----
I thought it was funny,
When you missed the train,
When I rang you at home,
They said you'd left yesturday..
I thought it was strange,
When your car was found,
By the tree in Ennis..
Where we used to hang around.
Dear Isobel,
I hope you're well,
And what yuo've done is right.
Oh it's been such hell,
I wish you well.
I hope you're safe tonight.
It's been a long day coming,
And long will it last.
When it's last day leaving,
And I'm helping it pass...
By loving,
You more.
----
~
Rika leaned against a large solid oak tree watching her 'human' partner's back, currently unnoticed in the shade that covered her from the leaves above that still hadn't fallen from the tree yet.
Arista sat a few yards in front of her, pushing herself slowly back and forth on the wooden swing in the large park both stood in. Muffled sobs were heard from the blonde haired girl, easy to see she was deeply depressed about something. Rika hesitated a moment, but then took a step out into the leaves, the crunching sound that followed the step made Arista whirl around quickly and look at her with redish colored eyes from crying so.
"Rika!" she said a little breathless as she wiped her hand over her eyes to try and wipe as many tears away as she possibly could. "W-what are you doing here?"
Rika took another step in the brightly colored leaves with a sympothetic look on her face, the first one Arista had ever seen out of her. "Looking for you... what's wrong, Renamon?"
Arista sighed and turned her back to Rika again, pushing herself lightly on the swing. "You had to call me that, didn't you?"
"Of course.. it's who you are." Rika put a hand on her partner's shoulder, then sat in the swing beside her. "Now, what's wrong?"
Arista looked over at her slowly. "Josh beat you here."
"I figured."
"He told me what happened... between you and Henry..."
Rika looked down at the ground. "Oh.."
"It's what I wanted... before..."
Rika's attention was fully grasped with those slowly said words. She whirled her head up and stared at her. "What the heck are you talking about?!?" she felt her voice grow louder, then took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
Arista kicked her feet into the ground, sending herself backwards on the swing, higher off the ground, with no reply at first.
"You know, how you said, if tamers are destined to be together.... how their digimon would be destined to be together too?"
"Mm hmm... what about it?" Rika asked, pushing herself backwards also, gaining more height and adding more wind that ran through her hair as she rushed forward with the glide of the swing.
Arista skidded to a stop on the swing, dirt rushing up in a cloud around her feet as she just stared down.
Rika soon followed, deeply concerned about the look that had just crossed her digimon's face. Rika's eyebrows narrowed in concern and she turned on the swing to look at her.
"Renamon?"
"It's why we're stuck like this."
Rika's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
Arista looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. "You and Henry.. you're destined to be together.."
"But-- if you knew we're destined to be together... why would you--" Rika's words were cut off by Arista's quick reply, letting out her whole soul that had ached so long with the burden of this information.
"Because since he's Terriermon and I'm Renamon it didn't work right.. so we were made into humans... to fit each other... I found myself in his arms a few days ago.. and I don't know what happened.." Arista's eyes fled back to the ground as she continued to tell the story. ".. but I enjoyed it.. I felt safe, warm, happy... and it scared me, Rika."
"But--"
"Rika, if we separated the two of you, we could go back to our digimon forms... we could protect you again... if we're human we can't protect you anymore. I don't know what I would do to myself if anything ever happened to you..." Arista looked back up at her tamer, who was, easy to see, crying.
"I was wrong.. I know that now. Josh still hasn't figured it out yet, but I have. I'd rather be stuck in this stupid human body then have to watch you go through enough heartache that will do you more damage then an evil digimon attack ever could."
"Renamon..." Rika breathed, despratly trying to stop crying as to keep her sturn attitude in check, but was no match for the look in Arista's eye.
"Renamon I don't care what you look like or why... you're my best friend.. you'll always be my best friend!"
With that, none of the girls knew how it happened, but both were clinging tightly to each other, sobbing like they never had in their entire lives.
Arista pushed Rika away by the shoulders, but still held on to them.
"Dangit, Rika, what are you doing here?" she said, laughing through her tears. "You have a boy to get back!"
Rika just laughed too, a brushed a few stray tears from her face. "Yeah.. I do..."
With that, Rika was off through the sidewalks of the park, up towards the large apartment building Henry lived in.
Arista just watched her go, wiping a few tears off her face. "Good luck.... partner.."
~
"Henwy's locked himswef up in his woom fow a long time... Takato's hew now..."
Suzy escorted the auburn-haired Rika down the hall towards the white door, cleared marked to be Henry's as it was now decked out in 'Knock First' and 'Stay Out' signs. "But I'm suwe you'wl get thwough to him!" Suzy grinned wide at the teenager beside her as Rika put her hand slowly on the gold door handle, and just laid it there. She knew he was inside, she could almost feel it, as weird as it sounded to her.
"Well... go ahead!" Suzy motioned with her head to the door, then skipped off to go play with her doll.
Rika took a deep breath, and knocked slowly at the door."Ugh.."
"GO AWAY!"
Rika snorted in disgust at the two boys inside, and pushed open the door.
Henry jumped quickly out of the black leather office chair he had been slumped into and stood straight up at the sight of her. "Rika!! What are you doing here?"
"Come to ruin his life more?" Takato sneered for one of the first times at her.
Rika glared at him, and turned her attention back to Henry, now standing with his back to the wall.
She swiftly moved across the room, blocking Takato's existence out of her memory, pushed him up against the wall and placed a firm kiss on his lips.
An almost horrified gasp echoed through the room from Takato, and Rika felt Henry's body stiffen from shock.
She pulled away from the kiss and looked into his gray eyes. "I'm not letting you go that easily..." she murmured.
Henry waved his hand at Takato to leave, never peeling his eyes off the girl in front of him.
"Oh, sure, fine, I'm here for you through all the heartache and just like that I'm nothing to you anymore.. this is what I get for having a friend who's obsessed with Rika Nonaka..." Takato's words faded off as he continued to march down the hall and out the front door, slamming the door behind him after leaving Henry's room.
Henry draped his arms around Rika, but still held a shocked look. "Rika... why'd you come back for me?"
"Because I was wrong... and I love you.... as much as it dosen't seem that I do." Rika gave him a quick smile before Henry turned her around, wrapping his arms around the front of her and rocking her back and forth, not caring about anything else in the world at that moment.
Rika sighed and leaned back against him, looking out the balcony window at the park below. The park where she could still see Arista leaning against the street light, looking up directly at her in the diming light of the sun.
Rika smiled, swaying back and forth with Henry's motion.
"Thank you..." she thought directly at Arista.
~
Arista smiled, and walked in the opposite direction of the building, back turned to the glowing windows of the apartments as she made her way back to the Nonaka household.
She shoved her hands in her pockets from the chilled wind, but still held the smile on her face as she walked amongst the people.
"No Rika... thank *you*"
~
"YOU DID WHAT?!?!?!?!?"
Arista sighed and leaned against the marble pillar of the front gate of the Nonaka home, looking straight at Josh, now flailing his arms at her in anger.
"What the heck were you thinking!? Did you forget that if they're together we'll be---"
"Stuck in these forms for the rest of our lives? Yes... I remembered..... but..." Arista stood up straight against the pillar, eyes reflecting the almost eery glow of the full blue moon overhead as she grew an almost worried look on her face. ".. think about this a moment..."
She paused enough for her words to sink in the teenage boy's head. He leaned against the pillar opposite her, chrome zipper off his brown leather jacket reflecting moonlight across Arista's face a moment, and he nodded. "Go on..."
"If they aren't together.. it'd do more damage emotionally then a digimon attack could do physically..."
Josh's eyes went blank, until he regained control and looked her square in the eye.
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, with an awkward enough look in his eye to cause her to giggle a bit. He just smiled at her face lighting up from the giggle. The undestructable Renamon, who's first goal was to please Rika, second was to kill or destroy anything in her path. Most of the time that's what it took to please Rika in the first place. But, how come he didn't notice that bright glow shining across her face before? Or the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed? How come he didn't notice the musical sound of her voice before tonight? Was it just the moonlight... or was it...--
"Renam--- I mean, Arista..."
"Hmm?" Arista looked back up at him from staring at the ground in the awkward silence that had followed her giggle.
"I.. need to tell you something..."
"Oh? What is it?"
Josh's heart skipped a beat at the look in her eyes, almost anxious, pleading with him to say something specific to her.
"... I... uh... wanted to know.... um... if you'd go to that.... uh.... fall... uh..." Josh's voice cracked a bit when his mouth formed the word. "..dance.... with me."
Arista's eyes lost the pleading look half-way, and she smiled brightly again, to Josh it lit up that entire side of the world, and he almost got lost in the smile.
"I'd.. love to."
Josh reached up and brushed a loose strand of wavy blonde hair out of Arista's face before he knew what was coming over him, and he jolted his hand back from her with a horrified look on his face.
Arista smiled again, this time warmth running through it. "Josh.." she whispered.
Both digimon's attention were diverted with footsteps approaching them.
"Oh! Josh! Arista! What are you doing here?!"
Both turned to look at their tamers, Henry and Rika, approaching.
"Um.. waiting for you!" Arista said quickly.
"Yeah... waiting for you."
Rika looked at Josh, then back at Henry, then at Josh again. "Can both you boys come inside... I think there's something we need to talk about..." she said slowly, more to Josh then anyone as she stepped into the front yard and towards the door.
Josh and Henry exchanged glances as they followed the two girls in, Josh's mind whirling with panic knowing exactly what this little 'talk' would be about.
~
I thought it was funny,
When you missed the train,
When I rang you at home,
They said you'd left yesturday..
I thought it was strange,
When your car was found,
By the tree in Ennis..
Where we used to hang around.
Dear Isobel,
I hope you're well,
And what yuo've done is right.
Oh it's been such hell,
I wish you well.
I hope you're safe tonight.
It's been a long day coming,
And long will it last.
When it's last day leaving,
And I'm helping it pass...
By loving,
You more.
----
~
Rika leaned against a large solid oak tree watching her 'human' partner's back, currently unnoticed in the shade that covered her from the leaves above that still hadn't fallen from the tree yet.
Arista sat a few yards in front of her, pushing herself slowly back and forth on the wooden swing in the large park both stood in. Muffled sobs were heard from the blonde haired girl, easy to see she was deeply depressed about something. Rika hesitated a moment, but then took a step out into the leaves, the crunching sound that followed the step made Arista whirl around quickly and look at her with redish colored eyes from crying so.
"Rika!" she said a little breathless as she wiped her hand over her eyes to try and wipe as many tears away as she possibly could. "W-what are you doing here?"
Rika took another step in the brightly colored leaves with a sympothetic look on her face, the first one Arista had ever seen out of her. "Looking for you... what's wrong, Renamon?"
Arista sighed and turned her back to Rika again, pushing herself lightly on the swing. "You had to call me that, didn't you?"
"Of course.. it's who you are." Rika put a hand on her partner's shoulder, then sat in the swing beside her. "Now, what's wrong?"
Arista looked over at her slowly. "Josh beat you here."
"I figured."
"He told me what happened... between you and Henry..."
Rika looked down at the ground. "Oh.."
"It's what I wanted... before..."
Rika's attention was fully grasped with those slowly said words. She whirled her head up and stared at her. "What the heck are you talking about?!?" she felt her voice grow louder, then took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
Arista kicked her feet into the ground, sending herself backwards on the swing, higher off the ground, with no reply at first.
"You know, how you said, if tamers are destined to be together.... how their digimon would be destined to be together too?"
"Mm hmm... what about it?" Rika asked, pushing herself backwards also, gaining more height and adding more wind that ran through her hair as she rushed forward with the glide of the swing.
Arista skidded to a stop on the swing, dirt rushing up in a cloud around her feet as she just stared down.
Rika soon followed, deeply concerned about the look that had just crossed her digimon's face. Rika's eyebrows narrowed in concern and she turned on the swing to look at her.
"Renamon?"
"It's why we're stuck like this."
Rika's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
Arista looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. "You and Henry.. you're destined to be together.."
"But-- if you knew we're destined to be together... why would you--" Rika's words were cut off by Arista's quick reply, letting out her whole soul that had ached so long with the burden of this information.
"Because since he's Terriermon and I'm Renamon it didn't work right.. so we were made into humans... to fit each other... I found myself in his arms a few days ago.. and I don't know what happened.." Arista's eyes fled back to the ground as she continued to tell the story. ".. but I enjoyed it.. I felt safe, warm, happy... and it scared me, Rika."
"But--"
"Rika, if we separated the two of you, we could go back to our digimon forms... we could protect you again... if we're human we can't protect you anymore. I don't know what I would do to myself if anything ever happened to you..." Arista looked back up at her tamer, who was, easy to see, crying.
"I was wrong.. I know that now. Josh still hasn't figured it out yet, but I have. I'd rather be stuck in this stupid human body then have to watch you go through enough heartache that will do you more damage then an evil digimon attack ever could."
"Renamon..." Rika breathed, despratly trying to stop crying as to keep her sturn attitude in check, but was no match for the look in Arista's eye.
"Renamon I don't care what you look like or why... you're my best friend.. you'll always be my best friend!"
With that, none of the girls knew how it happened, but both were clinging tightly to each other, sobbing like they never had in their entire lives.
Arista pushed Rika away by the shoulders, but still held on to them.
"Dangit, Rika, what are you doing here?" she said, laughing through her tears. "You have a boy to get back!"
Rika just laughed too, a brushed a few stray tears from her face. "Yeah.. I do..."
With that, Rika was off through the sidewalks of the park, up towards the large apartment building Henry lived in.
Arista just watched her go, wiping a few tears off her face. "Good luck.... partner.."
~
"Henwy's locked himswef up in his woom fow a long time... Takato's hew now..."
Suzy escorted the auburn-haired Rika down the hall towards the white door, cleared marked to be Henry's as it was now decked out in 'Knock First' and 'Stay Out' signs. "But I'm suwe you'wl get thwough to him!" Suzy grinned wide at the teenager beside her as Rika put her hand slowly on the gold door handle, and just laid it there. She knew he was inside, she could almost feel it, as weird as it sounded to her.
"Well... go ahead!" Suzy motioned with her head to the door, then skipped off to go play with her doll.
Rika took a deep breath, and knocked slowly at the door."Ugh.."
"GO AWAY!"
Rika snorted in disgust at the two boys inside, and pushed open the door.
Henry jumped quickly out of the black leather office chair he had been slumped into and stood straight up at the sight of her. "Rika!! What are you doing here?"
"Come to ruin his life more?" Takato sneered for one of the first times at her.
Rika glared at him, and turned her attention back to Henry, now standing with his back to the wall.
She swiftly moved across the room, blocking Takato's existence out of her memory, pushed him up against the wall and placed a firm kiss on his lips.
An almost horrified gasp echoed through the room from Takato, and Rika felt Henry's body stiffen from shock.
She pulled away from the kiss and looked into his gray eyes. "I'm not letting you go that easily..." she murmured.
Henry waved his hand at Takato to leave, never peeling his eyes off the girl in front of him.
"Oh, sure, fine, I'm here for you through all the heartache and just like that I'm nothing to you anymore.. this is what I get for having a friend who's obsessed with Rika Nonaka..." Takato's words faded off as he continued to march down the hall and out the front door, slamming the door behind him after leaving Henry's room.
Henry draped his arms around Rika, but still held a shocked look. "Rika... why'd you come back for me?"
"Because I was wrong... and I love you.... as much as it dosen't seem that I do." Rika gave him a quick smile before Henry turned her around, wrapping his arms around the front of her and rocking her back and forth, not caring about anything else in the world at that moment.
Rika sighed and leaned back against him, looking out the balcony window at the park below. The park where she could still see Arista leaning against the street light, looking up directly at her in the diming light of the sun.
Rika smiled, swaying back and forth with Henry's motion.
"Thank you..." she thought directly at Arista.
~
Arista smiled, and walked in the opposite direction of the building, back turned to the glowing windows of the apartments as she made her way back to the Nonaka household.
She shoved her hands in her pockets from the chilled wind, but still held the smile on her face as she walked amongst the people.
"No Rika... thank *you*"
~
"YOU DID WHAT?!?!?!?!?"
Arista sighed and leaned against the marble pillar of the front gate of the Nonaka home, looking straight at Josh, now flailing his arms at her in anger.
"What the heck were you thinking!? Did you forget that if they're together we'll be---"
"Stuck in these forms for the rest of our lives? Yes... I remembered..... but..." Arista stood up straight against the pillar, eyes reflecting the almost eery glow of the full blue moon overhead as she grew an almost worried look on her face. ".. think about this a moment..."
She paused enough for her words to sink in the teenage boy's head. He leaned against the pillar opposite her, chrome zipper off his brown leather jacket reflecting moonlight across Arista's face a moment, and he nodded. "Go on..."
"If they aren't together.. it'd do more damage emotionally then a digimon attack could do physically..."
Josh's eyes went blank, until he regained control and looked her square in the eye.
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, with an awkward enough look in his eye to cause her to giggle a bit. He just smiled at her face lighting up from the giggle. The undestructable Renamon, who's first goal was to please Rika, second was to kill or destroy anything in her path. Most of the time that's what it took to please Rika in the first place. But, how come he didn't notice that bright glow shining across her face before? Or the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed? How come he didn't notice the musical sound of her voice before tonight? Was it just the moonlight... or was it...--
"Renam--- I mean, Arista..."
"Hmm?" Arista looked back up at him from staring at the ground in the awkward silence that had followed her giggle.
"I.. need to tell you something..."
"Oh? What is it?"
Josh's heart skipped a beat at the look in her eyes, almost anxious, pleading with him to say something specific to her.
"... I... uh... wanted to know.... um... if you'd go to that.... uh.... fall... uh..." Josh's voice cracked a bit when his mouth formed the word. "..dance.... with me."
Arista's eyes lost the pleading look half-way, and she smiled brightly again, to Josh it lit up that entire side of the world, and he almost got lost in the smile.
"I'd.. love to."
Josh reached up and brushed a loose strand of wavy blonde hair out of Arista's face before he knew what was coming over him, and he jolted his hand back from her with a horrified look on his face.
Arista smiled again, this time warmth running through it. "Josh.." she whispered.
Both digimon's attention were diverted with footsteps approaching them.
"Oh! Josh! Arista! What are you doing here?!"
Both turned to look at their tamers, Henry and Rika, approaching.
"Um.. waiting for you!" Arista said quickly.
"Yeah... waiting for you."
Rika looked at Josh, then back at Henry, then at Josh again. "Can both you boys come inside... I think there's something we need to talk about..." she said slowly, more to Josh then anyone as she stepped into the front yard and towards the door.
Josh and Henry exchanged glances as they followed the two girls in, Josh's mind whirling with panic knowing exactly what this little 'talk' would be about.
~
