Chapter 19: Crossed Paths

Dorumon followed along from a moderate distance, allowing Ryuuji to lead the way. He had been quiet ever since leaving home, hands hidden in the pockets of his raincoat and walking without looking back, not a single doubt regarding any direction.

Not that he knew what to talk about or what to ask. It was pretty clear Ryuuji had something on his mind and while Dorumon was still trying to navigate how to handle a Ryuuji in a state like that, he figured he'd leave it for now and leave the initiative with the blond.

"While you were gone and were making that raincoat for you, I've realized that you don't really know all that much about me," he suddenly spoke in a calm tone, almost as if he knew what Dorumon was thinking. "I don't like talking about myself, but I also know that you are well aware that I live in a massive house all by myself. And that I carelessly house two Digimon with no fear of anyone else finding out."

Dorumon said nothing. He was happy that Ryuuji noticed his curiosity about Ryuuji's actual familial status, but at the same time, it was not like he pressingly needed or wanted to know. As such, he was fine letting Ryuuji lead the conversation by himself. He didn't even know what to ask in the first place. Though, now that the moment was here, he actually felt quite awkward.

"Ah! Well, then I'll just ask you questions!" Dorumon responded. "Like, eh, hm? What's your... your favourite color?"

"Hm? My favourite color..." Ryuuji lifted his chin as he thought about it. What was his favourite color? It really depended on a lot of factors. But solely in isolation it had to be... "Probably red? It's the color of passion and courage, after all. Though, black and gold also looks nice. I don't think you can ever go wrong with black. Depending on who you'd ask, they wouldn't denote it as a color though."

"Red, huh!" Dorumon repeated. He had never seen Ryuuji wear anything red, so that came as a surprise. "Then, if you could pick any place to go to, where would you go?"

Ryuuji did not answer through words. Instead, he removed his right hand from his pocket, pointing his finger to the sky, raising his arm towards the skies. Dorumon looked up to where he pointed to, not quite sure what to make of it. "The... sky?"

"It's great how birds are able to fly wherever like with bird migration," the blond began. "I wish I was also able to take off and look over the world whenever I felt like it. Watching how the world suddenly looks so small from high-up, escaping whatever holds you down."

"The sky..." Dorumon looked at the sky, the current sky overlapping with the image of the one he had from the Digital World. Like Ryuuji, he also had wondered how it'd be if he could fly. However, at the same time, he found it interesting humans held that thought when they had these machines called 'airplanes', where as Digimon would have to evolve to be able to fly.

"But questions like these are nothing but a superficial knowledge," Ryuuji continued. "You could know someone's favourite colour, their favourite food or their biggest dream, but it will you no closer to knowing them on a deeper level. It's nothing too deeply personal and won't give you an insight to the soul."

"Then what-"

"And that's why I wanted to bring you here." Ryuuji came to a stop, turning to Dorumon. Dorumon, who hadn't been paying attention to where they were going, looked around, not finding the area they were in to be familiar.

The blond began walking again, prompting the purple beast to follow. Glancing around him, he found himself growing somewhat nervous of what he was looking at. While a serene atmosphere ran around the place, he couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled.

However, luckily for him, Ryuuji also seemed rather anxious, the expression in his eyes changing as they made their way through the quiet field.

"What is this place, Ryuuji?" Dorumon asked. "Why are we here?"

The boy glanced back at Dorumon, taking a deep breath out through his nose, almost as if to muster the courage.

"This is one of the many resting places humanity knows," Ryuuji explained. "Those who don't scatter to the wind, return to the Earth."

Dorumon stared at the boy and while he did know where they were, he still didn't know why they were.

"And I want you to meet someone," he quickly added, walking the final couple of steps. "Truthfully, it's nerve-wracking for me too. I haven't come here before myself."

"You haven't? Why not?" Dorumon tilted his head to the side.

"Well, other than moving around the country ever since," Ryuuji began. "I also couldn't muster up the courage to do so. Even now, I won't be able to face it all."

"Is that why you are wearing your hood so far over your head?" Dorumon asked, before noticing something else. "A-are those sunglasses? You look like you're going to rob someone."

"Besides the point right now," Ryuuji quickly shot back, turning himself away in such a position he didn't face the tombstone they were stood in front of, but also in such a way he didn't outright turn his back on it. Rummaging through his pocket, he handed Dorumon something. As Dorumon took it, he noticed a wrapper with something solid inside of it. "It's a chocolate bar. You can place it on the grave."

"Chocolate bar? Why?" Dorumon questioned, not sure what was going on at all. "Who's resting place is this that you are so unwilling to face it?"

Ryuuji lowered his sunglasses lightly, leaving them to rest at the tip of his nose, glancing over the glasses at Dorumon, who had already turned his face to read the tombstone in front of him. Hoshizora. The tombstone read Hoshizora. The exact same way it was written for Ryuuji.

"This resting place is..." The silence that befell his Digimon partner as he read and his jaws that seemed stuck in place while open told Ryuuji Dorumon realized. "My mother's."

The blonde girl unemotionally stared around as Jen and Takato looked at each other, even standing on her tipy-toes to try and peek behind Jen.

"Do you think there's something wrong?" Takato asked.

"No idea," Jen admitted.

"We are here!" Terriermon proclaimed, waving his hands at Alice to draw her attention.

"Did Hoshizora-san not come?" the girl asked, no change in her emotions.

"Lashes found other stuff more important," Ruki informed the girl, swaying her hip to the side. "Not sure what could be more important than this, though."

"An unfortunate circumstance," Strabimon spoke up. "We had called you here in the hopes that he would be here."

"We're sorry," Jen apologized. "We haven't really found a way to get Hoshizora-san to walk somewhat in line yet so he still behaves to his own whims a lot."

"Individualism is no harm, but some responsibility for your important tasks would be appreciated," Strabimon lamented. Though he could understand escaping that responsibility. Guarding the Dark Area for as long as he can remember with nothing else to do and go certainly made him yearn for something else at various moments. Even now, it seemed somewhat surreal he actually was doing something completely else.

"That is exactly the problem," Ruki responded. "It's just a game to that guy."

"Well, no mind," Strabimon said. "Please make sure to relay to him the information that we will be sharing with you. It highly concerns him."

"Ah, Takato!" Guilmon called out. "Look!"

Guilmon pointed at a Digimon a bit further away from Alice and Strabimon that his nose had picked up. Standing around the same height as Dorumon, it also had a very similar bodytype. Golden fur was covered by a japanese-style armor, the same red stone embedded into the helmet as was on Dorumon's head.

"That crystal..." Jen noticed, his mind immediately flashing to Dorumon's.

"It's the same as Dorumon's," Takato finished.

"That's why Lashes had to be here," Ruki concluded.

"This is Ryuudamon," Alice introduced.

"He was sent here by the Holy Beasts," Strabimon added.

"The Holy Beasts did?" Jen responded, slightly shocked. Cupping his chin between his thumb and his index finger, Jen got lost in his thoughts. "What reason could the Holy Beasts have to send him here? Does it mean the Holy Beasts now something that we don't?"

"Have they told you anything?" Takato asked. "Like a message or anything?"

Ryuudamon nodded. "They told me to come here and fulfill my purpose."

"Then what is your purpose?" Ruki questioned.

The Beast-type Digimon shook his head. "I do not know. However, my reason for existence is to become the greatest weapon."

"Greatest weapon?" Renamon repeated. "What do you mean with that, Ryuudamon?"

"I have been born to be someone's greatest weapon," Ryuudamon answered. "What the Holy Beasts ask of me is probably to find that person here."

Jen and Takato glanced at each other, while Ruki frowned. "Is that person Lashes? Dorumon and Ryuudamon have the same crystal."

"That seems the most plausible right now," Jen admitted. "But maybe... it means he holds a certain power that can become a massive weapon to whoever obtains it... In such a case, it can't fall in the wrong hands."

"Then that would go for Dorumon, too," Takato added.

"It's probably why Dorumon was kidnapped," Ruki realized. "But he came back unharmed so maybe they needed Ryuudamon and realized they had the wrong one?"

"We can't say for sure. It's possible that Dorumon will only showcase signs later," Jen explained. "We'll just have to see and wait if there's any truth to him being unharmed. But I wonder if Hoshizora-kun knows more. It would explain why he planned to keep Dorumon a secret..."

"Are you saying he's hiding something, still, Jen?" Takato asked. "That can't be, Hoshizora-kun is-"

"I don't think he's keeping a secret. I do think he told us all he knows. Dorumon also never mentioned any greater goals like Ryuudamon does now," Jen interrupted. "At the same time, he still keeps his distance from us."

Ruki crossed her arms, looking away in annoyance. "That's because he thinks he's hot stuff. Guys like those always think they're better than the rest."

"I don't think it's that," Jen replied. "I don't know what else it is that makes it so he keeps his distance, but I don't think he looks down on us in any way."

"Try saying that when you're my size and he looms over you while you're standing on the ground!" Terriermon protested.

"We wished for Ryuudamon to be taken in by Hoshizora Ryuuji and Dorumon," Strabimon informed. "However, until information has been relayed to him and he agrees, Alice-ojousama and I will continue to watch over him."

"I'll try calling him over here now," Takato spoke up. "If I tell him what it's about I'm sure he can spare some time."

"Tell him to tell Dorumon that I said 'hi'!" Guilmon chimed in.

"And that if he doesn't come, I'll drag him here by the neck," Ruki added.

Takato quickly flinched in Ryuuji's place, tapping away at his phone in the hopes (for the blond) that he'd agree to come.

As Takato called Ryuuji, Guilmon inspected Ryuudamon and Ruki tapped her foot on the ground in annoyance, Jen's mind wondered back off to the fact the Holy Beasts had sent Ryuudamon.

It was certain that there was something going on. There was no mistaking that. But Dorumon, his kidnapping, MadLeomon, Strabimon being chased away from the Dark Area, Alice's premonitions and now Ryuudamon being sent by the Holy Beasts themselves. If the Holy Beasts were involved it had to be something of great magnitude and impact to the Digital World.

Monitoring had been tight since the D-Reaper incident so if it was something related to the D-Reaper again, the Tamers would have heard from Yamaki already by now. And other than an influx of Digimon realizing from the Digital World, there was nothing else that gave indication of something happening or being done by someone.

What was going on, really?

"Your mother died when you were 5?"

Ryuuji nodded to Dorumon's question, eyeing the flowers that were placed on her grave. Naturally, it could only be done by one other person.

"It was sudden and everything happened too fast," the boy elaborated. "She fell ill and before we knew it, she was no more."

"That's awful." Dorumon's gaze hit the ground in front of him, eyes narrowing.

"Not being able to get to her on time is what I see as my biggest failure," Ryuuji continued. "I never got to see her in her final moments and let her know I'll be alright. It's why when you told me to leave that day in the alley I couldn't leave. If I would have left without doing everything I could to help you and you would have truly died there, it'd just be a repeat."

"I see," Dorumon replied. "I thought you were just reckless."

Ryuuji raised his eyebrow behind his sunglasses, smirking at the purple beast. "That so? Don't forget that everything I do has a thought behind it, Dorumon."

"Like that chocolate wrapper?" Dorumon wondered.

"It's one of the customs when visiting a grave," Ryuuji explained. "Bringing someone's favourite food is one of the things done to pay respects. My mom liked chocolate a lot."

"So that's where you got it from!" Dorumon realized, perking up.

"Unfortunately," the blond sighed. "I'm just glad I got off with just that and nothing else of a sweet tooth..."

"But if this is ours, then who's flowers are those?" Dorumon questioned. "You haven't come here before."

Ryuuji looked at the flowers again, answering Dorumon. "Dad's, most certainly. Seems he's been here recently, too."

Dorumon glanced at Ryuuji, not sure if he should ask, but decided to do so anyways. "Hey, when do you... think I will be meeting your dad?"

"When he's not so absorbed in his work," Ryuuji answered nonchalantly. "Or when the hotels close at his work he stays at ever burn down. Either one of the two."

"So that's why he's never around," Dorumon noted. "Do you and your dad not get along, Ryuuji?"

Ryuuji looked at Dorumon, huffing out through his nose. "We don't dislike each other. We just don't see each other that much. Ever since mom died, he's just absorbed himself in his work. It's probably his way of trying to cope with it. Plus, it's probably a pain for him as a genius to deal with a son like me."

"Son like you?" Dorumon repeated. "Is there something wrong about you, then?"

"I know plenty people who think there is," the blond shrugged. "You know, I come from a rather prestiguous family. I'm saving that for a later time, but it means that outsiders put a lot of expectations on me. How I should be, what I should like. The things I need to be in their eyes. But even when I'm being myself, people still make fun of me and cast me aside. But when I don't meet their expectations, they also end up disappointed with me."

"Your dad, too?"

"Probably," Ryuuji shrugged again. "He's a genius that broke through at a young age. Meanwhile, I keep getting into fights, don't follow in his footsteps and have no interest in being the honor student teachers want me to be because of my last name. He doesn't ever say it, but I'm sure he must be fed up with a troublesome son like me."

"Does he ever tell you?" Dorumon wondered. "Since he's never home."

The blond shook his head. "He doesn't but I'm sure he does."

"But then why don't you try talking to each other?" Dorumon asked. "You're family."

"The Hoshizora side of the family simply aren't talkers," Ryuuji shrugged.

"But isn't that just sad?" Dorumon asked, tilting his head, ears and tail drooping. "You can't know his true feelings and thoughts until you talk to him."

"Maybe so. Maybe not. It's too late anyways. I've already managed for 9 years on my own. Now I got you, too. It's fine like this."

"But-"

Dorumon got cut off by Ryuuji's phone going off, who's eyes narrowed at the caller ID.

"Matsuda-san," he mumbled, his thumb hovering over the buttons to decline or accept the call. Uttering a sigh, the blond's choice fell on the latter. "Ryuuji here. Can I help you? I need to come and join you? I already told y- Huh, Ruki is-? Yeah, yeah, tell her I heard her the first time."

Dorumon eyebrows shot up as he saw Ryuuji pull a difficult face, his words making it clear there was some sort of commotion that forced him to come. While the chance was as likely he would go as much as it was likely he wouldn't go, Dorumon preferred the second for now, considering he wanted to make something clear to Ryuuji.

Sighing, the boy hung up, putting away his phone in his pocket as he turned on his heel. "Let's go, Dorumon. We're going to meet Matsuda-san and the others."

"Did something happen? Did they get into a fight?"

The blond shook his head, glancing back at Dorumon, staring at the red crystal embedded on his head.

"Someone with the same crystal as yours has shown up."

"Eh?" Dorumon blinked a couple of times, not sure what to say. Recollecting himself, he bowed to the gravestone of Ryuuji's mother. "Pleased to have meet you, miss. I'll look after Ryuuji for you."

Leaving her with those words, Dorumon quickly overtook his human partner, who's eyebrow shot up.

"Someone's excited," he amusingly mentioned.

The purple beast nodded. "We might finally learn more about my powers! Let's go, Ryuuji! There's a new friend on the horizon!"

The boy smirked at his partner's enthusiasm. It was almost infectuous at how excited he was at meeting new people and learning new stuff. As Dorumon lead the way, the boy stopped for a second, looking back at the grave they left behind.

But words? Those didn't come out.

"Ah! Hoshizora-kun!"

Takato waved the boy and his Digimon over, noticing the latter wore a black raincoat.

"What are you wearing, Dorumon?" Guilmon asked, bringing his claw to his snout. "Is it like armor?"

Dorumon shook his head. "It's a raincoat! If it starts raining, my fur would stay dry! It's great!"

"Eh, really?" Guilmon asked. "Takato! I want a raincoat, too!"

Takato sweatdropped at Guilmon, while Ryuuji chuckled.

"There you finally are," Ruki spoke up.

"I told Matsuda-san earlier today that I had something else to do," Ryuuji explained before starting to grin. "However, I came here cause you missed me so much you couldn't be without me, Ruki."

Ruki glared at the boy, crossing her arms. "Get that smirk off your face or I'll wipe it off."

Ryuuji backed up, crossing his arms across his chest. "Are you going to kiss me!? You can't, I may look like this but I'm still an innocent maiden at heart!"

Ruki's glare intensified, her scowl deepening and Renamon noticed her eye twitch lightly as her fists balled. "Ruki," the yellow kitsune spoke, giving her partner an indication to calm down and leave it.

Turning her head away, Ruki uttered a humph as she walked off, causing Ryuuji to notice Alice in his eyesight.

"McCoy-san, Strabimon," the blond noted. "So, where is-"

"Ryuuji! Look!"

The boy turned to Dorumon, who's tail waggled in delight as he stood right in front another Digimon. It's build was the same and they stood around the same height. However, contrary to Dorumon, this Digimon had a dragonic tail, golden fur and a Japanese armor. However, truthfully, on the top of its head, emblazed within the armor was the red crystal. The same as Dorumon's.

"Eh, you weren't kidding," Ryuuji realized.

"Did you think we were joking?" Takato asked.

"I expected this to be some trick to get me here cause you knew you wouldn't get me here otherwise," he confessed.

"That's Ryuudamon," Jen spoke. "Alice-san met him."

Ryuuji frowned, his brain finally clicking. "So that's what the text message was about before. Should have just told me right away."

"You must be Dorumon-sama and Ryuuji-sama," Ryuudamon noted, bowing. "Pleased to meet you. I am Ryuudamon."

"'Sama'?" the blond repeated, an eyebrow shooting up. "Just 'Ryuuji' is fine, Ryuudamon. Pleased to meet you, though."

Dorumon nodded to the blond's words. "I hope we can get along! So, how did you get here? Is there a reason you are here?"

"He was sent by the Holy Beasts," Strabimon answered in Ryuudamon's stead.

"Furthermore, he states he intends to be the greatest weapon to someone," Jen added.

"Weapon?" Dorumon repeated.

"The Holy what now," Ryuuji questioned.

"The Holy Beasts are four Digimon that were some of the first Digimon that reached their highest form and distanced themselves from humans," Renamon explained.

"They also sealed away the light of evolution into Culumon!" Terriermon added. "But they returned the light and now Culumon is not needed anymore to trigger evolution!"

"We fought the Holy Beasts over our differences before," Ruki finished. "They aided in fighting the D-Reaper, too and gave us the power to Biomerge in the real world."

"That so?" Ryuuji went. "But if those four send him here then wouldn't that mean it's a big deal?"

Takato nodded. "Probably, but we can't really contact them right now."

"Did you get any premonition about this, McCoy-san?"

The blonde nodded at the blond, who immediately began to feel guilty. He had stubbornly disagreed to come along for something of which he could have known was serious. Alice wasn't the girl to call them to meet her for nothing (or so he assumed based on what he seen so far) and the fact she also had a premonition about it indicated it was serious business.

"Sorry for not coming straight away when you asked the first time," Ryuuji sighed. "I misjudged the importance of it and gave my own business priority. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings, McCoy-san."

Alice's lips parted her lips a bit for a tiny second, before faintly smiling at Ryuuji. "I don't mind."

"However, I'm sure Alice-ojousama appreciates your apologies, nonetheless," Strabimon added. "So do I, for a matter of fact."

The boy smirked at the wolf. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Besides that..." Strabimon glanced at Alice, continuing. "I may be overstepping here, but I'm sure Alice-ojousama would be overjoyed if you were to call her by her first name."

"S-strabimon...!" The blonde blushed lightly with her eyes slightly widening, the Tamers seeing the first bit of emotion since meeting her.

Strabimon frowned. "What? Is it not so that adressing by the last name puts a sense of distance between people? I am aware it's a matter of respect, too, but you can also show respect to someone despite using a different name, is it not?"

"Hear that, Ruki?" Ryuuji smugly grinned as he side-eyed the redhead, who glared back at him with her own side-eye. "What was that?"

"Nothing~," he sang, shrugging with a smirk. "So, now what do we do? With both Dorumon and Ryuudamon, we're sure to have a massive target on our back now."

"True," Jian spoke. "Assuming the enemy knows Ryuudamon is here too, they're bound to try and find a way to come here, too."

"We also need a place to let him stay, too," Ryuuji added. "We can't keep him unsupervised."

"You can take him, right?" Ruki said. "You have a huge house and you have Dorumon around already."

"Hah?" the blond went. "My house is not some sort of inn where everyone can just stay for as long as they'd like. Besides, I already have Noir living there, too."

"But Sistermon is independent, is she not?" Takato chimed in. "Since Ryuudamon is Dorumon's size and they'd have each other, it'd be easy to look after him."

"Then why don't none of you take him?" Ryuuji asked sarcastically.

Takato glanced at Guilmon, who smiled, but that gave Ryuuji the answer he needed. Jen glanced at Terriermon, too, who smugly smirked causing the former to sigh. That, too, gave Ryuuji his answer.

Ryuuji then turned to Ruki, raising a singular eyebrow, one hand in his pocket. "And what's your excuse?"

"A strictly female household," Ruki answered, Renamon staying stoic.

'Strictly female?' Ryuuji repeated in his head. Was there something up with Ruki's father, then? Rubbing his temples, the boy sighed, shoulders slumping lightly in defeat. "Fine, I'll take him in. If McCoy-san is fine with it."

Strabimon nodded in Alice's stead. "Much obliged. We believe that if Ryuudamon sticks close to Dorumon, they will influence each other and fulfill their full potential."

"Thanks, Ryuuji-kun!" Takato thanked. "We can now rest assured knowing he's under your care!"

"Aren't you giving me a bit too much credit here, Matsuda-kun?" Ryuuji wondered, not sure what he ever did to gain any credit. Though, he then grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Well, I am the strongest, after all."

"You? The strongest?" Ruki asked, almost offended as an eyebrow shooting up and her hip swaying to the side. "Don't make me laugh, Lashes."

"I sincerely apologize, Digimon Queen-sama," the blond winked. "I will pretend to know my place."

The redhead glared at the boy, Renamon silently eyeing both. "Power is not everything, Ryuuji," the kitsune spoke.

"That so?" he repeated, smirking as his eyes closed. "Maybe not, but with enough of it, you can live life as you please. Even if it's not everything, it's plenty."

"Is that truly what you believe?"

"Would my answer make any difference?" Ryuuji asked, eyes glinting again. Takato eyes then widened, thinking back to that dream he had before meeting Ryuuji. While he had still not met the dragon he saw, the expression and aura of the figure besides it...

"Was that... Ryuuji-kun?" he mumbled, somewhat too loud.

"What was me?"

"Ah!" Startled, Takato waved it off. "Nothing, nothing."

Ryuuji shrugged it off, turning his attention to Alice. "Then, McCoy-sa-" Noticing Strabimon glare at him, Ryuuji coughed. "-Alice-san. I'll be taking Ryuudamon off your hands. Are you okay with that?"

The blonde nodded at the boy, shooting him a trace of a smile. "It will be a bit empty without him around but I'm sure you'll take good care of him."

"Hasn't it been just one day, though?" Dorumon questioned.

"You give me too much credit, Alice-san," the blond sighed. "But I'll promise to look after him."

Ryuudamon bowed. "Much obliged, Ryuuji-sama. I am in your debt."

Ryuuji shook his head. "I'm doing this on own volition. You don't owe me anything."

"Own volition?" Ruki questioned. "We almost had to drag you out here."

"And you tried to protest taking him in, too!" Terriermon added.

"It doesn't have to do with not wanting," the boy explained. "But I already house two Digimon and you all one. If someone flattens my house because they are seeking both of them, I hope you have a spare room for me to sleep."

"Strict women household," Ruki repeated monotonously.

"And I have three siblings," Jen added.

"Plus Lopmon!" Terriermon spoke, as a matter-of-fact.

"Lopmon?" Dorumon repeated, ears perking. "There's another Digimon? I want to meet them!"

"Dorumon..." Ryuuji sighed.

"I'm an only child, Ryuuji-kun," Takato informed. "I'll ask my parents if it ever comes to it, but I'm sure they won't mind."

"I don't think your house would get flattened, either way," Strabimon spoke. "It would be too radical an approach that would draw too much attention."

Ryuuji held up his hands, feigning indifference. "Hey, just saying. You got to take responsibility in case something happens to the rookie that was forced into responsibility."

"Weren't you the one who said he was the strongest minutes before?" Ruki jabbed.

"That was before I knew the Digimon Queen wouldn't provide reliable back-up," he fake pouted, slumping his shoulders along before raising his hand in the air and moving towards Takato. "Bring it in, Matsuda-kun. To the only children!"

Takato raised his eyebrow in confusion first, but seeing Ryuuji was serious, he brought in the high-five. "Yeah!"

"What about me, then?" Ruki asked, swaying her hips to the side. "I'm an only child too, you know."

"You'd either interlock our fingers or bite my hand off and I'm not sure which of the two I'm more afraid of," Ryuuji muttered, shooting her a shifty grin.

"I wouldn't even hold your hand if you were the last man on Earth," Ruki shot back, sending him a cocky smirk.

"Let's pray I'll never drop off a cliff then with you as the only possible rescue," he shrugged, sighing with a smile.

"What about you, Alice-chan?" Takato wondered. "Are you an only child, too? Or do you have siblings?"

Alice nodded stoicly. "I'm an only child."

Ryuuji raised his hand into the air once more, closing his eyes as he stepped towards her. "Reel it in, too."

Alice stared at his hand for a second, trying to reach for it with her own. However, as Ryuuji was already taller than her, putting his hand so high in the air was not helping her. In order to reach it, she reached out as far as she could on her tiptoes, ultimately succeeding in giving the high-five.

Takato, meanwhile, smiled at Alice with his own hand raised, but a lot lower than Ryuuji's, causing Alice to give Takato a high-five too.

Ruki sighed. "Don't hang out too much with the boys, Alice. You'll catch their stupidity," she joked.

Jen awkwardly laughed, though it did him good to see Ryuuji, as well as Alice, mingle in with the three of them better.

Alice stared at the palm of her hand, glancing at the two boys before softly smiling. Strabimon side-eyed his Tamer, smiling to himself as well. 'Good for you, Alice-ojousama.'

"Then now, what do we do?" Renamon asked. "The Holy Beasts have sent Ryuudamon away from the Digital World into the real world."

"Admittedly," Jen followed up. "There was no reason to send him away from the Digital World if it was safe there. It might be about time we head to the Digital World ourselves."

"But we haven't been back there ever since four years ago," Ruki protested. "Back then, we only got back with the help of the Wild Bunch. We can't freely go in and expect to just as easily come out."

"We'd have to ask Yamaki-san for help," Takato added. "He made sure we could communicate with our world back then, too."

Ryuuji and Alice simply heard the talk with raised eyebrows, not asking any question and just let the trio discuss amongst themselves.

Jen thought it over. Ruki was right and so was Takato in acknowledging Yamaki's help. However, with all the signs shown so far, it was probably better to go to the Digital World and try preventing stuff from happening as precaution than staying in Shinjuku and let it escalate.

"Jen!" Terriermon called out, worried. "You're face will stay like this if you frown any harder! You'll never get married!"

"Sorry, Terriermon," he smiled softly, turning to Ruki and Takato. "I think we should talk to Yamaki-san about it. He's dedicating himself to protecting this city, so if we explain our hunches and all else we know, he'll probably do everything in his power to supply us the means to go to the Digital World as easily as possible."

"The government official has influence with other influental people," Ryuuji mumbled under his breath. "What a shocker."

"Back to the Digital World, huh?" Dorumon went, looking up to the sky. "It will be weird to get back there after the life I've lived there."

"Well, I have been quite interested in the Digital World for a while now," Ryuuji admitted. "Just be sure to show me some of the best spots."

"Just don't treat it like a school excursion, Lashes," Ruki warned. "It's not a game where you can just reset if something happens."

"We'll fill you in on details later," Jen added. "We'll have to arrange everything with Yamaki-san first."

"Fine by me," the blond shrugged. "I need to go and find Noir first, anyways."

"I'll tell Hirokazu, Kenta and Katou-san, too," Takato added. "If we know what they are planning to do, we can go to Yamaki-san."

"That seems like the best starting point," Jen agreed.

"What about you, Alice-san?" Ryuuji inquired. "Do you want to come along, too?"

"Can I?" Alice asked.

Ryuuji's eyebrow shot up, uttering an annoyed sigh. "It's not about whether you can or can't. I'm asking you what you want."

"Then, I'd like to come," she spoke, taken back slightly by Ryuuji's reaction. "I want to help."

The blond smirked. "That makes at least five of us."

"I know this is very unlike me to say," Strabimon began. "But I feel a heart-pounding thrill in my chest at the idea of seeing the Digital World with my own eyes. I have never seen it beyond the Dark Area's gates."

"Just don't treat it like a school excursion, Strabimon," Ryuuji joked, doing his best to imitate Ruki, earning him a glare for the girl.

"My earnest apologies," Strabimon spoke, bowing with one arm across his chest, the joke going completely above his head.

Dorumon, Guilmon and Terriermon laughed, while Ryuuji smirked. Takato uttered a smile at the others enjoying themselves while even Renamon couldn't suppres a small smile.

That same kitsune eye'd the blond tamer grinning, noticing that he seemed to intermingle more with everyone than before. It was both reassuring, as well as feeding into something Renamon already suspected.

Was a change occuring? Or was this simply another game of play pretend?

"Huh? Actually, now that I think of it, why is Dorumon wearing a coat?" Terriermon asked. "Where did you even get a Digimon-sized coat?"

"Ah! Ry-" Dorumon was cut off by hands wrapping around his snout, keeping his mouth shut.

"Nothing!" Ryuuji proclaimed. "We just bought a children's size!"

Be it play or reality, at least things were lively like this.

The Digital World is drawing near and Ryuuji's not-so-secret secret (it was pretty evident from the get-go) gets put into the world by the man himself. As was the case with the original, it boils down to '(broken) familial bonds'.

A shorter chapter than usual, but that's mostly because the cut-off was otherwise too awkward with what's supposed to come after this, so I left it here. The cast is growing and almost fully assembled. Things are slowly shaping up and while at a slower pace than I'd like, I can't say I'm too unhappy about it (hopefully some of you share that opinion too. I can imagine all this talking and less action becomes a drag at some point during 19 chapters).

I hope to be able to pump out one more chapter before the year ends. Not sure if I'll manage to, but it all starts with the intention.

I hope you enjoyed reading (parts of) this chapter and until next time!