The sun was shining down on the white fur of the white cat as she reached for the glass of orange juice that was standing next to her and suckled on the straw. The sun glinted on the smooth surface of her sunglasses, and a content smile was on her face.
A handsome man with similar sunglasses was spread out on the deck chair while enjoying the warm sunrays. "Honey, please pass the suntan lotion."
"Sure, sweetie! Here ya go!"
Yamaki accepted the lotion with gratitude. "Thanks!" Tally then watched with interest as he started to apply the lotion to his body.
A black blur came running up to them, her fur dripping with water. "Hey, you slowpokes! Come on and join me, the water's great!"
Yamaki smiled. "Some other time maybe, Riley!"
Her white-furred sister shuddered. "You know that I don't stand anything wet, Riley! What kind of cat are you, anyways?"
"The not scaredy kind," the BlackGatomon replied while sticking out her tongue. "C'mooon, Mitsuo, don't be such a drag! Let's have some fun!"
Yamaki chuckled. It had been a long time since Riley had such fun. "In a minute, all right?"
"Okay, but you better not keep me waiting," she said before running back to the pool.
Tally lay back and sighed. "How long will we stay here?"
Yamaki looked around before answering her question. After he made sure that nobody was around, he whispered: "Not for too long. We may have enough money, but if we stay in one place for a too long time, they will find us. Remember that we are internationally wanted criminals. The only reason that nobody has come to arrest us is that our crimes have not been made public."
"Too bad..." Tally sighed. "I was starting to enjoy it here."
"We can stay two more days, but I'm afraid we have to leave afterwards. I looked for another nice place we could go to. How does Acapulco sound?"
Tally smiled. "Sounds great! Although I wished we didn't have to live such a life of outcasts..."
"Maybe we will be redeemed some day... especially because Alice is helping the government. You've got one brave and determined sister, Tally! Going back to where she is a wanted criminal took some guts."
"It's not like she could have said no to Daddy," Tally smirked. "She acts like a tough girl, but on the inside, she has a heart of gold. Just ask Kouki and Ivan... that is, the next time we meet them."
"Where have they vanished to, by the way?" Yamaki wondered. "Alice never told me."
"Ivan has some relatives in Russia," Tally explained. "They can stay there for a while... until Alice needs them, as Kouki said."
"Well, I certainly hope that..."
"HEY!" came the angry voice of a BlackGatomon from the pool. "What's taking you so long?"
Yamaki sighed. "I better go before Riley starts to make a scene."
Tally nodded. "You do that, dear!" And she drank the last of her juice while Yamaki was joining her sister in the pool. When the glass was empty, she waved for the waiter.
"Garcon!"
"Oui, madame?"
"Un autre jus d'orange, s'il vous plait!"
"Tout de suite, madame!"
Tally lay back in her chair. Oh yes, coming to the French Riviera had been one of Yamaki's better ideas...
Ai was sitting in front of the TV. It was showing an old cartoon, one of her favorite shows, but somehow it didn't make her laugh this time.
The room she was in had everything a young girl her age could ask for. A warm bed, a wardrobe and several drawers for her clothes, a huge toy box, a desk on which she could draw and paint, a children's radio, dozens of Digimon dolls and the TV. If her mother had given her all of this to her birthday, she would have been unbelievably happy.
But now nothing of this meant anything to her. She just wanted to go back home... but she knew she couldn't do that. Never again... or Barbamon would hurt her family.
The door opened. Ai turned around and saw Doumon entering her room. He had assumed his Ultimate form so nobody in the neighborhood would recognize him. He didn't have to be afraid of Ai's powerful Rookie form, since she had promised to him she wouldn't try to escape or even attack him. And Angel Digimon never broke their promises.
"Well, are you satisfied?" Doumon asked in a sarcastic voice. "I made sure to give you anything you might miss from home."
"Why are you doing this?" Ai asked in a quiet voice. "You are a bad man, aren't you?"
Doumon chuckled. "Maybe, but you are on my side right now. I might as well make sure you're feeling good while you're staying with me."
"I'm not feeling good..." Ai muttered. "I miss my Mommy..."
Doumon frowned. "That's too bad, but we all lose our mothers some time, child! Be thankful that yours is still alive!"
Ai gasped as she turned around and stood up. "You... you promised..."
"And I will keep that promise... as long as you stop complaining! I don't know if I will ever manage to have you reach your Ultimate Level, but you are a powerful ally as you are. I've given you all these things... show some gratitude, you spoilt girl!"
"All... all right..." Ai whispered with teary eyes. She sat down on her bed.
Doumon nodded. "Good! And now, do whatever you want. I need to have a small conversation with our 'guest'..."
He closed the door behind him and Ai hugged the huge Etemon plushie next to her for comfort.
Doumon walked along the stark corridor of the abandoned apartment complex they were now living in. He hoped that they wouldn't find him here. To be on the safe side, he had put a digital field of fear on the main entrance, so that everyone who came too close would have second thoughts before coming any closer.
He opened a rusty metal door and the other end of the corridor. In contrast to Ai's room, this room was dark, dusty and musty. Only a small lamp on a small table was giving off some light.
No, that wasn't entirely true.
There was a second source of light in the room, the sparkling bars of energy that trapped BioCalumon in his cage.
BioCalumon was sitting on the floor of his cage and had his eyes closed. He didn't try to escape, he could still control his favorite game from within here. He had tried to flee once, but when he touched the energy bars, they had given him a nasty shock.
How he detested the frail little body he was forced to inhabit...
Doumon approached the cage and sneered down at the small prisoner. "Well, have you changed your mind?"
Bio opened his right eye. "I'm not talking to you."
"Not? I am wondering, why? Was there ever anything I did to you?"
"Very funny!" BioCalumon hissed. "You were the one who trapped me in here!"
"Well, true..." Doumon admitted. "But that is your own fault. If you would just share your secrets with me..."
"What secrets?" BioCalumon asked with feigned innocence.
"Everything!" Doumon shouted as he brought his fist down on the table. "What kind of Digimon are you? What is your relationship with that Palmon girl? Why does she believe you could EVER harm me?"
Calumon tilted his head. "Well, I COULD tell you... if you said the magic word..."
Doumon gritted his teeth. "And... what IS the magic word?"
Bio smiled. "Please!"
Doumon let out a groan of desperation. He wanted to strangle the little guy. But first, he wanted to know his secret.
"Would you... PLEASE... tell me?" he snarled.
Bio turned his back to him. "Sorry, I can't!"
"WHAT??"
Bio turned around his head and grinned. "I never work with fools who are stupid enough to do anything they are told!"
Doumon wanted to cry.
"Fine..." he grumbled. "Be that way! I'll give you time to consider... one day, to be exact! If you still refuse to help me... well, I have my ways of handling 'difficult' cases."
And he left BioCalumon alone, slamming the door shut as he left.
Bio grimaced. That wasn't going according to plan at all. Just because that damn Palmon couldn't keep her mouth shut...
Well, at least he could still influence the game from within his prison. He would figure out a way to get out of here, given some time. He had turned Barbamon into what he was today... with the right command of the game master, he could easily destroy him.
If only he had a more easily to control game master on his side... if only Eiko hadn't betrayed him...
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:00)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.