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Camping Special: So Much for a Boring Time at Camp!

Part Two: The Kiss of Life

"Well I...I apologize for this happening...I meant for the visit to the haunted house to be fun," said Rika flatly as she grabbed her towel and swim trunks and walked down the path towards the lake.

"Actually it was really cool," smiled Takato and Rika turned to stare incredulously at him.

"Really cool? Gogglehead, Phantomon's prank almost got the both of us killed!" She glanced at him to try to see his reaction but he kept smiling as if what she said meant nothing. "You almost got your head smashed in by a glass chandelier and I almost dropped three stories to a spiky, sharp and glass-covered end."

"Key word is almost...we're here and Phantomon is probably floating off somewhere pulling a fit 'cuz he couldn't get to us. We're Tamers and we go through danger in every Digimon Battle and he should know it's gonna take more than that," laughed Takato as he smiled again.

Rika groaned and took off her sweater and cargo pants, shivering slightly as a cold wind brushed past and she was only wearing her bikini and bathing suit bottom underneath. She recovered a little as she pulled on her swim trunks. "I still think it was pretty cool," said Takato, glancing sideways at Rika as she did so and then shaking his head swiftly to suppress the redness suddenly rising in his cheeks.

"Hey you guys!" yelled Jeffrey as he and Kai ran towards them.

"Jeff, Kai, I thought your tennis game didn't finish for another like half hour!" cried Takato as the two threw their towels with the others, took off their shirts and jumped into the water.

"We beat those two guys we were playing so we got to leave early," laughed Jeffrey before diving underwater.

"What about you guys? You certainly aren't wet so couldn't have been swimming. What have you two been-" Kai stopped mid-sentence and looked from Rika, to Takato, to the woods around them and back, a mischievous smile forming on his lips. "Hehehehe...."

"No, no it's not what you think!" cried Takato, suddenly realizing what Kai was implying.

"Alright whatever you say dude," laughed Kai.

"You know, I've spent a long time around guys but sometimes...there's things about you guys...I just don't get," sighed Rika, shaking her head as the guys laughed.

"C'mon Ri, we've been playing tennis for an hour while impatiently awaiting our swim...don't kill the fun!" chuckled Jeffrey.

"Yeah Ruki c'mon, we need to chill after what happened anyway," Takato whispered in Rika's ear. He laughed and smiled sweetly, took a step towards the lake and pulled off his shirt. Rika's gaze rested upon him for a moment until he turned to her and smiled again, then jumped into the lake. Rika cursed under her breath and dove into the lake a few feet away from the others.

"Dude did you see that?" asked Kai as he swam up beside Takato and smiled.

"See what?" inquired Takato and Jeffrey in unison.

"Rika...she so totally just checked you out!" whispered Kai, glancing at Rika to make sure she was out of earshot.

"Kai, you should get your eyes checked buddy...Rika checking me, let alone any guy like me out, is more far off than pigs flying!" laughed Takato, choking up some water as he doubled with laughter and swallowed some.

"Dude I'm serious she just did, then she muttered something to herself before diving into the water, away from us!" whispered Kai.

"Yeah, sure, whatever Kai. Just do me a favour, when you get back home, go to the eye-doctor, ok?" smiled Jeffrey as he patted Kai on the shoulder and dove underwater. Kai laughed and dove in after him.

"Ah man, Kai's a total joker," laughed Takato as he floated in circles. He glanced at Rika, who was swimming around. He was joking...right? He asked himself, puzzled. Of course he was you idiot! Like she'd ever return your feelings! Takato's mind told him.

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About a half hour later Rika was quietly swimming a few feet away from the boys, who were talking and playing around. She glanced to her right, saw the boys splashing water at one another, and rolled her eyes. She drifted a few feet further before she felt an ice-cold hand grasp her ankle. She screamed briefly before it pulled her under and water filled her open mouth.

"Rika!" cried Takato as he heard her scream and saw her go under.

"She's probably joking around to get back at us for earlier buddy," laughed Kai, shaking his head and motioning for Takato to let it go.

"She doesn't joke around like that Kai, ever. Besides, she isn't back up yet," said Takato fearfully.

Jeffrey raced to shore and grabbed Takato's goggles, bringing them back, pulling them over his eyes and poking his head under the water. "She's being dragged down. I can't tell by whom, but there's some weird red and grey thing behind her that looks like a shredded sheet," Jeffrey stated, pulling off Takato's goggles and handing them to their owner.

"Phantomon," growled Takato as he clenched his fists.

"You know who...or what...has got her?" asked Jeffrey and Takato nodded. "Then you've gotta save her, I can dive that deep and you've got lifeguard training right?"

Takato replied by sliding on his goggles and diving underwater. He spotted her quickly, her carrot-red hair sticking out like a sore thumb in the dark blue water. He kicked his legs and swam down towards her.

He reached her and almost cried out when he saw her eyes were closed and bubbles were escaping her mouth. Phantomon stuck his head out from behind her and grinned deviously. Unsuspectingly, Takato, his eyes full of worry for Rika and hatred for Phantomon, unleashed a particularly fierce kick at the grinning Digimon's face.

As it recoiled in pain, Takato slid his arm around Rika and swam as fast as he could towards the surface. He broke the surface and two sets of hands flew to help support him and Rika as the three teens paddled to the lake's edge.

Kai and Takato clambered onto shore and Jeffrey helped them lift Rika up with them. Takato laid Rika on her back and tried to shake her awake. "Rika, c'mon, don't do this to me. Not now...Rika, c'mon...Ruki please...," pleaded Takato as he tried repeatedly to shake her.

Phantomon shot out of the water and floated in the air a few feet away from the four teens. He had one hand over his left eye.

"What the hell is that thing?!" cried Jeffrey, fear reflected in his eyes.

"I'm not a thing I'm a Digimon named Phantomon! Trying to get either you or red just ain't worth the pain and frustration anymore!" screamed Phantomon as he glared at Takato before vanishing.

"She's not breathing man!" cried Kai worriedly as he looked at Takato. "You told us you had lifeguard training so now's the time to apply it!"

Takato took a deep breath, pushed back the little voice in his mind that kept saying; 'she is so gonna kill you for this!' Instead, he followed all the steps he'd learned for CPR, breathing air into her mouth. He repeated this procedure until Rika coughed and spat up water.

"Ruki!" cried Takato happily, as she sat up and coughed up more water.

"Wha...What happened?" she asked dazedly as she slowly looked at each of them. "The last thing I remember was feeling an ice-cold hand on my ankle and going under..."

"This freaky Digimon ghost dude named Phantomon tried to drown you but Takato here dove under to get you!" cried Jeffrey excitedly.

"Yeah, your 'Knight in Shining Armour' not only saved you from drowning and from Phantomon but saved you with 'the kiss of life'!" laughed Kai in a teasing manner.

Rika's eyes narrowed and she looked at Takato, who was still sitting right beside her.

"Haha...ha...ha..." Takato laughed nervously.

"Looks like you've saved me from Phantomon again Gogglehead. Guess it wasn't so bad to be stuck at this camp with you," said Rika as sincerely as she could, again saying something that was as close to an apology as she could manage.

"You're welcome," he said awkwardly as confused looks washed over Kai and Jeffrey's faces.