Me: All right, people! I don't own Digimon, for one thing.
Rika: (sarcastically) And the other thing?
Me: This chapter is dedicated to Flamegaruru, an author who gave me the greatest plot to get this chapter started and finished. Also, this chapter will seem familiar, since some moments will remind you of "Homeward Bound." No, Takato will not be admitting anything to Jeri.
Rika: Good, 'cause if he did...(breaks wooden board in two pieces-with her head!)
Me, Takato: Ouch.
Rika: I wouldn't want to have to do anything to shatter what we have, okay, Gogglehead?
Takato: (stammers) Got it.
Digimon Tamers: Tamers V.S. Dracula
Chapter XII-Home Sweet Home
"People ask me why we're not together...I just don't know what to tell them." -Ross Gellar, "Friends"
"We're all fine...but we'd be better if we knew where Takato was." -Rika Nonaka, "Lionheart"
Biomerged into OmegaGallantmon, Takato and Rika had to use teamwork to bring down the
powerhouse ChaosMegidramon, but in the end, it ended up being Rika and Renamon who
stopped the Virus-type. And, when they got to take on Dracula, the big guy was rammed into
with numerous balls of darkness! Things weren't going too well until Takato and Rika
remembered how they'd gotten this far-not just because of their devotion to each other, but
because of the partnership with their Digimon. With that revelation, OmegaGallantmon found
the strength needed to stop the Dark Prince once and for all! Now, the Tamers can safely go
home without any problems...or can they?
10:00 in the morning. Takato found himself still laying in bed, with his pajamas still on, his mind locked on the events that had occurred the previous night. All because of a kiss-a passionate kiss, and a determination to fight side by side-he and Rika had found the power within themselves to Biomerge together and create OmegaGallantmon, one of the most powerful Digimon ever brought to life! That hadn't been a problem, at least, not for him. It had been the temptation he'd had to endure the entire time he and Rika had been next to each other in their separate spheres.
"There's gotta be some way we can will our clothes to stay on us when we Biomerge. Maybe if I wished really hard, the next time Guilmon and I Biomerge, I'll just look down and see my clothes and feel my goggles on my head. That's it-"
Takato's thoughts were interrupted as his girlfriend Rika entered in with a cynical look on her face.
"It's morning time, and you still haven't gotten changed? Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed earlier?"
Blushing slightly, Takato murmured, "You would know about that, wouldn't you, since you were on that side of the bed earlier."
Rika's own cheeks flushed at that statement while sitting beside her somewhat comatose boyfriend. "Never mind. Why aren't you getting ready? We leave in two hours for the airport and then we leave for home at 4:00."
"Oh. Well, uh...I was just thinking about what happened last night when we...you know." Takato's cheeks turned even redder as he recalled last night's harrowing events. Rika didn't even have to finish his sentence-her own crimson cheeks were evidence enough that she'd understood.
"And, your point would be?"
"Why did it happen when it did? Us Biomerging with our Digimon like that."
Rika herself had been racking her brain with questions like that during most of the morning, and she still couldn't come up with a decent answer.
"The only good answer I can give you is one that Renamon gave me: 'Things happen for a reason. This was one of them. You should accept it, and move on.'"
Takato's eyes blinked once or twice as he came to grips with what Rika had just told him.
"Wow. You actually took time out to listen to what she said?"
"Of course, Takato. She is my partner, after all. Wouldn't you take the time to listen to Guilmon if he had something to say?"
"Yeah, if almost every sentence didn't end with, 'is it time to eat, Takatomon?'"
Both Tamers shared a few bouts of laughter, something that they hadn't had much of since they'd come on vacation some odd days ago. Takato sighed as he sat up and stared deep into Rika's violet eyes, hearing the song "Weathered" on Rika's radio vaguely behind them.
"You know that we can't ever bring OmegaGallantmon back, right? Not until we can figure out a way to bypass the...current situation."
Nodding in agreement, Rika smiled softly as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. Takato grinned weakly as he leaned forward and closed his own eyes. The two of them got closer, and closer, until...
"Guys, the cab's on its way, and I-whoa! Looks like I just came in at the wrong time."
Takato and Rika separated, both of them blushing furiously and Rika instantly turning, her eyes glaring daggers at Ryo for butting in at an inopportune moment.
"Is there anything else we can do for you?" "Like tattoo a 'kick me' sign onto your back?" Rika's smile returned-briefly-as this thought came to mind.
"No, that's about it." Noticing that Takato hadn't gotten dressed, Ryo couldn't help but poke a few jabs in. "Rika, it's barely morning! Give him time to get dressed, at least."
Jumping up, Rika slammed the door in Ryo's face, her cheeks still flushed and a look of anger across her face. "You're one to talk! At least I have somebody to be with, unlike you, Mr. Sincerity!"
"Guess I'd better get dressed, huh?" Takato got up and headed over to where he'd laid his clothes out the previous night. "By the way, what happened to Guilmon, anyway?"
"Around 7:00, the rabbit wanted to make a snowman, and since Henry wasn't up, and Dinoboy was, guess who got to be the guinea pig for the rabbit."
Laughing, Takato picked up his clothes and prepared himself to get changed. A moment passed when he realized Rika hadn't yet left.
"Uh, Rika? Any reason why you haven't left?"
"It's not like you have anything I haven't seen, Gogglehead."
Takato blushed extremely red as Rika giggled while turning to leave.
"That's it! Next time, I've gotta choose my words carefully when I Biomerge with Rika. If we
ever do Biomerge again, that is."
Two hours later, the Tamers were loaded up in the cab and peeling out, heading toward the airport as quickly as time would allow it. Since the attack on Transylvania had done all but completely devastate the populace, it would take time for the team to get to the airport in the first place. Takato found himself absentmindedly fingering the presents he'd gotten his parents earlier in the week.
"The one big major upside to this-besides leaving this place-is that Rika and I won't have to worry about working for that meat seller guy again."
"Takatomon?"
"Ahhhh!" Takato jumped while being jarred out of his thoughts by his own Digimon partner.
"Yeah, Guilmon? What is it?"
"When's lunch? I'm hungry."
Blinking again, Takato stared at Guilmon with a look of amazement. "You just had breakfast over three hours ago!"
"That's Guilmon for ya. We should assign some kind of a forklift for him, so whenever he wants food, he can just go over to it." Terriermon quipped.
"Terriermon! You eat just as much as Guilmon does, so don't start." Henry chided.
"Maybe I do, but at least I don't look like the Goodyear blimp...well, at least not all the time."
Henry sighed deeply as Jeri giggled while holding his hand.
At that moment, while looking out at the second cab that was trailing them, Takato had a funny feeling in the back of his head. Noticing it, Rika eyed him with a look of concern.
"Takato? What is it?"
"I'm not sure. I just have this really strange feeling that we've forgotten something."
At that moment in time, back at the hotel that the Tamers had resided in, a drawer suddenly started shaking in a fast movement.
"Hey! Can anyone get me outta here? Takato, Rika, Guilmon, where'd you guys go? It's getting lonely in here, and dark, and creepy-whoa!"
A second later, the drawer popped open and Calumon came flying out and landed safely onto the bed, to the surprise of the maid who'd come to clean up.
"Hi, there! Did you just let me out? If you did, then thanks! Have you seen a red, dinosaur-like Digimon who has some kinda hazard sign on his chest and who reaches up to heeeeeeeeere..." Calumon stretched as far as his arms would take him, which wasn't very far, matter-of-fact.
"Anyway, my friends and I were supposed to leave for home today, and I don't know where they are. Could you help me find them...?"
At that second, Calumon felt the bed shake as the maid dropped to the ground, passed out.
"Hmm. Guess she wanted to take a nap before helping me out. Oh, well. Wonder if they have
any more cream puffs? The one back in there didn't look so good."
"Hey! Any reason why we stopped at this vendor's store?" Kazu asked irritably as the Tamers all exited their cabs while in the outskirts of Transylvania.
"Yes, Kazu, there is." Rika silenced him with a withered look, though he still tried to keep eye contact with her. "Takato and I have something we have to do before we leave here. Come on, Takato."
"Rika, maybe you could go in there for me and give him my regards-"
"Gogglehead!" Rika turned around and yanked Takato forward by the collar on his coat. "We don't have time for your mundane jokes or attempts at humor, no matter how funny they can get-sometimes."
"Okay, Rika, okay! Can you please let go now? I'm coming already!"
Terriermon laughed out loud as the two of them exited inside. "Not even married, and she already has him whipped, huh, Henry?"
Despite Takato's protests, Rika strode boldly inside the store where Guilmon and Calumon had, just a few days ago, all but wrecked the store of this part-time meat seller. To her surprise, he wasn't there.
"Well, he isn't here. Oh, well. We tried-"
"Ring the bell." There was a hint of anger in Rika's voice, so Takato grabbed the bell and rang it-loudly, I might add.
"Takato!?" Rika covered her ears at the incessant sound of the bell banging against her eardrums, her eyes piercing her boyfriend with a look that screamed payback.
"Well, you dragged me in here! If you'd just come in here on your own, without me-"
"Hello, young ones!" The two of them stopped their "argument" and turned to face the meat seller, who'd just come in from the back. "What can I do for you this fine day? I thought I'd given you both the day off."
"Oh, that's right. You did." Takato nodded briefly before Rika nudged him in the ribs. "Uh, anyway, we've got to go home today, but we didn't want you to still think we were in town and just trying to-"
"Understandable. I told you this arrangement of ours was only until the two of you left. So, as a token of my appreciation, here-" Takato and Rika sweatdropped in surprise and shock as they both had to use their arms to catch five pieces of meat, covered by plastic. "-ten pieces of my finest meat, for you, your bride-to-be and those Digimon of yours. Feast well, and enjoy life to the fullest!"
"We will, sir." Rika and Takato respectfully bowed to the meat seller, even though they weren't in Japan at the time. Minutes later, they exited the store and were promptly hounded by Terriermon and Guilmon!
"Guys, what are you doing? We still need to get to the car!" Takato screamed out.
"Hey-Dinoboy, 'Momentai rabbit,' get away from the food!" Rika insisted.
"But we're hungry!" Guilmon protested.
"Yeah, and we need fiber and protein in our diet." Terriermon added. Renamon sighed impatiently while pulling them both away from the meat.
"You can wait a little while longer for lunch. You would have to, if we were being attacked."
"Aw, man!" Guilmon and Terriermon chorused sadly.
"Are you guys ready to go?" Kenta piped up. Nodding, Takato struggled to stuff the pieces of meat in the trunk of the car, but with some suitcases already filled up to the top, it was rather difficult. Irritated with the events of the day, Rika yanked Takato away from the cab and picked up the pieces of meat.
"You don't stick meat in the trunk of a cab, Takato!"
"Sorry! Sheesh, what's with you today, Rika?" Takato couldn't hide his own irritation any longer, and that got Rika slightly calmer, if not more irritated. "Ever since this morning, you've been snapping at me left and right! What did I do?"
Sighing sadly, Rika placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. "It isn't you, Takato. What am I gonna tell my mom and grandma when I come home with five pieces of meat?"
"You could always tell them my mom and dad ran out of places to stock 'em!" Takato
suggested. With a happy smile, Rika kissed Takato quickly on the lips before hustling him-and
the others-back into the cabs.
"Gee, I wonder why this street's marked with funny, black lines?" Calumon had made his way out of the hotel and was now facing the way the Tamers had left.
"Could Takato and the others have gone this way? Ohh, but why would they leave me behind?
Aren't I just as good a team member as anyone else?"
It had taken them about three hours, at the latest, but at 2:00, the Tamers had made it to the airport. Truly excited to be going back home, they all pulled their stuff out of the cabs-Takato and Rika paid the cab drivers with half of the money they had left over-and headed toward the gate.
"Okay, Tamers! Since all of us are here, why don't we do a Digimon head count?" Takato advised calmly. Without waiting for an answer, he started. "Guilmon?"
"Right here, Takatomon!"
"Renamon?"
"Present."
"Terriermon?"
"Willing, ready and able for battle!"
"Leomon?"
"Present."
"Hmm. Guardromon?"
"Present, leader of the all-mighty Tamers!"
"Hey-Takato can't be the leader. He hasn't even won one card game!"
Takato groaned while clenching his fists back and forth again, until Rika started massaging his shoulder. "I won at least one card game! If we could have some quiet? Thank you. MarineAngemon?"
"Here."
"Cyberdramon?"
A grunt from Ryo's direction told Takato that the Ultimate Digimon was here and accounted for.
"Lopmon?"
Expecting to hear Lopmon's response, Takato was amazed when he instead heard a squeal of pain. Turning downward, the Tamers saw the Rookie Digimon in a tight hug by Susie.
"Lopmon would talk, angwy kid, but she's busy with her bweathing exercises."
Takato rolled his eyes at that statement, but calmed down. "Calumon?"
Silence was clearly heard, except for the chatter of people from behind them.
"Calumon? Where are you?" Jeri asked.
"Calumon? This is no time to be playing around!" Rika insisted.
"Everyone, calm down!" Renamon advised. As pandemonium would have struck, silence resumed its normal course. "Did anyone see Calumon following the battle against Dracula last night?"
After a moment more of silence, Guilmon spoke up. "I thought I heard something last night while I was trying to go to sleep, but it was only a rat. I ended up roasting him, however!"
Takato slapped himself on the forehead, groaning loudly at that statement. "What'd you do to the rat, Guilmon?"
"Oh-I put him in the garbage can. I'd already eaten, so I didn't need to eat anymore after that."
Takato started slamming his head against the wall in frustration until Rika gently stopped him. "It'll be okay. Renamon and I will go find Calumon."
"Are you sure?" Ryo asked grimly.
"What if you missed the plane?" Takato's question wasn't one of curiosity, but of worry.
Smiling, Rika cupped Takato's chin in her hand. "Don't worry-we'll be back by nightfall."
"Takato! Rika! Guilmon? Jeri? Where are you guys? Ohhh..." Saddened, and tired from flying
around most of the day, Calumon perched himself next to a vendor's store, retracting his ears.
"Doesn't anyone love me anymore?"
"Digimodify! Digivolution, activate!" Rika yelled out while swiping a Modify card at that instant.
Digivolution!
"Renamon Digivolve to...KYUBIMON!!!"
Smirking, Rika climbed onto Kyubimon while tossing Takato her ticket. "Hold onto that for me, okay?"
"Got it!" Takato grinned as Rika and Kyubimon started off, on the search to find Calumon.
"Now can we eat?" Guilmon and Terriermon chorused. Takato and Henry rolled their eyes upward.
"Fine-you can each have two pieces." Henry relented quickly.
"Yay!" Tearing the plastic off, Guilmon and Terriermon started eating like they'd never eaten food in their whole lives!
"I hope they get back in time." Takato admitted to himself.
"Don't worry, Takato-Rika's strong. She'll find Calumon and get him back before we have to go." Jeri said calmly. Leomon nodded, still intrigued that after all she'd seen, that Jeri could still be the same person he'd met in Shinjuku Park.
"Thanks, Jeri."
"We'll never find Calumon with these people in our way!" Kyubimon spat out while running as fast as she could go.
"And, we'll never make it back in time! We've gotta pick up the pace-and I know just how to speed things up." Rika held up a Modify card before swiping it.
"Digimodify! Hyper Speed, activate!"
Instantly, Kyubimon's speed was so fast, she and Rika could've been considered a blur amongst the people of Transylvania.
"Yeah! Onward, Kyubimon! Whoo!!"
At 3:30, Takato had started pacing around the others, worry and anger stretched across his face. "I shouldn't have let her go alone. I could've went with her."
"Then you'd have Guilmon worried about you, wouldn't you?" Takato turned to see Henry, a confident look on his face. "Rika's gonna be fine, Takato. Any minute now, she'll be walking through those doors with Renamon and Calumon in tow. You'll see."
Waiting until Henry had turned back around, Takato sank to his knees and started crying softly.
"No one understands...Rika may act tough, but I can still see that look of longing in her eyes
whenever I would walk her to school, even though I was risking Ms. Asagi's wrath for
myself...She just doesn't see how vulnerable she can be while she's like this..."
Takato couldn't have been more wrong in his life. Rika knew precisely how vulnerable she could get, and that reason alone was why she was still the way she was, even if she was changing her ways for him.
"When Takato forced Guilmon to Digivolve to Megidramon, it awakened something inside of me that I thought was dead long ago...I didn't know that someone who'd I deemed to be a weak Gogglehead could have that much rage and darkness inside, to be released with Leomon's death..."
Rika's thoughts were broken as she heard a tiny voice call out near her location.
"Guys, where are you? Takato! Rika! Anyone here?"
"Calumon!"
"Huh? Oh, hi, Rika!"
As Kyubimon made her way over to the In-Training Digimon, Calumon happily flew forward, to be enveloped into Rika's arms in a gentle hug.
"Come on-let's get outta this place and get home, huh?"
"You can say that again, Rika!"
"Flight 137 to Shinjuku is now boarding."
"Whoa! These guys are early." Terriermon noted while checking the clock on the wall-it read 3:45.
"But, what about Rika and Renamon?" Takato asked. "They still aren't back yet."
That alone was a different subject altogether. For a few minutes, they all just stood there, expecting Rika or one of the others to appear, but it didn't happen.
"What about this? We all go onboard, and Takato and Rika can use their tickets and get safely to their seats before the plane takes off." Ryo suggested. That sounded agreeable to everyone, except Guilmon.
"If you're gonna wait for Rika and Renamon, then I'm waiting with you, Takato."
Takato gently shook his head. "I couldn't live with myself if I forced you to stay here with me and something horrible happened that would make you miss the plane. Get onboard, boy. They'll have those peanuts you liked before."
After seeing the determination in his Tamer's eyes, Guilmon nodded, turned around and headed toward the others.
"Flight 137 to Shinjuku is now boarding."
"Can't we pick up the pace? What if the others have left already, or what if they're on the plane?"
"As much as I would hate to admit this, Calumon's got a point! Well, Kyubimon? Still have enough energy left for one last try?" Rika asked. The Champion Digimon nodded quickly and waited while Rika slashed the card through.
"Digimodify! Speed, activate!"
"Warning: Last call for flight 137 to Shinjuku."
Takato grimaced sadly as he reluctantly picked up his stuff-as well as Rika's-and ran as fast as he could toward the gate. Luckily, he'd made it there just in time.
"One...ticket...to Japan, please..."
Takato held out one of his tickets. A moment later, he was cleared by the attendant.
"Thank you..." Takato suddenly broke out into a run, holding onto Rika's ticket with a firm grip as he ran down the runway as fast as he could. Within seconds, he saw that the plane was already going down the runway! Grunting, Takato looked around and, to his surprise, he saw a forklift-a forklift that had keys inside of them!
"Thanks!" Takato yelled out as he drove off, putting pedal to the metal while speeding up as fast
as possible.
Guilmon, safe in First class along with Terriermon, Henry, Susie, Lopmon, Jeri and Leomon knew something was wrong. He felt it.
"Takato's not on the plane! Someone, stop the plane! Please, stop the plane!"
"Guilmon!" Henry quickly covered the Rookie Digimon's mouth a moment later. "How do you know Takato isn't on the plane?"
"Because that's his seat, and its empty."
"So?" Terriermon noted calmly.
"Usually, if Takato was on the plane, he would be next to Rika, and she would have her head up against his head."
"Oooooookay, that's quite enough, Guilmon." Terriermon said grimly. At that instant, the lop-eared Digimon saw a pair of goggles seeming to fly in the air behind them.
"Guys, Guilmon's right! Takato's not on the plane-he's outside, on a forklift!"
"Hey, Gogglehead! You weren't thinking of going home without your bride-to-be, were you?"
Turning around, Takato felt his heart sing as he saw Rika and Calumon ride in on Kyubimon!
"Rika! I thought you wouldn't make it back."
"You know me better than that. Now, turn that thing off, get our stuff and climb on."
That's when the airplane's door opened, and Takato and Rika all saw most of the Tamers in front of it, yelling for them to get on.
"Okay, but I don't know how this thing works-"
Takato gulped as he accidentally flipped a switch and up went the bags! Rika grunted in irritation, but their stuff went high enough so that Henry and Kenta could grab it.
"Way to go, Takato! Yay!" Calumon cheered.
"Okay-now get over here, already!" Rika yelled out.
Finding the keys hadn't been that hard. Once he turned it off, slowing down was the problem for Takato.
"You're supposed to do this-!"
Grinning, Rika leaned over and grasped Takato's hand with her own, pulling him off of the forklift and onto Kyubimon.
"Hang on!" Kyubimon advised.
"Digimodify! Power, activate!" Rika demanded. That's when Takato got the surprise of his life. As the plane started to take off, Kyubimon leaped up into the air and started to launch one of her attacks.
"Jump now!" Rika yelled as she, Takato and Calumon jumped off as far as they could towards the plane.
"Dragon Wheel!!"
A second later, the Tamers-and some Digimon-all cried out as Takato, Rika and Calumon all collided into them. Seconds afterward, Renamon-deDigivolved from Kyubimon-landed safely inside the plane.
"This is one vacation I'm sure I won't forget!" Takato stammered excitedly.
Later on that night, Kazu and Ryo were busy playing a certain card game, remembering what had occurred on their way to Transylvania.
"The plan with the water balloons-pure genius!" Ryo said.
"Thanks. No offense to my pal, but Chumly couldn't plan his way outta a cardboard box."
"And Rika? She'd be too busy spouting out words of anger to even think straight."
"That is why they are now among my army of Tamers." a voice hissed. With widened eyes, Kazu and Ryo looked up to see...
"Dracula?! But-but how? We all saw you get dusted by OmegaGallantmon!" Kazu sputtered. Managing to keep his composure, Ryo nodded. "Yeah. How?"
"Please. For creatures of the night to regenerate themselves, it's quite easy. And now, it is time for me to feast..."
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Kazu and Ryo both bolted out of their seats and raced to the bathroom. A moment later, the "vampire" started laughing out loud as Takato and Rika tossed off the costume they'd bought while at Transylvania and as Takato climbed down Rika's back.
"Didn't I tell you it would be worth it to buy this thing, Rika?" Takato couldn't stop laughing, so he held onto Rika for support.
"Yeah, and I have to admit-it was worth it to see Ryo scream, 'nooooooooooo!!!!!!!'" Takato
and Rika started laughing again as they headed back to 1st class, revenge upon the tormentors
completed.
Unfortunately, safely secured in the cargo hold, safe from the sun's violent rays, Dracula, in his bat-like form, was already preparing his next stage of attack.
"Soon, we shall arrive at the Tamers' home, and I shall set the stage for my next plan of attack!"
At least the big, bad vamp didn't cause that much trouble! But, what are the Tamers gonna do when they finally do make it home? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!
