s/k: Hey! I'm re-posting and renovating this fic, I was reading over it a while ago and decided that I hated how it was written. The plot stays the same, I'm just adding more detail and stuff, so it'll look like it's started all over again, but it hasn't.

Ch. 1

Darkness, warm, comfortable. She kept her eyes closed and snuggled deeper under her covers, red hair tousled and tangled into one giant knot. Rika Nonaka was completely content for almost a minute before her sanctuary was disturbed.

"Rika! Wake up honey, its time for breakfast" Rumiko called. Rika rolled over to glance at her alarm clock before hiding her head under her pillow and groaning; 6:45 am. There is absolutely no reason to be up this early. It's stupid. I revolt. The America's don't have school on Saturdays, so why do the Japanese? She stayed wrapped in her blankets for another 7 minutes before her mother called her again. Rika sat up, rubbed some of the sleep out of her eyes and got dressed.

A few minutes later, she was sitting in the kitchen of the Nonaka household, eating homemade pancakes, a first since her mother didn't usually cook anything. Ignoring the smell of slightly burned batter, Rika helped herself to a small stack and started to cut them up. I remember when this would have been normal, now it just seems superficial. She thought to herself, her mind began to wander back and forth, not really on anything. After a moment more of staring blankly at her food in thought, her mind wandered back to the defeat of the D-reaper. It was something she looked back on as an accomplishment and the most hellishly fun time of her life.

Flashback

The eerie glow of the D-reaper smothered her vision. Gallantmon had just gone to rescue Jeri, leaving the rest of them to deal with the D-reaper. The red jelly walls squirmed and wiggled in protest to having the Tamers inside their barrier, the group was slightly lost at how to finish the task they'd started.

Ryo's thoughts bounced all over the place, any problem could be solved if it was looked at the right way, or tackled a little differently, or if you had enough fire power. He'd been in a situation like this in the digital world before, when he'd been 12 or so. He and his friend Raine had been faced with a similar situation, it had ended with Raine's death when Ryo had given her his power for an attack. I'm stronger then that now though, way stronger then she was then, the surge'll be bigger, so will the rush, I can do it. . . it's not like we have any other options.

"Here, Rika – I've got an idea." Justimon said grimly, or at least as grim as he could get. A red blade grew from his right arm, about a meter and a half long. "Give your power to me." The others there stared at him, why had he chosen Rika? She was certainly powerful, but there were a lot of risks with giving another digimon your power, for both parties involved.

Rika stared at him with an expression hidden by Sokoyumons own expression. "Ryo, you're crazy." She said flatly, followed with a statement that had more emotion to it. "You could die."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." He said, noticing that she hadn't mentioned the weak and dangerous position it put herself in.

After a second, she thought of something else. "You're doing this to impress me, aren't you?"

"Maybe I am, pumpkin." He smiled as he said it, the last word sarcastic. Her expression softened, it's a stupid stunt, it's a stupid stunt, her mind chanted quietly, she ignored it.

End Flashback

"Rika, why aren't you eating?" asked her mother.

"Oh," she muttered, her thoughts suddenly interrupted. "just thinking. . ." Her mother let it drop; Rika never seemed to want to talk about anything with her, not that this was a huge change from the past, but it still bothered her.

Rika thought all along the walk to the train station, and on the ride, and on the remaining walk to her new school; where Ryo interrupted them again.

"Morning Rika!" He smiled, "You sleep okay? You look, well, depressed."

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay," She nodded, "just fine."

All the way up until lunch break it was like that, Ryo trying pretty desperately to start a conversation, and Rika just nodding. Finally Ryo snapped, he cared for Rika more then any other person he knew, and he didn't think he could stand it if she was mad at him. So he asked the question whose answer he dreaded.

"Rika?"

"Yes?"

"Are you, you know, mad at me?"

Her head snapped up from looking at the ground, startled by the question. "No, no I'm not mad at you. Just a little preoccupied, it's nothing to worry about." She finished, adding a little smile to keep him happy. What is wrong with me? If even Ryo's noticed, then I really am obviously doing something weird.

"You're sure?" he continued.

"Positive."

"Okay," Ryo said, still not convinced. "You can always talk to me Rika, or Jeri or. . ."

"I know Ryo, it's okay, really." She said softly.

"All right." He had to resist a strong urge to just take a step forward and wrap her in his arms protectively. He wasn't stupid though, he knew that if he did that she would either punch him, just be incredibly confused and push him away, or not talk to him for a while until she thought she understood what he'd done. Resisting the urge to sigh he let the issue drop to the back of his mind, and the mind games begin to take hold. Whoopee.