Legend of the Digimon Queen

Intro: BlackGatomon: Wheee!!! ^.^ Candy! Everyone is just soooo nice! Arigato!!!!

*Ahem* BlackGatomon…

BlackGatomon: *so happy* Yay! R+R and bring more candy! Momentai, I shared every last bit of it with my tamer!

 Haha, very funny. Oh well, always Thanksgiving. Arigato for reviewing! Momentai on Cubmon, word gets around fast!

Italics- thought, memories Bold- important things, actions

Disclaimer: Just your friendly neighborhood Disclaimer! I do not own digimon, or spiderman, which I have obviously been watching way too much!

                                                *****Chapter 4*****

     Ruki… Takato kept his eyes on the sidewalk as he walked down to Guilmon's shed. It was very peaceful outside, a slight wind rustling the trees and playing with his hair. He sighed and opened the shed, hopeful. Maybe she's here, maybe that whole ordeal was a nightmare, and I'm awake, and she'll be there again…

   "Guilmon?"

  Guilmon lifted his head and smiled at his tamer. "Konnichiwa Takato-kun!"

  "Konnichiwa," said Takato half-heartedly, gazing about the shed. There was nothing, nothing but Guilmon. No sign of Ruki anywhere. Takato's heart sank.

  Guilmon saw his disappointment and came to his side. "Gomenasai Takatomon, I haven't seen Ruki-san."

   "It's ok boy," Takato said, choking his disappointment down and smiling. "Maybe tomorrow…"

   Ruki had made herself scarce since that fight, keeping her word. He couldn't find her anywhere, not in her usual spots at least. It was like she just walked off the end of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again.

  He'd walk by the mansion sometimes, just to check, maybe she was in the yard, helping Renamon practice. But she was never there, not at school, nowhere.

    Takato leaned against the stone wall and sank down into a sitting position. Guilmon nuzzled his crestfallen tamer gently, hoping to comfort him. "Takato, why did Ruki leave?"

  "I… don't know…" murmured Takato, barely a whisper. "I just hope… she's alright."

 "She'll be fine Takatomon," said Guilmon, brightening. "She's strong."

    Takato choked back tears. Suddenly his head swirled in emotion and memories. She wasn't strong, just cold and exceedingly brilliant. Her frail hands, he had held them once, and he was so close to proving his love to her… but now he realized she was afraid of love, and afraid of hurt. She left… because she's afraid…but what is she afraid of?

  Guilmon sighed. Ruki-san… if only you knew how much you meant to him…

     Lee stood in the doorway, watching his friend stare into the darkness. Now he regretted his words, that she was their enemy. Clearly maybe she was, but he would never see her as that. He was the only one who saw her for something more… who loved her, and she turned him down. But maybe she had a reason…

  "Hey Gogglehead… don't be sad. Momentai, she'll be back," said Terriermon softly. "She didn't disintegrate like LadyDevimon!"

    Takato didn't smile, the tears only came faster, and soon he was crying, unable to stop himself. Gogglehead… her nickname for me… Ruki…  Lee frowned and knelt beside him. "Takato…"

   Takato looked up, sobbing. Lee smiled weakly. "We'll look for her, and we'll find her ok? I promise."

  "You can't promise anything…" he said quietly. "She's not coming back… she's afraid…"

  "Afraid of what?"

 "I don't know…"

     Lee's face softened as he slowly reached toward him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Takato…"

                                                            *******

    Ruki hadn't really been hiding, in fact, she followed more than she hid. She could sense his presence a mile away, and as soon as that happened she ducked into the nearest hiding place. She knew the city very well, but there was something else she was hiding from, something else that this time she knew she could run, but she couldn't hide.

    Ruki was now perched in the shadows of the wavering trees on top of the shed. Now very good at camouflaging herself she knew she couldn't be seen by her goggle headed friend and the lop head trainer. Crouched, she sat very still, listening. She almost jumped when Renamon came up behind her. "Ruki?"

  "Sh-h…"

 "Ruki, you're avoiding him, but at the same time, you're following him," said Renamon in barely a whisper. Ruki stared hard at her, her eyes emotionless and her face still pale. Renamon softened, how she longed for Ruki to be happy and full of life, but now were dangerous times. She must protect Ruki from the evil lurking round, an evil she was aware of that showed itself a few days ago…

     Ruki wandered the streets at night, deep in thought. Something was troubling her, and it wasn't only the pit in her stomach and her aching heart. For some strange reason, she felt she should've taken back her word to Takato and Lee…

  Ruki shook her head and sighed, standing still, illuminated by the streetlight above her head. Cars whirled by at the speed of sound it seemed, no one giving thought to her as they bustled past. She had never realized it, but she was awfully lonesome.

   A drop of water slipped down her cheek, and she never knew whether it was the newfound rain or her own. The rain came at a much quicker pace, and Ruki suddenly stood, alert. Something was coming.

  Anyone who had given any thought to her and had stared hard at her for a very long time would've seen the fact that not one raindrop landed on her. Ruki stood, staring up at the sky because she had noticed something strange. It was raining… but there were no clouds.

  Suddenly, she couldn't feel her left hand anymore. Ruki looked down and gasped, holding her hand up to her face, terrified. I'm disappearing…

   Her hand was faded and fizzling, and slowly the numbness swirled through her, up her arm, immobilizing her body. She couldn't move, something on the other side… it was trying to suck her back in.  Blinded by the rain, she tried to run, but her legs refused to move. She screamed, but no one heard her. She was all alone…

   "Renamon!!" she screamed as she was drowned into the swirling darkness. She collapsed to the floor, her body slowly fading and flickering. She couldn't think, everything was whirling like a merry-go-round out of control. The people around her became blurred bright colors. But she couldn't die, there was something she was supposed to do…

   Something seized her face; it was cool and clammy. She looked up at the grayish blurred figure, only able to see his glittering yellow eyes. In an eerie, ghastly voice it hissed, "Come… with… me… angel… of…"

  It didn't get to finish its sentence, because Ruki suddenly came back to life. The colors of the night, her head throbbing… where was that creepy thing with the yellow eyes?

  She realized where she was. Renamon clutched Ruki to her body, eyes viral as they left the hissing smokescreen. Ruki looked up at her, Renamon was worried. "Renamon?"
  Renamon didn't answer until they were in Guilmon's shed. Renamon hugged her tamer. "Are you alright?"
   "Hai…" Ruki looked up at her tamer. "What happened?"
  "I will tell you when the time is right…"

      Renamon had kept a close watch on her tamer after that night. Something was after Ruki, and she mustn't let it get her tamer.

  Takato and Lee had gone, and Ruki swooped down off the shed and went inside. The place was vacant. Ruki pursed her lips and slowly took off her jacket, sending it into the corner where it was hidden enough so it wouldn't be seen, but then again it would. Then she ducked out again. "Ruki what're you doing?!"

  Ruki sighed, deciding to tell Renamon about the odd emotions churning inside her. "I think… I've learned to regret…"

                                                                        ******           

   Takato came back the next day to the shed, crestfallen, as he had been since she disappeared. He had sent Guilmon off earlier to play with Juri, Hirokazu, and Kenta, and Lee had to study for a test. He was happy to be alone however, he had hoped that if she had been somehow spying on him that when he was alone she would come. Of course later on he dismissed the childish hope as foolish, she had never spied on him, or at least not that he knew of. Besides, that wasn't like Ruki.

   Takato slid the gate open and walked inside, shuffling his feet. He paced the small shed, almost falling into the hole Guilmon had dug to the digital portal. Suddenly his foot collided with something soft. His instant thought was that it was her, but of course it wasn't. He bent over and fingered the thing he stumbled on, which was smooth and leathery. Slowly he picked it up and found it wasn't alive, actually it was a jacket.

   It hit him. This is her jacket… At first he stared in awe at the black leather, fingering her jacket with such care that you would think it was porcelain. Without second thought he slid it on.

   As he clutched the jacket to his body, trying to see if it would somehow give him a part of her, a question slid into his head. How did it get here… and why?

   He wondered for a bit, the jacket still on him. Did she want something from him? Was she here and he hadn't noticed? Takato blinked and smiled. This was his ticket to seeing her…

   He broke into a run. He ran out of the shed and down the streets of Shinjuku, happiness warming his paling cheeks. He could see her again… and yet…

   He stopped. Lee's words had caught his mind… what if she was the enemy? It's too obvious…

   He shoved his hands into the pockets and something slipped against his hand. He withdrew his hand to see a small folded piece of paper slide out of the pocket and onto the ground. Lips pursed he picked it up and slowly smiled. On the front of the folded paper was a drawing of a pair of goggles.

     So she had wanted me to see this all along…Ruki…With trembling hands he unfolded the piece of paper to find in slightly sloppy handwriting, a message:

   I am not the enemy. Something wishes to have what I possess, but as far as I know I possess nothing…

And under it, in slightly bolder lettering:  

Do not return the jacket.

     Takato's brow furrowed. He reread the message and sighed. He wanted so badly to see her again, and although going against her wishes would be the last thing on his mind, now he knew she was scared, and he wanted so dearly to comfort her.  Gomenasai Ruki, but I'm returning the jacket…

       He resumed going to the Makino Mansion, but at a slower pace, turning the message over in his head. Lee had been wrong, she was not the enemy, she was just afraid of something… something that according to her was bad.

   He fingered the design on the gate and slowly opened it, stepping inside the deserted lawn. To his right the small pond billowed and burbled, to his left trees wavered. Silence.

   He walked up to the door and knocked softly. No answer, but he heard shuffling. Takato, suspicious, walked around and found Ruki's bedroom window. He frowned; she wasn't in her room. Sighing he leaned his head against the wall.

  "What are you doing here?"

  Takato jumped and whirled around to see Renamon, arms folded. "She told you not to come…"

    "I… know…" stammered Takato. His face fell and surprisingly Renamon's stern face softened. "Please don't tell her I'm here…I just…"

   "I know."

 Takato blinked. "You do?"

    "You humans are easy to figure out, but the emotions are complicated…" said Renamon slowly. "Anyway, she's not here right now… she's searching for whatever's after her…" Renamon paused and narrowed her eyes. "And I was given strict orders make sure you don't follow."

    Takato backed away and tripped, falling down and shivering like a caught mouse before the cat. Renamon rounded him, fists raced.

   "What're you going to do to me?"

 Renamon's fist was above her head. "Just encase you into a diamond so you won't screw anything up… you'll only get in the way. War is waging in the digital world Takato, and Ruki is the key to saving it. I will not let some goggle head get in the way of our careful plans!" She released the punch and Takato screamed.

   "Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon's attack collided with Renamon's head, knocking her out and causing her to miss Takato by a few inches. Renamon lay unconscious on the ground, her fur slightly singed from the attack.

  "Guilmon!!" cried Takato, running up and hugging his pal. "Arigato!"

  Lee and Terriermon stood behind Guilmon, who was laughing. Renamon's paw moved slightly, and without anyone noticing she rose to her feet. Takato grinned, still hugging his digimon until…

   "Takato watch out!!!" screamed Lee, Terriermon diving at Renamon who ahd come up behind him. Takato whirled around as Terriermon smacked Renamon with a Terrier Tornado.

    Suddenly Renamon disappeared in the blink of an eye just as the Terriermon Tornado was about to hit her, and she didn't reappear. Lee picked up Terriermon. "She's going to Ruki… something's wrong…"

   "Look!" cried Guilmon, pointing to just about everywhere around them. "A digimon! The fog!"

   Indeed, a thick fog shrouded the whole city, freezing the people and cars in their places, all but Takato, Lee, and their digimon.

   Suddenly there was a scream and Takato's eyes narrowed. "I know that scream anywhere… come on!!!"

   Lee and Terriermon shrugged and followed him into the thick fog. Although he couldn't see, Takato didn't pause for an instant, following the sound of the scream. Lee, Terriermon, and Guilmon had a tougher time. "Takato where are you?!"

    Takato heard them and stopped. "Lee?! Terriermon? Guilmon?" He stood cloaked in fog he had lost his path in. Takato stared and pounded the ground. "No…"

    Another scream reached his ears. His eyes flew open and before he knew what he was doing he had dashed right into a clearing in the fog, where he saw an odd sight before him.

   "Ruki?!"

  A cloaked digimon was clutching Ruki's throat, holding her up above him. It paused and craned its cloaked head to see the intruder. Ruki saw him too and gasped. "Takato… no…"

   "Ruki!" cried Takato trying to get closer.

 "Get… away…"

    The digimon's eyes revealed that it was grinning. Dressed in a scarlet cloak it hovered a few feet above the ground, although it had feet. It had glittering yellow eyes and two horns sprouting from its head. Its clawed fingers easily fit around Ruki's thin neck. Takato didn't need a second thought to recognize this digimon, he had seen it before… in Digimon Season 2 episodes…

  "Daemon?!"
 

     Daemon cackled happily at the mention of his name. "Ah yes… at least someone other than your precious Ruki remembers me…"

   "What do you want with her?!" cried Takato, standing his ground.

 Daemon eyes shone. "Why… I just want to take Ruki back to the digital world where she belongs… she'll be extremely useful I assure you."

  Ruki managed to rip his claws off her and ended up landing about 10 feet below to the ground with a crack. Takato was at her side instantly, but she brushed him aside. "I fight my own battles Gogglehead."

    Daemon hung in the air, the thick fog swirling about behind him making him look surprisingly more menacing that he already was. "Aw, how sweet. I've kept careful watch over you my dear Ruki, but I'm afraid now you've been found."

   Takato stared at Ruki, confounded. "What's going on?" Ruki didn't looked at him.

   Daemon raised one long claw and tilted Ruki's chin up to him. "Tsk, tsk Ruki-san. You didn't even tell your friends about this whole ordeal… pity…" Daemon turned his cloaked head to Takato. "Oh well, I'll make do. It only means you'll be easy prey…"
 Immediately Daemon lunged at Takato, clutching his throat like he did Ruki's, only this time his claws dug into his skin. "What is it you and your friends say? … oh yes… Momentai Takato, Ruki will be fine… for now…"

    Takato gasped and sputtered, his feet flailing, trying to make contact with the digimon's scarlet cloak. He managed to crane his head to Ruki, but she was staring at the ground, her face sullen. "Ruki!!! Please… help me…"

    Ruki turned away and shut her eyes. It'll all be over soon… but… how could I do this? He's my friend… he's the only one who's ever believed in me… he saw me for something else… but this-this is for the best, if he is killed now, then there is no pain. I cannot bear to hurt him again…

    Daemon's grip slowly grew tighter, and through his sputtering gasps Takato fought back tears. Why won't she help me? Please Ruki… please help me… I'll never get to tell you that you're the only one I want… please Ruki I'll never get to tell you I love you…

   Tears blurred his vision as he tried his best to get her to look at him. "Why won't you help me? Ruki! Please… look at me…"

   Ruki couldn't bear it; she was letting him die. Daemon watched her with extreme interest. "Hahaha! Say goodbye to your friend Ruki! Is your secret worth this?!" His grip grew tighter and tighter, and Takato screamed. Daemon lashed out, clawing his arms and shoulders, but Ruki wouldn't budge.

  "Or this?!" Daemon released his grip on Takato's throat and began to lash at his chest with his claws. Takato tried to fight back, but the claws with long and sharp and usually found a way to his skin. His screams reached Ruki's ears, but she only it her lip. Is it really worth all this Makino? You're letting your only friend die…

   Renamon's soft paws gripped her shoulders. "Ruki…"

  Daemon grinned. "Hai… and how could we forget Renamon??" Daemon grabbed Renamon by the neck and held her above him, still wounding Takato. "Well?!"

   Ruki stared up at Daemon, a look of pure sadness splashed on her face. Forgive me… Takato, Renamon…

   Daemon growled; she wasn't breaking. "IF YOU WON'T REVEAL YOUR POWER I'LL KILL THEM BOTH!!!" he roared, throwing both of them to the ground and landing with an earsplitting crack. Renamon remained unconscious.

    "Flame Inferno!!!" screamed Daemon, hurling fire balls in every direction, intending to destroy the whole city. Ruki shielded Renamon, Takato, and herself, but she was silent. Takato stared at her, crying because of the pain not only in his flesh but in his heart. "Ruki…"

   Ruki stared at him, her face straight and expressionless, yet he could tell through blurred vision she was trying extremely hard not to cry. "Ruki… I just came… to give you back your jacket… and help you if I could."

  Ruki's tears won and she began to cry. Takato slowly found the strength to get up on his hands and knees to embrace her. "I really care about you Ruki… and I think I understand… you're afraid…"

     Ruki's tears mixed in with the blood from his wounds, and with each drop his wounds healed. Takato could feel his vision returning, and he pulled her closer. "Gomenasai… if I hurt you or made things worse but really Ruki… I do care about you… please don't cry…"

   Blood leaked through her shirt from his chest, and through tears Ruki backed away from him, and lay her hand on his wounds. "Gomenasai…"

  Takato's vision cleared, Ruki was healing him. Takato looked up at her and smiled. "I never got a chance to tell you Ruki but I love you…"

    Ruki cried harder, covering her face with her hands. Takato realized that wasn't the thing to say and held her hands. "Ruki…"

    Boom.

   In an instant Takato was on the ground, breathing heavily, his hair and the ground around him soaked in blood. Ruki gasped, her gaze turning up to Daemon, who was cackling maniacally.

    Ruki stared in silence at her friend, the only one who truly cared about her. He had saved her once, and never bothered to ask what was happening. He trusted her, he loved her, and it cost him his life. Ruki's heart ached; it wasn't fair. Something inside Ruki snapped and she realized…

    I have learned to love…

   At that exact moment Terriermon, Lee, and Guilmon arrived on the scene, stopping dead in shock. A cackling evil digimon was hovering above the ground, destroying everything in its path. On the ground sat Ruki, who had suddenly gone rigid. And then their eyes turned to the ground, to Takato.

   Lee screamed. Guilmon sunk to his knees and cried, Terriermon gasped in horror. They didn't have time to dwell on their friend's death, because for some reason Ruki's eyes dilated to slits and she doubled over.

    This can't be happening… Ruki struggled to keep her body from ripping apart. She screamed, covering her chest with her hands, but it was already too late, her skin had begun to split. Please no…

   Daemon paused to watch, grinning, while the other three stood thunderstruck. No one dared to speak. Then it happened.

    A bright light coursed through Ruki's body, illuminating her so she looked like a human jack o lantern. She froze, and the light suddenly burst from her chest, ripping her body apart.

   Daemon cackled as the whole area was blasted by light. "Hai…"

     Lee covered his eyes and tried to keep a firm footing as the light threatened to blow him away. What the hell is going on?!

   As suddenly as the light came, it disappeared, but Ruki was no longer. Surrounded by bloody rubble and debris Lee could see the Guardian of Love in Ruki's place…

    "Ophanimon?!"

                                                            ********

 And that ends our now really long chapter! Gomenasai for the nasty little cliffhanger there…

  Blackgatomon: ^.^ Stay tuned! Candy please??