Digimon Tamers: Crimson Ash

Chapter 6

Another day, another fight with his constant enemy. He was hungry again, and not just a little bit. Once again he hadn't eaten anything for two days straight. It was times like this that really tested Crimson Renamon's resolve not to steal, so many opportunities to do so came by him. The temptation was starting to get to him, unable to fully fight it. When you are this hungry, almost anything goes.

He growled almost as loudly as his stomach did, he had had enough of this. Maybe it was time to relocate to find a more reliable food source, he had already endangered himself by encountering tamers anyway. But to do that he needed energy, and to get energy he needed to eat.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the outcome, Renamon appeared close by. He knew she had been watching him for a few days now, since he covertly raided the fallen produce in the market three days ago. He may have been focused on food at that point, but he still sensed her. She seemed to be keeping watch on him, possibly to trap him once more. He had berated himself a few times already for allowing her to get close enough to corner him, and vowed not to do so again.

He phased away to another roof and sat down, out of Renamon's senses. He tried to decide where he was going to go next, but his exhaustion got the better of him. With an unrestrained sigh, he resigned himself to a quick rest before one last effort to locate food.

XXX

Renamon was watching him even now. He had phased away, just to the edge of her senses and stopped. Curious again she followed, remaining out of phase to get closer. She saw him sleeping on the roof of a small shop, oblivious to anything, or anyone around him.

She dropped down onto the roof he was on and decided to keep watch for him, in case he needed to get away quickly. As she watched the city around her, She heard a rather odd noise. Turning around to find its source, her eyes beheld a terrifying sight.

Crimson Renamon was thrashing on the roof, whimpering in his sleep. Deep gouges were being torn in the roof by his claws as he tossed around. His affliction was unknown to her and therefore she didn't know what to do, but his erratic movements lead her to attempt to pin him down. At this close proximity she could here him mutter incoherent words, names and other noises.

He was having that same nightmare once again. This time felt worse than before too, maybe his hunger made it worse. He struggled with himself to free his mind from the dream but to no avail.

Renamon kept him down as his thrashing increased. Then, as if a switch was thrown, Crimson Renamon bolted upright, eyes wide open as a cold sweat poured off him. A single yelped word erupted from his panic stricken muzzle.

"Alex!"

He struggled to calm himself, wild eyed and not truly seeing anything around him. It was then he realised he wasn't alone, someone was touching him. Focusing his vision he saw Renamon in front of him, holding him still from his previous thrashing.

"You. What. Where." His mind struggled to grasp the possibility that she had heard anything he had inadvertently said during his nightmare. "Wh-What the hell are you doing here? Get away from me!" His venom returned to his voice once he could think clearly.

"Calm down, I am not here to hurt you. I merely-"

"I don't care! Get the hell away!" He tried to free himself from her, but he was too weak against her sure grip. "Get your paws off me!"

Renamon gave him an impassive look. "Not until I believe you are all right. I can see you're hungry, your lack of strength is proof enough. And whatever you just experienced isn't something normal, or something to be shouldered alone."

"Bah! Take your petty concerns and be gone! You will get nothing from me!"

"I'm not asking, you will come with me and I will sort this out. Even if I have to drag you, again." Before he could protest further, she slung him over a shoulder again and began to head back to Rika's.

He knew fighting her in any state was futile, let alone as weak as he was. He sighed and resigned to go wherever she was taking him. But when he recognised the house he was heading for, he began to fight again.

"Oh no you don't. I am not going in there again."

"You say that like you have a choice."

She was right. He didn't have a choice. Sure enough he soon found himself pinned in that same room by Renamon as her tamer retrieved some food.

"Why? Why do you do this for me? I have done nothing to earn your favour, yet you go out of your way to help me. Why?"

She looked at him. "You have done nothing not to earn our favour, and seeing the way you live, that's not life by any standards. We want to change that for you. So why do you resist?"

He didn't answer. He retreated deep within himself as he tried not to remember how he lived before that day that everything changed. It would only lead to more questions that he did not want to answer. Renamon saw this, but decided not to pressure him into revealing what she so desperately wanted to know.

Rika returned with a tray of food similar to the last time. She set it down next to him and out of respect turned her back to him.

"While I appreciate the gesture, there is no need for it." Rika turned to face him as he spoke. "I suppose if I accept this you'll want more information?"

Renamon spoke before her tamer. "Only if you are willing. Of course we would like to know more, but I for one do not wish to cause discomfort." She addressed her tamer as well at the end, earning a reluctant nod from Rika.

Crimson Renamon picked up a roll from the tray and seemed to consider it for a long time. He sighed. "Fine, but the same rules as before apply. I get to choose to answer or not."

"That's fine with us." Rika said, after Renamon explained her reasoning mentally. She had a plan on earning his trust, but it required them to back off with the interrogating.

He then began to eat, much more refined than the first time. After he had consumed half of the food he was offered, he waved for them to begin. Renamon saw the sign and went first.

"I understand this is a very personal subject, but what happened earlier?"

He tensed visibly, he knew this would come up. But not as the first question. "I cannot answer that."

"Can't? Or won't?" Rika asked, slightly impatient. Renamon sent her a quick glare to silence her.

"Fine, won't."

"Very well, then perhaps my previous question will get an answer. Why do you resist us when we try to offer help?"

He stared at Renamon for signs of deception. Finding none, he sighed again. "I am a solitary digimon. I prefer the quiet side of life, fending for myself. It's true that this wasn't always the case with me, but after a certain... Event... Things just changed."

"And am I correct to assume this 'event' was the reason for your actions earlier?" She got a nod in response. "The same event that you won't tell us about?" Another nod. "Forgive me for asking, but how are we going to find out about that? We want to help you, and seeing what I saw then easily warranted you needing help. Even just having someone to talk to about it will be better than you dealing with it alone."

Crimson Renamon sighed deeply, his eyes becoming soft yet painful at the same time. "It is best my past remains in the past. But I can tell you this. The things I do in this world are to honour both a promise I made and a memory that I will never forget. I haven't, nor ever will threaten this world's safety or integrity. It is my home too after all. So as tamers you have nothing to worry about from me. As it happens, I will be moving on very soon to a new place that I can potentially call home."

"Wait, why?" Rika asked confused.

"Because this place isn't suited for me. Food is scarce for someone like me, and shelter is even rarer. There is too much risk involved in me staying here, and I had vowed not to interact with partnered digimon. I am most often seen as a rogue with the potential for destruction and therefore attract attention, normally involved with my death or an attempt of. It is time I left, so you can carry on doing whatever it is you do."

Both Rika and Renamon noticed the complete absence of venom or hostility in his voice as he spoke. Rika for some reason wasn't about to let him go off to god knows where though.

"No. You're not leaving. Even if we have to drag you back here each time you try."

His eyes narrowed. "I wasn't asking for permission human."

"It doesn't matter. You're still not going. We have enough room and food here for you to stay with us. No strings attached. You obviously have a purpose here and the least we can do is provide you with the things you need to live. And I won't hear nor allow any other options or excuses."

'There's something else going on here. This is way too far fetched for anyone sane without a motive. What do they really want?' His reasoning hadn't let him down before. There had to be a hidden plan behind all this. But did he go with it and actually be able to live? Or did he leave like he planned and risk losing his own life by unseen, unplanned causes?