Nighttime visitor [mirei]

[Observer]

Today was the day Renee was waiting for for so long. Or ... night, whatever, but you get the picture. All this life in the forest ... it was good, better than she expected, she had friends here she never could have hoped to find anywhere else, and she was happy, but still... An exile is an exile, no matter if the conditions are better that expected. She was surrounded by friends about whom she cared, but away from the only person she cared about most. And, despite her best efforts to think about something else, diverting her mind to present matters, sometimes she caught herself on thinking about her tamer, and these thoughts tore her apart... And tonight, he was coming to visit.

Despite being anxious, Renee hid it very well, acting as if nothing happened at all, and would wait for her "brother and sister" to go asleep, before venturing away to meet her tamer. She did not have to wait long enough - the golemon, when sleeping, slept like a rock, and it was very hard to wake him up, as for palmon ... she fell asleep as soon as her head lied on the fluffy tails of hers. Renee smiled sadly - she did not want to leave the child, bt she had to go...

Slowly standing up, she made sure the child's head did not bump into anything, and, before leaving, pulled a warm blanket over the plant digimon - to keep her warm. She did not wake up, this was good - Renee did not want anyone of them to know ... her dark secret. She, unlike them, had a tamer, and was a clone. She was afraid that after finding out the truth, all her friends would abandon her, leaving a vacuum in her heart, and lots of hurt... She did not wish that. After checking that everything was alright, Renee slowly and softly went disappearing into the darkness of the forest...

- Sleep tight my children... I shall return soon...

[Mirei]

"zzz .... zzz ..."

The palmon was peacefully sleeping after an entire day of playing around the forest, working in her little garden of flowers and veggies and more importantly, bonding more and more with big sis Renee. She couldn't ask for more and was happy as long her little family remained together.

"Hmm ...sis ... that tickles ... eeek!"

She would have spent the entire night sleeping peacefully if weren't due some nocturnal ants decided to make of her their nighttime meal and bit and chomp the flower on her head. That was more painful than one would think and the palmon immediately jumped and ran until crashing with a tree, then focused into the invaders and tossed away those hard working but enemies of plants insects.

"Owies .... that hurts ... sis?"

Now awaken, she looked around and found only the golemon was sleeping, Renee's bed was empty and it was still a bit warm, she couldn't have gone too far. The curious plant digimon at first looked randomly for her sister, but eventually decided to follow her scent; the youkomon smelled to honey and flowers and that made her easy to find using the sense of smell.

"Sister, where are you?"

The wind was blowing against her face and her words reached no one. However, what made harder for her to communicate with her sister actually made easier to find her for the wind brought with it the scent of the mythical vixen.

Soon the palmon found her beloved adoptive sister and decided to surprise her from behind .... but then she refrained from doing that; she looked like she was waiting for something .... or maybe she had a funny secret, like having a hidden fruit stash for herself buried exactly where she was standing or maybe even better, she was preparing a big gift for the plant digimon!

Mirei hid behind some bushes and quietly waited for her sister to reveal her secret, then she would return to her bed and later when Renee revealed what she was hiding on her own, surprise the fox digimon because the palmon already knew about it XD

[Observer]

Larry was driving his moped through the night on a lonely road. "Fool", some might say, "just asking for some sort of an incident to happen to him", will add others. Venturing anywhere at night was always a risk. They didn't know him though. He got so used to waking up at night by a call for TACCOM to go against a digimon spawning, that night became his very best friend - he was not afraid of it. For any kind of problems ... well, he had a gun, and was more than apt in using it.

This night was different though, so very different. He ventured into the darkness not to kill a digimon, but ... to meet one. Absence of this one at his side was like a gnawing wound, so he too looked forward to this meeting. He had much to say, many news to tell about what's going on in the city ... and just to spend some time with his ... well, hard to pick a term. More than a friend, more like a family member, to compensate for those he left at home...

His digivice's screen glowed brightly in the dark, it was leading him further into the forest, as he left his moped by the road, and went in without any fear. He had a flashlight with him to see better in the dark, and followed a narrow trail that was leading to the rendezvous point. The forest was quiet, only sound of wind and random critter running away in fear as the human made his way into the forbidden depths... And it was then when he heard an all too familiar voice:

- I'm here Larry...

Renee spotted the human going down the trail as soon as he stepped on it. She recognized the silhouette immediately - the coat, sides twisting in the air, and the glasses gleaming in the light of the flashlight he carried with him. She would have grinned widely, if she could. Larry was here ... at last. She went out of the darkness, revealing herself, and called out to him. The reaction, however ... was slightly unexpected...

- *gasp!* - Larry exclaimed as he turned to the source of the voice, but instead of a lean figure of his renamon he saw a big, somewhat threatening bewitching fox, her tails blazing in dim red fire. It was a scary sight to see in the middle of the night, but the young man didn't fall over like he would have some time ago. He saw some scary stuff before, experience made him into a much more ... stress-resistant character. Plus, the youkomon lacked an eye. He would recognize the injury anywhere...

- Renee... - he called back as he made a few steps towards the giant fox...

The two were both people of few outward emotions. When it came to anger, they unleashed it in full, but when being happy ... they were very reluctant to show it... At last this was truer for Larry, as for Renee ... well, since she became a youkomon, it became easier for her to show her brighter emotions, like, for starters, affection. Larry discovered this soon as he felt one of her tails wrapping around him as well.

- I missed you too Renee...

[Mirei]

"Ehh?"

That wasn't what the palmon expected. She imagined many things being Renee's secret, like having hidden food, a secret gift, maybe even a boyfriend but never imagined she would be meeting a human. He looked like .... he was sad for the hardships of the life he had and at the same time happy for seeing the youkomon. Then it happened, the plant digimon's big sis hugged the human with one her tails and it was more than clear that the man either was taking part of the forbidden love between humans and digimon .... or he was her ... TAMER!

"Nooo, don't take away my sister!"

No, NO!, it simply couldn't be possible. That man was coming to take away her sister, he was going to steal the palmon's happiness and crush that little but nice family they formed. She noisily left the bushes in which she was hiding and ran after the youkomon, trying futilely to remove the tail wrapping the man with the glasses and after seeing how efforts were for naught, she simply hugged the youkomon

"Sis, sis, don't leave me alone again!"

And then she cried ...

[Observer]

Larry and Renee both blinked when their reunion was so suddenly and rudely interrupted by ... a sudden scream. What was it? They both had no idea for a few seconds, as they both turned around, the youkomon looking for a potential enemy, and Larry drawing his gun. At first he did not manage to get where the screams were coming from, until he finally identified what they meant, and spotted ... a digimon. Clinging to the youkomon. Renee and Larry both looked at each other then, Larry's expression asked wordless question, and Renee's ... well, it was rather apologetic.

- Sister? - Larry finally managed to ask with amazement in his voice. He hid the gun inside his inner pocket. This ... whimpering child did not represent a threat. Not now at least.

- Yes. My stepsister. I met her in the forest, and looked after her ever since... - Renee replied firmly. She knew her tamer would not like hearing this, but she wasn't going to withdraw on that one. What she did wasn't wrong and she knew it, even if the person whom she most admired thought otherwise...

Larry only sighed when he heard that and sat on a stump that was conveniently nearby. He whiped the sweat from his forehead. The digimon again... Just like last time. Why did she feel compassion for them? He did not know, did not understand. Or maybe did not want to understand. Did not want to accept that his Renee, despite being a clone, was a clone of a digimon, whom he grew to dislike so much. Against whom he fought. They used to fight...

- Renee... - he sighed heavily. - Why? Why are you repeating this all over again? Last time... last time you did the same thing, I had to hide you here from Hypnos, who would execute you for high treason... - he lamented and shook his head. Then his glare fell upon the crying plant digimon again. Sister ... family... Renee became that for her? For no reason? Of all things, he did not expect this from her.

- I know. I regretted it at first, but now ... I don't. - Renee replied firmly, as one of her tails wrapped around the small crying plant digimon again. - And I cannot abandon them.

- But they're the enemy!

- Look at her Larry. She is crying. Does she look like an enemy to you? - Renee asked a simple question, but it wrought havoc inside the young man, even if he didn't show it that way. He remembered shooting a monmon in the knees, torturing, and it was crying, just like this child. The only difference was ... that no one asked him that question. Maybe for the first time ... his belief was shaken. He may have remained deaf to pleas coming from both humans and digimon, but when it came from his friend ... he wavered...

[Mirei]

The small plant digimon simply sobbed pushing her face on the youkomon's soft fur and paid little to no attention to the chat between her sister and the man with the glasses, she was so worried about the possibility of her sister leaving her that wanted to spend as much time as possible hugging her and feeling that warm sensation the big digimon gave to her, that rhythmic heartbeat that never lost its tempo, and the comfortable sensation of being hugged by those strong but gentle tails of hers. Maybe the youkomon never realized it, but she was indeed more than a mere clone, she was a living and breathing DIGIMON capable of giving love to those hungry for it and being loved back. She would be really surprised to know that she did more acting as a normal digimon than all she did as an agent of hypnos. Anyone can simply kill, but not everybody can give a meaning to the lives of others.

"Big sis Renee ... *sobs*, if you have to return with your friend go, but please always visit me ... *sob*, you looked so happy when you looked at him .... "

The palmon really wanted the youkomon to live forever with her, but she also understood that the link between a digimon and a human can be as strong as the one of family members and the expression Renee showed when the man with glasses appeared ... it wasn't the same kind of happiness she showed when she was with the botanical digimon, it was a different kind happiness, like the one that is shown when one sees a dear friend you haven't seen in ages. It was crushing her, but the palmon knew that she couldn't simply separate Renee for the person she cares for the most, it reminded her of the time she left the Hitoehi family house because Shana refused to let the palmon be free to make friends with Shana's sister Hanako, and now if she didn't let the youkomon leave she would be doing the same and her very sister would feel sad because she was being forced to live where she didn't want to live.

She stopped hugging the large fox and looked at the man who was her sister's tamer.

"Big brother, *sniff*, please take care of my sister ..."

When the palmon arrived to the world of the humans she was still nothing but a child who eagerly did anything to obtain the friendship of others and would cling to those she loved, but after all what she experienced until now she matured a little and learned to accept that there's no greater proof of love than letting your loved one be free to have their own life and find their own happiness, it would be cruel for her to deny the youkomon's happiness to keep her own and she didn't want her sister to live unhappy.

[Observer]

- Silly child... - Renee sighed out as he tails hugged the little plant digimon even tighter. What she said touched the bewitching fox to the core. Anyone who has a heart would have gotten teary-eyed from such a selfless display of love and affection. Renee did not understand this ... what did she do to deserve such devotion from another? Sure she was nice and acted as a guardian and all that, but really? Was this enough? Was the child so desperate to have a family?

- I came to the forest because I needed to hide. Outside I am in mortal danger. And I cannot leave... Not yet. But when I would be able to, I'm taking you with me. That's a promise... - the youkomon said with a gentle, tender voice, before tossing a wary look at her tamer. She let him know that she would not be abandoning this child, no matter what. It was not just any child, now, after what just happened ... it was HER child. Larry understood this, so didn't even bother opposing such a decision. He had to accept that Renee was no longer tied to Hypnos, and its draconic rules. Unfortunately, he still was. And he did not drop a tear at this display of genuine affection.

- My attempt at faking your death failed Renee... Hypnos knows you are alive and on the run. I was called by my boss a few days ago ... she was not pleased. Said one more screw-up and I will end up with a bullet in my head. And I fear they might know where you hide as well... - Larry's voice was hollow, empty. Creepily empty. Renee's face expression became dead serious.

- My boss seems to send me on one morally ambiguous mission after another recently... I already did enough to secure a nice warm place in Hell after I die. She might send me to terminate you one day... And might threaten my family to force me to do it. When that time comes... If that time comes, I wish you to ... simply disappear. Anywhere. Take whoever you care for with you, but I will need you to vanish from their radar, and mine. Off the continent...

- I understand...

[Mirei]

The palmon was completely at loss of words; Renee had to hide? mortal danger? faked death? HYPNOS??? Just exactly what was going on? Nothing made sense and the only thing the small plant digimon understood was that when the fox digimon talked about Hypnos with that young human tamer and she proved to know a few things about it, it was because she was escaping from those evildoers. The youkomon wasn't staying in the forest neither because she liked it nor because she become part of a family, but because she was in danger and could die if she left! Things were getting too complex ... too wrong, and what could the little digimon do to prevent a horrible fate from falling on her sister? She had to mature as fast as possible and learn to become strong and independent, for the sake of helping the purple mystic beast.

"Sis ... I .. didn't know that those Hypnos baddies wanted to hurt you, I promise to become strong and protect you like you protected me and big bro golemon!"

That's it, she simply couldn't act like nothing happened and continue having her happy, simple life, now it was the time to get serious and learn ... how to fight. Since now the palmon had never fought not even once in her life and she was pretty clueless about how to engage in a duel; all she had in her favor were her nimble movements product of training in the past to join a circus as an acrobat when she grew up back when she was living in the safety of the institute and while helpful, that wasn't enough to prepare her for a real battle where failure meant death.

Those Hypnos baddies ... they were the reason why Renee lost her precious human partner and not happy with that, even threatened to hurt that man's family only to keep him under control, and he was so worried about that and about the safety of the youkomon that suggested her to leave forever and never return. Those monsters ... it was bad enough that they hurt innocent digimon, but to also destroy families only because they could? That was so horrible and tragic that deeply touched the small palmon, who valued family more than everything else and hated when something attempted against the bonds between relatives and friends.

"You don't have to separate, we can fight against those baddies together! I bet there's many nice human and digimon outside that would help us to beat those meanies just like that nice digimon king human and our brother golemon, and then big sis Renee and her friend man with glasses can live happily ever after, like in the fairy tales!"

Indeed, there were many humans and digimon outside that would gladly fight against the tyranny of Hypnos ... but the problem was that there was no sense of unity between them and as long they remained separated, any strength they could muster would be shattered by Hypnos' organized troops .... if only a miracle happened and they worked together, then Hypnos could be defeated, but until that miracle happened, destroying hypnos was nothing but a dream.

[Observer]

Larry and Renee both looked at each other, then at Palmon, upon hearing her words. The child was ... very honest about her feelings, she was ... pure, not tainted by any kind of sin, her words were filled with so much ... selfless compassion towards her stepsister, that anyone would have believed her. It looked a bit allegoric, between three of them, only this child was like a saint, a beacon for two sinners, that both did horrible things in their lives. It was that light which could guide lost souls out of the darkness...

- Renee... Did you tell her the whole truth about yourself? - Larry asked a bit suspiciously. He still was ... a non-believer, and would not even think that this child would accept Renee without her mask, accept her ... for who she really was. He did not want to break this little heaven she created here for herself, but ... the child needed to know the truth, in order to decide if she wants to risk herself ... for such kind of person. It would be only selfish to keep hiding it for personal comfort...

- No... - Renee replied reluctantly. She understood it was necessary, but ... it still was hard. Her fear to be rejected came back again. Child was too young to put pieces together, but she surely would understand if it is said to her straightly. And then ... she'd probably run away... As far away as possible from this ... abomination.

- You should. - Larry said firmly. You could not hold allies or friends by lying to them about yourself. Or they will love only your mask, and not you, so ... when the mask will fall, and it always falls, eventually, they would abandon you. Only those who see you without the mask, and stay - they are your only true friends. You cannot run from your past. He who forgets the past, has no future. Only to live a lie.

- Very well. Larry, can you leave us alone for a few minutes? This should be over soon... - Renee asked, her eye glowing dimmer, and voice going lower, from normal to almost a whisper. Larry nodded, he understood this had to be done in private. - I will be waiting by the road. - he informed, and went away, down the trail, leaving the two digimon alone... This was a confession, of sorts.

- I expect you to run away after hearing all this... - Renee's voice suddenly became harsh and cold, as she unwrapped her tails, with which palmon played for so long, and took a few steps away from the plant digimon. The fox did not turn around, to have it face to face, she did not wish for an eye contact...

- You do not know much about me, sister, if I can even call this way. In fact, you know nothing. But you will know now. I do not wish to drag someone with me because they cling to pretty lie which I had set up to be comfortable with... - Renee sighed out. This ... this should be hard. Very hard. But she had to do it. She realized that she had no right to live such a happy life here with others, for if ... if the enemies will come for her, they would also hurt others... Were she braver, she'd abandon them, and hide on her own, in solitude, but she was not brave enough. She did not want to leave. So... she made a deal with her conscience - to offer her friends a choice.

[Mirei]

"The truth?"

By now the tears stopped flowing and the palmon was more puzzled than sad after listening to all what those two were saying. They acted as if they were hiding some sort of super duper secret and later the man with glasses left to give both digimon some time to speak.

"I won't run away, because you are my sister no matter what you did before and now you are so nice that even if you made somebody cry before, now you can make them smile!. Nanny Rosemon used to say that all roses have thorns that hurts those who touches them, yet they don't make them any less beautiful; and then she said that like a rose a nice person can have some bad things about them but that doesn't make them bad people, and I'm sure big sis Renee is so nice that nothing bad of her past is so bad that would make me not like her anymore"

She learned many things from nanny Rosemon, and one of them was that it's ok to have some flaws and make mistakes; that's part of what makes all living being try to improve. Also, no sin is so severe that would condemn somebody to suffer forever, because as long one wants to atone for those mistakes, they can be redeemed.