Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: And the truth comes out! I'll be updating MBFG next, just to let you all know. Enjoy the new chapter!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 75: Past and Present Collide

Jestermon

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

Jestermon peeked around the corner of a bright orange building and grinned when he caught sight of his prey.

They are fools if they think they can escape from me!

The Digidestined were sitting on the grass near the edge of a soccer field, and it looked like they were having a very serious conversation with a large group of digimon. Unfortunately he could not hear what they were saying because they were too far away from him, and there was no way he was going to get any closer to them without being seen.

"Those Digidestined are nothing but trouble!" he muttered to himself.

He glanced at his enemies again and jumped when he realized they had gotten to their feet and were heading away from the soccer field towards the nearest gate.

"They're leaving!" BlackWidowmon hissed in his ear.

Jestermon rolled his eyes and turned to look at the spider digimon who was hovering next to him. "I can see that," he said dryly. "The Fool has eyes, you know."

"Yes, if only he had a brain as well, but I suppose that's one thing we're just going to have to settle without!" BlackWidowmon said sarcastically. "Those digimon are their parents' partners! Do you know what that means? They know about the crests!"

Jestermon made a face at her and crossed his arms. "Not necessarily. The Digidestined might know about the crests, but that doesn't mean they know we have them!"

"Don't be stupid!" BlackWidowmon snapped. "Of course they know we have them! Leomon or one of the others must have told the Digidestined about the missing crests, and now the little brats know exactly what they are because of their parents' partners! Besides, can you think of anyone else who would want to steal the crests? I didn't think so. We're the first group of digimon they'll think of, and that means our master is at risk."

"Well, we're not going to let them get anywhere near our master, are we?" Jestermon shot back.

BlackWidowmon is an idiot if she thinks I'm going to let the Digidestined get away with trying to steal the crests back from us. I'll kill them all first before I let that happen!

At that moment one of the Digidestined shouted something about the Spirit Chips, and Jestermon looked up in surprise.

"They know about the Spirit Chips, too! Now what are we going to do?" BlackWidowmon complained.

Jestermon watched the Digidestined disappear from sight with a twisted smile on his face and shrugged. "You worry too much, you know that?" he said, grinning at his companion. "We'll figure something out eventually, but in the meantime let the games begin!"

Ryoko Ishida

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Ryoko Ishida stood on the sidewalk in front of the Motomiya residence with his friends and glanced anxiously over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. He was still in shock over the news about his parents, but that was nothing compared to the amount of fear he felt at the thought of how they would react when they finally found out the truth.

My parents are never going to trust me again after this. I wish I had known they were Digidestined a long time ago. If I had, I wouldn't have hesitated to tell them my secret. In fact, I would have said something to them after my first trip to the Digital World. Why have they kept silent all these years?

He felt a sudden stab of pain in his heart and gazed at his feet. His parents had been lying to him ever since the day he was born, and now he did not know what to think anymore. He loved his mom and dad, but they had hurt him, and he did not know if he was going to be able to forgive them after everything he had been through.

Our parents should have been helping us, but instead we've had to face Vampiramon and her buddies all alone...

"Well? Aren't we going to go inside? We can't stand out here forever, you know," Takara sighed.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm going to see Davis again! It has been a long time since I've been in the human world!" DemiVeemon said, sticking his head out of Dai's backpack and gazing eagerly around at the landscape.

"Will you keep your voice down?" Dai groaned. "And I thought DemiEmbermon was bad!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I haven't been this excited in years!"

"Hey, DemiVeemon, I bet Davis is going to be really happy to see you again," DemiEmbermon piped up. The little digimon was huddled next to DemiVeemon in Dai's backpack, and there was a big smile on his face.

"Can we come out now?" Goldmon whispered from Matty's backpack.

"No, you guys had better keep quiet and stay out of sight until we've had a chance to talk to our parents," Matty replied. "In the end, I suppose it doesn't really matter either way, but I still think we should let them get used to the fact that their kids are Digidestined before they have to deal with digimon being in the human world again."

"Do you guys still think we should tell them?" Sam whispered, his dark blue eyes sparkling with tears. "They lied to us. How are we supposed to be able to trust them again?"

Ryoko gently wrapped his arm around his raven haired friend and sighed. "Daichi's right. We don't have a choice anymore. The Digital World is counting on us, and our parents are the only ones who can help us find the crests."

"Come on, guys. Let's get inside before our parents start to wonder where we are," Dai said after a brief moment of silence.

Ryoko followed the others up the driveway, and they crept quietly towards the house. He felt an overwhelming desire to run as far away from his parents as possible, but instead he clenched his hands into fists and held his ground.

I will find out why they lied to me, no matter what...

"Dai, stop staring at the door and open it already!" Matty urged. "You're starting to make me nervous!"

Dai took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Alright, are you guys ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Mickey replied, trying to smile and failing miserably.

Dai cautiously opened the door, and they were immediately assaulted by the youngest member of the Kido family. "Dai!" Ema shrieked, grabbing her cousin's arm and dragging him into the house. "You skipped your soccer practice, and you know it! You're going to be in so much trouble when your parents find out!"

Ryoko rolled his eyes and followed the others into the kitchen. Dai had told him about Ema's suspicions earlier, and he had been living with a guilty conscience ever since. Technically he was part of the reason why Ema had accused Dai of skipping soccer practice in the first place because he had been absent from Taysuke's game.

Ema knows the truth even if she doesn't actually realize it yet. I wonder what she'll think of the Digital World? I guess it doesn't really matter anymore whether or not she knows Dai skipped practice. She's going to find out about the Digital World eventually, and so are Noah and the others. How can we stop them from discovering the truth when we're going to be telling our parents everything in a matter of minutes? It's not like we can kick them out of the house or anything!

"Ema, will you shut up?" Dai hissed, glancing anxiously towards the living room.

Ryoko's heart leaped into his throat, and he swallowed hard. He could hear voices coming from the living room, and it did not take a genius to figure out who they belonged to.

I know we have to tell our parents about the Digital World, but that doesn't mean I want Ema to be the one who gives us away!

"Daichi, do something," he whispered in the goggle headed leader's ear.

Dai pulled his younger cousin as far away from the kitchen door as possible and gave her a dirty look. "Are you still going on about that? When are you finally going to give it up?"

Ema was about to reply when Noah, Ami, and Miya suddenly burst into the room and halted at the sight of Dai and his female cousin glaring daggers at each other. Taysuke, Kenzo, Taniko, Nao and Rina were right on the older kids' heels, and they too stopped at the look of anger on Dai's face.

"Ema, will you keep your mouth shut before our parents come running in here and demand to know what's going on?" Ami snapped.

"Ryoko, you're here!" Rina squealed, scrambling forward and throwing her arms around him. "Aunt Mimi told me she's going to have another baby. You must be really excited. I know I am."

Ryoko smiled softly at his little cousin and gently lifted her into his arms. He rested his cheek against her chestnut hair and hugged her tightly. "Yes, I am," he replied, kissing her cheek. "I've always wanted to be a big brother."

Rina snuggled against his chest and nodded. "I know, and I've always wanted another cousin. Hey, Ryoko? You and Tay have always been like brothers to me. It's like I have four brothers instead of just two, and Kara's like my big sister."

"I'm glad you think so," he replied, giving her a fond smile. He had almost forgotten about his new sibling, but Rina's words made him remember how happy he had been before meeting Veemon and the others in the Digital World, and the ice around his heart melted a little. Maybe he would be able to forgive his parents after all.

"Congratulations, Ryoko. You're a lucky kid," Noah said, giving him a warm smile. "I hope you don't end up with a sister like Ema!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Ema shouted.

Ryoko laughed and smiled shyly at the older boy. "Thanks, Noah," he mumbled, feeling extremely embarrassed. He was not used to being the centre of attention when it came to his friends, and it made him feel slightly nervous. Unlike his parents, he did not enjoy being in the spotlight and had absolutely no desire to be famous. The media followed him around enough already, and they were constantly taking his picture. It drove him nuts and made him wish his parents had never been famous either.

"Oh, Ryoko, I'm so happy for you!" Ami giggled, scrambling forward and throwing her arms around him, nearly crushing Rina.

Ryoko felt his cheeks turn red, and he buried his face in the older girl's short, dark hair. He had always thought Ami was really pretty, but he would die before he would ever admit it to anyone, especially Dai. "Thanks, Ami," he replied, giving her a hesitant smile.

"I hope it's a boy," Taysuke said cheerfully.

"No way!" Taniko sniffed. "We need another girl to even the odds a bit."

Miya glanced at Ami and started to giggle. "I don't think Ami cares either way as long as she has an excuse to hug-"

"Shut up, Miya!" Ami shouted, blushing furiously.

Ryoko glanced between the two of them and frowned. Girls are really confusing. Well, except Kara. She couldn't be any more obvious, but Dai still doesn't have a clue! I wonder what it's going to take to make him realize how much Kara likes him...

"Sam, what's wrong?" Nao suddenly cried.

Ryoko turned towards his raven haired friend and sighed. Sam had collapsed into a chair at the table, and his face was buried in his hands. His shoulders were trembling, and he looked like he was going to burst into tears again at any moment. Maybe he already had.

Poor Sam. I wish we could help him, but I think this is something he has to deal with on his own. Hopefully our support will be enough to make him realize what a great person he is. He'll never be another Emperor. I know it, and all the evil digimon in the Digiworld aren't going to be enough to convince me otherwise.

"Sam, are you okay?" Nao asked, his dark blue eyes growing wide with terror.

Sam shook his head and did not reply.

Miya sat down next to her eldest brother and gently wrapped her arms around him. "Come on, Sam. We want to help. You know you can tell us anything."

"Please?" Nao whispered, leaning forward and burying his face against Sam's shoulder.

"You can't help me," Sam replied, his words lacking any emotion. His face was completely void of expression, and he seemed dull and lifeless. It was almost as if he had given up and was ready to become the next Digimon Emperor if that was indeed the path fate had chosen for him.

"Sam, what am I going to have to say to make you finally believe me?" Mickey sighed, looking troubled.

Sam refused to reply. Apparently the raven haired Digidestined did not feel like talking to anyone at the moment and was content to be alone with his miserable thoughts.

"Dai, you'd better tell me why you skipped soccer practice, right now!" Ema shouted, abruptly changing the subject.

Miya glared at the younger girl and patted Sam's back. "Honestly, Ema, could you be any more of an insensitive jerk?"

"I know you skipped practice!" Ema said angrily, ignoring Miya and glaring fiercely at Dai. "Don't try to deny it! Both Noah and Taysuke said you did, and I'll believe them over you!"

Dai's mouth fell open in shock, and he turned to look at Noah. "You promised you wouldn't tell," the goggle headed leader said quietly, his dark eyes sparkling with sudden hurt.

"I knew it!" Ema cried triumphantly.

"You're not nice at all, Ema!" Rina shouted.

Noah slowly came forward and put a hand on Dai's arm. "I'm really sorry, Dai," he said softly, his cheeks turning red with guilt. "I never meant to say anything. It just sort of slipped out when Tay mentioned something about you skipping soccer practice. I hadn't realized he had gotten so close to the truth, and I blurted your secret out without thinking. I hope you'll be able to forgive me. I was shocked by how much he knew, and I spoke without even realizing what I was saying."

Dai shrugged and finally nodded. "Alright, I forgive you," the goggle headed leader said slowly. "I know you would never give away any of my secrets on purpose."

"Thanks," Noah replied, looking a little relieved.

Ryoko set Rina on the ground and glared angrily at Dai. "You never once mentioned anything about Noah to us! Why didn't you tell us you told him the truth about your soccer practice?"

"I thought you trusted us!" Matty said, sounding very disappointed. "Thanks for being honest, Dai!"

Dai blushed and stared at his hands. "I was going to tell all of you about Noah, but I forgot. News flash, guys, I've had more important things to worry about over the past week, if you know what I mean!"

"True," Takara said thoughtfully. "Don't worry, Dai, we're not mad. Just ignore Ryoko. Hey, Ema? You mentioned Tay earlier, as well. What was that all about?"

Taysuke shuffled his feet and avoided Takara's eyes. "It was easy to figure out the rest of the story after you told me you and Ryoko had never been to Dai's practice. I realized Dai must have skipped his practice, as well, and I accidentally said something in front of the others without meaning to. I hope you're not mad. I know you were expecting me to keep your secret, and I totally blew it."

"None of you were at Dai's practice," Kenzo said simply. "That includes Sam and the twins."

"You're right, Kenzo." Takara placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder and sighed. "Don't worry about it, Tay. It doesn't really matter anymore whether Ema and the others know or not."

"Why not?" Taysuke asked, frowning in confusion.

Takara glanced towards the living room and winced. "You'll see."

Ryoko was about to tell her not to be so obvious when his father and Davis suddenly walked through the very door that Kara had been staring at only seconds before. The words died in his throat, and he quickly backed as far away from his father as the room would allow. His heart was pounding with fear, and he felt sick to his stomach. All he wanted to do was run away from his dad as fast as possible, but he knew that was not an option. His parents had lied to him by pretending the Digital World did not exist, and he was not going to sink to the same level.

They lied to me, but they're still my parents, and I love them. What am I going to do? They're going to be so disappointed in me...

"Hey, Dad. Hey, Davis," he managed to say, giving them a false smile.

"Where have you been?" his father snapped.

Ryoko blinked in surprise and bit his lip. "I...I've been hanging out with my friends, remember?" he faltered.

"Well, you're late," his father said coldly. "Noriko wanted to start supper an hour ago, but she couldn't because she had no idea how long it would take for you guys to get here. Hopefully all of you will be a bit more responsible in the future, but considering what has been going on lately, I highly doubt it!"

Ryoko's mouth fell open, and he stared at his father in shock. His dad had never acted so cold towards him before, and the sudden change in his father's attitude left him speechless. He glanced at the others and realized they too were staring at his dad in astonishment.

What's wrong with him? He can't know I'm a Digidestined already...can he?

Ryoko's eyes filled with sudden tears, and he quickly looked at the floor. "You never told me I had to be here at a certain time," he mumbled.

His father's eyebrows narrowed into an angry frown. "I didn't ask you to talk back to me either!"

"Matt, calm down," Davis said quietly, placing a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "Why don't you let Tai and I do the talking? Isn't that what all of us agreed to earlier?"

Ryoko's heart sank, and he slowly looked up at Davis. "What's going on?"

"Ryoko, why don't you and the others come into the living room, and I'll explain everything," the former Digidestined leader said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

Ryoko let out a gasp, and he found himself clutching Dai's shirt. He buried his face against the goggle headed leader's shoulder without thinking and shivered. He could feel his dad's icy, blue eyes on the back of his head, and it made him want to burst into tears.

"Don't worry, Ishida, we've got your back," Dai said softly in his ear.

"Thanks," he whispered back. He felt Ami's arms go around his waist, and he turned to look at her in surprise.

"I don't know what's going on, Ryoko, but I have a feeling everything's going to be okay," she said seriously. "Don't give up yet. You know Dai won't."

Davis suddenly laughed and shook his head. "Ryoko, I don't know what it is about you, but you seemed to have cast some sort of a spell over my kids! I never realized you had such a hold over them. Imagine that. If Tai knew about this..."

Ryoko smiled sadly at the former Digidestined leader and pulled away from the Motomiya siblings. If only I could believe that as much as you do, Davis...

"Dad!" Ami squealed, her dark eyes growing wide with horror. "Why do you have to embarrass me all the time?"

"What do you mean you?" Dai asked suspiciously.

Ami blushed and avoided her brother's eyes. "Nothing," she mumbled.

"Sorry, Dai, but you know I'm right!" Davis laughed.

"No way!" Dai shouted, his face turning bright red. The goggle headed leader took off his backpack and threw it onto the table, but unfortunately it was still partially open, and Ryoko watched in horror as DemiEmbermon popped out of the opening in the bag and flew straight into Davis' hands.

"Look!" Miya shrieked, her eyes growing wide with fear. "What is that thing!"

Dai, you idiot! This wasn't how things were supposed to go!

"Uh oh..." Dai managed to say.

"Hi, Dai's dad!" DemiEmbermon said cheerfully, gazing up at Davis with a happy smile on his face.

Davis took one look at the little digimon in his arms and slowly sagged against the wall. "Matt," the former Digidestined leader said weakly, "you'd better tell Tai and the others to get in here."