Losing Light: Darkness and Deception

Returning Home

by: lxlriotgirlx

RG: This is chapter one of the third installment of the Losing Light collection. :)
Davis: She's ecstatic.

RG: Thank you bunches for all of your reviews. I love you all to bits.

Kazu: She's such a female.

RG: -glares- Duh. Anyway I hope you like chapter one. READ AND REVIEW

Davis: Digimon does not belong to RG in any way shape or form.

Kazu: Title may change. -whispering- She's having a title block.

RG: Ahem..

Kazu: Sorry RG.

RG: -sniffles- I'll be okay.

Earth...

"We're back." Rika breathed slowly into the crisp night air. She closed her eyes, inhaling the summer perfumes deeply. Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly. She looked up only to be greeted by blue eyes and a grin. "What?"

"Just thinking about what a badass you are." He replied with a laugh, earning an eyeroll from the redhead.

"You're pretty badass yourself."

"I know." The boy laughed at the girl's playful glare.

"Rika!" A feminine voice cried urgently into the darkness. The two teenagers turned to see Rumiko Nonaka running towards them. Once she reached the two she pulled her daughter into a tight lungcrushing embrace. (A/N: You know the ones. You can't breathe and you think you're going to die. That's what I'm talking about. Ehe... Moving on. ) "I was so worried about you! You didn't tell us before you left. Not even a note." Rika made a futile attempt to escape but Rumiko only tightened her hold, her voice turning stern. "What were you thinking?" She demanded. Rika glared at her mother and made another attempt to escape.

"If you'd let go of me then maybe I could answer." The readhead girl snapped, feeling her mother's grip loosen. "Thank you." She glared at her mother before softening at her tearstained cheeks. 'She does care.' "The entire world was in danger mom. I had to do something."

"You could have been killed." Rumiko glanced over to the other teenagers. "You all could have been killed." Sudden guilt washed over Rika at the memory of Kazu's death.

"Mom." Rika whispered in a voice barely audible to the older woman. "Kazu was killed." Rumiko stared at her daughter for a moment, digesting what she had just heard. "I'm sorry mom." Rika said quickly. "It was my fault. I should have done something more to help him."

"No." The clear voice of Kari rang out, full of confidence. The crimson eyed girl walked up to her friend. "It wasn't her fault at all Mrs. Nonaka. In fact if it hadn't beem for her and her determination we might not be here now." Rika smiled at the older girl, relief flooding into her violet eyes. Rumiko smiled slowly.

"Who are you?" She asked softly. cocking her head causing blond tendrils to cascade over her shoulder. Kari smiled, tucking a strand of chocolate hair behind one ear away from her face.

"Kari Kamiya." She introduced herself, extending her hand toward Rumiko. "Child of Light, sister of Tai, girlfriend of TK, fighter of evil, High Priestess." She grinned at Rika as she said the last one. "Nice to meet you."

"Rumiko Nonaka. I don't recall you as a tamer."

"Oh I'm not." Kari explained. "TK, Zoe, Takuya, JP, Koji, Kouichi, Tommy, and I are Digidestined. We came before and after the Tamers." Rumiko nodded mutely. Kari laughed. "It's a long story."

"She's right." Rika said, chuckling softly. She glanced at her mother as a new question dawned on her. "Mom, how did you know we'd be here?" The violet eyed girl asked, intrigue bulding.

"I was watching the news with your grandmother and saw that there was some sort of phenomenon in the park." Rumiko explained softly. "So naturally I figured you kids had something to do with it." Rika laughed. "So I went with my hunch."

"Kids!" the voice of Janyu Wong called into the early morning. The group turned to look at a group of running adults.

"Daddy!" Jeri cried, running to her father. Takato smiled after her before being smothered in his mother's embrace. Each teenager was reunited with their parents. All except for Kazu.

"Rika," Kazu's mother said softly. "Where's Kazu." Rika looked to the woman, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Shioda. We really tried to help him." Kazu's mother stared at the girl for a moment. Ryo and the others watched from where they stood with their parents.

"Did you bury him?" Rika shook her head.

"He was burned." Mrs. Shioda whimpered.

"What were his last words?" Mr. Shioda asked.

"'If I don't make it out of here alive tell my parents I'm sorry I didn't clean my room before I left.'" Rika quoted, smiling when Kazu's parents laughed softly.

"That's Kazu alright." Mrs. Shioda said softly, shaking her head and wiping the tears from her face. She turned to face the now rising sun. "Sleep well my son." Rika felt a tear make it's way down her cheek but wiped it away quickly, slipping from the group silently. She kneeled down and found a patch of sand. In the sand she wrote: Shioda Kazu R.I.P.

"What are you doing Wildcat?" Ryo's voice startled the redhead. She shifted to show him her 'tombstone'. "Don't feel like it's your fault, because it's not." Rika nodded.

"I know." Ryo plopped down beside her, pulling her towards him. "I know."

RG: So short. Will update another soon. REVIEW LOVES!