One Choice



Intro: Yay! I'm almost done! This is the final chapter!!! Thank you again to all who reviewed! I had fun writing this chapter, but it's kinda sad….anyhoo, on with the chapter!!

Chapter 6

"What do you mean we haven't won?!" cried Takato.

BlackGatomon grinned and held up something. "You may have defeated me, but I have a small going away present…"

"It's a bomb!" cried Henry. "You're going to blow us to shreds?"

BlackGatomon sniffed. "No. I will stay here and die in honor, and I'll let you guys go free." He paused. "But only because you beat me."

"Wow," said Takato. "Thanks!" He ran up and hugged BlackGatomon, who looked rather surprised. He broke away and saw Takato's smiling face. Then BlackGatomon snapped back. "Oh stop being sappy, you're making me sick."

Takato smiled. Then he saw Rika and Jeri. "What about them?"

"Oh them," said BlackGatomon casually. "I'll let you take them."

"Really?!" cried Takato and Henry. Takato ran up to them and was about to release them when BlackGatomon hopped in his way and folded his arms. "But you may only take one…" said BlackGatomon menacingly.

Takato shook his head in shock. "No…" He sunk to his knees, trying to decide. BlackGatomon laughed. "You have 15 minutes to decide!!" He shot a look at the two chained girls. "And if you both try to leave, I'll blow the place right now!!"

Henry came up slowly to him; afraid of whom he'd choose. "Come on Takato, choose."

"You don't understand…" said Takato sadly. "Which one?"

Rika stared at him lovingly. 'Takato…you have to choose between the two of us, and I don't think you even know who you like better in the first place. But if this is what I must do…then this is what I must do…' "Takato!"

Takato looked up at her, expecting her to try to persuade him to pick her. But there was a different look in her eyes, which Takato couldn't quite place. "Takato, take Jeri and get out of here!"

Henry and Takato couldn't believe what they just heard. "Rika you're crazy!" cried Henry.

Takato got up immediately. "I'm not leaving you here!"

Rika knew he'd do this. "Takato, don't be stubborn. Take Jeri." She could see Takato was not convinced. "Listen Takato, if you take Jeri, you guys have a shot at living, but if you stay here trying to decide, then we'll all die. Take Jeri now and go!"

"But…" said Takato, softly and trying to hold back tears. "What about you? I couldn't bear it if you died!"

"Oh Takato," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "Please just take Jeri. She has such an innocent heart, and all her life to live…"

"So do you!" cried Renamon.

Rika continued. "Yes, I know. But she likes Henry, and I know she couldn't bear parting with him…" She turned to Takato. "Just like normally I couldn't bear to leave you…"

Takato realized then what that look in her eyes was. It was love. 'She's giving up her life,' he thought, heart beating loudly. 'Just for me and the other Tamers…' "Rika…"

Henry smiled. 'He's figuring it out…'

"A-Alright," he said finally. He gazed up at Rika, who was smiling. "I'll do it…but only because I-I…"

"I love you too," said Rika gently. Takato couldn't hold his tears back anymore. He hugged her and she returned his embrace, playing with his hair. Henry beamed. 'They did it, Takato found out who really likes…'

Rika smiled gently and Takato let go. "I promise everything will be alright ok? I'll make it, we'll all make it, I promise…"

Takato nodded tearfully. "I'll miss you…"

"I'll only be gone a little while," she said softly. He grinned and hugged her once more. She smiled and let a single tear run down her cheek. "Goodbye Takato…"

Henry unhooked the unconscious Jeri and held her in his arms. Kazu and Kenta sadly pried Takato away from Rika, who watched him lovingly as he smiled weakly and left. 'Goodbye my sweet Takato…we'll meet again, I promise,' she thought and turned to the sky, which was clearing. 'Even if I don't make it, I will always love you…' She turned to Renamon. "Tell Mom and Grandma I love them ok?"

Renamon nodded and began to cry. "Rika…"

"It's alright," said Rika. "I'll be back. Now go…" Renamon nodded and disappeared, waving gravely to her. "Good bye Renamon."

BlackGatomon watched this with interest. "My task is complete," he said softly, and he hit the button on the bomb and disappeared.

Rika smiled knowing she would be no longer and the place began to tear apart.

Takato and the others had walked no more than a few yards from the building when it exploded. "Everyone down!!" cried Henry, pushing everyone down and protecting Jeri with his body. He looked over to see Takato, watching the blast. After a few moments Takato screamed and ran back toward the explosion. "No Takatomon!!!" cried Guilmon, trying to run after him but Renamon held him down.

"TAKATO!!!!" cried Henry, but the explosion blinded everyone temporarily. So all they could do was wait.

When the dust cleared they were all sprawled on the rocks, cuts and scratches all over their bodies, however, no one made a sound, everyone was watching the building where Takato had disappeared. Jeri awoke and clung to Henry as they watched, wondering if he'd make it.

"Henry," said Jeri softly. "Will they make it?"

"I don't know Jeri," he said. "I just don't know…"

After a few moments they began to lose hope. "Takato…" said Jeri softly, tears in her eyes. "No…"

Kazu blinked back tears. Then he saw something. "Hey look!!!"

Henry squinted and could just make out a figure in the distance near the building. "Is that…?"

"It's Takato!!" cried Jeri. Everyone cheered and Guilmon ran joyfully to meet his Tamer. Renamon lingered with the others, Rika's D-arc clutched in her hand. Her figure flickered, but only a little.

Guilmon stopped halfway up to him. Takato had a sad look on his face, and he was carrying something. "Rika!" cried Henry. "He's got Rika!" Takato ignored them and kept walking. Rika was unconscious, or that's what he hoped. He carried her up to them and set her down on the ground, and he sat beside her and so did Renamon.

"Rika…" said Renamon softly, touching her hair. Rika didn't move. Takato shook her.

"Rika," he said softly. "Wake up…" Rika didn't answer, the wind just played with her hair. Calumon pulled in his ears and everyone watched in sadness.

"Wake up," said Takato, a little louder. There was no answer. He fought back his tears, but the pain hurt inside. There were cuts all over Rika's body, and she wasn't moving. Her breath was heavy and slow. Takato couldn't take the silence. "Rika! You promised everything would be ok!" Tears began to come, no matter how much Takato tried to hold them back. "Y-You promised you'd be alright! Rika!!!!!" There was still no answer. "R-Rika…" Her breath was dying out, getting shorter and shorter. Takato began to cry. "No…Rika…"

Renamon knew her Tamer was gone. She held Rika in her arms and cried also. Takato didn't want to believe it. He had finally found out that he loved her more than any thing else and now she was gone. Renamon held out her paw, and Takato knew that she was truly gone.

The D-arc was inside her palm, and it had a deep crack on the screen. It no longer fizzled, and the screen was just black. "N-no…" he stammered, taking it into his hands and staring at it, willing it to work. After a few moments he couldn't take it. He pounded his fist into the ground until it bled. He wanted to scream, he wanted to do anything, anything to make her come back….

He held her in his arms, and everyone knew he would not let her go for anyone. The song from the dance came back to him:

If I could fall into the sky,

Do you think time would pass us by?

Oh you know I'd walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you…

If I could just hold you…

1 Tonight…

"I still need you," he whispered gently into her ear. "Please don't leave me…"

A gentle wind blew past them, and Henry, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, and Ryo watched Takato close his eyes, still embracing his only love. 'Poor Takato,' thought Henry. 'He finally figures it out, and now he loses her…'

Takato opened his eyes. 'My Rika,' he thought. 'Even if you do leave me….I will never forget you…' He drew closer and kissed Rika's cold lips. He pulled back. 'She really is the Ice Queen now,' he thought. Tears came back and one dribbled down his cheek and hit her forehead. He hugged her tighter. "Oh Rika…"

There was a pause when something stirred in his arms. He lifted his head enough to see her moving. "Ta…ka…to?"

"Rika!" Takato allowed her to sit up and face him. She smiled. "Takato…." She closed her eyes and fell forward. "Rika?!" Takato caught her and she coughed up blood.

"Takato…" she said weakly, holding his arms. "I feel so weak…"

"No," said Takato. "I won't lose you again…you're going to be fine…Rika…"

Rika shook her head. "I don't know…Takato…I…love you…"

Takato hugged her tighter. "No! Don't die on me again! Please!!"

Rika closed her eyes. "Goodbye Takato…"

"No!!" wailed Takato, clinging to her. He began to cry harder. "Please…no…"

She grew limp and cold again, and Renamon began to fizzle and fade. "No! Renamon!"

Renamon only waved, crying. Then she disappeared. Takato couldn't believe it. He hugged Rika tighter, but she didn't come back. All of a sudden, her figure fizzled and slowly disappeared too. "No!" He cried, trying to make her come back. "Give her back!! Please…" he watched crying as she disappeared. "Rika…" She was gone, the Digimon Queen had really died. He got up, bits of her flying figure disappearing like the data did, only this data was golden colored. His tears ran dry and, clutching her D- arc in one hand, he turned and silently walked off. "Takato…" was all Henry said before all the Tamers departed. Henry watched Takato's disappearing figure. 'I hope he'll be alright…'

End of Chapter 6

That's the chapter. There is a sequel!! Is Rika really dead? Or will she come back? And what effect will this have on Takato? It might take a bit for the sequel to come out but it will be shorter than this one. It takes place 3 years after Rika died in this one, but I might take a while. The title will be somewhere around the lines of "Icy Hearts". I'm not saying that is the title but it's around that….