Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: oooThis chapter had been rewritten August 6, 2015 to be more in line with the current chapters. Hope you enjoy!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 27: Everything Is Not Enough
Jestermon
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Jestermon met up with his fellow mega digimon in a small grove, and sensing their eyes on him, he scowled, knowing exactly what was to come.
"Well, well," Vampiramon smirked, seating herself on a large rock. "Look who's the failure now!"
Jestermon glared angrily at her, and clenching one of his black balls, he felt his blood start to boil.
I was so close to getting my hands on a D-Coder Digivice! How dare she mock me! It's more than Crystalmon ever managed!
"At least I got further than you did!" he snapped back.
Vampiramon's red eyes narrowed into an angry frown, and tossing her head, she said, "That idiot Crystalmon was the one who made Embermon digivolve. It had nothing to do with me. You, on the other hand, let Celestimon digivolve all on your own! You can't blame that little mistake on Zombiemon!"
"Embermon was still your fault!" he snarled. "You were the one who sent Crystalmon after the Digidestined in the first place!"
"It doesn't matter. When the boss finds out about Angelicmon, he's going to forget all about me!"
"Really?" he smirked. "What did the boss have to say to you when you told him about Embermon?"
Vampiramon winced. "That's none of your business," she muttered, tossing back her long red hair.
"The boss is going to be so mad at you, Jestermon!" Spritemon giggled, fluttering her small wings and hopping up and down.
"That's for sure," BlackWidowmon snorted. "I'm glad I'm not you, fool."
Jestermon sat down on the grass next to the female spider digimon, and making a face at her, he proceeded to sulk in silence. BlackWidowmon had long raven hair, and she was currently examining the eight legs sticking out of her back.
"So what's next?" Spritemon asked, fluttering up into one of the trees and sitting down on its branches. "Obviously Vampiramon and Jestermon can't handle the job our master has given to us!"
"At least we're doing something!" Vampiramon shouted, baring her fangs at Spritemon. "While we've been doing all the dirty work, the rest of you have been sitting around doing nothing!"
"Fine!" BlackWidowmon snapped back, getting to her feet. "I'll get the D-Coders, and I'm going to show you all how to do it right!"
"You wish," Jestermon smirked.
BlackWidowmon's useless when it comes to battling. Even Vampiramon can do a better job than she can!
"Be our guest," the other male digimon said with a bow. "Just don't let another digivolution take place."
"What do you think I am, stupid?" BlackWidowmon shot back.
"Don't answer that!" Spritemon muttered.
The male digimon shrugged and turned to gaze up at the clouds.
"You may think you're far superior compared to us, DarkAngelicmon, but sooner or later you're going to crash and burn, too!" Vampiramon snapped at the male digimon.
"If that is what you believe," DarkAngelicmon replied, a small smile playing across his face.
Jestermon turned to his fellow male digimon, who was leaning up against a tree, and grinning, he said, "Hey, angel boy. Now that Celestimon has digivolved, it looks like you've got yourself a new friend!"
"Please, I hardly qualify as an angel," DarkAngelicmon replied, looking amused.
"Enough chatting," Vampiramon snapped, leaping to her feet in a whirl of dark skirts. "It's time for Jestermon to explain to the boss why he failed so miserably!"
Jestermon flinched and gave her a dark look. "Hey, angel boy. I think that you and I need to find ourselves some new allies," he muttered, elbowing the fallen angel in the ribs. "These ladies are giving me a headache."
DarkAngelicmon smiled, his green eyes sparkling with laughter. "Yes, but they are very entertaining, are they not?"
"If you say so," he snorted. "I wouldn't know. The fool has a different idea of what is entertaining."
"I'm sure you do," DarkAngelicmon replied, leaping into the air and hovering above them. "Oh, and if I were you, I'd watch out for Halomon, too. That little rookie's champion form is an angel as well."
Just my luck.
Jestermon let out a sound of disgust as DarkAngelicmon soared away, leaving a storm of falling black feathers behind him.
Sam Ichijouji
Odaiba, Japan, Earth
Sam and his friends fell out of the gate onto the computer room floor, and he let out a groan.
"Ouch! Daichi, will you get off? You're crushing me!" Ryoko shouted.
"Sorry," Dai smirked, but the goggle-headed leader took rather longer than necessary to climb off of the blond.
"Look!" Matty gasped. "Celestimon and Halomon have reverted back to their in-training forms, just like Embermon!"
Sam turned to see Mickey and Matty crouching over their small partners.
"Who are you now?" Matty asked his digimon.
"My name is Goldmon," the digimon who used to be Celestimon replied. Goldmon was a large head with fluffy ears. His eyes were bright green, and his skin was a brilliant gold.
"What about you?" Mickey asked, turning to his own partner.
"I'm Palelymon," the little digimon who used to be Halomon said happily. Palelymon was a white head with fluffy ears and sky blue eyes.
"This is great!" DemiEmbermon cheered, hopping up and down on Dai's shoulder. "Now I have some friends to play with! I didn't like being in this room by myself all day. It was starting to get really boring."
"It was one day!" Dai grumbled.
"You won't be bored anymore!" Goldmon laughed, leaping into Matty's arms. "Human world, here I come!"
Mickey and Matty exchanged a look, and they both sighed.
"How are we going to keep Rina from finding out about them?" Mickey asked.
"We won't!" Matty groaned.
Sam laughed and put an arm around Mickey. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. If we don't get home soon, we're all going to miss dinner."
"Hurry, Dai! What are you waiting for? Lets go!" DemiEmbermon gasped, nudging the goggle-headed leader's cheek.
Dai rolled his eyes and grinned.
"Are you kidding? There's no way I want to be late. Skipping out on my dad's cooking is nothing short of a crime!" Ryoko laughed.
"I second that!" Matty cheered. "I love Uncle Matt's cooking! Hey, Ryoko? Can Mickey and I come over and have dinner at your house?"
"Sure," Ryoko said with a smile.
"What's wrong with your own dad's cooking?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or your mom's for that matter?"
"Nothing," Matty shrugged. "My parents are good cooks, but nobody stands a chance against Uncle Matt!"
"We'll see you guys later then," Takara said, motioning for Dai to follow her. "Are you coming, Sam?"
"No. I'm going to stop off at the convenience store first before going home. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Alright. Bye, Sam," Dai replied, following Takara out the door.
"Come on, Matty. We'd better let Mom and Dad know where we are," Mickey said, pulling Matty and Ryoko out of the room.
Sam was the last to leave and the door closed softly behind him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop thinking about what Andromon had said to him.
What exactly was Andromon trying to tell me, and why do I have a feeling that I don't want to know?
He glanced at the shadows that lurked in the corners of the hallway and shivered. Quickly he started off down the corridor and headed for the school entrance.
Takara 'Kara' Kamiya
Odaiba, Japan, Earth
Takara headed slowly down the street with Daichi, and shaking her head, she let out a small sigh.
It was a beautiful romantic evening, and she had finally gotten a chance to be alone with her secret crush. Unfortunately, though, Dai was probably too busy thinking about soccer and murdering Ryoko to even notice that she was there.
She glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes, and watching him, she couldn't help smiling at his expense.
Dai was walking with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and though he looked relaxed, there was a small frown on his face.
The sun was starting to set, and its golden glow made the red highlights in Dai's short spiky hair stand out twice as much as they normally did. His long-sleeved dark red shirt and the natural auburn streaks in his hair made his eyes shine a deep burgundy colour, and although he wasn't looking directly at her at the moment, she could picture his gaze easily in her mind. With his dark tan, from many hours on the soccer field, and a few small freckles on his nose, there was no way that anyone could deny the fact that he was definitely attractive.
No guy can stand a chance against Ryoko when it comes to being handsome, and Sam certainly isn't lacking in the looks department either, but Dai's the only guy who has ever made me feel as if my heart's going to explode out of my chest from beating so fast.
She had liked a few other guys before Dai, but for some reason it seemed different with the goggle-headed leader. She knew she was still young, but someday she hoped that they could move beyond friendship.
That is, if Dai would ever wake up and realize that I'm actually a girl and not just one of the guys! I wonder...could it be because maybe there's another girl from our class that he likes?
That thought made her chest tighten, and refusing to think about it, she instead tried to focus on the positives.
She knew deep inside her feelings were genuine, and the best part about it was the fact that her parents already approved of Dai. They would never question her choice because they loved Dai as if he were a part of the family already. She knew they would not mind if Dai was to become something more than a friend.
There were so many things about him that she loved. He was smart, funny, resourceful, adventurous, easygoing, friendly, and a very talented soccer player. How could any girl not fall head over heels in love with him?
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" she asked softly, putting a hand on his arm to get his attention.
Dai turned to look at her and shrugged. "It's not important," he said quietly.
Dai was the same height as Ryoko, and both boys were only an inch taller than her. Because of that she was able to look the goggle-headed leader directly in the eyes. That was not always going to be the case, though. In a few more years, both Ryoko and Dai would end up being several inches taller. Sam was the same height as her, and her twin cousins were an inch taller than Ryoko and Dai. Mickey was actually a quarter of an inch taller than Matty, but it was not enough of a difference to be really noticeable.
"You're thinking about Ryoko, aren't you?"
"How do you figure that?" Dai shot back, sounding a tad grumpy.
Takara raised her eyebrows, and seeing her expression, the goggle-headed leader quickly looked away from her again. "Right."
"It's just...I can't fix anything if I don't even know what's wrong to begin with." Dai murmured.
That caught Takara's attention, and being careful to keep her voice neutral, she said quietly, "Do you want to fix things?"
"Well, it'd be nice if he wouldn't keep fighting with me all the time," Dai muttered, making a face. "I'm not that hard to get a long with, am I?"
"Of course you aren't."
"Well, then what's his problem?" Dai asked, looking very much as if he wanted an answer.
Takara shook her head, and letting out a deep sigh, she said sadly, "I'm not sure. Only Ryoko can answer that question."
"Yeah right, you know what Ryoko's like. He doesn't give away anything. Like ever."
Takara nodding slowly, and realizing she was taking a big risk, she said carefully, "It's too bad, you know. I always thought you and Ryoko would make great best friends."
Dai looked properly startled by her words, and face turning pale, he avoided her eyes and said quietly, "That's stupid. You know I already have a best friend."
"Matty, yes. I know."
"Well, then why would you say something like that?"
Takara hesitated for a moment, and shrugging her shoulders, she said, "It was just a thought."
"Right, a thought," Dai mumbled, still avoiding her eyes.
Takara put a hand on the goggle-headed leader's arm to stop him, and turning so they were facing each other, she said slowly, "Dai? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," he replied, giving her a smile that was surprisingly warm.
The shadow in his eyes had disappeared, and watching him for a moment, she said, "Do you think it's possible to have more than one best friend?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Dai asked, giving her a curious look.
"You know. The way you feel when you're around Matty. Do you think it's possible to feel that way with more than one person?"
"Yeah, of course," Dai replied without any hesitation. "Duh, that's pretty obvious I would think. Whoever said a guy couldn't have more than one best friend? That sounds pretty stupid to me."
Takara smiled to herself, and studying the goggle-headed leader's earnest expression, she said, "You have tons of friends, Dai. And out of all of them I know Matty is your best friend. But even so... I feel like there's something missing. Something for both you and Matty. I bet you could have another best friend if you really wanted one. Matty, too. Knowing you, you could have ten best friends if you put your mind to it."
Dai looked confused for a moment, and raising an eyebrow, he said, "What's your point?"
"Nothing really. I just think...there's more out there for you than you seem to realize. That's all."
"Come on, Kara. A guy can't choose just anyone to be his best friend," Dai mumbled, looking a tad embarrassed. "Why do you think I chose Matty? It's cause...well, a best friend has to be someone special. Those kind of people are hard to find, you know? Matty really clicks with me, and he just...he understands me. Not everyone does. Maybe that's why so many people only have one person they consider to be their best friend. It's cause they haven't yet found another person who clicks so well with them."
"You're right," she said with a small smile. "It takes a lot of trust to open yourself up to others."
"Besides, I don't need another best friend. I've got you and the other Digidestined. You guys are my other best friends and my second family. And with having Matty...what more could I ask for without sounding selfish?" Dai added with a laugh. His tone was light, but Takara had not failed to notice that the smile never reached his eyes.
You can't fool me, Dai. Embermon digivolved because of Ryoko for a reason. You don't hate Ryoko as much as you say you do. In fact, I don't think you hate him at all! Quite the opposite actually. You're a very caring person, Dai. And as much as you love Matty, you're the kind of person who has enough friendship to share with more than just one close friend. It's not just something you want, it's something you need to do. It's in your nature. Sharing yourself with others is what you live for. And who needs that kind of friend more than Ryoko. You'll never be happy until he cares for you as much as Matty does, no matter how much you try to fool yourself into believing you don't care...
Dai and Ryoko were meant to be best friends, there was no question about it. There was just something about them...It was the same something Dai shared with Matty, and Takara suspected it was something Ryoko and Matty also shared, though she was sure they did not know it as of yet.
Now if only I knew the real reason why Ryoko hates Dai so much. It's obvious that Dai doesn't really hate Ryoko so why is he so mean to him all of the time?
She just did not understand.
Why is Dai so afraid to tell Ryoko how he really feels?
There was no use telling Ryoko herself. The blond would never believe her.
Ryoko will never take me seriously unless he hears the words straight from Dai's mouth, and somehow I doubt that's ever going to happen.
She did not really want to tell Ryoko anyway. That was something Dai had to do for himself. There was no way of knowing how Ryoko would react to such shocking news, and she did not think that she wanted to find out.
A sudden thought occurred to her, and she let out a loud gasp.
Wait a minute! If Dai doesn't really hate Ryoko, then does that mean that Ryoko doesn't really hate Dai?
"What's wrong, Kara?" Dai asked, putting a hand on her arm.
She could feel the warmth of his fingers soaking into her skin, and she shivered.
"Nothing," she said quietly, her heart pounding with sudden excitement. "Nothing at all."
Dai stared at her for a moment and smiled slightly. "You're really weird sometimes, you know that?"
"Yeah, well so are you!" she replied with a laugh.
"Um...Kara? You won't repeat any of this to Ryoko, will you?" Dai asked, looking a little uncertain.
"Of course not," she murmured, giving him a warm hug. Dai had used Ryoko's first name, and she did not think that had been an accident.
"Thanks," he mumbled into her shoulder.
The smooth skin of his cheek came to rest against the side of her face, and she could feel the strong rhythm of his heart beating almost in sync with her own. His hands were warm against her back, and she let out a soft sigh.
I could definitely get used to this.
"Hurry up, Dai. Dinner won't wait forever," DemiEmbermon complained.
The little digimon was hidden away in Dai's backpack, and he was not very happy about it.
The sound of DemiEmbermon's voice was enough to break the spell, and she quickly pulled away from Dai.
"Lets go," she mumbled, blushing furiously.
"Alright, alright," Dai groaned, completely oblivious to everything that had happened.
Her heart filled with disappointment, and she frowned.
He acts like he doesn't feel a thing.
She glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes again and sighed.
Well, I do know one thing. Just you wait, Ryoko. I will find out how you really feel about Dai if it's the last thing I do!