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Chapter 7: Deviations

Jeri couldn't remember the exact moment she had lost consciousness, but decided that figuring that out was not a priority at the moment. The fact was that she had passed out at some point and was now waking up on an old, worn out mattress. She looked around, finding that the room she was in was empty, which made identifying her location difficult. Still, Jeri couldn't help but feel a certain familiarity with her surroundings.

All questions and feelings seemed to pause, however, as full awareness returned to her and she realized that she was not alone. Sitting a few feet away from the mattress and watching her intently was Takato. Jeri sat straight up, the logical part of her brain telling her to remain calm. This wasn't the friend that she saw nearly every day, but a doppelganger and the knight who abducted her. She couldn't do anything hasty until she at least figured out what his motivations were.

"Hey…" Takato said softly, scratching the back of his head nervously as he spoke. "Sorry, I guess you passed out because I was moving too fast."

For the moment, Jeri was speechless. This alternate Takato was identical to her own Takato, or at least seemed so based on his appearance and mannerisms. The only obvious difference she could see were the clothes he was wearing, though he wore the same goggles that Takato always had. Granted, she wasn't exactly sure what kind of differences she had been expecting.

Guilmon, on the other hand, was a different story. Finally noticing that the saurian digimon was sitting in the room with them, Jeri was taken aback a bit. This Guilmon's scales seemed dull and faded compared to the bright red she was used to. He stared at her with dilated pupils, almost as though he was indifferent to her presence. Jeri had to resist the urge to show her dismay at the digimon's appearance, as his cheery and childlike disposition was what she loved most about him.

"What wrong, Jeri?" Takato asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"Where are we?" Jeri replied, deciding to start with the simplest question.

"Home, or at least it used to be." He smiled as he spoke.

It finally dawned on Jeri where they were. "The bakery?"

"What's left of it, anyway. The last owners did their best with it, but they weren't my parents. Since they've basically abandoned the place, I decided to take advantage of…" Takato trailed off as he looked towards her. Jeri was having trouble following his story, and it must have been showing. "Oh, right, alternate universe…"

"So, you already know?"

"I mean, I'm not Henry so I couldn't tell you the science, but I've read enough comic books to recognize the signs. I've been looking into these portals the last couple days, and once I saw you, I knew I had to be right." Takato paused for a beat and, for the first time since Jeri had awoken, looked away from her. "I'm sorry, Jeri."

"For what?"

"Where do I start?" Takato looked back towards her. Up to this point, he had seemed friendly and excited to see her, despite the circumstances. Now, all Jeri saw was sadness. "For attacking without thinking and putting you in harm's way, for starters."

"Why did you attack us?" Something wasn't adding up and Jeri's gut was telling her to find out what it was.

"My instincts kicked in and I lost control. I guess I assumed you were in danger when I saw you standing next to Impmon."

"Why would I be in danger around…?" Now it was Jeri's turn trail off. As she began to ask the question, Takato began to look at her like she had two heads. Jeri paused, as the pieces she was being given began to fit together to form a very dark picture. Not ready to deal with it just yet, she pushed it aside and decided to change topics. "Why did you bring me here, Takato?"

"Like I said, instincts. When I saw you, I just…" he turned away from her again. "I guess I just wanted to talk to you one more time."

"Why can't you just go talk to your Jeri?"

"She, well I guess you, I mean…" Takato choked a bit as he spoke and looked back towards her. "You died, Jeri."

Jeri stood straight up and backed towards the door, stumbling a bit as she did. Again, another piece of the puzzle that fit all too well. Despite the fact that Jeri knew that she was very much still alive, she still felt as though she were about to throw up.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Jeri said without thinking. At this point, she still wasn't sure if she was a prisoner or not, but that last bit of news made that detail irrelevant in her mind.

"Jeri, wait…" Takato said as he slowly stood up and walked towards her.

"It's just that, even if they didn't follow us through the tear, my friends will be trying to find a way to find me, so-" Jeri bumped into the doorframe, further scattering her concentration.

"It's getting late, Jeri." Takato reached towards her, but ended up pulling his hand back and sticking it in his pocket. "Look, I know I just threw a lot at you, but I don't want you running around the city by yourself. Even without the possibility of running into a wild digimon, that can be dangerous."

"It's just…" Jeri was having trouble figuring out exactly how she felt. Everything about this reality just felt like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from.

"Please, just stay here for tonight. I'll help you find a way home tomorrow. It's the least I can do." She looked Takato in the eyes, seeing the same sincerity she always did. Had the Takato from her own reality made the offer, she would have accepted without hesitation.

In the end, Jeri just nodded as she slid back against the doorframe. Taking a few seconds to breathe and think, she realized she had no choice. She trusted her friends to come for her, but she also worried about what else she might come to learn about this reality if she spent much more time here.

Takato was tempted to slap himself just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. A more rational voice in his head reminded him where he was and that alternate versions of everyone he knew were to be expected. He looked to his friends, and found their reactions to very much in line with own. Rika was clutching her D-Power as though she were preparing for a fight, which Takato conceded as a fair precaution. His own double hadn't exactly given them a friendly greeting.

"Curious," the alternate Renamon said as she leapt off the shed and landed next to her partner. "They don't seem to be digital duplicates or anything like that, but something is off about them. Wherever they're from, they don't belong here."

"I don't care where they belong," Rika's doppelganger replied impatiently. "All I want to know is whether or not they're a threat."

"I suppose we're about to find out, Ruki."

"Ruki?" Takato said without thinking.

"That is my name," "Ruki" stated with an irritated tone that he knew all too well. Takato wondered if he would be able to tell the two apart if they weren't dressed differently. The outfit Ruki was wearing actually reminded him of how Rika appeared in the dream that preceded their first meeting.

This line of thought ended when Takato realized he was staring and that said staring seemed to be annoying Ruki. Takato looked to Rika, partially to play off his lapse in attention as well as get an answer to his previous inquiry. Upon meeting his gaze, his friend placed her face in the palm of her hand.

"My parents had trouble agreeing on a name," Rika explained. "According to my mom, they ended up flipping a coin to decide."

"Well, that's…" Takato began only to have Rika lift her head from her hand and giving him one of her infamous death-stares. "…interesting." Rika's expression didn't change as he finished the thought.

"Actually, it is a little interesting," Renamon interjected, possibly as a friendly attempt to keep Takato from digging his own grave. "This implies that half the 'Rikas' in the multiverse aren't 'Rikas' at all."

"Yeah, I'm sure you find all that fascinating, but I'm gonna have to skip the lecture," Ruki said as she turned away from them. "Come on, Renamon."

"Where the hell are you going?" Rika yelled after her double.

"Somewhere where you losers aren't."

"You're not even gonna ask why we're here?" Suzie asked.

"No, because I don't care."

"Wait a sec," Takato called out as he ran after Ruki. He managed to get in front of her and stop her from walking away.

"Get out of my way," Ruki growled. She refused to look him in the eye.

"Not until you hear us out. We're here looking for someone and we could use your help." Takato paused and waited for a reply, but didn't receive one. Ruki didn't try to move past him either, however, which he took as a que to continue. "Do you know where we can find your version of me?"

"No, I don't," Ruki replied coldly. She turned away from Takato to face the others. "And if you want my opinion, you should save yourself the trouble and stop looking for him. He's not worth it."

"Well, we didn't ask for your opinion," Rika shot back. "All we want is information."

"Well, I've got nothing for you."

"Look, let's start over," Takato said as he looped around Ruki to place himself in between the two redheads. "Maybe you could get us up to speed on what's been happening the last few years. Something drastic must have happened here to make your lives so different from ours."

Ruki didn't answer him right away, instead taking a couple seconds to look over the group. "Yeah you could say something drastic happened alright," she said as she pointed a thumb at Impmon.

"What do I got ta do wit…?" Impmon began to ask before trailing off. Rather than finish the thought, he ended but turning his head away from everyone else.

"Everything went to hell after that little creep killed Leomon."

"No, that wasn't it," Takato said as neutrally as he could. Now was not the time to dig up old wounds. "It had to have been after that."

"Not too long after that," Ruki stated very matter-of-factly.

"What makes you say that?" Takato asked slowly.

"The fact that your Impmon is still breathing. We all watched you execute him on the spot."

What was probably only a few seconds of silence felt like hours to Takato. He remembered announcing his intent to execute Beelzemon after defeating him, as well as Jeri's pleas for him to stop. In that moment, Takato had wanted nothing more than to end the life of the monster who had struck down his friend, but he ended up holding back simply because Jeri had asked him to. He found it hard to believe there was a version of him that wouldn't do the same.

The reactions of those around him were mixed. Ai and Mako both shifted nervously. They were both aware of their shared partner's past, but likely weren't used to experiencing the pain it had caused firsthand. Impmon himself looked back and forth between Takato and Guilmon before his eyes settled on the latter, whose only response was to shrug apologetically. Takato looked to Rika, who gave him a confident nod. Had they had a minute to step aside and talk, she probably would have told him that he had nothing to do with what happened in this reality, and that he should stay focused on the task at hand.

"To top it all off, you ended up loading his data too," Ruki continued unsympathetically. "Your Mega form went from being a white knight to twisted shadow. You called it ChaosGallantmon." She likely didn't see any distinction between the two Takatos, and these revelations were too fresh for Takato to try and convince her otherwise. "Like I said, nothing was the same after that."

"What happened to Jeri?" Takato asked hesitantly. He had his suspicions, but knew they all needed to hear the whole story.

"The D-Reaper took advantage of the state she was in, used her as a pawn in its invasion of the Real World. We stopped it, but…" Ruki paused for a brief but notable moment. Her tone and demeanor softened a bit, showing that she and Rika might not be as different as she wanted them to think. "…we were too late to save her."

Again, silence followed the new piece of information. The only reason Takato had been able to handle being separated from Guilmon and the other digimon after that battle was the fact that all his friends had survived it. Knowing that his doppelganger had endured both those losses in so short a time made it easier to understand his current state.

"And let me guess," Rika said bitterly, breaking the silence. "You used all that as an excuse to let the team fall apart."

"Don't you get it?" Ruki questioned. "After that, there was no team. Takato completely vanished a few weeks later, and no one seemed interested in carrying on without him."

"What about Henry?"

"And Ryo?" Suzie added. "And the rest of us?"

"As far as I'm concerned, they're just as much a lost cause," Ruki answered. The contempt in her voice stung at Takato a bit. "Henry didn't even try to stay in contact. He might as well have up and left too."

"Yeah, I'm sure all the blame for that fell on him," Rika said. If the tone of her voice didn't convey her disappointment in her double, her glare did.

Ruki ignored the comment. "Ryo pulled one of his vanishing acts. No one knows where he is."

"Knowing him, he probably found his way back to the Digital World," Takato suggested. The "Legendary Tamer" had always had a hard time taking to civilian life.

"I guess the two of you had the same idea," Renamon said. Takato turned to her with a raised eyebrow as she addressed Ruki and her own double. "That's what happened, isn't it? Your Takato found the portal under this shed, but rather than tell anyone about it, he used it to travel to the Digital World on his own."

"We had managed to stay together upon returning to the Digital World," Ruki's Renamon explained. "When Takato found us, we assumed he had come to return us home. Instead, he took Guilmon with him on a journey deeper into the Digital World." She paused for a beat. "Our group splintered soon after that. I eventually found a method to return to the Real World on my own."

"When did Takato and Guilmon show up again?"

"We accidently bumped into each other about year back while going after the same wild digimon," Ruki replied. "Got there just in time to watch that hypocrite load its data. After all the crap he used to give me…" She never finished the thought. She turned to leave again. "Storytime's over. We've given you more than enough info to go on."

"You're not going anywhere!" Rika declared.

"Good luck stopping me," Ruki called back without turning around.

"He took Jeri!"

Ruki stopped in tracks. She never turned back around to face them, but Takato knew Rika had hit a soft spot. Takato gave Rika an approving nod, to which she replied simply by crossing her arms and collecting herself.

"I guess you guys need a place to stay while you look," Ruki said impatiently.

"That would be helpful," Takato said as humbly as he could.

"Let's go before I change my mind."

"We're, uh, still waiting on someone."

"Perfect…" Ruki made her way over to a nearby tree, likely so she could wait in solitude. "Another loser to slow me down."

"I don't really talk like that, do I?" Rika asked when her double was out of earshot. Not wanting to answer the question, Takato tried not to look back towards her. He looked to Renamon for some indication on how to reply, but found the kitsune had reacted very much the same way.

Terriermon peered out from the bush he was hiding behind. While it was getting late, the park was still occupied by a decent number of civilians. Even though the existence of digimon was public knowledge back home, their presence in the Real World was still a bit controversial to say the least. Terriermon had no idea how much better or worse his standing would be with this version of society and really didn't want to find out.

He let off an annoyed sigh. He knew that he was going to hear it for taking so long to reach the meeting point, but it couldn't be helped. While Terriermon knew his way around Shinjuku Park, he wasn't used to traversing it on his own. He usually had a head or shoulder to ride on. If anything, this was his friends' fault. The Tamers' policy was typically to stay close to one's partner in the event the group was split up. They had all seemed to have forgotten that Terriermon's partner was not present.

Or maybe that makes all this Henry's fault, Terriermon thought. I definitely wouldn't be in this mess if he wasn't busy playing office monkey.

Terriermon looked up and down the path he needed to cross next. Once he accomplished this, he would be in the clear. The route he and Henry typically used to reach the utility shed didn't typically see much use by the common park goer. Convinced no one was watching, he dashed across to the brush on the other side.

"Who needs Henry?" Terriermon asked himself triumphantly as he found himself in a familiar clearing.

"Terriermon?" an all-too-familiar voice said suddenly, causing Terriermon to slowly turn around to face its owner.

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

Standing over a hole in the ground in the utility shed, Suzie thought about how easy it would be to travel to this reality's Digital World. She supposed the journey itself would be pretty easy, with most of the challenges coming upon her arrival there. She conceded that she little knowledge when it came to navigating said world and would no idea where to begin the search for the person she would be looking for. Still, that hadn't stopped her friends during their first journey there.

"Suzie…" Lopmon said softly. The digimon, who stood at Suzie's side, likely knew exactly what the girl was thinking and would just as likely try to talk her out of it. Not that she wouldn't accompany her if she chose to make the journey anyway. Suzie clenched her fists as a voice in head told her how wrong it was to take advantage of her partner's loyalty.

"I'm sorry, Lop, but we don't have a choice," Suzie replied without facing her partner.

"We always have a choice. Look, I know this is important to you, but the others need us now. Now would be the worst time to just leave."

"Where're you goin'?" Mako's voice rang out. Suzie turned around to find him and Ai standing in the shed's doorway with Impmon close behind.

Suzie looked to Lopmon, who looked down at the ground. "To the Digital World," Suzie answered finally.

"What for?" Ai asked as she and her brother moved closer.

"To find Ryo. I think…" Suzie paused for a beat, not really sure how to answer. "…I think that a lot of this world's problems came from the team breaking up. Maybe we can help them by getting them back together."

Again, a disappointed voice sounded in Suzie's head. While part of her believed what she said to be true, she also knew that claiming it as the main reason for this journey was a flat-out lie. She knew that the actual main reason for it would be the chance at being reunited with someone she had failed to save.

"Then what're we waiting around here for?" Mako said eagerly. "Let's get movin'."

"Wait, I can't let you guys do that," Suzie replied. While she could definitely use their help, she didn't want to put them in danger.

"Yeah, well, we can't let you go alone."

"Uh, guys," Impmon said as he moved to the middle of the group. "Nuthin' fer nuthin', but ain't we fergettin' about somethin'? What about Jeri?"

"With Takato and Rika still here, I don't think she has much worry about." Mako didn't sound completely convinced by his own statement. Part of him more than likely wanted to stay and help. Jeri's safety was important to Impmon, so it was important to Ai and Mako by extension.

"Dat don't mean we should leave. Ai, back me up."

Suzie looked towards Ai, who looked uncomfortable being tie-breaker. Suzie didn't blame her, as the decision had not been easy for her to make either. That fact was that Suzie hated the idea of leaving Jeri as well. These last few months, the older girl had given up so much of her own free time just because there had been a chance that doing so would help Suzie sort through her own demons.

"Maybe we should go," Ai said softly. Suzie was surprised by the decision. Not only did she tend to disagree with her brother as though it were on principle, but she was typically the most reasonable of the younger Tamers. Henry had once pointed out that it made them an effective micro-team, not too dissimilar from himself, Takato, and Rika. Ai balanced out Mako's headstrong and rash behavior as well as Suzie's own tendency to follow her heart.

"Ai…" Impmon pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but if what Ruki said is true, then part of the reason the other Takato attacked us was because he saw you. Maybe we should find another way to help Jeri." Despite how conflicted Ai came across, her words still seemed to register with Impmon. He paused before moving to speak again.

"None of this matters," Suzie interrupted. "I still don't think you should come."

"Well, you going alone isn't an option," a new voice argued. All eyes turned to doorway of the shed to find Takato looking back at them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in. Renamon volunteered to stay behind and wait for Terriermon, so the rest of us figured we'd get moving."

"Are you going to try and stop us?" Suzie asked nervously.

"I'm with Impmon on this one. I don't think this is a good idea." It was common knowledge that Takato was typically bad at hiding how he was feeling, yet he was somehow managing to maintain a neutral tone at the moment.

"I figured you wouldn't." Suzie looked downward. She wasn't sure she could recite her previous lie again to justify her actions.

"I know you want to see to him again, but now might not be the right time." While she and Takato didn't speak often, Suzie appreciated how he never spoke down to her when they did. He was just honest, which meant she was more likely to listen to him than Henry.

"I don't know what else to do." Suzie looked back up at Takato. Her chest clenched up and she felt herself start to get choked up. "I can't stop thinking about whether or not there was something else I could've done. The nightmares alone would be enough to drive someone crazy."

Takato's neutral expression fell away, replaced by one that almost looked sad to Suzie, and was then in turn replaced by what looked like understanding. "If Henry or your parents ever ask, you guys left before I could stop you."

It took Suzie a couple seconds to understand what she was being told. "Thank you," she croaked, not being able to resist smiling as she did.

"Let's get a move on, then!" Mako called out as he led Ai and the digimon into the hole.

Suzie, however, waited for moment and turned to Takato one last time. "You know, Takato, you're actually pretty cool when you're not acting all angry."

"Yeah, thanks," Takato replied. She could have sworn she saw him twitch a little bit.

Suzie didn't waste another second before jumping down into the hole and moving towards the portal. She had just been given a chance to make things right and she was going to make the most of it.

So I took a quick glance at the future and found that Rika will spend a lot more time directly interacting with her alternate universe counterpart than the others. With that in mind, the other Rika/Rika's doppelganger/Mirror Rika became Ruki for brevity's sake.