Rage of the Heart--pt IVb
by Fortress Maximus
Authors Notes:
1) Hello all. To be honest, I had to work 65 hours this week at work, dead on my feet and falling asleep at the keyboard. I am sorry it is not the full conclusion, but I PROMISE to have that up by Sunday night since I have that day off. Again, to everyone I am sorry for piecing this conclusion out, but I simply can't finish the other 10 or so pages tonight. But THANK YOU for being so patient and for the great reviews!
F_M
He just stood there, unable to move in the slightest as each as he could only stare at the still-unmoving form of Renamon.
Terriermon sat there on Henry's shoulder, getting more worried by the second as he could see the terror filling his partner's eyes. The Digimon knew his partner all too well and could sense the despair that Henry was feeling; guilt over the battle that had just ended.
The cream and teal colored Digimon moved to look his partner square in the eyes, locking his ears behind Henry's head. Terriermon knew what he had to do, and picked the most subtle way of proceeding
"Henry, snap out of it!" he shouted, point blank range.
"Wha...?!" yelped the Tamer, panting as the sudden loud exclamation jarred him back to reality. "Terriermon, what did you do that for??" he asked with more than a touch of anger in his voice.
Still, the Digimon gave no ground as he put his hands on his hips and kept his gaze on Henry's eyes. "Because you were flaking out on me Henry! A few more minutes and you would have been on a fast track to needing therapy!"
Frowning at the levity his partner was showing at such a moment, Henry flashed a look at his Digimon. "I can't believe....you....I....Terriermon, I may have killed Renamon with that move!" he yelled back, the anger in his voice growing.
Terriermon winced at the snarl in Henry's voice, but the small Digimon didn't back down. He had to stop his friend from laying blame where it didn't belong as he had done so many times in the past.
"No, Henry you're the one that's wrong! It was my decision to digivolve to Rapidmon just as it was my choice to use the Tri-Beam. Renamon was out of control and we both knew it! No matter if Takato did what she claims or not, you and I /both/ know that nothing good would have come from that meeting! So what we did was for the best of everyone involved Henry...".
The Tamer stood there, shocked by the boldness and accuracy of his partner's words. The logical part of his mind had been making similar statements, trying to ease the growing guilt in his soul. But it wasn't under Terriermon's pointblank barrage hit home that he understood what he was thinking and feeling; that what he did was painful but necessary. With a worried glance he looked over at Renamon's form.
"She looks so...still."
"She's okay Henry. I hit her with the weakest Tri-Beam I could" informed the Digimon as the floppy eared Terriermon guided Henry over and together both sat on opposite sides of the resting Digimon.
From this close, Henry could see that Terriermon was right once again as Renamon's breathing was coming in soft, slow motions as the unconscious Digimon was oblivious to the conversation around her.
A footfall landed on the path right above the trio, silhouetted in the fading starlight.
"And I take it there's a reason WHY you hit her with a Tri-Beam in the first place Terriermon??" growled Takato as he stood watching the pair, his right hand clutching his own Digivice tightly.
Amy struggled to keep the young woman going as Rika's body seemed to be concerned with nothing more than collapsing into a heap and not move for the next several hours. It was then Amy thought she heard voices talking and with a slight whisper she was able to get Rika focused on which direction to go and the duo moved towards the sounds.
Jumping up, Henry superimposed himself between the just-arrived Tamer and the still unmoving form of Renamon.
"Takato! What are you doing here??" as the shocked voice as Takato's frame came clearly into view as the young man took a few steps forward.
~~T...kao....?~~
"Getting confused as heck Henry! What's going on?! I get a reading that there's two Digimon in the park so I rush over here and make my mom /royally/ mad with me in the process. Then I get here to find out it's Gargomon and Renamon fighting who I thought was some kinda Digimon who could shield their Digital Profiles like a Deva, but no... I hear that it was her and Rapidmon fighting! So you wanna tell me what's going on here, and where's Rika!?" asked the boy, taking only the shortest of breaths possible to say the entire mess at once.
Terriermon blinked, not just from the onslaught of verbal questioning but from the sheer surprise of having Takato...here....now! **If Renamon wakes us now, she's going to go ballistic when she spots goggle-boy!**
Henry stood there for a moment, not sure what to do first. Parts of him wanted to ask is what Renamon said was true, did he go that far with Rika? . And if he did ra...take advantage of her, why did he do it?? What possessed him to turn against a fellow Tamer??
But as he noticed Terriermon's face, the most important thing became clear: get Takato out of here before Renamon wakes up. "Takato, we'll explain everything but right now we've got to get you out of here!" yelled Henry as he grabbed Takato's arm.
~~Ta..kato.? Why does....sound...familiar...?~~
Blinking at getting the bum's rush, Takato jerked his arm free from Henry's grasp and fixed his friend with a hard gaze. "No way! I'm not leaving this park till I find out what got you two fighting and I find Rika!" shouted the young man, uncaring the echo drifted across the park.
~~Rika?~~
~~Rika!~
Something deep in Renamon stirred, almost primal in nature. A long-deep seeded need to protect the human...her human...NO, her friend.
But protect her from who?
~~Takato?~~
~~To protect Rika...to protect her from....dangers. Dangers....like....~~
"TAKATO!!!"
Renamon bolted upright onto her feet, all traces of pain being ignored through her sheer force of will. Her scream echoed through the park, reaching Rika's ears and giving the stunned young woman a burst of strength as she pulled away from Amy and staggered towards the sounds of her best friend and partner.
"BETRAYER!"
With one swift move, Renamon had grasped Takato, shoving the Tamer into a thick tree trunk. Sick, gasping sounds escaped Takato's throat as the young man struggled for a half-gasp of life-giving oxygen.
Cries of 'Renamon, don't!' erupted from both Henry and Terriermon, but Renamon ignored them for now. Rika's honor would be regained. It was with no small sense of satisfaction Renamon watched the boy struggle helpless in her grasp.
"Do you like how it feels Takato!?" she sneered..."To be powerless while someone you trusted turns on you in an instant?! DO YOU?!"...she raged, grip increasing slightly around his neck. "Now you know a tenth of what Rika went through the night you raped her in that cave!"
Takato's eyes went wide as saucers as what Renamon accused him of registered in his mind. He tried to struggle against the hold; explain that he would /never/ to that to Rika, but it was no use as the fox's grip was unbreakable.
" She had so little innocence left and you...YOU...stole from her the last part that was hers to give freely! How could you do that to her?!"...but there was no answer as Takato could shake is head in response, and that only angered the Digimon further.
"Henry, /do/ something please!" whispered Terriermon urgently as he watched helpless. He knew how smart Henry was; they're /had/ to be a way to stop this!
But there was nothing the Tamer could do; it would take a greater power than he possessed to stop Renamon at this point.
It was then a pair of shadows appeared on the ground in front of him, cast by a still functioning safety lamp that gave Henry the first sense of hope since getting that phone call such a short time ago. The same feeling began to envelope Terriermon as one form was wholly unfamiliar, but one was well known, as if sent by the powers above in answer to the Digimon's unspoken prayers.
"Renamon....?"
The fox Digimon felt her blood freeze in place as she turned to face away from Takato for the first time in minutes. Upon the top of the hill stood an exhausted Rika, being partially supported by an equally worried Amy Miznuno.
"Rika...you should not....be here..." began Renamon softly, but paused as with one final glare she released Takato and the youth slumped to the ground gasping for breath. Watching closely, Rika left Amy's side and slowly made her way down the hill. Nearly stumbling at one point, Rika recovered and reached the bottom of the hill still clenching her aching side.
An oppressive silence filled the park as Digimon and Tamer physically stood less than a few feet apart, but the emotional distance was light years at least.
"Go home Rika. Please..."
"I had to come Renamon..."
"After what he did to you!?"... replied the female Digimon with a snarl in her voice.
"But that's just it Renamon! Takato didn't rape...he didn't do what you think he did!"
"Don't protect him Rika, he doesn't deserve it! I saw the bruise where he hit you, the mixed scents...the distance between you two!"
"I have to protect him Renamon because what happened that night was as much my fault as his!" She paused, looking away from both Takato and Renamon to compose herself; but it was a futile gesture as the tears began to flow of their own accord. Slowly Rika looked back at her friend..."Renamon, he didn't /take/ anything that night; I /asked/ him to make love to me!"
She could only stand there, more stunned by the admission of passion than the impact with that tree no so long ago. Time crawled for Renamon as she looked into the eyes of her Tamer and saw only the boundless truth and not some cover, some subterfuge, said out of fear from retaliation by Takato.
Kneeling down, Renamon faced Rika eye to eye, the only word escaping her lips was a soft 'why?"
Rika was about to answer, but then realized that both Henry and Terriermon were listening, and despite their right to know for all they had risked, now was not the time or place. With a glance outside the park, Rika's gaze focused on a tall building to the right of the closer Hypos Tower.
With a nod, Renamon understood and looked back over at the others gathered as Amy was slowly trying to calm Takato by explaining as best she could. Unable to meet Takato face-to-face, Renamon looked at the shadows lost in thought while Rika explained.
"Renamon and I are going to talk. We'll be back soon."
Looking up, Takato stood hesitantly, his eyes darting back and forth between Renamon and the young woman whom he wanted so much to talk too. "Rika...I..." he started, but was quieted by a shake of her head. Falling still, the goggle-clad Tamer sank back to his knees, but this time flanked by both Henry and Terriermon, each trying in their own way to help Takato understand the events of the past few minutes.
With a nod of understanding, each tried to give a look of support for the minutes ahead.
Without another word Rika turned and once enveloped in Renamon's embrace, vanished into the shadows like a ghost.
With only the slightest hint of air displacement to announce their arrival, Renamon and Rika materialized on top of the building; dubious safety at being seen but a breathtaking view of the city nonetheless. Seconds later, Tamer and Digimon parted as Rika walked over to the ledge, taking in the fresh air and sights she so seldom got to enjoy from this vantage point.
Renamon simply gazed at the stars, wishing that one of them would reveal why she had done what she did, and why, only now, did the guilt begin to gnaw at her...
"Renamon...?"
Shaken from her thoughts, the Digimon looked over at her partner and took a deep breath to calm herself before answering. "Yes, Rika...?"
"Why did you think I was raped by Takato?"
Renamon winced as the one question she truly didn't want to answer was now due in full......
(To be Concluded......)
by Fortress Maximus
Authors Notes:
1) Hello all. To be honest, I had to work 65 hours this week at work, dead on my feet and falling asleep at the keyboard. I am sorry it is not the full conclusion, but I PROMISE to have that up by Sunday night since I have that day off. Again, to everyone I am sorry for piecing this conclusion out, but I simply can't finish the other 10 or so pages tonight. But THANK YOU for being so patient and for the great reviews!
F_M
He just stood there, unable to move in the slightest as each as he could only stare at the still-unmoving form of Renamon.
Terriermon sat there on Henry's shoulder, getting more worried by the second as he could see the terror filling his partner's eyes. The Digimon knew his partner all too well and could sense the despair that Henry was feeling; guilt over the battle that had just ended.
The cream and teal colored Digimon moved to look his partner square in the eyes, locking his ears behind Henry's head. Terriermon knew what he had to do, and picked the most subtle way of proceeding
"Henry, snap out of it!" he shouted, point blank range.
"Wha...?!" yelped the Tamer, panting as the sudden loud exclamation jarred him back to reality. "Terriermon, what did you do that for??" he asked with more than a touch of anger in his voice.
Still, the Digimon gave no ground as he put his hands on his hips and kept his gaze on Henry's eyes. "Because you were flaking out on me Henry! A few more minutes and you would have been on a fast track to needing therapy!"
Frowning at the levity his partner was showing at such a moment, Henry flashed a look at his Digimon. "I can't believe....you....I....Terriermon, I may have killed Renamon with that move!" he yelled back, the anger in his voice growing.
Terriermon winced at the snarl in Henry's voice, but the small Digimon didn't back down. He had to stop his friend from laying blame where it didn't belong as he had done so many times in the past.
"No, Henry you're the one that's wrong! It was my decision to digivolve to Rapidmon just as it was my choice to use the Tri-Beam. Renamon was out of control and we both knew it! No matter if Takato did what she claims or not, you and I /both/ know that nothing good would have come from that meeting! So what we did was for the best of everyone involved Henry...".
The Tamer stood there, shocked by the boldness and accuracy of his partner's words. The logical part of his mind had been making similar statements, trying to ease the growing guilt in his soul. But it wasn't under Terriermon's pointblank barrage hit home that he understood what he was thinking and feeling; that what he did was painful but necessary. With a worried glance he looked over at Renamon's form.
"She looks so...still."
"She's okay Henry. I hit her with the weakest Tri-Beam I could" informed the Digimon as the floppy eared Terriermon guided Henry over and together both sat on opposite sides of the resting Digimon.
From this close, Henry could see that Terriermon was right once again as Renamon's breathing was coming in soft, slow motions as the unconscious Digimon was oblivious to the conversation around her.
A footfall landed on the path right above the trio, silhouetted in the fading starlight.
"And I take it there's a reason WHY you hit her with a Tri-Beam in the first place Terriermon??" growled Takato as he stood watching the pair, his right hand clutching his own Digivice tightly.
Amy struggled to keep the young woman going as Rika's body seemed to be concerned with nothing more than collapsing into a heap and not move for the next several hours. It was then Amy thought she heard voices talking and with a slight whisper she was able to get Rika focused on which direction to go and the duo moved towards the sounds.
Jumping up, Henry superimposed himself between the just-arrived Tamer and the still unmoving form of Renamon.
"Takato! What are you doing here??" as the shocked voice as Takato's frame came clearly into view as the young man took a few steps forward.
~~T...kao....?~~
"Getting confused as heck Henry! What's going on?! I get a reading that there's two Digimon in the park so I rush over here and make my mom /royally/ mad with me in the process. Then I get here to find out it's Gargomon and Renamon fighting who I thought was some kinda Digimon who could shield their Digital Profiles like a Deva, but no... I hear that it was her and Rapidmon fighting! So you wanna tell me what's going on here, and where's Rika!?" asked the boy, taking only the shortest of breaths possible to say the entire mess at once.
Terriermon blinked, not just from the onslaught of verbal questioning but from the sheer surprise of having Takato...here....now! **If Renamon wakes us now, she's going to go ballistic when she spots goggle-boy!**
Henry stood there for a moment, not sure what to do first. Parts of him wanted to ask is what Renamon said was true, did he go that far with Rika? . And if he did ra...take advantage of her, why did he do it?? What possessed him to turn against a fellow Tamer??
But as he noticed Terriermon's face, the most important thing became clear: get Takato out of here before Renamon wakes up. "Takato, we'll explain everything but right now we've got to get you out of here!" yelled Henry as he grabbed Takato's arm.
~~Ta..kato.? Why does....sound...familiar...?~~
Blinking at getting the bum's rush, Takato jerked his arm free from Henry's grasp and fixed his friend with a hard gaze. "No way! I'm not leaving this park till I find out what got you two fighting and I find Rika!" shouted the young man, uncaring the echo drifted across the park.
~~Rika?~~
~~Rika!~
Something deep in Renamon stirred, almost primal in nature. A long-deep seeded need to protect the human...her human...NO, her friend.
But protect her from who?
~~Takato?~~
~~To protect Rika...to protect her from....dangers. Dangers....like....~~
"TAKATO!!!"
Renamon bolted upright onto her feet, all traces of pain being ignored through her sheer force of will. Her scream echoed through the park, reaching Rika's ears and giving the stunned young woman a burst of strength as she pulled away from Amy and staggered towards the sounds of her best friend and partner.
"BETRAYER!"
With one swift move, Renamon had grasped Takato, shoving the Tamer into a thick tree trunk. Sick, gasping sounds escaped Takato's throat as the young man struggled for a half-gasp of life-giving oxygen.
Cries of 'Renamon, don't!' erupted from both Henry and Terriermon, but Renamon ignored them for now. Rika's honor would be regained. It was with no small sense of satisfaction Renamon watched the boy struggle helpless in her grasp.
"Do you like how it feels Takato!?" she sneered..."To be powerless while someone you trusted turns on you in an instant?! DO YOU?!"...she raged, grip increasing slightly around his neck. "Now you know a tenth of what Rika went through the night you raped her in that cave!"
Takato's eyes went wide as saucers as what Renamon accused him of registered in his mind. He tried to struggle against the hold; explain that he would /never/ to that to Rika, but it was no use as the fox's grip was unbreakable.
" She had so little innocence left and you...YOU...stole from her the last part that was hers to give freely! How could you do that to her?!"...but there was no answer as Takato could shake is head in response, and that only angered the Digimon further.
"Henry, /do/ something please!" whispered Terriermon urgently as he watched helpless. He knew how smart Henry was; they're /had/ to be a way to stop this!
But there was nothing the Tamer could do; it would take a greater power than he possessed to stop Renamon at this point.
It was then a pair of shadows appeared on the ground in front of him, cast by a still functioning safety lamp that gave Henry the first sense of hope since getting that phone call such a short time ago. The same feeling began to envelope Terriermon as one form was wholly unfamiliar, but one was well known, as if sent by the powers above in answer to the Digimon's unspoken prayers.
"Renamon....?"
The fox Digimon felt her blood freeze in place as she turned to face away from Takato for the first time in minutes. Upon the top of the hill stood an exhausted Rika, being partially supported by an equally worried Amy Miznuno.
"Rika...you should not....be here..." began Renamon softly, but paused as with one final glare she released Takato and the youth slumped to the ground gasping for breath. Watching closely, Rika left Amy's side and slowly made her way down the hill. Nearly stumbling at one point, Rika recovered and reached the bottom of the hill still clenching her aching side.
An oppressive silence filled the park as Digimon and Tamer physically stood less than a few feet apart, but the emotional distance was light years at least.
"Go home Rika. Please..."
"I had to come Renamon..."
"After what he did to you!?"... replied the female Digimon with a snarl in her voice.
"But that's just it Renamon! Takato didn't rape...he didn't do what you think he did!"
"Don't protect him Rika, he doesn't deserve it! I saw the bruise where he hit you, the mixed scents...the distance between you two!"
"I have to protect him Renamon because what happened that night was as much my fault as his!" She paused, looking away from both Takato and Renamon to compose herself; but it was a futile gesture as the tears began to flow of their own accord. Slowly Rika looked back at her friend..."Renamon, he didn't /take/ anything that night; I /asked/ him to make love to me!"
She could only stand there, more stunned by the admission of passion than the impact with that tree no so long ago. Time crawled for Renamon as she looked into the eyes of her Tamer and saw only the boundless truth and not some cover, some subterfuge, said out of fear from retaliation by Takato.
Kneeling down, Renamon faced Rika eye to eye, the only word escaping her lips was a soft 'why?"
Rika was about to answer, but then realized that both Henry and Terriermon were listening, and despite their right to know for all they had risked, now was not the time or place. With a glance outside the park, Rika's gaze focused on a tall building to the right of the closer Hypos Tower.
With a nod, Renamon understood and looked back over at the others gathered as Amy was slowly trying to calm Takato by explaining as best she could. Unable to meet Takato face-to-face, Renamon looked at the shadows lost in thought while Rika explained.
"Renamon and I are going to talk. We'll be back soon."
Looking up, Takato stood hesitantly, his eyes darting back and forth between Renamon and the young woman whom he wanted so much to talk too. "Rika...I..." he started, but was quieted by a shake of her head. Falling still, the goggle-clad Tamer sank back to his knees, but this time flanked by both Henry and Terriermon, each trying in their own way to help Takato understand the events of the past few minutes.
With a nod of understanding, each tried to give a look of support for the minutes ahead.
Without another word Rika turned and once enveloped in Renamon's embrace, vanished into the shadows like a ghost.
With only the slightest hint of air displacement to announce their arrival, Renamon and Rika materialized on top of the building; dubious safety at being seen but a breathtaking view of the city nonetheless. Seconds later, Tamer and Digimon parted as Rika walked over to the ledge, taking in the fresh air and sights she so seldom got to enjoy from this vantage point.
Renamon simply gazed at the stars, wishing that one of them would reveal why she had done what she did, and why, only now, did the guilt begin to gnaw at her...
"Renamon...?"
Shaken from her thoughts, the Digimon looked over at her partner and took a deep breath to calm herself before answering. "Yes, Rika...?"
"Why did you think I was raped by Takato?"
Renamon winced as the one question she truly didn't want to answer was now due in full......
(To be Concluded......)