After a long wait I present the next chapter. (Snigger) I'm gonna have great fun writing the next one…
Mute: Disclaimer time! The highlight of my week! Youkomon does not own Digimon, just her creativity.
Me: Thank you for those lovely reviews people!
Mute: They hit the 50 mark Youko…
Me: Ack! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?
Mute: Do you want me to answer that?
Me:…Don't waste your breath…
Okay, for people's information a Tenko is a kitsune with nine tails, usually with golden fur. They supposedly live for 1000 years and are evil or wise messengers.
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The moonlight dappled the pavement in its typical silver glow - though the more pessimistic people of this world would be tempted to call it grey. Yet the moon smiles down at them too, never judging or discriminating, hurtling everyone into her loving spotlight.
The two strange companions roaming the streets at an unsteady pace were no exception to her watchful eyes. One was a young boy sporting the unusual accessory of goggles. Beside him stalked what the more elderly city inhabitants, still clinging to their traditional beliefs, would have called a kitsune. A Tenko, a mythical fox with nine tails. That summed up Kyuubimon.
A rustle of wind. Silence.
"Are you going to talk me Takato?"
"No"
More silence. Aside from the continuous pad of feet and the click of canine claws as they resounded on the pavement.
"Will you speak me now?"
"No!"
Kyuubimon let a disappointed sigh escape her mussel and Takato felt a tinge of guilt. But that didn't change the fact that his partner had been quite willing to delete Icedevimon, despite the fact that he was friend and partner to that strange girl. It didn't matter that she wouldn't have battered an eyelid if her Digimon had ended Kyuubimon's existence. He had genuinely believed that the large mammal next to him was different to Gorillamon and other power hungry Digimon and now it had arisen that she wasn't. Leastways that's how Takato saw it.
Kyuubimon was stuck in her thoughts too. Unlike Rika, Takato was a lot more sensitive and emotional; she should have guessed that he would react like this. And for once in her life Kyuubimon could not come up with a solution for the problem before her. There was a very distinctive gap between her and her tamer. And she had no materials with which to build a bridge to cross the chasm.
This wasn't a Digimon fight. Emotions couldn't be deleted like opponents, problems would be impossible to absorb like data.
So for now, the moonlight walkers travelled along the pavement, residing in silence.
*****************
Rika shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot, her mass tilting back and forth between the two on a pedestal.
This was not good. Icedevimon's presence was always around; there was no mistaking that icy feeling of watchfulness that she could feel most of the time. Most people would have been uneasy, comparing his behaviour to that of a stalker…well, Rika wasn't most people and she rarely got nervous.
"Icedevimon? Snowman! Where are you?"
Nothing, no shadow, no decrease in temperature, no tale-tale sign of the demon was present. And Rika was panicking…
'Has he finally melted out of my life like I thought he would?'
That was enough to make the composed teenager overflow with the clammy coldness of dread and disbelief. The all too familiar loneliness reared its ugly head, threatening to engulf her once more.
"Yes my dear?" inquired the 'evil' Digimon as he revealed his physical form, beside the pale shadows on the floor, created by the lustful glow of moonlight.
"Where_were_you?!?" demanded Rika pronouncing each word slowly and carefully, so that her companion would note the bitter tone in her voice.
"Contemplating…"
"What!"
"…your actions today. You ran to see if my condition was stable after Kyuubimon released me…"
"I walked!"
"…You ran…"
"I walked!
"You_ran."
"I WALKED, GODDAMNIT!"
"Unless I was hallucinating, you ran!"
"Fine…I admit it…"
A confident smirk flew over Icedevimon face, causing his partner to narrow her eyes.
"…I walked quickly."
The smirk vanished and was transferred onto Rika's face as she slyly scooped up her pillow into her arms, squeezing it tightly against her ribcage.
"Foolish child, I know what I saw and-Ahh!"
The face of Icedevimon was rudely introduced to the pillow as it left Rika's hands for the purpose of humiliating him. Yes, the warrior who had skilfully avoided contact with Kyuubimon's foxtail inferno attack, had been pummelled by a rectangular object thrown by a young girl.
The smirk on Rika's face grew wider as the pillow slipped down to the floor to reveal the glowering features of her Digimon who had not taken too kindly to her actions at all.
The abused pillow was captured by the swift movements of the fallen angel and hoisted into the air, where it rapidly descended to meet the scalp of the inert teen.
"Ow! Why you…Ohh, you are in for it now Snowman!" growled Rika as she seized her grandmother's cookery book and attempted to fend off the pillow that was coming in for another blow.
It was going to be a noisy evening at the Nonaka residence.
***************
"Oh"
Kyuubimon looked quizzically at her tamer as he uttered a single syllable of realisation, secretly glad that the awkward silence between them had been broken. Maybe now they could smooth things over.
"What is it Takato?" she asked unable to hide the curiosity leaking into her voice.
"I've just remembered…that tamer…she was the one in my dream! She and her Digimon were the ones fighting that tiger thing…what was his name again?"
"Icedevimon", said Kyuubimon in a hushed tone.
Takato gave her a surprised glance that betrayed concern at the queer note in her voice before continuing.
"Yeah, isn't it strange? That I have this dream and then we meet them two days later. It was a pity the only thing they were interested in was beating us; I would have liked to make a few new friends. I mean, Henry and Terriermon are our friends so why not that girl and Icedevimon?"
"Rika is different…she is cold-hearted and finds it difficult to interact with other humans. The only way she can express herself is through Digimon battles."
"What! How do you know her name? Wait a minute…Rika was the one you were apologising to when you were in that trance after I told you about my dream that night…you're hiding something from me…"
Two blue eyes widened as Takato spun round, righteous flames dancing within his eyes.
"Why? I haven't hidden anything from you! How can we be partners when you can't even tell me the whole truth?"
A strange gurgling sound arose from Kyuubimon throat as she tried to avoid the question. Unfortunately it's impossible to sidestep the truth when a pair of hurt brown eyes are demanding answers.
"I was trying to spare your feelings Takato…the reason I knew Rika was because I, along with many other Digimon, approached her when she received her D-Power and was in need of a partner. But before I got the chance to speak with her, Icedevimon tossed me aside like a rag doll and became Rika's Digimon…"
"That's okay, I get it now…I was the back-up choice, your last resort!" Takato proclaimed harshly, causing Kyuubimon to winch at the new tone he had adopted, a tone that didn't suit his nature at all.
"No! That's not it at all! You've got it all wrong! Let me explain-"
But Takato didn't stop to listen, breaking into a sprint across the road, his more emotional side in tatters.
Mumbling curses under her breath, the four limbed athlete, pursued her target only to come face to face with the squeal of unoiled brakes and the blinding glare of headlights. Reacting quickly, she bent her powerful legs and took a flying leap over the screaming vehicle, executing a perfect landing on the tarmac several metres away. Praising her stars that the car had not appeared when Takato had blindly run across the road, she glanced round to see said boy had vanished from sight. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she charged down the street, seeking his scent.
The driver of the car watched her go before pulling out a mobile with shaking hands.
"Mr Yamaki, sir? You told me to ring you if I spotted anything 'out of the ordinary'. Well, what I've just seen either means you're working for the men in black suits or I've drunk one too many at Malcolm's stag night…"
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Takato was quite literally sobbing his heart out and hating himself for it. Why was he so weak? Whenever things seemed to go wrong his vast heart started to bleed and everything he was feeling inside leaked out in the form of tears. This was more commonly known as crying something that society teaches us is weak. As with many other things society got it wrong, mistaking the release of emotions as a fault rather than perceiving it as strength of character. Needless to say, fate was being exceedingly cruel and a man who held on to this widespread belief was currently observing the distraught boy with a predatory look entering his eyes.
Trying to regain the breath he had lost due to his recent mad dash, Takato became aware of a presence lurking in the recess of the shadow cast by the lamppost. The presence then introduced itself by walking into the moonlight and revealing a middle-aged human.
"You are a tamer, am I correct?"
Takato regarded the man as though he was God.
"W-what?"
The tips of the man's lips curled into a mocking sneer as he pointed to the ruby D-Power enclosed in the young trembling hands.
"..Oh…"
"And that wasn't the only thing…I could smell you were a tamer. Your scene stands out from amongst the crowd. Hardly surprising. How many humans can boast the fact they have their own personal Digimon", the man stated coolly, waving a hand dismissively.
"Wait a minute…you smelt me?!? Uh-oh…"
Takato thrust himself into a sprint only to discover his shoulder had been captured in a vice-like grip. He was then swung around and became tangled in a merciless gaze.
"Where are you going young one, hmm? I have many questions, the most important one being the misplaced ability you possess, that makes your Digimon digivolve…"
Heart hitting his ribcage painfully, Takato threw his head back, giving his jaw permission to drop and screamed out the first name that shot through his brain.
"Kyuubimon!"
*************
Icedevimon's eyes rolled towards the direction of the great outdoors and a hiss escaped his clenched teeth.
The now-ripped cookery book was lowered to her side, as the young girl noted the change in him and viewed him passively. It had to be a Digital field and the promise of a new battle that was making him agitated.
"We have to leave now!"
Rika flinched at the arrupt tone. Seeing this, her partner's crimson pools softed for a few seconds as he lowered himself to her level.
"I know this Digimon…an old acquaintance of mine…he gives the word ruthless a whole new meaning."
A casual smirk fluttered along the line of Rika's mouth.
"Well, then what are we waiting for, Snowman? Let's go teach him the meaning of the word submissive…"
**************
The tenko's muzzle flashed up, eyes glinting dangerously, as her sixth sense informed her that her tamer was in danger. She could hear his desperate cries resounding in her mind and primitive growls arose in her throat. With worry gnawing at her she increased her speed drastically before being bowled over by an immense air current.
"What are you doing here?"
Kyuubimon looked up to see that was being addressed by a hovering Icedevimon, his partner being held firmly in his arms.
"I was searching for my tamer! Stand aside! I can sense he is danger and find him!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
Rika eyes imitated the exact same movement as she suppressed a snigger.
"Amateur! I knew goggle-head wasn't up to the challenge of being a Digimon Tamer…"
"I don't have time for this!" snapped Kyuubimon, "Tell me Icedevimon, would you have time for ideal chatter if Rika was in distress?"
The demon's back straightened, each bone in his spine tightening. Kyuubimon had hit a nerve. Yet…he could understand her predicament. Perhaps that's what prompted him to say what he said next.
"We'll aid you in your search."
At once he was thrown into the intense stares of the two females causing him to recoil a little and curse his softness.
'In the name of all that is cold, why did I say that?'
****************
Takato's eyes widened in horror as the form that was holding him began to flicker and change as though it were a reptile that was casting off an old skin. Sharp, inhuman fingers dug into the tender flesh of his arm as the transformation was completed and the Digimon before him watched his fruitless attempts to escape the restraining hand coolly.
Seven kids on an island…battling evil foes…having adventures on the plastic apparatus that resided in his living room…the wondrous television.
"Devimon!"