"Angel," Renamon murmured, crouched down on the rooftop,
making herself as small of a target as possible.
The tall blonde stood there with a deceptive kind of
casualness, looking almost as if she was merely out on a summer's
walk. But instead they were locked in mortal combat, two assassins
trying to determine who might be the best.
"You've gone soft," Angel murmured, "soft and stupid."
"Try that attack again," Renamon answered her coolly, "and see
how slow I am."
Angel's smile appeared suddenly, then it was gone as she leapt
up to the attack, her short sword gleaming in the near darkness.
Renamon went up and over her, unleashing a storm of diamond shaped
blades, but Angel managed to roll clear. Barely.
"Maybe you haven't gone soft," Angel admitted as she reached
up to wipe a bit of blood from a cut on her cheek.
"Being attacked regularly does help keep one sharp," Renamon
commented, speaking as one professional to another.
"I won't insult you by offering the opportunity to return to
the guild again," Angel stood up straight, holding her sword in the
ready position.
"Good," Renamon stood as well, meeting the woman's unspoken
challenge. "And I won't insult you by asking if you want to give up,"
she said with a certain amount of regret, "I know that you have vowed
to finish the assignment."
"Thank you," Angel nodded formally. They stood there a few
moments, "I suppose there's only one thing left to do."
"Yes," Renamon agreed.
They moved almost as one, running right at each other. The
blades gleamed in Renamon's hands, a light matched by the steadily
held sword of Angel. Their path's crossed, there was a flash of light,
then they both swiftly came to a stop.
Renamon swayed, dropping to her knees as she hissed in pain,
bringing her hand to her side. It came away bloody, the fur matted and
sticky with gore.
Angel looked up at the sky a moment, the moon shining above.
"It's beautiful," she sighed. She turned to Renamon and tried to
smile, "Well struck..." It was almost as if the last of her strength
fled at that moment, her body falling limply from the rooftop, stone
dead.
'A guild apprentice will come to retrieve the body,' Renamon
thought grimly as she forced herself to her unsteady feet, 'I have my
own problems to deal with.'
Renamon managed to make her way across the rooftops silently
even with her wound. She soon found herself on Rika's balcony, tapping
gently on the window in the code that she and Rika had agreed upon
weeks before.
"Renamon, I was waiting for.." Rika flung open the window,
only to stop in alarm. "You're hurt!" she cried out.
"Wasn't quite fast enough," Renamon tried to make light of it.
"Come on inside," Rika quickly got herself under Renamon's arm
and helped support her weight as they both went inside. "The cut
doesn't look too deep," she murmured as she helped Renamon sit on the
bedside.
"Just painful and messy," Renamon acknowledged. 'I just hope
that Angel hasn't taken to poisoning her blade,' she thought.
Rika's face paled, "Poison?!"
Renamon looked up at her in surprise before saying, "The mind
link strikes once again." More gently she added, "It's not likely,
Rika. Angel was never one to use poison, she felt it was dishonorable.
I doubt she'd change her mind just because she was coming after us."
"Sorry," Rika smiled, carefully examining the wound. "It's
hard to see with the fur in the way," she said softly.
Renamon's body shimmered in the darkness, shrinking slightly
as she changed form. "Is this better?" the fully human Renamon asked.
"Ick," Rika made a face at the now clearly visible wound, a
long but shallow cut in Renamon's side. Gathering up some bandages she
carefully cleaned the wound with a cloth dampened in a basin of night
chilled water
Renamon hissed softly, "Cold!"
"Sorry," Rika smiled slightly, thinking back to the time at
the mountain spring. Once she was sure the wound was clean she began
to bandage, carefully wrapping the bands of cloth around Renamon's
ribs. "All done," Rika sat back with a smile.
Renamon smiled as she levered herself up to a sitting
position, "Thank you very much."
Rika blushed suddenly, realizing that she had been tending to
an entirely nude young woman. "I'll get you a shirt," she blurted as
she turned away.
Renamon looked confused, then her eyes widened slightly, "I'm
sorry, Rika," she said, "I'll return to my kitsune form."
"No," Rika said forcefully, "you might rip the bandages."
Renamon had to nod, "A good point." More softly, "I don't know
if I will ever understand human's attitudes about clothing."
Rika surprised her with a laugh, "I don't know that I always
do, either." She rummaged around her closet a bit before coming up
with a bundle of cloth which she handed to Renamon, "This was a bit
too long form me, but I think it might fit you."
Renamon shook it out cautiously, revealing a long old
fashioned night gown. "Pink?" she made a face at the bright color.
"And what's wrong with pink?" a smirking Rika asked, knowing
full well that she hadn't worn that color in a great many years.
Renamon gave her a disapproving look, then sighed softly. She
slipped it on rather uncomfortably, nearly getting tangled up before
finally getting it on. "How do I look?" the pink clad Renamon asked
cheerfully.
Rika took one look at her and broke out laughing.
"That's about what I thought," Renamon agreed. She walked over
to the bed and sat down beside Rika, waiting until the laughter died
down.
"I'm sorry," Rika wiped at her eyes, "it just so does not suit
you." She shook her head, "I suspect you would be the boxers and
night-shirt type."
Renamon nodded slightly, "Perhaps I should try that, then."
Without intending to, Rika yawned mightily. "Sorry," she
blushed.
Renamon looked out the window, "It's at best only past
midnight, you should try to get back to sleep." She looked away a bit
nervously, "If you wish, I can stay with you like this."
Rika blushed brighter, "Please."
Renamon let Rika settled down first, then she slipped into bed
behind the younger girl. She felt Rika stiffen and softly asked, "Are
you all right?"
"This will just take some getting used to," Rika softly
answered. They snuggled there together, and after some time passed
they fell sound asleep.
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