Someday
By DigiExpert
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Okay peoples! Here's another Rika fic by me! This is my version of her past. This fic is right after they come back from the Digital World on the Ark. In case you're wondering, Rika is 13. I got this info from Pojo.com so don't yell at me if you don't think it's right. Also I used the dub name for Ruki(which is Rika), but kept Makino as her last name 'cause it's better than Nonaka. I don't know why Saban had to go and change their last names this time too, but read and review, 'kay?
It was a rainy Saturday. Rika was at home going through stuff in her closet. She had been invited to go with the other Tamers to a nearby pizza parlor, but she decided not to go. She wanted to be by herself for awhile. As she was shifting through her closet, she found a small box in the very back covered by clothes.
When she opened it, she saw awards from recent Digimon Card Battle Tournaments. As she dug closer and closer to the bottom, she saw stuff that she had saved from when she was a little kid. She saw her picture with her grandfather before he died when she was 7. She also saw some hair clips given to her by a friend in the 2nd grade. On the very bottom of the box, a folded up piece of paper caught her attention. On one side it said: Rika Age 5 written in her grandmother's careful handwriting. I wonder what this is? she mentally asked herself. Curious, she unfolded the piece of paper.
Inside she saw two hand-drawn figures: a man and a little girl. At the bottom was scrawled Me and Daddy when we meet again someday in her scribbly handwriting. She could tell that someone had helped her write the bottom part. Dad did say he'd meet me again someday…
~~~Flashback~~~
Rika was only 5 years old. She was swinging on the old tire swing that her dad had hung up for her in the back yard. She loved the wind blowing through her hair and the feeling of almost flying. She saw her dad come out the back door with a suitcase in his hand. "Look daddy! I'm flying like a birdie!" she shouted.
"I see sweetie. Come here. I need to talk to you about something important."
"Okays daddy. What about?" asked Rika as she jumped off the tire swing.
"Rika, I… I need to go away for awhile. I'll be back someday. You need to be a big girl and take care of mommy for me, okay?"
"But, daddy I don't want you to leave," replied Rika, tears welling up in her eyes and pouring out.
"I know sweetie, but I have to. Please be a good girl for mommy and remember I'll always love you no matter what. I'll be back someday and then we can all be together again. Goodbye Rika."
"Bye daddy. I'll be waiting for you when you come back, " Rika yelled to the now retreating figure, "And I'll always love you," she whispered to herself.
True to her word, Rika waited and waited for her father to come back. She'd sit on the porch everyday waiting for her father to walk through the gate and call for her. She waited and wished with every ounce of strength a five-year-old could muster.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Rika never gave up hope. She even drew a picture of what her and her daddy would look like when they met again. Her grandmother helped her to write an inscription at the bottom.
Finally, months turned into years. When Rika was nine, her mother decided that she was old enough to know the truth. "Rika dear, come here for a minute," she called.
"Yes, mom?" Rika answered.
"Come over here and sit on your mom's lap for awhile. I need to tell you something that I think you're old enough to know and understand."
"What about?" asked Rika as she climbed onto her mother's lap.
"It's about your father. I think you're old enough to understand this now so please listen and don't interrupt."
"All right. I'm ready."
"Your father and I got a divorce when you were five. A divorce is something adults get when they feel that they can't get along and really don't love each other anymore. Your father and I really couldn't seem to stand each other anymore. So, he decided to leave after the divorce was final. He didn't want custody of you because he knew that he couldn't provide for a little girl and himself. So we agreed that if he ever wanted to see you again he could."
"But dad hasn't come to see me yet."
"No he hasn't, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. He told me before he left that he loved you with all of his heart and would be back someday when he was ready to help care for you, okay? Do you understand?"
"Yes mom. I do."
"Good you can go play now."
Rika climbed off her mother's lap and walked down the hallway to her room. She pulled her favorite stuffed animal, a stuffed bear she called Baby, and went over and sat on her blue and purple bean bag chair. Daddy doesn't love me. He would have been back to see me by now if he did. I don't care what mom says. If I can't trust my own father, then whom can I trust? I loved him with all my heart and he let me down. If I can't trust him, then I can trust no one. Rika fell asleep on her beanbag chair on that last thought.
The change in Rika was gradual, but over the months, she completely changed. She wouldn't let her mother buy her anymore dresses or anything cutesy. She wanted blue jeans and t-shirts and nothing else. She didn't want anyone to think she was vulnerable, but ready and alert for anyone who wanted to cause trouble. The tomboyish look provided that for her.
The next noticeable change was her room. She took down anything that made her look like a girly-girl. She got rid of almost all of her stuffed animals. She kept Baby, but stuck her in the closet where she wouldn't be seen. She never put anything up on the walls to replace the things taken down. She liked them bare so that's the way they stayed.
The last and final change in Rika was her attitude. It went from good girl to rough and ready. Her mother and grandmother had already noticed the other changes and thought that Rika was going through a phase, but this was the last and final straw. It was especially rough on Rika's grandmother because she had just lost her adored husband to a fatal heart attack. She hated to see Rika like this, but she knew she couldn't stop her. Rika would always back talk them both and ignore them when they tried to speak to her. When they did get Rika to speak, all they got in reply was a harsh remark. They tried to scold Rika and even slapped her across the face because it was so bad sometimes. Rika didn't mind it. No pain, no gain she always thought.
Two more years passed. Rika's mom figured out this wasn't just a phase for Rika; it was permanent for the time being. She never finished telling Rika her story. She knew that she wouldn't listen. She listened to no one. She never got completely out of hand, it was just that no one wanted to be around someone who would diss and push them around all of the time.
One day, Rika found a new hobby. She had turned on the tv and saw one of the new tv shows on. It was called Digimon. She became interested. After the first few shows, she saw a commercial for the Digimon Card Battle game. She vowed to be the best at it. She bought as many packs of cards as her allowance would allow. Then she began thinking and planning battle strategies and tactics.
About two weeks later, she was wandering around the house looking for dropped change that she could use. She wandered into her mother's room. Hmmm. Now where would mom keep or lose change? How about… the closet? Rika walked over and slid the door open. She got down on her hands and knees and began moving dropped clothes around. Instead of finding change, she found her mother's old diary hidden in the very back under some dresses.
Mom's old diary? Why does she have this thing? Oh well. I found it so I'm gonna read it. There's no lock on it so it must not be very important to her. Rika was going to wish she'd never ever found that diary. By the time she finished reading it, a look of shock was plastered onto her face. She had found out the reason she was here. The reason she was created.
I'm not wanted. I'm only here because two lovesick teenagers couldn't control their emotions. A being created because of one night's passion. Humph. I wasn't wanted. Mom even said so in the diary. They never did. They came to love me after I was born, but that's not the same. I'm here to live and then die, unwanted and unloved. Rika threw the diary against the wall in anger. It must have echoed because her mother came barging in through the door.
"Rika? Are you okay? I heard a loud bang and came to see what…" She never finished. She saw Rika in the closet and her old diary thrown against the wall. Some pages had fallen out with the impact of the hit. "Rika, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but you wouldn't listen if I tried to tell you. I…"
"Can it mom. You didn't want me then and you don't want me now. So just leave me alone." Rika stood up and stormed off to her room. She closed the door and locked it behind her. She walked over to the low table in the corner and sat down. She wanted to be alone and try to forget the things she had just read. She tried to push them back to the far reaches of her mind where they would be eventually forgotten, but she couldn't. The remarks she had read were burned into her mind. Every horrible thing her mother had said about her. Rika shook her head. She pulled out her Digimon cards and began to think about battle tactics. After all, she had a tournament the next day and she wasn't going to lose.
Another one and a half years had passed. Rika had become the best at the Digimon card game. She became the Digimon Queen. She had only lost one battle since she began the game. She had lost to Ryo Akiyama. She hated him. Her cards seemed no match to his. But she had become better. She vowed she'd beat him one day.
She had also become a Digimon Tamer. It was after the tournament. She had won. But the one person she had wanted to play never signed up. Ryo had mysteriously vanished. No one knew his whereabouts or anything. Rika was furious.
She had gone home and locked herself in her room. Suddenly three mirror-like shapes surrounded her. She could make out the shadowy outlines of Digimon. They were all clambering toward something or someone. Rika. They called out her name. They wanted a Tamer.
"I only want the strongest," Rika called out over the din.
"Then you want me," came a reply from a fox-shaped shadow. All of the other Digimon suddenly disappeared. Rika's card reader suddenly glowed and changed shape. It took on a different form. The word D-Power came from somewhere in her mind, telling her what it was.
Her new partner stepped out of the mirrors. Rika held up the D-Power. A picture of the Digimon and some data on it appeared. "Renamon. Fox-like rookie level Digimon. Data type. Attack is Diamond Storm."
"At your service," Renamon said as she bowed.
"Well Renamon. I have some high expectations of you. You are the best rookie there is, right?"
"Yes."
"Then I expect you're a battle expert?"
"Straight from the wilds of the Digital World."
"Don't get smart with me."
"Yes. As you wish."
"Have you absorbed much data?"
"Yes. Tons."
"Have you digivolved yet?"
"Uh, no," Renamon replied, a little ashamed.
"Then you have not absorbed enough."
"If that is the way you see it, then no I have not."
"Exactly. However, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be at Mega level."
"I'd appreciate that. That is why I am here, isn't it? To be trained by the best Tamer?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"What do you want me to do now?" asked Renamon.
"You may do as you please for now. Just be here when I need you," answered Rika in a cold voice. Renamon sensed this.
This girl must have had a hard life she thought. Aloud she said, "Fine." Then she disappeared into the shadows.
Over the next few weeks, Rika changed. She met up with the other Tamers. She began to grow fond of them, though she hated to admit it. She changed her opinion about Digimon, too. Before she thought of them only as fighting tools. Now she thought of them as partners and friends who would be there to protect her. This came about when Kyubimon was almost destroyed. She knew then that they were more than fighting pawns.
Of course, Rika really didn't like all of the Tamers. Kazu and Kenta were just plain idiots, as anyone could see. She had no clue how Takato had become friends with them; but then again, Takato was weird too sometimes. She didn't exactly know about him. He could be really nice to her sometimes. Henry was okay, but he always had to think about things. Rika knew this was okay sometimes, but when you're facing death, you don't think, you take action. This was Rika's theory. Ryo was well… Ryo. A big jerk. He always had to be the hero. And he always had to pick on Rika. Suzie was really nice. She loved to play with Rika. In her eyes, Rika was really cool and nice. The only Tamer Rika really got along with was Jeri. Jeri saw Rika differently than the other Tamers. Rika was a friend to her. She really cared about Rika and what happened to her. She didn't want to lose another friend.
~~~End Flashback~~~
Rika folded up the small piece of paper and put it back in the box. She hated all the memories it had dredged up. Rika reached up to rub her eyes. They had begun to itch. She was surprised to find her face felt wet. Surprised she was crying. She knew why. They were tears of anger. These were the emotions she had held in over the years. She never showed anyone them. She didn't want to ruin her image. It was her barrier from the world. Rika tried to hold back the tears, but they wouldn't stop. They just kept coming.
Finally, she just let herself cry. She crawled into the closet and curled into a ball. It was big enough to fit 3 of her standing up. Rika crawled toward the very back. She didn't want her mother or grandmother to hear her. She didn't want to have to explain why she was crying to them.
She laid her head down on something soft. It was too thick and weird feeling to be clothes. Rika pulled it out from underneath her head. She held it up to the light to get a better look at it. The thing was faded and dusty, but Rika knew what it was. It was her old bear, Baby. This just made her cry harder.
All of a sudden, Rika heard a noise behind her. She turned around, afraid of whom she would find lurking there. Instead of finding her mother or grandmother, she found Renamon. "Rika, what's wrong?" she asked. She had never seen Rika like this before.
"It's nothing you would care to know," replied Rika, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.
"Yes there is something wrong with you. Please tell me. I'm your friend, Rika. I care about you."
"Fine then. I'll tell you." Rika began to tell her life story to Renamon.
Renamon listened whole-heartedly. When Rika was finished, she put an arm around the girl. Renamon now knew why Rika acted the way she did.
"The worst thing is, this is all my fault, " Rika added, beginning to sob full force again.
"It's not your fault. You were only a little girl. You didn't know any other way."
"But I could have changed."
"Rika stop and listen to me. I'll give you the same advice I gave you about Jeri. You cannot change or alter the past. However, you can accept it and let it make you stronger. You have destined yourself to let these memories haunt you, but you can change your destiny."
"I can?"
"Yes you can. Remind yourself that this is the past. Things are different now.
They have changed."
"I will."
"Accept what has happened. Let it embrace you. Let it make you stronger."
Rika closed her eyes. For a moment, she seemed frozen. Renamon let her be. She knew what Rika was doing. A few minutes later, her eyes opened. "Thank you Renamon. I feel better now."
"You're welcome," answered Renamon. Then she disappeared into the shadows once again.
Renamon's right. I will choose my destiny from now on. If it needs to be changed, I'll change it. No one will stand in my way of following my own path. Not my mom, my grandmother, not even the other Tamers. I am who I am. No one can change that.
"Rika?" called her mother's voice, " I have a letter for you."
"Just slip it under the door, " answered Rika. She knew she was in no condition to show her face to her mother. Her face was still red and puffy from crying.
Rika's mother slipped the letter under the door. Rika walked over and picked it up. Who would send me a letter? She examined the envelope. It was very thin so there wasn't anything else enclosed except a letter. She looked at the address. Norithanyu Makino? Why would dad write me after all these years?
Rika opened the letter. It was something very simple. It read:
Dear Rika,
How are you? Sorry I haven't been to see you all these years. I've been very busy. I'm hoping to come see you soon, but you never know with the…
Rika stopped reading the letter right then and there. She tore it up into little shreds. When she was satisfied, she walked over and dumped them into the trashcan. You weren't there for me then dad and you won't be here for me now. Someday means forever with you and you know it she thought as she grabbed her jacket and walked outside.
What'd ya think? Now that you've read it, review it! Don' t be shy. I love reading reviews and if you leave me a note to read your fics I will. I might even leave you a review in return. I've done that for many people. Bye for now.