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Hitori ran.

He could not recall why he was running, where he was going or even where he had been. He just knew he had to run.

The scenery around him was strange and unfamiliar, just confirming the fact that he was lost. It was dense jungle, hot and humid. Huge trees towered over him, and the air hung thick amongst the undergrowth This was definitely not home.

The feeling of panic that had dominated his thoughts faded, his frantic pace slowing to a jog and then a walk. His breath came quick and shallow, his heart pounded in his chest.

-Where am I?- he thought to himself, looking around in all directions.

He realised, suddenly, that the only sounds that he could hear were his heavy footed steps and the thud thud thud of his heart against his chest. The thundering pace of his heart gradually slowed with each breath he took until he could hear it no longer.

"This isn't right…" he thought, unsure of what was going on. He knew that the jungle was supposed to be teeming with life. Insects, mammals, reptiles… All should be crying out, loud enough for all to hear. But here, wherever here was, there wasn't even the sound of the breeze on the leaves. Was this jungle entirely dead?

Hitori's eyes widened to the sound of crunching leaves, and he spun on his heels. But there was nothing behind him. Just the endless expanse of empty jungle, as far as his eyes could see.

"Ok, now I'm going crazy…" He closed his eyes and sighed.

When he opened them again, his gaze still in front, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Yaaaahh!" He leapt backwards. There, right in front of him, was Renamon. She looked as if she too had been running through the jungle. Her chest rose and fell with short duration. There was an unusual expression on her face. She seemed displeased, almost angry. And from the looks of things, he was the focal point of her anger.

"Renamon?" He puzzled.

She didn't answer him. She didn't even move. She just continued to stare him down. A very uncomfortable feeling settled on the boy.

"Renamon?" He asked again. He was ready to run.

Again, she didn't speak. But Hitori did notice her shift her weight slightly, almost as if-

Renamon suddenly leapt high into the air. Hitori watched curiously as she crossed her arms. Her entire body seemed to almost glow as she reached the height of her leap. It was then that he noticed the glow seemed to take on dozens of small, pointed shapes…

-I am sorry…- He heard a voice in his head. Renamon…

He saw the expression on her face had changed from seething anger to one of sadness, almost pain. A tear worked its way from the corner of her eye and down through the fur of her cheek. She looked at him one last time, and her eyes closed slowly.

The shards solidified… They came right at him…

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"Hitori!" Renamon shouted, sitting bolt upright in a cold sweat. Her breathing was short and shallow.

It took her a moment to remember where she was – lying on a mattress next to Rika's bed. It was still dark out, and the gentle patter of rain could be heard against the window.

She sighed and let herself fall back down. Had that all just been a dream?

"Renamon?" She heard the soft voice of her Tamer, "Are you ok?"

She looked across to see Rika, an expression of concern on her face. Obviously, she had awoken when Renamon had.

"It was just a bad dream, Rika. Nothing to worry about." Renamon said, trying to reassure herself as much as Rika.

Rika gave her a look which said she wasn't buying it, "You don't just wake up in the night and scream if it's nothing." Rika frowned.

With a sigh, Renamon explained her dream.

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By the morning, the clouds rain of the previous night had moved on, leaving behind the feeling of freshness that accompanies every rain storm. The green plants, as always, had relished the added moisture and looked the better for it.

The skies had cleared beautifully, allowing for a gorgeous sunrise. Now, as the day began in earnest, the sun shone down and warmed the world below. It would be a calm, warm day.

Hitori was making his way to school, as always. But today he had decided to set off early, in the hopes of perhaps bumping into Renamon again. He couldn't explain why, but he was eager to see her once more. The trouble was, he soon realised on his travels, that he had no idea where or even how to find her.

-Think, Hitori… Where could she be?- He pondered as he strolled down a quiet residential street. It would lead onto the tree lines avenue where Renamon had literally fallen from the skies onto him just the day before. He hoped that she would be there.

When he did make it onto the avenue, he noticed that there were several men in hard hats hanging from the tree Renamon had fallen out of. As he got closer – two trees further down - he noticed each one of them wore a high visibility suit with the company logo of a local tree surgeon business on the back.

"Damn…" He muttered to himself, leaning against the trunk and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Looking for someone?" He heard a calm, gentle voice from above him.

A puzzled look overtook him, and he looked up into the foliage and high branches. There, on a particularly thick limb, sat Renamon. Puzzlement turned to surprise.

"Renamon?"

The golden vixen bowed her head in greeting, "Hitori."

"What are you doing up there?" he enquired.

"I am waiting." She answered, somewhat cryptically, "What are you doing here?"

"Um…" he hesitated, for some reason feeling reluctant to admit to her face that he was looking for her, "You know, heading to school and all…"

-You idiot…- A voice in his head berated him.

Renamon tilted her head slightly, "Is it not a bit early for school?"

Hitori shrugged, "I guess." Then, changing the subject back a notch, "What are you waiting for?"

He was actually quite curious as to why she may be there. He hoped she may have been looking for him, but as far as Hitori knew this could just have been one of Renamon's usual hangouts.

-Why not just let her answer, instead of taking one wild stab in the dark after another?- the little voice spoke up again.

He rolled his eyes, and brought his attention back to the real world.

"I am waiting for my Tamer." Hitori realised she had just spoken.

That had him puzzled, "Your Tamer? What, as in a lion tamer?"

Hitori knew Renamon largely resembled a fox, as it would be if it walked on two legs instead of four, but he hadn't thought of her as wild or vicious enough to need taming.

"No, nothing like that." Renamon gave a slight chuckle, "A Tamer trains a Digimon for battle, and helps them fight."

Hitori was very confused, "So, hang on a moment…" He tried to get his head around what Renamon had just said, "You have one of these 'Tamers', and the pair of you go around looking for fights?"

He hadn't imagined Renamon as a fighter. Now he found out that she had someone who went around with her, and the pair got into fights… Seemed somewhat unusual.

Then an idea blossomed in his head, "Oh, wait… Are you a professional boxer or something?" –That would explain the fighting.- he added as an afterthought.

By this point, Renamon was on the verge of breaking into a fit of laughter. Hitori was missing the point entirely, and it amused her to see him struggle with the idea.

When she felt she was able, Renamon spoke again, a warm smile on her lips, "Have you never played the Digimon card game?"

Hitori realised, quite suddenly, that that was where he had heard the word Digimon before. It was a card game that some of his friends at school had gotten into a few years ago, but he'd never shown an interest in it. He'd assumed it was just another cheap money making scheme from the big toy companies, but Renamon was proof there was definitely more to it than that.

"I know of the card game…" He spoke at last.

"Are you familiar with how it works?"

Hitori shook his head, feeling a bit embarrassed that he was unfamiliar with the concept. Renamon, being a Digimon, would no doubt have been very familiar with it, he assumed. It would only make sense.

Renamon went on to explain how the game was played, with digimon figuratively fighting one another, the holder of the deck acting as a Tamer and using modify cards to enhance their Digimon's chance of winning the fight. As it turned out, Renamon's Tamer did much the same thing in the real world when Renamon would fight other real Digimon.

Hitori got the impression that Renamon and her Tamer were close friends, and had fought lots of battles together. Given Renamon's presence, and her current narrative, they had survived them all, despite the brutality of some of their battles.

"Do you and your Tamer fight often?" Hitori asked when Renamon had finished.

"Whenever a Digimon bioemerges." A female voice spoke from behind Hitori.

He turned to look. A young, redheaded girl, not much different to him in both height and age, was looking at him questioningly. Her cool amethyst eyes seemed to penetrate him with surprising ease, and he couldn't help but feel just slightly intimidated.

Renamon jumped the short distance to the ground, "Hitori, this is my Tamer, Rika."

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End of Chapter 6

Well, it's slow progress, but I am getting there. Between work and University I have precious little time, but I'm determined to get this story done. Still, no end in sight yet.

As always, Read and Review, and take the time to read my other stories.

Thanks for being here.

BlueRenamon