Chapter 5: The preparations:
The next morning, Guilmon climbed out of bed and rose to his feet.
Stretching out his body and revealing he was clad only in a pair of black boxers, Guilmon couldn't quite explain it, but he felt better than he had been feeling, as if his life had taken a turn for the better.
After a quick shower, Guilmon got dressed in new clothes and prepared for another day.
Leaving his apartment, Guilmon found a warm smile grace his face, to see what he knew was just one of the reasons his life had seemed to improve itself, to see Renamon patiently waiting for him outside.
"Hello my Romeo. Your Juliet is here!" Renamon said with a clear devotion in her voice as she then leapt into Guilmon's arms.
A little surprised by Renamon's antics, but keeping up with his reflexes, Guilmon easily caught her and held her close.
She nuzzled her face into his neck, taking in his comforting scent, the foxy Digimon greeted her lover.
"Good morning, Guilmon. Dreamt about me?" She teased.
"Renamon..." Guilmon just said in reply as he slid his arms tighter around the foxy Digimon's body, holding her closer in his embrace, which left the pair looking at one another with an undying love.
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Managing to get past their states of affection, which increased as Renamon presented her love with a little treat, a breakfast roll she had made just for him, the Digimon duo proceeded down and through the streets the city, eventually arriving to the front gates of the Digi High School.
Although enjoying his position, of having Renamon's arms wrapped around him, Guilmon turned and looked over the yellow furred vixen and asked with intrigue. "I'd never thought you come and wait for me at my apartment, but what's up with that?"
"I just had to show you my love. You know..." Renamon said in reply and expressing her love before a thought came to her.
Sliding herself from the warmth of Guilmon's body and standing directly before him, Renamon began to wave her hands above her forehead and slid her tongue out from time to time, acting similar to an affectionate puppy.
"Like a dog?" Guilmon asked.
Nodding in reply and continuing with her act, Renamon moved herself closer toward Guilmon, looked at him with warm eyes and then said. "Exactly. A poor little dog who was waiting for her loving and caring owner to return, like that japanese dog legend in the Real World."
A little confused to Renamon's behavior, but knowing it was out of love, Guilmon returned the warm affection his girlfriend expressed.
"I am just glad to see you care about me." He said with a smile.
"Of course I care about you, Guilmon. I want to be by your side forever. I want to be there when you recover your memories, and I plan to help and love you with every fibre of my being until that day comes." Renamon told Guilmon in reply to allow herself back into her beloved's arms.
To hearing Renamon's reply and her continued love, Guilmon looked back and upon her with a growing smile.
"And whatsmore, I bet Kitty would think the same thing too." Renamon then said, her smile returning to a more teasing and sly expression as she told the red dino Digimon. "And who knows, maybe she can join us if she's interested."
While Renamon proceeded ahead, Guilmon remained in place.
Renamon's words shocked Guilmon's mind as he remembered BlackGatomon and the Shadow Syndicate.
"Oh, err... I'm sure she will..." Guilmon said, trying to cover up the more secret backstory between him and the dark furred feline.
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"So let me get this straight...?" Impmon started to ask as he, BlackRenamon, Terriermon and Lopmon sat by the table at the cafe, where Terriermon had just finished explaining the misunderstanding between the pair of BlackRenamons.
"I confessed my love to your cousin by mistake?" Impmon then asked, his tone reflecting anger and embarrassment.
Nodding in reply, BlackRenamon rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed as she said back. "Sorry I should've said something before that happened."
"Man, and I was going through such a tantrum 'cause of that." Impmon admitted.
"Well now you know. Now you two can be a couple." Terriermon said with a supportive smile, which Lopmon shared.
"Speaking of couples..." The small rabbit-like Digimon then said in surprise in her voice.
Guided by Lopmon's surprise, Impmon, BlackRenamon and Terriermon turned, just in time to see Guilmon and Renamon approaching them.
Although the sight of the yellow furred vixen and the red dino Digimon was nothing out of the ordinary, to see the pair arm in arm and so close to one another was a different story.
Surprised and the first to speak on the subject, Impmon said with a growing awe in his voice. "Whoa! Guilmon! You and Renamon...?"
"Just as you and black doppleganger, we're also a couple." Renamon said back as she pressed herself against Guilmon's body, to show her love, but also to taunt Impmon a little.
"Yeah, well..." Impmon said back as he was about to argue, but fell silent when BlackRenamon cut in.
Expressing her joy BlackRenamon slid from her seat, wrapped her arms around the pair and called happily. "I am so happy you two are together! You two make such a cute couple."
"Thanks for the support, BlackRenamon." Guilmon said in gratitude, which also caused Renamon to smile and to forgo some of the resentment hidden within her toward her dark furred counterpart.
"So Lopmon and I got together, Impmon and BlackRenamon are dating and now Guilmon and Renamon. The whole 'Renamon and Guilmon sitting in a tree' thing I said before now came true" Terriermon remarked as he recalled the same line of teasing them as they were proceeding through the sewer tunnels.
"Oh yeah. You said that one time when we were on our way to fight the D-Reaper." Renamon grin remembering that day too.
Listening to what Terriermon and Renamon had to say, Guilmon was a bit puzzled as he lacked any memory of that interaction.
'Did he? I don't remember that time. How I hate memory loss' Guilmon thought, frustrated to why he couldn't recall these moments of his past.
Failed to go unnoticed, Lopmon questioned with some confusion. "Guilmon, are you alright?"
"You seemed as if you were in a trance." The small rabbit-like Digimon then said as she noted the empty expression upon Guilmon's face.
"Huh? Oh, yeah I am ok..." Guilmon lied.
Trying to cover up his secret and not concern his friends, though Renamon looked upon her love and felt empathy for him, to know Guilmon still lacked the memories of their past together.
"Oh! Hey, BlackGatomon!" BlackRenamon then called happily as she noticed the black furred feline Digimon walking by.
"You came at the right time. Please come and have a seat." The dark furred Renamon offered, which helped ease the small tension between Guilmon and his friends, although BlackGatomon seemed as if something was on her mind.
"Err... I am okay but thanks for asking." She merely said as she waved the group goodbye before leaving.
"Poor kitty. I hope she's alright." Renamon said, expressing a fair concern for the dark furred feline, this was noticed by Guilmon, who pulled himself from his seat.
"I'll go check up on her. I'll be back hopefully." Guilmon offered before taking his leave.
"Thanks, Guil-chan." Renamon said, calling out to him and waving. "Take care."
From Renamon's more affectionate nature, Terriermon couldn't hide his grin.
"Guil-Chan?" He teased.
"Since Japanese couples address each other with such titles when they are dating, I figured I should try it myself." Renamon said in reply, remembering the Japanese culture and customs she read about back in the Real World.
"Anyway... we should discuss the Tamers' next move against our enemy." Lopmon then said, before the group huddled together in order to discuss a very important topic.
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Able to follow her to the locker room, Guilmon found BlackGatomon in the corner, who waved her friend to come over.
"You know tomorrow is our first mission at the Shadow Syndicate. I am a bit worried because this will be the time we be away from Foxy and the others but we have to do what we do is best. If you wish to leave, now is the time." BlackGatomon informed with an understanding in her voice as she looked deep in Guilmon's eyes.
"BlackGatomon, I promised we would work together during the Shadow Syndicate missions, and I vowed to help all the way." Guilmon said back, a little too determined to see what he had to do and to see what the Shadow Syndicate was truly about.
"You will be away from Renamon for quite some time." BlackGatomon told Guilmon with a remaining seriousness and concern.
"We have to keep this all a secret from her, and from the others." Guilmon advised, not giving up on his goal.
"Guilmon... you have no idea how how grateful I am to you." BlackGatomon replied with a growing smile before sliding her paws around and lightly hugging the Digital Hazard Digimon while a few tears fell from her eyes.
"We're friends, so you should know I will always be there for you, BlackGatomon." Guilmon said with a soft kindness after placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her.
To Guilmon's further kindness, BlackGatomon kept her smile, she slid her arms around Guilmon kindly, but had to express her more serious side and to remind her friend. "We meet at the Syndicates' base early in the morning, just before sunrise. Hope to see you there."
Nodding to BlackGatomon's words, who then headed off, there was part to Guilmon that couldn't help but worry about what would occur between him and her as they delved deeper into the darkest secrets.
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Working on his body and relieving some stress at the gym, Guilmon was throwing punch after punch at the punching bag hanging before him.
With each hit, Guilmon reminded himself that he needed to grow stronger in order to see what the Shadow Syndicate was up to, and find to stop them if their objectives proved far wicked than expected.
As he threw another right hook at the sandbag, a familiar set of white paws wrapped around the sandbag, not only holding it in place, but to reveal Renamon, who looked toward Guilmon with a smile.
"I'd thought I'd find you here, Guil-Chan. I thought I'd help you with your work out." Renamon told Guilmon with a reassuring smile.
"I can always rely on you." Guilmon replied with a smile, before resuming his workout.
Feeling tension withing Guilmon's punches and guessing something was troubling her beloved, Renamon had to ask. "Guilmon, is something on your mind?"
"I am just curious to what Terriermon said a while back." Guilmon said back, throwing another right hook and then asking. "What exactly are the Digimon Tamers?"
"Tamers? That was our group from the past. We were partnered with these humans who helped us become stronger and Digivolve. In the past, we worked as a team in order to defeat the D-Reaper, an artificial intelligence which threatened both the Real and Digital World." Renamon said in informed in reply.
Keeping her paws firmly around the punching bag, Renamon continued to speak, telling Guilmon. "After we returned to the Digital World, we decided to adopt the Tamers' name as our little group to continue to fight for peace and protection of all Digimon. Of course you were part of the Digimon Tamers, but your memory loss can make you forget that."
Guilmon went a little quiet as he took the words to heart.
"I was... a Tamer Digimon?" He then asked.
"Yes, and a powerful one at that." Renamon replied.
Although he trusted Renamon, Guilmon fell silent as he was uncertain to his exact power, uncertain if he was as strong as Renamon seemed to make him out to be.
But showing her kindness, Renamon put a hand to his face, guiding Guilmon to look upon her.
"I know of your memory loss so don't force yourself to rejoin the Tamers any time soon. I will stay by your side and love you no matter what. Just train and study hard, my love." She said, before sliding her head past the sandbag and claiming Guilmon's lips in a small kiss.
"Are you sure? What if I wat to help?" Guilmon asked, knowing he was with the Shadow Syndicate at first, but just in case he ever changed his mind...
"Then you'll know because I believe in you, my Guil-Chan. And nothing will change that." Renamon replied with a continued warmth.
Claiming Guilmon's lips in another small kiss, Renamon held a smile as she slid away from the red dino Digimon, the foxy Digimon placing a sway in her hips to tease Guilmon as she headed off to the gym's showers.
Remaining silent as he looked over Renamon, Guilmon kept a small smile on his face.
'Thank you for believing in me, Renamon.' He thought, grateful he had such a trusting and beautiful Digimon as her as his lover.
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Finished with his workout and after a quick shower, Guilmon and Renamon vacated the gym and made their way down the streets.
Keeping silent for the most part, Guilmon listened to what Renamon had to say and what the foxy Digimon had on her mind.
"In a few months we can have a summer break at the beach, I can drive us down there if you like?" She offered. "And we can bring BlackGatomon and the others to join us."
"That sounds like a good idea." Guilmon replied.
Eventually, the Digimon reached Guilmon's apartment, where Renamon wrapped her arms around Guilmon softly, hugging him as she then said. "Well, I'd best get back to my place. I know you have things to do tomorrow such as studying, but I will see you soon."
Breaking from her embrace with Guilmon, although mentally whining to lose the warmth of Guilmon's body against her own, Renamon used her great speed, teleporting away and leaving Guilmon to make his way within his apartment and to prepare prepare for the upcoming endeavors.
As Guilmon entered his apartment, his ghostly form from his forgotten past sadly watched on.
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A sudden knock on the door around 4:00 am woke Guilmon from his rest.
Knowing exactly who it was, Guilmon quickly rose from out of his bed, got redressed and answered the door, opening the door to see BlackGatomon standing outside and now clad in a dark black dress that is not too revealing.
Glad to see Guilmon and always finding herself comfortable around him, BlackGatomon held a serious and worried expression on her face, which Guilmon reflected.
"It's almost time. Shall we head to the Shadow Syndicate hideout?" She asked, her question receiving a small nod from the Digital Hazard Digimon.
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Arriving at the Shadow Syndicate and taking in the dark scenery, every one of the member of the group was waiting in front of the throne room, while, sitting upon the throne was ShadowOmnimon.
His red eyes gleaming as he looked over those who followed his club/ways/group, ShadowOmnimon found his attention drawn over to DemiDevimon, who flew over and approached the Dark Digimon with a clawful of maps.
Among the Dark Digimon which made up the Shadow Syndicate, Guilmon and BlackGatomon too stood within the masses, the pair now wearing dark purple cloaks with hoods to cover their beings.
And as the others, Guilmon and BlackGatomon also wore dark masks that concealed their faces, the masks mostly dark grey with black patterns and has red eye lenses.
"Listen up everyone. The Shadow Syndicate has located a village which could cause disaster to our plan." DemiDevimon informed, pointing to a small village on the map. "We need to make sure they do not come up with schemes against us. We need to wipe out the villains and take their Digi-Cores and bring them back here!"
Guilmon was unsure of what DemiDevimon had what was needed of him, but he decided to get the mission over with, so he could return back to Renamon and figure out his past sooner.
"So take down these fiends and bring back their Digi Cores. That is your agenda. We will save the Digital World!" DemiDevimon then declared.
With that said, ShadowOmnimon waved his arm forth, casting open a dark portal for the Shadow Syndicate Digimon to enter and attack the village.
"You ready, partner?" BlackGatomon whispered to Guilmon as she lightly gripped holding his hand.
"Let's get this done." Guilmon said back.
Remaining determined to see the truth of the Shadow Syndicate as they made their way toward the portal, Guilmon also remained cautious of those around him.
Although he was part of the Shadow Syndicate for now, he refused to allow any of the Dark Digimon to use and manipulate him.