The Story of Us
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by summer dragonfly
Chapter VIII
"What's Ryo Up To?"
A/N: The question that has been fillin up my inbox is: "Do you know the time for Digimon Frontier?"
Well, I HAVE been watching Digimon Frontier on UPN. They've dubbed it pretty good, and they've changed
Izumi to 'Zoe', Junpei to "J.P.", knocked out the 'u' in Kouji's name, and Tomoki to 'Tommy'. I like the
voice for Izumi, it's fits her well. They've also got Ruki narrating it now! :o Who'd thought so? It
really bugs me that Tamers is no longer on FOX Kids. It has been removed from FOX's new Saturday lineup, the
"Fox Box". Oh well...UPN now shows it on Tuesdays-Fridays and Frontier on Mondays and Sundays. I live in Cali,
so I go by PST. Digimon shows on UPN at 7:30 AM for me, and Frontier on Sundays shows at 10:00 AM. As soon
as I find more times, I'll tell you, those who emailed me. Only problem about Tamers on UPN is
that they skip a bunch of episodes in between. Like last Wednesday, they showed the beginning episode
where everyone goes into the Digital World, and then on Thursday, they skip an episode, and on
Friday they skip two episodes to get to "Friend or Foe? Akiyama Ryo the Legendary Tamer" not that
I'm complaining...hehehe...anyway, that's my little DigiNews section. On with the show!
P.S. Sorry about the rapid skip of of time. It'll work itself out later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three months since the announcement of the D-Reaper's backup army. Everyone is staying at the newly rebuilt
Hypnos building, as Yamaki had suggested them doing. They all chipped in with the work, and they
had new developments everyday. So far, things were going pretty good...
"I still don't get it," Kazu loudly chewed on a slice of pizza. "If this little backup army is
going to bioemerge into the real world, what's taking them so long?"
"Well---" Yamaki started to say, but the others cut him off.
"Are you saying you actually WANT them here?" Kenta said in shock.
"No, I don't WANT them here..." Kazu swallowed. "I just want this whole thing to be over so we
can get back to our normal lives."
"And never speak a word to each other again?" Jeri said quietly.
All that were in the room looked a Jeri, who was standing at the window, staring out into the
city pensively. It had been a while since she said anything.
"It's been hard, Jer." Takato said guiltily.
"We don't talk, don't call, not even write." Jeri was still talking silently.
"We've all been busy," Henry tossed a pen up and down.
Jeri shook her head. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry I ever brung it up."
All of them now had a feeling of guilt on their conciouses.
"The reason they're not bioemerging is that they're biding their time," Yamaki explained. "They're
actually very intelligent. They have to save up some energy before breaking the barrier between
the Real and Digital Worlds."
"Can't we just go get them?" Kazu asked. "Takato found an entrance to the Digital World in the
park all those years ago, didn't you, Takato?"
"Well, yeah---" Takato said.
"---but we can't do that because we don't know what we're up against. We'd be walking right into
a trap." Yamaki continued typing away on his computer.
"My dad can help." Henry spoke up. "And his team of monster makers---"
"---I wouldn't disturb them with this."
"But to quote you, Mr. Yamaki..." Jeri said. "'The entire world is at stake.'"
"I realize that, Miss Katou." Yamaki turned around to look at them. "But we simply can't do that.
This is something we must find the answers to ourselves."
And he left them with their confused thoughts.
"Takato," Jeri whispered. "What about Ryo?"
"We've already asked, Jeri." Takato shrugged. "He's not 'fessing up bout what's going on with Ryo."
"Maybe---" Jeri hesitated. "Ryo's got a secret mission!"
"Don't be silly." Takato went back to looking up information. "If Yamaki decides he wants to tell
us something, he'll tell us."
Jeri pouted.
* * *
A little while later, Rika came into the room, her face sad and grave. She put the telephone back
down on its reciever.
"So there you are!" Kazu said. "Here we are working, and you were just yakking away on the pho---OWW!"
Kazu yelled as Takato whacked him around the head.
"What happened?" Henry asked. "Is everything OK at home?"
Rika couldn't seem to get the words out. "I'm---I'm afraid that I've got some bad news, everyone."
They all stopped what they were doing. Yamaki stared at her. "What is it?"
Rika sniffed, and it was obvious she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm very sorry, but I can't
help you as often anymore."
Jeri gasped. "Why? What's wrong, Rika?"
Rika looked down. "I--I--I just got off the phone with my--my mother. She said that my grandmother's
taken ill."
Everbody looked shocked. Jeri gasped again. "Oh my goodness!"
Rika nodded. "Yes, and I'm going to go home straight away. Grandmother's already gotten back from
the hospital, and I've got to help my mother take care of her. I'll send my work to you guys when
I find the time. I'm sorry." She started to get her stuff together.
"Wait." Yamaki got up. "You must realize---the danger---"
"I don't care." Rika threw things into her sports bag.
"Rika, stop." Kenta sat up, too. "You'll be taken hostage---"
"I SAID," Rika fumed. "I don't care."
They fell silent, not knowing what to say.
"Good luck then." Henry said, and they all looked at him. "Be careful."
"Thank you." Rika put on her jacket. "Like I said, I'll send any new developments to you here.
Goodbye. I'll stay in touch."
They watched her walk out of the door.
* * *
"More tea, Grandmother?" Rika put the tray next to her grandmother's bed. "It's herbal tea. It'll
make you feel better."
"Thank you, dear." Grandmother coughed, and Rika looked down sadly. "What's wrong, dear?"
Rika sniffed. "Nothing."
"I'm your grandmother, Rika. Don't think I don't know when something's wrong."
Rika sighed. "Grandmother..."
"Yes?"
"What's wrong?" Rika said awkwardly. "With you, I mean. How are you sick?"
Grandmother hesitated. "Cancer."
Rika gasped and started to panic. "Cancer?! But---"
"Shh, darling." Grandmother said. "Calm down."
Rika breathed. "Cancer?"
"Hai, liver cancer."
Rika swallowed a lump in her throat. It was difficult for her to accept what was happening.
"How long?"
"I've got a year." Grandmother said. "At the most."
Rika was very close to tears, but since she was always good at hiding her feelings, not even her
own mother could tell. She simply nodded.
"I'm glad you're taking this so well," Grandmother leaned back and took a sip of her tea.
"Yeah." Rika said with difficulty. "So, are you all right here?"
"Yes, I am." she smiled. "I don't want to take up your time."
"No, I like helping you out." Rika said quickly. "I really do."
"Tell you what, Rika." Grandmother put her cup of tea down. "If you really want to help me out,
why don't you go get some rest, hmm?"
"But I'm not tired---"
"Nonsense. Your eyes look tired indeed."
"But will you be OK? Where's Mom?"
"She's gone out to pick up a few things."
"Then there's no one to watch you---"
"For goodness' sake, Rika, I'm not paralyzed." Grandmother said indignantly. "Now, go and take
a nap. I'll be here, reading my stories." She held up a book.
Rika was worried, but gave in. "OK...just ring your bell if you need anything." she picked up
the bell on the night stand.
"Don't worry." Grandmother said. "I'll be fine."
* * *
Rika closed the door behind her as she exited her grandmother's bedroom. She walked around,
wondering what to do.
"I guess I'd better do what Grandma says." Rika yawned.
She began looking for some blankets to cushion the couch with when she had a sudden idea. "I wonder..."
She dashed to her old bedroom and gingerly slided the screen door open. There was the room
exactly as she had left it two years ago. *So Mother WAS lying...she didn't make it into a guest
room!*
Rika went and sat down on the desk chair, and began looking through her old stuff. *If I can stay
up long enough to look through these...* She bit her lip guiltily. *I should be working on research
for the deletion program.*
But that soon left her mind as she found old school papers and tests. She looked them over and over
again and couldn't believe that that was the kind of person she was back then. *I wrote my name
so weird then...*
After she had finished looking through everything she could find, she yawned again. As she opened
a desk drawer to put the last paper in, she found a photo. *Hmm...what's this?*
"Is it possible?" she said aloud, reading what was written on the back. "Six years ago..."
She turned it over. It was a picture of her and Ryo, with her kissing his cheek(A/N: Remember in
four when they all ditched school to go out, and Jeri took this picture? Yeah, that one!). For
a split second she looked at it and her eyes softened, but then she threw it back in the desk
drawer. *That's all over with now.* she thought with a feeling of remorse.
*You can't really have a relationship when you only see each other once a month.* Rika thought of
the reason why they broke up: lack of communication. *You really couldn't know if your significant
other was cheating on you...not that I accuse him of it. We're still friends, I guess...based on the
definiton of 'friends'.*
Rika angrily kicked her stack of old Yaffa blocks over and the whole thing went tumbling down.
*Aw, crap!* She bent down to catch them before they made anymore noise and was surprised about what
was behind them all this time.
"Ryo's necklace." she whispered, picking up the gold chain necklace with the purple heart. "I
remember."
[flashback]
"I'm going away to college, tomorrow." Rika said to Ryo over the phone.
"You are? Well, I am too. I'm going to miss you." he replied.
"I'm leaving the necklace you gave me here so that it doesn't get stolen." Rika said.
Rika went over to the Yaffa storage boxes and put the necklace in its case, on top of the stack
of blocks.
[end flashback]
"I guess it must've dropped." Rika said, picking up its dusty box.
*I forgot all about it when Ryo and I broke up...* Rika had another stab of guilt. *Well, if we
are still friends...I guess it would be OK...*
She dusted off the necklace's pendent and put it on. Her heart instantly felt warmer. *What's this
strange feeling?*
She was too tired to work it out. She went to lie down on the living room sofa and soon she was
fast asleep.
* * *
"Ahh!" Rika rolled and fell off the sofa at the sound of the doorbell. "What the...?"
She was so sleepy, it took a few seconds to her to put two and two together. *Oh, someone's at
the door.*
She got up and combed her chest-length brown hair with her fingers. *Maybe it's Mom..wait..Mom
has a key...or maybe one of my friends? Yamaki?*
Wondering who it could be at the middle of the day, Rika straightened out her light blue tank
top and matching blue running shorts. She sleepily answered the door.
She went wide awake when she saw who was standing at the door. "Ryo!" Rika exclaimed. "What are
you doing here?! Not that I didn't want to see you..." she added quickly.
Ryo stood there, looking very serious. "Hi, Rika. Long time no see."
Rika was sad that he didn't have more to say. "What...what are you doing here?"
Ryo laughed. "Oh, now you don't want to see me?"
"Of course not," she snapped. "...come on in. I was just taking a nap."
"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." Ryo stepped in, glancing around. *It's exactly as I remembered
it.*
"That's all right..." Rika said as Ryo sat down. She couldn't help but eye him suspiciously as
she was folding the blankets. "What ARE you doing here?"
"I---" he started to say, then he noticed what she had around her neck. "You're---" he pointed to
the necklace. "You're still wearing it..."
"Oh!" Rika touched the necklace, now mortified. "I'm sorry---I thought---you probably want it
back..."
"No, it's OK, really!" Ryo said, afraid that he had upset her. "It was a present."
Rika shook her head. "But now that we're---" She paused.
He looked away. "Yeah."
Rika sat down across from him. She didn't know what to say.
"So why aren't you at your dorm?" Ryo finally spoke up. "Your roommate said you went home---"
"Yeah, my grandmother's ill."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ryo said sincerely.
*Why does he always have to sound so honest?* Rika thought. "So, if you want the necklace back---"
she started again.
"For the last time, Rika, please...keep it." Ryo sighed. "It was a present from when I---when I
loved you."
Rika felt like throwing up. "When you lovED me? Are you saying that---that---"
"No, no, no!" Ryo said quickly. "I'll always love you, Rika."
She did not feel better. "I know that." Rika bit her lip. "But I mean...you don't love me love
me..." *What did I just say?!*
Ryo was confused. "I thought the reason we broke up is that YOU stopped loving ME."
"What are you talking about? We broke up because I was angry at you, not because I stopped
loving you!" Rika shouted. *What did I say again?!*
They went outside to continue the conversation. Ryo was even more confused. "You--you still love
me?"
Rika kicked a nearby stone, but all she got out of that was immense pain in her foot. "Yes...yes
I still love you, OK?! I'm not sure if I can ever stop loving you..."
Ryo sat down on the hall walkway outside the door. "Then why...?"
"I'm not sure." Rika sat down next to him.
They where quiet for a long time, but contemplating to themselves. Finally Rika spoke up, her
voice full of sadness. "What happened to us, Ryo?"
Ryo punched a wooden roof support. "Why don't you tell me that?"
She went over to the pond, watching the tadpoles and the turtles swim. "It's not important. You
don't love me anymore...or even like me for that matter. Who cares."
"I care!" Ryo said indignantly. "If you're willing to throw away everything we ever had, then fine.
But I'm not going to."
She turned to look at him with fire in her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying..." He sighed. "That I still feel for you what I did all those years ago."
"Ryo, I can't do this right now!" Rika yelled. "I can't have you just pop up in my life again
and expect everything to be all right! My mom is going to through an emotional breakdown, my
grandmother has a year to live and---" she stopped there and exhaled. *I wonder if he knows
about...about...*
Ryo took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Rika. I understand."
"NO, you don't!"
"I may not get your family's problems, but I know. About the disturbance in the Digital World."
Rika's expression changed. "Huh?"
"Shhh," he said. "I've known for a while now. Before you guys, I bet. And I have a special job."
"What?"
"In order for Yamaki's plan to work, we're going to need bait." Ryo said.
"So? What does that have to do with---" Rika gasped. "No, Ryo."
"Rika, it's OK. I've volunteered to do this." Ryo said reassuringly.
"But--but--what if you get hurt?" Rika said, her voice full of concern.
"Hey, when I was 14, I sent 5/6 of a year in the Digital World, remember?"
"But you had your Digimon and now---"
"I know their instincts better than anyone, Rika. Hypnos needs my help. I know how Digimon think. I
can trick them into getting where we want them."
"Let someone else do it!" Rika said, panicking. "You're too young to die!"
"Who ever said I was going to die?" Ryo said. "Do you want me to die?"
"No!" Rika said, throwing her arms around him. "I can't lose you..."
He hugged her back. "It's OK...nothing's going to happen to me..."
"You can't be sure of that." Rika pouted. "Unless you let someone else do it."
He broke out of her grasp. "I'll be fine. I've formulated a plan with Yamaki. He didn't want to
tell you guys until the last moment."
Rika walked around the garden, looking at the planted flowers. "Do you remember our first date,
Ryo?" (A/N: See chapter five)
*What's that got to do with anything?* Ryo pondered. "Yeah..."
"And you told me.." She looked up at a tree with pretty cherry blossoms. "That you wanted to spend
the rest of your life with me?"
"Yes." Ryo said guitily.
"If you do this, the rest of your life will be the rest of the year." Rika warned.
Ryo sighed. "I told you, Rika. Nothing's going to happen." He walked over to her and took her
hands in his. "You're going to have to trust me."
"I don't know..." Rika frowned. "Last time I trusted you, you said we were going to be together
forever."
Ryo didn't know what to say.
"You can't determine the future." Rika said.
"No, I can't." Ryo looked her straight in the eye. "But I can try."
"Does this mean...you're going to do it?" Rika started to get tears in her eyes, but quickly wiped
them away.
Ryo nodded.
"If anyone can do it..." Rika said, wiping away more tears. "It's you Ryo."
He smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For giving me the opinon that means to most to me in the world." He kissed her.
"I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to you." Rika hung onto him.
"You won't have to." Ryo said. "Because I'll come back safe and sound, you'll see."
* * *
Rika showed him out. "Well, goodbye for now..." she smiled. "Call me."
He winked at her. "I will."
She watched him go to his car. She was about to go back inside when...
"Hey Rika." Ryo took out his keys.
"Yeah?"
"Do YOU remember our first date?" He asked teasingly.
"Of course." Rika was puzzled. "Why?"
"'Cause I wasn't kidding about marrying you."
"Wha---"
But before she could say anything else, the black car sped away into the setting sun.
"Ryo, what are you up to?"
...end of Chapter VIII!
A/N: Well that gives you kind of a hint of what to look forward to in future chapters. I broke
them up for ONE chapter...I hope that wasn't too much..;). But in their world they had broken
up for about half a year. Thanks for reading and, as always, plz tell me your comments by reviewing!
See ya! ;D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by summer dragonfly
Chapter VIII
"What's Ryo Up To?"
A/N: The question that has been fillin up my inbox is: "Do you know the time for Digimon Frontier?"
Well, I HAVE been watching Digimon Frontier on UPN. They've dubbed it pretty good, and they've changed
Izumi to 'Zoe', Junpei to "J.P.", knocked out the 'u' in Kouji's name, and Tomoki to 'Tommy'. I like the
voice for Izumi, it's fits her well. They've also got Ruki narrating it now! :o Who'd thought so? It
really bugs me that Tamers is no longer on FOX Kids. It has been removed from FOX's new Saturday lineup, the
"Fox Box". Oh well...UPN now shows it on Tuesdays-Fridays and Frontier on Mondays and Sundays. I live in Cali,
so I go by PST. Digimon shows on UPN at 7:30 AM for me, and Frontier on Sundays shows at 10:00 AM. As soon
as I find more times, I'll tell you, those who emailed me. Only problem about Tamers on UPN is
that they skip a bunch of episodes in between. Like last Wednesday, they showed the beginning episode
where everyone goes into the Digital World, and then on Thursday, they skip an episode, and on
Friday they skip two episodes to get to "Friend or Foe? Akiyama Ryo the Legendary Tamer" not that
I'm complaining...hehehe...anyway, that's my little DigiNews section. On with the show!
P.S. Sorry about the rapid skip of of time. It'll work itself out later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three months since the announcement of the D-Reaper's backup army. Everyone is staying at the newly rebuilt
Hypnos building, as Yamaki had suggested them doing. They all chipped in with the work, and they
had new developments everyday. So far, things were going pretty good...
"I still don't get it," Kazu loudly chewed on a slice of pizza. "If this little backup army is
going to bioemerge into the real world, what's taking them so long?"
"Well---" Yamaki started to say, but the others cut him off.
"Are you saying you actually WANT them here?" Kenta said in shock.
"No, I don't WANT them here..." Kazu swallowed. "I just want this whole thing to be over so we
can get back to our normal lives."
"And never speak a word to each other again?" Jeri said quietly.
All that were in the room looked a Jeri, who was standing at the window, staring out into the
city pensively. It had been a while since she said anything.
"It's been hard, Jer." Takato said guiltily.
"We don't talk, don't call, not even write." Jeri was still talking silently.
"We've all been busy," Henry tossed a pen up and down.
Jeri shook her head. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry I ever brung it up."
All of them now had a feeling of guilt on their conciouses.
"The reason they're not bioemerging is that they're biding their time," Yamaki explained. "They're
actually very intelligent. They have to save up some energy before breaking the barrier between
the Real and Digital Worlds."
"Can't we just go get them?" Kazu asked. "Takato found an entrance to the Digital World in the
park all those years ago, didn't you, Takato?"
"Well, yeah---" Takato said.
"---but we can't do that because we don't know what we're up against. We'd be walking right into
a trap." Yamaki continued typing away on his computer.
"My dad can help." Henry spoke up. "And his team of monster makers---"
"---I wouldn't disturb them with this."
"But to quote you, Mr. Yamaki..." Jeri said. "'The entire world is at stake.'"
"I realize that, Miss Katou." Yamaki turned around to look at them. "But we simply can't do that.
This is something we must find the answers to ourselves."
And he left them with their confused thoughts.
"Takato," Jeri whispered. "What about Ryo?"
"We've already asked, Jeri." Takato shrugged. "He's not 'fessing up bout what's going on with Ryo."
"Maybe---" Jeri hesitated. "Ryo's got a secret mission!"
"Don't be silly." Takato went back to looking up information. "If Yamaki decides he wants to tell
us something, he'll tell us."
Jeri pouted.
* * *
A little while later, Rika came into the room, her face sad and grave. She put the telephone back
down on its reciever.
"So there you are!" Kazu said. "Here we are working, and you were just yakking away on the pho---OWW!"
Kazu yelled as Takato whacked him around the head.
"What happened?" Henry asked. "Is everything OK at home?"
Rika couldn't seem to get the words out. "I'm---I'm afraid that I've got some bad news, everyone."
They all stopped what they were doing. Yamaki stared at her. "What is it?"
Rika sniffed, and it was obvious she was trying to hold back tears. "I'm very sorry, but I can't
help you as often anymore."
Jeri gasped. "Why? What's wrong, Rika?"
Rika looked down. "I--I--I just got off the phone with my--my mother. She said that my grandmother's
taken ill."
Everbody looked shocked. Jeri gasped again. "Oh my goodness!"
Rika nodded. "Yes, and I'm going to go home straight away. Grandmother's already gotten back from
the hospital, and I've got to help my mother take care of her. I'll send my work to you guys when
I find the time. I'm sorry." She started to get her stuff together.
"Wait." Yamaki got up. "You must realize---the danger---"
"I don't care." Rika threw things into her sports bag.
"Rika, stop." Kenta sat up, too. "You'll be taken hostage---"
"I SAID," Rika fumed. "I don't care."
They fell silent, not knowing what to say.
"Good luck then." Henry said, and they all looked at him. "Be careful."
"Thank you." Rika put on her jacket. "Like I said, I'll send any new developments to you here.
Goodbye. I'll stay in touch."
They watched her walk out of the door.
* * *
"More tea, Grandmother?" Rika put the tray next to her grandmother's bed. "It's herbal tea. It'll
make you feel better."
"Thank you, dear." Grandmother coughed, and Rika looked down sadly. "What's wrong, dear?"
Rika sniffed. "Nothing."
"I'm your grandmother, Rika. Don't think I don't know when something's wrong."
Rika sighed. "Grandmother..."
"Yes?"
"What's wrong?" Rika said awkwardly. "With you, I mean. How are you sick?"
Grandmother hesitated. "Cancer."
Rika gasped and started to panic. "Cancer?! But---"
"Shh, darling." Grandmother said. "Calm down."
Rika breathed. "Cancer?"
"Hai, liver cancer."
Rika swallowed a lump in her throat. It was difficult for her to accept what was happening.
"How long?"
"I've got a year." Grandmother said. "At the most."
Rika was very close to tears, but since she was always good at hiding her feelings, not even her
own mother could tell. She simply nodded.
"I'm glad you're taking this so well," Grandmother leaned back and took a sip of her tea.
"Yeah." Rika said with difficulty. "So, are you all right here?"
"Yes, I am." she smiled. "I don't want to take up your time."
"No, I like helping you out." Rika said quickly. "I really do."
"Tell you what, Rika." Grandmother put her cup of tea down. "If you really want to help me out,
why don't you go get some rest, hmm?"
"But I'm not tired---"
"Nonsense. Your eyes look tired indeed."
"But will you be OK? Where's Mom?"
"She's gone out to pick up a few things."
"Then there's no one to watch you---"
"For goodness' sake, Rika, I'm not paralyzed." Grandmother said indignantly. "Now, go and take
a nap. I'll be here, reading my stories." She held up a book.
Rika was worried, but gave in. "OK...just ring your bell if you need anything." she picked up
the bell on the night stand.
"Don't worry." Grandmother said. "I'll be fine."
* * *
Rika closed the door behind her as she exited her grandmother's bedroom. She walked around,
wondering what to do.
"I guess I'd better do what Grandma says." Rika yawned.
She began looking for some blankets to cushion the couch with when she had a sudden idea. "I wonder..."
She dashed to her old bedroom and gingerly slided the screen door open. There was the room
exactly as she had left it two years ago. *So Mother WAS lying...she didn't make it into a guest
room!*
Rika went and sat down on the desk chair, and began looking through her old stuff. *If I can stay
up long enough to look through these...* She bit her lip guiltily. *I should be working on research
for the deletion program.*
But that soon left her mind as she found old school papers and tests. She looked them over and over
again and couldn't believe that that was the kind of person she was back then. *I wrote my name
so weird then...*
After she had finished looking through everything she could find, she yawned again. As she opened
a desk drawer to put the last paper in, she found a photo. *Hmm...what's this?*
"Is it possible?" she said aloud, reading what was written on the back. "Six years ago..."
She turned it over. It was a picture of her and Ryo, with her kissing his cheek(A/N: Remember in
four when they all ditched school to go out, and Jeri took this picture? Yeah, that one!). For
a split second she looked at it and her eyes softened, but then she threw it back in the desk
drawer. *That's all over with now.* she thought with a feeling of remorse.
*You can't really have a relationship when you only see each other once a month.* Rika thought of
the reason why they broke up: lack of communication. *You really couldn't know if your significant
other was cheating on you...not that I accuse him of it. We're still friends, I guess...based on the
definiton of 'friends'.*
Rika angrily kicked her stack of old Yaffa blocks over and the whole thing went tumbling down.
*Aw, crap!* She bent down to catch them before they made anymore noise and was surprised about what
was behind them all this time.
"Ryo's necklace." she whispered, picking up the gold chain necklace with the purple heart. "I
remember."
[flashback]
"I'm going away to college, tomorrow." Rika said to Ryo over the phone.
"You are? Well, I am too. I'm going to miss you." he replied.
"I'm leaving the necklace you gave me here so that it doesn't get stolen." Rika said.
Rika went over to the Yaffa storage boxes and put the necklace in its case, on top of the stack
of blocks.
[end flashback]
"I guess it must've dropped." Rika said, picking up its dusty box.
*I forgot all about it when Ryo and I broke up...* Rika had another stab of guilt. *Well, if we
are still friends...I guess it would be OK...*
She dusted off the necklace's pendent and put it on. Her heart instantly felt warmer. *What's this
strange feeling?*
She was too tired to work it out. She went to lie down on the living room sofa and soon she was
fast asleep.
* * *
"Ahh!" Rika rolled and fell off the sofa at the sound of the doorbell. "What the...?"
She was so sleepy, it took a few seconds to her to put two and two together. *Oh, someone's at
the door.*
She got up and combed her chest-length brown hair with her fingers. *Maybe it's Mom..wait..Mom
has a key...or maybe one of my friends? Yamaki?*
Wondering who it could be at the middle of the day, Rika straightened out her light blue tank
top and matching blue running shorts. She sleepily answered the door.
She went wide awake when she saw who was standing at the door. "Ryo!" Rika exclaimed. "What are
you doing here?! Not that I didn't want to see you..." she added quickly.
Ryo stood there, looking very serious. "Hi, Rika. Long time no see."
Rika was sad that he didn't have more to say. "What...what are you doing here?"
Ryo laughed. "Oh, now you don't want to see me?"
"Of course not," she snapped. "...come on in. I was just taking a nap."
"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you." Ryo stepped in, glancing around. *It's exactly as I remembered
it.*
"That's all right..." Rika said as Ryo sat down. She couldn't help but eye him suspiciously as
she was folding the blankets. "What ARE you doing here?"
"I---" he started to say, then he noticed what she had around her neck. "You're---" he pointed to
the necklace. "You're still wearing it..."
"Oh!" Rika touched the necklace, now mortified. "I'm sorry---I thought---you probably want it
back..."
"No, it's OK, really!" Ryo said, afraid that he had upset her. "It was a present."
Rika shook her head. "But now that we're---" She paused.
He looked away. "Yeah."
Rika sat down across from him. She didn't know what to say.
"So why aren't you at your dorm?" Ryo finally spoke up. "Your roommate said you went home---"
"Yeah, my grandmother's ill."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ryo said sincerely.
*Why does he always have to sound so honest?* Rika thought. "So, if you want the necklace back---"
she started again.
"For the last time, Rika, please...keep it." Ryo sighed. "It was a present from when I---when I
loved you."
Rika felt like throwing up. "When you lovED me? Are you saying that---that---"
"No, no, no!" Ryo said quickly. "I'll always love you, Rika."
She did not feel better. "I know that." Rika bit her lip. "But I mean...you don't love me love
me..." *What did I just say?!*
Ryo was confused. "I thought the reason we broke up is that YOU stopped loving ME."
"What are you talking about? We broke up because I was angry at you, not because I stopped
loving you!" Rika shouted. *What did I say again?!*
They went outside to continue the conversation. Ryo was even more confused. "You--you still love
me?"
Rika kicked a nearby stone, but all she got out of that was immense pain in her foot. "Yes...yes
I still love you, OK?! I'm not sure if I can ever stop loving you..."
Ryo sat down on the hall walkway outside the door. "Then why...?"
"I'm not sure." Rika sat down next to him.
They where quiet for a long time, but contemplating to themselves. Finally Rika spoke up, her
voice full of sadness. "What happened to us, Ryo?"
Ryo punched a wooden roof support. "Why don't you tell me that?"
She went over to the pond, watching the tadpoles and the turtles swim. "It's not important. You
don't love me anymore...or even like me for that matter. Who cares."
"I care!" Ryo said indignantly. "If you're willing to throw away everything we ever had, then fine.
But I'm not going to."
She turned to look at him with fire in her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying..." He sighed. "That I still feel for you what I did all those years ago."
"Ryo, I can't do this right now!" Rika yelled. "I can't have you just pop up in my life again
and expect everything to be all right! My mom is going to through an emotional breakdown, my
grandmother has a year to live and---" she stopped there and exhaled. *I wonder if he knows
about...about...*
Ryo took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Rika. I understand."
"NO, you don't!"
"I may not get your family's problems, but I know. About the disturbance in the Digital World."
Rika's expression changed. "Huh?"
"Shhh," he said. "I've known for a while now. Before you guys, I bet. And I have a special job."
"What?"
"In order for Yamaki's plan to work, we're going to need bait." Ryo said.
"So? What does that have to do with---" Rika gasped. "No, Ryo."
"Rika, it's OK. I've volunteered to do this." Ryo said reassuringly.
"But--but--what if you get hurt?" Rika said, her voice full of concern.
"Hey, when I was 14, I sent 5/6 of a year in the Digital World, remember?"
"But you had your Digimon and now---"
"I know their instincts better than anyone, Rika. Hypnos needs my help. I know how Digimon think. I
can trick them into getting where we want them."
"Let someone else do it!" Rika said, panicking. "You're too young to die!"
"Who ever said I was going to die?" Ryo said. "Do you want me to die?"
"No!" Rika said, throwing her arms around him. "I can't lose you..."
He hugged her back. "It's OK...nothing's going to happen to me..."
"You can't be sure of that." Rika pouted. "Unless you let someone else do it."
He broke out of her grasp. "I'll be fine. I've formulated a plan with Yamaki. He didn't want to
tell you guys until the last moment."
Rika walked around the garden, looking at the planted flowers. "Do you remember our first date,
Ryo?" (A/N: See chapter five)
*What's that got to do with anything?* Ryo pondered. "Yeah..."
"And you told me.." She looked up at a tree with pretty cherry blossoms. "That you wanted to spend
the rest of your life with me?"
"Yes." Ryo said guitily.
"If you do this, the rest of your life will be the rest of the year." Rika warned.
Ryo sighed. "I told you, Rika. Nothing's going to happen." He walked over to her and took her
hands in his. "You're going to have to trust me."
"I don't know..." Rika frowned. "Last time I trusted you, you said we were going to be together
forever."
Ryo didn't know what to say.
"You can't determine the future." Rika said.
"No, I can't." Ryo looked her straight in the eye. "But I can try."
"Does this mean...you're going to do it?" Rika started to get tears in her eyes, but quickly wiped
them away.
Ryo nodded.
"If anyone can do it..." Rika said, wiping away more tears. "It's you Ryo."
He smiled. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For giving me the opinon that means to most to me in the world." He kissed her.
"I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to you." Rika hung onto him.
"You won't have to." Ryo said. "Because I'll come back safe and sound, you'll see."
* * *
Rika showed him out. "Well, goodbye for now..." she smiled. "Call me."
He winked at her. "I will."
She watched him go to his car. She was about to go back inside when...
"Hey Rika." Ryo took out his keys.
"Yeah?"
"Do YOU remember our first date?" He asked teasingly.
"Of course." Rika was puzzled. "Why?"
"'Cause I wasn't kidding about marrying you."
"Wha---"
But before she could say anything else, the black car sped away into the setting sun.
"Ryo, what are you up to?"
...end of Chapter VIII!
A/N: Well that gives you kind of a hint of what to look forward to in future chapters. I broke
them up for ONE chapter...I hope that wasn't too much..;). But in their world they had broken
up for about half a year. Thanks for reading and, as always, plz tell me your comments by reviewing!
See ya! ;D
