
******
Sleep came quickly for Rika, as did the next day. In another section of the city later that day, school was letting out, and Takato and Henry emerged from the building, comparing notes.
"Do you ever wonder about Rika?" Henry said suddenly.
"Well," Takato replied with a nervous chuckle. "I wonder what to do to avoid getting my butt kicked by her."
"That's not exactly what I meant."
"Well, what did you mean?"
"What I meant was," Henry told his friend, "What makes her tick? Why is she the way she is?"
"Never really thought about it," Takato admitted, "I'm, uhh, a little afraid of her."
"I don't blame you man," Henry laughed. "She's not exactly the friendliest person in the world."
"Tell me about it."
"But, why?" Henry asked. "That's what I can't figure out."
"Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Takato asked. "Do you like her or something?" When Henry didn't answer immediately, Takato continued, "Do you?"
"I don't know," Henry said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's just that we don't really know much about her besides that she's the Digimon Queen. I'd like to change that."
"It's none of my business," Takato replied, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace. "But, personally, I'd rather go for a normal girl."
"And Jeri's normal… how?"
"Funny," Takato said wryly, looking up at the clock on the building. "Aww nuts! I'm gonna be late for detention!" Miss Isaji had caught him doodling in class again, and he had to run back into the building.
"See ya!" Henry called to his friend's back before heading off to the park. Who knows, maybe Rika would be there.
******
Renamon and Rika were already there in a secluded spot of the park. Her back against a tree, Rika watched and supervised as Renamon went through her usual paces. The fox Digimon was in one of her martial arts routines, launching kicks and punches at opponents who weren't really there. Rika watched her partner's smooth, graceful motions smugly. Renamon's speed and agility were unmatched by that of any other Rookie Digimon, especially those of Goggle-head and co., a fact that pleased her greatly.
Finishing her motions, Renamon held her final pose and looked over to Rika. The girl's eyes were closed, and her chest was rising and falling slowly. Renamon chuckled, the girl was asleep, but she still held the pose, for no other reason than because she could.
******
"Momma, what's this?" Rika asked, holding up an envelope she had found while rummaging through some old storage boxes in the garage. Written on the front was her mother's name.
"What's what, honey?" Mikino asked, busy in another part of the house.
"A letter!" Rika called back, opening up the envelope and removing a piece of paper from it. "It's from Daddy!" She started to read the letter.
"Dearest Mikino,
"By the time you read this, I'll be gone, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be back. Ever. I'm truly sorry about this, but it's for the best.
"What happened two days ago only confirmed what I've felt for a while now. Two days ago, our daughter was crying her eyes out onto your shoulder because I couldn't find the right thing to say to her. It was at that moment that I realized that I didn't really know how to be a good husband or father.
"Don't think I'm leaving because I stopped loving you, or our daughter, because I love both of you, with all my heart. Rather, it's because I love you that I'm walking away. I don't deserve such a loving wife or beautiful young girl. I'm a terrible father, and you deserve so much better than what I can give you.
"Tell Rika that I will always love her, no matter what. I only wish I could be around to see the beautiful young lady that I have no doubt she will become. All my best."
The unsigned letter fell from Rika's hand, floating gently to the floor. She turned and looks up at her mother, silhouetted in the doorway, tears blurring her vision.
******
For the second time in as many days, Rika woke up with a sudden jolt, the contents of the letter burned forever in the back of her mind. She fought the sudden rise of anger she felt, remembering the deception on her mother's part. Mikino had always said that, one day soon, her father would return. Until she had found the letter that day, she had believed it to be the truth.
Shaking her head to clear it of the last traces of sleep, Rika looked over at Renamon, still in her final position, and put the latest bad dream out of her thoughts.
"Have you been like that the entire time?" Rika asked, surprised. Renamon nodded, and Rika smiled. "Good. You can take a short break while I get a drink."
Renamon tilted her head in agreement and sat on the ground, curling into the lotus position. There, she closed her eyes and began to meditate. Rika's smugly happy smirk returned to her face as she went to the fountain, and splashed some water on her face, as if to wash away the tears from six years ago.
"Oh, hello Rika," somebody said from behind Rika. She turned around with a glare for Henry.
"Oh, what do you want?" Rika asked, irritated. She had neither the time nor the desire to deal with him now.
"Nothing," Henry shrugged. "Just thought I'd say hey."
"Then say it and go," Rika replied, her hands on her hips. "And if you want nothing, I think I saw some over there."
Henry chuckled, causing Rika to narrow her eyes. "What's so funny?"
"Oh," Henry responded, "Nothing."
"I don't have time for this," Rika grumbled, shaking her head.
"Something wrong?"
"Even if there was," the girl said, turning her back, "Quite frankly, it's none of your business." With that she walked away, leaving Henry to stare at her retreating back.
"Man," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "What is her deal, anyway?"
"Do you really want to know?" Renamon asked, appearing suddenly and causing Henry to jump.
"Actually," Henry responded once he had gotten his heart rate back under control, "I really do."
"Hmm," Renamon uttered. "Why?"
The question caught Henry completely off-guard. His mouth opened and closed several times as rejected a number of possible answers.
"Well, I just want to get to know her better."
"Hmm," Renamon repeated. "Good luck."
Renamon disappeared just as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving Henry standing by himself once again.
"They're both crazy," he chuckled. That just made it more interesting.
******
"So," Rika asked once she and Renamon had left the park. "What were the two of you talking about?"
"Oh, you know," Renamon replied, an amused look on her face. "This and that."
"You wouldn't be talking about me behind my back, would you?"
"Perish the thought!" Renamon said, putting up her hands in mock horror.
"Good. That's the last thing I need. Honestly, that boy's as bad as Goggle-head sometimes."
"Only sometimes?" Renamon raised one eyebrow.
"Yeah. Usually he's worse."
Softly, Renamon began to laugh, shoulders shaking with mirth. Rika shot her a death look.
"What's that for?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Humans," Renamon laughed. Always making things so complicated.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Renamon said, her face the picture of innocence.
"Forget it," Rika sighed. "Let's just head-"
She was interrupted by the sound of her digivice going off. It could only mean one thing.
"Another fight," Rika said, a smirk coming across her face. "Let's do this."
"Daddy?" Rika called, running through the halls of her house. "Daddy? Where are you?" She searched everywhere she could, trying to find her father, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Daddy?" Rika's mother, Mikino, was sitting at the table in the dining room, head in her hands, a piece of paper in front of her.
"Mommy?" Rika asked, entering the room. As she did, Mikino hastily wiped her eyes, and stashed the paper onto her lap before looking at her daughter kindly.
"Yes, dear?" she asked.
"Mommy, where's Daddy? I can't find him!"
"Your Daddy had to go away for a little while," Mikino told her daughter.
"When will he be back?"
"Soon, honey, soon," Mikino said, trying to hold in her tears for Rika's sake. "He'll be back soon. Soon… Soon… Soon…"
******
Rika woke up with a start, her mother's voice still echoing in her head. It was a seldom recurring dream of hers, forcing her to relive painful memories from her past. She hadn't known it at the time, she was only three, but now she knew that her mother had been lying. Her father had never come back, he was gone for good.
A second after Rika's head shot up from the pillow, Renamon was right there in the room. Rika caught her breath with a glare at her partner.
"Renamon," Rika said to her partner. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw you suddenly wake up," the golden fox responded. "I was worried something might be wrong."
"You needn't have been," Rika replied curtly. Even though the two of them had reached an understanding after the Harpymon incident, Rika was still hesitant about opening up too much. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" At Rika's nod, Renamon rose from her kneel.
"Go get some sleep," Rika said. At Renamon's raised eyebrow, Rika added, "You never know when another Wild One might appear."
"Of course," Renamon tilted her head in recognition. With one final glance around the room, she faded from sight. Rika let out a rather frustrated sigh before laying her head back on the pillow, hoping to get some sleep before school the next day.
******
Sleep came quickly for Rika, as did the next day. In another section of the city later that day, school was letting out, and Takato and Henry emerged from the building, comparing notes.
"Do you ever wonder about Rika?" Henry said suddenly.
"Well," Takato replied with a nervous chuckle. "I wonder what to do to avoid getting my butt kicked by her."
"That's not exactly what I meant."
"Well, what did you mean?"
"What I meant was," Henry told his friend, "What makes her tick? Why is she the way she is?"
"Never really thought about it," Takato admitted, "I'm, uhh, a little afraid of her."
"I don't blame you man," Henry laughed. "She's not exactly the friendliest person in the world."
"Tell me about it."
"But, why?" Henry asked. "That's what I can't figure out."
"Why are you getting so worked up about it?" Takato asked. "Do you like her or something?" When Henry didn't answer immediately, Takato continued, "Do you?"
"I don't know," Henry said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's just that we don't really know much about her besides that she's the Digimon Queen. I'd like to change that."
"It's none of my business," Takato replied, spreading his hands in a gesture of peace. "But, personally, I'd rather go for a normal girl."
"And Jeri's normal… how?"
"Funny," Takato said wryly, looking up at the clock on the building. "Aww nuts! I'm gonna be late for detention!" Miss Isaji had caught him doodling in class again, and he had to run back into the building.
"See ya!" Henry called to his friend's back before heading off to the park. Who knows, maybe Rika would be there.
******
Renamon and Rika were already there in a secluded spot of the park. Her back against a tree, Rika watched and supervised as Renamon went through her usual paces. The fox Digimon was in one of her martial arts routines, launching kicks and punches at opponents who weren't really there. Rika watched her partner's smooth, graceful motions smugly. Renamon's speed and agility were unmatched by that of any other Rookie Digimon, especially those of Goggle-head and co., a fact that pleased her greatly.
Finishing her motions, Renamon held her final pose and looked over to Rika. The girl's eyes were closed, and her chest was rising and falling slowly. Renamon chuckled, the girl was asleep, but she still held the pose, for no other reason than because she could.
******
"Momma, what's this?" Rika asked, holding up an envelope she had found while rummaging through some old storage boxes in the garage. Written on the front was her mother's name.
"What's what, honey?" Mikino asked, busy in another part of the house.
"A letter!" Rika called back, opening up the envelope and removing a piece of paper from it. "It's from Daddy!" She started to read the letter.
"Dearest Mikino,
"By the time you read this, I'll be gone, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be back. Ever. I'm truly sorry about this, but it's for the best.
"What happened two days ago only confirmed what I've felt for a while now. Two days ago, our daughter was crying her eyes out onto your shoulder because I couldn't find the right thing to say to her. It was at that moment that I realized that I didn't really know how to be a good husband or father.
"Don't think I'm leaving because I stopped loving you, or our daughter, because I love both of you, with all my heart. Rather, it's because I love you that I'm walking away. I don't deserve such a loving wife or beautiful young girl. I'm a terrible father, and you deserve so much better than what I can give you.
"Tell Rika that I will always love her, no matter what. I only wish I could be around to see the beautiful young lady that I have no doubt she will become. All my best."
The unsigned letter fell from Rika's hand, floating gently to the floor. She turned and looks up at her mother, silhouetted in the doorway, tears blurring her vision.
******
For the second time in as many days, Rika woke up with a sudden jolt, the contents of the letter burned forever in the back of her mind. She fought the sudden rise of anger she felt, remembering the deception on her mother's part. Mikino had always said that, one day soon, her father would return. Until she had found the letter that day, she had believed it to be the truth.
Shaking her head to clear it of the last traces of sleep, Rika looked over at Renamon, still in her final position, and put the latest bad dream out of her thoughts.
"Have you been like that the entire time?" Rika asked, surprised. Renamon nodded, and Rika smiled. "Good. You can take a short break while I get a drink."
Renamon tilted her head in agreement and sat on the ground, curling into the lotus position. There, she closed her eyes and began to meditate. Rika's smugly happy smirk returned to her face as she went to the fountain, and splashed some water on her face, as if to wash away the tears from six years ago.
"Oh, hello Rika," somebody said from behind Rika. She turned around with a glare for Henry.
"Oh, what do you want?" Rika asked, irritated. She had neither the time nor the desire to deal with him now.
"Nothing," Henry shrugged. "Just thought I'd say hey."
"Then say it and go," Rika replied, her hands on her hips. "And if you want nothing, I think I saw some over there."
Henry chuckled, causing Rika to narrow her eyes. "What's so funny?"
"Oh," Henry responded, "Nothing."
"I don't have time for this," Rika grumbled, shaking her head.
"Something wrong?"
"Even if there was," the girl said, turning her back, "Quite frankly, it's none of your business." With that she walked away, leaving Henry to stare at her retreating back.
"Man," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "What is her deal, anyway?"
"Do you really want to know?" Renamon asked, appearing suddenly and causing Henry to jump.
"Actually," Henry responded once he had gotten his heart rate back under control, "I really do."
"Hmm," Renamon uttered. "Why?"
The question caught Henry completely off-guard. His mouth opened and closed several times as rejected a number of possible answers.
"Well, I just want to get to know her better."
"Hmm," Renamon repeated. "Good luck."
Renamon disappeared just as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving Henry standing by himself once again.
"They're both crazy," he chuckled. That just made it more interesting.
******
"So," Rika asked once she and Renamon had left the park. "What were the two of you talking about?"
"Oh, you know," Renamon replied, an amused look on her face. "This and that."
"You wouldn't be talking about me behind my back, would you?"
"Perish the thought!" Renamon said, putting up her hands in mock horror.
"Good. That's the last thing I need. Honestly, that boy's as bad as Goggle-head sometimes."
"Only sometimes?" Renamon raised one eyebrow.
"Yeah. Usually he's worse."
Softly, Renamon began to laugh, shoulders shaking with mirth. Rika shot her a death look.
"What's that for?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
"Humans," Renamon laughed. Always making things so complicated.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Renamon said, her face the picture of innocence.
"Forget it," Rika sighed. "Let's just head-"
She was interrupted by the sound of her digivice going off. It could only mean one thing.
"Another fight," Rika said, a smirk coming across her face. "Let's do this."
