Takato's Hatchling
By milesprower06
A/N - I'd like to offer my profound apologies to each an every reader for the simply ridiculous amount of time it took me to get this chapter up.
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Chapter 9 – Wild Abandon
SHINJUKU PARK
TUESDAY - 4:45 PM
"Guilmon, don't do that!" Takato said, trying to sound chastising, but unable to keep a chuckle in. That was the third squirrel he had scared into a tree. His partner just looked back at him, his tail wagging.
"You're crazy, boy. I don't think the squirrels want to play."
Then what could they do? Guilmon was a tenth his size, but no doubt had ten times the energy. They had spent the last ten minutes working their way around the shrubs and trees immediately around the stone hut, as Guilmon investigated every millimeter.
Once the immediate area around the stone hut was vacated of squirrels, Guilmon started to make his way under a bush, sniffing as far down under it as he could. Takato wondered what he was after.
Several moments later, he emerged with a pinecone in his mouth.
He sauntered over and dropped the pinecone in front of where his Tamer sat. He then stared up at him, tongue hanging out of his mouth and tail wagging.
"And just what do you want me to do with this?" Takato said, picking the pinecone up. Guilmon leaned forward slightly, tail wagging more, looking as if he was about to pounce. Takato knew what he was getting at. He tossed the pinecone several feet away back towards the bush, and Guilmon immediately went running after it. Halfway he tripped, falling to the grass, but it didn't even take him a second to get back up on his feet and go after it again.
They continued this game of game of fetch fro several throws, so Guilmon could expend some energy, and Takato could relax in the fresh air.
NEARBY…
SHINJUKU PARK
Rika Nonaka walked along the sidewalk, hands in her pockets, her pace steady.
The world around her darkened and blurred - yet she continued walking as if she didn't even notice.
"You seem distracted." a soft female voice said to her, that of her partner.
"How 'bout annoyed?" the girl muttered, then sighed frustratingly. "Another missed opportunity."
"You wanted to force him to fight?"
"That's what Digimon are for."
"Perhaps he doesn't think so. We've faced stronger, more worthwhile opposition anyway."
The girl sighed again. Then, something caught her attention, outside of the darkness, which began to give way to the afternoon sunlight in the park.
Fog began to materialize back near where she confronted the boy.
"Opportunity knocks again."
NEAR THE HUT
After the next throw, Guilmon's attention snapped to a rapidly expanding patch of fog emanating from somewhere behind the hut. Before Takato knew what was going on, the area was completely enveloped in fog. With his vision hindered, Takato slowly moved towards Guilmon, whose ears were on end, pupils contracted, a growl emanating from his throat.
"What is it, boy?" he asked, and then froze, as he saw a winged silhouette emerge from behind the stone hut. His D-Arc went started to beep. He cautiously grabbed it, without taking his eyes off of the figure in the fog.
As he held out his Digivice towards the silhouette, it projected a hologram much like the compass function days earlier. The features became more apparent on the shadowy creature, and the analyzer function took effect.
"Vilemon. Rookie level…virus type…"
Takato, all of a sudden, felt very afraid. He wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this one.
The wild monster growled and hissed. His eyes began to glow, and Takato immediately jumped forward and tackled his partner - rolling away to the left an instant later.
A small smoldering crater was on the ground where they were a split-second earlier.
Holding Guilmon in one arm, Takato got up to one knee, and prepared to run.
Without warning, dozens of white diamond projectiles flew overhead from behind him, right into Vilemon, who then glowed red, and burst into hundreds of glowing fragments.
Takato looked behind him. There was Renamon, floating in midair, glowing; as she absorbed the red particles. Rika was at her side as the fog began to dissipate.
"Look, kid - you and your dopey dino better learn to put 'em up - otherwise you're not gonna last long."
As the last of the fog disappeared, Takato gave the girl a slight smile.
"Thanks."
"Well, savor it I don't give out advice very often."
"I meant for helping us." Takato replied, getting to his feet.
"Hmph. I did it for the data. You may not be so lucky next time. Let's go, Renamon."
As the girl turned and walked away and her partner vanished, relief washed over Takato. He returned to the stone hut and grabbed his backpack.
"Come on boy. Let's go home. We've had enough adventure for one day."