Hi (Dolphin! LOL)! So, how are you guys doin? Good I hope. If you're wondering about the Dolphin thing, don't worry; it's an Afrikaans joke. In Afrikaans, a haai is a shark (pronounced like 'hi'). I said haai, so someone else says dolphin as a sarcastic joke. See? Oh, by the way. To Tk293. Yes, I am very serious about the whole breathing under water thing. Maybe you missed that episode, but Takato, Henry and Terriermon were trapped in an underground cave and they swam out by breathing under water. I like to keep my stories to the show's facts so that I'm being 100% accurate. Now…on with the show!!!
To Amethyst Blizzard: Anywho is my word!!! Stop stealing it! ;)
Chapter 11Dark Confusion
Takato clung tightly to Guardromon's head. He yelled in fear and shut his eyes when he saw how high they were. A soft giggling made him look up and to his surprise, Jeri and Guilmon were laughing at him.
"What's the matter, Takato?" Jeri laughed. "Afraid of a little height?" Takato's hand searched the back of his head and he blushed.
"Well, yeah. A little…" he admitted. Guilmon smiled at him and held onto his arm.
"Don't worry, Takato," he said sweetly. "If you fall, I'll catch you."
"Uh…thanks, Guilmon." The three of them were sitting on Guardromon's shoulders while he held Henry and Terriermon in his arms. They were the last of the Tamers that still needed to be taken over the mountains.
"Hey, Guardromon!" Henry called over the wind that was stinging his cheek.
"Yes, Henry?" He asked.
"How far are we from Tornado Valley?"
"Not far now. I dropped the others off somewhere out of the wind. It's blowing pretty hard right now." Henry looked down at the valley below him. He could see the vicious storm tearing across the area, but beyond that, he was blind.
Sighing softly, he shook his head.
"I hope Rika and the others are safer than we are…"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rika hugged Labramon close to her chest as he slept peacefully. She was getting tired and they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the exit.
Yawning softly, she looked around. Alex was holding onto the fin on Masahumon's back, looking just as tired as Rika felt.
The deeper they got, the colder it seemed to become. Rika was pretty sure that this was the reason she was so tired.
Hypothermia. The dreaded 'H' word…
Smiling lightly at this, she shivered and looked at Ryo. He was leaning into Cyberdramon's shoulder, his head propped up on his palm. He seemed to be battling to keep his eyes open.
"Rika…" The voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked down at Kyubimon. She was sitting high up on her shoulders, right against the mass of fur she had around her neck. It was keeping Rika warm and was probably another reason she was so sleepy.
"Yes, Kyubimon?" She said resignedly.
"I think I can see a light coming from up ahead." Rika perked up at this and apparently, so did Ryo. He sat up and looked ahead of them.
"Where?" He asked eagerly. Rika grinned to herself and followed his gaze.
"I don't see anything," she said, squinting in the dark.
"My eyes are better than yours are. It is very far away," Kyubimon explained.
"I see it too," Cyberdramon growled.
"Hmm…" Masahumon agreed with a slow nod. Alex stretched her back and arms and sighed in relief.
"Well, it may be too far for us to see, but at least now we know there's a way out of here," she said, stifling the urge to yawn by biting her lip.
"Mm-hmm." Rika nodded and leaned into the long, curving, red and white horns that were wrapped around Kyubimon's shoulders and neck. The small diamonds hanging from the gold globes on the tips were jingling softly in the quietness.
They walked on for another half hour before they could finally see the way out. It was a huge, circular hole in the roof of the cave that had been completely covered by a thin sheet of ice. It looked almost like a mon-made (^_^) window. Rika hopped off Kyubimon's back and she De-Digivolved into Renamon. The long walk had really taken its toll on all of them.
Calumon popped his head out of Rika's jacket and looked up at the window.
"Oooh, look at how pretty the snow is!" He said sweetly. Rika had to admit, the squirt was right. The snowstorm had ended and it was coming down in a gentle drift now. The edges of the window were built up with snow and it looked almost like a corner toy store at Christmas time.
"Well," she said after a while of silence. "However pretty it is, that window is our only way out of here, which means…"
"…We're breaking through it," Ryo finished for her.
"Right then, Masahumon." Alex climbed off his back and patted his shoulder.
"Renamon." Rika looked at her partner who nodded.
"Get to it buddy," Ryo added, walking over to Rika. The Digimon all readied themselves and attacked at once.
"Diamond Storm!" A flurry of diamond shards flew at the window when Renamon opened her arms with a slashing movement.
"Orion's Zenith!" A black hole was ripped open in the cave, revealing the limitless vastness of space. The stars spun around until the Orion constellation was in the very center. Thin lines drew themselves in between the stars, drawing out the form of a man. He stood up and gathered a handful of stars from around him and, in a flurry of swishes, he flung them at the hole.
"Cyber Nail!" Cyberdramon held up his arms and the blades on his shoulders glowed bright white. He hurled his arms downwards and blade like beams of light flew with the other attacks. All three attacks hit the window and they exploded.
Rika turned her eyes away from the light and when the dust cleared, she looked up again. Cold, gentle snow was drifting down onto her face, getting caught in her hair and on her eyelashes. Ryo looked over at her and his stomach leapt into his throat.
Calm down, Ryo, he thought, taking a steadying breath. She's your best friend…and she just happens to be incredibly beautiful! He gazed at her wonderingly for a second; her beauty was ethereal. Realizing what he was doing however he looked away again. It would have been awfully embarrassing if she had seen him staring. Alex, however, wasn't blind to the fact that Ryo liked Rika. It was so obvious.
Of course, he didn't fawn over her like some pathetic loser. He admired her and he respected her.
Not to mention he's totally in love with her, Alex thought, grinning inwardly. She looked at Rika and smiled.
She's grown up hasn't she, Koronamon, she thought, looking at her (now De-Digivolved) partner.
Yes, he replied thoughtfully. Very much so. She has become a very beautiful young woman. Alex nodded her agreement and walked over to her partner. It was amazing how people changed over the years. Especially when you hadn't seen the person for so long…
"Rika, its time to go," Renamon said, holding her arms out to her. Rika nodded and allowed Renamon to lift her up. Ryo climbed back onto Cyberdramon's shoulders, patting him appreciatively. Alex looked up at the window for a second before she let Koronamon take her.
In one motion, all three Digimon leapt into the air and soared through the hole they had made. Renamon landed first, followed shortly by Cyberdramon and Koronamon. The Tamer slipped off their shoulders and hopped to the floor.
It was cold out here, but nowhere near as cold as it had been in the cave. Rika sighed with relief and put her torch away.
"Finally!" She said, breathing in deeply. The cold air stung her nose a little, but the freshness felt good in her lungs.
"So, anyone got any idea where we are?" Ryo asked, looking around.
"I believe we are back on Digi-Phirmha," Renamon said thoughtfully.
"Yes, the river didn't run very deep. We only went one level down," Cyberdramon agreed. Rika smiled and looked around herself. She didn't recognize anything…
No, wait! Those three rock formations! She thought eagerly. They're right by the mountain range that block's off Tornado Valley! We made it! She looked up at Ryo and grinned.
"I know were we are! We're right on the other side of Tornado Valley," she said. Pointing up at the rocks, she explained.
"You see those rocks over there? Well, when the Dufus Brothers and I flew over the mountains, we landed right by them.
"I remember because that's exactly where Takato planted his goofy flag." She looked at them triumphantly.
"We're, as they say, 'just a hop skip and a flight' away from Tornado Valley." Ryo laughed and patted her shoulder.
"What would we do without you, Rika," he grinned. Calumon's head popped out of her jacket again.
"Why? Is Rika going somewhere?" He asked curiously. The Tamers laughed at him and Rika and Alex shook their heads.
Weird, Ryo thought, as he watched them curiously. Honestly, if Rika were older and Alex was as gorgeous as Rika is, they could be twins! His eyes widened as a realization hit him. Then he grinned and shook his head.
Nah, that's impossible. There's now way that could ever be true.
Rika Matrix Digivolved Renamon to Taomon and Alex made Koronamon Digivolve to Bueramon. Then they each mounted their Digimon- Rika being held in Taomon's arms- and took off.
Rika scanned the area below them until she saw the mountains pass underneath her and felt the wind pick up considerably.
"We're here! Taomon lets go down!" She called. Taomon nodded and started her decent, followed shortly by Cyberdramon and Bueramon. They landed difficulty since the wind was already nearing its peak.
"Which house belongs to Jijimon and Babamon?!" Ryo shouted. Rika looked around, squinting her eyes to see. Her eyes fell on the only mushroom-like house that didn't have a giant cloth on top and she smiled.
"That one!" She shouted. Ryo followed her finger and looked at the house curiously. It looked like a petrified garden. The tree branches were all pointing in one direction, giving them the eerie look that they were pointing at something. But, of course, it was only because the wind was so strong here.
"Ryo! Look out!" Cyberdramon grabbed him and pulled him away just in time to miss a flying piano. It crashed to the floor with a deafening bang.
"Come on!" Rika yelled. "Let's get inside!" They ran towards the house and when they reached the round door, they pushed through it.
Rika landed heavily on the floor, with several people on her back. The wind had knocked them all through when they had opened the door and now, all three Tamers and Digimon were lying sprawled on the floor.
"Ow…" Rika muttered. She got up, pushing Ryo off her and rubbed her neck.
"Nice of you guys to join us." Rika smiled and brushed herself off.
"I thought it might be nice if we took the scenic route," she said simply, grinning at Henry.
"In other words, you took the hard way, like when we were in the park," he said walking over to them. Ryo got up and pulled Rika to her feet.
"Hey, I prefer calling it…'the interesting and very different' route," he grinned. The Tamers laughed and this attracted the attention of the others.
"What's so funny up here…oh! Rika, Ryo, you made it." Takato ran over to them with Jeri and Guilmon at his heels.
Jeri ran right up to Rika and hugged her tightly.
"We were all so worried about you," she cried. Rika held herself stiff before looking at Ryo and Takato for help. All they could do was shrug?! How typical. Just when you actually needed a guy's help, he was useless! Sighing, she tentatively hugged Jeri back until she finally let go.
"There really wasn't any reason to worry, Jeri," she said, smiling at her reassuringly. Jeri then noticed Labramon, who was lying in Taomon's arms.
"Who's that?" She asked. Rika looked back and she gasped.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" She looked around the room curiously. "Where's Alice?"
"Someone calling me?" Alice asked as she walked up the steps. Rika turned to Taomon and took Labramon from her. She walked over to Alice who was staring at the puppy with wide eyes.
"Here," Rika said quietly, carefully handing Labramon to Alice. "We found him in a cave underground. He was beaten pretty badly." Alice cradled Labramon in her arms and hugged him tightly. A single tear ran down her cheek, but she ignored it and kissed the top of Labramon's head.
"Thank you so much, guys," she said happily. Takato was looking at this so confusedly that he actually looked pale. He leaned in towards Ryo.
"Hey, who's the puppy?" He asked. Ryo raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.
"You know, Takato. For a fearless leader, you sure don't know much about the different stages of a Dobermon's Digivolution." Takato's eyes widened.
"That's Dobermon?! But he died!" Henry shook his head.
"Obviously not. Apparently, he simply used his real world body to give us the power to Bio-merge. He must have come back here afterwards," he explained. Takato nodded in understanding. So, that was what had happened. Well, at least now Alice had Dobermon…uh, Labramon, back. Hey, maybe Leomon would come back too…
Fat chance, Takato thought bitterly. Leomon died here, we all saw it. And there isn't any Tree of Beginnings or Primary Village here. He gazed at Jeri sadly and held her in his arms when he saw her tears. She missed Leomon and she needed comfort. That was all there was to know.
"Hey, Goggle-head. Where are all the others?" Rika asked, looking around.
"They're in the kitchen," Henry said, seeing that Takato was busy.
"Typical. Well, what about Jijimon and Babamon?" She asked. Henry and Takato glanced at each other and then looked down.
"There was no one here when we arrived," Henry explained.
"They must not have made it through the battle with the D-Reaper," Takato added, hugging Jeri tighter when she let out a small sob. Rika's face fell and she dropped her gaze. They had been her friends…they couldn't be gone. There was suddenly a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled appreciatively at Ryo.
"I'm sorry," he said gently. She shrugged and looked up again.
"They…they were old," she said quietly. Henry looked between his friends. The atmosphere was so cold and lonely. He sighed and smiled bravely.
"Come on. I think Kazu and Kenta are going to make us something to eat," he said. Alex looked up curiously.
"But you don't need to eat in the Digital World," she said.
"Yeah, but even when they don't need to eat, you can't keep Kazu and Kenta away from their food," Rika said, a small smile lighting up her face.
"Hey! We heard that!" A voice called. "Just for that, you guys aren't going to get anything! We'll eat it ourselves!" Kazu yelled.
"Yeah!" Kenta agreed, like he always did. Rika laughed along with the Tamers.
"So, did you guys find any of your Digimon?" Alex asked. Alice looked up from where she was sitting on the sofa, gently stroking Labramon.
"Yeah, Guardromon and Lopmon found us yesterday and when we got here…" she paused when a tiny pink Digimon with wings popped up beside her. He had big blue eyes and a golden ring around his neck. He looked like an odd, flying seal.
"…we found MarineAngemon." She smiled when the little Digimon floated onto her shoulder and looked down at Labramon.
"He sick?" He asked in his whispery voice. Alice nodded and MarineAngemon floated down onto her lap.
"I fix!" He said happily. "Kahuna Waves!" He spat out dozens of little blue hearts that gently popped on Labramon's fur; he was being healed. When the last heart had popped, Labramon stirred in his sleep. His tiny red eyes opened and he looked up.
"Mmm…Alice?" He whispered hoarsely. She smiled down at him gently.
"Shush, rest Labramon. You'll be okay." She looked up at MarineAngemon. "Thank you."
"It okay. I help friends. Be happy!" He giggled and floated away. Rika still marveled at the way he spoke. It was so sweet, so…babyish. It sounded almost like he was a foreigner only just learning to speak English.
"Hey, guys! We were only kidding about the food! Get down here before it gets cold!" Rika rolled her eyes and the Tamers all laughed.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rika rolled over on her bed and groaned. Why couldn't she sleep? She was exhausted as Hell and it was late!
Of course, deep down, she knew why she was so restless. She hadn't had any contact with her mother yet and she was a little worried. She sat up and looked around. The room was deathly quiet and pitch black. The only reason she could see was because her eyes had become accustomed to the dark a long time ago.
Sighing to herself, Rika got out of her warm bed and walked over to her backpack. Zipping it open, she pulled out the VDT and switched it on. There weren't any Data Streams here, so she shouldn't have any problems turning this thing on…right? She opened the machine and switched it on. Yes! It worked!
Right, now to find mom's number… She scrolled down the menu until she found the address book. Sure enough, Rumiko's name was written second on the list, right under Ryo's dad: Ronin. Taking a deep breath, Rika touched her mother's name and the screen was filled with a bar that said dialing. Rika almost dropped the VDT when there was a knock on the door. She glanced down at the VDT and then at the door.
"Come in!" She called softly. The door swung open and Ryo stepped in.
"Hey, Wildcat," he said gently. "Couldn't sleep either?" She sighed and shook her head.
"Not a wink." Ryo walked over to her and sat down on her bed.
"What're you doing?" He asked, looking down at the VDT.
"Calling my mom," she explained. "I figured that that was why I couldn't sleep." Ryo looked at her thoughtfully.
"You're worried about her…" Rika nodded and gazed back at the screen. A window had opened and the bar now read connected. A second later, there was a soft beep and Rumiko's face appeared on the monitor.
"Hello? Rika?" She asked desperately.
"Do you want me to leave?" Ryo whispered. Rika shook her head no and Ryo moved closer so he could see.
"Hi mom, it's me," Rika said timidly. Rumiko looked up at her daughter and gasped.
"Rika! Sweetheart where are you?! I've been so worried!" She cried, but her voice suddenly became harsh. "How dare you leave without telling me first! Have you any idea how I felt when I read that note! Oh, you are in so much trouble when you get home!" Rika smiled at Ryo ironically and he grinned.
"Wipe that smirk off your face young lady. I'm serious!"
"Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you wouldn't let me go if I did," she explained. "And I didn't have a chance to contact you before this." Rumiko eyed her suspiciously, but then sighed.
"I know sweetheart. I'm sorry I yelled. I'm just so worried about you," she cried, tears running down her face. "I don't want to lose you too, Rika!" She burst into tears and sobbed into her hands. Rika winced and glanced up at Ryo. He gave her an encouraging smile and she nodded.
"It's okay mom," she said. "I'll be fine. Look, Ryo's here with me, and so are all the others. We have all our Digimon with us too. I'll be fine, I promise." Rumiko looked up at Rika and Ryo and she smiled weakly.
"I know you will be. You make me so proud, Rika…angry, but very proud. I've never told you that have I?" Rika smiled at her mother. It was weird to hear her say it, even though she had known it before.
"Please be careful, Sweetheart. And Ryo, you take care of my baby, okay?" She looked up at him meaningfully and he smiled.
"I will Mrs. Nonaka. I promise." Rumiko scoffed at him.
"Please, Ryo. Call me Rumiko. Mrs. Nonaka makes me feel so old! Not to mention I was thinking of taking up my maiden name again, Makino." She smiled at them thoughtfully.
"We have to go now, mom. Take care," Rika said.
"Goodbye, baby. Be careful!" She said. Rika nodded and cut the connection. Sighing heavily, she flopped back onto her pillows and shut her eyes. Ryo took the VDT from her and placed it on the table. Looking down at her, he noticed the frown on her face.
"What's wrong?" He asked. She shook her head.
"Nothing. It's just…I know I'm doing the right thing, but it feels wrong," she whispered. "I feel like I never should have left her there on her own." Ryo lay down on his side and propped his head up on his palm.
"You did the right thing, Rika. If we had stayed in the Real World, more innocent people would have gotten hurt."
"Yeah, because of me…" she said. Ryo shook his head at her.
"No, Rika; that's not what I meant. This isn't your fault and you know it. Seiko didn't die because of you. She died because Zihuralamon killed her.
"If it had been you that had shot or stabbed her, then it would have been your fault. But you never touched her." He looked down at her seriously and she smiled at him.
"Thanks…I think." He grinned in the dark when she shut her eyes again. She was tired and he could see it quite clearly. He yawned and groaned, sitting up to leave. The walk back to his room meant that he had to go back upstairs and he wasn't looking forward to that. Those stairs went on for a long way. He sighed and made a move to get off the bed, but Rika touched his arm and he looked back.
"You can stay if you like. It doesn't bother me," she whispered tiredly. Ryo grinned and lay down on the bed again.
"Thanks, Wildcat. To tell you the truth, I wasn't looking forward to the walk." Rika laughed quietly, her eyes shut gently.
"Yeah…I know." She shifted over to the other side of the bed and rolled onto her side. Now that she had gotten her mother off her chest, she could sleep peacefully. Sighing softly, she fell asleep almost instantly, not even staying awake long enough to feel Ryo cover her with the blanket and lightly kiss her cheek. Had she been awake when she had felt it, she probably wouldn't have been smiling right now.
Ryo gazed down at her for a second before lying down again.
"Goodnight…Wildcat."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rika yawned sleepily as she woke up. Why did she feel so restricted? Her arms were pinned against something and she couldn't move. Looking up, Rika noticed (with confused delight? How odd) that she and Ryo were cuddled close together. They were lying facing each other, chest to chest, and Rika had her head tucked under Ryo's chin.
Weird, she thought curiously. How did I end up here? She could remember saying he could stay if he wanted too, but last she recalled, she had been lying on the other side of the bed… The strangest thing about her situation was that she wasn't angry with him. And this was due to several reasons.
One: she was actually quite comfortable (surprisingly enough). Two: there was no way to tell whether or not it had been her who had cuddled up to him or not and if that was the case, she didn't want to make an issue out of it. And finally, three: she wasn't exactly sure why, but she wanted to be here.
This is getting weirder the more I think about it. I should be pounding him into Hell and below by now! She shook her head and tried to pull away, but his arms were wrapped too tightly around her.
Why aren't I fighting this? She thought angrily. She hated not knowing how she felt or why she felt that way. Being confused when it came to things like this irritated her to no end! Of course, she'd never been with a guy before, much less slept with one. Ryo shifted in his sleep and pulled her closer, as if she were a soft, warm and cuddly teddy bear that was there to comfort him. Looking up at him, Rika smiled despite herself. His hair was sticking up in odd directions, but this just made it look more 'stylishly messy'. Not to mention the fact that he looked as content as the cat that got the cream. He looked annoyingly adorable when he was sleeping…
A sudden feeling of dread swept over her and she was brought rudely out of her thoughts. She could sense a Digimon nearby…and it was strong. Thanks too her connections with Renamon, Rika felt what she did. Her pain, her thoughts…everything. The other Tamers could merely feel their partner's pain, but with Rika and Renamon, it was different.
She looked up at Ryo urgently and tried to free herself from his arms, but he groaned and tightened his hold.
"Come on you stupid idiot… Wake up!!" She shouted. Ryo started and his eyes snapped open.
"Huh? What…?" He looked down at Rika and his eyes widened. "Rika!" His first impulse was to smile, and smile he did. But then he realized what he was doing and he flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was…" Rika sighed in frustration.
"Forget about it. Right now we have bigger problems!" She said, sitting up when he let go of her. She sprang out of bed and hurled herself to the door. Turning back, she looked at him meaningfully.
"Come on, there's a Digimon coming here and it's stronger than any of the others we've battled so far!" She turned and ran out of the room at top speed. Ryo stared at the place she had been standing a few seconds before and wondered fleetingly if she was angry with him.
"God! You are such an idiot, Ryo!" He said angrily to himself. Shaking his head, he ran out after Rika. When he got to the top of the stairs, Ryo found most of the Tamers congregating in front of the fireplace.
Rika was discussing something quietly with Takato and Henry and they all seemed rather tense and uneasy. Ryo walked over to them and they stopped talking. Rika looked up at him solemnly.
"It's just like I said before. Renamon and Cyberdramon sensed the Digimon too," she said.
"Well, what is it?" Ryo asked. Rika sighed and looked him dead in the eye.
"It's a Deva." Ryo sighed as well and looked at the fire. He had known it would be. What else would it be? What else could it be? He looked up at them and grinned bravely, masking his anxiety- like he always did- with arrogant courage.
"Well? What are we waiting for?" He asked. Rika smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, let's go," she agreed. Renamon appeared beside her and Cyberdramon walked up to Ryo.
"We're ready when you are, Rika," Renamon said. Guilmon and Terriermon ran up to Henry and Takato.
"You weren't thinking about leaving without us, were you?" Terriermon scoffed, leaping onto Henry's head.
"We wouldn't dare," Henry replied. There was a noise behind them, and they all turned.
"I'm coming too." It was Alex. She and Koronamon were standing at the head of the stairs, watching the Tamers determinately.
"Alright then. Let's move out!" Takato said, punching his fist into the air. The Tamers walked past him, grumbling as they did.
"Stupid Goggle-head," Rika muttered. Takato blushed and followed them, his hand searching the back of his head.
Ryo opened the door and the Tamers all walked out. The wind had stopped blowing now and the snow was laying roughly knee deep. Rika trudged out after Ryo, the rest of the Tamers following shortly afterwards.
"So, were is it?" Alex asked, looking around. Rika held up her D-Power and the compass appeared.
"According to my D-Power, it should be pretty close by now…in fact, it's almost right on top of us!" They all looked around nervously, but there was no sign of a hundred foot tall monster anywhere.
"Looking for me?" The Tamers all started and turned towards the squeaky and sinister voice that had spoken.
"I don't get it," Rika said, looking in every direction her neck would allow.
"There's nothing there!" Takato sighed.
"Maybe it's a chameleon," Henry suggested.
"How do you mean?" Ryo asked.
"I mean, maybe it can blend in with its surroundings."
"No, no, no, you are quite wrong. Now quiet human and hear my song!" Said the voice in a singsong kind of poetic rhythm. Rika groaned at this.
"Perfect, we have a poet for an opponent!"
"Be still you wench, I hear your thoughts. You act quite brave, but your courage is naught! You fear the deaths that you will trigger, you fear me most so forgive my snigger. The loneliness you fear and hate, is what will send you too Hell's gate!" Rika was shivering with anger now.
"Where are you, you coward? Show yourself!" She yelled.
"Oh my, my, you seem quite fumed, perhaps my appearance will change your tune… I am Jarimon, master of art. Prepare yourself human, for now you all…shall part!!!" There was a blinding flash and a tiny Digimon appeared from out of nowhere. He was roughly the size of a soccer ball with crimson, dragon like wings and a long tail. His fur-covered body was a dark, grey-purple and he had to devil horns on his head. His huge green eyes took up most of his body, which seemed to be made of nothing but a head and a tail. There were two yellow arks under each of his eyes and he had sinister smirk on his face. He had two elongated fangs poking out of his mouth, making him look somewhat bat like. At the tip of his tail, was a small golden ball that had tiny wings and a Halloween Pumpkin face.
The Digimon smirked at them and disappeared before he reappeared a second later high in the air.
"This is bad…" Rika said. "He may be small, but he's powerful, I can feel it."
"We better make our Digimon Digivolve then," Takato said, holding out his D-Power. Rika and Henry did the same. They each pulled out a digivolution card and stood at the ready.
"Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!" They each pulled their cards through their D-Powers at once.
"Renamon Digivolve to…"
"Terriermon Digivolve to…"
"Guilmon Digivolve to…"
"…Kyubimon!"
"…Gargomon!"
"…Growlmon!" The three Digimon landed beside their partners and growled. Jarimon laughed gleefully.
"You all Digivolved, oh what a sight! To bad it won't help you in this next fight!" He danced around in the air, laughing manically at them. He stopped dancing and swung himself viciously so that he was facing in their direction. His tail whipped up in front of him and the ball started glowing. It closed its mouth and then it opened it again, it spat out six long, pale violet ropes made completely out of light.
The ropes lassoed themselves around Rika, Kyubimon, Takato, Growlmon, Henry and Gargomon. Rika struggled to free her arms from the ropes, but they pulled tighter and she gasped in shock and pain. Jarimon laughed as the ball on his tail started glowing more brightly.
"Rika, no!" Ryo dove at her but, just as he reached her, she suddenly vanished. He fell right through her as she disappeared, falling face forward and landing in the snow where she had been standing. Looking up, he saw that they had all disappeared, Jarimon included.
"Now what?" Alex said, walking over and feeling around in the air for them. Ryo growled angrily and slammed his fist into the snow.
"Dammit!"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Rika groaned and opened her eyes. A wave of intense heat swept over her as she became more and more conscious of where she was. Her hair, which had come lose in her fall, was sticking to the back of her neck from the sweating.
"Where am I?" She muttered. She sat up and rubbed her neck painfully. It was so hot in here you could practically see the heat rising from the floor in waves.
"God! It's like an oven in here…" She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and pulled off her black jacket. She got to her feet, swaying slightly out of dizziness. The heat was unbearable and she felt slightly sick and lightheaded. The transition from freezing to scorching had been to fast for her body to handle.
She looked around the cave she was in and her eyes fell on Henry, who was trying to wake Takato up a little way away. Rika stumbled over to him and fell to her knees beside him. She was getting used to the heat now, but she was still a little dizzy.
"I can't get him to wake up," Henry said, shaking Takato's shoulder roughly. His hair, which was ordinarily spiky, was sticking flat to his head. Rika rolled her eyes and pushed Henry aside.
"This is how you wake someone up," she said. She pulled back her hand and slapped Takato with all the strength she could muster. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. Looking up at them, he frowned and rubbed his cheek.
"Ow, that hurt, Rika." She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"How did you know that it wasn't Henry who slapped you?" She asked. Takato grinned lightly.
"Because only you could possibly slap me that hard." Rika rolled her eyes at him again and got to her feet.
"Right, now that Goggle-heads nap is over, can we look for the Digimon?" She asked irritably. Henry got to his feet as well and he looked around too. The entire area looked like a furnace. The walls off the cave were lined with fire and there were pools and rivers of what looked like molten lava all over the place. Everything was red and black.
"Well, this certainly is a change," Henry said, peeling off his own jacket.
"Yeah, no kidding," Takato agreed. He wrapped his jacket around his waist and fanned his face with his hand.
"Takato!" They all looked to the left to see Growlmon, Gargomon and Kyubimon walking quickly towards them.
"Rika, are you all right?" Kyubimon asked urgently. Rika nodded and put her hand on Kyubimon's shoulder.
"Yeah, I okay. How about you?" She asked.
"We're all fine," she said, indicating towards the other Digimon. Takato and Henry had walked over to there partners too and they all seemed equally confused.
"Were are we, Kyubimon?" Rika asked. Kyubimon shook her head slowly.
"I'm not sure. This place is different to anywhere I've ever been in the Digital World," she muttered.
"I welcome you, my frightened foe, to a place of fire and slate. I told you once, it's what you fear, that brought you to Hell's Gate! Burn and scream, a constant thing, in the place you'll soon call home. To escape my world, you'll have to win; in a battle against your clone!" Jarimon suddenly appeared in front of them and the Tamers stood at the ready.
"Where are we?" Rika said angrily. "Where have you taken us?" Jarimon grinned maliciously.
"Weren't you listening? I told you now twice. At Hell's Gate you stand, the message now told thrice!" Henry folded his arms confusedly.
"What do you mean Hell's Gate?" He asked. Jarimon giggled and floated higher.
"Fire, fire, burning black, a darkness that's all evil. Hell's Gate, yes! That's where you stand! A passage to the Devil!" He danced around as he sang menacingly. "You're here and there all at once. You never left your friends. Down you went and down you'll stay until your sins, you mend."
"Wow, Miss Hisaghi would love him in her English class…" Takato said. Rika raised an elegant eyebrow at him in disgust and rolled her eyes.
"Enough of this chatter, it's time for some fun. The time of your final judgment had finally come! Dark wave!" He brought his tail out in front of him and the eyes on the ball started glowing bright black. Two black beams of light burst from them and traveled across the floor, heading straight at the Digimon. They all; tensed as the light passed over them, but nothing happened.
"What?" Kyubimon said curiously, opening her eyes. "Nothing happened!" Jarimon laughed at them as the Digimon looked up at him.
"Foolish pets, you could all have been so fine. Your Data I read and now it is mine." Rika frowned angrily.
"What do you mean you read their Data?" She snapped.
"Their Data is scanned and now it is double. You better watch out because you're about to face some trouble! Hell's Twin!" The ball on Jarimon's started glowing more darkly until it was completely black. The light burst out of it and three bolts of black electricity hit the ground. The earth cracked and split, sending bits of gravel into the air. Red ripples were creasing the floor, pulsing outwards from the places where the lightning had hit it.
The last of the light seeped into the ground and everything went quiet. The Tamers and their Digimon stared at the ground anxiously. A sudden rumbling echoed throughout the cave and the earth shook violently. Rika stumbled and grabbed onto Kyubimon's horns for support. Henry gasped in shock.
"Look!" He was pointing down at the ground to where three figures were rising from the soil. Rika's eyes widened as she stared at the black fox that now stood in front of her and Kyubimon.
"Whoa…" Takato whispered. A huge grey-black dragon was bearing down on him and Growlmon.
"I'll say," Henry said, gazing wonderingly at the big rabbit before him and Gargomon. Rika frowned and held out her D-Power. The display appeared and the Fox's picture formed on the screen.
"BlackKyubimon. A Virus Beast type Digimon. Her attacks are Demon Fireball and Fox Flame Dragon…" BlackKyubimon looked identical to Kyubimon, but her entire body was black instead of yellow. The fire on her feet and at the tips of her tails was red instead of black and the yin and yan signs, along with the marks under her eyes, were maroon. The fur around her neck was grey and her belly was white. She growled angrily and reared herself into the air. Kyubimon growled back.
Takato raised his own D-Power and a picture formed on his own screen.
"BlackGrowlmon. He's a Virus Dark Dragon Digimon. Attacks: Exhaust Flame and Plasma Blade." This Dragon was yet another precise replica with a new color scheme.
His boy, where it should have been red, was a dark black-grey color and where he should have been black (the marks on his arms and body) he was red instead. His claws, chest and hair were a faint grey color and the tips of his talons were a darker grey. The strangest thing about him was the fact that the paw marks on his palms were bright pink.
Henry was the last to lift his D-Power.
"BlackGargomon. A Virus Animal Digimon. His special attacks are Animal Uppercut, Gargo Pellets and Bunny Pummel." BlackGargomon's body was darker beige than Gargomon's and his pants were made of black leather. The mask over his head was black-grey instead of green and so was the bullet belt that he had slung across his shoulder and around his waist. The guns on his arms were silver instead of clack and his eyes were a deep, almost black, red.
The three dark clones growled angrily at their counterparts and the originals reciprocated.
"Come my pets, obey my command. Bring the girl on my masters demand!" Jarimon yelled. Takato and Henry moved in front of Rika, but she scowled at them and pushed past them.
"I don't need you to protect me!" She snapped. She looked back at Kyubimon who was having a face off with her dark clone.
"Kyubimon, are you ready?" She called.
"Let's show my look alike what a real Digimon can do!" She growled. In a burst of speed, Kyubimon hurled herself at BlackKyubimon, who jumped at her as well. The passed each other in mid air and Kyubimon whipped her tails against BlackKyubimon's face. She landed and spun around, growling at Kyubimon; there was a long red mark across her cheek. The two Digimon snarled at each other maliciously.
"I think Rika could use our help. Growlmon!"
"Okey-dokey, Takato!" He stepped towards BlackGrowlmon and pulled back his head.
"Pyro Blaster!" He roared and threw back his head as a huge fireball flew from his mouth. BlackGrowlmon smirked evilly.
"Exhaust flame!" A ball of black fire and smoke hurled from his mouth and collided with Growlmon's attack. They exploded between the two Digimon and extinguished.
"Gargomon, its time we helped out too," Henry said.
"Alright! Come on, Henry! Let's have some fun with my dark twin!" He raised his guns and started shooting. BlackGargomon did the same and both of them took the other's attacks.
Rika and Kyubimon were still battling BlackKyubimon and the Digimon were evenly matched.
"Dragon Wheel!" Kyubimon burst into blue flames and leapt into the air. She spun around until the fire formed itself into a dragon and flew at BlackKyubimon.
"Demon Fireball!" BlackKyubimon flicked her tails apart and the flames and the tips exploded into black flames. Each flame had a small crimson face on it. The flames few off her tails and crashed into Kyubimon. Both attacks were halted.
"This isn't working!" Rika said in frustration. She pulled out a card and readied her D-Power.
"Digi-modify! Power Activate!" Rika slashed her card through her D-Power and Kyubimon glowed brightly for a second.
"Now that's more like it!" She called. But to Rika's dismay, BlackKyubimon started glowing too.
"Thanks for the boost, human!" The two foxes went at each other again, both equally powered up.
"Foolish girl, don't you see? What you do to your friend, you do to your enemy! Their Data is the same; they're both attached. Upgrade one and they're still evenly matched!" Rika sighed in frustration and looked at Kyubimon. She had her jaw locked with BlackKyubimon and the sparks were flying.
"Come on Growlmon! Knock him out!" Takato pulled out his D-Power, not having heard Jarimon.
"Digi-modify! MetalGreymon's Metal Blaster activate!" Both Growlmon and BlackGrowlmon roared and lunged at each other.
"Metal Blaster!" They both yelled. The attacks broke into a colossal explosion and the Digimon were thrown apart.
"Takato! Didn't you hear what Jarimon said?" Henry yelled. "Whatever you do to upgrade Growlmon, will happen to BlackGrowlmon too! Their Data is identical so our D-Powers respond to both of them!"
"Well, I know one thing that we can do that they can't!" Rika said. She held out her D-Power and pulled out a Blue Card.
"Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" She screamed. Her D-Power glowed red and the screen went fuzzy. Kyubimon jumped out of the way of an attack, showing no signs of Digivolution.
"What the…" Rika looked down at her D-Arc and raised it again.
"Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!" Yet again, nothing happened. Jarimon laughed at her gleefully and flew higher.
"He's blocking the Digivolution some how," Rika snarled, shaking with fury.
"This is never going to work, our Digimon are never going to be able to beat themselves!" Henry said, watching as Gargomon and BlackGargomon tried to Bunny Pummel each other. Takato thought for a second, before he snapped his fingers.
"Hey! I know! Instead of aimlessly fighting our counterparts, why don't we fight each other?" He suggested. Rika and Henry looked at each other and then at him.
"That's brilliant, Takato!" Henry said, nodding his agreement.
"Right, I'll take Dino-boys clone, since Kyubimon is a lot stronger than him," Rika said, folding her arms. Takato huffed, but Henry silenced him.
"Okay. Takato, you fight BlackGargomon and I'll battled BlackKyubimon. Agreed?" Henry asked. They all nodded and took their places.
"Change of plans, Kyubimon!" Rika called. Kyubimon looked over and dodged an attack before running over to Rika and BlackGrowlmon. The other Digimon took their opponents too and the battle continued.
"Okay Kyubimon! We can take this guy no problem!"
"Right! Fox Tail Inferno!" The blue flames soared towards BlackGrowlmon and they hit him in the chest. He roared in protest and raised his arms.
"Plasma Blade!" The blades on his arms opened and he slashed his arms through the air. Two dark purple blades spun at Kyubimon, but she jumped out of the way. Kyubimon jumped at him and bit into his neck.
BlackGrowlmon screeched in pain and threw her off him. She skid across the floor, but pulled out unharmed. Growling, she leapt into the air and spun around.
"Dragon Wheel!" The blue dragon hurtled at BlackGrowlmon and passed right through him, splitting onto either side of him as it hit. He howled in agony and fell to his knees. But suddenly, his eyes started glowing and he got back to his feet.
"What's going on?" Rika demanded. BlackGrowlmon laughed and his arms morphed into huge, green scythes.
"Twin Sickles!" He shouted and he flashed his scythes at them. Blades erupted from them and both hit Kyubimon full force.
"No! Kyubimon!" Rika cried. The dust around her settled and Kyubimon stood erect.
"I'm okay, Rika," she said reassuringly. Jarimon was floating above her and Rika, watching the battle with interest.
Rika looked around and noticed Growlmon had the same scythes that BlackGrowlmon had. She frowned angrily.
"Takato! Wait until I've beaten BlackGrowlmon you idiot!" She screamed. Takato flinched and grinned, blushing slightly.
"Uh…sorry, Rika," he said awkwardly. She rolled her eyes at him and frowned.
"Kyubimon! Be careful, he has a stronger attack now!" Rika called to her Digimon.
"Right!" Kyubimon jumped out of the way of the attack BlackGrowlmon had sent at her and sent her own Fox Tail Inferno at him. When the flames disappeared, BlackGrowlmon's Data was starting to fuzz a little. He groaned and feel forward.
"Yes!" Rika cried triumphantly. Kyubimon readied herself and jumped up.
"Dragon Wheel!" He final attack hit BlackGrowlmon full force and his Data burst.
"Absorb it, Kyubimon!" Rika called. Kyubimon hesitated, but did as Rika told her. Once the last of the Data had been drawn into her body, Kyubimon walked over to Rika.
"Come on. I think Takato could use our help," Rika said. Kyubimon nodded and they hurried over to him.
"Okay, Takato. Do what you need to," Rika said as she and Kyubimon reached him. Takato grinned and pulled out his D-Ark.
"Digi-modify! Power activate!" Growlmon roared and his body was engulfed in red fire. Kyubimon stepped up beside him and both attacked BlackGargomon at once.
"Dragon Slash!"
"Fox Tail Inferno!" The attacks hit him and he screamed in pain, his Data dissolving as he fired his guns frantically.
"Do you mind?" Rika asked, stepping forward.
"Um…no, go ahead," Takato said cautiously. Rika nodded at Kyubimon who absorbed BlackGargomon's Data.
"I'll explain later," she muttered to Takato. He just stared at her curiously.
"Uh…guys! A little help over here please!" Henry yelled. Gargomon had been knocked to the floor and BlackKyubimon was advancing on Henry. She had been powered up by the Data too and was now twice as strong.
"Henry! Recharge Gargomon's energy!" Takato yelled. Henry nodded and slashed his card.
"Digi-modify! Energy Activate!" Gargomon glowed white and he stood up.
"Yeah! Now we're cooking! Gargo Pellets!" He fired round after round at BlackKyubimon, but she just kept coming.
"Everyone attack together!" Rika said. Jarimon's face contorted with anxiety.
"No! You will not harm my pets!" He flew down in front of BlackKyubimon, trying to cover her from harm.
"Right! Gargo Pellets!"
"Fox Tail Inferno!"
"Pyro Blaster!" The attacks hit both Jarimon and BlackKyubimon and they burst into millions of Data pieces. Kyubimon, understanding Rika's desire, absorbed the Data without so much as a second thought. A bright light formed around her and soaked into her skin. She had reached another level of strength.
Rika sighed and nodded at Kyubimon as she walked back to her.
"Rika…why did you tell her to absorb their Data?" Henry asked.
"Because the Devas are getting stronger. Our power isn't anywhere near enough at the moment." She looked back at them. "If I don't make Kyubimon start absorbing Data again. We won't stand a chance." Henry and Takato both nodded. They understood. Rika was right about it too. They weren't strong enough yet.
A sudden chill ran down Takato's back and he pulled his jacket back on.
"Uh…guys. Is I just me or are we moving?" He asked.
"No," Henry exclaimed. "The cave is!" And sure enough, the cave had started moving downwards, leaving them suspended in mid air.
"What's happening?" Rika said urgently. The roof of the cave passed right through them like it was a mirage. Within seconds, the three Tamers and their Digimon were standing in the snow, exactly where they had been before.
"Rika!" Ryo ran up to her and the others. "Are you guys okay?" He asked. Takato looked around while Rika pushed Ryo off her so she could put her jacket on.
"You're kidding!" He said incredulously. "We were here the whole time!?"
"Looks like it," Henry grinned.
"What happened in there?" Alex asked. Rika let Takato explain while she tried to convince Ryo she was okay. Honestly, you would think the guy thoughts she was a child that couldn't take care of herself.
"And that's pretty much what happened," Takato finished as they stepped into the house. Growlmon tried to get through the door, but ended up getting stuck in the small hole.
"Takatomon! Help me!" He cried. Takato looked up at him helplessly.
"Here," Rika said, handing him her Downgrade card. "Use this on him." Takato took the card and thanked her before making Growlmon De-Digivolve. Rika yawned while the boys shut the door and locked it. Her head ached and she wanted to sit down so she walked into the living room and plopped down into a sofa in front of the fire. Ryo sat down beside her and leaned back.
"Are you sure you're okay, Wildcat?" He asked, looking at her as she shut her eyes.
"I'm fine, Ryo," she said in frustration. "I just have a headache!" Ryo smiled at her and slipped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. Rika looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow at him.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing?" She asked. He just smiled at her and shook his head.
"Get some sleep. It'll make you feel better." She raised her eyebrow further and Ryo laughed.
"What? Can't I be a good friend? I'm just trying to make you comfortable." Rika grinned at this.
"Oh really. Is that so?" She asked sarcastically. Ryo nodded and pulled her closer. She sighed and yawned again. There was no denying it. The battle had worn her out, not to mention the quick changes in temperature had left her feeling a little dizzy and uneasy. A little nap would do her good.
She let her eyes drift shut and her head fell onto Ryo's shoulder when she fell asleep.
Ryo looked down at her and sighed, smiling weakly.
It was going to be a long battle.
*~*~*~*~*~*
WOW!! That was one HELL of a long chapter! 17 pages! Holy hell! I hope you people are satisfied! This must have been worth the wait! It was so long!!!!
Anywho, to RyukiTJHA ()- Thanks, but…you know how weird it is to find out I have my own Disciple? It's totally FREAKY!!!!!
So…uh yeah. Anywho must go. I'll right more soon. Toodles.
Oh…PS- to those of you who like X-Men the Movie and like a good Bobby/Rogue story, look out for Untouchable. I read it and it's really good!
TOODLES!!!!!