Old Lives, New Lives
Takato was working the counter, his father setting up to bake another rack, and his mother out shopping. The bell above the door tinkled. Ruki was wearing her usual Tamers "uniform", the long boys' jeans, the white and teal T with the yellow accents, and a dark blue heart that was complete, not broken.
"So, Ruki, what brings you to the west side?", he asked.
"Thought I'd bring you the good news in person", she explained. "I finally did it. Mother agreed to transfer me to Yodobashi".
"That's fantastic news! I never expected…"
"Me neither. It'll work a bit of hardship, being so far from school, but the Kagurazaka Girls' Academy isn't all that much better academically. No more school uniforms, and I'll be closer to all of you, even if that means putting up with the Bopsey Twins. Oh well, at least their mayhem won't be sending me off to the Valley of Gales or Clockmon's domain. Sometimes I even – and don't you even think about telling them I said it – miss those two, even Kenta's horrid excuse for singing and Kazu's hideous jokes. It seems we're all drifting apart".
"I know. Haven't seen much of Jen lately, and Kazu and Kenta aren't up to Battle Cards like we once were, so they're not dropping by the park as much. Juri sometimes drops by to pick up orders, but that's about it".
"Yeah, Battle Cards has lost… something. Being the Digimon Queen doesn't seem to be as big a deal any more. I'm probably not even going to enter next year… I doubt Ryo will either… So what's up with Jen?"
"You know, he was always something of a loner: never joined in very much. His latest obsession is bringing back our partners".
"Think he will?"
"If anyone can, it's Jen. He's nearly as good as Tao…"
"Who?"
"Jen's father's nick among the Wild Bunch. That's what they called him. They all had nicks: Daisy, Dolphin, Curly, Shibumi and Babel… No idea how Yamaki'll take it if he does".
"About Yamaki: any news?"
"Not lately. According to Impmon, he's still trying to get those scholarships and some recognition. He says the politicians are being stubborn, not wanting to admit that a bunch of kids could do what they couldn't".
"I'm getting to the point where I don't care. The ungrateful bastards".
"Yeah", Takato agreed.
("Takato, enough chatter: back to work".)
"I'll see myself out", Ruki said.
"See you around?"
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"You don't have a couch?", Juri asked Dr. Tada.
"You've seen too many movies. Most psychiatrists don't have couches. If you'll just take a seat, Miss Katou".
Juri sat while Dr Tada went over some paper work.
"I've had a talk with Chief Yamaki and your father, for some preliminary background. Tell me, Juri, how do you feel about what happened in the Kernel Sphere?"
"I really don't remember all that much".
"What do you remember?"
"My father came to try to rescue me. He took a big chance, risked serious injuries, trying to cling onto the D-Reaper agent's tentacles, then crashing one of Yamaki's vans into it".
"How did you feel about that?"
"I… don't like talking about that".
"I understand, it's not easy, opening up to someone you don't know. But I can assure you, everything said here, stays here. There is a patient/doctor confidentiality, and that includes Mr. Yamaki and even your parents".
"I don't know why you're wasting your time, I'm fine".
"Juri, you've been through ordeals that would test the limits of any adult, let alone a ten year old child. You say you're fine. You might even believe that. That's how PTSD works: it doesn't always manifest right away".
He double checked his file: "You've seen much more than any ten year old should have. You were there when your mother died when you were five. There was the death of your partner, Leomon. After that, you were abducted by the D-reaper and held against your will. You've had your mind violated in ways that not even POWs do. You were in the thick of a war, and even if the government doesn't see it that way, you are a veteran of a war. This is why Mr. Yamaki and your parents set up these sessions for you. Do you sincerely believe that none of this has affected you?"
"I don't like talking about my feelings…"
"I understand this has been a long standing problem for you, always trying to put up a brave front that conceals the hurt within. I understand you haven't always been on the best of terms with your father. He refused to come to Tokyo..."
"If it has anything to do with coming back, that wasn't me: that was a D-reaper agent".
"Was it a D-reaper agent who convinced everyone you were the happy-go-lucky girl, even before anyone heard of the D-reaper? Can you deny you mislead others into believing you weren't hurting when you were? Tell me about your father".
"I was surprised when he came for me; I didn't think he cared".
"Why would you say that?"
"He was always telling me everything I ever did was wrong. Coming downstairs during business hours... It's almost like he didn't want the customers to see me, talk to me, or know I even existed. Like he was ashamed of my being his daughter. I didn't dare tell him about Leomon, or going to the Digital World. He would never accept that I could ever be serious about rescuing Calumon. He was always like that. The D-reaper even said it couldn't reconcile my memories with how he was, trying to rescue me, and I understood its point".
"Do you really believe that? He wouldn't want to have you back?"
"I… don't know. It's not like he ever beat me, or mistreated me, or denied me anything… He just didn't seem capable of ever saying 'I love you'".
"Tell me about your step mother".
"I really don't like talking about it".
"Please, Juri".
"We... I didn't get along. After Father remarried, I... resented the whole marriage. she wasn't my mother, and all I saw was an interloper who was trying to replace her. She did her best, but I turned aside her every attempt to treat me like a daughter. I wasn't a good girl at all. The D-reaper kept reminding me of that. I didn't realize how much I hurt Father..."
"You kept that concealed?"
"Yeah, right up to when we were headed to our pick up point in Qinglongmon's cloud car. I think I mentioned it to Takato".
"And now?"
"Leomon helped me get over it. He said it was 'destiny', and at first I didn't understand what he really meant. I thought I was destined to lose everybody who was important to me. It was in the Kernel Shpere when Calumon helped me understand what he meant: that I could choose to be happy or stay miserable".
"A very good lesson indeed... Tell me about Leomon, then? How did you end up being his Tamer?"
"He was there when that nasty little Deva, that Kunbirimon, attacked me. That's when Leomon appeared from a digital field. He said he was the one who fought injustice, and that's what he did, fought off Kunbirimon. He claimed he knew nothing about Tamers and partners. He acted real surprised to learn about it. After he did that, he left, saying he didn't want to make me sad.
"He never really seemed comfortable being my partner. I got the idea he would prefer being the lone wolf. He had to accept I cared about him, and it took awhile for us to become a partnership, but it was never really the same as with the others: Takato and Guilmon, Jen and Terriermon, or even Ruki and Renamon.
"He could have left the Material World, but he didn't. The next time I saw him, he was trying to prevent that monkey deva from kidnapping Calumon. That's when this large black bird fired these needles at him, knocking him down. I didn't want him to die, and that's when the digivice appeared. I used it to reverse the injury, he was OK, and he accepted being partners, but reluctantly… at least at first".
"You liked fitting in?"
"There was more to it. I always liked digimon, and collected the cards. There wasn't anyone to play with because girls aren't supposed to like the same things the boys do. I used to join in with Yuki is making fun of Takato and his friends over that card game…"
"And Yuki is?"
"My friend from school".
"So you went along with the other girls to fit in?"
"I… suppose… Is that a bad thing?"
"Not always, but you can't deny that your desire to fit in led you to not pursuing something you liked".
"How would that even work? None of the girls I knew ever played Battle Cards, and boys don't want to be seen playing with girls".
"Tell me more about Leomon…"
"He didn't like kids much. He never really warmed up to the other tamers the way the other digimon did. It wasn't until the fight with Orochimon when I used a Ladydevimon card to give him the means to defeat him that he really accepted me as his tamer".
"How do you feel about Impmon?"
"He killed Leomon when he tried talking sense to him after he stopped him from killing Kyuubimon..."
"Kyuubimon is?"
"Renamon's Champion evolution; she's Ruki's partner".
"Go on".
"I hated him for what he did. Takato wanted to kill him for Leomon. I was sick of all the fighting and asked him not to do it. I didn't want to see him become as evil as Beelzemon, to become a cold blooded killer like him... I forgave Impmon just before the rest of the digimon left".
"Why did you do that?"
"We almost lost him, and it was partially my fault. Beelezmon Blast Mode tried rescuing me from the Kernel Sphere, but I wouldn't take his hand. That's when he was attacked, severely wounded, and nearly died. I meant it when I said I didn't want to lose anyone else. I know it wasn't easy for him, you know, apologizing for what he did".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"How did the session go?", her father asked.
"I dunnow… still seems a waste of time, if you ask me".
"Give it a chance, Juri. It's better to have someone to talk about it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Mr Yamaki and your mother and father want the best for you".
"I still don't like talking about it".
"Give it time, it takes time to develop a rapport. You can't expect miracles at once. Just co-operate the best you can. Promise?"
"I promise".
"Good girl".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The first day of class came around, and Yodobashi was back to the original building. The encroachment of Chaos Mass had led to the students' attending with another school: Hashimoto Metropolitan. Students were milling about, waiting for the morning bell.
"If it isn't the Ice Queen. What brings you here to our own little piece o' hell on earth?", Kazu said to a familiar figure.
"I finally convinced Mother to transfer me", Ruki explained. "I'll be attending with you guys from now on".
"I don't know if that's a good thing or not", Kenta – Kazu's sidekick – added.
"Look, you two, please don't fuck up my first day at a new school. At least I won't have to chase you from a data stream, so there's that small consolation".
"You're never gonna let us live that down, are you?", Kazu asked with a vague unpleasantness.
"Never", Ruki agreed.
Kenta and Kazu tried to outrun a data stream instead of running out of its path. Ruki and Renamon had no choice but to go after them. The data stream sent them to the Valley of Gales, leaving them to wonder if they would ever rejoin the rest of their party. Renamon built a hang glider to leave the Valley of Gales to return to the desert where they first entered the Digital World. Kazu and Kenta were supposed to wait by the flag they'd planted after their arrival. Of course, they didn't wait and got a tongue lashing from Ruki. That's when they noticed another data stream heading their way.
The second time they got caught by a data stream, Kazu and Kenta were being deliberately disobedient due to Ruki's bossiness when Ruki and Renamon ordered them to run. "It's too far away to worry about", Kenta said, not realizing just how fast it was moving. That data stream sent them to Clockmon's territory.
It was there that they met up with Ruki's Battle Cards nemesis: Ryo Akiyama. He was the "Legendary Tamer", older at 14, and the one who beat Ruki in the Battle Cards tournament, just before he disappeared, rumoured to have actually gone to the Digital World. Ryo had a habit of rubbing everyone the wrong way without realizing it. Especially Ruki.
The morning bell sent them off to class. Takato, Juri, Kazu and Kenta were back in Class 5-2: fifth grade, class 2. Jen was in Class 5-1, and Ruki had gotten in with Takato's class.
There were mostly new kids in class, replacing those who'd graduated the previous year, whose education hadn't been interrupted fighting the D-reaper. Asagi-sensei was still teaching. She didn't look any too pleased to see that she would be dealing with Kazu and Kenta, and their antics, and Takato with his tardiness.
She would never forget: the letters of apology that Takato, Juri, Kazu, and Kenta wrote in detention: the first for Juri. These letters were confessions about the Tamers' impending trip to the Digital World to rescue Calumon. This put her in quite a bind: report it and look like a crazy lady, or honor the Tamers' request not to tell anyone for the next 24 hours which wasn't the adult, responsible, thing to do especially when it came to ten year old kids who just admitted their intentions to run away. She took a third option: burn the letters in the fireplace and tell no one.
She began a welcome speech:
"To our new students, welcome! To last year's class, welcome back! I know some of you are here because recent events interrupted your lessons", did she just shoot a disapproving glance Kazu and Kenta's way? "Due to its being outside your control, there is no shame in repeating fifth grade.
"We have a new student with us, a transfer who's quite new to Yodobashi. Would you introduce yourself?"
Ruki stood by her desk: "If I knew there was going to be a speech, I'd've prepared one. So I'll just wing it. I'm Ruki Makino, and I was going to the Kagurazaka Girls' Academy, but wanted to come here, to be closer to my friends. Mother agreed that friendship is more important than a name school. Anyway, I'm looking forward to making new friends. That's all I have".
"Welcome Ruki", Asagi-sensei said.
"Welcome, Ruki", the rest of the class followed suit.
"Shall we begin today's lesson…"
Out came books, notebooks, pens…
The Tamers hung back at recess.
"Piece o' cake", Kazu announced, "we've already done that".
"Don't get cocky", Juri warned, "the hard stuff's coming up, everything we missed".
"So what's the latest?", Kazu asked.
"I told Renamon I was transferring, and she thought it a very good idea. I told her about how we were drifting apart, and that's why I wanted the transfer. She suggested maybe trying out for some activities… I thought maybe the debate club or the computer club. I… didn't exactly get along very well with the other girls".
"I'm sure you'll fit right in", Takato encouraged.
"Guardromon's still working on getting back to Andromon", Kazu said. "I told him that I hoped he didn't try to play the hero for the unappreciative again, and he promised he wouldn't. They're still rebuilding the Digital World".
"Still can't understand a word Marineangemon says", Kenta added. "I hope he works on learning Japanese. It isn't the same over a digivice connection".
"Siuchon tells me that Lopmon's returned to Antiramon, and that Lord Zhuqiaomon's accepted him back into his old service, guarding the Nondaimon Gate", Jen announced. "Terriermon's staying out of trouble, not fighting, while helping with the rebuilding. I'm hoping he doesn't go back to that old life as a digimon game character.
The Matsuda bakery
"How was school?", Yoshi, Takato's mother asked.
"It was OK… Ruki joined our class".
"You mentioned something about a transfer… so they assigned her to your class?"
"Us, not Jen's class. I guess they figured it was best to keep this year as similar as last year".
"Be sure to do your homework".
"What for? I already learned everything last year".
"Now, Takato…"
"Mom!"
"I don't want you picking up any bad study habits".
"Ooookay", he went on up to his bedroom, still crammed full of all the junk he'd collected.
East Shinjuku: Ruki's Home:
"So how was your first day?", her grandmother, Seiko, asked.
"Longer trips on the subway, coming and going. The cafeteria food isn't as good as the Academy's, today's lesson was a repeat of last year. On the plus side, no more uniforms as they let us dress for school how we like. It was good, seeing everyone: Takato, Juri, Kazu and Kenta, and Jen during recess. Unforch, Jen's stuck back in 5-1. I didn't like the way we were drifting apart".
"How are they?"
"Still missing our partners. Did you know that Takato's bakery is making Guilmon Buns, and they're their biggest sellers? They even have a new sign out front. Guess what their new mascot is? I've been looking into joining the Debate Club, or the Computer Club, haven't decided yet..."
"I'm glad you're finally making friends. I hope you continue doing so".
Ruki had very little in the way of friends at the Academy, as she was being deliberately standoffish, discouraging friendships. She had been that way ever since the divorce. She felt betrayed: her father left her after promising to be there for her forever. Ruki swore to herself she would never allow anyone to get close enough to hurt her like that again. She announced her intention with the T-shirts she habitually wore, with a broken heart emblazoned on them. It wasn't until the encounter with Icedevimon, who forced her to take a good look at herself, to see in him her future.
"Maybe I'll invite 'em over sometime, if they can get away, that is".
"Your friends are always welcome".
In her room, Ruki called Renamon. The anthro-vixen's face appeared as a hologram.
"Had our first day of class", Ruki informed her partner. "I was assigned to the same class as Takato, Juri, and the Bopsey Twins. Jen's still stuck in that other class, so I'm seeing him only during recess".
"Glad to hear you're enjoying it…"
"It's school, Renamon, so not much to actually enjoy. We're repeating, and I already know everything, so it's kind'a boring".
"I hope you're getting along? That was a problem".
"I'm improving, and I'll join in on more activities. At least everyone's more down to earth, not like the snobby girls at my old school. That is refreshing, in a way, if you know what I mean?"
"I think I do".
"So, how's the Digital World?"
"We're making good progress with the rebuilding. It's keeping us busy and out of trouble. It shouldn't be too much longer before everything's back to normal".
"I suppose it would be easier? Restoring data as opposed to brick and mortar repair. There's still a lot of clean-up going on here. Meiji Ave. is still closed. They're still filling in that crater Vikiralamon made, and the buildings are still a mess. They're saying things won't be normal for at least a year or two. I still wonder, if we can't go to the Digital World, maybe you could, come here?"
"I… don't know. However, I'm not giving up. You just have to have faith… and patience. I believe we met because there was something greater at work than just kids and digimon somehow meeting in your world…"
"You mean the digignomes?"
"No, Ruki, a greater… call it Providence for lack of a better term. For a purpose greater than some Outworld children who wanted to play with real digimon".
"You… really think so?"
"I do. You should know me well enough by now to know I say what I mean and mean what I say".
(Ruki…)
"Gotta go; Mom's calling again".
"Till next time".
"Till next time".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Impmon retrieved Ai's digivice, and entered Guilmon's ID. The red dino appeared.
"Guilmon", Impmon greeted.
"Impmon", he replied, less than pleased. "Renamon said you might be calling…"
"Thought you might want to see…"
"Look, Impmon, you aren't any friend of mine. You can thank Takato and especially Juri for not deleting you, but don't thank me. What you did to Leomon and Juri was unforgivable. You also almost cost me my partner. If the Ark hadn't decided to stop, Takato, Ruki, and Ryo would have been stranded because of you. I haven't forgotten all the nasty things you said to me. I haven't forgotten how you used to try to get me in trouble. I don't know what Ruki and Renamon see in you, and I'm still not convinced you're not taking advantage of their better natures".
"So that's it? No way to make amends?"
"If you've really changed, there's one way you can prove it".
"Name it"
"Take care of Takato for me, then I might reconsider".
"You got it"
Guilmon signed off. His attitude was unfortunate, but understandable. Impmon at least had the consolation of Juri's having forgiven him for Leomon, and the acceptance from Ai and Mako, despite their extreme youth. Guilmon hadn't cut him off completely, and he already intended to give Takato and all his friends whatever help he could.
"Impmon?", Ai asked when he returned the digivice.
"That was disappointing", he explained. "Guilmon wasn't exactly pleased to hear from me".
"That was Takato's partner?"
"Yeah, I played some practical jokes on him, and it didn't set too well with him".
Impmon didn't tell them about what he'd done in the Digital World as he figured they were way too young to know about Beelzemon the Demon Lord, and that he murdered Leomon in cold blood. They didn't need to know about that side of him.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Dr. Tada's Office
"Come in and have a seat, Mr Impmon…"
"Just plain Impmon, no Mr's involved. So you're Juri's shrink?"
"Yes, but we're here to discuss you. I understand you had yourself an adventure in the Digital World?"
"I suppose you could call it that".
"Tell me about it".
"What's there to say? I fucked up; I let that Indaramon get to me. I should have known I was being set up. The Purple Pony let it slip that I had partners, which he shouldn't've known, he couldn't know unless he had intel on me. I should have seen I was being played, set up.
"He laughed at me, ridiculed me, and I let him get to me. Ruki and Renamon told me I didn't stand a chance against a deva. I was so pissed off I smashed in the roofs of a dozen cars, stole a little girl's ice cream. Then Renamon tried talking sense to me, but I wouldn't listen. Then I tried fighting Indaramon when I had no chance of winning. I felt like such a loser I hid away in a flood diversion tunnel. That's when Catsuramon told me that if I would agree to serve his master, I could evolve. He told me I could have evolution, strength, and the respect that comes with it. He told me everything I wanted to hear. What he didn't explain is dark digivolution, when I became the Demon Lord: Beelzemon. Catsuramon's master was the Holy Beast, Zhuqiaomon, and he reminded me that I still had a duty to defend the Digital World. My oath when I joined the Violet Zone Air Defense Corps had no expiration. He said it was my duty to eliminate the Out World interlopers".
"He was referring to the Tamers?"
"Yes".
"So what did you do in the Defense Corps?"
"I was a fighter pilot".
Dr Tada looked over his notes.
"Yet your behaviour here in the Material World seems very childish, not what I'd expect of a fighter pilot".
"OK, I admit it: I was very resentful of the Rookie weakness of my kind. I resented that we were totally dependent on Outworlder kids in order to evolve. I had a bad experience with these two kids, Ai and Mako, who were my partners. I should have listened to Renamon sooner. There are so many things I should have done, things I needed to learn, but had to pay too high a price to learn them".
"What about Ai and Mako? How did you become partners?"
"It was a slip in attentiveness. When I first came to the Material World, I had a lot of adjusting to do, you know, to satisfy the bionecessities. Sleeping in trees in the park was no big deal for us impmon. Drinking fountains for water. Food was a big problem, and I got pretty sick and tired of scrounging through dumpsters for left overs, or begging from humans who came to the park.
"That's when I took to B&E to raid pantries and refrigerators for chow. I'd swipe loose change for subway fares. Nothing too valuable since it wouldn't do me any good if the police got involved in a cat burglar case. I was watching this house, and when the adults were out, I broke in, not realizing there were these kids napping. Anyway, when I was going through the fridge, I heard this small voice, 'You hungry?"
"Being discovered was a shock, and all I could say was 'Yeah'. The voice belonged to this little girl, Ai. Anyway, she says 'Sit down, I'll make you some cereal'. Her brother came to see, and he reprimanded Ai. 'You shouldn't let in strangers. Mom and Dad said'. Being that I wasn't human, they decided I wasn't a real stranger. That's when they said I could live with them, in their bedroom.
"So that's what I did, lived in the bedroom, impersonating a plushie when the adults were around, and the kids sneaked in food. Better than living in the park. The main problem was their constant fighting and bickering. It drove me nuts. One day, they were fighting over some toy they insisted was theirs. I got dragged into the whole clusterfuck, with Ai insisting I punish Mako, and Mako demanding I punish Ai. I'd had quite enough, and took off".
"Yet you are partners now?"
"Leaving must've hurt. They realized the importance of sharing toys instead of fighting over them all the time. They never gave up hope that I would return. Before leaving Shinjuku they left a message for me on a white board. It was after coming back to the Material World I finally decided Renamon was right: I needed partners. I looked them up and discovered their message. I went to Hongo to look for them. The kids did their best to make up. It was their belief in me that let me digivolve into Beelzemon Blast Mode in time to help Takato and Jen out of a mess with a D-reaper agent".
"Tell me about Beelzemon".
"He was nuckin' futs. I really don't remember all that much, actually. Mostly being filled with rage and hatred, but not knowing why."
"You sound as though you're making excuses…"
"What do you want me to say? I killed Juri's partner. I would take it back if I could, but I can't. Despite what I'd done, Juri saved my ass and forgave me right after the D-reaper fight was over. I don't know what else I can tell you".
"How do you feel about Juri?"
"She's a good girl. Heart of gold, I believe is the Material World expression. Where I came from, forgiveness is an almost unknown concept. I know I can never repay the debt I owe her, but I won't ever stop trying. As for Beelzemon, I don't want to evolve into that thing ever again".
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
For Takato, life returning to "normal" meant school, homework, chores over the weekends, school, homework, chores…
For Jen, it meant holing up in his bedroom, doing searches for anything and everything related to digimon, in order to find the solution to the Red Card Effect, and how to reverse it. He was becoming even more of a loner.
For Ruki, it also meant school and homework, and those shopping trips with her mother she hated as much as ever. The only difference was she avoided the scream fests she readily engaged in before Renamon set her straight.
One afternoon, the school girl in boy's jeans and a T walked the streets of Shinjuku, hoping no one would stop to question her on a school day. She quickly found the address she was looking for and rang the bell. Impmon answered.
"Ruki?", he asked, "Shouldn't you be in school?"
"I'm ditching", she explained, "I left as soon as recess began, so they won't miss me just yet. You won't tell?"
"Should I? I take it your mother wouldn't be pleased? What brings you here anyway?"
"A hit of sake, or even better, Gekomon Moonshine".
"Aren't you a little young…"
"Never mind, bad joke. You're the only one who'd understand. Did I ever tell you about meeting Renamon?", she didn't wait for an answer. "It was the evening after I won the Digimon Battle Cards tournament. It was just me, the final opponent, and the cards, like nothing else mattered. When I knew I'd won, I was on cloud nine. There was an awards ceremony, and I got this medallion on a ribbon. It was so cool.
"On the way home, that medal wasn't looking so bright and shiny. I'd done it: I was the Digimon Queen, but what else was there? Later that evening, I wanted the battles to be real ones, and for digimon to exist as more than names on cards. That's when I found the Blue Card, when my score keeper became a digivice, and Renamon materialized right there in the living room.
"There was more! That was exciting enough, a real live digimon. Then we saved the entire world: two worlds. Now look at us, we went from hero to zero. All we are is a bunch of fifth graders, and they never cease reminding us. F'kin government can't come across with the scholarships Yamaki is always trying to get for us. Or even a word of gratitude".
"I'm not sure I follow…"
"Don't you miss it? The excitement, the adventure?"
"No, I can't say I do…"
"How can you say that!"
"I've had more than enough 'adventure' (finger quotes) to last me ten lifetimes. That's one of the reasons I wanted to come here to the Material World: to get away from that life of always fighting, loading, and evolving"
"A digimon who doesn't want to fight?"
"We didn't have a choice before, but now we do. I'm still not seeing a problem here?"
"It's like after the tournament, what's there to look forward to? How do you accept that you flamed out and you're still ten?"
"You have the whole rest of your life to look forward to. It wasn't long after I first arrived: I heard about this man who ran into a burning house to rescue two kids and their cat. Do you suppose he'll ever do anything that heroic again? I doubt it.
"Let me show you something", he called her attention to what he was working on.
"Human sound systems just plain suck, so I'm doing my own designs. I figured I'd make a valve amp I can stand to listen to. Then it occurred to me that there just might be a business here, wouldn't humans like better sounding systems? If I play my cards just right, maybe I can pull this off, make my own way through the Material World instead of depending on the allowance I get from the Twins' parents. I might as well, seeing I'm stuck".
"I wouldn't know how to do anything like that".
"Ruki, you're ten. There's no hurry to find your niche. Give it time, and it'll come when you're ready.
"I… suppose…"
"Of course you will, and if you get going, maybe you can get back to school before they miss you".
"I just needed to talk it out".
"You know where to find me".
"Thanks, Impmon".
"Any time"