The Cave of Wonders

Chapter 10

By: Fortress Maximus

Authors Notes:

Well, here it is everyone. Almost 30 pages. My thanks go out to everyone who's been so very patient waiting for this chapter, and I truly hope it doesn't disappoint.

As I mentioned last chapter, this ISN'T one for the kids. It's an emotional roller-coaster and there is intimate (but not overly graphic) contact between fictional characters (AKA Rika and Takato). I have tried to treat the characters with dignity and I hope it shows.

If there is a demand for it, I might do a more intimate look at their time together and post it at as there are some nuances that needed to be told but couldn't here due to the ratings available. Please let me know if you would like to see this or not.

Again, my thanks to the following pre-readers: Lord Archive and Don Redmond for some great grammar and structure points I would have missed,. thanks to Chris McFeely of the Digimon Encyclopedia for being the fountain of knowledge he is and last but NOT least by a long shot is a big thanks to Optimal Megatron of the Transfandom Boards for some much needed praise and proofreading along the way.

That's it I guess. Thanks for reading and for being patient. Please read and review if you would; this chapter was a labor of love for me and I'd like to hear what you think.

FM

The Cave of Wonders Chapter 10

"Darn it Rika, what the heck are you doing?" screamed Takato as he threw himself over her as the storm raged around them. The lighting-filled data tornado roared like a freight train as it passed near the dubious safety of their rock outcropping. Ignoring Rika's attempts to pull away, Takato clutched her closer until the danger had passed, the swirling funnel suddenly shifting track to the west and away from their makeshift cover.

As soon as the billowing sand settled, Rika elbowed Takato in the gut and forced him away. Gasping for breath, Takato watched as she turned and fixed him with a stare that would given proof to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

"Okay, that's it!" yelled the Tamer as she balled her fists, a clear attempt to control her rising anger. "What the /hell/ are you trying to do Takato, save me or get a cheap feel! I told you I /don't/ need or want your help!"

"So that's why you decided to leave the cave in the middle of an electrical storm to look for Renamon?"

"It's been two /days/ since we got our butts dropped in the middle of nowhere Takato, and in case you forgot our Digimon are somewhere out there by themselves!" Rika snarled, pointing out into the vast wastelands of the surrounding desert. "We /have/ to find her!"

Takato bit his tongue, trying to focus his own growing anger elsewhere and not at the worried girl before him. The last 48 hours had not been easy ones; the tension between the two that had simmered under the surface now seemed ready to explode. He had tried to keep his feelings in check despite Rika's near-constant glacial looks, but now after seeing the level of foolishness she was willing to risk he could no longer keep silent.

"Rika..." he said, trying to keep a calm tone..."...this is Renamon's home. She knows how to live here and I know with Guilmon's help she'll be okay. But our first priority should be staying safe and not getting ourselves hurt."

"You can hide in that cave all you want Takato, but I'm not..."

"Darn it Rika! Renamon will be okay! Besides, do you think she wants you to risk yourself trying to find her? Her first priority would want you to be safe, THEN look for her when you can."

The woman opened her mouth to yell back a reply, but closed it just as quickly as she knew he was right. Still...

"Fine. But don't ever grab me like that again! I was fine on my own!"

Takato couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And in case you missed it Rika, there was a massive tornado that just about crawled up our bu...!"

"Damm it Takato, what is /wrong/ with you?" she yelled as her voice echoed over the dunes, her control finally shattered. "Ever since Jeri's birthday party, you've been Captain Rescue! I don't know what's wrong with you, but I /don't/ need your protection! I'm not some weak little girl like..."

Dead silence filled the air as Takato's gaze turned from exasperated to shocked in a second. Eyes narrowing, he fixed Rika a venomous look that matched her own minutes earlier.

"Weak as /who/ Rika...?"

Takato's tone told her right away she went too far; a boundary she knew to never cross was just blown off the map. Exhaling deeply, Rika gave him an apologetic look. "It's not... important Takato..." she said, trying to defuse the situation. But as she turned away to gather her thoughts, his hand grasped her arm in a tight hold. Glaring back, her remark froze in her throat as she noticed the look of anger in the boy's eyes.

"Yes, it is..." he whispered in a tight rasp, one Rika had never heard him use before now. "Who?"

Unable to meet his gaze, Rika looked away. "You know who I was going to say Takato, just as well as I do."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"/Why/ would you say that?" he hissed in quiet anger, the grasp around her arm still firmly in place. "You /know/ what she went through, just like the rest of us! How can you stand there and say Jeri's weak after the strength it took to get better from tha..."

"Because I wanted to hurt you, that's why!" Rika screamed back, saying the truth before she even realized it. "Because if I hurt you enough you will leave...me...alone!"

"What, trying to use my own mother against me wasn't enough? Now you gotta try and use the girl I used to love against me too!" he countered, ignoring the look of shock at something in Rika's eyes. "Oh, I caught that too! I mean, using my mom's worry to try and get me to stay home! What...do you hate me that much now for trying to keep you safe?"

Used to love...but...but...

Rika's mind froze in place at that series of words as she tried to understand what they could possibly mean. It was only after a few seconds could she refocus on the world around her. She jerked herself free from Takato's grasp, absently rubbed the spot on her arm as her anger boiled over once more.

"I never asked you to keep me safe Takato! Never /once/ asked you to risk your life for me!"

"That's what friends /do/ Rika! They help each other! Or are we not friends anymore?" he countered, ignoring the look of shock on her face.

"That's not fair..."

"Neither was that stunt you pulled with my Mom." he countered.

Another stretch of silence filled the air between them, the hot desert air picking up once more. Each teen tried to rein in their tempers before the friendship they shared -however tentatively at this point-was shattered permanently.

"Takato..." began Rika, her tone softening somewhat as she tried her best to keep her voice level. "I know you mean well, but I don't...I mean...it makes me feel...".

"Rika..." interrupted Takato, trying to get her attention.

"Please Takato, let me finish. I know you think you're doing the right thing...but..."

"Rika..." he said once more, his tone more urgent now, his air blowing as the wind picked up once more.

The teen felt her anger rising. Dammit Takato! I'm trying to be nice here... she thought bitterly to herself. Out loud, she said..."Takato, please! Whatever you've got to say it can't be more important than this!"

"Like heck it can't. Look!" he exclaimed, coming over and turning her head around to face the setting sun.

It was then Rika nearly wet herself at the sight of a huge funnel cloud-the largest she had ever seen outside of that tornado movie a few years earlier-filled the entire horizon as the massive storm barreled down upon them.

"Oh...shit..." whispered the girl, her choice of words mirroring Takato's thoughts precisely. But before she could say anything else Takato grabbed her hand and jerked her back to reality.

"RUN!" is all he said, and that was more than enough for her.

Hand in hand, the pair took off for the cave that had been their sanctuary for the past two days. The sand reached up well past their calves, making running difficult at best. But despite a valiant effort, the massive storm exploded with a fury as the intense winds reached them and both were threw to the ground as particles of sand scratched their exposed skin like miniature razor blades.

"Rika!" cried out the boy as she went tumbling down the other side of the dune. Pulling down his goggles, he ignored dozens of high-impact scrapes to his body as he slogged down the dune, reaching Rika as the girl tried to cough up a good chunk of the dune she had swallowed.

"Are you okay!" he yelled as best he could over the din, but her reply was lost in the maelstrom of wind that surrounded them. The roar of the storm grew closer as Takato weighted his options. With a sigh at what would surely start another argument, he leaned over and picked up Rika by the waist and promptly flung her over his shoulder, grunting deeply as her weight settled and added to his.

"Put me..#cough# down Takato..." she tried to say, but her voice was too scratched by the sand to be heard properly. Soon the embarrassment of the situation took a distant second as the need to protect her face forced the teen to bury her head in Takato's back, as the storm loomed closer.

Panting with each breath, Takato could barely see the mouth of their cave through the blinding sand. Trying to ignore his burning lungs and aching shoulder, the teen somehow found the strength to make it the last dozen or so steps before setting Rika down and slumping against a wall struggling for breath.

Rika staggered to her feet, a bit unsteady as she tried to reorient herself. Furious at being carried like a sack of potatoes, she whirled around to berate Takato when a distant rumbling caught her attention. Looking outside the cave mouth in horror, the teen could feel her eyes widen as the storm came straight towards their refuge. Turning, she went to warn Takato, but stood in shock as the boy had collapsed into a heap.

"Takato!" she screamed, a sudden stark fear filling her that she was going to lose him. With that panic filling her, Rika found the strength to help the boy onto her shoulder and deeper into the cave as the roar of the data tornado came crashing down upon them full force.

The world then went dark.

Night slowly blurred into day as Takato jerked awake, immediately regretting the action as his pounding headache returned full force. Wincing slightly he tried to look around, but the nearby light from a campfire hurt his eyes too much so he closed them, instead listening to his surroundings.

The gentle crackle of a the fire got his attention first, the smell of burning wood strong in the air. Close-by the steady drip of water registered, like a faucet dripping into a half-full sink. Placing his hand on the cold stone floor, he tried to get to his feet. A wave of dizziness came over him and he dropped back to one knee.

A soft grunt grabbed Rika's attention as she glanced over towards the corner she had put the sleeping Takato. Seeing movement in the shadowy boundaries of the firelight, she stood up and walked over with a small torch in her hand. "Takato, you awake..?" she asked gingerly; a marked difference in tone from the last time she had spoken to the boy.

"I think so Rika..." he answered hesitantly as he opened his eyes for a second try at seeing. Slowly the world came back into view as Rika's outline solidified in the glow of the torch. "Are you...okay..?" he asked with a quiet urgency, his gaze finally stabilizing after a few more seconds.

Taken aback by his first thoughts being on her safety, Rika ignored the feeling in her heart and shrugged a reply. "Yea, I guess. As okay as I can be trapped in a collapsed cave."

Rika's words took a moment to register, but when they did Takato turned around to see that the cave entrance had indeed become blocked, leaving them safe from the ravages of the outside storms but at a dark price.

Turning back to face Rika, he squinted as she drew closer. "Can we dig our way out?" he asked, finally able to stand up on his own.

"I don't think so. Some of those boulders look bigger than Growlmon. We're trapped Takato."

"Let me try, Rika. Maybe I'll be able to move some and..." he said, starting to walk over but crumpling inside a half-dozen steps as he fought off another bout of dizziness. Laboring for air, he didn't even feel Rika's arm around his waist at first. It wasn't until he was halfway towards the fire he noticed the look of worry on the girl's face. He went to say something, but stopped when she shot him a look.

"Don't. Just...don't say anything. Sit down and get warm. Eat something..." she half-growled, not meeting his gaze as he sat by the fire. Rika moved to sit opposite her friend and threw him a granola bar from the beat and battered backpacks that somehow survived the rough ride into the digital world.

Catching the treat, Takato quickly unwrapped the food and devoured it. Four good sized bites later he finished it, stuffing the empty wrapper into his jeans pocket.

There was no sound save for the crackling fire as each moment felt like an eternity. Rika stared into a small cup of water from the thermos as Takato stared into the fire, looking as if the answer to everything was hidden in the flames.

"I'm sorry."

Both then blinked hard as they said the same thing at the same time. A smile tugged at each corner of their mouths for a moment before Takato nodded towards her. "You first."

Her face softened as she stared into the fire, unable to meet Takato's gaze. "What I...Jeri's not weak."

"They why did you almost say it?"

"Because I wanted to hurt you, I guess"

Takato thought about that for a long moment before sighing. "Do you hate me that much?"

The words tore into Rika's soul, forcing her to wince in silent agony as she tried to explain without revealing more than necessary. "I..I don't hate you Takato. I just...when you always leap to the rescue, it..it made me feel like..."

"Like...what?"

It was only then could she face Takato, fixing him with a hurt gaze. "Like you don't believe in me."

The look on Takato's face caused her to wince, the hurt there almost a tangible weight upon his features. Painful silence surrounded the pair as he tried to find some way to respond, but simply could not find the words.

"Ever since Jeri's birthday party, you've been different Takato; always leaping to my rescue even before the quakes started. And don't think I haven't noticed you and Jeri barely talking either. What I find weird is all of this happens after you disappear for a half-hour with her in her room while the rest of us were helping to clean up..." she said, more than a hint of suggestion in her voice.

A flush of surprise washed away most of the hurt from Takato's face, only to be replaced by sheer embarrassment. "Wait..." he said softly..." you think..I mean...you honestly think that Jeri and I...?"

"Well, didn't you?"

"Rika, Jeri and I...we didn't do anything. We just...talked about stuff."

"Uh huh."

Takato could tell she didn't believe him. "I swear it's the truth Rika. You remember how upset she was when Suzie gave her that stuffed lion for her birthday? She tried to cover it while Suzie was there, but after she left..."

Having forgotten about that, Rika remembered Jeri being upset at having received the stuffed lion as a gift. The fault was not on Suzie as the young girl only had the best intentions in her heart; the plush toy was from Suzie's own stuffed animal collection. Freshly washed and mane combed, Suzie only wanted to 'make Jeri not be lonely anymore'. But after she left the party, Jeri's front of delight at the gift changed into a powerful sadness; the likeness of the toy to Leomon's own features brought back all the wrong feelings and memories.

"Oh, yea." was Rika's only reply.

"I wanted to talk to her, try and help her feel better. But we...we kinda wound up talking about other stuff."

At that, Rika raised an eyebrow, more than a little curious as to what could have been discussed that would make Takato act so weird since then. But before she could ask, the ground beneath them began to rumble as the pair of Tamers fixed each other with a horrified look.

"Quake!" Takato shouted as both he and Rika tried to get to their feet, admist the gyrations of the earth beneath them. "We've got to get someplace safe!"

"We're trapped in the middle of a freaking cave Takato! Where do you suggest we go!"

Any reply the boy could give was lost as the ground ripped open, a spider's web of lines arching out from around the split in the earth. Rika grabbed the two satchels of supplies and tried to leap towards Takato when the earth opened up beneath her. With a thunderous roar the ground beneath her vanished and she fell into the new fissure, knapsacks flying onto the ground near the boy.

"Rika!" screamed Takato as he was thrown back by the force of the quake, landing on his left elbow with enough force to stun him into inaction as a rock cut deep into his skin. Dust and particulate filled the air, making his already labored breathing worse off as he wound face down in the dirt.

The madness seemed to last forever until the ground finally settled down. Takato righted himselfand scrambled over on his hands and knees to the gaping maw in the earth. Grabbing one of the few remaining limbs to stay lit from the destroyed fire, Takato waved the burning torch around, the fear in his voice almost a living thing.

"Rika! Where are you? Answer me!"

For a good minute there was no reply; no sound at all other than the earth around him settling back into place. Focused on the chasm, he called out once more. "Rika, please, answer me!"

"You...don't have to yell Takato..." she called back in reply, coughing as the dirt continued to rain down on her from the jagged sides of the newly formed fissure.

Blinking as he finally saw movement in the haze that filled the drop, Takato moved the torch to one side and finally saw Rika. About fifteen feet down the Tamer was holding onto a pair of rock handholds looking grimy but still alive.

"Thank you..." the boy whispered, silently praising whatever powers were watching over the girl. "Hold on...I'll get you out!" he called down as he went to grab his knapsack, gritting his teeth as pain shot the length of his arm. Wincing, he ignored it and searched through the bag trying to find anything that would help Rika scale the rock wall.

"Rika, there's nothing in here!" he shouted, grabbing the second bag and finding the same within.

"It's okay Takato!" she called back, grunting silently as she searched the wall for another handhold. Slowly, she inched her way up, taking care to find a solid support for her foot as she continued to work her way towards the surface. "I think...I can climb..out.."

Scrambling back over to the ledge, Takato jammed the torch into the dirt, a faint glow illuminating the sides of the canyon. Anchoring his feet as best he could, the young man stretched out his full length and extended his right arm as far as possible. "Rika, can you reach my hand?"

"I...think...so..." she called back, shielding her eyes from the falling dirt as another handhold was found. Inch by aching inch she continued to edge her way up the cliff side. Each second seemed to take an hour as Rika slowly but surely made her way up the rock wall.

At long last Rika reached within Takato's grasp and the young man wrapped his fingers around hers, straining to help her the rest of the way. It was then the foothold Rika had been using crumbled, and the full weight of her body became hinged on Takato's arm.

Takato felt as if his arm was going to pull right out of its socket. On instinct, his left arm reached over to balance the load, but the added weight made the gash on his elbow bleed harder. "Takato...?" she asked with a worried tone as two blood droplets hit her cheek.

"I've...got you...Rika...!" Takato called through clenched teeth as he looked down at her. "Try to find a good foothold!"

Rika could only look at Takato, the strain on his face taking her full attention. It was clear the boy was in immense pain, yet his only thoughts were of her safety before anything else.

"Rika...hurry...please..." he whimpered, his arms on fire as more blood trickled down his arm.

Hearing the pain in his voice Rika snapped back to reality, focusing on finding a foothold. But try as she might, no good purchase could be found, and the blood from Takato's injury was getting worse as his entire forearm was streaked with red.

"Takato, let me go!" she called up with a steady voice.

Blinking, the youth looked at her as if she was speaking in tongues. "What are you talking about?" he called back in disbelief.

"You're too hurt! Drop me! There's a ledge not to far below! I can make it there, and try to find another way up!"

"Rika, I can't just drop you! If you miss the ledge, then there's not telling how far you'll fall!"

"Takato, if you don't drop me, we'll both go over!"

Growling at the unfairness of the situation, Takato tried to decide what was best. It was only after a few long seconds did he admit she had a point. "Darn it! Okay Rika, get ready! I'm going to drop you after I drop the torch. It should hit the ledge and you can see it better!"

At that Rika turned pale as a ghost as she realized what that would mean."Takato, don't waste the torch!" she called back up. "I'll be fin..."

It was too late as the torch floated past. But as Takato watched on, the look on his face went from shock to abject horror as the torch continued to fall right past Rika...with no ledge in sight. Soon the faint light disappeared altogether in the depths of the chasm, leaving the two teens to face each other in the light of Rika's lie.

"Rika..." he started to say, but stopped in shock as he felt her trying to escape his grip.

"Let me go Takato!" she yelled up, tears streaming down her cheeks at what she knew she had to do to save him.

"I...can't! I won't!"

"If you don't let me go Takato, we're both going to die!"

:"I don't care!"

"Well I do!" she screamed back, trying to break free of the boy's steel grasp. "No one's going to die..not for me! So let the fu...!"

"Dammit Rika!" the youth yelled, his anger at the thought of what she was trying to do sending him beyond reason. "I love you and I will /never/ let you go, so for the love of God climb!"

The words hit Rika like a freight train, stunning her to the very core of her being. Time seemed to freeze in place as she could only stare agape at the youth on the ledge above her, his eyes mixed with both anguish and fury.

Long seconds passed until Rika found herself unable to meet the boy's gaze any further. Fishing around in the limited light, the Tamer found one hand hold, then the other, as she slowly started to make her way back up the cliff. Within a few seconds she cleared the edge and Takato helped her the rest of the way, his anger seemingly gone for the moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a worried voice.

She said nothing, simply nodding in answer.

"What are you thinking?" he asked suddenly, his grip on her shoulders tightening in reflex. "You were going to make me let you go when you /knew/ there was no ledge there!"

Her head snapped up, eyes blazing at the accusation. "That was /my/ choice Takato! There was no point in us both going over the edge!"

"You could have died Rika! You...you could have died..." he stammered, eyes filling with moisture at the thought of her lifeless body lying crumpled in the darkness of the fissure ..."and I would never see you again. Never hear your voice again..."

The young woman looked on as Takato's expression changed from one of anger and confusion to nightmarish loss. She tried to pull away, but the boy's grip was stronger than she would have guessed.

"I love you Rika..."

"Don't..don't say things like that Takato!"

"But...Rika..it's tru...".

"Stop saying it!" she shouted, jerking free of his grasp and staggering to her feet. "You don't love me! You...can't!"

The boy followed Rika's motions, rising to his feet as her anger lashed out at him like a viper. "Rika, I promise you I'm not just saying that."

"STOP...SAYING...THAT!" she screamed, her voice ricocheting off the cave walls and down the long tunnel that led to parts yet explored. "You can't love me and Jeri! Who said you could do that to her? Who said you could love me?"

"Jeri did!"

Those words seem to stun Rika into stark silence, her eyes widening as his words hit home.

"Rika, please, you've /got/ to understand..." he began, so wanting to hold her and try to explain the feelings that filled him, but unable to bring himself to cross the short distance between them. "That's what Jeri and I talked about that night; that's what she wanted me to do to make her happy. To tell you how I feel..."

Rika could only stand there, her mind racing at the revelation that Jeri herself was behind this...this madness.

Sighing softly, Takato found a large rock and sat down, looking up at Rika with a sad expression. This was not the way he wanted to explain the conversation he had with Jeri such a few short weeks ago.

"I love her Rika. I guess...well, that's not a real surprise considering the way I was freaking out during that whole mess with the D-Reaper. After we lost Guilmon and the other Digimon, Jeri and I kinda kept getting closer, ya know? I was even going to ask her to the Summer Dance."

Rika listened quietly, her fury a few minutes ago evaporating in the light of Takato's honest outpouring of emotion. Slowly, she sat on a nearby rock as his explanation continued.

"But then I found the portal to the Digital World, and we went back to get everyone." A brief smile wavered over his face for a moment before fading. "I thought we'd all be happy once our Digimon came home, but it only made Jeri sad again. Seeing all of us back with our Digimon made her miss Leomon that much more, and I guess she wasn't over his death as much as she wanted us to think..." It was then he looked up at her, a soft look upon his face. "That's when I decided to tell her how I really felt Rika; so that way she'd understand that she wasn't going to be alone because I wanted to be there for her. You know...kinda officially seeing each other."

It was then the teen seemed to deflate right before her eyes as a painful memory tugged at the corners of his mind. "But when I tried to tell her, she tells me she knows what I'm gonna say, and that she doesn't feel the same way about me anymore."

At that Rika blinked, not sure if she had heard Takato correctly. Her mind reprocessed what he just said, and still she found it impossible that Jeri would reject Takato after it was so clear how they felt about each other.

"Did..did she say why...?"

Takato looked up as Rika's voice cut into the quiet of the cavern. From an outsiders viewpoint, they would be hard pressed to tell who was more shocked; Takato at the question, or Rika for asking in the first place.

"She said that she still cared for me Rika, but...she couldn't love me back; not the way she wanted too."

"But maybe..with time..." Rika quietly suggested as what was left of her anger drifted away, Takato's heartbreak leaving her too stunned to be upset.

The boy shook his head. "I told her that too; that I was willing to wait no matter how long it took. But she just looked at me and she told me I deserved someone better; that I didn't deserve to be second best."

Blinking, the young woman looked at Takato with confusion as she found herself hugging her knees to her chest. "Second best?" she echoed softly.

The youth tried to force a small smile but couldn't even do that. "Yea, and I think you know to who."

For a long moment, Rika tried to figure out who Jeri could have possibly meant. Then, in a moment of pure clarity, the Tamer realized who it had to be.

"Oh..." is all she could say in reply, feeling the same sense odd understanding now as Takato must have then. "I didn't know she felt that way about..."

"Yea..same here."

Another painful silence filled the air as eye contact was avoided at costs. The only sounds were their soft breathing, each Tamer's shadow a shimmering reflection on the wall. Here and there, scattered twigs and branches of the displaced fire continued flicker in the dirt. Takato stood, wincing as his arm protested the movement. Drawing in a sharp breath through his teeth to control the pain, he missed the sudden look of concern as it darted across Rika's eyes.

Trying to ignore the wet trails of blood as they trickled down his arm, Takato started to walk around, gathering scattered pieces of the fire. Soon it was burning steady once more, and the boy turned his attention to the knapsacks as he rummaged through them for something to bandage his elbow.

The sudden sound of fabric ripping filled the cave, startling Takato for a moment before turning around to face Rika. In the soft glow of the firelight, her left hand holding torn piece of cotton.

Ignoring the look, Rika walked over to her friend and gently took his wounded arm into her hand. Pressing the cleanest side of the material against the wound, she wrapped it snugly to try and stave off the bleeding.

"Rika..." he whispered, but a quick shake of her head drove him into silence once more.

"Just...don't...Takato..."

Nodding, he watched as Rika finished bandaging his arm, flexing it slightly after the last bit of material was tucked away.

"Better?"

"Yea, a lot. Thanks."

"Good."

Another dark silence filled the cave as the two teens were left with an awkward impasse, neither of them in a hurry to start arguing once more. Choosing quiet over anger, the pair sat down and warmed themselves as the few feet between them could have well being miles.

The fire continued to burn slowly as the two Tamers looked at the flickering light, lost in their own thoughts. Not a word had been spoken, and the silence was beginning to bring a heavy weight on the pair. Finally, Rika could take it no longer; standing up, she grabbed one of the larger branches in the fire and snatched up her knapsack.

Blinking at the sudden flurry of motion, Takato left his own thoughts and watched the departing girl. "Uhm..Rika..where...?"

"I need to be alone." was the gruff response as she started down the long tunnel, not giving Takato a second glance as she carefully made her way down the shallow slope as it descended deeper into the depths of the Digital World.

"But..Rika..I...I mean..we..." he stammered, trying his best to say what was in his heart.

Rika paused without looking back. "Maybe when I come back you'll be over this stupid 'love' crap and we can focus on getting out of here." she spat, the bile in her voice like venom. Before her echo could fade away, the girl stalked off, missing the look of painful sadness on Takato's face unaware her own carried the same look.

Takato could only watch as the light of Rika's torch vanished down the long tunnel and finally out of sight, leaving the boy alone with confused feelings and a heavy heart. But as he fixed on the bleakness of the distant shadows, a cloud fell over his soul. Anger at Rika's dismissal of his feelings boiled over, and the boy's fists tightened. As his mood darkened, a scowl of anger crossed his face as he turned towards the collapsed entryway.

With hard strides, Takato walked over to the barrier of rocks and quickly began to toss the smaller ones away as he tried to clear a path. Ignoring the agony his arm as he did the trail of tears upon his cheeks, the broken hearted teen focused all his anger and pain on the rocks ahead.

Rika struggled to her feet once more, the slippery slope having sent her onto her bottom more than once already. Finally finding a path along the rocks that wasn't too badly covered in moss, the young woman continued her descent into the cave being careful to focus on the path ahead instead of the hurt young boy she had left behind.

"Stupid Goggle-Head..." she fumed, inching her way down the trail as the flickering torch revealed the pathway a foot at a time. "Telling me some stupid crap about loving me just because Jeri said so. I mean...as if..."

The one sided conversation continued for a long time as the walls of the cave changed from slick, moisture covered surfaces to a dry, rocky texture as the temperature steadily increased. It was then the sounds of waves crashing upon a shore drew her attention back to reality.

The underground lake seemed to stretch into infinity as she could not see an opposite shore at all. Small bubbles of warm water plopped to the surface, giving off hints of steam. As she reached the edge of the lake, she looked down and noticed some driftwood scattered along the bank. Not really caring how the wood wound up here of all places, the Tamer gathered up what she could and used the glowing embers of her torch to start the fire. As it grew, Rika carefully walked over to the lake edge and took out her Digivice.

Scanning the lake revealed no Digimon threats; a problem the young woman was grateful to not have to deal with on top of everything else. She knelt down and gingerly tested the temperature, blinking in surprise as it was no warmer than regular bath water. A thought ran through her mind, and after noticing the layers of grime on her skin she decided to go with the notion.

Sneakers and socks were the first to go, followed shortly by the dusty jeans and T-shirt. Her ribbon came next, letting her soft, red hair cascade down until it almost brushed against her shoulders. Now dressed only in her white bra and matching cotton panties, Rika took a quick look over her shoulder, scanning the shadows for any sign of prying eyes that might have followed her down the slope. Seeing none, her fingertips drifted to the front clasp of her bra and soon it and the matching bottoms joined the other clothes in a pile on the ground. Gingerly her Digivice landed on top of the garments

Taking a hesitant step, Rika winced as the warm water assaulted the nerves in her sensitive toes. Jerking her foot back, she waited for the tingle to subside before trying once more. Now slightly used to the sensation, she slowly began again, this time sighing in relaxation instead of surprise as the warm water rose to her ankles, then higher as she moved away from the shore.

The water was remarkably clear for an underground lake; she could see fairly all the way down to her toes, and by now the water was up to her bare breasts. Standing still, she quietly enjoyed the warm liquid as it rushed over her, the dirt dissolving as the current pulled it from her skin.

Taking a final step, Rika mentally recalled Henry's advice from their first trip into the digital world and focused on breathing underwater. As the warmth of the lake surrounded her neck then ears, Rika opened her eyes to see a beauty unmatched by anything in recent memory.

The world of the lake below the surface was one of stark color, every hue imaginable reaching out in all directions. Yellow coral anchored on blue quartz caught her attention first as she swam past, taken by surprise as the coral suddenly changed to blue matching the rock perfectly as it's defense mechanism activated. Backing away slowly, Rika watched as it turned yellow once more, the shimmering beauty bringing a light smile to her lips. Turning, she swam a little further on, watching as a school of digi-gnomes swam around her for a moment, chattering in their native language before darting off into the dark depths of an underground grotto.

"Hey...wait..!" Rika called out, hoping they could have relayed a message to the outside world, but the school was gone before the words could have been repeated. With a sigh she continued on a little further, still amazed by the beauty around her as her trouble above the surface were momentarily forgotten.

Takato clutched his arm, the pain returning as a small rock had shifted loose from the pile and landed squarely on the injured joint as if aimed by some unseen force. Dark thoughts filled his mind; his anger at the situation still clouding his hurt soul. Half torn between going after the girl and staying to work on his Herculean task, Takato chose the latter and went back to the rock pile, digging with the slim hope that daylight was just beyond the next rock.

As if a mermaid venturing onto dry land, Rika rose from the extended bath and carefully made her way back towards the fire feeling infinitely better as the worse of the grit was gone. She bent over to dress once more, but paused when she realized the state of her clothes. Mentally debating on if she should risk staying bare too much longer, the young Tamer decided that Takatoif nothing elsewas not a peeping tom and she would be safe from any unexpected viewing. For a moment, the memory of Takato's face as he realized there was no ledge filled her mind, causing her to shiver as the heated argument replayed word for word in her memory.

"Stop it!" she hissed at herself, shaking her head to clear it. "I didn't ask him to try and save me like some stupid goggle-wearing super hero..." she fumed, snatching up her clothes in a fierce grasp. Leaving her Digivice on a nearby rock, the teen plunged the garments into the lake, looking as if she was trying to drown them rather than rinse them out.

Only when she came to the shirt did her anger seems to subside. As her fingertips ran over the torn fabric, the incident from the chasm filled her mind once more. But instead of the anger he felt at her deception, it was the look of fear and agony he put himself through as he begged her to climb; his cry of love for her still echoing down the chasm walls.

"Why does he love me?" she quietly asked herself. "What could he possibly see in me?" she asked her reflection as it rippled in the water. It's not anything physical, that's for sure.. she darkly thought as she gazed at her nearly flat chest before standing to judge her bottom as being fairly plain and uninteresting.

Spinning around like a model on stage, Rika frowned as nothing she saw helped her to understand what Takato could find so compelling. Still, there must be /something/ that would cause him to say that, but what?

He shouldn't love her. He /couldn't/.

But he did.

WHY? she angrily asked herself as her clothes were placed on a few nearby rocks to dry.

Listen to Takato with both your heart and head. You might be surprised by what they both have to say...

Jeri's words surfaced as Rika slowly sat down upon a warm rock, the realization hitting her full-on. She had told Jeri she would at least try and listen to Takato, and she never gave him that chance.

A sense of self-loathing filled the Tamer as she stared at the fire that crackled only a few feet away. Instead of listening to the boy and his reasons, she blocked him out before he could explain. By denying him even the slightest of chances to prove his point, Rika realized she had fairly much taken something that meant a great deal to the boy and stomped on it with cleats.

"God, I /am/ a jerk sometimes..." she muttered, darkly wondering how many deities had been waiting to mark this moment on their calendar.

"Am I that dead inside that I can't even consider someone other than Renamon and my family loving me?" she asked herself point blank, and found there was no answer. She had tried to keep everyone at bay; to keep from caring so when the time came for them to leave-as they always did-it wouldn't hurt like before.

Like when her dad left.

Pulling her knees to her chest, the Tamer could still remember the last argument her mom and dad had; still able to recall every hurt pause and vile insult as the pair traded barbs across the living room. She remembered the number of stomps he made to the bedroom as he began to pack; the strength of his last quick hug and a promise that everything would be okay that still rung in her ears.

It was all so easy to remember really; after all, the next day was her birthday.

The tears began to fall and Rika knew she could not stop them. Burying her face in her knees, the Tamer allowed herself a few moments of sadness as the memories played out in her mind as they always did; nothing she could do would change the past.

But as a feeling of deep melancholy filled her, she suddenly realized that while she could not change the past and all the pain it held, the present was still within her power to make amends for. Standing, she wiped the tears from her eyes and quickly got dressed, beyond caring her clothes clung to her like a second skin in spots. Bypassing her still soaked socks, she slipped on her sneakers and glanced up at the top of the hill.

"After everything Jeri's been through, all she asked was for me to listen. This time, I'm going too Takato, I promise."

Grabbing several thick branches she set them alight, Rika slipped her Digivice back into place as her satchel was tossed over a shoulder. Now with a purpose she strode up the hill, determined to put right what she had let go so wrong.

Her friendship with Takato and word to Jeri demanded she do no less.

As she reached the top of the hill the torches were jammed into the ground as her ears picked up the sound of falling rocks. As her eyes adjusted to the lower light, she spotted the young man at the cave entrance. Watching for a long moment as he struggled with a large boulder, Rika summed up all her courage and walked over.

"Takato?"

If the boy heard her, he made no showing of it. Grunting, he pushed the large rock off to one side and started on the next.

"Takato...?" she said again, unable to see his face in the dim light.

"What do you want?" he growled in reply, not turning to face the girl.

The anger in his voice took her by surprise, but she held her ground. "I...Takato...I wanted to say I'm sorry for..."

"For what? Taking out my heart and stomping on it, or trying to kill yourself and having me feel guilty for the rest of my life?"

The ice cold hatred in his voice hit Rika like a physical blow. "Takato...what I did was wrong...I know. I just...you're my friend and I didn't want you to..."

Whirling, he fixed the girl with a look of sheer disbelief. It was only then did Rika see the deeply stained tracks of tears as they lined his cheeks; the haunted look in his eyes.

"I'm you're friend? Well, you've got a funny way of showing it Rika!" he spat, the wall of rock momentarily forgotten. "You think this is some kinda game!" he said, voice wavering as raw emotions bled into his tone. "I tell you how I feel and you see how many damm pieces you can chop my heart up into!"

"Takato..."

Ignoring the look of hurt on her face, Takato continued to rail against his tormentor. The sweet, innocent boy that expressed his hearts' deepest wishes now lost under that of a young man who's heart now only held pain and anguish.

"Do you know how many nightmares I had about you on that train Rika?" he spat, fixing her with a dark look. "Do you /know/ how many times I've woke up screaming in terror that I missed and you died on those tracks! That...that I wasn't able to save you and tell you how I feel...". his voice trailed off as he sank to his knees, the dark shadows of his nightmares coming back to haunt him full force. "That I couldn't keep my promise to Jeri...that I lost you both..."

Rika could barely breath, totally taken aback by the admission from her friend. She had no clue that near-miss on the runaway Locomon had caused Takato such distress. Taking a step closer she feel to her knees and gingerly reached over to hold his shoulders.

Takato was oblivious to her touch now, lost in the depths of his personal hell that he had carried these many months. "Never could tell you how much you mean to me. Never tell you that you make me a better Tamer. Never got the chance to hold you and tell you how your smile makes me feel. That's all she wanted Rika...".

"Who...Jeri?"

"That's what she asked me to do Rika; tell you and she'd be happy again...". It was then his voice trailed off as he looked at her with those hurt-filled eyes, unable to go any further.

His words washed over her soul, forcing her to realize that for some reason his heart was the happiest when close to hers. Before she could even stop herself, Rika pulled the boy into a powerful embrace, clutching him close as he sobbed into her shoulder. Her voice whispered 'I'm sorry' over and over into his ear, trying to drive out the demons she had brought forth from the hidden corners of his soul.

Jeri was willing to give up Takato so he'd be happy...with me... she thought, the quiet ramification echoing through her soul.

They held each other for what felt like hours, Takato softly clutching at Rika as if she were but a dream that might disappear at any moment and Rika returned the hold trying to keep him from slipping back into the realm of nightmares.

It was then they gingerly pulled apart and their eyes met. There, in the depths of his tears, Rika finally saw the truth; Takato loved her. Maybe for all the reasons he said earlier; maybe for none he had yet to reveal. But there was the truth she could not ignorehe loved her.

Rika's sense of self-preservation tried to kick in, forcing her to back away emotionally or face the consequences. Don't get attached...make him keep his distance...you don't need him...he'll leave you... the voice whispered in Rika's mind as the fear of being hurt haunted her once more. It was then she felt his touch upon her cheek, and the dark voices of her own inner fears were torn asunder by the feeling of his fingertips upon her skin. He's willing to give me everything-his trust, his love, his friendship without question... she realized, her own fingers matching the boy's movements as they wiped the tears from his cheek.

Time seemed to freeze in place as the pair of Tamers looked at each other, all pretense and attitude stripped away by the raw outpouring of emotions. Rika's final defenses crumbled, and in a moment of pure honesty she showed Takato the depths of her friendship as her lips tenderly found his.

In the years to come, they would change and grow in different ways, but for the two, this moment-this first kiss of true love-seared into their minds in that place where neither time or fate can ever lay claim and erase it.

Trembling, Rika felt herself floating at the feeling of warmth that filled her. A quiet voice within urged her to deepen the kiss; apologizing to the boy she had hurt with her blind arrogance.

Takato whimpered softly as Rika kissed him deeper, the motion catching him off guard until he could find the mental clarity to respond in kind. They stayed like that for an eternity before each pulled away, the dire need to breath overwhelming the need to keep the passionate embrace going. Crimson stained both pair of cheeks as they looked at each other, unsure what to do or say next.

Rika looked on with confusion, the joy in her heart at seeing the smile on Takato's face countered by the uneasy feeling that something was amiss. Within the kiss, she could feel his trust for her; nothing she could ever do would cause his heart pain again. But as she gazed into her own soul, she found she could not do the same, despite how much she wanted otherwise.

I want to trust him... she said to herself, eyes still locked on the boy next to her. But why am I scared to? Why can't I tell him how I feel? He's willing to give me everything, and I...I can't give anything in return...

The realization forced the smile from her face, and Takato immediately knew something was wrong. Reaching over, his hand found hers and squeezed gently as if trying to give his strength to her through their touch.

The motion barely registered on Rika's perceptions as she continued to feel the growing doubts within. She had nothing to give him; nothing to show she trusted him in return. The kiss was one thing; but to give her heart...she wasn't sure she could do that.

Not even for Takato.

It was then the idea came to her; an insane idea within the hurricane of emotion held in her heart. Blinking, she was taken aback by the notion, not sure where it had come from and scared that she had thought of it in the first place.

Standing, her arms wrapped around her, as if protecting herself from the unexpected thought. Her body and mind argued about the idea, each unwilling to see the other's point of view.

"Rika...did I hurt you.?" Takato asked softly, his voice breaking with worry that he had somehow caused her pain.

Shaking her head, Rika looked over at her friend, forcing a soft smile to the corners of her lips. "No Takato, you didn't. You could never hurt me like that..." she found herself saying. The words seemed to echo in her mind as she realized how right she was; Takato would /never/ hurt her like that. His soul was too innocent, too pure, to put himself before anyone else.

It was then she realized she did have one thing she could trust him with other than her heart; one thing that was hers to give an no one else's. One thing the might help her to see if she could trust him with her heart totally without reservation.

But if she asked, what would he think of her then?

Would he still love her?

"Takato..?"

"Yea Rika?"

"Do you...trust me?"

Blinking, the boy took a moment make sure he heard the question correctly before replying. "Of course I do."

Nodding, Rika fell silent for a few moments longer.

"Uhm...Rika?"

"Humm?"

"Do you...trust me?"

"I'm...not sure Takato."

Rika could hear the boy's eyes blink in confusion as she continued to stare off into space, trying to put into words what she herself didn't fully understand. "I know you would never hurt me, but I don't mean...I can't..."...she stammered, unable to find the words for a second. It was then the simply turned and faced him as she admitted the truth. "Takato, I don't know if I can trust your words. I want to...I really /do/..but...I...I'm scared..."

"Rika..."

"I have to know something about myself Takato before anything else. "

"What Rika..what do you have to know?" he asked gently, wanting to find out this thing that scared her; something that not even the strongest foe had managed to accomplish.

"I have to know if I can feel for you the same kind of love you have for me. I have to know...if I can still feel love at all...or am I just...dead...inside."

"How?" he asked softly, ready to move the world for her if she asked.

But nothing could prepare the young man for what she would ask next.

"Takato, I would like...I mean...I wish...would you..." she stammered, trying to get the words out but failing as her cheeks turned cherry red with embarrassment and fear.

Something in Takato told him to get his butt over next to her; that if whatever she was going to ask scared her this much, then she might need his strength if only for a moment. Tenderly his fingers wrapped around her own, the boy held her close as if lending his own spirit to her.

Feeling oddly comforted by the motion, Rika took a deep breath and met Takato's gaze with her own as the words finally tumbled forth.

"Takato, will you please make love to me?"

A look of deep confusion, then embarrassment crossed his face as Takato could only stare at her in shock, his mind still processing what she had said.

Rika could almost feel the boy's gaze burn a hole in her Of course you idiot... she chided herself...you just asked him if he wanted to sleep with youwhat did you expect? With a look of horror, Rika began to pull away, her face blazing crimson at the mistake. "I'm sorry Takato, I shouldn't have..." she began, but was stopped by the young man's grasp.

"Rika...?"

Her silence was the only answer.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you ask me that?"

The Tamer sighed, resting her head on his chest. "Because I...I've been told things in the past Takato; stuff I took at face value and I...I got hurt. I know you love me, and I can feel it even now...but...".

"But...you don't know if you feel the same way about me?"

Shaking her head, she sighed once more. "I...I don't know if I can feel that kind of love Takato. Not just for you...but for anyone."

"Then why did you...?"

Her fingertip fell upon his lips, quieting him down as she looked at him with a soft gaze. "Because...I have /just/ enough trust left that I know you won't hurt me; that I can give...that part of me...to someone who I know would never take it for granted. Maybe...if I can trust you with...that...then I can learn to trust you with my heart."

"But Rika...I won't be..I mean...you'll waste it...on me."

A small but honest smile crossed her lips as she shook her head. "I don't see it that way."

Flushing red from the light praise, Takato looked away, trying to regain his train of thought.

"Unless...of course...you don't want to. I mean, I know I'm not very pretty.." Rika began to point out when a soft but powerful kiss stopped her mid-track. "Don't you ever say that about yourself again.." he whispered once he pulled away, fixing her with a look that left no room for argument. "You're beautiful."

Nodding, she again rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat in the quiet of the cave. "Will you?" she asked after several minutes had passed.

Gathering up all his courage, Takato nodded as he pulled her close. "I'll do my best Rika..." he muttered, the fear creeping into his voice as the full weight of what she was asking hit him. "But you have to promise me if I hurt you you tell me and I'll stop."

Blinking at the urgency in his voice, Rika looked up at him. "But you won'..."

"Please, Rika... /promise/ me." he asked again, his grasp around her unsteady as he needed to hear her pledge it.

"I...I promise Takato. I swear..." she replied, watching as some of the fear drained from his face, clearly comforted by her words.

The pair stood there for long moments, a certain uneasiness between them as neither quite knew what they should do next. The silence grew uncomfortable as Rika finally nudged the boy. "So...start already...". she said, the humor in her voice masking the fear inside.

"Uhm..what do I do first?" he asked, face still flushed crimson.

At that she blinked, fixing him with an odd look. "Don't you boys have like, I don't know...guidelines for stuff like this? I mean, all that locker room talk has to be of some help."

His cheeks darkening by several shades, Takato looked away for a moment as he studied an interesting patch of dirt on the ground. "Uhm...the stuff that goes on in the boy's locker room really isn't that...accurate Rika. Well, I don't think it is anyway. Besides..." he started to say, but trailed off after a moment.

"Besides...what?" she prompted with another subtle nudge.

"Even if most of it is true, I kinda think you deserve to be treated better than that..." he said softly, still unable to meet her gaze but the truth in his tone was beyond question.

With a soft hug Rika pulled the boy closer, kissing his cheek before wrapping her fingers around his. Looking around at the main cavern, Rika felt all the darkness of their recent arguments lingering around them like an unseen specter. It was then she smiled to herself, knowing exactly what to do.

Taking the boy's hand, Rika lead him to the campfire and guided him to stand still for a moment. As he watched, she gathered up the torches left at the entrance to the lake tunnel and placed them around the campfire at various locations. Soon their small part of the stone prison was aglow with a warm, vibrant light that chased those dark fears away.

Taking a moment to combine both her blanket and Takato's into a makeshift place to sit, she went over and took his hand once more, stopping when they were standing beside the fabric. Gingerly she guided his fingers to the sides of her shirt then mimicked the motions with him. With a gentle kiss she lifted up on the fabric and began to work the shirt out from his jeans.

A light shiver ran through Takato as Rika's hands left his own at the bottom of her shirt. With a gentle tug he followed her lead, and in a few moments the broken hearted shirt was lifted up and over her shoulders.

Almost in unison Takato's shirt suffered the same fate and the two coverings drifted to the cave floor, leaving the two teens to stare at each other in innocent wonderment.

The sight before Takato took his breath away, as the soft glow of the firelight seemed to make Rika shine as if an angel on Earth. Hesitantly his fingers returned to her sides, caressing the beautiful bare skin as he finally let his gaze drift to the white bra and the treasures held underneath. He tried to find the words to tell Rika how beautiful she was, but he couldn't find the ability to speak at the moment to save his life.

Rika blushed deeply under his gaze, not sure why he looked so taken aback. "I'm sorry there's...not more to look at.." she whispered, remembering her earlier glance into the lake and seeing a distinct lack of physical appeal.

The boy could only stand there in disbelief as Rika apologized for something that needed none. "Rika...you're perfect...just like you are...". he whispered back, fingertips resting on her back and he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. He held the kiss for long moments before he looked at her eyes, his face crimson. "Rika...?"

"Yea. Takato?"

"Can I...see...you?"

It took her a moment to realize what he was asking, and by the time she nodded her own face was as red as her friend's Digimon.

With shaking fingers, Takato summoned all his locker-room knowledge and gently moved his fingers to the clasp, determined to prove he was going to be as perfect as possible.

Five minutes later and after a fumbling attempt at undoing the clasp that caused Takato's face to erupt in flame and Rika to giggle softly at his valiant but vain efforts, her fingers joined his. With a soft tug and the garment finally fell by the wayside, leaving her exposed to a boy for the first time in her life.

"Wow..." whispered that same boy as he could only stare at the sight before him. Every stolen glance Kenta's magazines or the few hidden pictures on his home computer totally paled in comparison to what lay before his eyes.

Time slowed as Rika observed her friend, honestly taken aback by the overwhelming reaction she was causing. Wanting to know what he could see, she was about to say something when her mind simply shut down at the gentle kiss that suddenly materialized on her shoulder. Taken off guard, Rika's fingers dug into Takato's sides, using him for support as ripples of unexpected sensations ran the length of her spine.

Another kiss soon followed and as Takato felt himself growing braver, his fingers began to slide up and down her bare sides. In reflex, Rika's fingers unlatched from Takato's sides and started exploring on their own, tracing little lines over his bare skin as she followed the muscles in his chest, pausing as she found several places that made the youth shudder.

The innocent yet intimate touches continued a few minutes longer, each one taking special care to not rush the other. Even as uncertain as they were about what the night would bring, both knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would not be about the ending they would share, but rather the journey there.

Finally Rika could take no more and she pulled away, breathing heavily as she leaned her head on Takato's chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat.

Slowly the pair began to fall onto the makeshift blanket, neither one surrendering or taking control. The only witness to what happened next was the fire, covering the pair of lovers in a warm glow until the fiery passions of youth turned hotter than any campfire.

It was then, in those final precious minutes of their time together, did the last chain of fear and mistrust around Rika's heart shattered she /knew/ what she felt for the goggle-headed boy. Love.

I love you, Takato...

The words echoed in her mind as a finger brushed some hair from the boy's eyes as Rika watched him slumber. Smiling as Takato snuggled against her in reflex, the young woman leaned back and stared up at the cave ceiling, watching the last few embers of the fire cast dancing shadows here and there over the rock surfaces.

I feel different...kinda, but I don't either.. she thought to herself as the night played out once more in her mind. Takato had been a perfect gentleman; every motion, every touch created for the express purpose of her benefit. But more than anything else, it was the look in his eyes at the very end that finally freed her heart and soul.

A look of pure love and unending trust.

As she gazed upwards, Rika silently wondered why here, of all places? Why here, and why now? I could have waited until we got back to the Real World, but...what if I did? Takato thought I was being so mean to him on purpose; maybe I was I guess. But if I had waited, would we even still be friends? Could we stand to even be near each other if all that was simply left hanging between us unfinished?

The introspective question and answer session lasted for a while, long after the final embers of the fire had faded to bare minimum. It was only when the last few flickers of the fire faded did the total darkness bring an unexpected revelation: she felt safe.

The sudden understanding caused Rika to sit upright, staring into the dark shadows; but now the obsidian depths held no specters of the past. A gentle sense of wonder filled her as she snuggled up next to Takato. Her mind drifted back to those last few moments, her memory replaying every sound and feel of having Takato within But it wasn't the physical sensations she treasured alone, the complete and utter feeling of safety had been present as well.

Never before had she felt so vulnerable; never before had she felt so safe.

Gingerly, her fingertips wrapped around Takato's, as if drawing strength from his sleeping form. Recalling the feelings he created within her heart, Rika finally understood that she could love someone and not be hurt. Takato would never hurt her by accident or on purpose, and her heart soared at the revelation.

No, what happened needed to happen. she thought to herself. Their friendship, their bond as Tamers, the love that was there; all of it was too precious to lose. And if she had waited, Rika knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it would have all been lost.

Rika held not a single regret.

With a soft smile the young woman snuggled against Takato, looking forward to talking with him when they both woke up in a few hours, anxious to hear his thoughts and feelings about what happened.

"Rika! Takato! Can you hear us?" shouted the voice through the collapsed entryway. "We're almost through to you...!" the Digimon called out as small rays of light began to penetrate the rock wall, casting the cavern in a hazy glow.

Shooting upright as Renamon's voice echoed in the cave, Rika spun around to face the wall of rock, a sense of relief filling her that she was okay.

Well, relief until Rika remember she was wearing nothing but a smile.

"Takato, get up!" she yelled into his ear, scrambling to grab her clothes. However, in her haste the young woman's knee intersected with a very soft and delicate part of the boy's body and as a result work him up a bit more abruptly than planned.

"Oh...darn...' whispered the young man as he rocked back and forth on the ground, the pain lancing through him among the greatest known to the male of the species. He closed his eyes in agony as tears trickled out the corners.

"What's wrong?" she hissed back, scrambling with her pants before finally getting them back on. Turning around she then realized what she had done to him and her expression softened. "Oh geez...Takato...I'm really sorry..." she whispered. "but you gotta move! Renamon's found us, and unless you wanna explain why you're butt naked on the ground, suck it up and get dressed!"

Realizing she had a point, Takato scrambled to his feet as fast as possible, trying to ignore the ache in between his legs. "Rika, it hurts.." he whimpered, still rocking a little back and forth as he tried to get dressed.

"I know it does Takato, but you've got to hurry!" she said again, her voice taking on an urgent tone. "I promise I'll kiss it and make it better later!" she said, bending over to grab his shirt when a certain mental image sprang into her mind based on what she just promised. Glancing over, it was clear that Takato's own mind had gone to the same interesting mental place, judging by the look on his face. "Don't even /think/ about it Takato..." she growled, shoving his shirt into his stomach with emphasis.

Blushing crimson, he backed off a little as Rika stormed by, the young woman dressing as she walked over to the wall of rock. "Renamon...can you hear me!"

"Rika! We're almost there! Are you or Takato hurt?"

Blinking, she looked over at Takato's arm, the bleeding having stopped and the wound in dire need of cleaning and some peroxide more than anything else. "We're fine Renamon!..." she called back.

"Stand back Rika, we're almost through!" the fox yelled.

"Uhm..." Rika stammered, looking back at the half-dressed Takato. "Hang on Renamon! We were camped close to the opening; give us a minute to move everything!" she called back, trying to buy a few more seconds. Frowning, she stared at the boy. "Hurry!" she softly yelled once more.

Giving her a 'I'm going as fast as I can' look, Takato finally pulled himself back together for the most part and was about call out to see if Guilmon was okay when the rock wall started to give on its on. With a huge leap, he plowed into Rika and shoved her out of the way, but not before a single rock hit her cheek. A dark red whelp rose on the surface and it was clear it would turn into a fist sized bruise soon.

A shattering of rock filled the air as the two Digimon began to dig through the rubble. "Takato!" yelled the dinosaur, fearing his best friend was at the bottom of the rock pile.

"We're...okay Guilmon..!" called out Takato as he helped Rika through the haze, both humans trying to breath in the dust.

"Takatomon!" yelled the happy Digimon as he wrapped his Tamer in a bone crushing hug, leaving Rika suddenly standing alone until Renamon appeared by her side.

"Rika, are you all right?" asked the worried kitsune as she checked for any broken bones or lacerations. "Rika...your face!"

Blinking, the young woman gingerly touched the side of her face Renamon was staring at, wincing as her fingers came into contact with the skin. "Ow...oh yea, that. Just a bruise from a falling stone I tried to stop with my face.." she said with a hint of humor.

But the Digimon wasn't laughing as Rika's scent, intermingled with Takato's, reached her nose. Frowning, she took a moment to study her Tamer's disheveled appearance. "Rika, is everything okay..?" she asked gently, her instincts telling her something was amiss.

Feeling the weight of Renamon's stare, Rika could sense her partner's worry. Making it a point to avoid Takato's gaze Rika shrugged. "I'll be fine as soon as we find out what's causing those earthquakes" she replied, trying to get the conversation onto another topic.

"I'm afraid that's our fault there, little missy!" came a new voice from outside the cave, one with a rather thick Southwestern accent.

Blinking, Rika and Takato shielded their eyes from the early morning sun as they tried to focus in the bright sunlight once more. After their could see clearly, a small yellow and brown Digimon came up to them with an apologetic look on his face.

"Rika, this is Armadillamon..." introduced the fox as several same colored Digimon strolled up the hill to watch.

"Uhm..heya." replied Takato as he looked over at Renamon, wondering why she was giving him such an odd look.

"Nice to meet you fellas. Me and the others are really sorry about any trouble we caused in the real world."

"I don't understand..." admitted Takato. "How could you little guys cause the earthquakes?"

"We live underground, so when we had to find a new home after losing ours in the struggle with the D-Reaper, the Sovereign gave us some land to make new homes. So we started digging a few weeks ago."

At that, both Tamers blinked at the realization. "That's when the earthquakes started..."

"Yep. Seems our new land was great underground, but it really had a bad problem with data streams on the surface. I guess they were picking up all the vibrations from our digging and somehow it was getting sent to the real world."

"We need to tell Yamaki this Renamon..." Rika said, but was cut off by a nod from her partner. "He already knows Rika. Right before we discovered your location, Azulongmon sent word that they had got the portal back up and running yesterday. The computers finally pinpointed the area where the earthquakes were coming from here in the Digital World.

"Where the Armadillamon were digging, right?"

"That's right Takato!" laughed Guilmon. "But they aren't going to dig any more in that area so the earthquakes are going to stop!"

Rika glanced up at her partner. "Seems like you solved the problem without us. Trying to hog all the glory Renamon?" the young woman teased, drawing the faintest of blushes from the fox.

"What I don't get guys is how you knew which cave we were in?" Takato asked, glancing over at Renamon while petting Guilmon.

At the question, the kitsune looked up and for a brief moment fixed the boy with a hard gaze, sending shivers down his spine. "One of the Armadillamon saw you out in the storm yesterday and told us your location."

Nodding at the explanation, Rika sighed and stretched a little, trying to act as if everything was still the same as it was when they came to the Digital World. "If the portal's up and running we need to head back Takato. Not only are our parents worried sick but I've got enough homework to choke a horse."

Nodding, Takato could easily understand both reasons for wanting to get back, but a part of him didn't want too. He wanted...needed...to talk to Rika about what happened; but it was clear that now was not the time. He would just have to wait when they were back in the real world and had time to discuss it at length.

"I guess so Rika..." is all he said out loud, and with a grin towards Guilmon the party headed back towards the real world, the memory of his night with Rika and the company of his best friends bringing a smile to his face.

But for some reason, Takato could not shake the feeling that Renamon was watching him like a hawk, and it unnerved him the rest of the way home.

Seiko said nothing as watched Takato's body language as Rika explained in detail on what happened between her and the boy. Arrived in mid-story, the young woman and her partner emerged from the shadows more than a little upset with Takato when it became clear he was trying to steer most the blame towards himself, rather than sharing it with Rika.

Both cheeks were totally turned to crimson as Rika finished, falling quiet as she waited for her grandmother to say something. For her part, Renamon wore an expression of stone, totally unreadable by anyone else in the room, but the teen knew that the Digimon still hadn't forgave herself about the incident in the park.

Swallowing hard, the boy glanced up at Seiko. "Ma'am...?" he asked quietly as his fingertips found Rika's and wrapped around them tightly.

"Yes, Takato?"

"I...I want you to know I'm going to do the right thing and take care of Rika and the baby. I've already applied for a minor's work permit already looking for after school jobs, and I'm already talking to Kenta and the others about selling off my extra Digimon cards, and there's my comic collection that I'm sure I can get some money for..."

With a soft smile, Seiko reached over and took the boy's hand into her once more, adding a reassuring squeeze on top of what comfort Rika was providing as well. "Takato, I believe that you are a good boy, and you will be a very good father. But first, you...both of you... need to finish school. An after school job is your choice Takato, but working yourself to death is not the way to provide for your family."

"But..."

"No buts Takato," chimed in Rika as she understood where her grandmother was going. "Our baby is going to know his father from day one and not here and there on special days and that's it."

Takato looked at the pair of women, the look on his face telling of the struggle inside of Seiko's words against his own feelings of responsibility. A few moments later he resigned the battle, willing to take their words at face value until he could come up with a better argument.

With a smile Seiko patted the boy's hand and gave them both a soft look. "I believe it when you say you love my granddaughter Takato, just as I can see the happiness in Rika's eyes even now.." she said reassuringly. "You have my blessing Takato."

A look of visible weight seemed to life from his shoulders at the remark as he nodded a simple 'thank you' in reply.

"Grandmother...?" hesitantly asked Rika as she looked at the floor for a moment.

"Humm?"

"How are we going to tell mom, and Takato's folks? I doubt they're going to be as understanding as you are."

"That is a very easy question to answer Rika." chimed in Takato as the color seemed to drain from his face. "Carefully. Very /very/ carefully..."

(to be continued)