Tamers: Stuck in Paradise - Season 2
Part 8
by Christian "Sid" Lang
T.K. has known Kari since their adventures in the DigiWorld.
A lot has happened during that time. And he has learnt to read the girl.
And now he is pretty sure that something is on her mind.
He looks at Kari, who is sitting on a chair now, a short distance away from the others.
T.K. frowns and slowly apporaches her. Gently he places a hand on her shoulder.
She flinches.
"Everything all right?" he asks and cocks his head.
Kari nods, but T.K. notices that she avoids making eye contact.
Still frowning, he walks back to his place on the couch.
"So you believe Renamon's all right?" Hawkmon asks Ruki.
"Physically, yes." Ruki answers.
"And her memory?" Gatomon asks with a frown.
"Hey, this is a tracer, not a tricorder." Ruki says and shrugs.
T.K. laughs together with the others. But he can't fight the feelig that something is wrong.
"Man, I hope T.K. is all right." Davis mutters.
He is walking through the streets, unsure what to do now.
Gatomon is probably keeping Veemon and T.K. busy. he guesses.
"Well, might as well check after Ruki. She might need me."
"He's coming." Jim says with a grin.
"What about his pet monster?" Joe asks.
"No sign of it."
"Perfect." Joe says and grins, too.
Both men look at the van which is parked nearby.
"OK. We'll simply grab him and get out of here." Joe repeats the plan.
"Who do you think will pay more? His parents or the government?"
"Government. They'll pay more to see their hero again."
"Hey Veemon, I think I see Davis!" Patamon shouts.
Veemon looks up at the flying Digimon.
"Really? Where is he?" he asks.
"Thirty, fifty meters ahead! And he- What the-?"
Veemon instantly frowns. He knows this expression.
"What's wrong?" he asks, already starting to run.
"He got pulled into the alley over there!" Patamon shouts.
"OK, stay silent, kiddo." Joe hisses and presents his knife.
"Who are you?" the kid asks, making no efforts to hide his fear.
"Just somebody who has figured that you can make us rich." Jim whispers.
The kid looks at the main street and suddenly smiles.
"Pah. Nice try. But we won't look away so you can run-"
"Vee - HEADBUTT!"
Joe turns his head when he hears the voice.
All he sees is a flash of blue slamming into Jim's stomach.
Joe's partner hits the ground, groaning loudly.
Damn. That pet monster! Joe thinks.
Then he remembers the knife and tries to stab the blue critter.
He grunts when his wrist is suddenly caught in the monster's hand.
Joe tries to pull back, but he can't escape the vice-like grip of the Digimon.
"Boom bubble!"
Joe grunts shortly when he is hit by the projectile of compressed air.
The next thing he feels is the pain resulting from his head hitting the ground.
"Thanks, guys." Davis mutters.
"No problem. Thank Patamon. He saw you in the first place." Veemon answers.
"Don't mention it." Patamon whispers and smiles.
"What did these guys want?" Veemon then asks, pointing at the unconscious men.
"I guess they wanted to kidnap me."
The Digimon shake their heads and walk away with the DigiDestined.
Renamon arrives in the Kamiya's living room without being noticed.
She watches the assembled group from her own little realm.
"I can't believe you don't want to follow her." Gatomon tells Ruki.
"Listen. I don't want to drive her away. She will come back when she is ready."
Renamon smiles. Still, she is careful. She doesn't know why Gatomon wants to find her.
The fox moves behind Ruki and leans over to her Tamer.
Carefully she breathes into her neck, making the girl jump.
She has learned to make small signs to inform her Tamer of her presence.
Ruki often felt alone, and she liked it when Renamon showed her that she was near.
Even though she never actually admitted it. She had been the Digimon Queen, after all.
The others look at Ruki, obviously confused by Ruki's sudden movement.
"Is everything all right?" T.K. asks her.
"Uhhhhh... Yeah. Sure. I just... uhhh... need something from my room."
Ruki laughs nervously and walks to her room.
God, I almost forgot that feeling. Ruki admits.
It has been a long time since Renamon had done that.
She closes the door after entering and waits.
"Heartbreaker." Renamon whispers as she appears next to Ruki.
Ruki does not need to hear anything else.
"Oh Renamon!" she whispers, wiping away the tears of joy.
"I'm sorry." Renamon apologizes.
"What for?" Ruki asks as she gives her Digimon a hug.
"For my behaviour. I almost killed you." "Pah. Come on! the others will be happy to see you!"
"Really?" Renamon asks, looking relieved.
Ruki acted really weird. Yolei thinks.
She looks up when she hears Ruki's door open again.
Yolei notices that the Tamer is suddenly looking very happy.
A second later, she can see the reason.
Renamon exits Ruki's room and smiles.
Yolei can see that Kari and T.K. are hesitating.
Naturally. The murderer and the lover. she thinks and smiles.
Her smile fades when she realizes that Gatomon is also hesitating.
What's going on here? she asks herself.
By now, Renamon's smile starts to fade, too.
The golden fox slowly walks towards Gatomon and kneels in front of her.
Yolei involuntarily holds her breath.
Gatomon gulps and slowly extends a trembling paw.
Then the cat just sighs and lets the paw hit the couch.
"What is wrong?" Renamon whispers and nuzzles Gatomon.
The sudden movement of Gatomon's claws makes Yolei flinch.
When she looks again, Renamon is holding her snout.
The DigiDestined of Sincerity can see blood on Gatomon's claw.
"You slept with him! Do you believe I can just ignore that?" the cat yells.
"So that's what's wrong." T.K. suddenly mutters.
"T.K., I-" Kari whispers, biting her lower lip.
"No, it's all right. I understand." T.K. mutters and walks to the front door.
At the same time, Renamon tries to approach Gatomon again.
Yolei can see that the poor fox is startled.
"Don't!" Gatomon snaps furiously, tears flowing down her furred face.
Ruki is witnessing the scene openmouthed.
Renamon sighs and looks down. Then she vanishes again.
"Renamon!" Ruki shouts, trying to call her back.
Then her eyes are fixed on the crying Gatomon.
"I-I-I didn't mean- It's just that-"
Ruki curses and ignores the cat Digimon.
"The others will be happy to see you."
The young Tamer feels like a traitor.
Renamon has been so careful. And I ruined it!
She looks at her D-Arc. The tracer shows that Renamon isn't anywhere near her.
Without saying another word, she charges out of the apartment.
Hawkmon gulps. The perfect reunion has become the worst nightmare.
Gatomon has charged into Kari's room while Kari is simply sitting on her chair.
The bird Digimon looks at Yolei. The girl nods at Kari's room.
Hawkmon opens the door to Kari's room and finds Gatomon on Kari's bed.
The cat stares at him when she notices his presence.
"What?" she hisses, flexing her blood-stained claws.
Hawkmon stays calm and closes the door behind him.
"Are you proud now?" he asks flatly.
"Get out! Please!" Gatomon begs him.
"Why did you do it?"
"Are you blind?" the cat hisses.
Hawkmon knows that he is playing a risky game. But he continues.
"Maybe. I only saw two very hurt Digimon."
"She slept with T.K.! With T.K.!" the Champion cries.
"Renamon hasn't been herself. You know that."
Gatomon leaps out of the bed and starts to pace.
"I know. I want to believe that. But I can't get the image out of my head!"
"And that's why you broke her heart."
"I didn't-" Gatomon stammers.
The bird Digimon laughs shortly.
"You hurt her. And I'm not talking about the blood on your paw."
"So what?" Gatomon suddenly yells, startling him with the mood change.
"Admit it! You're happy now! Want her? You can have her!" she continues to yell.
Hawkmon's eyes become narrow slits.
"You still love her! So go ahead!" she shouts frantically.
Hawkmon sighs and turns to leave. Then he looks at her a last time.
"Believe me, I would. But I know she only loves you." he whispers.
Then he exits the room.
"So, how does it feel?" Yolei asks when Hawkmon has entered Kari's room.
The DigiDestined of Light looks at her.
"How does what feel?" she asks back.
"Ruining a life." Yolei answers.
"I didn't-" Kari protests.
"Then tell me how T.K. is feeling at the moment." Yolei demands.
Kari looks down, trying to think of a good answer.
"Did he want to spend the night with Renamon?" Yolei asks when she doesn't get an answer.
Kari just sighs.
"Don't you think he regrets it?"
"You don't understa-"
"No, you don't understand!" Yolei hisses.
"T.K. loves you. Renamon has made a terrible mistake and he couldn't stop her." she continues.
"But-but-but-"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Yolei shouts, then sighs.
Before Kari can answer anything, Hawkmon comes out of Kari's room.
"We're going, Hawkmon." Yolei states and receives a nod from her partner.
Maybe I should have looked for her earlier. After all, I'm her Tamer.
Ruki continues her run through the streets, occasionaly checking her D-Arc.
She knows that she can't go on like this. Not at this speed. Not for an unknown distance.
Pah. Renamon would laugh at my poor endurance.
But after some minutes, she can feel that her last reserves are spent.
Clutching her side, Ruki leans against a wall.
Come on! Move! she tells herself.
But it's impossible.
"Of course it's her!" she hears somebody in the distance.
People are approaching her.
"I knew it. I'd recognize the girl of my dreams anywhere!"
Ruki turns her head and sees Davis, Patamon and Veemon.
"Hey." she coughs.
Davis is instantly at her side, supporting her.
"What's wrong? You look exhausted."
Instead of wasting her breath, Ruki shows Davis her D-Arc.
"I need a ride." she gasps.
Then everything goes black.
Part 8
by Christian "Sid" Lang
T.K. has known Kari since their adventures in the DigiWorld.
A lot has happened during that time. And he has learnt to read the girl.
And now he is pretty sure that something is on her mind.
He looks at Kari, who is sitting on a chair now, a short distance away from the others.
T.K. frowns and slowly apporaches her. Gently he places a hand on her shoulder.
She flinches.
"Everything all right?" he asks and cocks his head.
Kari nods, but T.K. notices that she avoids making eye contact.
Still frowning, he walks back to his place on the couch.
"So you believe Renamon's all right?" Hawkmon asks Ruki.
"Physically, yes." Ruki answers.
"And her memory?" Gatomon asks with a frown.
"Hey, this is a tracer, not a tricorder." Ruki says and shrugs.
T.K. laughs together with the others. But he can't fight the feelig that something is wrong.
"Man, I hope T.K. is all right." Davis mutters.
He is walking through the streets, unsure what to do now.
Gatomon is probably keeping Veemon and T.K. busy. he guesses.
"Well, might as well check after Ruki. She might need me."
"He's coming." Jim says with a grin.
"What about his pet monster?" Joe asks.
"No sign of it."
"Perfect." Joe says and grins, too.
Both men look at the van which is parked nearby.
"OK. We'll simply grab him and get out of here." Joe repeats the plan.
"Who do you think will pay more? His parents or the government?"
"Government. They'll pay more to see their hero again."
"Hey Veemon, I think I see Davis!" Patamon shouts.
Veemon looks up at the flying Digimon.
"Really? Where is he?" he asks.
"Thirty, fifty meters ahead! And he- What the-?"
Veemon instantly frowns. He knows this expression.
"What's wrong?" he asks, already starting to run.
"He got pulled into the alley over there!" Patamon shouts.
"OK, stay silent, kiddo." Joe hisses and presents his knife.
"Who are you?" the kid asks, making no efforts to hide his fear.
"Just somebody who has figured that you can make us rich." Jim whispers.
The kid looks at the main street and suddenly smiles.
"Pah. Nice try. But we won't look away so you can run-"
"Vee - HEADBUTT!"
Joe turns his head when he hears the voice.
All he sees is a flash of blue slamming into Jim's stomach.
Joe's partner hits the ground, groaning loudly.
Damn. That pet monster! Joe thinks.
Then he remembers the knife and tries to stab the blue critter.
He grunts when his wrist is suddenly caught in the monster's hand.
Joe tries to pull back, but he can't escape the vice-like grip of the Digimon.
"Boom bubble!"
Joe grunts shortly when he is hit by the projectile of compressed air.
The next thing he feels is the pain resulting from his head hitting the ground.
"Thanks, guys." Davis mutters.
"No problem. Thank Patamon. He saw you in the first place." Veemon answers.
"Don't mention it." Patamon whispers and smiles.
"What did these guys want?" Veemon then asks, pointing at the unconscious men.
"I guess they wanted to kidnap me."
The Digimon shake their heads and walk away with the DigiDestined.
Renamon arrives in the Kamiya's living room without being noticed.
She watches the assembled group from her own little realm.
"I can't believe you don't want to follow her." Gatomon tells Ruki.
"Listen. I don't want to drive her away. She will come back when she is ready."
Renamon smiles. Still, she is careful. She doesn't know why Gatomon wants to find her.
The fox moves behind Ruki and leans over to her Tamer.
Carefully she breathes into her neck, making the girl jump.
She has learned to make small signs to inform her Tamer of her presence.
Ruki often felt alone, and she liked it when Renamon showed her that she was near.
Even though she never actually admitted it. She had been the Digimon Queen, after all.
The others look at Ruki, obviously confused by Ruki's sudden movement.
"Is everything all right?" T.K. asks her.
"Uhhhhh... Yeah. Sure. I just... uhhh... need something from my room."
Ruki laughs nervously and walks to her room.
God, I almost forgot that feeling. Ruki admits.
It has been a long time since Renamon had done that.
She closes the door after entering and waits.
"Heartbreaker." Renamon whispers as she appears next to Ruki.
Ruki does not need to hear anything else.
"Oh Renamon!" she whispers, wiping away the tears of joy.
"I'm sorry." Renamon apologizes.
"What for?" Ruki asks as she gives her Digimon a hug.
"For my behaviour. I almost killed you." "Pah. Come on! the others will be happy to see you!"
"Really?" Renamon asks, looking relieved.
Ruki acted really weird. Yolei thinks.
She looks up when she hears Ruki's door open again.
Yolei notices that the Tamer is suddenly looking very happy.
A second later, she can see the reason.
Renamon exits Ruki's room and smiles.
Yolei can see that Kari and T.K. are hesitating.
Naturally. The murderer and the lover. she thinks and smiles.
Her smile fades when she realizes that Gatomon is also hesitating.
What's going on here? she asks herself.
By now, Renamon's smile starts to fade, too.
The golden fox slowly walks towards Gatomon and kneels in front of her.
Yolei involuntarily holds her breath.
Gatomon gulps and slowly extends a trembling paw.
Then the cat just sighs and lets the paw hit the couch.
"What is wrong?" Renamon whispers and nuzzles Gatomon.
The sudden movement of Gatomon's claws makes Yolei flinch.
When she looks again, Renamon is holding her snout.
The DigiDestined of Sincerity can see blood on Gatomon's claw.
"You slept with him! Do you believe I can just ignore that?" the cat yells.
"So that's what's wrong." T.K. suddenly mutters.
"T.K., I-" Kari whispers, biting her lower lip.
"No, it's all right. I understand." T.K. mutters and walks to the front door.
At the same time, Renamon tries to approach Gatomon again.
Yolei can see that the poor fox is startled.
"Don't!" Gatomon snaps furiously, tears flowing down her furred face.
Ruki is witnessing the scene openmouthed.
Renamon sighs and looks down. Then she vanishes again.
"Renamon!" Ruki shouts, trying to call her back.
Then her eyes are fixed on the crying Gatomon.
"I-I-I didn't mean- It's just that-"
Ruki curses and ignores the cat Digimon.
"The others will be happy to see you."
The young Tamer feels like a traitor.
Renamon has been so careful. And I ruined it!
She looks at her D-Arc. The tracer shows that Renamon isn't anywhere near her.
Without saying another word, she charges out of the apartment.
Hawkmon gulps. The perfect reunion has become the worst nightmare.
Gatomon has charged into Kari's room while Kari is simply sitting on her chair.
The bird Digimon looks at Yolei. The girl nods at Kari's room.
Hawkmon opens the door to Kari's room and finds Gatomon on Kari's bed.
The cat stares at him when she notices his presence.
"What?" she hisses, flexing her blood-stained claws.
Hawkmon stays calm and closes the door behind him.
"Are you proud now?" he asks flatly.
"Get out! Please!" Gatomon begs him.
"Why did you do it?"
"Are you blind?" the cat hisses.
Hawkmon knows that he is playing a risky game. But he continues.
"Maybe. I only saw two very hurt Digimon."
"She slept with T.K.! With T.K.!" the Champion cries.
"Renamon hasn't been herself. You know that."
Gatomon leaps out of the bed and starts to pace.
"I know. I want to believe that. But I can't get the image out of my head!"
"And that's why you broke her heart."
"I didn't-" Gatomon stammers.
The bird Digimon laughs shortly.
"You hurt her. And I'm not talking about the blood on your paw."
"So what?" Gatomon suddenly yells, startling him with the mood change.
"Admit it! You're happy now! Want her? You can have her!" she continues to yell.
Hawkmon's eyes become narrow slits.
"You still love her! So go ahead!" she shouts frantically.
Hawkmon sighs and turns to leave. Then he looks at her a last time.
"Believe me, I would. But I know she only loves you." he whispers.
Then he exits the room.
"So, how does it feel?" Yolei asks when Hawkmon has entered Kari's room.
The DigiDestined of Light looks at her.
"How does what feel?" she asks back.
"Ruining a life." Yolei answers.
"I didn't-" Kari protests.
"Then tell me how T.K. is feeling at the moment." Yolei demands.
Kari looks down, trying to think of a good answer.
"Did he want to spend the night with Renamon?" Yolei asks when she doesn't get an answer.
Kari just sighs.
"Don't you think he regrets it?"
"You don't understa-"
"No, you don't understand!" Yolei hisses.
"T.K. loves you. Renamon has made a terrible mistake and he couldn't stop her." she continues.
"But-but-but-"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Yolei shouts, then sighs.
Before Kari can answer anything, Hawkmon comes out of Kari's room.
"We're going, Hawkmon." Yolei states and receives a nod from her partner.
Maybe I should have looked for her earlier. After all, I'm her Tamer.
Ruki continues her run through the streets, occasionaly checking her D-Arc.
She knows that she can't go on like this. Not at this speed. Not for an unknown distance.
Pah. Renamon would laugh at my poor endurance.
But after some minutes, she can feel that her last reserves are spent.
Clutching her side, Ruki leans against a wall.
Come on! Move! she tells herself.
But it's impossible.
"Of course it's her!" she hears somebody in the distance.
People are approaching her.
"I knew it. I'd recognize the girl of my dreams anywhere!"
Ruki turns her head and sees Davis, Patamon and Veemon.
"Hey." she coughs.
Davis is instantly at her side, supporting her.
"What's wrong? You look exhausted."
Instead of wasting her breath, Ruki shows Davis her D-Arc.
"I need a ride." she gasps.
Then everything goes black.