Chapter 4 : Saviour

Never once in his life that this moment ever cross his mind, especially after his fight with those tamers. Sitting with juri alone, he can see her better now. Not much has changed except her height, her brown hair is still the same, she even wear a green long dress that slightly longer from the winter jacket that she wear.

"who's she talking about? Someone else?" Despite trying so hard, he got nothing to recall, no one been close to him and even those who knows him knew very well about his bad deeds. "impmon, why are you live alone like this?" Ask juri softly, he keep his mouth shut. If sitting with her alone isn't put much pressure already, she also give him a hard topic to begin with. The girl isn't know any better touch his hand gently, trying to get his attention. "you must have a partner right? Other has been discussing that repeatedly, believing that you got a tamer. Mind telling me?"

The situation is just bad to open up about his past, but the thing is he talking to someone special. Maybe open up to juri isn't so bad, or at least he show something to her in return of her forgiveness. "they're dead juri, my partner is gone and that's also my fault. I'm selfish, can't even realize that I'm hurting everyone that cares about me before it was too late" Juri left speechless on that, that reveals just too much for her. In response she want to give him a hug, just to ease up his feelings, but his response from that is a scream. Fortunately he quickly regain his composure and tell juri about his leg injury, she accidentally put some weight on his injured leg. After that he ask her to help him move, now leaning against the wall.

The pain worsen and hunger also catching up to him, with a little point he ask juri to get his instant ramen. "impmon, this is not how you eat it. Please, let me treat you better at home" He shook his head again, still denying what he really need, that makes juri even more worried but nothing they can't do right now, at least they need to wait until garurumon comeback.

Both fall into a silence again after her failed attempt to persuade the imp. While juri can't think of better term to reason with impmon, impmon got nothing to talk with her, both scared that their words will hurt their friend. After a while juri decide to talk about it again, remain silent in the dark sewer start getting to her nerve. "you know, no one really knows about your partner. Can you tell me about it?" His eyes widen for a second before he look down, making juri panic as she realize that she should choose another topic, this just bring a bad memory.

"ai and mako, those are their names" Juri surprised to hear that, there is no two tamers having only one digimon before, most digimon that has partner only got one yet impmon for some reason got two. "they're younger than you juri, even more childish. I don't care about them much, like they are just nuisance for me, until…" He stopped his mouth from talking again. From the start he knows that at some point this will happen, yet he still can't face it with cool head.

A clear hint for juri, she knows well why impmon scared to comeback, one of it is clearly their relationship but juri already move on past that. "is that when we go back from digital world?" He nod slowly and juri quickly pat his head. "it's ok, don't be scared okay, it's over impmon" A little whimper coming from him, no matter how much she told him it's fine, that won't changed a single thing. The guilty feelings will never go away, but at least he regain his cool to continue talking.

"i comeback to them and then left again, that's when d-reaper start to attack more aggressively. Then after I failed to save you, they come to pick me and… and." He burst in tears, recalling every second of that memory. Juri pat his shoulder gently yet that's makes little different. "those d-reaper agents found me and them, that damned thing blasted the bus and killed them in process. It's not fair… it's not fair! I should be the one who died! They did nothing! They just…"

Juri makes him lean to her a bit, putting her arm over his shoulder then pulling him closer. It start to get clear, she think that impmon thought it was karma, karma for killing her partner. That's not a wild theory and she can see him distressed just like her when she lose leomon. "you're not alone, you got us and we will help you. Just like when you help me"

Despite he happy to hear that, he can't even crack a smile for now. "they care about me, but I… I don't deserve any of that"

Since impmon stay silent for minutes, juri knows she need to start talking about better things, but what she should talk about? From what she knows there is not much of good memory for the imp, let alone talking about his partner. "how could I know about his good time, except..!"

While he stuck on his own mind, juri pull him out by playfully pinch his right cheek. Strangely he doesn't feel anger from her, not because he scared to her or even about his past mistake, but rather he starting to understand that she does that to cheer him up. It makes him smile a bit, which greeted by another smile from her. "that's more like it, you look better with your smile" They both chuckle a bit before goes back to silent. "hey, I've been wondering if you got someone special on any of us?"

He looks at juri with confused look. "those kids? Or their partner?"

Juri nod to him. "both, anyone you like. There must be something good between you and us, I mean not really… but there must be at least one right? Not a specific person, but could be a memory of something else? Honestly I'm jealous when you can talk to them after you help them beat that d-reaper agent, you also the only digimon that can turn into mega without merging with your partner and help them finish that fight"

A sense of guilty suppressed by those words from juri, helping him to recall about a good memory of his. But when he got something to tell, the bad memory still there to accompany his good story. "juri, I don't want to talk about this cause it's a bad time for you. But there is something good that I never got before when it's happen, you know what I mean. Should I?"

Without much doubt juri nod to him, it's a rare chance to know him more, even her friends and their digimons barely impmon personally. "when everyone still on digital world, they can't go back right. Remember the arc or grani?" Despite that is one of the worst time in her life and she dazed all the time, juri still remember some of it. "I still on my mega form, but my power sucked until I barely can get up, then I forced back into this form and can't even change back to my mega form let alone walk. Dragging my body with hands through those sand alone, I vividly remember that feelings, powerless and alone in the verge of death" Impmon decide to pause for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing his story.

"is this a good choice? Why is his story always sound grim?" Questioning her own choice, juri about to change for another topic but after she take a glance again he seems ready to continue.

"to this day, I still wondering what's the point at that time? What do they see on me?" Juri start to realize what he means, that's why she can recall her memory on what he talking about. "impmon, you still thinking why we save you that time?"

He nod to her, it just a mystery for him. "there is no point on saving me, not after what I just did before. It doesn't make sense. Sure I live thanks to them, but… even the others opposing that idea yet… I just don't get it" Now he looks more dejected than before, making juri even more worried. "they come, lending their hand. To me, a killer. Why? Are they dumb? No, they're not. They are the most cool headed among any of you. Then even after that, I'm not even saying a simple thanks, what a fucking joke"

Anger and disappointment can be seen on his face, his feelings not pointed towards anyone else but himself. Each second he getting more frustrated by his own anger, about to snap and explode. There is nothing good comes from it and juri knows it very well, she quickly grab impmon's hand and squeeze it gently, somewhat it works and he gradually calm down. Juri understand impmon quite well now, not only from their memory about leomon, she also knows that impmon got a harsh time when losing his tamers, she lost one digimon but he lost two tamers in one go. They both lost their partners, she knew his pain not much different as her, even though the problem start with different reason.

Since impmon not telling her why he pick that one as his good memory, juri decide to force him a bit. "it's renamon and ruki right?" He nod, her guess was right even though she can't remember that one moment very well. The time when ruki and renamon risk themselves left on digital world just to bring him with them, not even pointing out that the others opposed their decision. "is there anything that makes them special to you?"

This time it has a strong reaction, not only impmon got way more stable emotion, he even put a smile on his face. "well, it's the first time I feel it. Especially when she hold my body on the arc" Juri showing a confused looks to him, it's to vague for her to grasp his memory. "before that, I never really got anyone with me. When they held my powerless body, for the first time I feel that someone truly care about me. You can say it's a pity but I couldn't care less, I never felt something like that, it was the first and last until now"

It's a good yet sad things to hear for juri, but at least impmon seems feel better than before. "it's not going to be the last impmon, you know what I mean"

Again, impmon quickly dejected and shook his head, trying to refuse any help. "I can't do that juri, I just…" As his voice falls, juri heard something.

A sound of footsteps getting clear each second, it must be them she thought. Turning to impmon again, she notice he preoccupied with his own thought and not even hearing those sounds, which showing how bad he trapped in the past right now. "you can't keep going round and round on this! Why you don't want to comeback? You said renamon and ruki save you before even when no one else agrees, don't you want to meet them again? Everyone looking for you impmon, hoping you survive that attack, waiting for you to show up" Juri loud voice not fazed him a little bit, he just blankly stares down.

"i can't, I'm a monster, everything I touch either dead or gone juri. It's better this way, this is my place, there is no chance I ever hurt anyone again this way" Guilt start taking over again, even worse than before and this time garurumon is not there to stop him. It just him and juri. Putting all strength on his legs, he get up but juri managed to grab his hand.

"I'm not leaving my friend here!" Yell her, but he won't listen to her, the faster he go away then the safer juri will be.

Juri pull him a bit stronger and it make him took a wrong step, making him lose balance and trying to keep his balance mostly with his left leg. It just send a new level of pain to him before falling head first to wet concrete.

Everything blur and he can barely hear, the world seems turned upside down in his eyes. The pain gone temporarily, he can't even get himself together at this point but he notice a slight change on his view, someone position his body to sit and lean whatever thing behind him. Slowly but surely he regain his focus and pain start coming back, making him whimper helplessly on the spot.

Faintly he can hear voices calling his name and then he see two human girls in front of him, both very familiar to him. When he starting to recalling what just happen, he call one of them faintly. "ju..ri.. s-sorry…" One of them quickly pull out a little thermos and use the lid as cup, pouring what it seems as warm liquid to it. They want to give him that but his condition makes him can't even drink it without help. Then one girl take off her thick jacket and covering his body with it, giving warmth in this cold winter.

They look at each other worried. "how did you find him?" Ask one of them.

"he steal a pack of instant ramen, then I follow him to this place. Ruki, he doesn't want to be helped, I don't know how to force him" Reply juri.

Ruki sigh, still worried. "I heard what he say on the way, I'll take care of him" That surprise juri as she know that ruki more strict than the others. "it doesn't matter what he want now, he can't be left alone like this. This place…" Looking at her surrounding, ruki face turned grim. "how did he even-? it's been five years and he torturing himself... when me and renamon go after him in digital world, we believe that he still have a good side. That's true but I never thought his guilt eating him from inside like this"

Juri nod "that's right, he found me first when I locked up by d-reaper. Maybe he think his effort is worthless while he actually help us a lot"

The conversation is very hard to follow at first, but he manage to regain focus thanks to the pleasant feeling of warmth on his body. "ruki… is that you?" Ask him faintly.

Ruki nod and pat his head, making him let out a little whimper. "impmon, it's nice to see you again" She smile to him, something that makes him a bit sad and look down again. Ruki stopped her pat and push his chin up a bit, making a staring at his eyes. "you know what I'm gonna do, if you don't want to be helped by juri, she understand. But I will take you with me" If it's ruki, he knows there is little to no choice. "you see, we won't leave you like this impmon, you're our friend"

Impmon barely catch up to their saying and having a hard time to think, he's delirious and can't do much right now. Once again he lost consciousness before manage to answer them. "ruki, I know it's a bit selfish. But can we take care of him? I… just.." Ruki's partner showing more concern as the purple imp condition getting worse, without much thought ruki agrees then followed by juri.

"I can see why you guys choose to save him. If you need some help, just call me okay" Says juri, both renamon and ruki nod.

"yeah, we need to meet again very soon, there's a lot to talk about since you talk to him privately. Renamon, i'll carry him" Says ruki as she slash a card on her digivice and renamon digivolved into kyubimon in no time.