Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.
Rika gaped at her father, unable to say or do anything, as he stood not far from her. Not only had Takato come back, now her father was as well. She nearly fainted as he drew up closer to her. The older man scratched the back of her head.
"Uh…Rika? Aren't you going to say anything to you're dad?" he asked tentavily.
Takato sighed and closed his eyes, mentally counting down. 3…2…1…
Rika after seeing her dad abruptly turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could out of the park. Passing the others in an instant, they called out for her to stop. Ryo and Renamon both went after her, Monodramon staying behind. Steven sighed as he watched her disappear, turning to Takato.
"I guess our explanation will have to be finished later…" he said sheepishly.
"You think?" Takato replied sarcastically, lifting up off the ground and heading up into the sky. "Whatever, I'll let you guys know later on after I go and have a word with our favorite Ice Queen," he said frustrated, shooting off toward her direction. Yamaki and the others watched him disappear before turning back toward Steven, as he looked at them.
"Why don't we go back to Rika's…I think it would be best if we talked there," he said a bit depressed. Janyu walked up to Steven and put a hand on his shoulder. "Cheer up…she'll come around. I had a problem of trust with my son Henry, but eventually we got past it. My guess is that Rika just needs time," he reassured. The younger man sighed at this. "Were it so easy…" he said sadly, following the others out of the park.
I made a mistake Rika…please give me one more chance.
Rika ran as fast as she could from the scene, heading who knew where. She crossed streets and continued her way, not knowing or caring where it took her.
Why…why is this happening! I can't believe this…after everything that happened…and after I just got my life back to a feeling of security and relief knowing that nobody would hurt me like that, he comes back, HE of ALL PEOPLE!
After a few more minutes, she stopped and screamed as loud as she could toward the sky. "DAMNIT!"
She fell to her knees, breathing hard from running and her last cry to whatever higher entity was watching. One was watching her, though not in the respect that you might think of. Takato had easily caught up to her, his speed enhanced in his 2nd form. He hovered amid the branches of a tall tree, watching her intently. He sensed two others approaching, noting them to be Renamon and Ryo. Sighing he slowly landed close-by, slowly walking up to her. Ever since leaving, his people skills had dropped somewhat, but for her at least he was going to put in a few words. As he drew closer, she spoke to Takato.
"Stay away from me…I don't want you anywhere near me…after what you said to me…" she spoke darkly. He wasn't fazed as he walked over to a nearby swing.
"I can somewhat register why you'd run away from him…then again, after he came back just to see you and your mother, I can't imagine why you'd run that fast," Takato remarked in his new emotionless tone.
Rika looked at him with eyes filled with sadness, ready to tear up at any moment. "How would you feel if you thought that you had gotten over someone and they ended up coming back to you?" she spat at him, widening her eyes as he rushed forward and glared down at her.
"You're walking on thin ice, Rika," he growled at her. Seeing the look on her face, Takato blinked and brought a hand to his face, wiping it in frustration.
"Gah…look, I know you're feeling bad about everything that happened in the past, what he did to you and your mom, how you must have felt…" Takato started, but Rika grabbed him by the collar.
"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW HOW I'M FEELING! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE-" she screamed in his face, suddenly stopping as she let him go. "God…Takato I'm sorry…I forgot about…" Rika said quietly. Takato looked at her, then away, off into the distance. "He's not completely gone…Guilmon will always be with me," he said to her softly.
Nearby, Renamon and Ryo caught up to them. Ryo was about to go out to Rika, but Renamon stopped him. Looking at her quizzically, she shook her head. "Let them be Ryo, both of them need to set their problems straight. They both need to reaffirm the friendship they had so long ago.
If Renamon only knew how her idea would in one way or another backfire.
Rika drew up a bit closer to the young warrior, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Takato…I'm sorry…about everything that happened. I'm just…upset…first I lose my dad, and then you…you were one of the first friends I ever really made. Then the two of you come back, completely out of the blue. You don't think a girl wouldn't be upset?" she stated. He sighed while looking at her, then back towards the setting sun. "I know…it's just…I don't know. After everything that happened, seeing you and Ryo together like that, it just really upset me," he said in a voice not unlike his old one, one that made Rika's eyebrow cock curiously.
"Wait a minute, what do you mean 'seeing me and Ryo together'?" she asked quietly. Takato looked at her blankly, hesitating for a minute before bowing his head, his eyes covered by the long, spiky lochs of hair he had now. "I saw you two…the evening of the party. It hurt so much inside when you two got together just minutes after I was going to tell you…" Takato said to her in a depressed tone. "I was so upset about it, that afterward I let my guard down, not caring if rogue digimon killed me or not, not bothering to defend innocents from the bio-emergences. You getting angry with me over that, combined with what happened AND on top of all that everyone else's anger directed at me…just caused me to finally cut loose. Then I lost Guilmon…I just don't know…" he said to Rika, her listening very little as she was still stuck on that one phrase.
"…what was it…" she asked. Takato looked at her, then off to the side before turning completely around on her. He walked a few steps, Rika waiting for a reply. What he said was more like a bomb had just gone off. But even that would have been drowned out by his words.
"I wanted to tell you…that I loved you Rika."
She nearly gasped at his words, her eyes widening as she felt her chest tighten, her hands clutching it tightly. Rika tried to keep her balance, simply staring at him in dumbfounded shock. He loved her? How was that even possible? How could the goofy goggle-headed boy she had met so long ago as a complete novice, love someone like her? Someone that had hurt him or ridiculed him on a regular basis, she was completely blown away by his statement. The young girl tried to reply, but Takato blasted off, taking off into the skies at high speeds, having powered up while staying in his 2nd form the entire time. After he left, she lost her ability to stay standing and fell back on her hind side, Ryo running up to her.
"Rika! Are you ok? What happened?" he asked in a concerned manner. Rika simply didn't reply, staring after Takato's disappearing form in numbed shock as a million and a half thoughts ran through her head at light speed. Her hand reached up to slowly rub her fingers against the lens of the goggles that had been hanging around her neck the entire time. It was a memento that Takato had left behind as well as a note to her, stating he would be gone for some time.
He…loved me? What does it mean? If he loved me…does he still love me? And more importantly…do I?
Miles away, a similar meeting went that way for Steven, but instead of just her running away, Rumiko had slapped him hard across the face, getting at scream to his face as well before she stormed off and hid herself in her room. Rumiko had also screamed at Yamaki, after finding out he had kept secret that he had been in contact with Steven and Takato the entire time. Seiko followed after Rumiko, Riley joining the two older women as well. Steven sighed as Yamaki stepped forward, flicking his lighter.
"Did you think it would be easy coming back, old friend?" he asked. Steven glared at him, growling. "Of course not. We both knew what was going to happen…just thought maybe I would get lucky…" he pouted.
Yamaki shrugged at this. "Well, you can't win them all. And in your case, your wins are stacked against your losses 10 to 1. Right now, I'm guessing your only good out of all this is that you have the hope of making them see you again and restart your relationship with your wife and daughter."
Steven looked at him once more. "That, and Takato. The boy's come along way since he first started his training." Both him and Yamaki walked toward the kitchen, the others walking into one of the main rooms to relax with their Digimon.
"That so? What's it like to have Digimon powers?" the blonde asked while pulling out some pans for making dinner. Since they were there, the two old friends might as well make up to Rumiko. Steven shrugged while replying, helping to make dinner. "Well, for the most part you don't feel any different, until you use some of the abilities, such as flight or attacks. Then it's almost like you're an entirely different person, though when I do it, mine is far different from Takato's. My powers source and Takato's source are very different. I got mine through a freak accident, and it gave me the unique ability to copy and use up to four different Digimon's powers and abilities, for as long as I wish. Takato's powers came from the fusion of his and his Digimon's data. The name for him now is not that of a human, but of an Ascendant."
Yamaki looked at him oddly. "Ascendant? You mean like he can transform?" Steven nodded. "Sort of. But his abilities and power increase so much so that it's inhuman for him to have said abilities. In his basic form, he can use the most basic abilities, enhanced sense and reflexes, combat skills, and energy sensing. His first form, contrary to what he says, is known as the Super Ascendant. His hair and eye color change, like you saw before, and he can use various attacks. Inside us all, there is a vast reservoir of latent energy, both good and bad. There are some, however like Digimon and Takato that know how to draw that energy out and use it for attacks. Takato can show you his two main attacks for each form later if you'd like." At this Yamaki stopped him. "What about his other form, the one we saw when him and Beelzemon fought?"
Steven sighed at this. "That was his 2nd form, or Hyper Ascendant stage. His abilities increase to their overall maximum, strength, speed, agility, reflexes, power, everything. He still has yet to achieve the higher forms, so his training isn't complete. Though with him, he always enjoys a good fight to get stronger, so I doubt he'll ever really grow tired of fighting."
Yamaki continued to help make dinner with his friend. "Do all humans have the chance to become Ascendants?"
Steven shook his head. "No, only a select number can. You have to be born an Ascendant and even then you won't know until the time comes that you truly are an Ascendant. Were still trying to figure out how to achieve his next level, since we'll more than likely need it at some point in the future."
"Well, whatever happens, let's hope that we don't have to face something that requires Takato to use something as powerful as what you're talking about," Yamaki said while turning around to wash some vegetables in the sink.
Steven sighed while looking out at the sky, watching a fast-moving blur fly by high overhead.
That makes two of us Yamaki…
After about an hour, Yamaki and Steven had finished dinner just as Rika, Ryo and Renamon walked in, looking solemn. Steven noted his daughter's expression, realizing something had happened besides his confronting her. He decided to talk about it with her later. Rumiko, Seiko and Riley emerged from the bedroom, the second-oldest woman looking at Steven, before looking away, him sighing as he realized it was going to be quite some time before he got things the way he would like them to be between the three of them.
Miles away, Takato was standing atop one of the two old Hypnos Towers, looking out at the city as it glowed in the darkness with the late night lights. He scanned the entire city, his sight settling on the distant Nonaka House, noting that there were far fewer people there now than there had been. Takato wanted nothing more than to go to Rika and ask her how she felt, but he shook his head, noting it would be foolish to do so. She was with Ryo, the one that came and comforted her after he backed off when he should have pushed forward, they both loved each other. To break them up over him would be a stupid move on his part.
Takato turned as two figures materialized behind him, both looking seriously at him.
"Renamon, Ryo. What is it that I can do for you?"
Rika's partner and lover are now confronting Takato, something he wasn't anticipating. But exactly what is it that they could want with him? Do they know about Takato's confession? Will the Nonaka family ever be whole again? And does Rika have feelings for Takato?
Next Time: Isolation by Choice
