Chapter Eight - The Hunt

Seeing as they were cannon fodder, it was easier to go around and do whatever she liked, find answers, make sure this thing couldn't do this to some other sod's world, that kind of thing.

She didn't see much of Daisuke or Takato. Instead, she mostly worked with Jenrya. He was analytic of the situation and it was making it easier for her to just search and work rather than puzzle out everything at the moment.

Sometimes, she saw Juri. She didn't fight often. She sat in Leomon's arms or took notes on things they found while wandering. Mostly, she looked after Ai and Makoto. There was a softness in her face that wasn't there at home.

Ruki wanted to ask, she knew she should, but honestly trying to find food and supplies without being seen by the hunters that used the world as a playground was enough of a hassle. There just wasn't any free time when they all met up at night to rest.

"We can make time," Renamon offered one night. "I can find her, and we can make time."

Ruki had long learned to appreciate her partner's silent acknowledgement of what she needed, without voicing it and risking embarrassment on both of their parts. Old habits died hard.

Takato sat by Juri when she moved over with her ramen. They'd found a lot of self-heating foods, which meant a lot of waiting. They both smiled at her the same way when she approached.

"Ruki!" Juri greeted, leaning over to give her a hug. Ruki hugged her back without reservation and nodded to Takato. Takato turned to Guilmon, who was drooling happily over the food. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I'm going to walk with Ruki, Takato! We'll be back for dinner!"

Leomon, who had been watching the fire, got to his feet and trailed after them both. Ruki didn't mind. It wasn't like she would like Renamon faraway from her now either. It was probably stronger with those two.

The air in DigiQuartz smelled of fresh moss and the moments between rainstorms. It was a terrible smell, waiting for ozone.

But Juri didn't complain at all.

"You made friends with Daisuke-kun?" Juri asked, àpropos of nothing. Ruki took a sip of her soda and shrugged. You had to drink it fast before something slipped into the drink. It could be a bug, it could be moss, it could be something else. Hirokazu had found that the hard way.

She tossed an onigiri into the air. Renamon snatched it and disappeared from view again. She passed one to Leomon and then one to Juri.

Juri hummed with gratitude before saying, "Friends?"

It wasn't a malicious question. Friendship for Ruki was what the idea of romance was for Juri. They were messy, complicated, and difficult. Relationships were not full steps. She found fumbling awkward and hard to justify.

"In theory." She grinned. "He's not as nervous as Takato. Just as eager to please, though."

"Sounds like a puppy," Juri said with a smile. "You're better with those."

Ruki snorted at her. The less that was said about her and Ryo's everything, the better. "Something like that. He's not bad. Hard to believe he's real, though."

"It is!" Juri laughed, a tiny edge to her voice. "All of them are real, even ones we haven't seen or met yet!" She looked at her hands. "Do you think there are other 'Us's' out there too? Ones where this didn't happen. Ones where I…"

Where I didn't destroy the world. Where I didn't lash out because my mother was dead? Where I didn't pretend to be all right?

Where you could forgive your mother faster. Where Jen could tell his parents being a responsible older brother hurt and what being strong was wasn't what they taught him alone. Where Takato wasn't so lonely he had to make a friend to feel like it was all worth it.

"I'm not Ryo," Ruki said carefully. "But I think they exist. But even if they exist, I like the one where you're my best friend now more than those vague possibilities I've never met."

Juri smiled, soft and warm and right. "You're learning," she said with a grin.

Ruki laughed back, joy and amusement bubbling up from her chest.

Then, suddenly, the feeling stopped. They both paused. Leomon set them down as Renamon blurred into view. The two of them looked at each other.

"Hunt it?" Ruki asked.

Juri smiled. "Let's go."


It went fine… at first.

The monster was not something they'd never seen before. A Chrysalimon with no sapience. It wriggled and attacked and screeched, but it didn't make any vocalizations that were remotely… recognizable. All it did was screech.

Then it suddenly swiveled its head 180 degrees and cackled at them, high and clear. The next tendrils nearly knocked their heads off and its whole being warped before their eyes.

"Time for the big guns," Ruki said without hesitation and Renamon never looked away, never hesitates.

When they evolved together it was like coming home.

The Diablomon went down easily. Of course it did. They were meant for this, the two of them, united against not just what will hurt them, but for them and their own.

Juri beamed. She can see the envy in her amber eyes. "Someday now," she promised.

Something in her friend's face hurt in the way it lit up, but she got a smile, anyway.

The euphoria didn't last. The digimon didn't explode into data. It didn't even die. It just regenerated with moss and laughed.

Sakuyamon grimaced, but raised her staff.

Then four more Diaboromon showed up.

"Run," Sakuyamon said. They all ran.

It cackled behind them. "Where are you going? Why are you leaving? Together, we'll be happy. Together! We'll be alive! Forever!"

"Nope!" Juri shouted and threw a can of hairspray behind them. It exploded in a shower of fire courtesy of Leomon.

Despite that, they still did not stop running. Something told them it would all end if they stopped.

He didn't reach them when they got back to the others, but it was a long few hours before Ruki felt safe separating from Renamon.