"Bye Guilmon!" Takato called back. "See you later, Henry!"
"Bye-bye!" Guilmon called after his partner.
"Later!" Henry called as Terriermon jumped onto his usual perch on the boy's head.
"So, where to now, boss?" the digimon asked.
"Let's just head home," Henry replied.
"As long as you promise to hide me from Suzie," Terriermon said with a shiver.
"Can it really be all that bad?"
"Depends. You like wearing dresses?"
"You know the answer to that."
"Right. 'Only on weekends when nobody else is home.'" Terriermon quipped.
"Funny," Henry said. "Maybe we should pick up a brand new pink dress for 'Princess Pretty Pants' on the way home?"
"Uhh, point taken."
"Thought so. Let's just head home."
A loud beeping from Henry's waist derailed their plans, his digivice reacting to a new Digimon.
"Looks like Suzie is going to have to wait," Terriermon said happily.
"Let's go," Henry said running off in the direction his digivice pointed.
******
Rika stepped through the fog of the digital field into the clearing inside where the latest enemy would be found. Renamon appeared beside her, keen eyes scanning the area. Off in the distance a sound could be heard getting steadily louder, a manic giggling.
"There he is," Renamon said, glaring at a rapidly moving streak in the distance. Her eyes glowed with a strange light and data appeared on Rika's digivice.
"Looks like it's Mamemon," Rika read. "Data type. His Smiley Bomb attack is anything but."
"He's an Ultimate," Renamon said with a slight gasp.
"Not a very strong one though," Rika said, thinking back to its card. "A couple of cards and he's toast. Trust me."
"I always do," Renamon responded, leaping forward to start the fight.
Soon, even Rika could see the miniscule Ultimate, barely bigger than Renamon's upper body. She could see it, that is, until she blinked and it was gone, moving in a rapid blur of motion. Renamon stood in a ring of blurred movement as Mamemon circled around for openings. The circle became a semi-circle as Mamemon charged at Renamon's back.
"Right!" Rika shouted, causing Renamon to roll to her right, avoiding the attack. Renamon frantically twisted her head, trying to keep her eye on the manic Digimon. She ducked under a second charge, and rolled left to avoid another.
"He's too fast for me!" Renamon called out to her Tamer, dodging another strike.
"We'll just have to even things up a little then, won't we?"
Rika reached into the cardholder clipped to her belt, automatically selecting the right card. "Digimodify! Hyper Sonic Activate! Show that thing what you're made of!"
For Renamon, everything seemed to slow down as the card took effect, including Mamemon, and she was able to make out the Digimon through the blur. Turning towards where Mamemon wasn't, she pushed forward, extending a leg in a jumping kick. As she predicted, Mamemon arrived at the same time her foot did.
Rika watched with satisfaction as Mamemon was sent flying through a tree and into the ground. "Yes! Now, while it's stunned!"
Renamon nodded, leaping high into the air and crossing her arms in front of her. "Diamond Sto-" "Smiley Bomb!"
Rika's look of satisfaction turned into one of horror as a red energy ball shot from the crater Mamemon was in, impacting with Renamon's chest. With a cry of pain, Renamon was knocked out of midair and landed in a heap on the ground. Rika cursed as she realized she had underestimated her opponent.
With a sudden blast of dirt, Mamemon shot out from the hole and hovered, powering up another attack. "Smiley!"
Rika quickly reached to her cards again, ready to pull out the next one, when another voice sounded. "Bunny Pummel!"
A gun-arm, blazing with energy, slammed into Mamemon, sending it falling. After a second shot, Mamemon flew backwards, carving a great rut in the ground as it slid backwards.
"You all right, Renamon?" Gargomon asked, landing next to the golden fox.
"I've received worse than that," she replied, getting back into a fighting stance.
"What are you doing here?" Rika asked angrily, turning towards Henry who had just arrived.
"Just providing a little backup," Henry responded.
"I never asked for backup, and I don't need it."
"I know," Henry shrugged. "I just thought I'd watch your back anyway."
"Just don't get in my way," Rika warned Henry, pulling out a card. "Renamon! Let's kick it up!" "With pleasure!" "Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!" "Renamon digivolve to…"
An egg of energy surrounded Renamon as her external layer of data peeled away and her core shifted to that of her Champion form. The external data reformatted and reattached itself. The egg burst apart revealing "Kyubimon!"
Mamemon put his fists together in front of him charging up another attack. "Smiley Bomb!" A glowing ball of energy streaked towards Kyubimon, but the fox beast spread her tails in a fan behind her, calling out "Fox Tail Inferno!"
Several fireballs flew outwards, deflecting the energy ball harmlessly away. The remaining flames surrounded Mamemon, striking him on all sides.
"Did you get him?" Gargomon asked, guns trained on the cloud of dust and flame in the air. In answer to his question, the flame burst apart as Mamemon spread his arms. Before either of them could react, Mamemon launched himself towards the two Champions. Kyubimon dodged out of the way and Mamemon crashed into Gargomon, engaging the gun bunny in a test of strength.
"There," Rika said, narrowing her eyes, at the same time Henry did. Both had spotted the opening. "Digimodify! Power Charger!"
"Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon called, rolling into a ball of blue flame. A dragonhead spun out the back and launched at Mamemon, engulfing the Ultimate in mystic fire. Gargomon ducked his head backwards as the attack passed dangerously close to him. With a howl of pain, Mamemon burst into a cloud of data, which rapidly dissipated, along with the digital field.
"Told you I didn't need backup," Rika told Henry when it was all over.
"Never thought you did," Henry replied.
"Then why are you even here?"
"Believe it or not," Henry said, "there are actually people out there who care about what happens to you."
"Hmmph," Rika grunted, turning her back on Henry. "Kyubimon! Let's go."
As Kyubimon passed by Henry, her eye met the boy's for a second before moving on. The look she had given Henry was one of curious interest. Henry shook his head as Gargomon stepped up to his side.
"Umm, what was that about?"
"It's complicated," Henry offered as a response. "Let's just go home, okay?"
"Oooookay."
Henry walked home in silence, thinking about what had happened and ignoring the looks Gargomon was giving him. Things were getting interesting.
******
"Urrrgh!" Rika grumbled once she was back home. She was pacing around her room, going over the events of the night. "What's that guy's deal, anyway?"
"It seems to me," Renamon replied, arms crossed, "that he considers you to be a friend."
"Why?" Rika asked, stopping her pacing.
"Because, from what I've seen, humans seem to need friends," Renamon answered, watching her Tamer closely.
"I've made it pretty far without them."
"You have more friends than you think," Renamon pointed out.
"You can't mean Goggle-head," Rika said, as if the very idea was ridiculous.
"Him," Renamon agreed. "Henry. Me."
"Ha!" Rika laughed. "People only become your friend because they want something. Once they get it, they leave."
"I didn't leave."
"You didn't get what you wanted yet."
"Why are you so cynical about friendship?"
"Experience," Rika replied with a scoff. "I've seen what happens when you let someone get too close and they leave. I'm not about to let that happen to me."
"So, you're letting one bad experience ruin any future chances for a relationship?" Renamon asked, one eyebrow raised. "What sense does that make?"
"You wouldn't understand," Rika told her partner, turning her head away.
"And why not?"
"You haven't been in the Real World long enough to know how the human mind works."
"Well then," Renamon said, "Maybe you should find someone who's been in the Real World all his life."
"Like Henry, you mean," Rika summarized with a sneer.
"There are worse choices," Renamon answered. "Maybe you should accept his interest in you at face value?"
"I've seen too many faces turn out to be nothing more than masks."
"It sounds like nothing I say can convince you, Rika," Renamon said sadly, "so I'll just leave you with this. If there's one thing I've learned from my time in the Real World, it's that life can get really sad when you don't have any friends."
Rika opened her mouth to answer, but Renamon was already gone. Instead she closed it with another "Hmmph." Changing her clothes, Rika settled into bed to sleep, the topic of friendship still heavy on her mind.
******
Rika's eyes fluttered open several hours later and she struggled to remember what had happened the previous night. All she could remember was opening up her heart and mine to Henry, and the warm, gentle comfort that he had provided. She sat up on the couch she had slept on and looked around for the boy, but there was nobody else in the room.
"Henry?" Rika asked. "You here?"
Getting up, Rika started searching for Henry, checking all the places where he could be. The only other being she found was Renamon.
"Oh, Renamon," Rika said, watching as the fox hastily slid something into one glove. "Have you seen Henry?"
"He told me he had to leave," Renamon warmly told the girl.
"Where?" Rika wondered. "Did he say when's he gonna be back?"
"Soon," Renamon answered. "He'll be back soon. Soon."
******
Once again, Rika's head shot up off her pillow, breathing heavily. It was another dream, the third one in two days. And, just like last night, Renamon was there in the room in an instant.
"Another bad dream?" she asked.
"No," Rika told her partner. "I just... suddenly remembered something. Nothing to worry about."
"Of course," Renamon said, bowing her head slightly before vanishing once again.
'It wasn't a bad dream,' Rika thought to herself. 'More like a warning.'
"Bye-bye!" Guilmon called after his partner.
"Later!" Henry called as Terriermon jumped onto his usual perch on the boy's head.
"So, where to now, boss?" the digimon asked.
"Let's just head home," Henry replied.
"As long as you promise to hide me from Suzie," Terriermon said with a shiver.
"Can it really be all that bad?"
"Depends. You like wearing dresses?"
"You know the answer to that."
"Right. 'Only on weekends when nobody else is home.'" Terriermon quipped.
"Funny," Henry said. "Maybe we should pick up a brand new pink dress for 'Princess Pretty Pants' on the way home?"
"Uhh, point taken."
"Thought so. Let's just head home."
A loud beeping from Henry's waist derailed their plans, his digivice reacting to a new Digimon.
"Looks like Suzie is going to have to wait," Terriermon said happily.
"Let's go," Henry said running off in the direction his digivice pointed.
******
Rika stepped through the fog of the digital field into the clearing inside where the latest enemy would be found. Renamon appeared beside her, keen eyes scanning the area. Off in the distance a sound could be heard getting steadily louder, a manic giggling.
"There he is," Renamon said, glaring at a rapidly moving streak in the distance. Her eyes glowed with a strange light and data appeared on Rika's digivice.
"Looks like it's Mamemon," Rika read. "Data type. His Smiley Bomb attack is anything but."
"He's an Ultimate," Renamon said with a slight gasp.
"Not a very strong one though," Rika said, thinking back to its card. "A couple of cards and he's toast. Trust me."
"I always do," Renamon responded, leaping forward to start the fight.
Soon, even Rika could see the miniscule Ultimate, barely bigger than Renamon's upper body. She could see it, that is, until she blinked and it was gone, moving in a rapid blur of motion. Renamon stood in a ring of blurred movement as Mamemon circled around for openings. The circle became a semi-circle as Mamemon charged at Renamon's back.
"Right!" Rika shouted, causing Renamon to roll to her right, avoiding the attack. Renamon frantically twisted her head, trying to keep her eye on the manic Digimon. She ducked under a second charge, and rolled left to avoid another.
"He's too fast for me!" Renamon called out to her Tamer, dodging another strike.
"We'll just have to even things up a little then, won't we?"
Rika reached into the cardholder clipped to her belt, automatically selecting the right card. "Digimodify! Hyper Sonic Activate! Show that thing what you're made of!"
For Renamon, everything seemed to slow down as the card took effect, including Mamemon, and she was able to make out the Digimon through the blur. Turning towards where Mamemon wasn't, she pushed forward, extending a leg in a jumping kick. As she predicted, Mamemon arrived at the same time her foot did.
Rika watched with satisfaction as Mamemon was sent flying through a tree and into the ground. "Yes! Now, while it's stunned!"
Renamon nodded, leaping high into the air and crossing her arms in front of her. "Diamond Sto-" "Smiley Bomb!"
Rika's look of satisfaction turned into one of horror as a red energy ball shot from the crater Mamemon was in, impacting with Renamon's chest. With a cry of pain, Renamon was knocked out of midair and landed in a heap on the ground. Rika cursed as she realized she had underestimated her opponent.
With a sudden blast of dirt, Mamemon shot out from the hole and hovered, powering up another attack. "Smiley!"
Rika quickly reached to her cards again, ready to pull out the next one, when another voice sounded. "Bunny Pummel!"
A gun-arm, blazing with energy, slammed into Mamemon, sending it falling. After a second shot, Mamemon flew backwards, carving a great rut in the ground as it slid backwards.
"You all right, Renamon?" Gargomon asked, landing next to the golden fox.
"I've received worse than that," she replied, getting back into a fighting stance.
"What are you doing here?" Rika asked angrily, turning towards Henry who had just arrived.
"Just providing a little backup," Henry responded.
"I never asked for backup, and I don't need it."
"I know," Henry shrugged. "I just thought I'd watch your back anyway."
"Just don't get in my way," Rika warned Henry, pulling out a card. "Renamon! Let's kick it up!" "With pleasure!" "Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!" "Renamon digivolve to…"
An egg of energy surrounded Renamon as her external layer of data peeled away and her core shifted to that of her Champion form. The external data reformatted and reattached itself. The egg burst apart revealing "Kyubimon!"
Mamemon put his fists together in front of him charging up another attack. "Smiley Bomb!" A glowing ball of energy streaked towards Kyubimon, but the fox beast spread her tails in a fan behind her, calling out "Fox Tail Inferno!"
Several fireballs flew outwards, deflecting the energy ball harmlessly away. The remaining flames surrounded Mamemon, striking him on all sides.
"Did you get him?" Gargomon asked, guns trained on the cloud of dust and flame in the air. In answer to his question, the flame burst apart as Mamemon spread his arms. Before either of them could react, Mamemon launched himself towards the two Champions. Kyubimon dodged out of the way and Mamemon crashed into Gargomon, engaging the gun bunny in a test of strength.
"There," Rika said, narrowing her eyes, at the same time Henry did. Both had spotted the opening. "Digimodify! Power Charger!"
"Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon called, rolling into a ball of blue flame. A dragonhead spun out the back and launched at Mamemon, engulfing the Ultimate in mystic fire. Gargomon ducked his head backwards as the attack passed dangerously close to him. With a howl of pain, Mamemon burst into a cloud of data, which rapidly dissipated, along with the digital field.
"Told you I didn't need backup," Rika told Henry when it was all over.
"Never thought you did," Henry replied.
"Then why are you even here?"
"Believe it or not," Henry said, "there are actually people out there who care about what happens to you."
"Hmmph," Rika grunted, turning her back on Henry. "Kyubimon! Let's go."
As Kyubimon passed by Henry, her eye met the boy's for a second before moving on. The look she had given Henry was one of curious interest. Henry shook his head as Gargomon stepped up to his side.
"Umm, what was that about?"
"It's complicated," Henry offered as a response. "Let's just go home, okay?"
"Oooookay."
Henry walked home in silence, thinking about what had happened and ignoring the looks Gargomon was giving him. Things were getting interesting.
******
"Urrrgh!" Rika grumbled once she was back home. She was pacing around her room, going over the events of the night. "What's that guy's deal, anyway?"
"It seems to me," Renamon replied, arms crossed, "that he considers you to be a friend."
"Why?" Rika asked, stopping her pacing.
"Because, from what I've seen, humans seem to need friends," Renamon answered, watching her Tamer closely.
"I've made it pretty far without them."
"You have more friends than you think," Renamon pointed out.
"You can't mean Goggle-head," Rika said, as if the very idea was ridiculous.
"Him," Renamon agreed. "Henry. Me."
"Ha!" Rika laughed. "People only become your friend because they want something. Once they get it, they leave."
"I didn't leave."
"You didn't get what you wanted yet."
"Why are you so cynical about friendship?"
"Experience," Rika replied with a scoff. "I've seen what happens when you let someone get too close and they leave. I'm not about to let that happen to me."
"So, you're letting one bad experience ruin any future chances for a relationship?" Renamon asked, one eyebrow raised. "What sense does that make?"
"You wouldn't understand," Rika told her partner, turning her head away.
"And why not?"
"You haven't been in the Real World long enough to know how the human mind works."
"Well then," Renamon said, "Maybe you should find someone who's been in the Real World all his life."
"Like Henry, you mean," Rika summarized with a sneer.
"There are worse choices," Renamon answered. "Maybe you should accept his interest in you at face value?"
"I've seen too many faces turn out to be nothing more than masks."
"It sounds like nothing I say can convince you, Rika," Renamon said sadly, "so I'll just leave you with this. If there's one thing I've learned from my time in the Real World, it's that life can get really sad when you don't have any friends."
Rika opened her mouth to answer, but Renamon was already gone. Instead she closed it with another "Hmmph." Changing her clothes, Rika settled into bed to sleep, the topic of friendship still heavy on her mind.
******
Rika's eyes fluttered open several hours later and she struggled to remember what had happened the previous night. All she could remember was opening up her heart and mine to Henry, and the warm, gentle comfort that he had provided. She sat up on the couch she had slept on and looked around for the boy, but there was nobody else in the room.
"Henry?" Rika asked. "You here?"
Getting up, Rika started searching for Henry, checking all the places where he could be. The only other being she found was Renamon.
"Oh, Renamon," Rika said, watching as the fox hastily slid something into one glove. "Have you seen Henry?"
"He told me he had to leave," Renamon warmly told the girl.
"Where?" Rika wondered. "Did he say when's he gonna be back?"
"Soon," Renamon answered. "He'll be back soon. Soon."
******
Once again, Rika's head shot up off her pillow, breathing heavily. It was another dream, the third one in two days. And, just like last night, Renamon was there in the room in an instant.
"Another bad dream?" she asked.
"No," Rika told her partner. "I just... suddenly remembered something. Nothing to worry about."
"Of course," Renamon said, bowing her head slightly before vanishing once again.
'It wasn't a bad dream,' Rika thought to herself. 'More like a warning.'