A/N: A very late birthday present for The Light's Refrain. Somehow your Ryo fic turned into a Ryuki from Rika's POV, but hopefully enough Ryo still. :D Enjoy!

Also written for the Becoming the Tamer King Challenge, Meeting Ebonwumon task: write about a first impression, and for the Diversity Writing Challenge, B11 – write a fic between 750-850 words.

Celebrity Soldier

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He was the image of a celebrity when she first met him. The favourite to win, and the guy wasn't the least bit concerned he might lose. He just lapped it up. The photos because he had "good looks". The comments about his skill because he'd made it through to the finals in his first ever tournament.

Or first official tournament. She knew, by the way he played, that he'd had experience elsewhere. Experience she envied. Experience she lacked.

But that wasn't why she was bitter when she lost. It was the way everyone treated the match. Like she'd never had a chance in the first place.

And the way he'd held the trophy without a backward glance to his opponent. To her.

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She was waiting for him in the next tournament, even though she'd heard the news. He was famous after all. Famous for winning a tournament. Famous for disappearing into thin air. She still half-expected him to show. To defend his title if nothing else. Did he have no pride?

Apparently not. Or maybe there was some truth to the rumour mill after all, but she didn't think so. A year was a long time to keep someone against their will and say nothing. And what was the point of killing a famous guy and not leaving the body or a hint anywhere to be found? No, he'd run away. Arrogant and self-centred like she'd first thought him to be.

He wasn't there and there was no challenge at all in that year's tournament. She won, but it was a bitter win. And there were the whispers of how Ryo would have beaten her if he'd only been there.

He hadn't, but he'd still robbed her victory from her.

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She hadn't expected to see him in the Digital World, but she did and all those emotions, all those thoughts, rushed back. The others didn't get it though. Kazu and Kenta. They fell over their big floppy feet because Ryo was so "cool" and a "hero".

It made her stomach squirm uncomfortably so she ditched them and wondered off on her own. And that was so much better. Fresh air. Renamon. Not having to listen to anyone's whispers. Not having to see his face.

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She was stuck with him now. Why did they need to bring him back from the digital world? He'd been doing just fine on his own after all.

Then again, there hadn't been the D-Reaper back then. And…other stuff.

He wasn't even that annoying anymore. But maybe it was because her brain and heart were full with Jeri and Impmon. Leomon and Beelzemon. And…just things. Things she'd taken for granted. Like her parents.

And Ryo was just another Digidestined where they now were. Yamaki and the other Monster Makers weren't hero-worshippers. They needed real heroes. The sort that could take care of the D-reaper. That could save their world. Honestly, they knew her and Takato and Henry better than him. So his presence wasn't as much the devil's whisper as it could have been.

But he was still annoying, sometimes. He went out of his way to annoy her because, maybe he realised, it just wouldn't be the same if he didn't.

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He gave Suzie a Digi-Modify card. It was a smart move, in the end. Saved Kazu and Kenta. And none of them had thought about it. Not her: another Champion winner with far more cards than she used. She'd even been teaching Jeri how to use them. But it hadn't occurred to her to help Suzie. And not even her brother or father, who between them probably owned a copy of every card ever marketed.

They'd thought her a little kid, too young. Except Ryo. He'd seen something else.

For the first time, she truly wondered what had happened in the past to make him…a soldier.

Not a celebrity. She'd been wrong. He had seemed to lap the attention up because it was like oil on water, washing off and never leaving a mark. A soldier that didn't let petty little things touch him.

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When had she started to respect him? To trust him? When had he snuck into the three; made it four? At some point, because it was now them inside the D-Reaper, them fighting the final fight. Them trusting their lives to each other, their hopes and dreams: to defeat he D-Reaper and save Jeri and Calumon too.

And he was ready to do some reckless thing to make it three again. But –

She remembered when they'd first met. How everyone had seen how untouchable he was, except her. But she'd seen something they hadn't. Experience. Power.

Possibility.

If anyone could do it and survive, it was him.

And it was part of respect and trust and faith that she accommodated him.