Digimon Re: Tamers Chapter 17:
The forests north of Seattle were nothing short of lonesome, to say the least. Ruki would know that for certain, considering her fight or flight instincts had kicked in, forcing her to flee here for reasons she couldn't understand or process in her mind. Ruki wished she knew why she had such an intense need to flee cross her whole mind, but right now a few things were certain.
Renamon had disappeared, again, but Ruki now possessed a firearm to defend herself with should the situation call for it. However, the oddity of this pistol is the fact that it apparently came from her biological father, who intends for Ruki to take up arms and try and find him. At least, that is, this is what Ruki assumes he wants her to do.
"I could really use some soda right about now; this anxiety is beginning to get to me…" Ruki mumbles a bit as she walks through the forest. The pistol, holstered to her side as she wore a different belt to accommodate its presence beside her, and her Digivice held in her hand as she tries to scan the area for some kind of map. Or, better yet, some kind of clue as to find her father with.
Little did she realize, however, that the elephant in the room about another factor of her screwed up life is now right behind her, grinning all the while upon gazing at her from behind.
"Wow… Besiege's daughter looks kind of hot from this angle, I see. Honestly don't know why I bothered with the milf at this rate anymore." The smartass tone only Ruki or her friends would be able to recognize speaks loud and clear, causing Ruki to turn around and face the individual in question; a tall, skinny, blond haired man with square glasses looking Ruki directly in the eyes.
"Y-You…?!" Ruki asks, as she can only recognize this man as her mother's bastard of a boyfriend from the past few weeks.
"Yes, me; but I'm no longer important, bitch. I no longer have possession of your mother or grandmother." He speaks with the tone of a gentleman, but the slur of a smug prick.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't shoot your eye out, Michael." Ruki asks, as she moves to reach for her firearm at her side, as "Michael" chuckles a little upon hearing her speak his name.
"'Michael'? I have to say, first time you've addressed me by my actual name, princess. Feeling a special feeling right about now? I know that you know you have a naughty secret you hide from everyone." Michael speaks in a mocking tone, as he moves to approach Ruki in very swift steps towards her. Ruki attempts to grab the pistol at her side, but realizes something is holding her in place, as Ruki's breath reveals the temperature had dropped significantly.
"No, you mustn't struggle, my sweet~." An ominous, cool sounding voice speaks; the voice of a man of power and masculinity, but what Ruki could tell was that it wasn't coming from Michael, but rather something directly behind her.
Ruki tries to turn around to look, but finds she can't move. In a quick movement, giant, leathery wings move to envelope Ruki between themselves and the hard, chiseled muscle of a humanoid entity as pale and white as snow. The unnerving part, though, comes from the fact this entity looks exactly like Impmon does when he's digivolved into Devimon, aside from the pale white coloration.
"W-Who are you?!" Ruki tries to speak, as though wanting to shout that line. Her body feels incredibly numb, she can't bring herself to speak louder. Ruki's eyes shoot open wide, though, when she feels Michael blatantly grasp her rear as Ruki tries to scream, only to find herself incapable of doing so. "Let go of me, you pervert!" Ruki would've sounded louder, but something wasn't right with her mind; she feels ready to blank out, feeling too tired to resist Michael or the Digimon's efforts against her.
Michael, chuckling like a madman, moves to take some unusual, lime colored mint into his mouth, briefly shuffling it within his mouth all the while he stares a terrified Ruki in the eye. Ruki wants to fight back, she's actively trying to move to resist; something is effecting her mind, making her too tired to resist, and not helping matters especially is Michael closing the gap between her and his own lips; Michael grasps both of Ruki's cheeks to force her into a kiss, with Michael's tongue forcing itself into Ruki's mouth with the unusual mint being forced into Ruki's mouth.
Using his hands to tilt her head up, Michael continues with the kiss to humiliate Ruki with, but in doing so, moves his hands around her cheek and around her neck, to have it so, once Ruki has the mint forced into her mouth, that he now forces Ruki to swallow it whole; a heated, one-sided kiss between Michael and Ruki ends with Michael peppering Ruki's lips by licking her there ecstatically, as Michael's eyes pierce into Ruki's own.
Ruki can't process what's going on with her mind right now; she's being manhandled by a Digimon and a bastard of a man before her, and due to the mint she was forced to swallow, she's tiring out even faster than these two's mere presence were causing her to. Her eyes, glazed over in exhaustion, struggle to stay open, but Ruki's eyes nearly roll back into her head, before closing her eyes entirely upon losing her mind to the lumbering desire to give in, and pass out in the process.
'No! I can't pass out like this! I-I need t-to r-resist…!' Ruki struggles to think to herself, as she takes in the situation; she feels like her mind is slipping away. Unable to resist, Ruki believes she had passed out.
Or, so, she would've thought; a sudden thought clicked in her mind. Michael has abused her mother, and is now going after Ruki directly. Even if Michael doesn't have her mother and grandmother captive anymore, the overall fact of the matter is that this isn't just a time for Ruki to simply give in; this bastard doesn't deserve the honor of being able to conquer Ruki so easily, through such a cheap trick. Ruki can feel herself rousing herself awake, as her eyes open wide and hostile in gaze towards Michael.
The Digimon who was helping in restraining her must've left the area, for she could no longer feel a slumbering cold around herself; grabbing the pistol from her side, Ruki's mind is more alert and awake due to her own will refusing to allow herself to be overcome here by this disgusting man, but even she can't process what she is going to do next about it.
Rapid, numerous gunshots can be heard piercing the skies of the forest, ending the perpetual silence of the forest's depths, as Ruki opens fire on Michael directly. Michael, still standing there point blank, couldn't have possibly dodged that. This, however, was all Ruki's own will could muster; the mint she was forced to swallow would subdue her quickly soon after this sprint of wrath, but Ruki knew of just the thing to say to this prick.
"Fuck… y-you…" Ruki says, before collapsing to the ground on her side; eyes open wide, but empty in terms of thought. Michael, still standing even though bullet holes line his jacket now, and a gushing red can be seen from his wounds, slowly moves to rest on his knees as he tries to muster his own will to survive these shots to his torso.
"IceDevimon, did I secure the package for Besiege…? I must know… if my mission… is now… c-complete…" Michael struggles to say the last few words he musters, as he winds up vomiting to the ground a good chunk of blood onto the dirt below, before falling over forward, completely limp in movement, as footsteps could be heard approaching the area.
Not much is certain as to what happens next. Ruki finds herself waking up in the forest, in the middle of nowhere, as she stumbles with trying to get up, her head aching beyond belief, as she cannot even begin to describe what had happened before she had passed out. The only thing her mind is the piercing, chiming sound of her Digivice going off.
Once Ruki's eyes wake up enough to glance at her surroundings, she finds herself in a near completely different part of the forest than she once was. Michael's body is nowhere to be found, as Ruki investigates her ammunition to make sure she didn't just dream of shooting him dead. 12 bullets remain, as she knows as clear as day that she had a magazine of 18 total bullets before heading out here.
"How could I even realize what I've done, even considering who it was…" Ruki mumbles to herself, as she moves to stand and examine herself; splashes of blood cover her shirt and jeans, as she tries to register exactly what had happened, letting it sink in all the while.
"Will they even forgive me for what I've done, even considering I had no choice at all?" Ruki speaks, if not to herself, than merely to reassure herself that she's alive and not in anyone's capture right now. "Will Ryo or Jeri even realize who I am anymore, knowing what unforgivable action I had done…? I Honestly won't know for now…" Ruki finishes, as she moves to grasp her Digivice and investigate why it is beeping at her for her attention.
"Renamon's signature; she's close, I can tell that for certain." Ruki says, as she looks around and notices a fog must've set in within the area around her; she cannot see for a very long distance, and she has the feeling something is watching her.
"She's not alone, either; this is a Digital Field; something must've Realized and found itself into our world, but what could it be?" Ruki speaks to herself, to question aloud as to whether or not anything would answer her, be it Renamon, or be it the newfound intruder.
Footsteps draw in close; very hefty in weight, and walking on four legs, can be heard the sounds of some kind of large, hooved Digimon approaching her. Ruki looks ahead towards a shadow in the fog; a large, Centaurish figure approaches her, colored primarily in black, with red, piercing eyes, and a lavish red and gold armor adorning its body.
"I see you find yourself at a crossroads about what you consider of yourself, is that correct, Ms. Makino?" A strong, powerful voice speaks out to Ruki, as Ruki flinches before nodding.
"I-I killed someone, s-shouldn't that make it more obvious?" Ruki admits, hastily, due to her own voice sounding so insecure and in a state of panic.
"You did what you felt was the only option to defend yourself. I don't see a murderer, I see a victim of circumstances." The voice speaks from the fog, as the Digimon approaches Ruki and makes itself more clearer for her to see; it appeared to be a Centaurish, muscular ox of some kind approaching Ruki.
"I am Vajramon, one of the Deva. I have come to investigate the circumstances of not just your partner going blind in rage, but also the wellbeing on my consort." Vajramon introduces, as he looks towards his left. "Approach me, Taomon; we have found your tamer." Vajramon speaks out to the distance of the fog, as small, idle footsteps could be heard approaching the scene. Taomon enters Ruki's field of view, as Ruki looks at her with her eyes widening.
"T-Taomon? You know this Digimon?" Ruki asks, as she is quick to notice the lack of emotion in Taomon's face. Something about her eyes; they don't appear to be natural with what state of mind she's in.
"I am afraid she cannot hear your words; however, from what I had witnessed with that man, you had ingested a strange device against your own will, did you not?" Vajramon asks, as he moves to take a few steps back, to allow Taomon to approach Ruki.
"Taomon, what's happened to you?" Ruki asks of her, as Taomon simply stands still, staring off into a blank void.
"I did not find you by mere coincidence, Ms. Makino; I tracked you here based off of Taomon following a trail on her own. As her trusted escort, I need ensure simply her safety in reaching here, under a state of mind from which she has no current control over." Vajramon states, as Ruki looks at Vajramon and glares.
"You did something to her, didn't you?!" Ruki asks, as she moves to point the pistol at Vajramon's large head; Vajramon doesn't even budge or so much as react.
"You do realize that such a small firearm will have no effect on my large form, do you not?" Vajramon asks, as Ruki looks at him blankly, before lowering her weapon and holstering it to her side as she lets out an exhausted sigh.
"Look, I don't know what to make of what has happened today; if Taomon has been rendered incapable of seeing the outside world trying to find me, then I to had been rendered incapable of grasping the situation prior to me arriving here." Ruki states, as she looks at Vajramon with a calm, solemn gaze.
"You know something about what the blond forced into me, correct? Tell me everything you know about what it was, please…" Ruki demands, as Vajramon raises an eye at her; a snort from his snout can be heard, before he moves to approach the two. His larger height becomes all the more prominent once he steps closer, as the fog had obscured how large he was prior. Ruki, looking away from Vajramon, doesn't want to admit that his stature intimidates her, especially with Taomon acting so off.
"You have ingested what is known as a Soul Link enhancer. From what I have gathered, from what I have determined the man would have wanted to do with you, he had intended for you to use this enhancement to have Taomon achieve Ultimate Evolution." Vajramon points out, bluntly, as though expecting Ruki to understand the overall meaning of his words.
"As in, Mega Digivolution? I'm listening. So basically, if I somehow get the device inside me to work, I could digivolve Taomon into Mega Level?" Ruki asks, as she looks up towards the massive beast Digimon before her.
"That is correct, Ms. Makino. However, I have yet to have deduced the reason for such an unorthodox device to be forced upon you in such a regard. I understand that among Digimon Tamers, that mastery of the Soul Link is vital to being able to achieve Ultimate Level. However, the man clearly had an ulterior motive for how he had bestowed an ability such as this upon you in such a way. I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about both you and Taomon being in danger because of it." Vajramon explains, as he looks towards Taomon as Taomon blankly stares at him.
"Perhaps now would be the best time to offer both of your minds full clarity, and perhaps resume your path back to civilization. The transition had been rough, but I believe you will be welcomed back in open arms once you come to terms with who you are. Achieve Ultimate Evolution with Taomon, and you will be brought back home, safe and sound." Vajramon finishes explaining, as he looks at Ruki for a sign of a response coming up. Ruki's eyes avert his for a moment, trying to process all of this in.
"And my mother and grandmother? What became of them now that Michael is dead?" Ruki asks, as Vajramon looks upon the horizon.
"They are home as well, safe and sound; they had been that way for the past 12 hours, and had sent the authorities out to try and find you, for now you are the one who has been missing for some time." Vajramon answers, as Ruki's eyes widen a bit with a hint of a gleam, as she looks towards Taomon in understanding; pulling out her Digivice, she holds it close to her chest to try and trigger what would happen next, knowing her family is now safe again, and that she must return home.
"Taomon, Ultimate Evolution…!"
The field around the two begins to distort and chaotically change in surroundings; Taomon's body reconfigures itself into a more humanoid shape, as Ruki closes her eyes to rest her mind as her thoughts are now becoming heavy and tired; not that she doesn't wish it this time, but the feeling of comfort is finally arriving at long last.
"Sakuyamon!"
The thoughts dissipate into Ruki's mind; she slowly moves to open her eyes. She awakens to find herself in bed, in her own home, with a few cans of unopened soda beside her bed for her. She looks at a digital clock on the side of her bed.
3 AM; she must've fallen asleep once Taomon had achieved Mega Level and cleared her mind; she could hear a commotion from the other room, but that didn't bother her right now. Moving to check and see where her Digivice could be, she finds it on the counter and moves to grab it and look at the screen; Renamon is inside, safe and sound, fast asleep at this time of night.
Ruki couldn't believe that the nightmare had now finally passed; that her time to be happy has come again. The normality of her life at home is something she would never forget in all of her life, and having to live without the comfort of her mother and relatives had been taking its toll on her mind prior to now.
"I love you, Renamon…" Ruki speaks, softly, and with serenity in her voice, as she closes her eyes, holding her Digivice to her chest, as she covers up and slowly begins to fall asleep again. Fully at peace with the nightmare no longer able to haunt her for so long, only one thing could cross her mind as she sleeps.
She can't wait to tell everyone about her recovery once morning comes and school comes with it.