Me: Okay, gang-I don't own Digimon! Never have, never will.

Rika: Thankfully! Just one question-if that site isn't working, then why are you working on this thing in the first place?

Me: Easy-so that when it does start up-which would be now-I can just post them at my leisure. By the way, since I already posted up the previous ones before this, this shouldn't be a surprise to any of you. I think.

Takato: He thinks?! We're doomed.

Terriermon: Hey! That's my line!

Me: Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery funny. And, now, onward to the next installment in "A Rukato Wedding!"







Digimon Tamers: A Rukato Wedding

Chapter III-A Life for a Life







"Embrace the future I offer you!!" -IceDevimon, The Icemon Cometh

"Even now...you show no remorse for what you have done. I have no choice...but to destroy you!!" -Gallantmon, The Battle Within









On the night before the wedding, Rika had a terrifying nightmare that resulted in Takato and Guilmon being beaten by an old foe! It was so scary that Rika risked heading over to Takato's parents' house to see him, just to make sure he was okay! Luckily for her, Renamon chose to look for her, and things were a-okay, at least until an ambush by the Ice-Reaper was close by. Then, when Guilmon exited the house to see what was happening, there wasn't anyone there. Later, Renamon ended up telling Rika a story about this Spiritual Ring, a ring that was created to grant any Digimon the powers of a Mega, but if a Mega Digimon used the ring, they would be destroyed. When Rika told Takato and Henry about it, that just gave Takato two reasons to worry, other than the fact that he's reached his wedding day. Maybe the Ice-Reaper can help keep him busy while he waits for Rika at the altar, huh? Naah, probably not!







"CRIMSON TORNADO!!!"

Takato screamed loudly as he held up his hands in a vain attempt to protect himself. A second later, the attack vanished into thin air!

"What? How can that be?" The Virus-type Digimon grunted in surprise as he stepped forward, prepared for battle. Confused himself, Takato opened up his palms and found that silver ring Henry's father had given him, glowing a faint grayish color.

"So...you have a Spiritual Ring too, it seems. Goody, goody-then it's time to fight!" The Ice-Reaper smirked an evil grin while balling up his fists and floating in the air.

"'Spiritual Ring?' This thing?" Takato shrugged while pocketing the ring and pulling out his Digivice and a Modify card. "You ready, Guilmon?"

The Rookie Digimon nodded joyously, ready for anything. "Whatever you say, Takatomon."

Digimodify!

"Digimodify!" Takato yelled out while swiping the card in one motion. "Digivolution, activate!"

Digivolution!

"Guilmon Digivolve to...GROWLMON!!!"

The Champion Digimon slightly towered over the Ice-Reaper, but that didn't even concern him at all.

"I forgot to mention just one little detail-even though I'm at a higher level, I can still use all my former attacks! Avalanche Claw!!"

"Raaaaaahhhhh!!!" Growlmon roared in pain as he was rained on by shards of icicles seconds later!

"Ahhhhhh!!!" Takato screamed in agony as he felt the ferocity of that attack! Groaning softly, the Tamer slumped to his knees, barely able to stay awake.

"The last thing I needed was for Rika to get involved in this...! I've gotta stop this guy, for good!"









"Ahh!" Rika gasped slightly as she felt a twinge of pain, but it was enough to get her to stop doing what she hadn't wanted to do in the first place-preparing for the wedding.

"Rika, what's wrong?"

Rika grinned sheepishly while turning to face her mother, her grandmother, Takato's mother and Henry's mother at the same time, noticing Renamon appear by her side. "Sorry, but if I'm not mistaken, duty calls. Hold the hors d'oeuvres."

Seconds later, Rika and Renamon headed towards the doors of the church, sensing, rather than seeing, Henry and Terriermon by their sides a second later. "When'd you slip out?"

With a tiny smile, Henry replied, "Terriermon just mentioned that trouble was brewing, and the rest was history. Ryo and the others should be on their way shortly."

Rika couldn't hide a scowl from appearing on her face. "Just perfect."







"PyroBlaster!!"

Takato gaped in shock at seeing Growlmon's main attack being absorbed by the Ice-Reaper a second after it had been launched! The Ice-Reaper laughed hard and loudly while facing his adversary with an evil glint in his crimson-colored eyes.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have mastered the uses of this ring by now, boy? Now stand aside and allow me to collect my Tamer!"

"In your dreams, horn head!"

Takato gasped as he turned around, then quickly refocused his attention on the Ice-Reaper once he'd gotten wind that Rika, Henry and their Digimon had finally arrived.

"Rika...you guys made it!"

With a grin on her face, Rika responded cynically, "You didn't just think I-we would ignore your call for help, did you, Gogglehead?"

"No, no, not at all! I just, um...didn't want you to get hurt, that's it!"

Rika's grin grew slightly wider as she imagined Takato's face reddening up like a balloon after that statement. "Cute. Now, it's time for us to charbroil an ice sculpture!"

Digimodify!

"Digimodify!" Rika and Henry chorused as they swiped their cards in unison. "Digivolution, activate!"

Digivolution!

"Renamon Digivolve to...KYUBIMON!!!"

"Terriermon Digivolve to...GARGOMON!!!"

As the three Champion Digimon stood by their Tamers' sides, Gargomon chuckled lightly while facing the Ice-Reaper. "Well, gang, it's three of us against one of him, and we're all Champions! This'll be over before Takato and Rika are smooching under a palm tree in Honolulu."

"Gargomon! Pay attention!" Henry spat out, but at that precise moment, the Ice-Reaper lunged forward, the golden ring glinting in the sunlight.

"I don't think so! Icicle Scythe!!"

"Waahhh!!" The force of that one attack sent Gargomon spiraling toward the ground in one shot! Henry gasped loudly as he felt that blow himself.

"Dragon Wheel!!"

"PyroBlaster!!"

"Tundra Freeze!!" The two attacks were frozen in midair before the Ice-Reaper flapped his wings and fired shards of ice directly at the Digimon! "Avalanche Claw!!"

Takato, Rika, Growlmon and Kyubimon all cried out as the four of them were blasted to the ground, the two Digimon reverting to their Rookie levels. Henry tried to ignore his pain and helped Gargomon to his feet.

"Takato! Rika! Talk to me, guys! Are you two okay?!" Henry called worriedly, anxious to know what had just happened. Groaning, Takato got back up, grateful that his suit wasn't too badly damaged. Rika was just grateful that before she'd left, that she'd left her wedding dress inside with her mother and had come out wearing what she usually wore.

"We've gotta stop this guy before anyone can get hurt!" Rika growled, wiping the blood from her mouth. Takato nodded in agreement, neither one caring about tradition at that moment.

"Guys, it's time for an upgrade!" Takato declared defiantly as he and Rika held up their Digivices.

Biomerge Digivolution!

"Biomerge, activate!" Takato and Rika chorused as they both transformed into data and merged with Guilmon and Renamon for the first time in years!

"Guilmon Biomerge to...GALLANTMON!!!"

"Renamon Biomerge to...SAKUYAMON!!!"

Henry and Gargomon watched in amazement as the two Mega Digimon measured up to the Ice-Reaper in height.

"Hey, guys! What's going on?"

"Calumon?" Henry's mouth dropped in shock at hearing the In-Training Digimon's voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw Takato and Guilmon talking to that mean old Digimon earlier and I would've warned you guys, but my foot fell asleep on me."

Gargomon sighed as he twirled his gun barrels around briefly. "Are you ready, Henry?"

Waiting until his partner had deDigivolved, Henry nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Biomerge Digivolution!

"Biomerge, activate!" Henry yelled out as he transformed into data and, like Takato and Rika, merged with Terriermon for the first time in years.

"Terriermon Biomerge to...MEGAGARGOMON!!!"







"What took you so long?" Rika couldn't help herself, nor could she keep a smirk from appearing on her face. It was just who she was, and Takato didn't want that to change, not a bit.

"The usual-frozen statues in produce, icicles fired from the air, yadda, yadda, yadda..."

"Enough chatter!" Gallantmon strode forward, his shield and lance at the ready. "It's time to put an end to this menace once and for all! LIGHTNING JOUST!!!"

The super-charged attack struck the Ice-Reaper just as he was getting ready to use the ring! Roaring in pain, he staggered momentarily before righting himself.

"Everyone-look!" The others tried to see what MegaGargomon was pointing to-he happened to be pointing at the Ice-Reaper's hand. "That Spiritual Ring!"

Sakuyamon's eyes narrowed into slits while she rose her staff upward. "That ring does not belong to you, and you'll find out why, here and now! Amethyst Mandala!!"

Laughing fiendishly, the Fallen Angel Digimon used the powers of the ring to absorb the attack before it even touched him. "Please! As if a mundane attack like that would stop me! The only reason you even hit me before was because I hadn't expected the Goggle boy to have fierce teeth. Obviously, being with my future Tamer has taught you well. I look forward to breaking your spirit."

"Hey!" Rika screamed angrily from inside her sphere. "Nobody insults Takato like that but me! So, leave him alone!"

His laughter down to mere chuckles as he turned to face Sakuyamon, the Ice-Reaper replied, "That's what I admire about you, Rika-your stamina, your willpower, your determination to never give up when the odds are against you! Join me, and I might even allow this wedding to transpire, for to defy me even more would result in the groom accidentally missing the blessed event."

Rika gritted her teeth out of spite, not even noticing her sphere change into a blue fireball of immense power. "Don't you ever, ever, ever threaten to take Takato away from me! SPIRIT STRIKE!!!"

The three dragons who flew from behind Sakuyamon were the same colors as before-red, blue and green-but this time, they were glowing with a golden hue around them and, as they hit the Ice-Reaper and damaged him even more, Gallantmon and MegaGargomon noticed that Sakuyamon herself was glowing a dangerous color of blue.

"Sakuyamon, are you all right?" Turning briefly to see Gallantmon ask that question caused the blue color surrounding Sakuyamon to vanish as Rika's anger slowly started to ebb.

"Yeah...I'm fine."

"RAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" The Ice-Reaper roared with extreme anger and rage as his wounds started to heal, his body radiating a silver glow as his anger escalated.

"I will have my Tamer, even if I have to destroy everybody in this entire complex to do so! TUNDRA BLAST!!!"

The three Mega Digimon were hit hard with a powerful sheet of ice and within seconds had all deDigivolved back into their Rookie modes, their Tamers partially frozen in blocks of ice and shivering badly from the cold. With an evil smirk, the Mega Digimon started forward and then stopped, an idea coming to his head.

"If I simply got what I wanted now, then a gigantic search-and-rescue mission would unfold. On the other hand...if I picked up a trump card and used that to see how far her anger would go to...yes. Yes! That's it. To get who I want, I'll take who she desires the most for a test!"

The smirk still planted on his face, the Ice-Reaper suddenly turned and picked up Takato as well as the comatose Guilmon with one arm each!

"Hey-put them down!" Calumon cried out angrily as he revealed himself from inside the church doors. Turning to eye the In-Training Digimon, the Ice-Reaper chuckled to himself before floating in the air.

"I don't think so."

Struggling to fight the numbness radiating through her body, Rika saw Takato and Guilmon in the Ice-Reaper's clutches and not only had to fight the numbness, but also her tears.

"TAKATO! PUT HIM DOWN!!!"

The Ice-Reaper laughed demonically as he vanished from view entirely, still holding onto Takato and Guilmon tightly!

"Takato...!"

Oh, no! With Takato and Guilmon captured by the Ice-Reaper, does this mean the wedding's off? Find out what happens next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!