Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: This is the last chapter to take place in Primary Village! In the next one they're going to meet up with their parents, and it's going to be quite the meeting. Oh and this chapter starts out with a new POV! Please review!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 74: Only One Choice
Miya Ichijouji
Odaiba, Japan, Earth
Miya Ichijouji quickly headed towards the elementary school where Nao and Rina were enrolled, and she smiled when she spotted her youngest brother sitting on the front lawn next to Rina. The two of them were talking quietly to one another, and they did not appear to be aware of their surroundings at all.
I wonder why they look so serious. Little kids don't exactly have that much to worry about, do they? I know I didn't when I was their age.
"Rina! Nao! Over here!" she called out.
Nao looked up at her in surprise and frowned. "Hey, Miya. What are you doing here?"
"Mom left a note for me in the principal's office earlier today. It said I was supposed to come pick you and Rina up because we're all going over to Davis' and Noriko's house for supper this evening."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Rina said cheerfully. "How come my parents didn't come pick me up? They're the ones who usually do. Either that or my brothers come and get me."
Miya shrugged and reached out to take Rina's right hand. "Your brothers are hanging out with Sam and the rest of their friends, and I'm guessing your parents wanted to get to Davis' house early. I know my parents did. At least that's what my mom wrote in her note."
"That explains why you're here," Nao said softly, reaching out and taking her other hand. "You usually try to avoid picking me up as much as possible!"
"Hey! I'm a busy woman, you know!" she replied, leading them across the street. "I have lots of things to do with my time, even if Mom and Dad don't think so!"
"Don't worry, Nao, your big sister still loves you even if she doesn't want to waste her precious time picking you up!" Rina giggled.
Miya rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. "Hey, what were you two talking about back there anyway?"
Nao looked up at her with his big, blue eyes and frowned. "Rina has a secret, but she won't tell me what it is."
"It's not my secret!" Rina shot back. "It's Mickey's and Matty's secret, and I promised them I wouldn't say a word to anyone unless they told me I could!"
Miya raised her eyebrows and sent Rina a suspicious look. I wonder if the twin's secret has anything to do with Dai being injured. I don't believe he fell off the bleachers for a second! Maybe their secret has something to do with Sam. He has been acting really weird lately, and so has my dad, for that matter.
"I take it you're not going to tell me what their secret is either, are you."
"No way," Rina replied.
"Miya! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"
Miya looked up at the sound of Ami's voice and smiled when she spotted her best friend standing on the sidewalk with Noah, Ema, Taysuke, Kenzo, and Taniko. Luckily Noah's friend Shina was nowhere in sight.
Maybe I shouldn't have pulled that stunt with the flowers at the convenience store earlier...
"Hi, guys!" Rina said cheerfully, waving to Noah and the others.
Noah picked Rina up and smiled at her. "Hey, Rina. How are you doing?"
"I'm great!" Rina giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling back at him.
"Hey, Miya, how come you're picking up Nao and Rina? Don't you usually try to avoid picking up your younger brother?" Ema snorted.
Miya glared at the younger girl and turned to smile at Noah. "We're all going over to Ami's house for supper today. My mom left me a note. She told me to pick up Nao and Rina. I'm supposed to bring them over to Davis' and Noriko's place."
"Really?" Ami replied, frowning in confusion. "My parents never said anything to me about a big dinner."
"I bet all of our parents left us notes about it," Taysuke said reasonably. "Come on. Let's get going. I want to talk to Kara."
"Why?" Ema asked suspiciously.
Taysuke blushed and quickly looked at the ground. "No reason," he mumbled.
"Tay, is there something you're not telling us?" Taniko asked slowly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Taysuke mumbled, sounding extremely nervous.
"Mickey and Matty have a secret, and Rina knows what it is!" Miya announced. "I personally think it has something to do with why Dai and his friends have been acting so strange lately. What do you guys think?"
Ami and the others slowly turned to look at Rina, and the youngest Takaishi's face turned bright pink. "I promised my brothers I wouldn't tell anyone their secret," she mumbled, hiding her face against Noah's shoulder.
"Does their secret have something to do with Dai?" Ema demanded, her dark eyes flashing.
Rina gave the older girl a weak smile and shrugged. "Maybe..."
"It involves Sam, Dai, Kara, and Ryoko," Nao said seriously.
"Nao! You weren't supposed to say anything!" Rina squealed. "See? It's a good thing I didn't tell you their secret!"
"Ami, I don't think Dai got injured on the bleachers," Miya said softly.
Ami hugged herself and finally nodded. "I know what you mean. I've been having second thoughts about that, too."
"What's this about Dai being injured?" Noah asked sharply, his dark eyes filling with concern.
Miya quickly told the others about the conversation she and Ami had overheard when they had been trying to eavesdrop on Dai, Davis, her dad, and a few of Dai's friends several days ago. She finished her explanation with a few helpful comments from Ami, and the others stared at her in shock.
"Unfortunately we couldn't hear everything they were saying because they kept raising and lowering their voices," Ami said quietly.
"All of them skipped Dai's practice, including Dai!" Taysuke whispered.
Noah's eyes grew wide with shock, and he almost dropped Rina in surprise. "How did you know Dai skipped soccer practice?" he asked, staring at Taysuke in astonishment.
"I knew it!" Ema shouted triumphantly. "See, Noah? I was right all along! I can't believe you were hiding the truth from me all this time! How did you find out? Did Dai tell you?"
Miya stared at Noah in amusement and shook her head. "Somehow I get the feeling you weren't supposed to tell us that!"
"Dai told me I wasn't supposed to tell his parents, and I promised him I wouldn't tell Ema either," Noah mumbled, avoiding her eyes.
"Hey!" Ema snapped. "Thanks a lot, Noah!"
"How did you know Dai skipped practice?" Kenzo asked, turning to frown at Taysuke.
"Kara admitted she never went to Dai's practice, and neither did Ryoko. It wasn't too hard to fit the rest of the puzzle pieces together after my sister finally told me her secret. It's obvious, isn't it? None of them were at Dai's practice, and that includes Dai. Noah just confirmed what I had already suspected. I bet Mickey's and Matty's secret is the reason why they all skipped Dai's practice and my game. All of them have been acting strange lately, and I think it's because they all have the same secret."
"If only we could figure out what it is they're hiding from us," Taniko muttered.
"I can't say!" Rina wailed.
"Kara didn't actually tell me I wasn't supposed to say anything, but I know she was expecting me to keep her secret," Taysuke mumbled. "Now she'll never trust me again."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me all of this earlier! What kind of a friend are you?" Ema shrieked.
"She told me she missed my game because she was doing something really important, and I believe her," Taysuke said softly.
"Dai's never going to forgive me for blurting out his secret," Noah mumbled, looking guilty.
"This kind of thing always happens when people try to keep secrets from each other," Miya murmured.
Ema suddenly started off down the street, and Miya quickly followed the younger girl. "Where are you going?" she demanded.
"Dai's house!" Ema snapped back. "We're going to find out what's going on with him and his friends once and for all!"
"Oh no!" Rina moaned, covering her face with her hands.
"Dai lied to my parents!" Ami gasped, looking shocked.
Miya hurried after Ema with the others and frowned. For the first time in her life, she actually agreed with Noah's younger sister. They had to find out what was going on with Dai and his friends before something really terrible happened.
Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya
File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World
"The only way to beat the Powers of Darkness was to give up the crests. They broke the seals the Dark Masters and Apocalymon had placed around the Four Guardians, and they created a barrier over the Digital World which allowed peace and beauty to return back to the land. You see, the Digital World was still trying to rebuild itself after Spiral Mountain and Apocalymon, and we helped the process along a bit, if you know what I mean. As you all know, Kari's and T.K.'s crests were the ones that broke Azulongmon's seal. As a result, Tai's team was unable to digivolve to ultimate, but several years later, the Digicore was able to help us out with that problem," Agumon said softly. "Anyway, now you all know what happened during the years between the defeat of Apocalymon and the rise of the Emperor."
"We were so happy to see our partners again, and in that moment we knew we'd never truly be separated from them forever no matter how many times the gates closed," Patamon said cheerfully.
"I don't understand something. Tai and the others were able to digivolve to ultimate without their crests when they fought Apocalymon, so why weren't they able to do the same thing when they gave up their crests to help the Four Guardians?" Takara asked, looking confused.
"It's hard to say," Gatomon replied. "Nothing in the Digital World is set in stone. Like we said before, the true power of the crests comes from the heart. Maybe we just didn't try hard enough to digivolve to ultimate without the crests, or maybe it's because our partners willingly gave up their power, and that's why we were unable to digivolve without them. That wasn't the case with Apocalymon. He destroyed our partners' crests, which were later remade by Gennai and his counterparts. Our partners didn't give up their power that time. Who knows. I think the answer to your question is one of those things that will always remain a mystery."
"I have a question. Where are Benjamin and the others?" Ryoko snapped, looking indignant. "They're Gennai's counterparts! They're suppose to be helping us, especially considering the fact that one of their friends has been captured! I can't believe they call themselves the Watchers of the Digiworld. What a joke!"
"I know Benjamin and the others would help you if they could," Biyomon said slowly. "They have the same goals Gennai has. All they want is for the Digital World to remain a peaceful place. I bet they're working with Leomon and the others to find Gennai. They obviously know he has been captured, and they probably want to find him so he can help you. My guess is they wanted to meet up with you guys, but I bet Leomon would have put a stop to that. He needs Benjamin and the others to help him find Gennai, and he probably told them you guys were doing just fine on your own. He would be right in saying so, too. You guys have made it this far, and I know you'll be able to beat Vampiramon's master."
"Vampiramon and her friends sound really nasty, but don't worry, we'll help you stop them!" Patamon added.
"Benjamin and the others are awesome. They helped Digidestined from all over the world to bring down Control Spires!" Matty said enthusiastically.
"Maybe you think so, but I don't!" Ryoko snorted.
"You know what was really cool?" Dai said softly. "Omnimon. When you think about it, Matt and Tai got to DNA digivolve, too. That's so cool."
"Yeah," Ryoko whispered.
Dai stared at the blond for a moment, and Ryoko gazed back at him.
"What?" Ryoko mumbled, looking embarrassed.
Dai smiled softly at his friend and shrugged. "Nothing."
I wonder if Ryoko and I will ever be that close...
"The whole thing with Diaboromon was weird," Takara sighed. "I'm glad that disaster worked out in the end. You know what, guys? Leomon, Andromon, and the rest of the digimon who became friends with our parents played a huge roll in helping them save the Digital World. I hope we get to meet all of them someday."
"Me, too," Mickey murmured.
"Guys, we have to talk about the crests," Embermon interrupted.
"Do you understand now why we keep saying the crests don't exist anymore?" Agumon asked.
Dai frowned and slowly shook his head. "No, they do," he said quietly. "I know it. Gennai told Centaurumon the crests still exist. Both Leomon and Centaurumon insist that they've gone missing, and we have to find them. Gennai obviously saw the crests before they were stolen. He must have. How else would he have known they'd gone missing in the first place? If Gennai says the crests still exist, then who are we to argue against what must be the truth? I believe him, and I won't give up the search until we find each and every one of them!"
Veemon glanced at the other digimon and slowly nodded. "You're right, Dai. They must still exist. Why else would Gennai send you on a mission to look for them? Maybe they've been brought back somehow."
"It's a good thing Centaurumon had the sense to send you to us," Hawkmon said with dignity. "Well, Daichi Motomiya, I think my friends and I will be able to help you out."
"The crests did belong to our partners, and we can help you find them!" Patamon said, sounding excited. "We'll stick by you guys no matter what happens, and we'll even help you stop Vampiramon and her evil friends."
"The Digital World is counting on all of us, and that means we all have to help out," Gabumon added.
Dai suddenly smiled and pulled Veemon into a hug. "I understand now," he said softly. "Centaurumon wanted us to find you guys because he knew you would be able to tell us about our parents. We need you guys and our parents in order to find the crests otherwise we won't be able to digivolve to the next level."
"The fate of the Digital World is in the hands of all Digidestined," Elecmon murmured.
"You're right, Elecmon. We won't be able to find the Spirit Chips without our parents because, like Dai just said, I have a feeling they're the key to finding the crests," Mickey said quietly.
"You guys are going to tell your parents the truth, aren't you?" Palmon asked nervously.
Dai felt a stab of terror in his heart, and he slowly turned to look at his friends. They stared back at him with fear and sadness in their eyes, but one by one they slowly nodded.
Dai swallowed hard and reluctantly turned towards Palmon. "I don't think we really have a choice anymore. We need their help. If we don't tell them what's going on, the entire Digital World will be doomed."
"I still don't understand. Why didn't they tell you about us?" Biyomon asked, looking extremely hurt.
"I guess we'll find out," Ryoko muttered.
"I bet they just wanted to protect us," Kara whispered.
"We'll see," Dai said shortly. "Actually, I guess I'm not really that surprised. We've been doing the exact same thing. Have any of us bothered to tell them about the Digital World?"
"Good point," Matty muttered, his cheeks turning pink with guilt. "I hadn't even thought of that!"
Dai smiled softly at his friends and turned to look at Veemon again. "Veemon, can I ask you a favour?"
"Sure. Anything."
"My friends and I have to get back to the real world now, but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. I think it'll be easier for us to tell our parents what's going on if one of you guys are there to help us explain the situation."
"Really? You mean I get to see Davis again?" Veemon gasped, his whole face lighting up.
"That's right," Dai replied.
"Can I come to?" Patamon asked hopefully.
"Me, too!" Gomamon piped up.
Dai raised his hands and motioned for all of the digimon to be quiet. "I'd love to take you all, but I think that will only make things way too chaotic. One digimon is enough for now. The rest of you guys will get to see you partners soon enough. I promise."
"Alright," Biyomon sighed. "I just hope Sora and the others don't take too long to show up. It has been so long since we've seen them."
"It was nice meeting you guys. We'll see you soon, okay?" Takara said softly.
"Okay. Good luck!" Agumon replied.
"Call us if you need us!" Gomamon added.
"The Digital World is in good hands," Elecmon said softly.
Embermon grinned and elbowed Veemon in the stomache. "Come on, I'll race you to the gate!"
"You're on!"
The two digimon took of, and Dai rolled his eyes. "Hey, wait up!"
Naturally they completely ignored him.
"We want to be in the race, too!" Celestimon cried, fluttering after Embermon with Halomon beside him.
"Don't forget about me!" Dovemon giggled.
"And me!" Glowmon laughed, leaping out of Sam's arms and fluttering after the others.
Alopemon merely let out a snort and continued to walk next to Ryoko with his nose in the air.
I hope I'm making the right decision by bringing Veemon back with us...
Dai waved goodbye to Agumon and the others, including the baby digimon, and winced at the look on Sam's face. The raven haired Digidestined had been very quiet ever since Veemon had told them about the Emperor, and it did not look like he was going to be happy again anytime soon.
Poor Sam. If only there was something we could do to help him...
Dai glanced at his friends, who were still waving to Agumon and the other digimon, and he felt a shiver race down his spine. He did not know what was going to happen next, but there was one thing he was definitely sure of. Their parents were going to kill them.