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History

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Out of the woods came...a hawk dragging a sled stacked high with wood. The hawk turned it's head to look around, saw the heavily armed group in front of it, and squawked in fear.

"Don't shoot!" Rena cried out, pushing Tom's rifle out of the way. "He's friendly!" The hawk Digimon looked at Rena, stunned.

"L-Luna? Is that you?" it asked. Rena nodded, smiling. "Phew! I thought you were a Yetimon for a moment there! I didn't expect you of all 'mon to be here!" It came closer to Rena. "But it is good to see you again but...." The hawk paused. "Luna, who are these people?"

Rena smiled at the hawk. "Well, Hawkmon, this is Tom, my mate," she said happily, blushing slightly under her fur. She then turned to look at Coyote. "Umm, actually, uh, Coyote was it? Can you tell Hawkmon just who you are?" she asked sheepishly.

Coyote nodded as he walked up to Hawkmon. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Monnot, call-sign 'Coyote,' First DRIFT Infantry Division, Regiment, and Second Company," he said, introducing himself. He pointed to the pointy eared humanoid behind him. "That's my medic, Varak," he said, and continued on. "The kit is Sora, and the wonderful vixen holding him is-"

"Rahne of the Faint Smile," Hawkmon said breathlessly. "Mother of the Sunburst Clan of Renamon. I must say, for one who created one of the most mysterious clans in or around Kitsune Valley, I thought you'd be a Taomon by now," he added. It was then that something Rena said entered and registered in his mind. "Wait, Luna, you said this Tom was your mate, right?"

Rena nodded. "Yes, is there a problem with that?" she asked defensively.

Hawkmon shook his head rapidly as Varak began taking some of the logs off the sled. "No, no problem at all!" he told Rena. "It's just that, I don't want to imagine your father's look when he sees you rejected Gravismon!"

"Gravismon is dead," Tom finally said coldly. "I took care of him."

Silence reigned as Hawkmon stared at Tom, processing what Tom told him. "Taken care of? You mean he's-?"

"Quite," Varak commented. "Deader than a pile of ash in a volcano. Took him out bare-handed too, up until Gravismon cheated. Then all the stops were pulled, and Tom wasted him."

Hawkmon looked at Tom in wonder. "You did all of that? I must say, that is truly impressive!" he said. "But, by the Sovereigns, I'm being rude! I should be taking you to the keep, where Annulmon is! It's warmer there than here!"

"Seconded," Coyote quipped as he hefted his pack. "I'm freezing my beard off."

Hawkmon chuckled. "Then let us be off! We're no more than a ten minute hike away from the keep anyway!" he exclaimed, taking his sled back in hand. The group quickly set off to the castle.

Five minutes later, Hawkmon looked back at Rahne. "Lady Rahne, if you don't mind me asking, why is your clan one of the only ones not to be in Kitsune Valley proper? Why, for that matter, how did your clan start? And where did you go? Everyone thought you were missing." He said. "Not to mention you seem a bit young to be a matriarch. No offense," he added, turning away quickly.

Rahen sighed as Coyote bristled at the comments. "I was stuck in a time bomb of some kind," she answered after about a minute. "It stopped me from aging much. It was only recently that I was released, and it was lucky that I was thawed when I was. As for location, well, I liked the view from the ridge." She turned to look at Coyote. "As for how my clan came about...well, maybe another time," she said quietly, smiling softly.

Hawkmon hummed. "So, does your mystery mate have something to do with your clan's three hundred year lifespan?" he asked.

"Three hundred?" Coyote asked, surprised. "Damn. Wish I had that kind of longevity."

Tom looked at Rena. "What's Hawkmon talking about?" he whispered to her. Rena scrunched her face, trying to find a good answer.

"You see Tom, most Digimon don't actually age the way humans do. We die when we're defeated in battle and our data absorbed, otherwise, we only grow in power and strength. Darkamon is over two thousand years old in human terms; he just prefers his Renamon form over his Taomon form, but he can still change into it at anytime. Sunburst Renamon are an exception. They usually live around three hundred years before their data starts degrading."

Tom looked to the ground. "Oh...he said sadly.

"Tom? What's wrong?" Rena asked, worried about he Tamer and mate.

Tom sighed. "Rena, most humans only live to be about a hundred without being in cryo. From studies done from the remaining Spartan IIs and IVs, a typical Spartan can live to be about a hundred and fifty, maybe one-seventy before dying." Tom depolarized his faceplate enough for Rena to see his facial outline. "What I mean to say is, we might not always be together," he told her.

Rena looked at him, shocked and saddened. "Tommy, don't worry, a hundred and seventy years is still a long time," she told him. "We can still make the most of it."

Coyote couldn't help but overhear the whispered conversation from the audio pickup from Tom's helmet. Now granted, he felt the same way, but he did know a shortcut of sorts to help with the age problem: E-365.

The same element that powered his TMD.

The same element that Ronin used to sacrifice himself.

"We're here!"

Coyote snapped out of his reverie as Hawkmon opened the castle gates. Inside of his helmet, Coyote smiled. Compared to the castles he used to go to in Germany when he was a kid, and the castles he occasionally entered now as part of his job, this one was small. But it sure felt like home.

Tom looked around, amazed. "This place...I've only heard stories about castles in books and pictures! It's magnificent!" he said as they entered the main keep.

Coyote chuckled as he led his men and mate inside. "Yeah. They certainly are something special, that's for sure," he said as he closed the door.

Rena tugged on Tom's arm. "Come on, we can wait for Annulmon in his study, there's a fireplace there where we can warm up," she told him, tail flicking happily. Tom hadn't been worried about the cold much. His armor was temperature regulating, and plus, after Devin died, he just didn't feel the cold as much. But, a few minutes later, he was mostly armorless, and enjoying the fire's warmth with Rena cuddled in his lap. Rena started purring. "Much better," she said. "It's freezing out there."

"Rena, you have fur," Tom commented, chuckling. "How can you be cold?"

Rena cracked an eye open at her Tamer's smiling face. "My fur isn't wind resistant," she told him dryly.

"I can second that." The two of them looked up to see Coyote there, helmetless, by the fire, with a beard and mustache coated in frost. Tom and Rena both looked at him, and then at each other. Then they just burst out laughing.

"I didn't know humans could have fur on their face!" Rena said aloud, looking at Coyote.

Coyote took out his combat knife and holding up a small mirror, began shaving. "I don't have fur, I have mange, according to my mother," he said with a straight face. "All the 'fur' is down south."

"Gabriel," Rahne said in a warning tone. Coyote turned to look at her, his face now half shaved.

"Don't worry, I was going to keep it PG-13," he said. Even though this is an 'M' rated fanfic. He finished up, and wiped the shaved hairs off on his left shoulder pad. Looking around, he asked, "Where's our host?"

"Here. And my my Luna, you have grown, and with a mate from what I hear nonetheless. Although, I must say that I'm surprised that he is human."

Everyone present turned to look at the Digimon that was now suddenly in the room. Tom had expected something grandiose and powerful. Not...this. Annulmon was a giant grandfather clock, but his face was hidden by the cloak that he wore.

Rena got up and greeted Annulmon. "Annulmon, it's been so long," she said, hugging him. "That's Tom, my mate," she said, pointing to everyone in turn. "Coyote, Varak, you've heard of Rahne, and the sweet little kit in her arms is Sora."

Annulmon nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you," he said, opening his arms.

"Pleasure is ours sir," Coyote said politely, stowing his gear. Rahne bowed her head, and Varak grunted while nodding. Sora giggled and snuggled deeper into Rahne's arms.

Annulmon turned to look at all of them. "So," he said, "What brings all of you to the Forgotten Valley?"

Tom looked nervous as he pulled out his pendant. "Well, Rena and I are curious about what you can tell us about this," he told the much older Digimon. "There's also something about Reavers and this artifact they're looking for."

Annulmon almost collapsed as he saw Tom's pendant, and then glanced down to see his Digivice. "Human, are you from our sister plane? Are you from the Earth of the Real World?" he asked in shock. Tom looked at him in worry.

"Umm, no, I'm from the planet Orion," he said. "I've never been to Earth before. Why?"

Annulmon stumbled to his desk and sat down. "By the Sovereigns, you are him," he said breathelessly.

"Who?" Coyote asked, his mind going straight back into tactical mode.

Rena shook her head furiously. "No, that can't be, that's just a legend Annulmon! Just like the Maiden of Light and the Light-Born! Besides, Gravismon was supposedly the Shadow-Born!" she said. "And he's dead!"

Annulmon shook his head. "No, Gravismon's clan was misguided. They exploited an old title to gain power and status, but your clan truly does have its roots with the Creator. The real legend states that the one Renamon among the Fox of Tao who is born on the eclipse shall bare the Crest of Light."

Rena growled, rolling her eyes. "I know that part Annulmon," she said, exasperated. "But how does that make it any more real? There have been hundreds before me with the exact same crest."

Annulmon nodded. "True. But now, this is the part of the legend that few know. You see, it states that the true Light-Born will become the partner to a traveler from lands far more distant than the Digital Plane can imagine, bearing the Crest of Shadows." He looked straight at Tom. "My dear, that is your mate."

"But...that's impossible," Tom said, shaking his head. Coyote sighed.

"It might not be," he said, startling everyone. "All legends, myth, and folklore have some root in reality. That means that this may have happened before. Besides, it explains the fuck out your synthetic DNA."

"Wait, what?"

Coyote looked away. "Tom, your mother spliced something ancient with your DNA before you were born. What it's supposed to do, I haven't got a damned clue in God's private toilet. You are a recombinant of normal and synthetic DNA."

Tom looked at him in disbelief. "What...?"

"DNA isn't quite the right term," Annulmon said. "It is more like the data that runs through my and Luna's veins. You are human, yes, but you are also part Digimon."

"But....that's impossible," Rena said. Coyote snorted.

"Really? Because Sora's genetic make-up is going to say otherwise," he stated simply. Tom was just looking around in surprise.

"But that can't be!" he exclaimed. "This has to be a mistake!" Annulmon shook his head.

"I am sorry, but your pendant and the arrival of the Dark Ones proves otherwise. But worry not," he said, standing up an putting a reassuring hand on Tom's shoulder. "Your power will come in time." He then looked up. "They will be out looking for you," he said, addressing them all. "Night-time is their favored hunting time. You are welcome to spend the night here, as guests."

"Understood," Coyote said, nodding.

"Tom and I will be sharing a room," Rena said quickly, moving over to her mate. Her tail briefly flickered over Tom's face, and he got a potent whiff of something coming from the Renamon in front of him.

Whoa, that smells nice, Tom thought to himself as he got up and followed Rena out of the room. Coyote watched the two leave, and then turned to look at his own mate.

"I'll be right up there with you hon," he told Rahne, stroking her cheek fur. "Need to ask Annulmon a few questions, that's all."

Rahne nodded. "Do what you have to," she said. "But don't take too long," she added smiling. Coyote smiled and chuckled as she left with Sora and Varak. Annulmon looked at Coyote from where he sat at his desk.

"So, Coyote, what are these questions that you wanted to ask of me?" the ancient Digimon asked.

Coyote didn't waste anytime. "These Dark Ones...are they roughly about six to eight feet high, wear black cloaks, and fucking swords that can turn an Ultimate Level Digimon into putrid mush?" he asked. Annulmon sighed.

"The Reavers...."

"I'll take that as a yes," Coyote said as he sat in a chair. "So, why would they come here? This whole army seems like a waste of resources to kill just one person."

Annulmon looked at Coyote. "The Reavers are a creation of the Void," he stated. "They serve the Dark Kings, beings of old that ruled over all dimensions with oppression, pain, and fear until they were banished back into the Void along with their servants. The Reavers do not fear loosing men, for the Void holds countless more, waiting to come forth and claim what was theirs."

Coyote listened as Annulmon continued. "They are here to kill both Luna and her Tamer. Together, they represent the single greatest threat to their return."

Coyote nodded slowly. "Look, between you, me, and my ass-hat of a creator," Coyote said, his other, real-life self in mind, "I don't believe in epic destinies. But if Tom and Rena are the key to saving this verse, then, well, I'll make sure they survive at any cost. Now, these Kings, how would I know that I saw one?"

"There are four Kings," Annulmon said, after a pause. "They each represent a dark aspect of the soul; pain, lust, greed, and wrath. You will know when you see one."

Coyote facepalmed. 'Why is it always some damn sin we have to fight?' he asked himself in his head. "I see. Annulmon, sir, I have a pair of troops coming later today or tonight. A human girl, and a robot. They're under my command, and I'd like to make sure that they get here alive. I don't want to lose anymore soldiers on this mission," he said humbly.

Annulmon nodded. "I will see to it that they arrive safely," he said. "Pardon me for asking this of you, but, are you and Rahne of the Faint Smile in a relationship?"

Coyote quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, we're mates," he said. "Why?"

Annulmon rested his hands below where a chin should be. "You see, the Sunburst Clan is something of an enigma in Kitsune Valley," he said. "And if you truly are the creator of that clan, then perhaps you can shed some light on them." Coyote stared blankly at the historian and chuckled.

"Umm, yeah, well, I can't really answer a whole lot, seeing as I wasn't present for most of it," he said, scratching his head nervously. "But I'll answer what I can."

Annulmon gave the impression of a smile. "Thank you. In light of limitations, can you tell me just how you and Rahne met?" he asked.

Coyote smiled.

[][][]

Three years, five months, twelve days, and two hours ago....

Major Gabriel Monnot stood in front of his friend irritably. The current war with the Toshigan wasn't going well at the moment, due to a temporary lull in Rift activity, and he was currently waiting for Dr. Freeman (whose first name wasn't Gordan) to shove a needle into his arm and pump him full of some odd vaccine or another. Ever since the slightly mad doctor had found a group of genetically modified humans who could adapt to almost anything, the man hadn't stopped coming up with new serums to test out.

"Cameron, can you get a move on? I'm on leave in five, and my mom is making her spaghetti tonight," Gabe said, exasperated. He was already in civvies, blue jeans and a grey shirt bearing the D.RIFT.R emblem: a stylized bird of prey on top of an irregular hexagon. The blonde head of his friend poked out from behind a veritable mountain of paperwork that had yet to be filled.

"Hey, I have to get this dosage right!" Dr. Freeman complained. "I don't want to send you into anaphylactic shock, or turn you into a sheep again!" Gabe groaned at that memory. It was...awkward, to say the least. He then gave a cry of indignation as Freeman jabbed him in the neck with a hypo.

"Jesus, a little warning next time!" Gabe said, annoyed and rubbing the site of the injection. Freeman shrugged.

"This is payback for that last session of D&D we had," Cameron said. "You fudged that roll with the dragon's breathe attack."

"I did not!" Gabe retorted, before doubling over in pain, clutching his stomach. "Freshman!" he gasped. "What the fuck did you inject into me THIS time?!"

Cameron could only watch in shock as his friend since high school changed in front of him, fur growing out of his pores. Then came the muzzle that extended from his face, making Gabe howl in pain. Then came the tail, paws, claws, and of all things, six odd wing-like protrusion coming out from his shoulder blades. Cameron dimly realized as Gabe bolted out the door, clothes in tatters, that his best friend had turned into a biological version of a popular Digimon.

Grabbing his desk phone, Freeman hit the security key, and yelled, "Renamon heading for the Rift Pads! Nonlethal only, I say again, nonlethal only! The Renamon is Major Monnot!" Unfortunately, Cameron was too late with his message as Gabe the Renamon came barreling into the room containing said pieces of technology. He knocked over a technician, sending her into a control panel. This caused a Pad to activate, and without the proper sequencing, could send whoever entered it, anywhere and any time.

Now, the sequencing was almost complete on this panel, and therefore, Gabe wasn't exactly going to be sent into a dying star or to the beginning of the universe. But, nevertheless, he was sucked into the blue rimmed vortex, and an instant later, the tear in reality collapsed.

[][][]

Gabe woke to the sound of honking cars, and of having his memories scrambled like an egg. Clutching his head, Gabe groaned in pain as he saw his new body for the first, rational time. He had light brown fur for the most part, with darker brown, going on black 'gloves' and 'socks.' Looking around, Gabe saw that he was in a heavy metropolitan area. Probably New York or L.A., knowing Hollywood Law. Only, he then noticed the Hirigana script everywhere.

'Shit, I'm in Tokyo! FUCKING AWESOME!' Gabe thought to himself gleefully as he bounded into the city, not noticing a pair of ice blue eyes following him. Gabe went down the alleys of Tokyo, somehow knowing that this was a bit safer than going out into the streets. Eventually, he stopped, panting next to a bakery by the smell of it. And as luck (and a certain writer with a dry sense of humor and irony) would have, a certain goggle-headed came out to get rid of some bread.

It had been a busy day at the Matsuki Bakery, and Takato was looking forward to when he didn't have to work tonight. He was wanting to surprise Renamon with something special, and...there was a really odd looking Renamon standing there, panting. The two of them eyed each other for a moment, and the Digimon looked at the bread in Takato's arms. "That bread still good?" the Digimon asked.

Takato nodded. "Umm, yeah, why?" he asked. The Digimon shrugged as it stood up, it's back popping as it stretched. His answer came in the form of the Digimon's stomach growling. Takato chuckled weakly. "Right...well, I guess you better eat it. Hate to see it all go to waste," the teen said as he handed the bag of bread over to the Digimon, who nodded in response.

"I know, right? Tossing it out is kind of a sin, especially with really good tasting bread," the Digimon said, taking out a loaf and biting into it. "Ey, dish tasht ike enut butter," it said, happy as it swallowed. Takato chuckled.

"Yeah, that'd be the Guilmon Bread," he said cheerfully. "It's one of our more popular..." Takato realized that the Renamon was gone. "Breads."

Scratching his head, Takato looked up and down the alley for the Digimon, and out of the corner of his eye, saw a yellow blur race across the rooftops. Suddenly, Takato felt a chill go down his back. He silently offered his condolences to the most likely doomed Digimon.

[][][]

Gabe stopped by a pedestrian bridge overlooking a railway, watching the sleek Maglevs fly by. He was now at the final four bits of bread in the bag when he felt a cold presence behind him. Turning slowly, Gabe saw the one Digimon he would have loved to meet-if he was a distance. Standing behind him, about sixty feet away, was Renamon herself. And to be honest, the show didn't her justice in either the looks or personality department. And right behind her was the red-headed Ice Queen herself, Rika.

Gabe gulped as Rika simply said to Renamon, "You what to do." Sensing imminent death, the former human did something so profound, so astonishing, that the very act would remain a fixture of that bridge for the next twenty years.

"Sweet mother of Amaterasu, WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THAT?!" Gabe yelled out, pointing over Rika and Renamon's shoulders. The two of them actually fell for it and looked, giving Gabe his chance to escape. Tossing the bag away, Gabe jumped over the railing and onto the tracks below; only to get hit with a speeding Maglev before he hit the ground.

Rika and Renamon went over to the railing and looked over, just to see the tail end of the train pass by. Rika sighed. "Well Renamon," she said, "I can now say that your reputation is enough to kill most Digimon. Let's head home. Besides, you have a date tonight." Renamon nodded, following her Tamer after giving the tracks just one last look.

[][][]

"So, you met Renamon herself and survived," Annulmon said. "I am impressed. Not many can say that."

Coyote chuckled. "I'm glad I survived the train," he told Annulmon. "She's a rather...stubborn individual. Now, where was I?"

"Train."

"Ah, yes, the train, so, after I hit the train...."

[][][]

Gabe got off the train about thirty seconds later, when the driver realized that there was indeed something on his windshield, and hit the brakes. That resulted in Gabe flying off the train, soaring in the air for about ten seconds, and landing painfully about sixty meters away. He was certain that Renamon would notice the stopped train, and got up painfully. Looking up, he saw yet another pedestrian bridge, and leaped up to the top of it. Granted, he surprised himself just by being able to do it, and he thought he was homefree. Up until a half second after he landed, when he fell off the railing, and into the cleavage of another Renamon.

Oh fuck me....

Gabe almost immediately got up and started apologizing. "Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry I fell into your chest, but I'm kind of in a-" Gabe was silenced by the Renamon's finger on his mouth.

"Come with me if you want to live," the Renamon ordered, the Digimon's voice clearly saying female. Gabe was horrified as she started dragging him back into the city.

"How DARE you use one of American cinema's most bad-ass lines like that!" he said indignantly, doing his best to keep up with the Renamon femme. Damn she had a good grip. And a nice ass....wait, what?! When the fuck did that thought come into his head?! 'Cold water, cold water,' Gabe thought. 'Umm, kicking puppies with a football cleats, yeah, that ought to do it...'

Minutes later, the two of them stopped in a park, and the vixen let him stop near a water fountain. Turning to him, she asked, "What did you do to piss HER off?"

Gabe looked at her incredulously. "Me? I didn't do a damned thing! I was just minding my own business when she popped up and wanted to kill me!" he told her.

The vixen sighed. "Well, at least you didn't try fighting back. That wouldn't have ended well for you," she said to him. "You have a place to lay low until she stops looking for you?"

Gabe looked at her warily. She was about six feet tall, not counting her ears. Her fur was a very interesting shade of reddish-gold which glimmered in the sunlight. Her eyes though...those were something to behold. So beautiful....Gabe shook his head. "No, I don't," he told her. "Just got here."

The vixen nodded. "Okay then, well, I guess you can stay with me for a bit. Just, don't lead Renamon there, alright?" she asked.

Gabe huffed mirthfully. "Scouts honor," he said, putting a paw over his head. He made sure not to mention that he was never a Boy Scout. Extending his hand, he said, "Name's Gabe," he told her. The vixen looked down at his paw, then up at him.

"Rahne," she responded, shaking his paw. "Now, let's go," she added, turning away and bounding off.

Gabe began bounding after her. "Rahne? Like that character from 'The X-Factor?'" he asked. In front of him, Rahne chuckled.

"No. Named myself after this character from some piece of fan fiction I read a couple of months ago. What was it called, 'Against All Things' or something," she replied. Gabe chuckled as he followed her. Wow, he had a really good view of her backside from where he was currently....

"Like the view?"

Gabe looked up nervously at Rahne's face as she smiled back at him impishly. "You know, you could have asked," she continued. "I wouldn't have minded."

"Well I uhh, errm, uhh, how far is your place?" Gabe asked, changing the subject. The vixen laughed at his embarrassment.

"Not far Gabe," she told him, leaping onto a building and speed running her way up its side. Gulping, Gabe attempted to do the same thing. Memories of using a pair of speed boosters attached to his back offered him some guidance as Gabe made his way up the building, catching even with Rahne. Reaching the top, the two of them stopped on the rooftop to catch their breath. "I'm impressed," she said to him. "Not many Renamon have the patience to actually run up the side of something. They usually just teleport."

Gabe grinned. "What can I say? I've had practice," he told her. Looking up, he saw the place that Rahne was talking about. "Really? A pent-house apartment in a building that isn't finished yet? Nice."

Rahne smiled shyly. "Thanks," she replied. "So, can I show you around?"

Gabe smiled. "That would be great," he told her.

[][][]

"The next few days were mostly just me and Rahne getting to know one another," Coyote said, taking a drink from his canteen. "I learned that she was simply an unusually colored Renamon, and my memories were starting to patch themselves up. And about five days after we met, well, we went to this club...."

[][][]

They were in a Digimon only bar, having a good time. Or at least, Rahne was. She was currently engaged in some sort of drinking game, and going against an XV-Mon. And winning. Gabe was still at the bar, holding his glass. As in, the only glass he had ordered. Gabe wasn't even sure what effect Digital vodka would have on him, and he really didn't want to find out.

"Gabe, get over here! Show them some moves!" Rahne cried out, slightly tipsy from where she herself was sitting. Gabe looked at the other patrons and shook his head no. Cries of "Pussy!," "Wimp!," and "Moron!" came flying at him. Sighing, Gabe left his drink on the bar and walked over to the dance floor. The resident DJ began playing a beat, and Gabe closed his eyes, getting a feel for the song.

Rahne was embarrassed when she saw Gabe just stand there. For the past couple of days, she had grown attached to him...perhaps romantically so. Normally, she thought that true love and finding true love at first sight was a load of shit, but maybe she was wrong. Suddenly, Gabe started moving. Rahne at first thought that he was just jerking his limbs until she realized that he was mock fighting to the beat of the song. And that was absolutely BEAUTIFUL to the Renamon. Add in actual dance moves, and by the end of the song, Rahne got up and went over to Gabe.

"Where did you learn to do that?" she asked him. Gabe shrugged, and gave her one of his half-smiles.

"Who says I did?" he told her, holding out his paw. "Want to dance?" he asked her.

Rahne nodded, suddenly shy as the DJ put an older song on the speakers. Taking her hands, Gabe lead her through the song, and as the first words began playing, Gabe began singing along with them.

"'Earth angel, earth angel, will you be mine? My darling dear, love you all the time; I'm just a fool, a fool in love, with you,'" Gabe sang softly into Rahne's ear. Shuddering in excitement, Rahne pulled him closer to her, and breathed in his scent. Gabe smelled of the forest, wild, musky, and there was a hint of citrus. Gabe got his own whiff, and to him, Rahne smelled of apples, and the air after a long, gentle rainstorm. The parted long enough for Gabe to continue singing.

"'Earth angel, earth angel, the one I adore; love you forever, and ever more. I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.'"

Gabe smiled as he bent forward and kissed Rahne. Granted, he had kissed a girl before, but Rahne wasn't just a girl; she was something so much better. She was his heart, and even if the prime version of himself disagreed, Gabe honestly didn't give a shit. All he wanted to do now was be by her side, and make her happy.

Rahne couldn't help it as a tear rolled down her face. She lifted a hand, and pulled Gabe's head closer to hers. "'Earth angel, earth angel,'" Rahne began singing, "'Please be mine. My darling dear, love you all the time. I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.'

"'I fell for you and I knew the vision of your lovlieness. I hope and I pray that I'll the vision of your happiness.'"

The two of them smiled, knowing that they were holding the other half of their souls in their arms. Together, the sang the last verse of the song to each other, staring into each other's eyes. "'Earth angel, earth angel, please be mine. My darling dear, love you all the time. I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.'" At that last note, the two of them kissed each other tenderly.

Breaking the kiss, Gabe looked into Rahne's eyes. "I want to show you something," he told her gently. Rahne smiled and allowed herself to be whisked away be the charming Renamon holding her hand.

[][][]

"So, that's how the Sunburst Clan was formed," Annulmon said.

Coyote shook his head. "Oh no, we had an unbelievable view of Mt. Fuji as the sun was setting when we first, umm, mated" he said, embarrassed. "At the time, we weren't even thinking about kits."

"Even then, it shouldn't be possible," Annulmon said. "DNA and data simply don't mix."

"Really? Tell that to him," Coyote commented dryly, jerking a thumb up to his writer sitting somewhere where he couldn't reach him. "Besides, that was a REALLY damn good night we had together. And after that, we went at each like rabbits. But a few days afterward, we went out for drinks, and when we got back to her den, she was saying that she feeling a bit queasy. That should've been my first clue that she was pregnant." Coyote sighed.

"We went to bed, happy and content to be in each other's arms. The next morning, I woke up, and well, I saw one of my best troops standing there, watching us. I had a shot of whiskey the night before, and it had hit me hard, so I wasn't in any shape to resist as he dragged me out of there. I saw my unit patch, and my memory just hit me like a brick.

"After everything was over, I tried looking for her, but...she wasn't there. That building was completed, and I had no way of tracking her." Coyote pulled out a pendant from his pocket and looked at it. "I made this, and its twin, the night after we mated. Her gloves were the next day. It killed me, the past couple of years, not knowing if she was alive and well, or dead, or if she had forgotten me." He turned back to look at the door where Rahne left. "I'd do anything to make sure that I didn't lose her again," he said to Annulmon.

Annulmon looked at him. "I see that you love her quite dearly. And I am glad that you have found each other again."

Coyote nodded. "Thanks. Anyway, I'm going to head up to where my mate is, tell her how lucky I am to have her, and then wait for my other two troops to get here," he said.

"Worry not, Hawkmon will let you know ahead time when they are coming," Annulmon stated.

Coyote felt a pang of heartache of Ronin's passing. "Thank you," he said finally, grabbing his gear and leaving.