Chapter 10

The Dark Knight falls

Rika watched her comrade, Jeri, sleeping soundly. She looked up at the sky and let her thoughts wander. It has been a day since they had left Apocalymon's castle. Somehow she does not regret her actions at all. She really wants to know who she really was and wanted to know why Takato is so close to her. Then she saw Jeri mumbling in her sleep. She crawled nearer to hear what her friend was saying.

Takato don't go….

You were always there for me when Henry isn't…

You are like a brother to me…

Takato…..

Rika silently retraced a few steps back and saw Jeri woke up. Rika pretended to have just came back from somewhere.

"Jeri, you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, why you ask?"

"You seem pale."

"Oh its nothing. I just feel drowsy."

"You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, sure."

Jeri lay down on the ground and moments later had fallen asleep. Rika then stood up and walked out of the cave. She was lost in her thoughts again.

Jeri thought of Takato as her brother? That's means they have known each other for a long time. So why did she keep saying she did not know who is Takato when we were talking about him at the castle? Could this be part of her lost memory? Hey, who's that under that tree?

Rika ran to see who was the figure sitting under the tree.

Hazard clenched his right fist and kept cursing himself. He could not believe himself being defeated by a weaker Tamer. He noticed half of his body have been tainted by the virus and his powers are sapped bit by bit. Hazard knew he must find a cure before he is rendered powerless. He planned to find the rest of his power after he has recovered. Hazard groined in pain. He has too many quests to finish and he started to wonder why he was sacrificing himself for. He began to think of had become of his fellow friend, Davis. Hazard still considered Davis his friend for how the boy had gallantly sacrificed his life to purify his friends and go through pains to recover with painful consequences. Hazard had always admired the weilder of Miracles for his selfless acts. Its no wonder he managed to receive love from the child of light. Hazard thought about his own lovelife. He had a crush on Jeri Katou and then fell in love with Rika and Alice. He shook his head crazily. He need to get away from all the responsibility and drastic battles. Then he heard footsteps and found somebody who was close to him. The red-head girl, Rika Nonaka was stunned to see him.

"You're Takato, right?"

"No, my name is Hazard."

"You look exactly like Takato Hazard. Sorry for disturbing your rest."

"None taken, Rika."

"How do you know my name?"

"I have connections."

Rika noticed Hazard's blackened body. She began to examine his body. For some reason, she found Hazard blushing and found herself blushing as well.

"Uh… Rika?"

"Yes?"

"Could you carry me back to your hiding spot?"

"How do you I was…"

"Rika pleaseeeee?"

Hazard gave a cute-puppy look and she found it too cute to resist and strangely familiar.

"Ok. Stop making that face or I'll screw your head off."

Rika carried Hazard on her back and was amazed of how light he was. She commented about it and was disappointed by Hazard's lack of reaction. When they reached the hiding spot, Rika noticed Jeri already awake and playing with a BlackGigimon.

"Rika!"

"Hazardmon!"shouted the BlackGigimon.

Hazard noticed his partner beside Jeri. He smiled and chuckled seeing Jeri's shocked face. Just when Rika squat down to allow Hazard to lie down, Jeri ran towards Hazard and hugged him. Hazard seemed surprised and let her hug him.

Looks like most of her memory has return. Jeri was crying again and saying things like being worried for him and missed him. Hazard smiled.

"I thought you are stronger than this, Jeri. Now get off me, what will happen if Henry knew about this?"

Jeri instantly let go of Hazard at the mention of Henry's name. Rika instantly got suspicious. She brought Hazard to the wall.

"You're Takato Matsuda aren't you?"

"I was. How do you finally get it through your head?"

"Jeri's reaction at the sight of you."

Hazard at first looked amazed then noticed something attached to Rika's neck.

"You did not get rid of the necklace after all, Ri-chan?"

"No… I remembered that I gave this to you."

"I purposely dropped him to trigger your memories. Will you forgive me for how I ill-treat you before?"

"All is forgiven if you forgive me too, Taka-chan."

Hazard/Takato did not manage to say another word as his lips had met with Rika's. Jeri walked away to give the lovebirds some privacy. Hazard slept peacefully at the hiding spot when suddenly felt his heart ached. He was able to stand the pain at first but it became more painful in minutes. He howled and that awoke the three digimons and two girls. Rika hurried to Hazard's side who was kicking around in his sleep with his hands at his chest. Rika saw Hazard's whole body had become black. Jeri watched on with tears falling down her cheeks. Leomon went to take a look at his body.

"His body is infected by a deadly virus which purpose is to destroy the hazard's power."

"Who did this to him?"

"Only Kazu has the equipment and smarts to create such a terrible thing. He must have injected it into Hazard's body during a battle and now because the rest of the hazard power is nowhere inside the body, the virus decided to attack the heart."

"Will he die?"

"No Rika. The virus can't damage the heart but it may cause Hazard to fall into a coma."

As expected, Rika did not take the news calmly. Jeri noticed tears rolling down and Rika hugged the boy and kept screaming his name.

"TAKATO!!!"

"Rika…."

"Takato."

"Please….find…th…e…cure…Its…th..e…on…ly….way."

"Where is the cure?"

"Don….'t …..know….Find….Kazu…please Rika…..I…lo…"

Those was Hazard's/Takato's last words before he fell into a deep coma. Rika could not believe what she was seeing. Takato, brave leader of the Tamers, was defeated. She continued to cry and her wails were heard throughout the forest.

To the chosens,excluding Ryo, henry and Izzy

Azulongmon was shocked by the news he heard from the digi-gnomes. He noticed the chosens looking eager to know what had happened and who had just screamed. Alice walked forward, cluthing her right hand, towards Azulongmon.

"That was Rika wasn't it?"

"Yes… something terrible has happened."

"I know…"

"You know?"

Then everybody saw Alice crying and covering her face. Yolei and the others had not seen Alice cried. Yolei approached the sorrowful girl.

"What happened?"

"Takato… has fallen.. into…a…coma."

The news struck at them like lightning.

End of chapter

Chapter 11

Gaia Force Zero

Apocalymon faces his arch-nemesis, WarGreymon and the Armoured Dino Warrior is stronger this time round.