Lost One
About a half-hour later, they finally finished all of their running, and were now setting up a camp. Everyone, even Rutee and Lawrence - - who had the most stamina due to their ways of life - - were exhausted. It was also nighttime, and everyone wanted to just fall asleep until daybreak. They rested at an oasis, where Leomon began to keep watch as everyone slept.
As Rutee tried her best to sleep, she took a look at Leomon. He was determined to be the group lookout all night long, no matter how tired he got. She didn't think that was quite fair, after all, she took her turn as lookout no matter how tired she got.
"Wake me up in two hours so you can get some sleep too," Rutee told him, "You must want to get to sleep too, and I really don't mind taking a turn."
"No, you must sleep. I really don't mind staying up all night, but you need to recover from your ordeal. Don't worry, I won't let anything harm you or your friends while you slumber," he replied. Rutee saw his face, full of concern for her wellbeing. The only other people who had ever shown that look was her allied back in the days of the war, the Headmistress of the orphanage - - especially when she was a little girl - - and her father - - right before he had died. Who was this Digimon, and what reason did he have for being concerned about Rutee Katrea? But she didn't have the energy to ponder this. The young girl curled up near the palm tree in the oasis, and went right to sleep.
Leomon watched her as she slept. With his stern face, it was impossible to read what was going on with him. But it wasn't hard to see that he really cared about what happened to the young travelers in general, Rutee in particular. As he watched her sleeping soundly, a tear rolled down his face.
* * *
The next morning, Rutee woke up bright and early. She could see Leomon still guarding the camp, showing no signs of wavering. But the young Guardian could see that he must be tired, wishing he could just plop down and sleep with the others.
She told him, "I'm up now, if you want to sleep a little bit. Don't worry, I can spot danger if it decides to come here. My senses have always been sharp."
The Leomon yawned. "It's ok, you should go back to sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get for your mission, I'll protect you until you wake again."
"I've slept enough," Rutee protested, "I've never needed much sleep to get by. Besides, we slept a little bit while we were prisoners, Amion had some kind of spell or gas laid on the barriers in his trap hole in order to make the captives fall asleep. You look like you're exhausted in any case."
"I guess I worry too much about you. You've grown into a fine young woman. In fact, you greatly resemble your mother when she was young," he replied
Rutee exclaimed, "My mother! What do you know about my mother? Please, is she still alive? I want to go and see her so I won't have to be alone again."
The Leomon sat down next to the young woman. "She is still alive, and wants to see you again. You know she really misses you. But what makes you think you're all alone? You still have your friends by your side, and your Swordians have been reborn as Digimon. You have Stahn, who loves you dearly, although neither of you can tell each other how they feel. Rutee, you've never been alone, you've just suffered so much so it makes you think that you're alone. But although you've never known your true family, you've always had people around who care for you."
Rutee was amazed at all this Leomon knew about her. Did her mother tell him everything? But if that was the case, how did her mother know about Stahn and the others?
"How do you know all this?" Rutee whispered, "My tormented soul, my deepest secrets, my lonely heart? I haven't seen my mother, so I couldn't tell her any of these things, and we've never met before."
"We have, Rutee. I just wasn't in this form at that time," he replied.
Rutee asked, "Then could you tell me who you are? I know you seem familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. You don't have to tell the others, just please tell me who you are."
Leomon looked up at the sky. "Such a curious woman, just like your mother. I always knew you'd become exactly like her one day. Atwight taught you well about how to survive on your own it seems. Your mother and her used to say, 'The more you know, the more likely you are to survive in a fight'. You reflect that sentiment in spades."
"You're dodging my question," noticed Rutee, "Now please, tell me who you really are."
"Ok Rutee, you've convinced me. I didn't want to tell you right away, so you wouldn't begin to worry for me. But you're just too good a negotiator, just like your mother," he replied.
Rutee said, "Go on then. I'm waiting, and I'll wait until Hell freezes over if needed be."
Leomon nodded. "Then, I guess there's no hiding it any longer. Rutee, it's me, your father reborn as a Digimon."
Rutee's eyes went wide. She'd never expected to see him again after the incident in Belcrant. One lone tear slid down her cheek.
"Father!" she exclaimed, "Oh, I've missed you so much." She ran into his big arms, and embraced the Digimon that once had protected her from a great evil when she was a small child.
"I have too. There's no need to cry anymore Rutee, we're together again. When I died, I watched the final battle from the heavens, worrying about you the whole time. I begged to the gods for a way to redeem myself for all I did while under Kronos's control, although they didn't think I needed it. So they sent me here in the form of a Digimon to aid your mother in her quest. When I learned that you had come to this world, I immediately ran to find you, hoping to protect you from the enemy. If anything had happened to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself," Hugo stated.
Rutee looked up at the sky. She knew the enemy wouldn't sit quietly after their escape. But she also knew that if anyone could find a way to win, it was her and her friends. All they needed to do was to find their partners again. Then, they could stand a fighting chance.
- - - -
Just a sweet little reunion. I always wondered what would happen if Rutee saw her father's ghost, and he comforted her over her depression, so I decided to write about him coming back as a Digimon so they could see each other again. Make Rutee a little happier, she never deserved all that she got.
About a half-hour later, they finally finished all of their running, and were now setting up a camp. Everyone, even Rutee and Lawrence - - who had the most stamina due to their ways of life - - were exhausted. It was also nighttime, and everyone wanted to just fall asleep until daybreak. They rested at an oasis, where Leomon began to keep watch as everyone slept.
As Rutee tried her best to sleep, she took a look at Leomon. He was determined to be the group lookout all night long, no matter how tired he got. She didn't think that was quite fair, after all, she took her turn as lookout no matter how tired she got.
"Wake me up in two hours so you can get some sleep too," Rutee told him, "You must want to get to sleep too, and I really don't mind taking a turn."
"No, you must sleep. I really don't mind staying up all night, but you need to recover from your ordeal. Don't worry, I won't let anything harm you or your friends while you slumber," he replied. Rutee saw his face, full of concern for her wellbeing. The only other people who had ever shown that look was her allied back in the days of the war, the Headmistress of the orphanage - - especially when she was a little girl - - and her father - - right before he had died. Who was this Digimon, and what reason did he have for being concerned about Rutee Katrea? But she didn't have the energy to ponder this. The young girl curled up near the palm tree in the oasis, and went right to sleep.
Leomon watched her as she slept. With his stern face, it was impossible to read what was going on with him. But it wasn't hard to see that he really cared about what happened to the young travelers in general, Rutee in particular. As he watched her sleeping soundly, a tear rolled down his face.
* * *
The next morning, Rutee woke up bright and early. She could see Leomon still guarding the camp, showing no signs of wavering. But the young Guardian could see that he must be tired, wishing he could just plop down and sleep with the others.
She told him, "I'm up now, if you want to sleep a little bit. Don't worry, I can spot danger if it decides to come here. My senses have always been sharp."
The Leomon yawned. "It's ok, you should go back to sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get for your mission, I'll protect you until you wake again."
"I've slept enough," Rutee protested, "I've never needed much sleep to get by. Besides, we slept a little bit while we were prisoners, Amion had some kind of spell or gas laid on the barriers in his trap hole in order to make the captives fall asleep. You look like you're exhausted in any case."
"I guess I worry too much about you. You've grown into a fine young woman. In fact, you greatly resemble your mother when she was young," he replied
Rutee exclaimed, "My mother! What do you know about my mother? Please, is she still alive? I want to go and see her so I won't have to be alone again."
The Leomon sat down next to the young woman. "She is still alive, and wants to see you again. You know she really misses you. But what makes you think you're all alone? You still have your friends by your side, and your Swordians have been reborn as Digimon. You have Stahn, who loves you dearly, although neither of you can tell each other how they feel. Rutee, you've never been alone, you've just suffered so much so it makes you think that you're alone. But although you've never known your true family, you've always had people around who care for you."
Rutee was amazed at all this Leomon knew about her. Did her mother tell him everything? But if that was the case, how did her mother know about Stahn and the others?
"How do you know all this?" Rutee whispered, "My tormented soul, my deepest secrets, my lonely heart? I haven't seen my mother, so I couldn't tell her any of these things, and we've never met before."
"We have, Rutee. I just wasn't in this form at that time," he replied.
Rutee asked, "Then could you tell me who you are? I know you seem familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. You don't have to tell the others, just please tell me who you are."
Leomon looked up at the sky. "Such a curious woman, just like your mother. I always knew you'd become exactly like her one day. Atwight taught you well about how to survive on your own it seems. Your mother and her used to say, 'The more you know, the more likely you are to survive in a fight'. You reflect that sentiment in spades."
"You're dodging my question," noticed Rutee, "Now please, tell me who you really are."
"Ok Rutee, you've convinced me. I didn't want to tell you right away, so you wouldn't begin to worry for me. But you're just too good a negotiator, just like your mother," he replied.
Rutee said, "Go on then. I'm waiting, and I'll wait until Hell freezes over if needed be."
Leomon nodded. "Then, I guess there's no hiding it any longer. Rutee, it's me, your father reborn as a Digimon."
Rutee's eyes went wide. She'd never expected to see him again after the incident in Belcrant. One lone tear slid down her cheek.
"Father!" she exclaimed, "Oh, I've missed you so much." She ran into his big arms, and embraced the Digimon that once had protected her from a great evil when she was a small child.
"I have too. There's no need to cry anymore Rutee, we're together again. When I died, I watched the final battle from the heavens, worrying about you the whole time. I begged to the gods for a way to redeem myself for all I did while under Kronos's control, although they didn't think I needed it. So they sent me here in the form of a Digimon to aid your mother in her quest. When I learned that you had come to this world, I immediately ran to find you, hoping to protect you from the enemy. If anything had happened to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself," Hugo stated.
Rutee looked up at the sky. She knew the enemy wouldn't sit quietly after their escape. But she also knew that if anyone could find a way to win, it was her and her friends. All they needed to do was to find their partners again. Then, they could stand a fighting chance.
- - - -
Just a sweet little reunion. I always wondered what would happen if Rutee saw her father's ghost, and he comforted her over her depression, so I decided to write about him coming back as a Digimon so they could see each other again. Make Rutee a little happier, she never deserved all that she got.