Sigh... After hanging my head and moping in a corner for stupidly erasing Darken Pathways future chapters and a bunch of other stories I was working on like "Between Heaven and Earth". I am now forging once more ahead with my fic writing and will soon get everything back on line.
Lee Mayumi: Mother
Lee Rinchei: Jenrya's older brother
Lee Jaarin: Jenrya's older sister
I was asked awhile ago from a friend who asked me about where I got my idea for this fic. I suppose I should explain the inspiration.
I was pretty much brought up with these old legends of Japanese folklore from my grandmother. She told me of a story the samuraiko (female samurai warrior) who discovered she was a kitsune and was forced to deal with it. Her loyalty to the warrior code Bushido and personal commitment was severely tested by the supernatural urges and enemies that she had gained. In the end she managed to overcome it but she did a lot of embarrassing things and eventually committed seppuku (ritual suicide) in penance for her deeds that she thought were unbefitting for a samurai. Ironically her suicide sealed her fate as kitsune and she became one with the spiritual world leaving behind the material plane to life with Lady Inari, mother of all kitsune.... I sort of based the story loosely, very very loosely, on that story my grandmother told me years ago.
Help yourself
If you know why you came
Cause if you need help she says...
There's something I've got saved
This is not what you wanted
These candy-coated fakes
This is not what you wanted, this is pain
Our Lady Peace.
His son's quick exit or the petulant glare his youngest daughter was giving him did not please Lee Janyuu nor the bemused look that his wife Mayumi was giving him. His wife had been in the hallway and overheard Shuichon's announcement. She was curious as to why there was such a ruckus in Jen's room and was immensely amused by his somewhat annoyed badgered father look on his face.
"Stop frowning like that Janyuu or you'll get wrinkles and grey hair, you know they are growing up," Mayumi said amused and at the same time looked rather strained in her smile.
"I all ready have grey hair and wrinkles. They're way too young to be thinking about things like that... Isn't that right young lady?" Janyuu asked Shuichon who held Lopmon tightly in her arm. Lopmon's face strained and turned red from Shuichon strong grasp.
"I'm not too young! I'm a Tamer!" Shuichon said in a slightly insulted and indignant voice. Mayumi could only smile and kneeled down to her youngest daughter's height. Hirokazu and Kenta with MarineAngemon exited Jen's room.
"As long as you're the youngest child of this..." Janyuu began his ever-familiar lecture that he often used on Shuichon. It was cute off by his wife who hugged her youngest daughter.
"How would like to know that she's not going to be the youngest in the family any more Janyuu?" Mayumi asked in a rather strained voice as she was forcing herself to be as pleasant as possible for the sake of her family.
"....." Janyuu stared at his wife slack jawed while Hirokazu, Kenta and MarineAngemon just blinked, understanding and not understanding.
"You mean a little brother or sister of my own?" Shuichon asked awed. Lopmon blanched at the thought of more hyperactive little kids running around the apartment and decided that the first thing he would do when Terriermon returned home was a make a alliance between themselves against little children.
"Oh honey... You're not telling me..." Janyuu began as he let the news slid into his brain. Mayumi glared up annoyed.
"Why yes dear! We are going to have some children again!" Mayumi said in a slightly hysterical voice.
Janyuu slumped against the wall and thought about it.
"I'm getting too old to chase around little two-year-olds," he muttered. Mayumi took offence to his comment.
"You should have thought of that before we decided to 'celebrate' for a couple months after the D-Reaper incident," Mayumi shot back. She let go of Shuichon and stood up again.
"... Wait a second... did you say children? As in more than one?" Lopmon asked feeling mildly ill and more than slightly terrified. He prayed to Zhuqiaomon that the children would not have a partaking taste in frilly dresses or the sort.
Janyuu looked at his wife silently begging her that she did not indeed say 'children'. Mayumi could only smile in a somewhat deranged looking way.
"Why Janyuu your going to be the father of two brand new babies!... Surprise present before your forty-second birthday! Sorry it's a little early!" Mayumi continued.
"Dear god woman..." Janyuu said shocked. Lopmon could only shudder uncontrollably at the thought.
"Well let's order some Chinese take out for dinner. I heard that Paolin has just added some new dishes to their menu so lets try them out. Oh yeah and we need to buy some baby supplies, like clothing, diapers," Mayumi rattled on in a less than sane voice. Kenta, Hirokazu and MarineAngemon backed away from the pregnant woman. Shuichon stared up at her mother wondering a few things.
"Where are we going to put the new babies' mommy?" Shuichon asked in a curious voice. Janyuu approached his wife to soothe her.
"Well we could make you share your room with your older sister Jaarin and make your two older brother's Jen and Rinchei. That way we have at least one room freed up for the babies and ..." Mayumi stopped and then continued in a different vein of topics though in the same less than sane tone of voice, "damn you Janyuu! You got me pregnant again! You know how painful labour is? It took thirty-two hours of godforsaken labour to get Shuichon born! There is no way I want to go through that again!"
Janyuu quickly pushed his wife into the bedroom to talk things over. The shouting had attracted the two older Lee siblings and they came running down the hall after overhearing the entire conversation.
"Aww... jeez... Don't tell me dad got mom pregnant again? Where are we going to put the kid? On the roof?" Rinchei whined as he approached the hallway. His sister could only groan.
"There's not enough space in the rooms to put all my stuff in and you expect me to share with Shuichon? That's not fair!" Jaarin complained.
"Not now okay kids? Why don't you get something ordered at Paolin and I'll pick it up?" Janyuu said through gritted teeth. This was not something he wanted to deal with right now but he had no choice.
"Why don't you see Hirokazu and Kenta out? Oh yes and order some shrimp shumai and some nikuman. Jen and Terriermon like those the best and..." Mayumi continued in a babbling sort of way forgetting her anger.
"... Er... And I thought my family was hectic..." Hirokazu commented as Janyuu managed to get his wife through the door of their bedroom and closed it to talk privately.
"You should have seen what mom said and did to my dad after Shuichon was born and she regained consciousness..." Rinchei commented in a slightly tired voice.
"That was torture Janyuu! I'm never doing this pregnancy gig again as long as I live! I'm not even going to get near you after this. It just hurts too much! You can sleep on the floor from now on!" Jaarin imitated her mother down to a tee.
"I heard that!" Mayumi shouted through the doors while the soothing voice of Janyuu could be heard behind the door.
"I guess we'll escort you out," Rinchei said. He looked less than enthusiastic of the news of the expectant members of the Lee family.
Hirokazu, Kenta and MarineAngemon seemed a little more than eager to get out of the apartment. So far they had witnessed Terriermon's torture and subsequent rant about taking over the world, Ryou's unexpected phone call, Takato using his brain for once and Shuichon's unexpected announcement of Jen's crush plus something about leather. It was just too weird, they would expect this from Ruki's family and perhaps Takato's but never the relatively normal Lee family.
"What's labour? Is that how babies are made?" Shuichon asked in a innocent voice.
"... Looks like it's Jen's turn to teach Shuichon the birds and the bees...." Jaarin joked weakly. Rinchei shuffled uncomfortably at the thought.
"Nice visiting," Kenta managed to say as he past the bedroom doors where Janyuu and Mayumi were talking. Words and snatches of conversation could be heard behind the door.
"Pipe pipipi," MarineAngemon said imitating his tamer. It flew besides Kenta and tried to snuggle back into his pocket to sleep some more.
"Now calm down dear," Janyuu could be heard behind the bedroom door.
"No I will not calm down! What was I thinking doing this all over again!" Mayumi could be heard in a slightly sobbing voice.
"Don't worry dear, I'm sure your very happy. It's just the pregnancy is making you a little angry and depressed. I'm happy I just didn't expect this at all," Janyuu continued. The two past the door as quickly as possible and exited the apartment.
Kenta with MarineAngemon past the exit without incident while Hirokazu found himself cornered by one very curious little girl.
"What are the birds and the bee's Hirokazu nii-chan?" Shuichon asked.
"Um... I have to go and look for your older brother Jen... Ask your other sister and brother okay?" Hirokazu said hurriedly and ran off towards Kenta and MarineAngemon. They left the apartment and the Lee family behind. Running down the steps they eventually arrived outside and took a small break.
"... So... How are we going to find Jen?" Hirokazu asked. He idly stared at the darkening skies and felt his stomach grumble with hunger.
"I don't know... let's go to Takato's place and bum some bread, I'm sure MarineAngemon would like something to eat," Kenta commented.
"... Hey let's go to Ruki's place..." Hirokazu said out of the blue.
"What? Hey man what are you thinking?" Kenta asked surprised. He was hungry and home was far away from Ruki's house.
"I just thought of it that's all. I'm willing to bet my Seraphimon card that that's where Jen is heading because Ryou is there," Hirokazu said in a rather exaggerated thoughtful tone of voice. Kenta sighed and say his partner digimon in the custom pocket asleep. Hirokazu looked annoyed at MarineAngemon.
"I wish Guardromon could come with us instead of staying at home," Hirokazu sighed.
"Well Guardromon's not the most easy disguisable digimon in the world," Kenta commented.
"Whatever man. I'm heading towards Ruki's place are you coming or not?" Hirokazu asked as he began to walk away from Kenta.
"Oh don't tell me you're actually leaving me behind if I don't come?" Kenta whined and began walking after Hirokazu.
*****
Ryou was bored. He was bored of watching Monodramon do laps around the house to make him stop complaining about boredom. The sounds of Monodramon huffing and puffing as he ran around the yard and behind the house could be heard. It was relatively quiet and the garden from where he was laying was a sight to behold. The golden radiance of the setting sun cast itself on the grass and small pond that graced the area. It was shining like polished metal and the sun was directly cast on the hall where he was.
'How very ironic. Monodramon kept on saying he was bored and now I'm bored,' Ryou thought to himself as he lay on the hallway trying to absorb as much warmth from the setting sun. Ryou eyes wandered around the hall and rested on a closed paper sliding door that lead into Ruki's room. He wondered about a lot of things like why Ruki went off to who knows where without telling anyone or if she wore dresses.
Ryou groaned with pain at his thoughts. If Monodramon ever heard of what Ryou was thinking he would never live it down. Sighing Ryou pushed himself up into a proper sitting position and stared at the sliding door. That was when he heard his D-ark begin to beep as if urgently trying to tell him that a wild one was nearby but Monodramon did not come running at Ryou to ready himself for such an enemy. Ryou pulled out his D-ark and looked at it. The small device immediately went into a sort of compass mode and pointed at Ruki's room with alarm beeps sounding off to try and convince Ryou to investigate.
"What the..." Ryou muttered to himself as he got up from his seat. He began to walk towards Ruki's room and stopped just outside the paper sliding doors unsure as to what to do. He was after all in another person's house and it was hardly polite to waltz right into a bedroom without permissions. Especially a girl's room and especially since the said girl who lived in that room was stronger than most guys you know. Ryou groaned at disbelief at his predicament and debated what to do. He was curious why his D-ark was going insane and was pretty much pointing towards Ruki's room. He bent over and listen to see if he could hear anything moving in the room and heard nothing.
The D-ark stopped beeping and Monodramon began another lap around the house without taking any notice of his Tamer's attention on Ruki's bedroom door.
"Aw... To hell with it," Ryou said and then threw open the bedroom doors to look in. He was surprised to see just how sparsely furnished the room was. The walls were totally devoid of any posters or ornaments except a single calendar and in the middle of the room was a small low table. There were two drawers and a single large wardrobe made of hardwood in a corner. Near where he was standing at the door was a clothe hanger where Ruki's school uniform hung, smoothed out and perfectly arranged. On the floor were two bags which Rumiko had dropped off an hour ago. No childhood toys graced the floor or anything of the sort. There was closet at one wall with a paper sliding door to conceal the contents of the closet. Ryou walked into the room and looked at his D-ark expectantly waiting for another reaction.
Silence filled the air and Ryou felt mildly embarrassed by it all. Here he was standing in the middle of an empty room waiting for something to happen. Ryou looked around to see what could have set off his D-ark and could find nothing. On the table was a few digimon gaming cards and remnants of some school work that Ruki never got around to finishing. On the top of one wooden drawers was perfectly arranged bouquet of flowers that looked as though they needed watering and some game tournament trophies and medals. Other than that there was barely anything else in the room. It felt sterile with a sort stale and uncomfortable 'this is where I sleep, nothing important' sort of feel.
'Jeez, Ruki you really need to spruce up your room... Even I have more stuff than you,' Ryou thought as he moved more inwards into the room to look around. His D-ark went off again and directly pointed into the wardrobe that was to his left. Ryou stopped for a moment and looked around to see if his D-ark was indeed pointing at the wardrobe and not at something else.
'Great... I guess I should open the doors up then,' Ryou thought and reached for the handles.
*****
Takato happily walked to the Makino household with his load of bread and Guilmon by his side. Today was indeed a happy day and they would soon find where Ruki went and retrieve her. That meant that they never had to deal with 'Devil's Advocate Unlimited' ever again and they could all go back to with their lives together. Takato let the feeling wash over the word 'together'. He had all ready failed once in that regard to keep the group 'together' but now it didn't matter. Ruki would be back and Juri would be happy again as would everyone else.
"TERRIERMON IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP ABOUT LEATHER AND RUKI! I'LL BUY SHUICHON AN ENTIRE WARDROBE OF NEW PRINCESS PRETTY PANTS CLOTHING TO LAST HER A LIFETIME! AND I'LL MAKE SURE YOU WON'T GET AWAY FROM HER WHEN SHE DECIDES TO 'PLAY' WITH YOU!" Jen's voice could be heard shattering the relative silence of the residential area. Birds took flight from the shouting and Takato was jarred out of his thoughts and stopped in the middle of the street. Jen sounded incredibly upset and angry, sort of like when he went berserk on Shuichon putting herself in danger.
"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!!" Terriermon shouted in terror.
"JUST WATCH ME!" Jen shouted back as he came into Takato's sight. Terriermon was latched onto Jen's head like an overgrown hat and was balefully glaring at his Tamer. Guilmon looked confused and looked Takato much like how a dog would look curiously at it's owner with a slight tilt of his head.
"Takato is that Jen and Terriermon... Why are they shouting?" Guilmon asked. People in their houses began to poke their heads out the window to get a better look at who was making all the racket. Jen noticed the people and immediately fell silent trying to become inconspicuous as possible but Terriermon refused to be quiet.
"That's just like you Jen! Don't you know you're threats don't really scare anyone? You always chicken out at the last moment or it's usually useless! Well I call your bluff!" Terriermon announced. Silently though Terriermon was afraid that his mouth had finally gotten into the heap load called eternal torment under Shuichon's young and energetic hands. He was deathly afraid that Jen might actually carry out his threat about buying new Princess Pretty Pants clothing for Shuichon for real. He prayed to anyone who listened that Jen would not do anything of the sort.
'Okay... I have thirteen thousand yen... Each dress that Shuichon wants costs about five hundred yen and I want to buy that entire box of Digimon cards so that's eight thousand yen...' Jen began to calculate in his head as he walked. He immediately grabbed Terriermon and covered his mouth to muffle any words that Terriermon would have said. Obviously no one in heaven was listening to Terriermon's prayers.
"Hello Jen," Guilmon said in his childish voice. He was busy wondering what was so important about leather and Ruki. He just couldn't make the connection.
"Um, hey Jen how's it going?" Takato asked, not quite understanding the situation between Jen and Terriermon. He stared at the two with his load, not quite sure if he wanted ask.
"Oh, hey Takato. Hey Guilmon," Jen said in a miserable voice. He walked up to Takato's side to talk to the boy.
"Where are you heading?" Takato asked.
"I'm heading to Ruki's house. Ryou's there and so I thought I go over there and see how's he's doing."
"Oh. So am I! My parent's made some sympathy bread for Ruki's family and I was just heading over there myself."
"... Great..." Jen said with less conviction and enthusiasm at the news. Terriermon struggled from his grasp to say something. Terriermon strained against Jen's arm and moved side to side in an attempt to break free.
"Ah, is there something Terriermon wants to say?" Takato asked watching the struggle. Terriermon gave Takato and Guilmon a pleading look as if saying 'Jen's gone insane! Save me'. Takato didn't move to help Terriermon, after all, Jen would only do something like this for a good reason.
"Lets... head over... there," Jen struggled to say. He wrestled with Terriermon and began walking again. Takato followed, as did Guilmon, wondering exactly what was going on. More importantly for Guilmon, the connection between leather and Ruki.
"What's leather have to do with Ruki's disappearance Takato?" Guilmon asked as they headed over to Ruki's home.
*****
"Perhaps this isn't the most intelligent thing I should have done," Ruki muttered to herself. Her stomach growled with hunger and she caught her hand reaching for her supplies. A little hunger for now would do no harm or so Ruki thought but for some reason the hunger pains were more acute then they ever were.
The sun was fully behind the mountain and darkness was falling. The trees began to darken and it became harder to see and became colder. Ruki walked through a mountain pass well away from the stone steps and red arches that lead up to the temple. She was well away from any well beaten path that humans may have carved. All around her the splendour of nature asserted it's claim and she could sense everything around her. In the clear crisp silence she heard nothing but leaves crunching under her feet and the babbling of water from a nearby mountain stream. The sounds of insects and birds were absent and she could hear nothing of her quarry. Ruki could see four thousand feet away as if she was just standing next that spot where she stood without a problem and in detail. The smell of damp earth, leaves and a faint wind from the north carried the smell of pine a good distance. Ruki could feel ever depression in the earth as she walked. It was starkly contrasting sense compared to what she used to sense as her... 'unascended' self, the old Ruki who was mortal and now the 'new' Ruki who could seemly sense things and tire less easily. The past world was so dull and now the world was filled with new things to sense and enjoy. Ruki had a sneaking suspicion that perhaps Kaho knew more about this ascending business than she let on. She had been walking for with a heavy backpack for at least two hours without feeling the slightest bit tired or stopping for a rest, it was only her hunger that was slowing her down slightly.
Ruki stopped and looked around to see if she could find whatever she was looking for but all she saw was trees and a little further behind the foliage the stream that she could hear a far in the distance. Whatever she had been chasing Ruki could no longer sense any more. Ruki felt more disappointed than she should have felt. The chase had ended and she had not discovered what was the source. Ruki sighed and looked up at the sky. It's golden color was not lost upon her and she knew that breaking camp was a good idea. Then she felt it again, faintly but sure the aura that came so close to the temple. Ruki snapped her head and looked at the direction where she felt it.
'Run after it... It's going to get away unless you run," Ruki thought she heard another little voice in her head. It sounded oddly like Renamon but the quality and timbre of the voice was different. The urge to chase the aura began to grow, reasoning that it would do no harm to run after it since Ruki had all ready been looking for it for a while.
Ruki did not like that idea from a tactical point of view. Whatever was up ahead could be an ambush, though why and exactly how an ambush could happen was still a mystery. Blithely chasing after the thing could lead her on a wild goose chase and make her become lost in the forest. This however was lost in the chaos and the urges pressed on her mind. Ruki felt her legs moving and then realized she was running. Fast, very fast, too fast to be humanly possible. A sense of detraction from reality happened in Ruki's mind as the forest around her blurred. The world seemed to go in slow motion and Ruki shot ahead like an eagle soaring above the earth. It was exhilarating and gave her a sense of power that she never thought she would feel. Coursed through her veins like liquid fire and yet she felt no pain, just content and satisfaction. But it's hard to think of such things when she could only see the target and it's aura was getting stronger until she saw who it was or more truthfully what it was. Ruki stopped and looked at it with a mild interest and surprise.
She came to a clearing the forest and saw... absolutely nothing yet the aura of whatever she had been chasing was still heavy in the air. There was no footprints to be seen on the ground and no evidence of any recent passage such as broken branches and such. Ruki was stumped, baffled by what was going on and what she was trying to find. Then she heard a little ways off in the distance the crackling of dry leaves as if someone ever so softly treaded on them. The sound was enough to make Ruki turn her head to see what made the sound.
It stood on gangly insect legs, thinly muscled and it's body was a bright red color with clawed hands that seemed to drip with green ooze of some sort. The face was no less hideous, sharp fangs and heavy jowl marked it's feature with white eyes that shined with malice. It was crouched no less than eight hundred feet away and stared at Ruki. That was when Ruki noticed the aura of the thing was different from the aura of others she was chasing. The aura was distinct sickly yellow color that seemed to blacken and sicken the plants around it. Though it hardly mattered to Ruki, it was an enemy and an abomination, a thing that shouldn't exist at all.
It skittered a little closer to Ruki and Ruki took a step back as it did. She kept her eye on it and found herself breathing hard. All her senses and urges screamed at her to destroy it and yet a more rational part of her mind argued how she could possible survive such a battle. Without Renamon, Ruki would only get herself injured or worse. There was no way Ruki could win a battle against... whatever it was.
The thing began to chitter chatter with a fast staccato of sound that echoed through the air and that was when Ruki felt the same auras. She dared to turn her head around and could see one more yellow auras, further off but no less malevolent. It was then that the thing attacked. It made a huge powerful leap that ate up the distance between Ruki and itself. Ruki sensed the thing moving and saw it in the air, jumping downwards with claws splayed and ready. Somehow Ruki felt very calm, fear was non-existent and all she felt was the same rush she got when she was running in the woods after the eight good auras. Time seemed to slow down and the creature's descent went at a snails pace. Ruki could only smirk as she felt the rush surge forth within her like lightning.
"I'll walk all over you," Ruki smiled. She then jumped up into the air. The battle had begun and she was going to win.
******
Ryou looked in the hardwood wardrobe and his body simply shut down. He felt gravity pull him down to the ground and he landed with a thud on his ass but his eyes still remained on the wardrobe and its contents. There was nothing gruesome such as a dead body in the thing but a far more surprising sight.
Pink frilly girly dresses, cute green ones, red ones as well, the colors of the rainbow he was tempted to say, and a hat that was positively feminine. Ryou tried to imagine Ruki in any one of those dresses but his brain failed to compute the information properly instead it made Ryou absentmindedly wonder if Ruki secretly 'dressed up' when she got home and acted like a stereotypical girly girl. It was impossible really seeing that Renamon; her grandmother or mother could walk in on her and catch her. Not to mention it just didn't sound like Ruki at all. He tried to imagine it.
A mental image of Ruki came into mind. She looked like as she always had with the same glare and clothing. Then in a flash she began smiling and was dressed in a pink frilly dress with the equally pink frilly hat, giggling like ... well... like a girly girl. Ryou tried to stop it but it was too late. He began to laugh out loud until his sides began to hurt.
"What's going on?!... You know Ryou if want to do panty raid on Ruki's stash, your supposed to remain quiet and check the drawers, not the wardrobe," Monodramon said. He seemed to materialize out of nowhere and behind him were Takato, Jen, Guilmon, Terriermon and Seiko who all looked surprised to see Ryou on the ground laughing and in Ruki's room.
"... Um..." Jen began wondering exactly why Ryou was in Ruki's room in the first place.
"I am not trying to do a panty raid!" Ryou said hastily and got up from the floor. He smoothed out his shirt embarrassed and was lightly blushing.
"Then what were you trying to do? Trying to see if she kept a photo of you somewhere?" Terriermon asked in a sarcastic voice.
"Never thought of that... She probably has one just to throw darts at somewhere," Ryou said jokingly.
Takato walked into the room and was surprised to see how simplistic Ruki's room was. His room was overflowing with pictures he had drawn and posted up but Ruki's walls were bare.
"Why are you in here Ryou?" Takato asked before Ryou could answer all the Tamer's D-ark began to beep. Takato and Jen took theirs out and looked at the compass on their D-ark point at Ruki's wardrobe. Jen moved closer to the wardrobe and blinked in surprise at the contents in it. Terriermon began snickering while Guilmon stood there admiring the colors of the dresses.
"Oh... Pretty colors Takato," Guilmon commented. Terriermon went into hysterics and smirked.
"So Ruki does have a feminine side to her," Terriermon commented.
"Actually no, Rumiko bought all those clothing's for Ruki but Ruki never wears them so they're tossed in there," Seiko clarified. She knew that the others were used to Ruki's normal clothing but she never suspected that seeing a dress in the wardrobes would send them all into shock and hysterics. Takato tried not to laugh but couldn't help it. The D-ark stopped beeping again and fell silent.
"I wonder what that was all about?" Jen commented. He looked at the wardrobe and wondered what made the D-ark go insane. Pausing for a moment he continued.
"Seiko-san, did you see Ruki's D-ark anywhere?" Jen asked and walked towards Ruki's low table in the middle of the bedroom. Seiko paused for a moment and thought of it for a moment.
"Now that you mention it, it wasn't on Ruki the day before she disappeared," Seiko answered. She had noticed at the dinner table the evening before Ruki's disappearance that the D-ark was not in it's traditional leather holder.
"Hmm... So Ruki's D-ark must be in the wardrobe," Takato theorized, he reached into take a dress down but stopped.
"Oh... You wouldn't mind if we take these dresses out would you?" Takato asked. He had almost forgotten his manners. Seiko simply nodded.
"Go right ahead, I want to get rid of some of the dresses and give them away to people. Some them are getting to small for Ruki," Seiko answered.
"What? No panty raiding?" Monodramon asked disappointed thoroughly and looked dejected. The others ignored Monodramon and began emptying out Ruki's wardrobe. The profusion of lace and bright colors made them snicker at the thought that Ruki might possible have worn them.
Jen struggled keep his thoughts on locating the source of the D-ark's frantic beeping. He however began to wander off when he noted that some of the dresses would actually look good on Ruki, if she ever bothered to wear them and smile a bit more. Jen began to blush, fortunately Terriermon, Guilmon and Takato were busy emptying out the wardrobe while Monodramon simply watched Ryou to make comment. Takato and Guilmon on the other hand was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of dresses that Rumiko had purchased for Ruki and wondered why in the world women would need so many. They didn't quite grasp the mysteries of the female mind, or in this case the mind Makino Rumiko's fashion taste. Ryou did all he could from laughing out loud as more and more dresses emptied the wardrobe. The very idea that Ruki would wear anything from the wardrobe was ridiculous and not to mention abnormal of Ruki. Ryou let his eyes wander a bit around the room and noticed Jen's slightly red face. The little flare called jealously was stoked again when Ryou noted that Jen was looking perhaps a bit too hard at some of the dresses that were now strewn across the floor.
'He's probably imagining Ruki in one of them. Good luck trying to make that a reality... Unless he's staring at the dresses because he likes to 'dress up' himself,' Ryou thought with a slight chuckle though he still glared at Jen. He had not forgotten that over the phone he heard Shuichon's announcement, it annoyed him to no end.
Monodramon was bored again. His Tamer seemed way too busy glaring at the oblivious Lee boy and Takato looked baffled along with Terriermon and Guilmon why Rumiko bought Ruki a pink parasol when a hat would suffice against the sun. Monodramon shifted and looked up at Seiko who calmly stared at the table while the boys took out the dresses from the wardrobe, she was sitting at the low table waiting for the boys to finish and was staring at the digimon cards that Ruki had left on the table.
"Guys there's nothing in here that could have possibly set off our D-arks. It's completely empty!" Takato proclaimed and backed off from the wardrobe. Guilmon looked down at the pile of dresses and then at his Tamer.
"So what do we do Takato?" Guilmon asked. Jen crossed his arms and tried to think but the image of Ruki in a dress seemed to screw up his thought pattern. Jen silently cursed Shuichon and Terriermon's runaway mouths. He looked around the room and noticed that Ryou was giving him the look of death for some reason.
"Um, Ryou-san, is everything all right?" Jen asked. Ryou abruptly stopped his glare and smiled at Jen but that only made Jen feel even more nervous. The smile seemed to say 'I'll get you back latter because I don't want to dirty the floor'. Why Ryou was smiling in a such way was a mystery to Jen who wondered if he really wanted to know.
"Everything's fine, just thought of something that I didn't liked," Ryou answered. It was a lie but hey it sounded nice at the very least. Seiko seemed to roll her eyes in disbelief as if she read the lie for what it was.
Jen didn't quite believe what Ryou said but at the moment he was stumped. What was so important about the wardrobe? It was then that their D-arks went off again with the compass still pointing at the wardrobe. Jen was baffled and looked down at the table where Seiko sat. Seiko had picked up one of the digimon cards and looked at it with expert care. The card was somewhat worn on one side and in ragged condition. It was quite unusual since Ruki acted like hypochondriac when it came to her cards. Each card had it's own seemingly special place in her deck or set with each having a plastic over-protector of some sort but the cards on the table were quite common and more or less useless in most situations. The cards were in fact depressed in the middle as if a great weight was placed on them and the scratches were deep into the cards. Jen picked up some of the cards and inspected them closely and discovered that each and every one of them was indeed common.
Takato checked the wardrobe and then the adjacent walls trying to discover what so important about the wardrobe. He tried to look behind it but it was too dark. The D-arks still beeped insistently that they find the source of the disturbance.
"Hey Ryou could you move this thing?" Takato asked. Ryou looked at Takato and walked over the edge of the wardrobe and tried to move it. The wardrobe turned out to be surprisingly heavy and didn't move a single inch.
"Watch out boys, that wardrobe is made of hardwood and is quite valuable," Seiko spoke up as she watched them attempt to move the wardrobe out of the way. Jen simply inspected the cards and came to a theory.
"Move out of the way for a sec," Jen announced. He looked under each leg and saw that there was a card stuck under each one. Jen slipped another card under each leg of the wardrobe on its right side like a track. He then grabbed the edge of the wardrobe and eased it out. The wardrobe moved easily and revealed the back wall behind the wardrobe. The D-arks stopped beeping and Jen could see a small hole in the wall with something glowing.
"What are you guys doing in there?" Hirokazu's loud voice broke the silence. He in the garden with Kenta and MarineAngemon just outside Ruki's bedroom and stared in.
"What's with all the dresses?" Kenta asked as he stared the amount of dresses that were on the floor with wide eyes.
Ryou looked surprised and blinked. He had not noticed the dubious duo enter and jumped in surprise.
"Jeez, is everyone trying to sneak up on me today? First Renamon, then these guys and now you," Ryou said.
"Well it's kind of hard not too. I mean what's with all the dresses?" Hirokazu asked. He looked closely and noticed that the dresses were far too small for an adult. Hirokazu blinked and added two and two together.
"Those aren't..." Kenta began when he noticed the dresses in detail.
"... Ruki's?...." Hirokazu went silent speechless at the volume of dresses on the ground.
The two began giggling and then started to hoot with laughter.
"I'm never letting Ruki live this down!" Hirokazu said as he laughed like a hyena. Kenta tried desperately not to choke as he laughed.
Jen sighed and kept on pulling back the wardrobe. The cards easily slid the wardrobe in a half arc but it took a lot of effort on Jen's part still. The hardwood wardrobe weighed a ton and it was slow going however Jen managed to open it enough to ease himself through towards the hole in the wall. Hidden behind the wardrobe was a hole and Jen reached in and pulled out a box. It was rather beautifully made with sweeping woodwork etched over the top and strange looking sigils in silver that curved all over it. Large and wide on the side, it could easily keep all of Ruki's digimon playing cards if she wanted to use it for that purpose. On the box was a childishly scrawled note taped on that read 'If you are reading this, that means I'm going to kick your ass. DO NOT OPEN!". Jen brought the box out into the open where everyone could see, unfortunately everyone started to gather around Jen and he felt rather claustrophobic again.
"Guys back off all ready! I'll place on the table for everyone to see!" Jen managed to say. Hirokazu, Kenta and MarineAngemon entered the room. Seiko looked up at the box in surprise.
"Can I see that box for a moment?" Seiko asked in a surprised voice. Jen blinked and gave the beautiful box to Seiko who held in breath.
"I haven't seen this box for seven years. It's a family heirloom I gave to Ruki for her fourth birthday. I thought she lost it," Seiko began and looked over the box. It was a little dusty but other than that it was in excellent condition. Not a single scratch could be seen anywhere and the woodwork were not broken in any way. Seiko placed the box on the table in front of her and stared at it. Her hands trembled and smiled at the note on the box. Ryou read it off out loud.
"If you are reading this, that means I'm going to kick your ass. Do not open... That sounds like Ruki all right but what's with the bad writing? I can hardly read it," Ryou commented. Seiko began laughing quietly with some mirth in her eyes.
"When Ruki got the box and I told her that you're supposed to put your most valued possessions in it. So Ruki wanted to put a note on it so Rumiko would not open it and look in. Though I have to admit the way she wrote the note was less than diplomatic," Seiko said. She carefully removed the note and placed on the table.
"Sounds exactly like Ruki now... even from age four," Hirokazu commented. He was curious as to what was in the box. Once again everyone's D-ark began to beep furiously and this light and noise escaped from the box. The D-arks immediately all went into compass mode and pointed at the box as the source.
"Looks like we'll have to open the box and suffer Ruki's wrath when she gets home," Terriermon said in an amused voice. Monodramon looked at the box and noticed a combination lock on the box.
"There's a lock. Let's break it open," Monodramon said. Seiko eyes widened and immediately hid the box away from Monodramon.
"What?! It's just a box!" Monodramon commented annoyed at all the looks everyone was giving him. The beeping stopped.
"I know the combination to open the box, unless Ruki decided to change it. It's the date of my birth;" Seiko said and began to move the numbers to the combo 2-7-5-4. The box opened and inside was few things such as pictures; Ruki's D-ark, a book and pendant. Among the pictures was a picture of everyone standing together including with their family, the Monster Makers and Hypnos in the aftermath of D-Reaper. It was an extra large picture and everyone was in it. Another picture was Ruki and Juri sitting down together on their first visit to the digital world and more. In fact every picture that the Tamer's had taken while in the digital world and some more were in the box. The pendant was a simple gold one with a cross over it and a X mark through it. The book was closed and well worn.
"... February 7, 1954? You're only fifty-one years old?!" Kenta commented when he saw the combination. Seiko looked up in surprise and nodded.
"Wait a second! Just how young was Ruki's mom when she had Ruki?" Hirokazu asked. They didn't know it but their tactless question was treading on sensitive territory.
"Rumiko was seventeen when she gave birth to Ruki. Didn't Ruki tell you anything about this?" Seiko asked.
"But that means you were around forty years of age when you became a grandmother," Jen calculated quietly. Seiko coughed lightly at the situation but even Ryou and Takato looked surprised at the revelation.
"... If I made my mother and father a grandparent at that age, they'd kick my ass," Hirokazu commented.
"I wouldn't blame them," Seiko answered dryly.
"Can I join in to kick your ass?" Monodramon asked.
"Yeah I want a swipe as well!" Terriermon also joined in. Jen gave Terriermon a stern look, which killed Terriermon's desire to make additional comments.
"Well we've found Ruki's D-ark. So much for your tracking idea Takato," Jen commented.
"Actually that's not how I wanted to track Ruki but that was good way as well," Takato answered. Jen raised his eyebrow and looked at the shorter boy wondering what he meant.
"Track Ruki? How?" Ryou asked. Everyone became silent and waited for Takato to answer.
"I was meaning to use Guilmon to track Ruki down. Guilmon can smell out tracks. Remember in the digital world he did that? Well I was going to use Guilmon's nose and sniff out Ruki's passage. All we have to do is get on the same train she was on and sniff out each stop to see if Ruki got off there," Takato answered. Everyone was quite impressed at the idea.
"All right that means I don't have to use Ruksasha's help!" Ryou said, at that everyone blinked.
"Ruksasha?" Jen asked. Ryou noted the confusion on everyone faces and told the incident on the train and the run in with the 'Devils Advocate Unlimited'. He took out the business card that Ruksasha had left them.
"Let's just say I'm not too fond of Ruksasha or interested in using any of their services," Ryou said ending his recollection of his run in with him.
"That sounds exactly like Abaddon. They must work together or something but we don't need their help any more," Takato said. Inwardly he thought, 'good riddance.'
"That's great! Now we just need to get tickets for the train and we're all set to look for Ruki! Nothing can stop us!!" Hirokazu proclaimed. It was then that a crackling boom of lightning could be heard behind Hirokazu. Then immediately heard the pitter patter of rain on the roofs and then an entire divulge of water. Hirokazu's back was to the garden and he slowly turned his head around and saw that it was raining very hard outside.
"Um Takato the scent's going to be washed off by the rain... How are we going to find Ruki?" Guilmon asked. Takato eye twitched and stared at the rain. He walked to the hallway and looked at the sky and saw the clouds that crackled with lightning. Jen picked up Ruki's D-ark to look at it and sighed.
"Great! Now what are we going to do?" Kenta moaned. MarineAngemon limply flew in the air as their idea went crashing down to earth like a ball of flame.
Ryou simply looked at the rain somewhat annoyed. Seiko got up from the table and closed the box.
"I have dinner ready, there's enough for everyone. Why don't you all stay for dinner and think on it a bit more," Seiko said and walked out of the room with the box. Monodramon's stomach growled with the announcement of food.
"Come on guys... Let's go eat. We'll check the other stuff latter," Takato said dejectedly and walked out the room before everyone else.
*****
"Ah so you're back," Ruksasha commented as he watched Sen materialize. Ruksasha sat in one of the leather chairs and looked at the ceiling deep in thought. They were in the room that they made their base from.
"Yes I am, it seems that the players of the game have started to move earlier than we anticipated," Sen said gruffly.
"I know you must had a hard time with the Makino girl but I'm going to have to give you some more bad news," Ruksasha continued. Sen walked over to the window and stared the city while it rained.
"She's left the safety of the temple though not through my efforts. That part was successful at least," Sen continued as he stared out the window.
"The Children of Yllas are on the move," Ruksasha said. Sen frowned but said nothing.
"Should we manipulate them into our plan?" Ruksasha asked.
"I expected that they would notice Ruki but... Fanatics do not make... the most stable business option," Sen answered in a calm measured voice.
"But as fanatics they are rather predictable. I had to destroy one that was spying on the Tamers. I think they believe that Ruki is the essence," Ruksasha continued.
"They think anyone with the blood of the ascended is the 'essence' and they are not predictable," Sen said curtly.
".... I know what they did to your mother Sen but for the moment you have to ignore that and concentrate on the task at hand," Ruksasha continued.
"... Do not presume to lecture me Ruksasha on what I have to do."
"It doesn't matter I suppose, they're just Ekamon and Kumon after all. Ruki should be able to handle them with little difficulty."
"They will eventually start sending in stronger contingents of their cult after her. We should be prepared for that eventuality."
Lightning flashed and light the sky above Shinjuku. A thundering boom was heard, electricity crackled through the air and Sen stood at the window looking out.
"All the more reason to allow them to hire our 'services'," Ruksasha answered.
"... There is no way but to betray her is there?" Sen asked sadly.
"I'm sorry Sen. To save her you must betray her."
"How very ironic."
"I'm not interested in irony... It is a difficult decision..."
"There is no choice... Yes... See to it that we give them a 'goodwill' sample of our services. I believe information on the Tamers and their digimon will be most appropriate."
"I'll go see them.... I'm sorry Sen."
"... I'm going to see my mother."
"Any change in her condition?"
".... No..."