Kitsune to Jinshin
[A/N: A Ruki/Renamon
friendship that teeters over that fine line into a romance. When the only thing you can say to the
person you care most about is 'I hate you', what will you do to express your
heart? Vague insertion of my works included. You'll see.
Enjoy, and if you don't, bah.]
[Disclaimer: I don't own Ruki
or Renamon, or all the stuff that I usually don't own, but I own what I
create.]
"I hate
all digimon!"
Renamon's
azure eyes stared up towards the crescent moon.
"I don't need
you. I don't need anybody."
Sharp pangs
of pain rippled through Renamon as she recalled the words her partner had
whispered that day.
What was the
key to unlocking her partner's ice-locked heart? Doing what she wanted did nothing, and she refused to allow
herself to be a friend to anybody.
Renamon
shifted her data to the shadows of Ruki's room in the house in Shinjuku. The red-haired girl was sleeping calmly, her
D-Arc and battle cards hidden somewhere.
At least,
Renamon hoped they were stored in a safe place…
…Instead of
in the garbage that she found them the previous nights and that night as well.
Renamon
slowly crouched down and reached towards the deck holder and the blue
D-Arc. It always seemed wrong to do
something against Ruki's will, to return the cards and digivice to her.
Ruki-chan,
please…I don't want to let anything hurt you, the fox
digimon thought solemnly.
When Ruki
awoke the next morning, her battle cards and D-Arc were at her table,
side-by-side once more.
Renamon's
pained blue eyes had burned themselves in Ruki's memory.
"I hate
all digimon!"
Was that
really the truth, or just a fear brought by the Icedevimon?
"I don't
need you. I don't need anybody."
Was that
true?
Ruki stared
long and hard at the cards spread out across her table, Renamon's card closest
to her.
It had been a
long while—forever really, since she had ever had a friend.
Renamon was
the person who had come the very closest to her, the one she wanted to be at
her side.
The Renamon
card was one of the most powerful Rookie cards there were. A Renamon was quick and fierce—a perfect
warrior with the speed of the fox. A
Kyuubimon was stronger, faster—an even better warrior.
Those were
the reasons she had chosen Renamon of those digimon that wished to be her
partner.
But she had
never chosen.
She had only
claimed that she wanted one powerful digimon partner, and Renamon…
Renamon chose
her.
Ruki laid her
head onto the table, grasping the Renamon card in one hand and laying her free
arm over her head with a moan.
"Renamon…"
Renamon's
ears perked at the call of her name.
Ruki was—no. It wasn't to summon
her. There was no threat. And besides…
Ruki had cut
their ties. She was nothing to Ruki any
longer.
"I miss you."
Ruki's gleaming purple eyes brimmed with tears, "But I don't want to be weak."
"Aw, the
perfect picture of the unhappy child!" an unfamiliar voice cackled, "'Poor
wittle me! I have no friends!' Blah!"
Ruki gasped
and sat up, immediately demanding, "Who's there?"
She whipped
her head around fast—no one was there.
A dull thud resonated through the table and she looked straight ahead.
"Impmon!" she
gasped, "What're you doing here?"
"Gee, toots,
one minute you're running the waterworks and the next you're a fireball!"
Impmon laughed at his own poor joke, "Bada-boom!"
"Get lost you
little rat!" Ruki yelled—suddenly grateful that her mother was at a photo-shoot
and her grandmother shopping.
"That's not
very nice." Impmon spoke calmly, "And what you're putting my pretty-fox-lady
through isn't very nice either. You
human tamers make me sick!"
"Does it look
like I care about your stomach?" Ruki stood up quickly, "Now get lost or I'll
throw you out myself!"
"I'm getting
real sick of you, kid." Impmon frowned, "One minute you say Renamon's your
friend, and the next you turn your back on her like yesterday's TV dinner."
"Get lost or
else!" Ruki yelled again, "I'm sick of you digimon!"
"Don't insult
us digimon!" Impmon flicked one finger upwards, the purple-red flame of his
attack gleaming in the dim light of the room.
Ruki stepped
backwards in shock and fear.
"BADA-BOOM!"
Impmon drew back and hurled the fireball.
Ruki threw up
her arms to guard against the fireball.
It struck her left forearm and exploded slightly, burning Ruki's skin.
"Ow!" Ruki
yelled, looking at the burn.
Impmon
laughed and started to ready another attack.
"DIAMOND
STORM!"
Impmon
squealed in pain and rage, and then darted towards the door.
"You're gonna
pay for this!" he wailed as he ran off, "I mean it!"
Ruki looked
up from the burn with pained eyes, but Renamon was already gone.
Ruki felt the
rising sting in her eyes and forced back the pain and tears.
Quite
suddenly, Renamon's hand was around her arm.
"Here." the
fox digimon said calmly, holding Ruki's arm still and rubbing burn ointment on
the charred flesh.
Ruki kept her
sight on her arm, refusing to look at Renamon.
If she did, she would do something that made her weak.
"Why did
Impmon attack you?" Renamon asked, "He has never attacked a human until now."
"How should I
know?" Ruki snapped.
"Impmon
doesn't quite appreciate humans as other digimon do." Renamon carefully wrapped
a bandage around the burn.
He doesn't
appreciate you the way I do.
"Renamon, why
did you bother coming here?" Ruki questioned.
There was no
answer. Ruki dared to glance up and
froze. Renamon was looking at her with
those eyes again.
"I told you
before that I'll do everything I can to protect you." the fox murmured, "We're
partners, Ruki."
Ruki looked
away from Renamon, unsure of what to do or say.
"And I also
told you that I only want to make you happy." Renamon rested her hands on
Ruki's shoulders, "Tell me what I can do to make you happy."
Ruki rubbed
her injured arm with her thumb, trying to think.
What did
she want?
"I don't want
you to leave." she whispered, "You're my best friend."
But she's
more than that. What am I supposed to
say?
Somehow, just
somehow, Renamon knew, and the two instinctively drew closer…
"Ruki, I'm
home!"
And then,
Ruki was alone, her eyes wide in shock of what would have happened if her
grandmother hadn't arrived right then.
"Renamon…"
—to be continued—
