Author's Notes:

I'm back! I survived 12 hour days, six-day weeks, and an extra week stuck in the Back of Beyond. (My definition of anyplace that has a slower than 4KB/sec internet connection.) I finally get a shower where the water doesn't come out brown and you finally get a new chapter. Everybody wins!

Chapter 12
First Release

Rika was fairly sure of two things:The first was that what she was doing at the moment was stupid and dangerous. The second was that she didn't give a damn. She had to get away from Takato and Ryo and Renamon and Guilmon and the Geckomon before she went crazy and tried to punch someone's face in.

When she just couldn't stand any more of the boys sniping at each other, Renamon and Guilmon mooning over each other, and the hideous noise the Geckomon called music, she had casually stood and walked out of the guest hall, through the village surrounding the sake brewery and down toward the lake shore. She did so a little unsteadily because she, along with the rest of the group except Renamon, had been partaking of the town's principle product. As bad as they were at making music, the Geckomon were good at making sake.

Rika came to the edge of the lake and stood looking out over the dark water, taking deep breaths of the cool night air. A human alone, at night, in a world full of monsters... her hand tightened around the flask of sake she had unconsciously carried with her. Just let some stupid digimon try something, Rika thought, I'd love to have an excuse to kick someone's head off!

As her temper waned she admitted to herself that part of her anger and frustration was with herself. She loved Takato. She was certain of that. But that didn't mean she wasn't attracted to Ryo. She had been from the first time she had met him, she realized, even before the years had made him more handsome. It was his confidence that really got to her, that easy assurance that there wasn't any situation he couldn't handle. The fact that his confidence always seemed to be very well founded made it even worse. But she loved Takato.

Didn't she?

Rika drained the remaining sake in the flask in one go and drew back her arm to fling it out into the lake. That was when she recognized the spot she was standing on. She lowered her hand and the flask dropped with a soft thunk into the sand where she had watched Jerry and Leomon finish off Orochimon, so many years ago.

Jerry had been so happy and Rika had been proud of her... going from a timid little girl, hiding behind a hand puppet to a confident and capable tamer. But Jerry's happiness hadn't lasted long.

"Just what I needed to improve my mood," Rika muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She couldn't help but think of how Takato had treated Jerry back then, how much he had gone through to save her, how much he had obviously wanted to be with her afterward. If Guilmon and the other digimon hadn't come back from the Digital Dimension, would Takato and Jerry have...?

Rika's stomach tightened in knots but that, oddly enough, reassured her. Okay, she told herself silently, if I'm jealous of someone he broke up with long ago, I guess I must really be in love with him. She stood looking out over the lake for a while longer and then came to a decision. Well, maybe I should go back and show him just how much I love him... I'm sure there's someplace we could get some privacy in the Gekomon village... then maybe he won't be so defensive around Ryo.

Rika smiled, her dark mood lifting, and turned to walk back up the trail to the village. That's when the digimon attacked her.

-o-(())-o-

"Look," Ryo was saying, back in the comfort of the guest hall, "I'm not dissing Guilmon. He's a strong digimon and you're a good tamer. I'm just saying that it would be safer if we had Cyberdramon with us, that's all."

"So, we go all the way back to where you left him when we're almost to the Sacred Woods?" Takato frowned at him. "That doesn't make any sense! Let's just get on with it! We go in, find the digignomes, and get Renamon fixed up."

"What doesn't make sense," Ryo retorted, "is to needlessly expose ourselves to danger with only one digimon for protection."

"What about the danger we'll be facing all the way back to find Cyberdramon?" Takato shook his head. "We should finish the mission! With Renamon back to normal there's nothing in the Digital Dimension that could stand up to her and Guilmon except a Sovereign, right Rika?"

"Rika, I'm only thinking of..." Ryo said, intending to make his own appeal, and stopped. "Hey... where'd she go?"

"Where'd they all go?" Takato asked.

Sure enough, aside from a few Gekomon, Ryo and Takato were the only ones in the hall.

-o-(())-o-

Guilmon and Renamon had slipped out of the hall together right after Rika had left. They quickly found a private spot a little way from the village gate and grabbed each other so quickly and ferociously that anyone watching might have though they were attacking each other.

Well, in a way, they were.

"Damn these clothes!" Renamon hissed while alternately kissing Guilmon's muzzle and struggling with her shirt buttons. "I don't see how humans put up with this stuff!"

Guilmon's paws slipped down over her rump and squeezed. "You feel good... even through clothes."

Renamon finally got her shirt off and Guilmon nuzzed his way down her neck and between the swell of her breasts.

"Oh..." she moaned softly, and then, "Damn! Let me get these stupid bras off! I want to feel your tongue on my..."

She was interrupted by a loud scream from the direction of the lake. Both she and Guilmon froze for a fraction of a second and then Renamon recognized the voice. "Rika!" Renamon gasped, and then sprinted for the shore.

She hurtled down the dark path and, even though she was cursing her lack of speed the whole way, arrived on the beach only a few seconds later. Rika and a Divermon were crouching and circling each other warily. The Divermon was limping badly and keeping his spear between himself and his opponent. One side of Rika's face was covered in blood and she was holding her head slanted to one side to try and keep the blood from running into her other eye.

Renamon didn't even slow down. She turned her sprint into a flying kick, both of her feet slamming into the Divermon and doubling him over. They landed in a heap together, rolling down the slight slant of the beach in a tangle. As they stopped rolling Renamon threw a punch but the Divermon caught her fist and, with his superior digimon strength, easily threw her off.

"Stupid, weak humans!" the Divermon bellowed. "Why do you even try to resist..."

His rant was rudely and rather brutally interrupted. Rika had grabbed the spear he had dropped when Renamon had piled into him and rammed it straight into his open mouth. He made a strangled high-pitched scream and clawed at the spear even as Rika put her full weight behind it. They struggled for a few seconds and then the Divermon managed to tear the spear out of Rika's grasp. But he hadn't even managed to pull it out of his mouth before Renamon slammed a heavy rock down on the back of his skull.

Only moments later, Guilmon skidded to a stop on the beach, goggling at the sight of Rika and Renamon alternately stabbing and bashing the prone and weakly struggling Divermon. He didn't have a chance to lend a hand before the digimon had burst into bits of data.

Renamon dropped her rock and grabbed Rika by her shoulders, looking into her face with concern. "Are you all right? You're bleeding..."

"Yeah, yeah," Rika reassured her, "it's just a shallow cut. Head wound, you know... looks worse than it is. Thanks for the assist by the way. How did you know I was in trouble?"

"Guilmon and I went out to... umn..." Even in the dim light Rika could see her blush. "Anyway... we heard you scream."

"Oh," Rika said, suddenly embarrassed herself, "It... it wasn't that I was frightened or anything... I was just surprised. He jumped right out of the water at me."

"Oh... of course," Renamon agreed, "but it's a good thing you were... surprised. You... might have had a tougher time defeating it without my help."

They both just stared at each other in silence for a moment and then burst out laughing. Guilmon just stared.

-o-(())-o-

"Hey, where have you guys been?" Takato called out as Rika, Renamon, and Guilmon returned to the hall. "We want to... oh hell, Rika, you're bleeding! What happened?"

Rika told them what had happened as Takato cleaned the blood from her face.

That was incredibly stupid Rika!" Ryo said sternly, "You should have known better than to..."

"Yeah, yeah," Rika said, waving a dismissive hand, "I'm stupid and bloody... but I just kicked a digimon to sparks... with a little help from poor, weak Renamon..." Rika winked and grinned at her partner, "...have you ever done that?

Ryo was shocked into silence. Takato looked at Guilmon who nodded, "I didn't even get a chance to help!" he confirmed.

"You got lucky!" Ryo insisted, "You've got to be more careful. When you've had more experience, you'll realize that..."

Takato raised one hand, sheltered from Ryo's view by his shoulder, and and mimed a flapping mouth. Rika stifled a laugh.

Takato wiped the last of the blood from Rika's forehead and blinked in surprise. "Hey... there's no cut."

Rika's expression was perfectly smug. "No, I 'thought' it better while we walked back. I guess Ryo's right about some things." She turned and smiled sweetly at him.

Ryo threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I give up. We'll head out for the Sacred Woods in the morning. The less time we spend here, the less time you'll have for trying to get yourselves killed."

"Late morning," Rika said, standing and taking Takato by the hand. Without another word, she practically dragged him out of the hall.

Guilmon grinned and slipped his arm around Renamon's waist. The feel of his touch on her bare skin made her smile in pleasure at first. Then she realized something, "Hey! Where did I leave my shirt?"

-o-(())-o-

Rika led Takato to a lonely corner of the village behind the brewery where bundles of rise straw made a sheltering wall. "This looks like a nice, private spot," she said.

"Are you sure you're..." Takato began. Rika interrupted him by grabbing either side of his face and pulling his head down to where she could plant a fierce, insistent kiss on his lips. "Wow," he gasped when she finally released him.

That was the last coherent thing either one of them said for a long while. Rika surprised not only Takato but herself as well. She thought she had come to a rational, well-reasoned conclusion in deciding to make love with him that night. But there was little to no rationality in her actions. She needed him... the touch of his lips and hands... the warm, sweet scent of his body... it was like she had been dying of thirst and Takato was a big, cool glass of water.

They urgently kissed and caressed each other as they got out of their clothes as quickly as possible. Rika spread hers on top of the scattered rice straw and then pulled Takato down on top of her. It was only at the last possible moment that she realized something. "Wait!" she moaned. "The condoms... they're in my backpack!"

Takato turned and clawed at his jacket, nearly ripping the side pocket as he yanked out a string of foil packets and Rika silently blessed him with huge relief. The made love in an artless, forceful struggle, both climaxing quickly and intensely. Afterward they lay entangled, gripping each other in the desperate embrace of a drowning man clinging to a lifesaver.

"Rika," Takato said in a breathy whisper, "I didn't mean to be so... so greedy, I guess. Did you... was it okay for you?"

Rika took a few more seconds to get her breath and then answered, "Yes... yes... I... it felt wonderful." And she was a bit surprised at how wonderful it had felt... how much she had enjoyed Takato... needing her that badly. She traced the long muscles of his back with her hands as she considered it. She'd thought of all the things she'd like to do with him, all the things she might like if she tried, and there were a few things that she had been sure she wouldn't like. But things were turning out to be different that she had imagined.

She had always needed to be in control of everything in her life. She didn't trust other people enough to depend on them. She was smart and strong and competent and always looked down on most other people for not being as able as she was. Arrogant, Renamon had said once... but she had been speaking about herself then... or had she? Rika couldn't quite remember. She loved Takato but she had still tried to be the one in control of their relationship and her Grandmother's advice had seemed to fit her way of thinking perfectly.

Rika raised her hands, kneading the muscles of his shoulders and arms. Yes, she was in superb shape, athletic and physically strong, but he was bigger than she was, stronger and heavier... and... and she liked it. She liked it when her was forceful with her, she realized with quite a bit of surprise. She didn't mind giving in to him at all... not to him. She felt him growing hard again and his hands slipped down her back and stroked and squeezed her butt lovingly. The obvious desire in his touch made up her mind for her.

She kissed him deeply before pulling away slightly and turning in his arms. She arched her back and pressed her rump against his shaft. "Would you like to do it this way?" she asked, glad that her face was turned away from him; she could feel her cheeks burning.

"Really?" Takato breathed hesitantly, even though his hands and body had already told Rika what the answer was. "Yes... oh, yes, I would," he said when he realized she was serious.

Takato quickly took out another condom while Rika rose to her hands and knees. Her crouched over her and guided himself into her with shaking hands as she trembled in anticipation. It was a surrender for her... a position of pure submission that she'd never dreamed she would allow, let alone enjoy. But she did... she enjoyed it more that anything they'd yet done together. Every sensation, Takato's weight on her, his strong arms around her, his hips firmly striking her ass at every thrust, and his hard length stroking her over and over... it all made her senses reel.

Takato drank in the feel of Rika's body beneath him. That beautiful, firm butt of hers that he very nearly worshiped, and all the lean, sleek muscles beneath her silky skin, moving in time to the rhythm of his strokes. But what made him even happier than just the pure physical sensations was the realization that this was a remarkable expression of Rika's trust in him. He wanted to tell her how much he appreciated it, how happy it made him feel, how absolutely incredible she felt, and how much he loved her. But he couldn't speak. He could only gasp out wordless moans of pleasure. So he did the

next best thing: He bit her on the neck.

Rika felt his teeth squeeze down on her in a gentle but firm pressure, tightening on the flesh at the crook of her neck... and she came. She came long and hard and cried out in shuddering, ragged gasps at the unexpected intensity of her orgasm. Her sudden wild thrashing pushed Takato over the edge and he added his primal yell of pleasure to hers, heedless of who might hear.

Everyone heard. The village wasn't that big. The Geckomon merely shrugged at another inexplicable human behavior. Ryo scowled ferociously and a very strange feeling flooded through him. It wasn't anger or jealousy, he'd felt those occasionally before. No, it was something entirely new. Ryo Akiaya, the Legendary Tamer... wasn't used to losing.

-o-(())-o-

Guilmon and Renamon not only heard, they saw everything from the little thicket of bamboo where they sat, hidden from sight.

Considering what had happened to Rika earlier, Renamon had insisted that she and Guilmon watch over her and Takato. Guilmon thought that they might not want to be observed and Renamon agreed. "That's why we're not going to let them know we're doing it," she said.

It was a good thing no digimon with evil intentions tried to sneak up on the romantic couple. Renamon and Guilmon started out with the best of intentions, dutifully scanning the surrounding area while trying to ignore Rika and Takato themselves, but soon their curiosity overcame them and their attention became completely focused on their tamers.

By the time the tamers had finished their first, quick bout of sex, Renamon found that she was breathing heavily and feeling a very definite desire for Guilmon to touch her... everywhere. She glanced over at him and found that he was also undeniably excited. She slid over next to him and put her arms around him. They kissed and petted each other while still keeping an eye on their tamers, who quickly recovered and began a new and more intriguing type of lovemaking.

Renamon had straddled one of Guilmon's thighs and was rocking her hips back and forth as she rubbed her breasts against his chest. Guilmon's hands slid down over Renamon's rump and squeezed the same way his tamer had done to Rika. "Oh, Renamon," he whispered, still watching the humans, and a note of definite frustration was in his voice,"I want to do that with you! I really, really want to..."

Renamon was also still watching the tamers even though her own passion was being somewhat satisfied, and she hissed back to him, "I wish you could Guilmon... I would love to be beneath you like that... I... wish you... could!"

Guilmon bared his fangs in a pure agony of unsatisfied need and growled out, "I want to so bad! I want to... I need to... I wish..."

Digimon respond to their tamers emotions. Digital and biological, they are connected on a deep, inexplicable level that even all of HYPNOS's advanced equipment was unable to explain. In times of great peril, pure emotions had triggered digivolutions when all the acquired data imaginable had been unable to do it. Fear, love, anger... all had an effect.

As Rika and Takato came together, the burst of pure, sexual ecstasy melded with with their partners desires and the little bamboo grove erupted in a whirling vortex of iridescent light.