Fated: Part Fifteen

A Sacrifice....



The building seemed empty... well, at least on the outside. After heading up the stairs to the rooms where all the madness had begun, you'd start to think otherwise. At least, Takato and the others thought so.

"What do you think, boy? Is there anyone behind this door...?"

Guilmon took a few sniffs, thought for a moment... then laughed happily. "People!" he exclaimed, proud of himself. Maybe he would be rewarded with some food later! Oh... just the thought made him want to get done faster! He was hungry...!

"Wow...!" murmured Terriermon from his perch-- Herny's head. "Hey-- can you tell if they're fat or skinny? Tall or short? Male or fe--"

"Terriermon!!" Henry snapped. He was a little cranky now, if you couldn't tell.... After all... he had just heard what Takato had gone through up there.... Who wouldn't want a little silence...?

The digimon was a taken back slightly. Still... he didn't know when to shut up. "What? Can't a mon be curious?!"

Henry growled lightly and wished that he could look at the smart aleck digimon. Being quiet was the whole idea-- especially when there were people in the next room! He snapped, "Not right now, he can't!"

"Aww, man!"

A giggle was heard off to the side. Jeri, of course (you wouldn't really expect Kazu or Kenta to giggle). It was cute... well, to her at least. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she laughed lightly. Henry never seemed this irritable, either! It was just... so different! "You," she stated with another giggle, "act like you've known each other forever!"

Wha... what? Henry glanced at Jeri with a bright blush-- partially from what she said and partially from getting so much attention from her.... They... they did NOT act like that! How could they when he barely knew the little rascal?! Still... he couldn't argue with her.... Instead, he asked, "You think...?"

Meanwhile... the little nib-nose noticed the silence, the blush and the nervousness of his 'partner.' Ooh... so that's how it was.... Grinning evilly, Terriermon announced, "Looks like someone likes someone!" (A/N: For you, DC!!^^)

Before the blue haired boy could strangle the bunny digimon, the door swung open with a whoosh! All eyes turned to the person standing in front of them.... While almost all of them felt nothing but confusion and nervousness... one person merely opened their mouth... and closed it when the words would not flow....

The man holding the door open studied the small group for a second... then noticed that one person.... Both happy and scared at the same time, the man merely muttered: "Henry...?"

~*~

"--and we've been working on a solution ever since."

Henry, who had already found the time to reunite with his father, now nodded. It was taking a while for everything to sink in.... Some things were a little harder to deal with than others... like the fact that his father was actually a part of all this.... Sure-- he had his guesses, but he never....

"Um... Mr. Wong, sir?" Jeri interrupted, meekly raising a hand for formal questioning. She was a polite girl, alright. "Um... when you say 'solution,' do you mean... a way of correcting your mistakes...?"

What a smart child! Janyu nodded weakly. The kids would understand.... "We still have a few kinks in the program, but we are trying to find a way to reverse the process."

Okay... what? What the heck was he talking about?! "Hey, Henry's dad-- does that mean you're trying to get rid of the digimon?!" Kazu asked, slightly peeved. He practically breathed digimon! If they were to take away the one thing that pretty much completed his life... then he'd have no reason to go on! I mean, really! Who didn't want digimon to be real?!

"But... how...?"

All eyes fell on Takato. His question had hit a string that no one else felt like playing. He knew that, well... someone had to say it. So....

"That's just the thing...," Janyu replied wearily. "We're not quite sure how it will work." They... they didn't know yet! If they had enough time, they could possibly fix the mess that had been made, but... time was precious-- and short. Perhaps they could find the answer before tomorrow...? Maybe even--

"They... they called me the 'creator,'" Takato murmured, sliding his eyes to the ground. He wasn't sure why he'd decided on saying that.... It might not even be important! Yeah-- for all he knew, that unimportant little tidbit would get laughed at!

Then again... every little piece helped... right?

What did he just...? What did he say?! 'Creator?' But he had thought... no. It HAD to be.... If so, then... then maybe-- just maybe.... Janyu glanced over the rim of his glasses with stern, serious eyes-- ones that no one could lie to.... Asked he: "Are you positive?"

Henry stared at his father in a state of shock; he didn't even notice Terriermon poke and pull at his face! No... his confusion was not caused by the question asked... the disbelief heard.... It was his attitude.... He... it was just that he'd never seen his father look like that.... So desperate... so anxious... so....

So completely different from his father....

"I'm sure...." How could he forget... what that Meramon said...? Its raspy voice echoed throughout the brown haired boy's mind; he shook his head slightly. Besides... why would he lie...? A cold chill ran down his spine, and Takato shivered weakly. Right now... he wanted to know one thing:

Why was it so darn COLD all of a sudden?! Wasn't there some kind of furnace in that stupid place? I mean, come on!

"Um... Mr. Wong?" Kenta sighed and took a quick look out the window. All those digimon... and none for him! Well... not yet, anyway. Come to think of it, everyone else had a digi-pal! Why did he have to be left out? It wasn't like he'd be cruel to it! After letting out another sigh, the boy went on:

"Why, exactly, does it matter if they called Takato the 'creator' or not?"

Wha-what? They... they didn't understand? They couldn't... they couldn't fit the pieces together and come up with the correct solution? The man groaned, not wanting to waste their time explaining the plan when he could be working on it instead. He had to complete the programs and settings if he wanted this to work! And that, my friend, takes TIME-- something they had very little of! As he opened his mouth to start the long, monotonous details (that would probably put at least half of them asleep), one of the doors flung open. Through it stepped....

"No freakin' way!" Kazu yelped, eyes bulging from their sockets. It couldn't... there was no way that....

Kenta followed his friend's actions. The boy yanked his glasses off, buffed them-- just to make sure-- then rambled, "No... no way! It... it can't...."

"Ryo Akiyama?!" both boys chorused in unison, while the others could only stare.

~*~

Okay... they could go that way.... Yeah-- maybe that would work! But those buildings looked awfully familiar....

Then again... everything looked familiar.

Fine! Whatever-- her brain hurt from the puzzle-like situation that sat before them as it was! So... she'd just guess. "That way!" Lopmon exclaimed, pointing her tiny finger to the left. Well, now... that wasn't so hard!

Unluckily for the digimon... her quick movement had been a little too fast. Why? Well... because Susie instantly fell back on her bottom-- hard. And, as anyone could have guessed... she began to cry....

"S-Susie!" Oh... what was she supposed to do? It wasn't like she knew much about human children-- let alone adults-- and what was to be done when they sobbed...! The creature shook its head in defeat and turned back to the girl. Might as well.... "Hey... are you al--"

"WOPMON!" Within the seconds following that cry, the digimon was trapped in the child's 'death grip.' Ooh... she was sooo scared! "Don't scare me wike dat!" Susie bawled, not exactly noticing the groans and gasps for breath coming from her friend. Heck, she didn't really know she was squeezing the poor thing, either!

Clearing her throat, Lopmon laughed (just take a guess at how well it came out!). She... didn't want to offend the child-- even if she was sort of strangling her.... Then again... wouldn't it be better just to not scare her anymore? "O... okay," the bunny-like digimon rasped, face literally turning blue. When the child didn't let go, Lopmon began to get agitated.... She... wanted to breathe! "Su... Susie...? Can you please... let go...?"

"But I'm scared!"

~*~

Ryo studied the people before him cautiously. Were they...? Then, perhaps... one of these boys.... "Hey," he started, taking a quick stride forward. Eh...? Those two boys-- the ones who knew him right off the bat-- were staring at him rather... oddly. So much, in fact... that it was starting to scare him.... With a nervous chuckle, he continued:

"Which... which one of you was supposed to meet Rika here?"

Wh... what? How on Earth did this kid know about their plan...? Takato snapped from his trance; he stared at the 'legendary tamer' unsurely. Maybe... maybe he met Rika somewhere along the line...? It was possible... but why wasn't Rika with him...? I mean, she had been searching for a while now.... Shouldn't she have returned by now?! Unless....

Fearing what he already knew, the boy stepped forward and claimed, "Me...." Everything was spinning... twirling around him-- as if he'd been spun around several times like a top. Takato reached out and clasped his hand on Mr. Nonaka's desk for support. He then winced as a sudden chill beat at his body. It... almost hurt now....

What the heck was wrong with him? He was acting like he'd been smacked silly! Ryo tempted to ask... then silenced the question. None of the others seemed too worried about the boy, so it mustn't have been fatal. Besides, he didn't even know the kid-- for all he knew, that kid alwaysacted like that! "Then these people--" he motioned to everyone else in the room "-- are the ones you two were looking for...?"

Nodding, a pang of fear tore at his shivering heart. Something was wrong... very wrong.... "Where... where's Rika?" he asked suddenly, eyes begging. No matter how hard he tried to hide his emotions and be serious... his fear for her safety and well-being was easily noted.

Geeze.... That kid would gonna blow a gasket if he were to find out...! I mean, really! He was already starting to freak out! Ryo stated, "Well... I ran into her a while ago, but...."

N-no! It... it couldn't.... "That's all? Sh... she didn't head back with you? You didn't see her following you-- not even in the distance? You didn't even look?" Okay... yes. He. Was. Scared. Not just a little scared, either.... This was a case of full-blown, where-the-hell-is-she panic!

What was he supposed to say...? The truth? The truth just might put the boy into a coma-- turn him into a frickin' vegetable, for Pete's sake! He'd never seen someone care SO much for the 'Ice Queen!' Why, he'd never even seen her parents come to a tournament to cheer her on! That sudden image made Ryo cast his eyes down. No wonder she was so cold and cruel....

He had everything she didn't.

After a moment of thought, the newcomer weakly shook his head. No lies... not now.... "No... nothing...," he murmured, keeping his eyes focused on something other than the group of people before him (especially that boy). When gasps and soft whispers erupted, Ryo could only flinch; when they became silent... the boy wanted to run into a dark corner and cry. Sometimes... even when you do the right thing, you feel as though you've brought a world of pain....

"Maybe...," Kazu offered, "she's coming right now!" He was, however, left in the cold as Guardramon retorted:

"Wouldn't we be able to see her heading this way through the window?"

"Shaddap, man!" the boy hissed back, threatening to hit the robotic digimon (although he probably wouldn't do it). The two fell silent after a moment and, like everyone else, hid from Takato's gaze.

Janyu coughed lightly, intentionally getting his son's attention. They talked without words, making a quick plan using only their eyes. Yes... it would work.... It had to work. "Look," he started, moving to the front of the group. "We can send a search party for her-- it shouldn't take too long." All the while, he could be working on the program that would rid them of those...those things. The man clapped his hands togther, laughed... then cleared his throat nervously. Heh... that didn't help much, did it? "Right now, our most important task is--"

"I'll go."

All eyes-- yes... the very ones that refused to look at him earlier-- turned to the brown haired goggle-boy. He seemed so... so sad.

What? Why... why would...? But he was needed! If he went out and -- somehow-- got himself killed... how would they make his plan work...? Without that boy... they would not be able to save everyone.... "S-someone else can--"

Takato stepped toward the door, completely ignoring the man's words. He didn't care what anyone said.... He knew she was in trouble.... In some strange, twisted way, he knew that the coldness he was experiencing... was happening to her.... "I... have to go...."

"Takato...," Jeri murmured, bringing a hand to her mouth. No... she couldn't say it.... She just couldn't tell him that he had to stay. He cared about Rika too much to stand around and wait-- she knew that now. Closing her eyes, she smiled. She wouldn't say anything.

Mr. Wong, however, was another story. Demanded he:

"Why are you being so stubborn?!"

The boy turned his head slowly; his crimson eyes seemed so distant... scared... weak. At that moment... he was vulnerable to anything and everything.... Yet, at that same time, he also looked more mature than ever.... Aged beyond his years, you could say.... If they couldn't understand why he had to go... well, he'd just have to tell them! "Because," he rasped, "...I love her...."

W-wha...? Love...? Love?! How could that boy be so sure of his feelings? They were only children! The very meaning of the word should be vague and unknown to them! The man opened his mouth to protest... but hushed his voice when something clasped his shoulder. Janyu spun to the touch, miffed; he wanted to yell at SOMETHING. Instantly, though... his anger fled. "Henry...?"

With silent eyes, the boy shook his head. No. It wouldn't be right to hold Takato back.... Especially now, when something might be wrong with the one he cared about. The blue haired boy trailed his gaze to Jeri. He... he understood what his friend was feeling.... Takato was acting... the same way he would....

'Thank you...,' Takato mouthed, unshed tears welling up. He held them back; there was no way he was gonna cry now. Rika wouldn't accept it-- not at all. Nodding quickly, he exited through the door. Nothing would stop him from finding her...!

"Takatomooon!" Guilmon zoomed toward the already open door, panting and fretting. Why did he forget about him? Weren't they partners? Friends? "Wait for me!"

As the stomps and hollers faded into nothingness, Ryo could only stare in a daze. Never... never in his life had he expected something like that. Someone actually cared for Rika-- someone loved the Ice Queen.... Yet... why was that so unbelievable? Didn't people have feelings? Of course! (Although he often thought Rika had little to none...) Still....

What if... what if she didn't love that boy back?

~*~

"Would you like another cupcake, Ms. Neko?"

Impmon glanced sourly toward the voice from his 'undignified' position (more or less... he was slumped over the table). More... food? Hell, he was so full he figured he'd never have to eat again! 'So...,' the creature mused to himself, 'this is what a bear feels like before hibernation...!' After that idea, the digimon groaned, closed his eyes and grumbled something too low to be understood. He had only one thing to say:

This party SUCKED!

Let me put it this way: when he'd said, "Let's get this party started," he'd been hoping for some jammin' and partyin'! Sitting on your butt while munching on some snacks was NOT his type of party! He didn't even know if that type of conduct could be classified as a party!

What... was wrong? He had agreed to playing a game! Why was he so grumpy now? "Impmon...," Ai warned carefully, rolling her eyes at her giggling brother. It was when the creature plopped its head down on the table and made quite a few things topple over that the child lost her temper. I mean-- wow! She had the whole 'death-glare' thing going on! As she raged... Mako fell off his chair in laughing fit.

"Fine-- have it your way!" Who cared about what those two thought?! She sure didn't! Heck, their ideas were probably worse! "Let's play a new game," she muttered, anger still brewing. She... had to calm down-- it wouldn't be nice to yell, right? With a tiny smile, Ai continued: "Impmon? How's about picking for us...?"

Huh...? Wha... what did she say? He could pick... the game? The purple digimon snapped his head up instantly and stared at them intently; his large green eyes grinned as an idea came to his twisted little mind....

At that moment... he knew exactly what he wanted to play....

~*~

Things... did not look good.... Not at all....

The coldness... it was slowly getting to her. Piece by mind-retching piece it was breaking her soul.... In the end, once the frigid feeling consumed her body... she could lose consciousness, and be stuck swimming in a pool of icy darkness....

She didn't like that.... No... it scared her.... She didn't have her strength... her power.... She felt so freaking weak that is wasn't funny... and she couldn't do anything about it.... God, how she hated feeling weak.... That was her worst fear... of being weaker than someone-- of letting someone break her barrier....

But someone had already broken through it... hadn't they?

Attempting to shake her head, Rika strained her eyes toward the spot Renamon had landed; the digimon had not moved since that last attack. The redhead's eyes blurred... and Rika felt her head go weak.

He... wasn't coming. For that reason... she despised him. She knew not why, but she did. At that moment... when all she felt was a searing pain of coldness, she merely wanted to see his stupid, grinning face.... Alas... every single time she tried to remember what he looked like... he turned around. Maybe she should... maybe....

The girl's eyes drooped... and she finally gave in to the never-ending coldness.

IceDevimon chuckled darkly. It was about time! He had begun to lose patience-- she fought for so long! That was one part he couldn't understand. Why would she try to fight destiny? He, a sole with a heart of ice, needed one like himself: one who held a great pain and anger in their own heart. This girl... she was the one. She would serve him well.... The creature's ripped and shredded wings wrapped around the girl as if to shield her.... Nothing would harm her... not while he wa--

KRK-KRUSH!

What?! Who dared to attack him? After safely dodging the attack, the fallen angel digimon studied his surroundings; he then spotted two small creatures heading toward him. His wings tightened their hold. Who...? Were they both...? Wait! One was human! A scowl grew on IceDevimon's face as he took a step back. Perhaps... those creatures were after his newfound 'partner.' Did they want to save her? Well, then... he would love to see them try!

There she was! That IceDevimon had her! How on Earth did he know, you ask? Well... there wasn't any real way to explain it; he just knew that she was being held captive by that digimon! As Takato and Guilmon raced up, the boy's heart suddenly clenched... and he felt very, very weak. Where... where was she? There was no sign of her whatsoever.... Hold on a sec! What was IceDevimon hiding behind its wings? Was it...? Oh, God! She was trapped with it!

"Takatomon, over here!"

"Huh...?" The brown haired boy turned to his digimon partner, half expecting Rika to be there. As always, though, his thoughts and assumptions were way off. Instead... Guilmon was pointing to a motionless Renamon.

Takato jammed his crimson eyes shut and tightly balled his fists. Anger filled his body; rage flooded his soul. How... how dare that creature! Trying to control the sudden emotions that had decided to take a swim throughout his entire body, he yelled, "Give her back!"

Did that silly little human not notice the distinct difference in power? Did he not care? After all... the boy was only human.... With a sneer, the creature scoffed haughtily and replied:

"I cannot. In a world such as this, those with the same emotions-- the same hearts-- must confide in one another...."

Same... hearts? Okay... now he was confused. Why would that digimon claim...? But... but Rika wasn't... she.... "NO!" he cried, ramming a foot down in anger. It didn't exactly make an earthquake or anything, but it helped him let out some of his pent-in rage. He would not believe it! Never! "Rika isn't like you-- she changed! There is no way in hell... that her heart is as icy as yours!"

There was no need to inform him-- he already knew! The red virus-type digimon's reptilian eyes dilated; his hind legs pounded the ground roughly as he confronted his opponent. He would win this-- he would! Takatomon needed his friend back!

"Pyro-sphere!"

The sudden attack caught the frozen creature off guard; it attempted to dodge. As a great stinging sensation flew up the digimon's left wing... it fell back in pain. Within that short moment of time... IceDevimon lost his 'protective' hold on the girl. She flailed out, dropping to the cracked street like a broken rag doll. Shoot-- he'd let her go! Now... now he couldn't just escape-- he had to fight... and kill.

IceDevimon grinned maliciously and started to get back up. Well, now... he was going to have some fun. And... when he won, he'd show her. They would be... his trophies. His trophies of loyalty and power. An animalistic howl breeched his throat; he screeched, "Frozen claw!"

"Too slow!" Guilmon pounced into the air, narrowly missing the attack. Now-- while the creature's preparing for another attack! With a quick flick of his tail, he countered by slamming the enemy back a few feet! There! An opening! "Pyro-sphere!" he yelped, attack flying from his toothed mouth.

While the two seemingly warring digimon shot blow after unaffecting blow... a certain brown haired goggle-boy ran over to Rika's unmoving body. Thanking Guilmon for luring the icy being away, he bent down to check her out. She was breathing (thank God)... but it was really weak. With a sad smile, Takato scooped her into his arms... and finally realized just how cold she really was....

An icicle.... That was the only way he could describe how she felt against his skin. The boy held her close, hoping his own body heat would thaw her out; his eyes watched the battle before him with both anger and sadness.... Why... was she so stubborn? She shouldn't have traveled out that far! He lowered his head... and blamed himself for not going with her. Takato stood weakly and prayed that all would go well....

Please... she had to be alright....

Darnit-- no! They had her! With a growl, IceDevimon flung himself toward the boy, prepared to snatch back the only person who would ever understand him. "She is mine!" he shrieked, long fingers outstretched. He would have her! Almost there-- he could feel the scared breath of the boy! Stretching his arm out more, he--

"Diamond storm!"

Wha--? The attack hit him head on! With a dazed expression, IceDevimon was sent reeling back! Who... how? The creature lifted its head... and saw that the Renamon had awoken! How dare it wake! How dare it try to stop him! The fallen angel rose, more or less ticked off, and shot itself straight toward the fox. It would PAY! It would--

KSHK-BOOM!

Something hit him from behind! The creature looked back, confused. It... that digimon it had been fighting! How...? Wait... that had to be it. A distraction. The Renamon had merely been a distraction.... But--

KRAK!!!

Another attack! This time... the Renamon! What? No... no! They were both in on it! Then... then they had planned on destroying him?! NO! He... he didn't want to be lonely anymore.... But... he felt so... so weak...! IceDevimon fell to the ground... and awaited his doom with anger flowing into his icy heart. This... was not the way he had intended on--

"Pyro-sphere!"

"Diamond storm!"

KRASK-KSHOOM!!!

The two attacks blended together... and rammed the creature at once. IceDevimon cried out, attempting to survive the power. It... it hadn't been able to accomplish what it had set out to do! And now... it knew that it couldn't win.... They were too strong.... Somehow... they had beaten him.... As pain flooded through the fallen angel's body... it could only think of one thing:

How it hated... the darkness....

~*~

"Is it just me, or has lover boy been gone for a while?" Terriermon quipped after counting the tiles on the ceiling for the third time. Nooo... he wasn't bored. Not in the least.

After his question was answered with a long, emotional silence... the digimon decided to 'take a nap.' And where, exactly was his bed? Why... on top of a certain blue haired boy's head. Snores that resembled a pig's snorts escaped the 'sleeping' creature. Yup... he sure loved to aggravate...!

Henry groaned inwardly as the snores and grumbles intensified. He... would NOT get mad.... He would... NOT... get mad.... He would... get... EVEN. With a quick tilt of his head, he sent the bunny-digimon flailing to the ground below. Hah... served the smart aleck right! Besides... this was not a time for jokes and laughs....

They had to be serious... because the fate of the future rested on their shoulders....

Jeri sighed and walked over to the window. She felt so... so helpless. Utterly and completely helpless. I mean-- what COULD she do? Henry's father was currently working on a solution to the problem (he had started as soon as Takato left, not once coming back to update them on his new findings); Ryo was still being questioned every now and then by Kenta and Kazu, but even those two seemed to know how serious this was. The worst part, as Terriermon had so rudely mentioned... was that Takato hadn't returned yet.

Where was he...? The girl trailed her soft, tired eyes out to the city below. She never realized... how much destruction those creatures could bring. But... why? As she asked herself that, she instantly found her answer: they didn't know any better. Most of the digimon were created to fight and destroy... so it was only natural for the real-life ones to believe in the same thing. It was sad, really.... Sad that tho--

A flash of red and yellow near the building-- almost at the entrance! Her eyes darted to the movement. Was it...? Yes-- it was! They were a little too high up for her to make an accurate assumption, but... she just knew it! Jeri spun around and ran over to Henry; she tightly grasped his shoulders and grinned. "Takato's back!" she announced in an excited, hurried voice.

"Wha...?" It took a moment for her words to sink into his skull. Yeah... he hadn't been paying that much attention. Takato was back? "Are you sure it's him?" What if it was some digimon that just looked sorta like their friend? I mean... they WERE a little high up, after all! (Gee, they even think alike!)

"I... I just know!"

Before Terriermon-- who was still on the floor, by the way-- could crack another joke, a very exhausted Takato came through the door; he was followed by none other than Renamon and Guilmon. Both digimon looked as though they'd been through, well, hell and back, yet tried to remain composed. Their pride and dignity meant an awful lot to them.

Kazu and Kenta forgot about their idol (for the moment, at least) and ran to their friend's side. "Welcome back, Chumly!" Kazu crowed, laughing and patting the boy on the back. Nope-- he never lost his faith in good-ol' Takato! Not even when he was practically shoved up Ryo's butt! Besides... there weren't many times when Takato hadn't been able to do something, so....

Whew! He hadn't realized how long Takato had actually been gone! Now that he thought about it, it was kinda scary! Thank God he was alright! Kenta chortled lightly and pointed to the unconscious girl in Takato's arms. "So," he started, glasses gleaming, "mission accomplished?"

Kazu translated Kenta's question in his own words: "Didja find her that way, or what?"

Eh...? Wha... what? Takato blushed a bright red and glanced down at Rika. God... they seemed to love embarrassing him.... He silently thanked whoever was watching over him for letting the young redhead remain asleep during his inquisition. All the while... he also wished for an end to the comments and gestures.... Sometimes those two just didn't know when to stop!

"What happened?"

The brown haired boy looked toward the voice. Henry.... Heh... he figured he'd ask him about that.... Takato lowered his head, attempting to shade his eyes. He... he didn't want to talk about it. At least... not now. But... it would help-- wouldn't it? And they were all his friends, right? So... didn't they have a right to know? A small, weak smile crawled onto the boy's face. Tired... he was sooo tired... but at that moment, he could live with it. He opened his mouth and--

The door to the lab slammed open, like it had done quite a few times that day, with a 'woo-chsk!'. Mr. Wong ran into the room, eyes full of happiness and fulfillment and excitement. Exclaimed he, "We've got it!" Then... after his little 'show,' he scanned the room, noticing that there were a few more people in there than when he'd left to work.

"Oh... Takato's back...," he murmured.

Well... at least he didn't have to send out a search party now!

~*~

"So, more or less, it does the same thing as before... only it takes back the digimon."

Everyone nodded gently; the digimon looked away. No one wanted this.... At least... none of the kids in that room. The children were still very much interested in digimon; the digimon were happy to be able to live. Plus... how much energy would it drain from Takato? What if he didn't have enough to spare...? What then?

All in all... it just wasn't fair.

Henry sighed and shook his head lightly. As much as he loved his father, he couldn't do this.... It would be like killing! He didn't want to take any part in the deaths innocent creatures.... And yet... some part of him knew it HAD to be done.... The digimon were just going to run amok and destroy everything if they weren't stopped. "When will you start?" he questioned in a whisper. God.... The boy reached out and patted Terriermon's head. He... he was actually going to missthat annoying furball!

"As soon as possible," Janyu stated. He instantly thought of an approximate time. When... could they do it? The system needed to warm up, the dreamer had to fall asleep (although it probably wouldn't take him that long to do so) and they needed to run a scan on everything. "Maybe a half an hour at the most."

Only... thirty minutes? That really wasn't much time.... Takato held Rika closer to him and closed his eyes in thought. He... what if she didn't wake up until he had to go? He had to talk to her before he tried Mr. Wong's plan....

Ryo crossed his arms. This guy really didn't seem to care what the boy with the goggles was feeling right now! Didn't that man see how much... what's his name? Oh, Takato. He didn't seem to see how much Takato cared about Rika! I mean, really! He had even told all of them his true feelings before he went to look for her! If anything, Takato needed time to rest.... The 'Legendary Tamer' sniffed to himself and walked away; with a groan, he leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

No... he wouldn't take any part of this madness.... It was all so... stupid.

"If you'll excuse me," Mr. Wong muttered, "I have to work on the preparations now." Such a gloomy group.... They should have been relieved that everything would be back to normal soon! With a slight sigh, the older man turned and went back to the lab. At least there... he could keep his mind off the guilt that was currently swimming through his veins.

Silence followed his exit; no one knew what to say, really. If they tried to say something comforting or funny, it would most likely be interpreted wrong... thus not exactly ending the unfriendly quietness that had crept unto their mouths. So, in the end, words remained unsaid; and thoughts remained unspoken. Even the witty Terriermon decided to keep his lips zipped. Time slowly ticked by as the silence reigned on.

Suddenly:

"Nnn...."

Takato snapped his head downward. Had he...? Was he hearing things? Was he? Or... was Rika actually waking up...? Faintly, he noticed that the others had all turned toward him; they, too, must have heard the groan. Oh... she was okay! As the redhead's eyes began to open, the young boy's face filled with so many emotions-- happiness, sadness, guilt, etc-- that one could not tell if he was grinning or close to sobbing.

Wha... what was going on...? Geeze... it was bright.... Her mind was so fuzzy.... She couldn't quite remember what had happened.... Wait-- IceDevimon! Was... was she still trapped? What if... what if...? Rika flung her eyes open and struggled to free herself. "No!" she rasped, coughing in order to clear her throat. She didn't want to be...! Hold up! Warmth...? It had taken her a moment to register the warmth all around her....

Groggily, she trailed her violet eyes up... toward the light. Low and behold, there he was.... "Goggle... head...?" she muttered to herself, awed more than anything.

Takato gasped. "R-Rika!" Oh, God-- she was alive! She was okay! He didn't know what to do, either! Jump around? Hug her close? Heck-- kiss her?! But... he had to stop himself from thinking up those ideas. She probably wouldn't exactly like any of those... especially in front of so many people....

After a couple of seconds, she realized where she was: in Takato's arms. A light blush enveloped her cheeks as she chuckled to herself. So... he had come to rescue her, eh? How long had he been holding her? N-not that she cared or anything-- no. She didn't care if he tired himself out by holding her! She just... she just cared about her dignity! That's all! Yeah! "Gee...," she murmured, "my knight in shining goggles rescued me, eh?"

What... what did she say?! The brown haired boy's face quickly began to burn like a wildfire as the girl attempted to get out of his arms and stand up. Fortunately, he was snapped back into reality when he saw her stumble weakly. 'Stupid!' he scolded her-- not out loud, mind you. He didn't want to get on her bad side by saying that!

The boy shook his head. She wasn't ready to start waltzing about just yet! Takato gently wrapped one arm around her waist, making her lean up against him. There-- that was better! All he had to do now was ignore the redness on his face! Whispered he:

"Stay close-- you're still... not quite awake."

Weak.... That's what he was going to say-- she could read it in his crimson eyes. With another small cough, she studied the scene before her. My! They had quite the variety of digimon, didn't they? Everything from a Guardramon to a Terriermon! And... and Renamon was still alive! Thank God! Even though she wouldn't admit it, she'd been worried.... She would've blamed herself if Renamon hadn't been okay!

Now, then.... The redhead snuck a quick glance toward the boy who had absentmindedly snuck his way into her heart.... He... he was tired, yet very determined and-- oops! He was gonna look at her! 'Turn away!' her mind yelped. Almost instantly, Rika found the tattered desk in front of her quite interesting as Takato spun his head gently. Geeze... that was close!

Upon a closer study... she realized that they seemed to be waiting for something.... But what, exactly...? "Hey...," Rika started, attempting to stand on her own; she didn't do too good, though, and Takato moved up beside her once more. "What's going on?"

Great... that was the very question that NO ONE wanted to answer...! Everyone lowered their eyes or turned to something that seemed more 'interesting.' Henry clamped a hand over a certain bunny digimon's mouth before walking over to Jeri. After a moment of silence (gee... seems like everyone is learning to keep quiet, eh?) Ryo snorted; he uncrossed his arms and turned to look directly at the redhead. Stated he:

"I'll tell ya... though I don't know how well you'll take it." Glancing at Takato, who nodded weakly, the boy went on: "Blue boy's dad has figured out a way to get rid of the digimon-- for good. But... like all things, it comes with a price." He... he didn't want to tell her what kind of price, though. The one who was supposed to do that was currently helping her stand. 'Pleased'with the fact that he could lend a hand in explaining, Ryo merely muttered something and waited for the 'Ice Queen' to answer.

So... they knew a way to destroy the creatures...? "Good," Rika rasped. Her answer definitely sparked confusion from the others-- even Ryo! Their heated gazes made her uneasy. What? She needed to explain herself? It wasn't like she didn't care about what was going on! Her purple eyes trailed to the floor. "It doesn't matter how much we long for them to stay... we know that it's impossible. The world... just isn't ready for the real thing-- not yet.... My... my father didn't think about the consequences of his dreams.... He didn't know that chaos and destruction would be the result of his plans....

"I-- we... don't need them. Even if, while trying to save our world, we are also killing innocent creatures... does it really matter...? Weren't they just tiny bits and pieces of a dream in the first place...?"

The digimon, although slightly offended by her words... knew that Rika was true.... They had become a menace to the human society....

Jeri glanced at Henry; he shook his head firmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. This was something Takato and Rika had to deal with on their own.... Sure... the girl was willing to go along with the plan, but was she ready to risk Takato's life to fulfill it? Well... only Rika knew that answer....

"R... Rika...," Takato breathed. This... this was how she felt...? About everything...? Then... she did care about the digimon-- she wouldn't act so depressed if she didn't! But... that also meant that she cared about the welfare of everyone around her... including him.... Did that mean...? Wait. She... she didn't know.... Ah, crap... she didn't know what they needed in order to 'delete' the digimon! "Uh... Rika? Leme-- er... explain someth--"

"Alright! Everything's ready!"

Huh? Ready...? All heads turned to the call. Mr. Wong strode out of the lab with an impatient, tired expression that more or less told everyone: "Don't mess with me." He was pooped, to say the least, and hoped to finish this before sunrise-- which was coming in less than a half an hour, mind you! Without even looking at the kids and asking how they felt and if they were ready... he barked, "Takato! Get to your room!"

Gee... it was his room now? Oh, how special he felt! Maybe he should decorate it and hang a little door sign that says, 'Do not disturb.' Rolling his eyes at the stupidity of the thought, he grumbled, "Right, right...."

What... was going on now?! "Goggle-head...?" Rika watched as the boy started walking toward the very room he had been thrown out of not too long ago. But... what was going on? She... she didn't understand! Were they...? Did they... need him?! Shaking her head in order to rid herself of those ugly thoughts, the redhead jogged after Takato, slamming the door behind her.

"Well... looks like we've got a few more minutes to live!" Terriermon cracked. Ahh... the ability to smart off-- it was his for a little bit longer! When Henry glared at him, the digimon chuckled. "Come on! Let's let them kiss and everything before he-- ACK!"

A VERY ticked off Jeri reached out and snatched up the currently-joking digimon. Ooh... right now, she was NOT in the mood to 'laugh' at its little antics and think that it was being cute! "Look here, Terriermon," she growled, eyes burning deep holes of fire into the small creature; it struggled, but to no avail. "They don't need this from you-- it's an emotional time! And not just for them, either! This is a very serious time for everyone! So... either shut up, or enjoy your last few minutes alive flying out yonder window!"

O... kay.... THAT was different...! Henry chuckled nervously as Kazu and Kenta stared in complete and utter shock. "Umm... who are you, and what happened to our sweet, loving Jeri?"

~*~

"You... you idiot!"

What the...? Takato spun around; he was nearly to his 'comfy' bed. Rika? His heart twisted and writhed inside his chest. 'Why's she here?' The boy didn't want her to see what would most like happen.... In the end, he just smiled weakly and faced her fully. Outside, he was trying to look relaxed-- prideful, even. On the inside... he was laughing at himself. Idiot was right! Stupid, stubborn idiot!

Tears poured down her face. She didn't care... not now. There was no one there who would tease her about them.... Even though, deep within her mind, she still thought crying was a weak, emotional thing, she was unable to stop herself. Right now... she was letting her emotions get the better of her.... "Dumb-- stupid! Why are you...? What makes you think--" Rika sniffled and attempted to hug herself "--you can do this? You're not ready! They should let you rest, at least! Th-the first time took a lot out of you-- you haven't even rested since then! Ple... please... try to rest.... At... at least then, y-you'd have... a better chance...." She couldn't take it anymore.... Words were beyond her, now. But... she didn't want to crumple into an emotional heap of sobs and cries! She... she wasn't supposed to be like that.... No... she was supposed to be strong....

"I... I have to do this, Rika. You said so yourself-- the world isn't ready for real, live digimon...," Takato muttered, slowly walking toward her. God... to see her act like this.... It wasn't very reassuring. The Rika he was used to wasn't like this; she didn't cry often, and usually had a reallygood reason for doing so.... Like when she had found out about her mother.... And yet.... this time, she was bawling her head off for him.... Perhaps it was a good reason for her to cry...?

Why? Why did he have to be so kind?! He would rather do something for everyone else in the world than for himself! She hated him for that... for his stupid heart.... With a stifled sob, Rika ran into the poor boy's arms and cried into his chest. He always knew how to make her cry, it seemed.... Damn his and his heart....

What was he to do? Ohh... well, for starters, he could wrap his arms around her and whisper reassuring phrases that would probably only make her cry more.... Geeze! He'd dealt with the redhead's crying phases enough times that he should've been an expert! Well... when it's a girl you like, it's often a LOT harder-- even if you'd comforted her before! "Hey...," he whispered after holding her for a few moments, "it'll be fine...!"

Fine? Fine?! The girl pulled away and stared into his eyes. How could he say that with a smile? How?! "Don't... don't say that...," she rasped. She hiccuped and cursed the aftershock of crying silently. "Never say that.... Just remember... remember your promise-- the one you made back when I told you about my mom...."

The... promise? Oh... that one. He remembered her hushed plea so clearly: 'Don't leave me...'She had been so weak and frail-looking-- not that he would ever mention it to her (she'd kill him!). "I remember... and I swear I'll keep it...," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers so he could look into her eyes. He loved her so much, yet was still afraid to tell her.... Why? Well... why does everyone else also fear revealing that same emotion? Rejection.... Wiping her tears away, he muttered, "Besides... I have something to tell you after all of this-- I won't die until you know...."

Well, now... that sounded quite reassuring! Still... he meant well, right? But... what, exactly, did he have to say? What was so important that he had to tell her? Shrugging the thought off to the side, she chuckled and nodded. "You had better live!" she threatened, shaking a finger at him. "If you don't, I'll... I'll kill you!"

"Gee... can the dead be killed again? Or do they just sit up and say 'Ha-ha, made ya look!'?"

"GOGGLE-HEAD!! You shouldn't be making death jokes at a time like this!"

~*~

Rika exited the room with a mask over her face (the tears had been wiped clean). There were too many people in there.... She didn't want them to be able to read her face like a book and feel pity for her. Pity wasn't something she wanted....

To her surprise, the room was quite busy! Jeri was currently strangling Terriermon (this made the redhead laugh) while Henry and Leomon attempted to calm her down; Kazu was currently sobbing his head off while trying to hug Guardramon, choking out, "I don't want you to go, man!" every so often; Kenta was sulking and whining about not having a digimon friend; Guilmon and Renamon were pretending that they knew none of the people in the room, which was also humorous; and Ryo... well, Ryo was being... Ryo. When she walked into the room, though... everyone stopped what they were doing and immediately avoided her eyes. Nope... she didn't like that one bit. Before she could state what was on her mind, Janyu spoke:

"Is he ready?"

God! Was that all he cared about?! Didn't he care that Goggle-head was risking everything by going along with that stupid plan?! Rika didn't trust her words; instead, she nodded.

Excellent! Giving Henry (who had reclaimed Terriermon during the moment of silence) a quick and nervous glance, the man disappeared once more... back into the lab. He wasn't going to stop... not even if he was beginning to have second thoughts on the whole thing....

"So... now what?" Kenta questioned meekly. He... he felt so helpless! And, really... what could he do that could possibly save Takato? Run in there and try to take his place? Hah! It wouldn't even work, then! They needed a certain person... and that was Takato... no one else....

Henry sighed and looked out the window. "We wait...."

Great.... With a groan, Kenta crossed his arms and-- wait a minute! There! A lump in his pocket! He knew that there was nothing in there! But... now there was.... W-what was it...? Ooh... he was afraid to look.... What if it was some type of... no.... It couldn't be that. Then... what? The boy gulped, fixed his glasses... and reached into his bulging pocket. With cautious hands, he pulled out....

"Hiii!"

No... no way! "AHH!! My very own digimon!!" he cried, squeezing the little MarineAngemon tightly and holding it close. His dream came true-- a digimon! Sure, it wasn't exactly one he'd expected, but... who cared?!

"Better stop that, Tweedle-Dee," Rika muttered dryly, "or you'll have a suffocated digimon...." Man... sometimes she didn't know what to think of those boys! They were so... so, well... weird. Strange. 'Dumb,' she added, snickering lightly.

As Kenta rejoiced and the others watched on... no one noticed the slight movement in the shadows.... No one saw the wall seem to twist and shudder.... No one noticed it... until:

CRAK-CRSH!

What the?! The wall closest to the lab blew apart right before them! Rika shielded her eyes as the shrapnel fell and scattered all around her. What... what was going on?! A digimon? If so, then they could take it! There wasn't any doubt in her mind about that! No one was going to ruin this moment-- Takato might get hurt in the process! As the creature-- whatever it was-- came into the light... the child's angered growl turned into a gasp. No... it... it couldn't be!

Ahh! There she was! The man strode out of his hiding compartment quickly; he headed to his desk. "Miss me?" Mr. Nonaka asked, voice deep and enraged. Before someone could ask any of their meaningless questions, he continued: "You must not have, Rika, or you'd be protecting my-- our-- dream!"

That did it! Rika sneered before retorting, "Well, Dad, your dream isn't exactly popular among the people! Just look at what's going on! People are dying! Soon, if we don't get rid of them, the digimon will die, too!" It hurt.... She had hoped he was gone-- not dead, no.... No child would wish death on a parent they cared about.... Still... she had thought.... He must've escaped the wrath of the Meramon! Tears threatening to spill, she hissed, "Because of you... Takato's risking his life right now! I... I may never see him again...." Even though he had promised... it'd still be hard to... NO! She had to keep on believing in him!!

"Gee, that's too bad," Mr. Nonaka murmured sourly, "because we will be having a power outage very soon...." Yes... while they had plotted against him, he had been busy messing with the different wires and switches and whatnot. Why, once he'd heard what they were planning on achieving... he just had to find a way to stop them!

"But... what would happen to Takato if the power goes out while the program is running?" Henry asked, mostly to himself. This guy... was Rika's dad? Then why was he being so... cruel? What was up with him? And why... was Rika acting as though they were enemies...? Was he, really? Man... even this smart kid's brain was hurting!

Ah... the question was asked! His eyes twinkled evilly; he answered, "Why... we'll just have to find out, won't we...? The hard way!"

Rika couldn't take it anymore! She stood, eyes glazing over with tears, and screamed, "Don't you DARE!" She wouldn't let him hurt her goggle-head! No way in hell would she let him do that!! "I'll... I'll st--"

"WHERE IS THE CREATOR?!"

Mr. Nonaka jumped from his seat, startled, and spun to the window. "What the hell...?" That was all he managed to say; within that next moment, a large phoenix-like digimon burst through the remains of the glass (well... its head, at least) and studied the man before it. After a moment of consideration, it screeched:

"YOU ARE NOT HE!"

With one swift movement... the man was gone... forever.... No... it wasn't another trick-- not this time.... He... he had been eaten.... Rika closed her eyes and crumpled to the floor as the bird flew off to a nearby building. Ooh... God.... Oh, God! Why her? Why, oh why...? She was losing everything... EVERYTHING! Her life was crap... a piece of smelly crap that you usually stepped on because you weren't watching the road.... Her father... she didn't want him to die... but, now... she had witnessed his death firsthand....

Tears fell down her pale face... as she silently wished for Takato to appear beside her and hold her tightly....

Renamon jumped to Rika's side the instant the huge digimon left. So... that had been Rika's father...? "Are you alright...?" she asked quietly, yet knew better than to do so. No one would be 'alright' after something like that.... When the girl's red mop shook back and forth, the fox digimon sighed sadly and looked out, studying the damage Zhuqiaomon-- yes, she knew very well who that creature was-- had commited. The two louder children were currently rambling on about various things, obviously scared out of their wits; the blue haired boy and pigtailed girl were holding each other and crying; the other boy-- the one that got on Rika's nerves-- was currently explaining to Mr. Wong, who had rushed in just a moment ago, what had happened.

It was turning into chaos.... Even she, Renamon, didn't know what to do....

"I'm scared...," Jeri muttered against Henry's shoulder. What... what was going on...? That man... was Rika's father, right...? Then... then... she lost her father?! But Rika was arguing with him... and he threatened to hurt Takato! How... could someone be like that...? It confused the girl.... "I'm scared... for everyone...."

What was he supposed to do?! Say that everything would be alright? That was not an option... especially after what they had just seen.... He wasn't sure if that image would ever escape his mind.... Holding the girl he cared about closer, he whispered, "Me, too...."

"Mr. Wong! Something's wrong!"

What? "Wrong?! How so?" The man ran into the lab, mind spinning from all that he had been told. Mr. Nonaka had been alive just moments ago... but now.... He ignored the image creeping into his thoughts and looked at what Daisy was fretting about. Dear Lord.... "Yamaki-- check the programs!"

"Janyu," the blond haired man started, sliding his glasses off with a snap, "everything is--"

As if on cue, the side panel fizzled and burst into sudden flames. A few seconds flew past...then people began to run out the lab and toward the nearest exit, screaming and waving their hands around like idiots. They certainly didn't want to die! Who cared if the building was burnt to a crisp-- they wanted to LIVE!

Mr. Wong cursed under his breath. It wasn't supposed to happen this way! Everything was supposed to go smoothly... and everyone was supposed to survive.... Why? Why now, when the dream sequence had already begun and the child was fast asleep...? Perhaps... perhaps it would still run-- yes, that was all he had to think of! Well, that... and the safety of the children! He ran into the room once more, out of breath and eyes wild.

"Dad? Dad, what's going on?"

No lies.... None. He had no right to do so. With a deep breath, Janyu turned to his son; his face was so serious... that no one would be able to doubt the next thing he said:

"The building is going to explode...."

~*~

A/N: Hey, mina-chan. *walks in wearing a very uncomfortable suit of armor* Long time, eh? Well... a-hem.... School started, blah-blah-blah, and I've been busy out of my mind.... I know it's not that good of an excuse-- I've had many chances to type, actually. In fact, most of this story has bee written at least two or three times! I guess I just needed a break. Ya know-- too much stress, and all. I've been having some life problems that are harder to talk about, so... I'll probably update my info about it.... Heh-- don't want to worry the people who don't care, right? I mean, my life isn't THAT important... right?

Anyway... yeah. This chappy is super-duper long (do I know how to come back with a bang, or what?) and is dedicated to the people who had wondered what rock I was stuck under for all this time: James Potter, Rukato Fan, Ori, and my sister! I either got an email or review from that person (other than my sister). Of course, the one who nagged me nearly every day was none other than Squirtle Girl, so... you should be glad that she was there! The little brat gave me a one-two on keeping things on time! I was even wondering if this should've been cut into two separate chapters, but... in the end, I decided against it! *scrolls up* Dang, this is long! 23 pages!! 61KB!! Pity my poor, poor fingers! Also... if you care, listen to One Last Breath by Creed while reading this chapter-- it really goes well in some spots! ^^

Lastly, I'll be gone from Tuesday night 'till Friday night this week. Why? Well... I'm goin' to NY! Woo!! I'll buy you all a souvenir from Macy's! Hey-- anyone live up there? Visiting? Er... watch the Today show? I'll make a sign if anyone does and draw Ruki and Takato together!!! Man! After watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade... I KNOW I'm gonna freeze my butt off up there... Sweaters are good... yes-yes! I'll try to finish this story before I go, so don't fret! You haven't lost me yet!!! Only one chappy and an epilogue left!! But... no preview this time.... I don't wanna spoil the end. Well... I'll at least tell you the title: A New Day Has Come. Think of the lyrics to that song! *laughs evilly* Ja! *Lopmon pops up, wondering where she is and why she's holding a 'REVIEW OR BE HUNTED BY RUKI!' sign.* ^-^'- Angel-Chan (Lalala... I'm tired... It's almost one in the morning, so... I dun know if I typed everything right...! I want to go to Japan and see the second Inuyasha movie (I have the first on DVD)! Lalalala-- ouf! *tries to stand but falls because her foot is asleep* Oww....)