s/k: ok, re-posting is coming along pretty good. Remember in the first chapter when I mentioned Ryo had a friend named Raine? (pronounced 'rane') I have an idea for a whole story revolving around them when Ryo was still wandering the digital world, or maybe one when they're the same age as they are now. . . anywho, thoughts on that?

. . . .

Ch. 5

Jeri awoke to the still harshly unfamiliar lines and cold of the dark cell, completely alone. She remembered some vague glimpses of a dream, she had pulled aside a curtain, but it was a stone curtain, and Rika had need help . . . "R-Rika? Are you there" She asked shakily. As she raised herself to crawl over to where her friend last lay, her body screamed in protest. Tensing her arms and legs she tried to stay on all fours, it was as if she'd done something to make all her muscles tight, stiff, completely the opposite of their normal operation. She collapsed to the floor with a gasp of pain.

Rika's not here. . . Rika's not here. . . The thought ran through her mind over and over until another bit of reason was found. Then where is she. . . where is she. . .

Jeri. . .

Her name slipped into the sonata of silence.

Jeri. . .

Was it something actually real?

Jeri. . . !

It almost sounded as if Takato were saying her name.

"Jeri!"

"She can't hear us."

They were saying her name, someone was trying to talk to her. Why can't I think. . .

"Rika? Where are you? I can't see you." She whispered, "Takato?"

"In your pocket, pull out your D-arc."

Jeri saw the wall not far to her right; she made her way painfully over to it and sat up slowly, bracing her back against the cold stone. She pulled her yellow D-arc out of her dress pocket, the chain running from her wrists to the floor seemed so much heavier then before. Like Rika's, a 3-D image was there, with a group of people clustered in the middle. "Takato! Suzi! Ryo! Henry! Rika! Kenta! Kazu" She could have cried with relief at seeing them together and all right. Rika's hands hung limply at her sides, and over top of her black T-shirt she now wore Ryo's red sweater.

"Jeri" Takato started"we don't know where you are, can you get out the same way Rika did; under the grate"

Jeri nodded and tried to stand up, once again her body complained by sending streaks of pain through her. The D-arc clattered to the ground, followed by its owner as her knees buckled, the now enormously heavy load of the chains too much. "Takato," She mumbled, I can't even stand. . ."

. . . .

The sun was shining brightly in the digital world, and the colours seemed so vivid; the complete opposite of the dark ocean. Under the cool shade of a tall green tree, a group of digimon sat, munching on various foods.

As if a wave had passed over them, a little bit of the brightness left, a little bit of the vivid colours drained away. Instantly, the wind changed direction, now blowing the same way as the invisible wave that had passed over them.

"Hey!" Renamon hailed the red dinosaur calmly"Guilmon, stop. Something's wrong."

Guilmon stopped, turning from his pile of food he said in his innocent voice "The only thing that's wring is that my tummy isn't full."

"No, Renamon's right." Calumon agreed"I felt it a minute ago, like a little black cloud in a sunny day." His voice was a little less baby-ish, the tone was different. Maybe more serious.

Guardromon nodded his agreement. "I don't know about you guys, but I have an incredibly strong need to go see my Tamer. Now."

The others nodded, agreeing silently.

"Well then. What are we waiting for? It's been months guys, and almost 5 years since we've really had this kind of urge to see them." Terriermon blinked, then continued. "There's a new portal on the other side of the hill, not too far from here."

Without so much as a nod the group set off, even Guilmon abandoned the food willingly.

"What do you mean there's only one" A voice outside Jeri's cell growled, it was as deadly as a freshly sharpened dagger in the hands of a murderer.

"I went to feed them, and only one was there. The yellow Tamer, talking to a place on the ground." The creature pleading had rusty red skin, several arm-like appendages and a dragonish head and body; it's name was Landersmon. "I was cautious! I don't know how the Blue Tamer escaped, the chains are still there, perhaps she was too small for them?"

"And why should I believe you? You've let one of my prisoners escape, and this is not the first time you have blundered. Perhaps I should throw you out, I've heard rumors that the other Tamers have arrived. I could give you to them. . ."

"No! No We can still get many things from the yellow Tamer! I have worth in this situation" A distinct note of panic trilled through Landersmons' voice as he tried to save himself from what would undoubtedly happen were he to face the tamers alone.

"Perhaps, but you're still practically useless." He spat. "You disgust me." He left then, leaving the twisted creature to ponder it's fate.

"Rika! I'm so glad you're safe" Before he could stop to consider what he was doing, Ryo stepped forward and hugged her tightly. Rika went stiff as a board when she realized what was happening, relaxing a hair after a minute. She was hurt, scared, tired, her head hurt she couldn't think straight . . . Just before drifting off into blissful darkness, she muttered Ryo's name.

"Wha" He caught her as her lags gave out"Rika"

"We should probably heal her wrists." Henry said quietly, interrupting the moment. "Put her in the water over there.

"This is the Dark Ocean, doesn't that generally mean bad things" Kenta asked, clearly confused.

"Not quite. A digidestined before us came here, her name was Kari Yagami. She defeated the Dark Ocean by somehow neutralizing its water, in the process she nearly killed herself. Now, since her crest was light and this world is dark, the ocean gives aid to those who truly need it. I think we count."

Ryo carried Rika over to the water, set her down and let the surf wash over her arms up to her elbows for several minutes. "I'll take that, sounds like a reasonable theory." He mumbled to himself. It took some time, but eventually her hands moved back into their normal positions and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"She should sleep" Henry said quietly, his little sister nodded. "But we have to do something about Jeri." He glanced at Rika's sleeping form, now in Ryo's lap. "It just doesn't look like they're very forgiving. And Rika is a lot tougher the Jeri ever was, no offense meant."

Takato sat down next to Ryo"Then lets' start thinking of a plan because we can't leave her in there much longer. Not if this is the regular hospitality level."

Kenta nodded his head"You know, it's times like these I miss Marineangemon the most." There were choruses of agreement from everyone. It wasn't quite the same when their closet friends and defense weren't there.