A/N: Heat's been kicking the crap out of me the last couple weeks. Doing my best to take it easy and power through where I can. Stay cool out there everyone.
And yes, before anyone says anything, the referenced 'Act on the Protection of Personal Information Act No. 57 of 2003' is actually written as it reads in all the translated documents I was able to find. A bit redundant with the use of the word 'acts', so I'm left wondering if it's a legalese thing or a language barrier issue.
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: 10/ Tests
"Guilmon!"
Outside of the Shinjuku government building, Guilmon turned toward the voice that hailed him. He didn't need his nose to tell him who it was. Calumon's excited, bubbly voice was very familiar to him and their friends. Spotting the tiny creampuff digimon sailing through the air on his large ear-wings, Guilmon smiled.
"Hiii!" he waved. "Hey everyone! It's Calumon!"
"What's up, creampuff?" Suzie asked. Calumon's attention paused on the girl, quickly seeing that she had been crying.
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. Suzie scowled.
"Just poking at a bad scab," she said in a tone suggesting to leave the topic alone. Unfortunately, she was dealing with Calumon.
"Oh! Those aren't fun! Not at all! Masahiko picks at them all the time! Why is that? It sure doesn't look like fun."
"Um, is there something we can help you with?" Kenta asked, hoping to steer the conversation in another direction. "If it's about playing, I'm afraid we're kind of in the middle of something right now."
"Well, I did want to play tag or hide and seek," Calumon said as Guilmon began to sniff him over. "But mostly I wanted to introduce you guys to a new friend I made. She was watching you earlier and then we lost you, so we began searching and… Oh!" Turning about Guilmon's questing nose, he looked around him. A confused expression crossed his face. "Well, she was following me. At least, I think she was. She seemed pretty shy."
Guilmon's head snapped up just then. "Kuzuhamon! You were playing with Kuzuhamon?"
"Wait, what?" Suzie exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. "That Mega is still here? What about the other one with the swords?!"
"I don't know who that is," Calumon replied. "But the really tall lady was super nice. Maybe a little too nice. She says she can't hang out with me because I'm me. That doesn't make sense. I know all the best places to play."
"Right…" Suzie deadpanned. "Because I'm sure there's some secret conspiracy to keep them from figuring out where all the best play places are. I bet their bosses are worried their big, bad city-wreckers will be distracted from doing their job and probably end up quitting."
"Maybe they are. Isn't that what you did with Lopmon?" Guilmon asked, giving Calumon another sniff. Suzie's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Do you think you can find her, Guilmon?" Kenta asked, moving quickly to head off any potential clash between Suzie and Takato's partner. Angling his head, Guilmon continued to poke around Calumon, taking in every bit of scent he could find.
"I don't think so," he finally said, shaking his head. "She must be hiding her trail somehow. It's really weird. I've never met a digimon who could do that before."
"Well, I found her no problem," Calumon said. "I landed in the tree she was in and saw her right below me, watching you all."
"Maybe she was watching Rika," Kenta surmised while rubbing his chin. "She did kidnap her earlier."
Suzie frowned at that, remembering Rika's story. While she doubted it, she couldn't deny that Kuzuhamon had kidnapped her and now appeared to be stalking her.
"So… What do we do?" Suzie asked. Kenta gestured to the Hypnos building.
"We take this inside and tell the others. Then we come up with a plan."
"A secret plan," Guilmon emphasized. Placing a claw up to his snout, he made a shushing sound. "She might still be near even though I can't smell her. She might be a real good listener."
"Way to spoil that there's going to be a secret plan," Suzie grunted, planting her hands on her hips. "But fine. Whatever. Let's get this over with."
"Yay!" Calumon cheered, following after them as the group trekked into the Hypnos building. "Game time!"
"It's not a game, Calumon."
"But we're playing with Kuzuhamon, right?"
"Not exactly…"
###
From the rooftop across the street, Kuzuhamon's eyes followed the group as the last vestiges of their conversation disappeared with them into the building. She frowned beneath her facemask. Calumon's discovery of her altered things and not in a way she liked.
What could I have done? she wondered. He is the Keeper of the Light. A holy entity on par with the Sovereigns themselves.
She closed her eyes. Well, it doesn't matter as long as I determine what I need about the Deva.
Reaching out with her magic, she brushed against the building's defenses. They were strong, just as she predicted. But not impossible to overcome.
Sweeping her gloved hand in front of her, a number of red paper charms appeared out of thin air. With a tap of her Khakhara staff against the roof she sent them flying off toward the Hypnos building, where they plastered themselves against its surface. She repeated this several more times, adding more and more spells on subsequent floors until she was finally able to tap through a weak point in Hypnos' firewall. She smiled in triumph.
Now, let's see what we shall see.
###
"Once we've attached these sensors onto you, we'll send you into that machine over there."
Rika turned away from the dark-skinned man – Janyu Wong – and over at the machine in question. To her, it looked like an MRI machine, with a mechanically operated bed platform that ran into a narrow, white tunnel.
"Once inside," Janyu continued, "we'll run a tracer program that scans you for potential viruses or other unwanted digital programs. If any are detected, a powerful electromagnetic field will be activated and, hopefully, destroy them."
Rika cast her eyes back at Janyu. His hair was full of white streaks amidst a few greys and his skin held a haggard appearance. More than she expected from the father of Henry Wong. She supposed the death of his son had aged him considerably. Yet, he smiled warmly at her, and genuinely so.
"And this is safe?" she asked.
"Perfectly so," he replied.
"I've used it," Takato chimed in from over where a blond-haired girl was sitting, typing away on a computer. Her attention appeared wholly on her work, but her cool, blue-eyes glinted with attentiveness.
"Don't worry," the girl – Alice McCoy – said with a deadpan voice. "He's always been a mess. The Digital Resonance Scanner didn't do that to him."
Rika narrowed her eyes, but a look at Takato's smiling face set her at ease. He appeared comfortable around this Alice despite her insult and cool demeanor. Rika found herself wondering what their relationship was beyond the professional, and why a girl that young was working for a government organization.
"Right…" Rika turned back to Janyu. "So, what about detecting me going to that other world? Will this thing detect that too?"
She pressed her lips together, feeling a certain annoyance at needing to have her story checked out. She could understand the reasons Takato and the others had for doubting her, but it left her feeling like she was in limbo having to explain everything and jump through hoops just to get a confirmation.
Janyu looked as if he sympathized with her.
"We'll see if we can," he said. "We've never had to look for that sort of thing before, but if you did, it should have left a trace that we can detect."
"We're all set," Alice said with a final tap on her keyboard. "The DRS is fully calibrated. We can proceed as soon as she's ready."
"I'm ready now," Rika replied impatiently.
"I can get you started on the sensor attachments, but we're still waiting on the lawyer and forms," Janyu said. He glanced at the clock. "Where are they?"
Rika rolled her eyes. Lawyers. She was sick of hearing about them. Ever since the attack at Gyoen, she heard about nothing but lawyers from her mother. It was almost as bad as hearing her prattle on about fashion.
"I really wish we didn't have to deal with lawyers," she grumbled while Janyu began to attach the wires to her forehead.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Yamaki walked in with another man carrying a folder.
"This is Iori Hida, our head of legal counsel," Yamaki said, indicating the man in question. "Mr. Hida, this is Rika Nonaka."
Iori bowed politely.
"Pleasure to meet you. It is my duty to inform you that under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information Act No. 57 of 2003, you are under no obligation to cooperate with Hypnos with regards to interrogation or digital scans without the benefit of your lawyer. If you do not have one, one will be provided to you."
"So much for 'nice to meet you,'" Rika hmphed. "And I have my mom's lawyer. Not that I care about that whole thing. I'm fine with helping you guys out. She's just freaking out over nothing."
"Nevertheless, this is a legal necessity," Iori replied, holding out the folder. "We have documents for you to sign as well before we proceed any further. They have to do with the classified nature of this facility and its contents."
"Yeah, yeah." Rika took the folder. "Don't say a word about your secret organization. Do you have a pen?"
"I suggest that you read the documents and make certain you are familiar with them before signing anything." Reaching into his pocket, he produced a pen and handed it to Rika. "It will avoid much unpleasantness in the future."
Rika sighed and flipped open the folder. "Fiiine."
She did a quick scan of the documents. Much of it was jargon, but she got the gist of it fairly well when taken as a whole. "This is an awful lot of words just to say you'll throw me in jail if I so much as breathe a word of this to someone I'm not allowed to."
"In this profession, specific wording is important."
"I bet." Rika ran through the documents one more time, this time taking even less time to do so. Impatiently, she clicked the pen button, penned her name and handed the folder back along with its contents. "There. Now can we get this scan started?"
"Got somewhere to be?" asked Alice as Iori left the room. Hoisting her legs up, Rika laid down on the bed.
"No, Blondie. I'm just tired of jumping through hoops for what should be the easiest decision in the world. Now fire this thing up."
Alice and Rika's eyes met for a moment before the blonde pressed a button. The bed jerked – a little too roughly, Rika felt – and was drawn into the tube. Once inside, lights flashed about her and she felt her skin tingle. This went on for some minutes until the lights stopped. As she waited, she heard Yamaki answer his cellphone and say something to the person on the other end. What it was, she didn't hear, nor could she move to see. However, the sound of his voice indicated he was not happy about something.
Some short minutes later, she heard Takato's voice from just outside the tube.
"Rika, I've got to go for a little bit. Kenta's back with Suzie and we need to have a meeting. I'll be back though, I promise."
"Okay," Rika nodded, feeling a little disappointed that she was stuck here for however much longer the scan would take. "Take care of yourself out there, Gogglehead."
"Dammit, I said for her not to move," she heard Alice speak up before Takato could say anything. "Now this is going to take even longer. Thanks, Takato. I could use the extra work."
"Sorry," replied Takato. "I'll, ah, get out of your hair now."
"Janyu," began Yamaki. "You go up to the control room. Alice recalibrated the sensors. See if they can detect Kuzuhamon."
"I'm on my way."
Silence fell over the room as the three left, leaving only Rika alone with Alice.
"Gogglehead, huh?" Alice began after a minute. "Interesting choice of nickname. But it fits."
Rika frowned slightly, not sure if Alice meant it the same way she did.
###
Sitting at a table, Takato tilted his head and looked around the room, making sure he understood what he just heard. All eyes were on Yamaki, who stood at the head, his expression regretful.
"Kuzuhamon's still here?" he began tentatively. "In the real world?"
"You sure have a hard time hearing, don't you? Maybe you need to clean your ears more."
Takato sighed. "Calumon, I don't need to clean my ears."
"Really? Then how come you had to ask Yamaki to repeat himself?"
"Moving on," Yamaki said, flicking his lighter open with a metallic click. "Going by Rika's testimony, it's highly likely that the Gaiomon is still here as well."
"Great," Kenta groaned. "So much for hoping that they just went home. So, what do we do now? Guilmon's nose can't find them."
"What about Hypnos' scanners?" Takato asked.
"We still haven't been able to detect them," Yamaki replied regretfully. Suzie made a scoffing sound.
"Remind me again why you bother helping us?"
"Suzie…" warned Lopmon.
"We've been making adjustments to our sensors," continued Yamaki. "But at present, our intruders appear able to evade them. We'll continue making adjustments, but until we can pinpoint their location, I advise you to be careful when you're on your own."
"Maybe we should all stick together until we know for sure that they're gone?" Kenta suggested.
"I'm not having a sleepover," Suzie deadpanned.
"Hold on," began Takato. "Do we really need to be that worried about them? I mean, okay, there's Gaiomon, but Rika said he was testing me. And since then, they've had plenty of opportunities to target us and they haven't. Maybe they're just making sure things are settled on our end before they go home?"
"We can't afford to make any assumptions at this point," Yamaki said, his lighter clicking shut. "Kenta makes a good argument. Until we know for sure, it would be better that we have the three of you here."
"Wha…?" Suzie started, clearly unhappy with this development. "But…But school…!"
"We can provide transportation, but it might be better to contact your respective schools about your situation and have notes and assignments brought to you."
"Just terrific," Suzie sulked. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms together, glaring at the two boys across from her. "Mom's going to freak."
"At least the food is good," Guilmon pointed out, trying to be helpful. Giving a light, strained laugh, Takato patted the digimon on the head.
"You're obsessed." He turned to Yamaki. "What about Rika? She's involved in this too. Should she stay here too?"
Yamaki's lighter had a particularly loud click when it flipped back open.
"Unfortunately, that won't be possible. We're already walking on thin ice legally just having her here without the permission of her family."
"Sorry about that," Takato said, wincing. Yamaki waved him off.
"What's done is done. We'll keep an eye on her, but unless something more develops with her, I don't believe our visitors will have anymore interest in her than we do."
"Well, duh," Suzie grumped from her seat. "What use would they get from a model? All she does is put on fancy clothes and prance around in front of a camera. Good thing she's not an idol. Otherwise, we'd never see her again."
"Suzie!" hissed Lopmon.
"We'll have arrangements made for your stay here. Pack any clothes or items that you might want or need for the foreseeable future and bring them here. Also…" Yamaki flicked his lighter closed. "There's one more thing that I need to discuss with you. For some months now, we've been developing a new AI program similar to Grani that will assist you. It's called Sleipnir. If it's all right with you, I would like to ask for your help in testing it."
At that, each of the Tamers and their digimon perked up.
"A program like Grani?" Guilmon asked. "You mean, a friend who can help us?"
Yamaki nodded, and for the first time since the meeting began, a small smile touched the corners of his lips. "That's what I would like to test."
"Speaking of tests…" began Takato, leaning forward. He glanced at Suzie, who glared back in turn. Yamaki nodded.
"Arrangements have been made. Suzie. Takato. Kenta. If you don't mind."
"Sure, I mind," Suzie said as everyone stood up from the table. "Why do I need these two to tag along?"
"We don't know what you might bring over when you slash the card, so why not?" Guilmon asked. Yamaki pulled open the door and nodded to the dinosaur.
Suzie scowled, but she didn't refute the dinosaur's logic. Her eyes went over to Takato and then looked away, ashamed.
"As long as it doesn't take long…" she muttered.
###
The Tamers' training facility – nicknamed the Danger Room by Takato – stood ready and waiting for them upon their entry. A fairly recent addition, it was currently configured into an arboreal setting, with a forest several times larger than what the room's actual dimensions should have allowed. None of the Tamers really understood the science behind it. Only that through studying digital fields, Hypnos found a way to distort the space within this room to create a tiny digital world.
Takato, at times, found himself worrying about that. The digital world on its own birthed many things. If Hypnos could create environments with trees and lakes, even on such a small scale, who knew what could come to life there?
Yamaki says that there can't be any digimon or something like digimon here because Hypnos' systems don't have enough processing power, but I don't know if I buy that. Computers were way different when digimon were created and now look at them.
It was times like this that Takato wished Henry were still alive. He would have found a way to waylay his fears.
"Are you ready, boy?" he asked, turning to his partner. Guilmon nodded.
"I'm ready."
"How about you, Kenta?"
The bespectacled boy nodded, saying nothing. MarineAngemon spoke for the two of them.
"Pih!" he declared, his expression one of determination.
"We're ready on this end," said Yamaki from the observation window. "You may begin, Ms. Wong."
Suzie gazed at the Ophanimon card in her hand, her brow furrowed in thought. This was it. The moment of truth. She looked up at Antylamon, who towered above her, waiting for the tiny girl to slash the card through her digivice.
Who would come through if it works? a part of her wondered. Another part however thought, Don't be ridiculous. Nothing's going to happen.
Knowing that she wouldn't get anywhere listening to either side of the argument, Suzie did the only thing that would silence them.
"Digi-modify!" she shouted, slashing the card through the slot on her digivice. "Ophanimon, activate!"
At once, a long javelin of golden metal materialized in Antylamon's right hand while a smaller shield, this one blue and gold emblazoned with the image of a horse on its surface, appeared in the other. Antylamon stood there for a moment, waiting. Takato and the others all looked about them, looking for any sign of someone or something who didn't belong to appear.
Nothing happened. The arboreal setting remained as it was when they first entered.
"Maybe we just need to wait?" suggested Kenta.
"Rika said it happened pretty quick," Takato said. "Well, at least for the return trip."
"Perhaps they're somewhere we cannot see?" Antylamon offered, turning her head about from her huge vantage point. "Mr. Yamaki, would you please deactivate the scenary?"
"Deactivating now," Yamaki reported, and within seconds, the room returned to its plain, empty, metallic appearance. Takato winced, feeling his ears pop as space folded and returned to normal.
"Maybe the digital zone interfered," he said, rubbing his ears. "Try it again?"
"I have to wait for the card to reset first," Suzie said, crossing her arms. "Come on, Takato. I thought you knew this stuff."
Takato sighed. "All right," he said with a shake of his head. "Then we wait."
"Anyone want to play a few games in the meantime?" Kenta asked with a humorless grin.
###
Time came and went. That was really all Rika could say while she lay in the scanner. Alice was non-talkative. While she didn't mind the quiet, there was something disquieting about it when it came to the blond-haired girl. Doing her best to ignore it, she focused instead on the day's events and wondering how best to apologize to her friends tomorrow. Especially Toshiko.
She seemed really hurt when she found out I didn't tell her the truth. Rika bit her lower lip. She's got every reason to be. I don't think I've ever hid anything from her before. Kayoko might be okay with it, but Toshiko didn't have much in the way of friends before I came along. Real friends. The ones she had…
Rika shuddered, remembering Chikako's treatment of the girl. This was rapidly followed by a flash of anger and a sudden desire to punch their former classmate again.
The door to the room then clicked open, interrupting her thoughts.
"How's it coming?" she heard Takato ask. Immediately, Rika found herself smiling. She felt more at ease now that he returned.
"Don't engage her in conversation like last time, it will go swimmingly," came Alice's reply. Rika bristled, but kept silent. She wanted out of this tube as soon as possible after all.
"No viruses?"
"I haven't completed my scan, but so far no. And so far, still nothing on the alternate reality stuff you mentioned. Frankly, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for."
"Does it help that it's holy data?"
"No. Did you test out that card by the way?"
"Yeah…" Takato's reluctant tone didn't sound good, and he soon confirmed it. "That's a bust. Nothing happened."
"Hmmm… Well, that kid has problems. That sort of thing affects partner digimon. You said that it happened to you once."
"Y-Yeah." Rika's ears perked up at the discomfort in Takato's voice. She wanted so badly to say something. To learn about Takato and the others and what they had been up to.
"Anyway," Takato began, "Yamaki's going to have us grab some things and spend a few nights here. He's going to drive Suzie and Kenta to their places since they live further away."
There was a sudden pause on Alice's end. "And you're walking?"
"I'm not that far away."
"Very well. Wait for me then. I'll be done with my shift when I finish this scan."
"You don't have to. My place is a little out of your way, isn't it?"
"It's no big deal. I'm going to buy some bread. It makes more sense to walk with you."
"Ah, okay?"
There came an awkward silence as Takato surrendered to Alice. Rika frowned, wondering more about these two. She refrained from asking though, not wanting to upset the scanner and have to stay longer. She wondered about the time; how long she had been lying here. She couldn't imagine that her family would be thrilled about her being here.
I could have lied to them, she thought, but a quick reminder that she signed documents told her that lying to her parents would make things worse, not better.
I made my bed. Might as well lie in it.
More time passed, until finally Alice announced she was finished.
"No virus problems at all. Looks like we don't need to scrub you down with the DRS. You can go home."
"What about the dimension travel?" Rika asked. Alice shrugged.
"Either I or Mr. Wong will need to go over it more in depth," she said, tapping on the keyboard. "There is something…" Alice frowned. "…but I can't make heads or tails of it right now, and I need a break first."
As if to emphasize the point, bringing her hands together, Alice arched her back and made a groaning noise. Rika heard a number of pops as the girl's muscles stretched, losing briefly that empty, doll-like quality about her. When she was done, she adjusted her clothes and rose from her chair.
"I'm ready," she said to Takato. "Let's go."
"Just like that?" Rika asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Did you expect something else?" Alice asked, her expression one of disinterest. Without waiting for an answer, her blue eyes slid over to Takato and wordlessly she headed for the door. Scratching the back of his head, Takato gave Rika an uncertain, but amused smile.
"She's always like that. Anyway, before I forget, Yamaki said that he has a car waiting to take you home if you want. I can let you know when we have more information."
"Right…" Rika chewed against her cheeks, feeling like she had become the extra wheel in something and was now being brushed aside. "Mind if I stop by tomorrow?"
Takato's warm smile was answer enough. Rika couldn't help but smile back.
###
Takato waved at Rika as her vehicle headed off. Alice and Guilmon both stood next to him on either side. Alice's hands were folded in front of her and her face impassive as always. She waited patiently until Rika's car vanished from sight. Then, with nothing more to keep her rooted, she turned and started off in the direction of the Matsuki bakery. Takato awkwardly fell into step beside her with Guilmon loping along with graceful ease. He didn't say anything and neither did Guilmon. Alice, they both knew from long experience, was not much for conversation and wouldn't respond to attempts to cajole her into one. She only really spoke up when she had something on her mind. He suspected, and he felt Guilmon felt the same, she had something to discuss now, as she normally didn't go out of her way to accompany him anywhere, least of all to his home.
"Your mother will misread this visit," she said, as if reading his mind. "You'll correct her, right?"
"I always do."
"You will remind her that I think Kenta is cuter than you?"
"Yes," Takato sighed, wishing this conversation was over already. Did Alice really accompany him just to remind him she wasn't interested in him romantically?
"I don't think she'll think that this time anyway," Guilmon said, breaking his silence. "When Rika showed up, she was really happy to meet her and warned them not to do any 'funny business' while they were alone." Guilmon laughed. "She called her pretty."
"Ah, jeez, Guilmon…" Blushing, Takato rubbed the back of his head. "She was probably misreading her visit too. She does that a lot." His blush deepening, he gave an awkward laugh. "N-Not that she thinks you're not pretty, Alice! S-She… Ah… W-Where was I going with this?"
"Hopefully to a change of topic," the golden-haired girl said. Her tone remained unchanged, yet from out of the corner of his eye, Takato thought he saw a subtle shift in Alice's expression. A slight softening of her features, but he couldn't be sure.
"I wish…" she began, only to trail off. Raising an eyebrow, Takato turned to look at her more fully.
"Wish what?"
Alice was silent for a moment. The softness in her face disappeared and she spoke again.
"I wish that you were more honest. Your real reason for walking wasn't to save time, was it?"
Takato felt his face heat up and he hastily looked away.
"So, I'm right," Alice continued. "You were hoping to lure out those two digimon by presenting yourself as bait."
"I-I didn't really think that," Takato scowled. "They've had plenty of chances since the fight. I wouldn't have let you come if I thought it would happen."
"But you were hoping for it. You can't fool me, Takato. You always look away whenever you're about to lie."
Takato felt his ears burning now and his shoulders sank in shame.
"I just want this to be over."
"That can be taken with so many meanings."
"I mean the one where we don't have to worry about either of those two digimon!" Takato burst out heatedly. Alice regarded him coolly out of the corner of her eye.
"Good," she said, and for a wonder a tiny, barely visible smile touched the corners of her lips. It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared however, replaced now by something that looked like anger. "But I'm disturbed by the fact that you didn't want the others around to help you."
"I just…don't want to risk losing them. We almost lost Antylamon, and then when Gaiomon went off like a bomb…"
"And you think things will be better if you die and they didn't? The problems you all have will only multiply with one less of you."
"Takato, I think you should listen to her," Guilmon chimed in. Drawing close, he bumped up against Takato's side. "Alice hasn't been wrong before, so why now?"
"That's right," Alice said, nodding her thanks to the dinosaur. "Don't be a gogglehead."
"That nickname's getting a lot of mileage lately."
"It fits. I'll count that as one benefit from having this Rika person around. I'll be sure to remind you to not be a gogglehead regularly."
"Gee, thanks."
"You're welcome."
###
Did I accomplish anything today?
The question resonated in Rika's mind while she typed away on her cellphone. She felt conflicted. On one hand, she knew she accomplished something by interacting with the Tamers and being scanned, but there was nothing tangible that made her feel she was moving closer to her goal of becoming a Tamer and helping them. Her story remained in doubt; her connection with the Tamers was tenuous at best and everything seemed to move with excruciating slowness.
It's not like this should be easy. I don't know how Other-Me became a Tamer in the first place, but it must have been pretty early on. It's not like I have her experience. I just know how to play the card game. I bet any one of them could say the same thing and I bet being a Tamer changes how you play the game.
She thought back to her match with Ryo Akiyama all those years ago. True, she had won, but he had been very different compared to all the other kids she took on in those two tournaments. The 'Digimon Prince' came in prepared to duel her like someone used to fighting a war. His moves were calculated in advance; every strike timed to produce the maximum amount of damage at minimal effort. And on top of that he showed no concern for his fortune. Every card that came up he wove into the grander plan when most players would have cursed a draw that wasn't what they desired. The only thing that saved her was her keeping her cool under the stress of weathering his devastating attacks and being able to read him like an open book.
How long he had been a Tamer? She didn't know, but she would have bet her Sakuyamon card with confidence that he had been the first one in the group. She and Ryo might have played the same game, but they were certainly playing in different leagues.
Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention. She quickly opened the message and her heart plummeted immediately upon seeing the angry face on it.
U shld hve told me.
She read the accusing words from Toshiko, but accepted them.
I know, she wrote back. I'm sorry.
This is going to be hard to come back from, she thought. Her phone buzzed again.
I undrstnd y. Stll going 2 b mad. :(
Another buzz.
Sry.
That almost caused Rika to choke up.
Don't be, she typed. She felt like such a heel.
Since Chikako, she hasn't really liked it when people lie to her. She'll probably forgive me, but stuff like this is definitely going to leave a mark. What was I thinking?
Leaning back in the seat, she thought back, going over her thought process. The whole experience had been so surreal to her. She still couldn't say she had completely processed what she saw with that Other-Rika in a world where so many of the Tamers still lived. She remembered Other-Rika telling her that none of this was her fault and how she needed to get out of her own way to stop agonizing over her own weakness; the weakness that prevented her from becoming a Tamer in the first place.
Not trusting my friends, huh? she thought. I guess that's a weakness she and I both share. Maybe not for the same reasons. I thought I trusted Toshiko. I mean, she knows about my parents. But when this happened, it's like I got scared. Wrapping her arms about herself, she looked down at her phone. No response to her last message. That was worrying.
"Let me off here," she said to the driver. The man's reflection lifted an eyebrow.
"Miss, I'm not sure that's…"
"Let me off here. I'll walk from here on out. I need the exercise anyway."
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I have my orders."
"Right. Government agent. Forgot about that." Rika sighed in exasperation. She didn't accept her fate however. Instead, she waited until they came to a stoplight. Unbuckling herself, she threw the door open.
"Tell your boss I'm sorry," she said, and with that, she threw herself out of the car and ran down the road, losing herself in the crowd of people upon reaching the safe haven of the sidewalk. She didn't stop running though. Instead, she pushed herself all the harder. Her legs would complain about it later, but she didn't care.
Stronger. I need to get stronger.
Her pace gave out on her before she even reached a third of the way home. After that, she went back and forth between a light jogging and a fast walk, forcing her muscles to do their job. By the time she reached the gate to her home, she was sweating and her lungs felt like she was breathing in fire.
"Okay," she said to her legs. "Now, you guys can rest."
At first, she leaned one hand against the gate to steady her balance, but she soon found herself slumping against it.
How…How did I let myself get so badly out of shape? Her lips twisting into a snarl, she pushed away from the gate and staggered her way into the house where she unceremoniously kicked off her shoes.
"I'm home," she called exhaustedly. There came the sound of slippers and within short order Rika found herself looking up at her mother, arms folded and eyes full of disapproval.
"I hope you have an explanation for why our lawyers were contacted today about you."
Guess we're ripping this band aid off…
She felt a trickle of sweat crawl down her forehead, causing her to itch. She refused to wipe it away. In the past, she would have apologized and tried to offer recompense in some manner. Today however, she felt different. For a wonder, she felt as though she were done putting up with her mother's nonsense.
"Yeah, I do," Rika nodded, feeling some anger flare up in her. "I thought the whole thing was stupid. The Tamers needed my help. I gave it. End of story."
Rumiko's eyes went wide as saucers, having not expected this sudden defiance from her daughter. From out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father hanging in the background, a raised eyebrow. She couldn't see if he approved or disapproved. Only surprise registered.
"Young lady!" Rumiko began. "Having a lawyer is not stupid! They're there to protect you from people like…like the people in charge of this government organization!" She turned to her husband for help. "Dear…"
"Look, it's done, okay?" Rika interrupted before anyone could say anything further. "A digimon wrecked Gyoen and I got abducted. I think the Tamers deserve to know why and I wanted to know why too! If your lawyers have a problem with that, I don't care! I'm too tired to care right now! Right now, I just want to take a bath and go to bed! I'm not going to dance to anyone's tune like some stupid ragdoll anymore!"
Not even waiting for any further reactions, Rika stormed past her parents and toward her room. Behind her, she could hear her mother's protests and calls for her to come back, but she was beyond listening. More importantly, she didn't want to. If she did, it would only mean that her mother would get her to change her mind. Make her apologize. And she didn't want to apologize to anyone right now unless it was Toshiko and Kayoko or the Tamers. As far as she was concerned, out of everyone, they were the ones who deserved it the most. Especially the Tamers and Toshiko.
Sliding the door to her room open, she threw her schoolbag to the side with considerably more force than normal, causing her clothing wrack to rock a little, as if surprised. Not bothering to change out of her uniform, she sat down at her table and laid her head down to rest upon it. She let out a frustrated groan.
Why can't she see? Why is she so obsessed with keeping me from helping them?
A shadow fell over her. She didn't even have to look to know whom it belonged to.
"Do you want to talk about it?" The shadow didn't move. The voice however didn't demand anything more from her than she was willing to give. More, it asked for entry.
"She just doesn't understand, Papa," she replied, giving permission. The shadow moved and her father sat down next to her, his back to her table. Cracking open her eyes, she saw the corner of his face, watching the door. He seemed to her like a guard standing watch over her. She felt comforted by this.
"It's hard to understand all this digital world stuff," he admitted. "And she is your mother. She wants to make sure you're safe. When we heard what happened at the shrine and at Gyoen, she just about lost her mind. And then the government called."
Rika remembered walking in on that argument wearing the battered, soot-covered dress. She remembered how disheveled her mother looked and how she threw herself at her, relieved that her baby-girl was alive and unharmed.
"I'm sorry," she admitted, hating having that world pulled from her. "For making her upset, that is. I'm not sorry for talking to the Tamers."
"You should probably tell her that in a little bit. Whatever else is going on with her, remember that she just wants to protect you."
"Sometimes I think she's protecting me too much." She hesitated before adding, "Both of you."
Her father lifted an eyebrow and turned his head to face her more fully. Rika's heart lurched painfully in her chest. She suddenly felt that she just made a big mistake.
"Mom and Dad aren't happy," she remembered telling Other-Rika. Panic welled up inside her. Dare she talk to him about what she knew? About the Other-World where the two of them had been divorced and how huge that change had been?
"Are you going to leave, Papa?" floated up another memory. She clenched her eyes shut. Suddenly, she was a little girl again, trying to make sense of the dark cloud that hung heavy over the Nonaka household.
"I suppose that's true," he said when she didn't answer. He heaved a heavy sigh. "But you have to admit, this digimon stuff… I don't think there's a parent that would want their kids getting involved with it. Especially not after how some of those Tamers died. I'm sure your mother's thinking about that."
"Are you?"
"Yes. I'd hate to have to bury you. Not hear you singing anymore. Knowing I would turn down that hallway and your room will never have you in it again."
"Takato and his friends think about that every day. About the friends they lost."
"Is that the name of one of the Tamers?"
Rika nodded.
"None of them are happy. It feels like it's all that they can do just to hang on. I-I want to be able to help them."
"That's a tall job."
"Yeah, but…" She worried her lower lip for a moment. "Papa? There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The day before Gyoen, I was accidently transported to another version of our home. The Tamers there were able to send me back, but before that happened, I saw that there was another me with them who was also a Tamer. And because she was with them, the Tamers who died were still alive."
Her father was silent for a moment. He didn't question. He didn't express any doubts. He just sat there, digesting what she told him.
"And you feel responsible," he said finally. "That's why you want to help them."
Rika shifted her arms, bringing them in closer to her face.
"Am I stupid for feeling like that?"
"No, I don't. But…" He hesitated, then shook his head. "Sorry. This is a lot to take in. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I-I wanted to talk to Grandma about it first. She saw me coming back from that other place. But then you and Mama came home and I… I don't know. It was just so crazy thinking about it. I'm sorry for not telling you."
She felt his hand come to rest upon her shoulder. His touch was firm, but gentle, offering silent forgiveness.
"It was 'weird,' just like you said. Another version of home with another version of you. What was she like?"
"A brat," Rika harrumphed, her brow twisting with annoyance. "But…" Her face softened. "…kind of like me. Different, but kind of not that different. I think she misses you."
I know I would.
She felt a subtle stiffening in her father's hand. She instantly regretted saying those words, but they had slipped out before she even knew it. She waited for her father to say something; anything. But he didn't. His hand remained on her shoulder, and she felt the tension slowly bleed out of him. From out of the corner of her eye, she saw him thinking.
"It's been a while since I took you bouldering," he said after what felt like an eternity. "You've been so busy with school I just couldn't find it within myself to bother you."
"Papa…"
"Do you think you can squeeze in some time for your old man?" he asked. "Just the two of us?"
Lifting her head up, she wiped at her eyes, unsure as to what he was saying, while at the same time knowing. Bouldering had been one of their things to do together as father and daughter. She honestly missed going there with him.
"Y-Yeah, definitely!" she nodded, deciding to seize the opportunity while it was there.
Her father patted her shoulder and got up. "We'll talk a bit more later," he said.
"Papa?"
He turned toward her and she clenched her fists tightly all of a sudden. Even though he looked worried for her, she couldn't help but feel like she had hurt him in some way.
"I-I didn't make you upset, did I?"
Her father smiled warmly at her. "No. Never. But you might want to have a talk with your mother. She might have a hard time coming to terms with what you've told me, but she is a realist. Just try not to pick a fight with her again."
"I'm not going to back down from this," Rika frowned. A part of her reflexively quailed at admitting to such in front of her father, but she didn't see any disapproval in his eyes.
"I'm not telling you to. Only not to make it into a fight. She might listen instead of fight back." A pause, and then he smiled. "The two of you are a lot alike, you know. When you find something you care about, you fight to hold that ground. She's fighting for you in the only way she knows how. Please keep that in mind when you talk to her."
Rika dropped her eyes at that. Seeing that she had some things to think about, her father nodded.
"I'll see you at dinner," he said. With that, he left Rika alone with her thoughts.
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A/N2: And so ends the introduction arc of this story. These ten chapters have been about setting up the characters and their status in this universe. Now that everyone is in place, we can move on to the meat of the story. :D
'Till next chapter.
-Crazyeight
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