Digimon Tamers and its characters are properties of Toei Animation.
From within the horde of tentacles attempting to viciously strangle their captive, Taomon triumphantly emerged.
Her greatly enhanced strength and power allowed her to break free of the numerous constrictors with far greater ease, along with her greater size that snapped them apart. Persistently, the D-Reaper tried to wrap them around her again. But from her claws, out of thin air, came a pair of magical blades resembling the elegant Devanagari symbol. Wielding them with incredible ease and speed, she slashed up any and every tendril that charged at her. Even as literal waves of them made their attacks out of sheer desperation, the magical, digivolved vixen performed an almighty spinning twirl that sliced them all to bits as she flew her way through the D-Reaper's core. It was nearly effortless to her, so powerful was this form.
Taomon withdrew multiple sheets of magical red spell paper and tossed them into the air. From that came a spherical shield of impenetrable magic energy around her, protecting her from the tentacles. They tried to pierce it with their tips, followed by attempts to wrap themselves around it. But she wasn't focused on them.
Instead, when she got close enough to the tendril-coated wall, she withdrew her oversized paintbrush from within her sleeve, and painted another symbol in the air. As the symbol glowed blue, so do did its copy that appeared on the wall.
The glow intensified, until a giant hole was seared through the wall of the D-Reaper's center.
"The D-Reaper's core is breached!" the D-Reaper shouted. "Control slipping away!"
Every tentacle in the core shot up and waved around in a deranged fit. They slammed against the surface, coiled feverishly around empty air as if an enemy was there, or even wrapped around one another, tangling themselves as they tried in vain to break free.
Taomon winced internally as familiar red-and-pink sludge oozed its way through the hole she had created. It poured into the sphere, sliding and spreading across the floor, while she remained safe from its reach.
Just as Taomon was about to take off through the opening, she felt the entirety of the D-Reaper getting pulled back, herself included. While resisting the force, she turned around. Much to her surprise, a large vortex had suddenly formed on the floor.
"Wha- ... -impossibl- ... -nn- ..." The D-Reaper's voice was cut up, nothing but empty silence where the fragments of its words couldn't break through.
Taomon looked on as every bit of material that made up the D-Reaper was pulled towards and into the newly-formed black hole. Tentacles violently spasmed and slammed around, but were helpless as they too were sucked in.
She realized that whatever the tamers in the real world had in mind, it was looking to be successful.
"Dat- ... -ransfe- ... -versed!"
When she found herself continued to be pulled in by the vortex, though, she knew that time was of the utmost essence. She flew through the opening in the wall, her long, heavy robes trailing behind as the force of the vortex mightily tugged on them.
As Taomon finally soared away from her week-long prison, she had to swerve in midair to avoid the gushes of goop that came flying past her. She took a look back as they were sent into the black hole, and she finally saw what she had been staying in. As she'd suspected, it was a copy of the giant tower of wires she'd seen in the human world, the top of which sported a head wearing a mysterious mask. Surrounding it was that dome of sludge, which had grown to a gargantuan size and height, looking to have coated most if not all of the Digital World.
Except now, that sludge was being pulled back to the black hole in the centerpiece of it all. As were the D-Reaper's agents and any other trace of its presence in the decaying Digital World.
And Taomon had to push herself to the limits to avoid being taken in and destroyed along with them. Doubly so when she caught a glimpse of the D-Reaper's tentacles flying out from its head and chasing after her. She guessed that the D-Reaper was desperate to absorb any energy from her it still could to somehow survive. They were gaining on her, and she pushed even farther, unable to attack without succumbing to the vortex herself. She was not about to perish now, after all this!
Her breathing hitched when she felt the tentacles brushing against her heels and beginning to slide around them.
But gratefully, that was as far as they got. As the hulking tower from which they came began to capsize, the tentacles found themselves pulled back and dragged away from her, at the mercy of the black hole.
And so, Taomon just flew, farther and farther away, not daring to look back. She grunted a bit as she felt the power of the vortex fighting against her. The mass of goop around her was shrinking as she approached it. She brought her Devanagari blades back out and slashed them against the surface of the sludge as it finally hit her. Their toxic material still splashed onto her face, providing her with a harsh sting. But that was the worst of it.
The gravitational pull was growing weaker now. And with a bit more flying, Taomon felt it subside from her completely. She kept going to make sure it wouldn't pick up again, but after several minutes, no such thing occurred.
She was safe. At long, long last.
The same couldn't be said for the D-Reaper, of course. Now that she was in the clear, she looked back to watch all of its creations fold in on themselves, drawn into that vortex at their host's core. As the dome of goop shrank, it revealed all of the desolate wastelands that had been created while trapped beneath it. This implosion didn't seem to reverse the damage that had been done, unfortunately. But what was most important was that no further destruction would occur.
That much was clear once the last of the substance was pulled in. The vortex finally subsided, having done its job. The towering beast of the D-Reaper, its toxins, and its minions, were all nowhere to be seen.
After all of the suffering it had caused, the D-Reaper was no more.
With the urgency of the situation finally passed, having used up so much of her energy just to escape, Taomon collapsed onto her hands and knees. As she panted heavily to regain her breath, she felt her body shrinking, reverting her back to her original form as Renamon. The scrapes and matted fur didn't subside, though. They remained, temporary reminders of what she had been through.
Despite the exhaustive physical toll, however, Renamon felt far from defeated. If anything, in that moment, she felt more empowered than perhaps ever.
So much so that she was fine with the loss of consciousness that came right after. Even when she spotted four figures slowly moving towards her in the distance.
Thankfully, those four beings turned out to be the Digimon Sovereign.
They took Renamon back to the layer they'd carved out during the D-Reaper's reign, saving her vulnerable form from any potential danger. Not that the D-Reaper had left anything behind that could come after her, but it was better to be safe than sorry. They kept watch over her patiently, until she finally woke up hours later.
Renamon was surprised to see her enemies-turned-allies. Not just because she wouldn't have expected them to show up where she was, but she hadn't known if they were even alive after everything that had happened to the Digital World. Nonetheless, she expressed her gratitude for them looking out for her. And they, in turn, explained everything that had happened since her separation from her friends.
They explained that the D-Reaper was indeed an artificial intelligence program, originally designed to control the growth of other such programs and delete any that exceeded their original parameters. Although it was initially a fairly simple program that shouldn't have grown nearly as powerful as it did, it grew more and more out of control as it incorporated the data of Digimon it destroyed to mutate and evolve.
Renamon had been trapped in its clutches for an entire week, which came as a shock to the vixen. She had completely lost track of time in the horrid monotony and torture of her captivity. Despite her being free and the threat being gone, she felt the weight of the whole ordeal hit her all over again upon that reveal. The human and digital worlds had suffered for a whole week alongside her. A whole week of her friends wondering where she was, unsure if she was even still alive ... though a selfish part of Renamon was grateful that they were concerned at all, rather than callously indifferent as the D-Reaper had tricked her into believing.
As for how it all had been stopped, a program called Juggernaut was apparently created and activated against the D-Reaper with the help of the tamers, reversing the D-Reaper's process of transferring data between the worlds via a wormhole. This reversal of the process created a black hole instead, which reverted the D-Reaper to its most basic, harmless stage. Unlike the Digital World, the real world saw the destruction caused undone, a bright spot amidst the casualties.
There was one heavy drawback, however: all Digimon in the human world were forced to return to the Digital World, or else they would disappear forever as a result of the Juggernaut's effects. This meant that the tamers and their Digimon were separated from one another. Further, all known paths to and from the human world were sealed off, and to the Sovereign's knowledge, no new ones were expected to appear.
That was all they had to tell her. They knew nothing of any way forward from here. Their current goal for the future was to try to discover and salvage what was left of the Digital World. Outside of that, everything was up in the air.
When Renamon asked them about Rika, they knew little regarding that as well. Because she was unable to take an active role in the fight against the D-Reaper, she was not a concern for them. All they stated was that she was safe.
That was all Renamon needed to know to affirm what her next destination was. The only questions revolved around how she could possibly get there.
Little did she know that the answers would take far, far longer than she'd like to arrive.
The Sovereign were correct; no portal or route to the human world was in sight, and no reports of one came up. Everything linking the two worlds together had been cut off. It was the only way to ensure that the D-Reaper's demise was permanent, and that no Digimon were deleted as a result of the actions taken to destroy it.
This left Renamon stranded, alongside all the other surviving Digimon. For now, the Digital World had to be her home.
Renamon ventured out on her own, assessing the damage that had been done. It appeared quite severe from higher up, and looked no better now; almost half of the Digital World had been deleted, reduced to nothing. What lay beyond was still trying to recover from the near-catastrophic attacks, having almost suffered the same fate.
It was perfectly manageable and didn't give any trouble for the survival of any Digimon. Many waited in anticipation for any form of recovery, if such a thing were possible. But even in the realm's crippled state, nothing of absolute necessity for digital life to go on was taken.
But for Renamon, and for any other Digimon who had formed a bond with a human partner, something just as valuable was.
And it remained lost.
For five long years.
Until one day, when Renamon's first hope of a return was found.
In the yellow Digimon's latest searches, she found herself wandering through a desert. One that brought back eerily familiar memories, but she pushed them aside for the time being. This desert had been largely reformed since being wiped out, along with most of the Digital World. The realm and environments that many of its inhabitants knew were returning, bringing life closer to the normal many craved. Additionally, this had opened up the doors for more possibilities for some gateway between the dimensions to appear, which sent many Digimon on the lookout.
That was when Renamon saw it: the temple.
The very same temple that the D-Reaper had shown her, five years ago.
Even after all this time, every minute of her experiences with that monstrous creation remained vivid in Renamon's mind. Including its assertion that she would face her death in the grasp of bandages and quicksand if not within the D-Reaper itself. It may have made her stronger in the end, but it was not without plenty of mental scars.
So, when the sight of that grand, foreboding building was finally visible to her in the distance, she felt a shiver go down her spine.
Just like in her vision, she thought of the Destiny Stones. She knew what they were, knew that they could possibly be in there, and knew what that could potentially mean for her. After five years of searching, living a comfortable but unfulfilling life, she may have finally found her way home.
But ... had she really?
The D-Reaper could forge visions. That much was clear, and it had been used against her to make her believe in a past and present that were different from reality. But a future that was different from reality? That was something she couldn't confirm. But it was very, very possible. In fact, the D-Reaper may very well have been lying about being able to see the future in the first place. It seemed intelligent enough to make up such a ruse to further convince the fox of her inevitable downfall.
Or, it may have known that the only means of stopping it would seal the two worlds apart. And should that happen, it may have also known through its conquests that the only guaranteed way to rebuild any bridge was through these stones. It may have seen the temple and why navigating through it would be impossible for Renamon. It clearly knew of the place's existence ...
The possibility still remained that the future she was shown was real. Which meant Renamon could be walking straight into death.
But then she remembered two things. The first was that she was prepared this time. If what she was shown was indeed true, she hoped she'd know what was coming and react to it differently this time. The second was that she had been doubtful before. Five years ago, in her captivity, she had believed that her bond with Rika was destroyed. If she were being honest, she had feared that it was on its way there even before. She'd been convinced that her own shortcomings were enough to ruin her worth, her purpose, her destiny.
But she had been wrong. And she'd learned just how much of one's destiny came from the will within oneself.
Because through it all, one thing had driven her forward even when things seemed entirely impossible: her devotion as an honest friend and a loyal protector. Something she would never let herself throw away again. That was who she was, and that was what she would be driven by whenever and however possible. Even all these years later.
Even if it meant taking this risk.
For the first time, the stoic-looking Digimon acted on faith, and took her first steps towards the temple.
In the early hours of the night, Rika walked down the streets of her neighborhood, towards her home. After a late study session with Henry, the crisp evening air and sight of a full moon were refreshing to her. A light-blue jacket with a fluffy white neck kept her warm, and she put her hands in its pockets as she let the gentle wind blow through her now-loose red hair.
At sixteen years old, the girl had learned to appreciate quieter, simpler moments like these. Away from the stresses of high school's more challenging course work, as well the thoughts of the lingering future coming up on her horizon.
She rounded the street corner and spotted her familiar house.
But what soon caught her eye was what she saw perched on top of the streetlight closest to it.
The silhouette of a lithe-looking creature, crouched and completely still against the white of the full moon. What looked like a tail swayed underneath, and long, sharp ears twitched ever so lightly.
It caused Rika to go stiff with shock. With that one image, memories of a hard, complicated past came crashing back into her.
... I-Is that ...
She forced herself to not finish that thought until she knew. She wouldn't let her mind play tricks on her. Not again.
But as she slowly, cautiously got closer, the colors of the creature became more visible. It was that same yellow face and tail. That same white on its front and feet. Those same purple gloves ... and those same familiar, observant blue eyes that gleamed dutifully in the night.
It was an image she had never forgotten.
The creature began to descend once it saw her, leaping down with one skilled jump.
It even moved the same way ...
... Renamon???
When she touched down on concrete ground, Renamon took just as tentative a pace forward towards Rika. It had been hard to tell at a distance if this girl was who she thought. She was taller, looking more mature and filled out, as expected. She even carried herself with a bit more experience and confidence.
But once they were feet away from each other and Renamon got a good look at her face, it was unmistakable who this was. And the Digimon's usually-reserved expression couldn't help but light up.
Rika, on the other hand, needed to know for sure ...
"R-Renamon?" she asked. Her voice was deeper, and hard to hear with how shakily and quietly she spoke. But Renamon still heard the girl she'd come to care so deeply for.
Keeping herself composed, she nodded. "I'm here, Rika." She took one step forward, a paw placed over her heart. "I'm here."
Chills passed through both of them, far greater than the evening breeze.
It was the same voice, even. The one that Rika had come to trust more than almost any human in her life. Nothing about her had changed. Except there was more emotion in her tone than Rika remembered usually hearing.
"H-How ... Y-You ..."
The teenager's eyes glistened, her body trembled, and her mouth began to quiver. She came closer to really look at the vixen in front of her, as if making sure she wasn't imagining or dreaming this.
But then, when she lunged forward to wrap her arms around the Digimon, there was no denying it.
With physical affection being so foreign to Renamon, it didn't feel the most natural to bring her purple-clad arms around the girl's shoulders. But the serenity in her heart at this reunion overcame that. It was certainly easier to do than it would have been years ago; Rika was now tall enough to bury her face in her chest, and so Renamon could wrap her arms around her shoulders with but a slight bend of the knees. She felt the human's tears wet her fur, but it only served to bring a gentle smile to the yellow Digimon's face.
"I knew it," Rika softly whispered.
They both had so many questions for one another. But that was for later. Right now, as the long-lost friends found themselves together again, there was a peace within them that hadn't been felt in years. A piece of their lives thought to be missing perhaps forever was finally put back into place. Neither time nor distance had been able to take it from them permanently.
Renamon's faith had paid off.
And she proved that she could create a destiny for herself that any Digimon would be blessed to have.
It's done. It's finally done.
This Renamon anthology Digital Distress was, without a doubt, the hardest story I've ever written. It's the fanfic whose source material I'm the least well-versed in. It had to fit five scenarios into one part each, with a very long three-parter on top of that. What I thought would be 5000-word parts on average turned out to exceed that by at least 1000 words each time. I started it at the same time I began a new writing career and was embracing life post-vaccination. And considering how introductions and conclusions are what I find the most difficult to write in a story, having to do six intros and six conclusions was about as much fun as it sounded.
But it was all worth it. Giving one of my absolute favorite bondage subjects the kinds of treatments that I could rarely, if ever, find done in a manner I was satisfied with. With how popular this character is in the furry community, and yet how little bondage work of her satisfied me, now having this collection of perils and bondage for her done in my own style is extremely cathartic.
And through it all, I even managed to accomplish my plan for it to all connect together for an emotional arc. Whether or not it was done well is up to you, but it was my plan from the very start, and I still can't believe I actually did it in a way I'm happy with. Reap What You Sow in particular was where it all collided, with this final chapter closing things off with the D-Reaper's demise and the reunion between our tamer duo. I'll be honest, I initially planned on ending the story with Renamon going towards the temple, having it be open-ended and up to the reader whether or not she makes it. And I almost stuck to that plan. But considering how much of an ask it's been for readers to get through all of this, especially the extra-long Reap What You Sow, I decided that it was worth giving the reward of a definitive ending, seeing the main relationship and heart of the series resolve on a happy note. Plus, once I thought of the idea of having them spend years separated, the idea of reuniting Renamon with teenage Rika was too good to pass up. ;P If you'd have preferred a more ambiguous ending, I guess just consider the final bit what happens if she makes it out, and the same ending to Of Bridges and Bandages what happens otherwise.
Seeing the reactions to this whole saga has been fascinating and, above all else, reassuring. It reassures me that I can pull stuff like this off, the kind of thing I never tried before. With every upload, I was nervous that this would be the one that people don't get behind, this would be the one that I slip up on. But I've been so pleasantly surprised each time, and that has boosted my confidence to keep taking these chances and trust that they'll pay off.
So as always, but especially now, a thousand thank yous to everyone who read, faved, and commented on the work. It's been a crazy trip for me, and it's still hard to believe it's finally over. Not everything went exactly as expected. I learned a lot about my sensibilities through how plans evolved. And I finished one of my planned projects that I had the biggest hankering to do. As for what comes next ... well, I'll get back to you on that. But for now, please let me know what you think of this last chapter, and of the series as a whole! :D
From within the horde of tentacles attempting to viciously strangle their captive, Taomon triumphantly emerged.
Her greatly enhanced strength and power allowed her to break free of the numerous constrictors with far greater ease, along with her greater size that snapped them apart. Persistently, the D-Reaper tried to wrap them around her again. But from her claws, out of thin air, came a pair of magical blades resembling the elegant Devanagari symbol. Wielding them with incredible ease and speed, she slashed up any and every tendril that charged at her. Even as literal waves of them made their attacks out of sheer desperation, the magical, digivolved vixen performed an almighty spinning twirl that sliced them all to bits as she flew her way through the D-Reaper's core. It was nearly effortless to her, so powerful was this form.
Taomon withdrew multiple sheets of magical red spell paper and tossed them into the air. From that came a spherical shield of impenetrable magic energy around her, protecting her from the tentacles. They tried to pierce it with their tips, followed by attempts to wrap themselves around it. But she wasn't focused on them.
Instead, when she got close enough to the tendril-coated wall, she withdrew her oversized paintbrush from within her sleeve, and painted another symbol in the air. As the symbol glowed blue, so do did its copy that appeared on the wall.
The glow intensified, until a giant hole was seared through the wall of the D-Reaper's center.
"The D-Reaper's core is breached!" the D-Reaper shouted. "Control slipping away!"
Every tentacle in the core shot up and waved around in a deranged fit. They slammed against the surface, coiled feverishly around empty air as if an enemy was there, or even wrapped around one another, tangling themselves as they tried in vain to break free.
Taomon winced internally as familiar red-and-pink sludge oozed its way through the hole she had created. It poured into the sphere, sliding and spreading across the floor, while she remained safe from its reach.
Just as Taomon was about to take off through the opening, she felt the entirety of the D-Reaper getting pulled back, herself included. While resisting the force, she turned around. Much to her surprise, a large vortex had suddenly formed on the floor.
"Wha- ... -impossibl- ... -nn- ..." The D-Reaper's voice was cut up, nothing but empty silence where the fragments of its words couldn't break through.
Taomon looked on as every bit of material that made up the D-Reaper was pulled towards and into the newly-formed black hole. Tentacles violently spasmed and slammed around, but were helpless as they too were sucked in.
She realized that whatever the tamers in the real world had in mind, it was looking to be successful.
"Dat- ... -ransfe- ... -versed!"
When she found herself continued to be pulled in by the vortex, though, she knew that time was of the utmost essence. She flew through the opening in the wall, her long, heavy robes trailing behind as the force of the vortex mightily tugged on them.
As Taomon finally soared away from her week-long prison, she had to swerve in midair to avoid the gushes of goop that came flying past her. She took a look back as they were sent into the black hole, and she finally saw what she had been staying in. As she'd suspected, it was a copy of the giant tower of wires she'd seen in the human world, the top of which sported a head wearing a mysterious mask. Surrounding it was that dome of sludge, which had grown to a gargantuan size and height, looking to have coated most if not all of the Digital World.
Except now, that sludge was being pulled back to the black hole in the centerpiece of it all. As were the D-Reaper's agents and any other trace of its presence in the decaying Digital World.
And Taomon had to push herself to the limits to avoid being taken in and destroyed along with them. Doubly so when she caught a glimpse of the D-Reaper's tentacles flying out from its head and chasing after her. She guessed that the D-Reaper was desperate to absorb any energy from her it still could to somehow survive. They were gaining on her, and she pushed even farther, unable to attack without succumbing to the vortex herself. She was not about to perish now, after all this!
Her breathing hitched when she felt the tentacles brushing against her heels and beginning to slide around them.
But gratefully, that was as far as they got. As the hulking tower from which they came began to capsize, the tentacles found themselves pulled back and dragged away from her, at the mercy of the black hole.
And so, Taomon just flew, farther and farther away, not daring to look back. She grunted a bit as she felt the power of the vortex fighting against her. The mass of goop around her was shrinking as she approached it. She brought her Devanagari blades back out and slashed them against the surface of the sludge as it finally hit her. Their toxic material still splashed onto her face, providing her with a harsh sting. But that was the worst of it.
The gravitational pull was growing weaker now. And with a bit more flying, Taomon felt it subside from her completely. She kept going to make sure it wouldn't pick up again, but after several minutes, no such thing occurred.
She was safe. At long, long last.
The same couldn't be said for the D-Reaper, of course. Now that she was in the clear, she looked back to watch all of its creations fold in on themselves, drawn into that vortex at their host's core. As the dome of goop shrank, it revealed all of the desolate wastelands that had been created while trapped beneath it. This implosion didn't seem to reverse the damage that had been done, unfortunately. But what was most important was that no further destruction would occur.
That much was clear once the last of the substance was pulled in. The vortex finally subsided, having done its job. The towering beast of the D-Reaper, its toxins, and its minions, were all nowhere to be seen.
After all of the suffering it had caused, the D-Reaper was no more.
With the urgency of the situation finally passed, having used up so much of her energy just to escape, Taomon collapsed onto her hands and knees. As she panted heavily to regain her breath, she felt her body shrinking, reverting her back to her original form as Renamon. The scrapes and matted fur didn't subside, though. They remained, temporary reminders of what she had been through.
Despite the exhaustive physical toll, however, Renamon felt far from defeated. If anything, in that moment, she felt more empowered than perhaps ever.
So much so that she was fine with the loss of consciousness that came right after. Even when she spotted four figures slowly moving towards her in the distance.
Thankfully, those four beings turned out to be the Digimon Sovereign.
They took Renamon back to the layer they'd carved out during the D-Reaper's reign, saving her vulnerable form from any potential danger. Not that the D-Reaper had left anything behind that could come after her, but it was better to be safe than sorry. They kept watch over her patiently, until she finally woke up hours later.
Renamon was surprised to see her enemies-turned-allies. Not just because she wouldn't have expected them to show up where she was, but she hadn't known if they were even alive after everything that had happened to the Digital World. Nonetheless, she expressed her gratitude for them looking out for her. And they, in turn, explained everything that had happened since her separation from her friends.
They explained that the D-Reaper was indeed an artificial intelligence program, originally designed to control the growth of other such programs and delete any that exceeded their original parameters. Although it was initially a fairly simple program that shouldn't have grown nearly as powerful as it did, it grew more and more out of control as it incorporated the data of Digimon it destroyed to mutate and evolve.
Renamon had been trapped in its clutches for an entire week, which came as a shock to the vixen. She had completely lost track of time in the horrid monotony and torture of her captivity. Despite her being free and the threat being gone, she felt the weight of the whole ordeal hit her all over again upon that reveal. The human and digital worlds had suffered for a whole week alongside her. A whole week of her friends wondering where she was, unsure if she was even still alive ... though a selfish part of Renamon was grateful that they were concerned at all, rather than callously indifferent as the D-Reaper had tricked her into believing.
As for how it all had been stopped, a program called Juggernaut was apparently created and activated against the D-Reaper with the help of the tamers, reversing the D-Reaper's process of transferring data between the worlds via a wormhole. This reversal of the process created a black hole instead, which reverted the D-Reaper to its most basic, harmless stage. Unlike the Digital World, the real world saw the destruction caused undone, a bright spot amidst the casualties.
There was one heavy drawback, however: all Digimon in the human world were forced to return to the Digital World, or else they would disappear forever as a result of the Juggernaut's effects. This meant that the tamers and their Digimon were separated from one another. Further, all known paths to and from the human world were sealed off, and to the Sovereign's knowledge, no new ones were expected to appear.
That was all they had to tell her. They knew nothing of any way forward from here. Their current goal for the future was to try to discover and salvage what was left of the Digital World. Outside of that, everything was up in the air.
When Renamon asked them about Rika, they knew little regarding that as well. Because she was unable to take an active role in the fight against the D-Reaper, she was not a concern for them. All they stated was that she was safe.
That was all Renamon needed to know to affirm what her next destination was. The only questions revolved around how she could possibly get there.
Little did she know that the answers would take far, far longer than she'd like to arrive.
The Sovereign were correct; no portal or route to the human world was in sight, and no reports of one came up. Everything linking the two worlds together had been cut off. It was the only way to ensure that the D-Reaper's demise was permanent, and that no Digimon were deleted as a result of the actions taken to destroy it.
This left Renamon stranded, alongside all the other surviving Digimon. For now, the Digital World had to be her home.
Renamon ventured out on her own, assessing the damage that had been done. It appeared quite severe from higher up, and looked no better now; almost half of the Digital World had been deleted, reduced to nothing. What lay beyond was still trying to recover from the near-catastrophic attacks, having almost suffered the same fate.
It was perfectly manageable and didn't give any trouble for the survival of any Digimon. Many waited in anticipation for any form of recovery, if such a thing were possible. But even in the realm's crippled state, nothing of absolute necessity for digital life to go on was taken.
But for Renamon, and for any other Digimon who had formed a bond with a human partner, something just as valuable was.
And it remained lost.
For five long years.
Until one day, when Renamon's first hope of a return was found.
In the yellow Digimon's latest searches, she found herself wandering through a desert. One that brought back eerily familiar memories, but she pushed them aside for the time being. This desert had been largely reformed since being wiped out, along with most of the Digital World. The realm and environments that many of its inhabitants knew were returning, bringing life closer to the normal many craved. Additionally, this had opened up the doors for more possibilities for some gateway between the dimensions to appear, which sent many Digimon on the lookout.
That was when Renamon saw it: the temple.
The very same temple that the D-Reaper had shown her, five years ago.
Even after all this time, every minute of her experiences with that monstrous creation remained vivid in Renamon's mind. Including its assertion that she would face her death in the grasp of bandages and quicksand if not within the D-Reaper itself. It may have made her stronger in the end, but it was not without plenty of mental scars.
So, when the sight of that grand, foreboding building was finally visible to her in the distance, she felt a shiver go down her spine.
Just like in her vision, she thought of the Destiny Stones. She knew what they were, knew that they could possibly be in there, and knew what that could potentially mean for her. After five years of searching, living a comfortable but unfulfilling life, she may have finally found her way home.
But ... had she really?
The D-Reaper could forge visions. That much was clear, and it had been used against her to make her believe in a past and present that were different from reality. But a future that was different from reality? That was something she couldn't confirm. But it was very, very possible. In fact, the D-Reaper may very well have been lying about being able to see the future in the first place. It seemed intelligent enough to make up such a ruse to further convince the fox of her inevitable downfall.
Or, it may have known that the only means of stopping it would seal the two worlds apart. And should that happen, it may have also known through its conquests that the only guaranteed way to rebuild any bridge was through these stones. It may have seen the temple and why navigating through it would be impossible for Renamon. It clearly knew of the place's existence ...
The possibility still remained that the future she was shown was real. Which meant Renamon could be walking straight into death.
But then she remembered two things. The first was that she was prepared this time. If what she was shown was indeed true, she hoped she'd know what was coming and react to it differently this time. The second was that she had been doubtful before. Five years ago, in her captivity, she had believed that her bond with Rika was destroyed. If she were being honest, she had feared that it was on its way there even before. She'd been convinced that her own shortcomings were enough to ruin her worth, her purpose, her destiny.
But she had been wrong. And she'd learned just how much of one's destiny came from the will within oneself.
Because through it all, one thing had driven her forward even when things seemed entirely impossible: her devotion as an honest friend and a loyal protector. Something she would never let herself throw away again. That was who she was, and that was what she would be driven by whenever and however possible. Even all these years later.
Even if it meant taking this risk.
For the first time, the stoic-looking Digimon acted on faith, and took her first steps towards the temple.
In the early hours of the night, Rika walked down the streets of her neighborhood, towards her home. After a late study session with Henry, the crisp evening air and sight of a full moon were refreshing to her. A light-blue jacket with a fluffy white neck kept her warm, and she put her hands in its pockets as she let the gentle wind blow through her now-loose red hair.
At sixteen years old, the girl had learned to appreciate quieter, simpler moments like these. Away from the stresses of high school's more challenging course work, as well the thoughts of the lingering future coming up on her horizon.
She rounded the street corner and spotted her familiar house.
But what soon caught her eye was what she saw perched on top of the streetlight closest to it.
The silhouette of a lithe-looking creature, crouched and completely still against the white of the full moon. What looked like a tail swayed underneath, and long, sharp ears twitched ever so lightly.
It caused Rika to go stiff with shock. With that one image, memories of a hard, complicated past came crashing back into her.
... I-Is that ...
She forced herself to not finish that thought until she knew. She wouldn't let her mind play tricks on her. Not again.
But as she slowly, cautiously got closer, the colors of the creature became more visible. It was that same yellow face and tail. That same white on its front and feet. Those same purple gloves ... and those same familiar, observant blue eyes that gleamed dutifully in the night.
It was an image she had never forgotten.
The creature began to descend once it saw her, leaping down with one skilled jump.
It even moved the same way ...
... Renamon???
When she touched down on concrete ground, Renamon took just as tentative a pace forward towards Rika. It had been hard to tell at a distance if this girl was who she thought. She was taller, looking more mature and filled out, as expected. She even carried herself with a bit more experience and confidence.
But once they were feet away from each other and Renamon got a good look at her face, it was unmistakable who this was. And the Digimon's usually-reserved expression couldn't help but light up.
Rika, on the other hand, needed to know for sure ...
"R-Renamon?" she asked. Her voice was deeper, and hard to hear with how shakily and quietly she spoke. But Renamon still heard the girl she'd come to care so deeply for.
Keeping herself composed, she nodded. "I'm here, Rika." She took one step forward, a paw placed over her heart. "I'm here."
Chills passed through both of them, far greater than the evening breeze.
It was the same voice, even. The one that Rika had come to trust more than almost any human in her life. Nothing about her had changed. Except there was more emotion in her tone than Rika remembered usually hearing.
"H-How ... Y-You ..."
The teenager's eyes glistened, her body trembled, and her mouth began to quiver. She came closer to really look at the vixen in front of her, as if making sure she wasn't imagining or dreaming this.
But then, when she lunged forward to wrap her arms around the Digimon, there was no denying it.
With physical affection being so foreign to Renamon, it didn't feel the most natural to bring her purple-clad arms around the girl's shoulders. But the serenity in her heart at this reunion overcame that. It was certainly easier to do than it would have been years ago; Rika was now tall enough to bury her face in her chest, and so Renamon could wrap her arms around her shoulders with but a slight bend of the knees. She felt the human's tears wet her fur, but it only served to bring a gentle smile to the yellow Digimon's face.
"I knew it," Rika softly whispered.
They both had so many questions for one another. But that was for later. Right now, as the long-lost friends found themselves together again, there was a peace within them that hadn't been felt in years. A piece of their lives thought to be missing perhaps forever was finally put back into place. Neither time nor distance had been able to take it from them permanently.
Renamon's faith had paid off.
And she proved that she could create a destiny for herself that any Digimon would be blessed to have.
It's done. It's finally done.
This Renamon anthology Digital Distress was, without a doubt, the hardest story I've ever written. It's the fanfic whose source material I'm the least well-versed in. It had to fit five scenarios into one part each, with a very long three-parter on top of that. What I thought would be 5000-word parts on average turned out to exceed that by at least 1000 words each time. I started it at the same time I began a new writing career and was embracing life post-vaccination. And considering how introductions and conclusions are what I find the most difficult to write in a story, having to do six intros and six conclusions was about as much fun as it sounded.
But it was all worth it. Giving one of my absolute favorite bondage subjects the kinds of treatments that I could rarely, if ever, find done in a manner I was satisfied with. With how popular this character is in the furry community, and yet how little bondage work of her satisfied me, now having this collection of perils and bondage for her done in my own style is extremely cathartic.
And through it all, I even managed to accomplish my plan for it to all connect together for an emotional arc. Whether or not it was done well is up to you, but it was my plan from the very start, and I still can't believe I actually did it in a way I'm happy with. Reap What You Sow in particular was where it all collided, with this final chapter closing things off with the D-Reaper's demise and the reunion between our tamer duo. I'll be honest, I initially planned on ending the story with Renamon going towards the temple, having it be open-ended and up to the reader whether or not she makes it. And I almost stuck to that plan. But considering how much of an ask it's been for readers to get through all of this, especially the extra-long Reap What You Sow, I decided that it was worth giving the reward of a definitive ending, seeing the main relationship and heart of the series resolve on a happy note. Plus, once I thought of the idea of having them spend years separated, the idea of reuniting Renamon with teenage Rika was too good to pass up. ;P If you'd have preferred a more ambiguous ending, I guess just consider the final bit what happens if she makes it out, and the same ending to Of Bridges and Bandages what happens otherwise.
Seeing the reactions to this whole saga has been fascinating and, above all else, reassuring. It reassures me that I can pull stuff like this off, the kind of thing I never tried before. With every upload, I was nervous that this would be the one that people don't get behind, this would be the one that I slip up on. But I've been so pleasantly surprised each time, and that has boosted my confidence to keep taking these chances and trust that they'll pay off.
So as always, but especially now, a thousand thank yous to everyone who read, faved, and commented on the work. It's been a crazy trip for me, and it's still hard to believe it's finally over. Not everything went exactly as expected. I learned a lot about my sensibilities through how plans evolved. And I finished one of my planned projects that I had the biggest hankering to do. As for what comes next ... well, I'll get back to you on that. But for now, please let me know what you think of this last chapter, and of the series as a whole! :D
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Thanks. I probably would too ... after I've had my fill with watching her. XD
you like this? its okay as long as its fake. people are allowed to choose what they like as long as its legal and not evil
Oh, 100% when it's fake only. Anyone who would do these things to someone in real life is sick in the head. Sorry if that wasn't clear!
And so it comes to an end, at long last...
This was a particularly enjoyable experience, this Anthology! Giving us several unique spins of Bondage goodness to one of the Furry Community's most popular waifus while also putting more emphasis on giving an honest narrative that connects them all together. It all paid off pretty well, if you asked me!
And that ending... I wouldn't go as far as to say I teared up and cried when I read it (surprising, considering I was watching 'The Final Lair' from the 2011 rendition of The Phantom of The Opera earlier, and as someone who hasn't watched the full musical yet, its ending hit me pretty hard!), but I could practically 'feel' the built-up stress and grief Rika had more-than-likely developed over the course of the five years without Renamon suddenly come crumbling down the moment she gave her Digimon that hug...! It was...well, quite nice to read, that...! :)
Also, whaddya know? It would seem the D-Reaper's vision of Renamon going to that Desert Temple was 'technically' true...! Though, unlike last time, I think it's safe to say from the ending that Renamon pulled a Shulk and changed the future! Great job for her! ^^
Great job on this series, dude! And take some time off for a little bit if this whole thing's drained you a little bit; you've earned it! ^^
This was a particularly enjoyable experience, this Anthology! Giving us several unique spins of Bondage goodness to one of the Furry Community's most popular waifus while also putting more emphasis on giving an honest narrative that connects them all together. It all paid off pretty well, if you asked me!
And that ending... I wouldn't go as far as to say I teared up and cried when I read it (surprising, considering I was watching 'The Final Lair' from the 2011 rendition of The Phantom of The Opera earlier, and as someone who hasn't watched the full musical yet, its ending hit me pretty hard!), but I could practically 'feel' the built-up stress and grief Rika had more-than-likely developed over the course of the five years without Renamon suddenly come crumbling down the moment she gave her Digimon that hug...! It was...well, quite nice to read, that...! :)
Also, whaddya know? It would seem the D-Reaper's vision of Renamon going to that Desert Temple was 'technically' true...! Though, unlike last time, I think it's safe to say from the ending that Renamon pulled a Shulk and changed the future! Great job for her! ^^
Great job on this series, dude! And take some time off for a little bit if this whole thing's drained you a little bit; you've earned it! ^^
It was by far the hardest one I've had to write. But also one of the most enjoyable, as I've now ensured there are six stories of the alluring vixen in what I consider "proper" bondage, available for anyone else who loves her to indulge in. If they only like a few of the setups, they can enjoy them on their own. But they can also (hopefully) get into the larger narrative that it all plays a role in. The choice is theirs! :D
I'm so happy I decided to include that ending scene, instead of stopping the story as she sees the temple! It would've been cool to leave it open-ended as to whether there would be a reunion, but the show already kind of did that (the bit about the D-Reaper's defeat forcing the Digimon away from the human world was from the show, not me). So I wanted to be a little more creative, and I'm really happy to hear it paid off so well for you (even if you had 'The Final Lair' on the mind, lol!)
That, or the D-Reaper showed her mostly the truth but fabricated its ending, like it did with her past memories. It's fun to have something like this that can be read a number of different ways. Maybe Renamon did indeed change fate! However you see fit!
Thank you very much. Not just for the praise here, but for sticking through this project from start to finish! It was such a pleasure hearing what you thought of each part, especially when it went above what I was expecting any reader to have to say! And yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm giving things a rest with the bondage writing for a bit. There are other real-life projects I have on my mind that stories like this have pushed me over the edge in pursuing, so that's definitely going to need more devoted time.
I'm so happy I decided to include that ending scene, instead of stopping the story as she sees the temple! It would've been cool to leave it open-ended as to whether there would be a reunion, but the show already kind of did that (the bit about the D-Reaper's defeat forcing the Digimon away from the human world was from the show, not me). So I wanted to be a little more creative, and I'm really happy to hear it paid off so well for you (even if you had 'The Final Lair' on the mind, lol!)
That, or the D-Reaper showed her mostly the truth but fabricated its ending, like it did with her past memories. It's fun to have something like this that can be read a number of different ways. Maybe Renamon did indeed change fate! However you see fit!
Thank you very much. Not just for the praise here, but for sticking through this project from start to finish! It was such a pleasure hearing what you thought of each part, especially when it went above what I was expecting any reader to have to say! And yeah, I think it's safe to say I'm giving things a rest with the bondage writing for a bit. There are other real-life projects I have on my mind that stories like this have pushed me over the edge in pursuing, so that's definitely going to need more devoted time.
Very much so! A perfect little series for just about everybody, this is! ^^
Yeah. I can only imagine what's gonna through Rika's mind the moment she saw Renamon's familiar figure on the rooftop... The last time she ever saw her in this series was when the yellow-furred vixen fell off the vehicle that was supposed to help them both escape, so for all Rika knew, Renamon was more-than-likely dead during the time the D-Reaper was trying to destroy both worlds. And even if she didn't die, Rika never had the chance to properly tell her Digimon partner how she truly felt about her due to the Digital World sealing itself away. So after that ending...I think it's safe to say that they both have a LOT to catch up on...!
Also, I'd love to get a hold of the 2011 rendition of The Phantom of the Opera, someday! I was introduced to it whilst watching the 'Top Ten Theatre Villain Songs' list from Joshscorcher's Villain Songs Month, in which 'The Point of No Return' made 10th on said list... Now, like most of the other villain songs I've seen in those countdowns, I can't get enough of the songs in that musical! Seriously, Ramin Karimloo plays a DAMN good Phantom! ^^
That, too. That is also a possibility...! :)
You're welcome, dude! I may not be entirely familiar with Digimon as a whole, but it never hurts to see more of the series' big bad furry waifu getting some good ol' Bondage; especially if it's coming from you! ;)
Yeah. I can only imagine what's gonna through Rika's mind the moment she saw Renamon's familiar figure on the rooftop... The last time she ever saw her in this series was when the yellow-furred vixen fell off the vehicle that was supposed to help them both escape, so for all Rika knew, Renamon was more-than-likely dead during the time the D-Reaper was trying to destroy both worlds. And even if she didn't die, Rika never had the chance to properly tell her Digimon partner how she truly felt about her due to the Digital World sealing itself away. So after that ending...I think it's safe to say that they both have a LOT to catch up on...!
Also, I'd love to get a hold of the 2011 rendition of The Phantom of the Opera, someday! I was introduced to it whilst watching the 'Top Ten Theatre Villain Songs' list from Joshscorcher's Villain Songs Month, in which 'The Point of No Return' made 10th on said list... Now, like most of the other villain songs I've seen in those countdowns, I can't get enough of the songs in that musical! Seriously, Ramin Karimloo plays a DAMN good Phantom! ^^
That, too. That is also a possibility...! :)
You're welcome, dude! I may not be entirely familiar with Digimon as a whole, but it never hurts to see more of the series' big bad furry waifu getting some good ol' Bondage; especially if it's coming from you! ;)
For sure! It had to be the shock of her life! Which I tried to get across by having her need confirmation before letting herself have her proper emotional reaction! In some ways it's crueler to have her not know whether her partner was still alive than having her believe she was dead, so I imagine the response would be very visceral even after the initial embrace.
That he did! And I have to agree on that song making the list. One of the most iconic songs from an iconic musical for a reason! :D
No it certainly doesn't hurt! There's a reason she's one of the furry community's biggest names! XD
That he did! And I have to agree on that song making the list. One of the most iconic songs from an iconic musical for a reason! :D
No it certainly doesn't hurt! There's a reason she's one of the furry community's biggest names! XD
Oh, yeah! Not knowing whether or not someone you care about is alive or dead is a FAR worse feeling than knowing for a fact they're dead! At least with the latter, you now have the time to properly grieve for the person in question and learn to cope and move on as a result. If their fate is unknown to you, you're now completely stuck in this mindset of absolute anxiety and denial; never being sure if thing's about said person are true or not until it's VERY much confirmed to be... Man, I can only imagine hearing about what sorta pain any family with a missing person must be going through with that knowledge; that must be a VERY horrid experience...! :(
I remembered hearing it was one of the most iconic musicals out there, so seeing as I'm very much into Theater (having been an avid Thespian and working as both an actor and a techie for plays during high school), I'm surprised it took me THIS long to get into it! Better late than never, I suppose! XD Though, I also would've considered giving that spot to 'Why So Silent?', if only it wasn't such a short song...!
Oh, and highly recommend Joshscorcher's Villain Songs Month! It's a really fun and interesting list of countdowns, and they're fairly recent since they came out back in May of this year! ^^
Very much so! ^^
I remembered hearing it was one of the most iconic musicals out there, so seeing as I'm very much into Theater (having been an avid Thespian and working as both an actor and a techie for plays during high school), I'm surprised it took me THIS long to get into it! Better late than never, I suppose! XD Though, I also would've considered giving that spot to 'Why So Silent?', if only it wasn't such a short song...!
Oh, and highly recommend Joshscorcher's Villain Songs Month! It's a really fun and interesting list of countdowns, and they're fairly recent since they came out back in May of this year! ^^
Very much so! ^^
Yup. You can't really grieve, but you can't rest assured that they're still out there. It's emotional limbo, surely agonizing. Which is why it always gets me when, in stories, loved ones come back from an unknown fate and show their friends and family that they're alive and well. Very hard to not move me if it's done even decently.
Fancy that! I have no theater experience myself, but I imagine it to be a lot of fun for those who love the craft! :D
Noted! ^^
Fancy that! I have no theater experience myself, but I imagine it to be a lot of fun for those who love the craft! :D
Noted! ^^
Yeah... That moment when complete relief and joy washes over you when you know that the certain someone you cared for who went missing makes his or her comeback alive and well... That's something that should be cherished, right there! ^^
Oh, believe me. It was REALLY fun! Really helped to get me out of my introverted shell and interact with people; if only a little bit. The plays themselves, and some of the activities related to the Performing Arts classes I took, also helped; especially in terms of Shakespeare! I actually managed to get into an acting role for a Shakespeare play during my Junior Year, in fact! ^^
Oh, believe me. It was REALLY fun! Really helped to get me out of my introverted shell and interact with people; if only a little bit. The plays themselves, and some of the activities related to the Performing Arts classes I took, also helped; especially in terms of Shakespeare! I actually managed to get into an acting role for a Shakespeare play during my Junior Year, in fact! ^^
I won't lie, I fantasized what it would be like to see the specific "shot" of Renamon perched on that post from Rika's POV, that first time seeing her friend after years, gloriously yet peacefully waiting for her like the guardian she is. I imagine, were it an actual episode or something, to be shown in pure silence before the score starts up again ... just me though!
It took a little longer for me to emerge from my shell, with college activities in general being the key there. Gotta be awesome to clinch a part in a Shakespeare play, which I'd imagine to be especially challenging! Which one was it? :)
It took a little longer for me to emerge from my shell, with college activities in general being the key there. Gotta be awesome to clinch a part in a Shakespeare play, which I'd imagine to be especially challenging! Which one was it? :)
Yeah! I can only imagine...! ^^
Of course. Everybody tends to get out of their shy and nervous selves in different ways...! :) As for what role I got, I performed in my school's production of A[ Midsummer's Night Dream/i] as Theseus. And during one time when my Theatre class went to a Shakespeare Festival in Denver, I also briefly got to play as the Duke of Clarence from [i]Richard III! ^^
My older brother also managed to get into a Shakespeare play, too! I don't remember who he played as, but I do remember the play he got into was Love's Labour's Lost!
Of course. Everybody tends to get out of their shy and nervous selves in different ways...! :) As for what role I got, I performed in my school's production of A[ Midsummer's Night Dream/i] as Theseus. And during one time when my Theatre class went to a Shakespeare Festival in Denver, I also briefly got to play as the Duke of Clarence from [i]Richard III! ^^
My older brother also managed to get into a Shakespeare play, too! I don't remember who he played as, but I do remember the play he got into was Love's Labour's Lost!
Nice! Good experience there, which seems to be spreading around in the family!
Yeah. He's more of a musical kinda guy then me, my brother. I distinctly remember that during his Junior Year, he also managed to land a lead role in his school's production of Shrek: The Musical; he was Lord Farquaad, in case you're curious...! XD
Well that's ... certainly different, but still sounds like a lot of fun! XD
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