Interlude - Times Change
I was walking home. I was in a really foul mood. Some prissy idiot in my class had tried to insult me.
She won't do that again.
I had jammed her face into wall… repeatedly. Of course, then I was called down to the office and was given a the standard spiel about how they understood that I was going through a great deal of emotional stress, which was why they weren't expelling me, but that I needed to behave. Well, that, and they would call my mother.
Who cares what she thinks? Besides, what do they know?
I crossed through the park on my way home, taking in the tranquility. I sat down on a bench, and smiled sadly at the memory that this particular bench brought back. Then, a sock puppet was shoved in my face.
"Ruff! Cheer up Rika, you can't stay sad forever, ruff!"
I looked up to see Jeri, holding the sock puppet in my face and smiling. I glared at her. This was a glared I had never given anyone, not even Takato. Her face went from bright and smiling to ashen and drawn, and she took a step back. I got up, still glaring and got ready to pound her. Then, a face passed in front of my eyes and I managed to stop myself from mangling her severely.
Gogglehead…
"Go to hell puppet girl!"
Whatever peaceful feeling I had built up was gone, and I stalked home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hung up the phone. One of Rika's teachers, again.
'She's unresponsive, and when she isn't she's rude!'
'She's gotten in another fight! Discipline that girl!'
'She's a constant problem!'
I sighed. As far as mother had told me, Rika had always walked a fine line. She wasn't the best girl in school, but she never bothered to intentionally piss anyone off. I had received at least one call a day for the past week about her behavior.
Not that I can blame her…
She was in her room now, not saying a thing to me when she came in. Not that I could blame her for that either. Or for the screams of rage I heard. I sat at the table, put my head in my hands and cried.
What kind of mother am I? Who lets their sixteen-year-old daughter be the first to see her Grandmother's dead body?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'd like to be alone for now."
My fox-like digimon nodded.
"Of course, Rika."
Renamon phased out, and I collapsed at my table. Only now did I allow the stony façade to crumble, to shatter. I broke down and cried. Grandma was gone. Dead. She had died peacefully in her sleep, and mother had been away at one of her shoots in some foreign country.
The only good thing I could say about her is that she came home as fast as she could…
I cried harder, remembering when I had gotten up last Monday, and Grandma wasn't in the kitchen cooling as usual.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where's Grandma?
I walked down the hall to her room and knocked. I waited a little, but got no answer. So, I knocked again. Still nothing. I frowned a little.
Grandma's always been a light sleeper. What's going on?
I slid the door open a little and peeked in.
"Grandma?"
I looked in the room and saw her still asleep in bed. I went over and tried to get her to wake up, shaking her gently. She didn't respond. I shook a little harder, and still didn't get anything. Then I knew. She wasn't breathing. Grandma was dead.
"Grandma? NO! NO!"
Not willing to face facts, I continued screaming, crying, and shaking her, trying to wake her until Renamon appeared and forced me to stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I got up and screamed in rage. Feeling an urge to destroy something, I ran over to my dresser and swept everything off of it to the floor. It made a satisfying crash and I began picking things up and throwing them around the room. Then, because that was taking too long, I raised my foot to stomp the pile when the sun reflected off of something yellow and blue, and caught my eye.
Gogglehead…
My rage died immediately. I carefully picked up the yellow and blue goggles and checked them for damage. They were fine. Looking at the goggles, I smiled a little through the tears at his memory. It was funny, two years gone, some say dead, and he could still reach out and comfort me.
I wondered how Takato would have reacted to the situation with Jeri earlier.
Would he have been… angry… with me?
I shook my head. Goggles would have told Jeri to bug off. He would have stopped me from killing her, but he would have made her give me space. Then he would have given me space himself, but not before doing something stupid, intentionally or unintentionally, to make me laugh a little.
He always could read me like that…
Clutching the goggles tightly, I collapsed on the floor again. I imagined I could still hear his voice, and somehow, things were better. Things weren't all right; they wouldn't be for a long time, if ever. But they were better, a little bit.
'It'll be alright Rika, I promise.'
I fell asleep there on the floor, tears staining my cheeks, holding the goggles, imagining that my Gogglehead was there holding me, comforting me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sighed as I stood there, looking at the sock puppet in my hands.
Holding it now, it feels… dirty…
I hadn't ever had that sensation before. Even after D-Reaper had absorbed me, I had always turned to my puppet friend for things. But then, no one had ever given me the look that Rika had just given me either. I had picked it up and used it as an emotional shield ever since my mom died. The puppet had always been a way to express things to others that I was really too afraid to say.
It was a way to hide how I felt…
I sighed again remembering the day that Henry had asked me out a few months ago.
He didn't seem to like it either…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I smiled at Henry's telling of Terriermon's most recent ploy to get out of the 'Princess Pretty Pants' routine. We both laughed long and hard at it. I loved seeing Henry laugh, his face lit up and there was this… innocence… in his eyes that I loved seeing. It got my mind off of everything else that I usually concentrated on.
I still had brooding periods. Times when I would just space out and think about everything that had gone wrong then. Henry helped me get my mind off of all of that. He smiled broadly at me, and I smiled back.
I love seeing him smile…
We were sitting at a lunch table at school, just generally having a goodtime.
"Henry?"
"Yeah, Jeri?"
"Henry, I just… I just wanted to say thanks. You've been doing a lot for me this last year, helping me get through everything and all, and I… I, well, I just wanted to say thank you… for everything."
He blushed then, casting his eyes downward, and He fidgeted a little nervously. Then he raised his head and I could see that nervousness in his eyes as they met mine. He stuttered a little as he spoke.
"J-Jeri?"
I smiled at him, a little confused, I admit. It must have shown because he backed off.
"Ye…"
"N-no, it's nothing, really…"
I smiled at him, and brought out my sock puppet.
"Ruff! I don't believe that, ruff!"
He got a little more nervous. He put his hands on top of mine and gently forced the puppet down. He still stuttered a little, but he seemed a little more confident in what he was doing.
"J-Jeri… would you like to do something later, catch a movie or something?"
I blushed, and, scuffing my foot under the table, I brought the puppet up to my defense.
"Ruff! Are you asking Jeri out, ruff?"
He smiled a little and answered quietly, so much that I almost couldn't hear him.
"Yes…"
The bush deepened in my cheeks.
"Ruff! Jeri will go, ruff!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had left the sock puppet at home that night, and we had a great time. Even when Henry had walked me to my door, and I got flustered. He had been so sweet. Then, I had wished that I hadn't left it back, because I had to fend for myself. Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't have it. It would have made things more awkward for Henry, and I'm not sure I would have wanted that.
I wished he were here to talk to, but he was in Hong Kong, visiting relatives.
And I'm sure that Rika's reaction to me just now would have been a little better without it. Looking at the puppet in my hands now, I realized that it might shield my feelings a little, but it made things worse for those around me. I came to a decision. I suppressed a shiver as I entered the park. I came to the memorial stone we had placed for Takato. I knelt before it, and scooped out a hole in the dirt floor, about six inches deep. I stuffed the sock puppet in it, and buried it; buried the last of my childhood beside a childhood friend, and walked out into the light, feeling like a new woman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~One week later~
It was raining.
Appropriate.
I stood looking over my Grandma's gravestone. The service had ended, and I told mom that I'd find my own way home. She had just nodded and left, so I stood there alone - almost. Renamon was watching at the tree line, making sure I was fine. I fingered the goggles that I now had clipped to my belt, and looked around. I had a weird feeling, like I was exposed, open to attack.
"Renamon."
"I sense it too Rika. It's big, whatever it is."
I nodded and brought up my D-Ark.
Biomerge
Digivolution_
Renamon Biomerge to… Sakuyamon!
I looked around carefully, but couldn't see anything. Then I spotted Jeri running over, Leomon in front of her and a bit off to the side.
Great…
"Rika! Behind you!"
Huh?
I spun and came face to face with an Ebemon, flying in on its saucer.
"SPIRIT STRI…"
"BRAIN RUPTURE!"
The attack hit true, and suddenly I was engulfed in thoughts, all of them of loss and pain.
Grandma… Takato…
I collapsed and writhed in agony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I gasped as I saw Sakuyamon fall to a single attack. I gritted my teeth and nodded to Leomon. I drew a card and concentrated as Ebemon made sure that Sakuyamon was out of the fight. The card turned blue, and I slashed it.
Digivolution_
Leomon Digivolve to… Panyamon!
Panyamon was very close to Leomon. The first time I was conscious when he digivolved I thought that I was seeing things. Panyamon looked just like Leomon except for the coloring. He was ice white with a mane of ice blue, just like his element.
"ICE BEAST FIST!"
Ebemon looked over with some surprise as Panyamon knocked him into the ground. I was pretty sure we wouldn't get a second shot like that. Ebemon had been distracted, and Panyamon's attack hadn't hurt him, just surprised him. He looked at Panyamon in annoyance and launched another attack.
"PLANET DESTROYER!"
Panyamon managed to dodge the massive shot, and delivered another one of his own.
"COLD ATTACK!"
Ebemon ignored the attack from Panyamon, and smacked him into the ground. I tried every card I had, but nothing seemed to work. I scowled in frustration. Ebemon closed the gap to Sakuyamon who was still in agony.
"NO! YOU WILL NOT HURT MY FRIENDS!"
I screamed in rage and frustration. I looked at him through hate filled eyes. I stalked forward and then I stopped, eyes widening.
Takato… is this what you felt?
I stopped and forced the hate aside. I would not make Takato's mistake. I simply ran forward to help Panyamon up. My scream had done one thing though. It had distracted Ebemon, and he coming for us now. I reached Panyamon's side and tried to help him up. He looked at me weakly.
"Jeri, run…"
"No."
I spoke quietly. He managed to get to his feet, and I stood there looking at Ebemon, defiance in my eyes.
"PLANET DESTROYER!"
I felt my body break apart as the attack got closer, but bizarrely, I felt no pain.
Biomerge
Digivolution_
Panyamon Biomerge to… SaberLeomon!
I opened my eyes to find that I was on all fours. I could feel Leomon's presence inside my head as I stalked forward, the great cat's instincts coming as I watched Ebemon watch me. I growled and leapt at him, striking dead on.
"HOWLING CRUSHER!"
Ebemon screamed in pain as he was deleted. I exited the biomerge and ran to Sakuyamon, who dedigivolved herself, and Rika lay there on the ground, panting.
"Rika, are you okay?!"
She scowled at me again.
"Fine."
I guess I deserved that…
I swallowed and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
I turned to see Rika leaning heavily on Renamon.
"Yes?"
Rika looked a little embarrassed then, but said something I never thought I'd hear from her.
"Thanks."
I smiled.
"No problem Rika!"
She smiled weakly, then directed her attention to Renamon.
"Could you give me a lift home? I don't exactly feel up to it right now."
Renamon nodded.
"Of course, Rika."
Renamon digivolved to Kuybimon, and took off, Rika on her back. I smiled at Leomon. I noticed he looked a little distracted.
"What's wrong Leomon?"
"Nothing. It's just…"
"Just what?"
"Being SaberLeomon…"
"What about it?"
I was getting a little concerned now. Leomon didn't often have trouble telling me things.
"It felt… familiar…"
"Huh?"
"That's the best thing I can think to describe it. Like I've been SaberLeomon before, but I haven't…"
"That's weird. Well, don't worry about it. Probably just first time jitters of something."
He nodded, but I could tell he was still worried about it. I sighed.
"Let's go home and get you some rest. You deserve it after today."
He nodded, this time with a bit more certainty, and we left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked in the door, not really looking forward to confronting my mom again after today. I was still mentally exhausted after the battle in the cemetery. My mom was sitting at the table when I walked in.
"Rika, we should talk…"
"I'm not really in the mood mom…"
Mom sighed then, and she seemed to sag in her chair.
"That's what we need to discuss Rika. Your mood."
It was my turn to sigh now. I wasn't getting out of this one, and I knew it. I slid into the chair across from her. She started to speak again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I touched the goggles at my belt for reassurance as I approached West Shinjuku High. My mom's speech had consisted of basically two things beyond the usual 'straighten up and fly right' thing. She was staying home, and I was going to public school. Feeling the goggles under my hand, I smiled. Little by little, things were getting better. I let my eyes drift up to the sky.
Wherever you are, thanks Goggles.
I was walking home. I was in a really foul mood. Some prissy idiot in my class had tried to insult me.
She won't do that again.
I had jammed her face into wall… repeatedly. Of course, then I was called down to the office and was given a the standard spiel about how they understood that I was going through a great deal of emotional stress, which was why they weren't expelling me, but that I needed to behave. Well, that, and they would call my mother.
Who cares what she thinks? Besides, what do they know?
I crossed through the park on my way home, taking in the tranquility. I sat down on a bench, and smiled sadly at the memory that this particular bench brought back. Then, a sock puppet was shoved in my face.
"Ruff! Cheer up Rika, you can't stay sad forever, ruff!"
I looked up to see Jeri, holding the sock puppet in my face and smiling. I glared at her. This was a glared I had never given anyone, not even Takato. Her face went from bright and smiling to ashen and drawn, and she took a step back. I got up, still glaring and got ready to pound her. Then, a face passed in front of my eyes and I managed to stop myself from mangling her severely.
Gogglehead…
"Go to hell puppet girl!"
Whatever peaceful feeling I had built up was gone, and I stalked home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hung up the phone. One of Rika's teachers, again.
'She's unresponsive, and when she isn't she's rude!'
'She's gotten in another fight! Discipline that girl!'
'She's a constant problem!'
I sighed. As far as mother had told me, Rika had always walked a fine line. She wasn't the best girl in school, but she never bothered to intentionally piss anyone off. I had received at least one call a day for the past week about her behavior.
Not that I can blame her…
She was in her room now, not saying a thing to me when she came in. Not that I could blame her for that either. Or for the screams of rage I heard. I sat at the table, put my head in my hands and cried.
What kind of mother am I? Who lets their sixteen-year-old daughter be the first to see her Grandmother's dead body?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'd like to be alone for now."
My fox-like digimon nodded.
"Of course, Rika."
Renamon phased out, and I collapsed at my table. Only now did I allow the stony façade to crumble, to shatter. I broke down and cried. Grandma was gone. Dead. She had died peacefully in her sleep, and mother had been away at one of her shoots in some foreign country.
The only good thing I could say about her is that she came home as fast as she could…
I cried harder, remembering when I had gotten up last Monday, and Grandma wasn't in the kitchen cooling as usual.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where's Grandma?
I walked down the hall to her room and knocked. I waited a little, but got no answer. So, I knocked again. Still nothing. I frowned a little.
Grandma's always been a light sleeper. What's going on?
I slid the door open a little and peeked in.
"Grandma?"
I looked in the room and saw her still asleep in bed. I went over and tried to get her to wake up, shaking her gently. She didn't respond. I shook a little harder, and still didn't get anything. Then I knew. She wasn't breathing. Grandma was dead.
"Grandma? NO! NO!"
Not willing to face facts, I continued screaming, crying, and shaking her, trying to wake her until Renamon appeared and forced me to stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I got up and screamed in rage. Feeling an urge to destroy something, I ran over to my dresser and swept everything off of it to the floor. It made a satisfying crash and I began picking things up and throwing them around the room. Then, because that was taking too long, I raised my foot to stomp the pile when the sun reflected off of something yellow and blue, and caught my eye.
Gogglehead…
My rage died immediately. I carefully picked up the yellow and blue goggles and checked them for damage. They were fine. Looking at the goggles, I smiled a little through the tears at his memory. It was funny, two years gone, some say dead, and he could still reach out and comfort me.
I wondered how Takato would have reacted to the situation with Jeri earlier.
Would he have been… angry… with me?
I shook my head. Goggles would have told Jeri to bug off. He would have stopped me from killing her, but he would have made her give me space. Then he would have given me space himself, but not before doing something stupid, intentionally or unintentionally, to make me laugh a little.
He always could read me like that…
Clutching the goggles tightly, I collapsed on the floor again. I imagined I could still hear his voice, and somehow, things were better. Things weren't all right; they wouldn't be for a long time, if ever. But they were better, a little bit.
'It'll be alright Rika, I promise.'
I fell asleep there on the floor, tears staining my cheeks, holding the goggles, imagining that my Gogglehead was there holding me, comforting me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sighed as I stood there, looking at the sock puppet in my hands.
Holding it now, it feels… dirty…
I hadn't ever had that sensation before. Even after D-Reaper had absorbed me, I had always turned to my puppet friend for things. But then, no one had ever given me the look that Rika had just given me either. I had picked it up and used it as an emotional shield ever since my mom died. The puppet had always been a way to express things to others that I was really too afraid to say.
It was a way to hide how I felt…
I sighed again remembering the day that Henry had asked me out a few months ago.
He didn't seem to like it either…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I smiled at Henry's telling of Terriermon's most recent ploy to get out of the 'Princess Pretty Pants' routine. We both laughed long and hard at it. I loved seeing Henry laugh, his face lit up and there was this… innocence… in his eyes that I loved seeing. It got my mind off of everything else that I usually concentrated on.
I still had brooding periods. Times when I would just space out and think about everything that had gone wrong then. Henry helped me get my mind off of all of that. He smiled broadly at me, and I smiled back.
I love seeing him smile…
We were sitting at a lunch table at school, just generally having a goodtime.
"Henry?"
"Yeah, Jeri?"
"Henry, I just… I just wanted to say thanks. You've been doing a lot for me this last year, helping me get through everything and all, and I… I, well, I just wanted to say thank you… for everything."
He blushed then, casting his eyes downward, and He fidgeted a little nervously. Then he raised his head and I could see that nervousness in his eyes as they met mine. He stuttered a little as he spoke.
"J-Jeri?"
I smiled at him, a little confused, I admit. It must have shown because he backed off.
"Ye…"
"N-no, it's nothing, really…"
I smiled at him, and brought out my sock puppet.
"Ruff! I don't believe that, ruff!"
He got a little more nervous. He put his hands on top of mine and gently forced the puppet down. He still stuttered a little, but he seemed a little more confident in what he was doing.
"J-Jeri… would you like to do something later, catch a movie or something?"
I blushed, and, scuffing my foot under the table, I brought the puppet up to my defense.
"Ruff! Are you asking Jeri out, ruff?"
He smiled a little and answered quietly, so much that I almost couldn't hear him.
"Yes…"
The bush deepened in my cheeks.
"Ruff! Jeri will go, ruff!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had left the sock puppet at home that night, and we had a great time. Even when Henry had walked me to my door, and I got flustered. He had been so sweet. Then, I had wished that I hadn't left it back, because I had to fend for myself. Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't have it. It would have made things more awkward for Henry, and I'm not sure I would have wanted that.
I wished he were here to talk to, but he was in Hong Kong, visiting relatives.
And I'm sure that Rika's reaction to me just now would have been a little better without it. Looking at the puppet in my hands now, I realized that it might shield my feelings a little, but it made things worse for those around me. I came to a decision. I suppressed a shiver as I entered the park. I came to the memorial stone we had placed for Takato. I knelt before it, and scooped out a hole in the dirt floor, about six inches deep. I stuffed the sock puppet in it, and buried it; buried the last of my childhood beside a childhood friend, and walked out into the light, feeling like a new woman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~One week later~
It was raining.
Appropriate.
I stood looking over my Grandma's gravestone. The service had ended, and I told mom that I'd find my own way home. She had just nodded and left, so I stood there alone - almost. Renamon was watching at the tree line, making sure I was fine. I fingered the goggles that I now had clipped to my belt, and looked around. I had a weird feeling, like I was exposed, open to attack.
"Renamon."
"I sense it too Rika. It's big, whatever it is."
I nodded and brought up my D-Ark.
Biomerge
Digivolution_
Renamon Biomerge to… Sakuyamon!
I looked around carefully, but couldn't see anything. Then I spotted Jeri running over, Leomon in front of her and a bit off to the side.
Great…
"Rika! Behind you!"
Huh?
I spun and came face to face with an Ebemon, flying in on its saucer.
"SPIRIT STRI…"
"BRAIN RUPTURE!"
The attack hit true, and suddenly I was engulfed in thoughts, all of them of loss and pain.
Grandma… Takato…
I collapsed and writhed in agony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I gasped as I saw Sakuyamon fall to a single attack. I gritted my teeth and nodded to Leomon. I drew a card and concentrated as Ebemon made sure that Sakuyamon was out of the fight. The card turned blue, and I slashed it.
Digivolution_
Leomon Digivolve to… Panyamon!
Panyamon was very close to Leomon. The first time I was conscious when he digivolved I thought that I was seeing things. Panyamon looked just like Leomon except for the coloring. He was ice white with a mane of ice blue, just like his element.
"ICE BEAST FIST!"
Ebemon looked over with some surprise as Panyamon knocked him into the ground. I was pretty sure we wouldn't get a second shot like that. Ebemon had been distracted, and Panyamon's attack hadn't hurt him, just surprised him. He looked at Panyamon in annoyance and launched another attack.
"PLANET DESTROYER!"
Panyamon managed to dodge the massive shot, and delivered another one of his own.
"COLD ATTACK!"
Ebemon ignored the attack from Panyamon, and smacked him into the ground. I tried every card I had, but nothing seemed to work. I scowled in frustration. Ebemon closed the gap to Sakuyamon who was still in agony.
"NO! YOU WILL NOT HURT MY FRIENDS!"
I screamed in rage and frustration. I looked at him through hate filled eyes. I stalked forward and then I stopped, eyes widening.
Takato… is this what you felt?
I stopped and forced the hate aside. I would not make Takato's mistake. I simply ran forward to help Panyamon up. My scream had done one thing though. It had distracted Ebemon, and he coming for us now. I reached Panyamon's side and tried to help him up. He looked at me weakly.
"Jeri, run…"
"No."
I spoke quietly. He managed to get to his feet, and I stood there looking at Ebemon, defiance in my eyes.
"PLANET DESTROYER!"
I felt my body break apart as the attack got closer, but bizarrely, I felt no pain.
Biomerge
Digivolution_
Panyamon Biomerge to… SaberLeomon!
I opened my eyes to find that I was on all fours. I could feel Leomon's presence inside my head as I stalked forward, the great cat's instincts coming as I watched Ebemon watch me. I growled and leapt at him, striking dead on.
"HOWLING CRUSHER!"
Ebemon screamed in pain as he was deleted. I exited the biomerge and ran to Sakuyamon, who dedigivolved herself, and Rika lay there on the ground, panting.
"Rika, are you okay?!"
She scowled at me again.
"Fine."
I guess I deserved that…
I swallowed and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
I turned to see Rika leaning heavily on Renamon.
"Yes?"
Rika looked a little embarrassed then, but said something I never thought I'd hear from her.
"Thanks."
I smiled.
"No problem Rika!"
She smiled weakly, then directed her attention to Renamon.
"Could you give me a lift home? I don't exactly feel up to it right now."
Renamon nodded.
"Of course, Rika."
Renamon digivolved to Kuybimon, and took off, Rika on her back. I smiled at Leomon. I noticed he looked a little distracted.
"What's wrong Leomon?"
"Nothing. It's just…"
"Just what?"
"Being SaberLeomon…"
"What about it?"
I was getting a little concerned now. Leomon didn't often have trouble telling me things.
"It felt… familiar…"
"Huh?"
"That's the best thing I can think to describe it. Like I've been SaberLeomon before, but I haven't…"
"That's weird. Well, don't worry about it. Probably just first time jitters of something."
He nodded, but I could tell he was still worried about it. I sighed.
"Let's go home and get you some rest. You deserve it after today."
He nodded, this time with a bit more certainty, and we left.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked in the door, not really looking forward to confronting my mom again after today. I was still mentally exhausted after the battle in the cemetery. My mom was sitting at the table when I walked in.
"Rika, we should talk…"
"I'm not really in the mood mom…"
Mom sighed then, and she seemed to sag in her chair.
"That's what we need to discuss Rika. Your mood."
It was my turn to sigh now. I wasn't getting out of this one, and I knew it. I slid into the chair across from her. She started to speak again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I touched the goggles at my belt for reassurance as I approached West Shinjuku High. My mom's speech had consisted of basically two things beyond the usual 'straighten up and fly right' thing. She was staying home, and I was going to public school. Feeling the goggles under my hand, I smiled. Little by little, things were getting better. I let my eyes drift up to the sky.
Wherever you are, thanks Goggles.