Tamers: Stuck in Paradise
Part 3
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Renamon kneels next to the bed Ruki is sleeping in.
It has taken quite a while until the girl finally fell asleep.
You're not alone Ruki. I'll be there for you.
That's what she had told her Tamer in the school corridor.
It had been the first time ever that Renamon had seen Ruki cry.
She shakes her head, watching her Tamer in her bed.
The room is dark, but Renamon's night sight is good enough for her too see the girl.
The Kamiya's had had enough sense to leave Ruki alone for the evening.
Renamon had thanked them for that while Ruki had been in the bathroom.
Maybe tomorrow, things would be better. Maybe-
Renamon's head jerks up in alarm.
Something's not right. I can smell somebody standing at the door.
She had always been proud of her sharp senses.
Not wanting to wake her girl right now, Renamon quietly fades out of the room.
Then she fades in in the Kamiya's main corridor, right behind-
Gatomon stares at the door to the Kamiya's guestroom.
Kari has fallen asleep hours ago, but Gatomon somehow couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she recallled the fight today.
Not the one against MaloMyotismon, but the one against the Rookie Digimon.
At the end of the fight, Gatomon had been the one who was still able to stand.
But somehow it didn't feel like a victory. Something has been wrong.
"What're you doing here?" a low female voice asks her.
Gatomon whirls around and sees that Renamon is standing right behind her.
What the- How did- Why didn't I-
Before she can mouth any of these questions, Renamon motions her to be quiet.
"She has just fallen asleep." Renamon tells her.
Gatomon nods and the two Digimon enter the living room.
The fox stands patiently and waits until the cat Digimon has taken a seat before she sits down herself.
For a long minute, Gatomon just watches Renamon. Then she sighs.
"It's about our fight today." she finally admits.
"I thought so." Renamon calmly replies, cocking her head.
"You didn't go for the kill. And I saw the surprise on the girl's face about that." Gatomon states.
The fox just nods grimly.
"She isn't really that mean, is she?"
"No. Ruki... is just Ruki. This is her way. Keeping her feelings deep down and stuff."
Renamon sighs and Gatomon almost regrets her question. Still, the fox continues.
"In our world, she has no friends. Even Takato and Lee get treated like lower life-forms."
The yellow fox laughs shortly, then frowns.
"Her only real flaw is the way she thinks of us Digimon."
Gatomon's eyes widen when she hears that.
"For her, Digimon are just soulless pieces of data. Including me."
At that point, Renamon's voice turns into a sob.
"I'm sorry." Gatomon whispers.
"She'll learn. I know she will." Renamon manages to say between her sobs.
Just as Gatomon wants to say something, she hears a door opening.
Her head whirls around and she sees Kari come out of her room.
Not now, Kari! Please!
But her human partner stares at her and blinks.
"What're you doing there, Gatomon?" she asks with a sleepy voice.
"Oh, I was just talking to-" Gatomon stammers, waving at Renamon.
Or rather, the space Renamon had just occupied.
The cat Digimon blinks as she quickly scans the whole room. But Renamon has disappeared.
"Who were you talking to?" Kari asks, not having seen the other Digimon.
"Uhhh... nobody. Just been talking to myself." Gatomon picks the easiest way out.
Gatomon didn't sleep very well after the short meeting with Renamon.
The next morning, the cat has woken by Kari, something that didn't happen too often.
In the kitchen they meet Ruki and Renamon. Both are standing in one corner, talking.
The table is already laid, and there are four plates with pancakes.
Kari instantly frowns, staring at the pancakes.
"What." Ruki flatly asks.
"Uhhh... I should warn you, my mother has a very... unique way of cooking." Kari tells them.
"Your parents have left quite early today with Tai." Ruki tells her, sitting down at the table.
"Then who made those pancakes? They're still warm." Gatomon asks, sitting down, too.
"I did." Renamon simply says, making Kari and Gatomon gasp.
Gatomon frowns, but tries one of the pancakes. Her eyes widen.
"Wow! They're great!" she mumbles, making the group laugh.
Suddenly, Renamon tips Gatomon's shoulder.
"By they way, what are those two humans doing on the roof over there?" she asks.
While Kari and Ruki have their backs to the kitchen window, Renamon and Gatomon are facing it.
When the two girls start to move, Renamon quickly shakes her head.
So only Gatomon looks out.
"I've never seen people on that roof before." Gatomon whispers.
"What are they doing?" Ruki asks, cocking her head.
"One of them is watching us with binoculars. The other one is doing nothing." Gatomon tells them.
"And they're staring right at us?" Kari asks, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
Renamon just nods.
"I bet its because of the Digimon." Kari states.
"Renamon. Ask them." Ruki simply orders.
"Can't I finish breakfast first?" Renamon begs, obviously making a show.
Ruki sighs dramatically, but smiles while doing it.
"Oh, all right." Renamon finally says, standing up from the table.
Then she takes her plate and moves into the corridor.
Is she going to eat the pancakes on her way to- Gatomon asks herself, munching another pancake.
Then she almost coughs the pancake out when she turns her eyes towards the roof again.
Renamon is standing right behind the two men with the plate of pancakes.
The humans haven't even noticed her yet.
"So, what're they doing now?" Spectre 2 asks, trying to see something.
"Just talking. Subject Two still away." Spectre 1 says, staring into the kitchen with his binoculars.
"This is wrong. Those critters are heroes, we shouldn't be spying on them." Spectre 2 says.
"Yeah. Besides, watching them eat those pancakes makes me hungry."
"Dito here. What I would give for a pancake right now..."
"How 'bout some answers?" a low female voice asks them.
Spectre 2, having knelt until now, whirls around to face the intruder.
"Holy-" he cries, almost falling off the roof.
By now Spectre 1 has managed to get to his feet, too.
He turns around to face-
"What're YOU doing here?" he shouts when he sees Subject Two standing right behind them.
"I could ask you the same thing. Pancake, anybody?" the yellow humanoid fox asks them with a smile.
"So they've been assigned to keep an eye an you and Gatomon?" Ruki asks.
Renamon just nods grimly.
"Don't tell me you're still mad because I didn't leave you any pancakes."
Again she receives a grim nod.
"I'm hungry." she finally wails, making Gatomon snicker.
Ruki just rolls her eyes.
"Well, it's your fault. You didn't have to give the men yours."
The men are still on their assigned positions, although they're not trying to hide anymore.
"I guess they'll go away after a while." Kari hopes.
"Guess so. The Government must be nervous." Ruki adds.
"Right. Now that the world knows of the Digimon, everything will change."
Everybody nods at that remark. Just then, Ruki checks her watch.
"Tsk. We're late." she tells herself.
She notices Renamon's ears flicker and smiles.
"Late? For what?" Kari asks innocently.
"Training." Renamon groans.
"Training for what? There is no threat to either world." Gatomon points out.
"Well, this place may be safe. But our world isn't. And I'm not planning to stay here for long." Ruki answers.
Kari nods, understanding her point of view.
"Can we come with you?" Gatomon suddenly asks, startling both Ruki and Kari.
"Why not?" Renamon answers with a smile.
"And who made you the boss?" Ruki asks fiercly.
Renamon sighs and gently drags Ruki away from the others.
"Ruki. Why don't you drop your Ice Queen image for a while? Have a little fun and stuff?" she whispers.
Ruki stares at her Digimon for long seconds.
"Are you serious?" she finally whispers back.
"Sure. Like a trip to an amusement park. Let the Ice Queen rest in our world."
Just then, Renamon softly embraces Ruki.
Great. In front of Kari and the cat. But maybe Renamon is right. I could use a vacation.
Smiling, she hugs Renamon back.
"We're still going to train now." she suddenly whispers Ruki chuckles when she hears Renamon curse softly.
Notes:
I know both Renamon and Ruki are quite out of character.
I'll try to balance them more in the next part.
There will definately be more of Lee and Terriermon next time, too.
Part 3
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Renamon kneels next to the bed Ruki is sleeping in.
It has taken quite a while until the girl finally fell asleep.
You're not alone Ruki. I'll be there for you.
That's what she had told her Tamer in the school corridor.
It had been the first time ever that Renamon had seen Ruki cry.
She shakes her head, watching her Tamer in her bed.
The room is dark, but Renamon's night sight is good enough for her too see the girl.
The Kamiya's had had enough sense to leave Ruki alone for the evening.
Renamon had thanked them for that while Ruki had been in the bathroom.
Maybe tomorrow, things would be better. Maybe-
Renamon's head jerks up in alarm.
Something's not right. I can smell somebody standing at the door.
She had always been proud of her sharp senses.
Not wanting to wake her girl right now, Renamon quietly fades out of the room.
Then she fades in in the Kamiya's main corridor, right behind-
Gatomon stares at the door to the Kamiya's guestroom.
Kari has fallen asleep hours ago, but Gatomon somehow couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she recallled the fight today.
Not the one against MaloMyotismon, but the one against the Rookie Digimon.
At the end of the fight, Gatomon had been the one who was still able to stand.
But somehow it didn't feel like a victory. Something has been wrong.
"What're you doing here?" a low female voice asks her.
Gatomon whirls around and sees that Renamon is standing right behind her.
What the- How did- Why didn't I-
Before she can mouth any of these questions, Renamon motions her to be quiet.
"She has just fallen asleep." Renamon tells her.
Gatomon nods and the two Digimon enter the living room.
The fox stands patiently and waits until the cat Digimon has taken a seat before she sits down herself.
For a long minute, Gatomon just watches Renamon. Then she sighs.
"It's about our fight today." she finally admits.
"I thought so." Renamon calmly replies, cocking her head.
"You didn't go for the kill. And I saw the surprise on the girl's face about that." Gatomon states.
The fox just nods grimly.
"She isn't really that mean, is she?"
"No. Ruki... is just Ruki. This is her way. Keeping her feelings deep down and stuff."
Renamon sighs and Gatomon almost regrets her question. Still, the fox continues.
"In our world, she has no friends. Even Takato and Lee get treated like lower life-forms."
The yellow fox laughs shortly, then frowns.
"Her only real flaw is the way she thinks of us Digimon."
Gatomon's eyes widen when she hears that.
"For her, Digimon are just soulless pieces of data. Including me."
At that point, Renamon's voice turns into a sob.
"I'm sorry." Gatomon whispers.
"She'll learn. I know she will." Renamon manages to say between her sobs.
Just as Gatomon wants to say something, she hears a door opening.
Her head whirls around and she sees Kari come out of her room.
Not now, Kari! Please!
But her human partner stares at her and blinks.
"What're you doing there, Gatomon?" she asks with a sleepy voice.
"Oh, I was just talking to-" Gatomon stammers, waving at Renamon.
Or rather, the space Renamon had just occupied.
The cat Digimon blinks as she quickly scans the whole room. But Renamon has disappeared.
"Who were you talking to?" Kari asks, not having seen the other Digimon.
"Uhhh... nobody. Just been talking to myself." Gatomon picks the easiest way out.
Gatomon didn't sleep very well after the short meeting with Renamon.
The next morning, the cat has woken by Kari, something that didn't happen too often.
In the kitchen they meet Ruki and Renamon. Both are standing in one corner, talking.
The table is already laid, and there are four plates with pancakes.
Kari instantly frowns, staring at the pancakes.
"What." Ruki flatly asks.
"Uhhh... I should warn you, my mother has a very... unique way of cooking." Kari tells them.
"Your parents have left quite early today with Tai." Ruki tells her, sitting down at the table.
"Then who made those pancakes? They're still warm." Gatomon asks, sitting down, too.
"I did." Renamon simply says, making Kari and Gatomon gasp.
Gatomon frowns, but tries one of the pancakes. Her eyes widen.
"Wow! They're great!" she mumbles, making the group laugh.
Suddenly, Renamon tips Gatomon's shoulder.
"By they way, what are those two humans doing on the roof over there?" she asks.
While Kari and Ruki have their backs to the kitchen window, Renamon and Gatomon are facing it.
When the two girls start to move, Renamon quickly shakes her head.
So only Gatomon looks out.
"I've never seen people on that roof before." Gatomon whispers.
"What are they doing?" Ruki asks, cocking her head.
"One of them is watching us with binoculars. The other one is doing nothing." Gatomon tells them.
"And they're staring right at us?" Kari asks, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
Renamon just nods.
"I bet its because of the Digimon." Kari states.
"Renamon. Ask them." Ruki simply orders.
"Can't I finish breakfast first?" Renamon begs, obviously making a show.
Ruki sighs dramatically, but smiles while doing it.
"Oh, all right." Renamon finally says, standing up from the table.
Then she takes her plate and moves into the corridor.
Is she going to eat the pancakes on her way to- Gatomon asks herself, munching another pancake.
Then she almost coughs the pancake out when she turns her eyes towards the roof again.
Renamon is standing right behind the two men with the plate of pancakes.
The humans haven't even noticed her yet.
"So, what're they doing now?" Spectre 2 asks, trying to see something.
"Just talking. Subject Two still away." Spectre 1 says, staring into the kitchen with his binoculars.
"This is wrong. Those critters are heroes, we shouldn't be spying on them." Spectre 2 says.
"Yeah. Besides, watching them eat those pancakes makes me hungry."
"Dito here. What I would give for a pancake right now..."
"How 'bout some answers?" a low female voice asks them.
Spectre 2, having knelt until now, whirls around to face the intruder.
"Holy-" he cries, almost falling off the roof.
By now Spectre 1 has managed to get to his feet, too.
He turns around to face-
"What're YOU doing here?" he shouts when he sees Subject Two standing right behind them.
"I could ask you the same thing. Pancake, anybody?" the yellow humanoid fox asks them with a smile.
"So they've been assigned to keep an eye an you and Gatomon?" Ruki asks.
Renamon just nods grimly.
"Don't tell me you're still mad because I didn't leave you any pancakes."
Again she receives a grim nod.
"I'm hungry." she finally wails, making Gatomon snicker.
Ruki just rolls her eyes.
"Well, it's your fault. You didn't have to give the men yours."
The men are still on their assigned positions, although they're not trying to hide anymore.
"I guess they'll go away after a while." Kari hopes.
"Guess so. The Government must be nervous." Ruki adds.
"Right. Now that the world knows of the Digimon, everything will change."
Everybody nods at that remark. Just then, Ruki checks her watch.
"Tsk. We're late." she tells herself.
She notices Renamon's ears flicker and smiles.
"Late? For what?" Kari asks innocently.
"Training." Renamon groans.
"Training for what? There is no threat to either world." Gatomon points out.
"Well, this place may be safe. But our world isn't. And I'm not planning to stay here for long." Ruki answers.
Kari nods, understanding her point of view.
"Can we come with you?" Gatomon suddenly asks, startling both Ruki and Kari.
"Why not?" Renamon answers with a smile.
"And who made you the boss?" Ruki asks fiercly.
Renamon sighs and gently drags Ruki away from the others.
"Ruki. Why don't you drop your Ice Queen image for a while? Have a little fun and stuff?" she whispers.
Ruki stares at her Digimon for long seconds.
"Are you serious?" she finally whispers back.
"Sure. Like a trip to an amusement park. Let the Ice Queen rest in our world."
Just then, Renamon softly embraces Ruki.
Great. In front of Kari and the cat. But maybe Renamon is right. I could use a vacation.
Smiling, she hugs Renamon back.
"We're still going to train now." she suddenly whispers Ruki chuckles when she hears Renamon curse softly.
Notes:
I know both Renamon and Ruki are quite out of character.
I'll try to balance them more in the next part.
There will definately be more of Lee and Terriermon next time, too.