Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the associated franchises. I am just using them to entertain the masses with a good story. I only own the characters, plot, and other story elements that I had to create.

Chapter 2

Nightmares and Explanations

Rika eyes flew open, and she was standing in the middle of a field. All she could see the grass under her feet, everywhere else was a thick mist. She turned around and began to walk as she looked around, trying to see anything. Suddenly, she felt the ground shake under her feet, as if something was walking toward her, something very big. The steps shook the ground harder and harder as what ever it was drew closer. Rika turned as a shadow appeared in the mist and she saw it was a giant Devimon. She knew he was only a champion level, but how could he be so big.

Before Rika could rap her mind around the situation she called Renamon, and like always she appeared beside her. Renamon was silent as she ran toward the Devimon and Rika swiped a speed boost card. Rika thought that the size of the Devimon would have made him slow, but he was lightning fast. He swatted Renamon down like she was a fly. Rika then tried a blue card that appeared in her deck, digivolving Renamon to her rare champion level, Kyuubimon. Kyuubimon charged the giant Devimon. She was brushed aside again. This time she didn't stir when she hit the ground. Rika ran over to where Kyuubimon lay motionless. She touched her, and that made Kyuubimon stir. Rika looked at her for a few seconds before she saw Devimon being to reach toward her. Rika wanted to stop him. She wanted to stop him so much, but he brushed her to the side and picked Kyuubimon up. She dedigivolved back to her rookie form, and Rika trembled as Devimon brought up to his face. He turned to Rika and said, "Now, say your final good bye human." With that Devimon squeezed and Renamon screamed in pain. He then tossed her high in the air and he let her fall all the way to the ground. She bounced once, and time seemed to stand perfectly still. Rika could see Renamon, and she was crying. Renamon then opened her eyes and whispered, "I am sorry Rika." Time then continued and Renamon broke into the million bits of data right in front of Rika's eyes.

Rika slowly slumped down onto the ground right then. The Devimon suddenly disappeared, and Rika looked as a much smaller figure appeared before her. It was the guy from the bank, Roy. Rika looked up at him, but his eyes were so intense she feared they would burn a hole straight through her. He then turned, and was about to leave before he said, "The protector has a dangerous life. We don't only fight for ourselves, but for the ones who can not protect themselves. For, if we should fail in the fight, they will be the ones who shall bear the consequences. Now, your protector has made the ultimate sacrifice trying to protect you, and though she is gone you must bear the weight of the consequences on your own shoulders."

Rika was on the verge of tears as she said, "What could I have done different."

Roy turned and gave her a cold stare as he said, "You should have treated her like a friend, or at least like another living being. You treated her like she was a weapon. She went into battle when ever you called, even when she didn't have a chance. You should have known she was going to lose. You put here in danger when she didn't have to be. If you had turned and ran you would have lived to fight another day, and you might have defeated the giant Devimon. Now, he will come and claim your soul as he claimed hers." With that Roy disappeared, and the Devimon reappeared. Rika backed up a bit, but the devil digimon grabbed her and began to squeeze her. Rika looked over, and saw a transparent version of her self standing there. She then realized she had become Renamon, and as Devimon squeezed she saw herself turn, and say, "You're just data, nothing more, nothing less." The Devimon's grip tightened and Rika felt the crushing pain.

At that moment Rika woke up with a start. She was drenched in a cold sweat. She sat up quickly, expecting to see Devimon standing there. She then began to recall the entire dream, and as she did she began to cry. With out realizing it Renamon appeared in the room. She had heard Rika crying, and she had come to see what was wrong. When Rika saw Renamon standing there, perfectly fine she stood up and rushed over to her. She wrapped her arms around Renamon's waist and began to cry into her fur. Renamon was in a state of shock, but she did what she could to comfort the usually rock hard tamer. She gently moved Rika over to her futon, and sat her down. She disappeared for a second and returned with a glass of water. Rika took a sip of it before she continued to cry in a quite tone, her tears streaming down her face. Renamon knelt down beside her, and asked, "Rika, what is the matter."

Rika looked at Renamon for a second before she regaled the entire dream. Every detail was still fresh in her mind and she didn't leave a thing out. When she finished she wiped her nose a bit before she said, "Renamon, I realize that I have treated you like dirt, or worse then dirt at times. I just hope that in time, you would be able to forgive me."

Rika continued to cry there as Renamon sat their in a complete state of shock. She was at a loss for words, which was a first for the fox like digimon. Finally, after a few minutes filled with only the sound of Rika crying Renamon decided to do the only thing she could think of. She got close to Rika and held her tight as she said, "I would forgive you ten times over. You are my partner Rika, we are destined for greatness, but having regret will not help us get there. So, now dry your eyes and go back to sleep."

Rika nodded as she laid back down on her futon. She fell back asleep again, but she soon began to toss and turn in her covers. Renamon guessed that the nightmare was reappearing. Renamon looked around before she moved near Rika's head, began to brush her head. Rika continued to toss and turn, and Renamon tried to think of something to do. Finally, she leaned close down, and in the most comforting voice she began to make up a lullaby to help Rika sleep.

You once were all you ever needed
You would have fought the world and you would have succeeded

Then, when I came into your life something changed
Your whole life began to rearrange

You now have your very own great protector
Now, you can't ask for more
Then for me, your protector

Yet you won't let me get near
Not even close enough to wipe away your tear
Try and believe me when I say this
You are standing on the edge of a great abyss

Take my hand, and hold it tight
I can pull you into the light
Let the sunshine down on the two of us
And I can whisper to you and confess

I am more then a protector
I am ………your friend

Renamon recited this a few times, the words seeming to burn themselves into her memory like the whole incident had. As soon as she started, Rika had begun to calm down. After the third time she recited it, Rika was sleeping soundly. Renamon smiled to herself as she stood up and disappeared into the shadows. Rika slept the best she had in ages that night, and while she slept the lullaby continued to play in her head, soothing her troubled mind.

Rika woke up the next morning complete refreshed. She got dressed and all that like she would for any day. She put on her broken heart T-shirt and head out of her room. She walked down the patio and went into the kitchen where her grandmother was cooking breakfast. Her mother was gone at a weeklong photo shoot in the USA, and Rika liked it that way. As she ate she thought about her dream and about her conversation with Renamon. She also could not get this strange song out of her head, yet she really didn't want to. It was so calming, it felt like when ever she heard this song the world was perfect, and nothing could hurt her.

As Rika ate her grandmother watched her. She had been standing outside that night when she began to hear Rika cry. She was about to walk into Rika's room and check on her when she heard a strangers voice say something. She was suddenly afraid that Rika was being rapped until Rika responded. She listened to the entire conversation until Rika went to sleep. Then, she heard someone singing a lullaby. Rika's grandmother decided to risk it and she silently cracked the door. She looked in and saw a human sized, yellow, talking fox was knelling beside Rika. Seiko then realized that this must have been the Kitsune from the bank incident. Rika's grandmother debated with her self for a few seconds before she closed the door silently, and decided that the fox didn't mean any harm.

Rika's grandmother sat down beside Rika at the table and was silent for a few seconds before she asked, "Rika, can I ask you something."

Rika was taken out of her trance by this and she turned to her grandmother and asked, "What is it grandma?"

Her grandma fought with her mouth a second, which suddenly refused to work until she said, "Last night, I heard you crying and was coming to check on you when I heard another woman's voice in your room. I listened to the whole thing, and then peaked into your room enough to see talking yellow fox sitting beside your bed."

Rika turned her head downward and she looked at her hands as she said, "And?"

Her grandma looked at her second before she said, "Rika, I will keep this between use two and I won't involve your mother. All I ask is that you would allow me to talk with this Kitsune like creature, the same creature I assume saved your life at the bank."

Rika turned to her grandma and gave her a weak smile before she sighed and said, "Renamon, can you come out here for a minute."

In a second Renamon materialized in the room. Rika's grandmother stood up and walked over to Renamon, who was currently wondering what the eldest woman of the household, was going to do. Rika's grandmother looked at Renamon for a second before she turned to Rika and said, "Rika, can you please leave us alone for a second. I would like to talk with…"

Rika filled in, "Renamon".

Rika's grandma nodded her head and said, "Yes, I would like to talk with Renamon in private for a second if you don't mind." Rika wasn't one to follow her grandmother, let alone her mother's directions, but she could see that her grandma wasn't in the mood to take any disobedience. Rika quietly stood up, gave Renamon a reassuring nod before she left the room. Rika's grandmother motioned for Renamon to follow her and she had Renamon sit down on the opposite side of the table. She then herself took a seat and looked at Renamon across the table. She then smiled as she said, "Relax dear, there is no need to be so tense."

Renamon blinked a few times before she adjusted her position in her seat and said, "Please Miss..."

Rika's grandmother smiled as she said, "Please, you can call me Seiko."

Renamon nodded her head as she said, "Please Seiko, I didn't mean any harm last night. I usually spend the evening hours sleeping on the roof or patrolling the nearby buildings for danger. I was just in Rika's room last night because she had a nightmare."

Seiko nodded as she said, "I was listening last night, but Rika was so quite as she talked I could barely hear what she was saying. Can you please tell me about the dream?" Renamon nodded as she retold the same thing Rika told her when the nightmare was still significantly affecting Rika. When she finished Seiko sighed as she said, "I guess you mean a lot to her Renamon."

Renamon nodded her head as she said, "Yes, I guess I never realized how important I was to Rika."

Seiko smiled as she said, "Well, at least she has a very trustworthy friend, and even motherly figure."

Renamon gave a surprised look as she said, "What!" Did you say motherly?"

Seiko nodded her head and said, "You are being a much better mother then my daughter, I have to admit. She spends all her time trying to make Rika like her. To get her to become a famous model, and make lots of money. You, however, accepted her as she was. You didn't try to change her, and you were there when Rika needed a shoulder to cry on."

Renamon looked down at the table a second as she thought about what Seiko said. She then heard Seiko say something more, but she didn't quite hear it. She tilted her head back up as she said, "I am sorry, I didn't hear you."

Seiko smiled as she said, "I was just suggesting you take the extra futon from my closet and spare blanket from Rika's and make yourself a bed in Rika's room. I think it best that you started calling this place your home, because as long as you mean anything to Rika, I intend to have you here to do what my daughter can't seem to accomplish."

Renamon asked, "What is that?"

Seiko smiled as she said, "Who knows, but I have a feeling that it would be a mistake to make you leave. So, shall we get that futon or not."

Renamon and Seiko stood up, and as they walked to Seiko's room Renamon asked, "What about when Rika's mother is home. Won't she notice the extra futon?"

Seiko chuckled as she said, "I assume you can hide the futon and blanket somewhere during the day, and when my daughter is home, she would never go into Rika's bedroom at night. Probably afraid to find Rika with some boy like I found her with the neighbor's boy when she was young."

Renamon smiled as she said, "Now that is a story I need to hear."