Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own When the World's Not Ending, by Smartalec121 or any of their associated works.
Off the Beaten Path
Chapter: 12/ Areas of Uncertainty
Rika hummed happily as she passed through the gate of her home. Despite her concerns, she felt things had gone over pretty well.
I've proven myself, she thought with a small smile, and just like that her humming picked up an excited note. She found it difficult to maintain her composure and not break into a run to blow off steam. She compromised by settling for a small giggle.
I've proven myself, she thought again, and her heart swelled with pride and eagerness. I can help them, even though I'm not a Tamer yet.
Sliding open the door to the main entrance to her home, Rika stepped inside and took off her shoes.
"I'm home!" she called out, climbing up the stairs.
"Welcome back, Rika!" she heard her grandmother call out. She giggled again. Instead of heading to her room to change, she opted to make her way in the direction of her grandmother's voice. No doubt, she was cloistered away in her small tea room, enjoying a sip. She tended to during this time of day. Sure enough, that's where Rika found her.
"You're home awfully late," Seiko said once Rika popped her head in. Her words weren't accusatory, and neither was her smile. Simply curious, and interested in what she had been up to. Giggling again, Rika smiled.
"Sorry, Grandma. I was with some friends."
"Oh?" Seiko took a small sip. "Kayoko and Toshiko?"
The question remained curious and exploratory, but a new note had crept in. Rika couldn't quite pin it down, but she knew it suggested her grandmother knew the truth and only invited her to tell it.
"No." Rika shook her head. "Takato and the others. I was showing them how good I am at the card game. They use digimon cards to modify their partners in battle. When I saw them today, Takato remembered that I told him how I used to play the game and he wanted to see what I knew." Rika flashed a grin and sat down next to her grandmother. The elder woman took a second cup out and set it down in front of her.
"Tea?" she offered.
"No thanks," Rika replied, shaking her head. Seiko withdrew the cup and poured herself a fresh one, waiting for her granddaughter to continue. Rika gave a light laugh and blushed a little.
"I probably should have taken it easy on them."
Seiko raised an eyebrow at that. "That's not like you."
Rika blushed a little harder. Her head began to feel a little light. She realized she was getting so caught up in excitement that she was saying whatever came to mind.
"Yeah, it's not," she laughed. "Probably why I didn't go easy on them in the first place. My first instinct usually is to win. Besides, I've been wanting to prove myself to them anyway. I guess…" She shrugged. "I don't know. Not sure where that came from. Just something I thought of in the moment."
"Are you worried about having their approval?" Seiko asked, taking another sip.
Rika nodded, her mood starting to sober a little. "Yeah, a little. I'm not really used to people getting creamed in a match and coming out of it in a good mood, so maybe that's where it came from." Arching an eyebrow, she now eyed her grandmother more fully. "You seem awfully okay with the fact that I'm hanging out with the Tamers and trying to win their approval. Mom and Dad aren't exactly on board about it."
"That doesn't mean I don't worry," Seiko said, running her fingers along the teacup, her eyes following along its smooth, porcelain surface. "I can't even say that I'm 'okay' with it or that I approve either." She glanced up at Rika worriedly. "It is dangerous, and I can't think of a parent or even a grandparent who would be fine."
Rika sat silent, waiting for her grandmother to finish. The elder matriarch heaved a sigh.
"I guess I just haven't said anything because I'm wondering about why I approved of you being a Tamer in the first place. Or why your mother would approve as well."
"The other version of you and Mom," Rika said, remembering their dinner conversation with her parents and grandmother a few days ago, where she discussed the reasons behind her kidnapping. Seiko nodded. Rika's eyes fell on the teacup in her grandmother's hands. It was a nice cup. Plain, she supposed, with its simple, flowing landscapes and rivers, but she had fond memories of it as a child. Her grandmother served her warm tea in it whenever she had been sick or needed comfort from cold weather.
"You didn't say much back when I first brought it up."
"You had your hands full with your parents during dinner. Especially your mother. I didn't want to add more to your plate."
Rika allowed a small, knowing smirk to play across her face. "Smooth."
Seiko smiled back, though with less amusement and more concern.
"I didn't talk to you and Mom for very long over there. Other-Me had a habit of hijacking the conversation with her insecurities." She gave a light laugh as she remembered something. "You were teasing Other-Me about her Takato. Those two had something going on between them that she didn't want to admit to even though was obvious to everyone there."
"I…see." Seiko's facial expression took a subtle frown. Rika watched her carefully for a moment.
"You met him once," she said. "That's why you told me he worked at a bakery when I wanted to go looking for him. In fact, come to think of it, after I mentioned Takato that first time, you got weird. Like you knew something."
"Nothing as extravagant as what you went through," Seiko said with a small smile. "A friend of mine had been telling me about a bakery she visited. A customer she saw raised a fuss about there being a digimon working there and I got to wondering about it. So, I went to see them myself. It was a rather nice place. The people there were friendly. I didn't get to see the digimon, but I saw Takato." Her smile slipped a little. It was barely perceptible, but Rika noticed it. Seiko took another sip from her tea, and when she lowered her cup, her smile was back, and looked warm. Natural.
"He was so polite and well-mannered. And he had a…genuineness about him that I knew you would like."
Rika couldn't help but smile at that. "He is a sweetheart. And yeah, I do like that about him." She looked down. "But sometimes, when I see him, it's like he's kind of a ghost. Kayoko said something like that too. She's worried that he can't be helped. I don't know. I mean, he has Kenta, but…" She trailed off, remembering Suzie and her animosity toward Takato." She sighed. "The Tamers could use all the support they can get right now. I've probably said this a million times this week, but I can't just leave them alone, knowing what I know now."
Seiko nodded, as if she expected no other response.
"Perhaps that's why," she said quietly.
"Why the Other-You supported Other-Me as a Tamer?"
Seiko nodded. "How alike is she to me?"
Rika's face scrunched up uncertainly. "She seemed to be the same. Kind of hard to tell when I barely talked to her for more than a few minutes. Why?"
"Because I know that if there is no other choice, that's probably what I would do too. But Rika…" She reached out and placed her hand over that of her granddaughter's. "You aren't a Tamer. I'm sorry for saying this, but…aren't there other choices? I don't mean to say this to discourage you, but as your grandmother, I should be saying this."
Their eyes met. Rika didn't try to hide her disappointment, knowing as she did her grandmother would see through such an attempt anyway. But she understood. A part of her wished she didn't, but she understood.
"I know how dangerous it can be, Grandma. I know what it's cost Takato and his friends. And…Dad talked to me about it yesterday. Before we had dinner."
Seiko nodded, her eyes saying she expected no less.
"Then I don't need to say anything else." She gave Rika's hand a soft squeeze. Rika could feel the fear in her grasp. Her eyes growing damp, she squeezed back.
"I'm sorry, Grandma."
"Don't be." Seiko smiled softly, though regretfully. "You're almost an adult. Decisions like this… You'll be making them more soon." Smiling, she reached out and brushed at a strand of Rika's fiery hair. "Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself."
"I-I promise, Grandma," Rika nodded. Balling up her fists, her face contorted. She didn't want to cry. She hated crying. Crying rarely accomplished anything except make people around her upset and making her feel awful.
Just move forward, she told herself. No matter what, keep moving forward.
The tears retreated before her determination. Victorious, she decided to continue her conversation with her grandmother a bit longer
"G-Grandma?" Rika cursed herself mentally for her shaky voice.
"Hm?"
"If…If you're worried about me and what might happen to me if I mix it up with the Tamers…" Her hands drew into tense fists on the table. "Why'd you tell me what kind of place Takato worked at?"
Seiko was silent for a minute, gazing at her tea.
"For two reasons," she said finally. "One, I know you, Rika. You would have tried to find him regardless. And as for the second…" She gave Rika a sad smile. "Takato looked like he needed a friend."
Rika felt a lump growing in her throat as she and her grandmother gazed at one another.
"Yeah, that tracks," she admitted reluctantly. "Sorry."
"No need to apologize. That's just the sort of person you are. Once you find something to protect, you fight for it. I worry about you, but I will never tell you that you shouldn't defend something. Or someone."
Rika hmphed. "Dad said something similar last night. He also said that I'm a lot like Mom. Is that true?"
Seiko gave an amused laugh.
"If you saw her fights with the family when she was getting married, you wouldn't have recognized her. She was quite rude."
"Really?" After wiping an arm across her face, Rika arched an eyebrow. "That's hard to imagine."
"People often have hidden layers to them," Seiko smiled.
Rika's thumbs traced against the sides of her fists.
"Why did Mom marry Dad?" she asked softly. "If they were so stupidly in love with each other that Mom had fights with the family, then why are they so unhappy?"
Seiko raised an eyebrow. Not at Rika's knowing of the cloud that hung over the household, but that she was now asking about it. Looking away, her eyes became thoughtful.
"I'm not sure if it's my place to say. And they would know better. But if you want my opinion on it, I would say that it was because they were young, and your mother can be very stubborn. She was very willful and full of drive growing up. I remember raising her was difficult because of that. Especially for her father." Seiko noticeably winced, as if at an old wound. "Your father was in love with her. He still is, after a fashion, but it's cooled now. But back then, it was a lot easier to fall in with whatever Rumiko wanted. At least, until they started living together."
"Sometimes love is best at a distance, huh?" Rika asked.
"Well, some people have a vision of what love should be, even if it's not realistic. Real love, I've found, takes work and time. And sometimes it requires more than a little bit of cold water."
Rika barked a laugh. "Funny. Kayoko said the same thing a few days ago. About the cold water part. They're worried about me too. About me dealing with this stuff with the Tamers."
Seiko smiled at that. "You have good friends, Rika."
Rika smiled back. "I wish I could be a better friend for them."
"I'm sure they know you're trying your best, and that you'll always try harder for their sake."
Their conversation continued like that a while longer before Rika finally retired to her room. Once there, she unceremoniously dumped her school bag by her clothing wrack and proceeded to change out of her uniform. Taking out a simple, light-blue dress, she donned it and began her work. Not homework. Not yet anyway. Taking out her card binder, she began to sort through it so she could be ready for tomorrow's training with Kenta.
I wish it were Takato I was training with, she commiserated. Undoing her ponytail, she let her hair fall free to her shoulders and then heaved a sigh. She felt bad for thinking that again about Kenta, but for the moment, Takato was the only one she felt comfortable with.
Well, I guess I'd better see it as training for me, she thought, her eyes hardening in reproach at herself. Part of being a Tamer is about not being comfortable. Comfortable gets you killed, and I need to be able to trust all of the Tamers. Not just the one I like and think is cute.
A rosy tinge colored her cheeks and she scowled.
I'm starting to think I can see why Other-Me got so heated up about being together with Other-Takato, or having other people comment on their relationship. Just how did their relationship come about? It couldn't have been easy with Other-Me being her. And that Jeri girl. Why would he be with Other-Me if she was around?
She thought about how insecure her counterpart had been just around her. Being 'nicer' and more traditionally feminine by comparison. The Takato she knew seemed to have had feelings for the Jeri of this world. Did that mean Other-Takato had loved his world's version of Jeri as well? Could that have also been a part of her counterpart's difficulties and why she created such an adversarial barrier with others? Was she a reminder of her Takato's first love? She only met the Other-Jeri briefly, but she had been nice. Generous and willing to help. And, she noted, amused by Rika and Takato's relationship enough to leave the three of them alone.
Was that Jeri jealous too? Rika frowned, not sure if that fit.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it. Maybe they never had feelings for one another because Other-Me was in the picture from the very beginning or something. Maybe she was just trying to nudge them together because she was tired of Other-Rika being such a stick in the mud. I know I'd probably have done something about it if I saw something stupid go on long enough.
Rika turned a page in her binder over and her hand fell on a Renamon card. She paused on it in consideration.
Real love takes hard work, huh? she thought, caressing the card's sleeve.
Berating herself for becoming distracted, she began to pull out cards and assemble them into a working deck. She wasn't sure what Kenta's style was, exactly. His playing deck had been pretty heavy on defense, but lacking in a number of areas.
Offense I can understand. MarineAngemon's not exactly packing a lot of power, but he could use some way to attack. He doesn't have a lot of recovery cards or anything that would get his partner out of a tight spot. Trying to use a Speed card in response to a Control Spire? Not a good play. All these years of being Tamers… Why are they having such a hard time with the game if they can use the cards to give their partners boosts? Did they just power their way through fights by digivolving or did they rely too much on Ryo and Henry to do the heavy lifting? Ugh. I wish I knew more about what they did.
Rika also wished she knew more about how the cards worked in conjunction with the digimon. Of course, she would find out more tomorrow – unless she messaged one of them that is. Her eyes went over to her cellphone, sitting on her table. Takato and Kenta were just a text message or a call away.
Her shoulders then sagged in recollection.
I forgot. They have something they needed to do today involving Hypnos. Probably better to leave them be for now. I'll figure things out tomorrow.
###
Yamaki was waiting for the Tamers when they dragged themselves into the 'Danger Room' over an hour later. Takato, for his part, looked dejected. Yamaki flicked his lighter open.
"Sorry we're late," Takato said, giving Yamaki a polite, apologetic bow. Suzie, Kenta, Lopmon, and Guilmon all glanced at the boy, their expressions worried. A fact that didn't go unnoticed to Yamaki.
"I'm sorry things didn't work out," he said. It sounded odd to his ears. Almost performative. "I've taken the liberty to inform animal control and the authorities to be on the lookout for the dog. Should they come across it and be able to capture it, they'll notify us."
"Thank you," Lopmon said, also giving Yamaki a polite bow. Yamaki nodded. Looking at Guilmon, he lifted an eyebrow. The Rookie appeared to be lost in deep thought.
"Is something the matter?" he asked the dinosaur. Guilmon's head jerked up, surprised.
"Ha? Oh. I was just thinking about how weird it was that we lost it."
"In what way?" Yamaki felt uncertainty tickle the back of his mind. Despite retaining an air of immaturity about him and still having a great deal to learn about the world around him, Yamaki had learned over the years to trust Guilmon whenever he felt something was strange and out of the ordinary.
"I'm not sure." Tapping his chin with a claw, Guilmon frowned. "We followed the doggy's scent all the way to a tree and then it just stopped. And there was another smell in the exact same spot and…and…" Guilmon's frown deepened. "I don't know. It was a really weird smell. It kind of…sparked?"
"Translation?" Yamaki asked, turning to Takato.
"He says that about things involving electricity," the boy replied.
"It could be that the puppy was digital in nature, or something else," suggested Lopmon. "During my time serving the Sovereign, there was a rumor of another reality where digimon created humans instead of the other way around. I was never told if it was true or not though."
"That'd be one heck of a weird reality," Kenta said, trying to imagine how such a world could have worked out and failing.
"Like I said, it was only ever a rumor among the Devas."
"Yeah, yeah. Stories you tell around the digital water cooler," interjected Suzie with a touch of annoyance. "And what if instead the digi doggy was some kind of spy bot? Or one of our two missing Megas in disguise?"
"We're running an analysis of the city and the local network," said Yamaki. "We'll see if we can come up with anything."
"In that case, let's get this show on the road." Planting her hands on her hips, Suzie looked around her. "Where's this Sleipnir thing we're supposed to be testing?"
"I wanted to wait on activating it until you arrived, just in case there are any unforeseen events."
"Like it wigging out and making a mess?"
Yamaki flicked his lighter closed. "As I said, unforeseen events. It's better to be safe than sorry."
"So, how do we do this?" Takato asked. Reaching into his pocket, Yamaki produced a device. The Tamers all gave a start as they recognized it.
"A digivice?!" they all exclaimed simultaneously.
Yamaki nodded. "It's not quite the same as yours are," he said, holding it out for them to take in. Sure enough, they could see some slight differences. The one Yamaki held was thinner and less bulky at the top. The screen was larger and the white ring surrounding it contained a number of buttons.
"How did you make it?" Kenta asked.
"We took scans from the digivices left behind by your friends and your brother." Yamaki nodded apologetically to Suzie. "Shibumi then created an algorithm for this model and made some modifications to streamline its original functions." Angling it, he revealed a card slot as well as other ports. "Presently, we're not sure what will work best with this prototype, so we've added a number of additional functions just in case. If all goes well, we can improve on this model. Perhaps even use the template to improve yours if we determine that it's feasible."
He glanced at each of them in turn before settling on Suzie. The girl's expression was stiff and pensive.
"Ms. Wong? Are you all right with this?"
Suzie jumped, as if goosed. Blinking, she looked around.
"Y-Yeah!" she said quickly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to flake on you there."
Yamaki nodded, but an uncertain frown marred his features.
"Shibumi," he said to the observation window. "Desert terrain, please."
"You got it!" piped up the man through the loudspeaker. Just like that, the room shifted, and the metal plating beneath their feet was replaced with cracked, hard, barren land with cloudy skies above.
"Thought you might appreciate a little shade," Shibumi laughed from above.
"Thank you," Yamaki nodded. Pocketing his lighter, he returned his attention to the Tamers. "Now, we'll need a Blue Card."
This had been something of a sticking point between himself and Shibumi, though the Tamers didn't need to know about it. Shibumi could produce Blue Cards at will, just like they did, but Yamaki couldn't. However, should something go wrong, he didn't want to risk one of their best minds in what was supposed to be a test exercise.
Takato reached into his pocket and produced a card. Concentrating briefly, a blue glow formed around the card and the card changed, taking on an azure, metallic sheen to its surface.
"Here you go," Takato said, handing it off to the man. Taking it, Yamaki turned the card over. Although the card itself was made of paper, with only a thin strip of magnetically coded tracks printed on its side for card readers, it felt different. Heavier, Harder. The card wouldn't bend against his touch and the edges pressed against his skin harder than they should have.
Interesting, he thought.
"Shibumi, begin information transfer."
"Transfer beginning," Shibumi reported. "Ready whenever you are."
Yamaki nodded. Taking the card, he aligned it with the slot on the side of his digivice prototype.
"Digi-modify," he said softly. Sparks flew and with a flash of light, the card slid through the reader with barely any resistance.
"Quantum teleportation beginning," Shibumi reported. "Zero Arms Sleipnir is preparing to bio-emerge."
A digital field materialized in the air above the Tamers, and looking up they saw a form beginning to take shape. It was long, like a serpent, with four clawed limbs, a fierce, dragon-like head with a strong, shield-like crest above its eyes. A pair of metallic wings were spread out, holding it aloft in the air. A pair of eyes gleaming gold gazed down at them.
"It's here," Takato said, gripping his digivice. He looked at the others. Kenta appeared to be nervous, and Suzie had an almost frightened look in her eyes.
Well, it does look kinda scary, Takato thought, taking note of what appeared to be a pair of canons stuck at the joints where the wings met the main body. But so did Guilmon when I first met him. And when he first digivolved.
Remembering Grani and how it became their friend, he decided to test the waters.
"Sleipnir?" he prompted, holding out his hands in a welcoming manner. "Hi, my names Takato. And these are my friends, Guilmon, Kenta, MarineAngemon, Suzie, Lopmon and Yamaki. The man watching us from the window is Shibumi. We'd like to be friends with you, if you'll let us."
The dragon's eyes flashed twice at this, but presently, it did not emerge from the digital field. Frowning, Yamaki glanced up at the observation window.
"Shibumi. What's wrong?"
"Not sure. I'm running an analysis now."
Takato and Guilmon exchanged looks. Now the dinosaur decided to take a turn.
"You must be really worried, huh?" Guilmon said. "I know this place is really weird and strange and maybe even a little scary. I remember when I first came here, there were so many things that I didn't know. But Takato helped me understand and so did everyone else. The world's really not so scary when you have friends. Would you like to be friends? We can share bread. Maybe even play tag? Rock, paper, scissors?"
The dragon's eyes flashed again, and its body shifted a little now. Its claws moved toward the barrier of the digital field, preparing to breach.
Then, all of a sudden, its body twisted in midair as if in pain. A loud screech erupted from it and everyone clapped their hands over their ears to shut it out.
"What's going on?!" Yamaki shouted. Shibumi was saying something, but he couldn't hear it. Sleipnir's wings began to beat and winds whipped at the humans and digimon down below. The dragon screamed again and then both it and the digital mist disappeared from view, silencing its shriek.
"I had to shut down Sleipnir," Shibumi reported. "I'm sorry."
"What happened?" Yamaki asked.
"An abnormality in its core programming appeared. I wasn't able to isolate it."
Yamaki scowled, unhappy with this development. However, he acknowledged that this was a better outcome than his worst-case scenario.
"Run an analysis and let me know what you come up with," he said. Turning to the Tamers, he nodded to them. "Thank you for your time."
"Uh, sure," said Takato. The desert terrain of their training room vanished, returning it to its original, metallic state. Whirling about, Suzie started toward the door.
"I'm going to call Mom," she said.
"Okay," Takato replied, not sure what else to say. Today was something of a bust it seemed. The puppy had escaped them, the two Megas continued to be elusive, and now Sleipnir had malfunctioned.
What else is there that can go wrong?
"Guess we'd better get started on our homework, huh?" Kenta said. Takato groaned.
###
Time passed, finding Takato seated across from Kenta in the Hypnos cafeteria, the pair of them whittling away at their laundry list of assignments. Guilmon and MarineAngemon sat next to them. Guilmon tapped idly on a Personal Digital Assistant pad. It had originally belonged to Takato's father and had a few games installed on it, though none of them really appealed to the crimson dinosaur. Mostly he used it to broaden his understanding of Japanese when Takato wasn't using it for a digital notebook. He couldn't this time however. He felt too restless. His thoughts kept drifting to other topics. Other puzzles that needed to be solved.
After a few more minutes, Guilmon stood up.
"Are you all right, boy?" Takato asked. "Sorry, if this is boring to you."
"It's fine, Takato," Guilmon said, stretching his legs. Movement catching his attention, he saw Alice approaching their table with a lunch tray in hand. "Actually, I was wondering if I could go have another sniff at that place where we lost the puppy. There's something about it that's bothering me."
"I don't know…" Takato began. "It's kind of dangerous…"
He was interrupted by Alice pulling the chair out next to him. Setting her tray – and a PDA of her own – down, she took her seat. All eyes were on her, yet she betrayed no sign of noticing. Instead, she tapped the screen of her PDA with one hand and picked up her chopsticks with the other.
"Oookay… Anyway, it's kind of dangerous, Guilmon. I don't think it's a good idea."
Guilmon made a groaning sound. "But Takato… those two Megas haven't done anything since they got here. I'm alone an awful lot when you're at school. If they wanted to beat me up and load my data, wouldn't they have done that by now?"
"He's got a good point," Kenta said, his eyes going back and forth between Takato and Alice, trying to work out what he saw in front of him.
Takato frowned. "But what if that dog or whatever it is turns out to be some kind of trap? Like, maybe they capture you and transport you to another world where we can't follow?"
"If that is the case, then it's likely to happen even if you were with him," Alice said blandly, her blue eyes never once leaving her PDA. Again, all eyes fell on her as she scrolled through the PDA's contents.
"What are you trying to say?" Takato asked, frowning.
"Only that if such an event were to occur, and Guilmon is unlikely to detect it, then the end result would be the same whether you're with him or not." Taking out a stylus, Alice made a notation. "If you're unable to accompany him due to your school obligations, then why not have MarineAngemon go in your place? Wouldn't that be a more efficient use of your time? Especially since you can monitor your partner using your digivice?"
Takato and Kenta both blinked.
"I can't believe I forgot we could do that…"
"I can." Alice made another note. "You two are with your partners often and rarely go into a confrontation without them. It's easy to forget something you rarely make use of."
Takato frowned, opened up his mouth to say something, stopped, and then began again.
"You're right," he said. "But I'm still not sure that it's a good idea."
"Takato, your grades aren't doing so well," Guilmon pointed out. "You promised Mom that you'd study once in a while."
"My grades aren't that bad. I'm still passing."
"Takato, I know he's a Rookie, but Guilmon is not a child. Are you going to lock him up in a cage because you're afraid of losing him?"
Takato's eyes snapped over to Alice and for a moment, anger clouded his eyes. Closing his notebooks, he stood up.
"Let's go, Guilmon," he said. "I'll go with you to that spot. I can't stop thinking about it either."
"Ha?" Guilmon cocked his head. "But Takato…"
Takato didn't wait or say anything more. Instead, he gathered up his things and began to head toward the door. Kenta watched him go, mouth agape before he hastily started to do the same.
"H-Hey! Takato! Wait up!" he said, hurrying after his friend. Guilmon remained rooted in place, not sure what to do, even as MarineAngemon moved to join his partner.
"Ohhh… I did something wrong, didn't I?" he said, ears wilting.
"No, you didn't," Alice said. Looking up from her work, her eyes followed after the troupe. A touch of sympathy revealed themselves in their blue depths and her face softened a little. "He's locked himself in a cage and he won't let himself out of it."
Heaving a sigh, she looked down at her unfinished meal.
"Better hurry after him, Guilmon," she said. "Before he gets lost on his way out."
"Ah, okay," Guilmon replied. He cocked his head at her thoughtfully. She didn't look at him, instead focusing on her work. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything further, Guilmon started after his partner.
###
"Are you all right, Takato?" Guilmon asked.
The goggle-wearing boy stared straight ahead as he strode down the street. To Guilmon, the answer was obvious. His scent was filled with storms, making his unhappiness very clear. Yet, sometimes, the very act of asking would bring him out of those storms.
As he watched, Guilmon saw that his partner was now doing just that. There was a subtle shift in his eyes and the clouds in them parted, revealing the boy he knew to be in there.
"No," he admitted. "But that's not really a surprise." He glanced at his partner with a worried look. "Is Alice right? Am I just locking you up because I'm afraid of losing you?"
Guilmon saw emotion trembling in his eyes, plainly afraid of the answer. Guilmon wondered if the truth would hurt more here or help.
"I don't think so," he replied after a moment of deliberation. "I mean, you've had me make deliveries for the bakery without you before and you have to go to school without me. And there are places that I can't go without you, so you have to be there with me. Sure, you worry about me when I'm alone, but that's natural."
"Yeah, but this isn't the first time you've asked to do something on your own and I said no. And then when Alice called me out on it, I got mad and jumped in without thinking." He looked down at his hands. Guilmon saw that they were shaking. Looking over at Kenta, who had thus far remained silent, Guilmon could tell that he noticed it too.
Taking a step forward, Kenta laid a hand on Takato's shoulder.
"The spot where we lost the puppy isn't that far. Why don't we let him go without us? MarineAngemon can go with him." He turned toward his partner. "Is that okay, buddy?"
"Pih!" MarineAngemon said with an energetic nod.
"N-No! I…" Takato's eyes widened slightly and he looked back down at his shaking hands. He could feel his heart pounding in his head. It made thinking difficult. Wiping an arm across his brow, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"O-Okay," he stammered out. "But you've got to promise me that at the first sign that something looks bad, you'll come back to Hypnos, okay? Promise me!"
"I will." Guilmon slashed an X across his chest. "I promise."
Takato's mouth trembled, but he nodded. "Good luck, boy."
Guilmon pulled his partner to him in a powerful hug and breathed deep his scent. There were a lot more storms now. A lot more rain, and not for the first time did he wish he could take all that away and bury it like he used to do with bread back in days he lived in the park. But feelings, he knew, were not so easily gotten rid of.
Breaking away, Guilmon waved and headed off back toward the park where they first found the puppy. MarineAngemon followed after him, not saying a word. Speaking with someone who didn't understand him wasn't always productive, so he opted to keep a sharp lookout for any sign of trouble that somehow slipped past Guilmon's senses.
Returning to the tree, Guilmon gave it a good snuffle. The scent was still there, as he expected, and with it the smell of electricity.
"I don't understand," he said to himself, more for MarineAngemon's benefit than his own. "Am I smelling a portal or something else?"
Continuing his investigation, he climbed the tree, noting that the 'puppy' was unusually adept at climbing. This was also where the electricity smell became strongest. He didn't know what that meant however.
"It can't be a puppy," he said, again for MarineAngemon's benefit. "It almost smells like a digimon, but it's not! When I first smelled it, it kind of smelled like a doggy, but…"
Guilmon frowned, remembering what Lopmon had said about another world of digimon creating humans as artificial intelligence instead of the other way around. He envisioned a version of himself attending digimon school, seated at a desk and drawing a picture of Takato.
"He'll be my best friend ever and we'll play tag and eat bread until we can't eat anymore…" he imagined this alternate version of himself saying. It was a silly daydream, and one that he had to dismiss for now as it was distracting him from his investigation.
Deciding he wasn't going to get any more useful information here he changed his approach. Going over to where he first found the puppy and began sniffing around there as well. The electric scent was considerably dialed back, but there was also a familiar smell of fear.
The puppy was scared? He remembered how it struggled and squirmed to escape once he began sniffing it. Maybe it was concerned he would discover its true nature?
Pushing through the brush, he continued on, following his nose. There didn't seem to be much at first. The electrical smell tapered off the further he went along until it all but disappeared. However, he noticed that the puppy's trail had been a fairly straight line. Almost like it had been aiming for them.
"Weird. It's like it knew where we were."
He pressed on until he came to a spot where the puppy's scent just abruptly stopped, and around it was another smell. Something he couldn't identify, but was similar to the sparking smell. Only larger and less jagged.
"This spot almost smells like the portal beneath my old home, but it's different." Curious, he poked his claws around the air and ground, but came away with nothing. Pressing his snout to the ground, he took a deep breath.
"Pih?" MarineAngemon asked.
"It's not underground. It must have closed up. Or maybe it's higher up in the sky?" Guilmon looked up uncertainly. "I don't know… I'm just not sure, but I think the puppy came from another world. I'm sure of it now."
Something about it still nagged at him. He didn't feel entirely sure. He wasn't experienced in smelling portals that led to other dimensions other than the digital world. He wanted to be absolutely sure, but how?
The answer came to him almost right away.
"MarineAngemon?" he began, turning to the tiny fairy digimon. "Could you go tell Kenta and Takato that I need to see Rika right away and I'll do my best to get back as soon as I can? There's something I need to check out."
"Pih!" MarineAngemon nodded. Whirling about, he flew off back in the direction of Hypnos. Guilmon sniffed the air again, wasting no time in catching Rika's scent. It was small and diluted but that didn't surprise him. He knew there wouldn't be much he could learn from that alone, but he could use it to find her. He only worried if he would actually learn anything at all, as nearly a week had gone by since she visited that alternate world and returned.
I have to try. I won't be able to know for sure unless I do that.
With renewed determination, he pressed his nose to the ground and began his search.
###
Rika was sitting on the porch by her room, overlooking the koi pond when a familiar, nasally voice could be heard calling from behind the gate surrounding her home.
"Hello? Is Rika home?"
"Guilmon?" she said aloud. Climbing to her feet, she went around to the front of the house.
"Hellooo?" the voice called again. It was Guilmon for sure. Instantly, she felt a flash of worry in her chest.
"I'm coming, Dinoboy!" she answered back, this time making sure she spoke loud enough to be heard.
"Rika!"
"That's me!" she said. Spotting her grandmother, who had come around from the other side of the house to see what the noise was, she nodded to her.
"It's Takato's digimon," she said.
"Oh!" Seiko looked at the gate with a mixture of alarm and curiosity. "Is everything all right?"
"We'll see in a second." After quickly slipping on her shoes, she went over to the gate and with a grunt, pulled it open. There, she found Guilmon waiting for her, waving. A dopy smile was on his face.
"Hi!" he greeted.
"Hey, yourself." Poking her head out, she looked both ways down the street. "Where's Takato? Is he okay?"
"He's at Hypnos working on his homework. At least, I hope he is." Guilmon tapped a claw on his chin worriedly. "He's been having trouble with it lately and… Oh! I need to tell you why I'm here!"
"It's not to ask me to tutor Gogglehead, is it?" Rika asked, though a small smile played along her lips. As far as requests went, she didn't feel she would mind tutoring Takato.
Guilmon shook his head. "No. I need to see if you smell like a portal."
Rika blinked.
"Okay. I didn't expect that. Also, how do you know what a portal smells like?"
"I really don't," Guilmon admitted. "But there was a puppy in the park that we lost that smelled really weird and it stopped at a place that smelled even weirder, so I got to thinking that if it came from another world then maybe what I smelled was a portal. But you're the only other one I know who's been to another world that wasn't the digital world, so…" He raised his claws up in the air in something like a shrug.
Rika tilted his head to one side. She could see the logic there, as crazy as it sounded.
"Hate to burst your bubble, Dinoboy, but it's been a long while and I've had several showers since then. Whatever smell I had from crossing dimensions, it's probably long gone now."
"Maybe, but would it hurt to try?"
"I…" Rika stopped, a thought occurring to her. She turned toward Seiko, who stood at the main entrance to the house, watching from a distance. "Grandma! That dress I was wearing when I came back from that other world! Did it get washed yet?"
"No, I don't believe so," Seiko called back.
"Guilmon needs to smell it!" Rika blushed madly at how that must have sounded, so she hastily added, "He thinks it might still smell like a portal and he wants to make sure! I guess it's part of some investigation he and Takato are doing!"
Seiko looked a bit confused and surprised, but she nodded after a moment of thought. Rika could only guess what was going through her mind.
Where digimon are concerned, it's probably best to not think about it too much, she thought, leading Guilmon toward the house. The crimson dinosaur was looking about, nostrils flaring.
"It's nice here," he said. "Smells pretty."
Rika smiled. "Thanks. I like it here too."
Guilmon stopped suddenly and rose up on his legs. For the first time, Rika realized how tall Guilmon could be now that he wasn't crouching. Unconsciously, she took a step back.
"Uh, is everything okay, Guilmon?"
"I smell…Antylamon?" He cocked his head to one side. "And something else. Like lightning, only softer."
"Huh. Portal smell maybe? Their Antylamon sent me home and it hasn't rained here in a few days…"
"Rika?" came Seiko's voice from within the house. She was bearing the ruined dress.
"Pardon my intrusion," Guilmon said, bowing to Seiko. The elder matriarch lifted her eyebrows in surprise at this. Seemingly in spite of herself, a smile crept across her face.
"So polite," she observed. "Just like his Tamer."
"Hah?" Rising, Guilmon looked at Seiko in confusion. "You've met Takato before?"
"I've visited your bakery once, not too long ago," Seiko replied. "He may not remember me though. I was one customer among many after all."
"He might remember you. Takato always remembers the really nice customers, and you sound really nice."
Seiko smiled, but seemed unsure as to what to say. Instead, she held out Rika's ruined dress. Approaching, Guilmon took a sniff.
"A Raremon… A little girl… Takato!" Guilmon sniffed some more. "Jeri."
His expression fell at that, but he pressed on. "Antyalmon too. And…And soft lightning again! Portal! But…different?"
"Alice scanned me," Rika offered, amazed by how sensitive Guilmon's nose could be. "Maybe she should scan this as well?"
"Would that be okay?" Guilmon asked, looking back and forth between Seiko and Rika.
"I don't have any problem with it if it helps you guys out." Rika glanced at her grandmother, who shook her head.
"As long as it helps," she said. "Would you like for me to put it in a bag or box?"
"If it won't hurt the smells. Ah, I'm not causing trouble, am I?"
"No trouble at all," Seiko said. "I'll be back."
Alone now, Rika turned back toward Guilmon.
"So… Takato's having trouble with school?"
"Only a little. His grades have been dropping because he hasn't been sleeping well. He's still passing, but his parents are getting worried. Of course, they've been worrying about him for a long time now, but this is a new worry."
Rika nodded, her thoughts turning Takato's situation around in her head. "I'll have to have a chat with him." Looking at Guilmon, she tilted her head. Something in his eyes caught her attention. They seemed dimmer somehow. Even his scales, now that she thought of it, looked a little ruddier and not as brilliant as she remembered. It could have been a trick of the light. After all, the sun was setting, but she couldn't get it out of her head that he looked…tired. Worn down.
"How're you holding up?" she asked.
"Me?" Guilmon's large, golden eyes blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, you. I don't think I had a chance to think about it before, but you're also working hard and dealing with things too, right?" Rika wanted to curse herself for focusing so much on Takato. She had completely left out the other half of his equation.
"I'm okay," Guilmon replied, his snout dropping. "But I am worried. I don't really know how to help Takato. I can't seem to make his sadness go away no matter what I do."
"Sadness is pretty tough to beat," Rika agreed. Reaching out, she patted him on the shoulder. "I'll do what I can to help out. I promise. Just do me a favor?"
"What's that?"
Rika gave Guilmon's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Don't try to carry it all yourself, okay? If you want to talk… If you need to talk, I'll listen. And if I can help, I'll give it my best shot."
Guilmon positively beamed at her and it seemed that some of his light returned to his eyes and scales.
It's got to be a trick of the light, she thought, but seeing that smile made her doubt such was the case. Digimon, after all, were an oddity she knew very little about.
"Thank you!" he chirped happily. Smiling back, Rika folded her arms around the dinosaur and drew him into a tight hug.
"Don't mention it. It's what friends do."
From the shadows of the house's entrance, holding a small bag, Seiko watched with a smile.
14