And here we go again, with the second Extra-Dimensions tale. Once I've done this one, I'm going to switch back to the main stream of stories, so Book Three is on the way.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, but I do own the OCs introduced in this story and later stories (except where stated).
Note: This story occurs between Powers and Evils.
EXTRA DIMENSIONS
STORY TWO
Same Old, Same Old
By Blazing Chaos
4TH SEPTEMBER 2009
The great city of Tokyo awoke once again. Commuters headed for work, breakfasts were made, computers beeped away as if nothing could stop them, and generally everything seemed normal. However, for many in Tokyo, it was a more interesting day than most. It was the beginning of the new school year, and, for almost all 15 year olds, that meant a brand new school. For six select humans, however, this was a more important day. Some for a good reason, some for a bad reason. And both reasons revolved around one person. Rika Nonaka was going to be in their school.
Katou Residence
07:14 JST
Jeri awoke from her slumber, as the light of the sun shone through the windows. She climbed down and out of her bunk bed, and changed into her now usual attire. She headed down the stairs into the kitchen where her step mother was making breakfast, and her father was preparing the restaurant for that day's business.
"Good morning Jeri…" her step-mother greeted her.
"Morning mum…" she chirped in response. Leomon, due to his size, slept in a corner of the restaurant. She walked over and noticed he was waking up. "Morning Leomon…"
Leomon nodded. "First day of your new school isn't it?"
"Yeah…"
Kitgagawa Residence
07:23 JST
"WAKE UP KENTA!" yelled the mother of Kenta Kitagawa. Kenta awoke with a start, and looked around. "You'll be late for school otherwise…"
Kenta yawned and nodded. MarineAngemon awoke and began to fly around the room, handing Kenta his t-shirt, jacket, pants and digivice, which Kenta happily took.
"It may be mine and Kazu's last day on earth, better look good for it…" he muttered, considering the fact that Rika would be joining them at the new school.
Wong Residence
07:34 JST
Henry sat at the table with his family eating breakfast. Terriermon sat on the table next to him, somehow having mastered the art of handling a spoon with his non-human hands, and was making a mess of eating cereal. He eventually gave up and began to simply eat the cereal as if it were from a trough, that is, head first. Henry sighed at the sight.
Nonaka Residence
07:45 JST
Rika was happy. That in itself would surprise most people, not least Kazu and Kenta, but Seiko, Rumiko and Renamon, Rika's grandmother, mother and digimon partner respectively, were expecting it. Rika finally had a chance to get away from the world of snotty private schools and into a school with her friends…and Kazu and Kenta, although in their case she was less enthusiastic, although Kazu was more of an annoyance than Kenta.
Rika finished her breakfast and excused herself from the table. She returned to her room and collected her things, still smiling. The D-Arc and cards went on her belt, and the Orb of Harmony was shrunk to be placed into her pocket. She walked back into the main living room and bid goodbye to her mother and grandmother, before leaving the house. She walked to the front gate and turned left, heading towards her new school.
Shioda Residence
07:56 JST
Kazu was now running late. He had been sleeping a bit too long, but the problem had been exaggerated when Guardromon managed to spill his breakfast on the floor, and his bag turned out to have a tear in it. He also spent some time looking for his cards, and so, having finally finished his pre-school routine, he dashed out the door, bidding farewell as he left.
Matsuki Residence
08:03 JST
Takato slowly awoke from his slumber and looked around the room. He nudged Guilmon to wake the dino up, and groggily looked at the clock.
08:04
He stood up and began to change into his usual attire. On went the pants and blue hooded jumped. He pulled the strap back on the Goggles, pulled them over his head, and absent-mindedly looked at the clock again. This time, however, the numbers registered in his mind. His hand let go of the goggle strap and the pair pinged back on his head, making him lose his balance and tumble to the floor.
Downstairs, preparing bread, Takehiro raised an eyebrow at the thump from Takato's room. Mie continued to work with the dough while replying, almost as if it were now simply routine. "Takato's up…"
08:10 JST
Takato ran, quickly, along the roads, heading to the school. Guilmon followed, trying to catch up, although having much difficulty in doing so. He stopped for breath in the park, now completely lost as to where the school was.
"Oh great, late on the first day…last year, Mrs Asaji would've given me a detention forever for being late on the first day…"
Takato picked a random direction and headed down it, trying to find his bearings. He failed, ending up back at the hideout, now panting for breath.
"This couldn't get any worse…late on the first day…what do I do?"
Wind ruffled his hair, and he looked for the source. Renamon had appeared near him. "Rika was right, he is having trouble finding the place…" she said to herself. She sighed. "Follow me…"
"Thanks…" Takato replied.
Shinjuku Upper High School
08:15 JST
Rika stood in the grounds of the school, looking for the familiar faces of her fellow tamers amongst the crowd of unknowns. Already this school seemed better than her old one, for a start it wasn't just girls, secondly there were no uniforms, and finally, no-one seemed to care about the yellow fox she had spoken to only a short while beforehand.
"Rika, over here!" she heard a voice call, and looked to see Jeri Katou, along with Kenta and Henry, and their partners. She joined them.
"New school…doesn't seem too bad…" Rika commented as she walked up to them. Terriermon quaked in fear and Rika chuckled at the sight.
"I hope our new teacher lets us have our Digimon in the class…" Henry noted.
"I'm probably too big to fit anyway Jeri…" Leomon told her partner, who nodded reluctantly.
"Fine…we can talk later, okay?" Jeri said to her lion-like partner, who nodded. She had grown used to the general problems that Leomon's height caused.
"So where are Takato and the other moron?" Rika asked.
"Not here yet…" Kenta answered.
"Fear not, for the great Kazu is here!" came an electronic voice.
"Hey, stop stealing my lines before I even say them…" said another voice. Rika sighed and looked to see Kazu and Guardromon. Rika smiled and faced Kazu.
"Good morning Kazu…" she said cheerily, putting on an overly big smile. Kazu winced.
"Stop trying to freak me out!" he complained. The others laughed.
"Well, that just leaves Takato…" Jeri commented. The school bell rung.
"Well, he's late…" said Kazu, almost as if used to it.
'I hope Renamon managed to find him…' Rika thought.
Classroom 29
08:27 JST
Rika and her fellow Tamers walked into the classroom. Currently, the teacher was absent, and a few students had already taken a seat. Each of the desks had two seats, and Kazu and Kenta were quick to choose the one nearest the back of the room by the window, Guardromon and MarineAngemon following. Terriermon leapt across to take a desk in the middle near the window. Henry raised an eyebrow at this.
"Terriermon, why have you chosen that table?" he asked.
"Simple Henry…it's near the window, and it's both far enough away from the teacher that we won't be in her gaze all the time, but close enough that she won't suspect me when I flick paper balls at her."
Henry sighed. "Terriermon, what did I tell you about doing that sort of thing?"
"Momentai Henry, it was only a joke…" '…but some jokes can become real…'
Henry walked across to join him at the desk. Jeri stood by the desk.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked politely.
"No…" Henry answered blushing, and Jeri sat next to him.
"Thanks…I can help keep Terriermon in check…"
'Come on Henry, keep yourself together…' Henry thought to himself, restraining his blushing.
Rika took a desk that was dead centre in the room, based both on Terriermon's reasoning, and on the fact that most of the window desks had now been taken up by other students. She noticed that no-one had decided to sit next to her, and she was glad for it. However, as time passed, and the room gradually filled up, two people were noticeably absent. Kazu and Kenta voiced her concerns.
"Where's chumley?" Kazu asked out loud.
"Yeah, and the teacher…" Kenta added.
Takato raced through the doors and into the corridor. He headed straight for the classroom. However, having found that he'd gone the wrong way, he headed up a set of stairs and along the corridor. Again, however, he'd made a wrong turn, exasperating Renamon and Guilmon in pursuit. He stopped to check his book.
"Ah, right, Classroom 29…where is that?"
'By the way these numbers, go, I presume it's on the second floor at the western end of the school…'
'Right…'
Takato ran down the corridor and up a set of stairs again. He raced along the hallway, and saw the number 29 on a sign poking out of the wall, alongside a set of steps. He smiled victoriously and raced for the entrance.
However, someone walked up and out of the steps, holding a lot of books on a tray, which obscured their face, and Takato ran head-first into them, both of them falling back on the floor. The other person stood up and Takato looked up, expressions of embarrassment turning to fear.
"Not you again!" Takato said to his teacher of many years, Mrs Asaji, who sighed.
"Same as always Takato…" Takato smiled nervously, and stood up. "Just try not to be late in future, okay?" she instructed. Takato nodded, and entered the class. He looked around the class to see everyone's reactions to the teacher following him. Only his fellow Tamers (excluding Rika, although she did have some memories of the teacher from the point-of-view gun incident) and a few other students reacted in a mix of surprise and fear, although Henry was also not so acquainted with Mrs Asaji to be as surprised by it.
"You again?!" Kazu said out loud.
"Hello Kazu…" Mrs Asaji said sighing. "Seems that you haven't changed at all…hold on…do you all have your Digimon here?"
"Yeah!" Terriermon cheered.
"Terriermon!"
"Momentai Henry!"
Mrs Asaji, feeling the oncoming headache, decided to give up pursuing this, and turned her attention to other things. "Now, Takato, if you had been on time you would've had a chance to choose your seat, but now it appears you have no option. Please sit next to…Rika, is it?"
Rika nodded, and Takato walked over and sat next to her, smiling. Guilmon sat under the desk and Renamon vanished into thin air.
'Ah the irony…'
Kazu, watching from the back of the class, noticed the lack of any negative reaction from either of them, a thought shared by Kenta.
"Psst…Kenta…" Kazu whispered.
"What?" Kenta asked.
"Did you see that? Rika didn't even complain, and Takato didn't even flinch…he blushed…"
"Yeah, I know…strange isn't it…"
Kazu began to grin as a thought dawned on him. 'Maybe…'
Mrs Asaji began to teach the class, writing things on the board as she did so. "Now, as some of you already know, my name is Mrs Asaji. I have previously worked in Shinjuku Lower Secondary High School, but got the chance to move up to teaching more mature students." She sighed, looking around the class, but specifically at Kazu and Kenta. "Unfortunately it turns out that my new students are not all as mature as I thought…"
"Hey!" Kazu yelled from the back. Mrs Asaji sighed; it was going to be a long few years.
School Grounds
11:05 JST
The morning break in lessons had arrived and everyone had jumped at the chance to get out of class. Henry had gone to look round the school, along with Jeri who was also interested. Kazu and Kenta were considering changing schools, and our favourite Redhead and Gogglehead couple sat by a tree in the school grounds. Renamon sat on the tree above them, and Guilmon was currently eating three pieces of day-old bread. Renamon smiled at the sight, until he stared choking and a look of concern appeared on her face.
Renamon landed by a surprised Takato and Rika, and whacked Guilmon in the stomach. He coughed up the food.
"Thanks Renamon…" he replied, before quickly returning to his food. Renamon smiled at his lack of care about the fact he could start choking again.
"You know Guilmon; you've been choking a lot lately…" Takato noted.
"Maybe you're getting an allergy…you should stop eating bread…" Rika suggested smiling. Guilmon turned pale and began to choke again, prompting the same action from Renamon. Once Guilmon had recovered, he was slightly sad.
"That wasn't funny…" he told Rika, ears drooping. Rika smiled, and soon Guilmon returned to his bread.
"So, what do you think of the new school Rika?" Takato asked the girl next to him. She thought about it before replying.
"It seems okay, I really don't understand the problem with the teacher, and it's far better than my old school." Rika replied. Takato nodded. "And of course, there is one thing that is really good about this school…" Rika added, looking at Takato.
"That being what?" Takato replied obnoxiously. Rika moved forward and kissed him.
"You of course…"
Takato chuckled. "I thought I was the soppy one…" Rika laughed.
'What the hell?' Kenta thought getting there just in time to see the kiss. Kenta removed his glasses, looking for some explanation.
"What's eating you chumley?" asked Kazu to his best friend.
"Um…" Kenta began to reply, looking back at Takato and Rika, and seeing no evidence of what had just happened. "Nothing, don't worry…"'I must be seeing things…'
Classroom 29
12:34 JST
Rika sat, holding her head with her hand and elbow on the desk, bored as Mrs Asaji taught English to them.
"Now, as you can see, the adverb in 'The dog quickly ran' dictates how the verb, ran, is done. This sentence is also in the past tense." Kazu put his hand up, and Mrs Asaji noticed. She sighed. "Yes Kazu?"
"Yeah, I wanted to ask, why are we learning English? I mean, I already know most of it, and everyone I know is Japanese" he said. "…or at least half-Japanese…" he added, looking towards Henry. Mrs Asaji was about to reply, but Rika interrupted, eyes flashing blue.
"Simple…most of the world speaks English at least as a second language. I have a good grasp of English, and you have an awful grasp of English, so we can bad-talk you right in front of you without you knowing unless you straighten up and learn it, got that?" Harmony asserted. Kazu flinched and nodded reluctantly, having now become used to Rika's alter-ego, Harmony, from her occasional takeovers of Rika. He recalled when they had first discovered Rika and Takato's secret alter-egos' from that year's holiday.
Mrs Asaji looked at Rika confused. "Erm…Mrs Nonaka, how did you do that thing with your voice?"
"Huh?" Rika replied in her normal voice.
"Never mind, I must be hearing things…now, Rika has a point, so I'll continue…" Mrs Asaji replied, dismissing the confusion and continuing with her lesson. Rika nudged Takato and grinned when he looked. Kazu and Kenta noticed this, and Henry and Jeri noticed them noticing it.
'Looks like Kenta and Kazu suspect something…' Henry thought.
'Uh oh, Rika and Takato are in for it now…' Jeri thought simultaneously. Terriermon, sitting on the desk, also noticed, but had different thoughts.
'Hey, this could be fun!' he thought, and he began to consider what he could do with this new knowledge. Henry looked straight at him.
"What's eating you Henry?" Terriermon asked.
"You'd better not be planning anything…" his tamer replied.
"What, me?"
"Just let events take their course, it's for the best, okay?"
Terriermon sighed. "Okay…" he replied reluctantly. Jeri nudged Henry.
"Henry…isn't it going to be difficult for those two here if no-one but us and them know their secret?" Jeri asked him quietly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought!" Terriermon said louder, getting looks from those in the class. When the looks had died down, he continued. "I think we should deliberately make Kazu and Kenta find out…"
"No way, Terriermon, we should just let them find out on their own…" Henry told Terriermon.
"But Hen…"
"Actually, I think Terriermon has a point…" Jeri interrupted. Henry sighed. Terriermon whispered in his ear.
"Psst…Henry…if you do this, I'll try and set you up with Jeri…" he whispered cheerily. Henry turned through several shades of red in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. He pushed Terriermon off of the desk to distract people who were looking.
"Ow…Henry, what did you do that for?" Terriermon complained, rubbing his sore head.
"Can I please get back to teaching?!" Mrs Asaji shouted at the class.
"Go ahead Nami!" Terriermon joked.
"How do you know my first name?!" Nami Asaji complained.
"I have big ears!" Terriermon cheered, lifting his ears up. Nami looked ready to explode in anger, but subdued it and returned to teaching.
"So, what do we do?" Jeri asked Henry. Henry thought about it.
"Maybe we could…get Kazu and Kenta to catch them kissing?" Henry suggested, still reluctant about the idea.
"Yeah, but they never kiss anywhere where it is obvious, and they don't exactly kiss 24/7 like some couples…" Jeri replied. Terriermon frowned; searching for ideas had proved fruitless, until an idea hit him.
"Hey, I have an idea…" he told Henry, whispering it to him and Jeri.
School Grounds
13:43 JST
Henry sat near Takato and Rika underneath the tree, reading a book. Terriermon sat nearby, looking at him nervously, a look which he returned.
"You know Rika; it wasn't such a good idea to change to Harmony during the lesson…" Takato told Rika. Rika shrugged it off.
"Nami didn't suspect anything…" she replied.
"She's going to get really annoyed if everyone starts calling her that…" Henry noted.
"Yeah, but it's her problem…" Rika replied.
13:45 JST
"So Rika wants to challenge me to a game of digimon cards?" Kazu asked, still surprised at Jeri's information.
"Yeah…you've wanted a rematch ever since you got those new cards, why not use them?" Jeri replied.
"I don't know, something seems odd…" Kenta questioned.
"Meh, who cares? If I beat her I become the Digimon Queen…" Kazu cheered. "…I mean King…" he added quickly, noticing the sniggering from Kenta and Guardromon.
13:48 JST
'Okay, Jeri said that she'll get them here at exactly 50 minutes past…so me and Terriermon need to make them kiss…this is going to be impossible!' Terriermon looked at him, similar thoughts clearly going through his mind. Suddenly, a thought dawned on Henry. He stood up and walked away from the tree, Terriermon following. When they had gone out of sight around the front of the school, Terriermon voiced his concerns.
"Henry, why did we just walk away?" he asked irritated.
"I think it might be because we're there that they aren't doing anything…I'm not sure, this whole idea seems awful now…I don't know what we were thinking…"
Terriermon nodded. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and Henry's D-Arc began to bleep.
"A Digimon?" Henry questioned. Terriermon nodded.
"Where is it?" the dog-bunny asked. Henry pointed towards the side of the building, where they had just come from.
"But aren't Rika and Takato there?"
Henry nodded, and they headed round the side of the building to see a dense fog. Kazu and Kenta arrived behind them, and looked on in shock.
They heard Jeri's voice from nearby. "What's going on?" she asked, faking lack of knowledge. However, when she turned the corner, she was surprised that they were not shocked at Rika and Takato kissing, but at a digital field. "Where did that come from?" she asked.
"Where do you think?" Kenta questioned sarcastically.
"Come on Henry, it's fighting time…" Terriermon cheered. Henry nodded, and the group headed into the quickly expanding digital field, Henry pausing only to put his sunglasses on, as did a prepared Jeri. Kazu was annoyed when the fog blurred his vision.
"Hey, that's not fair, you've all got glasses!" he complained, as his vision slowly returned. Kenta sniggered. Kazu began to be able to see through the fog, to see a tree, Takato and Rika sitting near it with their partners, and a materialising small shadow in the fog in the middle of the field. Takato and Rika stood up.
"Renamon/Guilmon!" they called. The Tamers and Digimon stood watching, waiting for the fog to clear enough for them to be able to begin battle.
Suddenly, Rika was knocked off her feet by a blur. "Rika!" Takato called, bending down to help, as the others looked up to see a tiny purple-ball like digimon with a pair of arms and legs and a small yellow electric-bolt like simple on his head. He looked angry, and he raced at Terriermon, knocking him back.
"Ow, Henry, he's fast!" Terriermon complained. Henry pulled out his D-Arc.
"Thundermon, Data Type, Champion Level, attacks are Thunder Volt and Thunder Bomber"
"He's fast too!" Kazu added. "Guardromon!" he called.
"GUARDIAN BARRAGE!" Guardromon yelled, firing missiles at the tiny beast, who easily dodged, and rammed Guardromon to the ground.
"He's too fast, we can't get him!" Kenta complained. Thundermon now set his sights on Jeri, and shot towards her.
"Jeri!" Henry called out.
"FIST OF THE BEAST KING" yelled a new voice, as Leomon punched Thundermon out of the way just in time. Thundermon hit the ground, creating a crater. He stood up again.
"DIAMOND STORM" yelled Renamon, as the shards streaked down towards the pint-sized powerhouse, but Thundermon simply dodged, after which he hit Guilmon, who hit the tree hard. Renamon turned to look, but was flung forward on top of him.
"How can we be having so much trouble with such a small Digimon?" Takato questioned from his position on the ground. Rika seemed to be bruised, but nothing worse. Takato helped her up, and she rested with her arm over his shoulder.
"Henry, this is what I'm made for!" Terriermon cheered. Henry nodded, drawing a card.
"DIGI-MODIFY…Matrix Digivolution Activate!" he yelled, swiping the blue card through his D-Arc.
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION…
Terriermon Digivolve to…Rapidmon
"This is more like it!" Rapidmon cheered, opening his gun barrels. "RAPID…" he yelled. Thundermon turned around and flew towards him. Rapidmon suddenly vanished, and Thundermon was surprised. "Over here pint-sized!" Rapidmon taunted, appearing behind him. "…FIRE!" he finished, firing the missiles at Thundermon, who disintegrated. Rapidmon absorbed the data, and turned back to Henry. "And that is why they call me Rapidmon!" he cheered triumphantly. Henry smiled, then frowned as he looked at Rika.
"Are you okay Rika?" Takato asked her.
"Yeah, but it really hurts…" she said, clutching her side in pain.
Renamon winced, this was far too familiar.
"Look Kitty, this is how all the Digidestined will look soon enough…"
She winced as she recalled the harsh words, and the sight of Kari being struck by Puppetmon's mallet.
Takato held Rika close, and kissed her. She returned the kiss.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kazu called out. He pointed to Takato, and then to Rika, speechless.
"Oh crap…" Rika moaned, realising their mistake.
Kazu turned white, and fainted, followed by Kazu. Rika laughed.
"I guess it's not all bad…" she joked.
"What is going on?" asked a voice. The Tamers (except the still unconscious Kazu and Kenta), looked round in surprise to see Mrs Asaji.
"It was a Digimon, Thundermon…" Henry replied.
"Yes, but…not meaning to pry…but…" Mrs Asaji tried to ask politely.
"Yes, we are in love, yes, this is by no means a new thing, no, I'm not badly injured, any other questions?" Rika put it bluntly. Mrs Asaji decided to avoid prying any further.
"I guess I'll see you all in class after lunch…" she finished, leaving them behind.
"Okay, that was embarrassing!" Rika said, finally being able to talk without fear.
"What do we do when they wake up?" Takato asked.
"Wipe their memories?" Rika suggested. Takato shook his head.
"Not really a smart idea, they'll find out some way somehow…I guess we'll just have to put up with it…" Takato replied. Rika sighed.
"I was hoping this would never happen…"
"Same…Kazu isn't going to take this without joking…"
"They're waking up…" Henry told them, distracting them from their conversation. Rika grinned and grabbed Takato quickly, pulling him into a deep kiss as Kazu and Kenta opened their eyes. They fainted again.
"I can do this all day…" Rika told Takato, pulling out of the kiss. "It definitely makes up for the loss of the secret…"
Takato simply nodded, and looked down at his fainted friends. "So what do we do with them?" Jeri asked.
Henry, Takato and Rika considered their options. Terriermon suddenly jumped up and down.
"I know!" he cheered.
14:07 JST
Kazu awoke gradually, looking around to see where he was, and whether he had been seeing things. Suddenly, he noticed that he was upside down.
"What the hell?" he shouted surprised. He looked down…or rather up…to see he was tied by his foot to the tree. Kenta hung next to him, in the same situation. The other Tamers watched, chuckling.
"Hey Kazu, how's it hanging?" mocked Terriermon.
"This is my revenge for years of annoyance…" Rika told them.
"Help us down!" Kenta panicked.
The bell rang and the Tamers left them to walk to lesson, followed by a smiling MarineAngemon and Guardromon.
"HEY, SOMEBODY HELP US!" Kazu yelled. He sighed as no help came.
"How do we get ourselves into these messes?" asked Kenta.
"I have no idea…but WE NEED HELP!" yelled Kazu again. Someone chuckled behind them and Kazu looked fearful, as he tried to turn his head round. "Who's there?"
"Whoever it is, help us down…"
"Fine…" the female voice said. It was hardened, yet still had a soft femininity to it. Kazu felt the rope move, and he suddenly dropped to the ground. Kenta soon was similarly dropped. After wiping the dust out of their clothes, they stood up and turned around, to see a redhead with hazel eyes, wearing jeans and a red t-shirt with a Digimon symbol on it
"Who are you?" Kazu asked. "You look at lot like Rika…"
The girl reacted oddly to the name Rika. She flinched slightly, before replying. "The name's Rey…and that is all you need to know…" she told them. "Now, if you don't mind, my partner Rejimon and I will be leaving now…" she added, turning to leave. That was when they noticed a small red blob with white ears on her shoulder.
"But who are you?" asked Kenta.
"I would tell you, but you wouldn't believe it…" she replied, sighing and pulling a small device out of her pocket, along with a list. "These numbers aren't helping, did he just guess these at random or something?" she muttered, eying the list. "And this device is so inaccurate, I'm surprised that we've only landed on Earth, Mars doesn't seem like an unlikely destination with the way this works" she added, twisting the dial and pressing buttons. When she finished, she looked at two Tamers. "I'd advise you not to tell anyone about me, although I have a feeling someone already knows…" she said, before pressing the button. She suddenly vanished into thin air with a flash of light.
"What…was that?" Kazu said gobsmacked.
"I have no idea…but we need to get to class…" Kenta told his friend, who nodded.
Classroom 29
15:12 JST
Thanks to Mrs Asaji, and their lateness, neither Kazu nor Kenta had had a chance to talk to the others. Takato and Rika seemed largely quiet, and Rika's injury seemed to have suddenly subsided. Henry and Jeri were also quiet, although all four and partners had chuckled when Kazu and Kenta turned up late and needed to apologise. However, school was soon to end, and they would have a chance to talk to them.
"And so it seems that we have come to the end of our first day…I guess it hasn't been too painful, I've only needed two headache tablets…" Mrs Asaji commented. "Takato…tomorrow, you need to be here on time…" she told Takato, who looked surprised.
"Who, me?"
"Yes…" Mrs Asaji replied. The bell rung. "Don't forget Takato…class dismissed…" she said, as the pupils began to leave. Kazu stood up, and walked over to Takato and Rika's desk.
"Okay, we deserve answers…" Kazu demanded.
"Why should we tell you?" Rika asked.
"Simple…does a girl called Rey sound familiar to any of you?" Kazu asked. Rika blinked.
"No way…have you seen her too?" Rika asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yes, and we'll tell you more if you tell us more…" Kenta replied. Rika thought about it, and nodded.
"Okay, but we'll go to the park first…"
Guilmon's Hideout
16:06 JST
"So, now we're here, do you care to explain about the whole you and Takato thing?" Kazu asked.
"First of all, drop the bluntness; I'm doing this because I want to figure out this whole Rey mystery." Rika replied.
"I still don't know, who the hell is Rey?" asked Takato.
"We'll get to that, but first, we'd like to know…" Kazu questioned.
"First of all, I'd like to know something…" Renamon interrupted.
"That being what?" Kazu asked in reply.
"Why did you invite the rest of the Tamers here as well?" Renamon replied, looking around to see the additions to the group of Ryo, Suzie, Ai and Mako, along with their partners, all of whom seemed confused about why they were there.
"So that the words 'You'll have to keep it a secret' can never occur in this conversation…" Kazu replied.
"Kazu, isn't this a bit mean?" asked Kenta.
"No, of course not, it's simply revenge…" replied Kazu.
"I pity you…" Rika said bluntly. "Okay, where to begin…me and Takato have been together, as a couple, for…let's see…nearly two years now…since we got our Digimon back…"
"What?" came the surprised reaction from those who didn't already know. Takato nodded.
"The reason we didn't tell you is exactly because of what Kazu is doing now…" Takato added. "Look, neither of us wanted to tell everyone…"
"Why should we have to…it's a private matter…?" Rika asked. She then sighed. She then began to smile, and walked towards Kazu. "Now, for your end of the bargain…"
"Okay, fine. Right, what happened is, you tied us up in that tree. We were freed by a girl who looked remarkably like Rika, but at the same time wasn't." Kazu explained.
"Did she have red hair, red Digimon shirt…about 15 or 16 years old?" Rika asked. Kazu nodded.
"Yeah, that's it. She called herself Rey."
"What did she do after she freed you?" Ryo asked.
"She told us her name, and then said that that was all we needed to know. She also told us that her partner is called Rejimon…" Kenta answered.
"Never heard of it…" Rika said to the group.
"Neither have I…" Renamon added. "What level do you think it was?"
"Well, it was a small blob with white ears, so either Baby or In-Training. It didn't speak at all though…so I'd guess at Baby." Kenta replied. Renamon nodded.
"I don't get it, what's so notable about this gal?" asked Impmon. "Surely we could just go looking for her if she's important?"
"No, we can't" Kazu replied. "She has this device…she muttered about it being inaccurate and landing them in places…I didn't really understand, but then she hit a button and vanished, pausing only to advise us not to tell no-one about her, but adding that she suspected someone already knows of her."
"Anything else?" Takato asked.
"Well…it's probably a minor detail…" Kenta said, recalling the event. "…but…when Kazu mentioned that she looked like Rika…she flinched…as if recalling something…it was strange…it's because of that and her suspicion that someone already knew of her that we asked you Rika."
"But…she didn't see me…even if she did, how did she know my name?" Rika questioned.
"When did you see her?" Takato asked.
"In the Digidestined's world. It was when Chaos and Harmony had that argument. Before ending up in that strange world, I went back to my house…although it actually wasn't my house. When I was there…I was looking around the room, and I saw the device with a dial…but I heard someone coming so I hid…she came down the hallway, and into the room, telling my grandmother, or at least her equivalent, that she hadn't found what she was looking for, and she thanked her for letting her use the spare room, which in this world is my bedroom…" Rika said, recalling the sad events of the previous year, when she had seen her dad, and her mother, happy without her.
"Anything particularly stand out? Any small details?" Henry asked.
"Well, on the back of the device. It had two letters, presumably initials…"
"What were they?"
"Well, that's the thing. There are actually three letters. However, one has been rubbed out, and another added, so that the initials change."
"What did they change from and to?"
"Well, they said RS. And now they say RM."
"A change of name? Marriage perhaps?" Ryo suggested.
"Are you for real? She's 15 or 16 years old!" Rika replied irritated.
"Then what is it?" asked a 10 year old Suzie.
"Well…I think the device changed owners. From RS to RM." Henry suggested.
"So which one is Rey? RS or RM?" Terriermon asked.
"I have no idea, but I presume the later…but Rey M or Rey S…what does that tell us?" Henry replied.
"Rey is a common name, she could be from anywhere in Japan…if she's even from this world…" Ryo replied.
"So…what do we do?" Takato asked.
"What can we do Takato?" Rika replied. "I think we just need to keep our eyes open…if anyone sees her…contact us, and try to get as much info as possible…okay?"
The group nodded. "In which case, I need to get home…" Henry told them.
"Yeah, me too…" Jeri added.
"And me…" Ryo said. Gradually, most of the Tamers bid farewell, leaving just Rika and Takato, who sat in the tranquil setting of the park.
"Are you okay Rika?" Takato asked.
"Yeah, the wound's healed up nicely…" Rika replied.
"Not that…I meant…telling everyone and that…"
"Yeah…it didn't go too badly…"
"Good that we got distracted by that whole Rey thing eh?"
Rika nodded. "Yeah…"
"Well, I've got to go help out at the bakery…" Takato said, standing up to leave.
"Okay, see you tomorrow at school…"
"Okay…" Takato replied, as he pulled Rika into a kiss, before leaving.
Rika watched him walk away. 'RM…who could it be?' She thought. Suddenly, a thought dawned on her. 'RM…Matsuki…Rey Matsuki…but…that's impossible…who the hell? If that is her name…then who is she…does Takato have a sister…in another world?'
She brushed her red hair away from her eyes.
'Or…is it something much more sinister…'
THE END
A helluva big mystery there that will take a while to be solved. Regardless, review please.
Next time…
Who is this great enemy? Who is Rey? How is she connected to the Tamers, and Takato specifically?
Find out the answers (to at least some of these questions) in Dimensions Book Three: Evils, coming soon to a near you.
