Chapter 7 - The Portal

Rika sat up straight, sniffing the air. The air had become pungent with an unfamiliar smell to her. Twisting her face in disgust, Rika rolled over and shook the sleeping Ryo awake. Ryo moaned.

"What?"

"Do you smell that?" She asked, almost worried.

Ryo sniffed the air like what Rika had done moments ago. He nodded, "yeah. Kind of smells like ... a campfire?"

The concern in his voice startled Rika. "It smells worse than a campfire, bozo. Go check it out."

Ryo tossed his legs over the side of the pulled out couch and stood up. Stretching, he made his way to the door and touched the knob. He jumped back in surprise. "Rika, we need to get out of here, now!"

Rika scrambled out of bed, "why?"

Panic tied a knot in Ryo's throat. "I think the hotel is on fire."

xxxVxxx

"My daughter is in there!" Rumiko shouted, but her voice not being heard. Tears rolled down her cheeks like a tidal wave. "Someone help!"

Emergency personnel had blocked off the road of which the hotel was on. Sirens blared and lights flashed as firefighters tried to seize the blaze with little success. Thick, black smoke shrouded the sky for miles.

Takato hugged the crying Jeri, tightly. "It's going to be fine, Jeri. Please stop crying. I doubt Rika is in there."

"What about Ryo?" She sobbed. "He could be in there, too."

"I doubt that." He attempted to reassure her, but he, too, needed to be reassured. He stared worriedly at the hotel and watched as the flames slowly ate the vulnerable building, hoping and praying his two friends were not in there.

xxxVxxx

Masked behind the emerging smoke, Mr Shimizu watched in complete awe as the work of his most prized Digimon destroyed the hotel in minutes. His eyes wide and his face demented.

"Shimizu, my lord?" A voice fretted.

Mr Shimizu turned, "ah, SkullSatamon. Pleasure to make your acquittance. I presume everything is going well?"

The Digimon nodded, slinging his staff over his shoulder. "Yes, the portal is beginning to open." He foiled his wings and lowered his head, "however, there is one problem, my lord."

Mr Shimizu rose an eyebrow, "and that is?"

xxxVxxx

"Akiyama, there is no way I'm going to run through that!"

"Just trust me, Rika. I promise we'll be fine."

"Absolutely not!"

"Rika!" Ryo placed a damp towel over Rika's face and one over his own. He gave her an irritated look and she unwillingly held hers in place. He reached toward the door knob once more, placing a third damp towel on it. With his voice muffled, he yelled at Rika, "when I open the door, run left down the hall. I seen an emergency staircase that way."

Ryo twisted the knob and smoked rushed into the room. The flames roared louder and grew more rapidly. Rika speed down the hall and reached the emergency staircase and opened the door. Astonishment and horror swept over her as she came face to face with a dinosaur-like Digimon.

The Digimon grinned in pleasure. "I thought I smelled a Tamer."

xxxVxxx

"Yamaki," Riley shouted, "you're not going to like what I have just found."

"What is it?" Yamaki shouted back. "I don't have time for games, Riley."

"This isn't a game, sir. A portal has just opened in Italy. It opened sooner than we had anticipated." She told him.

Yamaki swore. "Where has it opened?"

Pressing buttons on her keyboard, Riley zoomed into the location of the portal. "It looks like it is opening above the Coliseum."

"What is the E.T.A of the Digimon?"

Riley shook her head. "It appears as though the Digimon are breaking through as we speak."

xxxVxxx

SkullSatamon grimaced as Kyukimon dug his blade deep into his chest. "I told you to kill the Tamers and their pathetic Digimon."

"I k-know, my lord, bu-but the Digimon have broken through the portal moments before we did. I don't know where the Tamers are."

Taking his blade out of SkullSatamon's chest, Kyukimon gritted his teeth, "find them and kill them, now!"

A/N: I know this chapter is poorly written but I needed something temporary so I can resume with writing this story. I haven't forgotten about it but I haven't exactly been bothered to write more the last two years. Forgive me, but I am now working on finishing this story and "To The Digital World Once Again".