Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Some POV's coming up will include Ryoko, Matt, and Mimi. The Ishida's take the spotlight! I'm not done my other story yet, two more chapters still, but I'm working on it. Also, all of the digimon names I've made up I haven't heard anywhere else, and I don't pay attention to the card game that much. So bear with me.

So, who wants some action?

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 15: Ice Queen

Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

"Stay back!" Leomon commanded, leaping in front of them and pulling out his sword.

Dai held Embermon tightly to his chest and squinted through the sudden dust that the broken wall had stirred up. The force of the explosion had caused a huge cloud of debris to hang in the air, and there were stone chips everywhere.

"What's going on?" Takara cried from somewhere behind him.

He reached back his hand and felt Takara's hand grasp it in return. Her fingers were trembling, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"It looks like we're about to find out," Embermon said, leaping out of Dai's arms and positioning himself next to Leomon. The look on the rookie's face was the look of someone getting ready for battle.

The dust cleared, and Dai stared at the wreckage in amazement.

A figure stepped out of the rubble and surveyed them with a malicious smile. "I would have used the door only it's so much more fun destroying things, don't you think?"

She winked at them and fluttered her wings in a rather suggestive way.

"What do you want?" Embermon snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at her. "Last time I checked, digimon like you weren't allowed in here."

"My, my," she replied, flipping back her long, pale blue hair. "Aren't we in a rather unfriendly mood today, and just what do you mean by 'a digimon like me?'"

"No decent digimon would destroy a place such as this one," Leomon said quietly.

Dai stared in shock. The digimon standing before them looked human in appearance only she had long pale blue hair, icy blue eyes, pure white skin, and six transparent wings sticking out of her back. She was dressed in a rather skimpy outfit of silver and several shades of blue. She also wore silver gauntlets, sliver knee-length boots, and several silver bands around her upper arms.

"Who are you?" Ryoko snapped, gazing suspiciously at her.

In that moment, Dai's respect for Ryoko went from a two, on a scale of one to ten, (one being the lowest) to a seven.

She turned to Ryoko and gave the blond a rather interested look. "You know," she said with apparent ease. " Your obvious suspicion could be very hurtful to me, that is, if I actually had a heart." She let out a musical laugh and smiled at them. "I am Crystalmon. I'm an ultimate level virus type digimon, which is bad news for you, and my special attacks are Ice Beam, Crystal Shards, and Frozen Starburst. I'm beautiful and unstoppable! Talk about a dynamite combination!"

"Beautiful?"

Dai jumped as Takara started to giggle into his shoulder. "Lady, you look like you were caught in a winter storm and someone forgot to go looking for you!"

"Silence!" Crystalmon shrieked, staring at Takara with a murderous look in her cold blue eyes. "No one insults me and lives to regret it!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Embermon smirked.

Crystalmon chose to ignore him and instead turned to Leomon.

"So you are one of the fools working for Gennai," she said sharply, her tone vicious with icy intent.

Leomon's eyes narrowed, and he held his sword at the ready. " What do you know about Gennai?" he asked slowly.

Crystalmon crossed her arms and flicked her wings with impatience. "More than you," she said with an evil smile.

Dai felt his heart sink. She knows where Gennai is. What are we going to do? He's the only one who can help us if we even have a hope of making it out of this place alive. He knows why we're here. I know it. He can help us understand what exactly we're suppose to do. If Crystalmon has done something to hurt him, then our chances of saving this world are going to go up in smoke...

"What have you done with him?" Leomon snapped, leaping forward and planting himself in front of the icy digimon.

She tossed her long hair over her shoulder and gave Leomon a twisted smile. "That's for me to know. Unfortunately for you, I'm not in the habit of sharing information with the enemy. Besides, I have more important things to do than discuss Gennai."

"Oh, like what?" Matty asked, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"Matty!" Mickey tugged on his brother's sleeve and gave Crystalmon a frightened look.

"So the Digidestined have arrived," said Crystalmon quietly. "Excellent. Our plans can finally be set in motion. Now, I hope you will excuse me for being rude, but I don't have time for conversation. This isn't a casual visit. You see, I've been sent here to take something from you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

"What could you possibly want from us?" Sam asked, frowning in confusion.

"You'll find out soon enough!"

With a shriek of laughter, Crystalmon leaped forward heading straight towards them.

"Stay back!" Embermon shouted. "Leomon and I will handle this!" The two digimon leaped into action and Crystalmon was there to meet them.

With a snap of her fingers, a long crystal staff appeared in her hands just as Leomon swung his sword at her.

Their weapons met with a loud clang that echoed off the walls.

"I will not allow you to hurt the Digidestined," Leomon said, thrusting his sword at her.

She deflected the blow with her staff and flew up into the air out of reach. "You're strong, Leomon, but not strong enough for me!" she giggled.

"I don't see what's so funny," Embermon snorted, leaping onto the pedestal and putting his hands together. "Lets see how well you stand up against fire, Frosty! Ember Blaze!"

A swirling blast of fiery embers shot out of the rookie's hands and headed straight for Crystalmon. She let out a squeal of surprise and dived to the side, but the blast singed one of her wings, and it started smoking.

"Oh! Ouch! You're so going to pay for that!" she shrieked, batting at her wing and frantically trying to put out the flames. She glared at Embermon, her eyes burning. "If you think you can beat me, rookie, think again! Frozen Starburst!"

The frosty digimon spun in mid-air and a huge glittering star appeared above her head. Using the tip of her finger, she directed it straight at Embermon. The thing flew at the rookie with surprising speed and a trail of frozen ice chips. The thing slammed into Embermon knocking him off the pedestal straight into the stone wall just behind the Digidestined.

"Embermon!" Dai cried in fear.

He made a move to go to his partner, but Ryoko grabbed him by the arm and dragged him behind the pedestal where the others were all huddled together.

"Let go, Ishida!" he snapped, trying to yank his arm away.

"No way," Ryoko stubbornly replied. "If you go out there, you'll be right in the line of battle. If you think for one second that I'm going to let you take the easy way out by getting yourself killed, think again! If I have to be stuck in this world then so do you!"

"But, Embermon..." he said slowly.

Ryoko studied his face and smiled. "Embermon will be fine," the blond said quietly. "He might be small, but I get the feeling that he's pretty tough."

"Ryoko's right, Dai," Sam said softly, putting a hand on his arm.

I hope so, but how can they be so sure? He finally nodded and turned his attention back to the battle where Leomon and Crystalmon were glaring fiercely at each other.

"You won't get away with this!" Leomon snapped. "Fist of the Beast King!"

Crystalmon spun in the air to avoid it and shot out of the sky like an arrow. She tackled Leomon to the ground and yanked the sword out of his hand.

"Ooooh. This will go nice with my collection of weapons," she said, admiring the blade's sharp edge.

"No sword of mine will be used for evil," Leomon shouted, shoving her off and kicking her in the ribs.

She fell to the floor with a startled gasp and fluttered her eyelashes at Leomon. "Now, is that any way to treat a lady?"

"You are no lady," Leomon snorted.

"You tell her!" Takara cheered, pumping a fist into the air.

Crystalmon let out a shriek of rage, hit Leomon with a huge blast of ice, and leaped over the pedestal landing right next to Dai. She grabbed Takara by the hair, forcing Dai to drop the female Digidestined's hand, and clamped her own hand around Takara's throat.

"I think I'll kill you first and then take what I want," the icy digimon hissed.

Dai's heart filled with dread.

"Let her go!" he shouted at the exact same time as Ryoko.

He and his blond friend latched onto Crystalmon trying to drag her away from Takara who was screaming in terror.

Irritated by the interruption, Crystalmon turned on them, her eyes blazing with fury.

Sam and the twins quickly pulled Takara out of harm's way, and Dai could not help letting out a sigh of relief.

"How dare you stand in the way of my plans!" Crystalmon shouted. She looked ready to strike them down with one blast, but then she suddenly eyed Ryoko and smiled.

"You know, you're pretty cute for a human," she giggled, reaching out and touching a lock of his golden hair. "Once I've successfully completed my orders, I'm sure they'll let me keep you as a reward."

"Ryoko!" Mickey gasped.

Ryoko froze and stared at Crystalmon, speechless with horror. "Don't touch me," the blond whispered, backing up against the pedestal.

Dai could almost smell Ryoko's fear. He grabbed his friend's arm, pulled Ryoko out of Crystalmon's reach, and glared at her with disgust. "You heard him. Now get lost!"

"Not a chance!" Crystalmon snarled. "I never give up until I get what I want, and I always get what I want!"

"Get away!" Ryoko shouted, backing into Dai who staggered and managed to pull the blond behind him.

"Dai! Ryoko!" Suddenly Embermon was standing protectively in front of them, and the rookie glared at Crystalmon. "You leave them alone! Your fight is with me! Ember Blaze!"

The fiery blast slammed into Crystalmon's stomache and sent her tumbling back over the pedestal with a scream of agony.

Embermon leaped after her and joined Leomon who was just getting to his feet. Once more the battle continued.

"Ryoko! Are you alright?" Mickey cried, hugging his cousin tightly.

"I feel dirty," Ryoko moaned into Mickey's shoulder.

"Well, you have to admit. It was kind of funny," Matty grinned, pushing his twin out of the way and grabbing Ryoko's hand.

"Oh, Ryoko," he said soulfully, staring into his cousin's eyes and mimicking Crystalmon. "You know, you're pretty cute for a human!"

Dai tried not to smile as Matty burst into an hysterical fit of laughter.

"Oh, shut up," Ryoko mumbled, shoving Matty away and blushing furiously.

"Matty!" Mickey scolded, hitting his twin on the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For being insensitive."

"I wasn't being insensitive!"

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes you were!"

"No I-"

"Will you two quit it!" Dai shouted over the noise. He turned to Takara and gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," she replied, managing a shaky smile.

"You sure?" Ryoko asked, looking worried.

She nodded and gave both of their hands a squeeze. "Yeah, thanks, guys."

"No problem." Dai smiled at her and did his best to ignore the sudden fluttering in his stomache.

"What about you?" Takara asked, turning to Ryoko. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ryoko managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"See what happens to people who look like you?" Dai smirked.

"What's wrong with how I look?" Ryoko said defensively.

"Nothing," Dai laughed. "That's the problem!"

Ryoko was still trying to figure that one out, his forehead wrinkled in confusion, when a loud bang caught their attention.

Leomon had been blasted into the ceiling by Crystalmon and had come crashing back down.

"Oh, no!" Sam gasped. "Crystalmon's gaining the upper hand again!"

"No one can stand against our power, not even the Digidestined!" Crystalmon screamed, pointing her finger at Leomon. "Ice Beam!"

A blinding icy blue ray of light exploded into Leomon's chest.

"No!" Takara shrieked.

"Embermon! Do something!" Dai shouted.

"Right. Ember Blaze!" The fiery blast hit Crystalmon in the back and sent her tumbling in the air.

She managed to recover and turned on Embermon who stood below her on the ground.

"Crystal Shards!" she countered. The gauntlet on her right wrist turned out to be a gun filled with ammo.

Embermon went racing for safety as long, thick icicles embedded themselves in the floor behind him.

"This isn't even a fair fight!" Matty shouted. "Crystalmon has a huge advantage just because she can fly!"

"Sorry, honey," Crystalmon giggled, winking at Matty. "No one ever said that life was fair!"

"Now who's laughing," Ryoko muttered as Matty blushed.

Leomon raised his fist and glared at Crystalmon. "You will be the first to learn that hard lesson! Fist of the Beast King!"

"Ember Blaze!" Embermon shouted, joining Leomon and attacking at the same time.

She did a backflip in the air to avoid their attacks and giggled with glee. "I've enjoyed this little scuffle, but now it's time for me to finish you off. Say good night, boys! Frozen Starburst!

"Look out!" Dai cried.

Too late. Leomon and Embermon disappeared in an avalanche of ice chips, leaving them unconscious.

"We could sure use some more digimon partners right about now," Sam said weakly.

Mickey turned to look at Matty, his face white, and they reached out to each other for support. "We're so dead," Mickey whispered into his brother's shoulder.

Dai slowly turned to look at Crystalmon and felt Takara take his hand again. He swallowed a lump of fear in his throat and somehow managed not to look away from the evil digimon.

Crystalmon turned her head to one side and gave them a very cold smile. "Now you die," she said softly.