Kindred Pairs
by milesprower06
Rika stared at her reflection in the mirror of the dojo bathroom, biting her quivering bottom lip. She had attempted to do exactly what she had been told do, and she had been taken down by a simple push of a finger.
'What are you without her?'
She clenched her fists, feeling as if she was just a few moments away from changing and going back home.
But really, what would that accomplish, except likely strain her relations with a friend?
She loosened her fists, took a breath, and something she and Renamon said to each other came to her mind.
'But winning made you stronger.'
'No, you made me stronger.'
Renamon wasn't here, so perhaps the strength and experience of Sakuyamon wasn't accessible right now.
But still, being unable to use that experience to make herself stronger bothered her.
Taking one final breath, she looked at her reflection one last time, with a bit more confidence, then turned to the door, stepping back into the hallway and walked back towards the dojo's training floor.
A passing car shook Rika out of her memory, as she continued her walk through West Shinjuku. Her first tai chi lesson with Henry and Sensei Chou got off to something of a stumbling start, but she had made significant progress in the weeks that followed. Checking her watch, she noted that she had been walking for nearly 45 minutes. It was after 1am, and she still wasn't yawning. Walking around like this wasn't helping, because she was still restless. If she didn't figure it out soon, she was going to be a mess tomorrow.
'Like I'm not a mess now. Like I haven't been a mess for months.'
Once the sun went down, telling time in Shinjuku without a watch was impossible. This ward was known to locals and tourists alike for the nightlife, and while the sidewalks cleared considerably after 10pm, the traffic was steady throughout the night, as this was one of the parts of Tokyo that never slept.
Deciding to stop looking at her shoes and the sidewalks for a few minutes, she lifted her view to the trees and shrubs that always increased in number around Shinjuku's largest park. This park had a playground at the edge, which included a jungle gym, a few teeter totters, monkey bars, and a swing set with two seats, the right one being currently occupied.
'At this time of night, really? Who would be, wait, is that...'
"Takato?" She called out.
The park wasn't exactly pitch black with the street lights and surrounding buildings, so it only took her mere moments to recognize his short-sleeved blue hoodie. He wasn't actively swinging, but just gently rocking back and forth, staring at the gravel, with a backpack resting against the front right leg of the swing set. He obviously didn't hear her, and it was probably due to what looked like ear buds he had in.
Rika stepped over the short wooden barrier that kept the gravel contained, and walked toward the swing set from the left side. She ducked under the two sets of steel legs, gently brushing the right swing aside, and gently tapped him on the left shoulder, bringing his gaze up from his shoes, meeting her violet eyes.
"Rika! What are you doing out here?" He asked, yanking the buds out of his ears.
"Couldn't sleep either, huh?" She asked him with a light smirk. He shook his head as she took a seat on the left swing.
"No. Last time I tried to sleep when I was feeling like this, I had a bone-chilling nightmare." He answered, wrapping the wired earbuds around a small MP3 player before pocketing it.
"Yeah, I can appreciate that," she replied, putting her hands on the chains on both sides, digging her heels into the gravel, and started to gently rock the swing back and forth just as he had. "Been working on that mile time of yours?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm under nine-and-a-half minutes. My parents got me this MP3 player to help me keep pace better. I was over at Henry's a couple hours ago getting it set up."
"Missed the last bus back, didn't you?"
Takato let out a light chuckle, affirming the girl's guess.
"How's your tai chi with Henry?"
"Going a lot better than it started out. I couldn't concentrate on my kata after... After my nightmare tonight, so I just went for a walk."
"Well," Takato started, getting up from his swing and grabbed his backpack. "What do you say we keep walking?" He asked, turning to her. She nodded, and pulled herself up from her swing. The gravel crunching under the two pairs of feet, they left the playground, and walked down the dimly lit concrete path deeper into the park.
"So just out here reminiscing?" She asked.
"There's not much else to do when I'm feeling like this." Takato admitted, as they turned right to head up a set of stone steps.
"At least you've got the craziness of that bakery to help keep you busy. I lose my mind every time my mom tries to 'help get my mind off of things' by dragging me to a photo shoot."
Takato gave her a light chuckle.
"I love how you think I've got it any better, with a third of those display cases being filled with bread and cookies shaped like Guilmon."
"Last I heard, that third is like half your sales now, right?" Rika asked as they finished the stairs.
"Wouldn't surprise me. I have to pop more of those in the oven than anything else."
They had come to a largely open field of dirt, noticeably darker than down on the path, but still visible due to the ambient lighting from the skyline. The flat field was sparsely populated with a few trees, and as he stared out at it, he heard Rika's footsteps slow to a stop. He paused to look back to find her looking in the opposite direction he had, at a length of chain link fence, perpendicular to the hill and stairs they had just climbed.
"This is why I don't like reminiscing." She said, momentarily clenching her fists. Takato walked several steps over to her, and from the angle, realized why she had stopped.
"Hey, this was where we first met. I mean, if you don't count my dream." Takato commented, remembering how he and Guilmon were looking for a good place to hide him when he was at school. Until Renamon came out of nowhere and kicked his partner into the fence. It hadn't knocked it down, but momentum had bent it considerably. From the looks of things, it had long been repaired.
"It may be easy for you to look back on the good old days, Takato, but it's not so easy for me. Because I wasn't good. When I think back to what I used to be like... It makes me sick to my stomach." The girl confessed, her gaze falling from the fence to the dirt at her feet. Takato took a step forward and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'd say it's just a measure of how far you come, and how much you've grown as a person. Back then I could barely slash a card. You've gone from someone I was genuinely afraid of, to one of my best friends."
Rika smiled at that.
"I want her back so bad. Before she came into my life, I was bored with everything. I won card tournaments without breaking a sweat. After how strong we became together, only to have her pulled away like that... Taking tai chi lessons with Henry have made me realize how weak I am without her. I think back to IceDevimon, when I think of the possibility of something else trying to come after me like that... And if she's not here..." She trailed off, turning to face her friend. "I'm scared, Takato." She admitted.
Takato swallowed, half-stunned at getting a confession from her like that.
"Well, uh, first off," Takato began softly, trying to summon all the confidence he could to set her mind at ease. "I've always thought that when the worlds heal and enough to have those connections stabilized and restored, that our partners would be the very first ones to come back through. Believe me, I'm at the Hanazono Shrine every single day, praying for their safe return. I mean it. Every, single, day, since he's left. With what wishing and belief have done for us in the past, I know that has to count for something. Secondly, I hope you aren't thinking our physical prowess is the strength we share with our Digimon. You know it's not. You take the world's best body builder, pit them against Renamon, you better believe I'm dropping yen on her. It's our inner strength, and honestly, Rika? When it comes to inner, emotional strength, you're one of the strongest people I know."
Rika smiled softly at him, reaching up and taking hold of the hand he had placed on her shoulder.
"Thanks, Gogglehead." She replied, squeezing his hand momentarily, then released it as they continued walking along the fence line.
"Speaking of which," she continued. "Where are they? I haven't seen you wear them since... Well, since Guilmon left."
"Yeah, I haven't. I don't know, I guess it doesn't feel right wearing them without him here."
"Well, as long as we're being honest with each other, that bothers me, Takato. It's like a part of you is missing." Rika replied, looking over at him.
"A part of me is missing, Rika." The boy emphasized, meeting her gaze.
"Point taken. Still..." She paused, her hand brushing against the D-Arc clipped to her jeans. "Well, remember when we were headed back into town through the drain tunnel? Told me you liked my new shirt?" Rika asked, noticing Takato's cheeks tint pink at the memory. "So, I like your goggles."
He smiled bashfully.
"Besides, how is Guilmon ever going to recognize you if he comes back and you don't have them on?"
Takato gave an honest laugh at that observation. His choice of item to denote Digimon Tamer identity to his newborn partner seemed so ridiculous in hindsight.
"So, now that you've got some music to help you along, when's the rematch?" She asked.
"Rematch?"
"Don't tell me you're just gonna let me keep that 15-second victory over you. It's been weeks and you've already cut your time down by at least that much."
"Well, when are you free?" Takato asked.
"Hm. There's no tai chi on Wednesday. How about then? Say, before lunch? Let's work up an appetite." Rika told him.
"Sounds great." He replied.
With that, Rika reached her arms up in a stretch, as gave out a yawn.
"I think that's my cue to head back." She said, her pace pausing to face him again. She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
"Thanks, Takato. I think this really helped." She said, squeezing him lightly.
"Anytime. Glad I was there to talk." He replied, returning the embrace.
As they split off to go to their separate homes, he turned his head back one last time before he rounded the corner back down the stairs.
"See you on the track!"