Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

Chapter 10

By: Rika24

Rika looked over at Takato who was pacing near Azulongmon. She turned to Renamon. "Renamon, we have to keep Takato out of this fight."

"Why Rika?"

"Hello! He doesn't have a digimon anymore, he's useless!" Rika was yelling so much that she hadn't noticed Kenta approaching her.

"Hey Rika…" he started to say.

Rika wheeled around, hiding her surprise. "What!" she shouted in his face.

Kenta cringed, "can you take over?" he asked, holding out a wet shredded cloth that once was Henry's shirt.

Rika sighed and took it. She walked over and started tending to Henry's wounds.

Takato came over. "There's only one way to finish this." He said.

"How?" asked Henry, wincing as Rika put pressure on his bleeding chest.

"Reapermon said Guilmon's virus was activated by altering his data."

"Yeah so."

"Well, what if we alter BlackGuilmon's data."

"How do we do that?" asked Rika as she rinsed blood off the cloth.

"From what I understand a catalyst of some kind must be used," said Henry.

"Yeah, when Guilmon's data was absorbed by the reaper agents I think they altered the data somehow, like their hatred for us tamers."

"Go on."

"Remember when WarGrowlmon digivolved wrong into Megidramon?"

"Yeah."

"It was my negative energy; our partners get their power from our emotions. So hatred altered Guilmon's data."

"So way back then Guilmon's virus data became active." Concluded Rika.

"Uh huh, maybe a powerful force of positive energy can overpower the virus and force it to become dormant again. So, what do you think?"

"It's a good idea Takato." Said Rika. Takato grinned. "But one small problem."

"What?"

"How are you going to do it?" she asked.

"I'll bio-merge with BlackGuilmon."

"What!" Rika and Henry said in unison.

"I know it sounds crazy but hear me out."

"Okay goggle-head, we're listening." Rika said.

"When Guilmon and I Bio-merge, my DNA becomes pure data. I think that my data, being non-virus, can alter the virus data and stop it."

"You're right goggles, it does sound crazy." Rika scoffed.

"She's right Takato." Said Henry.

"I'm doing this with or without you." Takato said angrily, I can't believe my two best friends won't stand by me, he thought.

"If you do the virus might do something to your data, you might not come back the same, or maybe not at all." Rika said as calmly as she could to keep her voice from showing too much emotion.

"And that would make you happy huh Rika." Takato said.

"What?" Rika stepped back in shock.

"I overheard you talking to Renamon about how useless I am."

Rika didn't say anything, she just lowered her head.

"I thought we were best friends."

"We are Takato."

"Friends are there to support each other, not put each other down."

"I… I just, I care about you, that's why, and I don't want you to get yourself killed!" Rika said and she stormed off.

"She means it you know." Said Henry.

"Yeah, sometimes when I'm with Rika I get this feeling you know, I used to feel it around Jeri, but now only Rika."

"You love her," Henry said with a grin.

"Yeah." Takato replied. "Now how do I tell Jeri?"

"Never mind that right now, you have to tell Rika."

"I will."

"Before this crazy plan of yours." Henry said in a no other options-like tone.

"Yeah, yeah." Takato looked in the direction Rika went. "I will."

"Damn it!" Rika shouted as she kicked a small rock that flew into the nearest tree. "I hate Takato!"

"But Rika, you practically admitted it just now." Renamon said, knowing Rika's feelings for Takato long before Rika even knew.

"Well you're wrong," Rika shouted defensively.

"But you said you care about him."

"As a friend got it, as a friend!" she shouted.

"Really?" asked Takato.

The voice made her jump. In all her yelling she hadn't noticed someone behind her. She wheeled around and came face to face with Takato.

"Do you really just think of me as a friend?"

"Yeah." She said softly.

"Oh." Takato said, disappointed. I thought she loved me like I love her. He turned and walked away from Rika.

"Huh?" Takato looked down and saw a digimon card. He picked it up and noticed it was the Shellmon card Rika used earlier.

"Rika is this yours?" he asked as he walked up to her again. "Is this your Shellmon card?"

Rika just stared at it. "Actually Takato, it's yours."

"It is?" Takato asked, confused.

"Remember when we tried to stop Locomon?"

"Oh yeah, I lent you the card to try to cool it off." Takato said.

"I forgot to give it back." She said.

Takato handed it to her. "I don't need it, you can keep it." He turned around and waved good-bye as he started to walk back down the hill to the lake.

"Where are you going?" Rika asked.

"The plan, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Rika replied, looking down at the ground.

"Rika," Renamon whispered.

"What?"

"It's now or never." She couldn't help but smile at the look on her tamer's face.

That's right; Takato has a pretty good chance of dying. She turned and realized that Takato was gone. "I have to tell him how I feel before it's too late!" Rika said as she took off running.

It didn't take long to catch up. "Takato!" she yelled.

Takato turned to her. "What is it?"

"I lied, I'm sorry."

This is it, now or never. She thought.

"About what?" Takato cocked his head.

"You're not just a friend to me." Rika turned red as she spoke. "I love you Takato." As soon as the words came out she wished she hadn't said them after seeing the shock on the goggle-head's face.

He started to smile. "I love you too!" He replied happily

"Really?" she asked

"Yeah, I was coming to tell you how I felt but got nervous so I asked you if you meant what you said." He laughed nervously as put his hand behind his head and blushed.

"Sooo…"Takato started to say, but the ground began to shake, giving away under Takato. But with her quick reflexes Rika caught him in time.

Renamon ran up to the two tamers. "Rika hurry!" she said.

Rika nodded as she held out her blue D-Power.

"Renamon digivolve to… Kyubimon!"

Rika leapt onto the large nine-tailed yellow fox's back. "Come on." She said to Takato. He got on too and Kyubimon took off.

"What's going on?" Rika asked Kyubimon.

"Reapermon's agents are trying to destroy the sovereign layers. I'm guessing it's so he can start his own." Kyubimon answered her.

"Figures, Reapermon ruins our moment." Said Takato.

"Yeah but the sooner we kill him the sooner we can have another." She let a little smile appear but it changed to her game face as they entered the battlefield

"Geeze, where are they? I'm hoping they know each other's feelings now but we have a job to do." Henry said, his wound had stopped bleeding enough to wrap it.

"We're back." Rika announced as Kyubimon jumped over the large stone Henry and the others huddled behind.

"You guys made it!" Kenta exclaimed.

"Well duh, nothing will keep me from a good fight!" she said. Rika looked around the corner to see if Reapermon was around. "So where's the grime reaper?"

"He disappeared, but his minions have since been trying to destroy everything," said Henry.

"So far we're off their hit list" Kazu said relieved.

"That just means Reapermon wants us for himself." Rika replied.

"While you two were gone Azulongmon told us that our power could be increased to fight Reapermon."

"How?" Takato and Rika asked together.

"Remember that lantern?" Henry asked.

"Yeah." Takato replied, remembering the lantern in the tunnel.

"It strengthens our connection to our partners and doubles their strength. Problem is we need everyone for this." Henry said, thinking about what happened to Mako.

"No problem, Ryo is on his way here." Kazu said happily.

Rika clenched her fists at the mention of his name.

"But Mako was…" Suzie trailed off.

"Yeah but maybe since Impmon had two tamers Ai would maybe is enough." Kenta said.

"Okay, one of us can go home to get her, you know, with the portal Azulongmon made for us in order to get the lantern." Said Kazu.

"Ai is sick though." Henry said, concerned.

"She'll be fine, once she's here and Ryo, all we have to do is win and go home." Kazu said, over confidant as always. "And since Kenta and I can't fight we'll go, right Kenta?" he said, turning to Kenta. He nodded.

"Hurry then." Henry commanded.

"Kyubimon, lets cover'em." Rika said.

"Right." The fox replied. Together they took off for the portal.

Good luck. Takato thought.

"Let's go guys," Rika said as she grabbed both guys and pulled them onto Kyubimon as she kept running.

"Where is the portal?" she asked.

"Over there." Kazu pointed to a cliff.

Rika gasped. "Are you nuts, that's a cliff!" she yelled angrily.

"No, it's like a mirage, so the Reaper agents can't go to the real world."

Rika narrowed her eyes as they approached the cliff. "You two clown better be right about this."

They braced themselves as Kyubimon went over. The portal sucked them in and they appeared in the park.

"Alright!" Kenta exclaimed.

"See, I told you, I'm always right!" Kazu bragged. Rika whacked him upside the head.

"Hey!" Kazu shouted, rubbing his head.

"Don't go getting a big head; we don't need the extra weight." She turned to Kenta.

"Kenta, get the lantern."

"Right." He replied.

"Kazu, you stay here, I'll get Ai."

Kazu folded his arms. "Fine." He said.

Kyubimon de-digivolved and together her and Rika headed for Ai's house.

"I hope the others are holding up." Kazu said.

"Come on!" Takato yelled "They're to close now!"

"How about that cave?" asked Suzie, pointing to a small cave surrounded by trees.

"Okay, it'll have to do for now." Takato answered as they headed for it.

Rika didn't bother knocking, she just threw open the door and ran in. "Ai!"

"Excuse me miss but you can't…" Ai's grandma started to say but Rika interrupted.

"I'm sorry but I need to see Ai, it's important!"

"But Ai's sick."

Rika ignored her; she scanned the room and found a door, she remembered being in that room before. "There!" she exclaimed and ran to it.

"Ai, we have to go!" Ai jumped at Rika's sudden appearance.

"Rika what's wrong?"

"The digital world's in danger, let's go!" she said as she grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed. Renamon picked them up and went out the window before Ai's grandma could stop them.

"What's so special about that lantern?" asked Takato.

"Azulongmon said that when Calumon released the light of digivolution it couldn't go back inside him, so the sovereign stored the power in the lantern." Henry answered.

"Hey you guys are you ready?" Rika yelled as she, Renamon and Ai got back to the shed. "Hello!" She shouted, no one answered. "Grrrrr, where are they?" she said, getting angry.

"Don't worry Rika they're here somewhere." Renamon said, trying to calm her anger prone partner down.

"Oh trust me I'm not the one who should be worrying Renamon." Rika said in a stern voice. "Just wait till I find them." She said under her breath.

"Hey guess whose back."

Takato and the others turned to see Ryo and Cyberdramon flying into the cave.

Ryo looked disappointed. "Well settle down we have work to do." Ryo said sarcastically when the others didn't greet him.

"Sorry Ryo but we have to be serious right now." Henry said. Ryo stared at his wound that had started bleeding again.

"What happened to you?"

"Forget about it right now." Henry said angrily, ignoring the pain.

"Well okay." Ryo looked around, realizing some missing tamers. "Where are Rika and Renamon?"

"Rika and Renamon are with Kazu and Kenta; they're getting Ai from the real world." Suzie answered.

"I can't wait to see my wildcat," Ryo said happily. Takato gave him a dirty look. "What? Come on, did you guys forget our little moment were she and I confessed our feelings to each other?"

"That never happened." Henry said. He turned and looked at Takato, wondering why he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, remember when we were fighting the D-Reaper, Rika and Renamon gave Cyberdramon and I they're powers."

"It was just a moment of weakness." Terriermon said.

"She cares, even though she hides it. And when I say she cares I mean she cares about ALL of us, not just you Ryo." Takato said. He looked at his D-Power. When should I try my plan?

Rika started to pace, "Where are they?"

Renamon heard a sound coming their way and turned. "There's Kenta."

Rika turned and ran toward him, she balled her fists. "How dare you keep me waiting here!" Rika said through her teeth.

"Aaahhhh!" Kenta shrieked as he fell to the ground and put his hands over his head like he was expecting a tornado to hit. Right before Rika could hit him though Renamon stopped her.

"Hey let go I gotta teach this four-eyes a lesson!" Rika yelled, squirming.

"We don't have time for this, save your anger for the fight with Reapermon." Rika sighed.

"Fine." With that Renamon released her. Kenta sighed, relieved.

"But don't think you're safe, just because this fight is more important doesn't mean I won't hurt you!" Rika shouted at Kenta, he cowered. Renamon sighed.

"You'll never change." She said as she gave up on holding Rika back. "Where's Kazu?" she asked.

"Answer!" Rika shouted, raising her fist."

"I don't know, he said he was going home to get some stuff, he was gone for a while so I went to his house to see what was taking so long." He took a deep breath and continued. "When I got there he had already left."

The other tamers watched as the reaper agents destroyed more and more things.

Then one of the agents suddenly turned on BlackGuilmon.

I thought they were on the same side? Takato thought. He looked at the others; they didn't even seem to care. "Hey, we have to help him." Takato said.

"What for? I mean he attacked us remember Takato." Terriermon said. Takato started to get mad.

"But he's still Guilmon, my partner and your friend!" he shouted. Terriermon lowered his head, knowing Takato was right.

"So what." Ryo said. Takato turned to him.

"What did you say?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Who really cares who he used to be, he's obviously not Guilmon anymore, I say just let him die."

"Shut up!" Takato yelled. He was about to yell again when out of the corner of his eye he saw BlackGuilmon fall.

"I can't wait any longer!" he said as he rushed toward his former partner. Henry tried to stop him.

"Takato wait!" he yelled. But he felt a sharp pain in his chest and collapsed. Terriermon and Suzie rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" Terriermon asked.

"Never mind me, stop Takato." Henry said. But it was too late; Takato got to BlackGuilmon and covered him, shielding him from the agent's attack with his own body.

"Finally, where have you been?" Rika yelled at Kazu.

"I went to my place to get the first aid kit for Henry." He said. Rika let it go.

"Well if we don't get moving now there might not be anyone you can help with it." She said as she turned to Kenta. "Where's the lantern?"

"Still in the tunnel." He answered.

"Then lets go." Rika said.

"Renamon digivolve to… Kyubimon!" The fox shouted.

We're on our way Takato. Rika thought as they jumped back through the portal.

"Takato!" everyone shouted. Takato was hit by the agent's attack, knocking him off the black and red raptor.

BlackGuilmon opened his eyes and saw Takato lying unconscious next to him. Something sparked in the digimon, giving him more power. He got up despite his injuries.

"Pyro Grenade!" he shouted, releasing a green ball of energy that destroyed the agent.

Takato regained consciousness just in time to see him and BlackGuilmon surrounded by reaper agents. One of the agents on the right side of Takato approached.

"Pyro Grenade!" BlackGuilmon shouted.

Wait a sec, is he protecting me? Takato looked over to his friends. All we're going to do is bring Reapermon to us sooner, with Henry injured and Rika gone there isn't anyone to protect the others. He looked back to BlackGuilmon. "Huh?" he saw on the ground in front of him his D-Power, he grabbed it. What am I thinking, we can't give up yet, I'm still here. It's time to act now.

"Stop BlackGuilmon." Takato said as he tried to stand. BlackGuilmon looked at him. "We can't win like this, but we can if you trust me." BlackGuilmon nodded.

"You saved me, I owe you my life, friend. Of course I trust you."

"Then let's do this!" Takato shouted. "Bio-merge activate!"

"BlackGuilmon bio-merge to… ChaosGallantmon!"

"Hey we're…" Rika started to say but she trailed off as she saw the mega.

"Holy," Kazu said.

"Wow." was all Kenta and Ai could say.

Not far from them was a mega that looked exactly like Gallant except he was black instead of grey and where Gallantmon was red, ChaosGallantmon was blue.

"Well I guess Takato's plan worked," Henry said as he got back up.

Rika let out a sigh of relief. It worked, and he's okay.

"Now all he has to do is deactivate the virus data." Henry said.

Rika looked over at Henry like it was the first time she had heard that part of the plan. She looked up at ChaosGallantmon. I forgot about that, the hard part has only just begun.

With one hit the agents exploded into data. This isn't so bad, but then a jolt of electricity shot through his body.

"Wha!" Takato said in surprise. Another jolt of electricity shot through him, but this time it didn't go away. The power of it increased fast. "Ahah!" Takato screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Takato!" Rika yelled as she and the others could only watch helplessly as navy blue bolts of light encircled ChaosGallantmon. He jerked back and forth as the electricity went through him.

The blue lights disappeared and ChaosGallantmon fell to the ground.

Reapermon appeared between his few remaining agents. "What a fool," Reapermon said. "I took precautions in case BlackGuilmon went to your side."

Rika balled her fists. "You bastard! What did you do!" she demanded through clenched teeth.

"Let them go now!" yelled Henry, fighting the urge to collapse.

"When I had Guilmon's data altered I added a virus of my own. It sends electric pulses through the body, destroying bits of data with each shock."

"I can't just stand here and watch, Renamon let's go!" Rika yelled as she held out her D-Power, "Bio-merge activate!" she shouted as she brought the blue digivice to her chest.

"Renamon bio-merge to…" Renamon said as she and Rika were covered in a royal blue light. "Sakuyamon!" the mega shouted.

Henry looked over at Terriermon. I don't know what would happen if Terriermon and I bio-merge, but if Sakuyamon can't handle it, I'll have to.

"Bio-merge activate!" Henry wheeled around just in time to see Ryo and Cyberdramon disappear in a dark blue light.

"Cyberdramon bio-merge to… Justimon!" Justimon hurried forward to help Sakuyamon.

"Get up!" Sakuyamon demanded.

"How many times must I tell you, he is under my control?" Reapermon said. He raised his scythe-shaped arm and a blue light went into ChaosGallantmon. He shot forward and caught Sakuyamon by surprise. He pinned her to the ground and raised his lance.

"Takato stop!" Henry shouted.

"Thunder clap!" Justimon shouted, but it had no effect on ChaosGallantmon.

Sakuyamon tried to reach her staff but couldn't.

"Takato, please," Rika said, trying to get free.

"What are you waiting for, kill her!" Reapermon demanded.

"I-I can't," Takato stammered, trying to fight the virus' control. "And I won't!" he shouted as he released Sakuyamon.

"Alright!" Kazu shouted happily.

Reapermon charged at ChaosGallantmon.

"I can't move!" Takato shouted as he tried to get out of the way. The virus had taken control over him again.

Sakuyamon pushed him out of the way.

"Sa…" ChaosGallantmon started to say but stopped. Sakuyamon was trying to hold back Reapermon but her power was weakening.

"Get out of the way!" Takato shouted.

"I can't," Rika said as she tried to hold back the attack. "If we move now the attack will hit us."

"Hi," said a happy voice. Henry turned to see Calumon. "Uh oh," the little white Digimon said as he looked at Sakuyamon struggling against Reapermon.

"Now, use the digivices!" Azulongmon said from high above them, he had been looking for Calumon to help activate the power.

Henry and Suzie raised their digivices; Justimon disappeared and in his place appeared Cyberdramon and Ryo, who held his D-Power up.

Oh great, what the heck am I supposed to do, we can't change back now. Rika thought.

"Rika I can't old it anymore!" said Renamon.

Reapermon's attack consumed Sakuyamon.

"Rika!" Takato shouted, but he still couldn't move.

As the dust cleared Rika was on the ground with Renamon unconscious by her side. Renamon had made sure that she got most of the impact before they changed back.

Rika tried to stand; she caught sight of Calumon channeling the light of the digivices through himself and the lantern. The red upside down triangle started flashing red and white.

She raised her D-Power above her head.

"But what about Takato?" asked Kenta.

"Yeah, as long as he's in ChaosGallantmon he can't use his D-Power." Said Kazu in a worried voice.

Calumon opened his eyes and looked over at ChaosGallantmon. As the final beam of light from Rika's D-Power went through the lantern it digitized, allowing Calumon to absorb it into his body. The red triangle on his head turned white as the three black triangles surrounding it turned blue. I have to do this for Guilmon and the others. Calumon thought. "Crystal Matrix Beam!" Calumon shouted. The red triangle turned white as a large beam shot out of it. The light split into three beams; red, blue, and green. The blue light enveloped Rika and Renamon.

"What's going on?" Renamon asked.

"I don't know, but I like it!" Rika said with a smile. Her D-Power absorbed the blue light and digitized into a glowing blue orb.

The same happened to Henry's D-Power which turned into a green orb.

The red light encircled ChaosGallantmon. "I feel different now." Takato said.

"Same here," said BlackGuilmon.

"Shining bio-merge activate!" shouted Rika, Henry, and Takato in unison.

"Renamon shining bio-merge to… SapphireSakuyamon!" SapphireSakuyamon appeared; she emitted a blue light from her royal blue wings and sapphire and black body.

"Terriermon shining bio-merge to… EmeraldGargomon!" EmeraldGargomon appeared in Henry and Terriermon's place. His body glowed with a bright green light.

"I can feel it, the light, it's so warm." Takato said.

"I can feel the lost data returning to us," said BlackGuilmon.

ChaosGallantmon was engulfed in a white light, when it disappeared CrimsonGallantmon stood, shining radiantly.

"It worked!" shouted Takato.

"What's going on!" demanded Reapermon.

"Tri-Radiance!" CrimsonGallantmon, SapphireSakuyamon, and EmeraldGargomon shouted together. The three lights combined to form a white light and encircled Reapermon. Then consumed him whole. When the light faded he was gone, all that was left were little particles of data. And without him, his agents exploded into data.

"Now that was awesome!" exclaimed Rika as she and Renamon reappeared.

"Much better than any video game." Said Terriermon.

"You can say that again," Henry said jokingly.

"OK, much…" Terriermon started to repeat when Henry covered his mouth.

"It's a figure of speech!" he exclaimed.

Terriermon pulled Henry's hand down and said, "momentai!" as he giggled.

"For once I agree with that!" Henry smiled.

"I second that." Rika said.

"Guilmon you're back!" Takato exclaimed as he hugged his red Digimon partner as tears ran down his cheeks.

Rika ran over to Takato, expecting a hug Takato opened his arms, but instead got a solid right hook that sent him to the ground.

"Don't ever do anything so stupid ever again!" she yelled.

"Calumon!" cried Suzie, drawing everyone's attention. She held the little white Digimon in her arms.

"The markings on his forehead are flashing." Said Henry in a worried voice.

"Yeah, and what happened to the red triangle, it's gone." Said Terriermon.

"There was something I hadn't told you. Even though the light of digivolution doesn't exist in Calumon anymore, Calumon was still needed to release the power from the lantern so you could use it effectively." Said Azulongmon.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Rika. "Why is his center triangle gone, and why are the three small black ones flashing red?"

"To successfully channel the energy, Calumon had to release his life's energy." Explained Azulongmon.

"You mean that red thing was his life's energy!" exclaimed Kazu.

"Yes," Azulongmon answered. "The small black ones are the parts that sustain his body."

"Why are they flashing?" asked Takato.

"Because his life is fading away." Azulongmon said in a low, sad tone.

"You mean he's going to…" Suzie trailed off.

"Yes, he gave his life to you so you could reach the final level of digivolution."

"No he can't die!" cried Takato.

"I'll give up my ability to digivolve if that'll help him live." Said Guilmon.

"It's ok guys." Sad Calumon weakly. "Ever since I became a Digimon, everyone had tried to hurt me. But then I met you guys and I could finally be happy. I'm proud to have had you as my friends. Friends who made me laugh, and introduced me to cream puffs."

Everyone smiled at that, remembering how much the little guy loved to stuff himself with the tasty treat.

"You always protected me, and I wanted to return your kindness, your friendship, by protecting you the only way I could." Calumon took one last look at his friends, remembering all the things they had all been through, and he smiled. "Good-bye my friends." With that he closed his eyes, the flashing triangles disappeared, and his body slowly turned to data.

"Calumon!" Guilmon shouted as tears flooded down his red cheeks. Takato hugged his pal and closed his eyes as tears ran down his face too.

Even Rika couldn't help but cry, thinking about how annoying he was when she had first met him, but she too had grown to love the little guy.

Takato looked over at her, noticing her tears. "Rika," he said softly as he hugged her. They looked at each other for a moment; the voices seemed to fade away. They closed their eyes as their lips met.

But their kiss ended thanks to Kazu's obnoxious voice. "Get a room!"

"How about I send you to the emergency room!" Rika yelled at the top of her lungs.

Kazu let out a high pitched scream and ran.

As everyone else was watching and laughing at Kazu as he ran for his life, Takato looked up at the bright blue digital sky. Thank you Calumon, I'm happy to have met you too, my friend.

sniff Well I hope that was enough Rukato for you guys. And now you know what that lantern was for. I'm sure in the beginning you were like; "what the hell is that lantern there for?" To be honest, I didn't know what to do with the lantern at first. It just kinda appeared in the story. I just thought up a reason shortly after I posted that chapter the lantern had mad its first appearance. Thanks for reading this and sorry those of you who like Calumon, I thought the little guy needed something to do to help the others. So good-bye and enjoy the new 5th series of Digimon. (I airs in Japan this April!)