Rika was in her room, once again in human form, busy packing some things into her backpack.
Renamon was standing in a corner of the room and watched her.
"Rika..."
"No!" the redhead snapped. "You can say it as much as I want, I won't go and talk to Takato. Until he comes up with something that really, really helps to fix our current situation, I'm not gonna talk to him again. If you want to tell him anything, fine, do it. But not me!"
The yellow-furred fox sighed. "Rika, look: I'm pretty sure... No, I KNOW that Takato didn't mean you or anyone here any harm. He didn't know it was more than just a game. You know that as well, do you? You know that Takato isn't the type of guy to deliberately ruin a person's personal life, right?"
Rika stopped packing for a while and sighed. "I know what you want to tell me, Renamon, but... but that's not it. Actually, I've gotten used to the fact that Digimon are members of our society now, also that Henry is a girl now. Heck, I even got used to the fact that you and I are sisters."
She closed her eyes and gave off an almost inaudible sob. "What I really can't forgive Takato is... what he did to my... to our father."
Renamon blinked. "I don't understand... you don't care that you can turn into a Digimon, you don't mind that Henry is a girl and the fact that the parents of Takato, Jeri and Harmony have turned into Digimon doesn't faze you. So why are you so upset in regards of... father?"
Renamon couldn't help but smile inwardly. Every time she mentioned her 'new' mother and father by name, she felt warm and fuzzy inside. A feeling she had never known before... and somehow, she was grateful for what Takato did.
So why couldn't Rika do the same?
"It's not simply the fact that he changed," Rika said and sat down on her bed. "If he were like any other parent, I wouldn't mind it any more than I did with my own transformation. But, you know... Dad and I have been... distant for some time. I rarely see him any more."
She put her face into her hands. "Do you know how I feel when I know that I'm drifting away from my father? Every time I see him, I get the feeling that he's more and more like a stranger to me.
And now..." At this point, Rika couldn't control herself anymore and sobbed into her hands. "Now he departed from what I know him to be even more. He's not only a stranger, but a member of a completely different species. How can I... How can I relate to a guy who calls himself my father, but looks the same as my Digimon partner's Ultimate form?"
Renamon sat down next to her distraught sister. Earlier in their relationship as friends and partners, such a move would have been out of the question. But now... as sisters, this action made them both feel comfy inside, and Rika went as far as clinging to her bigger sis' warm fur.
"Rika... I can see your point, and I completely understand how hard it has to be for you. But, don't you see... In a way, Takato has the same problem. He can remember everything as well as we can do, and yet he unintentionally changed his mother into a Digimon. He was shocked, yes, and he blamed himself... but does that mean he sees his mother as a completely different person by now?"
"Takato..." Rika sniffed. "A great example. Takato is the one who caused all of this. And unlike me, his own change into a Hybrid wasn't forced upon him by someone else."
"That's true, but if he knew the truth, he would never have turned his mother into what she is by himself. But now, as he can't undo it, he has decided to go along 'with the flow', so to speak."
"It's still different," Rika insisted. "Takato can see his mother every day, and he can easily tell himself that she is his mother, the way she acts and speaks. But Dad, he... How am I supposed to know just how much he changed?"
Rika pondered over that question for a while, then she replied: "Rika... did you ever ask yourself how I'm feeling about this? I never had something like family, not in the way like you. And now, to suddenly have a mother, grandmother and..." She smiled down at Rika. "A sister... don't you think it's as confusing for me? And besides... while I know your... I mean, our mother and grandmother, and especially you... I never met our father. Don't you think I'm somehow in the same situation as you?"
Rika didn't know what to answer to that.
Just then, the door to their room (Renamon had decided to think of this as her own room as well) opened, and their mother looked in.
"Oh... am I interrupting anything?" she asked uncertainly. "I can come back later..."
"No, that's all right... Mother," Renamon said and stood up. "Is something the matter?"
"Yes, I... I'd like to talk to you for a short while, Renamon. Can we go into the kitchen?"
Renamon and Rika exchanged a confused look, but then the yellow vixen nodded. "Sure."
They went into the kitchen, where Renamon looked around. "Where... where's Grandmother?"
"She went out to do some shopping," Rumiko said. "And can't you call her Grandma, like Rika does? You don't have to be so... so formal all the time."
Renamon smiled. "I'll try. Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me about?"
Rumiko looked at her daughter. "I wanted to talk to you something in confidence, Renamon..."
"Um, okay. What's the matter?"
Rumiko sighed. "Renamon... I know you, Rika and your friends are going into the Digital World again."
Renamon nodded. After Kenta and MarineAngemon told them about Calumon's story, they all decided to pay Azulongmon another visit. As long as they didn't know where Yamacus had vanished, they could as well find out as much about their new Hybrid forms as they could.
When she saw that her eldest daughter didn't say anything more, Rumiko continued: "I know I can't stop you two from going, and I also know how important it is for you, but... Seriously, Renamon. Going all by yourselves? The Digital World is a dangerous place, you know they don't have written laws like we have here, in our world. And just because Digimon follow our laws once they settle here in Tokyo doesn't mean that they won't attack other Digimon to become stronger, back in their home country."
"Mother..."
"Renamon, please, call me Mom! And while you are a mature and reliable girl, and I know I can count on you to take care of your younger sister, still... I was hoping that you might be a little bit more responsible than that. Couldn't you... couldn't you at least ask Jeri's father to accompany you? Or Takato's mother? I would feel a bit more at ease if an adult would come along."
Renamon assuringly put a paw on her mother's shoulder. "Look, Mother... Mom! Rika is strong enough to take care of herself, in mind as now, that she can digivolve as well, also in body. And we won't be there alone... Takato, Harmony, Jeri and the others will be there. And we'll make sure not to get separated from each other, like last time."
"Well, fine, but... Renamon, please promise me one thing!"
"Yes?"
Rumiko looked at her furry daughter pleadingly. "Please... take care of your sister for me... okay?"
Renamon smiled. "Of course, Mom! You can count on me."
Rumiko smiled back. "Good. If you assure me that everything will be fine, I'll trust in your words." She sighed. "Now, don't you still have a few things to pack yourself?"
"Um, yes, of course."
"And remind Rika to take along some warm clothes," her mother shouted after her. "It can get very cold at night in the Digital World, and your sister doesn't have warm fur like you."
When Renamon was back in the room she now shared with her sister, Rumiko sighed.
"How can I make you understand, Renamon?" she murmured to herself. "I don't want to lose you or Rika like I lost your father... after all, he did disappear in the Digital World..."
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(Posted Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:13)
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