Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I'm thinking there's going to be a major confrontation coming up! (and I don't mean Dai and Ryoko!) I know this chapter's short, but I'm sure you can see why. Onward to adventure! Please review, and while you're at it, feel free to write me a novel. I love reading reviews! (You wouldn't believe how much they've helped this story develop!)

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 66: The Children of Friendship

Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Dai sat down on a desk in the computer room and he gave the door a very impatient look. "How long does it take? If Ryoko doesn't hurry up, we're going to have to go to the Digital World without him."

"He'll be here," Iramon said quietly.

He'd better be!

Dai let out a weary sigh and he gently wrapped his arms around Ryoko's digimon in a comforting hug. "Guys, we don't have all day, you know. We have to be back before dinner. If we're not, our parents are going to wonder where we are, and that's going to make them even more suspicious of us."

"Give Ryoko a break," Matty said softly. "He's worried about his mom."

"I know that, but we're running out of time," he mumbled, feeling suddenly guilty.

Ryoko always has to make me feel guilty about something! Still...I hope Mimi's okay.

Dai glanced down at Iramon, and smiling softly at the little digimon, he said, "You're really worried about Ryoko, aren't you?"

"Yes," Iramon murmured. "Do you think he's going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure," Dai replied. "I guess that depends on his mom. Ryoko loves Mimi a lot, and if anything ever happens to her..."

"I'm worried about Aunt Mimi, too," Mickey whispered.

Dai held Iramon and DemiEmbermon tightly in his arms, and he let out a sigh of frustration.

Great. Now Iramon's upset about Ryoko. This day just keeps getting worse and worse. We're going to have to find Veemon and his friends quick if we want to make it back in time for dinner.

Dai shook his head and smiled slightly. Ryoko had asked him to look after Iramon, and he had agreed to his friend's request almost immediately. At this point, he was ready to try anything if it meant he had a chance to gain Ryoko's trust. The blond had barely said two words to him since they had come back from the Digital World a few days ago, and he had a feeling his friend was trying to avoid him.

Is he embarrassed about accidentally calling me Dai and coming to me for comfort because he was worried about Sam and Mickey? Does he think I'm going to make fun of him or something? The tension between us is driving me crazy, and I can't stand the way he keeps avoiding my eyes. I would never make fun of him for revealing his true feelings to me. Why can't he understand that? If only there was a way I could make him understand how much I want his friendship...

"Do you think there really is something wrong with Aunt Mimi?" Matty asked, glancing anxiously at his twin.

Mickey wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and he gave the younger twin a nervous smile. "I hope not."

Me, too.

Dai frowned at the Takaishi twins and he crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance. Mickey looked like he had not slept at all the night before because there were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was very pale. He kept glancing uneasily at Matty, as if frightened his twin was going to burst into flames at any moment.

Matty appeared to be in better condition than Mickey, but that was not exactly something a Digidestined could smile about. The younger twin's amber eyes were dark with fear, and every so often, he would reach out and touch Mickey's shoulder, as if making sure his twin was still real.

Matty's acting like he's afraid his brother doesn't have a solid form, and it looks like he's starting to wonder if Mickey's really sitting beside him or if he's imagining Mickey's arm around him. Well, at least they're smiling at each other. I guess that's a good sign. I was hoping they'd manage to work out their problems over the weekend, but I guess not. This is all DarkAngelicmon's fault! I hope nothing else goes wrong before we have a chance to save the Digital World...

Dai jumped as the door suddenly flew open, and he turned to see Ryoko gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Ryoko, are you okay? What's going on?" Takara cried, racing forward and flinging her arms around the blond.

Dai felt a sudden stab of pain in his heart, and he quickly looked away from them.

I bet Kara has a crush on Ryoko. All the girls at school like him, so why would she be any different? They do everything together, and their parents are best friends. They're perfect for each other. Not like me and Ryoko, especially when it comes to being friends. Half the time Kara acts like I don't exist. Why am I the one who always ends up feeling disappointed when things don't work out the way they're supposed to?

"Aunt Mimi's not hurt, is she?" Matty gasped, scrambling forward and grabbing onto Ryoko's arm.

Mickey clung to Ryoko's t-shirt and he gave his cousin a frightened look. "Ryoko, please-"

"Will you guys be quiet and let him say something!" Sam shouted, waving his hands to get everyone's attention.

Dai slowly stepped forward and he placed his hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "Ishida, are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Ryoko replied, giving him a brilliant smile. "And so is my mom. In fact, she's never been better."

"What do you mean?" Mickey asked, looking extremely confused.

Ryoko's took a deep breath, and reaching out he hugged the older twin tightly against his chest. "My mom's going to have another baby," he whispered into his cousin's shoulder. "Our doctor told her the news this afternoon. That's why she had to wait until I got out of school to tell me the news. My dad was with her when she told me, and both of them are really happy. Can you guys believe it? I'm finally going to be a big brother!"

For a moment, there was silence, and then everyone started talking at once.

"Mickey, this is awesome! We're going to have a new cousin!" Matty cheered, giving his brother a high five.

Mickey beamed at his twin and nodded. "This is the best news I've heard in a while!"

Takara promptly burst into tears and she hugged Ryoko as hard as she could. "Oh, Ryoko, I'm so happy for you! I know how much you've always wanted a sibling! Don't worry, if you have a baby sister, I'll teach her everything I know. She'll definitely grow up to be one classy lady! Your parents must have been freaking out. They've always wanted another baby, and now their dream has finally come true!"

"Congratulations," Sam said softly, giving Ryoko a warm smile.

Dai laughed and smiled at his blond friend. "Hey, Ishida? If you have a baby brother, I promise I won't let him pick up any of my bad habits!"

"Daichi, You're the stupidest person on the planet, you know that?" Ryoko replied, his sapphire eyes sparkling with happiness.

Dai hit the blond in the chest and he gave his friend a dirty look. "Hey, I'm making a huge sacrifice here! If you ask me, I think I'd be a perfect role model for your new sibling!"

"Yeah, you're definitely insane," Ryoko replied, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, Ishida, I know how much you've always wanted a sibling. Your little brother or sister is going to be so lucky to have you for a big brother."

"Thank you," Ryoko whispered.

Dai was about to reply when the blond's arms suddenly went around him in a tight hug. The sudden gesture of affection nearly caused him to stumble into a desk, and he stared at the other boy in shock. The two of them had been friends for thirteen years, and not once had Ryoko ever made an attempt to hug him before.

Ryoko's either too busy thinking about his new sibling to notice what he's doing, or he has completely lost his mind. I know he called me by my nickname earlier, but like I said before, I bet that was just an accident. He doesn't really care about me, but if that's true, then why is he hugging me?

Dai squeezed his eyes shut and he hugged Ryoko tightly around the waist. "You're welcome," he whispered into his friend's ear.

He did not know why Ryoko was hugging him, but a small part of him realized it was probably better that way. He knew he would never have another chance to show Ryoko what real friendship was all about, and he wanted to make the most of it.

I have a feeling this is one moment I'll never forget.

"Thanks for taking care of Iramon," Ryoko mumbled.

Dai smiled softly at his friend and he patted the blond's back. "Thanks for asking me to look after him. He's a great digimon. I thought for sure you'd ask someone else. You haven't exactly been all that eager to talk to me today."

Ryoko's eyes filled with sudden horror, and the blond let out a gasp of shock.

"What's wrong?" Dai asked, feeling confused.

Ryoko pulled away from him, and he blinked in surprise as the golden-haired Digidestined suddenly turned bright red in the face. "Sorry," the blond mumbled, looking extremely vulnerable.

"Why?" Dai whispered. "You haven't done anything wrong."

Ryoko's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

I've never seen him look so embarrassed and nervous before. Did he think I was going to push him away or something? Maybe he's afraid I'm going to get mad at him for hugging me. Why does he always have to make everything so hard?

Dai held out Iramon and he quickly lowered his gaze to the ground. "Here," he mumbled, avoiding the blond's eyes. "Let's go to the Digital World."

"We're right behind you," Matty replied, sounding extremely amused.

Mickey was currently beaming at Ryoko, and Takara looked ready to burst into giggles. Sam glanced down at his digimon and rolled his eyes. "They just don't get it, do they?" the raven-haired Digidestined murmured.

What's he talking about? Actually, I don't think I want to know.

Dai made a point of ignoring his friends' smug looks and he quickly pulled out his D-Coder. He was about to head over to the computer when Ryoko suddenly grabbed his arm, and he stopped in his tracks.

"Daichi, it looks like I'm going to be walking home with you tonight. Apparently Davis invited all of our parents over to your house for supper. My mom and dad told me just before I left my house a few minutes ago," the blond said quietly.

"Really?" Dai frowned and stared at his friend in confusion. "My dad never mentioned anything to me about Matt and the others coming over for supper."

Ryoko narrowed his eyes and frowned at the computer. "That's strange. According to my dad, Tai and the others were all invited."

"My parents never said anything to me," Takara piped up.

"Me either," Sam added.

Matty glanced at his twin and shrugged. "I bet Davis called all of our parents when we were at school."

"I bet our mom left us a note about it," Mickey said softly.

Sam nodded in agreement and sighed. "My mom and dad are always leaving me notes."

"Yeah, my mom probably left me a note, too," Takara said slowly. "It looks like we're all going to be walking home with you, Dai."

Dai shrugged and quickly stepped over to the computer. "That's fine with me. Come on. We need to find Veemon and the others as soon as possible."

"Alright, everyone, let's head to File Island! Digiport open!" Takara shouted.

Dai quickly closed his eyes and allowed himself to be pulled through the gate.

I hope we don't have to wander around the island for hours trying to find Veemon or Wormmon. They must have had human partners, otherwise Centaurumon would never have sent us to find them. I wonder if they'll be surprised to see humans in the Digital World again...