As with the previous chapter, ALiFA is my first attempt at a Fanfiction. Criticism is welcomed.
"So tell me again, why you were on my roof, tossing cookies at this time of day?" Rika, Renamon's Tamer, who was slightly more confused than angry about what had happened. "Why'd you bring him here Renamon? There something going on?"
Renamon calmly explained the situation, avoiding talking about her thoughts, but not omitting the embarrassing things she had asked, and after all was said and done, Rika dismissed the other Tamer, who left without too much fuss.
"Renamon," Rika called out to her partner to. Keep her from leaving the room just yet.
"Yes, Rika?"
"I'm noticing a lot of things wrong with your explanation you know." Rika patted the floor next to her for Renamon to sit at.
"I don't understand Rika?" The yellow vixen knew she was playing coy. She knew it would come out if Rika pressed her too hard though, and she didn't want that. "I told you what happened, what's wrong with my explanation?"
"Well first, even when you would meditate you wouldn't let anyone sneak up on you like that. Especially not that Goggle-head. And then what's with the suddenly asking him about being alive? And most importantly that last question? It's not just unlike you Renamon, it's just plain suspicious. Are you sick or something?" The female Tamer was at a loss trying to figure this out, and wanted a straight answer.
"I can't explain it either Rika. I was just thinking about all the times Takato had told us that Digimon were alive, but we never really understood what it meant to be 'alive' so I wanted to know what he meant, I think."
"That still doesn't cover why you asked him if he was single or not Renamon, and that's what I really wanna know. Is there something wrong with your head? I don't think I understand how Digimon work exactly but-" Rika cut herself off as the craziest idea crossed her mind.
"But what Rika?" Renamon asked, her interest piqued
"Renamon, do Digimon date? Like do they start to like other Digimon and start acting together as couples? You know, boyfriend and girlfriend kind of stuff."
"Normally in the digital world there is no gender Rika, I told your family that before the D-reaper fight. But here in the 'Real' world it seems after I, as well as the other Tamer's Digimon I imagine, bio-merged with my human partner I was imprinted with my Tamer's, your, gender. The whole reason your mom had me and the others specially made clothes to cover that area, if you remember that ordeal. But, yes, sometimes in the digital world higher level Digimon will pair up. Raise and protect the weaker Digimon much like a human family, why?" The fox Digimon didn't get where Rika was going with this.
"Is there anything like preferences in those pairs? Or is it just the strongest two Digimon?" Rika thought she might be on to something.
"Preferences? What do you mean Rika?"
"Do Digimon pair up with other Digimon based on strength, or based on wether or not they like the other Digimon?" She just needed to get the last piece out of her Digimon, and then Rika was sure to have the answer to Renamon's behavior.
"I suppose that factors in. But I still don't get where this is going." The vulpine warrior tilted her head and gave her partner a questioning glance.
"Could it be that you like Takato?" The female Tamer put her conclusion out on the table, and studied Renamon for a reaction, which she soon got.
"I don't think it's...like..." Renamon was about to dismiss the silly notion but found that when she thought about Takato she couldn't say that she didnt like him in some way. "I respect Takato. He lead us through a lot, both here in the real world and in the digital world. I admire him for his strength when fighting with Guilmon, and his courage in facing Beelzemon as well as the Deva, the Digimon Sovereign and the D-reaper."
"When you think of him, what do you feel Renamon? Rika questioned the vixen, trying to get a more concrete answer.
"I feel like he's someone I can trust, like you. I feel like if he hadn't become Guilmon's Tamer and met with us like he did, I might not be here right now, none of us might've made it out in the D-reaper fight. I feel like Takato has done a lot, maybe more for us than he should have, considering we tried to load Guilmon's data."
"Renamon," Rika paused, trying to figure out how she could ask the question in a way he partner would understand. "When you think of Takato, do you feel like you want to know more about him? Or maybe like you want to spend more time around him? Maybe you want to share special places you have visited with him?" She was trying to think like Renamon would.
The fox Digimon stood up and thought about what her Tamer was asking and found that she did. Renamon knew all about how Takato met Guilmon, how he and the other Tamer's went to the Digital world. But she didn't know anything personal about him. She wanted to spend more time with him and learn more about him. Renamon blushed as she recalled imagining herself and the childish Tamer sleeping on the roof.
"I don't think I would be against it Rika, if that's what you mean?" Renamon straightened up a bit more and nodded as she finally began to see her Tamer's point. "For now, and you keep this between us, this liking Takato thing. Even if I do, we aren't even the same kind of creature, so there's no-"
"There's no way he could like you back? There no way you could be together? There's no future even if you were?" Rika cut off her Digimon before the yellow warrior could begin to rationalize why she couldn't be with Takato. "We were also told there was no way to save the Digital world and that we couldn't beat the D-reaper. That human and digimon could never survive together and that we would all die in the fights we won. What is something like this, the idea of being happy with someone have to it that those didn't?"
"I don't know Rika. It just seems out of reach." Renamon, who had been initially shocked by Rika's readiness to compare an unlikely pairing and an apocalyptic event, now smiled internally at how much she was coming to realize her partner really cared. "Even if it is possible for he and I together, and I'm not saying that's what I want Rika, and even if there were a future to be had with Takato, not that I think I want one, there is no way in either world that he would like me back. Not after everything that's been said and done."
"Says who Renamon? I mean, did Takato ever directly say that he would never ever like you?"
"No, but Rika, think Logically here I'm a Digimon, I'm not even Human!" Renamon found herself wondering for the first time ever, what it would be like being human instead of who she was.
But at that very moment, Rika, now standing beside Renamon, clutching onto her partner's arm like there was no way she would let her walk away thinking like that, did the unthinkable. Rika, who was now determined to make up for some of the horrible things she had done and said to Renamon, dragged her partner out of the room, across the garden and out to the street. "Renamon go catch Takato, as slow as he is, he can't have gotten far. Bring him back and we can stop either my suspicions, or your beliefs before we mess up and cause unneeded troubles. GO!"
"But.. Rika why are we-"
"JUST GO, AND HURRY!"
"A-alright I. I got it!" The vulpine vixen nodded, her face and expression flushed as she leaped up and vanished midair, leaving Rika to wonder what she had set into motion.