Sister
Jared had spent the time just standing there in the doorway, ruminating and gawking stupidly at Maria’s bedroom before realizing they had a whole apartment to explore, and a potentially new and fascinating world beyond that. They did an about face and saw the rest of Maria’s abode, its furniture and decorations nigh a total mirror of what they had been during Jared’s previous visit. They walked through it slowly, drinking each detail like a visitor to a museum or an art gallery. What was the same? What was different? Did Jared even live here? If not, what were they doing there?
Jared came to a stop once they saw a framed photo of Maria on a table. It was her High School graduation. She was proudly clutching her diploma with the name of her and Jared’s high school embroidered on the ribbon around her shoulders. It radiated the pride and excitement of a young, bright student with a whole future and career ahead of them. There was only one problem. Jared remembered when it was taken, because Jared was supposed to be in it. Jared the human was two years younger than his sister, 16, when she graduated. On that day he was right beside her, arm over her shoulder, smiling as brightly as she did with all the pride of a younger sibling who would soon make the same walk. Not here. Maria was alone in the photo with no brother- or Digimon, for that matter -to speak of. Jared’s heart skipped a beat. Does Maria know who I am? Why aren’t I in the picture? Their tail flicked into an anxious floof behind them. Their fist clenched. Am I even supposed to be here?
Startling them out of the existential crisis was the sound of footsteps approaching the front door. Jared whirled towards it and assumed a defensive posture, feet apart, knees slightly bent, fists clenched at her sides. Maria? Someone else? Potential threat? There was the clunk and clank of the tumbler being unlocked. Jared saw the doorknob turn. It swung open.
In came Maria with a bag of groceries dangling from one wrist. She saw the Digimon standing in the middle of the apartment and came to a halt. “Hey,” she said calmly, if perturbed.
Jared relaxed. “Uh, hi.” It was their first time speaking as Renamon. They sounded definitively feminine, yet that failed to swing their identity firmly enough into that gender.
Written by TheGreatJaceyGee on 12 December 2025
The end (for now)