Authors Note: I'm sorry, I really don't have anything witty to say.

Chapter 26: What Dreams May Come True

The light of the moon cascaded through Takato's bedroom as he slept once again in his bunk bed, one arm draped over it while his head was turned toward the wall. The bed creaked, and he shifted in his spot before sighing. He remained a bit tense from the day's events, but sleep, the bully that it was, dragged him off to dreamland like a mugger in a dark alley. It had been an intense struggle, but sleep eventually won out.

For the moment anyway.

The bed creaked again and strands of hair fell over him, their tips brushing just lightly against his skin. Takato wrinkled his nose and cracked his eyes open, holding them that way for a moment before closing them once more.

For a moment only.

Within short order, his eyes flew open wide and he began to sit up in alarm, only for a finger to press itself against his lips. Their owner shook her head, a devilish, small smile on her face, violet-eyes glinting in amusement.

"Rika…?" he whispered against her finger. Making an annoyed sound, the girl in question reached forward and crushed her lips against his, shutting up the first of what would otherwise prove to be an endless series of questions.

###

Takato's eyes snapped open and he jerked in his chair. Looking around his bedroom, he shook his head, tearing away the cobwebs of sleep that had caused him to fall asleep at his desk.

"Great, Matsuki…" he mumbled, leaning his head into his hands and groaning. "Now you're dreaming about her! Knock it off… It was just a game. It's not anything to get worked up about…"

This self-imposed command was easier said than done however. To emphasize the point, he peeked through his fingers at the scrawl of drawings in his sketchbook of Rika's face, followed by a separate drawing of her lips and another, yet unfinished piece of her kissing an as-yet unidentified individual.

He stared at this page for a moment before making a disgusted sound and tore it out. Crumpling it up, he tossed it in the trash, not wanting a repeat of the last time he had drawn the girl.

I can't believe I did that… he thought, getting up from his chair and heading over to his bed. I promised I wouldn't!

He stopped at the ladder and brought his hand to rest on it before banging his head against it lightly in frustration.

He drew to get feelings out of him. To frame them and understand them. Yet this issue – although, if he were honest with himself, he was only making it a bigger issue than it needed to be – hung in his mind as stubbornly as a spider's web, refusing to upset or shaken loose. Try as he might, he just couldn't get the kiss out of his mind. There had been something about it… Something that struck a chord with him.

Like you've ever been kissed before, he berated himself, starting to climb the ladder.

His foot slipped on a rung, this time causing his head to smack against the ladder hard. Seeing stars explode across his vision he fell backward, cursing under his breath in pain.

From the swarm of stars, Rika's face emerged, smiling at him in amusement as she pulled away. As he watched, he heard his voice echoing softly in the corners of his mind, leaving him with the strangest sense of déjà vu.

"You had me worried there for a second. You were so close I thought you were going to kiss me or something."

The 'Rika' in his vision raised an eyebrow playfully. "Would that have been a problem if I did?" she asked coyly. The vision faded abruptly as Takato staggered back into his chair. Breathing heavily, he felt his face with shaking hands. That vision had been as strong as any of his out-of-body experiences, only…different. He wasn't sure how to explain it. It had been as though he had been forcefully pulled through time and…

Pulled through time… his mind whispered. Did I just…remember something from before the last mind wipe?

"Well then, I'll just have to wait until then I suppose," he heard the past Rika tease as her voice faded before returning, another vision erupting alongside it. They were together in the park, and Takato found himself rubbing his forehead, as if at a forehead flick the girl had administered to him for doing something stupid.

"I just find it funny that you're calling me charming," he found himself saying. "Not to mention cute. Shouldn't it be 'cool' or something instead?"

"Takato, you have quite a way to go before you are cool," Rika said bluntly before looking at him appraisingly. "Adorkable might be a better term though..."

Oh kami… Takato clenched his eyes shut as the memory came on stronger than before. He was losing touch with the world of the present and drowning in that of the past.

The wind… I can feel the breeze! It was summer…

"Adorkable?" he repeated back to her aloud. "Man, Rika. You've gotten weird ever since we started middle school. I never thought you'd use a word like that, especially to describe me. I'm pretty that's a sure sign that the end of the world is coming you know."

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures," The past Rika replied with a straight face. "After all, you seem pretty oblivious otherwise to the fact I find you attractive and I like you. I'm not sure if I should be annoyed or impressed. So I decided to be both."

With an effort, Takato tore himself free from the memory and lurched out of his chair, grasping hold of the ladder in desperation. Drowning… he thought, feeling tears creeping down his face. I'm drowning…

He banged his head against the ladder once more, hoping to give himself something else to focus on. It failed though, and within short order he was pulled once more into the realm of memory.

In that realm, his heart would tear itself apart over and over with each iteration of their confession, leaving him to mourn for what was lost each time.

"S-Stupid Gogglehead! It's not like I like you or anything…"

He tightened his grip on the ladder, finding himself in the next place… The next when.

###

No! Wait! Please don't go!

Jeri reached out helplessly, her hand grasping at the disappearing back of a brunette boy, sporting a blue sweatshirt. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Stumbling forward, her fingers grazed against the soft fabric causing him to pause and turn, but when his red eyes looked into her amber ones, all she saw was defeat.

And with that, he disappeared, shattering into a million shards of light.

"Don't worry about him. He didn't deserve you anyway."

Turning slightly, Jeri's eyes widened upon seeing Kazu standing behind her, a smirk playing on his lips. Without so much of another word, Kazu pulled her up, and kissed her rather passionately.

What…

She didn't understand what was going on, but a warm fire began to bubble in her stomach, and her eyes fluttered closed. His lips were warm and kind, yet in a way, forceful. Still it felt good, so she didn't question it until suddenly he pulled away from her.

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?!" he demanded, causing Jeri to splutter at the accusation.

"Wha… no!" she said quickly, reaching out for Kazu, only for the boy to take a step back, angry tears beginning to well up in his grey eyes.

"Liar!"

And there was a strike of lightning, and instead of her shadow being cast, the visage of Gallantmon seemed to come from her feet. Looking up helplessly, she noticed Kazu was gone as soon as he came. It only took a few seconds for the rain to follow his disappearance, hiding the tears which were beginning to roll down her face.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she began to shake.

I don't understand…

"Hey." Amber eyes blinked upon hearing the rain begin to hit fabric, and she didn't feel the cold water run down her skin. A hand reached out and rested on her shoulder as a figure bent down next to her. Turning her head slightly, she came face to face with a boy with beautiful amethyst eyes and hair the color of the setting sun. He was wearing her school uniform, and while she thought it always looked before, on him, it looked perfectly tailored - like a suit. "I'm here, so don't cry."

"Eh-"

It was all she could muster before her lips were stolen once more.

###

Amber eyes snapped open with a startled start, her fingers drifting to her lips where a phantom kiss lingered. Groaning in despair, her arm flopped to her side helplessly.

Damn it, Rika. What the hell is wrong with me? Didn't I learn my lesson the last time?

Reaching over, she grabbed her pillow and pressed the cool fabric against her face. Despite what she said earlier at Hanami after Masahiko tried to set her up with Takato about not being interested, her heart was determined to rebound again against all common sense. To make matters worse, it seemed to get interested in Rika this time - or at least start considering the girl in another light.

After a single little peck too, which was over before it started.

First Kazu, now Rika … I'm in real trouble if all it takes for me to get interested in someone if they kiss me in a stupid party game.

Unlike Kazu though, Rika didn't seem interested or abashed at the kiss - either hers or Takato's, with the exception she took a bit of an insult when she thought Takato believed her to be a bad kisser. However, that was perfectly normal for her - to take issue to the oddest of perceived slights while completely ignoring others.

All the same, it was interesting too that her feelings for Kazu, and now seemingly her budding affection for Rika, resulted in a failed attempt to set her up with Takato.

Takato…

She sighed, the thought of the boy making her heart ache. While she told herself - and others - she wasn't interested in the boy anymore, there was still a pain in her heart each time she thought of him - and what could have possibly been but never quite was. After all his self-esteem was too low, and she didn't have Rika's bravery, or maybe better said, disregard for social expectations, to simply grab him by the lapels of his shirt and scream at him until he understood.

If I did … would things have been different?

If she expected an epiphany or an answer, none came. Only uncertainty stayed in its wake.

###

We'll be together forever, forever, Because we promised that setting sun…

Rika groaned and rolled over to her side, reaching out and upon pressing a single button on her phone, 2:04 a.m. flashed on the display. Staring at it for a moment until the light dimmed and went out again, she let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

Akira's voice echoed in her mind, his voice singing that haunting melody of yesteryear. Resting her forearm across her eyes, she let out a shuttering breath. Tears prickled at her violet eyes and a sob caught in her throat.

Papa, you're too cruel…

It wasn't like she had a tiny suspicion. Makino. Those bright blue eyes - the mark of someone who wasn't completely Japanese. The first fucking name. Still, she thought that perhaps the universe wouldn't be so cruel, but Akira singing that song essentially confirmed all her suspicions and traitorous whispers in the back of her mind.

She had been replaced a long time ago. Replaced by the son her father wanted in the first place, who looked more Japanese than she ever did. That nothing she would ever do - ever did - would have brought her father back with her competing with that.

To make it worse, he was best friends with Masahiko, Jeri's younger brother. She had a feeling that she would be seeing him more than she ever wanted to. She wondered if he knew who she was. His relation to her.

She doubted it.

Papa couldn't even be bothered to call her to wish her a happy birthday. She doubted he would have told his perfect son he had an older sister.

A shadow fell over Rika's sleeping form and Renamon knelt down, placing a paw on the girl's shoulder.

"Rika," she said in a soft voice. "It's late and you haven't slept. Is something amiss?"

A part of her wondered if this lack of rest had anything to do with the kiss she and Takato shared. She had been upset by it, if only a little bit outwardly. Internally it was hard to say. Rika tended to guard her feelings closely.

"Ah…" Rika raised her arm to stare into the kitsune's glowing blue eyes, slightly comforted by her gentle touch. She wasn't sure exactly how to broach the subject with the kitsune, especially since she couldn't grab onto any one feeling in the storm of emotions raging inside of her.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she glanced away. It wasn't like she didn't trust Renamon, or she didn't want to confide in her, but she wanted time to think of the situation and what she wanted before talking about it.

"I'm just thinking is all," she said quietly, closing her eyes after a moment. "You don't have to worry."

"I don't have to, but I will," Renamon replied. "The real me likely would worry about you. What's on your mind? Perhaps if you talked about it, it will help you."

"You're real too," Rika reminded her, rolling over so she could wrap her arms around the vulpine as if she were a glorified, living teddy bear. "You're real to me at least."

"Thank you," Renamon smiled, bringing an arm around Rika and giving her a soft squeeze. "But don't change the subject."

Rika grunted at that, not exactly surprised her attempt to sideline the conversation didn't work, but still annoyed all the same. She didn't speak for a moment, just wanting to know someone was nearby who cared about her. Even if Renamon was an echo, the fact remained she always looked out for her and her best interests.

She was tired of feeling as the unwanted child, the disappointment of not only one notable family but two. Born a half with bright hair, much to the distress of the Hatas, and born a girl with no male heir in sight, much to the irk of the Makinos. While she had members on both sides - mama and grandma, and even Himiko to a degree, plus grandma and grandpa - who accepted and loved her, for the most part, she was unneeded - unnecessary.

Renamon though … Renamon never made her feel that way. She always put her first. Her happiness first. Her well-being first. They were partners, and while she didn't quite understand the full meaning of the word, she could feel its weight.

"Why did you text our numbers to Henry today?" she asked after a moment of silence. It wasn't what was on her mind, but the memory fluttered in lazily providing a much needed distraction. She hadn't been blind to the fact Renamon - and Henry - had been pushing her and Takato toward each other for a while now. She supposed Jeri did as well, but Jeri was just that sort of person.

The kiss once again tickled in the back of her mind, but instead of making her heart flutter - which she was sure Jeri would have told her was the proper response to such things - she felt nothing but that same sense of something gone missing.

Renamon tilted an ear, weighing her response before answering.

"I wanted to see how you would react," she said finally. "Though you don't remember, in the past, the two of you have been drawn to each other. I had hoped to speed the process along so as to spare the two of you heartache. I apologize if my actions were presumptuous."

"Drawn together?" Rika asked, pulling back slightly to look at Renamon to watch her reaction. While the Digimon was typically very stoic, the girl had picked up certain mannerisms over the past few months which alerted her to what was going on in her head and how she was feeling. "In a romantic sense you mean?"

"That is how it often appeared," Renamon chuckled. "Though I don't understand why humans feel the need to...press their mouths together as a sign of affection, it is something the two of you did quite often." A pause and she tilted her head at Rika, a frown appearing on her face. "I take it that was not the case this time?"

"Wait, we kissed in the past?" Rika asked surprised, a light blush for once gracing her facial features before she furrowed her brow, trying to recall something. Anything.

Nothing.

She pressed her lips together in a line, once again the sense of something missing returning. However, this time her heart settled in the pit of her stomach upon realizing the implications. Looking down, she let out a tired sigh, letting go completely of Renamon to run her hands across her face.

"... Renamon, in the past, did I ever … say I liked Takato? More than a friend I mean," she asked quietly.

"As I recall, you often initiated the confession to him," Renamon replied, thinking back on all those times she observed their courtship - slow and frustrating as it was for the girl in question. "Takato is, as you have stated before on numerous occasions, dense, though it appears he would often ignore or pretend his feelings didn't matter. He felt…" She craned her head toward the ceiling as she remembered. "...He felt as though he weren't good enough for you, and that you deserved better."

She returned her gaze to Rika.

"You had to convince him otherwise on many occasions."

No wonder Jeri pretty much said no when Masahiko was trying to set the two of them up, Rika thought dryly as she closed her eyes, a wane smile on her face, remembering the sexual tension between the two brunettes when she first "met" them. I already want to smack him, and she was dealing with that for only the gods know how long. Not to mention factoring in the mind wipes making it longer than necessary…

She let out a sigh.

"Irritating," she mumbled under her breath before opening her eyes. "... You're right though. It wasn't the case this time. I didn't feel anything when I kissed him besides a sense of loss." She smiled bitterly. "Guess I know what it is now." A pause. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Renamon placed a comforting paw on Rika's shoulder. "Perhaps this is related to the frozen lake I saw when I hypnotized you," she reminded her. "It could be that, on some level, you know that you've lost Takato repeatedly and now…" She looked away toward the the door, the moon glowing faintly behind it. "I've had the opportunity to learn a great deal about you over the years. From my observations, losing someone important to you hurts a great deal. And this has happened over...and over again."

A sorrowful expression crossed Renamon's features and she tightened her grasp on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rika. I should have thought more carefully about the implications. I just...wanted to see you happy. For some reason, in the past, Takato made you happy."

"I'm not mad or upset at you, Renamon," Rika said quietly, putting a hand on the vulpine's paw, tilting her head so her hair was brushing against the purple fabric. "I know you have the best intentions for me. You always look out for me, and that alone makes me happier than you will ever know." She smiled slightly. "Besides, it's not like he doesn't make me happy. He's a great friend. I'm just … not attracted to him I guess at the moment that way. Maybe that will change though when I get my memories back. Who knows?"

She paused before continuing.

"I'm just worried though that this is just a sign of something more … dire. That I've lost a part of myself. I hope that it's linked to that lake of frozen ice … since that gives me hope that nothing is lost. Otherwise …" she pressed her lips together and took a shuttering breath. "Otherwise, I'll wonder how much of the person looking back at me in the mirror is who I am … and how much is a creation of Mnemosyne's meddling."

"Would you like me to try hypnotizing you again?" Renamon offered. "Perhaps with this we'll have a better chance."

"You sure?" Rika asked hopefully, pushing herself up. Licking her lips, she recalled what happened last time, and the sensation of drowning. Subconsciously, she rubbed her throat. Still, she wasn't afraid - if anything, she was getting rather giddy. "I mean, of course, I want to try, but I don't want to make you feel like you have to do something you aren't comfortable with."

"I admit to being...uncertain, but I am willing to try. Last time at least we saw something, which is better than nothing."

"Then let's try," Rika said a bit too excitedly, grabbing on to Renamon's paws tightly, her violet eyes practically sparkling as she looked the kitsune in the eyes.

Renamon nodded, her eyes flashing blue.

###

She was back on the lake. The pads of her feet felt the harsh cold of the ice beneath them, but she paid it no mind. All the years of cold she had endured in the building that served as her 'home away from Rika' had more than annulled her to the discomfort.

Not that it could ever compare to being separated from her, she thought, her eyes tracing along the icy coating. As before, bubbles wafted up from the ice, small in number, but each of them held a memory.

I wonder if there's some kind of clue in them? she wondered, making her way over to them. A bubble rose up to eye level and the vulpine leaned forward, peering inside.

A man with bright orange hair and warm blue eyes smiled kindly down at her, a strawberry ice cream in his hand. He looked young - he had to be around the age of 20 by the looks of things. Bending down, he held out the treat and a pair of small little hands took it gleefully.

"Thank you, papa!" Rika's childish voice chirped as the man stood up, a deep chuckle escaping his throat.

"Just don't tell your mother," he said, putting a cheeky finger to his lips with a wink. "You know how she feels about dessert before dinner."

Her father? Renamon wondered. She couldn't say for sure, having never met the man in her long years of exploration and solitude, and pictures were woefully absent from the Nonaka household. The context of the memory suggested this to be the case though. Curious…

Moving past the bubble, she continued on thoughtfully, until another one slipped up from the ice and floated in front of her.

It was a small apartment - at least small in the context of Rika's current living space which was incredibly spacious to the point it felt like nobody was around. A little girl, with long orange hair and beautiful violet eyes, clothed in trousers was humming as a man stood behind her, brushing her hair. Like the girl, his hair was that of flames, and in his mouth was a little hairband.

His brow was furrowed in concentration and after a moment, he put the brush down. Taking the elastic out of his mouth, with practiced movements, the child's hair was up in the same style ponytail which she would wear later in life.

"How's that baby girl?" he asked, placing his hands on the child's shoulders, looking into the mirror in front of them. Small hands with little pudgy fingers reached up and patted the locks, before the child turned around and beamed.

"Good! Now let's go to the park like you promised!"

Another one with her father… Renamon frowned, taking an extra moment to consider the memory before moving on, getting closer to the center of the lake before encountering another bubble. It fluttered first this way and that like an errant butterfly as it rose to eye level. Narrowing her eyes, Renamon caught it in one paw and brought it in for a closer look - taking great care with it for fear that by accidentally breaking it would destroy the memory along with it.

It was night time - that much was obvious by the darkness of the room. However, a small crack of light shone through the door, and there was muffled talking, words which became clearer as little feet drew closer.

A small hand reached forward, and pressed the door open silently an inch, peering through. Inside what appeared to be the kitchen stood two adults - one of which was Rumiko, looking younger than ever, and the other was Rika's father.

"They're on my back, Rumiko," the man hissed, his tone barely contained rage as he ran his fingers angrily through his fiery locks. "They want to know when their heir is coming!"

"They have one, Yamato," Rumiko snapped back, leaning against the table. "Or have you forgotten that you have a daughter?"

"That's the problem! Rika isn't a boy! That may be fine for your family, but I need a son!" Yamato growled, his voice rising in volume slightly.

"Be quiet! Rika's sleeping! What if she hears you talking that way?" Rumiko snarled, looking like an agitated cat. "And for your request for a son, I'm not going to keep fucking you just so you can have a boy and forget about Rika and whatever children we have!"

"Rumiko you're unreal!"

"Oh, I'm unreal?! Look in a fucking mirror!"

Renamon released the bubble, feeling disgusted at the man who called himself Rika's father at one point. It was no wonder Rika felt such anxiety when it came to people she cared about. If someone as close as her father left her over such a trivial reason…

One more bubble drifted in front of her, however it remained trapped under the ice, and once more Renamon frowned. A scene came into view that appeared most...alien to her.

Shinjuku, the normally bustling city, looked abandoned. There was no movement of cars or people on the grey city streets. Instead there was a red blob, which looked like the consistency of jello, covering part of the city. A hand reached forward, a khakkhara firmly grasped in it.

Swinging the staff two times, pink blossoms spread outwards before turning into a black and white barrier. Without much of a word or a comment, Rika - it had to be Rika, right? - jumped and floated closer to the blob, entering it effortlessly.

Inside was the thing of a nightmare.

It looked like blood vessels, surrounding broken buildings, devastation all around. Floating through the city, eyes darting around, they lingered on the city park.

Odd, a familiar voice - the vulpine's voice - whispered from out of nowhere. The D-Reaper didn't touch the vegetation.

"There!" A black gloved finger pointed, the top of purple armguards with a balance symbol, not unlike Renamon's own, came into view. Following the line of sight showed something being deleted in the park. "That's where Gallantmon has to be!"

Moving closer, odd bird-like things - not unlike Mnemosyne's, but different in design and attached to cords - flew past. Suddenly everything became fuzzy, almost as if it were distorted, before clearing up. Breathing became labored, but still, the park became closer before landing not so gracefully.

"Gallantmon?" a voice - not Renamon, nor Rika's - called out. "Takato? Guilmon?"

Eyes scanned the area before pausing, something glinting on the path. Upon moving closer, it appeared to be Takato's goggles lying on the ground. Stooping down and picking them up, the vision once again scanned the area, pausing as a figure came into view.

"Takato?"

"Sakuyamon!"

It wasn't Takato, but Kenta who came into view, a MarineAngemon floating behind him. The little Mega, upon seeing the other figure, perked up and flew closer, making "puah" sounds as little hearts escaped it's lips.

"Kenta, what are you doing here? Have you seen Takato?"

"No," the boy answered, pressing his lips together as he glanced around the park. "I saw you coming this way and followed. I haven't seen anyone or anything else besides you."

"Oh … I see…"

The bubble floated away, leaving Renamon to frown after it, curious as to what it meant before shrugging it off for the time being. Rika had a store of memories that she wasn't aware of due to the placement in history she emerged from. However, she couldn't help but wonder if all of these memories were connected.

There's a common thread of loss among them, Renamon mused. She misses her father, who left her, and Mnemosyne has rewritten her memories so often that, in spite of Takato always being by her side, they are still forced apart in the end.

Continuing on toward the center of the lake, she knelt down and brushed aside the frost to reveal Rika's floating visage. Flames leapt up around the kitsune's hand as she pressed it to the surface once more.

"Rika…" she spoke to her sleeping Tamer. "It is time for you to stop running. You do not need to fear losing those you care about."

The flames became hotter and she pressed all the harder against the ice. Was it softening? Or was she imagining things.

"If you lose anyone now," she continued, "it will only be because you didn't hold onto them and fight for them. Please Rika…" Her expression softened. "Don't destroy your own happiness…"

Once again the child's violet eyes creaked open. Bubbles of air escaped her mouth as they widened, hands going to her throat, water clearly beginning to fill her lungs as she clawed desperately at her skin, coughing to no avail. Her head looked upwards, fear maring her pretty face. Upon seeing Renamon, her hand reached up helpless, her mouth moving, words which could not be heard escaping her lips.

"I'm coming Rika!" Renamon shouted. Rearing a fist back, she slammed it down onto the ice. Small flakes of frost and ice flew into the air, but the greater whole remained just that - unbroken. Forcing the fox fire around her fists to burn even more brightly, she brought them both crashing down once more. There was a flash of light and the next thing Renamon knew, she was lying on the floor next to Rika, her head ringing painfully as she blinked bright sparks out of her vision.

"R-Rika…" she gasped, looking for her Tamer desperately. "Are you…? Where…?"

Rika, for her part, gasped for air, greedily sucking it in as she coughed. Holding her hands to her throat, her head spinning, she waited for the room to stop spinning before seeing the kitsune just a foot or so away. Reaching out, she lay a hand on Renamon's paw, unable to talk at the moment, but wanting to let her partner know she was OK.

Clasping Rika's hand into her much larger paw, Renamon clambered up into a sitting position and quickly drew the girl into a powerful hug. The pain was subsiding, but there was no question that whatever forces were keeping Rika from remembering, they were very powerful.

"How do you feel?" she asked after Rika's coughing subsided.

"I'm not sure," Rika admitted, her body shivering slightly, closing her eyes as she snuggled closer to Renamon to calm her rapidly beating heart. It only seemed like a second when Renamon's eyes glowed blue and when she awoke again, but for some reason there was a feeling of unease now permeating her body. "I mean I'm OK, if that's what you're asking."

"Do you remember anything?" she asked quietly, stroking Rika's hair with her other paw now, wanting to comfort her in any way she could. She feared that she failed, but...if there had been a chance…

Rika paused, digging into her mind, but she found nothing. Her body shook again, a slight spazz movement as if it was trying to warm itself, and she clung closer to Renamon as she shook her head.

"Sorry," she whispered.

Renamon's shoulders sagged in utter disappointment, but she continued to hold onto Rika.

"No," she began. "I'm sorry. I fear that I am not doing right by you as your partner. I need to think about how to go about this."

She sighed mentally, considering her options. Perhaps Himiko and her machines could help…? she wondered. How to broach that particular subject to Rika though? She held an immense dislike for her cousin. It took a great deal of effort just to convince her to let her be experimented on.

"Perhaps...I am just not strong enough…" she whispered.

"You're more than strong enough," Rika mumbled, pressing her ear against Renamon's chest. She could feel the slight pulse of the echo's "heartbeat" - or better said, her digital core as Digimon don't have organs like humans or other Real World creatures do. "So don't say that. You're doing fine. Just because it didn't work doesn't mean you are to blame." She gave a wane smile. "You know how thick my walls are. So don't worry about it."

"We'll have to keep trying," Renamon suggested, "but I'm not certain if this is the right route. If we could consult with Henry or perhaps even Jeri...or...Himiko..." - Rika grunted at her cousin's name, making it quite clear what she thought of that plan. "...than maybe we could find a clue."

"Why don't we talk to Jeri and Henry tomorrow during lunch?" Rika suggested, sighing tiredly. She felt like she got hit by a train, and then ran over by a car for good measure before proceeding to almost drown. Anything which was keeping her awake before suddenly disappeared in a flash. "All of a sudden I'm tired."

"Very well," Renamon nodded. There wasn't much reason to call either of them at this hour of the night anyhow except to annoy them. Lifting Rika up into her arms, she brought her back over to her futon and covered her back up beneath the blanket, still warm and snug from earlier.

Placing a paw on Rika's forehead, she brushed back her bangs and smiled softly.

"Goodnight, Rika," she said.

###

IceDevimon glared at the Matsuki residence with eyes burning red with hatred, yet he didn't make so much as a move to deal with the offending Tamer that dwelt within. His claws – what remained of them – shook and he felt a burning pain pulsating from the stump that had once been his right arm. A thick coating of ice covered it, stemming off the bleeding of data, but despite the ice's properties, the pain remained, a permanent reminder of what this…human did to him.

What the human was capable of once roused.

He clutched at his stump and squeezed it, drawing his breath in a sharp hiss as he imagined it to be the Tamer's throat before releasing his grip.

He's too powerful, he thought bitterly. I can feel it, even now. I don't dare risk attacking him directly. Not while I'm…weak.

He hated the admission, but in this situation it was true. His injuries more than proved that. A Champion level digimon injured so severely by a mere human was unprecedented, yet here was the evidence. He had gotten too greedy, believing this version of Renamon to be easy prey without her ability to digivolve.

He had reason to. The others – the echoes, as he soon learned to call them – had been easy targets and ripe for the killing. What was more, Rika was also vulnerable. All she needed was a single push and then she would be his…

Only she wasn't.

Too fast… I didn't understand anything about the situation. I need to plan… Find a way to isolate him from the others and then…when he's at his lowest…crush him.

His red eyes gleamed in the light of the moon.

He had just the right candidate in mind.

###

There were three echoes that he had studied before, once he became aware of echoes, uncertain before what to make of them and their repetitive action, but certain that, at some point down the road, their apparent uselessness would be important some day.

That day was today.

There were two grubs of humans – children, a boy and a girl. In front of them stood an Impmon with some kind of gun of some sort, though it looked brightly colored in appearance, with a closed, rounded snout, suggesting that it wasn't anything except a toy. He had investigated them, tracing them back to their point of origin – a house that contained two, older children, ten years old that were similar in appearance.

From there it was just a matter of learning more about them, finding other echoes until…finally…

He slashed his claws through the three echoes, destroying them utterly. It did nothing to reduce the pain he felt in his injury, but it felt good all the same.

You will be my pawn, he thought as Mako's face disintegrated into shards of sparkling light.

Authors Note: What will happen to Mako? What is IceDevimon planning? Why do Crazyeight and Ruki44 enjoy fucking with everyone's emotions. Find out next time on Mnemosyne!