The voice was getting closer. The voice was still there. She couldn’t handle this anymore. She was just so tired of it. She thought that she had finally moved on from Meicoomon’s passing, but apparently that wasn’t true. Her heart still hung onto the pain and the…the final goodbye. Every time she heard her voice that scene played through her mind again and again and again and…again. She just couldn’t handle it anymore.
This time…this time the voice sounded different. Normally the voice was echoing through her entire head and would be so…empty. But the warmth and….sadness that she felt within the voice was different and new…maybe?
Slowly raising her head, Meiko first saw the dirty floor of the alley and the bits of trash and dirt that accumulated. The light that came from the streetlamp dyed everything blue and flickered every once and a while, but then there was orange. And two paws. A tail. And two bushy ears.
Meiko’s entire body went still and her face went slack. There was no way…there was no way that…that-
Hearing the voice and the face that was looking at her mouth those words, “M…Mei….Meicoomon…is…i-i-is that….is that r-really you?”
Without even thinking, Meiko slowly got up and walked over towards…Meicoomon with her pace picking up. As she got close to her, her body went through the motions and reached her arms out and picked her up. Feeling the slightly damp fur and the familiar smell that she carried, fresh tears started to fall down her face…but this time it was not sadness; but of joy and relief.
“It…it really is you. Meicoomon…”
Meicoomon remained limp in the arms of her best friend for only a heartbeat--just long enough to make sure that it really was Mei holding her, that she’d finally, finally found her--
With a little half wail, half mewl, Meicoomon wrapped her arms around Meiko’s neck, burrowing as close as she could. She could feel Mei shaking against her, smell the angry salt of her tears, and new ones rose up in response. Tears of relief, of regret, of so many things that Meicoomon didn’t understand just yet.
The Digimon’s tired body relaxed again, but it rumbled with a tiny, anxious little purr. She clung with a fraction of her might, taking extra care not to dig her claws into Mei’s arms.
It was easy to remember the last time she’d ever seen Meiko--when she’d been able to be at peace, been able to say goodbye--but now they were meeting again, after what felt like forever. Meiko was here, was real, was holding her up, and was hurting just as much as Meicoomon had to have been.
“M-Mhm! I-I heard your v-voice, calling out...! I-I was lookin’ for you everywhere,” Meicoomon whimpered. “I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Mei, I’m sorry, please don’t hate me, I’m sorry...”