Partner no more?
Part III
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Lee is feeling miserable.
Terriermon had assured him that there weren't any better choices left, so he accepted.
Still, it's a stupid idea.
He sighs and opens the door.
Besides, if this is such a good idea, why am I doing this completely alone?
"Either you come in or you stay out, but please close the door."
The voice of Lady Kioko snaps him out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry." he says, moving into the store.
"So, what brings you here today? You aren't here for the ordered things, are you?"
"No no. I was looking... for someone..." Lee slowly says, thinking about a good approach.
"I'm listening."
"Do you remeber the man who scared the robbers away some days ago?" Lee asks.
"Oh of course I do!" the woman answers with a smile.
"I was kinda wondering... if you have seen him again..."
"So the fox kept it to herself, hm?"
Lee freezes.
"The... fox?"
"Yeah, you know. Yellow, white belly, wearing gloves?" Lady Kioko helps him out.
Even while Lee desperately tries to think of a good excuse, the woman turns her head.
"Oh Sanjay! You've got a visitor!" she shouts.
Lee turns his head, too, but only sees a hole in the floor leading into the cellar.
"One second!" he can hear a male voice.
"It's a friend of your fox friend, no need to overdress!" the woman answers, laughing.
Lee's jaw drops even more as Sanjay climbs up the ladder leading into the shop.
He sees a large humanoid wolf, wearing leather trousers and a large grin.
"Hi there. I think we haven't been introduced yet." he tells Lee.
"Uh... Gnnnn... My names's... Uh..." Lee tries to say.
"Lee?" Kioko helps out, smiling.
"Uh right. My name's Lee. Sorry for staring, but..."
"It's all right. What brings you here?"
Some minutes later, Lee and Sanjay are sitting in Sanjay's cellar.
Lee quickly tells Sanjay what Renamon has told him.
"So Renamon has a friend. And Ruki is having a bad time." Sanjay summarizes.
Lee just nods.
"I'm still waiting for the part that is of interest for me." Sanjay continues.
"I... We... were thinking that it would be great if you had an eye on them."
There is a long moment of silence.
"You want me to spy on them?" Sanjay finally asks.
"No. I don't want to know exactly what is happening. I just don't want them to get into trouble."
"Oh, you mean because Renamon's friend is a human Digimon Slayer?"
"I wouldn't have said it so bluntly, but yes."
Sanjay frowns, but when he sees the look on the boy's face, he finally nods.
Kioko instantly nods when Sanjay tells her why he is going to be gone for a few days.
"During my life I have learnt that friendship is the most valuable good." she tells him.
"Thanks. You know, you're the first human I've met who really accepted me."
Lady Kioko just smiles.
The very next night, Ruki can see a Digital Field again.
It is on top of a store not too far away.
She is already dressed when she realizes that she would have to call Renamon.
I'll worry when I get there. she tells herself, shaking her head.
After a short run, she can see that the Lee and Takato have also arrived.
Both of them are accompanied by their Digimon and look at her.
She ignores them and uses the fire-ladder to get to the roof.
After having climbed more or less six meters, she arrives on top of the building.
She is followed by Takato, who then uses a card to give Guilmon wings.
Well, he seems to have learned something. Of course, that's nothing compared to Rena-
She shakes her head again.
Standing on the roof is a Gatomon.
It's now or never.
"Renamon."
Nothing.
In her whole life, Ruki has never felt that humiliated.
She's ignoring me in front of those two... morons!
While the battle starts without her, she calls Renamon's name again and again.
Each time, she feels a little bit lonelier.
The fight ends after a good combo of Terriermon and Guilmon.
Ruki just keeps on whispering Renamon's name, tears clouding her vision.
She pushes the boys away when they try to get near her.
After some minutes, they sigh and leave the roof, leaving Ruki alone.
"Oh... Renamon..."
Suddenly, Ruki can hear the soft telltale sound of Renamon appearing.
Ruki spins around to face the Digimon.
Renamon frowns, but doesn't say anything.
Sanjay has climbed the roof next to the one Ruki has been standing on.
Since his building is one floor taller than Ruki's, he has a good view.
Right now, Ruki has started to vent her anger.
Lee was right. This really is bad.
Just then, something else catches his attention.
It's a man standing some meters behind Renamon.
He is carrying a sword and smiling happily.
Sanjay growls silently when he realizes who he is looking at.
On the roof below him, Ruki hasn't stopped yelling.
"How dare you to do this to me!"
"That's all you care about! Yourself!" Renamon shouts back.
"You're the most pathetic excuse for a Digimon! Sometimes I... Sometimes..."
"Sometimes you what? Ran out of words already?" Renamon mocks her.
"Sometimes I wish I never had gotten this." Ruki whispers, presenting her D-Arc.
Renamon holds her breath for a second.
She wouldn't... she tells herself, but then Renamon's angry side takes over again.
"Pah! Who forced you? If you don't like it-"
Renamon is silenced by the sound of the D-Arc hitting the roof.
It is quickly joined by her card holder.
Then the girl steps forward until she stands right in front of Renamon.
"I hate you." she whispers.
Then, suddenly, Ruki is flying backwards.
Renamon realizes that her right arm is extracted. She has actually hit her Tamer.
Ex-Tamer. the angry side of herself corrects her.
Even as Renamon is thinking this, Ruki keeps on flying.
The edge of the roof! Renamon suddenly thinks.
"Ruki!" she shouts in horror.
But it's already too late.
Ruki is sailing straight off the roof.
Normally, Renamon would have dived right after her.
This time however, she finds herself still standing there, right arm still extracted.
"Ruki..." she whispers, not believing what she has done.
She snaps out of her trance when somebody grabs her shoulder.
The sweet feeling inside her tells her that it must be Daniel.
"Come on! We'll take the back door! Hurry!" he urges her.
Suddenly feeling very hollow, Renamon follows him into the building.
They've just entered another corridor inside the building when suddenly Daniel stops.
"Wait here. I forgot... my sword." he tells Renamon.
The Digimon just nods, not really registering his words.
"Stay. Please." he says.
Again, Renamon nods.
The Digimon doesn't even realize that Daniel is holding the sword in his hand.
He quickly gets back to the roof.
The girl dropped this device. Definately something for the collection. he tells himself.
Things hadn't gone exactly the way he imagined.
They had run even better than he had anticipated.
He quickly searches the part of the roof where the girl had dropped her stuff.
But the device and the card case are gone.
"What the-" he mutters.
The sound of sirens prevent him from searching other parts of the roof.
As he runs back into the building, he tells himself that this evening has been a success nevertheless.
Part III
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Lee is feeling miserable.
Terriermon had assured him that there weren't any better choices left, so he accepted.
Still, it's a stupid idea.
He sighs and opens the door.
Besides, if this is such a good idea, why am I doing this completely alone?
"Either you come in or you stay out, but please close the door."
The voice of Lady Kioko snaps him out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry." he says, moving into the store.
"So, what brings you here today? You aren't here for the ordered things, are you?"
"No no. I was looking... for someone..." Lee slowly says, thinking about a good approach.
"I'm listening."
"Do you remeber the man who scared the robbers away some days ago?" Lee asks.
"Oh of course I do!" the woman answers with a smile.
"I was kinda wondering... if you have seen him again..."
"So the fox kept it to herself, hm?"
Lee freezes.
"The... fox?"
"Yeah, you know. Yellow, white belly, wearing gloves?" Lady Kioko helps him out.
Even while Lee desperately tries to think of a good excuse, the woman turns her head.
"Oh Sanjay! You've got a visitor!" she shouts.
Lee turns his head, too, but only sees a hole in the floor leading into the cellar.
"One second!" he can hear a male voice.
"It's a friend of your fox friend, no need to overdress!" the woman answers, laughing.
Lee's jaw drops even more as Sanjay climbs up the ladder leading into the shop.
He sees a large humanoid wolf, wearing leather trousers and a large grin.
"Hi there. I think we haven't been introduced yet." he tells Lee.
"Uh... Gnnnn... My names's... Uh..." Lee tries to say.
"Lee?" Kioko helps out, smiling.
"Uh right. My name's Lee. Sorry for staring, but..."
"It's all right. What brings you here?"
Some minutes later, Lee and Sanjay are sitting in Sanjay's cellar.
Lee quickly tells Sanjay what Renamon has told him.
"So Renamon has a friend. And Ruki is having a bad time." Sanjay summarizes.
Lee just nods.
"I'm still waiting for the part that is of interest for me." Sanjay continues.
"I... We... were thinking that it would be great if you had an eye on them."
There is a long moment of silence.
"You want me to spy on them?" Sanjay finally asks.
"No. I don't want to know exactly what is happening. I just don't want them to get into trouble."
"Oh, you mean because Renamon's friend is a human Digimon Slayer?"
"I wouldn't have said it so bluntly, but yes."
Sanjay frowns, but when he sees the look on the boy's face, he finally nods.
Kioko instantly nods when Sanjay tells her why he is going to be gone for a few days.
"During my life I have learnt that friendship is the most valuable good." she tells him.
"Thanks. You know, you're the first human I've met who really accepted me."
Lady Kioko just smiles.
The very next night, Ruki can see a Digital Field again.
It is on top of a store not too far away.
She is already dressed when she realizes that she would have to call Renamon.
I'll worry when I get there. she tells herself, shaking her head.
After a short run, she can see that the Lee and Takato have also arrived.
Both of them are accompanied by their Digimon and look at her.
She ignores them and uses the fire-ladder to get to the roof.
After having climbed more or less six meters, she arrives on top of the building.
She is followed by Takato, who then uses a card to give Guilmon wings.
Well, he seems to have learned something. Of course, that's nothing compared to Rena-
She shakes her head again.
Standing on the roof is a Gatomon.
It's now or never.
"Renamon."
Nothing.
In her whole life, Ruki has never felt that humiliated.
She's ignoring me in front of those two... morons!
While the battle starts without her, she calls Renamon's name again and again.
Each time, she feels a little bit lonelier.
The fight ends after a good combo of Terriermon and Guilmon.
Ruki just keeps on whispering Renamon's name, tears clouding her vision.
She pushes the boys away when they try to get near her.
After some minutes, they sigh and leave the roof, leaving Ruki alone.
"Oh... Renamon..."
Suddenly, Ruki can hear the soft telltale sound of Renamon appearing.
Ruki spins around to face the Digimon.
Renamon frowns, but doesn't say anything.
Sanjay has climbed the roof next to the one Ruki has been standing on.
Since his building is one floor taller than Ruki's, he has a good view.
Right now, Ruki has started to vent her anger.
Lee was right. This really is bad.
Just then, something else catches his attention.
It's a man standing some meters behind Renamon.
He is carrying a sword and smiling happily.
Sanjay growls silently when he realizes who he is looking at.
On the roof below him, Ruki hasn't stopped yelling.
"How dare you to do this to me!"
"That's all you care about! Yourself!" Renamon shouts back.
"You're the most pathetic excuse for a Digimon! Sometimes I... Sometimes..."
"Sometimes you what? Ran out of words already?" Renamon mocks her.
"Sometimes I wish I never had gotten this." Ruki whispers, presenting her D-Arc.
Renamon holds her breath for a second.
She wouldn't... she tells herself, but then Renamon's angry side takes over again.
"Pah! Who forced you? If you don't like it-"
Renamon is silenced by the sound of the D-Arc hitting the roof.
It is quickly joined by her card holder.
Then the girl steps forward until she stands right in front of Renamon.
"I hate you." she whispers.
Then, suddenly, Ruki is flying backwards.
Renamon realizes that her right arm is extracted. She has actually hit her Tamer.
Ex-Tamer. the angry side of herself corrects her.
Even as Renamon is thinking this, Ruki keeps on flying.
The edge of the roof! Renamon suddenly thinks.
"Ruki!" she shouts in horror.
But it's already too late.
Ruki is sailing straight off the roof.
Normally, Renamon would have dived right after her.
This time however, she finds herself still standing there, right arm still extracted.
"Ruki..." she whispers, not believing what she has done.
She snaps out of her trance when somebody grabs her shoulder.
The sweet feeling inside her tells her that it must be Daniel.
"Come on! We'll take the back door! Hurry!" he urges her.
Suddenly feeling very hollow, Renamon follows him into the building.
They've just entered another corridor inside the building when suddenly Daniel stops.
"Wait here. I forgot... my sword." he tells Renamon.
The Digimon just nods, not really registering his words.
"Stay. Please." he says.
Again, Renamon nods.
The Digimon doesn't even realize that Daniel is holding the sword in his hand.
He quickly gets back to the roof.
The girl dropped this device. Definately something for the collection. he tells himself.
Things hadn't gone exactly the way he imagined.
They had run even better than he had anticipated.
He quickly searches the part of the roof where the girl had dropped her stuff.
But the device and the card case are gone.
"What the-" he mutters.
The sound of sirens prevent him from searching other parts of the roof.
As he runs back into the building, he tells himself that this evening has been a success nevertheless.