Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: This was a tough one, but somehow I managed it! Hopefully it should be a little bit easier going forward now that I've gotten past this writer's road block. Hope you all enjoy!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 332: The Eye of the Storm

DarkAngelicmon

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Far to the east, the sun was steadily rising above the frosty mountaintops, and lounging on a frozen weathered stump, DarkAngelicmon slowly raised his emerald eyes to frown at the hazy blue sky shimmering far above the endless expanse of pure white snow. To the north, a deep grey mist was beginning to form on the horizon, and there was no doubt in his mind those ominous clouds would reach the mountain pass just as they were ready to begin their devious operation.

A storm is brewing, and with it the darkness creeps ever closer...

Tearing his gaze away from the harsh morning light, DarkAngelicmon proceeded to study his surroundings with careful scrutiny. The tiny settlement where he had spent most of the night with YukiOnnamon, Persiamon, Phelesmon, and LadyDevimon was tucked beneath a small grove of pine trees, and like most buildings in the area, it had probably been abandoned many years ago. The stump he was currently using for an uncomfortable seat stood next to the remains of an old fire pit, and behind him, two small dilapidated huts served as scant protection from the icy winds echoing through the valley. The only upside was the fact that the settlement stood close to the village of Analogue, and as a result it had served as a base to spy on the Digidestined throughout the night.

The Digidestined know I'm here, and I don't think they're the only ones who are aware of my presence. I wonder...the shadows feel close, and yet I can sense there's something pushing them back. Is it you, Mickey? Or...is it Matty? Perhaps it is something or someone else entirely? To keep the shadows at bay...such a remarkable feat requires a brave heart and a strong will to fight back against the darkness...

DarkAngelicmon wouldn't have been surprised if the older Digidestined were responsible for the hesitation he could feel emanating from the shadows, since the parents had far more experience with the Powers of Darkness than their children, but despite their knowledge and ability to fight off the darkness, something was telling him the adults were not responsible for the strange behaviour the shadows were displaying or their reluctance to converge on the village of Analogue in a wave of black despair.

I suppose time will tell. Regardless of who is responsible for my brief respite from the darkness, I intend to take advantage of the peace and quiet. Though it pains me to admit it, I am tired. Whether that is from a lack of sleep or the blackness that surrounds me, I cannot be sure. No...it is my reluctance to take part in this mission, and the dread I feel in my heart for what is to come...

Truthfully, he really hadn't gotten much sleep, mostly due to the fact that he had been forced to switch off every so many hours with Phelesmon and LadyDevimon to watch the village. After all, they couldn't have the Digidestined thinking they had left for the night. Oh no, that wouldn't have done at all. Thanks to YukiOnnamon's insistence that the Digidestined remain subdued by fear and paranoia at all times, the little bit of sleep he did manage to get was completely ruined by Phelesmon's presence. Just knowing he had to share the small space in one of the two dilapidated buildings with the fallen angel had been enough to make him want to throw up, and since YukiOnnamon had claimed the other building all for herself, that meant Persiamon and LadyDevimon ended up taking what little space remained. Those two, he could handle, but having Phelesmon so close to him for an extended period of time had almost been his undoing.

I'm tired of all these intimidation tactics. What a complete waste of time. The Digidestined will not be cowed so easily, not when they have experienced this same type of scenario before. If we truly want to make an impact on Mickey, we'll have to use Matty to our full advantage. Even thinking such a thing fills my heart with unease. Has it always been like this? What is happening to me?

"Brooding, are you?" a voice suddenly called out softly in the brisk morning air. "That's not like you at all."

Without even turning around, DarkAngelicmon said quietly, "I'm surprised you aren't doing the same after spending the night with that irksome fool."

Persiamon let out a soft laugh at his words, and sitting at his feet with her tail curled up behind her in the snow, she said in a teasing voice, "You certainly make a good point. He can be rather irritating, particularly when he's in a fool mood."

"So all the time then."

The feline digimon let out another laugh, and lifting her eyes to the sky, she murmured, "You seem tired. That is also unlike you."

"Sleep is a luxury. One I could not indulge in last night, unlike yourself and YukiOnnamon."

"We did keep an eye out on our lovely little abode here. You never know when an unsuspecting digimon might stumble upon us and report their findings to the Digidestined. Best not to let that happen, unless we want to suffer the wrath of YukiOnnamon."

DarkAngelicmon raised his eyebrows, and smiling slightly, he said dryly, "It's not her wrath I'm worried about."

"Oh?" Persiamon replied, her tone remaining light and airy. "I didn't think you were frightened of anything, including our enigmatic master."

Enigmatic indeed...

Refusing to allow the feline digimon to distract him, DarkAngelicmon said shortly, "Is there a reason you decided to interrupt my musings?"

"I simply wanted to point out that the previous night was not all fun and games for me either," Persiamon said mildly, flicking him lightly with her tail. "Guard duty tends to have that effect on my beauty sleep."

"Surely you jest."

Without looking over her shoulder at the three approaching figures, Persiamon said calmly, "YukiOnnamon wants a word with all of us before we start our next mission. I was sent to fetch you."

Sensing the former vampire digimon's irritation as she boldly approached them with LadyDevimon and Phelesmon only a few paces behind, DarkAngelicmon murmured, "Impatient as always, I see."

Clearly, our little chat has taken far too long for YukiOnnamon's liking. Rather than waiting for us to come to her, she has chosen to ambush us instead. Her eagerness to deal with the Digidestined as quickly as possible so we can concentrate on the black pit instead is sickening. If only I could bury that terrible place beneath the ice and seal it away for the rest of eternity...

"This isn't the time for idle chitchat," YukiOnnamon snapped, coming to a stop next to Persiamon. "Did I not tell you to fetch him as quickly as possible?"

"He does as he pleases," the feline digimon replied, lightly shrugging her shoulders. "You know that as well as I do by now."

"Not anymore, he doesn't!"

Knowing the evil she would become, DarkAngelicmon still felt uncomfortable in Persiamon's presence, and focusing his attention on YukiOnnamon, he said pleasantly, "I have always followed your orders, my lady. You choose to ignore my subservience in favour of despising me for simply existing."

"Stop fooling around and pay attention," the former vampire hissed, her terrible eyes glittering with malice in the early morning sunshine. "We need to go over our plan once more before we set out. I want to make absolutely sure there are no mishaps this time around. I will not tolerate any mistakes costing us our chance to make use of the black pit once we've stolen the Spirit Chip of Innocence. Have I made myself clear?"

"But of course," LadyDevimon responded, settling herself on a fallen tree branch that had mostly likely been used as a bench at some point in time.

The broken limb was located on the opposite side of the fire pit from where DarkAngelicmon remained perched upon his wooden throne, and sitting next to the female angel, Phelesmon said coldly, "Clear as a bell."

The black pit. That place is even more disturbing than the dark chasm in the Ice Caverns...

DarkAngelicmon let his eyes fall shut, and thinking back on the previous evening, he could feel an unpleasant sensation rising in the pit of his stomach. Much to his disappointment, they had managed to secure the location of the black pit, and while they hadn't entered the cavern where it lay deep within the Glacial Waterfalls, just being near the place had put a terrible strain on his already fragile heart. Even the thought of going back to that terrible cave in the future was enough to send him spiralling into a well of despair, which explained why he had kept to himself after meeting up with LadyDevimon and Phelesmon outside the village of Analogue in the early morning hours sometime after midnight.

If the Ruler of Darkness uses me for his experiment in the bowels of the pit, will I still be myself once I emerge from the darkness?

"The sky is growing dark," LadyDevimon murmured, her lips twisting into an unsettling smile. "Fortune smiles upon us when the sun does not."

I would take the sun over this, even if the light burns me to ashes...

"Indeed, it does," YukiOnnamon confirmed, ignoring the remaining tree stump and sitting directly in the snow next to Phelesmon. "A storm is coming, and that means the conditions are perfect for putting our plan into motion. If I may say so, we were fortunate the sky remained clear during our search for the Spirit Chip yesterday. That is not normally the case. Usually the mountain pass leading to the Glacial Waterfalls is raging with blizzards and stormy conditions, and judging from the oncoming clouds, that will hold true for today. We are going to use the harsh conditions to our advantage, especially since we are now familiar with the mountain pass."

DarkAngelicmon slowly opened his eyes, and once again refusing to look at the former vampire digimon, he said quietly, "As we discussed yesterday, you are going to use the snowy weather to separate Masato Takaishi from the rest of the group."

I must protect them, but I cannot be in two places at once...

"Using the terrain to our advantage," Persiamon noted, looking mildly impressed. "That's certainly a solid plan, especially since, as YukiOnnamon stated, we are more familiar with the area than the Digidestined."

"Please, they do have Frigimon with them," Phelesmon scoffed, sounding annoyed. "That lumbering oaf isn't a complete idiot. He's been in the mountain pass before."

"Not as far as we have," YukiOnnamon reminded the fallen angel. "We have actually traversed the entire path right into the heart of the Glacial Waterfalls. He has not. When the Digidestined inevitably get caught in the storm, that is when we will strike."

Shifting on the snowy ground, Persiamon said lightly, "And how exactly are we going to go about stealing the boy? You did not speak of the finer details when we discussed our plan last night."

In the heart of the storm, the shadows will follow. Waiting for their own chance to strike...

YukiOnnamon sat with her hands resting upon her skirts, and lifting her dark gaze to the oncoming clouds, she said calmly, "We will split into two groups. Phelesmon and DarkAngelicmon will be responsible for separating Masato Takaishi from the rest of the Digidestined when the weather conditions are ideal for a kidnapping, and once they've done so, LadyDevimon, Persiamon, and myself will track the main group through the mountain pass. I've specifically included at least one celestial digimon in both of our parties so we can remain aware of what is going on between both groups at all times, particularly when it comes to our respective locations and our progress towards reaching the Spirit Chip. As an added bonus, since the Takaishi brothers will be separated, both of our parties can also keep track of both twins in case something goes amiss and either one of the two boys manages to slip away from us."

"And what exactly are we going to do with the humans once we do manage to separate them?" Phelesmon snorted, sounding skeptical of the plan.

She wants Mickey for herself because she doesn't trust me to do the job. If I let her go through with this, I know she'll do everything she can to hurt him as much as possible.

Never before had DarkAngelicmon felt so protective of humans, and trying his best not to show his emotions, he chose to keep quiet. Smiling with evil anticipation, YukiOnnamon held out her arms and said in a commanding voice, "The plan is simple really. DarkAngelicmon and Phelesmon are going to keep Masato Takaishi occupied using whatever means they feel are necessarily while Persiamon, LadyDevimon, and I commence our attack on Makiya Takaishi's heart. Being separated from his brother is only a start. The real test of his heart shall begin after that."

"Using what tactics?" Persiamon asked curiously. "You briefly mentioned using the Powers of Darkness to our advantage, since the black pit will be so close, and then there's the boy's father. All of these things we talked about the previous day, but it would be good to refresh our memories."

"DarkAngelicmon, explain," YukiOnnamon said shortly, her black eyes studying him closely.

She must be aware, having become a victim herself of the dark chasm...

Caught off guard, at first DarkAngelicmon wasn't quite sure where to begin, and attempting to keep his tone neutral, he said calmly, "The shadows are here, and they are ready to hunt."

"The dark pit gives them more substance," LadyDevimon added. "It is only natural they would thrive in a place like this."

"So you're saying we can use the shadows to bait the boy?" Phelesmon demanded.

DarkAngelicmon slowly nodded, and taking extra care with his words, he said, "Along with the stormy conditions, we may be able to use the presence of the shadows to distract Makiya Takaishi, which would give us a chance to snatch Masato from his side. Remember, the twins are likely somewhat aware we want to separate them, and as a result they will remain close together. The shadows might act as enough of a disturbance to help lure the two boys apart. Once that's done, we can also use the shadows to possibly fuel Makiya Takaishi's self-doubt, which will bring his heart closer to the darkness. He is susceptible to the shadows, and that might be our key to tormenting him, thus forcing the boy to overcome himself in order to harness the power of his Spirit Chip."

"What about his brother?" Phelesmon sneered, looking very much as if he doubted the plan would work.

"Since the humans will be more susceptible to the darkness here thanks to the black pit, I see no reason why the shadows won't work on Masato Takaishi, as well," YukiOnnamon said boldly. "If we can't get Makiya Takaishi to leave his brother's side, then we can use the shadows to lure Masato away from his twin. Either way, the end result is the same."

Have you not been paying attention? No wonder you ended up falling into the black chasm in the Ice Caverns.

Sensing it would be wise to interject with a word of caution, DarkAngelicmon leaned forward in his seat and said seriously, "I believe it's important to point out that using the shadows may not have the same effect on Masato Takaishi as they might have on his brother. If you recall, Masato has already had an encounter with the shadows in the Ice Caverns. As a result of that experience, he will have learned to protect himself at least somewhat from their whispers and illusions of reality."

"I see," Persiamon replied, her expression growing thoughtful. "So if the shadows don't work on him, what do you suggest we do to keep him occupied?"

"Essentially, all we want to do is subdue Masato Takaishi and make sure he behaves himself while we go after his brother. If the shadows don't provide an adequate distraction, we could always use his parents."

"You mean the stories about their past experiences with the Powers of Darkness," LadyDevimon finished, her face lighting up with unhealthy interest. "Yes, I would love to see that."

I bet you would, since a part of their history is your own...

Just thinking about it made DarkAngelicmon feel uneasy, and ignoring the female digimon's cryptic statement, he said, "Hearing about what happened to his parents might help keep him occupied while we work on crumbling Makiya Takaishi's defences."

"We could also use the parents along with the shadows against the Child of Innocence to obtain the Spirit Chip," YukiOnnamon butted in. "Those barriers, along with the loss of his brother, should be enough to do the trick."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, DarkAngelicmon had to agree, and sighing in defeat, he said numbly, "Under any other circumstances, Makiya Takaishi's heart should be strong enough to remain unaffected by the shadows, but the loss of his brother will likely be enough to send him over the edge. Without Masato Takaishi, Makiya's heart is weak, and without a strong will, he will not be able to fight against the darkness. Once it takes hold of him, it will not be easy for the boy to come back from the pit of his own despair. Only Masato Takaishi will be able to call him back, and that will only happen once we allow it to happen. At that point, the Spirit Chip will be ours for the taking."

"Easy enough once we have the twins exactly where we want them to be," YukiOnnamon said dismissively, her tone indicating she wasn't too concerned either way.

That's because you only care about the black pit, not the Spirit Chip. If we fail this mission, it won't affect you in the slightest. You won't even be disappointed. As long as the Ruler of Darkness gets what he truly wants, that's all you care about...

"So we're all set then?" Phelesmon grunted, climbing to his feet.

YukiOnnamon quickly leaped up beside him, and nodding her head, she said, "We will move out as soon as the Digidestined leave the village. Part of this mission does rely on a little bit of luck. Both of our parties will have to use our best judgment on how to move forward depending on how the Digidestined react once they step inside the mountain pass."

The last thing I want to do is spend my day with Phelesmon. That was clearly done on purpose. If I cannot be there for Mickey, I must simply do my best to protect Matty from Phelesmon at all costs. My only hope is to rely on the Digidestined to do what I cannot and bring Mickey back from the darkness that will inevitably surround him. After all, there is no guarantee Matty and I will make it in time...

"I am excited to see how the Digidestined will respond to our presence," LadyDevimon said eagerly, her smile growing even more disturbing. "It will be nice to see my old enemies again."

"As for me, I plan on enjoying every minute of this," Phelesmon said coldly. "I've not yet had the chance to torture a human before. I'm looking forward to the experience."

If I killed you and made it look like an accident, surely the Ruler of Darkness wouldn't mind. He has plenty of other servants to replace you, and then I'll be free from your disgusting presence.

An ill wind was blowing, and DarkAngelicmon was certain it had nothing to do with the approaching storm. The Powers of Darkness had caught the scent of fresh prey, and no matter how much he wished it were otherwise, the Takaishi twins were going to suffer for it.

Makku Inoue

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Gazing out the window at the early morning sunshine, Makku Inoue leaned his forehead against the frosty pane, his fingers trailing lightly down the glass. Almost against his will, a deep sigh escaped his lips, and closing his eyes, he couldn't help rehashing the events of the previous evening, along with the shocking information Taniko had informed them about as soon as they had gotten out of bed a little while ago. The sunrise, along with an ominous premonition that something wasn't right, were the reasons why he had woken up so early in the morning, and unfortunately after hearing what Taniko had to say, the strange feeling that there was trouble brewing amongst the group currently in the Digital World had only grown even stronger in his heart.

And not just with the twins.

While he was incredibly worried about Mickey and Matty, he was also very concerned about Sam.

It was bad enough hearing about the stranger in the village and the two fallen angels we know nothing about, but add in all this secrecy with the Ruler of Darkness and whatever he's planning, and also this whole thing with Lucemon and what he's up to in the Northern Hemisphere, it's hard not to feel a little uneasy. And now this whole plan to switch identities...

Makku had to admit the whole idea of Mickey and Matty switching places had come as a surprise. They had only just found out about the younger twin's plan from Taniko, indicating Izzy was also up early and already conversing back and forth with his daughter. Truthfully, he didn't know what to think, and instead of joining the others for an early morning breakfast, he had chosen to remain in the living room to take some time to process his thoughts. Normally, he liked to think of himself as a pretty easygoing guy, but after hearing Taniko's summery of events, he didn't feel much like smiling.

I wonder what Sam thinks about all of this...

"You look worried," a voice said softly close to his ear, nearly catching him by surprise. "That's not like you at all."

Almost immediately, a warm hand touched his shoulder, and meeting Noah's concerned gaze, Makku said quietly, "You're not wrong. I do feel a little uneasy, which is why I had to step away for a moment. I don't want to alarm Miya and the others, but I can't help thinking this whole plan could turn into a catastrophe."

"And you were worried your thoughts would show on your face?" another voice asked, the warm tone instantly putting him a little more at ease.

It was Shinji who had spoken, and sitting on the floor, the older male's golden head came to rest against his knee. The pleasant sensation was enough to finally bring a small smile to his lips and twisting around so he could face the room, Makku said slowly, "Yes, but that's not the only reason I needed a little time to myself."

"Sam?" Shinji asked, his jade green eyes glittering in the morning light filtering into the room.

Makku nodded, and spotting his younger brother hovering around the doorway, he motioned for Taka to join them before saying, "No matter how you look at it, Sam will get himself involved, and while I'm incredibly worried about Mickey and Matty, I know the potential is there for Sam to end up in just as much danger as the twins, if not more so depending on how he handles the situation."

"He'll want to protect both Mickey and Matty, that much we know for sure," Noah agreed, his dark eyes narrowing into a frown. "Which could definitely cause some issues."

"No kidding," Taka groaned, plopping down next to Shinji. "Talk about a huge mess."

It's hard to tell just how aware Izzy may or may not be when it comes to the relationship between Sam and Mickey, and because of that we can only gain so much insight from the general information we were given concerning what's actually going on in the Digital World. We have no way of knowing the full truth, and that's what scares me...

"If Sam had said something to Mickey about his feelings by now, Izzy would have mentioned it," Shinji said firmly, sounding sure of his words. "The same would still hold true if Mickey does in fact feel the same and was the first to admit it. Based on that, we can only assume nothing has changed between the two since they left for the Digital World, which means Sam has put himself in a complicated position."

Makku couldn't deny he felt the same, and gently stroking the older male's golden hair, he said softly, "I know there's a lot going on right now, and I can't deny that Izzy, Mina, and Taniko have their work cut out for them, but right now most of that isn't easily solved until we have more information. Our immediate problem is Sam and the twins, and this whole idea of changing identities is only going to complicate things even further."

"Are you worried there's a chance that Mickey switching places with Matty might have negative effects on Sam?" Taka asked hesitantly, his timid expression indicating he wasn't sure if he should even ask.

Makku quickly shook his head, and giving his brother a reassuring smile, he said gently, "Not in the way I think you mean. Sam isn't foolish. He knows Mickey and Matty so well, he's not going to be thrown off by them switching identities. I highly doubt that will have any effect on his mental health. I'm more concerned about the fact that he obviously hasn't told Mickey how he feels yet. If Sam ends up separated from Mickey, I could see that being a major issue, especially if Mickey has a hard time handling whatever DarkAngelicmon and the others might throw at him to take advantage of his wavering heart."

"On top of that, we know Sam will also worry about Matty, especially if there's still a lot tension between the twins," Shinji sighed, his dark green gaze focusing on the carpet. "That's a lot for one person to handle. I don't think Sam or Mickey would handle it well if Matty got hurt because he was pretending to be Mickey."

"Izzy didn't go into detail, but I bet after this the tension you're talking about has probably gone through the roof," Noah warned. "I have to admit I was worried before, but now I'm extra worried."

Makku couldn't agree more, and as the dark-haired teen wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders, he said softly, "I think Miya and Nao are starting to suspect there's more going on than what they know so far, and I don't know what to tell them."

"If we say something, Miya will freak," Taka groaned, slapping a hand against his forehead. "Not that I blame her. I'm pretty freaked out myself."

"Maybe it's best not to say anything for now," Shinji suggested. "I don't see the point unless the current situation changes. Besides, there's no sense in scaring Nao unless we absolutely have to."

If anything were to happen to Mickey, Sam would be devastated, and I have no doubt he would feel the same about Matty. How far is he willing to put himself at risk to save them? He needs to understand they would feel the same if anything were to happen to him in return...

"Hey, you okay?" Taka asked, studying him closely. "I don't like that look on your face."

"Neither do I," Shinji said shortly, climbing to his feet and motioning for him to move to the left a bit.

Noah quickly shuffled over to make more room on the window seat, forcing Makku to slide over as well thanks to the arm that was still wrapped around his shoulders, and settling down on his other side, Shinji quickly pulled him close before resting a hand against his flaming red hair. Taking a deep breath, Makku let his head fall onto the older male's shoulder, and speaking plainly, he said, "Whatever we do, we can't betray Sam's trust. Like you said, I don't want to say anything unless we have no other choice. I just...really want Sam to be happy, and there's so much that could go wrong..."

"We all feel the same way," Shinji reminded him, kissing his forehead. "That being said, there's no denying Sam has a strong heart. Maybe we're not giving him the credit he deserves. He seemed pretty determined to get through to Mickey, and we have to trust he'll follow through on his feelings. Don't give up just yet. A lot can happen between now and the Spirit Chip, and Sam has proven before he's full of surprises."

"He'll do what he has to do to make things work," Noah agreed. "And in the meantime, you need to keep smiling for us. We depend on you to keep the rest of us motivated, and right now we need all the motivation we can get."

Makku laughed at that, and smiling, he said in a teasing voice, "That's certainly true. You're all hopeless without me."

"That's the Makku we know and love!" Taka cheered, beaming proudly at him.

Through the doorway, Makku could hear the murmur of voices coming from the kitchen, and judging by the tone of quiet words he couldn't quite make out, it was plainly obvious everybody else in the house was also worried about how the day might unfold. Currently, Davis and Noriko were the only adults at the Motomiya residence, as the rest were planning to come by a bit later. That left only the kids who had stayed over for the night, all of whom were indulging in a hasty breakfast. No doubt, once the word got out to everyone about the twins switching places, the fearful atmosphere in the Motomiya residence would only grow more intense, and that was something Makku needed to separate himself from if we wanted to maintain a positive attitude.

I need to for Sam's sake. He would do the same for me if Shinji and I were in a similar situation.

"You should eat," Shinji said softly into his hair. "You'll want to be at your best when Sam comes home."

Makku immediately felt his heart melt into a pile of goo, and wrapping his arms around the older teen's waist, he teased, "Only if I get my good morning kiss."

"You already had one," Shinji shot back, raising his eyebrows.

"Never hurts to have another one."

Noah and Taka both laughed at his response, and rolling his eyes, Shinji gave him a kiss on the lips before pulling him to his feat. Noah and Taka were both quick to join them, and as they all headed for the kitchen, Makku couldn't help wondering what Sam was doing right at that moment. No matter what happened, the raven-haired Digidestined needed to stay true to his heart, and hopefully that would be enough to save both Mickey and Matty.