Disclaimer:All original Digimoncharacters obviously belong to the 'almightyowner'. Any 'made up' or 'fan' characters I take full responsibility and credit for.

Fiction Rating: PG13 Language/Sexual Content/Violence

From the Author: Only 2 reviews?...Wow, I've been getting a lot of those lately. x3 Y'know, like only 2 reviews per chapter. Maybe people just don't like to read actual paragraphs, or maybe they just don't like what I'm writing. Oh well, review as you read, even if I'm up to chapter 4 or something and you just read chapter 1. I prefer to have individual chapters reviewed instead of full stories.

I Say 'Yay' for Cliffhangers!: Yeah, there will be a lot of these, so get used to it. x3 I've been pretty good with updating, and I write when I'm in the mood. The 14th was my b-day, and since I'm home sick today, I'm in the good mood and have the time to write! I hope ya enjoy this chappie!

Chapter II

Cry for Insanity

While Takato and Henry ran for the late bell in school, Rika Nonaka was just opening her eyes that fair morning. Home schooling gave these bonuses, starting later morning and giving Rika the time to adjust to a more frequent, daily schedule. Keeping in shape, her figure held out as an attractive young lady's, although her ghostly pale skin gave her the impression that she preferred the indoors overall. Violet eyes gazedlazily up at the cieling, and in her blank expression it was obvious that she didn't feel like moving. For a second she mentally wished that she could just curl up and never have to wake up...was she that depressed? Eyes grazing across her room to a calendar clinging to her mostly bare wall, she remembered it was friday, her wretched birthday... Rika Nonaka was now 17 years old.

"Today's just like any other," she mumbled near-silently to herself, remaining quite still. Her mother knocked on the door...and although she was usually busy, she would hold off another ten or so minutes before leaving for work since it was, after all, Rika's birthday. And ever since the digimon incident happened, her mother cared at least a little bit more about her. Or at least showed it. "I'm sick, call the tutor and tell her to take the day off..." The knocking ceased as Rika gave that reply. Her mother intervened. "Well...It's your birthday, don't you want to have breakfast with me before I go to work?" 'It's always been about her,' Rika thought irritably, rolling over in bed and pulling the covers over her head. "Just leave me alone, mom." "But it's your-" "Birthday, I know...Just...Go to work or something."

Footsteps paced away from the door, fading off in the distance. A car door slammed. Her mother took her advice, and was going to work. 'Rika,' she heard a familiar voice, 'What troubles you?' She whipped the coversoff of her,opening her mouth to say 'Renamon'...but she knew that she wasn't there anymore. Renamon was gone, and it seemed like forever. A minute could seem like an hour, when the only thing you'd ever held onto had left. She thought she understood why Renamon had to leave, she thought it was for the best...but she was sure that things were driving her insane, and deeper into depression. Voices, a sure sign of issues...yet Rika decided to ignore these small mental conversations and move on with her daily life.

Her birthday, the day that seventeen years ago she was first introduced to this world. And suddenly she wished that she could take it all back, and never be born at all. Standing up, she didn't bother to stretch, just silently drag her feet over the hardwood floor, slide the door open, and head towards the kitchen. Plopping down into a chair with slight misery, she buried her head in her folded arms. 'If only she were still here,' she thought silently to herself, holding back a few tears...it was something that Rika had gotten better at doing, and still barely cried at all. '...Things would be better...' And just then, she could've sworn she felt a passing breeze sweep past her back, the breeze of a fox leaping past. Rika would drown in her misery for another hour, and then go back to bed. It was her birthday, so what? It wasn't anything to actually celebrate.

Back in school, the day was closing to an end. Takato was fast asleep in one of the back chairs, using his hardwood desk as a table for his drooling face. Henry seemed more eager to get out, eyes constantly trailing the red second-hand of the clock, painstakingly counting down the minutes... He sat next to Takato, and although both would consider eachother best friends, they had some obvious differences. Obviously, Takato was going to give Rika something special for her birthday, something that reminded her of the digimon. While Henry, wanted to give her a new companion to help her move on with her life. Two different opinions, yet all with the same intention...to help Rika. Since it was obvious that ever since the Digimon left, she changed all over. But then again, the digimon changed all of them, yet Rika was taking it the hardest.

Finally, the bell rang, and although Henry wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, he'd wait for Takato to come-to and walk out with him. Planning to drop by Rika's house at around five to exchange gifts and have a 'small casual party' for her birthday, they'd most likely go together. As the two finally emerged from the school building, student traffic was much less so and that made it easier to make progress. Takato was still dragging his feet, stretching his arms with a yawn. While Henry's head was held of obvious pride, and hands were tucked into his pockets. Finally, a small beep went off.

Takato quickly shoved a hand into one of the side pockets of his baggy pants, and withdrawing there it was...his hand grasped the digital device used for tracking Digimon. So Takato was still obsessed, and that much caught Henry's attention. "What's going on...?"

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CLIFFHANGER
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