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Memories...

I spent the next two days by Riina's side, doing my best to nurse her back to health. Her eyes never opened during that time, and I found myself increasingly concerned despite Raion's steady, calm manner. He let me focus on my partner while he looked after the others, and patiently reassured me that despite appearances, she was just recovering her strength. Meiryosa cooked all of our meals. Even Koneko did his best to help. During the day the little Wanyamon kept us entertained. He laughed, joked, and bounced around so much that Raion had to sometimes banish him to his own bedroom. At night, he would snuggle himself inside the crook of Shori's arms so that she could cuddle and snuggle him like a pillow.

It was his sheer excess of energy that truly intrigued me however. At one point I questioned Raion regarding it. His response was thus: "It's his mother. Most digimon are born without parents. Instead, they're the result of a mixture of dreams and the exchange of various types of data in your world. Those few that do have parents are the result of a merging of that same data. So far as I know, Koneko is the first digimon to have a human parent, and while most of us have to share energy with our partners, my son seems to hold some of Meiryosa's energy inside himself naturally." That explanation made as much sense to me as anything else in the Digital World, so I didn't push the matter further. It was just one more example of exactly how much I had yet to learn.

By the third day I was so exhausted that Meiryosa sent me to Koneko's room for a nap. When I insisted I couldn't leave Riina, she offered a soft smile, but sent me away regardless. "I'll wake you if there's any change," she promised.

She never did. When I finally woke up, nearly a full day had already passed. The house was eerily quiet, and it took me a few moments to get myself oriented. I slowly got to my feet. By the ache in my limbs I had to have slept for at least twelve full hours. Yawning, I stretched and made my way out onto the upstairs landing.

I poked my head into the other bedroom, but what I found, or rather, did NOT find disturbed me. They were gone. All of them had disappeared. The quilt was tossed aside. The sheets were a tangled mess, dangling partway off the bed. It was as if someone had gotten up and left in a hurry. Meiryosa would have told me if there was any trouble, wouldn't she?

My mind's panic center threw itself into overdrive as I made my way downstairs. The main floor was silent as a cemetery, just like the one above. The kitchen was empty. It smelled only of last night's dinner. I grew increasingly afraid. "Raion?" I caled, "Riina?! Anyone, answer me!!!" Nothing. Convinced now that I was experiencing a nightmare, I stormed my way through the house. Once I was certain it was empty, I made my way to the front door.

As I reached for the knob, I hesitated momentarily. If this truly was a nightmare (and I was not so sure it was not), something terrible probably waited on the other side. I searched, but about the only thing I found to defend myself was a purple-blue stick. It was about three quarters of my height and slender enough to easily wrap my fingers around it. Meiryosa had likely fashioned it herself into a walking stick. I grabbed the weapon and held it above my head.

Now poised to strike, I opened the door. "Cheisu!" Something flew through the air. Before I had the chance to react, it hit me square in the gut and knocked me to the ground.

When I opened my eyes, the image was blurry, and I shook my head to clear away the double vision. There, sitting on my chest and making it hard to catch my breath, was Koneko. "You finally woke up!" he cheered, His face was frozen in a relentless grin.

"Erm... yah," I said, "but if you stay sitting there, I won't be for long."

With an abashed laugh, Koneko hopped back to the floor. "Sorry."

I got to my feet once more and dusted myself off. "It's alright. I was afraid there was some kind of trouble while I was asleep. Where is everyone?"

"Riina and the others woke up a few hours ago," Koneko said, "Okaasan and Otoosan left Riina in charge and left to find some more food." His belly growled, drawing another nervous giggle from him. He offered apologies, but I ignored him. Only one part of what he said mattered in that moment. Riina was awake. She was okay!

Koneko started jabbering again, but I rushed past him. Riina... I had to see Riina! I had to apologize to her. I had to tell her how sorry I was for failing her!

I looked up through the hole in the peak ceiling above. It was difficult to tell, but at a guess I thought it early in the morning. The clouds were lined with the reds and oranges of twilight. The air flowing in smelled damp, and it felt warm and sticky. The only relief came from a light breeze that tousled a few strands of my hair. It was cooling quickly, however, meaning a coming storm.

Shori and Okami were easy enough to find. Shori's excited laughter echoed through the cavern. She swam in the lake, just off the dock. She appeared to be buck naked, but by the look on her face, she didn't care about that. In fact, one might say she had not a care in the world.

Okami sat on the deck itself. Shori's cloths lay behind him in a messy pile, and he winced each time she splashed The poor wolf puppy digimon's fur was already dripping wet. "Shori, we really need to go back inside before it starts raining!" he pleaded.

"But I've been stuck in bed for days!" Shori protested. Her voice was just whiny enough to remind us all of her youth. "C'mon and come swimming, Okami! The water feels great!" She splashed at him again, leaving Okami to attempt to shake himself dry without hurting his still-tender arm.

Chuckling, I stepped out onto the dock, making sure to keep well out of the range of Shori's miniature tidal waves. "Cheisu!" she cheered when she noticed, "Hi there! Come swimming with me!" She splashed again.

"Hi Shori," I said, doing my best to not laugh at the poor wolf-puppy digimon's helpless situation. "I'm glad to see both you and Okami awake. How are you feeling?"

"Still a little woozy," Shori admitted, "but I couldn't stay cooped up anymore! I'm getting better, and besides, I have my Okami Kyuseisha to protect me!" I looked down at Okami. If it was possible, I thought I could see a blush peaking through his blue-and-white fur of the young Gaomon's cheeks.

"Well, you can always count on your digimon partner to be there when you need him," I agreed, "Speaking of which, have either of you seen Riina?"

"She found some trails leading up laong the cavern wall behind the house," Okami replied, "The last I knew, she'd decided to climb and see where they go."

"Domo Arigato."

I turned and made my way back toward the house. Koneko shot past me and soon the sound of splashing told me he'd probably jumped straight into the lake to join Shori.

The paths Okami referred to turned out to be little more than trails of dirt set on the cavern's bedrock. The precipitous edge of the trail sat barely a meter from the wall, meaning a single misstep might prove deadly. Against my better judgment I started up the steep cliffs on my own. With each step sand and gravel shifted beneath my feet. The higher I went, the more unsteadied I felt. It didn't take long enough for me to climb high enough that, with a strong, well-aimed jump I might be able to reach the roof of Raion and Meiryosa's home. I quickly decided against that stunt (I knew I was risking enough as it was) and moved on. As I climbed higher, the path became more narrow until only a matter of centimeters stood between me and a sudden fall to the earth below.

I paused a moment and looked down upon the scenery. The river and lake appeared now to be no larger than a backyard Koi pond. The houses had been reduced to the size of those used for little girls' dolls. The tallest trees were like nothing more than shrubs It might have been my imagination, but the air felt thinner up here. I had not truly appreciated just how far below me the solid ground was until now.

Feeling suddenly afraid, I stopped. My hands clutched at the protruding stones in the wall behind me. I found myself overwhelmed by a sense of vertigo. My feet felt as if they might come out from under me at any moment of their own volition.

I turned my head to look farther up the road. It seemed to come to an end at a sheer drop. "Riina?!" I called, hoping she'd perhaps found another way to move higher.

Riina's golden-furred head poked out from an unseen opening in the wall. Her beautiful blue eyes dixed on me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity "Cheisu, what are you doing up here?"

"I came to find you... We need to talk," I said, almost breathlessly.

With a nod, Riina slipped around the corner. She made her way down the pathway with all the ease and flawless grace I'd come to expect from her. On the other hand, as I forced myself to move toward her, I was certain I looked the part of a crab being goaded along against its will by a pointed stick.

Riina met me about halfway. When her sure paw reached out and took my hand, I suddenly found my feet as sure as hers. For some reason that simple contact seemed to instantly alleviate all of my fears. With her help I easily managed the rest of the climb.

As it turned out, the end of the path led to a cave opening. The walls closest to the entry felt slightly moist to the touch. A soft, iridescent moss lined them, and lit the cavern as the sun above moved out of view, pulling the night along behind it. The cave itself was fairly cozy, looking large enough to house no more than four full-grown men. For Riina and me, however, that meant plenty of space.

I sat against the wall, back sliding against the smooth rock until I felt solid ground beneath my butt. Riina's ears flicked as if in amusement. "I never imagined you the kind to have a fear of heights, Cheisu," she commented dryly.

"Neither did I."

Riina stepped over to the opening. She said nothing further, but her ears were alert, and she turned to fix one eye on me. She was waiting for me to speak first. If she had any idea of what I intended to say, she certainly didn't show it. Her eyes, her lips, and even her ears gave away nothing more than intent listening. I hadn't seen her this poker-faced since the day we first met.

The problem was, I didn't know how to begin. How does one apologize for not caring? How do you say you're sorry for failing when it counts most? How could I make up for being less of a partner than Riina deserved, or needed?

She waited patiently until finally, there was nothing left to it but to say things as best I knew, and hope Riina understood my intention. I took a deep breath. "Riina... I..." I hesitated as her eyes turned to me. It things had been hard before, they were twice as difficult now. I hadn't seen anyone look at me like that since the day Keirei and I parted ways. "I just... wanted to tell you that I'm sorry," I managed.

"Sorry?" She tilted her head as if she didn't understand what I was talking about.

I nodded in confirmation. "I haven't been a very good partner to you," I admitted, "You're fighting for something here, and all I've been fighting for is to get myself home. I've been holding back. You deserve better than that... Really, you deserve better than me."

Riina did something then that surprised me. She stepped forward. Though I expected hard words, a slap to the cheek, or even outright rejection, what came was none of them. I closed my eyes and braced for whatever blow might come... only to melt as Riina's deceptively-strong arms draped themselves around me, pulling me into a warm embrace. Although shocked at first, I soon found myself relaxing. I returned her affectionate gesture. My hands rested against her shoulders. Her fur was soft to the touch. Lithe, lean muscle twitched in response.

"I am sorry too," Riina whispered, "I was so afraid of being hurt again that I have been holding back too. I jut did not want to face the thought of losing you, now that you have come back into my life."

I pulled away. "Back into your life?"

Riina's face fell. She looked at me with a mixture of sadness and confusion. "You really do not remember, do you?"

"Remember what?" Riina turned away, sighing.

"That you were the one who gave me my name." I stared at Riina in disbelief. With every answer to the questions I asked in this world, there came another riddle. Now this? "I named you?" I asked, "That's impossible, isn't it?"

"It is not impossible Cheisu!" she insisted, turning back around to face me, "Stop denying the things you know are true!" Her voice was hard, but the strain of emotion was obvious with those last few words. Her fists clenched as she fought to control herself, to keep from crying as she had not in quite some time. "Digimon should be known as more than simply what we are," she whispered as a tear reached her eye, "You told me that, back when I was still Viximon. Then you named me Riina because-"

"Because we are always supposed to look to the future," I concluded, "and chase our dreams..." I looked up at her, eye wide with recognition. "I... I remember..." Indeed, as my own words echoed back at me from the distant past, images flooded my mind's eye, and I remembered how Riina and I first met.

---

{[_]}DIGIMON{[_]}

---

"Ahhh!" The ground below rushed at break-neck speed to meet me. Patches of green, brown, and blue spun through my vision in a nauseating, blurry display. The lighter-than-air sensation and the feeling of the wind tearing past my face ripped the breath from my lungs. My limbs flailed uselessly as my body instinctively sought to right its orientation.As the ground grew closer I was certain this would be the end of me, ten years of life snuffed out in an instant.

I only managed to glimpse the tops of a number of technicolor towers before I slammed full force into the ground... only to be thrown back into the air. Down I came again, and again I bounced, losing only a little vertical momentum. Three more times I flew skyward before I finally settled on a landscape that felt suspiciously like an over-puffed marshmallow.

For a few moments I lay there, staring into the above see of endless blue. Once my head stopped spinning I got to my feet, standing only briefly as my legs sought balance on the unsteady ground.

It was now, for the first time since that bright light had flashed from my toy digivice, and my world disappeared in a burst of color, that I was able to stare in awe at my surroundings. It was all so familiar, so real, from the baby block towers to the tiny wooden bassinets. My eyes widened, and I excitedly laughed. Primary Village! It was real, all of it! And if that was real then that meant... "The Digital World!" I exclaimed, "I knew it was real! I just knew it!" With cheer I leaped into the air and began to bounce like I was in an amusement park moonwalk. I made my way toward the baskets and knelt down.

That was when I first met Riina. She was only a Relemon at the time, a little ball of golden fluff with a fox-like tail, but she still had those same big, blue eyes. She slipped toward the edge of the basket and looked up at me. "Are you... my partner?" she squeaked.

The question brought a grin to my face. I was so excited to find myself in the Digital World that I hadn't even considered the implications. Of all the millions of children in the world, Somehow I had been chosen as digidestined!

"Well, are you?" the tiny creature asked, tail twitching impatiently.

"I can be if you want!" I smiled, "I've always wanted a digimon partner. My name's Shukumei Cheisu." I gave her the traditional bow.

"Shuckmaychasoo," she giggled, "That's a funny name. I'm Relemon, Shuckoomaychasoo." She leaped from the cradle into my arms.

I couldn't help but laugh at how she mispronounced my name. "Just call me Cheisu," I advised.

"Okay," she giggled, something she seemed to do a lot. My digivice started to glow again, and so did she. I shut my eyes tight, and when I opened them again, I was in for a surprise. She had digivolved into Viximon. "Well... I guess you can call me Viximon now."

I shook my head. "That's too hard to remember," I complained, "Besides, you won't be Viximon forever, will you?"

She shook her tiny head, newfound legs squirming in my arms. "No," she answered, "Someday, if I get really strong, I'll digivolve into Renamon, and now that I have a human partner, I'll be strong enough in no time!"

"Well," I said, turning a number of possible names over in my head, "I'll call you... Riina then. That's a lot easier to remember!"

"But that's not what I am," Riina protested, feeling rather confused.

"It's just a name," I explained, "Besides, you're my friend now. That makes you special."

"A name is what you are though."

"No, it's who you are," I said, "Just 'cause you're a digimon doesn't mean you shouldn't be yourself too. Digimon should all be known as more than what they are. Your dream is to become Renamon, right?"

"Yes, more than anything!" she eagerly confirmed. "Then I'll call ya' Riina!" I insisted, "My Dad says we need to 'look to the future and always follow our dreams'." I shrugged, but Riina laughed at my impression of my father's voice. "That's what he says the Shukumei name means, at least."

"Okay," she finally relented, "I'll be Riina. And just you wait Cheisu. Someday, we'll be the strongest team the world has ever seen!"

---

{[_]}DIGIMON{[_]}

---

With that first, happy memory, a torrent of others followed. Riina and I had spent many a night together and defeated countless foes. We were a nearly inseparable pair, torn apart only at those times when I was forced to return to the human world. But always, I came back for more adventures. Riina was my best friend, my confidant, my protector... and she played the part gladly with all the beauty and grace so natural to her kind. It even seemed like she was on the fast track to fulfilling her dream, but then something happened. I got older. My parents, my teachers, my friends all told me how foolish I was acting. Along with those memories, their voices came back to me, echoing across time.

"Digimon isn't real," my mother told me, "You're almost twelve. Maybe you should focus on your studies a bit more."

"It's just a dream, Cheisu," Father said, "Viximon isn't real. Now you're coming to dinner with the family tonight whether you like it or not. It's time you started focusing on the people need you in the real world."

"Mr. and Mrs. Shukumei, I pride myself on being a teacher who encourages creativity in her students," my teacher had said, "But a geography report on the flora and fauna of the Digital World is hardly what I call proper academic material. Cheisu is almost fourteen. I believe it would be in his best interest if you started... forcefully encouraging him to find interests outside of this... digimon."

Much to my dismay, my parents did just that. A few days after that conference, I found my room filled with boxes labeled "donations." My parents ordered me to pack up every single piece of digimon merchandise I owned so it could be given to a local orphans' shelter.

Father promised that it would "feel good to help less fortunate kids enjoy their childhoods as much as I did mine." I guess he was right, but this one thing... I wasn't so sure I wanted to give it up. I knew it was an important part of myself, more than any of them realized. I refused... even flew into a tantrum. I accused them of attempting to make me give up on my dreams. "You're not a child anymore, Cheisu!" my father had fumed when I angrily threw the Shukumei name back in his face, "You need to dream of real things. No son of my family is going to disgrace our family, or our name, by chasing after children's fantasies!"

"It isn't a fantasy!" I remember screaming, "It's real! All of it! Digimon are real! Viximon is real! She's my partner, and we're going to be the strongest team the worlds have ever seen! I won't give that up... I... I'll run away from home if I have to! I won't give up my dream!"

That outburst so frightened my mother that she'd called the family physician for help. Before I knew what was happening, I was in the hospital. They had me hooked up to so many computers I thought I could host my own web server. I was poked, prodded, and questioned to the point that I felt like a cross between a convict and a lab rat. In my own way, I suppose I was. Afterall, there had to be something wrong with the boy who clung so strongly to his false dreams. In the end, the doctors could find absolutely nothing wrong. Confounded, they were forced to send me home. The best that they could offer my distraught parents was a minor sedative to help calm me down, and a year's worth of "therapy" sessions designed to help me get over my "unhealthy obsession with Digimon."

They didn't understand, I knew, and they never would. I resisted as best I could at first. I endured the constant questions, the doubts cast on my aspirations, the different medicines designed to try to "stabilize" me, even if it meant that I had to endure each night filled with dreamless sleep. I continued to insist what I knew was true, but after a year of one treatment after another, I slowly began to believe the things everyone else told me. It didn't help that my parents never let me spend enough time alone to make the trip back to the Digital World. I forgot... my adventures, my dreams, my true identity... For all of their good intentions, the doctors and my parents, and even my friends and teachers, took everything from me. In the end, only Riina's voice, only her persistent call and her need for me forced me to confront that buried part of myself again. Now, finally, we had the chance to start over. We finally had the chance to get back to where we should have been a long time ago.

"Riina," I heard myself saying, my voice echoing just like the others so that for a moment, I wondered if I was not experiencing another memory, "I'm sorry. I promise... I'll never let anyone tear us apart again. I love you."