A/N: Early with this one but I figured I'd update both my stories together. Enjoy.
A Life Without a Legacy
Chapter 10
Snow had, worryingly, slept for the entire day after that. He even slept through dinner. Renamon had taken him with her in the hope of the smell of food waking him up, but he remained oblivious to the world around him. The amount he slept was odd in itself, how deeply he slept was even more so.
But he seemed well enough so the vixen let him sleep. After all, what harm could come from him being asleep? At least he wasn't running around like a lunatic on steroids.
Sometimes some thoughts are best left unthought...
It was roughly midnight in Shinjuku. Renamon was asleep with Snow in her arms as usual, but the albino was awake. Not awake as in just woke up and felt groggy, awake as in fully aware and ready for anything. Yet Snow wasn't quite himself. His eyes were blue with a yellow slit, the glow they gave off illuminating the room slightly. Not enough to wake the vixen he had extracted himself from, but noticeable all the same.
With barely a sound Snow slipped out of the room and padded down the halls. His eyes were focused on a point only he could see, unmoving and unblinking as he walked with unnerving precision. He soon left the Nonaka house and, surprisingly, blended with the shadows of the night. Undetected and unnoticed, Snow closed in on his target.
He was stalking, watching his prey with no room for distractions. Closer he edged as his target moved unknowingly into a trap Snow would spring. The albino's lips pulled back, the faintest hint of an amused smile visible through his snarl. He studied his victim's composure, nothing gave any hints that he had been detected. A glance around confirmed no one else was in the area either. So with one final exhale of breath Snow pounced.
A single, interrupted scream echoed through the night but a second later.
Renamon woke the next morning to find her albino nuzzling her arm in his sleep. She smiled down at him as he began to wake, those red innocent orbs blinking rapidly as he focused on her.
"Morning Snow. You slept for quite a while yesterday."
He nodded, a sleepy smile on his muzzle. "I was tired, I don't know why."
"It's alright, you don't need to give me a reason. Are you tired now?" Snow shook his head. "Then let's get you some breakfast. And remember, eat first then you can have your cuddles."
Snow gave a sheepish smile but agreed with a nod of his head. Renamon took his paw in hers and lead him to the kitchen for breakfast. On the way they met Rika, looking a little worried about something.
"Morning Rika, what's up?"
The redhead gave her a warm smile. "Nothing much. There's just been word that someone was murdered last night across town."
"Oh. Someone you know?" The vixen tried to tread carefully given the significance of the situation.
Rika shook her head. "No, but it's the cause of death that has me confused. They say the victim's chest cavity was torn open. By claws."
"Claws?" Renamon was alert at that. "You think it was a digimon?"
"I don't know, but what else could it be? The authorities say the wounds were too precise to be an animal attack, there was no mauling to the rest of the body. I think it could only be a digimon but we both know they don't attack humans unless it's a last resort." Rika shook her head again. "Yamaki is looking into it as well to see if digimon were involved but it will take time for answers to come."
"I see. I'll head over there at some point today to see if I can help out."
"No, you look after Snow. He needs a mother more than we need help with this, there are more of us after all. Takato and Henry are already on it, I will join them shortly."
Renamon nodded. "Then be careful Rika, please."
The redhead nodded before going on her way, leaving the vixen with the albino as they resumed their walk for breakfast. They were undisturbed as they ate, allowing Snow to lean against Renamon for most of the meal. The vixen allowed him to do so, secretly enjoying the contact. It was cute to say the least.
With their morning meal out of the way Renamon set about planning what they could do for the day.
Back in the same dark hall the shaded figure paced back and forth. He had just dispatched his current best asset, seeing as he'd killed the previous best for failure, and was waiting for a successful return. Another failure wouldn't be tolerated.
He turned around, showing his glowing eyes for the first time. A maddening mixture of red, blue and purple in between, swirling with a life of their own. A chaotic maelstrom or colours that raged within those orbs. The light they gave off equalled the rapidly shifting colours, painting the area around him with a kaleidoscope of red, blue and purple. It was a thing of beauty if you ignored the malicious intent coming from the bearer of those eyes.
"Soon, soon I shall have what is mine. Then this world will buckle to its knees before me. I will not be denied my right."
Deep within the alcoves the messengers stood silent, nothing betraying their presence. Each one felt the same apprehension, soon their master and lord will rule the digital world with them beside him. They couldn't ask for anything else, mainly because he would kill them if they did.
Renamon was pleased with herself. Finally she had found a worthy opponent to Snow's stamina. Calumon. Both white digimon were currently racing around like a ball in a pinball machine, bouncing off everything and never stopping their mad runs. Snow as obviously enjoying himself while Calumon was happy he finally found someone to play with. Guilmon was alright but he lacked the stamina, Snow though seemed to have more than the large eared digimon. Cream puff, or so his nickname was. Even Snow was using it.
The vixen had to smile though, not just from pride but from amusement and wonder. They were playing tag with Calumon trying, valiantly, to catch Snow. But such was his speed the albino managed to stay ahead all the time. But each time Calumon looked like he would give up Snow slowed and allowed him to tag him, then the chase would be reversed with Snow lowering his speed. Calumon could also fly which seemed a little unfair but Snow never let that advantage last for long, able to jump up high quickly and tag the cream puff in mid air. Watching his moves was a thing of beauty for Renamon, even if he was playing tag.
They had been at it for an hour now, racing around the park. The tamers and the other digimon were also watching on, some with pity for Calumon and some with amusement like the vixen. They sat with Renamon with a light lunch since the weather was nice enough for it while the two white digimon ran around without a care in the world.
Renamon sighed lightly. She could actually get used to this. The peace and quiet of the area and Snow to keep her company. The duo finished their game, both being exhausted which was quite a feat in itself for each of them, and joined the others. Snow instantly nestled against Renamon and pulled one of her arms around him as his blanket. His tail coiled around her wrist as she smiled, seeing his eyes droop closed. What could only be described as a cute yawn escaped him as he settled to sleep. Renamon sighed again, she could definitely get used to this.
The peace was shattered though by a digital field forming very close to them, so close in fact that they didn't need to move. The field formed around them as a large digimon came into view. The tamers and digimon were on their feet ready, Renamon handing the sleeping Snow to Rika.
"Keep him safe for me Rika, I daren't leave him on his own again after last time."
Rika nodded and clutched Snow tightly, awkwardly seeing as he was only a little smaller than herself. He took her by surprise when his tail wrapped around her arm though, his head shifting ever so slightly to get comfortable again. Rika couldn't help herself by smiling in response, now she understood why Renamon liked that so much. It really was cute, like him.
The rogue digimon, a hulking Saberleomon, stood defiantly over the digimon before it. It made no moves to attack though, something that caught them all off guard. Instead its eyes were locked on to Snow's form.
The jaws parted. "The mutant, give him to me and you will be spared."
Renamon paused for a second, her mind racing a mile a minute. First the Phoenixmon now this? It wasn't a coincidence, Snow was being targeted. But why? Was it the power inside him that they sought? Again it couldn't be a coincidence. But to hell was anyone going to take him from her, not while she still drew breath. Even then they would have to pry him from her arms. She barred her teeth in a feral snarl, her over protective nature showing through.
"I don't think so, kitty!"
Saberleomon didn't take kindly to the nickname, nor the defiant vixen standing before him. "Stand in my way and you will be deleted. Give me the mutant now!"
Rika shifted her grip on Snow so she could access her digivice. "He has a name and he isn't a mutant! Renamon, get ready!"
The vixen nodded as all three tamers digivolved their partners. Renamon jumped to her ultimate form while the other two biomerged into their mega forms, Saberleomon was a mega level after all and Rika couldn't biomerge with Snow in her arms. Taomon focused on keeping in between Saberleomon and Snow so no cheap shots would get past her while the other two wore away at the rogue, occasionally letting loose attacks of her own.
The battle didn't last long with two mega levels fighting the same target but Saberleomon wasn't about to be defeated. Before the killing blow could be delivered the lion turned and dived through a portal that appeared suddenly, the opening disappearing just as quickly. Cheated of a definite victory yet knowing Snow was safe again the digimon de-digivolved back to their rookie forms and returned to Rika. Renamon retrieved Snow, who tucked against her again as he felt himself become cold. With a few words between them they decided to return home, all knowing that this would likely not be the last time a digimon came across looking for the albino in the vixen's arms.
The Saberleomon returned to his master, seeing the contempt posture since his face was obscured again. He had failed and knew the price for such results, but his master must be warned of what he was against.
"My lord. I have failed to retrieve the target. I accept all punishment that comes of my failure but you must hear my words first." The silence that followed was his permission to continue. "The target is protected by three tamed digimon, all which possess strong fighting forms and skills. It won't be easy to separate the target from them given their protective nature. I ask you to bear this in mind for your future attempts."
The figure stood with his back towards the Saberleomon, the same direction he usually faced. He toyed with the idea of punishing the failure he had yet again received, but the one behind him had provided some valuable information. Perhaps there was a use for him yet.
"You have failed me, like so many others before you. I tire of such incompetence. However, there may be a way for you to avoid the same fate as the others."
The Saberleomon was easily interested in this, if it meant keeping his life. "What would you have me do, my lord?"
The figure waved an arm around, summoning tendrils of energy that ensnared the lion digimon. Data was extracted from him at a furious rate, causing him to drop down his various forms until he stood, or rather slumped, in his rookie form. The Elecmon turned his smaller head towards his master.
The figure turned so one chaotic eye locked on to the Elecmon. "You will infiltrate the real world again but you will pose as a friendly digimon. Befriend the tamers and their digimon where possible, especially the target. As soon as possible, without raising suspicion, you need to lure the target to somewhere alone and bring him here. You retain the ability to create portals so once you are in a position to leave with the target come straight to me, but don't allow anyone to follow you except the albino." The eye blinked once. "Succeed and your data will be returned to you. Fail and your life is mine. Understood?"
The Elecmon nodded, his voice much higher in pitch now. "Yes, my lord. When do I depart?"
The question seemed to please the figure, the turmoil of colours relaxing for a moment or two. "In a couple of days. We need to keep suspicion to a minimum at all times. I will summon you again when you are due to leave. Be ready, or face the consequences."
Truth be told he was ready now, but he knew better than to question his orders. Especially seeing as he had gained another chance. "I will be ready, my lord."
The eye narrowed to but a slit. "You better be..."